Many months later

Sky paced back and forth outside the delivery room. He couldn't hear any of what was going on inside, but he wore a worried frown on his face as he checked the clock for the fifth time.

"Come on... She's been in there for hours... Why won't they let me in to see her?" Sky grumbled, his eyes flicking back down to Ardent and Sapphire as they sat on the bench beside him.

"Labor can take several hours for some mares. I'm sure Midnight's doing well." Ardent replied, although the slight crease in his brow clearly showed that he was concerned as well.

"-And the doctor already said why you can't be in there. Hospital policy. They don't want stallions getting in the way when a mare is delivering a foal. No more than the doctor, nurse, and the patient." Sapphire chastised, a slight frown on her face as well.

"Yeah, but that's bullshit. Back on Earth, they just gave the dad a pair of scrubs and let him stay by the mom's side when she went into labor." Sky replied, shaking his head.

"Just be glad that she didn't go into labor half way back." Ardent responded.

"I mean... the air ship Tia got to meet us at Ponpei had a doctor... God, I just hate not knowing..." Sky sighed.

Before Ardent or Sapphire could reply, the door was pushed open, and the doctor, still covered in his scrubs, walked out.

"Crimson Sky?" He asked, looking to the group of three.

"That's me." Sky immediately replied, stepping toward the doctor.

"Would you like to meet your son?"

Sky sniffled.

"Yes."

The doctor turned on his hooves and led Sky, Ardent, and Sapphire inside the room. Immediately, their eyes fell on an exhausted Midnight laying in the bed with sheets covering most of her barrel and legs. In her forelegs, a small bundle of blankets squirmed ever so slightly, bringing a wide smile to all of their faces.

Midnight tiredly looked up at Sky as he reached the side of her bed, and gave him a weak smile.

"Hey... big guy." She gently spoke.

"Hey..." Sky managed, his eyes darting back and forth between Midnight and the bundle in her forelegs.

"Heh... You can look, you know? He is yours, after all." Midnight teased, a serene smile on her face.

Sky slowly leaned forward until he could clearly see the soft, almost velveteen fur of his son. His mane immediately stuck out, being a jet black color, even darker than Midnight's. His coat was a shade darker of red than Sky's, but what stuck out by far the most, was the colt's eyes. A brilliant blue on one side, much like Midnight's and a chocolate brown on the other, much like Sky's.

"Oh my god... he has both our eyes..." Sky whispered, tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

"He's beautiful." Sapphire gushed, a massive smile on her face.

"Oh, I'm a grandpa now... this is amazing!" Ardent grinned.

Sky leaned over to nuzzle Midnight's cheek, a gesture which she gratefully reciprocated. They eventually pulled away just far enough to look into each other's eyes. A tender moment passed between them, before they both looked down at their son once more, and Midnight placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"I can't tell, does he have wings?" Sapphire chimed in, leaning in closer to inspect.

Midnight suppressed a chuckle before using her magic to un-swaddle her baby just a tad until his wings were visible.

"He's a pegasus... just like his father." Midnight said, casting another loving look Sky's way.

Sky beamed with pride for a moment, before leaning in and placing a gentle kiss on Midnight's lips. It was soft, and sweet, lasting only a moment, but conveying enough words to cover a lifetime with love, before he pulled away and spoke.

"I love you so much." He whispered.

"I love you more." Midnight winked.

"Not possible. Ask a changeling." Sky teased, getting a small chuckle out of Midnight.

Before Midnight could properly respond, there was a knock at the door that drew the entire group's attention. The doctor and nurse, who thusfar had been busy cleaning up the extra medical equipment, moved to the door and opened it, revealing Tempest, and Jason. Rather than his body armor and jumpsuit, Jason was wearing a simple pair of blue jeans, and a black t-shirt. Instead of the beard he usually wore, he had a steady five o'clock shadow, and his long hair now reached the bottom of his jaw-line on all sides. Tempest, on the other hand, was wearing nothing at all. Her scars and blank flank were visible to the entire world around her, but she barely even seemed to notice. They both gave a wide smile as they saw the group, and stepped inside.

"Jason! Tempest!" Sky excitedly exclaimed.

"Hope we're not too late. We got here as soon as we got your letter." Jason replied, quickly reaching Sky's side and pulling him into a hug.

"Hehe, you're just in time." Sky chuckled through the hug as he eagerly returned it.

"That's a relief. How are you holding up?" Tempest asked, her eyes darting to Midnight.

"A bit tired... and sore... but I don't think I've ever been this happy before... Well, maybe once." Midnight happily replied.

"Hehe, glad to hear it." Tempest replied, before giving Sky a hug of her own.

"Wow... So you're... a human?" Sapphire asked, looking at Jason curiously.

"Sure am. In fact, there should be another one coming any... second now..." Jason replied, looking to the doorway.

"Hold on! Wait for us!" Rebecca cried as she ran into the room with Melody at her side, the two of them almost shoving past the doctor and nurse in the process. Much like Jason, she was not wearing her pilot's uniform, and instead wore a simple flannel and jeans.

"There she is." Jason chuckled.

"I made it... Holy shit dude... stairs... suck..." Rebecca panted.

"We're not too late, are we?" Melody asked.

"You're just in time." Midnight chuckled.

"Oh my gosh... you guys are adorable!" Sapphire exclaimed, clopping her hooves together in excitement, "Midnight, I can see why you liked Sky so much when he looked like that."

"Jeez mom." Midnight playfully rolled her eyes.

"Hehe, we get that a lot.," Rebecca chuckled, "So anyways, where is this little guy? I wasn't sure which room you guys were in so I ended up running through like, seven different rooms... I think one of those guys was peeing when I barged in." She said, placing one hand on her hip and one on her chin in a contemplative manner.

"Heh, he's over here." Sky replied, stepping aside so she could see the bundled up foal in Midnight's forelegs.

Rebecca and Melody both stepped forward to look down at the small bundle of blankets and pony. Upon seeing him, they both gasped.

"Oh... my... God... I actually am gonna cry, he's so fucking cute." Rebecca gushed, wiping away the tears from her eyes.

"He's adorable!" Melody cried, a beaming smile on her face.

Jason and Tempest also leaned in close enough to see, and shared a similar reaction.

"Aww..." Jason said, pulling Sky into a one-armed hug.

"He's so cute." Tempest smiled.

"What are you guys gonna name him?" Rebecca asked, holding back a sniffle.

"Well..." Midnight began, looking over to Sky.

"We were thinking of something that kinda... combined a human name and a pony name." Sky explained.

"We were wondering if you'd be okay with the name too, Jason." Midnight continued, earning a curious look from Jason.

"We were hoping to give him Eddie's last name..." Sky finished, giving a small smile.

Jason's eyes widened, and he took a few moments before a grateful smile found its way onto his face.

"I... I would like that a lot." He replied.

Midnight and Sky shared a happy grin before returning their attention to Jason.

"Then his name is Sable... Sable Icon." Midnight proudly announced.

"That's a good name. I like that name." Ardent chimed in.

"Sable Icon? A fitting name for such a unique pony." A new, motherly voice spoke up, directing all eyes to the doorway once more.

Standing there, was Princess Celestia, Luna, Cadence, Twilight, Shining Armor, Starlight, Spike and the bearers of the elements of harmony.

"Princesses!" Midnight happily exclaimed.

"You guys made it!" Sky happily added.

"Well we couldn't miss the birth of the first human-pony foal in history, now could we?" Luna teased, happily pulling Sky into a hug.

"-An we never got a chance to see ya'll after ya got back from yer trip." AppleJack added, giving a winning smile as the rest of the group quickly surrounded Sky and Midnight.

"We were so worried when we heard about what happened." Fluttershy added, giving a sympathetic look to Jason and Rebecca.

"Thanks... We appreciate the concern. Sorry for not getting back to you sooner. We were tied up in Canterlot getting adjusted to a new life here." Jason replied, his eyes slightly downcast, but a smile on his face nonetheless.

"I'm just glad you all made it back okay. As soon as I heard you were going into labor in Ponyville, I had to get the girls and make sure we were here for you." Twilight spoke up, taking her turn to give Sky a nice hug.

"We wouldn't have missed this for the world." Celestia chimed in, giving a hug to Sky after Twilight was done.

"I can't believe you all made it." Sky said, wiping a tear from his eyes.

"Like they said, we wouldn't have missed this for anything!" Rainbow exclaimed, proudly puffing her chest out.

"Indeed darling, we all wanted to see the new foal. How are you, Midnight? I imagine you must be exhausted." Rarity said, giving a pleasant smile to the graphite mare in question.

"I've only been this tired... once? I think." Midnight shrugged.

"Wellyougottahaveenoughenergyforyourspecial 'gladyouguysmadeithomeandwe'reallsuperexcitedaboutyournewfoalhessocuteohmygoshIjustwannapinchhischeekseeee'!" Pinkie cheerfully exclaimed, suddenly appearing next to Midnight on the bed.

"Uh..." Midnight stuttered.

"Pinkie's just a little... too excited, heh. It happens." Spike shrugged.

"But regardless, we're all thrilled to see you guys again. We missed you this past year." Starlight added, giving a friendly smile.

"Damn... it really has been that long, hasn't it." Sky thought aloud, scratching his chin in thought.

"It has. By now, the rest of the fleet should be off world. Hell, even if we could radio them up, there's no chance now. Our radios are beyond destroyed after the island." Jason replied, shaking his head.

"Well, at least the company down here is great." Rebecca shrugged, placing a hand on Melody's neck and scratching into her fur.

"Ah... right... there... that's nice..." Melody dreamily replied, arching her neck to give Rebecca better access.

"Heh, ain't that the truth." Jason grinned, casting a loving look Tempest's way.

Tempest blushed slightly before nuzzling his hip and giving her own smile in return.

"We're all just thankful that you were all able to return from your journey in one piece." Shining spoke up, a friendly smile on his face.

"Most of us at least..." Jason whispered, just quiet enough to where he believed no one would hear him.

"He'd be proud of you." Tempest replied, her voice just loud enough for him to hear her.

Jason glanced down to see her giving him a supportive smile, and after a moment, felt a flutter in his chest. A thankful grin found it's way onto his face as well, and he leaned down to pull her into a hug.

For quite some time after that, every creature in the room was content to talk of their journey and what they missed. The room felt light, and loving, and even though the sun was quickly setting on the horizon, no one seemed to want to leave.

That is, until Jason and Tempest headed for the door.

"Where are you guys going?" Rebecca asked, glancing at them curiously.

"Promised I'd take Tempest hiking. We're gonna go up to the edge of the White Tail woods and watch the stars." Jason replied.

"You two have a good night." Midnight called out, giving them a small wave.

"We'll see you later." Sky followed up, a friendly smile on his face.

"Count on it." Tempest responded, an equally happy smile on her face as well.

"Wait, Jason! Can I talk to you really quick before you go?!" Twilight spoke up, trotting over to the door.

Jason turned and paused mid-step. He looked back over to Tempest before giving her a nod, to which she trotted off ahead down the hall to wait for him. Once it was just him and Twilight in the hallway outside the room, he gave her a curious look.

"Alright, so what's up?" Jason asked.

"I just wanted to say... Thank you." Twilight replied.

"For what?" Jason asked.

"For making my friend the happiest I've ever seen her." Twilight responded, a thankful smile on her face.

"Heh, I should be the one thanking you. If it wasn't for you letting her go with us... We'd all be dead... and I wouldn't have her." Jason warmly replied.

Twilight wiped a tear from her eye.

"What is it about you humans?" She teased.

"Not sure. Guess we just have a weakness for adorable little ponies with big hearts." Jason shrugged.

"Hehe... I guess so... I would tell you to take care of her... but I know you will." Twilight responded.

"If anything, she's the one taking care of me." Jason laughed.

Twilight giggled behind her hoof before clearing her throat.

"Well, you have a good night, Jason. We'll take care of Sky and Midnight." Twilight smiled.

"Thank you. I'll see you around, Twilight." Jason said, before turning and walking down the hallway to Tempest.

Twilight headed back into Midnight's room and quickly found her spot next to Cadence while the rest of the room circled around the new foal.

"So... Have I sated your fears about Tempest?" Cadence asked, in a teasing tone.

"Heh, yeah. They'll take good care of each other. Those two were made to be together... Just like these two." Twilight chuckled, as she gestured to Sky and Midnight .

"Mmhmm. I know when two creatures are meant for each other. All the way down to the day they'll fall in love. Those two... well, it didn't even take a month." Cadence smirked, victoriously.

"Alright, alright. You'll get your bits. Geez." Twilight playfully rolled her eyes.

"That what'cha get for betting against the Princess of Love." Cadence winked.

"I didn't bet against you! I just thought it would take a bit more than a month... That's what all my books said, at least." Twilight grumbled.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Jason and Tempest playfully ran and trotted up the hill as the sun set over the horizon. Blood orange and yellow light flooded the world around them and made the grass seem to flow like an ocean of color that endlessly waved at them in the evening breeze. With a backpack on his back, Jason ran ahead of Tempest, teasingly running his hand through her mane in the process, and getting her to gallop after him.

They quickly reached the apex of the hill, and Tempest easily caught up to Jason in kind. She tackled him to the ground, the two of them rolling over each other a few times until Jason stabilized on top.

"Hehe, you almost had me there." He chuckled.

"You only got on top because you had that extra weight on your back to throw me off balance." Tempest pouted, the tiniest trace of a grin forming at the corner of her lips.

Jason brought his hands up in mock surrender.

"Alright, alright, here, let me put it down then-" He chuckled, before unslinging the backpack and setting it down ahead of them, "There, happy nowaaaahh!" Jason gasped, as Tempest easily flipped him over.

He fell onto his back, and she instantly planted herself on his torso, effectively pinning him against the grass and his backpack. For a moment, he seemed too startled to react, but a soft chuckle quickly left his lips as he looked into her cyan eyes.

"You little cheater." He joked.

"Well, like I said, the backpack made it unfair." She teasingly replied.

"Next time, you're mine." Jason playfully replied as he placed his hand on her wither, the digits sinking into her plush fur and gently scratching the skin underneath.

"I don't know if there will be a next time. I kind of want to keep my perfect record." She replied, her limbs going slack as she rested in his embrace.

"Now that's just cruel. You wouldn't be that cruel." Jason shook his head, a good-natured smile on his face the whole time.

Tempest took a moment to bring her hoof up to her chin and think. At Jason's deadpan expression, she smiled, and leaned her muzzle forward until she gently bumped into his nose. She held herself there for a second before whispering.

"Boop."

"You are too cute." Jason replied, pulling her into a kiss.

As their lips connected, the sun set behind them, framing them in the picture of bliss. The world around them felt so warm and peaceful, but for a time, it simply didn't exist. All there was, was a man and his pony, and they were both okay with that.

Author's Note

https://youtu.be/dHC7P400C6w?t=1931 (Since this is the epilogue, and it's special, this is an entire 40 min of music I love, but I have it set to play at the right song for this chapter. Listen to it all if you want, but the time I have it set at is the song I imagine as this all goes down. I hope you all enjoy.)

Hey everyone. So the journey is finally at it's end. I'm not gonna lie, I'm not sure what to do with myself anymore. This story universe has been the epicenter of my focus for so long, and I wanted to write it for literally years before I finally got the balls to do so. In the time since I wrote The Discovery, a lot has changed. I got out of the Army, the show ended, I moved to a new state. The list goes on.

What I have to say, is thank you. To every one of you that stuck with me through every story and read everything that this poor artist ever wrote. You have all been my inspiration, and my drive to continue. All of this, was mostly for you guys. When I saw how little attention this story was getting compared to The Discovery, I just kinda stopped caring. But your comments and support through the months made me want to finish it for you.

I hope that you guys like what I've written. I put my heart and soul into each and every chapter, even the ones that I struggled to write. I'm not sure if I'm going to write anymore after this. Maybe a one off here and there, or maybe another story with some depth to it, but unless I get hired to be a writer on a massive project, I won't be doing anymore story universes any time soon.

Again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you all for making Sky, Midnight, Jason, and my version of Tempest feel alive and real, at least to me. These are easily my favorite characters I've ever created, and I'm so proud to call them my own. I'm just so thankful that I could share them with you all and hear your kind words about them in return.

But that's all I can really say. Thank you all again, for everything. You've helped make a dream into something of a reality for me, and for that, I can never say thank you enough.

As one last bonus, I leave you with my parting song. Please listen to it, as it's one of my favorites, and what I believe to be the best song to leave this story universe off on
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWRa3-3UM0o