Tired, bruised, and yet happy. That was how each of the three ponies felt as they slowly made their way back to Canterlot, exhausted physically and mentally. Sirius was carrying Iclyn on his back; she was the most tired of the three. Luna was walking alongside the stallion, a bright look on her face and a bounce in her steps. Despite everything that had happened between herself and him, they managed to get along, and this battle solidified their mutual trust. However, there was one unanswered question.

"Sirius... Can you recall what happened at the moment when... when it seemed we lost?" she asked hesitantly.

"...At first, I felt pain from the wounds," Sirius slowly replied. "And then, nothing. A very long moment of nothing, and the only thing I felt was a fading trace of that seemingly latest kiss... But then I felt a surge of power, a feel of warmth and... something else. It was like... a huge relief after a very tiring day..." he trailed off for a brief moment, "But then I realized what I can do. I realized that what I must do isn't to kill in rage but... protect those I love. I put my rage behind and put Iclyn and you in front of me. I realized that this... nightmare that was inside me, it fed on my negative. Fear, hate, anger, all of it fed that thing. And all I needed to do to defeat it was... to let go. To reevaluate what I need, what I truly need."

A long while passed in silence as Sirius thought, trying to find the words to describe his experience. He gazed off into the distance.

"What you experienced is partial ascension, Sirius," Luna said. "In the past, alicorns were born through great deeds. World-saving deeds... like my sister and I. Powerful magic comes to those in dire times if their intentions are pure. The realization you had... it purified your mind. You saw the truth, and for that, you were rewarded... You have sacrificed your life in a certain sense. You are no longer who you used to be, you are..."

"Better?" Sirius asked, and Luna nodded. "I... I suppose that's truth. I feel better. It's like... pressure I felt for years is gone.

"You sacrificed yourself not in hatred for the nightmare, but in the love of Iclyn. The powers that be granted you the ability to defeat your fears because you have shown that you have good, pure intentions. And so... you defeated it, setting yourself free and making sure that those you care about are out of the harm's way."

"I still don't understand why it happened..." the stallion admitted. "One moment, I lay on the ground... the other, I am standing, feeling like I could lift mountains."

"Because you could lift mountains. Temporarily," the alicorn said. "Maybe in the future, you will be an alicorn. I see you have already earned your destiny," she gestured at his flank.

"...I suppose, yes," he nodded, looking at the image of sword and shield.

"Just remember, those who seek to become alicorns, never do," Luna warned. "This power doesn't come to those that want it, only to those who deserve it and need it."

"I'm not looking for that," Sirius shook his head. "I'm there for Iclyn. She's everything I could ask for," he turned his head to look at her. By that time, she had fallen asleep on his back. The stallion chuckled softly, "I love her. She loves me. There's... really not much else I could ask for."

"What are you planning for the future, then?" the alicorn asked with interest.

Slowly, Sirius leaned in and quietly whispered, "I want to marry her."

Letting out a tiny gasp, Luna smiled brightly at the stallion and said, "Oh my... can't say I'm surprised, but in any case, it puts a smile on my face."

"Just keep it secretly for now," the stallion added, "It'll be a surprise."

"Of course," Luna nodded in agreement, "And what would come next?"

"I'm not sure just yet, but I think I have an idea," he glanced at his flank, "I'll talk about it with Iclyn before making decision."

Meanwhile, far away from Equestria, the changelings gathered in the throne room of their hive. The throne was vacant for some time now, and they needed a new ruler; they needed someone to lead them into the future. Sirius had refused to take the mantle of their king, but a new candidate arose in his place. A changeling.

"Brothers and sisters..." the changeling by the name of Thorax spoke, "Ever since we lost Queen Chrysalis, we didn't know what to do. We were lost, we weren't ready for something like this. Some of us weren't thinking clearly..." he glanced at his brother Pharynx and other changelings. "But I believe now it is time to move on. Our Queen did some things right... and yet she did many things wrong. But we, as a collective, can shape our future. It is time... to elect the new ruler."

A wave of confused and hesitant whispers breezed across the crowd.

"I know it is difficult, but we must do it," Thorax said firmly, "Each and every one of us must choose whom we want to be our king or queen. I vote for... Pharynx, my brother," he looked at his brother with a smile. "We have our differences, but he is a capable leader. He is strong, he is devoted, he is loyal to us all, and he wants what is good for us. I might not fully agree with him, but I understand him. And now... it is time for all of us to choose."

A nervous buzzing filled the hive on that day as the changelings thought hard about whom they wanted to see on Chrysalis' throne. For many years, she had been their sole queen, ruling them harshly, but providing them with love to survive. She was not the fairest rulers, far from it; but despite being arguably unsuitable for her position, she still managed to provide to changelings, help them survive through decades. Her death meant an end to an age, and someone had to take her place and lead everyone else into the future.

Among the changelings, the whispers were exchanged, mentioning a stallion warrior. A capable and fierce fighter, Sirius became a living legend among the changelings. Many feared and respected him, some hated, a few would even like him to be their king, but all of them knew for certain not to cross his path. They will forever remember that ponies are not just prey — they could be hunters. Powerful, unrelenting, strong hunters. The changelings didn't know Sirius' origins, but it was for the best. Perhaps, this fear would allow them to see ponies as something more than just a source of food.

The changelings would stay hidden from ponies for a long time. They needed to recover from the loss of their ruler and find a new one, and it would take a long time. They were a collective even though each of them possessed a certain degree of individuality. They were on their own now, accountable for their own actions before each other.

Their greatest loss might be their greatest gain.

Wind Rider and Anastasia were at his new apartment. It was a small one, but the colt was living there alone; it was a welcome change from what he had when he lived with his brother.

"Here it is!" Wind Rider exclaimed once he found the book he was looking for. He grabbed it and gave it to the girl, "Just don't forget to return it to me once you're done reading, okay?"

"Mh-hmm," Anastasia nodded, putting the book in a bag, "So... see you yesterday?"

"It's tomorrow," the colt corrected her with a light chuckle. For a brief moment, he glanced out the window. "You know..." a hint of nervousness appeared in his voice, "Uh, the rain's coming in around ten minutes. You... can stay here if you'd like. The morning will be, uh, clear, so... A-and I'll be able to help you with reading stuff, you know?"

"I think it fine, I stay," the girl nodded in agreement, "But do you have, uh... the... the bed things?"

"There's a sofa," Wind Rider gestured at what he mentioned, "Should be comfortable. Also, feel free to use the orange toothbrush and a blue towel when you need them."

Despite being quite awkward around each other due to the lack of understanding, Anastasia's relationship with Wind Rider was strange at this stage. They were testing the waters, trying to see what was possible to do. Wind Rider's move was unexpected but it was more a show of courtesy than an invitation to something the two weren't ready for just yet. They found something both of them were comfortable with — reading a book and learning. The colt was there for the girl, helping her learn more and more about Commonlang, which would definitely play its part in her adjustment to Equestria and this new world as a whole.

Anastasia still kept a thought of returning home in her head, even if it were just a brief meeting with her parents. Equestria was a nice place, a country worth living in, but she left without saying goodbye. She had no idea if she would ever have the chance to see those she knew before, but she kept this hope in the corner of her mind. After all, miracles happen, and her friend Sirius was an example of one. Was it a perfect miracle? Perhaps not, but it was enough to convince the girl that anything was possible, no matter how difficult it was to achieve.

Now, however, she was focused on getting to know Wind Rider. To her, he was a small talking unicorn — something out of a fairy tale. And yet, it was all real, and she was in the middle of it.

Perhaps, one day, she would settle down in this new world. But until then, she would need to study and learn. Thankfully, she had just the right pony for it.

"Congratulations, Sirius! That mark looks very good on you," Flora greeted Sirius and Iclyn as they finally returned to the mansion. The filly was still asleep, snoring softly on the back of the stallion, nuzzling into his neck.

"Thank you," the stallion nodded, "If it's not much to ask... can you make some good tea for us?"

"Oh, yes, of course! Where would you like me to bring it?"

"The living room. We'll be by the fireplace," Sirius replied as he carried Iclyn to the main building. He opened the door and walked inside. The hall wasn't lit, only the dim light from the outside shone through the windows. Distant thunder rolled across the land but was muffled as Sirius closed the door and went further into the mansion.

He carefully placed Iclyn on the couch and moved it closer to the fireplace. He moved fresh logs into it, added some bark and dry grass, and lit it with his magic. He watched as the flames rose, creating a soft rumbling noise. The wood cracked as it caught fire, and soon the warmth spread across the room; the light from the fire casting soft shadows on the walls.

In a few minutes, Flora came in and silently placed two teacups on the table to the left of the sofa. She nodded to Sirius and left, gently closing the door behind her.

"Ah..." Iclyn yawned, blinking awake. She let out a moan before turning to Sirius, "How... how long have I been asleep?"

"Doesn't really matter," the stallion took a place on the sofa, moving a cup of tea to Iclyn and the other cup to himself. Without saying a word, the two took a few sips. Softly and lovingly, Sirius stroked Iclyn's mane as he gazed into the dancing flames.

"What happens now?" the pegasus asked, looking at her loved one.

"I think we need some days for ourselves," Sirius replied, "And then... I think I'll join the Royal Guard."

"...I think you'll fit right in," Icly replied after a few moments of thinking and smiled at him, "But remember, we have to complete school first. Just until the next summer," she glanced at his flank, "And... we need to get you in shape for that. You're still kinda skinny."

"Yeah..." he let out a soft chuckle and then took another sip of tea, "Everything's good now, don't you think?"

"It is," the pegasus nodded, planting a kiss on Sirius' cheek, "You'll be alright."

"We'll be alright, yes," Sirius slightly corrected her, "And now... let's just rest for a bit."

The two adjusted their positions on the sofa until they were comfortable. Iclyn placed her head between Sirius' forelegs, his chest lightly pressing against its side, allowing the pegasus to hear his heartbeat. Outside, heavy rain poured and harsh winds blew, the sun disappearing below the horizon as the day came to an end. The fire inside the mansion crackled from time to time, filling the living room with soft light and much-needed warmth during this chilly autumn evening. In this comfortable atmosphere, the two ponies soon fell asleep in each-other's embraces.

Unbeknownst to the two ponies, a small dry red leaf flew into the mansion through the small crack between the floor and the entrance door. Silently, it flowed closer and closer to the two, riding the waves of air coming towards and from the fireplace. Once it reached the couch the ponies were sleeping on, it began its descent. It seemed that it would soon land on Sirius' muzzle. However, the leaf was blown away as the stallion softly exhaled in his sleep, sending it right into the fire. In an instant, the leaf turned to ashes, burning in the hot flames. Nothing but a minuscule pile of red ash remained, which was soon buried under the normal gray ash from the burning logs.

Author's Note

Aaand... the end of Inside series! This story was shorter than the original, but I'm content with it. Sirius' journey for the better is complete, and he has a future to look forward to, something he probably didn't think he would ever have.

Will I write a sequel? Maybe. Would you like to see a sequel? That's the important question. I will probably just leave the story here, but I bet some of you feel that there can be more. ~~(And the sequel is out now!~~ ~~Click here.~~~~)~~

The sequel is cancelled. Details here

And just a small note... Every mistake Sirius makes while speaking is intentional. He might have dealt with his problematic past, but now he has a bigger obstacle to overcome — Commonlang grammar!

I love happy endings.