//------------------------------// // Epilogue // Story: A New Beginning in a New Land // by REDACTED99999 //------------------------------// Jax exited his house to meet up with Applejack at their designated spot. They had started running in the mornings together - at least when he didn’t stay at the castle - so Jax could get in shape. He looked back at his home for the past couple of months. Nightmare Night had come and gone, but he had yet to take down the rest of the decorations. To be honest, it was quite hard to do since they had done so much for it. Luna had brought in a shitton of cardboard, and they had made the entire house into a monster with it. The eyes and most of the body was gone, but somehow the ears survived and were still taped to the roof of the home, covered in snow. They might have used too much tape. Where did she get it all anyway? Jax shrugged and went on, only to stop to enjoy the sunrise. There weren’t many clouds out, but the ones that were reflected the changing colours of the sky quite beautifully, from a deep red, to a mild orange, to, finally, a clear blue. Many people - or ponies rather - would miss it since they were sleeping at this hour, especially since it was in the middle of winter and snow had covered everything, but Jax had been up for a couple of hours at this point. Luna would return home soon, tired after working an entire night, and he wanted to be there to give her a goodnight kiss, so he hurried on. He adjusted his warm cloak so that it kept a bit more of the chilly air out. It really was getting cold. “Hey Applejack.” He greeted when he saw the orange mare. “Another cold day.” He added as he took off the cloak, supressing a curse. It just wasn’t very practical to run with, and quickly became too warm. He draped it over a nearby branch of an apple tree. “Heya there, sugarcube. Sure is, but nothin’ a little run ‘round the orchard won’t fix.” Jax nodded at her answer and started stretching. “Alright, let’s go.” He said and they ran out on the usual path. “Anything new since yesterday?” “Nah, not much. Pinkie is busy in Canterlot, since the celebration is tonight. She’s real excited about it. Remember that we’re still meetin’ at the train station, so try to be there in good time.” Jax concentrated on his breathing, but managed to nod. It was nothing new that Pinkie had spent a lot of time up there. He met her on regular basis when he was staying at the castle every other week. The Winter Moon celebration was in good hooves with her helping with the preparations, and he was looking forward to it. “Oh, actually something did happen yesterday.” She corrected herself. “Nightmare… Nightie tried to manipulate me into becoming friends.” “What? How does one manipulate someone into being friends?” Jax asked, a bit perplexed. “Well, it was mighty odd. First she tried to blackmail me, then she tried to guilt me by doin’ a little work. Apparently Twilight asked her to befriend somepony an’ she didn’t know how.” “Well that’s… interesting. I’ll talk with her about it if I meet her today.” Applejack grunted, “No need. Twilight already had a stern talking with her, an’ she came back ta apologize.” “Oh, good. And you accepted?” “Of course, sugarcube. I ain’t about to turn down a well-meanin’ apology. She’ll learn how to make friends soon enough, with Twilght an’ us helping her. At least Sombra - ah, excuse me, Ah meant Shadow Gem - at least he’s doin’ well on that front. Well, he didn’t get a stern talkin’ to, so well enough. Jax chuckled. Of course she would accept an apology. Applejack and the rest of the girls were crazy forgiving. Which was a good thing, it made him feel like everything was going to be alright. He was a bit worried that Nightie hadn’t dropped her habit of trying to manipulate ponies even after months, but maybe that was understandable. She just needed some more time to learn. Sombra - or Shadow Gem as he wanted to be called now - was doing better, but he still wasn’t making much headway with friendship. It seemed like ponies were apprehensive of him because of his past. “What about you? Still meetin’ with Rarity today?” Applejack asked. “Yeup. She sure likes her spa visits.” Some time ago, Jax had finally gone on a spa visit with her, which was long overdo since they had agreed to go about the time Jax came to Ponyville. In any case, they sometimes met up and went to the spa to relax, sometimes Fluttershy would come too. It was nice. Rarity was a good pony, and Jax owed her quite a bit for all the kindness she had shown him, so he usually took care of the bill, even though it sometimes turned into a fight over who would pay. “Well it’s good to relax in the spa. It’s a nice place.” “Well Ah’m happy for ya. You wanna gallop for a bit? I know you’re itchin’ to get back to Luna.” “Yeah, let’s sprint to that tree over there.” He agreed. *** Jax returned home breathing hard. He was sweating and in need of a shower. He carefully hung his cloak, took off his shoes and went straight for the showers. At least until he noticed that the door to his bedroom was closed. Luna was here. He carefully opened the door to see a dark figure on the bed. “You asleep?” He asked. The blinds were closed and it was fairly dark in the room. “Mmm.” Came the tired answer. Luna was always tired after she came back. They didn’t do much when she returned, at least right now in the winter where the nights were so long. “Want me to sing to you?” “Mmmm.” There was a little more life in her voice. For some reason Luna really liked his singing even though, compared to other ponies, it was far from good. “Can I take a shower first?” “Hmm.” That was a negative. “I’m really sweaty though.” He tried. He could really use a shower…. “Hmm Mmm.” Apparently she didn’t mind his smell. He sighed and moved over and into the bed. “Which song?” He inquired. “Whichever.” She finally answered in words. “Hmm… alright.” He seemed to remember a song about the moon, though he doubted he could do the song justice. Silver light She turned her face up to the starlit sky And on this night began to wonder why She knew that soon the day would come Born to be An heir of beauty and serenity Into this world she entered quietly To her surprise she was the one After he was done with the song, rather than be asleep Luna had opened one eye to look at him with a raised brow. “That was too sad.” “Oh hush.” He kissed her on her snout. “You can’t request whichever song and then complain.” She smiled up at him and closed her eye, so he snuggled down beside her and waited for her breath to steady. When they were in Canterlot Castle, he just adopted her sleeping schedule, but in Ponyville he needed some time for his friends. He didn’t have any friends in Canterlot yet, so it didn’t matter there, and he could hang out with Luna when she didn’t have anything pressing to do. When they were in Ponyville, however, she would spend the entire night at the castle, and all his friends slept at night. When he was sure she was asleep, he snuck over to grab some fresh clothes, and then left. The shower was by the bedroom, so he couldn’t shower here, since it would just wake Luna. The alternative would be Rainbow’s place, but she lived in a damn cloud. So Twilight’s it was. *** The rest of the day was spent in the company of friends. Twilight was kind enough to let him use one of the many showers, then he spent some time in the library, and ate lunch with Twilight and Spike. Some time ago Jax had mentioned that he missed eating burgers, and had explained why hayburgers were awkward for him, so Spike, as the cool drake that he was, had taken it upon himself to make a substitute. It seemed like he had finally perfected the recipe, cause the fake meat in the burgers tasted great after a couple of bites. Then he went to the spa with Rarity, enjoying a nice massage from Lotus, who had learned where all his knots were and how to deal with them. After their usual debate of who should pay, Rarity finally decided to compromise so they paid half each, which Jax agreed to after a few more good points. They couldn’t keep fighting like this every time after all. Jax was feeling pretty good as he said goodbye to Rarity and strolled down the main street of Ponyville. “Hey Jax.” A tired looking Beating Heart greeted him. He instantly changed direction towards her. “Hey Beating. Busy day?” She looked ready to drop and it wasn’t even that late. She chuckled. “Yes. Scootaloo has been flying with Rainbow Dash for the last couple of months, and sometimes she gets a little too excited about it and tries a stunt she’s not ready for. It’s been keeping us a little busy with all the check-ups we’re having. It always gets busier in winter.” “Alright, sounds… fun. You off? Wanna grab some tea? My treat.” He offered, looking towards a nearby cafe. “Definitely, but we have to be a bit fast about it. I have a nightshift as well, and I want to get at least eight hours of sleep in before then.” She answered as she looked towards the clocktower. It was nearing three. “My shift starts at midnight so we have… a little less than an hour if I need time to get home and get ready as well. Alright, let’s go.” “Okay. Why are you working yourself to the bone?” He asked as he followed her. “I can give you some bits if your short.” Beating stopped to look up at him with a surprised expression. Then she laughed. “Oh to be so young.” She said as she continued inside the café. “Think about what you’re saying Jax. You’re practically saying I can’t take care of myself. Pride may not mean much to you, but us elder ponies have garnered quite a bit of it.” She took a place in the line. “Besides, this was never about bits. To me, this job has always been about helping ponies. Even if I somehow became rich, you would still find me in Ponyville’s general hospital, working my flank off.” She gave him a smile so full of assurance that he didn’t doubt her words. She then focused on the menu hanging over the counter. “You’re not that old… are you?” He said as he tried to gauge her age. She had always seemed like she was a few years older than him, but not by much. Twenty-five tops. This got Beating chuckling again. “You should have stuck to the first part of that sentence, Jax. Lucky for you I’m not the kind of mare that cares overly much about my age so I’ll tell you: I’m thirty-one.” Jax smiled awkwardly at her. He had completely forgotten how some girls were about their age. He didn’t even know Luna’s age. “That’s not so old. Look at you, you don’t look a day over twenty.” He said as he looked through the menu. “And certainly don’t behave like it.” He added under his breath. “I heard that.” He received a playful swat on his arm. “Well, I appreciate the compliment nonetheless. Know what you want?” Jax nodded absentmindedly. He hadn’t been a big tea drinker before drinking Rarity’s tea, but he hadn’t really tried much beside that. He was going to experiment a bit and try some white tea, even though he was fairly certain it wouldn’t be to his taste. Still, how could he resist a blend called ‘Exotic Passion’? It sounded like sex in a cup. Not that he knew much about sex. Whatever, not the point. They received their drink and found a table. The café was the cosy type, with couches by the tables instead of chairs. Jax liked it, deciding he needed to stop by with Luna at some point. “So… Potions still react weirdly to you?” Beating started, blowing on her own tea. “Yep. Magic and potions seemed to have switched their effect on me.” This is something that happened when he returned from the moon back when, either before or after Lyra shoved a phial down his throat. Twilight made regular tests on him to make sure that magic still behaved normally on him. “It’s nice to not have to worry about some random unicorn using a spell on me.” He added happily. “I can understand that, especially since you spend so much time in Canterlot. That city is practically brimming with unicorns.” “Yeah, it’s a weight off my shoulders, especially after I spent some time there. I don’t think I told you this, but some time ago somepony actually used magic on me.” Beating gasped. “No… what happened?” “Well, there I was, just minding my own business together with Pinkie, looking at the waterfall they have there - it’s a pretty popular tourist location, so Pinkie thought I should check it out - when some guy just… levitates me out of the way so that his kids can run past.” Jax laughed now, but back then it had been a harrowing experience. “I almost kicked him off the ledge. Luckily Pinkie was there to give him a good talking too. I thought he was gonna make a run for it, leaving his kids behind, but his wife came back from getting ice cream, and when she heard what he did, she gave him an even bigger talking too. The guy looked ready to hide under a rock. After she was done with him, she gave me one of her ice creams - the husband didn’t deserve his - which Pinkie of course ate, but that’s okay, she deserved it. Anyway, apparently it’s super rude for unicorns to just use magic on you.” Beating nodded, paused, then laughed to herself. “Seems like quite the experience. I would say poor husband, but if you still had your weird power reacting to magic, he might have caused something quite disastrous.” She saw the expression Jax was pulling and hurried on. “But yes, it’s true, the same way it’s rude for pegasi to make headwind for no other reason than to annoy you. You won’t find many unicorns or pegasi doing either, but it’s quite annoying when they do.” “Then what’s rude for earthponies to do?” Jax asked, taking a sip of his tea. It wasn’t bad. Not exactly sex in his mouth, he ventured, but still good. Above water, under Rarity’s blend. Beating shrugged. “Stand in the way, I guess. Buck somepony, but that’s a bit beyond rude.” They both smiled. “Make a garden on your path?” Jax ventured, not sure if he was being racist. Beating smiled wider, and she was an earthpony, so it was probably okay. “That would be a sight to see. There you are, just walking along, when suddenly a garden is being created right on the path. What to do, what to do.” Beating took a sip of her own tea. “Stereotypes aside, how are things going, Jax? No gardens on your path?” She added with a glint in her eye. “Nope, my path is pretty garden-free. It’s more like a nice park with fresh air and no problems. Even going back and forth between Ponyville and Canterlot isn’t so bad. What about you?” “I’m working on my garden… so there is actually a garden in my path.” Jax couldn’t help but chuckle. “Other than that, I am a little sad that I will miss the Winter Moon Celebration tonight but-“ she shrugged “somepony has to be at the at the hospital, and it might as well be me.” Jax sighed. She didn’t even realize her own sacrifice. “I don’t think you understand how amazing this event will be, Beating. I’ve seen Pinkie make the preparations - it will be talked about for years to come. I told you to free your night and next day, but nooooo, a nurse must always be ready. I don’t get you but,” he let go of another heavy sigh, “I’ll get you a souvenir.” She just raised a brow. “I’ll survive.” “With the knowledge that you missed the greatest party of the year, yes. I don’t envy you.” He gave her a winning smile, before letting it go for a more serious conversation. “Seriously Beating, I worry about you. Working as hard as you is downright harming. I realize you like your work, but being a workaholic is unhealthy.” Beating held eye contact for all of three seconds, before her rigid pose melted with a sigh. The table seemed to be very interesting to her, as that was where she focused her gaze on. “It’s not that bad.” “It’s bad enough. You need to get out and chill some more. I think Luna has taken more time off in the period I’ve known you two, and she’s a princess.” Beating mumbled something. “I’m not sure what you said, but it better not be another excuse.” Jax took on his adult voice and it felt kinda weird. “I said: I’m saving lives.” She said loud enough for him to hear. “Alright, that’s true enough, and of course your job is important, but Ponyville isn’t exactly starved for nurses. Are you saying that the other nurses wouldn’t be as able as you?” Silence persevered for just a bit too long. “They have their own lives.” She finally muttered, barely loud enough. “And you don’t? Come on Beating….” Jax let his hand run through his hair in a frustrated gesture. He sighed. “Listen… how about we meet up now and again? I’ll give you plenty of warning so you don’t take a shift, and we can… I dunno, hang out somewhere, maybe with some of my other friends or just chill in the library. Or something. Something other than Ponyville Hospital.” A small smile showed itself on Beating’s lips. “Alright.” Jax sighed in relief. “Good. Let’s agree on a date now.” Beating nodded, and finally raised her head to look at him. They shared a smile. “I read Luna’s book.” Beating said after they had agreed on a date, changing the subject. “It was interesting.” “However did you find the time? By reading on your breaks?” He smiled as she confirmed his theory with a small nod and bashful smile. “Well I do agree it is interesting. Did you like the title? I came up with the title.” Beating raised a brow. “Of Moonlight and Eclipses… I don’t know what I think about it. It’s clever, I guess. I like the cover-art.” “It is pretty nice. The moon shining down on a lone alicorn, her only visible features being her starlit mane and magnificent eyes. It’s lonely, it’s dark, it fits perfectly. And Twilight did a superb job editing it. And the title is spot on.” He smiled proudly at the mare in front of him. Beating rolled her eyes. “Yes, the title is almost the best thing about it. But seriously, I’m glad she wrote it. I really felt for her after reading it, I almost cried. And it’s nice to get her side of the story for once.” Jax smiled proudly. “I’m glad I told her to write it. Her reputation has skyrocketed since then, together with the star-shows she gives every Moonday of course. That’s a big factor as well, especially popular amongst foals and young couples.” Beating snickered. “Yes, it’s clear that you’ve been good PR for our Princess of the Night. Well, in the long run at least, you made her reputation so much worse for a while there.” She grimaced. “Not that that was your fault… I just meant… uhm, good job overall?” It was Jax turn to raise a brow. “Yeah… thanks.” His words were a bit more bitter than he meant to. He understood what she meant though. It wasn’t too long ago when rumours around him and Luna and evil swarmed around like crazy, and just when things improved, he came back with Nightmare Moon, and everything went wild again. It was better now though, with a few interviews with some good newspapers, and some reassuring words from Celestia and Twilight. By the time Luna’s book was published, the last bits of doubt were mostly washed away. “Yeah…” Beating fumbled with her cup. “Well, I’ll be off then. Be sure to get me that souvenir to make me realize just what I’m missing. Have fun!” She said as she got up. Jax rolled his eyes. “You’ll regret not being there Beating. Have fun at the hospital, but keep an eye out over Canterlot. It’s gonna be a sight to see.” She just chuckled on her way out. With Beating gone, he drank the rest of his tea, and went to pay. It was time to get home to his lovely girlfriend. They were taking the train to Canterlot, and he didn’t want to miss it. *** When he finally returned home in good spirits, everything seemed to be just the way he left it. He hummed to himself as he took off his cloak and shoes. Then he drank a glass of water, took a moment to appreciate life, and went in to the bedroom to see if Luna was up. The curtains were open, letting in enough sunlight to illuminate Luna sitting in front of the window with her back to him. She didn’t react to him opening the door, seemingly deep in thought. Jax smiled, and went over to hug his girlfriend from behind, nuzzling a bit against her, but even that didn’t get a response. She felt a bit off, a bit too tense maybe. Then she sniffed. “Are you crying?” He asked dumbfounded. He couldn’t think of much of a reason for her to be crying, since this was going to be a night of celebration. She didn’t answer, so he circled her so he could see her properly. The fur around her eyes were matted with tears, all the way down to her chest, making him wonder how long she had been sitting here alone, crying silently. She still didn’t react to him being right in front of her, and Jax heart cringed painfully. He didn’t know what to say, but he did the only thing he could. He hugged her tightly. For a while they just sat there as she continued to cry silently. He kept drying her tears with his hand, but new ones kept coming until his hand was as soaked as her fur, so in the end he decided to put it to better use stroking her mane gently. Ten minutes, then twenty, then half an hour. Jax knew they would have to get ready if they wanted to take the train with their friends, but he would much rather figure out why Luna was crying. She had relaxed somewhat in his grip, and she didn’t seem to be crying anymore. Just as he was assessing how to approach the subject, she straightened herself, and gently left his embrace to dry the tears with her own hoof. “Sorry about that.” She said with a raspy voice. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I’m here for you, Luna, just talk to me.” He gently reminded her. “I was just… thinking. About the past. About what I have done, what I almost did… what I wanted to destroy and how much it would hurt everypony.” Her ears drooped. “’Tis hard to leave it behind… Sometimes I find myself thinking back without meaning to. I force my thoughts back to more positive things, but it is so tiring to do. I know I should be happy tonight, with the Winter Moon Celebration, but then I just… I felt like I did not deserve it, and that spiralled down and down until I was thinking about the Lunatics and what they did in the name of Nightmare Moon… what they did in my name.” She added the last part softly. Jax could feel his heart twinge again. “Oh Luna…” he said as he embraced her once more. He didn’t even know what to say, but he felt he had to say something. “It’s… probably not something that just goes away quickly… but you won’t have to take the journey alone. I’m here for you, and so is Celestia and everypony else. Don’t be afraid to talk with us. It might not feel like it helps, but believe me, it’s better than locking it all inside.” He nuzzled her gently, hoping to convey how much she meant to him. “I know… it’s just hard. I thought I was over this part of my life. So many good things have happened, and I… I should be happy. I want to be happy, but these memories, though more manageable than before, will not leave me be.” She ended with a frustrated sigh. “It’s okay, Luna. It will be okay. It will take some time but you’ll be okay. There’s no shame in being sad sometimes, or even a lot of times. It’s just how things are right now, and you don’t need to feel like you should be happy. Just….” He wasn’t sure how to end his little speech. “just be you.” He wondered if that was good enough to convey what he meant. Luna rewarded him with a small smile, so it hopefully was. They embraced again and stayed like that for a short while, but Jax was only too aware that they had a train to catch. He just wasn’t sure when would be a right time to mention it without sounding like he wanted to get out of this situation, or that he didn’t care about Luna. In the end, she was the one who said “I think we should get going if we want to make it to the train,” which was a huge relief for him. “Yeah, wouldn’t want our friends to come looking for us. Let’s go celebrate the night.” He said and was rewarded with another small smile. “Let me just put on my suit.” Jax finished and went to the closet. The suit he had received from Rarity fit him perfectly. He still loved the half cape, or single-shoulder cape or whatever it was called, but now Luna’s cutie mark was sewn into it as well. It looked fabulous. “Alright, let’s go.” *** Jax took a breath of the cold winter air, enjoying how refreshing it felt. He normally didn’t like the cold, but today was the exception. He was walking beside Luna as they made their way up to the castle from the train station. Right behind them were the Harmony girls minus Pinkie, since she had stayed in Canterlot during preparations. Shadow Gem and Nightie had stayed behind with Spike and Discord. They apparently didn’t want to risk ruining Luna’s big night, and Spike had volunteered to stay behind to make sure they didn’t get in trouble. Apparently they were going to start a Dungeons & Dragons campaign with Big Mac - or Oubliettes & Ogres as it was called in Equestria - and Jax was only a little bit jealous that he didn’t get to participate. They had taken the main street, which Jax could only guess Pinkie and the night guard had spent a ridiculous amount of time decorating. Banner upon banner of Luna’s sky, cutie mark, or the full moon had been hung up on the houses, while flag banners were spread out on wires between the houses, with yet unlit paper lanterns in between them. They were all different colours, clearly made by hoof, being different shapes and sizes among the small things that made them all special in some way or another. The only commonality between them was Luna’s cutie mark imprinted on each and every one. There were so many of them, Jax was unsure who had had the time to make them all. Pinkie couldn’t have made all of them by herself. Could she? No. No, she probably had help. Probably. The normal shops had closed and stalls with different items had taken their place, selling everything from tea to scarfs to make-your-own paper lantern, along with a large variety of food, some of which were only served because of their night related name. A prime example was the moonpie that was displayed in too many of the stalls. Some had been a bit more creative and made cookies in the shape of stars and different phases of the moon. The sky had been cleared in preparation for the event. The sunset and moonrise would commence soon, as soon as Luna reached the castle. There was a noticeable crowd already, that parted for them before following behind. As they walked, the crowd behind them grew and grew, with both earthponies and unicorns, and a few pegasi that didn’t fly like their brethren above them. What really warmed Jax’ heart though, was Luna’s soft smile. She smiled at each and every pony in their path, and they returned it in full, some even shouting words of encouragement. “Princess Luna! You rock!” A stallion yelled. “We love you, Princess Luna!” A group of mares shouted. This seemed to spur the rest of the crowd on. “Luna! You’re beautiful!” “You’re the best princess!” “Your night is beautiful!” “I love you, princess Luna!” “I read your book ten times!” “Jax, you’re okay too!” “I love your night!” “The moon is beautiful!” They kept cheering all the way up to the castle. Jax could see that Luna enjoyed it because the corners of her mouth kept going up like she was trying very hard not to grin from ear to ear, and there was a slight blush over her muzzle. When they arrived at the courtyard, she rose up on her hindlegs to give Jax a hug, then spread her wings and flew up to the balcony overlooking the plaza, where Celestia was already waiting. They exchanged a couple of words, before Luna took the centre, spread her wings, and used her Royal Canterlot Voice to speak to her subjects. “Citizens of Equestria!” She overlooked the crowd, a crowd that had filled the plaza to the brim. The few ponies that hadn’t given her their full attention had been silenced by her voice. Everypony and human were looking at her. “It honours me greatly that so many of you have chosen to gather here for this first Winter Moon Celebration.” Jax could see her smile proudly when the cheers rang out. Not to brag or anything, but he was definitely cheering the loudest. “I will not keep you for long. Go; dance, laugh, eat, and drink! I only ask this: When the bell tolls for Midnight, have a paper lantern ready. As you light the candle, if you know someone who resides among the stars, think of them. Think of all the good they have done, how much they changed your life for the better, and most importantly, what you wish you could tell them. Then… let the lantern surge towards the stars, so that your thoughts can be carried to them.” She took a moment to smile down at her gathering. “If you do not know any among the dead, think then instead of the important ponies in your life. Maybe you can do a bit of both. And should you be in the situation that you cannot afford a lantern, feel free to take one from the decorations. The Element of Laughter has arranged that there is one available for every one of you.” She took a last look around. Celestia was already lowering the sun. “And with that, I hereby announce that the first ever Winter Moon Celebration has…” she jumped up with a flap of her wings just as the sun set. “BEGUN!” Her magic surged so strongly that her eyes turned white with power. It was crazy to watch. Jax had expected her to simply raise the moon, but what they got instead made him grin from ear to ear. As the moon was slowly being raised, meteors started falling from behind it, as if the moon itself was shooting them out. They streaked across the sky, at first in straight lines, but then as the moon rose higher, they started to fly in waves, in a pattern and rhythm that made it hypnotizing. It took Jax a moment to realize that there actually was music playing, and he looked over to find Vinyl spinning discs like it was an artform. they made eye contact - presumably, it was always hard to tell with the shades she had on - and smirked at each other. He looked up at the moon again at a gasp from the crowd to find Luna had left her place over the balcony. She was now flying along with the rhythm as the comets kept dancing across the sky behind her. Sometimes she was no more than an outline against her silver moon, and that was when Jax’ breath was really being taken away. “Wow….” A colt beside him whispered breathlessly. The crowd murmured their own different variations of the statement. Jax felt so proud he could burst. He couldn’t get the smirk off his face if he tried. He wanted to shout ‘that’s my girlfriend!’ and point at Luna, but he managed to settle on a chuckle instead. The Dance of the Stars, as Jax’ more poetic side wanted to call it, ended as suddenly as it had begun. All the comets that were out gathered in front of the moon, then burst out over the horizon, with Luna outlined in the middle of her moon, wings and forelegs spread wide. There was a moment of complete silence as everyone was left speechless. Then the crowd stamped the ground furiously in the pony way of clapping, some ponies cheering loudly, whistling, or calling out her name. Jax did all of them. The crowd started dispersing when Luna landed back on the balcony, going off to dance, laugh, eat, and drink as they were told. “Hey girls!” Pinkie appeared beside them. “Are you ready to go have fun?” The girls beside him give their agreement, ready to head out as well. Jax held back. “I’m gonna wait for Luna guys. You can go ahead.” He said hoping they would get the hint that he wanted Luna to himself for a bit. “Alright darling, we’ll see you around then.” Rarity responded instantly, probably taking the hint, and herded the girls onwards towards the vendors. Jax was left alone with his thoughts. He didn’t know when Luna would come, but they had agreed to be at the celebration together, so he would wait for the rest of the night if needed. He went over to the castle wall and decided it was clean enough to lean on. There were still a few groups here and there, but none near him. He didn’t really have anything to do, so he just let his mind wander. It seemed like an eternity had passed since he arrived in Equestria. It was a miracle that he had survived since then. The Everfree Forest itself should have killed him on the spot… it almost did. But it didn’t. Luck and determination had kept him going. Maybe Discord as well, if he were to believe the draconequus, though he had honestly done a shitty job if he actually had kept an eye on Jax. But maybe that was a bit harsh. If he was alive thanks to Discord, then he shouldn’t complain too much. In the end all that mattered was that he had survived that hell forest. Even though he had almost ran right back in. Jax chuckled. What had he been thinking? He didn’t want a party so he was ready to throw himself into hell? Thank God Fluttershy had convinced him to stay, though he could have done without being set aflame by Twilight. And he definitely shouldn’t have drank that potion, that had been stupid. Three days of pain had almost broken him. But thanks to that he was blessed with the constant company of the lovely Princess of the Night. Those were some of his fondest memories of his time in Equestria. Then of course there was Sombra. Those were some of his most hated memories, though it got better. Running around in the Everfree without knowing who he was had been painful. Luckily Luna had saved him. Then Nightie had come along and now everything was awesome. “What’s a handsome human like you doing here all alone?” A playful voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up to see Luna in a dark blue dress. The front part of it fit snuggly around her chest and halfway down her forelegs. Her cutie mark served as an emblem holding the font part together. The back part was a bit more lose, with layers of fabric flowing over her flank, hundreds of moonstones glittering like the stars in her mane. The dress looked like the night sky and it was amazing. Jax took an extra moment to stare before he grinned. “Waiting for the most beautiful mare in the world.” He winked despite the heat forming in his cheeks. “Though I could never have foreseen that she could become even more attractive.” It was so cheesy but it just felt so right to say. She had dressed up for the occasion, it was only right to compliment her. Luna smiled serenely through her own blush. “Rarity was gracious enough to put it together.” Jax caught a playful glint in her eye. “I take it you like it?” She did a graceful twirl that made the stars in both her mane and dress glitter like crazy. “I love it. It fits you very well.” “I am glad, though I do apologize for the wait, it was rather…” she twirled her hoof in the air, looking for the right word “challenging to get into. Well, no matter. Let us see where we can find some joy in this wondrous festival.” She gave him a blinding smile. He put his hand between her wings, and she put her wing on his lower back. It was a shame that holding hand/hoof would be too difficult, but this was a nice compromise. So they braved the festival together. It was immediately clear that Pinkie Pie had outdone herself, and put every second of when she was in Canterlot to good use. There was, it almost seemed, a performance on every street corner, and where there wasn’t, the citizens took it upon themselves to sing together. It was hard to take two steps without having to dodge out of the way of a dancing couple, so in the end they decided it would be easier to dance their way through the crowd as well. It wasn’t. Jax didn’t know how to dance, and if Luna had had feet, he would have stepped on them several times. Luckily she didn’t, so they just laughed it off and continued on their journey without dancing. Everywhere they went, ponies were laughing, singing, dancing, eating, and drinking. The atmosphere was infectious, and both Jax and Luna found themselves laughing for no apparent reason. Everywhere they looked, there was someone smiling happily their way, offering a cheer, a nod, a compliment. They quickly decided to try some of the snacks being sold everywhere, and were rewarded with a slew of different tastes. Jax found the cookies to be the best, while Luna argued for the moonpies, which Jax just found okay. To each their own, they decided, and went on to get some heavenly cider. This had the weird side-effect that forced them clink glasses with all other cider drinkers. Jax found this extremely funny, while Luna found it rather annoying. “They just keep coming!” She whispered. “And we’ll just keep giving.” Jax laughed, clinking the glass of a happy earth pony with his own. “’Tis the season after all.” Luna downed the rest of her glass, leaving it behind at a nearby table. “Too much is too much. Enough of that, finish your drink and let us dance again. I shall teach you yet, my dear Jax.” “If you’re willing to take the risk, then who am I to deny you?” Jax chuckled, before downing the rest of the cider. “Let’s find a good band.” So they went out searching for a good band to dance to, when Jax spotted them. Four changelings, performing a merry song quite different from the last time he had watched them perform. There weren’t as many ponies around them, and after what happened, he was sure he could persuade them to play whatever he wanted. He nudged Luna on the shoulder and nodded over to them. She snorted before nodding. Now, Jax didn’t have anything against the changelings, even though they did sorta help the bad guys… but it was against their will, and everything turned out okay in the end, so he took a note out of the girl’s book and forgave them. That didn’t mean that he wasn’t going to twist their arms if they refused to make this night special for Luna. One of them did suck the love out of him, so he wouldn’t feel too bad about it. “Hey guys.” He said as they ended their - in Jax’ opinion - too cheerful song. “Still called Change Our Way?” He was rewarded with a round of awkward smiles. “Jax! Good to see you… and you as well, Your Highness.” The lead singer greeted them, bowing respectfully to Luna. She nodded back. “Yep, we kept the name.” “That’s great. Can I make a request?” Jax cut straight to the point. The changeling’s looked at each other. “Yes. Of course.” They all answered at the same time. Jax grimaced because it reminded him of the night in the cave, and they were quick to put on an apologetic smile. “What we’re you thinking?” The lead singer asked for them. Jax shook his head to clear it of the memories. “Didn’t have anything specific in mind. Just something that’s easy to dance to.” He answered. “Alright.” The changeling nodded and they started playing a song. When he turned, Luna reared back so she could put her hooves on his shoulder. She leaned in and whispered “alright, let us start this nice and slow.” Jax couldn’t help but smile. He pulled her a bit closer. Ponies were surprisingly agile with their limbs, and she had him for balance, so he felt justified. The best way for him to learn was for her to be close after all. He was rewarded with a surprised snort. “Easy now. If I fall, I am taking you with me.” He could hear the smile in her voice. “Let’s be careful then. What first?” He felt Luna nuzzle his neck. “I shall take the lead, and you shall follow thy princess.” And just like that she started moving, leaving Jax to do just that. She started with simple steps, and once Jax caught up, he felt the need to whisper back. “I would follow you anywhere, my moon.” Luna snorted. “Moon? Are you calling me big and round?” He would be nervous if her tone wasn’t one of teasing. She did however speed up the dance a bit, making it harder for him to keep up. “Because that is what you think when you look at the moon.” He answered sarcastically once he found his footing again. “That is one big, round rock. No!” He flicked her ear in mock punishment. “You think: ‘Wow, the moon is truly beautiful. I could just sit here for hours and look at it.’ And something about how silvery and mysterious it is. Just like you. Except, you aren’t as much silver as… ah you get it.” Luna leaned a bit closer with a chuckle and nuzzled him. “I truly love you, my dear Jax.” The statement made him warm to the core. He smiled proudly. “I love you too, my moon.” Their dance turned a bit more advanced, with jumps in it. Jax missed a couple, but did his best to not look completely out of his element. It ended in a flourish, Luna leaning back and leaving Jax to hold her from falling to the floor. They were both breathing heavily and sweating despite the cold air. It wasn’t until the applause started around them that they realized how many ponies had gathered to watch. Jax and Luna shared a look, then a grin. While Jax would usually feel awkward after showing his subpar dancing skills, tonight was different. Tonight he greeted the ponies with a grin and a bow. Tonight was for fun. And fun they had. Everything blurred together as they danced, laughed, ate, drank and laughed some more. Somepony had left chalk to draw on the sidewalk, and Luna was quick to show her artistic skill with a beautiful rendition of the stars and moon. Then they found a booth that let you build your own paper lantern, and Jax suddenly realized that he needed his own. A lot of time was spent to find the perfect shade of blue paper that fit Luna’s colour, and she helped him draw her cutie mark on it. Constructing the lantern was relatively easy. Luna made hers out of a shiny silver that had to be brought in from the back. She decided to mark it with a highly stylized drawing of Jax’ face. “It almost looked better than the real thing.” Jax joked. “It is not even close, my handsome human.” Luna gave him with a soft kiss on the cheek. They were just about done when Luna looked skywards. “’Tis almost time. Let us make our way to the castle.” *** They stood on the balcony that Jax had looked up at earlier in the night. Below them were ranks upon ranks of ponies, looking up at them. Jax thought Luna would address them, but she did no such thing. No words were needed. They all prepared their lanterns in silence. Jax looked down at his own lantern. ‘Hey mom. Hey Jake.’ He spoke to his family. ‘It’s been a while. I’ve been doing well, no need to worry about me. I even found a girlfriend. Well, it’s called a marefriend here, but same principle. I think you’d really like her, mom. She’s so kind and…’ he could feel the tears in his eyes. ‘and she treats me right. I try to treat her right too. We don’t argue much, but I don’t think I could forgive myself if I hurt her. I don’t want to be like my father.’ The tears left a trail on his cheeks. He raised the lantern to his forehead. ‘I… I wish you could meet her. I wish you could see me now. It’s been a hard journey, but I’m finally happy. Everything is perfect. There is no place I would rather be than right here.’ He slowly lowered the lantern again. Luna was still looking at hers, her eyes looking far, far away. She probably had more ponies among the stars than he did. Somehow, even looking as sad as she did, she looked completely captivating. He wanted to hug her tightly and never let go. ‘Yeah. Things are great.’ He said as his last goodbye. *** Luna let go of her lit lantern first. It slowly soared upwards towards the stars. Jax let go of his a second later, and it quickly caught up with Luna’s. They circled around each other in their own little dance. Then hundreds upon hundreds of lanterns made it up to join them in a magical view. Jax let go of a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He felt a bit better now that he said goodbye to his family. A bit lighter, ready to face the future. He put his hand on Luna’s back. She looked at him and smiled. She pulled him closer with a wing. Together they watched as the lanterns soared towards the stars. They had said goodbye to their past, and were ready to take on the future, together.