Author's Notes:

Me: Musical numbers! I'm not a fan and I still put them in!
Nexus: And a song that you wouldn't be able to use to it's extent if you didn't put it in.
Me: I recommend you listen as that part comes up.
Nexus: Can I say it now?
Me: Go ahead.
Nexus: I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M A DADDY! YAHOO!!!!!!
Me: Dust is right, you are a teddy bear.
Nexus: Sue me.
Me: Physically impossible. Anyways, I have a few plugs for all of you. Nexus has a Tumblr for himself and all of his friends, including a not yet shown member of the Nexus family. Though she might be too young to answer much of anything.
Nexus: Speaking of asking, the NLR Tumblr page is up. You can ask the officers anything. That means me, Aegis, Striker and Lolk.
Me: Check all of that out, that's for reading and I hope you enjoy the rest sappy ending I've cooked up.

As promised, Nexus came back a few hours after dusk. Dust greeted him with a warm kiss Nexus gave Astral another raspberry. He loved hearing Astral giggling. Dust only laughed at Nexus for being such a softy before they agreed to put him to bed. She told Nexus that while he was out, Ephialtes and Hestaria had helped her move the the crib and all of the necessities for raising a little foal. She forced him to change Astral's dipper before putting him down for bed in their room.

Dust dressed him in a black onesie covered in white crescent moons all over it. The little colt yawned and snuggled up to a little Luna plushy. Nexus smiled and kissed his head gently. Dust once again giggled at Nexus and sat back to watch what he'd do next. Astral's eyes wouldn't shut, he kept staring up at his daddy as if he were waiting on something.

"It's late shouldn't he be tired?" Nexus asked.

"He needs to be coaxed into sleeping. He slept the whole time you were gone and woke up when he needed his dipper changed." Dust said.

Astral cooed as Nexus tried to figure out what he could do. He sighed knowing the only way he knew he could settle Astral down. He tapped his hoof for a beat and began humming the opening bars of White Dove. His voice wasn't as perfect as Goldenchord when it came to singing but he could hold up the song. He sang it much more subdued in comparison to help Astral relax. Astral kept looking at his father as Nexus sang. Slowly but surely, Astral's eyes started getting heavy. He yawned again and snuggled up closer to his plushy as he drifted off at the last line.

Dust hugged Nexus from behind and kissed his cheek. "I didn't know you could sing." She whispered.

"Call it good genes." Nexus whispered back.

Nexus undid his tie and tossed his jacket to the floor. Dust helped him out of his dress shirt and helped it meet the same fate as his jacket. The carefully climbed into their king sized bed and pulled one another close.

"I've missed this." Dust said with a sigh.

"Me too. I love having your warm body next to mine. I love you Dusty." Nexus said giving her a deep kiss.

"I love you too Lunar." she said nuzzling her head under his chin. Nexus inhaled her perfume and drifted off to a sleep he'd been waiting for for more than eight months.

Just as he thought he would, he came into focus next to Goldenchord. He stood on the wall of the Everfree Castle with five other ponies. One dark red unicorn, two gray bat ponies (one mare with yellow eyes and the other a stallion with red eyes) and two earth ponies, one black the other white. Nexus looked to the sky and noticed something odd. The sun was completely eclipsed. A sudden rumble came from the main castle and blue streaks of light flew from the roof of the main building.

"What are we waiting for General?" The white earth pony stallion said anxiously with a black tear drop cutie mark with a white dot in it. "I'm itching to end this."

"Calm your brother Yin." Goldenchord said looking back.

"Yang has a point, Sir." black earth pony mare said. "This is the time to wipe out Celestia's forces."

"That is why we're here right?" the unicorn asked.

Goldenchord looked down at the ground with a sigh. "Lunar?" one of the pegasus asked.

"This isn't an invasion." Goldenchord said turning around. "This is our surrender."

"Surrender!?" Yang shouted in anger.

"Before you all think me insane, hear me out."

"Traitor!" the other bat pony said in anger.

"Have you seen what both sides have caused?!" Goldenchord said angrily. "We've decimated cities and ruined towns beyond repair. Our cause has faded with the years and so has the Princess we serve."

"What do you mean?" Yin asked.

"Luna… doesn’t' seem to be the same as she once was. It isn't the stress of war, I can feel something's dreadfully wrong with her."

"So what are we suppose to do? We've contributed to most of this war effort." the red unicorn asked.

"I had audience with Celestia. In return for the end of this war, we return the Elements of Freedom to the Tree of Harmony."

"What!?" they all said in unison.

"If we give up the Elements then the Armada has no hope of rising." the yellow eyed bat pony said.

"There will not be a rising up of the Armada."

"You said we never stop fighting General; no matter what." Yin said.

"I know what I said, but if we keep fighting, there won't be an Equestria to fight for. As an order, my last order, give me your Elements and hide as far from Canterlot as you can."

"Why are we hiding? We should go down fighting!"

"This is an order soldier. I don't like it any more then you do. But if this war goes any further, both Princess will be dead and the war will never end."

"You traitor, what kind of deal did you make with Sun-Butt? How are you letting her kill Luna!?" the unicorn said in anger

Goldenchord spun around and kicked him in the right jaw.

"Never assume I would have Luna killed. You know as well as I that I wouldn't have the heart to do that to her." Goldenchord pulled a wooden box from his saddle bags. "If you stay behind with me, you will all die. I have agreed to stand trial and take my punishment. Just do me this one favor and stay safe."

With great reluctance, and to everypony's surprise, Yang was the first to give up his element. His sister not far behind. The bat ponies were next. the two seemed to be related as well. The last to hand over his element, was the red unicorn.

"I hope you know what you're doing Lunarus." he said/

"So do I Shadow. Stay safe my friend." Goldenchord said putting a hoof on his shoulder.

Shadow gave him a stern punch to the gut before backing up with the rest of the former elements. "That's for kicking me, your highness."

Goldenchord straitened up and shrugged off the punch. "Don't call me that. I'm sorry everypony. Now go, there isn't much time."

The five turned to the wall and exited in their own way. The bat ponies helped the earth ponies down to the ground. Before the unicorn teleported away, he looked back to Goldenchord.

"Stay alive Lunarus. The Armada might be gone, but Celestia's going to love having you as a thorn in her flank."

Goldenchord chucked and nodded to his friend. "Same to you Shadow Rose. Go south. The Haystead Swamps might suit you."

Shadow Rose nodded back and teleported in a bright purple flash. There was a sudden scream as Celestia fell. Even from the distance Goldenchord was at, he could hear Nightmare Moon laugh in victory.

'Come on Tia. Goldenchord thought to himself. 'I know you don't want to, but you have to use them. you have to do it for her own good.'

There was a sudden flash as an orb from the main building flew up to meet Nightmare Moon. Nightmare moon fired a dark blue beam at the orb that held Celestia and she fired a rainbow bean of light. He watched, ridged as a statue as the rainbow bean bushes back Nightmare Moon's beam. Then in the blink of an eye, the beam meets her and she's launched in a rainbow comet towards the eclipsed moon. With a flash of light, a constellation of craters appeared in the vague likeness of Nightmare Moon. The orb floated down to the ground. Goldenchord looked down with tears streaming from his eyes.

His horn flashed and everything but him fell still. "Why didn't you end it sooner?" Nexus asked.

"I… I had to see it again. It was the last time I saw her."

"Not for long." Nexus' horn glowed and an orb over took both of them as it passed through Nexus, his mechanical wings vanished and his metal legs returned to their former, organic forms.

The ground turned from solid stone to long flowing grass. The eclipse turned to a beautiful full moon. Goldenchord knew this place but wasn't sure of what they were doing here.

"What are you doing Senator? This is-"

"The world between between consciousness and subconscious. Our link to the dreams of others."

"This is not a place I want to be. I have had many battles here that I do not wish upon anypony else."

"I know. I've had a few myself."

"Luna trusts you to fight those demons? Those-"

"That look upon those that travel in its realm, will likely lose themselves to their horror. I know, she warned me. But those that have faced true evil in all of its horrifying glory without hesitation, can face them. For their will unbreakable."

"You really have been reading my log. I'm impressed. But what does this have to do with anything?"

"Come here." Nexus said peering over a nearby cliff.

Goldenchord stepped over to his decedent's side and looked over a massive expanse of trees stretching all for miles until vanishing under a veil of darkness. Goldenchord is speechless.

"I don't believe it. The barrier… It's-"

"Sombra. His imprisonment, a large chunk of the world's evil has gone. But this is only the tip of the iceberg General."

"Lead the way Commandant." Goldenchord said, now doubting what Nexus was doing.

Nexus took a step forward and his front right hoof being held up by a gentle glow of moon light from the cliff.

"Well come on." Nexus said as he started up a stair way appearing as he went.

Goldenchord hesitantly followed as the stairs seemed to be leading up to the moon; and it was actually coming closer. As they got closer, the muted sound of a piano could be heard from an old record player. Eventually, they actually reached the moon and stood in front of it.

"What are we doing here? What is this?" "Goldenchord asked.

"You know that the forest holds the doors to the dreams of everypony on this planet right?" Nexus asked.

"Yeah, I followed Luna through many of them."

"This is one as well, one that I've been unable to enter alone."

"Why? Who's is it?"

"Luna's. She's build several barriers to keep ponies out. I haven't even gotten past the first layer."

"How many are there?"

"I don't know. But I do know that I'm sure you'll be able to through them."

"What makes you think I can?"

"You'll see."

Nexus walked through the moon. Goldenchord was hesitant but followed shortly after. Past the moon, everything was replaced by a simple stone box with a single inscription on raised letters.

High over head, a winged angel saves her people from dread. And her love is a radiant light to guide her subjects to a new day.

Goldenchord knit his brow in confusion as Nexus stood waiting for him. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"You should understand it." Nexus started walking around the room slowly as he spoke. "You said that you took inspiration from Luna to create your songs right?"

"Yes…"

"If I'm remembering correctly, she said she created the patterns of the stars from your songs. Maybe she took a little more inspiration from your songs then you think." Goldenchord raise an eye brow to Nexus as he continued to walk. "I've seen her open this door before. She hummed the bars of a song you sang a long time ago."

Goldenchord looked to the ground and searched his thoughts. He sat down and rubbed his chin in confusion.

"Guess a thousand years of being a griffon's made your memory shady." Nexus groaned. He then whistled the opening bars to White Dove.

Goldenchord instantly caught on. "My apologies, I haven't sung for a very long time." He cleared his throat and began from the last chorus. " Drag us from this darkened daze, sing for our faith now has a place. Bring us the breeze so we may fly, show us the way with thy radiant light. Carry us away oh white dove in the sky. Oh White Dove in the sky."

The words flashed sliver as Goldenchord finished. The wall split down the middle and slowly slid apart. On the other side, another room of the same size. The two walked in, this time Nexus took a seat next to the door. It read-

From the fire of war, does the great eagle soar. But the down fall of its culture, its place is taken by a vulture.

"This one I could never figure out. Even after looking through your memories I can't figure this one out."

"I know it. I couldn't forget this one. (End of Me: By Ashes Remain) Black and white melt into gray, till every truth is stripped away. Where nothing's wrong nothing's okay, everyone has been betrayed."

The words flashed just like previous door and the door rose up into the ceiling.

"Where's that from?"

"A war march." Goldenchord said with a somber tone. "It was something Luna helped me write just after the war started."

"Let's hope this is the last one." Nexus says hopefully.

Nexus lead Goldenchord into what he was hoping was the last room.

Though mysterious and dark, the night shows its true beauty to those pure at heart. Many think it is damnation, but its moon light will guide those faithful to salvation.

Goldenchord didn't even have to think about it this time. He took a deep breath and started. (Song of the Night: By MandoPony) "Luna, won't you guide me home? Luna, won't you calm my fears? Princess, alone I pray to you, Princess, I don't know what to do.

"Won't you tell me how to break this spell? The darkness ever present in my mind? Are the shadows alive, I can't tell. Are there puzzle pieces I am meant to find? Never felt so helpless, nor so trapped. I can't escape, I'm drowning. Until I look up in the sky enraptured, for you have found me.

"And this night I know I am by your side. And this night I know I don't have to hide. Luna, you have guided me home. Luna, you have calmed my fears. Princess, I give my thanks to you. Princess, I give my thanks to you. To you…"

The whole room turned white as they both evaporated into the light. The piano music was now clear but distant. As the light faded, a woman could be heard singing a gentle ballad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJwVFOl67vw

The two leaders were standing in the old ruins of the Everfree Castle, before the renovation. It was odd, the whole thing looked like it had just happened.

"I don't understand, why would she return here?" Goldenchord asked looking around.

"Follow the piano and I guess we'll find out." Nexus said tweaking an ear to the music.

They started down a hall to the right. The music shifted occasionally between close or far. But they remained on their coarse; up stairs and through crumbling corridors. Goldenchord lead more so then Nexus but he kept a good pace. They were hardly there for more than a minute before the piano music became perfectly clear. They rounded a corner and found Luna alone on a balcony at the opposite end of the castle's ballroom, or what was left of it.

Goldenchord was suddenly ridged seeing Luna again. Her smooth voice carried across the castle and resonated inside of its hollow walls. Goldenchord's gaze went soft and he smiled with genuine joy hearing her voice again.

"Well?" Nexus whispered as lightly as he could. "Go on Romeo."

Goldenchord looked nervous but harmonized at the second chorus. Luna quickly turned after she noticed the sudden addition to her song. Nexus vanished into the rafters as the two stared at one another.

"L-Lunarus?" Luna asked. Goldenchord was far too nervous to say anything. Luna slowly approached him with her eyes misting. "Is it really you?"

"It is." Goldenchord said with a shaky voice. "I… I'm sorry for-"

Luna quickly wrapped her forelegs around him and held him close. "I know. I am sorry as well."

Luna pulled back from Goldenchord to look him in the eyes. "What do you-"

"I know what you did. I am proud of you Lunarus. You did the right thing. you have no need for apologies. I am just happy to have you back."

Luna pulled him back into another tight hug. Goldenchord broke down and wrapped his forelegs around her as well. The two sobbed in each other's arms for a few moments. After a few words about how much they've missed the other, the two pulled back slightly and kissed deeply.

Nexus rolled his eyes and formed his mechanical wings again. "And that's the sappy ending. T-T-T-T-That's all folks!" Nexus said finally spreading his mechanized wings and flew off through the open ceiling.