//------------------------------//
// Epilogue 
// Story: What a Strange Little Colt 
// by Lynwood 
//------------------------------//


Saturday, Much Later


The chariot jolted underneath Princess Luna's hooves with a clattery enthusiasm as it bounced to a stop in the dusty Ponyville road. She paused for a moment, watching the sand-brown clouds carry dried leaves in the air for a brief, fluttering moment, then letting them settle to the ground. The Ponyville air tasted crisp and clean. It really is so much sweeter here.

The morning sun still hung low over the horizon, freshly raised by her very own sister. It shone in a pale yet bright blue sky, the year not so late as to paint the roof of the world gray. The princess stepped out of her personal ride, admiring its deep, night-colored coat and its finely crafted silver frame. She didn't use the thing nearly as much as she ought to.

Ponies traveled to and fro all around her, cleaning, delivering mail, and preparing the town for its routine activities. Wooden window-shutters clacked, thrown open by ponies greeting the day while hatted-and-earmuffed shopkeepers shuffled before their stores with brooms in hoof and wing and magic. Some heads turned her way, but their sights never lingered for very long. 

Luna chuckled. It’s taken a while, but I suppose I am becoming something of a routine sight here. It is still happening quicker than I expected. 

The princess thought back to the hasty, panicked bows she had received on her first visit. She had taken those first hesitant steps so long ago, flanked by night guards and doing her best to keep her head held high. Now, much later, things were different... and it felt good.

The princess adjusted her silver scarf with a hoof, appreciating its softness for a moment, and turned to her chariot-bearers, who had already moved the thing off to the side of the road. They unharnessed themselves with practiced hooves and trotted to her, bowing upon their arrival. "We’re all set, Princess." said the senior ranked one.

“Then let us be off,” Luna said. 

The two saluted. "Yes, your majesty!"

Luna resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Guards. Always so formal. The armored stallions bowed and split up, taking their places at her sides. She took another deep breath, gave her mane a shake, and began her walk.

The princess smiled at the citizens of Ponyville as she made her way to the public park. Many still bowed—despite past insistence against it—but, to her joy, some did not, smiling back at her instead. A hoofful even gave her a friendly wave, which she returned with as much casual ease as possible. 

I'd like to see Celly walk through this town without being groveled to by every living thing, she thought to herself a little smugly as she waved to Mr. Cake, who had been trying to clean the front windows of his shop while keeping his eye on a tiny pegasus foal. I bet she wouldn't even make it one step.

Morning frost clung to the park's fading-but-still-green grass, making it seem to glitter and shine as she made her way through the main entrance. Once they passed it, the guards waited while she went on ahead, only following once a bit of distance had been made. Ah, good. They remembered this time.

From there, Luna followed her normal route, walking along a path for a way before splitting up and climbing a small hill capped by a fire-leafed tree. Two pegasi waited for her underneath it, and it seemed like one was getting something of a lecture.

Nighttime Breeze! came the knee-jerk thought when she saw him. Luna shook her head, pushing away the tightness in her heart. No. That still isn’t right. He isn’t even blue. Get a hold of yourself. 

"...and how many times am I gonna have to tell you to keep your hind legs up? It's like you're trying to make drag!"

An annoyed groan. "Alright, ma."

"And you had better not ‘forget’ to go by the store on your way home again, bucko."

"I won't, ma."

"Good." Rainbow Dash scooped up Gabe and hugged him tightly. "I'll get off just before dinner, so I'll see you then?" The foal wore his own scarf today, a lovingly-knitted but scratchy-looking red-and-pink thing with hearts patterned on it, plus a hat that matched.

"Yup!" he said, hugging her back. "Sounds good." Then he opened one eye and looked right at the princess over Rainbow's shoulder. "Hey, Luna."

The princess froze, caught red-hooved in her attempt to sneak up on the two from behind. The best reaction she got was an annoyed scowl from Dash. Drat. 

"Again, Luna? For real?"

She looked away and shrugged. "I have no idea what you are talking about, Rainbow Dash."

The pegasus snorted through a smile as she adjusted her wool-lined flying vest. "Whatever you say, Princess." Then, to Gabe: "I'm off! Later, squirt."

"Ciao." The pegasus took off and quickly shrunk to a speck. As the little colt waved goodbye, Luna noticed that his hat and scarf looked a little smaller on him. 

She shot a glance at the base of the hill, ensuring her guards had followed without issue before taking a seat beside him and lighting her horn, hovering her tiara off her head and onto the ground next to her. The rest of the regalia followed, piece-by-piece, assembling into a neat black and silver pile on the grass. 

Oh, that feels nice to get rid of after a long night. Once she had finished, the two sat in silence for a moment, watching the town awake in earnest. Luna shivered a little bit, drawing her scarf closer around her neck.

"So, Lu, it’s been a while," Gabe said. "Bring me any booze?"

Luna sent a rigid scowl his way. "I believe my wording on the matter was very clear. No matter how old you may have been, you are growing now."

"Ah, cmon," he said, twirling his hoof. "A little developmental disorder never hurt anybody." He grinned right through her judgmental look.

"No 'booze' for you, young stallion."

Gabe rolled his eyes. "Fine. Check this out, though." He turned and pulled his drawing tools and pad out from where it had been hiding behind him. 

Interesting, Luna noted, raising an eyebrow, he is nearly out of paper. That would make a good gift for my next visit.

"Look!" The colt held up a collection of pencils. Luna widened her eyes at their unfamiliar color.

"They are new!"

"Yup! Crazy said these're top-notch, from Manehattan. Ordered 'em special for me. I can't wait to see if they're as good as she says."

"What shall you draw first?" Luna asked as he flipped open his paper-pad.

He scooped up a pencil in that oh-so-strange manner of his and pointed the sharp end at her. "Strike a pose, lady."

Luna harrumphed. "I am no mere lady! I am royalty, not nobility, and you shall address me as such."

"Hah!" Gabe laughed with a bit of a snort, "One more comment like that and you're going to have to settle for drama queen." She produced a horrified gasp, but she couldn't quite hide the smile.

Settling for a toss of her ever-flowing mane, the princess rose and walked a short distance away before sitting primly and adopting that straight-backed, even-faced pose she had once been so familiar with, making sure to keep her chin up and her wings pressed against her sides. 

Gabriel, of course, took one look at her and stuck out his tongue. "Bleh. Why do you look like someone died?"

The words hit her like a sledgehammer. She cringed and looked away.  

“Shit,” Gabe immediately said. “Sorry, that was a bad choice of words. I was just wondering why you’d pose so boringly.”  

“Um, well…” Luna raised her chin again. "I'll have you know I've had hundreds of portraits done in this pose by more artists than I care to recall, and they were done perfectly."

"Did they all eat chalk for fun? Seriously, how boring can you get?" He jabbed his pencil at her. "C'mon, I'm not gonna draw you like you have a stick up your ass. Relax."

Luna gasped. "How crass!" She made sure to roll the 'r.'

"Bite me, queenie."

The two shared a chuckle and Luna relented, settling down onto her belly and crossing her forelegs while letting her wings splay. "Does this suffice your neediness?"

"I'd give you a thumbs-up if I could." 

Thumbs-up... Yes, he mentioned that meant ‘all is well’ once... I think. 

Luna hoped for the best as he prepared his pad and a moment later the soothing sound of pencil scratching paper joined the sound of birdsong and far-off conversation in the air. She let him continue for a while as she enjoyed the serenity of the morning before speaking again.

"Do those new pencils meet your lofty standards?"

"Yeah, actually," he mused. "They're almost as good as some of the ones I had back home."

"Almost?"

"It's something about the graphite, it's off, and some of the softnesses are kinda the same. You guys just haven't gotten the hang of it yet, but you'll get there." Then, underneath his breath: "...probably."

"I shall pretend I didn't hear that," Luna said, still smiling. Oh, it felt so good to just get out of that stuffy palace and have somepony talk to her without 'princess' and 'your highness' and 'your majesty' choking every sentence. Truly, how does Celestia stand it? "So, give me the updates, yo. How goes your schooling?"

"I still regret telling you about 'yo,'" he grumbled, much to Luna's delight, "and it's still easy as hell. A lot of the material is new, yeah, but we go at such a slow pace that it's all a piece of cake." He shrugged. "Crazy how hard they drive you in college. I still remember how much I worked like it was yesterday, even though that was ages ago. It's seared into my brain." He stuck out his tongue. "In the four years I was there I barely even had time to draw, and when I did, I was too damn tired to care, and after that… well, you know."

Luna nodded. "Well, perhaps you will get that chance to work yourself into near-death again. Have you considered attending university here in Equestria? I’m sure that any institution would consider somepony with, say, a letter of recommendation from a princess." Luna winked.

"Yeah," he mused with a smile, watching his breath in the air. "I’m not sure. I do want to actually finish becoming an engineer, I think it’s what Rachel would have wanted, but, uh, I don't wanna get, like, dragged off the street or something because I accidentally reveal that I know too much about… I dunno. Math? Physics? Electricity?” Gabe shrugged. “You get the idea."

Luna snorted with disdain. "If anypony tried that, they would have quite the unfortunate surprise coming their way."

"Heh. Thanks, Lu," he chuckled, still looking at his drawing and sketching away. "Anyway, I'm not too worried about it, since it'll still be like, six years or whatever till I have to worry about it. Right now, all I have to do is convince my friends to do their damn homework without my help once in a while."

Luna tilted her head. "The crusader fillies?"

"Them's the ones," he nodded, "they always ask me for help on their assignments, which I pretty much always give 'em, but they’ve been taking it for granted for a while now." He rolled his eyes. "Kids."

"Have you tried simply saying 'no?'" Luna asked.

"Are you kidding? Have you seen those girls? The faces they make!" He huffed. "It feels like I'm about to kick the hell out of a cute little puppy every time I get ready to say 'no, do it yourself, idiot.'"

"Perhaps consider leaving out the part about calling them an idiot."

"And have them miss out on my personal charm? Please." Luna laughed a little at that. "So, you been spending good time with ol' Celly?"

She beamed, picturing her favorite part of the last hour. "Instead of departing right after I lowered the moon, I had breakfast with her this morning! It was quite nice, indeed."

"Ooh, ooh!" The colt looked up from his paper. "Did you say the thing?"

"Of course I did," said Luna, "right after I asked her to pass the pancakes. You should have seen her face! Priceless!"

Gabriel made a barking laugh. "Wish I coulda seen that. What'd she say?"

Luna waggled her hoof. "Oh, the same old thing about having a clean mouth. I am to remind you to 'stop corrupting my sister, you meddlesome alien.'"

"Hah! Fat fuckin' chance."

She snickered, but it trailed off a little quicker than usual. “Yes, it’s good to spend time with her. It feels almost like before the Nightmare.”

“Hmm.” Gabe’s face fell, but he kept a reassuring smile. “How’re things going with the whole, um, not ruling thing?”

Luna shook her head. “The leash is still short. You know how my sister has been, always worrying about my well-being.” She glanced at the two guards at the base of the hill and her head fell a little. “I cannot say that I blame her.”

“Hey now, chin up,” Gabe said, “and not just because you’re messing up your pose. You’ve been making progress with that new therapist of yours, yeah?”

That brought a little smile to her face. “Yes, the new mare, Steady Heart, has been much easier for me to speak to.”

“Then you’re on your way. It might be a while, but you’ll get there. I’m sure it's only a matter of time until you’re back at the Night Court having a blast listening to, uh... whatever it is Canterlot ponies complain about.”

Luna chuckled at that, then turned to admire the park. The sun had risen further into the sky and cleared the frost from the leaves, bringing out the brilliant oranges and yellows filling the trees. The park didn't even draw near to the Royal Gardens' quality, variety, and downright majesty, but the simple spread of trees, grass, and snaking dirt paths brought a special comfort to the princess. All the more reason to visit, I suppose.

"So, Gabriel, I take it your flight lessons have not been going so well?"

"Right, you heard that." He stuck out his tongue as he drew. "Yeah, I still fly like a beached fish." He paused to glance over his shoulder, giving his wings a few flaps. "These two things just don't do what I tell them to unless I only focus on them, but then I can't think about, like, where I'm going. Or which way is up. Plus it's freakin' cold  up there." He blew a raspberry. "I think my brain just isn't wired right for that sort of thing, but hey, Rainbow stopped giving me rides everywhere, so I kinda gotta learn."

"Ah, Rainbow! How is she?"

"Hmm. Pretty good, I guess?" He shrugged. "Same old, same old, for the most part. She does friendship stuff with the girls a lot, even though she and Twilight still kinda have some beef." Gabe took a moment to erase, sticking his tongue out in focus before resuming his drawing. "Rainbow insists they worked it out like I asked, but when it's just them, and none of the others, you can still feel it, y'know?"

“What of the Elements?”

He shrugged. “It’s still anyone’s guess. Personally, I’d say they’ll work when they’re needed. I’m not worried.”

"That all sounds like another friendship letter in the making," Luna hummed. "I wonder if my sister will get involved? Directly, I mean."

"Doubt it. You know how hands-off she is. Or, uh, hooves off... or whatever."

"Very true indeed." The princess took a moment to twist her neck, sighing after it produced a shower of little pops. "Well, while we wait for them to sort out their 'beef,' might I suggest a flying lesson or two? Perhaps I can aid in your troubles."

Gabriel raised his eyebrows. "Wow, really?" Then he scratched his mane with the end of his pencil. "Hmm... How much do I want to embarrass myself in front of a princess?"

"Oh, hush. I'm sure you'll do fine."

"You'd be surprised at my ability to screw up in countless new and exciting ways." He shrugged. "Your funeral, though. Or, I guess, if things go bad enough for me, our funeral."

"'Our?'"

"After Rainbow gets her hooves on you."

Luna blinked. "Ah, yes. Of course." She cleared her throat and readjusted her scarf. Luna had heard plenty about the infamous Amulet Incident and how the mare flew into a protective rage over her adopted son. The princess had no wish to experience it firsthoof.

"I've said the same thing to Sandy, too. About the flying. She says that she meets lots of foals who have trouble with flight and that I should just keep at it, which I think is really dumb because it's so unhelpful."

"I'm sure if she had something more effective to say, she would do so, but what else can she offer? To flap your wings for you?"

He snorted. "That'd be a sight. Almost tempted to try."

Ah, Sandy Hills. Such a wholesome mare. I wouldn't be surprised were she to agree, just because she wishes to help so badly. "How are your sessions with her? Proceeding well, I hope?"

Gabriel picked up two pencils, inspected them for a moment, and selected one before responding. "Well enough. I can talk about the, uh, hard times more often. Aside from that, We're still focusing on the stress exercises like I asked. I was able to listen to that thunder-clapper without freaking the hell out the other day." He tilted his head. "Well, the first time, at least."

"That is wonderful to hear, Gabe." She hummed. 

“Yeah, it’s progress. I still have the dreams pretty much every night but you know about those. Thanks again, by the way.”

The dreams. Luna suppressed a shudder. The things Gabriel dreamed of tended to be wispy and incomplete, mixed-up images and swirls of emotion, mere echoes of what he truly feared, but every so often those muffled blasts and metal edges would coalesce into a glimpse of a war so horrid, well… 

I hope never to see such things with my own eyes.

She pushed the thought away. “You’re very welcome, Gabriel. I am happy to hear that I am helping.”

“Mhm. Lots easier to talk about them with Sandy.” 

"Have you decided to mention the, um..."

"The show?" He finished for her, frowning. "...no. At least, not yet. I don't really want the fact that I know the future to get out. Maybe, maybe I’ll tell Sandy, but the fact that she and Twilight know that I'm not really a pony is plenty uncomfortable for them. At least Rainbow left it alone after she figured it out and we had that shouting match.” He stuck out his tongue. “Ugh. What a mess that was." 

Then the colt shot her a raised-eyebrow look. "You still haven't told anyone, right? Not even Celestia?"

Luna shook her head. "Of course not."

"Good," the colt sighed. "Thanks. I'm just... trying my best to be a somewhat normal pony." Then he looked at his hoof. "Mouth-writing excluded."

"Well, do you feel like a pony?" Luna said, taking a moment to scratch behind her ear before returning to her pose.

Gabriel didn't answer for a while, but she let him take his time. The foal liked to work through these kinds of questions at his own pace, putting his answer together before speaking. He had a way of narrowing his eyes and barely bringing his eyebrows together when he was deep in thought. Just like Breeze.

Nighttime had also loved to stargaze, and hadn’t been so great at flying, and had preferred to sleep on his stomach. It was remarkable how similar the two were. Luna had spent much time considering, but she still had no way to explain the similarities between them. She often wondered why her spell had chosen Gabriel. Perhaps he was the closest thing… or perhaps it was just plain coincidence. It annoyed her not to know.

She listened to the rustling leaves above her as she watched a flock of some kind of swallow pass over Ponyville. The peacefulness of the world brought on a wide yawn. If I'm not careful, I may fall asleep right here.

"...I'm starting to get closer, I think," he said. "All the weird shit about being a kid again is taking some getting used to, yeah, but it's not as bad as I thought it would be, really. Good, actually. Whole lot of an easier childhood than I had the first go around." 

He paused again, scratching his face with the end of his pencil. 

"It’s not exactly like being little again, though. Some lessons you don’t forget, and Sandy and Rainbow know that I used to be in my twenties, but I guess it doesn't take so much effort to say 'pony' instead of 'one' and I've noticed what little accent I had is pretty much gone. But, uh, I dunno.” 

Gabriel smiled. “It's still so surreal that I’m even here at all. Back when everything went down, I was so sure that was it for me.” 

Luna did her best to suppress her cringe this time. Focus on him here and now, just as you’ve been taught. 

“I still feel lucky to be here at all, but I guess that nobody dying is about par for the course for this place. Not like home.” He shrugged. “But yeah, I think I’m settled and lying low. I feel... good." 

He focused for a moment as his paper made a shuffling sound, a telltale sign of shading.

"I never really got the chance to live in real peacetime. I heard a lot about it from the old-timers, though. They'd always go on and on about how good things were back then, but those were just stories. I didn't give them all that much thought, really, besides maybe appreciation that ‘the good old days’ made you guys’ show.”

Luna shivered a little bit. I think I shall never get used to the fact that Gabriel is an oracle. Then she snorted. Even if he is a useless one. He never tells me anything.

“We always worried about what tomorrow's news would bring, even when I was little, before things got real bad.” The colt drew a few strong lines. Scrape, scrape. 

“The idea that I can just... live my life in this quiet little town? Just sort of... do my own thing without focusing on the world at large? Being able to rely on things staying around? It's... uncomfortable."

Luna smiled. "Well, rest assured, politics have not stopped in Canterlot. Just yesterday, Celestia hosted ambassadors from the griffon homelands. So proper, those ones. Very traditional." 

The flock of griffons had certainly been looking to impress with their layers and layers of noblewear and finery, and they had looked so out of place in the palace that she had struggled not to laugh. "But the things they brought to our attention hold no candle to the stories you tell of your home."

"I wonder how it's doing." His voice got quiet in the way it always did when he thought about such things.

Luna frowned for a moment, searching for the right words, or at the very least, the words that would help him feel a little better. 

"Equestria has endured many a dark time, yet it persists because of the character and substance of the ponies it's made from. If all your people possess half as much strength of will as you, I have faith that, whatever the darkness in your world today, it will pull through. No storm can last forever, yes?"

Gabriel's hoof stopped, and he stared at his paper. "...I sure hope so, Luna." Then he sniffed and cleared his throat. "But, uh, check this out. What do you think?"

The colt flipped his pad around and held it up for her to see. He had replicated her form with remarkable quality and she widened her eyes at the sight, clapping her hooves. "Gabriel! You have improved!"

"Ah, thanks," he said, ever hesitant to accept compliments, "I, um, I've been practicing a lot lately. I thought this one turned out pretty nice."

That's certainly one way to put it. The colorless sketch held no uncanniness at all, and he had captured her pose perfectly. Her relaxation after a long day's work, the way her easy smile reached her eyes, the dappled sheen on her coat, the folds in her scarf, it was all there. He'd even gotten the way her mane drifted and how her wing drooped at her side, its feathers spread on the grass. "I believe this is one of your best, Gabe. Will it be going on your wall?"

"Actually, uh," the colt said, rubbing the back of his neck, "I was going to give it to you."

Luna blinked. "Truly?" she said, looking over the drawing once more. "But you like keeping your art..."

"I've decided to make an exception, so, uh, accept," he said with a bit of an awkward smile. "Y'know, before I change my mind, because it is pretty good."

Luna smiled wide. "Thank you very much, Gabriel. I accept." She rolled up the drawing, careful not to damage it, and tucked it under her wing. Another yawn came on, and she could not stifle it. Gabriel chuckled a little at the face she made.

"You should probably get back to the palace before you pass out."

"Hmm. Agreed," Luna said, rubbing at her eyes with the back of her hoof. "I have an entire night’s escape next week. Wednesday, I believe." She levitated her regalia towards herself, donning the collar and tiara before stepping into the hoof-covers.

"Wow, Celly’s letting you out again that soon?” Gabriel said, smiling. “Sounds good!" he scooped his supplies into his saddlebags. “You'll have to show me those constellations you've been working on."

The little comment brought a swell of warmth to Luna’s heart. She smiled wide and scooped up the foal, giving him a tight hug. "I would be happy to." He returned it and she set him down. "Until then?"

"Until then."

The princess nodded. "Ciao!"

"Hey!" 

Luna stuck her tongue out at him with a rather foalish giggle, then turned around, giving him one last wave over her shoulder before making her way down to her guards. They returned to the waiting chariot, and after a few minutes of fiddling with harnesses and a bumpy takeoff, they were on their way.

She hugged the drawing to her chest every minute of the chilly flight home, taking great care not to crumple or crease it and avoiding every errant cloud that drifted her way. The rolling golden farmlands and fields passed below, slowly giving way to foothills, then cliffs, and finally the urban density of Equestria’s capital city. 

As she flew over Canterlot, Luna’s chariot passed by a few surprised pegasi and a detachment of guards on a morning patrol, who all stopped mid-air to salute, of course. Sleep pulled at her eyelids as they bumped down on her tower's landing balcony, but she dismissed her guards and made it down the stairs without taking an unfortunate and very un-princessly tumble. From there, it was only a short walk to her quarters, where a pair of day guards bowed before lighting their horns and pushing open the door.

The princess's bedroom called to her dearly, but she paused by her desk to retrieve a bit of tack-rubber. It floated beside her head as she entered her room, splitting into four with a simple thought. She pressed them onto the back corners of her drawing one by one and finally pressed the drawing against her wall right beside her massive four-poster bed, where it stuck.

Luna admired it for one more moment before once again shedding her regalia. They floated into a messy pile beside their storage stand in a way that Celestia surely would have rolled her eyes at, but that didn't matter to Luna one bit. The only item of concern called her name with its satin sheets and endlessly soft pillows.

The princess crawled underneath the edge of her covers like a worm, only peeking the top of her head out from beneath them, taking care not to spear any pillows on her horn, and wiggling as she made herself as wonderfully warm and comfortable as possible. 

Her horn lit and the doors to her bedroom swung closed, plunging the world into soft, comforting darkness. Though she couldn't see it, she pictured her new drawing hanging on the wall only a foreleg away. I think I shall never take it down, She thought to herself.

Luna fell asleep smiling.


-The End-