Resolution and Reunion

"Oh AJ, I'm so glad you and the others are all right!" Moondancer sighed, melting the last of the ice around Applejack's feet with her horn. "I can't believe how that mare had us all tricked!"

"Maybe now you'll do a little more research, before hiring some mare from outside the valley." The earth mare replied with a smirk.

All throughout the castle, the other ponies were busy cleaning up all of the melting ice. The released males had managed drive away the few remaining windigoes, while the mares freed the freeing the few remaining ponies still trapped in ice. Little damage had been done to the castle itself, but the same could not be said for Dream Valley's inhabitants.

"Gingerbread.... are you okay?" Sweet Stuff asked, in her usual timid voice. "I-I'm sorry about the way I acted before."

"Hey, don't worry about it, Sweets. I'm sorry, too." The mare replied with an apologetic smile. "Neither of us were ourselves."

Out from the throne room, Twilight and Megan emerged, having been freed from their icy imprisonment. As soon as she saw Megan, Moondancer ran to the young girl, smiling.

"Oh, Megan! I'm so glad you're all right!" The unicorn exclaimed, as her human friend hugged her. "I am so sorry my daughter-"

"It's all right, Moondancer." Megan reassured her. "It's not your fault, or hers. I'm just glad all of my little ponies are safe."

"Miss Gypsy, I am to understand we have you to thank, for helping in our rescue." Twilight noted, trotting up to the Roma pony. "It seems we are in your debt, then."

"Yes, I did haf a hoof in our victory." Gypsy admitted, waving a hoof dismissively. "Is nothing, really. Just doink my duty, darlink."

"But still, a heroine should not be living in the forest like an outcast." Twilight replied, putting a hoof on the unicorn's shoulder, "I'm going to prepare a room for you here at the castle. Don't worry, the council will take care of everything."

As the two unicorns walked back toward the throne room, several scowling mares stared after them, making mental notes to keep an extra eye on their husbands from now on, whenever that mare was around.

As the ponies were talking amongst themselves, Moondancer trotted up to where Truly and Zigzag stood. The expression on the zebra's face was one of clear elation, but the earth mare's angry scowl seemed to be sending an entirely different message.

"Moondacer, can you believe this?!" Zigzag exclaimed excitedly. "Everyone in the castle is being so forgiving and friendly towards their fellow ponies. It's almost like it's a new day for Dream Valley!"

"I think we've all learned the value of truth and... friendship." Moondancer gagged, choking on that last difficult word. "I have a feeling things are going to be different from now on- right, Truly?"

Both of the other mares turned towards the earth pony, who only stared back at them angrily.

"You cain act jes laike thait, aftah all thait happened?" Truly snorted indignantly. "Ladies, our system failed us heyah, We let a wolf in into the flawk, ahd the powah at the top failed tah protect us!"

"But Truly, the whole problem's solved now." Zigzag protested. "Truly, nobody in Dream Valley is ever going to let this happen again!"

"Y'all maight be willin ta fogive ahnd foget, but ah'm not lettin this happen ta us aghain!" Truly replied, trotting away angrily. "Ahnd it maight jes mean somethin needs ta be done abhout ourah somewhat questionable leadahship."

The two puzzled mares could only stare after her in confusion, uncertain at what their earth pony friend was getting at.

...

"Why is the sea always so cold?" The mare thought to herself, as the night winds whipped at her mane. "Oh, I so hope he's wearing a jacket out there, whever he is!"

It was only a week later, and Moondancer was back atop her perch on Celestia's beacon. Staring out over the rail at the stars, her heart and mind was again filled with worry over the pony who was now nearly a month overdue. The last time she had been in this position, the whole debacle with Sun had torn her away from her vigil. But this time, she was waiting for a new figure to join her in her long wait, one whom she had not seen for almost as long a time as Bianco.

As she silently leaned against the rail, the white unicorn heard the elevator doors open behind her. He ears perked up at the sound of two ponies, and mare and a filly- stepping out onto the marble balcony.

"Moondancer?" Golden Light's voice asked. "Someone's here to see you from Fort Rainbow Dash."

"M-mama?" a sad little voice came out, from a filly with a quivering lip, and tears streaming down her face. "Mama, I know you're mad, and I'm really-"

Without hesitation, the mare leapt to Baby Moondancer's side, and embraced the miserable little filly. No words were needed between mother and daughter, no apologies to express the remorse felt by one pony, and the forgiveness felt by the other. There would be time enough for apologies for past misdeeds, and reconciliation with Megan would come soon enough. For now, it was enough for the two weeping ponies to hold one another in each other's hooves.

"The guard who delivered her to the lighthouse told me that the Rainbow Monks managed to purify her of her mental toxins while she was at Fort Dash." Golden Light offered, as she made her way back to the elevator. "And they said not to blame her for what she did... her actions were not her own."

"Thank you, Golden." Moondancer told the lighthouse keeper. "You go on ahead, we'll be down shortly."

The yellow unicorn nodded, as the elevator doors slid shut. The two ponies stood there an the railing for several hours, staring out at the foggy night and mist-covered sea. When a worried look crossed Moondancer's face, a tiny hoof came to gently rest on hers.

"It'll be okay mama." the little filly told her, her soft and playful voice back to the way the elder pony remembered it. "He'll come home okay, I promise."

The mother could only smile sadly in response.

It was only a half hour after the lighthouse keeper had descended, that the loud sound of a ship's horn echoed though the fog bank below. Through the piercing light of beacon's light overhead, the two ponies could make out a large shape approaching the coast on the water below

"A ship, mommy!" Baby Moondancer called excitedly. "A big ship's coming!"

Elated, the unicorn mare closed her eyes, and felt a warm, welcoming presence coming from the approaching vessel. Her heart almost leaping out of her chest, Moondancer quickly motioned for her daughter to follow her back down the elevator.

"It's your father, my dearest." Moondancer replied happily, wiping her tears away with her hoof. "Your father has returned to us, safe and sound."

And as the two ponies descended, the glowing light of Celestia's beacon- a true and steady guide for those who sought to come safely into port- shone out over the great sea. A light to guide the weary traveler home, after many trials and tribulations.

Home... to Ponyland

-The end-