I stood in the entrance hall, staring out over the town. The dim lantern lit roads felt warm, inviting, calm. Knowing just how much good I'd actually done had stuck a cord with my body. I felt like I could run a marathon. I felt like I could build. And with the plans dropped off by the townsponies, I was helping to draw up plans for a few new towns in other mountain areas. "It's gonna rain, isn't it?" I asked myself, watching a few bat ponies fly around.

I rubbed my face. I was torn, I wanted to go back to Vermont and relax, but now I had so much energy. I had friends, my enemies had gone, apologized, and moved on. My friends were brought to a humbling knee by my followers, and a town once crushed by its own weight was not breathing again, functioning, and thriving. I felt my right eye burn ever so softly. "Oh god...it's happening- no...it happened. I did it dad. I did it." I breathed loudly, laughing a little as somepony started to walk up from behind me.

"Rainstorm." Moon mumbled, brushing my side with her head. "It's going to be a rainstorm."

I looked down at her, rubbing my eye to keep it clear. "Is it? I should really formalize the weather department here."

Moon let out a soft sigh, her long silver mane hanging low. "Perhaps." She sat down, leaning against my side. "Ben, can we speak?"

I felt myself frown rather hard. "About?"

"Us."

I took a deep breath, rotating the cuff of my hand and signaling the guards to close the main doors. "What about us?" I stuffed my hands in my pockets and turned to Moon. "This is about Foxglove, right?"

Moon flipped her head back. "Am I that obvious?"

I just watched the tall white mare sit there, on the dull red carpet I'd been given from the House An Arder. "I know you don't like her. I know she's not too fond of you. I know this whole mistress thing isn't going to work."

Moon nodded, showing off just a bit of pain. "I know Ben. It was nice of her to humor me though. I enjoyed being included." Moon Light stood up and turned towards the throne room. The massive two story room with a wrap around balcony felt so much bigger now. But with the size, it kept something calm, something safe. It was alive now. With ponies under my command, ponies under my rule, and ponies exchanging free ideas with my staff. She stopped along a pillar, leaning against it with her flank and brushing me with her tail. "You love her Ben?"

I took a deep breath. "I do. She plucked me from the crowd, and even if it was for some fucked up reason, she grew on me. And I guess I grew on her." I put my hand on the pillar, turning around and resting back to back with Moon, on either side of the pillar. "I'm almost thirty you know. God I feel old." I rubbed my face. "But, I don't too. I mean, after everything that happened, I feel good right now. My heart is back to normal, my head is clear, I feel fine."

Moon huffed softly. "I'm glad. Tell me why you love her."

I rubbed my forehead. "What am I supposed to say?"

"Anything."

"She's kind."

"She was planning to kill you."

"She's smart."

"She uses it to plot."

"She's beautiful."

"Am I not?"

"She cares about me."

"Only after she lost you."

"She never tried to fight me in public...."

"You fought back!"

I pushed off the ground and turned to the pillar. "What do you want? She's my wife. She changed me, and I changed her. That mare...she's different from the mare I met in Canterlot, but she's still mine, she's still kind, she's still my wife." I felt my eyes start to burn. "I know, she did so many bad things, and I'm sure she did worse before I was around. But if I dwell on those I'll never get past it. I talked with Carve about this, but he talks in fake circles! He thinks--"

Moon snaked herself around a pillar. "Carve is weary, philosophical in his old age. Does he know what he talks about? Some times yes, some times no. But you--" Moon ducked her head down. "I'll never understand how any being could love those ponies. They're monsters, Ben. They kill, and the corrupt, and still you love her!"

I ducked down. "Because I know her by her first name. That last name, I didn't know until we showed up here--"

"And that makes it different!?" Moon shot her head up, eyes red and puffy. Her dull raspy voice peaked high, leveling out with a soft whimper. "She will always be like that Ben. Including ponies where we don't belong to get her way--"

"She'll always take care of the foals."

"She'll always be scheming of how to take power!"

"For my family."

Moon lowered her head. "She'll hurt you Ben--"

"And I'll hurt her. We're married, I met that mare, I asked her out the third day she came to help me. Help...I mean, change me into his." I waved my hand at my body. "But without this, without her I wouldn't have any of this. I wouldn't have a town that loves me, I wouldn't have a family, I wouldn't have a chance to raise these kids right!" I put my hand to my heart. "I know her, her mind is like a puzzle. But you know what, she does it all for one thing." I held my arms out, welcoming Moon with a potential hug. "Her family."

Moon stared at my open arms. "Ben, why not me? I hurt you, I fought with you, I care about you--"

With a loud crack the rain started off, a gust of wind rattled the doors and blew a rush of mist through the hall. I was locked in place, standing off with the pure white mare in the red stained hall. "I care about you too."

"But not as much as her?"

"... Hug me."

"Please Ben, tell me why?"

"Hug me."

"Ben, I could have been yours-"

"Moon, hug me."

"-we could have had your family!"

"Moon!"

"..."

"Please?"

"... You hurt me Ben."

"I know."

"Why did you hurt me?"

"Because you're family."

"Why did you choose her?"

"Because I love her. I love you, but please, I need you to understand."

"Ben, it hurts--"

"I know. Believe me I know. But I know you Moon, I know you're strong. Now stop crying, stand up, and take a place at my side. Maybe you're not my wife, and no, you probably never will be. But this is my land, and you are my family, now stop crying...and kiss me once."

"Once?"

"Once, and never again."

"... Make it count."

"I'm more of a Duke now- -but I get your point."

"... We're not telling her, are we?"

"No."

"Can I still come back to Vermont with you?"

"... Tomorrow."

"But--"

"I said once. You've got one chance at this. After we come back from Vermont, I'll have a place for you to go. You'll need an heir, and.... This is your one chance Moon. Or...if you want the title early, it's a Lord Mayorship. So Lord Mayor Moon Light, stay the night?"

"... You said kiss you once. I don't think I can keep that promise."