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// Epilogue 
// Story: Requiem For The Kirins 
// by Chaotic Ink 
//------------------------------//

The rain pelted the window and a flash was soon followed by dull booming outside. Even in her weakened, painful state, Summer could still feel thankful that the weather had held out until all the trick-or-treating was done. Yes, that was thanks to the weather ponies of Manehattan, but it was nice all the same. Her bleary mind turned back to the bundle nestled in her forelegs, the cause of her current physical state and the joy swelling up inside her. Her newborn baby was as black as the night sky outside with a touch of blue mane that currently did nothing to hide the little nub of a horn poking out of her forehead. If that was all, she’d look just like any other newborn unicorn, however her daughter also had stubby little leathery wings and her tail was long like her father’s but was covered in fur. The tail had a small mane of its own and at the tip a small ridge of bone stuck out. 

Speaking of the father, a large, leathery head nuzzled up against hers, pushing aside the sweat-matted mane that plastered either side of her head. “She’s so tiny,” he muttered as he looked down on the life they had created; life she’d never had dreamed possible when they first met. 

“To you, maybe,” Summer muttered, “but she didn’t feel small coming out.” They both chuckled. “What time is it?” she asked. It had been a few minutes since the private doctors had left, claiming the birth was a success and that both mother and child would be fine, with the former needing to be on some medication for the next week at least to deal with the trauma she’d gone through. The new parents also had their contact information in case anything went wrong and Summer’s aids would be in two to three times a day to check up on her as well. She and Windstorm had made sure everything was ready for when the baby was born and what would come after.

“It’s a few minutes to midnight; she made it just in time for her first Nightmare Night,” he told her, nuzzling her again then bending lower to just barely nuzzle the baby. “Such a fun and fascinating holiday; I hope she likes it when she’s older.”

“A night full of free candy? What child wouldn’t?” she sighed deeply as she leaned back into the pillows of her bed that were keeping her propped up. “We still need to name her. We only ever agreed to give her your clan name.”

Windstorm nodded. “I’d hoped to name her after my aunt, dad would like that, but she’s not green enough for the name “Vine”.”

“No, she’s as black as the night outside,” Summer said, looking out the window, then towards the clock that changed from 11:59 PM to 12:00 AM as she watched. “It’s Midnight,” she said tiredly with a smile.

Windstorm followed her gaze. “It is indeed. Maybe we should wait until morning to think of one.”

“No,” Summer said, “her name. Midnight Storm. Rather appropriate, don’t you think?”

He thought for a second, then nuzzled her and the baby again. “Midnight Storm… I like it. Welcome to the world, Little Midnight.” 

As if in response, baby Midnight yawned widely, then nuzzled deeper into her mother’s chest. Summer nuzzled her back, then her body went limp as her breathing became a steady rhythm of sleep. Windstorm couldn’t blame her for passing out and marveled how long she’d held on after the birth.

“The first kirin in Equestria in fifteen hundred years,” he muttered as he laid his head down next to his wife and used a wing to cover them in protective darkness. “You’ll mean so much to so many.”