The day of medical leave wasn’t as refreshing as Nexus thought it would have been. No pony was allowed to see him whilst he was under observation and studied closely. Midnight Spangle had come in late at night to help Nexus repair his legs and replace his wings; it wasn’t until the next day that Nexus was able to leave on his own accord. He walked with a dark red unicorn with fiery yellow mane. His cutie mark was, for whatever reason, as a burning musical note. He was dressed in the Celestian Guard Dress Uniform.

“You sure you don’t want me walking on your right?” the soldier asked.

“You’re fine Brand Fire.” Nexus said looking over to him. “I’m not blind in this eye, the medics just say keep it under wraps until we’re sure there’s no damage left behind.”

“So he can heal any wound after death, but can’t grow back your legs?” Firebrand asked looking down at his robotic legs.

Nexus chuckled. “It only brings dead tissue back to life. And it can bring any nonliving tissue attached to the body come to life as well.”

“So if a rock was laying on you, it would have come to life and shout happy birthday?”

The two soldiers laughed and continued walking.

“It’s nice to know that the real you isn’t out to kill me.”

“The night’s still young.”

“Shut it old man.”

“So, you going to market the spell, make everypony with a Lunarus Corp. leg feel again?”

“No, I can’t. It only works if the wearer is dead. I don’t think that would roll over too well.”

“Be a good slogan. “Lunarus Corp. Prosthetic legs! So real, they’re to die for!”

“You’re insane.” Nexus said with a smile.

“I know, isn’t it great!?”

“To most I’m sure. So, Captain, how’s the new promotion treating you?”

“Captain of the Guard is pretty laid back, so long as high ranking officers aren’t being choke to death in the middle of the night.”

“Shut up.”

“So, what now? Sombra’s still out there. It is your jurisdiction.”

“Under control. Sergeant E is working on tracking him down.”

“The same guy that killed you is now working for you… Tell me that doesn’t sound like a bad idea.”

“Says the pony that was kidnapped by a bunch of bugs while going to a strip club.”

“Hey! I didn’t see that that mare had fangs until I was already out the doors!”

“Sure you didn’t. Ephialtes will be working on that case and I’ll be heading back to my job as Captain of the Guard.”

“And that would be…?”

“Paperwork and personally guarding Princess Luna.”

“Oh! Well that sounds like fun!” he said with a raunchy smile.

“Is your mind anywhere but the gutter, Brand Fire?”

“I was kidnapped outside the only strip club in Canterlot, what do you think?”

“Look, it was nice catching up with you Brand Fire, but I need to check on Sergeant Ephialtes and Sergeant Hestaria.”

“You do that. I have an office to finish renovating.”

Nexus shrugged and continued down the corridor as Commander Brand Fire teleported back to his office in a column of fire. (never understood his fetish with that) He was a floor below his and Luna’s rooms in the Tower of the Moon. He pulled his string with Luna and got Ephialtes and Hestaria a room in the tower, saying it would help them get more work done tracking Sombra down. Luna probably would have agreed without that part, but it didn’t hurt. Nexus could hear muffled orchestra music as he approached the door.

“Hey,” Nexus said opening the door. “How are you two-”

Nexus stopped when he saw Hestaria laying across their couch with her nether regions covered by thin white sheets and a mango in her teeth. Ephialtes sat in front of a canvas with a pencil hovering next to him looking as though he had been caught steeling.

“I’ll…just leave you to drawl her like one of your French girls.” Nexus said leaving, his face redder then the twilight sky.

He shook his head and trudged back up to his room. The door opened on its own and A.L.I.S. came on over his intercom.

"“Welcome home, Commander Nexus. I trust your recovery is going well?”"

“I’ll be set in a few months. Just shut everything down and open the sky light. I want to sleep under the stars tonight.”

“As you wish, Commander Nexus. How would you like the temperature?”

“Outside. I want it to be cold in here.”

Nexus climbed the stairs and climbed into the king sized bed with navy blue sheets. He slid under the sheets and watched as the skylight opened. Nexus sighed as he looked through his good eye into the cascading wall of stars. The moon was hanging to the east, towards the head of the bed. He put his hoofs down to his sides and dug his head in his into his pillow. His ears folded to his head as he began drifting from the physical world into his subconscious.

In the shadows, an unseen observer walked into the room and waited at the edge of the shadow created by the skylight. The figure opened her wings and gently hovered over Nexus as he slept. The figure landed just on top of Nexus and gently laid itself down on his chest. Nexus didn’t budge, his ears didn’t even move.

The figure giggled and opened its right wing. It leaned in lightly and started flicking the last feather on its wing on Nexus’ nose. Nexus cringed lightly and his nose twitched as the giggling from the figure grew more prominent. Nexus grunted in annoyance and tried slapping whatever was on his nose away, only to hit himself. He let out a low ‘ow’ and opened his good eye. The silhouette above him was unmistakable to him.

“If it were anypony else did that I would have filled them with voltage by now, Dust.” Nexus said smiling at the figure laying on top of him.

“That’s for not coming to see me after you were released.” Dust Storm told him pulling her wing back.

“What do I get for being with you now?”

“This.”

Dust leaned forward and placed her lips to his. Nexus let out a sigh as he put his forelegs around her. Dust nearly shot back from the feeling.

“Lunar, they’re warm.”

“I know.”

“How?”

“I honestly would need a day to explain. But I know you’ll never feel that chill ever again.”

“But…never mind, what matters is I have you back. I love you Lunarus.”

“You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that Dust.”

“What do you mean?” she said sitting up straight.

“It’s just, sometimes, I look at these, things, and feel as though I’m, somehow, less of a man because of them.”

Dust smiled and leaned back down to Nexus. “Then let me show you how much of a man you really are.”

“I love you Dust.”

“I love you too Lunar.”

Dust kissed Nexus deeply again and slid under the sheets with him.

The moon rose high over Equestria as another long night set in across the land. Nexus was home and Ephialtes was acquitted. But the fight isn’t over yet. Deep in the mountains to the far east, Ephialtes’ doppelganger hides in the shadows; growing stronger with each passing day. Nexus and Ephialtes alone couldn’t kill him; and now that he grows stronger, what is to become of the world?