//------------------------------//
// Epilogue 
// Story: A Walk Under the Stars 
// by TimeToPony 
//------------------------------//

	I was laying down in front of the fire, enjoying the heat against my face. I brushed my mane out of my eyes, it had become very long and overdue for a manecut. I watched as the fire licked the space above it with its orange flames. I loved to hear it crackle. It was a satisfying sound. It calmed me on cold winter nights like these. I picked up a fire poker and tipped over a small log, causing little fire speckles to fly up, only to burn themselves out and fall back into the fiery pit. I put the poker back, careful not to burn myself.
I rolled over on to my side and heard a small thud next to me. I picked up what fell and held it in front of my face. I smiled warmly.
I was holding the charm to the necklace I was wearing. It was a golden waning Moon inside a heart. It held it close to my heart and felt a twinge of worry. It had been a long time since my wife had been away. I hoped she was okay. The thought of her made me feel better. I thought about those two days I first spent with her. It all seemed like a dream, yet also like it happened yesterday. The thought of her warmed my heart more than any fire could.
I remembered the exact way the Moon looked when she found me on the balcony. I remember her telling me she had specifically placed it in front of me for romantic reasons. Oh, how we laughed. It was odd how I didn't notice those first few signs. Her watching me from afar, how she sat closer than the normal pony would on that balcony. How she tried to impress me with her knowledge of the sky, how she tried to impress me with her flying skills.
I remember the exact words she said to me when she was telling me about her banishment. Sometimes, when I'm alone, I can still hear her cries and feel her tears. I recall how she lied in my lap and spilled her demons. I remember her eyes when I gave her the flower, her anchor to herself, the separation between her and Nightmare Moon. For the longest time, it never came out of her ear, excluding showers and sleep and stuff like that. But she always kept it nearby. I remember when she jumped onto me and sobbed, how I petted her and told her it was going to be okay. I remember when she fell asleep on my lap. And when I slept, too. Never had I had such a sound and restful sleep.
I remember, most of all, when I first told her I loved her, how I looked into her sparkling eyes. Those beautiful cyan eyes. I remember how they filled up with tears, how red her blush was. I remember when she jumped onto me and sobbed, confessing her mutual love. If I ever felt stressed or angry, I always remembered that moment. And I would be restored to calm. It was hard to believe all that happened nine years ago.
I brought my attention back to the necklace, another feeling of worry came over my body. I held the necklace to my lips and I kissed it. I never took this beloved jewelry off, not even for showers or sleep, it wouldn't get damaged. This necklace was the wedding present from my wife. She gave it to me two years ago. I admit, I shed a tear or two. It was a combination of my cutie mark and my wife's.
For my wedding present, I stole the flower I gave her and made into a necklace of my own, with the flower inside, neatly spread out, and this magical flower never lost it's smell, never ever. She wore it around her neck everyday and every hour. I remembered what my mother told me, the day before her death. I was seventeen and lived with my mother and I used to see my father on weekends.
"Sammy, do you know what love is? Besides the one for me and your dad," she had asked me. I looked up at her confused.
"No, I gu-ess not," I answered. I remember my voice cracking and my mother putting a hand on my face, feeling my soft skin. My mother looked surprised. She took a deep breath.
"No, I didn't really expect you to... Listen Sammy, I really need you to hear this," she said. She coughed and I tensed up at the unexpected sound. "One day, Sammy. You will find someone great. Someone who is going to fit in your puzzle of a life. And when you meet that one person, I begging you, hold on to her. Don't let the candle of love burn out. You need to be the best husband in the world. You need to remind that person of your love for them every day." She shut her eyes for a moment, then spoke again. "... In every love, there is something that symbolizes your love, always. Some sort of thing that always reminds you of her. I need you to hold on to that thing, make sure you see it every day. For that object... is your love. It is everything that you two hold close. Every time you see it, you should smile and relive every moment you two had together. Your father... was a great man and a greater father. And I still love him, even though he may be... gone. Without him, you would not be the striking young man you are now. And before you have to go, I want you to know... I love you more than anything in this world. And when I get old and die, I want to know that my son made a difference in someone's life. Sammy... my Moon... come closer," I obliged and leaned closer to her. "My Moon... I have cared for you my whole life, and if you have ever felt in my debt, I know of one way you can repay me..." silence hung in the air for what seemed like eternity. "Sammy, make her... happy..." she said, then she fell asleep. I walked out of that hospital in tears.
A tear slowly fell down face as I remembered that moment. But I smiled and made a small laugh.
"I did it, mum. I did everything you asked me to do. I made a difference in someone's life. Though I guess it's somepony's life now. I will always be your Moon, mum... always," I said to myself. Another tear streaked down my face as I recalled that brilliant woman. She really did shape me into who I am... I remember how sad I was after she died. I remember holding that knife in front of the bathroom mirror every night, first I wondered if I would ever go deeper, then I began to dare myself to go deeper. And then My Little Pony came into my life, and I threw the bloody knife down for good. I didn't care that I got teased for liking that show. It was the reason I stopped bleeding. I will always be in debt to those I now live with. I turned back on to my belly and closed my eyes in bliss. My ears twitched as I heard galloping coming from outside the door. It came closer and my door busted open, causing me to jump. There was a very light gold aura around the door handle. I looked up to see my sister-in-law, Celestia. She was breathing heavily. She must have been running fast. I jumped up and turned towards her, surprised and attentive.
"I came as soon as I could. It's Luna..." she took a breath, winded by her run. "The babies are coming!"