Fine, here's their happily ever after.

I take great joy in informing you this is the non-canonical ending, but I figured some of you might enjoy it

Firehawk has written a rather excellent sequel fic to the first ending, and I'd highly recommend you read it! His stuff is absolutely fantastic, and for those who want a happier ending that works with the first version, there you go!

It's called "You keep me smiling", and it'll be updating daily until it's finished, so go give it a read

Anyway, on with the sappy nonsense

They spent long into the evening exploring the peaks, charting any ravines they were confident or crazy enough to venture into.

By the time night was chasing the orange streaks of sunset down the sky they were sweeping back towards their mountain home, laughing together and chasing each other's tails in long spirals

"Did you see the size of that wildcat?" Winter breathed, flapping up to soar above her.

"I did! Good thing I had such a strong, noble warrior to protect me from it." She joked, bumping his side. "You really saved my scales back there."

He wasn't sure he had, the creep of evening had meant the cat hadn't even noticed she was hiding in the shadows behind it, but that didn't stop the compliment from blushing his ears blue.

"So, is that enough adventuring for you, your Highness?"

"Yes." He said, adding after a beat. "But without the 'your Highness'."

"Alright, it's your choice dear."

Dropping down to their slightly parted downway, he opened it fully for her, and closed it softly behind them.

"My, what a gentleman."

"I have my moments."

In an instant he'd swept her up in a flurry of giggles. Were it not for his strength, Winter likely wouldn't have been able to pull that maneuver off at all, with how tall Moon had been getting. Doubtless she's outgrow him in a year or two, so Winter would enjoy being able to do this while he could. "Winter!" she cried, holding onto his neck as he spun her around.

He held her close, and she bumped their snouts together. Forest green eyes sparkled up at him, glittering like buried emeralds, or the first budding leaves of spring.

"I love when you make that face. That tragic hero expression, like you want to protect me."

"I want nothing more than to protect you, Moon."

An odd expression crossed her face, something inexplicably mournful that Winter couldn't make sense of.

"Moon? Is everything…"

"Oh, nothing, nothing." She repeated with a little more conviction. "Just a feeling… like someone walking on my grave."

Winter frowned, and Moon reached up to brush his cheek. "I'm fine, really. Probably the future, just nothing intrusive enough to be visual. Please don't let me spoil this."

"Spoil? I don't think you could spoil any moment I spend with you, even if you want to."

"Is that a challenge?" She said, a mischievous gleam in those sharp jade eyes.

"Absolutely not!" He laughed.

Her delicate claw trailed down his neck, making Winter shiver. "Alright. Let's just enjoy this then. I'd say we deserve it after all our great hero work."

"Far too much hero work." Winter agreed.

Gentle as silk, he carried her to the fireplace, where she shot a blast of flame at the charred coals. The fire was kept small so as to allow the smoke to escape through the thin chimney, but it was enough to light the whole space with amber warmth. "You're sure you're alright with this being on? It's not too hot for you, is it?"

"Not if you like it, love. And in return you're going to visit the Ice Kingdom with me one of these days. I have to show you the Northern lights, they really are the most spectacular thing I've ever seen."

"I know," she laughed, "You never stop thinking about them whenever I mention how much I love watching the skies."

"Trust me, a couple of months from now those frozen nights will be lit from horizon to horizon with the most spectacular colours you've ever seen." Winter said wistfully. "That's it, I've made up my mind, we're going."

"A couple of months from now?" Moon said thoughtfully. "Isn't that Snowfall's decennial? I suppose it would only be a small detour."

"Ah, of course." Winter himself had been invited to attend the celebrations, but that hospitality had not been extended to his wife. Over her years on the throne Snowfall had greatly softened her attitude towards the other tribes, as far as Winter was aware her majesty's sister Princess Crystal would be attending with her MudWing husband, but Snowfall seemed to still harbour an intense distaste for Moon in particular.

"Rightly so." Moon sighed. Dancing flames reflected in her clear eyes, giving him the impression the battle of Jade Mountain was replaying in her mind.

He twinned their tails together, and she sank into him.

"Besides, I've never been one for parties." She raised a talon to her head dramatically. "I suppose I'll just have to content myself with drinking hot chocolate and reading while I wait for you to return. Oh the horror!"

He laughed, and the way she smiled at the noise made him feel higher than the moons she was named after. "I still don't understand how you fire-breathers drink that stuff. Hot food, I get, but drinks? All they do is burn your tongue and make your insides uncomfortable. Ice-cream is obviously the superior dessert."

"Maybe if you're not lactose intolerant." Moon said with a snort. "I think I'll stick to snow cones thank you very much."

Winter circled his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"I do really think you should attend that party though." She said after a moment. "Just because I'd prefer to hole myself up in some distant mountain cave and never be seen again doesn't mean you have to live the same way. And besides, there are some dragons there that really miss you."

"Some dragons? Moon, you know three other IceWings that'll be attending."

"And they all miss you, therefore some. Especially Lynx." She said with a wink.

Winter prayed the coloured light hid his blush. "She… you know that-"

"You'd never leave me for her?" She finished. "I know dear, you're far too good to me for that. And besides," she said with a wave of her claw, "I'm reasonably certain Hailstorm has her locked down."

"Is there… anyone else you think we should reconnect with?" Winter said at length.

"I can think of a couple, but we can have the conversation some other time." Moon glanced up at him, eyes shining like a brilliant light in the dark. Winter would give anything to just stare into those eyes for the rest of eternity. Whenever she looked at him like that, it was like she was looking at every version of him she could ever possibly know, and telling him she'd love them all despite it all.

"I love you Moon."

She smiled, soft and sweet. "That's all I could ever want."