Fellowsong

Kakarana the grey dragon lay in half-sleep in the back of her cave, too fatigued to move. Her bright orange eyes watched the stars cross the sky as her mighty body wasted and grew colder every minute. She knew she would die if she did not warm herself soon; but she welcomed this revelation, since she had puzzled the previous night as to why it was taking so long, and had felt for the first time a fear of the unknown void beyond the actual moment of dying. But now she felt too tired even to worry, so she closed her eyes and composed herself to sing the song all Singers must sing at the end to release their wild spirits.

Kakarana's lips didn't stir. No sound emanated from her aged body. But in her head, she sang:

Years of my life, spread wings in the past

And fly with the minute which shall be my last

Let me go, far away, into the dark

And find my lost loves who call to me, hark!

The song was so familiar in her fading mind; growing fainter now, but then she heard a new sound; hoofbeats in her lonely cave. And suddenly, through the fog of her own dying, Kakarana heard a voice. And it was an unpleasantly familiar one.

"Oh come now, Tumbler, 'tis only a cave!"

Not him! cried Kakarana within her now clearing mind. Not the jolly one! Now, death, now, please, come quickly-

It was too late; though her body was cold and her amber eyes shut tight, still her stubborn spark of life lingered deep inside, and so the one who called himself Tumbler found her, and cried out in glee.

"Kakarana, my dear companion, I have found you at last!"

Go away.

But Tumbler could not hear her, and chattered on oblivious.

"You don't look at all healthy."

I'm almost dead, you clod.

"Never mind, I'll soon have you up and smiling, hm?"

I might smile if you went outside and threw yourself down the mountain.

"That's the spirit old girl! You can do it- my, you're very cold! I'll just have to light a fire."

Kakarana groaned as the warmth seeped into her great, wrecked body, pulling her even further away from the coolness of death. Her spark of life ignited into a tiny flame and her eyes opened.

"Welcome back to this wonderful world!" A pale blue pony with a dark green mane and yellow eyes stood a few feet away, his eyes sparkling with firelight and humour.

Kakarana didn't speak. She allowed her large, orange eyes to stare all of her contempt and outrage at this small, annoying pony.

"No need to thank me." said the pony cheerfully, turning away to stoke the fire. "Just seeing you awake and well is my reward."

What a silly smiling clod this pony is. thought Kakarana, turning away in disgust.

********************************************************************

Over the next few days, and very much against her will, Kakarana recovered.

"Thank you, Tumbler." she rasped bitterly. "Thanks to you, my life, which has no purpose or prospect of happiness, will continue for a time longer."

"Oh, no, Kakarana." Tumbler chided. "Your life does have a purpose. You must train the youngling."

"What youngling?"

Kakarana knew well enough. The youngling who would succeed her; her rival and friend, the one who had taken her power by natural succession; Kakarana envied him for his youth, his power; but loved him like the child she had never had. Suddenly she longed to see him just once before the end.

"His name is Spike."

"And what must I train this youngling to do?"

"Carry out his new duties."

"And why must I do this?"

"Because," said Tumbler sincerely, "you are the best of the Singers."

Kakarana couldn't help smiling at that. "The best, and the worst. That I am. What of it?"

"So you're to train him. You'll see, it will all be right in the end."

Kakarana fixed him with a stern glance. "In the end, we're all dead."