//------------------------------//
// Epilogue 
// Story: On the Isle of Man-Eating Ponies 
// by Destiny Chaser 
//------------------------------//

Rose Dust bowed low, her muzzle practically touching the hardwood floor of Luna's private quarters as she waited for her liege to acknowledge her. The room was dark, even for her eyes, concealing most of its features within the shadows, the scent of lilacs teasing her sensitive muzzle. But there, somewhere within the darkness, was the night mother. The sensation of her immense power was unmistakeable, though her movements betrayed not a single sound to her sensitive ears.

"Rise, my child, and thank you for coming on such short notice," Luna said softly while silently emerging from the shadows, her glittering midnight blue mane and eyes seemed to emit a soft glow while not illuminating anything around them.

"Certainly night mother," Rose responded, "I am honored to be of service." She swallowed past the nervous lump in her throat, anxiety clawing at her heart, uncertain if her Princess was about to chastise her for the many close calls the human had in their mission. Luna's face appeared inscrutable for a moment before breaking into a small smile, immediately easing her tension.

"Peace child, you did well, there is nothing to fear." She assured. Rose Dust breathed an audible sigh of relief, her ears drooping slightly,

"Thank you, night mother," Rose hastily said, dipping her head in a quick bow.

"But, I do have some questions. First, tell me, does he suspect you?" Rose Dust shook her head,

"No night mother, he suspects nothing. I have succeeded in completely integrating myself within his team. Captain Flash Skies has taken me completely into his trust." Luna nodded,

"Very good, and what were your impressions of his actions after this latest endeavor?"

Rose Dust paused for a moment, reflecting on all she had observed of her Captain in this mission, comparing it to all she had observed in the 10 months she had known him thus far. 

"He's very capable, impressively so, especially given his age; I've rarely seen such natural ability in a warrior. He remains calm, even when in high stress scenarios, adapting quickly to changing situations, and knowing how to think on his feet while constantly planning ahead. And he does all of this while seamlessly integrating all of the resources at his disposal. Also, his selfless example of leadership is very encouraging to say the least, for he thinks nothing of facing danger head on for the sake of us ponies. And," Rose paused, wondering if she should say the next part before saying it, "And I must say, that I very much enjoy working with him, and the rest of the team as well."

Luna smiled at her honesty, "There is nothing wrong with admitting if you are fond of working with him my child, your assessment of his capabilities and style of leadership is just what I expected to hear. However, I sense you have something else on your mind?"

Rose shifted on her hooves, not meeting her Princess' gaze for a moment, feeling uncomfortable for having to be critical of her Captain. She looked up at Luna, her gaze hardened, "But he's also young, reckless! Twice I watched him risk his very life, he could have been killed and he didn't even seem to care! He almost got his blasted arm bitten off and he shrugged it off like it were nothing more than an inconvenience! Even while bleeding out in front of a hundred predators who were clearly salivating for his blood." Rose grumbled at the last part, still upset a little for the moment when Flash had yelled at her when he noticed her preparing to intervene.

Luna nodded, "As I suspected. He is indeed still young and overconfident, something that I'm sure will be worked out in time, but we must ensure that he has that time. Therefore, Corporal Rose Dust, I am changing your mission parameters."

Rose perked up, shaken out of her reminiscing by Luna's sudden change of tone.

"Your mission, is now moving from one of observe and protect, to protect and intervene. If he should take any action that you deem unnecessarily risky to his life and wellbeing, then you are hereby ordered to prevent it, even if you must go so far as to restrain him!" Rose Dust's jaw dropped slightly in shock, but Luna continued, "Even if he should give you a direct order, do not fear repercussions for disobeying him, for I am granting you authority that will supersede his should such an occasion arise." Luna's horn shone with her sparkling blue magic and a small, silver medallion marked with her lunar crest appeared before Rose Dust who slowly reached out and took the offered object. "Merely showing that medal will gain you the cooperation of your teammates or at the very least, prevent them from obstructing you in your duties."

Rose Dust stared down in awe at the small medallion in her hoof, sealed with the Princess' own crest, it's very appearance automatically granting her more authority than even a flag officer should the need arise. She knew she should thank her Princess for entrusting her with such an important responsibility, but was held back by the sudden pang of guilt she felt in her gut at the thought of confronting the human she had come to trust and admire. It did not go unnoticed,

"What troubles you my child?" Luna asked. Rose swallowed nervously before looking up at her Princess,

"It's just that, well, I think this may be a mistake. After all, everything turned out exactly as Flash said it would. He reassured me over and over that everything would be fine, that he had the situation under control. And as much as I disagreed with him at the time, he turned out to be right. And..."

"And what?" Rose paused a few beats, staring at the floor as she struggled to put her feelings about her Captain into words. She looked up, locking eyes with her Princess,

"And I've learned to trust him, to trust his judgment. He's never led us wrong yet, and his confidence isn't just for show; I think he knows what he's doing. So maybe, just maybe we shouldn't be so, hasty?" Rose Dust caught the raised eyebrow Luna gave her and uttered a small 'eee' in distress, quickly ducking her head in a bow, "Your, your highness! I didn't mean it like that, I was merely suggesting-"

Rose Dust was cut off as she felt a gentle hoof touch her chin, slowly raising her face up to meet Luna's, who rather than appear upset, gave her a kind look of such warmth and compassion so as to flood her heart with immediate relief.

"Your loyalty to your Captain is most admirable my dear, it is for that very quality that I chose you for this mission. I understand if you find this distasteful, what I am asking of you is not easy. However, Flash Skies is one of Equestria's most significant treasures, and it's wasteful for him to be so foalishly exposed to such unnecessary dangers, Regardless of what my sister thinks... Luna thought, keeping that last part to herself.

"He will grow in wisdom and strength over time, but for now, while he is still so young, we need to protect him, just as he desires to protect us. Can you help me to do that my child?"

Rose Dust looked down at the medallion in her hoof, the vivid memory of Flash's deeply scarred body passing before through her mind, and that iconic scar over his right eye. Looking back up at her Princess with renewed determination, she gave a sharp nod, "Yes night mother, you can count on me."



Flash sighed in contentment, his arm gently tightening it's hold around Ella's waist, pressing her soft form into his side as she rested her head on his right shoulder, his own head leaning down onto hers. Ferra lay curled about their feet, the tiger-orange mare resting her warm, fuzzy head against Ella's bare feet, guarding them from the early morning chill while her jet-black tail was wrapped protectively around Flash's ankle. She softly purred as she seemingly slept, but Flash knew better by now. Even when the mare seemed to be sound asleep, he knew that it was almost always a ruse, that she was in fact very alert, using all of her keen senses to monitor everything going on around them.

They were sitting on the wooden bench on the front porch of their home which was situated facing away from the Everfree Forest, not too far from Fluttershy's cottage. The sun had not yet risen, but he could see the warming horizon, signifying that Celestia would soon raise the sun.

Flash enjoyed the peace of the predawn, making use of it to ponder all that he had gone through during the last several hours. With a little help from his mother Bright Skies, he had managed to make peace with Ella, but only after receiving the dressing down of his life via his dreams from Princess Luna about his recent actions, actions which, in part, he still defended as necessary for the good of Equestria. True, to placate her, he admitted that he could have done better on some points, but hindsight was always 20/20.

Yes, and a wise gentlecolt will always be mindful of how his actions affect the feelings of a lady, especially those of his wife. 

Flash smiled at the touch of his mother's thought's, he reached out with his own, allowing her to feel his gratitude, I know mom, and thanks again for helping me smooth things over. He could feel her smile and laugh a little,

Of course my love, that's what mom's are for. She gave him the equivalent of a mental embrace and a kiss, wrapping her mind around his before reluctantly narrowing their connection, as she knew that Flash wanted some privacy for now. He embraced her back, sending a mental image of him visiting her later that day. She responded with a burst of excitement before severing the connection, leaving him alone in his thoughts. He would always be able to feel her, no matter how narrow the connection, but he was grateful that they could gain privacy from each other when the need arose.

He was distracted from his thoughts when a very vocal finch suddenly alighted on top of the banister of their front porch, its shrill voice trilling away its enthusiasm for the approaching dawn of a new day. As cheerful as it was, Flash didn't appreciate how it had interrupted the peaceful silence he had been enjoying with his wife. Sucking in a breath of air, he blew out with purpose, attaching his will and magic to the air and atmosphere in the same way the rest of this tribe did with their wings, creating a strong gust that blew the noisy intruder off of it's proud perch with an indignant squawk, chittering in displeasure at him before zooming off. Ferra's ear flicked, but she remained in her place; Ella giggled at Flash's casual display of magic, making him smile. 

"I'll never get tired of that," she said.

"Of what?" Flash asked, knowing well of what she meant, but still desiring to hear her voice the matter anyways.

"Of that. Of you pony boy, showing me something magical each day, even if it's plain to you, it's always special for me. I don't think I'll ever get used to magic." Flash smirked while caressing her shoulder,

"You can see, sense, and even consume the entire spectrum of another being's emotions and energy as easily as you breathe. You stick to walls and can see in the dark, and yet you think a little parlor trick like me moving some air is neat?" Ella nodded against his shoulder,

"Mmm hmm!" She hummed, squeezing herself closer to him and causing him to laugh softly before breaking into a small sigh,

"Sorry again Ella, it was never my intention to scare you like that." He felt her smile,

"Yeah, and I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have freaked out on ya like I did. It's just that, ugh, everything feels dialed to eleven right now." She said with a huff of frustration.

"It's alright, I know that this hasn't been easy for you."

A few moments of silence went by, and during that time, Ella took one of them to look up at her young husband, admiring how his silvery hair sparkled in the early morning twilight, his blue and violet starburst eyes starring off at the horizon deep in thought. She could see his powerful aura radiating warmly with a rich, rose-gold colored hue, the full force of the boundless love he had for her on display right before her very eyes. It made him appear older, more mature than his actual years, causing her to remind herself once more that he was nearly four years younger than her, only eighteen. She had never thought that she'd ever be a mother someday, her old life was far too dark for her to ever even consider the possibility. But now that it had happened, she was so glad that it did, and grateful that it could be with such a good man like Flash. Feeling a sudden movement in her lower belly, Ella smiled at an idea,

"Hey Flash,"

"Mmm?"

"You want to know somethin' that's more amazin' than all the magic here in this world?"

She placed her right hand over the top of his, the one around her waist, and lifting, placed it over her belly, right where she could feel the gentle kicking of tiny feet. She heard him gasp softly,

"That right there. Can you feel that Flash? We did that. By th' grace of God, we made these two little miracles. You're a father now babe, that's somethin' I want you to remember from here on out, yeah?"

Flash felt like he could tremble. He could feel them. He could feel their tiny movements, their life-force, and the small magnetic fields produced by their little bodies. He could even feel the slight tug on his energy as his two children began to feed on the love he was projecting out towards them.

My children. It still felt surreal at times that Ella was here with him in Equestria, when for his whole life, he never expected to even see another human, a female of his species, let alone to be married and to have children with her; he assumed that he would always be a virgin. It caused him to consider that perhaps, he hadn't allowed that incredible reality to fully sink in yet, to fully appreciate the new status quo of the sudden changes in his life and the responsibilities they now carried with it. He squeezed her hand,

"Thank you Ella," Flash whispered, "I understand. From now on, I'll be sure to remember that always."

Ella kissed him softly on his cheek, closing her eyes as she leaded her forehead against his temple, "You promise?"

Flash smiled. One of his favorite stories about their religion that Ella had told him about during their engagement was the one with the boat and all the animals. He couldn't quite remember the guy's name at the moment, but what he had loved so much about the story was it's ending, and how God had used a symbol that was so dear to his tribe as a sign of His promise.

Concentrating his will, he put his hand over his mouth, focusing on the air in his lungs and the atmosphere around them. Cupping his hand, he breathed out a gentle stream of air that condensed before them into a very fine mist, spreading out and covering the grassy area just in front of their porch just as Celestia's sun breached the horizon, its warm rays refracting into a small but brilliant rainbow that covered their front yard in a magnificent array of sparkling colors; Ella gasped, squeezing his hand.

"Yes Ella, I promise."

The edges of Ferra's mouth curled up slightly, the volume of her purring increasing as the small family welcomed the beginning of a new day with a new, brighter horizon.


~Fin~