Equinox

Livingwood awoke in his bed. It had been years since he last saw the field. The flowers continued to follow him, seemingly bound to his spirit. He stood, looking in the mirror. His coat had gotten slightly darker. He observed his flank; the flowers appeared once more, but this time, as his cutie mark. He smiled at them, turning and opening the door. Stepping outside, he took in the warm Summer air and walked down the street. He looked up to the sky, bumping into a unicorn stallion carrying a large sapphire, who fell to the ground.

"My apologies, sir." He reached his hoof out to help him up. The stallion simply brushed it away.

"It's quite alright. You have no need to help me; I'll be fine on my own. Might you have seen a sapphire lying on the ground? I seemed to have misplaced one..." The stallion looked around to see his jewel, lying in a patch of flowers. He levitated the sapphire back over to him, smiling. "Oh, nevermind, I've found it. Good day!" Livingwood smiled and began to walk away when the stallion stopped him. "Sir, may I ask you a question?"

"Sure; I'd be glad to help. What do you need to know?" he responded. The stallion cleared his throat.

"That little patch of flowers, right over there..." He pointed to the flowers. "I must say, I've taken this route to my shop for the better part of three years now, and I've never seen those flowers before. Have they always been there, and I just haven't noticed?" Livingwood smirked.

"No, no they haven't. Recently, they've began to pop up all throughout the year. Well, save for Spring, that is." He walked away, leaving the stallion puzzled. The stallion looked back to the flowers; they were gone. Livingwood continued along the path until he reached a toy store. He stepped inside, eyeing the pony behind the counter. "Hello, sir." The pony looked shocked.

"My, my... You're that colt who left here with the toy train," the pony said, chuckling.

"So you remember me..."

"Of course I do! How could I forget a pony so kind, and so thoughtful... How's your dad been?" he asked.

"He's been doing alright. I haven't gone to see him all Summer, though. I'll stop over by the old house later today," he answered.

"Good, good... You're a good son. He always comes in here, telling me about your job. How's it treating you? I heard you gotta help wrap up Winter all across Equestria. Rough, huh?" Livingwood smiled slightly.

"Yeah... A lot of towns don't have a good system. Even with magic, it's a hassle," he explained.

"You know, I've always wondered how you get Spring to all those towns on time..." Livingwood turned to leave.

"I dunno, I guess I'm just good at it."

That night, he arrived home to an empty house, as usual. Stepping inside, he closed the door and sat down, picking up a book. Right as he closed the door, it flew open again, the moonlight flooding in. He set the book down and sighed. A silhouette entered the house, wings spread and Autumn leaves trailing behind it.

"Yo," it called. "What are you doing, just sitting in the darkness?"

"Hey, I hadn't expected you to return home, alright?" he explained, turning on a lamp. The pegasus closed his wings as the light illuminated him. He walked forward and fell onto the couch, brown feathers flying off him.

"Why is it so hot in here, bro?" he complained, brushing his dreads out of the way. He turned over to reveal his cutie mark; three leaves in a circle.

"Would you rather it be freezing, Swift Leaf?" Livingwood replied. "Why were you gone so long, anyway? Autumn has been over with for nearly a year now. It's almost time for you to start your travels again!"

"I was chilling with my brother, Livingwood. I guess time got away from me; I haven't seen him ever since Autumn called for me, you know," he stated. Livingwood stood up and walked into the kitchen.

"I visit my dad every season; they said we were allowed to keep in touch with our families, remember?" He opened a cabinet. "Would you like anything, by the way?"

"I get so caught up in work, that's all. I keep forgetting to go visit him and Storm Cloud up there. And no, I'm set." He returned with a cup of tea. "Yo, you got it easy. Just cleaning up snow and such. I not only have to do the Running of the Leaves for all these other towns on my own, but I gotta make sure their weather teams don't mess up and accidentally bring Winter early, remind the citizens to not try and reverse said Running of the Leaves, and keep the leaves from literally rising up and taking over." Livingwood chuckled.

"I'm not sure I believe you about that last part... And Spring is just as hard to maintain as Autumn, I'll have you know." Swift Leaf laid back. "Why, wrapping up Winter is only the start. I have to regulate the temperature to prevent Winter from returning, but also keep Summer from arriving too soon. Furthermore, I am responsible for these barren towns receiving healthy grass and flowers. Lastly, I have to attempt to nurse the leaves back to health. Hold back on them just a little, Swift Leaf? They've nearly blackened by the time I can find all of them!"

"Hey, I treat each town the same. If I changed it up even in the slightest, I ain't gonna be able to remember. But, to make it easier for you, I'll just go a little slower next Fall, a'ight?" Livingwood smiled, taking a sip of his tea.

"I do appreciate it, Swift Leaf... I have a question, however..." Swift Leaf sat up.

"Shoot," he told him. Livingwood sighed.

"When are the others coming back?" he asked, the sorrow in his voice rising. Swift Leaf looked out the window at the moon.

"I don't know, Livingwood. I don't know."