Fairlight - Memories of a Perfect Sky

Chapters

Chapter Two - Sands of the Wither World
Chapter Three - Stumbling in the dark
Chapter Five - Gentle Realisations
Chapter Six - Possessions
Chapter Seven - Visiting Hours
Chapter Eight - The dead city
Chapter Nine - The journey of the soul
Chapter One - Memories of a perfect sky
Chapter Four - Explanations from another world

Chapter Two - Sands of the Wither World

CHAPTER TWO

Sands of the Wither World

I walked on. With no sense of direction in this lifeless place, let alone any notion of time nor distance, it was all I could think to do to stop myself from going mad from sheer boredom. My hooves plodded onward seemingly of their own accord as my mind wandered off on its own course, away into a world of memory. I would have said I was weary I suppose, but that would have been an out and out lie. As strange as it may sound, I didn’t feel any fatigue at all, and I hadn’t even got a clue as to when I’d last eaten or drank. Oddly enough the thought of food and drink came to me now as an almost alien concept. Good gods, I’d only been here five minutes and even the mere thought of eating was like trying to explain what it was like to fly when I had no wings. After all, would a fish have an understanding of what it was to soar through the air like a bird? Mentally I caught myself; I had heard of flying fish so that probably wasn’t the best analogy I could have conjured up. Still, at least it was distracting my wandering mind from dwelling on the barely restrained fury that was boiling away in the background of my soul, reminding me unceasingly of its existence. I imagined it to be something like a small, hard, ‘ball’ of anger - a manifestation of all the pain and despair I had suffered. The same pain and despair that was now waiting impatiently to be visited upon the scum who had sentenced me to this… this… whatever the hell ‘this’ was.

My hooves trudged on. One after the other, after the other, after the other. The light here never changed, did it. I began to wonderd how long I had been walking for now. Was it hours or days? Maybe even weeks? Who could say? I wasn’t tired, so I just walked, one leg in front of the other.

Thud. Thud. Thud...

The sand crunched slightly beneath my hoof steps, the only sound I could hear other than my steady breathing. Come to think of it, did I even need to breath here? After all, my body was... well, gone I suppose. No doubt it had been burnt to a crisp back in the old wooden cabin. It would save somepony the trouble of cremating us anyway, so that was handy for them. I stifled a chuckle as a lump came to my throat.

Thud. Thud. Thud…

The image of a green mare, her pale green mane blowing in the breeze, entered my lonely mind. With little distraction here in the emptiness I could focus all my attention on memory, recalling her every detail, no matter how small. I closed my eyes and let my body find its own path whilst I drowned myself in memories of a summer day….

The day in question had been hot - too hot for any sensible equestrian citizen to be wearing a heavy woollen tunic, yet there I was looking like I was ready for the onset of winter. Already starting to sweat profusely after only being on duty an hour or so, I took shelter beneath a large oak tree and almost immediately felt the relief of its cooling shade. But it wasn’t enough. Perspiration was soaking into the wool and making the tunic heavier than It was already, and I downed half my canteen of water to try to keep at least partially hydrated. I pulled out my tunic collar with my hoof, trying desperately to waft some cool air down my front to provide some relief from the stifling heat. Whoever thought it was a good idea to design tunics in thick wool cloth for creatures that were already covered in fur needed publicly flogging. Oh sure, they were great in winter, but in summer? Give me a break! Across the manicured lawn from where I was stood, a group of ponies were setting up a picnic. They were all sat around the edge of a large red and white checked rug, with a selection of plates and neatly arranged cutlery. As I watched, the brightly coloured ponies opened their hampers and placed the food before them: cakes, sandwiches, pies and, I noted with a jealous gaze, a pitcher of what looked like lemonade. The outside of it was frosted, a tiny dribble of the liquid slowly rolling down the outside. I could imagine ice clinking inside, cooling the delicious beverage to the perfect temperature. Someone in their party was quite the clever clogs with magic to manage to pull that off on a day like today. Or any day for that matter. Feeling increasingly thirsty, I wondered whether I could be brazen enough to ask for a glass, but quickly quashed that thought. It wouldn’t be right to simply trot over there and ask, but, that little voice said at the back of my mind suggested, surely they wouldn’t mind would they? I mean, come on, it’s a lot of lemonade to go around and you would be able to speak to them. You know you’d like too, right? The problem was, I really would have liked to. Very much indeed. At least, that was right up until one of their number, a ludicrously pink pony with an equally wild pink mane, began performing cart wheels around them. She crashed unceremoniously through the group, splattering chocolate cake frosting in all directions and raising shouts of outrage from the assembled mares. A particularly large dollop flew into the mane of a particularly elegantly coiffed white pony, eliciting a shriek of horror. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the spectacle and suddenly realised that if even for a few seconds, my mind had been completely taken off the cloying heat of the day.

Just then, a deep rumbling shook the tree I was sheltering beneath, rustling its leaves. The mares looked up to the sky, the lavender coloured one quickly levitating the remnants of the crockery and leftovers back into the hampers. Moments later the deluge began. I’d rarely seen its like; the rain came down in large meaty droplets, hammering the ground and obscuring my sight of anything more than twenty feet away. The colourful troupe had now fled for cover anyway, and my plans to continue my rounds had been brought to an abrupt and very soggy halt. I didn’t much care really, there was a strangely mystical calm standing there beneath the oak - a pleasant smell of grass, rich soil, bark and leaves mingling with the fresh rain. I looked up, closed my eyes and felt the water dripping though the canopy of leaves onto my face. Standing on my back legs, I raised up my forelegs and whooped aloud. “This is what its all about!” I laughed to myself, revelling in the wildness of the smells and the sounds surrounding me.

“Feels good doesn’t it?”

I nearly fell over backwards. Looking round at the intrusion to my foalish display, I came face to face with… a large brimmed straw hat. A delicate green foreleg appeared and tilted the hat back, revealing a pair of deep yellow eyes and a somewhat sardonic smile.

“I… erm… yes,” I stammered. “Yes it does. Very good actually. Um… yeah.” Very smooth!

The mare giggled girlishly, holding her hoof up to her mouth then turned to look out across the field. “Which one did you have your eye on then?” she asked in a disinterested manner.

My mouth opened as I began to speak but no words came out. Perhaps it was just as well too. Unfortunately however it also meant that I ended up standing there with my mouth hanging open like a landed fish, until I shut it with a snap. “I- What?!” I blurted.

The mare laughed out loud, stomping her hooves on the ground in glee. “Oh, you are fun!” she beamed happily. “Look, I’m sorry, I just couldn’t resist teasing you. I’m in one of those moods today. But don’t you feel it too? The sun, the blue sky, the rain. It’s all so… alive!” She turned a glowing smile on me and I looked down at her, feeling as though I were falling into those deep yellow orbs.

“Yes,” I replied unable to break the gaze. “Yes, I do.”

As the moment passed, the mare turned away from me. I smiled sadly to myself, expecting her to simply walk off into the rain. But then... she paused. With a movement that made me start, she turned back to me and grabbed my hoof in hers for a vigorous shake. “MEADOW!” she said in a squeaky voice before clearing her throat and trying again, “Meadow. My name is Meadow. A pleasure to meet you sir.” A slight blush rose to her cheeks as she said, “I beg you to forgive my forwardness.”

With a lot more confidence than I actually possessed, I cleared my throat and bobbed my head, “Fairlight, Miss Meadow. A pleasure, likewise, to make your acquaintance.” I tried a smile that probably came out as more of a grimace, but it was the best I could muster right then. “Please, there’s nothing to forgive. Rather, I would say that you’ve brought a ray of sunshine here with you through the rain storm.” Oh goddesses, that sounded so cheesy! I mentally cringed, my self esteem diving for cover behind the settee of helpless libido. But instead of running off or worse, laughing at me, she actually smiled; a smile that melted my heart and made me feel like I wanted to run around in circles shouting for joy. I had never felt anything like this before in my life!

“Fairlight.” Meadow hummed to herself for a moment, apparently contemplating the name. “I’ve never met a Fairlight before,” she said absently. “Sunlight, Moonlight, Light Ray, but no Fairlight.” She looked out across the lawn once more. My heart was racing and my blasted mind a totally befuddled mess. I desperately wanted to say something, anything, to keep the conversation going. Provided it wasn’t another crappy chat up line, I thought I might just be able to pull it off.

“What’s that uniform you’re wearing?” she asked me suddenly, “If you don’t mind me asking sir?” The forward little mare peered closely at my tunic, almost sniffing the material and silver buttons. Come to think of it, I think she actually was! Great alicorn feathers, I could feel my cheeks burning and I was convinced I must have been blushing like a firefly’s backside. Just then a whiff of orange blossom perfume caught my nose, sending my heart pounding into overdrive.

“I’m with the watch, Miss Meadow ma’am,” I said nearly choking on my own tongue. “I’m on attachment to Ponyville until the Autumn.”

“Ah,” she nodded knowingly. “So, what will you be doing then, Mr Fairlight of the watch?”

“I’ll be re-assigned Miss. Hopefully back to my home town.” I looked back to where the ponies had been enjoying their rather short lived picnic, and further, to Ponyville in the distance. I could just make out the outlines of the buildings from here. “I do so like it here though.” I almost whispered the last words and I noticed her peering at me with a quizzical expression.

“I see,” Meadow said quietly. Suddenly perky once more, she picked her hat up and rammed it back on her head, adjusting the bow beneath her chin. “Tell me, Mr Fairlight of the watch...” A wry smile curled her lips, “What would your marefriend think of you chatting with a single lady under a tree in the rain, hmm?”

“I don’t have a marefriend,” I answered truthfully.

The green mare turned away, pulled her saddle bag tight and looked ready to plunge out into the rain. I sat down on my haunches. Another chance lost, I lamented and felt the pit of self pity beckoning me in. Damn it all, I was useless with mares and once again I’d buggered the whole thing up.

“I like to come here for my lunch breaks,” Meadow said in a nonchalant voice not even looking at me. “I’ll be here tomorrow around the same time. If you’re passing, you can tell me more about the watch. Oh, and I’ll bring some sandwiches with me too. You look like you need a decent diet.” She laughed out loud and with a flick of her tail, galloped off into the rain. As she disappeared from my sight, hidden by the downpour, she looked back at me over her shoulder and called out, “And bring a brolly!”

I grinned like a foal who’d just been given his first nightmare night treats. Well, that was a surprise, wasn’t it! Dear goddesses, a mare liked me. She actually, really liked me! Oh, my gods above! Abandoning all professionalism and decorum, I dropped to ground and rolled in the wet grass, covering my uniform in muddy, grassy goodness. I didn’t care any more. Nothing could ruin this day for me now. Meadow, eh? Woo hoo! Roll on rain. Roll on...

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

Everything comes to an end sooner or later, even memories. Usually when I was lost in thought I ended up bumping into something, not coughing up a mouthful of water. Flailing my legs to try and get a purchase on anything solid, reality slammed back in around me with all the subtlety of a flying house brick. Luckily I hadn’t blundered far into the… river? It certainly looked like one, although the ink black water was hard to differentiate from the black sand, black hills, black sky, and whatever else was out there that was a variation on a theme of black. The décor was beginning to wear on me, and reminded me of this peculiar gothic mare I’d met in Manehattan some years ago. Skulls, black curtains, dark purple walls and blood red carpets made the interior of her house look like a funeral parlour. Apparently somepony had broken in expecting to rob the place. Instead, the poor sod had bumped into the pale grey owner with her nearly black eyes and ran out into the street screaming. They were pulling him pieces of him out from under the tram for days. Still, at least the mare’s house had ‘features’, if you like plastic skulls and things I suppose. By comparison this place was nothing but... well, lots of nothing really. Gods, somepony seriously needs a word with their designer.

Opting for a little variation I changed direction and began walking along the edge of the river. With no wind everything was as still as the grave, which was probably what drew my eye to the barest movement on the water. Barely a ripple in fact. Normally I wouldn’t have been bothered by such a thing in the slightest, but what the hell was normal about my situation? I decided to keep a wary eye on it just in case. I’d heard of creatures that would hide beneath the surface of rivers in Equestria pretending to be logs, that would then leap out and snatch a pony in a whirlwind of teeth and snapping jaws. Ah yes, the good old Everfree Forest - a top holiday destination if ever there was one. And who gave it that bloody name anyway? It sounded all nice and peaceful and tree-huggy. There was a distinct lack of anything in that name that suggested being torn apart limb from limb by hungry predators. And unfortunately, that had happened on far too many occasions to my knowledge alone. Good grief, the watch wouldn’t even go in there unless they had the army with them, and it was an almost guaranteed body retrieval. Nopony in their right mind went in there unprepared. Speaking of being killed, I wondered if I could actually die here. Being dead wasn’t quite as final as I’d thought, apparently. But other than not being hungry, tired or thirsty, I felt very much physically alive. In any case, I didn’t fancy having to face going through that whole ‘dying’ experience again thank you very much. Knowing my luck I’d probably still end up here, I thought to myself cynically. Still, might be a different colour scheme next time round.

“Off we go again!” I suppose I shouldn’t have spoken aloud, but did it really matter? I mean, who was going to hear me out here? I was in all probability going to go stark staring mad here sooner or later. Most likely sooner the way things were going. Bloody hell, I wondered if I would end up like great uncle Barrel Cracker? He was very fond of drinking was uncle Cracker; a bit too fond if I recall correctly. One day he had convinced himself he was a slice of lime and tried to jump into a glass of gin. Sadly for uncle Cracker, it turned out to be the town well. Couldn’t swim, poor bugger. Amazingly he didn’t drown though, Equestria was suffering a drought that year and the well was bone dry. Broke every bone in his body. At least I was in one piece, but goddesses, this endless walking was giving new meaning to the word ‘monotonous’. I had always been an organised sort of fellow. I kept notes, lists, reminders of thing to do and so on and so forth. With the amount of things I had to remember it was more a case of necessity than anything else. But if you were to ask me what I was planning on doing at this very moment in time, I would have had to answer truthfully - I had NO idea what so ever. Zero. The only thing I could do was keep on plodded along, following the bank of the treacle black river.

How much time had passed was no longer of any importance. Nothing seemed to change here at all, and with no way of gauging it with no sun, sound, nor even something as simple as a breeze, it had become little more than a meaningless and ultimately forgettable concept. So, I filled my time the best I could with memories of my life, my work in the watch, and happier days with my beloved Meadow. Unfortunately, and rather worryingly, the more I thought, the more I found bits… missing. Just a little here and there, and probably more attributable to old age than anything sinister. Bloody typical, I thought to myself, ready for the knackers yard now eh, Fairlight? I let out a sigh. I had to try and do something to get out of this place. But how? I had no idea where this place was, or what it was, other than for some bloody silly name. I certainly hadn’t got the faintest idea of how to get out of here; if there even was a way out. Maybe this was it for me then. Maybe I was going to be stuck here, plodding along through nothingness forever, slowly losing my mind to the endless dark landscape. Most worryingly for me was that my mind was beginning to feel like it was emptying itself of coherent thoughts like an hourglass, my memories so recently regained now slipping from my mental grasp as easily as soap in a bathtub. After all that had happened. After all that suffering, grief and pain… I gritted my teeth; was I was going to lose even my memories? A small spark of panic flared up in me and I suddenly had the urge to run, to bolt screaming and cursing at the world: at Equestria, the princesses, that bloody stupid golden alicorn idiot, but most of all… those damnable two. That pair of evil filth: one red, one yellow.

Without warning my knees buckled, sending me crashing muzzle first into the sand. Coughing mouthfuls of the dry, tasteless grittiness out of my mouth, I realised for the first time since arriving here, that I was tired. As much as a relief as you may have thought that would be to actually experience a physical sensation at last, a niggling thought at the back of my consciousness shouted a warning. Something was wrong. What it was however was a little harder to pinpoint now as a bone aching weariness washed over me with a wave of crushing lethargy. Oh Luna, did I feel tired! I could just close my eyes, right here, right now. It would be so easy to slow my breathing, to relax, and drift off into a land of… land of… “Oh, who cares?” I whispered to no-one in particular, and yawned widely. Flopping onto my side, I let myself slip away into a deep slumber, and was glad of it.

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

Gods it it was cold out today. The sky was a uniform blanket of slate grey, smothering the city in its oppressive gloom. Thankfully it wasn’t raining for once, though the wind was annoying. I shook my newspaper to try and keep the page I was on from flipping back and forth as the breeze caught it. I’d been stood on the street corner for a little over two hours waiting for my contact to arrive. He was late, as usual. ‘Jumping Jack’ or ‘J.J’, as he enigmatically called himself, would call at the news stand and buy a paper and a hot bran roll with his morning coffee. When he finished the roll, he would drop the wrapper on the ground as he walked away. That would be my cue to pick it up, frowning at the messy young stallion and throw it in the bin for him. What a public spirited pony I am! Doing my part for a tidier Equestria. In more ways than one. Unfortunately I was now beginning to worry I’d gotten the day wrong. Not like me really, but this was very unlike J.J too. Normally he was an unusually timely fellow as a rule. Probably had something to do with that stopwatch cutie mark he kept trying to hide. Unsuccessfully, I thought to myself with a wry smile.

I looked back at my cutie mark and sighed. It looked like a grumpy dog of some kind, or perhaps a cat? Celestia knew what it was supposed to be, I sure as hell didn’t. Speak Easy, that smart arse egg head who lived down in the basement of the watch house with the rest of his ‘technical team’, had come up with the transfiguration spell to conceal my identity. It was only a superficial spell, but worked well enough for this kind of operation. I was becoming quite well known in the underworld of Manehattan. A little too well known for my liking and, as it turned out, for my own personal safety. Meadow constantly fretted about me whilst I was out on a job, hugging me tightly whenever I had to leave on watch related business that would take me away from home for more than a day or so. Occasionally, she would hug me so tightly it felt like being beaten by a street thug would be a far less life threatening proposition. I wasn’t ignorant to her concerns of course. I could see the worry in her eyes, that watery, searching gaze that made me question my career choice. She would never question me directly though, she respected my decision and backed me one hundred percent in every endeavour I undertook. And selfishly, I loved her for it. She had only ever once tried to talk me out of the watch. It had been early in my career, the first time she had found me in the hospital after I failed to come home one evening.

I had been in the watch ever since leaving school, and like many of my fellows I’d trained hard, pouring all my effort into becoming the best watchstallion I could be. My father had been promoted to Watch Captain at the height of his career and I wanted to serve Equestria as he had, following in his hoof steps. And besides, if it wasn’t for the watch I would never have met Meadow in the first place, on that rain soaked day when a certain bedraggled green mare ran under my tree and into my heart. From then on I’d dedicated myself all the more to becoming the best watch pony that Equestria had ever seen so I could provide properly for my family’s future. I was proud to serve, and I worked damned hard too. Tired and aching I may have been at the end of the shift, but I believed I was making a difference in my own small way. At any rate, that’s how Meadow saw me and that was all that mattered. But to hear her trying to persuade me to throw away all my years of training and the monumental effort I had poured into my career, to abandon everything I had worked so hard for, was simply overwhelming. I’d shouted at her. Unthinkingly, I yelled and berated her in a rage, explaining that this was my chosen career, this was how I put money on the table, that this was all for us, for her, for our future, to make our dreams become a reality.

But had it really been all for her? For us? Or was it just for me? The angry, self centred watchstallion Fairlight.

I will never forget the look on her face. She’d quailed, backing up with her ears down and tears welling in her eyes. She didn’t shout at me nor run out as I expected her to do, and Celestia knows I wouldn’t have blamed her if she had. Instead she’d smiled, brushed the tears away from her cheeks and, rising to her hooves, deftly picked up my hat from the bedside cupboard.

“When I married you, Fairlight,” she said in her usual calm manner, “It was to accept you for who you are. Just as you accepted me for who I am. I want you so much to be happy, love, and I know this job means a great deal to you. I can see it in your eyes, that… that fire. I can hear the passion in your voice when you talk about helping ponies and protecting our home. It’s one of the reasons why I fell in love with you.” I stared at her unmoving, not knowing what to say. She trotted over and plopped my hat on my head, tapping it down with a heavy rap of her hoof. “But,” she said as she took my head in her forehooves, “I don’t like… THIS!” She waved at my bandaged body. “Next time,” Meadow continued, “come home to me in one piece, okay?” She smiled that special smile that she kept only for me, and my heart instantly melted. Tears began to well in my eyes and rolled down my cheeks as I clenched them tight shut, fighting the emotion that was threatening to boil over. “Oh meadow, I’m a completely arse. Look, I’m sorry, love, I…” I sniffed, “I shouldn’t have shouted at you. I’ve no excuses to give you that would seem right, right now. You know I’m not the brightest pony in the herd and I never seem to be able to say the right words to-”

A hoof planted itself on my lips, blocking any further attempt at speaking. “Oh shush, dafty!” she chuckled. “I’m going out to buy you some proper food. This hospital stuff is only fit for animals.” And with that she picked up her saddlebags, threw them over her side, and made for the door. “I expect you to be better soon, Fairlight of the Watch.” Meadow winked at me, “We have a foal to make remember?” Wiggling her flank at me, Meadow lifted her tail to one side, giving me just the slightest glimpse of… Oh Luna!

“Ow! Bugger it all,” I squeaked, my head connecting with the headboard, “Dammit...”. The door closed slowly, the mare’s laughter gradually disappearing down the corridor.

I smiled to myself as the memories of that day faded away like morning dew. It had been a grey day outside then too. Back in the present however, the rain clouds had finally started to drift away. Not too many weather ponies around Manehattan today it seemed, but that was nothing new. The rest of the grey clouds, apparently tired of soaking everyone and everything, wandered off to annoy ponies elsewhere, and I was glad of it. That horrid grey overcast was gradually being replaced with a nice tidy blue, and even a little sunlight began to peek around the corner of one of the taller buildings. I peered over the top of my paper just as a white stallion with a purple mane and green eyes walked up to the paper stand.

“Morning Gracie.”

“Good Morning Mister Trace. Well today?”

“Yeah, not bad, not bad. Usual please, flower.”

The paper stand mare deftly hoofed over a steaming brown bag before grasping a coffee pot in her teeth. Carefully she poured out a cup for her customer.

“Copy of the Enquirer too with that Gracie,” the stallion asked.

‘Mister Trace’ settled up his bill and quickly consumed his coffee and roll. Must have some throat on him, I thought to myself as he gulped the scalding liquid down in mere seconds. The roll went the same way, and just as fast. As he walked off he surreptitiously dropped the wrapper by my hooves and carried on walking. “Hey buddy!” I called after him, levitating it in my magic, but it was too late. The litterbug had turned a corner and was already out of sight. I scrunched up the paper bag and threw it in the waste bin.

“Sorry about that, sir,” Grace called to me as I clucked my tongue in irritation. “I’ll have a word with him when I see him next.”

I nodded my thanks to her and turned to walk away, straight into another white and purple maned pony. “Oh, what the hell!?” I exclaimed angrily. Half expecting it to be a magical reappearance of ‘Trace’, I was even more surprised to see a unicorn standing there who could have been his twin sister. The gorgeous mare with the most enchanting eyes I had ever seen looked up at me with an equally heartstopping look of surprise on her face.

“Oh my, I am SO sorry! I really should have been looking where I was going. I do hope you’re not hurt sir?” she said politely.

She must have been from out of town, I wasn’t used to ponies being so polite around here and it took me completely off guard. In fact one of the first things I’d discovered after to moving to the great metropolis of Manehattan, was that unlike the small town I was from, this was a city brim full of individuals. Full for the most part, of themselves. Gathering my wits I was surprised by a flower floating over the mare’s head and neatly landing in the band on my fedora.

“All better now?” she smiled at me. I listened for the telltale hint of sarcasm and was pleasantly surprised, I discovered, to find none whatsoever. Dear gods, she was actually as sincere as one could be! Whoever said miracles didn’t happen in Manehattan?

“Thank you Miss,” I blurted as she and her friends trotted past me. The eclectic group of mares seemed familiar somehow, but I couldn’t quite put my hoof on it. At least that was until a bright pink pony bounced past defying all the laws of gravity, with a chirpy “Cheery-bye mister!” There was a distinct lack of chocolate cake on her this time, but yes, these were the very same ponies from the picnic area in Ponyville. It really was a small world after all.

I smiled to myself and folded the paper into my coat pocket. Looking around discreetly, I leant down to scratch my muzzle with my hoof, hiding the small piece of paper in my mouth. All thoughts of hygiene aside, I called in to the rest rooms of the local ‘Donut Joes’ and spat out the note. Written in pencil on a torn off piece of newspaper, J.J’s hoof writing was as neat and well laid out as always:

Shire Wharf 2:00Am. Tonight.

I incinerated the note with a quick burst of magic from my horn and flushed the resultant ash down the toilet. So, it was going to be tonight was it? The months of investigation, the late nights, the apologies to a sleepy Meadow for waking her up as I climbed into bed in the small hours of the morning - It was all going to pay off tonight. Back outside I leaned back against the stone wall of a tall dark building, feeling its cold seep through my coat. It felt good. Our backs had been to the wall for far too long, and now… now we were going to put a stop to these scum once and for all.

You can but hope.

The watch’s headquarters building in Manehattan was only a short walk away. It was a fairly modest place too; built, it would appear from the outside, by somepony who had been made to come up with ‘something’ that would do the job at the lowest possible price. Probably at spear point too, if the generally rushed and unfinished look of the place was anything to go by. The offices had always looked ramshackle, and just to add to the interesting ambience the enquiry desk sported years of battle scars from the kicks of angry detainees. Most notably, a very neat outline of a particularly large shoe was embedded right in the centre of the desk frontage. When I’d first started working here years earlier I’d thought it had been part of the design. That thought had been quickly dispelled around ten minutes later when the first unruly drunkard of the day had been dragged in and commenced kicking hell out of the desk. Today however, the poor sod in charge of that same desk was one who had worked here well beyond her capacity to care any more about such trivial things as a few dents. The tired cyan coated mare with a neat short white mane and glasses perched on her nose ruffled a sheaf of papers with one hoof whilst the other twirled a pencil in a casual display of balance I could only marvel at. Earth ponies! Always a surprise.

“You’re back,” came the disinterested remark.

“Nice to be back Shelly,” I smiled up at her.

My smile didn’t make the blindest bit of difference to her expression. “Any good news for a change, or am I going to be having yet another all nighter?” the uniformed mare asked, her eyes boring into me. “My foal can’t even remember my face anymore you know!”

I looked up dramatically to the ceiling and stretched my forelegs out to either side. “Your ‘foal’s’ in her teens!” I replied, feigning exasperation. I noticed other uniformed ponies looking up from typewriters, whilst others peered around doorways to watch the spectacle. Spars between Sea Shell and myself were almost daily entertainment in the watch.

Shelly waved her forelegs in the air, “That’s not the point!” Then unexpectedly she paused, noticing that something was different. Placing her hooves on the desk she leaned towards me and spoke in a conspiratorial whisper, “Wait, don’t tell me. You better not be taking the piss Fairy.”

The watchmare jumped as I banged my hooves on the desktop, a grin spreading across my face. “It’s ON!!” I shouted. And as one the whole office went up with a spontaneous barrage of papers, whooping and cries of joy as relief and congratulations filled the air.

“Captain Fairlight?” A voice hard as steel boomed down from the balcony overlooking the foyer. A shadowed outline of a large stallion loomed over me. “When? Where?”

“Two A.M, Shires Wharf,” I shouted back up, barely able to contain my excitement. Dear goddesses, I couldn’t believe my own words. This was finally it!

“My office, Fairlight, and bring your officers. The rest of you…” He waved an expansive foreleg at the ponies entering the foyer, “Action plan ‘Haze’ is now in effect. Teams to be assembled by oh-eight-hundred. Shake a tail people!” The figure paused. “Shelly?” he shouted down to the desk mare.

“Sir?”

“Coffee if you please.”

“Hey! I’m not your secretary, Mitre you old… oh, sod it!” Shelly clucked her tongue and tossed her short mane in irritation. “Never bloody mind, right? He never listens anyway, the old swine. I don’t know why I let him do this. Every bloody day…” I was glad I couldn’t make out the rest of the words as Shelly began one of her ranting mutterings. Almost mercifully she disappeared under the desk and the distinct clatter of crockery quickly began to echo around the office along with the loud bustle of the watch gearing up for a long overdue night of action.

“Looks like you’re in for it when you get home, Chief,” I quipped as I reached the landing.

“Probably, Captain.” Chief Mitre looked back at Shelly working below as he turned and headed back into his office. “Goddesses know she’s a rare one. She’s stayed with me when many a mare would have headed for the hills long ago. You still with that green filly?”

I nodded, “Yes, sir. We’re very happy, thanks for asking.”

“Good,” the big stallion huffed under his breath. “Finding a partner who understands what we do for a living isn’t easy, Captain, so take good care of her, she’s one of the good ones.” He looked away for a moment, lost in memory. “I met Meadow when she was a young filly. I worked with her father too, but that was a long time ago now. He was a good stallion Fairlight, one of the best I’ve ever met. His daughter takes after him in a lot of ways, and it’s only by the grace of Celestia she didn’t follow him into the watch.”

The chief stopped in front of a framed black and white photograph of a group of young watch ponies. They were all grinning at the camera: young, fearless and bearing all the pride of youthful confidence. As I had myself when I’d first joined. Now, a few years on and sporting a healthy dose of scars and cynicism in equal measure, I wondered how the ponies in the photo would see Equestria now. Meadow had rarely spoken of her father, and what little she had told me did little to help me understand much about him or their relationship at all. Whenever I broached the subject, her eyes would take on a far away look, not dissimilar to the one on Mitre’s face right now. I’d decided to leave the subject until she felt able to talk about it, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t speak to my boss.

Tentatively I asked, “You knew Chief Apple Pop, sir ?”

Chief Mitre was looked up to by the watch in more ways than one. Physically he stood a good few hooves taller than the rest of us and his sheer size had intimidated more than one villain into surrendering without a fight over the course of his career. And Celestia’s ears, was I jealous of that! Sure, I could hold my own in a fight alright, it’s just that I’d rather not go home with loose teeth and broken ribs. Mind you, accepting nurse Meadow’s ministrations was well worth a knock on noggin or two. Most of the time at least.

The big blue stallion gazed at the picture lost in thought, “Hmm? Ah, yes… yes I knew him. Pop was a tough little bugger. Not as tough as me of course,” he thumped his chest with a smirk, “but damned useful to have your back in a scrap. He was the kind of stallion that we could all have learned a lot from. A hell of a lot.” Mitre reached up to the photo and a wistful look crossed his face. Was that regret I saw in those big eyes? My curiosity piqued.

“Sir?” I asked, “What happened to Pop? Meadow never told me. She always changes the subject whenever we touch on it.”

Mitre paused for a moment, then turned his head to look at me. “I’m not sure I should be the one to tell you, Fairlight. When Meadow stayed with us after… what happened… she snuck into my office and read my report. Like the damned fool I am, I’d left the bloody thing on top of my desk instead of locking it away. It never occurred to me she’d even think to do it, but in any case I found her there crying inconsolably after one of the lads found her and gave me a call. Look, really, if Meadow hasn’t told you…” He paused. “Have you not thought that maybe it’s because she doesn’t want you to know, or that it’s too painful for her to talk about?”

“I have thought about that, sir,” I said looking at the picture. “But I’d like to know nonetheless. If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. I’ll probably find out sooner or later either way.”

The Chief of the Watch sank back into his old manticore hide chair. It let out a protesting creak as he leaned back in it and swung his hind legs up onto the desk. “Get me one of those will you?” he said motioning with a hoof.

I walked over to a small wooden pot on the shelf and levitated out one of the chief’s favourite cigars. Placing the end in a cutter, I pushed down on the small plunger, snipping the end off neatly. Almost immediately the slightly sweet scent of quality tobacco tingled my senses, and I felt once more the familiar pang of longing for a smoke of those marvellous creations. Creations that I knew all too well Meadow would fillet me for smoking.

The chief took the cigar from me and placed it in his mouth, inhaling deeply as I magicked a flame to the end. “Thank you Captain, you’ve done well,” Mitre said in his gruff voice. “Very well. If we pull this off tonight, I think we could be looking at a promotion for you. Oh, and a nice pay rise for you ‘two’. Maybe… three?” He chuckled, peering down his muzzle at me.

“Not yet sir, and not for lack of trying either,” I told him a little dejectedly.

Mitre thumped the desk and blew out a puff of cigar smoke, shaking his silver flecked black mane, “Hah! That’s the best part, boy! Don’t be in such a rush my young friend. Slow and steady; you know the rest.”

“Yes, sir,” I managed.

Shelly entered the room with a tray of mugs and oat biscuits whilst trailing behind her were three watch officers who halted at the door looking decidedly apprehensive. I quickly realised why…

“What the buck are you doing with that thing in your mouth you old goat?!” The mare’s shriek of outrage made us all cringe back at the audible onslaught. “Do you know what those things will do to your lungs?! You’re half ready for the knackers now and you’re still on them? I thought you’d promised…”

Shelly’s berating continued amidst the chief’s desperate attempts to placate his wife as I closed the office door behind me.

“Captain Fairlight?” one of the younger officers asked as I turned to look at them. “Should we…you know?” He gestured towards the office.

“Er, no,” I replied. “No, Lieutenant. I think we’ll just leave them to, shall we say, thrash it out.” I think I knew what sort of ‘thrashing’ was coming the chief’s way too. I sighed; I would have to ask about Apple Pop another day. Right now, duty called. “Gentlecolts.”

“Sir!” the officers replied smartly, saluting as one.

“Let’s get moving everypony.” I gave myself a quick brush down and head off. “We’ve a lot to do.” So much for the coffee and biscuits, I lamented trotting down the stairs.

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

The night was clear, if a little windy. Rain I could stand, but wind? You try standing out in the dark with cold air blasting through your ears for hours! Eventually I’d decided to take up station in a musty abandoned tool shack, now used as a dump for damaged and unwanted dockers equipment. I had to watch my footing too, having nearly cried out in fright when a coil of rope slithered from its hook up in the rafters and brushed against my flank on its way down. An image of one of the innumerable species of deadly Everfree Forest snakes, fangs dripping venom, materialised briefly in my imagination. I stamped my hoof down hard on the thing, subconsciously ‘killing’ the snake and allowing my already strained mind to re-focus on the task at hoof. But sweet Luna, I was bored. We’d been here for several hours now, and still nothing. There hadn’t been even one iota of movement from the single warehouse on the wharf. Could my contact have had the wrong day? Maybe the wrong time? I began to question whether I had read the note correctly. Oh goddesses, had I blown months of investigative work through carelessness? “No”, I whispered to myself under my breath. This was the right place, and although we were past the time noted by J.J, we’d been here well before then and had been careful how we moved the teams into position too. Damn it all, this wasn’t the time to start doubting myself. It was the right day and the right time, though something, something I couldn’t quite put my hoof on, was ringing alarm bells in the back of my mind. I pushed the thought away and gave a snort; we were all on edge. I just had to keep focussed and ignore any extraneous thoughts, no matter how much they tried to intrude. The plan would work.

The teams were assembled in what we called ‘packets’ across the wharf area. Signals would be given by magical flare and the watch’s trans-etheral devices, or ‘TED’s’ as we called them. These were handy little magical gizmos which slipped over ones head and ear - another crafty concoction of Speak Easy’s ingenious technical department. Once tuned to the crystals in the other devices, we could hear and speak to one another surprisingly easily. It sure beat the hell out of the ‘good old days’ of whistles, shouts, or screaming at the top of your lungs to one another. If I ever found out which of Speak Easy’s ponies had invented these, I’d kiss them. Metaphorically of course.

I rubbed my forelegs together for warmth, never taking my eyes away from the window. It was dusty but I daren’t risk trying to rub it clean in case somepony noticed the movement. This night, or rather ‘morning’ as it was rapidly becoming, had to go without a hitch. Moving my hind legs to keep cramp at bay, the minutes ticked by and I resisted the urge to call up the other officers of the watch for reports on any movement. They were good, trained by Mitre himself, and I knew these ponies would do their part without any micro-management from me. The watch was like an extended family in some ways. We trusted one another with our lives, and we had literally, on occasion. Mind you, that was back when the majority of Manehattan’s reported crimes were nothing more exciting than stolen flowers, apples, or Celestia forbid, fashion designs! Things had sure changed since then, and not always for the better. A crackle from the TED caught my attention and I pressed a hoof to it. “Fairlight,” I whispered.

The voice that came back sounded tense, “We’ve got movement from the river. Looks like a barge. No lights. I count four, maybe five on deck. Hard to see in this light Cap’.” Crumble Top was an experienced watch mare, a lieutenant with several years in the Manehattan watch alone. Her violet eyes never missed a trick and the ponies who knew her had quickly learnt never to try and sneak things past her vigilant gaze. I had always known her as a pony to rely on, her icy calm was infectious with the ponies around her and they trusted her implicitly. Tonight however, the strain in her voice was testament to the pressure we were all under. “They’ve got at least one unicorn with them,” she continued. “I can see the glow from here. They’re pulling in to the dock side now. Crumble out.”

The TED went quiet. A few moments went by before the gruff voice of Cloud Spiral crackled, “Affirmative on the movement. Counting five ponies heading towards the warehouse. Unicorn up front with a lantern. Other four possibly earth type. Unknown if armed.”

Another voice, Dawn Rush this time, “No pegasi detected. Maintaining perimeter sweep.”

Silence. I had asked for minimal TED communications in case the targets had unicorns who could detect it. “Highly unlikely,” I had been told by the court procurator, “but still, a possibility. As their use is new, unicorns won’t necessarily know to look out for their magical wavelength.” Personally I had been a little unsure of these new devices initially, but their usefulness and efficiency however had proved to be exceptional. Still, I wanted to take as few chances as possible. I extended this to the ‘flying squad’ too. Dawn Rush was keeping her squad hidden in the clouds and stationed in the many dock cranes, as well as the buoys out in the bay. Any pegasus flying tonight ran the chance of being detected, even with little more than the light of the stars and moon by an eagle eyed pony. If our targets had pegasi of their own, they would more than likely be using them as scouts to check the wharf before docking. I knew from experience that these guys knew what they were doing, and to catch them we had to be one step ahead. Tonight, was that step.

The ticking of my pocket watch sounded deafeningly loud as I plucked it out of my pocket. Time was getting on, but it was still pre-dawn. Late or not, these had to be our ponies. My hooves began to itch in response to my rising adrenalin. Hell fire, I could feel the seconds dragging inexorably by, clunking one after the other after the other. A slight shuffle behind me caught my attention. Looking round I saw watch sergeant Heather rubbing the sleep from her eyes before giving me a nod. She looked as tired as I felt, but the fiery blaze of determination in her eyes removed any shred of doubt about her resolve. I turned back to the window. Through the gloom I could make out the windows of the warehouse by the glint of moonlight off the glass. The building was in darkness, but not, I suspected, for much longer. Sure enough, the warm yellow glow of an oil lantern appeared, almost imperceptibly, through the dirty windows nearest the large waterside doors. The light disappeared, reappearing a moment later at another window as the lantern’s holder made their way through the cavernous building’s interior.

I activated the TED. “Stand by. Stand by.” I slipped out my truncheon from a coat pocket. The cherry wood heirloom was dented and scratched from years of service. It was old, but still quite effective. Nicknamed ‘donkey wallopers’ by the watch, I wondered whether my trusty sidearm would have a chance to thump some ‘donkeys’ tonight. I couldn’t help but smile to myself. Behind me, the silken sound of Heather drawing her own truncheon was re-assuring. It was good to know somepony had my back; Meadow would kill me if I came back with more injuries for her to heal. I offered a silent prayer to the goddesses that everything would go without a hitch, and more importantly, with no casualties. Move quickly, surprise them, and they’d give up without a fight. We’d done it before and everything was in place to ensure it happened again. Of course, things never ‘quite’ went to plan, but improvisation was a skill encouraged within the watch. Mitre knew his ponies well. As did I. I could almost sense the tension building in my officers; the watch ponies with them would be preparing to make their move on their officer’s command. And there… there it was! The now unmistakable silvery-blue swirling light, radiating from the windows like a beacon from the beyond. It still filled me with wonder and awe every time I saw it, as well as setting my mane to quivering and my horn itching like the blasted thing was covered in fire ants. Catching one of these things still in operation was the trick, and we’d always been just that hairs breadth too late. Up until now the damned things were inoperable by the time we made our move, but hopefully tonight would be the night we got the drop on them. I hit the transmit button on the TED. “This is it ponies!” I said urgently, “Officers take charge of your teams. Stick to the plan everypony. Keep comms open, weapons out. We go on three. Three… Two… One… Let’s move!”

As one, the well practised and co-ordinated ponies of the Manehattan Watch moved into action. Even now after all these years, the sound of dozens of ponies moving almost silently in to engage an opponent was a huge adrenalin rush. Most of the public had no idea what was going on right under their noses, and that was the way we liked to keep it. The days of finding lost kittens and birds was over; we all had to adapt to a new Equestria - one which I was determined to keep as safe as possible, for the future of everypony.

Our black watch barding whispered as we closed on the building, every member of my squad barely visible in the moonlight but for the occasional glint of an eye or teeth gripping a sidearm. We halted by the side entrance to the warehouse - a rusty old steel door scouted earlier by the ‘dock workers’ whom we’d sent in to help with ‘maintenance’. The locks had been checked, oiled, and working keys found for any locks encountered. Planning for the operation had been meticulous of course. All we had to do now was wait for the mouse to walk happily into the trap. I looked to my watch sergeant as she took the padlock from the door and placed it quietly on the ground. “Ready?” I mouthed silently. She nodded back in response. I whispered into the TED, “All teams report status.” One by one the disembodied voices of my officers crackled back through the ether:

“Raven team in position.”

“Eagle team in position.”

“Condor team in position.”

“Sparrow team in position.”

“Budgie team ready to run interference.”

Oh goddesses, there was always one wasn’t there? “Y’know,” Dawn had told me when I’d questioned her choice of team name, “Ya might think ah’m a bein’ flippant. But y’all remember the name though don’tcha?” She was right. I remembered the name, and I knew that Dawn would remember her role. Right now all our pegasi would be preparing to leave their positions and circle the target area, keeping a lookout for any unknown threats to emerge and to help with co-ordination should it become necessary.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, steadying my heart. “In three everypony. Three… Two… One… Let’s move!”

Yule, the big ex-boxing mare, took aim and bucked the steel door hard, the oiled hinges allowing it to swing in near silence as another pony rolled in a ‘flash bug’. The relatively thin casing split open a moment later as the furious green creature that lived inside, incensed by its sudden and very rude jolting, defended itself in the same time honoured fashion of flash bugs everywhere - It blasted out a blinding white light as bright as a thousand suns. As if this wasn’t enough to deter a would be attacker already, the flash bug had another defensive tactic up its metaphorical sleeve which it used in combination with the former. Releasing a rapid pulse of flammable gas from glands on its body, the bug’s ‘light’ would ignite the quickly expanding gas to create a satisfyingly loud ‘pop’. Multiply this by four and you have, what we hoped, would be a sufficient distraction to any pony in the warehouse giving us enough time to take them down without anypony being harmed.

Less than a heartbeat later, we charged in. Shouting in unison, all four team poured into the warehouse, converging on the now clearly visible group of cloaked figures standing together in a huddle in the centre. Staring out at their attackers they all lowered their forelegs and heads into a classic fighting stance, apparently ready for a fight. Still, whether they offered any resistance or not, this wouldn’t take long. We outnumbered them at least five to one, and a quick tap on the noggin from a trusty old donkey walloper and it would be ‘goodnight Maisie’. Excitement and the thrill of action sizzled in my veins as we moved in. It was hard not get get carried away in the moment, but keeping a cool head was essential. In fact, it was probably the only thing that kept me from charging right at them. Something was off here. I didn’t know what the hell it was exactly, but the way our targets were simply standing there in silence, waiting for us. Normally there’d be a burst of activity, the odd fight, somepony running or simply giving up and surrendering. But not this. This was…wrong. The other officers of the watch, steeped in the experience years in the watch brings, slowed their headlong rush too. The teams, sensing their leaders change, also slowed but still kept position and alertness. I had a bad feeling about this.

I held up a foreleg, halting the watch. “This is the Equestrian Watch, you will lay down your arms and surrender. All of you are under arrest. You will be read your rights as dictated by the laws of Princess Celestia.”

Nothing.

Yule took a step forward, lowering her head and snarling at the cloaked ponies, “You heard the Captain. Take off those cloaks and lower your weapons. Do it! Or I’ll crack your heads open.” She’d always had a way with words, bless her hooves.

Nothing.

Frustrated with the lack of movement from the group, Yule gripped the corner of one of the ponies cloaks and pulled hard. With a flurry, the cloak fluttered into the air, revealing a black stallion with a white mane, tail, and intense blue eyes. The imposing size of the meat mountain alone would have been enough to balk anypony, with the exception of Yule of course, if it hadn’t also been for the strange contraption strapped to the earth pony’s back and head. The ethereal light from the swirling magic of the trans-dimensional mirror portal behind him, glinted off the black metal the huge pony wore. Abruptly he nodded to his companions and, together, they each removed their cloaks revealing more of the devices. Nopony moved. The warehouse fell silent, with only the occasional creak of barding and the heavy breathing to punctuate the stillness. To my eternal shame I stood there like a foal, perplexed at what I was seeing. Where these weapons of some kind? Surely not. And even if they were, we’d be on them before they could loose off a single bolt or spell. Shaking myself, I took a step forward and opened my mouth to speak. Just as I did so, the silvery light in the portal flared, bathing the warehouse in an otherworldly glare that made everything look like a photographic negative of its real world self.

A hoof emerged, followed by a long slender white leg, a slim muzzle, and then the rest of an impressively tall snow-white mare. Now when I say tall, I mean huge! I wasn’t the largest stallion in world, sure, but this magnificent creature looked to be at least double my height. It could have been a trick of the light of course, but as she stepped gracefully though the mirror, she ducked to allow her horn to pass under the portal’s frame. Celestia’s backside, she was amazing! So… so, tall! Mentally slapping myself back to reality, I took in all I saw. I wasn’t the only one either; every eye in the warehouse was focussed on the extraordinary spectacle before us. Now this was going to be some report when I got back to the watch house!

The metal clad ponies before us spread out, forming a barrier between the watch and the white mare. Her rich yellow mane and tail flowed out behind her like a river of flowing gold, a white silk dress covering her cutie mark and flanks. Almost regally, she calmly surveyed the scene.

“What is this?” she asked imperiously. Or more accurately, I should say she ‘announced’ to the assembled ponies.

“My apologies, ma’am,” I spoke out in my most polite but authoritative voice. “I must place you all under arrest until enquiries can be completed. If you are innocent of charges, you will be free to go.”

The mare held up a foreleg and wave her hoof nonchalantly. “Arrest?” She let out a girlish chuckle, which would have probably been considered endearing in any other circumstance. In this one however, it made my my blood run cold. I took a stronger grip on the truncheon.

The mare smiled, “I don’t think so, mister…?”

“Fairlight,” I replied levelly. “Captain of the Equestrian Watch. Manehattan division.”

“I see… ‘Captain’.” She looked down her sleek, smooth muzzle at me with those deep azure eyes. “I’m afraid my ‘employers’ will not take kindly to any ‘watch’ interference in our activities. Therefore I regret, my dear captain, that we must end our current discourse.” She shook her fine haired mane, letting it settle back over her neck. Damn, not a single hair out place either! I could only hope that she wasn’t hurt when we took her and her group into custody.

I took a breath, motioning my officers to make their move when the mare suddenly backed up to the mirror and closed her eyes, raising her head.

“Oh hell, Stop them!” I shouted, but it was too late. A large purple bubble popped into existence around the five. Quick as a Yule aimed a buck at the stallion in front of her, but even her powerful kick proved completely ineffectual against the glowing shield. “Damn it!” I cursed, and nodded to our magic users to prepare a counter spell. We would still take these ponies down, but now it would just take a little bit longer, that was all. Nothing to worry about. I signalled to the others to clear the way for the magic user to-

What was that strange noise?

A weird metallic whining sound had started up inside the glowing purple bubble. As I peered through its translucent surface I saw a rotating set of what looked like plumbers pipes strapped to the back of one of the stallions. Slowly and deliberately, he pointed the open end of the now rapidly spinning tubes at the assembled members of the watch who stood there transfixed by what they were seeing.

The white mare looked back at me with a sad look on her face. “It has been a pleasure meeting you Captain… ‘Fairlight’, wasn’t it? But sadly, all good things must come to an end. I hope you will forgive me. Parting truly is such sweet sorrow.”

Suddenly the panicked voice of Dawn screamed over my TED. The other watch officers heard it too, looking at each other in alarm. “Get out of there!” she howled. “For the goddesses sake, get out now!”

The white mare’s previously seductive look had been replaced with one as dark as the night sky. “Goodbye, Captain Fairlight of the Equestrian Watch”

“Shields!” I shouted. The watch’s magic wielders moved forward with practised ease and quickly brought up energy shields of their own. “Crossbows forward.” Following my orders the watch ponies moved up, covered by the unicorn shields, and levelled their crossbows.

What came next was something I would recall in my nightmares for the rest of my days. Bursts of yellow fire belched and spewed from the white mare’s ponies, accompanied by a horrible symphony of ear splitting noise the likes of which I had never heard before in my life. The scene before me held me in a freezing iron grip of shocked immobility. Whatever the spinning tubes were, flames erupted from the ends spraying shards of death straight through our shields, and horrifyingly, through the watch ponies themselves - as if they were no more substantial than air itself.

Mares and stallions, ponies I had called my colleagues and friends, ponies I had worked with for years, were instantly transformed into chunks of flying meat, organs and bone. Most stood stock still in shock, unsure of what to do. This was no equestrian magic. This was like nothing any of us had ever seen before, nor had any defence against. I quickly took stock of the situation and gave my commands, my heart hammering in my chest. “Fall back. Officers, get your ponies out of here. Now. Crossbows lay covering shots.”

Pointless.

The screams of the wounded and dying spread a fear through the watch as effectively as the fire wielded by the white mare’s group. Viscera and crimson flying gore mingled with the shocking white of shattered bone rained down around me.

“SIR!” A foreleg grabbed my barding and pulled me face to face with watch sergeant Heather. “We need to get out of here!” The panic was unmistakable in her voice. Order had broken down utterly and ponies were running for the doors, slipping on the gore of their fallen comrades. Wounded friends were kicked and trampled in the headlong rush to get away from the scything death sweeping through the warehouse behind them.

“Get everypony out, Heather,” I growled. “Get them out!” Heather bobbed her head and turned to run for the door we had originally come in from. I followed, but didn’t get far. The door was blocked solid with a mass of panicked watch ponies, all trying to jam themselves though at the same time. Roughly, I kicked one of the ponies aside - a young stallion, not much more than a colt. He stared at me with eyes wide in terror. “Get a grip of yourself, watchstallion!” I roared, pointed a hoof at the rest who were now looking at me rather than the door. They were all breathing hard, some with dark spots down their sides oozing blood. “Watch sergeant?”

“Sir,” Heather snapped a salute.

“Get them out,” I said a lot more calmly than I felt. “Take them to the assembly area and contact the army. We’re going to need every pony we can down here.”

“Yes, sir!”

Pulling and prodding the ponies into a more orderly evacuation, the experienced sergeant of the Manehattan Watch, filed the ponies through and out into the night. I didn’t doubt that once outside they would run for all they were worth, but it didn’t matter so long as they were safe and away from this scene from hell. I turned back and picked up a loaded crossbow that had been dropped in the panicked scramble to escape. I hadn’t used one since basic training, but I was still a reasonable shot with the things. Magicking up a bundle of bolts from a quiver, I ran for the cover of some crates, keeping as low to the ground as I could. I’d soon discovered how little protection these afforded to the weapons wielded in this building tonight, but I had to do something, anything, to take their attention away from my ponies. Using the stacks of boxes and crates to hide my movement, I snuck around to draw a line of sight on the five ponies. Keeping slightly behind the large archway of the portal, I hoped the shimmer from its eerie surface would help keep me from being spotted. The group was still covered with the mare’s magical shield, and I took note of how the glow of magic was brightest to the front where it was being concentrated, no doubt to protect her comrades from any retaliation. Judging by the way loose bolts littered the wooden floor there had a spirited attempt at fighting back, and even now that order had broken down I could still see the odd spark of a forlorn bolt ricocheting off its surface. I could only pray that the shield was weaker at the rear and my bolt may have some hope of penetrating. Carefully, I slipped round to the dark corner of the warehouse and placed the crossbow on one of the crates to help my air. Luna, guide me, I thought to myself as I concentrated, took a breath, and slowly let it out. My hoof squeezed the release lever.

I’d half expected the result I received, but it didn’t stop my heart sinking as the bolt skipped harmlessly off the shield’s surface. “Buck you then”, I muttered as I pulled the quiver open to take another bolt. Maybe I should have thanked Luna that the ponies under the shield hadn’t notice the bolt strike and turned their weapons on me. All their attention instead was focussed on cutting down the fleeing watch ponies, with some of them sporting sickening grins on their faces whilst they did their grisly work. The bastards were enjoying this too, and turned my stomach to see how the drool dripped from the mouth of one of the tube wielding black ponies whilst his eyes shone with wild excitement. Killing, it seemed, had never been so much fun. Well, we’d have to see how much long that lasted, wouldn’t we? Held in my magic’s grip, I emptied the bolt carrier onto the floor, searching for what I prayed would be there. And thanks be to the gods, it was. As fast as I could I re-cocked the crossbow and placed the faintly glowing green tipped bolt into position before resting my weapon once more on the box. These bolts had been developed by our magical research team to combat shields following previous run-ins with underworld unicorns. They hadn’t proven to of much use today, but I could only pray that it might, just might, be enough from this angle. If it worked then I’d owe Speak Easy and his team a round of drinks. If not, enjoying a frosty pint of wheat beer would be the least of my concerns.

I levelled the crossbow at the black coated goon, bringing my eye to the crude sights and trying to control my breathing. Aiming for the centre mass of his body, I hoped that even some deviation in my aim would still allow the bolt hit him and, if not kill or incapacitate him, at least divert his attention from those still trying to get out. I slowly exhaled and squeezed the release lever, feeling the crossbow buck in my grip as the heavy bolt left on its deadly journey. Despite taking no more than the blink of an eye to complete it’s flight, the projectile seemed to take an age to travel towards the shield while I gritted my teeth, willing it to strike true. Had it…? Yes! There! A flare of bright green light appeared for an instant on the surface of the shield, and disappeared just as fast. Abruptly the roaring, whining noise stopped as the large stallion fell to the ground with a bellowing cry. One of his colleagues moved to aid him whilst the others, the white mare included, turned as one to face their attacker. Oh crap… That was me!

“Over there!” she shouted, levelling a foreleg in my direction.

My heart leaped into my throat. “Oh bollocks, time to move!” I blurted out loud, and I jumped up, running for all I was worth for the metal gantry steps I’d noticed earlier as I’d moved into position. Metallic ‘pings’ and thuds resounded around me as I ran, splinters flying up from the crates stinging my sides and flank. I was damned glad of my watch training that night, not to mention the barding which went at least some way to keeping my mangy old hide in one piece. Leaping up the stairs several at a time, I took the corner along the gantry like Sombra himself was after me. Fortunately my rubberised hoof covers gave me exceptional grip on the smooth metal as well as covering the noise I made, and any advantage I had might make the difference between life and death in this situation. That said, this high up it was virtually pitch black and the fiery blasts from the weapons the ponies were using down below was blinding them, helping me avoid a swift and bloody end. At least for now. Quickly I recalled the floor plan of the warehouse in my mind. There should be an office up here, the door open, ready for-

I tripped on something at the end of the metal gantry and flung my hooves out desperately, catching myself just in time to avoid pitching muzzle first over the railing to end the night as a smear on the floor below. Looking over my shoulder I found myself looking into the glassy eyes of one of the snipers assigned to provide the rest of us with cover. Somepony had beaten the poor sod to the punch; a neat hole in his forehead ending his life before he’d known what had hit him. But there was no time to mourn him now, nor any of my brothers and sisters. I had to stay alive, to give them time to escape. I reached the steel door to the office and pushed. It was locked. That couldn’t be right... I tried again, harder this time, but the cold metal blocking my escape resolutely refused to move. Damn it all to hell, it was locked, and from the inside! What the buck was going on here?! There were three snipers assigned to this area, and the door was supposed to have been left unlocked. What the hell had happened here? I closed my eyes and tried to steady my breathing. I would worry about that later - if there even was a ‘later’ for me. Unfortunately it was looking decidedly unlikely I would ever get out of this nightmare alive as holes were being blasted through the gantry floor by the wildly firing ponies below one after another, their anger now focussed solely on yours truly. I backed towards the railing and reloaded another infused bolt into the crossbow. Shooting blindly towards the flickering flames emanating from the shield, I was rewarded with a shriek from below.

“Kill him! Kill him now, you fools! What the hell are we paying you for?!” The mare had a rather nice voice for a homicidal maniac.

Unexpectedly, the beautiful white mare dropped the shield. I should have known was coming next too. Focussing her magic, she yanked the saddle pack and tube-thing from the now unmoving lump I had perforated earlier, and hoisted the whole lot into the air. The open end of the tubes swung up and towards me as that terrible whining sound began once again.

“Oh buck me bucking sideways!” I cursed as I fumbled for another bolt.

It was too late in any case. The whining roar lanced fire towards the gantry and began to cut through it like the proverbial hot knife through butter. Beneath the unyielding onslaught, the tortured steel groaned and I felt it move slightly, giving me a sickening feeling of imminent gravitational pull. Looking around frantically in the flashing yellow light, I saw a line of holes in the side of the office wall - the side of the office wall window, that was. I loosed the last bolt towards the mare and flung the heavy crossbow at the window, shattering it. Fear and adrenalin pumping through my body, I ran and leaped, keeping my eyes closed tight as I crashed though the broken glass into the office beyond. I didn’t have to wonder what had happened to the snipers any more: the body of another of them cushioned my fall as I rolled off, shaking the glass from my barding. I was bleeding from multiple lacerations, but that was of little importance when faced with getting back to my team alive. Beside me a lantern sat on the floor, still lit, reflecting a low glint from the padlock on the…inside of the office door? In surprise, I looked back at the sniper ponies. Each had a hole in the back of their heads, and a corresponding one on the front. Poor buggers, they hadn’t stood a chance. I doubted they’d even seen their killer. There was no sign of any bolts judging by the wounds which suggested it must have been one of the magical fire weapons. Which itself meant, my racing mind deduced, that there must be at least one more of these buckers around here somewhere.

A loud rattle reverberated through the room from the far doorway, the frame illuminated by the yellow light which flashed in time to the noise beyond. I sidled up to the door, praying that the recon team had oiled the hinges on this one properly. They had. Thankfully, opening it proved to be an easier task than the last one. Whoever had taken out the snipers apparently hadn’t expected anypony to come in through here and had been so pre-occupied making their own cacophony, they hadn’t noticed the crash of my unceremonious arrival. Carefully, I pulled the door open. On the outer balcony, a black cloaked earth pony panned fiery death into the sky, a staggered line of piercing light reflecting off the surrounding structures. Suddenly I flinched back instinctively as a bolt suddenly embedded itself in the door with a loud ‘thunk’. Fantastic, I thought to myself sarcastically, escape magical murdering ponies, only to be shot by my own bloody team! Pushing the thought aside I reached my truncheon only to find the damned thing had vanished, no doubt torn away or dropped in my dash for freedom. All I had left was my combat knife. Mechanically, and with a silken smooth movement that my old instructor would have been impressed with, I drew it silently from its sheath.

Hooking my foreleg under the pony’s muzzle, I pulled her head back, drawing the blade sharply in and across her throat. She let out a startled cry, releasing a huff of air, and her eyes went wide. I couldn’t look at her. There were parts of this job I hated, and hurting other ponies was top of the list for me. But actually taking the life of another? You could never be prepared for that. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, feeling her body become heavy and limp. I let her slip to the floor and stepped up to the railing before a voice crackled over my TED.

“Cap? Captain Fairlight, is that you?” Blaze’s voice blasted through my ear so loud I thought my eardrum was bleeding.

“Blaze?” I replied quickly, “I’m on the outer gantry on the west side of the warehouse. Tell your team to stop shooting, dammit, it’s me!”

“Stand by one,” came the reply.

Blaze was Dawn’s second in command of the flying squad, and a damned good watchmare. Hopefully she’d be able to make sure I didn’t end up as a furry pincushion too. I gave myself a shake, turning to head down the metal steps... and paused. A metallic clinking sound called my attention. I span round to look at the silent figure of the mare, her throat open to the night air as steam slowly lifted from the still warm wound. Her eyes stared up to the stars with the same glassy stare I’d seen in the sniper ponies. She doesn’t deserve my compassion, I thought callously. Her and her damned compatriots in the warehouse had murdered my friends, leaving them bleeding and dying in a cold, dark, cesspit on an all but forgotten dockside. They didn’t deserve that. Something inside me though… Damn it, it was still wrong. Had I really needed to kill her? I could have hit her over the head with something, like a chair or… or something less deadly than a bloody knife! Gritting my teeth, I stared at the metal tube device beside her, the thing slowly cooling down having completing its grisly work. How many had it killed? How many had she killed? My gaze drifted back to the device. It was hard to make out much in the way of detail, but I would have a better look at it later. For now though, the bloody thing was coming with me. Three buckles cinched the pack to the mare’s back and I hauled it up and off, taking the connecting cable and bit with it.

“Come on Cap, you’re the last one. We gotta haul flank!”

“Celestia buck me sideways, Blaze!” I yelped in surprise as the light grey pegasus seemed to materialise in front of me. “I nearly shat myself!”

“All part of the service, sir,” the cheeky creature replied. “Come on now, let’s get the flock outta here. Jingo, take the capn’s toys and get back to the station lickety split. Talc, you grab that side.”

“Whoa! Hey!” I exclaimed as the two pegasi grabbed me and effortlessly hauled me bodily into the air. The ground dropped away as my stomach performed cartwheels, threatening to empty itself in response to the lack of anything solid beneath my hooves.Oh Celestia, what a time for my bloody vertigo to play up! I’d have to have words with these girls when we got back to… to... to what? Suddenly the horrible reality of what I was going to face slammed into me like a bucket of iced water on a summers day. Gods above, what the hell was I going to do?

“All the teams have been pulled out, Cap,” Blaze shouted down to me. “The army boy’s are on scene now. They’ll take care-a things.”

“Blaze,” I asked, “where’s Dawn?” There was a long pause. I wondered for a moment if she hadn’t heard me, and then I noticed the glint of starlight in her tear filled eyes. “She didn’t make it Cap.”

I didn’t reply. My mind had been reduced to an absolute blank, and was glad of it. Every time I closed my eyes, even for a second, I would hear the screams of pain and fear all over again. I would keep seeing the flashes from those terrible devices as they tore my brothers and sisters to bloodied shreds. Ponies I had shaken hooves with only this morning, I would never see again. Except to bury them. I had to get back to the watch house, had to get back and find out how every pony was, make sure every pony who needed medical help had it, make sure we knew… knew who we had… lost. I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth, letting the tears of grief flow as the flapping wings blew icy wind onto my sides. Somepony was responsible for the horror of this night. Somepony had to pay for this, and I would make sure to collect. In full. “I don’t know who you are yet,” I whispered to the night sky as we sailed out over the rooftops heading for the city light of Manehattan, “but I promise you, I will find you…” We began our descent to the watch house, my heart as cold as stone. “And I will kill you.”

Chapter Three - Stumbling in the dark

CHAPTER THREE

Stumbling in the dark

Gas lamps gave the outside of the old building a serene, if rather macabre look at times. The warm light bathed its architecture in a rich golden hue, adding shadows and playing on your imagination. On any other night, it was my home from home, the light beckoning me with the promise of safety and familiar companionship within. Tonight however, was not one of those nights.

As I walked up the worn stone steps, Blaze and her pegasi took off back to the wharf to help find stragglers and assist the army in whatever way they could. I let them go. Maybe I shouldn’t have, but right then all I cared about was finding out who had made it back and to see about restoring some semblance of order. The ancient oak door gave its familiar squeak as I pushed it open; open to a scene I had never expected to see in all my days as a watchstallion. Inside the lobby stricken ponies lay everywhere: on benches, makeshift beds, the floor, even desks. Everywhere I looked not a single piece of furniture or floor space had failed to be turned into a sanctuary for a wounded pony. Narrow gangways had been left for the myriad of medical staff who must have been pulled in from all across Manehattan to help. As I had arrived an ambulance had taken off, ferrying some of the more seriously wounded to the medical facilities elsewhere in the city. They’d be back. There simply weren’t enough ambulances available for this many casualties in so short a time. Even in a city the size of Manehattan, medical emergencies were few and far between. Nopony had expected something catastrophic like this could ever happen. I mean, how could they? What should have been a simple bust had transformed the wharf into a bloody war zone. And maybe we, no… maybe I should have planned for such an event. But how the hell was I to know something like this was even possible, let alone what actually had-

“Fairlight!”

For the umpteenth time that night, I was snapped out of my wandering thoughts and turned my head to see a green mare in a nurses uniform, her yellow eyes wide in surprise and fear, looking at me from across a hastily constructed bed. The pony lying on the makeshift litter before her was moaning softly, a blood soaked bandage across her middle. Meadow put down the pitcher of water she was carrying and hurried around the bed to eye me from nose to tail.

“Thank Celestia you’re alive! I thought… when you didn’t come back with the rest… Oh, I don’t know what I thought! I….” Tears began welling in my wife’s eyes, pulling earnestly at my heart.

“It’s all right love, I’m here, I’m okay,” I smiled wearily. “Look, I need to find out what’s happened tonight and get the officers together for a debrief so we can make sure everypony’s accounted for and taken care of. Something happened tonight, love, something…. Whoa, damn it!” I stretched out my foreleg to steady myself as the room spun away from me.

“Dr. Spindle! Quill! Help me, for Celestia’s sake, quickly!” Meadow’s voice drifted off to nothing more than a distant murmur as I sank to my knees, the last vestiges of consciousness quickly fading into darkness.

The funny thing about being unconscious, as I had found on the odd occasion that I had been, was that I didn’t dream. Lights on, lights off. Quite literally, it was that fast. This time however the lights took quite a time to come back on, and when they did the world around me had been transformed into little more than murky shades of grey. Nothing was distinct any more, it was all a blur of washed out shapes bathed in a muggy light that mingled with a distant, indistinct sound. Nausea pulled insistently at my insides and I emptied my stomach into a bucket that somepony had strategically placed at the side of the bed. Gods, I hated being sick. It made my head spin, my temperature soar, and it hurt like crazy. But still, at least I was alive and… well, probably best just to leave it at that for now.

“Doctor? He’s coming to.” It was an unfamiliar young mare’s voice.

“Call Nurse Meadow over if you please, she’ll want to see her husband.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

I could hear hoof steps approaching the bed. Weakly, I tried to lift my head up to see who it was, and quickly regretted my impulsive reaction. It felt like my head was submerged underwater, and a second later another wave of nausea passed over me. Luna have mercy, I didn’t want to see Meadow like this!

“I’m here love. Don’t worry now, it’s okay. It’s all going to be okay. Shhh...” A comforting hoof gently stroked my mane and forehead which were in all likelihood soaked with sweat. In the state I was in though I barely registered Meadow’s ministrations as my attention was drawn to a peculiar feeling of ‘pulling’ coming from my side. Lifting my head once more to look down at what was causing it, the nausea hit me again and I coughed bile into the hastily produced bucket.

“Keep him still for Celestia’s sake!” snapped an irritated male voice.

Meadow pushed me down firmly, wiping the sweat from my face with a damp cloth. The cool water was wonderfully soothing in my fevered state, but I wanted to get up, to get out of there. I had to see to things in the watch house. I couldn’t stay here, lying around! What the hell was going on here?!

“Stay still love, please,” Meadow said gently. “For me, okay?” Losing myself in those beautiful eyes was a wonderful distraction from the yanking and pulling sensation that continued in earnest further down my body. Meadow turned to look at whatever it was that was going on, then

turned back to face me. “They’re nearly finished now,” she said softly, “it won’t be long. You’re being really brave my big strong watch pony.”

She had such a lovely smile, I couldn’t help but smile back weakly in response. By Luna, I was so tired I could just go to sleep.

“Got it!” The triumphant cry accompanied a metallic clink. “Just need to sew him up and get some antibiotics into him. I think he’s going to be okay, Meadow.”

Meadow nodded to the doctor before turning back to me, relief flooding her features as tears welled up anew. She pushed her muzzle into my neck and breathed in deeply. “Fairlight, I never want to smell blood on you again, love. Never, never, never…”

I put my foreleg round her and closed my eyes. “I’m sorry love,” I whispered into her ear. “Forgive me.” She didn’t answer, only staying where she was while I drifted off into sleeps dark embrace.

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

Even with the best that Equestrian magical healing could provide, weeks passed before my doctor cleared me as fit enough to return to the watch house. Listening to the radio, reading, and a little light gardening had been all I’d been able to do to try and prevent myself from going round the bend from the sheer boredom of being trapped at home whilst my body recovered. Meadow had done her best to look after me of course, but eventually she’d had to go back to work, and this last week I’d been stuck at home on my own for most of the day. Normally an active sort of fellow I’d hated it, and I don’t know how many times I’d rushed to the door when the post came, desperate to receive that simple yet wonderful letter that would say I’d been finally cleared for duty. Typically, just when I’d almost given up hope, it had arrived. And so, here I was. I had my old rain coat, fedora, and sported a snappy goatee beard - a new addition that Meadow had approved of. Eventually! Still, the familiar stone building felt oddly unwelcoming to me that morning when I trotted up the steps of the watch house. It was probably no more than my imagination of course. After all, it had been nearly a month since I’d last been here, and it would be a shock to the system to get back into the swing of things again. Putting that line of thought aside I pushed open the double doors to the foyer. The floor had been scrubbed clean, thank Celestia. Unfortunately for me though, the side effect of the strong smelling bleach and pine floor cleaner was an assault on my unsuspecting olfactory system causing me to sneeze violently. The uniformed ponies at their desks ceased their various tasks and turned as one to look at the strange sneezing pony in the doorway. In between blasts I noticed some new faces amongst them, and some familiar ones too, thank the gods. The most telling feature in the lobby though was just how few of the desks were occupied now. Carpaccio had sat at that one by the door, his stupidly inane jokes about the weather a morning staple of station life. That one over by the coffee maker had been Novella’s, the orange and white patched young mare who had recently passed her exams to become a full officer. Both of those desks were vacant now, as indeed were more, whilst others still were occupied by new faces. Goddesses forgive me; so many of us had been lost. Several ponies rushed to up to greet me, their shouts of joy helping to lift my heart from the grief of our lost comrades that threatened to overwhelm me mere seconds after walking in the door.

“Hey, everypony the Capn’s back!” Shouted a huge uniformed mare as she grabbed me in her expansive embrace. “Whoops! Sorry, better watch the wounded warrior’s ouchies, eh?” Yule pushed me back with her forelegs and looked me up and down. “Yup, still ugly!”

“You cheeky sod, the next time you’re shot I’ll remember that!” I laughed as more ponies arrived to pat me on the back or shake hooves, all of them happily expressing their relief that I was alive and well. My spirits lifted, the revelry was soon interrupted by a uniformed mare pushing through the throng and pushing a cup of hot tea into my hooves. “Good to see you back hon’,” Shelly smiled briefly, “Better go see the Chief. He’s waiting in his-”

She never got to finish her sentence as another familiar voice boomed down from the balcony, “Captain Fairlight? My office if you please.”

Shelly gave me an apologetic look as I knocked back the tea in a single gulp before turning for the stairs. I hadn’t been looking forward to this, but it was a necessary part of the job regardless of my personal likes or dislikes. Trotting up the worn steps, I reached the landing and looked through the chief’s door to see him slowly working at his ancient typewriter. The old bugger had never bothered to employ a secretary to write his reports and instead had insisted on trying to type them himself. It was a painful experience to witness his ham-hoofed attempts, but even worse to try to decipher the nearly unintelligible end product. Personally I suspected Shelly was the one behind the ‘no secretary’ policy rather than her other half. She was a very protective and jealous mare, Shelly.

I knocked and entered without waiting as the Chief continued to type. Slowly. Knowing Mitre, If I stayed outside in the corridor he’d end up forgetting I was there and I’d be left stood there like a plank of wood until he came out wondering where I was. Eventually he gave a loud sigh, swivelling his chair to face me. “Good to see you back boy,” he said in his typical gruff manner.

“Good to be back, Chief,” I replied.

“Yes. Yes, it is,” the older stallion said absently. “I’ve just finished writing the last of the reports. Here...” He passed a sheaf of paper to me and turned in his chair to face the window, parting the blinds with an outstretched hoof. Moments dragged past as he stared out onto the drab cityscape of Manehattan. “What happened out there...” he muttered.

“Chief?” I asked, not quite able to make out his words. It had sounded more like a statement than a question.

Suddenly he spun to face me, reared up and slammed his forehooves on the desk. With a hard eyed glare, Mitre shouted the next words at me with a barely restrained fury I had never heard from him before. “I said, ‘What happened out there!?’ Where the hell are my ponies, Captain? Half the watch are either dead or maimed and only goddesses know how many of the wounded will ever return to duty, even if they recover. By all the gods, Fairlight, why did you hesitate? Why in Celestia’s name didn’t you get out when you had the chance?!”

“Sir, I-” I began but was cut off.

“You bucked up Captain,” Mitre roared. “You bucked up the job and ponies were killed as a result. My ponies, your brothers and sisters in the watch, because YOU didn’t keep your damned shit together!”

I backed up a step under the onslaught. I’d never heard the chief so angry. No, check that, he was furious. I straightened myself up and replied as calmly as I could, “I did what I could Chief. You don’t know what it was like in there. Nopony could have predicted what we would be up against. But yes, I was the pony responsible, and I made the call.”

Mitre’s forehooves flexed as he leaned towards me. “You’re damn right you’re responsible, Captain. Ponies died, DIED! On your watch! Do you know how many didn’t come home that night? Do you have any idea how many of these damned letters I’ve had to write to their families?” He waved a hoof towards the sheaf of papers on the desk between us. “How many times do I have to write ‘how sorry I am’ that their loved ones will never come home again, eh? Goddesses, Fairlight, I’m too old for this sort of crap. Too bucking old by far.” He looked down at the desk and closed his eyes.

Taking a breath, I walked up to him and did my best to calm my racing heart. “Chief. Chief, I’m-”

He cut me off with a raised hoof. “Your badge.”

“I’m sorry, I-” I blinked in surprise. “Chief?” I stammered, not quite grasping what the big blue buck had said.

The reply came like a lead weight dropping in my heart. “Your badge, Fairlight. Please.”

The world of Fairlight the Watch Captain began to unravel at that very moment. My heart sank and I couldn’t help but hang my head. Why was this happening? I’d done everything I could have done hadn’t I? I kept replaying the nights events in my mind over and over again, but hindsight as my mother had always told me, was a wonderful thing indeed. I levitated out my battered leather wallet with the Manehattan Watch badge inside and opened it up. How many times had I shown this to ponies? It had ridden around in my pocket for more years than I cared to recall, and now it was like seeing it for the first time. There was photograph. A photograph of a much younger and enthusiastic stallion, beside the sunburst shield of the watch. The name underneath was engraved on a little silver strip of metal: ‘Captain Fairlight’. I was so proud of that. My mother and father had been ecstatic when they’d first seen it too. Of course, that was years ago when I was simply ‘Watchstallion Fairlight’. I felt like a my guts were knotting up as I placed it reverently on the Chief’s desk.

He sighed and nodded his head solemnly. “Look Fairlight, I take no pride in this. The commissioner wants somepony to take responsibility for this. I’ve tendered my resignation but she won’t accept it. Tells me I’m ‘Too important to the safety of the citizenry of Manehattan’, apparently. She’s read your report and dismissed it as a flight of fancy, an ‘attempt to excuse your incompetence’, she said.” He cleared his throat. “By the Commissioner’s orders, I will have to officially suspend you pending a full investigation by the Equestrian military police.”

“What?!” I shouted, indignation raging in my voice. “The Equestrian military police? Are you bloody well kidding me? They couldn’t organise a piss up in a brewery Chief, and you know it.”

Chief Mitre gave me an inscrutable gaze and I took a breath to calm my flaring nerves. “Never the less Fairlight,” he began, “as of today, you are off the watch”. I watched in disbelief as he took my badge and slid it into a desk drawer. “I’m sorry, Fairlight. Please give my regards to Meadow.” And there it was - the thump of the desk drawer closing, sounding the end of my proud career in the watch. It was all over: my world, my career, my life… all of it... gone. It didn’t seem real. It was as though I were looking at somepony else’s life as it drew to a close rather than my own. Dear gods, I didn’t even notice I’d walked down the stairs until Shelly put a foreleg round me.

“I’m sorry honey,” she said gently. “Mitre told me about the commissioner. He tried his best for you, he really did.”

“Shelly, can you come up to my office please?” The chief’s voice called down, interrupting her.

Shelly gave me a small apologetic smile and trotted off to her husband’s office leaving me standing there dumbfounded, the office carrying on around me as if nothing had happened. For that matter, what actually had just happened ? My career, just like that, was over. All because some motherbucking ‘commissioner’ had wanted to publicly execute somepony for the debacle at the wharf. That was it, wasn’t it. I was the stooge, the scapegoat for it all. What in Equestria was I going to do now? I took a step towards the exit, wondering just how I was going to break the news to Meadow, when a voice stopped me in my tracks.

“Watch Captain Fairlight?” The voice emanated from a large orange pony in a knee length black trenchcoat and black sunglasses. A smart black trilby hat completed the monotone ensemble.

My eyes must have been like saucers as I took in the sight. “Er, yes?” was all I could manage.

“Come with me, please,” he said. And without waiting to see if I would follow, the mysterious fellow turned and headed for the rear entrance to the watch building.

Numb from my meeting with the chief, I blindly followed the odd stallion outside in as near a dazed state as one could be without the administration of large quantities of alcohol. He could have been anypony for all I knew. And who cared, anyway? He stopped abruptly in front of a dark blue, fully enclosed chariot pulled by two more ponies. Pegasi to be precise, and also dressed identically to first one. Must be the in fashion, I wondered, ‘mysterious chic’. At least I still had my sense of humour, and much bloody good that was going to do me. The black clad pony opened the door and waved me inside. Like a good little colt I did as I was told and made myself comfortable on the plain, dark blue bench seat. Apparently colour palettes didn’t exist for some ponies - for clothes or for carriages. Closing it smartly behind himself, the sunglasses wearing stallion sat down on the seat opposite mine and almost immediately I felt the carriage lift off the ground. There were windows in the thing of course, but there was no way in Equestria I was looking out of them. I’m sure the black coated stallion wouldn’t want to be spending the rest of the morning cleaning puke out of his nicely pressed clothes. So I just sat there, waiting patiently for him to speak. I had a long wait too - the implacable creature was as silent and still as a bloody statue until, eventually, I felt the carriage begin to descend. I have to admit, it wasn’t a half bad landing either. Jolts and bumps were the norm with these things, but the pilots of our carriage really knew their stuff. I was of a mind to offer my thanks for the uneventful flight, but just then another of the black coated clones opened the door and I was motioned outside onto a wide expanse of flat, carved white stone. High above the sky was a bright blue, contrasting starkly with eye watering whiteness and the black suits of my newly acquired goon squad. We were somewhere in the mountains. The rock outcropping we were on was clearly a landing area for sky carriages and chariots, with several more of them parked up near to us. Unsurprisingly, everpony I saw sported the now familiar black. The nearest one held out a hoof, pointing towards a tunnel entrance leading into the side of the very mountain itself. Silently we all walked off together, with two of them flanking me on either side. Now that I think about it though, I’m not sure exactly what they expected me to do otherwise. After all, I didn’t exactly have wings and I wasn’t planning on taking up sky diving any time soon either. But then I suppose inquisitiveness was overriding any sense of danger I may have normally had under such circumstances. Today though, ‘normal’ didn’t really seem to mean all that much to be honest.

A huge corridor stretched off into the distance before us with the occasional small magically powered buggy humming by carrying, you guessed it, more of the generic black suited ponies. I was beginning to long for somepony to wear something at least a little different, even it was something as simple as a colourful hanky in their coat pocket. Surely it couldn’t hurt, right? Good goddesses, I couldn’t imagine what it would be like working here. The deadpan look on everyponies faces was a generic as their dull outfits.

“In here”, the lead pony said, halting our party and motioning to a white door in the tunnel wall.

I reached out to push it open and was flinched back in surprise as it slid to one side with a snake like hiss. Hesitantly I walked inside, looking around at the now unsurprisingly total lack of decoration. Somepony really had a sense of the dramatic here. And one that was wearing off very quickly too. As if in answer to my thoughts a door opened in the far wall and a cerulean blue mare trotted in wearing a lab coat and sporting a wide smile on her face. The slightly comical appearance was accentuated by a huge pair of glasses as thick as bottle bottoms, perched on her nose. Finally, somepony not in black! And, joy of joys, smiling too! Come to think of it, I wasn’t so sure whether that was reassuring or terrifying.

“Ah, Captain Fairlight, yes?” The pony reached out, grabbed my foreleg and began shaking my hoof vigorously. “So good to meet you. So good indeed!” The overly enthusiastic mare released my hoof and then, just as quickly as she’d appeared, hurried over to a cloth covered table at the far end of the room, motioning to me to follow her. In a dramatic flurry she whipped the cloth away, nearly smacking me in the face with the blasted thing as she did so. “Amazing, isn’t it?” she announced breathlessly. “Truly remarkable! Deadly, granted, but remarkable none the less.” The lab-pony adjusted her glasses, all the while peering at a large black arrangement of metal on the table in front of her. Moving closer I recognised that damned thing immediately. How could I forget? This was the device I’d recovered from the pony on the balcony at warehouse. The pony I had… had… Oh, Celestia, not now! Fighting back my welling emotions I shook my head and looked at the mare, opening my mouth to speak just as another of the black coated ponies entered the room.

“Ah, I see you’ve met the Doctor already.” The mare’s lilting voice was almost musical in its tone.

“Oh, how silly of me!” the Doctor said in surprise, turning a wide grin on me and bowing dramatically. “Doctor Bunsen at the your service, Watch Captain”.

“Fairlight,” I replied. “And I’m no longer in the watch, Doctor. Look, I think you two may have the wrong pony here. I don’t have any authority to speak on the watch’s behalf any more.”

Ignoring my words, the new arrival to the room removed her glasses and shook her mane out. She was a strikingly pink mare with a white and red striped mane, cut fairly short, but stylish. Her blue eyes contrasted attractively with the rest of her, and she gave me a look that seemed to penetrate my very soul.

“You are here,” the mare announced confidently, “‘ex’-Captain Fairlight, as the mistress has commanded it be so.”

Oooh! Mistress, eh? I was starting to see some domination traits here, what with all the sinister black outfits, the white décor and now a ‘mistress’. I was half expecting a pony to appear in a rubber mask. I waited for her to continue. Either that or produce a whip and hoof cuffs.

“What do you know of this thing, ex-Captain?” she asked, not even attempting to hide her sarcasm.

I looked at the device, recalling how the cursed device had cut down my friends like so much wheat beneath the farmer’s scythe. My mood instantly soured. “It kills ponies,” I told her and turned to meet her gaze.

“Yes?” she replied, sounding slightly irritated and clearly expecting me to be able to divulge some nugget of revelatory insight which, frankly, I simply didn’t have.

“Its all in my report ma’am,” I replied smartly.

She looked at me for a moment longer then walked over to the doctor who was continuing to prod and measure the device. I was quite impressed at how thoroughly the blue mare steadfastly ignored the other ponies around her, even the moody pink one, all the while muttering to herself incoherently, lost in her thoughts and notes.

“I know what’s in your report ex-Captain,” the pink mare smiled dangerously. “I want to hear what you saw in your own words. Here. And now.”

Ponies like this one, regardless of who or what they thought they were, always brought out the worst in me. Under pressure I had a terrible tendency to become sarcastic and even more openly cynical than I was normally. To do so with this mare however, did not bode well If I didn’t keep my big mouth under control. Therefore, with personal safety a forethought, I consciously made the effort to be as neutral and to the point as the majority of the ponies here seemed to be, and keep my bloody opinions to myself. And so, I drew a breath and told her the full story, not leaving out any details, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. Hours passed as I talked in that sterile white room. Throughout my recollection though, she simply stood there, those blue eyes boring into me with that expressionless gaze of hers, taking in every nuance, every tiny sliver of information. When I had finally finished she nodded, holding a hoof up to her ear and nodded again. She was listening to something - a TED I presumed. I’d heard there was inner-ear type in development, and it appeared I was looking at one now. It was certainly a lot more discreet than the cumbersome things the Watch had on offer.

“Thank you, ‘ex’-Captain,” she said with a smile. I was becoming mightily fed up of her calling me that now, but at least it looked like things were wrapping up. “You’ve been of great help to us,” she continued. “More than you could know. The mistress thanks you.”

She held up a small black cube with silver sparkles on it and replaced her dark glasses. “Here,” she said smiling. “Open it. It’s a gift for you for all you’ve done.” A feeling of cold dread came over me, but I did as I was instructed. The small box popped open and there was a blinding white flash. Once again, the world vanished.

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

A long piercing shriek pierced my ear drums and brought me back to my senses in a terrifying shock of bitterly cold water and complete darkness. Helplessly I flailed around, desperately trying to gain a purchase in the sand and keep my head above the water as translucent silver fronds, like long thin snakes, twisted over and around me, pulling me ever deeper in. I struggled and bit at the things binding me, noticing to my horror that they weren’t just ‘around’ me, the vile things were actually running through me, the tips of one wriggling this way and that, horribly alive. Goddesses, this was beyond anything I had ever experienced in my life! Or death even for that matter. No matter what it took, I had to get away. I pushed hard with all four of my legs for all I was worth, the shrieking noise louder and more insistent this time - a mournful cry of a creature the likes of which I had never heard before. And probably never would again if I didn’t get myself out of this, and quickly. I bit and kicked again and again, feeling the fronds loosen their grip ever so slightly. Encouraged, I gulped in a deep breath of air and heaved for all I was worth. By Luna’s good grace, I was doing it! But my suddenly wash of euphoria was short lived, violently torn away seconds later by a fresh batch of silver tendrils shooting out from the black river and renewing their grip on my hind legs. “Get the hell off me you…!” I snarled as I bit at them. They, it, whatever the hell spawned beast was, was not going to take me without a fight. I still had a job to do, a need to complete my duty, and nothing was going to keep me from it. I would take revenge for what those scum had done to my beloved Meadow and no beast, no pony, no anything would keep me from my destiny. “NOPONY!” I screamed out loud, channelling my fury into a renewed push for survival.

My cry resounded with a desperate animal call from within, of anger, of fear, and of hate, all rolled into one. The howl of bitter sorrow became me and I became it, strength boiling throughout my body as a chill wind began to swirl around me, quickly freezing the beast’s tendrils to ice. I struggled to escape, to get free, the silver lengths shattering around me like fragile glass under my onslaught. Abruptly I burst free, my hooves obeying me as I backed away from the horrible broken mass which was now quickly retreating back into the inky black river water. I took several deep breaths, coughing out the last of the water and sand just as the high pitched cry I had heard earlier assailed me once more. I turned towards its source and saw, further along the shore, a sight I will never forget. It was another pony, caught and writhing in a mass of the same damnable things that had held me. I wasn’t going to let this happen. Not again. There would be no more deaths. Not on my watch! Everypony goes home. Even here.

I raced forward, sending a plume of water as black as pitch spraying up into the air from my thundering hooves, solidifying it into ice as I ploughed on. The rapidly spreading ice rushed outwards across the surface of the river, catching up to the writhing mass and its struggling victim suspended above. I barely noticed how the white of the ice stood out in stark relief against the blackness around it, freezing the tendrils holding the pony in its crushing embrace. Yet for one hideous moment I thought the stricken pony had frozen too, but a rapid struggle followed by a crash of broken tendrils, sent the poor equine tumbling downward to land on the ice. They wasted no time either, and ran towards me at a gallop just as more of the silver snake like things broached the unfrozen water in pursuit. “No, you DON’T!” I snarled, rearing up on my hind legs and slamming my forelegs down again, sending a fresh wave of sparkling white death into the oncoming mass. The other pony, now a blur of legs and steaming coat, rushed past me in a blur whilst I continued to back away, wary of any further pursuit from the churning water. And sure enough… It came.

The surface of the river bulged upwards, black water sloughing off the rising dome as some ‘thing’ rose up from its depths. From the burning pits of Tartarus itself, an opaque white snarling mass of teeth and tendrils crashed down onto the ice. Horribly, its putrid surface split open, revealing two watery, pale pink eyes which glared at me with what I could only describe as unadulterated hate. In a sickening, slithered motion, the creature oozed forward, using the writhing appendages sprouting from its body to drag the gelatinous mass along the ice. The creature was clearly having trouble though, the ice was freezing and breaking off tendrils just as fast as new ones could appear. Even so, it came onward, howling and hissing its murderous intent. And yet for some strange reason, instead of fear, instead of running for dear life - I laughed. I laughed at the pathetic nature of the creature, at how it could only hunt by stealth, fearful of the strength of its prey. It was a coward. A coward that attacked those weaker than itself, taking away their precious lives in a watery flurry of fear and pain. It didn’t deserve to live. Without thinking I drew in a deep breath, feeling the air chilling within my lungs. Drawing on the ethereal power within me, I exhaled. From my muzzle was released a terrible, drawn out blast of silvery blue and white swirling mist, roiling out towards the oncoming creature. A bone chilling howl mingled with the cloud, becoming one with it, eager, feeding it. And it was hungry. So very hungry.

Too late, the creature appeared to realise the threat and halted its forward momentum to try to keep out of the fog. Helplessly the beast’s tendrils caught in the ice, impeding its attempts at escape whilst glittering in the darkness the silvery blue-white fog billowed and swirled around its body. Wherever it touched, the fog froze flesh into solid lumps, snatching and snagging at tendrils, burning and tearing. The thing screamed out, gnashing its long teeth in fury and pain, flailing its silver tentacles at the ever thickening cloud in a vain attempt at fighting back. I watched as each frond the creature sent out cracked and shattered the moment it hit the ice, causing the vile thing to scream all the more. In answer to its struggles, from deep within me came another, deeper, rumbling laugh, rolling out across the river. And then, unexpectedly, the creature stopped its struggling and looked at me with its hideous gelatinous eyes. It knew now. It was certain. Death itself had come to make its claim. Moments later the river creature was an unmoving, solid frozen mass. The sound of water cracking as it froze, slowly faded away and silence fell once more over the featureless

landscape. Featureless, except for the glittering ice feature now resting upon the surface of the black river. I felt jubilant but drained, and hung my head for a moment to try and take stock of what had just happened. But… what had just happened? How the hell could I explain this?! My mind reeled as I attempted to take stock of these details just in time to be jolted by a flash of purple lightning searing across my vision. In sudden flash of magic, the icy corpse of the river monster exploded into a billion shining fragments that splashed back into the water and showered down around me. I whirled to face down the new threat, only to find a black pony shaped figure, head lowered in a fighting stance, glowering at the shattered remains in the river. Its nostrils blowing out jets of white vapour, whether in reaction to the bitter cold of the frozen scene before it, or part of its own physiology, I couldn’t tell.

The pony like creature raised it head to the sky and let out a long piercing shriek, a noise I recalled from when I’d first came to at the edge of the water. The pony I had rescued from the river monster stood before me, only… only it wasn’t really a pony at all. At any rate, not what you could actually ‘call’ a pony. The thing was equine shaped certainly, but black coated and desperately thin. And I mean really thin. Goddesses above, I could see every bone of its skeleton, and for a moment, I thought this to actually be an animated skeleton - a frightening reminder of the nature of this land.

The creature even had horns too - short pointed ones that extended behind its head like sharpened ears. It regarded me with glowing red eyes, flicking its midnight black tail side to side before shaking its wet, bedraggled mane. The thing let out a whuff of steam from its nostrils and turned to face me. Slowly, tentatively, the pony-like being walked towards me, letting out the occasional blast of white steam. I stood transfixed while the distance between us closed. Then, as quickly as it had begun, the thing was in front of me, head lowered. It moved its muzzle carefully towards my neck, eyes closed and… sniffed. Suddenly it stepping back, prancing sideways on its hooves seemingly unsure as to what to do next. Unsure myself, I stood there and let the creature continue. It didn’t seem to be any threat to me as such, however I kept the icy feeling of barely controlled rage within me, ready to release at any sign of aggression from the odd thing.

The skeletal pony moved forward and sniffed me again, a little more confident in its approach this time. On instinct I leaned forward, emulating its behaviour and sniffed its neck. Surprised, the creature jumped back in alarm, snapping out huge bat like wings in a display intended, I presumed, to make itself appear bigger than it actually was. I lowered my head and whuffed at the air as I’d seen it do when the thing had first trotted up to me. Whatever my emulated display meant, if anything at all, it seemed to work as the creature folded its wings and walked towards me, eyes blazing like red coals. Letting out a small whinny, the black coated being moved towards me once more and, to my surprise, began to nuzzle my neck, pushing into me like some enormous house cat. I wondered at the bony thing and smiled, feeling the coldness inside me beginning to lessen, slowly draining out of me until it faded away into nothingness. Backing away for a moment and watching me with its quizzical burning eyes, the pony-like ‘being’ - I’d have to think of a name for it later I guessed - spread its wings open and lunged into the sky. Up it flew, out over the river, banked low, and then swooped down over my head, gliding on those great leathery wings and crying out a loud low howl.

“What the bloody hell was that all about?” I wondered aloud.

“That’s a Thestral, love,” a voice said from directly behind me. “Looks like you made a new friend.”

“GAH!” I nearly choked in alarm. “Gods in their bloody heaven!” What was with all the sneaking up on ponies around here? If I wasn’t dead already, I’d probably have died of a heart attack by now anyway! On instinct, born of repetition most likely, I span to face-

“Meadow…?”

“Hello, love,” the green mare said pleasantly. “I’ve missed you, you know. Really, I-”

I lost all sense of control and flung my forelegs around my beloved wife, squeezing her tightly to my chest. If this was a dream or some crazed hallucination, I didn’t want it to end. It couldn’t end! “Oh Goddesses Meadow,” I gasped helplessly, “you’re alive! Thank Celestia! Thank Luna! You’re alive!”

Meadow hugged me back, but then pushed away suddenly. I stood stock still, unsure as to what this meant. Had I done something wrong? What was going on? “Meadow,” I began, and took a step towards her.

She held up a hoof stopping me. “No. Fairlight, look love, I’m sorry if I seem cold but I don’t have much time here. The keepers have already pushing things to allow me this much.”

“I don’t understand love, please. I-” I stammered. Meadow suddenly grabbed me and kissed me deeply on the mouth, her warm breath filling me with a heat I had not felt in an age. Breaking away she looked at me with sorrowful eyes and shook her mane before stomping a hoof down. The trademark Meadow determination I knew so well, was back.

“Fairlight,” she began, “you’re not meant to be here. We are, but you, you’ve not passed over fully. The herd can’t take you as they say you’re carrying… carrying ‘something’.” She shook her head in exasperation, “Celestia give me strength, I don’t know what it is. But look, never mind that now, you need to get out of here.” She reached back and started rummaging in her pannier. “Here, take this.” Meadow’s horn glowed and a small crystal on a tiny golden chain levitated up into the air before lowering gently over my head and settling around my neck. I looked down in surprise and saw a faint white glow emanating from it. Meadow reached out and lifted my head so she could look me straight into my eyes, “Follow the crystal’s light when it is at its strongest. It will show you the way.”

“The way to what?” I asked in confusion. “Meadow, I want to be with you. I don’t want to go back!”

Meadow stomped her hoof again.“You can’t! It’s not your time, yet. Please, Fairlight, they’re calling me back. Just remember what I said!”

I must have seemed pathetic to her right then, my resolve fragmenting in the flood of emotions I had thought all but dead and gone. “Oh goddesses, Meadow, I can’t lose you again...”

“We’ll be together again love, all of us, one day. Just not right now.” Meadow kissed me again briefly and I nuzzled her neck. “Wait… you said ‘we’? ‘All’ of us?” I looked quizzically at her and she gave me a shy smile in reply.

Looking down by her side, she spoke softly, “Come on little one. Come and meet your daddy.”

I didn’t know what to say. Words left me hanging like a flag without wind, and I just stood staring dumbly as a tiny head appeared from behind Meadow, peering up at me with huge round yellow eyes. The tiny grey coated pegasus foal cautiously stepped around her and looked up at me, pressing into Meadow’s side for safety.

“Say hello to your daddy, Sparrow.” Meadow nudged the little foal with her head towards me.

The little thing stumbled on unsure legs, looking up at me with her big shining eyes. Her voice was so tiny, so innocent, as she asked, “Daddy?” Tears flowed down my cheeks, unchecked. “Daddy, are you sad?” came the sweet voice of my… my daughter...

“No, little one”, I told her. “Daddy’s not sad. Daddy’s happy. Really, really happy.” I turned to Meadow who gave me a heart melting smile. “How is this possible, Meadow?” I whispered. “Were you…?”

A dark shadow of sadness ghosted over her features for a moment as tears began welling in her eyes too. She nodding slowly, “I was a few months gone, but I hadn’t really known for certain. There weren’t many mares I felt I could trust enough to talk to about it. After Mum died and we’d been trying for so long, I just thought it couldn’t happen and then…” She cleared her throat, “I’ve called her Sparrow Song. They were singing in the tree where we first met. Do you remember?”

“Of course I do love,” I said softly. “I couldn’t ever forget that.”

Meadow smiled when Sparrow bumped into my leg and plopped back onto her miniscule haunches. “Are you coming home with mummy and me?” she asked.

I was barely holding myself together right now, but damn it all I had to, somehow, for them. Gods help me, it was so much to take in! So, so much...

Meadow looked behind her and quickly faced me once again, a frightened look in her eyes. “Fairlight, we’ve got to go, they’re calling us. Listen, they will be coming for you soon. They don’t like loose ends. I said I’d try to persuade you to surrender, but it’s not right. If they take you, they’ll strip your memories - your mind. Don’t let them.” Meadow nudged Sparrow back behind her. “Follow the crystal my love, we’ll be together again some day. We’ll wait for you!” My wife’s voice became increasingly distant as her image began to shimmer and fade.

“I love you, Meadow!” I called to her. “I love you too, Sparrow! Daddy will see you again soon!” Before my very eyes the image of Meadow wavered like a heat haze. The last I saw of her were those beautiful yellow eyes looking at me with a longing that gripped my heart. She held up Sparrow who waved at me with her little forelegs, “Bye Daddy! Come home soon!”

They winked out of existence without even a sound.

I sat down on my rump and gasped in the air, my eyes tight shut against the tears. This wasn’t happening, was it? It was all a feverish nightmare that I would wake up from and it would all be okay once again. I’d get up, have a shower, and go to work just like I did every day. Just like… every day... A shudder ran through me, the tears turning to icy droplets that rolled down my face to plop onto the black sand like frozen gemstones. Why Goddesses, why couldn’t I be with my family now? WHY?!

“Damn this place!” I shouted out as loud as I could. “Haven’t I been through enough!”

I wished with all my heart that whoever, or whatever was keeping me anchored to this place would simply pull the metaphorical plug and let me go. I had a daughter, the daughter Meadow and I had wanted so much and those scum had killed her, taking her tiny life before she’d even had a chance to draw a single breath. Unbidden, the cold ball of anger welled up inside my chest. And I welcomed it. I revelled in it. I would find those buckers and rip their living guts out with my bare teeth. I’d watch them squirm and bleed to death before my very eyes, begging me to end it for them. And then, when they thought I would send them to the beyond, I would give them my answer...

“No.”

A blue-white mist curled up from my muzzle and snow began to fall around me: silent, cold, and as gentle as the touch of reaper. This new found power, whatever in Equestria it was, would serve me well. I lifted the tiny crystal, turning around in a circle until it shone the brightest. “I guess this is the way then,” I said to myself, shaking the snow from my mane. I looked back slightly over my shoulder. “You coming then?” A rolling growl and shrill hoot answered me as the thestral trotted up along side me, nudging me with its head. I nodded to it in response, letting the pendant dangle from my neck once more. I spoke aloud to the world in general this time. Other than the thestral there was nopony to hear me, but in my heart I was announcing more of an intent than anything else. “Time,” I smiled grimly, “for some payback.” And if the gods weren’t listening, then to hell with them.

To hell with them all.

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

I yawned expansively, my jaw muscles stretching just until the point of discomfort. “Forelegs next I think,” I murmured to myself as these too were summarily stretched out to each side. Pushing back with my hind legs, each now suitably limbered, I pulled myself away from the makeshift pillow and sat up, rubbing my eyes. I hadn’t slept too badly at all and felt pleasantly refreshed. The thestral had proven not to be as uncomfortable as he, or she… ‘it’ maybe? Would appear. Probably a ‘he’ I reckoned, and short of sticking my muzzle between his legs that was going to have to be my best determination based on the next to nothing I knew about these animals. I have to say his appearance was quite terrifying really, but like most situations I’d found myself in over the years, it was surprising what you could get used to. Maybe even those razor sharp teeth of his! Well… perhaps not. Still, weirdness had always had a peculiar habit of haunting me over the years, and things that would normally send ponies running for the hills would instead have me standing there wondering what it was all the fuss was about. On reflection it probably wasn’t the best strategy plan a fellow could have. Not that it would have done much to help me here, anyway. After all, here I was sitting next to a ‘thestral’ as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and I still didn’t have a clue what it really was. Sorry, what ‘he’ was. Damn it, I should have asked Meadow when I had the chance! I sighed, flicking a grain of sand from my muzzle. I know I hadn’t pay that much attention in class, but I’m sure I would have remembered mention of things that walked around like leather bags of bones, breathing lightning and scaring the crap out of kids. Maybe they lived in a far off country or something? Gods above, as far away as possible I hoped! Mind you, now that I think about it there was that one mare I’d met in Ponyville years ago who would have known what a thestral was, and where they were from. That eccentric pegasus was obsessed with all things animal, and had an encyclopaedic knowledge of equestrian wildlife. Maybe she would have known about thestrals too? Bit late to ask her now of course. Unfortunately it was a bit late to ask anypony anything for that matter. Even so, my visit to that eccentric abode was one that I would never forget.

Some time into the earlier part of my career in the watch, I had visited the young mare’s house as part of a national initiative to secure homes against burglary over the coming dark winter months. Considering my beat at that time had been in Ponyville, it had proven to be a fairly pointless exercise - nothing criminal ever happened there. Not unless you counted overdue library tickets or the occasional speeding carriage as ‘real’ crime. But on the plus side, the meet and greet sessions did wonders for building relations with the locals and also got me out into the fresh air. A cup of tea and a biscuit didn’t go down badly either of course. Unfortunately in this particular case, the chocolate box cottage on the fringe of the village was far from what you’d call ‘fresh’ in any sense of the word. The very moment the door opened my nostrils were assailed by the overpowering stench of animal. Lots of animals! The bloody things had infested the whole house top to bottom. There were mice in the walls, rabbits under the bed, birds nesting in the light fittings - you name it, the damn things were everywhere. That said the place was surprisingly clean considering the sheer volume of turds the poor girl had to clean up. I’d noticed the midden round the back of the property as soon I had begun to walk up the path to her front door, and in all honesty I’d half expected some mad old widow with an obsession with collecting cats to come shrieking out of the door at me. However, I couldn’t have been further from the truth. The mare who’d opened the door to me was stunningly beautiful, for a tree-hugging pegasus. I could have happily spent the whole day with her, losing myself in those huge shining eyes. And her voice? So calm, so peaceful and feminine, I felt as if I could simply float away into blissful happiness. I may have let myself too if that bloody stinking animal hadn’t ruined everything. If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s the smell of a wet dog warming up by the fire. There were literally clouds of steam pouring from the reeking thing’s carcase, choking my lungs and sending me flying for the door in a desperate quest for fresh air.

“Oh my, was it something I said?” the yellow mare asked, a worried look on her face.

“No miss, I was just a little… ‘claustrophobic’ that’s all. You have a wonderful home here and I don’t think you need to worry too much about the risk of burglary.” I heaved the sweet, sweet air deep into my lungs whilst the worried young pegasus flapped air over me.

“You don’t think any nasty, scary burglars will try to steal my babies do you?” she asked, sincerity showing in her large eyes.

I shook my head, “No miss, I think you’re quite safe. You’ve got natural burglar deterrents anyway.” I motioned towards the dog, almost invisible in the clouds of noxious vapour beginning to fill the room.

The mare giggled, “Poor old Henrietta. She’s not as active as she used to be. Her coat’s been losing some of its lustre recently.”

“Has it?!” I squeaked, then caught my breath. “Has it?” I coughed, clearing my throat. “Oh dear.”

“Yes, she’s seen a few years I think,” the mare continued. “I try to make her as comfortable as possible, but age catches up with all of us eventually.”

By gassing out any visitors with the mangy old thing’s stinking hide I suspected. The horrible creature probably knew damned well what effect it was having on people. An effect, I noted, that the home owner simply didn’t notice. Years of living with hoards of excreting assorted animals, pest and vermin, had doubtless numbed her sense of smell. Or murdered it, I thought to myself as I caught another whiff. And so I had made my excuses and left, dashing back to the road side to rinse my face in the stream. She had stood in the doorway watching me, curious but blissfully unaware of the olfactory sledge hammering she had dealt a member of the watch. I wondered if I could draw a gas-mask from stores in case of future visits? The thestral by comparison had a peculiarly pleasant floral smell. Sweet, but with a fleetingly gentle quality that had me wondering at first if I had really smelt it at all. It ran at complete odds to his physical appearance too. His hide showed every bone, each taught muscle connecting them, and the details of each joint were horrifyingly vivid. The strange fellow’s light frame made flying or walking a fairly simple matter for him. For myself however, I found that standing up on sand was an art form in itself, and one I was rather pleased to say I had slowly gotten the hang of. With a shake, the loose sand fell off me to join its fellows and I poked Shades with a hind hoof, “Oy, come on you lazy bugger. We need to haul flank.”

‘Shades’, as I’d taken to calling the thestral, opened one eye and huffed grumpily. Fortunately those flickering red fires that passed for eyes had ceased to disturb me long ago. ‘Long ago’, eh? Luna’s ears, how long had we been walking together now, anyway? I had no way of knowing and I’d ‘long’ since given up bothering to keep track. Gods, I missed my old pocket watch with a vengeance, its reassuring ticking was almost like a heartbeat of its own. More importantly it would have been a reminder that mine still was, apparently, merrily tick-tocking along somewhere other than here. At least, that’s what I’d determined from what Meadow had said. So I suppose the question I really had to ask was, was I alive or dead? Was my body lying somewhere, breathing away whilst my spirit was trapped in this sandy wasteland? How would I get back to it? More to the point – did I really want to get back to it? Wistfully, I turned back to my bony companion. “Hey! Come on now, I’ve got places to be, ponies to meet.”

He blinked, fixing me with a particularly hard stare then sniffed the air. I should have remembered to keep well out of the way when Shades got to his hooves and dodged back just in time to avoid being whacked. The thestral’s movements were almost mechanical in nature, and absolutely fascinating to watch. I could see how his muscles pulled, the joints turning, his wings adjusting, and then with a huge lurching movement, hauling his bony frame upwards. He staggered sideways for a moment before shaking the sand from his body and letting out a nicker. Seeing it coming this time, I ducked as a dragon like wing snapped out to shake the last of the sand away. One quick groom later, the sleepy thestral nuzzled my neck with a good morning whinny for good measure.

I laughed, “And a good morning to you too, you old smoothie.” I put my hoof on Shades’ head and gave him a little rub. He gave a rumble and whuffed a blast of steam in happiness. What a strange creature he was. I couldn’t quite work out whether he was intelligent, or akin to a kind of clever dog. A clever dog that had teeth like rapiers and could blow things up with its magical lightning type stuff. Mind you, I didn’t want to think of him in that way, but he was so utterly perplexing – a pony, yet not a pony. “You’re quite the enigma, eh?” I said with a smile. Shades whinnied and bobbed his head in reply. And so with our morning routine out of the way I lifted the pendant once again. The glow from the crystal showed the way forward as it had done every day since Meadow had left it in my care, and the two of us set off once again into the expansive unknown emptiness of the Withers.

Days, weeks, maybe even months passed in this manner. Every so often, Shades would fly off without any warning and a while later, return. I had no idea where he was disappearing off to and half wondered if one day there would just be me, walking on and on into eternity all alone. I mentally slapped myself - I didn’t like that train of thought. There would be an end to this journey sooner or later and, for as long as it lasted, I would take comfort in the presence of my friend the thestral. ‘Thestral’… Hmmm, no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t remember anything about them from school, the radio, or any of the movies I’d watched. I’ll bet there was a whole section on them in the Ponyville library though. The very same one I’d never bothered to visit when I was stationed there too. I sighed. It was a bit bloody late now, right? Lifting up the glowing crystal I checked my bearing. To keep some sense of direction I thought of the little white light as pointing ‘North’, helping me in some small way to retain a level of focus. Not to mention it was also a reminder that somewhere there actually was a North. And a South. Good gravy, maybe other directions too! Fancy that! I closed my eyes and gave myself a hard shake. Goddesses help me, I needed to get out of here whilst there was still some part of me left that was worth escaping with. And preferably with all my faculties intact too.

A crunching thump behind me announced the midday arrival of Shades. He whinnied and stomped his hooves as I carried on walking. He’d catch up. He always did. I let out a sigh, watching the crystal’s glow. Did it seem to be a little brighter than usual today? Probably not; I’d thought that before and soon given up on pursuing the idea. Bloody imagination. Suddenly a loud whinny from Shades gave me pause. What in Equestria was he doing now?! I looked over my shoulder just as a large gelatinous blob of something hideously foul was deposited on my back. “Argh! Shades! What the hell, get if off me!” I bucked furiously, sending the translucent thing flying into the air. With the grace of a ballet dancer the bony thestral jumped straight up, catching the thing in his sharp, dragon-like teeth. Landing lightly, he trotted over, clearly pleased with himself and dropped the disgusting trophy at my hooves before letting out a joyful shriek.

“What? Yes, well done buddy,” I sighed, trying to get my breathing back to normal. “ You’ve brought me a lovely gift. Um... whatever it is.”

I went to walk away but Shades ran in front of me, blocking my path with the thing dangling from his mouth once more. He pushed the white blob at my muzzle before dropping it in front of my forehooves again. He bobbed his head several times, letting out a blast of steam.

Realisation slammed into me like a brick wall. “You… you want me to what, eat that?” I asked incredulously. The thestral nodded again, giving what I could only presume was an encouraging display judging by the excited wing flapping. Oh great! Just what I always wanted…

I looked down and sniffed at the thing. “Ewwww!” Shades opened and shut his mouth several times, clacking his teeth together for emphasis. “Okay, okay!” I closed my eyes, opening them again, slowly refocusing on the blob. Oh bollocks, it was still there - I wasn’t dreaming after all. Well, I hadn’t eaten since coming to this place, and I’d survived having tentacles driven through me, drowning, and, ah yes, did I mention being dead? Fan-bloody-tastic. I suppose that compared to that, eating a sand covered jelly ‘thing’ was probably a breeze, right? Against all my better judgement and protesting stomach, I picked it up in my teeth and flicked it up, snapping the thing into my mouth for a quick swallow. Suddenly I paused. This… this thing was dead, wasn’t it? Oh, goddesses! I stared at Shades who looked on intently. He let out a blast of steam and I shut my eyes tightly. It didn’t look like I was going to get out of this one that easily. Hell fire, let’s get this over with then...

I swallowed.

Eating off the floor was never a good idea, and I nearly choked on the sand which covered the horrible creature. Worse still I could feeling it grating the inside of my throat despite the overriding sensation of disgusting sliminess as it worked its way down. Goddesses alone knew what was going to happen when it got to my stomach. I could barely remember the taste of food as it was, nor even water for that matter. Hell, I couldn’t remember the last time I had eaten at all! But one thing was for certain though, nothing I had ever eaten in my life tasted anything like this.

I bobbed my head to my thestral companion. “Thanks for that my friend,” I croaked. “Delicious.” I fought the urge to throw the contents of my stomach straight back up. No easy task, I can assure you. But if thestrals could smile, this one was doing just that. He let out a joyous scream and flew straight up into the air, spiralling higher and higher until I could barely see him. Then, with a boom of air, he rocketed downward towards me making me leap back to avoid a collision. I gasped in surprise as he arrested his descent mere feet from the ground with a great flap of his massive wings. Shades, radiating happiness like a child on Hearthswarming Eve, trotted up to me and pushed his forehead into mine, releasing a slight blast of steam.

“Friend.”

“Wha-!” I looked around, expecting something to have materialised out of my sight. I had to be honest, this seemed to have been happening a lot to me recently too. Well, relatively recently. At least I think so.

“Fairlight pony. Friend?”

Okay, this was now officially off the weird chart. The Withers was getting to me more than I had thought and now, now some bizarre echoing, hissing voice was in my head! Bollocking bloody Celestia’s damned-

“Home?”

Shades nudged me with his muzzle and everything suddenly clicked into place. “It’s you!” I squeaked. “You can speak? Sort of?”

The thestral bobbed his head. “Light, home?” the hissing voice said.

Good gods, how did he do that?! “Yes,” I said cautiously. “I’m trying to get home, Shades. The crystal will show me the way.”

He walked away a few steps away from me and turned back with his head on one side, a quizzical look on his bony face. “Shades?” he asked. I grimaced at his questioning tone. Well, fair’s fair, I had to call him something didn’t I? I’d thought about calling him ‘Shriek’ for a while because, pretty much, that was all he said. That or ‘Argh’ or that weird clicking noise.

“Yes,” I said pleasantly. “Shades is the name I gave you. I don’t know your real name. Um, you can tell me if you like?”

“Name?” He looked confused for a minute then threw back his head and screamed. Planting his hooves forward in the sand for emphasis, the thestral looked intently at me.

“Look, can’t I just call you Shades?” I asked. “It’s a lot easier for me you know. I can’t speak thestral.” Or scream it either.

Shades shook his mane and let out a snort of air. Pawing the ground for a moment, he lifted his muzzle and winnied, “Shades.”

Chapter Five - Gentle Realisations

CHAPTER FIVE

Gentle realisations

A warm soft wetness lapped around my face as I awoke, eliciting a wicked chuckle from my throat. “Mmm… Meadow…” I murmured, gently reaching out and giving her a little squeeze. She hugged me back and nibbled my ear. Oh Celestia! I’d just woken up and the horny little filly was teasing me already. I’d play along until her investigation was concluded. After all, I had all the time in the world to spend with my loving little filly. The warm tongue drifted downward, exploring my muzzle, then returned to my ears. This was new, and quite surprisingly erotic in a way I hadn’t expected. “That’s nice,” I groaned. “Let me-” I opened one eye slowly and stared straight into a glowing red thestral’s eye that was staring right back at me. “SHIT!” I yelled, pushing the thing off me and jumping to my hooves. “Shades?! What the hell are you doing?!” The creature’s pointed ears drooped and he let out a sad sounding chirrup. “Look buddy, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell, but… I don’t, you know, I don’t swing that way. I’m really, really sorry.” Come to think of it, why was I sorry? I didn’t ask for this kind of attention, and as much as it had been unexpected, it hadn’t been exactly unpleasant. Maybe he was just being friendly in his own weird way, like a big friendly dog licking his owner’s face? Whatever the case was I felt shaken and a little sad, somehow. Shades was the only thestral I’d seen here. There must be more around somewhere, but where? Was he alone, like me? Perhaps he was simply lonely and hoping for some physical comfort from a friend? Oh great, now I felt like I’d kicked a puppy! I trotted over to him as he slunk away with his head down. The miserable looking thing looked utterly dejected. “Look Shades, I’m sorry okay? You startled me and I snapped at you without stopping to think first. You’re my friend and… I respect you. Honestly.”

Shades squawked, shaking his mane. Head bowed, he stretched out his wings and advanced on me, forcing me to back up. “Swing that way?” The thought pounded into my head making me wince.

“That’s right,” I replied cautiously. “I don’t, you know, I’m not into dudes. Goddesses Shades, not so loud!”

“Dudes?”

I sighed, rubbing my head. His way of talking didn’t make this any easier. “Guys,” I explained. “Males. Stallions. I’m not gay, right? Look, I like girls: mares, females. You understand?”

Shades flapped his wings hard, causing huge gusts of wind to buffet me so hard I had to shut my eyes against the sand. When I opened them, Shades was nose to nose with me, his eyes blazing like red hot campfires. “Give me,” he said in a tone that brooked no nonsense.

“Give you what?” I asked him. I didn’t like the way this was going at all.

With an exasperated shriek, the thestral suddenly side stepped until he was virtually side on to me. A bony foreleg shot out and grabbed my hoof. “Give me,” he said again, only a little more gently this time. I wasn’t sure what the hell he had in mind, but I’d trusted him this far. I closed my eyes and submitted to whatever it was he was doing, and felt a shiver run through my body as he passed my hoof under his belly. Oh goddesses, I was starting to really freak out here. Adrenalin surged through me unbidden as I began to give serious thought to escaping this insane creature. But then, to my increasing horror, the thestral gently rubbed my hoof between his haunches, letting out a low rumbling sound. Did he look… embarrassed? Not as much as I was!

“Shades?” I asked swallowing, “I don’t understand what you’re trying to… Oh!” Dear gods, poor Shades. Imagine having an idiot like me for a companion. My skeletal partner in the Wither World released my hoof and turned to face me with a shy, yet expectant look. Finally, dullard that I am, I understood. Shades, the Wither World thestral… was a girl. “Oh, bollocks,” I muttered to myself. She let out a rattling cry and trotted off ahead of me without a backward glace to see if I was even following.

Another week of incessant trudging brought us to the banks of a large black lake. A more apt description would probably be ‘sea’, but in the Withers with all its variations on a theme of black it would be impossible to say for certain. All I could see was inky black water stretching out to ‘somewhere’, and the obligatory hills in the distance that never seemed to be any nearer than the first day I’d found myself here. Shades was starting to act strangely too. She would dance nervously, looking around us and up at the sky before huffing loudly and pacing back and forth. A few minutes later the process would begin again. More worryingly was that she’d stopped flying in the few days which was definitely unusual. I’d tried speaking to her to find out what was troubling her, but my attempts at conversation fell about as flat as the terrain. Shades was a thestral of few words, or more than one for that matter, and now even that little wellspring of limited conversation was dry. What was bothering her, I had no idea. Other than my little gender faux pas of course. Whoops. At first, I’d wondered if it was another of those globular tentacle-y things that lurked in the rivers, but there was no sign of them here that I could see. But there was something here that grabbed my attention. Small bat-like birds, shockingly transparent, fluttered across the surface of the water, darting this way and that. It was yet another reminder to me of the extraordinary alien nature of the world I was in, but also one that gave me something I was terrified I might lose – hope. The Withers was no dead world, but one that held life, and was capable of supporting that life if the bird were gauge. I had never seen anything like them before, although as I unexpectedly discovered when Shades jumped into the air and snapped one in her jaws, they were apparently quite delicious. She tried tempting me with one of the still flapping morsels, but I politely declined. My stomach may not need filling particularly, but I certainly didn’t want to empty it either. For all I knew part of that blobby rubber thing was still in there. Luna’s ears, what a thought!

Shades and I were lying together by the gently lapping waters edge when she suddenly lifted her head in alarm. Staring off intently across the lake to something I couldn’t see, she got up and crouched low, pushed into me with an urgency that had my attention immediately.

“Oof! Shades, what’s going on?” I asked, rising to my hooves. “What’s got you so spooked?”

She didn’t reply.

My eyes had become accustomed to the half-light in the Withers, but even so my ability to pick out details at a distance was nothing compared to Shades’. Whatever was out there had her worried, so much so she was now hiding between my legs. That wasn’t going to provide much cover, but when the only alternative was black sand, to her alien mind it was probably better than nothing. I strained my eyes trying to see what it was that had her so spooked, and If I concentrated hard enough, I could just see… Ah. I should have guessed... A shrieking cry and the clacking of teeth hit my ears like nails down the world’s largest chalk board.

Thestrals.

Shades whimpered and pushed harder into me, shaking in fear. “No. No you don’t, come up now,” I said, gently reaching down and helping her up. “Be strong. I’m here with you, and I will protect you from whatever’s out there.” I stood facing the direction of the cries, nudging my companion to my side. “We face this together.” She chirruped and nudged me with her head, giving a quick snort. “Good girl,” I smiled, and stood ready to accept whatever came our way.

I could see them now. Three… no, four of the creatures, soaring, diving, and looping their way towards us from the lake. Minutes passed and I was beginning to wonder if the strange party were actually heading our way after all. But sure enough, one of them gave a long high pitched cry and twisted in air before diving straight towards at us. I readied myself, feeling the now familiar grip on the cold rage as it prepared to be unleashed. I didn’t know whether these were friend or foe, though Shades’ behaviour spoke volumes. In any case, It didn’t hurt to be alert and prepared. A loud thud announced the first of the thestrals landing several yards away from us, quickly followed by the other three, huddling close to one side of the larger one. “The boss cometh, eh?” I wondered aloud. Shades rattled out her own opinion in the form of a deep menacing growl.This thing looked like a creature from a nightmare night special. All bones, leathery wings and teeth. The wickedly sharp incisors glinted menacingly atop the midnight black colouring of the Thestral. The other three, smaller and rather ‘shades’ like in appearance, kept back, snapping their jaws and making the odd growling noise. I could guess without any problem this time, that the biggest of them was most definitely a male. From the sharper angles of his bones, to the sheer bulk of the guy, the huge ugly brute emanated testosterone like an open furnace. Almost immediately he tried to walk around me to face Shades, but I turned with him, matching him step for step. He didn’t like that at all. The thestral male swung his head towards me and dropped into a fighting stance with a long low hiss. I imitated his stance, keeping my voice clear and low, “Why don’t you just ssssod off?” I knew I was putting myself and Shadow at risk by attempting to intimidate the a huge creature, but right then acting meek and submissive struck me as a much quicker way to end up as the next dinner item.

The thestral stood up, cocking his head to one side curiously before turning to his menagerie. All at once they began clicking and shrieking at each other in some bizarre language I couldn’t even begin to decipher. Luna’s lugs, what a racket! One of them was bad enough, but four?! I was put in mind of a meeting I’d attended where somepony had brought an odd number of cakes and there was nearly blood on the walls as a result of the ensuing fracas. Fortunately I’d had the sense to get out of there when they were all just at the simultaneous yelling stage. Still, looking at this lot I suppose that if Shades was anything to go by her people were clearly intelligent, but on a more… ‘basic’ level? Would that be fair to say? Something of a primitive culture by equestrian standards, I imagine. Before me the display of jerking neck and wing movements together with various cries and screams, culminated in the male all but kicking one of the smaller ones towards me. Unsurprisingly she came forward reluctantly, making a quiet chirruping noise towards Shades who replied in kind.

I regarded the creature warily, “I hope you’re not expecting me to speak thestral, miss. I find all the screaming and clicking murder on the larynx.”

She cocked her head to one side, fiery eyes glowing a deep reddy-orange before she shook her mane. Words flashed into my mind like a fog horns blast. “Far Sight demands you return his daughter.”

My eyes must have been like saucers; I’d never heard Shades speak like this! Had she been holding out on me all this time? Confusion reigned supreme in the poor old Fairlight mind as the thestral shook her mane once more, “You are to release Far Sight’s daughter immediately, or we will take her by force.” The hissing blast of noise roared through my head. Goddesses, how I wished these creatures came with a volume control...

Very carefully, I spoke to the eloquent female. “She is not going anywhere with you, ma’am. At least, not until I know who you are and what your intentions are. Would you hoof over one of your sisters to a stranger without first assuring her safety?”

The female blinked at me, her eyes flaring brightly as she stood there apparently deep in thought. Seconds passed, the atmosphere building almost palpably before she turned back to the male. More clicking, cries and screams culminated in the male abruptly lumbering along the shore and launching himself into the air followed by two of the females who trailed behind him out across the lake. I watched them in silence as the strange creatures slowly disappeared from sight, before checking on Shades. She was hissing menacingly at the departing male like some territorial house cat. No love lost there it seemed. Calm reasserted itself around me once more with the slight whisper of the water brushing the sandy shore and the breathing of the two thestrals as they eyed one other warily. I confess that I nearly jumped out of my skin when Shades suddenly rushed forward with a happy sounding shriek and embraced the other female. The two howled and cried out in, what I presume was joy, while rolling around in the sand. What a sight that was! Mind you, it did look like fun. But soon enough the energetic pony-like creatures, sand sloughing off their backs and wings, stood once again and nuzzled each other in a familiar scene of tenderness that warmed the darker part of my soul.

“You are Shadow’s… friend?” the female asked.

“Who?” Her question caught me off guard. “Oh, you mean Shades?”

The newcomer regarded me quizzically and clicked her teeth at me in a show of… irritation? “She is Shadow,” the thestral stated levelly.

I face hoofed. Gods, what a bloody idiot I was. I’d never even asked Shades, or rather ‘Shadow’ what her name was. I’d just sort of ‘told’ her who she was and she’d gone along with it. Buck me senseless, I knew I was hopeless with females, but when had I become this pathetic? I couldn’t imagine how Meadow had put up with me for so long. Shadow gave me a sympathetic sidelong glance and pushed into me before speaking with the other thestral in that nerve grating language of theirs.

“Shadow says you are bonded now, Celestian,” she explained. “This is wrong, she cannot take a mate without her father’s approval. Far Sight will not accept this.”

Bonded?! “Wait a minute!” I said loudly holding up a hoof. “Rewind that a moment, Miss Thestral. What do you mean ‘bonded’?”

The thestral mare’s brows drew down, clearly perplexed I was asking such an obvious question. “She is your mate,” came the reply.

There was that word again – ‘mate’. I looked across at Shadow who had a hopelessly expectant look on her face. “I’m a married stallion,” I said levelly. “I can’t just take a ‘mate’ as you put it.”

The odd creature gave me a look you might expect her to give a foal. Or dinner. Possibly both, it was hard to tell with these enigmatic beings. She walked towards me and sniffed my coat, the sensation was peculiar to say the least, the Thestrals nostrils flared as she worked. She’d make a wonderful dust remover, I pondered to myself. I think she must have been able to read minds too as she shot me a glare that could have killed me stone dead. Just as well I already was then….kind of.

“There is no other female’s scent upon you, Celestian.” Her words rattled through my head but the derision in them was loud and clear.

“I have a name, ‘madam’,” I said in my most neutral voice “I am Fairlight. May I have the pleasure of yours?”

The thestral female dipped her head and let out a jet of steam, “I am called Ember.”

“Thank you, Ember”, I said neutrally before sitting back on my haunches. “Please, let us sit together. I think we have a lot to talk about, the three of us.” I waved the other two towards me, Ember looking a little warily at me before glancing at her sister for approval before following my invitation. “Excellent!” I smiled, clopping my forehooves together. “Now that we’re sitting comfortably, ladies,” I gave them both my trademark smile, “perhaps the good Lady Ember could explain what is going on?”

Ember squawked and chattered at Shadow before resignedly starting her story. “Shadow, is my sister,” she explained. “Her father, Far Sight, wants her to come home. She is… ‘incomplete’. You are bonded now, and so she is your mate. Far Sight will be angry with you. He may wish to annul the rite.”

“You keep saying we’re bonded and she’s my mate,” I asked, genuinely baffled by it all. “I don’t understand, how can this be?”

Ember chattered with Shadow before replying, “Did she not share the Cetean egg with you?”

I squeezed my eyes shut as the memory of that vile rubbery thing that Shadow had made me share with her replayed through my mind. Celestia’s arse, so that’s what is was all about… Still, there may be some way I could extricate myself from this mess, but I’d have to tread carefully. I nodded to Ember solemnly, “I didn’t know what the egg was at the time, Ember. Or more specifically, what it represented.” Hopefully she would understand things from my point of view and override Shadow’s strange behaviour in as a prank, a mistake, or something that would annul this-

“Then you are bonded,” Ember said with finality, and nodded her head as if affirming her own words.

“What?! Now wait just a minute!” I shouted at her, “I’m already married, for Luna’s sake. This is a mistake!”

Ember tutted at me, asking, “Then where is she, Fairlight? I cannot smell her on you. Where is this ‘other mate’ of yours?”

I shook my mane. it hurt to think of it even now, but I had to make my position crystal clear. “She’s dead. Crossed over to the Eternal Herd,” I told her sadly. I gritted my teeth and stared down at the sand, trying to keep my emotions neutral and avoid making a scene. My heart skipped a beat in surprise when Ember’s hoof planted itself on mine.

“I understand you,” she said gently. “Now you must understand my words. She has gone. You remain. Shadow has joined herself to you as your mate. This cannot be undone except by the tribal elders.” I sat there dumbfounded, words impossible to find. “Shadow will stay with you,” Ember continued. “He will be angry, but what is done is done.” She stood, brushing the sand from her legs.

“Ember, please, wait a moment,” I pleaded.

She paused mid-groom and resettled her wings, waiting for me to continue. “Shadow cannot stay with me,” I reasoned. “I’m on a journey to return home, to Equestria - the mortal world. Shadow is a creature of this world. Please, Ember, there must be something you can do.”

Ember slammed a hoof down in front of her for emphasis. “And yet YOU are here in this world, pony of Equestria. Are you a mortal? The smell of a mortal is not upon you, nor the scent of another mate. My sister has made her choice and in time will become more like you as you will become more like her. It is the way of thestrals. It is the way of the Cetean. You and she are the beginning and the end of the cycle. Make your own fate, Celestian, together.”

What the blue blazes was that all about? And what the hell was a Celestian?! I scratched my head in frustration, trying make sense of the otherworldly creature’s twisted ‘logic’ just as a blast of wind hit me in the face. I looked up to see Ember taking to the air and heading off across the lake, doubtless to catch up with the rest of her family. Leaving me with… “Shadow?” She looked up at me, a bashful flush on her cheeks; quite a cute sight if you could look past the battery of lethal teeth. She reached up and licked my muzzle with her long blue tongue. Despite my current state of shock and denial, the gentle expression was not unwelcome. Not unwelcome at all. I sighed and closed my eyes in resignation. This wasn’t going to go away was it? Shadow nuzzled into me with a chirrup and began purring like some gigantic cat. In my mind, I imagined Meadow’s face. Forgive me love, I thought silently to her, This is some seriously weird crap I’m facing right now. And sorry about the swearing. I wondered what she’d really think about it all. I rolled over onto my side and closed my eyes. I’d think more about this later. Right now, it was all too much to take in and I felt utterly exhausted with it all. Shadow snuggled into me and lay her head upon my neck with a huff. I reached out and, without thinking, placed a protective foreleg across her as I drifted off into a fitful sleep.

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

The dry cleaners was open late that evening. Bingo, the quirky owner of the store, hoofed me my uniform which he’d had pressed and mended so that it looked as good as the day I’d first had it issued. He did a first class job here, and was the number one choice for watch ponies who wanted their uniforms given a new lease of life. Considering how hard it was to get replacements from stores, Bingo was a goddess-send. Better still, he was reasonably priced too, which was always a bonus.

“Oh, Mister Fairlight, sir?” Bingo asked me when I put my hoof on the door to leave, “Your raincoat and hat are here too.”

As if by magic a little foal appeared through the bead curtain behind the counter sporting a huge smile on her face. “Here you go!” she piped up at me.

My raincoat and hat? Oh, goddesses, so Meadow had already been here, had she? I took the parcel and mussed the foal’s mane with my hoof. She giggled and ran back through the curtain laughing. “She looks just like you, Bingo,” I smiled. “You’re one lucky buck.”

The stallion smiled and fidgeted with his oil black mane, “Thank you sir, my wife thinks so too. Please, don’t worry about the hat and coat, your wife has already paid for it.” Goddesses bless her! Bingo smiled broadly, “My wife says the repair your wife made to the coat is excellent, sir.”

Meadow repaired the coat? That gave me pause. A memory I’d rather forget surfaced briefly, but with a quick shake of the old Fairlight mane, I pushed it away. Works every time! I waved to Bingo and his daughter who was now stood up on his back, waving happily. Maybe one day… I wondered sadly to myself. Meanwhile, life would go on much the same as it always had done. Hopefully with a less furious wife to face when I got home. She was probably there now, so I’d better get my arse in gear before things got any worse than they already were. The door bell tinkled happily behind me as the door to the dry cleaners closed and I headed out into the grey of downtown Manehattan once more. I was just about to try and flag a cab home when my pocket began to vibrate with a low hum. Thank Luna there were no ponies around this morning to see that! ‘Discreet’, Easy had assured me. Yeah, right! I wished I’d tested the blasted thing first. The alleyway behind the dry cleaners was as handy a place to duck into as any and I nipped round the corner, pulling my collar up. The small device looked like a brass stone with three small crystals embedded in its surface. It was vibrating loudly, with an insistence that got my back up immediately. I pressed the thing to my ear and hissed into it whilst looking around me in case some pony was looking. “What?! For Luna’s sake, no pony is supposed to use this during daylight!” Just in case, for example, the owner was out in the high street collecting their dry-cleaning.

“Fairlight?” the chief’s voice crackled back over the device.

Oh bugger it all, it was the boss. “Go ahead, Chief.”

“Where are you now?” the voice came back.

“Near Bingo’s Chief,” I told him, one eye on the end of the alley.

There was a brief pause before Mitre’s voice returned, a hint of urgency about it that I picked up on immediately. “Stay there, for Celestia’s sake. I’m sending a carriage round for you now. Meadow’s safe, she’s with us.”

“Chief?” I asked in surprise. “What do you mean ‘Meadow’s with us’? What’s going on? Hello? Chief?” The damned thing was silent and shaking did nothing to bring it back to life. My mind had been left reeling from what Mitre had said, but something was going on here and whatever it was it sounded bad. I took some comfort in the fact that he’d told me Meadow was with him, so whatever else was going on, that was of secondary importance to me now. I leaned against the brickwork, my heart thundering like a steam train. Deep breaths, Fairlight, I thought to myself, deep cleansing breaths. A moment later I was face down in alley mud, spitting blood from where my teeth had broken through my lip with the impact.

Stars sparked on the edges of my vision, but almost immediately my training kicked in and I rolled, tucking my legs under me before springing up and away from the cream earth pony swinging the bat. His eyes narrowed as I took the classic fighting stance taught in the watch, keeping my still ringing senses alert for danger from the front and… Aw, hell… there was another one. Too far to be an immediate threat but they’d be on me any second, so I’d have to move fast.

The cream pony’s next attack was a low swing which his loud movements had telegraphed so clearly he may as well have written to me in advance. My hind legs propelled me up and over the ponies head to land behind him, bringing my hooves up for a skull cracking buck to his jaw as he turned his head to follow me. Something shiny flashed passed my eye, but in an instant I’d pulled up my attacker with my hooves around his neck. There was a dull thud and I felt him shudder, then, with a huff, he went as slack as a sack of potatoes. Blood and air sprayed out of his nose and mouth, spattering my face and foreleg. I didn’t have time to think about that now. Dropping the unmoving body, I charged at the other pony, magicking out the dagger from her comrade’s side at the same time. The young magenta mare’s eyes went wide as the dagger flew towards her. She was fast though, her youthful reflexes deflecting the blade with a metal shod foreleg. Another blade whirled into her mouth as I crashed into her. She may have been younger than me, but I was heavier and had the experience advantage. Grappling with her for the knife, the blade bit into my foreleg painfully. A quick knee to her stomach though drove the air from her lungs and the knife splashed into the mud. For a split second I thought I had her, but then she managed a well placed kick right into the most sensitive part of any stallion. I cried out in pain, loosening my grip just enough for her to jump away and draw yet another dagger. Pulling myself to my hooves, I looked around for something, anything, to use as a weapon. Luna must have been smiling on me right then too. Spotting the fallen dagger, I levitated it out and kept it close to my side. Magic wasn’t really my speciality unfortunately, but it would be effective enough for close in work. The mare, barely more than a filly, hesitated when she saw the purple glow of my magic.

“Put the knife down, kid,” I growled at her, hoping my intimidating posturing would make her realise her mistake in attacking me. She backed up a step, huffing around the knife’s hilt. Celestia, she was still going to do this wasn’t she? I was right too; the young mare’s leg muscles flexed, and with a loud nicker she charged right at me. She was fast. Very fast. I’d barely time to dodge her first attack when she unexpectedly fell, sliding several feet on her side along the slick muddy ground. “What the-?” I looked back to the alley’s entrance to see a large cloaked shape blocking out the light. Oh Luna buck me, look at the size of him!

Fate must have smiling on me for once. The shadowy figure transformed into Chief Mitre as he stepped into the alleyway. “Looks like I got her just in time, Captain,” he announced, looking at the fallen earth pony. I noticed the unloaded crossbow he held in his hooves and felt a shiver run down my spine.

Behind me I heard the faint sound of more approaching hoof steps. Goddesses, not another one! Staring into the shaded space I spotted the expectedly welcome sight of... “Bingo?” The orange dry-cleaning shop owner wore a black overcoat now, but his brightly coloured fur beneath it was unmistakable. So was the crossbow he drew from its depths. My legs tensed, but Mitre put a hoof on my shoulder stopping me. As I watched in horror, Bingo lowered his crossbow and squeezed the release lever. It all happened so slowly, and yet so quickly I barely had time to blink. All I could do was stare as the bolt slammed into the head of the cream earth pony lying at his hooves. The body twitched, legs kicking several times before going still. I thought I was going to throw up.

“Bingo, take care of the rest,” the chief said in a low voice. “Sanitise.”

The orange pony nodded and began dragging the corpses down the alley as Chief Mitre turned to watch the street. A few seconds later a carriage arrived, pulled by none other than the chief’s own driver. Mitre didn’t wait on ceremony, instead opening the door himself and we quickly climbed in.

“Fumbles, get us out of here. Don’t spare the horses,” Mitre said in a voice a lot calmer than I thought the situation deserved. Fumbles knew his job though, and the carriage shot forward all but flinging me across the cab. Mitre shoved me back into my seat. “Get a grip of yourself, Captain!” he snapped. “What in the name of the goddess is wrong with you? You going soft all of a sudden?”

“No, sir!” I said gathering my composure.

“Good. Listen, I know this must be confusing right now,” he began. “But you are in danger, Fairlight. You and Meadow.” He had my full attention now. My shock at what I had seen in the alley aside, Meadow needed me.

“Situation, Chief?” I asked.

Mitre gave an approving nod. This felt like one of our many briefings in the watch house now. And if I wanted to keep it together, I would just have to focus on that to get me through this. The Chief Officer of the Manehattan Watch, took a deep breath before explaining, “Firstly, Meadow is in a safe house under guard. She’s unharmed, don’t worry.” Thanks be to the goddesses for that. Mitre continued, “We had a tip off that your latest ‘investigation’ was never going to make it to court. You have too many friends willing to testify in your favour Fairlight, and the judge is also very well connected. Connected, I may add, with certain friends of ours.”

“Ours, sir?” I asked.

He waved a foreleg at me, dismissing my question, “The situation is fluid, Captain. We don’t know who our enemies are or who our friends are right now. I need you to be calm and rational while we sort this blasted mess out. For all our sakes.” Mitre rubbed his head with a forehoof, his eyes tightly closed. “Princess H Celestia, Fairlight. I’ve been doing this job too long. Ponies fighting other ponies? Drug dealing, weapons smuggling? What’s Equestria coming to? Sometimes… Sometimes I really miss Pop’s guidance.”

He stared off through the window lost in thought. The last few days events had been a roller-coaster from hell I’d wanted to get off, but no matter how hard I tried I remained trapped in it’s insidious clutches. Every time I thought it was going to stop, every time things had calmed down if even for a second, it had all been an illusion to hide the horror of reality lurking beneath the surface. Meadow, my only respite in the chaos was in danger. In danger because of her ties to me. I couldn’t let her down now. To protect her properly we’d have to move away from Manehattan, find somewhere safe where we could raise a foal together in peace and quiet. The memory of Bingo’s daughter laughing and waving to me brought a smile to my face despite my fears - she was so cute! If I had a daughter like that, I’d give her everything I had, spend all the time with her that I could find and raise her as a fine Equestrian lady. Meadow may have some input, sure, but I would be her dad and this was my fantasy, thank you very much. But of course, pleasant thoughts are always fleeting aren’t they? Now the image of the friendly father, the pleasant orange pony from the dry cleaners coolly killing a downed pony popped into my mind’s eye. I could still hear the gut wrenching sound of the bolt smashing through his skull. They were yet more unwanted memories I’d have to carry with me through the rest of my life, along with the hellish night at the wharf. I was going to need some serious counselling at some point. Either that, or a nice long holiday with my green mare. Hell, why not have both? A thought came to mind, intruding on my more pleasant ones… Bingo. Who the hell was he? He wasn’t a watch pony that I’d ever seen but the chief knew him. I’d have to ask or it would be bothering me until I did...

“Chief?”

“Hmmm?” The blue stallion stirred from his reflections and focussed those world weary eyes on me.

I took a breath. In for bit Fairlight, I thought, before asking, “Chief, Who is Bingo?”

Mitre just stared at me, like he was focussing on something on the carriage wall behind my skull. “Bingo. Bingo is… Ah! We’re here.” The carriage pulled to a halt and the communication hatch slid open. Fumbles’ purple eyes appeared for a moment then disappeared. “Fumbles, are we here?” Mitre asked. “Give me a hoof here will you, the bloody door’s stuck.” There was no reply. Mitre stared at me for the shortest of moments, the look conveying more meaning that I wanted right then.

Alarm bells were sounding in the back of my head as the chief pulled out a pair of short-swords and a multi-shot crossbow each from the luggage rack. Suddenly, a pair of cylinders dropped into the compartment through the hatch which snapped shut with a finality that made my heart skip a beat.

“Flash Bugs! Cover!” I shouted in warning as the little creatures did what came naturally. I covered my eyes against the flare, but it was still like staring directly into the sun. The blast which followed blew out my ear drums along with both of the carriage doors. Mitre however, charged out regardless, his crossbow releasing bolt after bolt at some pony or some thing I couldn’t see. My head felt like I’d been hit with a sledgehammer, but I still had enough wherewithal to cock the crossbow and shift my bones. Pulling myself out of the carriage door, I flicked off the safety and dived out, rolling.

Thank the goddess for basic training. A bolt clipped my ear and smashed through the open door’s glass pane, missing me completely. I brought up my own crossbow and shot a bolt into the chest of the pony in the tree line who was frantically reloading. These were no watch trained ponies, but they were a threat none the less. Without hesitation I ran for the cover of the trees, leaping over another dead pony, a bolt sticking out of his eye. No doubt Mitre’s work. Suddenly a hot burning pain bloomed from my side and I felt something tear as I reached the tree line. The cool of the shade and hard cover the trees offered were scant protection in truth, but they would provide me with that few precious moments I needed to catch my breath and take stock. I skidded to a halt, throwing myself behind a large oak tree. I’d been hit alright. A bolt was buried in my flank, right up to the flights. Quickly, I tried to pull the bloodied thing out with my teeth, but it was wedged in there good and proper. Buck it all! And where was the Chief? What the hell had had happened to Fumbles? Not knowing what had happened to my comrades, I had to assume I was on my own here. I reloaded the crossbow.

“Little pigs, little pigs, come out come out wherever you are.” A maniacal voice rang through the woods. I waited, putting down the crossbow and took a hard grip on the bolt in my flank with my magic.

“Don’t you want to come and play piggies?” the voice called, followed by another cackling laugh.

I groaned and huffed, putted all my strength into my horn. With a twist and sharp pull, the damned thing started to come loose. I was panting, but I had to get the bolt free or I’d be no use to any pony.

Abruptly the bushes parted with a crash and a tan male unicorn appeared, rearing up on his hind legs. “Here you are! Here you are!” The insane shouts of the pony attracted another who appeared beside him a moment later, his pupils so widely dilated they were like black holes in his face. “Time to play?” he shrieked, and began pulling a wickedly long knife from his belt.

The tan one wouldn’t be playing with anypony. With a shout of rage and pain the bolt came free from my flank. Gritting my teeth I span it round, looking him right in the eyes, “I think you forgot something, you piece of shit!” I rammed the bolt under his jaw, feeling the bone crack and split as it plunged up into his brain. Like a boned fish, he dropped stone dead at his colleagues hooves. The other pony stared at his fallen companion but to my astonishment… he actually laughed. What in Equestria was it with these guys? I reached for my crossbow as his blade cleared the scabbard. He was still giggling as the dark blue foreleg snapped his head back and the sword point burst from his throat. Mitre let the pony drop, pulling his weapon free of the downed creature.

“Enemy numbers?” he panted.

“Unknown,” I replied. “I took out one in front of the tree line. There’s the two here and another dead by the carriage.”

Mitre nodded, reloading his crossbow, “What are you like for bolts?”

“I’ve four bolts loaded, plus the six courtesy of our friend here.” I gestured down at the pony whose life I’d just ended. Mitre made a quick search of the bodies, uncovering two transparent parcels of a fine white powder. He cut one open with the point of his sword and tasted it with the tip of his tongue. “Damn,” he sighed, “Ryetalin. They’re jacked up on Fizz.”

“Sir?” I queried.

Mitre motioned me to follow him and quietly began moving through the undergrowth. “Been seeing a lot of cases the last few weeks alone. It’s brought in by those smugglers using the portals. Goes by the name ‘Fizz’ on the streets, but it comes in initially as packs with the name ‘Ryetalin’ on them. It’s not Equestrian, Captain, and its effects you’re seeing now first hoof.”

A pony crashed through the undergrowth a few yards in front of us and I put a bolt through his lungs before he had time to scream.

“Come on!” Mitre whispered and we made off uphill through the brush.

A while later we stopped to catch our breath. It was hard going through the undergrowth, and even hard trying to keep quiet while doing it. The chief and I leaned against a big ash, our hides steaming with sweat. “Did you see Fumbles?” he asked me, nostrils flaring with each intake of the cool air.

I shook my head. “No chief. No sign of him.”

He just nodded, “Got your TED still?” I rummaged in my pocket and took the small brass communications device out. Mitre pressed it to his ear, “Blaze… Blaze are you there?”

“Chief!” Blaze’s voice was strained. “The watch-house has been attacked, it’s those buckers with the fire bug weapons. We’ve got ponies down, but we’re holding on. Agency ponies are here now giving supporting.”

Mitre spat, muttering to himself, “Goddesses damn it all.” He held the comms device up, “Lieutenant, listen carefully. We’re up near the safehouse. Captain Fairlight and myself have been attacked. Looks like an inside job. We need backup, now.”

“Chief, is the captain’s wife safe?” Blaze asked. I detected a worried note to her voice.

“We’re on our way there now, Blaze.” Mitres took a breath and tightened his grip on his crossbow. “Just get your ponies out here, quickly!”

There was a muffled noise on the comms device and a different voice emerged - one I remembered all too well. “Chief Mitre? This is Agent Sweetie, Celestian Bureau of Investigation. Your command has been passed to me. You are to stand down Watch Chief. I repeat, stand down.”

Mitre’s eyes were full of fury and he snarled with a wolf-like quality I’d never heard. “Do what you damned well please Agent Sweetie, but we have to secure the safe house and the captain’s wife first. Understand?”

Agent Sweetie’s voice was its usual monotone self, “Captain Fairlight is to be placed under arrest, Chief Mitre. Agents will be with you shortly to take him into custody. We will remedy the situation with his… wife.”

“There’s no time, Sweetie,” the big stallion hissed in exasperation, “we need to move NOW!”

“Chief Mitre, in the name of Princess Celestia, I order you to stand down!”

“Agent Sweetie?” Mitres voice was soft and gentle.

“Yes?”

Mitre’s stared at the communicator. “Go buck yourself.”

An unintelligible blast of outrage was cut short by the sound of a scuffle, Blaze’s voice shouting back at us, “We’re heading out Chief. Units are diverting, so hang on there for the goddess’s sake. ETA thirty minutes!”

A high pitched scream cut through the forest. Oh, Luna! “Meadow!” I shouted, and grabbed my crossbow.

Mitre spoke quickly into the comms unit, the strain telling in his voice, “We don’t have time, Meadow’s in trouble. Blaze, get your ponies here. We have to move now!”

There was another scuffle and Blaze’s voice crackled. “Hang on Chief, helps coming. Just, hang on…” The device went dead.

Brush, brambles and branches ripped and snagged at my coat as I willed myself on. Celestia give me strength, I wasn’t a fast runner at the best of time, and today it felt like the very wind itself was fighting me. Foam sprayed from my muzzle, my muscles burning. Another scream, plaintive on the breeze, but nearer this time. I’m coming, Meadow, I prayed in my mind. Please Luna, Celestia, don’t let anything happen to her… The sunlight grew brighter as I drew closer to the edge of the forest, a small log cabin just visible through the undergrowth. I flung myself against a tree, panting, winded… but here. It was torture to not crash straight out into the open and up to the cabin, but if I had I’d make a lovely target for any pony watching. As it was, I was sure they’d have heard my head long charge through the undergrowth anyway. I checked the crossbow and reseated the bolts. My watch training kicked in again, all other thoughts now superfluous background noise to dealing with the task before me. Four shots. Close range only. Distance to the house, approximately fifty yards. Hostile units… Unknown. I parted the bush in front of me and watched for movement.

Mitre slid up beside me, crossbow at the ready. The big blue buck tapped his hoof to his eyes silently. ‘How many?’

I tapped my hoof and circled my knee. ‘Six.’

Silently, I continued to observe and sign the tactical information, ‘Two on the roof. One either side of the door. Two patrolling. At least one inside.’ I could tell straight away these weren’t watch ponies. What had happened to the assigned guards wouldn’t bear thinking about right now. Now, I had to focus.

Chief Mitre nodded and signed back to me. The message was clear - he would take position and we would move in. A loud crash of pottery breaking inside the cabin accompanied the sounds of a scuffle moments before a cry of pain and shouting that made the hairs on my back stand up. I couldn’t stop to let the thought of what they were doing to her intrude now. Now, it was time to go to work.

I was never the patient type, and waiting there whilst Mitre moved through the undergrowth and Meadow was only a few yards away at the mercy of the thugs in the cabin was beyond endurance. But haste, charging into a dangerous situation blindly, could kill not only us but the very one we were trying to save. So when the small flash of sunlight from the chief’s heliograph signalled he was in position, the relief was almost palpable. I flicked off the safety and took aim. Another signal and the two ponies on the roof fell, choking out their last breaths in this world. Racking the crossbows mechanism, I clicked another bolt into position. The patrolling pony turned at the sound of the one on the roof falling into the bushes behind the cabin. He lifted his crossbow and stopped in his tracks, a bolt through his chest. Damn it! The crossbow was at maximum effective range already and this guys hide must be tougher than most. I did the only thing I could; broke cover, my short sword held low, point forward. He turned just as I reached him, my sword’s point splitting his hide, sliding through muscle and sinew before finally piercing his heart. Sidestepping neatly I allowed gravity to pull his still warm corpse from my slick blade. A quick flick and the blood cleared the deadly steel. I moved as silently as a cloud across the sky now, keeping low and smooth. I could feel my muscles working beneath my skin as they tensed, ready to strike.

A whistle from the side of the house caught the attention of the sentry and I sprung forward, slitting the throat of the guard before he could react. I caught his crossbow before it hit the porch floor but the bolt slid and clattered onto the planking below. The other guard span to face the new threat, pausing in shock as he took in the sight of his comrade falling to the floor, blood fountaining from his throat and gore dripping from my sword. It was the last thing he would ever see. His legs twitched as the huge blue earth pony’s forelegs twisted his neck with a sharp snap, silencing him forever. Watching Mitre in action was certainly an education.

The two of us peered inside. The cabin’s interior was in total darkness, the curtains closed and the lamps extinguished. This wasn’t going to be easy, and whoever was in there was doing their damnedest to test us to the limit. I’d searched the ponies outside for flash bugs already, but unfortunately didn’t find even one. It looked like we were going to be doing this the old fashioned way whether we liked it or not. Mitre signed a tactical move and, reloading the crossbows,

we entered. Once in the darkened hallway, the chief used his heliograph as a mirror to see inside the first room before swinging in.

Nothing.

Mitre covered me as I moved to the next room. Squinting into the gloom I backed up suddenly as a fizzed up stallion, foam flying from his nostrils, charged at us from the darkness screaming like an enraged harpy. I put two bolts into him before he went down, but there would be no doubt in anyponies mind now that something was awry in the cabin. We’d have to move even quicker if we were to find Meadow alive.

The third room. Nothing. The fourth and last beckoned.

Covering the door once more the chief signed, ‘On three’. I nodded my understanding. We kicked the door open, crossbows sweeping the room. Damn it all… empty again! There were signs of a violent struggle everywhere: broken glass, plates, and smaller items that had been strewn liberally across the floor. I carefully moved over to the upended chair, and in the sliver of light from between the curtains I could see a dark wet patch glistening. I ran my hoof through it. It was blood… blood and green hair. I looked closer; it could have been from any green pony but, oh goddesses, no… I lifted a long pale green hair, long enough to be from a mane or tail and my heart froze.

“Fairlight?” The chief’s voice from behind me brought me back to my senses. He gestured towards the window where the blood and green hair smeared across the bottom of the frame told their own story.

Suddenly a stifled cry from the front of the house resounded through the cabin. As one, we ran back down the hallway, covering each other as we made the front door. Sunlight spilled in from outside where Meadow was lying on her side at the hooves of a violet coated pony sporting a short buzz-cut white mane and tail. He seemed familiar, but those eyes, those purple eyes I’d seen recently… they were full of what I can only describe as unbridled insanity.

“Fumbles,” the chief spat, raising his crossbow. “What the buck are you doing stallion?”

The violet unicorn grinned at us and sighed out an exaggerated breath. “What’s it look like chief? I’m here for my tip!” He laughed manically before violently kicking Meadow who let out a moan of pain.

“You bastard, I’ll bucking kill you!” I screamed at him in abject fury, my mind a haze of red anger.

“Ooo, look at you! Down boy!” the traitorous unicorn laughed as he unleashed a bolt that slammed into my hind leg, sending me to the ground. “Keep your dog on a leash, Mitre, eh?”

Mitre lowered his crossbow and raised a hoof. “Okay, Fumbles, steady now, you’ve got our attention. Let the mare go and we’ll talk.”

“That’s better!” Fumbles said in a jovial voice. “But not quite good enough…” Another bolt shot out and struck Mitre in the chest. He fell, the ground shaking as his bulk slammed into it.

“Look… Fumbles… You don’t have to do this,” the Chief managed, a look of pain crossing his face.

The violet unicorn looked up at the sky and scratched his chin in thought. “You know, I did wonder about that? But then I thought, nah, you’ve caused me a lot of trouble already, chief. My employers are not happy ponies. Not happy at all. Your meddling has caused delays in shipments, costing them, and me, some serious money. And we can’t have that now, can we?”

“Is that what this is about? Money?!” I shouted at him. Fumbles rolled his eyes and clucked his tongue in an exaggerated show of exasperation. A second late another bolt slammed into my flank, making me scream aloud as white hot agony flared through my body.

“For Celestia’s sake, Fumbles, you’re a Watchstallion. We’re your brothers,” Mitre reasoned. “Don’t do this!”

Fumbles shook his head slowly, “My employers are not patient ponies, chief. Oh! Wait a moment, here they are now. Perhaps you can try and reason with them yourself, eh?”

A sky carriage pulled by two cloaked unicorns landed gracefully near by. Meanwhile Fumbles kept his crossbow trained on us as two ponies, both covered with the same type of cloak as the carriage’s drivers, walked up to him. I couldn’t hear what they were saying but whatever it was it didn’t look good for any of us judging by the sidelong glances we were getting. I looked to Meadow - she was breathing, but unconscious. “Chief,” I whispered. “How are you holding up?”

He looked at me weakly, the bolt was deeply embedded and probably pressing on his heart. If he didn’t get help soon, it’d be too late.

“Fairlight…” he croaked, “…save... Meadow…” His face contorted in pain, “Listen… I don’t think I’m… going to make it, boy. Get her out of here, tell… tell Shelly I’m sorry. Can you… Can you do that for me?”

“Chief, for Luna’s sake, hold on,” I told him, trying to sound encouraging. “Blaze’s team’s on its way. Help’s coming!” He nodded, closing his eyes with a smile. He didn’t believe me, I could tell.

Fumbles was having a conversation with another occupant of the sky carriage, finally bowing low as the door closed. Then with a flurry of wings, the carriage took to the air and headed out over the trees once more.

The violet stallion walked over to Meadow, sneering at her before leaning down and running his tongue slowly up her neck whilst watching my reaction. “Such a pretty little thing isn’t she?” he oozed in that sickly voice of his. “I’ll bet you’ve ploughed this one plenty.”

I snarled at the damnable creature. “Leave her alone you bastard, you’ve done enough already.”

“Done enough?!” he cried aloud, waving his forelegs in the air in a theatrical display of mockery. “Oh no, Mister Watch Pony, I haven’t done nearly enough. You see, we need a… what’s the word… ah, yes - an ‘example’. Ponies are timid creatures by nature, the strong ones rising to the top to lead the rest. Good followers you see.” He waved an expansive gesture with a foreleg. “Fear can be used as a tool to keep the others in line, allowing our operation here to continue without… shall we say, ‘outside interference’?”

“You… traitorous dog”, Mitre hissed. “The watch will find you and-”

Fumbles clopped his hooves together and jigged about with a look of warped glee, “Oh, of course! Silly me, how could I forget! Must be my age, but then you’d know all about that wouldn’t you Mitre?” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, round, gold coloured device. My heart sank. “So trusting,” he said softly. Standing on his hind legs as if addressing an imaginary audience, Fumbles shouted out, his voice echoing across the forest clearing, “Oh ponies of the Watch, where fore art thou? Come hither to the rescue of these three, thy distressed brothers and sister.” He spoke to the device, mimicking the chief’s voice, “What’s that? You’re there and the place is empty? A bomb you say? Everypony blown to matchwood you say? Oh my goodness!” Fumbles shook his mane and fixed us with a look of absolute contempt. “Yes, I’m afraid, dearest Chief Mitre and supporting act…” he gestured towards me dismissively, “your flying squad will be slightly delayed. Rather than arriving here in, what was it now, ‘thirty minutes?’, there will be a slight change to the scheduled destination...” He stood on his hind legs again, forelegs raised up and head back, “The afterlife!” he screamed out hysterically.

“You first, you little shit.” Gathering the last vestiges of strength, Mitre gasped out loud as he emptied the entire magazine of the crossbow into Fumbles’ chest. The vile creature staggered back in shock, scrabbling at the shafts protruding from his chest. Blood was already beginning to trickle down from the wounds as he fell backwards - dead.

There was no jubilation. At the very same moment Fumbles’ body crumpled to ground I felt another impact, nearer this time, and one that made my heart skip a beat. I already knew what it meant. From the corner of my eye I saw the great blue stallion, the unstoppable mountain of the watch, lying still and silent. The chief’s eyes were glassy and lifeless. My old boss, my mentor and my friend, had left to join the eternal herd. Meadow and I would be next if I hesitated now, so as quickly as I could I magicked up my crossbow and looked up to see the cloaked ponies rushing me. I loosed a shot off at the first and he yelped as the bolt clipped his ear. I tried to cycle the next bolt but the cursed thing was jammed solid. Of all the times! I threw it as hard as I could at the biggest one of the two, but I may as well have been throwing pebbles at a dragon. It glanced off him harmlessly, but at least it gave me the chance to draw my sword as they closed the distance. The large pony stopped and produced a long black tube from the depths of his cloak. I’d seen these before - this was one of those things from the warehouse, and now here it was to finish the job its wielders had started. I was staring death in the face when my world exploded in an explosion of fire and pain. I fell, dropping into darkness as the world crumbled away into nothingn around me. From what sounded like they came from a distant world, I heard the fading voices of the two ponies:

“Celestia’s tits, Mel, looks like you damn near blew his head off! Is he still alive?”

“Still breathing, but not for long I reckon. Come on, we’ve got a job to do.”

“We’ve still got time to have some fun with this cute little filly first though, right?”

“Yeah. By the time we’re done with these two, nopony will ever buck with the boss again.”

Their laughter was the last thing I heard before the darkness swallowed me whole.

Chapter Six - Possessions

CHAPTER SIX

Possessions

I had to get out of here. This damnable place was starting to pull me back and forth like a foal’s yo-yo. Every single time I let myself nod off, even for a second, memories of the some of the worst times in my life replayed themselves with perfect clarity. It was like I was living them all over again, and in graphic detail. Gods above, I couldn’t take much more of this! My ‘saving grace’, the small crystal pendant, was shining brighter than ever before, but the hills it seemed to be pointing me towards looked just as far away as they had since day one. The best part of all of this was that they were on the other side of the lake and there was no way to cross in a straight line so far as I could see. Well, other than swimming of course, and there wasn’t a chance I was going to even contemplate doing that, especially not with those tentacle-y round blob things about. I shuddered at the intrusive memory of the slimy white tentacle creature’s touch, not to mention the feeling of them actually worming their way though my body absorbing my very essence. Right then, that was it! I was definitely going to find a way out of here! Unfortunately, exactly ‘how’ I was going to achieve my escape was the real issue I needed to resolve.

Shadow snorted at me, facing toward the hills in the distance. “Beyond.”

“I know love,” I replied solemnly, “but I’ve no idea how to get there. I don’t have wings like you.”

She bobbed her head and preened her wings before nuzzling my neck. She was an affectionate little creature, and I’d found myself quite taken with her. Not that there was anything actually ‘little’ about her of course, it just sounded... right, somehow. I might even go as far as to say ‘endearing’. That said I wasn’t into all this, ‘bonding’ and ‘mate’ thing though, especially as the conniving little thestral had bamboozled me into it in the first place. But as a companion, she fit the bill perfectly.

We followed the shore line for hours before a sudden thought occurred to me. I turned to Shadow, “Do you know a way to cross this lake?”

She cocked her head to one side, “Cross?” she asked.

“Yes,” I nodded. “A bridge, a boat, or something could take us to… um, ‘beyond’.” Starswirl must have found a way to cross and he was a unicorn like me, or at least I think he was. Wasn’t he? Bloody hell, falling asleep in classes had really helped, hadn’t it! Not that it really mattered anyway. Unfortunately for me, the difference in our magical capabilities would be like comparing a sneeze to a hurricane. Perhaps crossing a sea for a wizard was as simple as blowing your nose.

Shadow frowned at me in thought. “No. Fairlight… fly?”

“I can’t love, I’m not a thestral. No wings, see?” I pointed to my smooth flank. Wait a minute… “Oh my goddesses!” I cried out, “Where’s my…” I scrabbled frantically with my hooves, rolling over to check the other side. Bloody hell, it had been there that long that I’d stopped noticing it. I’d been here for so long too that… When had it… “It’s gone!” I ran in circles, huffing and snorting, losing myself in my distress. Suddenly Shadow slammed me to the ground and I ended up sprawled in a heap, gasping up at her, “I’m a... I’m a bloody ‘blank flank’! Shit, shit, SHIT! What’s this bucking place going to throw at me next? Are my frigging ears going to drop off or something? Luna buck me bucking sideways!”

I ranted for a good while before shadow finally grew bored of my foalish tantrums and simply walked away leaving me to it. Eventually with the initial shocker over with and my moping falling on deaf ears, I clambered to my hooves and headed out after her, keeping a good distance out of embarrassment. She wouldn’t understand in any case. I mean, how could I explain cutie marks and blank-flanks to a thestral? I’d been teased mercilessly at school, especially with being the last in our

class to get mine. When it appeared, I had been over the moon! A spyglass! I thought it was pretty cool but the other foals thought otherwise, joking that I’d only gotten that one because I’d been looking for a talent for so long my cutie marked special talent WAS looking for one. My head hurt just thinking about it. I wasn’t the brightest foal in the class for sure, but I was a hard worker, and eventually I’d risen to the rank of Captain in the Watch. Bloody foals. It always amazed me why adults always wanted to the create the little monsters. My reverie ended when I unceremoniously bumped head first into Shadow’s rump. She didn’t even flinch, so pre-occupied as she was staring out across the water. I followed her gaze but couldn’t see anything at all other than inky blackness.

“What it is, Shadow?” I asked her quietly.

“Father,” she replied flatly.

Sure enough, a few seconds later a rumbling cry echoed across the water and Far Sight, my new ‘father in law’ apparently, dived down from the sky swooping right over our heads and causing a spray of water to hit us in the down draft. He pulled up steeply, flaring his massive wings to arrest his descent and twisted round until he was hovering there facing us. His wings beat rhythmically while he landed vertically, all four legs bending slightly to absorb the impact. I must say, it was all very impressive. But then, that was probably the intention, wasn’t it? I glanced at Shadow, heartened that she was stood straight and proud, unabashed, her red eyes glowing with a fierce fiery glow. Quite alluring if you liked them thin and terrifying. Oh, and the teeth, don’t forget the teeth!

“Looks like dad’s back,” I observed drily.

Shadow’s sisters landed behind their father. Well behind him I noticed. His red eyes glowed like suns in the darkness of the Withers and he raised his head back like a snake ready to strike before snapping it forward, jaws wide. A screaming roar hit me with the force of a hurricane, but to my surprise and relief, Shadow’s wing snapped out and covered me from the worst of it. I’d have to thank her later. Her intervention however, did not impress her father, and he snapped at her with his sharp teeth. It was nowhere near to actually connecting of course, but enough of a display to impress on her the level of his anger. I blinked in surprise as his daughter snapped right back at him. Oh crap, Shadow, you’re not helping here! I thought to myself. I was going to have to do something to get us out of this situation before things spiralled out of control. I nudged Shadow behind me protectively and faced Far Sight, making sure to keep well out of range of those bloody great teeth. In response, Ember trotted forward to stand by her father’s side. She clicked and cawed at Shadow who replied in kind. Gods, how I wished these thestrals came with subtitles...

“My Father, Lord Far Sight of the Beyond, commands you to return his daughter, Fairlight, Pony of Equestria.” Ember’s voice reverberated around my skull. The heavy intonation was a lot different to the way she’d spoken to me when we’d first met, and gave the impression she was reciting it from heart. This was all beginning to sound terribly formal.

I cleared my throat. “No,” I replied calmly.

Ember spoke in that ear splitting language to her father once more before turning back to me. “My father demands that you return his daughter. The bonding is annulled.”

I turned to Shadow who looked intently into my eyes, “What do you want to do, love? This is your home, not mine. We’ve had a good time of it you and I. I won’t stop you if you want to go back with your family.” She looked at me for a long time, her eyebrows crinkling slightly. And there from the corner of her eye a tiny yellow droplet appeared, a flame that trickled down her cheek to drop onto the ground with quiet hiss. Oh, well done Fairlight, I silently thought to myself angrily. You’ve managed to make a girl from another species cry now. What a bloody hero…

“No.” Shadow’s response slammed into my head with the subtlety of a brick.

“Speak!” called Ember.

I lifted my head a made sure they could all here me. “She said, ‘No’.”

“What?!” Ember blurted. “She cannot refuse! Her father is the Lord of the Beyond!”

I stood tall and looked at Far Sight as I replied to Ember’s words, “Regardless of that, she has given you her reply. I don’t know about your world, madam, but in mine, ‘No’ means ‘No’.”

Shadow’s father pushed Ember aside and screamed a blast of hot air at me. My eyes burned from the fumes and I could feel the rage inside me screaming in kind, desperate for release. I knew without doubt that I could destroy this creature without breaking a sweat. I could freeze the flesh from his bones and rip him limb from bloodied limb. How dare he challenge me! HOW DARE HE! My anger swirled up and threatened to overwhelm my self control with its power as I felt myself fall into a fighting stance, my throat vibrating with a rising guttural sound. If he wanted a fight, I’d make him rue the day he was- My vision was suddenly filled with… Shadows rump?! Her midnight black tail swished back and forth angrily as she stood right in front of my muzzle, looking up at her father. Rearing on two legs she slammed her forelegs down into the sand. Goddesses, I could see the glare from her red eyes from here!

Shadow took a deep breath and screamed a wild animal cry that lifted the sand in a ripple which made even her father step back. “MINE!”

Far Sight roared back at her but there was something in his body language that had changed ever so subtly. Was that a quiver of uncertainty I saw? It could have been my imagination of course but-

“MINE!” Shadow screamed again, much louder this time and with such force my brain felt like it was about to pour out of my ears. She stomped a hoof, baring her teeth to emphasise her determination. Even from this angle, I could see her chest heaving with unbridled anger. Shadow was breathing hard, but she still stood her ground magnificently against impossible odds. If her father attacked us, neither she nor I would stand much of a chance against him, especially unarmed as we were. The mountain of equine muscle, testosterone and teeth was nearly twice the size of his daughters and sported teeth like swords. Time seemed to grind to a silent halt while Far Sight simply stood there, unmoving. Beside him, Ember and her other two sisters nickered nervously as Shadow quietly waited, steam curling up from her nostrils.

The seconds dragged on until Ember stepped forward, breaking the stalemate. She spoke at length with her father before walking over to us, her head held notably low, “Father says that he will hear from you, Equestrian.”

What? Luna’s wisdom, what was I going to say to this creature?! I knew nothing of their people, their customs, or even their language. All I could do was stand there like a dumb mute watching Shadow’s father loom over me as I approach him. I sure wished I’d taken that course on negotiations offered by the Watch now. Why the hell hadn’t I gone on it? Ah… Yes… I remember now. It was Peanut Brittle’s retirement do and I’d had too much to drink, so I’d called in sick. I hoped to the good goddesses I wasn’t going to regret this…

I bowed respectfully. “Lord Far Sight,” I began. “I am not native to your lands nor the Wither World, this is true. However, I am honoured to be travelling with your daughter on my journey and thankful for your concern for her safety. I am no warrior, but I pledge to you with all my heart and soul, that I will defend her with my life. I will not allow harm to befall her so long as I draw breath.”

Far Sight looked on. I noted that Ember had stopped translating for some reason too. Damn it, here goes…

“Great Lord Far Sight of the Beyond, you honour me with your presence and I offer you my greatest respects.” I bowed once more. “I humbly request that my mate and I be allowed to travel your lands to the Beyond so that we may complete our journey.”

The huge thestral opened his jaws and steam rolled out from between his battery of teeth. I should have guessed what was coming next too. A deep thunderous voice rumbled through my brain, making my whole body shiver and had my knees quaking. I breathed in deeply to calm my racing heart and held my ground at the mental onslaught.

“You flatter me, Equestrian,” he began. “You show me respect and have shown respect for my daughter’s wishes. However I tell you now, truly, I do not like... ‘ponies’.” Well that explained a lot! I suppose I should have been flattered myself that he hadn’t decided to use those teeth on my tender parts. Far Sight continued, “You and your kind do not belong here. Equestrians are weak creatures and unsuited to survival in such a land. Although, Ember tells me that you saved Shadow from a river demon. Does she speak truly?” I nodded in reply. Far Sight snorted, a small wisp of smoke curling up from his nostrils as he leaned towards me. “Against my wishes, Shadow has pledged herself to you. You have eaten together of the Cetean Egg, yes?” Again I nodded. “And what will you do when you reach the Beyond, Equestrian?” Far Sight’s question boomed at me.

“My gracious Lord Far Sight, It is my intent to return to the world of mortals,” I replied.

He considered me for a moment and shook his mane, looking intently at Shadow. Somehow he radiated the feeling of sadness, and loss. I think Shadow sensed it too, her head sagged slightly, the earlier pride ebbing away with her father’s words.

The huge male turned his attention back to me. “What of my daughter, Equestrian?” he asked. “Will you abandon her when you have attained your goal?”

I looked at Shadow, unsure of how to answer his question. Despite her bony appearance, which would send most ponies heading for the hills in terror, there was something about her, something intriguing that I couldn’t quite put my hoof on. She noticed me watching and gazed back at me with those fascinating burning red eyes. Shadow, like her father, radiated nobility. She possessed a strength inside her that I hadn’t really thought about until now, but there it was as clear as day - a proud spirit, unbroken and true. She reminded me of… I closed my eyes and took deep breath. “My Lord, your daughter is a proud thestral, of that I know. She has a strength of heart and courage that will weather any storm. If the goddess wills it, if it can be done, I would take her to the mortal world with me. Your daughter will make the choice herself when the times comes. She has her own will, and her own destiny. No pony, No thestral, can command the daughter of Far Sight. My mate commands her own life.”

Silence fell between us. Gods, you could have heard the proverbial pin drop! Maybe instead of helping matters I’d overstepped some invisible cultural boundary here and had actually made things worse; with these mysterious and enigmatic beings I simply had no idea. All I could do now was wait and see. Meanwhile, Far sight continued to stare at me in absolute silence which was I can attest was a damned sight worse than his shouting. Turning full circle, he snapped his wings out full stretch before rearing up on his hind legs. I held my breath, unsure as to what would happen next. What did happen was the last thing I expected - the thestral Lord began to laugh. His chest heaved as his booming laughter shook the sky, the sound making the very sand leap around us and send ripples out across the lake. He laughed until he was hoarse, his daughters and I standing there dumbfounded.

“It seems I have found a son at last!” he cried out, stomping his hooves in the sand. His daughter’s however, seemed somewhat less than impressed.

“My Lord honours me,” I bowed to the thestral.

“Yes! Yes, I do Equestrian. Fairlight… yes?” he rumbled happily. I nodded. Far Sight settled his wings and sat down on his haunches. “Now, Fairlight of Equestria, I will hear your tale. In full.” The thestral’s daughters and I formed a circle, reminiscent of camping in the hills around Ponyville. I had a feeling this was going to be a long night…

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

I yawned, stretching my hooves out with a weary sigh. The big male thestral had pulled every grain of memory he could from me, examined it, and then went back in for more. I wondered if he were a friendlier version of the memory eating river monster. At least with that I had been able to fight it off. Far Sight on the other hoof, was utterly merciless.

Nearby, Ember and her sisters were curled up next to each other sound asleep. Apparently my story telling was as riveting as ever! I’d need to brush up on that when I put Sparrow to bed at night in future. Meadow would be… I closed my eyes and clicked my tongue. Not now, damn it. I gave myself a mental shake and refocussed on Far Sight who was nodding sagely to himself, thinking his great thestral thoughts. A quick preen of those huge wings and a snort made my ears prick up.

“Fairlight of Equestria,” Far Sight began. “Whether my daughter has chosen well or not remains to be seen. However, your character pleases me. I am confident that you will protect her with your life, should there be need. It is the thestral way. And now, it is also your way.” He stretched out in the sand, adjusting his legs, “I am however, disturbed by this ‘power’ you used to defeat the river demon. How came you by such a destructive force?”

I answered as honestly as I could. “Truthfully, I have no idea. It just seemed to appear after I arrived in the Withers. Whatever it is, I can’t enter the Eternal Herd until I've rid myself of it.”

“And you still want to enter this… ‘Eternal Herd’?” Far Sight asked.

“I…” Did I? I wanted with all my heart to be with Meadow and my daughter, so why in Equestria was I trying to get back to the mortal world? To take revenge on the ponies who murdered me, my wife and unborn foal? And if I managed it, what then? Who could saying I wouldn’t still be carrying this taint and be forced to live out my days in Equestria only to end up back here again when I died ‘properly’? Shouldn’t I be trying to purge myself of this… this thing inside me instead? And what about Shadow? She was bonded to me now, and as much as I wanted it to be otherwise, I… I wasn’t sure about my feelings on the subject any more. If somepony had asked me earlier if I saw the thestral mare as nothing more than an otherworldly travelling companion, I would have answered yes, but now… I looked across at the black coated creature with the fiery eyes who was busy cleaning her coat with light nibbles from those wickedly sharp teeth. She noticed my gaze and looked up at me silently. Shadow had stayed awake throughout my recollection and drank in every word. The red hot glow of her eyes warmed my soul in this cold land. And my heart

“I don’t know,” was all I could manage. Pathetic, Fairlight… Bloody pathetic.

Far sight looked from me to his daughter and then back to me, nodding slowly. “You will know when the time comes. Do not be in such a rush to join them, my Equestrian friend. Your time will come, as it does to us all. In time.”

“Lord Far Sight?” I asked. He waved a hoof for me to continue. “Do you remember anything about a pony called Starswirl the Bearded?” I described his appearance and the thestral turned his head to stare out across the water, apparently in thought.

“Yes. I remember him.” Far Sight said quietly. “He was an Equestrian, like you. A traveller of worlds, and a pony of great magical power. He was a friend to my father.”

He knew him?! Goddesses, how old was this guy? “Do you know how he crossed the lake?” I asked. “Is there some way Shadow and I can cross it safely?”

Far Sight bit at his foreleg for a moment before answering me. “I do not know how he crossed the great lake, Equestrian. You though, will fly.”

Oh bollocks, not again! I had a horrible feeling this was coming. I hung my head in dismay; even the memory of vertigo made my stomach turn somersaults. But if this was the only way, or at least the quickest, it had to be done. We’d come too far to turn back now. Well, to Tartarus with it, let’s do this! I stood, shaking the sand from my coat, mane, and tail. “Very well, Lord Far Sight, I thank you for your wisdom.”

“And so you should, Equestrian,” he laughed as he too rose to his hooves. His daughters, woken by his movement, similarly stood up and shook off the sand.

I walked over to Shadow and she nuzzled me softly. Smiling at her I noticed some sand caught in one of the folds on her wing and blew it free. She gave a little shudder and a cute little chirrup escaped her lips. “Are you ready, love?” I asked, helping her to her hooves.

“Yes,” the dark coated mare said, pushing into me, “Love.” Oh, Celestia! My heart leaped into my throat just as I heard a deafening neigh from behind me and tentatively turned to find myself muzzle to muzzle with Far Sight. “Wha-!” I started back but he moved forward with me.

“You are my daughters mate, Fairlight. It is only to be expected. However…” The thestral stallion’s eyes flared a blinding crimson, “…there are young mares here. Please, keep your displays for when you are… alone.”

I felt my cheeks burning and covered my face with a foreleg. Peeking out I could see Shadow’s sisters giving us side long glances and giggling in that odd clicking, squawking way of their kind. Shadow looked away, a reddish hue on her cheeks. Damn, blast and buggeration! This was all I needed right now and even worse, I was starting to feel hot inside too - really hot. I had to keep my focus on something else, but what? Yes! That was it - flying! Oh… bollocks…..

For one gut wrenching moment I had the alarming thought that I’d have to ride on Far Sight’s back. That mountain of muscle was probably more than capable of carrying me without breaking a sweat, but instead, the job fell to his daughters. One of them returned later that day with a bundle of ropes. Or what looked like ropes anyway. Long, white, horribly slimy, and decidedly gooey, they were exactly the kind of thing I wanted as far away from me as equinely possible. Oh goddesses, it was one of those water dwelling things wasn’t it?! Is that why they’d flown off earlier? To get these? I closed my eyes when they passed the ‘ropes’ under me, trying to think of anything other than how they felt against my fur as each sister took a mouthful of the vile things. Amazingly, they never batted an eyelid. Firmly grasping the ends, they flew into the air in a beating mass of wings with their payload, me, suspended underneath like a hunting trophy. The feeling of the ropes against my coat and nethers was indescribable, not to mention the sliding, slipping sensation I had as we lifted off the ground. I closed my eyes and tried to think of something, anything, else to take my mind of it all. But whichever way you looked at it, this was going to be one long trip.

To my amazement and boundless relief, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the combination of the cool breeze from the thestrals wings along the rhythmic bobbing of my makeshift sling, was actually quite therapeutic. I even ventured so far as to open my eyes to look down, barely opening them to begin with I’ll admit, but soon I was able to take in the sheer expanse of the black lake below me. The peculiar half-light in the Withers gave an ethereal beauty to the scenery around us and I couldn’t help but marvel at the co-ordination of the sisters. Ahead of us off I could see Far Sight, slowly circling us. “Recon,” I thought aloud. A muffled chirrup caught my attention and I saw Shadow looking back at me, eyes aglow. I waggled my eyebrows at her cheekily, settled back, and looked around at the still water. We weren’t as high as I’d expected, and it was apparent the thestrals were struggling a little with their unusual payload. I silently thanked them and smiled, trying to let my body relax. Watching the water below, the ripples on the surface kept catching the light making them sparkle. I followed them out… Funny, they almost seemed to be following us. It must have a reaction to the downdraught from the thestrals wings of course, only… only these ripples were growing larger. Growing… and speeding up.

“Far Sight!” I shouted, “There’s something in the water! Shadow!”

Sensing danger, the thestrals strained to gain height with Far Sight diving down and banking around us. I stared down but the ripples had simply vanished. Oh, thank Luna! Looks like it was just my overactive imagination playing tricks on me, but it was better to be safe than sorry. I’m not sure the others would agree of course, but even so Far Sight continued to circle us regardless, constantly urging his daughters to climb. The strain was almost palpable. If only there was something I could do to help them: something, anything, no matter how insignificant. But I was helpless, hanging there suspended beneath these incredible creatures. I looked ahead to see that the light appeared to be... ‘different’ in some fashion I couldn’t quite fathom. I tried to make my eyes focus, straining to make it out, and then... there it was. There was no doubt about it, it was land! Sweet, sweet land! I felt a huge relief wash through me just as the water exploded upwards in a whirling fountain of water, spikes, and glistening teeth.

In the blink of an eye, one of the thestrals was gone, vanishing inside a maelstrom of bone crunching, muscle rending death. Warm sticky blood sprayed over me, mixing with the chill of the black water. The beast slammed back into the lake below, the strangled cry of fear and pain echoing in my ears heralding the sudden and horrifying end of one of Shadow’s sisters. Screeching and clicking, they flew for all they were worth. Despite my shock I hung on with my hooves and forelegs as best I could, though it was clear we couldn’t last much longer with only the three of them carrying my weight. I glanced down to see the water getting nearer with every exhausted wing beat. I knew then, with horrible certainty, I was dragging them down to their deaths.

Far Sight cried out for the loss of his daughter, his unbridled rage, hate and loss howling out across the unforgiving water. But the suffering of a father meant nothing to the denizen of the lake. The monstrous creature broached the surface again, flicking the dismembered remains of its victim high into the air before what was left of her disappeared down its foul maw. As the beast slipped back beneath the waves, I caught a glimpse of a translucent white eye, heartless, uncaring, and… hungry. It would be back, and soon. But now I was starting to lose my grip.

Shadow looked down at me. “Near Beyond.”

The look on her face was one I will never forget. Fear, anger and determination all warred with one another on those dark features. And one more - fatigue. I looked at her two sisters and felt my heart sink. They were all reaching the end of their endurance. I offered a prayer to Luna and hung on for dear life. I prayed we’d have enough time, that we’d be able to make it to the shore line at least, but Fate had already made her decision. The monstrous lake creature burst up again, arrowing straight for one of the thestrals - Ember. She hadn’t seen it. I heaved on the ropes connecting me to her, causing the mare to lurch to one side with a squawk of surprise as the white serpent howled past. Far Sight almost barrelled into us, raking the thing with a burst of fire from his mouth. My mouth by comparison, hung open in surprise. I’d seen steam rising from their nostrils and even their mouths, but fire? Aw hell, why not. Shadow had used lightning, so why should this be so unusual? Nothing surprised me here now.

We were dangerously low to the water now and the thestrals were all but spent. It wasn’t far to the shore but at our rate of decent, there wasn’t a hope in hell we were going to make it. Far Sight must have realised it too. He pulled along side, encouraging his daughters and made a grab for the dangling rope. I saw the danger before they did, the white haze below the waters surface was rapidly approaching from behind, waves beginning to spread out, closing the distance. With horrible certainty I knew that any moment now, one of us would be taken. I recalled a pony saying once, ‘Your words will come back to haunt you.’ I remembered mine clearly, ‘I pledge to you with all my heart and soul, that I will defend her with my life. I will not allow harm to befall her so long as I draw breath.’

I smiled up at Shadow, her tired eyes going wide in realisation. “Forgive me love,” I mouthed, and let go of the rope.

The water was as frigid as it could be without being actual ice and it took my breath away. The impact with the surface was bone shaking to say the least, but thankfully, as I hadn’t fallen that far I was only under for a few seconds before broaching the surface spluttering and coughing. Unfortunately the first thing I saw when I could finally pull myself together, were the serpent’s dead eyes several feet away above the water line. Those terrible lifeless orbs had locked onto their next meal – Me. I spat out a gout of water, desperately clawing for the small ball of anger within me, but in my panic for breath in the freezing lake I couldn’t find any focus. I wasn’t the best swimmer in Equestria to begin with, but try doing it in near freezing water at the point of drowning and it’s amazing how fast you can improve. For all the effort I was putting in however, by the looks of things I was only going to die tired when the beast reached me. A moment later it dived, then almost instantly shot upwards once more and angled itself just so - right on target for a tasty meal of Fairlight. Well, I’d stared death in the face before, and this time was no different - it just had more teeth.

“You don’t scare me you great toothy turd!” I shouted, waving my forelegs at it. “I hope you bloody well choke!”

The serpent hissed out a damp shrieking noise as it dove down on me. So, this was how it all ended was it? Death number two coming up. For Luna’s sake, give me a break… Part of me thought about closing my eyes, but why should I? I don’t think it would make much difference and hiding right now wasn’t really a viable option any more. Paddling, or rather ‘flailing’, in the freezing water I’d reckoned without the fire making abilities of Far Sight. My vision was abruptly filled with light as a jet of his concentrated flames hit the serpent right in its open maw. There followed the most horrific sound of crackling flesh and the smell of burnt rubber as the thing writhed, plunging beneath the surface once more. I blinked the water away from my eyes and looked up to see two of the thestral sisters gaining height. Good, at least they’d be safe. But wait… why only two? Where was-? To my horror I caught sight of a third sweeping downwards until she was hovering just above me, a rope held in her mouth.

“Fairlight!” Shadow thought at me.

What was the stupid mare doing?! “For the goddess’s sake Shadow, get out of here!” I yelled at her. “Get your sisters and fly! Leave me and go!”

“NO!” The thought hammered into my head with all the subtlety of a flying brick.

In frustration I gripped the rope and Shadow pulled for all she was worth. But even as I kicked with all my might towards the far shore, it was immediately apparent that this wasn’t going to work. But… I closed my eyes and concentrated; this slight pause in the nightmare may buy me some time to find that ball of power within me. I could still sense it there, just out of reach - a slippery bar of soap in the bathtub of my being. Ember’s warning cry caught my attention as Shadow heaved again on the rope. In helpless horror I watched as snapping teeth and spiked fins burst from the water beside me, ripping a thick chunk of flesh from her side. Shadow’s blood fell on my upturned face like warm rain. With a heart rending scream, the stricken thestral fell from the sky and down into the inky waters of the lake. I struck out for the floundering mare, grabbing her around the neck to keep her afloat. She was terrified, blood gushing from her wound and mixing with the water around us.

Shadow coughed, wincing in pain and shock as she looked into my eyes with a far away look, “F… Fairlight?”

There was no mistaking the weakness in her voice. I was losing her. Goddesses, it was happening again. Again! I felt a dark pit open in my heart and I stared into it, jumped into it, willing myself into its depths. A voice, my own but not one I knew, echoed through my entire being. By

all that is good in this world, to all that is evil, the powers of the day and the night, the light and the dark, give me the strength to throw down my enemy and save this mare. I prayed to whatever gods would listen. To anything that would heed my call. I offered them my life, my very soul.

They answered…

The small hard ball of ice cold anger had never left; I’d just misplaced it. It welcomed me, filled me, burned my veins and froze my soul. A cascade of power flooded through my body from muzzle to tail. The pain was extraordinary, and I howled in a bliss of agony and ecstasy as wings as white as snow burst from my back, my coat turning from its normal dark grey to the same brilliant white as my newly grown wings. My mind was a tempest of emotions and animal instinct now that drowned out all else, leaving the drab watchstallion as little more than a faint memory. And perhaps, not even that. Several feet away, its attention drawn away from its more accessible meals, the creature leapt up at Far Sight only to be met with another blast of scorching fire. I took the distraction to grab Shadow and, with a strong beat of wings, began to pull her free from the sucking black liquid. But it wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough. I breathed deeply, drawing in the smells and sounds of battle, mixing them with the burning ice in my heart. It demanded its release and I obeyed, letting it have the full rein it so desperately craved. Blue-white fog plumed from my maw, passing over dagger-like teeth and down onto the water’s surface, freezing it instantly. The ice spread out at an incredible rate, hungrily devouring the black water as it broiled along in every direction. My hooves dug into the ice and I hauled Shadow out of the lake, gently lowering the panting thestral onto its ethereal solidity. I let out a cry of anger and magic combined, the fog coalescing into a wall surrounding Shadow’s body, protecting her. I watched as it froze solid, the blue-white shimmering cocoon sparkling like a billion silver stars. It pleased me. But now… Now I was hungry, and my hunger demanded to be sated. I turned my eyes towards my meal and smiled, howling a warning out across the water. It was time for vengeance.

It was time… to feed.

The serpent saw me screaming towards it and instinctively dove to avoid my attack. My horn glowed with a deep blue light and an incandescent beam of purest energy lanced down into the water, instantly boiling wherever it passed. Clouds of scalding vapour rose into the air and I banked steeply to make another pass as the thing thrashed to the surface, letting out a hideously loud cry. With a flap of my wings I passed over the serpent again and again, the intense beam bringing the ink black lake to a bubbling heat which the creature desperately tried to escape from. I laughed aloud at its hopeless struggles to get away, my horn blasting the water into scalding death, corralling it into the oncoming white fog. The collision was delectable. I felt as much as saw the serpent trying to pull itself onto the ice to escape the boiling water, then realising too late… it was trapped. The fog surrounded the creature, slowing it movements, turning its innards to solid ice.

Satisfied, I alighted upon the frozen mass, slowly advancing on the vile thing with my head held high and my wings spread wide - a display of power and dominance over my fallen foe. I had mastered it and it understood. I could see it in those pitiless eyes - the realisation that its end had come. Staring at the ruin before me a fierce need for sustenance welled up from deep inside, and I growled low and hungrily at the serpent. Its eyes followed me as I circled it, thick white mist dripping from between my teeth. I inhaled. A warm sensation filled me - sweet and fulfilling. I closed my eyes and breathed in again. It was warmer this time, full of energy, and full of life. It was… delicious. A taste I had never known before, but so… so wonderful! How had I never experienced this before?! I breathed in again and again until I was finally sated. Shaking my mane as the ecstasy subsided, I opened my eyes and stared at the now lifeless husk of the lake serpent before me. Its lifeless eyes now dead, in the truest sense of the word.

A distant part of me was horrified at the sight, at what I had done to another living creature. The other revelled in the destruction of what I had wrought. This damnable beast had wounded my mate, and killed one of her sisters. It had dared to attacked me. Me! It deserved death, and I was happy to oblige. I paused, a memory of a glowing pair of red eyes… “My… mate…”

An impact on the ice behind me signalled Far Sight’s arrival. “Equestrian?” He stared at me in a combination of horror and fascination, but quickly shook such insignificant thoughts aside. “Where is my daughter?!”

“Follow!” I cried, launching into the air. Skimming over the ice until I reached the wall I’d created to protect her took mere moments. Ember and her sister were already there with Shadow, clicking and whinnying in agitation at her desperate condition. I gently reached out and gathered her up in my forelegs, and with a blast of air from my wings, propelled us toward the shore of the Beyond.

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

Shadow’s wounds were severe. Broken bone and torn sinew, muscle… so much blood. Her sisters stood over her, their tears dripping burning red droplets onto her injuries. I had been surprised at first, and alarmed too, but Far Sight had stopped me from interfering.

“You are not familiar with our ways, Equestrian,” he explained in his heavy tones. “My daughters tears can heal wounds, as well as revive the sick and the weak. You must wait. Be strong and believe in her.”

It was easier said than done. I was confused, angry and afraid. I didn’t want to lose Shadow. I couldn’t. Not now… My world had been ripped apart and flung back together, but in what shape and form I neither understood nor particularly cared. An alien power resided inside me now, one that could take my mind and body as its own, turning me into… something else. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. What was I? What had I become? Was I really any different to the monster in the lake? They needed to eat, as did all living creatures. What gave me the right to stand in judgement over what was right and wrong? And the feeling that came with it! So much power. So much strength and magic that I felt utterly enraptured, like a colt finding love for the very first time. Only more intense. So much more! I looked back over my body at the grey fur and the distinct lack of wings. Had I really done all that? I ran my tongue over my teeth; nope, still the same as always. It was like a dream, one where I had been a dragon, or an alicorn, or some alien mix of only gods knew what. Whatever it was I was grateful for it for saving Shadow, even if it did scare the life out of me. I could still taste the lake monster’s… what? Soul? No. No, I couldn’t have done that. Could I? I let out a sigh and covered my face with my forelegs. I couldn’t wait for the nightmares this was going to bring me… I could hear hooves crunching across the sand and opened my eyes. It was Ember. She trotted over to her father and spoke to him quietly. There was a sad resignation in that odd whistling and clicking language that made my heart skip a beat.

The large male gave her a brief nuzzle then walked slowly over to me, his head down. “Equestrian. Fairlight... My daughter says that she and her sister have done all they can. There is a poison in Shadow’s body, something in the serpents bite which is preventing her wounds from healing. My son, your mate, Shadow, is near death.” He nudged me with his nose towards the prone figure. “Be with her now, Fairlight, she will want you by her side when her end comes.”

In a shocked daze, I rose to my hooves. I walked slowly over to my precious companion, my only true friend in this empty cursed land. She was the one who had risked everything to rescue me from my own stupid attempt at heroics, and now, she was dying. The little thestral who had bonded herself to a stallion from another world, was losing her fight for life. I should have done more to protect her. I should have been so much more than the useless unicorn I had become. Perhaps if I had, I may have been able to do more than merely watch helplessly as the light faded from her eyes. I knelt before her and cradled her head in my forelegs as I had done once before with another beloved mare I had lost. It felt like it was so long ago now, yet here I was again, losing a mare that I… that I…

“Fairlight?” She opened her eyes and nuzzled me weakly.

“Shadow,” I began. “I…” I didn’t what to say. Gods help me, I just didn’t know...

“Love?”

“I’m here,” I whispered.

I squeezed my eyes shut and kissed her on the muzzle. Oh goddesses, why? Why was this happening again? Hopelessness, pain, and untold grief surged up through my soul and I cried out, howling and screaming my fury into that endless damned sky, that unending panorama of hopelessness that trapped me – us - in this living hell. I held her, feeling my tears begin to fall like rain onto the dry sand. I heard a little gasp from one of the thestrals nearby but I paid it no heed. I rocked my Shadow, my precious friend, as snow silently fell around us, covering her in a soft white shroud for her passing. I choked back the pain but the tears kept falling, transforming into tiny crystals as they dropped onto Shadow’s mouth and vanished into nothing. With each one she twitched slightly, a tiny movement but one which gave me pause. I looked back at her terrible wound and saw little wisps of steam rising from it, saw the bone fusing back together, re-growing, muscle knitting to muscle. Slowly, ever so slowly, something was happening. Something... miraculous. My goddesses, I wonder… I groped inside for the feeling of power, that well of primal fulfilment I had experienced earlier. It was there, waiting for me. Carefully, I teased some of it free and channelled it though me. It was a strange feeling, and one that came with an unexpected tinge of reluctance. This had been my prize, my reward for defeating my enemy, and now I would give it away? What foolishness was this?! Forcefully I pushed the thought away, drawing on the power, allowing a tiny trickle of sparkling silver magic to drip from my maw to hers. At first… nothing. But then… movement. Shadow’s tongue slowly slipped out over her teeth and licked at the silvery liquid. Briefly, her eyes flickered. It wasn’t enough. She needed more.

Lifting her head I placed my mouth over hers and let down the walls, giving of myself fully and filling her with the silvery light. Slowly, her eyes opened and I felt her tongue push into my mouth, brushing against mine, exploring, tasting, hungering. The steam rising from her wounds increased ten-fold and I saw from the corner of my eye the last of her hide stitching itself seamlessly back together. Shadow’s chest rose and fell as her breathing steadied, her strength quickly returning. I relaxed my grip, but as I did her forelegs grabbed me in a bony embrace and she pushed her mouth onto mine, letting out a light rumbling noise from her throat. The sensation was alarmingly intense, and deliciously exotic. Heat and a sweet spicy taste flooded into my mouth, her moist tongue wrapping itself around mine. I could feel Shadow’s heart pounding in her chest as she pushed into me. Suddenly, a loud shrieking and clicking behind us made us jump apart. Shadow looked away abashed, hiding her face with her hooves. Nearby, Ember and her sister pranced around each other, looking on like school foals who’d stumbled across something they shouldn’t have. Far Sight however, was not impressed.

“I have asked you before, Equestrian, to keep your hooves off my daughter when my family can see you!” He shouted at me so loudly I had to cover my ears with my hooves. Unfortunately, since thestrals had a direct line into your brain it didn’t help in the slightest. “Perhaps there is something wrong with your hearing?” he bellowed even louder. Gods, there was now!

“No, sir,” I managed as nothing more than a squeak.

Far Sight leaned towards me, his nostril flaring like gigantic air intakes. “WHAT? SPEAK CLEARLY!” I didn’t think it possible for his voice to get any louder, but goddesses, was I wrong.

“NO, SIR!” I flung back at him as loudly as I could.

I nearly yelped in surprise when the huge creature lumbered forward and scooped me up into a hug with those long bony forelegs of his. A moment later I was released and he placed a hoof on my shoulder. “Thank you,” he whispered.

I was taken aback, unsure as to what to say. Plopping back on my haunches I stared into space while Far Sight headed back to his daughters. Whatever had happened here today, it didn’t matter - Shadow was alive and safe. My heart was still racing when a pair of slender, if rather knobbly forelegs passed around my neck as a warm muzzle slid up to mine from behind. A sultry red eye, an inch from my own, peered into my soul while her voice entered my heart.

“Mine.”

And who was I to argue?

We camped together for several days near the foothills of what the thestrals had called the ‘Beyond’. At least now I knew where they’d disappeared to shortly after I’d first met them. The encampment looked like they’d set it up as a staging area for their search to find Shadow. Packs, bags, and a surprising array of weaponry, sat around with bedding rolls and packaged food. If not for the strange landscape and alien appearance of the thestrals, this could have been any camp fire in Equestria. Well, if you discounted the battle axes and swords of course. To my shame my earlier assumption that they were a ‘primitive’ race was a sore reminder of just how ignorant and arrogant the uninformed could be. Now, thank the goddesses, my eyes had been opened. Equestria wasn’t quite what you might call a homogeneous society, but it was bordering on it. After all, there were numerous races living amongst us, it was just that we didn’t mix very often. I suppose there’d always been that sense of ‘them and us’, even if we never openly talked about it. For example, griffins ate meat, and ponies didn’t. Sure, they had their own vendors and even restaurants in the major towns and cities, but they were… different. Most races kept to their own kind, and as much as some of them were ‘hybrid’ races such as hippogriffs and such like, there was still that invisible barrier which most liked kept right were it was. Personally, I wasn’t that bothered. Criminals came in all shapes, colours, genders and species. If they broke the law, they were dealt with, and that was that. Whether they had fur or feathers was immaterial. Thestrals on the other hoof struck me as different on a whole new level. I think it was partly because, at a distance, they actually looked like ponies. Taller, thinner, and with wings of course, but they were quite clearly equine. Up close though, with all those teeth, the burning fires for eyes and the bones and… Well, you get the idea.

Far Sight had explained to me that the area Shadow and I were seeking was still some ways to the north. How he knew which way was north was a complete mystery to me; this place looked the same whichever direction I turned. There was no sun, no moon, and no way to gauge the passage of time even. The big fellow had tried to explain it to me, but most of what he’d said was wrapped up in some sort of inscrutable logic that I suspected only another thestral could have a hope of comprehending. And so I merely smiled and thanked him for his explanation, feeling that little bit dumber than I felt comfortable with. That evening, my clicking and shrieking pony-esq hosts gathered in a circle, inviting me to join them. The mood felt sombre, and carried all the weight of a family in mourning that until then had felt oddly absent. Perhaps it’s true when they say that there is a time for everything under the heavens.

Ember trotted over to me and nudged my rump with her nose, “Come, Fairlight of Equestria, we are ready now.” Without further explanation she walked back to the others and resumed her place.

Shadow nudged me into a roughly equidistant position to the others before taking her own place and settled down on her haunches. I followed her example and waited, but for what, I had no idea. Whatever it was though, it appeared that for better or worse I had been accepted by these enigmatic creatures as one of their number, and in return I was determined to show my respect for them, and try my best to play my part in whatever was to come.

“Fairlight. My son.”

I looked into Far Sight’s eyes and listened to his words in silence.

“This day we mourn my lost daughter, Wind Sheer. You did not know her as we know her. Wind Sheer was a child of my tribe and a friend to you, as she was a sister to your mate.” I listened carefully as he continued, “This day, you are of our family. This day you are a thestral of the Beyond: proud and true, strong and fearless. This day I ask you to join us as we mourn the passing of our daughter and see her soul to the next world by remembering her life in this. Will you join with us, brother?”

“I will,” I said, keeping eye contact with him. He nodded as silence fell upon the five of us.

The great thestral closed his eyes and a low humming began to emanate from his throat, rising like a deep tide, powerful and strong. It rolled out across the foothills that seemed to echo its call. Next, Ember lifted her head and let out a long call of her own, one tinged with sorrow and mournful in its sonorous tone. Short Stride, the smaller of the thestral sisters, added a thrumming cry to the other two. The sound pulsed high and low, conjuring up a sense of life, death, and the cycle of all living creatures that exist beneath the gaze of the goddess. Finally, Shadow herself raised her voice to join those of her family. High and pure, flowing with joy and happiness, her simple elegant note mingled with the others producing a chorus like no other. I marvelled at the richness of the sound. There was nothing like this in the whole of Equestria. I felt like I was being lifted up; higher than the tallest mountain, rising up to the heavens beyond the clouds. Tears filled my eyes and I wept with heartfelt sadness for our lost sister. With these thestrals, with my family, I mourned the passing of my father’s daughter. And yet… And yet I laughed at the exuberance of her youth, marvelling in her enjoyment of life. Memories not my own flashed through my mind: Far Sight playing with Wind Sheer as a tiny foal, an older thestral mare carrying her on her back as she taught her to fly, Shadow rolling with her in the white grass of her home land, dancing and frolicking between tall trees of rainbow crystal. The scenes brought sights, sounds, and smells I never believed possible. Impossible emotions crashed through me and I felt a surge of warmth spreading from my muzzle to my tail. Today I was the son of the Lord of the Beyond, and the mate to his daughter. This day, I was a thestral of the Wither World. I would honour Shadow’s family and remember her sister. I threw back my head and cried out the lament of my soul into the whirling song of the thestrals.

Around us, soft white snow began to fall…

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

Far Sight yawned expansively, giving a long purring rumble of pleasure as Ember rubbed his shoulders. “You should have Shadow do this for you Fairlight,” he groaned happily. “it loosens the muscles and feels simply excellent!”

I smiled at Far Sight, glancing over my shoulder at Shadow who was talking with Short Stride. “I can but ask her, My Lord,” I lamented.

The thestral stallion laughed out loud, making Ember click her tongue in annoyance as she readjusted her fore hooves on his joints. It was very difficult to tell thestrals apart for the most part, or more accurately I should say, ‘had been’. At first they’d all looked the same to me; all bone, leathery wings, teeth and… well, ‘bones’ I suppose. The pointy ears and fiery red eyes varied a lot as did the size, teeth, and so forth. But soon the little differences began to add up, and before I knew it I was able to tell them apart at a glance. Far Sight for example was huge, with massive teeth, long pointy ears like a dragon’s horns and looked like he could tear a pony apart in seconds. His hide, almost black with battle scars here and there marked out as thin darker lines. By comparison, Short Stride was smallest of the thestrals, with a sleek blue-black coat and short pointed ears. Her eyes were quite large compared with the others, her teeth short all neatly aligned. Ember was slightly larger than Short Stride, and the eldest of the sisters which surprised me. At first I’d thought Shadow was the eldest, but apparently not. Ember shared the same blue-black coat as Short Stride, with neatly pointed ears. Her deep reddy-orange eyes had a distinct yellow tinge to them that made them look like the coals of a hot fire on a winter’s evening. Her teeth were a little longer than Short Stride’s, with a long pair of incisors protruding noticeably over her bottom lip. Finally of course, was Shadow. Height wise she was roughly somewhere in the middle between her sisters, but with an inky black coat like her father’s. One of her most striking features, to my mind anyway, was the slight sheen to her fur that made her body look almost silken as it caught the light. Her ears were pointed like the others of course - not curved, but straight back in line with her head. Her teeth were short and sharp like Short Strides, though with the addition of several longer ones on either side at the back which were visible mostly when she yawned. Her mane and tail were the colour of midnight - a blue so dark it bordered on black. Her eyes shone bright red and lively, vibrant with life, and reminded me of the campfires we’d had in the mountains when I went hiking as a colt. They truly were a most remarkable race. And oh, how I would have loved to have seen the reaction in the watch-house if Far Sight walked in one day! Ah, the watch-house. So many memories there. One day, soon, I would return. What reception I would receive however was a concern for another time. Here and now my concerns felt like nothing more than a distant memory.

All the thestrals turned as one, looking to the hills with an expectant air about them. My senses straining in the gloomy light, I picked out movement coming our way. It was another thestral. This one was a dark purple colour, slender and with short horns - a female. She landed by Far Sight and bowed low, clicking a message to him in thestral before she turned and flew off back the way she came. Far Sight approached me with a concerned look on his face. “Can you fly?” he asked simply. I looked back at my bare and decidedly wingless flanks. It was still a difficult concept to grasp, despite having found the ability to ‘change’ a lot less traumatic that it had been at first. But in all honesty it had just kind of… ‘happened’. Exercising any actual control over it was whole different ball game, and I was definitely on the opposing team. What I did know was that my power, or whatever the hell it actually was, responded predominantly to strong emotions: need, anger, pain, fear, and so forth. I’d also discovered I could sort of ‘trick’ it into releasing to the point where, like now, I could let the energy flow through me in a trickle rather than an all encompassing torrent. More or less, anyway. It was not an altogether uncomfortable experience, but it was also far from pleasant. The wings breaking out from my hide hurt briefly, but the intendant wash of exhilaration dulled it almost immediately to little more than a memory. The worst part of all of this though was keeping my ‘self’ in charge. Always below the thin veneer of my altered consciousness was this roiling tempest of uncontrollable rage, pain, and only Celestia knew what else, quietly waiting for me to release its chains. It was terrifying, but simultaneously extraordinarily thrilling. What the thestrals made of my transformation, they were keeping to themselves. My new ‘father’ had expressed some anxiety about it initially, but after having his daughter rescued with its help, his concerns had been firmly put to rest. I gave my dragon like wings an experimental flap and nodded to him.

Shadow moved up and rubbed her head along my neck despite Far Sight’s clicks and whistles of irritation. I gave him what I hoped was an apologetic shrug, and he gave a rumbling chuckle in his throat before launching into the sky with Ember and Short Stride. It was certainly a nice change to have in-laws who actually liked you, especially when the alternative was probably being eaten by them. I smiled; not so easy with the sharp teeth that came with the wings, but Shadow didn’t seem to mind. A quick glance at my mate and we took flight together, timing our wing beats with one another as we closed the distance with the rest of the family. Goddess above, I still couldn’t believe I was doing this! It’s hard to explain, but it was like having another pair of legs ‘on top’ of my body, and ones that felt like they’d been there all my life too. Considering flying was something I normally hated, I’d taken to this like the proverbial duck to water. There was none of the usual problems I’d experienced growing up either. Equestria is absolutely vast, and there was a huge market there for business savvy pegasi to exploit. And they did. With an abundance of long or short haul flights available for the pony who didn’t have wings, holidaying with the family when I was a colt were a time of dread for me. Vertigo, motion sickness, call it what you will, but whatever it was would have my stomach churning and my head spinning virtually the moment we left the ground. And yet flying now felt like the most normal thing in the world to me, which was in itself something I didn’t particularly want to think about too much save it break the spell and I end up plummetting to a sticky end. Perhaps the real difference between this and having somepony else do the flying was that here I was in control, instead of being I was completely at the mercy of anothers skill, the condition of the sky carriage, and of course, gravity.

We flew in silence, enjoying each others company simply by being there. Shadow smiled at me, watching me keep pace with her as we soared through the cool air. Nopony in our party spoke I noticed, but why would they want to? Up here, high above the world with air beneath your wings, the sense of freedom was overwhelming. Was this what pegasi experienced all the time? I closed my eyes and felt a shiver run through my body. Whatever this ‘taint’ was, it didn’t seem so bad. It had certainly saved my bacon on at least one occasion, and Shadow’s too for that matter. Perhaps I should be grateful, even if it meant finding my way to Meadow was going to be more complicated than I’d hoped. Yeah… Complicated. I’d got that right...

Several hours passed, by my reckoning. Black sand and black hills rolled by in a seemingly endless panorama of black. And then something happened. I could see, ever so faintly, a thin line of light on the horizon. It was like a split in the world, a crack in the curtain letting in the morning sunlight. I couldn’t believe it at first and looked away, but… it was still there! I felt a sudden an urge to speed up towards it, to revel in its light giving warmth. Dear goddesses in their heaven, light at last! Despite my racing heart and increasing excitement, I forced myself to keep pace with the thestrals. They knew this land. They were the masters of it and I was still, I suppose, really only a guest here of sorts. That being the case I would need to follow their customs and laws carefully until I left upon the next step of my journey - a journey I would make with my thestral mate, Shadow. A rush of warmth and calm rippled through my chest making me shiver. I hoped we could land soon, the cold up here and the wind from the down draught of our wings was having a decidedly odd effect on me.

We flew on. The white line gradually began to transform into something that had my eyes furiously trying to adjust. They were hills, white hills, with white plains and… trees? Oh, sweet Luna, they were trees!Crystal trees! The light I had seen was not from some hidden sun, but from the very earth itself, shining like the surface of the moon. The otherwordly light reflected on the hooves of the thestrals as we banked, following the course of a wide black river. My heart was in my mouth. After what felt like a lifetime of darkness, it was as if I were seeing light for the very first time. It was a mystical and imposing sight beyond compare, and was breathtakingly beautiful. We dipped low behind a high series of hills, their sides filled with the light giving crystal forests, every colour of the rainbow sparkling through their branches as we flew by. It was all I could do to concentrate on keeping formation while my sight was constantly being pulled away by the ethereal wonder of the Beyond. Fortunately, I wasn’t on my own either. Excitement was growing amongst the thestrals too, showing in their increased speed and they way they had begun hooting to one another like a flock of bizarre alien geese. Far Sight shrieked out a blasting trumpeting call followed by a gout of flame, the heat of which washed over me despite the distance between us. Mentally I reminded myself to keep in the thestral lord’s good books. So long as aren’t ‘cook’ books, I thought to myself with a smirk. Beside me, Shadow called to her sisters and they hooted back to her in reply.

“Home!” she happily called to me.

Completely out of nowhere I suddenly felt a sinking feeling in my chest. Damn it, what the hell was wrong with me?! A quick mane shake dispelled any dark thoughts that my imagination was conjuring up. This was her home after all. She’d been born here, raised here, and she belonged here. So what was this peculiar sense of resentment I was experiencing? It didn’t make any sense! And yet… I took a breath and sighed as I began to realise what that feeling was niggling at the edges of my heart. It was one I hadn’t felt in a long time, too...

Jealousy.

I let out a deep neigh, hoping it would stop such thoughts in their tracks. Shadow peered at me askance, but whether she picked up on my concerns or not, she didn’t let on and I sure as hell wasn’t going to tell her either. The last thing she needed was to have a petulant and huffy stallion presented to her people! On the subject of which, I began to notice large domes of crystal neatly arranged on the plain below us, looking for all the world like upturned birds nests. We skimmed low enough to notice their inhabitants rushing out to look at us passing overhead. Hoots and shrieks filled the air as Far Sight gave another trumpeting blast of sound and fire, announcing his return home. It was all quite dramatic, and had pulled in the sort of crowd any village fête would be proud of. Well, perhaps that wasn’t the best analogy, but it was all I could manage in the circumstances. We looped a circuit around the thestral village and came in for a landing on the white… grass? I nearly squealed in excitement. It brushed against my hooves and legs exactly the same as the green variety in Equestria, but was as white as the first snows of winter. Without thinking I leaned down and was just about to give it a careful taste when Shadow nudged me with her shoulder, clicking in admonishment. Sorry, dear! Unfortunately my good humour vanished in an instant as a hoard of the skeletal creatures surged up to surround us in a dark tide, standing out in stark contrast to the crystal trees and brilliant white grass. I guessed their colouring was more for camouflage in the black sand of the Withers rather than the Beyond. Says the guy from the land of multi-coloured ponies, I thought to myself sarcastically. It was certainly true that equestrians were more likely to blend into a foal’s birthday party than here, and it was probably just as well I was a nice neutral grey. I think what was really worrying though was that I was beginning to see walking nightmares as normal. Worse still, I had the distinct feeling I was beginning to lose my heart to one of them. Oh Fairlight, you silly colt…

The hubbub was deafening. The villagers kept a respectful distance from Far Sight’s party, but still created a solid wall of pushing, heaving teeth and glowing eyes that once upon a time would have had me wondering where I could find the nearest change of pants. I wish I’d had a camera though, it would have been one hell of a talking point in the watch canteen. Gradually a hushing sound spread out from the far side of the crowd near a rise which lead to the largest of the crystalline domes. The creatures nearest to it pushed and jostled each other out of the way as they moved back, forming a living corridor towards the structure. Nopony, or rather, no thestral, moved. I didn’t have to wait long to find out what we were waiting for either as a group of large thestrals carrying spears trotted out to take station along the edges of the newly created passage. Far Sight nickered and moved forward, head held high as he walked. He was indeed the very picture of nobility. Ember and Short Stride followed a respectful distance behind him. Next, came Shadow and myself. I glanced at one of the guards as I walked past him. The hulking beast’s eyes bored into mine, those white hot orbs glinting off his… armour? My Goddesses, it was! These thestrals had fashioned armour from what looked like the same crystal as the trees. It had been painted black, but the edges had been left raw, displaying that unmistakable rainbow of colour. Strapping of a familiar white leathery material cinched the overlapping plates together. Whatever they were made of though, the effect was impressive. I didn’t notice many weapons among them other than the spears, but that said I expect when you can incinerate your enemies, a sword just does quite cut it any more. Quite literally.

Each time we passed a pair of the guards they fell in silently behind us, the creaking of the harness and armour more than a little disconcerting to say the least. I didn’t like being cornered, and I didn’t like this situation one little bit. It was like being lead to the executioners block, just without the shackles. None of this seemed to bother Shadow however. She was most likely used to this, being royalty of sorts. Aiming high, Fairlight? I thought insincerely. A repetitive whisper was coming from the crowd I noticed. Thestral was a hard language to fathom, and one I doubted very much I had the anatomy to be able to replicate, however certain things could be discerned by listening closely to the pitch, tone, screams and shrieks. What I picked up on held a note which, if I had to put my hoof on my heart, sounded like… confusion maybe? Anger? The tone was similar to Far Sight’s when he’d first met me – derisive, and distinctly threatening. I hadn’t put much thought into it until now as at the time he’d still only been one stallion, regardless of how big he was. Now this… this really worried me. Fortunately I didn’t have to worry for long as silence fell like a curtain at the theatre, and we came to a halt, waiting for the next performance.

From the large crystal dome atop the rise, a magnificent deep green thestral female emerged. Easily as large as Far Sight, if not more so, and with long straight horns either side of her head, she looked like an impossible mix of dragon and pony. Her teeth glistened in the light from the crystal trees lining the rise and I noticed long fangs either side of her mouth, just like another thestral I knew. I swallowed the lump in my throat; I was about to meet the rest of the in-laws. The assembled thestrals, including the guards, went to one knee. Bloody awkward when you’re not used to it I can tell you, but still, I did my best to copy them. One of the guards behind me huffed a jet of steam at my back, jabbing me for good measure with an armoured hoof before I realised he wanted me to bow even lower. Hoots, screams and clicks echoed around the assembled thestrals until a pair of emerald green forelegs appeared before me.

“Stand,” the regal voice commanded me. “I would look upon this… ‘creature.’”

I didn’t know what to think. I’d been referring to thestrals as ‘creatures’ myself, but here as I was being referred to in the same manner. I hadn’t meant anything derogatory by it, but now it was being used to describe me, I didn’t like it at all. With little choice in the matter, I raised my head and looked straight ahead. The tall green crea- ‘thestral’, put a forehoof under my chin and tilted my head this way and that, eyeing me with her glowing eyes. Rather than red, hers burned a brilliant white. I felt my heart leap into my throat for the umpteenth time that day, and with good reason. She spoke rapidly to the guards who immediately barged forward, grabbing my forelegs roughly. I didn’t struggle, I’d most likely impale myself on their spiked armour if I did. A few feet away from me, Far Sight clicked and squawked at the female whom I guessed was his mate, making it quite clear from his gesturing that he protested the rough treatment of his guest. I hoped so anyway, I could have been the next one for the pot for all I knew of their customs. Fancy an Equestrian tonight dear? Fairlight a-la-mode - a delicious accompaniment to any thestral banquet. Shadow suddenly rushed forward, pointing at the guard and shrieking her protests at, I would guess, her mother. For her trouble the green female knocked Shadow flying with a vicious kick. In horror I saw a small spray of blood from her mouth as the blow connected, the young thestral landing in a crumpled heap. Anger gripped me. I shoved my guards aside and tried to get to Shadow’s aid but the armoured thugs were on me before I’d made even a quarter of the distance.

“Get the buck off me you bastards!” I snarled, feeling the fury building inside me.

A thestral in a white flowing gown hurried to Shadow’s side, lifting her to her hooves and passing her a clear bottle of red liquid. Thank goodness somepony here had half a heart. The green mare glowered down at me with her pitiless white eyes and I began to feel the chain loosen within me as the magic began to simmer, waiting eagerly for release. In answer the guards slammed my head to the ground and I could feel a blade of some sort pushing into my flesh. It was all too much. My anger began to boil out of control, and unbidden, a trickle of it began to run through me. I let out a low growl, the ground vibrating beneath me as I looked up at the guard’s shocked face.

“I said, get the buck off me!” I snarled. The blade however, never left my neck. This would be a test now between how fast I could throw the guard off me and how quick his reflexes would be to slit my throat open. I readied a rush of the power to overcome my enemy, grab Shadow, and get the hell out there.

“NO! Fairlight, please! NO!” Shadow’s voice pounding into my mind was like being doused with cold water.

My anger blinked out in an instant, my breathing returning to normal. I glowered into the guard’s eyes. He was visibly shaken, but still kept his composure well enough to steady the blade on my throat. Pandemonium erupted around me and I was hauled to my hooves, surrounded by guards armed with wickedly sharp crystal battleaxes. I hadn’t spotted these characters earlier. Unlike the others who were probably more ceremonial, the armour these wore looked used, battle scarred, but still constructed from the same materials as their flashier brethren.

“Fairlight, I ask that you go with the guards for now. I must speak with my Wife about this matter,” Far Sight asked, his tone sounding serious.

“I have a choice?” I replied a touch more flippantly than I intended.

“No.” Far Sight stated with absolute finality. The Lord of the Beyond turned away to walk up to the crystal hall as I was dragged off to my no doubt luxurious guest accommodation.

Chapter Seven - Visiting Hours

CHAPTER SEVEN

Visiting hours

It was all the discerning traveller could have ever asked for: a roof, four walls, a window, and a door. Of course, I couldn’t exactly see out of the window as it was so high up I couldn’t reach it without flying up there, but I doubt there would have been much point in any case as the damned thing was about the size of a letter box. Some enterprising fellow had thought of that too as vicious looking spikes were arrayed in the ceiling threatening to impale anypony who fancied reminding themselves what they were missing in the world outside. The door was, naturally for a thestral made establishment, five inch thick solid crystal and locked on the outside. One way in, and one way out. I was beginning to sympathise with the villains and drunks we used to throw into the watch-house cells. Most of them tended to be short term lock ups, our busiest period being the Nightmare Night celebrations. Apple Family brand cider and dandelion wine being the worst culprits for that carry on. The outcome of this situation for me though was unlikely to be a simple fine of a few bits and an angry wife to face when I got home.

I curled up on the dust covered hard floor and awaited ‘judgement’ from Far Sight’s wife. All I could now was pray that I hadn’t made a fatal error in judgement by allowing myself to be brought here with Shadow. No doubt news of our antics and my rebuttal of Shadow’s father’s request to send her home was bound to have had some impact back here, regardless of how he had changed his opinion of me. I had naively believed that any problems I may have encountered with the thestrals in this village would have been the responsibility of Far Sight, rather than his other half. Unfortunately it was all too clear to me now, and far too late, just who wore the shoes in this place.

A scratching at the door caught my attention. I sidled over to investigate, leaning towards it. “Hello?” I asked quietly. “Is somepony there?”

The door creaked open and a hulking great guard stood before me, weapon ready and eyes glowing menacingly. He cawed and clicked a message which I took, along with his gesturing, as an order to move to the back of the cell. I complied and he nodded to somepony standing just out of sight from where I stood. The guard sidestepped to allow a cloaked figure to enter the cell with me, the heavy door slamming shut behind him with a deafening finality that made my heart sink. Still, on the bright side at least somepony had come to see me, so that was positive. Right? Gods, knowing my luck it was the bloody undertaker come to take my measurements. My visitor pulled back his hood to reveal a green and red mottled thestral with a greying mane and beard who lowered himself gingerly down onto his haunches with a quiet sigh. Without speaking, he produced a long thin crystal pipe from a white satchel around his neck and deftly began packing it with a dark stringy material I presumed was tobacco. After he’d finished he began rummaging for, what I also presumed, was a light of some description.

“Here, let me get that for you,” I said politely, magicking a flame to hover over the bowl. He inhaled several times, his flickering yellow eyes never leaving my face. I felt quite awkward in the silence but politely waited until he was able to take a few good puffs, a satisfied sigh escaping his lips.

“Thank you, Equestrian,” he said, rubbing his back with a hoof. “That’s a handy trick you have there.”

“You’re welcome...” I paused, blinking in surprise as the distinctly normal words settled in my ears rather than battering their way through my skull. “Hang on!” I squeaked. “You ARE a thestral aren’t you?”

He chuckled, blowing a pungent smoke ring up to the ceiling. “You noticed then? What gave it away? The teeth? Glowing eyes? It’s the smell of sulphur isn’t? Blast, I knew I should have changed my cologne.”

I stared at him in open mouthed amazement. The weirdness meter had just gone off the charts and I had to take a deep breath to settle myself down for fear I’d start screaming hysterically. Goddesses above, was I dreaming? This whole situation was a bloody nightmare already without more inexplicable things appearing to taunt me. I had to get a grip of myself before I really did lose what fragments of my sanity I had left. And so, with the mere semblance of calm, I sat back on my haunches across from the old stallion before I began, “You can speak my language without sending words directly into my head and you’ve obviously not come to lead me off for execution. Yet. Therefore I would suggest you’ve come here for a specific reason and, as I’ve not got any other plans for today, I would welcome any questions you may have for me. So, over to you.” I held out a foreleg for him to continue.

The newcomer clopped his forehooves together in delight, an expansive smile revealing a row of long yellow teeth holding his pipe in place. “Oh, you are fun!” he cried toothily. “I can see why the Lady Shadow has claimed you. You know, I think we’re going to enjoy having a good long chat, you and I.” The old Thestral reached into his pack and produced another pipe. “I don’t mind smoking alone as a rule, my young friend, but I do find that company is far more conducive to comfortable discourse, don’t you?”

I wasn’t sure whether he was being sarcastic or not, but did it matter? Right now he looked like the only chance I may have of getting out of this lunatic asylum in one piece. He passed me the pipe and after a short amount of work with the tobacco I had it lit and took in a good mouthful of the curling blue smoke. It was… delightful. All the while the old fellow watched me like a hawk watches a mouse while I relaxed, taking in the thick fragrance from the unusual tobacco.

“Now, friend Equestrian,” the thestral began. “May I call you Fairlight?”

“You may,” I agreed with a nod.

“Good… good. My name,” the thestral said pleasantly, “is Star Beard. I am a, um… ‘priest’ of sorts, to our people. I would invite you to my chambers for a more comfortable chat of course, however the Duchess is a little, shall we say ‘upset’ with you at present. So this will have to do, I’m afraid. When I leave I shall arrange for some more comfortable items to be transferred to your… ‘room’.”

He did seem to pause a lot, carefully choosing his words no doubt. It wasn’t hard to work out what he was really wanting to say either. I read in the words ‘Furious’ and ‘Cell’ into his last few sentences alone. “Star Beard, please,” I said politely. “Don’t mince your words with me. I may not the smartest pony in the watch, but I’m no fool either. I would appreciate you being frank and candid with me. As you can see, my situation is not exactly an advantageous one.”

Star Beard smiled and took a deep draw on his pipe, blowing the smoke out the side of his mouth with a hiss. “Very well, Fairlight. Firstly, I will hear your story, so I ask that you also speak candidly with me. In return I promise I will do whatever I can to settle matters between you, the Lady Shadow, and the Duchess.”

It was the best offer I was likely to get. Besides, what harm was having a chat with the amiable old soul going to do? If nothing else it would help pass the time. And so, for the second time in what seemed as many days, I told my story from beginning to end, from when I had first entered the Withers, to my arrival in the Beyond. By the time I finished, Star Beard was tapping out the ash from his pipe on his hoof, nodding to himself. Whether he believed everything I’d told him, or even any of it for that matter, remained to be seen. There was a knock on the door and it opened, the guard glancing at us before allowing in another black cloaked visitor.

Star Beard clopped his hooves together. “Aha! My assistant. Excellent! Time for some refreshments I think.”

His ‘assistant’ produced a wicker hamper out from under their cloak and laid on the floor. From this they then produced a bottle of some sort of fluid which presumed was wine, along with a few parcels of food. My nose twitched, intrigued by the spicy scent emanating from within the cloth wrapped bundles. Good gods, was my stomach rumbling? For the first time in as long as I could remember, I actually felt... hungry. I swallowed, but watched quietly as they were arranged on a woven mat that had been unrolled in front of us.

“Thank you for your story Captain,” Star Beard smiled at me. “I am, quite frankly, delighted to meet a fellow officer.”

“A fellow officer?” I asked, pulling my eyes away from the food.

Star Beard chuckled, “Is that so surprising my dear boy? I may be getting on in years, but the flow of time here in the Withers is very different from your world. In fact, think you already said you’d experienced that, yes?” I nodded. Star Beard smiled and continued, “I, like you, was an officer serving his people once. It was a long time ago of course, but it still seems like it only happened yesterday.” He chuckled. “An old cliché, true, but there are some things that you never forget, no matter how much you may wish you could. No… No, you never quite forget...” He trailed off staring past my shoulder, his eyes focussed on a world and time I could never see. I cleared my throat, bringing him back to himself. “Oh! Sorry Fairlight, I quite forgot myself for a moment there,” Star Beard said animatedly. “Forgive an old goat his memories would you?”

“There’s nothing to forgive, sir. Please, continue.” I held out my hoof and smiled.

Star Beard beamed happily and scratched his nose before continuing, “Did you notice the banners hanging from the Grand Hall before you were so rudely brought to this cell?”

I nodded. I had actually; the black banner, purple edged with a white helmet design hung from poles either side of the entry Far Sight and the ‘Duchess’ walked through before I was unceremoniously deposited in here.

“We, that is the ‘older’ members of our tribe, were once soldiers in the Legion. Like so many of us, poor Far Sight’s father was killed in the final battle and we... Well, let’s just say we didn’t pick the winning side, yes?”

I was beginning to wonder just how long ago this war was which he spoke of, but I’d leave that line of enquiry for another day. I wasn’t in the mood for war stories right now, but I couldn’t help but be intrigued by the enigmatic Thestral. “Sir, may I ask your rank?” I asked politely. Star Beard began rummaging for more tobacco before his assistant, clicking to him gently, produced the pouch he’d somehow managed to sit on during our conversation.

“Hmm? What rank was I? Oh, yes, I was a, um, ‘Storm Colonel’. I was head of over a thousand thestral assault troops with pony and minotaur ground support. Oh, you should have seen them Captain. They were… magnificent. Truly magnificent. Sadly, what you saw here in our village is only a mere remnant of what we once were, and a pitiful reminder of days long since passed that have been lost to the mists of history. Our numbers are much fewer now and our people do not, um…‘reproduce’ as quickly as other races. Not as fast as ponies at any rate I’ll wager!” I smiled, nodding. “Not all thestrals are born here,” Star Beard explained. “Most are, though it’s hard to describe, they are, um... ‘created’? Is that the right word? In any case, it happens when ponies from your world, that is the Equestrian ‘mortal world’, die and have some sort of overpowering regret or trauma that anchors them between the worlds of the living and the next world. You have heard of the Eternal Herd of course? I think you met one of their more arrogant officials?” I nodded. Star Beard raised an eyebrow above a knowing smile. “The Wither World has a strange ability to, shall we say, ‘extract’ those regrets,” he explained. “It takes all the negative emotions from the deceased and, sometimes, they take on a life of their own.”

“As thestrals...” I added quietly.

“As thestrals,” the old one nodded sagely, eyes half closed. I closed me eyes, trying to take it all in. It was a good story, but didn’t help me in the slightest. Was I here as a means for him to chat about old times, or was he really here to help-

“Good!” he said suddenly, slapping his leg with a laugh. He leaned across to his assistant and began speaking conspiratorially but still looking at me with that knowing smile of his. “I like him!” he piped. “He’s sharp. Not as sharp as me I’ll wager, but you have a good brain on you, Watch Captain.”

I cleared my throat. “Colonel, what can you tell me about the situation with the Lady Shadow and her mother? I believe this to be at the heart of my current troubles here.”

Star Beard re-adjusted his hind legs, his bones cracking alarmingly as he did so. “Bugger!” he exclaimed loudly. I couldn’t help but chuckle at his outburst. “Nothing to laugh about Captain,” he huffed. “You’ll be old one day too you know.”

“I’m not so sure, Colonel,” I replied honestly. “My chances don’t look so good right now.”

“Now stop that right now!” he commanded in a more authoritative tone. “I won’t have defeatism, my boy. I won’t accept it from a thestral, nor will I from an equestrian. That sort of thinking can destroy your chances of victory in battle, Captain. You would do well to remember that.” Star Beard relaxed slightly. “Very well, you want to know about the ‘not quite so’ royal family of the tribe of the Beyond, yes? Then, my dear fellow, I will tell you.”

I stretched my back and the colonel continued, “The duchess had four daughters. You have met them already: Shadow, Ember, Short Stride and Wind Sheer. They were all destined to be married to the nobility from various across the Withers. We, the tribe of the Beyond, are but one of many. Once we were united, but our humbling at the hooves of… ponies, created a rift which has endured to this day.” I listened intently, fascinated by the old ones tale. This wasn’t in any equestrian history book I had ever read, and a subject barely touched upon in school. “The Lady Shadow was to be married to the Earl of Purple Sands,” Star Beard continued. “They’re a small warring fiefdom, east of the Beyond. I was saddened to hear that one of Maelstrom’s daughters has now passed from our world to the next. Poor young Wind Sheer. A shame… so much potential… lost forever…” Star Beard was wandering off again. His assistant passed him a bowl of what looked like crystalline fruit, making him jump. “What?! Oh, mmm, right, yes, the daughters.” I smiled at the colonel while he gathered his thoughts. “Ember and… the other one, what’s-her-name, are betrothed to other tribes who I wont bore you with the details of. Suffice to say that this has been the way of things since the return.” I presumed ‘The return’ was when the thestral army ‘returned’ to the Wither World with its tail between its legs after their apparent defeat in Equestria. “Shadows fiancé”, Star Beard explained, “is a leader of good standing, although not of good character I hear. Previous wives have met with, let’s say, ‘unfortunate accidents’. As a result of which, Lady Shadow decided to, um, ‘leave’ the Beyond and seek her fortune elsewhere.”

We both knew how that had ended up. I cut in, “But if the earl is the sort of leader you say he is, why would the duke and duchess allow such a betrothal? From what I have seen of Lord Far Sight, he is very protective of his daughters and would die defending them if he had to.”

“True,” Star Beard went on. “But you have seen yourself who is the true power here. The duchess is not as… ‘attached’ to her daughters as her husband. The power, prestige, and large amount of land the union’s dowry would bring is of primary concern to her. The tribe must survive you see.”

I did see. I hated it, but I could see why the duchess had made the betrothal. From memory it was a system used in ancient Equestria. These guys just hadn’t moved on and were stuck in some sort of tribal warring fief age. “Colonel Star Beard, may I ask a, er, more ‘personal’ question of you?”

He popped a berry in his mouth and scratched his chin thoughtfully. “Well of course my dear Fairlight, but that depends on the question. I can’t remember as much as I once could you know!”

“I understand sir,” I replied politely. “Please, I have been told that I am now bonded to Lady Shadow, that we are now mated. Lord Far Sight also said that she was, ‘incomplete’. Can you help me understand what this all means?”

Star Beard paused, watching me intently. He opened his mouth to speak but snapped it shut a moment later apparently thinking better of it. A minute or two passed as he thought about my question, and then suddenly shook his head vigorously, “No. I know I said I would answer your questions, Captain, but this… No, I cannot. It is not for me to speak of such things. I’m-”

A slender leg emerged from under the assistant’s cloak and tenderly picked up the old fellow’s hoof. A few words in thestral later, and he nodded to the cloaked figure letting out a resigned sigh. “Very well, if that’s what you want.” The assistant nodded, the leg disappearing back under the black fabric. “You recall what I told you of the origins of thestrals?” Star Beard began. “Lady Shadow is a true thestral, I can assure you of that. But she was born at a time of great magical imbalance here in the Beyond. An imbalance that was brought here by a pony of your world. He was an equestrian of great magical power who, despite my expectations, befriended our tribe and, I suppose, saved us from extinction. He could travel across time and planes of existence - a truly amazing feat of magic. Far Sight’s father, before the poor soul died in battle, secretly requested his aid in saving his tribe.”

“The tribe was in trouble before the war?” I asked.

“Yes,” the old thestral replied solemnly. “Far Sight’s father was a seer. He could see how things would end, even before they were manifest. His son was named after his father’s remarkable ability.” I nodded. Some of this was way over my head, but I was managing to grasp some of it. “When Lady Shadow was born, part of her ‘soul’ if you like, was left blank, waiting to be filled,” Star Beard continued. “Why and how this occurred is unknown, and as wise as he was, the pony traveller crossed over to the eternal herd long ago. I have tried to speak with him since, however that cursed clerk, Aethel, that horses cock of a quill pusher, won’t speak with those he considers ‘sub-species’.” He spat on the floor, his yellow eyes blazing.

“I… see,” I said quietly. “Colonel, some thestrals can speak my language. Not like you, but as a sort of telepathy, straight into my mind. Shadow rarely speaks and then only usually one or two words. Is this as a result of the ‘imbalance’ you mentioned?”

Star Beard rolled one of the fruit in his hoof. “Have you asked her?”

“No,” I answered simply.

“Well, perhaps you should the next time you see her.” He raised an eyebrow. “Have you ever considered she may simply be shy and not a chatterbox, Captain?”

I looked down at my hooves in embarrassment and felt a blush coming to my cheeks.

“Captain,” the old thestral sighed, “I must ask you a personal question now, as one officer to another. Stallion to stallion.” He sounded agitated. The assistant chattered at him urgently but he waved their concern off irritably, determined to continue. “Captain, now you know of Shadow’s nature, I would ask you to be truthful with me also.”

“Of course Colonel, please…” I held out a hoof for him to continue.

“Would you still take her with you, back to your world,” he asked, “or would you leave her here with her people?”

I was taken aback. I still hadn’t resolved my emotional conflict between Meadow and my growing feelings for Shadow. In truth I hadn’t had much of an opportunity to think about anything beyond my potential execution at the hooves of Maelstrom. I loved Meadow with all my heart but she was with the herd now. I knew I would see her again some day, but Shadow was here, and she was in some ways so like her too. Gods forgive me, I couldn’t even begin to understand how I felt let alone make sense of any of it. The wounds were so fresh I couldn’t close my eyes for more than a few minutes without the events in Equestria replaying through my mind so clearly it was as though I was reliving them all over again. I had a wife and daughter in the Eternal Herd I could neither see nor hold until my life was spent and I had somehow purged myself of this power within me. It wasn’t fair to bring the innocent Shadow into my tumultuous life, and yet there was the selfish Fairlight, the lonely Fairlight, the one who cried out desperately for companionship and warmth. Goddesses, help me, I begged silently. I need your guidance.

“Captain?” Star Beard asked looking concerned.

I blinked away my doubt the best I could and took a deep breath. “As I told Lord Far Sight, Colonel, Shadow is bonded to me as my mate and if I am able to find way to return to my world I would take her with me, should she wish it.”

The old Storm Colonel closed his eyes and smiled, nodding. “Thank you my dear fellow, that means more than you could know.” He reached forward and shook my hoof in both of his, letting out a deep throated laugh.

The colonel may have been old in years but was a remarkable story teller. He told me of battles with dragons, manticores and, somewhat troubling for an equestrian - alicorns. I Smiled at his explanations of divisional manoeuvres and combat tactics, wondering if I could ever use them in the watch. I doubted it though; usually we preferred out targets alive to stand trial and with all their extremities attached. The colonel’s foes usually ended up only fit for pie filling. As the hours passed he finally seemed to tire of stories and gave a huge yawn, not bothering to cover his mouth and treated me to a view of his impressively sharp teeth. I smiled at him and went to ask my next question, but the old soldier beat me to it.

“May I trouble you for a light please?” he asked. “Thank you. Wondrous thing unicorn magic you know. Nothing like the full battle magic of alicorns of course, but an amazing thing in itself.”

“Colonel, please. Can you help me?” I blurted out. “I need to know what’s going on so I can get out of here with Lady Shadow.”

Star Beard waved a hoof at me and tutted. “Getting a bit ahead of ourselves there my boy. Slow and steady, eh? Don’t want me to pull rank on you, do you?”

“No, Colonel.”

“No, Colonel,” he mimicked chuckling to himself again. Suddenly the old geezer act dropped like a stone and an army officer was staring right back at me. My back went rigid. “Right then, Captain, let us discuss the situation… and our strategy, yes?”

By the time we had finished discussing matters, the old colonel had smoked several more pipefuls of the peculiar tobacco. It was quite smooth and earthy, although one bowl was definitely enough for this pony. It wasn’t a habit encouraged in Equestria, with most of the harvest coming from Saddle Arabia as much as anywhere. ‘Dromedary’ was my brand of choice, but Meadow had put a stop to that pungent little pastime and my pipes had been cleaned and put away in the trophy cabinet - A victory for the little green mare. But soon enough the cloak wearing assistant, sensing that their mentor’s visit was drawing to a close helped pack some items back into the hamper.

Star Beard held a hoof out when it came to the berries, making the assistant pause. “I think I’ll leave these for you my boy.” The officer’s voice had disappeared and the ancient thestral, Star Beard, was back in play. “I think you’ll find them, let’s say… ‘beneficial’.”

I scrubbed my forelock, a little frustrated that the old fellow didn’t seem to be picking up on everything we’d spoken about. “But Colonel, as I explained, I don’t think I actually need to eat. I’ve barely had anything at all since coming here.”

Star Beard rose to his hooves and stretched, his joints creaking as he did so. He rustled his wings and scratched at something on his coat with a hoof. “You did eat though, didn’t you,” he stated, smiling at his assistant before turning back to me. “The lake demon?”

“What? I…” Oh goddess, what had I done? I remembered the feeling of warmth entering me, that joyful, almost ecstatic feeling of being re-energised, of being filled. Filled with… life.

Watching my reaction with those flaring yellow alien eyes, Star Beard spoke. “I believe you when you say you don’t understand the changes you have undergone since coming here, Fairlight. Please, believe me when I say that I know very little about it myself.” He reached out and petted the cloaked pony on the head, uttering a low clacking noise to which the figure nodded. He continued, “I have met others... like you. Although it was a long time ago, even by my standards! But yes, they existed - allies of ours in our war with the Celestians. There weren’t many of them I have to say, but their strength in battle was a legend amongst our people. Ice and fire, a true wonder to behold, Fairlight. I suspect you have never seen magical combat before on that scale?”

“I have seen death in battle before, Colonel”, I replied grimly. “Not of the sort that should be present in the mortal world either.”

Star Beard looked at me, his head on one side quizzically, “Really? Interesting. Should we be able to speak again, I would like to hear more of this. But no matter… no matter. Anyway, I’m wandering off topic again.” He shrugged his shoulder which cracked ominously but also seemed to give him some relief. “Your power is fed by absorbing the life energy present in your defeated foes. Dependant upon the amount of energy you take in, it can last you quite a long time.” He stuck his hoof in his ear and waggled it around, “I’d say that it’s best thought of as more of a, ‘magical energy reserve’ that you need to top up when it gets low. In Equestria you would still need to eat normal food to keep your physical body working of course. Probably even here. The ponies I knew certainly did… I think they did anyway…” Star Beard removed his hoof and stared at whatever it was he had extracted from his ear.

I was incredulous. “WHAT?!” I cried, rearing up momentarily, “You’re saying I’m a... a vampire?! You can’t be serious!”

Star Beard tutted at me, adjusting his satchel. “I never said you were a ‘vampire’ did I? Look, Fairlight, I haven’t got an infallible memory and I would rather not tell you something that I’m not certain about, rather than making wild guesses. As a Captain in the Watch, I expect you understand what I’m saying here, yes?”

“Yes. Yes, I understand,” I replied heavily.

“Good.” Star Beard bobbed his head, satisfied with my reply. “My boy, things happen which no thestral, or in your case, no pony, can make mane nor tail of. But your power is not something you should fear, no matter how you came by it. It’s a part of you now whether you like it or not, and the sooner you come to accept that the better. Now I know that ‘Clerk’ Aethel,” he emphasised the word ‘clerk’ in way I didn’t think possible, “...said you could not cross over because of it, but I think that it’s more a case of their fear of what you are, rather than ‘physically’ being unable to enter their realm. The best advice I can give you is to learn to master it, Captain Fairlight. Remember your training and train yourself again.” He thumped his chest. “Become the master of your own emotions. That... That is what gives you your strength.”

“Colonel,” I asked, my heart racing as his words hit home, “what... am I?”

He paused and rubbed his bony chin in thought. “Why my dear Captain, didn’t you already guess?”

I shook my head in defeat, “No, sir.”

He chuckled and patted a hoof on my shoulder. “Why, you’re a Wendigo of course!” He grinned expansively and turned to knock on the cell door. The guard opened it in his now customary manner and I saw what looked like… money?… being surreptitiously put in the guard’s hoof and vanishing into a tunic pocket. In my dazed state I barely noticed the assistant was still in the room as the door began to close.

“Star Beard!” I blurted, “Your-” but the thestrals face popped back into the room with a toothy grin. did he… did he just wink at me?! My goddesses he did!

“Enjoy the berries, Watch Captain Fairlight!” he laughed, and the door slammed shut.

The old thestral’s croaking laughter echoed down the corridor and out of earshot. I was… I didn’t know. I couldn’t be what he said though, right? I mean, come on, a wendigo? For the goddess’s sake, what a load of bollocks. How could I be some bloody ancient... ‘thing’ like that? They were monsters from equestrian legend, from the time of the wars of the three kingdoms. Or at least I think they were. Damn it all, the silly old foal must have bats in his belfry. And then it suddenly hit me with crystal clarity. ‘Wendigo’ must be the name for a group of magic users from the time of, whatever war it was, that he was involved in. Rather like the name ‘Equestrian Watch’, or those blasted ‘Agency’ spooks. Oh, thank Luna! I’d have to learn more about these when I got back home.

Home… I wasn’t even sure if that’s where I wanted to go any more. After all, what was there for me to go back to? My wife and my daughter had been murdered, my friend cut down as he tried to save us, and as for myself I’d been left as a mangled mess in a burning building hadn’t I? That being the case, what was going to happen if I was successful in returning to the mortal realm? My body must be little more than mass of dust now surely. What would that make me then? A ghost? Goddesses, I was so confused. I felt my emotions roaring through me in a turmoil of worry and despair. “Oh Meadow, what am I going to do?” I groaned, covering my head with my hooves. A word, a name, slipped out into the cool air of the cell. “Shadow…”

A foreleg reached out and placed a delicate hoof on my hind leg to comfort me. It was the key to the lock, the handle opening the door to that which I had tried to keep hidden from prying eyes for so long. That touch, that simple act of understanding, threw sunlight unto darkness as unbidden tears rolled down my face, plopping into the dust on the cold hard floor. I must have looked a state right then, silently weeping as my pathetic end on an alien world approached. So much for ‘mastering my emotions’, eh? Shit. I began to lose myself in a world of self pity and despair, walking blindly into an abyss of emptiness that called to me with its lonely refrain. I barely noticed the cloaked figure scooch over and gently press into me without a word, nor the occupant’s head leaning against my shoulder. A light chirrup emanated from the hoods depths, soothing and calm. It was a chirrup I recognised. I turned to face the figure and stretched out both my forehooves, gently lowering the hood to reveal the black coated thestral beneath.

“Shadow!” I exclaimed, “What in Luna’s name are you doing in here? Why-”

She pushed a hoof to my mouth and motioned towards the door. I understood her gesture. The guard was likely outside, and paid off by Star Beard or not, he would still be close by. Quietly, she leaned into me and made a light rattling purr like an enormous house cat, but distinctly thestral, and exquisitely feminine. Without thinking I leaned down to nuzzle her gently. Luna knows what was going to happen when the door next opened, but for now though, nothing else mattered but her.

Shadow and I stayed snuggled together for how long, I couldn’t say. I wondered if she were asleep and watched her chest rise and fall, listening to her soft breathing as I gently stroked her cheek, pleased to see no sign of the blow the duchess had delivered her. In response, Shadow pushed into me more, the small moaning sound escaping from her lips sending a rush of warmth spreading throughout my body from ear tip to tail. I shuddered. Was it wrong to feel this happy? Yes. Yes, I suppose it was, but feeling the little thestral so warm against my body, I just didn’t care. A red eye slowly half opened and looked up into my face, the heat in her gaze utterly intoxicating. Shadow slid her head up my chest and brought her muzzle close to mine. The smell of warm spice from her breath made my heart begin to race. Suddenly a warm blue tongue snaked out and gave my muzzle a tentative lick. Softly, sensually, her tongue followed the line of my lips before disappearing back into her mouth. I half expected the guard to burst in wondering what the noise was my heart was hammering so loudly in the quiet room, but right then I just didn’t care. Wisps of steam wreathed Shadow’s muzzle as she rubbed her face along the side of mine. Her teeth felt strange against my face but the unusual sensation was having an effect on me I would never have expected.

Shadow however, did, and she had plans for that evening.

A quick blur of slick black legs and she was facing me, both of us upright on our haunches. It was a position I was used to, but not so… close, to another pony. Here however, rather than a pony, sat a thestral, a being of nightmares, a creature from the darkest recesses of a foal’s nightmare. Eyes burning like the pits of Tartarus, smoke curling from wicked flesh rending teeth and with a beautiful midnight blue mane flowing over a slim bony frame, Shadow was the most singularly fascinating mare I had ever met. In the world of ponies, bony, terrifying and beautiful simply didn’t go together. All of thiswouldn’t go together. We were an impossible pair - the equines from different species and different worlds, but none of this mattered to the one sitting before me. The mare watched me carefully, taking in every inch as though she was committing my entire being to memory. For a moment I wondered if this was because it would be the last time I would see her. Perhaps tomorrow really would be my last day in this life. But whatever the future held for me, I would share my time with her now. I wanted to be with her. My heart ached to be with her.

Shadow leaned forward, her forehooves resting on her hind legs, her mouth barely a hairs breadth from mine. Her eyes half closed, I felt mine close involuntarily as her long tongue licked my lips, probing softly. I let her in. Slowly, she moved her mouth against mine, her tongue sliding along my own, moist and gentle yet with a barely restrained excited sensation which resonated with my entire body. She broke the kiss before I lost what little control I had left and plucked a crystal berry from the bowl with a hoof, carefully placing it between her lips. She smiled gently, and I moved forward to meet her. Carefully, I took the berry with my lips and tongue, squashing it against the roof of my mouth. The cool sugary sweet juice flowed out, unleashing a tart yet delectable taste I had never experienced before. Shadow’s mouth closed over mine, her tongue roving freely, lapping at the juice and sharing the flavour with me. Her spicy breath mingled with my own and the sweetness of the fruit. Luna’s grace, It was all too much. I could sense a roaring of emotion deep inside me, a feeling of uncontrollable lust ready to break free of its bonds and… goddesses, I wanted it to.

The thestral mare unclipped her cloak letting it drop to the floor, her chest heaving and eyes glowing with an intense light that reflected a myriad of colours from the crystal walls. I reached out and threw my forelegs around her, pulling her into another kiss. Long and deep, I tasted her breath, running my tongue along her teeth. Their sharp points were strange, so… alien and gods help me, I almost longed to feel their bite. My hooves ran up and down her spine, following its pronounced contours. Shadow’s folded wings shivered and she pushed away from me, her eyes flaring a deep crimson. Steam rolled out of her mouth and she huffed a blast up into the air from her nostrils before lunging forward, carrying me to the ground.

“Shadow….” I moaned, looking up into her eyes. I was hers now, her bonded mate. She could do what she wanted with me, and by the searching hungry look in her eyes, she knew.

She’d always known.

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

I had been dragged from my cosy cell by two hulking armoured thestrals, my forelegs chained with crystalline hobbles. Not surprisingly it was insanely difficult to walk, and I stumbled several times only to be roughly dragged to my hooves by one of the none too gentle guards. Outside the crowds lined the path to the great hall, howling and screeching at me in a manner which left me in no doubt as to my overall status as a ‘guest’ of the Beyond. Ah, public entertainment at its best, eh? Nothing quite like a good old fashioned execution to bring a community together! Still, I did my best to try and keep what pitiful amount of dignity I had left, but pitching muzzle first into the ground repeatedly had a habit of doing quite the opposite. Approaching the hall, several of the banners had been placed to delineate the entrance, probably to impress upon any who entered here that they were in seriously deep manure. No prizes for guessing who that was today. As I entered, I looked up at an inscription on the archway, written in a language I couldn’t even begin to understand.

“Hey buddy!” I said, trying to get the guards attention. “What does that say above the door?” He ignored me. I chuckled, “Probably ‘shriek, click, click, scream’, eh?”

A vicious blow from the haft of another guard knocked me to my knees. “Silence, Celestian vermin!”

I looked up at him, shaking my mane. “I think that’s ‘honoured guest’, friend,” I smiled back at him. His glare said it all – he didn’t expect this to be a return journey. Abandon all hope, ye who enter here…

I have to say that inside was a lot less impressive than I had expected. Limited building materials had meant that most of the walls, ceiling and seating was all variations on the theme of crystal. Beautiful in its own way I suppose, but it began to make me wish I’d been able to bring sunglasses. The local dignitaries were arrayed along the sides of a long deep blue carpet edged in silver which my kindly guards assisted me in navigating. A massive banner with a large white helmet motif was suspended from the roof behind the four thrones, reminded everypony just who was in charge here. And they were already waiting for me. The two largest thrones held Far Sight and his wife, the ‘Lady Maelstrom’, apparently. They in turn were flanked by Ember and Shadow. Short Stride, the youngest, sat on a large cushion next to eldest sister. A plethora of guards, colourfully robed thestrals and an assortment of other invited guests - many armed I noticed - were liberally sprinkled between the doors and the dais. Any thoughts of escape vanished in that moment, and just for emphasis I was pushed forward by my thoughtful guards into a kneeling position.

The general murmur was drowned out by a small female in a long white gown, banging a long metal staff on the ground. Whatever it signified in their culture it had the desired effect as silence fell like a lead tombstone. Clopping hooves announced the arrival of a bulky red-black male in a purple robe embroidered with the same white helmet motif. An air of self-perceived superiority surrounded him and he looked derisively down his muzzle at me. Gods, already I really didn’t like this fellow! He clicked and screamed at me, but all I could do was stand and wait dumbly for somepony to provide a translation. Whether this act of his was deliberately calculated to try and undermine any vestiges of standing or credibility I might have, I don’t know, but whatever he said caused quite the commotion amongst the thestrals.

“Wait! Your Ladyship, I beg your indulgence! Buggeration, where did I put the bloody thing…” Star Beard’s chirpy, and distinctly Equestrian voice calling from the back of the hall made the mass of thestrals turn in consternation. Pushing his way through the throng, the old soldier trotted over to me, pulling a brass and gemstone helmet from his satchel as he did so. Quickly, he snapped off a bow to the duchess who glared at him in silence, but thankfully allowed him to continue. “Captain, please wear this,” Star Beard spoke quickly. “It’s Equestrian so it should work for you. Whether it’s still fully functional after all this time though… well, I guess we’ll see won’t we!”

“What is it?” I whispered.

Star Beard shrugged. “Just a little something from my army days…” He plonked the thing on my head and pressed a combination of the crystals. All of a sudden my hearing popped alarmingly, but judging by the old chaps smirk, this was only to be expected.

Meanwhile the furious thestral in the purple robe glowered at Star Beard as he trotted away, waving a hoof back at me with a smile on his face. “May we begin now?” he asked.

“Sure thing pal, it’s your show,” I replied with a cheeky smirk.

For some strange reason he didn’t seem particularly impressed and harrumphed his displeasure before turning to the duchess. The tall green mare rose impressively from her chair and stepped forward to tower over me. Hobbled as I was, held down and unable to rise, the impression was of a giant about to step on an ant. On the plus side however, at least I could now understand what the thestrals were saying without my brain trying to expand outside my skull.

Maelstrom’s words carried across the now silent hall. “Equestrian, you are an intruder in our lands and a citizen of our ancient enemy,” she rumbled. “You have stolen my daughter, Shadow, and in so doing have done your best to ruin an invaluable alliance with the people of the Purple Sands.” She stared down her muzzle at me with unbridled loathing. “If that were not enough for you, one of my daughters is now dead, lost to our people forever. She was killed. Killed because of YOU!”

“Your Majesty-” I began, but was unexpectedly struck across the back of the head with the guard’s axe haft so hard it made my ears ring.

“SILENCE EQUESTRIAN!” the purple robed thestral shouted at me before bowing to the duchess once more.

“You unmannered… HORSE!” Maelstrom screamed at me in a shower of spittle and sulphurous fumes. Now that wasn’t very nice, was it! Unfortunately she had more to say too. “You brazenly appear in my kingdom and display your false betrothal to my daughter like some trophy taken in battle!” Maelstrom spat. “Who do you think you are, Equestrian? This is my kingdom and my laws are those of the goddess herself! You are nothing more than a common thief and a trickster, no doubt casting your accursed ‘pony magic’ on my family for your own evil ends!”

Amidst the rumble on angry onlookers, Far Sight approached the enraged mare and spoke in a low urgent voice, pointing to the hobbles on my forelegs and stomped a hoof. The duchess waved him off and took a step forward as her husband snorted his annoyance behind her.

“I have been made aware that you apparently ‘saved’ my errant daughter from a river demon,” Maelstrom announced. “Even if this utterly extraordinary claim is true, I cannot ignore the fact that my beloved Wind Sheer would still be with us if you had not kidnapped the Lady Shadow in the first place!” Far Sight neighed behind her only to be stopped by Ember who shook her head at him. The duchess tossed her mane and waved to the assembled crowd as she spoke, “The Duke speaks highly of you, Equestrian. He tells me of your ‘fight’ to save the Lady Shadow from the lake serpent and how you allegedly ‘defeated’ the creature. A feat, I will say, that is laughably improbable for a slab toothed pony! How exactly did you perform such an extraordinary act, hmm? Chew it to death?” There was a general ripple of laughter from the assembly before the white robed thestral banged the metal rod on the floor, bringing all attention back to the duchess. “Your culpability in the death of my daughter and the brazen kidnapping of the Lady Shadow is irrefutable,” Maelstrom snorted. “I further understand that not only do you belong to our eternal enemy, but you are...” She closed her eyes and took a breath before breathing, “...an officer in their army.”

A tidal wave of outraged neighing, shouts and insults filled the hall. Maelstrom was working the crowd, and she was damned good at it too. I managed to look up just enough to notice the self satisfied smug grin of the mare’s face, and wished I hadn’t. That bitch was enjoying this, and my time on this plane looked to be running out faster than an adulterer when the other half comes home unexpectedly.

The duchess nodded to the thestral in purple who reared on his hind legs, addressing the assembly, “Noble warriors and people of the Beyond, your duchess has spoken and the charges have been laid. Do any of you wish to speak before sentence is passed?”

I closed my eyes and said a silent prayer to the goddess. This was it then. I felt numb to it all and resigned myself to the inevitable. I wondered what would happen next? Could I die twice? Would I simply end up back in the Withers, trudging black sand for the rest of my days? That thought alone was terrifying in itself, but worse yet, what was going to happen to Shadow? I tried looking up to see her but was pushed down by the burly guards, effectively restricting my view to the duchess’s hooves and that bloody fancy carpet. General shouts and cries of “Horse!” “Murderer!” and general other niceties where thrown at me from the seething crowd. Apparently the matter of my guilt had been decided before I’d even said a word in my defence. In fact the only light in my darkness came from Far Sight. He stormed forward and stood facing his incensed wife, despite the withering glare she gave him. I managed to glance up as the guards stood back in their surprise.

“Wife!” Far Sight boomed. “I understand your grief, and your anger at the Equestrian. No one loves their daughters more than you, and I share your pain for the loss of our Wind Sheer. But know that she died trying to save this stallion. She believed in him and honoured his battle to save our Shadow from the river demon. Do not forget that I saw him fight with my own eyes! He is not what you think. He is a friend, not an enemy.”

“Nonsense! What is this?” Maelstrom snapped back at him. “An ally? Defeated a river demon? Slew a lake serpent? For the goddess’s sake, look at him, husband! He’s a horse with no teeth! What did he do, use party tricks and inspiring songs?” She threw her hooves up in exasperation. “Either you have been indulging in too much Balta or he has bewitched you!”

“He has magic!” Far Sight shouted at her angrily, “He saved our daughter from death and you thank him like… like this?! He is a brother to the tribe and a son to us!”

It wasn’t the right thing to say. In a blind fury, the duchess snatched a spear from a guard and swung it at her husband, smashing him across the jaw with a sickening crack. He staggered back, Ember and Shadow rushing to his side to aid him.

“Shut up, you fool!” the Duchess shrieked, smoke pouring from her mouth. Droplets of saliva leaked from her maw sending burning rivulets of it onto the purple rug. The smell of burning carpet material was eye watering. “You DARE to question me? I am the ruler, husband. My rule is law!” She advanced on me shaking her mane and snapping her wings out in a display of unbridled aggression. “See the discord you have sown within my land, Equestrian? Can you see the misery you now sow within my own home? You and your kind are a sickness that must be eliminated to avoid infecting our people.” Her voice lowered to a growl that reverberated through the floor, “Vermin cannot be allowed to live.” I knew what was coming next. Bloody hell, I could have written the script myself. “GUARDS!” she roared. “Kill him! Here! Now!”

Shadow screamed at her mother but was held down by the white robed female. I hoped she would at least see my smile, and know that I would go to whatever end with my love for her in my heart. But now I was surrounded by armoured thestrals, positively dripping aggression and pent up anger. “All that creaking leather and spikes...” I said sarcastically. “Bet you boys are whooping it up every night in the guard house, eh?”

The guard’s eyes blazed in abject fury. “Damned Celestian filth. I’ll make this slow for you,” he growled at me.

I managed a sidelong smile, “Not as slow as I took it with your wife…”

The axe blade rose, light glinting off its honed crystal edge. My powers wouldn’t help me now. Besides, any battle here would likely injure or kill members of Shadow’s family. And as reprehensible as some of them were, I wouldn’t want her to see that. Mind you, my defence team needed sacking. So much for bloody Star Beard! Somewhere amongst the din of baying onlookers I could hear Far Sight shouting in protest, but his words were lost amidst the shouts of anger like a sneeze in a hurricane. Gods, what a way to go… I could just about see the axe reaching its zenith, the guards holding me down, the cylinder rolling towards me, splitting open, the outraged squeak from within…

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

I was moving at speed, although how was something of a mystery. I seemed to have little say in the matter however as I was part dragged, part pushed out of what I presumed was a side door of the hall. My head was pounding with what felt like the hangover from hell, just without the more enjoyable aspects of alcohol. I couldn’t hear a damned thing either, other than for a high pitched whine, and just to add to the unique experience my vision had been reduced to mostly bright blue spots. Gods above, had that been a flash bug? I’d been near the things when they’d gone off before, but this one must have been on bloody steroids! All I could tell was that we were hurtling down corridors at break neck speeds, turning one way then the other. The hall hadn’t been that big, but judging by the angle of the downward slope I calculated that we must be well under the hill behind the village. The air was damp and earthy too, a not unwelcome surprise in this place and quite reminiscent of the Manehattan waterfront. Around me the clatter and creak of armour coupled with the drumming of speeding hooves made me feel like I was like one of those cheesy celebrities when they were mobbed by fans. In this case though the fans were heavily armed and likely to kill me brutally rather than ask for an autograph. Thank Luna those bloody hobbles were off though.

“In here!” somepony shouted as he threw open a heavy wooden door.

Without pause we all piled through. Standing near the sharply armoured thestrals was a danger in itself and I moved quickly away from the nearest blurry shape only to be bear hugged by Shadow. I moved to nuzzle her but instead of the warmth and comfort I longed for, found myself instead being grappled by Star Beard.

The old fellow took my head and leaned close to me. “Hold your eyes open, boy! Here...”

He spoke with an urgent authority which I responded to immediately. Holding a hoof under my chin, he angled my head up and plopped two large drops of a soothing cool liquid into each of my eyes. I don’t know what it was, but by Luna it worked like a charm. Almost immediately my vision began to return to normal. Blurred colours and indistinct shadows rapidly took on outlines, form and detail until I was able to take stock full of my surroundings. And new companions. Star Beard’s ‘friends’ were an unlikely group of, by the looks of them, ancient war relics. Their armour bore testimony to innumerable battles, if the dents and scratches were anything to go by. And as for wrinkles? Bloody hell, some of them looked like strained tea bags! Brave old warriors they may be, but in a fight I didn’t fancy their chances. The guards I’d seen so far were young, strong, and as physically fit as you could get. Age may have the experience, but youth had the reaction speed, and it was likely things could get brutal very, very quickly. And if there was one thing I’d found out about thestral culture, it was that they didn’t tend to go in for diplomacy in a big way.

I caught sight of Star Beard rushing about the room, upending chests and pulling out books seemingly at random whilst unleashing some of the most colourful cursing I’ve ever heard. And speaking of colourful, the room we were in looked nothing like anything I’d seen in the Wither World since I’d arrived. In fact it was decidedly… Equestrian? Surely not. And yet there on wall were paintings of green fields, castles, trees, and lakes. Magical lanterns, oil lamps, astrolabes and any manner of oddments that wouldn’t have been out of place in my homeland had somehow managed to find their way here. Like me. And how come I was still alive, anyway? Well, as alive as I could be for somepony who was dead. Or mostly dead. Or whatever the hell I was supposed to be. Gods above, wasn’t there a manual for these sorts of situations? I just seemed to keep getting pulled from pillar to post with no damned clue as to what was happening and no say in it whatsoever. Meanwhile, thestrals ran around me doing… whatever it was they were doing, and leaving me there like a spare part. Dashing past me in his frantic search for whatever it was, the old thestral knocked over a mannequin that was propped in the corner near an astrolabe.

“Pick that up for me would you, Fairlight, there’s a good chap,” he called back over his shoulder.

I picked up the mannequin and straightened the embroidered cloak, plopping the huge floppy hat back on its head as the embroidered bells tinkled merrily. It was a strange thing to hear in such a place, and resonated with a part of me that made the back of my mind itch strangely. If that made any sense. Shadow had vanished, but considering the crush of equines in the room with me, she could have been six foot away and I wouldn’t have seen her. Carefully, I dodged over to a yellowing map of what was quite obviously meant to be Equestria, hanging on one of the walls. The outline was there, as were the rivers and mountains, but I barely recognised any of the places inscribed on it. Clearly Manehattan apparently hadn’t existed when this was made, nor even Canterlot for that matter. Despite its age, lines and notes were scrawled on it everywhere like miniature travel plans. Whatever the scratchy hoof writing said though, was anyponies guess. Behind me I heard Shadow huff, and I smiled at her. She had her head down, trotting around the room in agitation whilst the other thestrals moved to stand by the door like they were expecting an axe to come through it at any moment.

“Star Beard!” I began. “What’s-” But he cut me off in his usual manner.

“Quiet Captain, I said I’d pull rank on you and so I am.” The old fellow frowned at me. “You are now under my command and will follow my orders at all times, and to the letter. Are we clear?”

I nodded. “Yes, Sir.”

He smiled, patting me on the shoulder, “Good lad. Ah! Look, it was here all the time. Knew I’d put it somewhere safe.” Trotting over to a large sconce, the old thestral took down a small crystal on a chain which had been hanging from it. My hoof flew to my chest in alarm. Hey! That was mine! I patted my chest and, sure enough, the precious beacon Meadow had given me to light the way in this forsaken land was gone. Celestia’s backside, I’d never even noticed it had gone!

“Here, boy.” Star Beard suddenly tossed the crystal to me which I caught deftly. My face must have been a picture right then. Shadow trotted over to me, taking the pendant in her hooves and slipped it over my head with a little smile. I gave her a wink and she blushed as she stepped back.

“How did you manage that trick then, Colonel?” I asked, feeling the heady rush of relief and hope fill my heart once more.

Star Beard grinned expansively, his yellow eyes flaring momentarily. “Used to be quite the magician in my day, Captain. A thestral among thestrals, you could say!” The others laughed with him and the uncomfortable tension in the air lessened noticeably. “No need to stand by the door everyone,” he said waving a hoof dismissively, “there’s an enchantment on it. That’ll fox them until we can spirit our loving couple here away.” He chuckled and went back to rummaging through the now thoroughly ransacked room.

Before long, and with no apparent order at all, we were laden with variety of saddlebags, panniers, armour and weapons galore. More importantly my crystal was safely around my neck once more, and both Shadow and I sported light armoured barding, not unlike my special operations barding in the Watch. Smelled funny though. A bit… ‘fishy’? Ah, right… should have guessed, shouldn’t I? To add to my ensemble I had with me a short sword, a heavy old crossbow that looked like it was designed for taking down dragons, and a small selection of what were quite clearly flash bugs.

“Kept a few from my days in Equestria,” Star Beard had said when I’d asked him about them. “Handy little critters. Probably believed you ponies thought of them first did you? Ha! There’s nothing new under Luna’s moon!” When all was ready, Star Beard spoke to me again. “Did you eat the berries Captain?” I nodded. “Good, how many?” he asked.

“Just the one,” I answered.

“Just the one?! I left you the whole bowl!” he exclaimed, face hoofing.

I cleared my throat. “I know, it’s just, I… that is we were…”

“Well, yes, they have been known to enhance, um ‘things’… allegedly.” He glanced at Shadow and sighed. “Right, well no time for that now. Get these down you then” Another bowl of the berries appeared from out of a basket and at his insistence I dived right in. “Good,” he nodded. “That’s that settled at least.”

“What are they?” I grimaced. Initially sweet, the taste of that many was quickly overpowering to the point of intense bitterness.

Star Beard tutted at the interruption. “Spirit berries. Gives your inner wendigo a bit of ‘pep’. You’re going to need it, too. There’s a bunch more in Shadow’s saddle bags if you get low.”

I was quite fond of Star Beard, I decided. He was cynical and sarcastic, but knew how to get the job done. He was my kind of pony. Thestral, rather.

“Now, Captain Fairlight, you will follow Storm Major Thorn and his troopers. They know the way.” The old thestral nodded to himself in thought before adding, “Stick together no matter what happens. However, if for some reason you get separated, follow the crystal’s light. It will show you the way to the rendezvous.”

I couldn’t hold it in any more. I had to know. “Why, Star Beard? Why help me like this?” I asked bluntly. “I can’t understand why any thestral would risk themselves for a pony they don’t even know. You’re defying your own duchess and your people, for stranger. I mean, who are you, really?”

“Why, why, why?” he mocked, nodding his head in rhythm to the words. “Fairlight, I don’t have time to explain everything, as much as I would wish it otherwise. Just be assured that what I told you in the cell was the truth, yes? Now then, these veteran warriors are here because they remember the old warrior’s code. You are a fellow officer, and officers watch out for each other. That includes you, understand?”

“But the duchess!” I said, “You know what she’s like, she’ll probably find out who helped us escape and execute you all!”

A grey thestral in battered armour walked up to me and grinned, showing teeth nearly as long as my forelegs. He leaned down and in an exaggerated conspiratorial whisper, half looking at Star Beard as he did so, said “I don’t think we have to worry too much about the duchess, Equestrian. Daddy can still spank her if she gets too out hoof.”

My mouth hung open in surprise. Daddy? Star Beard kicked his armoured colleague playfully as he walked back to his fellows, all of them falling about laughing. I turned to Shadow, “You have some strange relatives love.” Suddenly realisation washed over me. “Oh goddesses, they’re my in laws now too! I think we may need to be a bit selective who we invite over for celebrations in future.”

Shadow barged me with her shoulder admonishingly while treating me to a playful smile. Thank the goddess she had a sense of humour. A shame her bloody mother didn’t. Still, by the looks of things it was already time to go. I looked across the room to see Star Beard pulling a book on the shelf which let out a loud ‘click’. Before my wide eyes a slab of crystal that had been a part of the wall only a few seconds earlier, slid silently to one side revealing a dark passageway heading down, ever further into the hill. And hell, why not? What home doesn’t have hidden doorways and secret passages? Good grief, the way things were going lately I would have been more surprised if something actually normal happened. But then here, weirdness probably was normal and it was me who was the anomaly. One of the warriors began passing round lanterns and we each took one, securing them to the special poles on our packs. Well, we were off again. My head was still attached to my shoulders, I had new travelling companions, and no idea where I was going. Still, it was a damned sight better than the alternative.

The big thestral taking point, ‘Thorn’ apparently, called over his shoulder in a commanding tone, “Warriors of the Goddess’s Legion, let’s move out.” I’d hardly call myself a warrior, let alone a member of the goddess’s ‘legion’, but when in Roam...

The door whispered shut behind us, and one by one, we set off into the darkness.

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

It took us around twenty minutes by my reckoning. Our hooves echoed along the roughly cut tunnel, and had me more than a little worried about the noise we were making. Mind you, unless the duchess knew about this tunnel it was unlikely we’d be discovered until we were long gone. I hoped. It was interesting to note that there was material other than crystal, sand and the rubbery hides of dead aquatic animals too. I was no geologist, but the rock here looked like rock in Equestria. Personally it seemed a bit strange that nopony had taken to quarrying it to make their homes, but I suppose if the crystal did the job, then why bother? I was lost in a world of my own for a time, following the thestrals in front of me with their bobbing lanterns. In fact I was so focussed I didn’t notice the subtle change in the ambient light surrounding us until the sound of our hoofsteps changed from an echo to a dull thumping. Snapped out of my daydream I tried to see past them to where the light was coming from. And there it was - sweet, sweet light! It wasn’t the sun, but by Luna’s good grace I’d take what I could get and be damned glad of it too. We had reached the end of the tunnel and, as I had suspected, emerged on the other side of the hill to the town. I barely had a moment to pause before my companions began stowing their lanterns and re-adjusted their gear before heading off silently into the forest. I followed, Shadow close behind me.

We moved at a steady trot, neither running nor walking. Nopony spoke, and it gave me time to take in the scenery around me. Since arriving in the Wither World, all I had seen had been sand, black rivers and black lakes. But the land of the beyond was something else entirely. White grass, almost translucent, whispered by underhoof beneath the branches of crystalline trees. There was next to no breeze here, yet there little change to the temperature that I had noticed either. Leaves caught the light, reflecting an incredible rainblow of colour as we passed by, and those peculiar birds I’d seen what felt like a lifetime ago by the lake, flitted amongst the branches. Suddenly I became aware of the sensation of something pulling on my tail which made me reach round to adjust whatever it was. What I didn’t expect was to see Shadow gripping my tail in her mouth like a nervous foal. I have to admit it was agonisingly adorable, and she smiled shyly, a faint rose colour blushing her cheeks. I gave her the trademark Fairlight wink and turned back to watch where I was going with a foalish grin that must have reached from ear to ear. Goddesses, her blush was so cute!

My next surprise came when a shoulder nudged me from one side. The thestral female it originated from leaned in close, whispering, “Name’s Glimmer, Equestrian.”

“Fairlight,” I replied with a nod.

She pushed up against me, her red eyes a little close for my liking. “Can I give you a piece of advice?” I gave a quick nod for her to go on. She grinned wickedly, “Ears.”

“Ears?” I whispered back.

She gave me a knowing little smile and explained. “Nibble her ears. It feels amazing. Seriously.”

“Wha!” I squeaked and looked back at Shadow who held her head to one side, a questioning look on her face.

It was my turn to blush now, and my cheeks must have been glowing luminous red for all to see. In response, Glimmer moved away shaking with laughter before squeaking herself as the thestral bringing up the rear gave her a nip on the behind. She just shrugged and winked at me before resuming her position in the formation. Oh Celestia, I didn’t know what to think now! I smiled to myself and felt a lightness to my step that surprised me. Glimmer may have been engaging in some light hearted teasing, but it ran so at odds with the image of armour, battleaxes and crossbows, that it bordered on the ludicrous. And I was damned glad of it too. I picked up my hooves and fought down the urge to speed up. Trotting was a good way to cover long distances without wearing yourself out, but a damned good gallop would have hit the spot very nicely indeed right then. Still, you couldn’t have everything, and personally I was relieved simply to be moving away from that damned maniacal duchess and enjoy some good company.

We made good progress through the forest, melting through it like ghosts in an ethereal sea of spectral trees. And perhaps in some way they were. I wasn’t sure whether you could have ghosts of trees, but I had heard of tree-spirits. Maybe this was where they went when they eventually died in the mortal world. But… what was the mortal world? Equestria? It was to me of course, but for these creatures, I wasn’t really sure. They seemed well and truly alive to me, and treated me like I was too, but whenever I tried to piece it all together I only ever succeeded in making my head spin. If I ever managed to get more than five minutes peace I’d have to try and make some sense of everything before I drove myself completely bonkers. Pushing such thoughts away for later consumption, I looked up and noticed that the trees were gradually beginning to thin out. Thorn had noticed it too and raised a hoof, halting the party. He made some gestures with his hooves that were very reminiscent of the hoof-commands we used to use in the watch, and sure enough the soldiers silently began removing large white cloaks from their packs without uttering even a single word. Following their lead I pulled out mine and slipped it over my head. It was a lightweight thing, and for once didn’t stink of fish guts either, which was definitely a welcome bonus. I wasn’t exactly sure what was going on, but I could guess. The cloaks covered our bodies completely, even our tails. Speaking of which mine, mine was still in the grip of a certain black coated mare. Shadow peered back at me, decidedly unwilling to release her prize, but eventually with a huff of resignation she followed suit and donned her cloak like the rest of us. Reluctantly I stared forlornly back to the soggy, chewed, and now distinctly crinkled mass that had once been my beloved tail. It was going to take hours to brush that out! I groaned inwardly as our party set off once again, but said no more. A crinkly tail was a small price to pay for a happy mare.

The cloaks certainly did their job well, making us all but invisible amongst the white trees and grass. And thank the goddess the thestrals knew the way too, because out here I would have been just as lost as I had been in the endless sand. Apparently the concept of ‘roads’ had never really caught on in thestral society. But why not? Was it because they could fly? Come to think of it I hadn’t seen Star Beard for some time either and guessed that the ancient ‘priest’ would be bringing up the rear. “With the gear,” I muttered to myself, the old watch joke coming to mind. On that subject, this expedition was reminiscent of some of the operations I’d been on with the Watch. I opened my mind and observed every movement, every sound and smell. These guys were good, very good, but it didn’t hurt to have an extra set of alert senses within your group. And I’d be damned if I’d just sit back and be nothing more than baggage. We’d been trudging through the forest for several hours by my reckoning, but whether we were making progress or not was unknown. At least to me. Despite their age, my thestral companions didn’t seem to be showing any signs of tiredness or fatigue. Far from it. In fact, they appeared as fresh and as dauntless as when we’d first set off. It may have been a strange effect of this plane on its inhabitants, including myself. For the most part I hadn’t felt any tiredness since coming here until relatively recently. Sure, I’d slept occasionally, but sleep just wasn’t the same. I didn’t wake with that drowsy sensation you’d have when you’d like a few more hours in bed, or even the enthusiasm of getting up with the expectation of a new day ahead. Here, things simply went on. They happened. And in a strange way it was almost like time had stood still and nopony had even noticed.

Eventually we stopped, and I leaned myself against a tree to catch my breath. It was more out of habit than actual necessity, but by the goddess it felt good. All the emotional strain I’d been under, having my brains scrambled by the flash bug, and then hours of trotting through an alien land, had taken their toll. I was mentally exhausted. I could see Thorn, the tall thestral warrior, speaking to one of his subordinates up ahead. The stallion radiated authority like an open furnace, and his hide looked like a road map of scars. One of them, a particularly nasty looking one, drew a line from just underneath his jaw to his eye. Half an inch more and he’d have lost it. I shuddered at thought of it, rubbing my muzzle as I recalled the bloodied ruin that had stared back at me from the broken mirror. There was no doubt that thestrals were a warlike race, and by the looks of things they hadn’t changed much since the days of this ‘Legion’ Star Beard had mentioned. I just hoped I could get the hell out of here before I ended up having to find out the hard way whether I was capable of using a sword for more than thumping training dummies.

Thorn spread us out amongst the trees, ostensibly to avoid aerial detection by our pursuers. What struck me as peculiar however, was that there was no sign of any pursuit. None at all in fact. Thestrals may not be the most graceful creatures who ever flew, but they could have sent out scouts to track us down long ago. Surely we would have seen at least one by now? Something about this situation was ringing alarm bells with me, and I could feel the hair bristling even under the cloak.

As if reading my mind, Thorn slid down next to me with barely a sound. “What’s wrong?” I asked him quietly, not wanting to worry Shadow who had taken to holding onto my tail again.

“You can feel it too can’t you, Equestrian.” It wasn’t a question. The old warrior looked skyward and spoke in a low, serious voice, “I’ve avoided pursuit in the past. Sometimes successfully, sometimes not. But in every case there was always some sign of our enemy: dust rising, wings against the sky, sounds carried on the breeze… Something.”

The cloak was beginning to make my mane stick to my neck with sweat and I shook myself for a little relief. “What’s your assessment, Storm Major?”

Thorn pulled his cloak hood back a little and looked me in the eyes. “They’re either letting us go, or we’re heading into a trap of some sort.”

I nodded my agreement. It had all been far too easy. In one of the possible scenario’s I’d run through my mind as we’d set off from Star Beards sanctuary, I’d imagined the duchess letting us go simply to be rid of us, whilst in another that we’d cleverly evaded capture. One, which seemed entirely plausible, was that they were simply badly disorganised and hadn’t begun looking further than the tunnels yet. After a process of elimination, the hatred radiating from the duchess and her desire to see me dead, left me with only one conclusion - she would never allow me to leave the Beyond alive, let alone take her daughter with me. For Maelstrom to lose face amongst her people was unimaginable. Disorganised or not, her forces would doubtless be rallied to pursue me… us… to the gates of hell and beyond if necessary. In short, it was the same conclusion as Thorn’s. We were heading straight into a trap.

“Thoughts, Equestrian?” he asked me.

I felt honoured he would consider my opinions, and I hoped to the goddess I wouldn’t disappoint him. “Send forward scouts on hoof, using the trees to avoid aerial detection,” I said calmly. “Flankers out within ear shot, rear guard to protect from attack from the rear. I would have crossbows to the centre to protect from strafing runs.”

Thorn nodded. “Interesting. You would centralise your defensive strength?”

“Yes.” I took out my water skin and took a sip, trying to ignore the white leathery material it was sloshing around in. “Anything that can improve out reaction time in a hostile environment is essential.”

Thorn smiled gave me wry smile before looking back to Shadow who was preening her wings. “She is our most valuable cargo on this mission, Equestrian. Do you agree?”

I wiped my mouth. “Yes, Storm Major. I do.”

He clopped me on the shoulder and smiled, the wicked scar showing white across his muzzle. “Despite what you may have heard from some of my brothers and sisters, not all ponies ran when the Equestrian’s goddess brought the sun’s light down upon us. Many stayed, fighting and dying by our side right up until the very end.” Thorn sighed, “But alas, as with so many other things, these truths are forgotten with time as the old ones gradually leave us for the next world. Only the bitterness, anger and hurt remain. Many will not even know why.”

“I don’t know much about the war, Storm Major,” I confessed, “only really what Star Beard told me.”

“Star Beard…” Thorn huffed. “A foolish name.” He adjusted his pack, half looking at me as he did so. “But I am surprised to hear you say you have not heard about the war with the Legion and the Moon Goddess. It was a great victory for the Celestian forces.”

“I’m not sure what to say,” I replied a little embarrassingly. “History isn’t taught in our schools particularly, and most of what I know is from reading books. Even then they tend to be sterile when it comes to anything that may be considered controversial, political or go against the dominant narrative. Wars are barely mentioned at all. Good grief, I’d never even heard the name ‘Celestian’ outside of church until I had it yelled at me like some sort of insult.”

“Mmm...” Thorn raised his eyebrows. “History is always written by the victors, and I doubt that yours will be any exception. ‘Celestian’ was the name we called the forces of our enemy, but it was never originally intended as the pejorative it has become. Sometimes the old hooves among us will use it, and I trust your back is broad enough to avoid taking unnecessary offence when none is intended?” I nodded as he continued, “Our pride has never recovered from the defeat of what many saw as an inferior foe, and with the duchess leading our people, I doubt it ever will.” Thorn lowered his head and closed his eyes in thought. Gathering himself to his hooves he stood and signalled to the others with a few light clops of his hooves. “You’re a good pony, Equestrian. You give me hope for my family. Take good care of our Lady Shadow, and protect her as a warrior should”.

I looked him square in the eyes and nodded, hoping my determination to see this through would be clear for the old warrior to see. I don’t what it was about Thorn, but there something about him that inspired confidence and a desire to prove yourself that made my chest burn with a fire I hadn’t experienced since my first day in the Watch. His glowing red eyes watched me in silence as he smiled and turned away to take up his position once more in the formation. By the gods, the things that stallion must have seen in his life must have been extraordinary. And terrifying. A light nudge to my rump pulled me back to myself, together with a sleek black muzzle. Shadow was ready to move out, and the now familiar little tugs reminded me that I’d really have to get that tail looked at when I got home. A good shampoo and comb through would do the trick. Failing that it would have to be the last resort - scissors. Still, with any luck I might be able to convince her to help me groom myself thoroughly. Maybe even… mutual grooming? An inappropriate thought popped into my mind and I mentally filed it away for later perusal. First of all we’d have to get out of here in one piece. Ear nibbling and fooling around with each other would have to come later.

We followed the valleys, avoiding the hills in case we were silhouetted against the skyline, before reaching a small stream of fast flowing black water. Here we stopped to drink and refill the water skins. Personally I took a draught straight from the source, and it wasn’t that bad really if you ignored the taste of sand. Despite looking like quill ink, it was pretty much the same as water back home. Mind you, I still didn’t get much of an urge to drink the way I used, although that may have been down to the fact it was being carried in those disgusting looking white leather skins. I felt embarrassed, ashamed even, at being so prudish about it. But every time I saw that pale material I had flash backs to the shrivelled and empty mass of the lake monster. The monster I had drained of life. At least, I had according to Star Beard’s assessment. Maybe he was wrong about my being this ‘wendigo’ thing. Goddesses, I hoped he was. I slung the water skins over my back, barely having had time to even stretch my legs when the orders to move out came round once again. More hours of marching followed. I don’t know what was worse though: the miles of very similar looking forest, or the fact we were doing it in absolute silence. The initial rush of excitement and thrill of adventure had evaporated into nothingness hours ago. Now, there was only the muscle wearing tedium of trying to cover as much ground as possible in as short a time as we could. Gods, I still had no idea where we were going! Worse however, was that I could feel Shadow starting to flag - if the tugs on my tail were any indication. Fortunately for both of us it looked like the Storm Major had read my mind. He lifted a foreleg and brought us to a huffing, panting halt and I took the opportunity to check on my mate. She looked utterly exhausted. Trotting is all well and good, but hour upon hour of constant exertion was taking its toll on all of us. Shadow all but fell into my forelegs and I sank to my haunches, cradling her as she closed her eyes and allowed herself a few moments of respite.

“Are you alright, love?” I asked quietly.

“Mmm...”

Well, that looked like it was going to be the most I would get from her for a while! All around us the thestrals made the most of the break, rubbing their legs, slaking their thirst or simply leaning against a tree and closing their strange burning eyes. It was one of their most unusual features, which was certainly saying something. They didn’t look like eyes at all really, more… flames I suppose. Small fires, burning away in various colours from white to yellow, from orange to red, that somehow allowed a thestral to look out onto a world of extraordinarily stark contrast. With her eyes shut, Shadow looked so peaceful she was making me feel sleepy myself. I couldn’t see much of her due to the white cloak, but I could feel her breath upon my fur, and the see the way her back teeth curled ever so slightly our over her lips. Goddesses knew why, but I found them inexplicably adorable. It truly was a strange, strange world. I’d been dosing there on and off for a few minutes when movement up ahead caught my attention. One of the warriors was standing on his hind legs with his head raised. Throwing his cloak’s hood back, he cocked his head to one side, listening for something. At least, I think he was. I still couldn’t quite get used to those pointed ear / horn protrusions. They gave the thestrals an otherworldly look, and in all honesty were the kind of things I’d only ever seen depicted in books on the beasts of the underworld, which were hardly a source of factually accurate historical information. Of course, considering my attraction to Shadow I may have been a little hypocritical in that regard, but then, she was special wasn’t she? I gave her a peck on the cheek and was rewarded with a contented chirrup. Maybe she was a devil. Maybe they all were, and this ‘Wither World’ was my personal hell of sorts. Well, if it was, it could have been a damned sight worse than this. Best of all, so far nopony had tried sticking tiny toasting forks into my rump either, which was good news in anyponies book.

I followed the warrior’s gaze and strained my ears to pick up on any sound out of the ordinary. It was hard to tell, but there was… Yes! A whistle. It was faint to my poorer pony audible capabilities, but apparently clear enough to the lead scout of our group. He waved signals to Thorn who replied in kind. The scout saluted and trotted off in the direction of the sound. Now everypony was rising to their hooves, standing their ground, tense and expectant. Despite the white cloaks, I had a mental image of the thestrals as coiled springs, ready to react with lethal and deadly force at a moments notice. I had seen Far Sight in his battle against the lake serpent, and that was impressive enough without the armour and crystal weapons adding to the imagery. How in the name of the goddesses the Legion had been defeated by ponies was mind boggling. As I watched, the scout returned, speaking quickly with his commander who issued his orders without delay. To my surprise, Thorn lifted a small silver whistle and gave several blasts which were, oddly, not as loud as I would have expected. It was a strange sound that put me in mind of a dog whistle for some reason. Whatever it was though, it made my hearing pop. I gave my ears a rub before gently helping the weary Shadow to her hooves.

“Come on, love,” I said encouragingly. “Hopefully we don’t have far to go now.”

Shadow just smiled and nodded, as Glimmer snuck up beside me, leaning her muzzle close to my ear. “The bridge over the river is near,” she whispered. “Beyond that is the old encampment - the boundary of our homeland. Tell me, my pony friend… do you fear ghosts?”

I looked over my shoulder at her, noting the sly smirk under the hood. “My lady Glimmer,” I replied pleasantly, “you’re talking to one.”

Glimmer nickered and pranced away in surprise, turning her head to look at Shadow who nodded to her, affirming what I’d said. She backed away from me and kept a wary distance after that, looking decidedly shaken. So… a touch superstitious were we? I grinned and winked back at Shadow who gave a foalish giggle under her breath.

“Nibble the ears...” I muttered sarcastically, and slung my panniers over my back.

Thorn was nearby, talking at length with one of the other officers and signalled us to move on once he’d finished. I wasn’t privy to much of what was going on, not least of which was not having the faintest clue where we were going or what we’d do when got there. Besides, there was every chance I’d be so completely knackered by the time we did arrive at our destination that I’d be about as much use as a bucket with no bottom. And so it was with no small sense of relief that we only walked a fairly short distance before we were halted by the edge of a clearing that sloped down to the only other structure I had seen outside of the village. Glimmer was right, it was a bridge. A magnificent crystal bridge that arched gracefully over the black river with the majesty of a white swan drinking from the river bank. It was in some respects typically thestral – solid, imposing, yet still bearing a decidedly ethereal quality for something designed by so practical a race. To my mind what struck me the most about it was why it was here in the first place. There were no roads that I could see, and only a few small buildings that were little more that square shacks, but even they looked well constructed. How was it possible to compare such a tremendous feat of engineering skill and design, to the nest-like domed homes of the tribes town?

One of our scout was waiting for us. Thorn called me up to him along with another officer. “You know my mind, gentlecolts,” he began. “Our first objective lies before us. Therefore, I would know your minds also.” He addressed us all. This was new to me! No officer in the Equestrian Watch would have a discussion like this before going into possible action. Whether it was a good idea or not remained to be seen, but one way or another it was quite enlightening, and I listened with anticipation.

The scout was first. “Sir, I would like to take a recon section and scout the edges of the woods down to the riverside, away from the bridge. We cannot see the other side well enough to check if it’s clear of the enemy.”

Enemy? These thestrals were treating our escape as a military operation, and any opposition was now being viewed as hostile. Thorn had said that we, or rather his officers, ‘knew his mind’, whatever that meant. Judging by the hard expressions on the faces around me, I was the only one who didn’t. Unfortunately I was beginning to develop the impression that the warriors here were anticipating combat rather than trying to avoid it too. Gods, I hoped I was wrong, and that any encounter with their own people would not result in a fight if it could be avoided. Sadly, it felt like mine was a forlorn hope. Regardless of my concerns though, discussions continued with each officer in turn giving their recommendation to Thorn.

He thanked each and gave his decision. “We will scout the bank first. The centre will hold here, and our perimeter guards will maintain distance and level of alert.” He turned to the scout, “Sergeant, remind you team that there is to be no engagement with enemy forces unless attacked first. Stealth and concealment is paramount. Note any positions and report back. Dismissed. Captain Fairlight, stay here if you please.”

The sergeant clapped a hoof to his chest in salute and immediately left to collect his scouts for their own briefing. I watched him go, relieved that Thorn was emphasising caution over brash action that could have endangered us all. Whether this was because we had Shadow with us, or simply because it was his style of command, I wasn’t sure. But I have to say that I was impressed by the organisation and fluidity of his leadership. Was this just Thorn’s way of doing things, or was it something deeper, something engrained in their very society? They had a very militaristic and ordered way to their life in general from what little I’d seen of it. It was apparent from the way their town was arranged to their unquestioning adherence to orders and rank. Whether this applied to all thestrals, young and old, remained to be seen. If I had a chance to speak to Star Beard again, I would have so many questions for him I’d probably talk the old buggers ears off. I would have to try and remember as much as I could, and write it down when I returned to Equestria. Ponies should know of these people, not forget all about them like some unimportant historical footnote.

I watched the scouts disperse and lay next to Thorn as he settled down to survey the bridge and far bank. He produced a long brass tube from his saddle bag which he extended out, lifting it to his eye. I had seen telescopes before, but only in museums, observatories, and on the top of the library in Ponyville. This was a smaller version and, by the looks of it, very old. The watch had binoculars nowadays and it was fascinating to see such old time technology still in use.

“Damn it all!” Thorn hissed, “I can’t see properly from this distance and my goddess cursed eyes aren’t what they once were. Here, Captain, what do your pony eyes see?”

I took the proffered telescope and adjusted it to my vision. Closing one eye I was able to scan the near bank and bridge approach. So far there was no sign of life at all. In fact the only visible movement was from the water washing around the bridge supports and the fluttering of the remains of cloth banners hanging from skeletal poles on its wing walls. If anything at all, the most remarkable thing to be seen was the sign of natural forces at work; the wind, the rushing water - these were the first real links to home I had seen since arriving in the Withers and it sent a shiver down my spine. I took a breath and concentrated. Black metal sconces lined the parapet of the bridge indicating that this must have been a well used structure at some time in its life. Now it was a silent testimony to the thestrals in their heyday, and probably a reminder to the older ones of better days that had long since faded away. There was nothing see here, only ghosts and memories. I was about to pass the telescope back when something caught my eye giving me pause. It could be nothing of course, but I’d better check just in case. I steadied the telescope, focussing, steadying my breathing and... Yes, there, just on the other side of the bridge was… Damn it all! This bloody thing was near useless! Frustrated, I rubbed my eye and looked again. It was like a black tree, its foliage waving slightly, almost like a mane in the slight breeze. Oh, no…

“Dear sweet goddess…” I whispered.

Thorn snatched the telescope from me and strained to see, asking, “What? What is it Equestrian, what do you see? Blast my old eyes!”

“Sir, I…” I fought to find the words, whilst Thorn looked increasingly concerned. I gave my mane a shake and hardened my resolve. “On the other side of the bridge, silhouetted against the second building from the right. It’s-”

I didn’t get to finish as the Sergeant rushed up in a lather, steam pouring from his coat due to the exertion of galloping up the hill. “SIR!” he near shouted, “It’s Nimbus, Sir. Those bastards, they’ve… Goddess…”

Thorn put a hoof on the sergeant’s shoulder and looked at me. A look, not of fear, but of silent anger and resignation that froze me heart. “Take a breath, Sergeant, then give me your report.”

“Yes, Sir.” The veteran took several deep breaths, snorted out a gout of steam and saluted his commanding officer. “Sir, the near banks are clear of enemy units. There are no signs of any patrols or activity.” Thorn nodded as his sergeant continued, “The far bank shows signs of recent ground disturbance. Some activity is visible, actively attempting to avoid detection. Estimate around thirty to forty enemy units, some taking cover within the buildings.” He paused, gathering himself and I closed my eyes. I could see a pit in front of us and we had no choice but to walk onward to its deadly conclusion. “Sir,” the sergeant said quietly, “your son, Nimbus, they’ve taken him prisoner. The enemy have… crucified him.”

Thorn sat there, unmoving. All I could hear was the beating of my heart and the distant rush of the water. “Thank you Sergeant,” Thorn said simply, returning the scouts salute.

“Storm Major, I-” I began but the thestral commander cut me off.

“This changes nothing, Captain,” he said calmly. “Fear is a tool of war and collateral damage is to be expected. Casualties will always be taken. We have known this since we were foals.” He closed his eyes and took a breath, “Go now to your mate. Be with her until I summon you. We will begin planning our next move within the hour.”

I saluted the old thestral officer and walked slowly back to Shadow who smiled up at me expectantly. I’ll never forget the way her expression changed when she saw my face, her eyes dimming as she gave me a questioning look. “Fairlight?” she asked. I took her in my forelegs and held her, saying nothing. What in Equestria could I say to her? Sometimes… sometimes it was best just to say nothing at all. Shadow remained silent, and we stayed together, side by side, taking simple comfort from each others company while the thestral commanders discussed their strategy. My pride felt wounded that I had been left out of the discussions, but I knew from Thorn’s body language that he wanted me to spend as much time as I could with Shadow, to give her what comfort I could until it was time to fight. And fight we would. Of that I was horrible certain. I closed my eyes and breathed in her scent, feeling her warmth against me. But such moments are always fleeting, and the approaching whisper of hooves spoke louder than any words.

Glimmer glided over to me and nudged me with her muzzle. “Come on then, ‘ghost pony’, the boss wants us. It’s time.”

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

Orders were issued and the warriors moved out into position with a precision born of practice and confidence. I approached Thorn who was standing as still as a statue, holding his telescope.

“Storm Major,” I saluted.

“Captain Fairlight,” he replied levelly.

I came straight out with it. “Sir, I request permission to join one of the wing teams.”

Thorn’s glanced at me, his eyes blazing brightly. “Denied.”

“Sir-!”

“I said ‘denied’, Captain!” Thorn snorted. “Are you questioning my orders?”

“No, Sir!” I replied quickly, standing up smartly.

Thorn looked away in silence, his mane bristling.

“I’m not here as a witness, Storm Major,” I said to him quietly. “Your people are risking their lives for Shadow and for me. I’m not a thestral warrior, but I have my honour as a Captain of the Watch as well. How can I return to my own people as a coward who wouldn’t fight to defend his mare?”

Silence fell like a lead curtain. I could just make out slight glimpses of movement between the trees as the white cloaked thestral assault teams moved silently down the slope either side of the clearing. I should have been with them. Not here, not sheltering when others where risking their lives for me. And then, unexpectedly, the old thestral reached out with a hoof. I looked at it in surprise before taking his offer and moved closer.

The old warrior’s eyes had a distant look, his voice sounding as if he were remembering something from a time long ago. “There is a story our people used to tell about a pony who fought alongside us during the last great battle against the Celestians. It was at a place known as River Valley, where we had defeated them once before in the early stages of our campaign. All our forces had been committed to the attack, and although our numbers were depleted, we were confident of victory.” He paused, rubbing his eyes with a fore hoof. “We should have won easily. The Celestians were broken, fragmented, and yet against all odds the goddess of the sun rallied her forces for one last battle, and burned us with the fiery vengeance of a thousand suns. Many of my brothers and sisters were reduced to ash before they had even raised a blade against their foe. Under such an onslaught, none could stand. Our forces panicked and fled, the beam of light flashing out again and again, cutting down thestrals, dragons and ponies alike, turning rivers to steam and trees to charcoal. It was…” The Storm Major swallowed and shook his mane, “To my eternal shame I saw little of the battle myself having been wounded, ironically, in a fight against one of our own more foolish warriors.” He let out a long sigh. “I doubt I could have done much to help. Our forces were already routed, and fled the field of battle pursued by the Celestians who had launched a full frontal counter attack. Many died, some escaped, whilst others were taken prisoner - but not many. In their blood rage, the children of the goddess of the sun cut down any and all in their path, kin or no. Above us our goddess fought valiantly, but with the Equestrian goddess’s revitalised forces, she was finally overwhelmed. I lost sight of her. We all did. You can’t imagine what it was like, Captain. My friends, my own father… all gone in an instant. I wanted to stand with my brothers and fight, even as our broken troops fled past us, discarding their weapons in their blind rush to escape the oncoming tide of Equestrian anger. But it was too late. Far, far too late. It was only later that I was told of what had happened in those last terrible moments. Some spoke of it as though recounting a dream, others as a near religious vision. But many saw the young stallion as he stood upon the hill, standing there holding the banner as you would stand against a gale. His comrades had thrown down their arms and fled, yet there he stood, proud and defiant, the banner of the goddess in his hooves flying in the wind, holed by bolts and burned by dragon fire. He was struck by arrows and pierced by bolts again and again. Finally, he fell to his knees, but he never let her banner drop.” Thorn took a sip of water from his canteen. “The warrior I spoke to tried to reach him as an earth pony knight charged him, but it was all they could do to keep themselves alive. The pony on the hill had no weapon, only the banner, and yet he climbed back to his hooves and stood, holding that precious symbol of the goddess who had already fallen to her sister’s might.” He looked me right in the eyes. “The knight ran him through from chest to tail with a lance, taking our goddess’s banner and galloped back to their lines to flaunt their new trophy. The warrior told me that when he reached him the stallion was already dead, and all he could do for him was to close his eyes to the world as a final act of respect. But there was thing he told me that has stuck with me to this very day; it was that the pony, the stallion who had stood against the storm that would take his life, died with a smile on his face. He had served his goddess with honour, served his people, but for what? Who remembers his name now? His body was left on the battlefield and whatever happened to it, no thestral knows. After that last great battle, those of us who had not been killed or fled to the far corners of the world, were captured and banished to the Wither World. For us thestrals, this had always been our home, but for others… it was purgatory.”

I stood in silence, looking at the thestral commander who was returned to watching the bridge through his telescope.

“You have a part to play, Captain, but it is not yet that time,” Thorn said plainly. “I won’t have you throwing your life away in some vain attempt at heroics. Your honour is here with your mate, to protect her, to lay down your life for her if you must. That, is a stallion’s greatest honour. I have promised the colonel I will keep you alive long enough for you to do what he has instructed.”

I stared at the churned up grass at his hooves, not able to look him in the face.

Thorn didn’t even look up. “Request denied, Captain.”

I closed my eyes and bowed my head respectfully. “Yes, Sir.”

Chapter Eight - The dead city

CHAPTER EIGHT

The dead city

Across the river, the thestrals went to work, every member of their assault teams using their cloaks to maximum effect. The plan had been to cross the river, using the water’s black sheen to cover their approach. Once in the trees on the opposite bank, the cloaks would be deployed once more as they approached their respective targets. I watched from cover with Thorn while Shadow dozed behind me, reluctant to leave my side. The rest of our comrades stationed around us watched our flanks and rear, crossbows ready to meet any attack from land or sky. The focus for me however, was on the activities on the other side of the bridge. It was hard to make much out, but I didn’t have long to wait for something to happen. A series of loud pops and flashes from several of the small buildings were followed by neighs and screams which drifted across the river. Shouting from the buildings further inland were followed by a rush of dozens of enemy re-enforcements heading for the huts under attack.

Thorn’s plan was working out exactly as he’d planned.

Our adversaries had shown themselves, but for them their planned ambush had backfired. And badly. It was hard to see any specific direction or leadership amongst them even at this distance. In fact, rather than our disciplined and organised warriors, these appeared to be acting more like a mass of individuals. Regardless of their lack of cohesion however, their numbers were greater than ours and threatened to overwhelm the assault teams should this descend into a pitched battle - a fact that I knew Thorn was all too aware of already. From here it was hard to see specific details, except... What was that there? I thought that… I did! There! Cloaked and all but invisible against the white foliage, several warriors slipped from the rear of the first building and melted away into the surrounding trees. The generally black appearance of our foe against the snowy landscape made them hard to miss as they poured in to where our warriors had vacated only moments earlier. As one they crammed themselves inside until the ones left outside neighed and fumed, unable to see what was going on.

Beside me, Thorn stared intently and whispered, “Now…”

As if on cue an enormous green ball of fire erupted from inside the building, spewing flames from the windows and doors, licking under the eves and bursting out of the chimneys like a blast furnace. The intense magical light blended with an eerie otherworldly ‘darkness’ in a mind reeling display of raw magical energy the likes Equestria had probably not seen since the last war. And thank Celestia for that. As the second explosion went off from the other hut targeted by our teams, the screams from the thestrals caught by the merciless fires as they had stood outside assailed my ears. I was only glad I couldn’t see any more than I could. Even so, it was a horrific memory I will never forget as long as I live. Of those who had been inside however, there was no sign. The remaining thestrals ran about in apparent confusion, blowing hard, unsure as what to do next. But Thorn knew. With lethal accuracy, bolts flew from their invisible attackers in the trees, putting them down. One of the creatures charged the tree line, raising a spear. I could hear his battle cry from my vantage point and I watched the glint of a weapon being swung, his body crashing lifeless to the ground a moment before his decapitated head landed next to him. Dear goddess, it was all so fast it was almost impossible to comprehend. I had been told about the applied use of speed, aggression, and surprise in the Watch. Here, instead of aggression it more brutality.

The pressure of forelegs gripping me made me crane my neck round to see a dark muzzle pushing hard into my neck, a whimper of fear and loss filling my ears and heart. Pulling my attention from the butchery by the river, I nuzzled Shadow. It was all I could do for her for now, but the toll of what was happening was making her shake uncontrollably. I whispered into her ear, “It’s alright love, it’ll all be over soon.” I wasn’t sure if I believed my own words. Either way, Shadow didn’t answer.

A whistle from the ruined buildings brought Thorn to his hooves. He gave orders to Glimmer who rushed off to pass the word along. We were moving. Thorn brushed himself off and hefted his war axe. “Captain, are you ready?”

I took up my crossbow and checked the safety. The huge old thing wasn’t designed for ponies but would serve me well enough. Solid and reliable, judging by the scarred black wood and steel of its construction it most likely heralded from the great war between the goddesses. My sword on the other hoof appeared to be a home-grown thestral creation, made from the same material as their axes – crystal. It was a magnificently crafted weapon, but how it would fair in battle however, remained to be seen. Smiling to Shadow I turned back to Thorn. “Yes, Sir.”

We swept down the wooded slope, keeping to the tree line. On Thorn’s orders and despite our apparent defeat of the enemy, we still retained our white cloaks. He was right too. There was no sense in taking chances at this stage, and anything that gave us an advantage was to be welcomed, particularly when we were so few in number. Following the others, I was careful to maintain my footing as best I could, but there was an overarching feeling of urgency from radiating from Thorn now that was infectious. We could all feel it - the sense that despite his outer calm, his son could not wait any longer. He had already told me he expected his son would be dead, his body nailed to a cross as a message to him from the duchess. It was to tell him she was coming for us, and that he would be next, along with his comrades. This, Glimmer had explained whilst I had sat with Shadow under the trees, was an ancient tactic of intimidation. It apparently showed a willingness to make an enemy suffer incredible torment without remorse, nor fear of retaliation. It was a threat, a promise, that should they be opposed then this would be the fate of their enemy. But whether this had any effect on the thestrals or not, it didn’t show. Not until now anyway.

At the bottom of the slope, Thorn rushed headlong for the wing wall of the bridge. He slowed and then stopped, staring at the water, snorting his impatience. And waited. As I neared him wondering what had brought him up short, a thestral, water cascading from his hide, emerged from the black water like some mythological beast.

Red eyes blazing she shook her coat and saluted. “Bridge is clear, sir.”

Thorn nodded, and with a loud huff charged across the bridge weapon drawn, heading straight for his son who was now flanked by several of his troops. Gradually he slowed to a trot, then a walk, as he approached the forlorn figure hanging helplessly from the crystalline structure. Thorn stared up into his son’s face, his expression utterly unreadable. I caught up with him a few seconds later and felt a shock of bitter cold burn through me at the nightmarish sight. I was no stranger to cruelty, not after what they’d done to myself, my wife and my unborn daughter. But this? What sort of monsters could do something like this?! And why the hell hadn’t they cut him down? Dear gods, they were just standing there like statues! Were they in shock, or was there something else I hadn’t seen or understood yet? My mouth hung open in horror at the macabre sight before me. The young thestral had been hung on a crystalline post, suspended by his forelegs by wickedly large nails driven through his flesh while his hind legs had been tied behind this terrible object of his pain and humiliation. It was then that I noticed, in my rising horror, they had been broken first before being pulled back into their unnatural position. His hide showed signs of a dreadful struggle too: slash wounds, burns and teeth marks covered him from muzzle to tail. Whatever they had done to him, he hadn’t taken it lying down and had fought his attackers hoof and fang. I nodded to him and whispered a prayer to Luna; may she guide his soul to the next world, this brave warrior of the Beyond. Thorn slowly walked up to the devastated body of his son, looking into his face, his own features as expressionless as stone. He held up a forehoof to touch him, faltered, then put it back down. If anypony else saw the slight quiver as he did so, they didn’t say. The respect and bond they shared with their commander was a deep one.

One of the assault team trotted over respectfully and nodded to his commander, “Sir, it’s as we feared. They’ve-”

“Father…” Everypony froze as one of Nimbus’ eyes opened a fraction, the green fire in them barely a flicker, but still bearing the faint breath of life. “Father…”

“Water!” Thorn shouted, and I thrust my water skin into his outstretched hoof. He reached forward to sate his sons thirst.

Nimbus groaned piteously but managed to croak a few words to his father. “No. Keep… Keep away. Mag… Magmi...” He tried fruitlessly to wet his lips with a dry tongue, and I felt my heart go out to him. A single green tear trickled down his cheek to fall upon the bloodstained grass where it fizzed before vanishing into nothingness. It was one of the most painful and pitiful sights I have ever seen, and as for Thorn, I couldn’t imagine what was going through his mind right then. How he was keeping his composure was extraordinary.

“Sir!” The thestral who had tried to report to Thorn a moment ago, stepped up to put a restraining foreleg against his chest, firmly but still respectful. “They’ve rigged him with a magmine. It’s been set to detonate if we touch him. Please...”

Thorn pushed forward against the pressure momentarily before backing away, a look of agony in his eyes that was now unmistakable. He took a breath, composing himself, and pushed the water skin back at me. “You are a unicorn are you not, Captain? Have you any experience with such devices?”

I shook my head. “No, sir. I’ve never heard of them. I assume they’re a booby trap of some kind?”

Thorn nodded, his eyes looking into his son’s whose chest rose and fell in short pants. “Yes,” he replied quietly. “They’re a magically operated explosive mine. A ‘Magmine’. It’s a cowards weapon which we first encountered in our campaign against the Celestians. I had believed the last of them to have been destroyed years ago. Apparently, I was wrong.” He closed his eyes and let out a long pained breath before removing his cloak. Carefully, he unbuckled the crossbow from his harness. “My son, you know what I must do.”

Nimbus attempted a weak nod as the thestrals near him backed away, and all of a sudden the dawning realisation of what was about to happen hit me. “Thorn, you can’t mean to-” I took a step forward, trying to stop him. “For the goddess’s sake, stallion,he’s your son!”

The Storm Major motioned to Glimmer who stepped between us, physically pushing me back. “Fairlight,” the mare said levelly, “this is something he must do. Don’t make it any harder for him than it is already.”

Don’t make it any harder?! Dear gods, this flew in the face of everything I had ever been taught. I had been brought up to respect, honour, and protect lives, to sacrifice my own if need be to save others. It was the code of the watchpony, and one that been instilled into me by my father ever since I was a mere foal. I had never come across anything like this before, and I prayed that somehow I had the wrong end of the proverbial stick, that somepony was going to be able to magic up some sort of solution at the last moment. Instead, everypony around me, including myself, stood as still as statues watching helplessly as a nightmare unfolded before our eyes. I cursed myself for not having a better grasp of magic, but with no idea what this thing was or what it could do, I’d be like a foal playing with a box of matches. Realising my distress, Shadow put a hoof on my shoulder and shook her head. Damn it all, she was as bad as the rest of them! I couldn’t believe they’d just give up on him so quickly. Was this some weird thestral thing of theirs?

Thorn spoke to his son. “How many did you slay my son?” he asked.

The voice came back, weaker now. “Four.”

The old thestral nodded, and a faint smile edged in pain crossed his lips as he announced to all present, “My son has fallen in battle. He has slain four of his foes single hoofed! From this day songs will be sung of his fearsome strength, his deeds of valour, and his bravery in death. Remember!”

The Thestrals as one slammed their hooves to their chests, the sound echoing dully around the old encampment. “Remember!” they shouted as one, the cry echoing out across the clearing.

Oh Luna… Celestia… Can’t you do something to help this soul? Where are you both? We need you and we’re all alone, here in the darkness… I stared in stunned silence at the heavy crossbow being levelled by Nimbus’s father, the light glinting off its lethally sharp tip. The wood creaked almost imperceptibly as the safety catch was released. I couldn’t bear to watch, yet when I looked over my shoulder I saw that Shadow was stood with us, staring intently at the stricken young thestral. They all were.

Suddenly Thorn shouted out to his gathered troops, “Behold! The warrior returns to the halls of his ancestors!”

We all looked up at Nimbus who raised his maw to the sky and howled with the last of his strength. Around me the others cried out too; a single note mixing with his, calling to his ancestors, warning them he was coming. Then, as quickly as it had begun, the sound began to die away. And as it did I saw something I would not have dreamt possible from the grizzled war veteran - a single silvery tear rolled from Thorn’s eye, dropping to the ground where it faded into the pool of his own child’s blood.

“Goodbye, my son.”

The final notes echoed away into the eternal sky, while far below amidst the carnage of an alien world, Thorn’s bolt left his crossbow with a loud ‘thwack’, transfixing Nimbus’ upturned head to the crystal pole. Almost instantly the stricken young stallion was engulfed in a violent green magical fire which doubtless would have incinerated anypony stood nearby when it was activated. Instead it was a funeral pyre to send a young soul on his final journey to be with his ancestors. I’d never met Nimbus, and although this gave me a strange sort of detachment from what was happening here, it didn’t mean that it didn’t wound some inner part of me as I bore witness to the brave stallion’s final moments. I fear that if not for me, he would most likely still be alive - a weight I would have to carry with me for the rest of my days. And carry it I would. The thestral race was so enigmatic, so alien to everything I had ever been brought up with in Equestria, that I sometimes felt frighteningly alone. Other times it was almost as if I’d been born here - a thestral in the body of a pony. Perhaps I was losing myself to this place, becoming one with the people, my own now nothing more than a distant memory, or a dream that had happened to another Fairlight. Right now, right here, seeing the green flames crackle and the heat haze shimmering in the strange white light of this land, all I could see was a brave young life, brutally cut short.

We re-filled our water skins from the river and set out towards the final destination for our group. I may not know wherever, and whatever that was, but at least I knew I was going in the right direction for home. I peek down into my barding where my pendant glowed brightly, keeping its glow covered to avoid detection. What was really concerning me however, was Shadow. She appeared to be retreating more and more into herself as time passed. The mysterious mare rarely spoke at the best of times, yet why this was the case I’d never really understood, and the fact that I never seemed to have the time nor opportunity to ask her only compounded the problem. Maybe I was being cowardly and merely finding excuses to avoid confronting an awkward topic, I don’t know. It’s easy to look upon these matters in hindsight and say what I should have done or what I could have done, but right then I just wanted to comfort her, and not burden her with my needless questions. I would look over my shoulder and smile at her from time to time. She would smile back pleasantly enough, though when she thought I wasn’t looking would occasionally hang her head and drag her hooves. She looked tired, worn, and world weary, not at all like the mare I had first met in the black desert. The death of Nimbus seemed to have hit home with her more than anypony else, maybe even more so than his own father. Had they been close? If so, she hadn’t let on. As for the major himself, he continued on exactly the same as he had since I’d come under his command: stoic, unyielding, and utterly focussed on achieving his objective. Thorn may have been old, but with his battle scarred armour and equally scarred coat he was like a stallion straight out of the pages of one of my old books on knights. He was tall, strong, and lifted his hooves with a smartness and purpose that was, to be frank, inspiring. I could see why his warriors followed him so naturally too. He radiated the same kind of innate leadership quality that reminded me of Mitre. Anypony would be proud to fight beside either of those two old salts, but with any luck the bloodshed was behind us now and we’d be able to get to our destination without further mishap.

Shadow and I were relegated back to to middle of the formation whilst the scout headed out. It was interesting to note how that dangerous task was rotated too. They were never out there for more than a couple of hours before being replaced with another, the whole operation so mechanical in its precision that it put me in mind of being part of a living, breathing, watch mechanism. It was easy to see when something was wrong too. The whole group came to a halt when movement in the trees up ahead revealed a runner from the forward scout detachment rushing back to speak to his commander. Words were quickly exchanged and a ripple of excitement ran through our party. Thorn looked back at me, a broad smile on his weathered face. In my eyes he’d seemed to have aged a great deal since the tragic events at the bridge, yet now he was bright, re-invigorated, and alive with fresh purpose.

“We’re here, Captain,” was all he said before beckoning me to follow him.

It was something that I could never have imagined even in my wildest dreams. I was, quite literally, lost for words as I stood there with my eyes as wide as saucers and my mouth hanging open in utter astonishment. Ahead of us was a sight which would have made any Equestrian historian wet themselves in excitement. A vast bowl shaped depression in the land, hollowed out of the white landscape itself as though a giant had pressed their hoof into the world, spread out before us almost to the horizon. The geography in itself was impressive compared to the endless seas of black sand, hills and white crystal forests I had encountered before, however it was what filled the bowl that was the true jewel of this land. It was a city of crystal, sparkling and glinting in the moonlight, a fairytale picture of palaces, spires, sweeping sky bridges and elegant buildings of every description. Even from this distance the road network was incredibly clearly defined, laid out like some giant spiders web. It’s lines radiated out from a large central area which, from what I could tell, was a large round flat ‘rise’ of brilliant white crystal. The city as a whole was simply breathtaking, and truly beautiful to behold in all its majesty. I had never seen it’s like before. Even in the stylised pictures I’d seen of ancient Canterlot, this was on another level altogether. If I hadn’t know better, If somepony had told me that this actually was Canterlot, I wouldn’t have questioned them at all. This was a place that one would find royalty, even deities, clamouring to live. Dear goddesses, maybe they did!

I only realised how long I’d been staring at the city when Glimmer knocked my head good naturedly with a hoof. “Wake up you big foal’s blouse, we have a ways to go yet you know.”

She was right, the city was still a fair few hours walk away from us across open ground and no matter which way we approached it, we would have to cross that expanse of nothingness. But there was no choice now, the prize we sought was right before us... waiting. Whether with open arms or with drawn swords, remained to be seen. We kept in formation, keeping low and remaining vigilant in the white grass, our weapons ready. We would be exposed without the cover of the trees, but an advantage was that we could also see clearly around us and would be able to break for the apparent safety of the cities outer suburbs if need be. Unfortunately the white grass of the open plain gradually became sparser the closer we came to the lip of the city’s perimeter, replaced by the horribly familiar black sand that banded it almost like a dry moat. As as result the white cloaks we wore were now useless for camouflage and so we stowed them back in our panniers, securing weapons and tightening gear in case we needed to move quickly. Unexpectedly a few errant grains of sand flicked up into my mouth as I worked, and I immediately spat them out. Part of me had hoped that I’d seen the last of that damned stuff, but wishful thinking didn’t seem to work very well here, and so I tried to remain focussed on reaching the cover of the city itself. Fortunately the dark coats of the thestrals blended near seamlessly into the scenery. Blended that is, with the exception of one. For the first in my life I became acutely aware of how much my bland grey coat stood out here. It wasn’t much, but by the gods I wished I’d had a cloak to cover myself.

Soon enough the last of the white grass had vanished completely and sand crunched once more beneath my hooves, just as it had on the very first day I’d found myself in the Wither World. It was almost a relief when we broke into a trot. Clearly Thorn wanted to spend as little time in the open as possible, but any faster would raise clouds of dust which out here would be clearly visible to any eagle eyed observers. We were making good progress towards the city, when one of our lead scouts let out three shrill blasts on his whistle bringing us to a sudden halt. Thorn paused, and standing on his hind legs he lifted a hoof making a pumping motion.

Glimmer raced past Shadow and I, shouting, “Looks like trouble. Let’s move flank pony!” She didn’t have to tell me twice. We dug our hooves in and raced after her and the other thestrals, kicking up little puffs of black sand in our wake.

As we picked up pace I saw Thorn looking skyward and shout back to us, “Don’t stop ‘til we get to the city rendezvous point! Whatever happens, run like the witch herself was behind you!” He took off at a full gallop.

I was glad in some ways to have a chance to really open out into a full gallop myself. After countless hours of trotting, to get the blood really pumping through my veins and feel the breeze drying off my sweaty coat, was wonderful. It was a relief to be free of that white cloak too. As much of a necessity as it had been, the sticky thing became uncomfortably hot when worn for long periods. And that was another thing I’d discovered since coming here – wind. I’d been happily surprised to find the Withers actually did have some form of weather pattern after all, even if it was only a slight breeze. It didn’t do much to cool you down when carrying armour, weapons, and saddle packs sadly, but it still went some way to making the land feel more… ‘alive’. Finally able to stretch myself out in a full run, I might have neighed aloud in relief if it hadn’t been for the sudden rush of fear I felt mixing with the adrenalin. And with good reason - to my alarm, the others were rapidly outpacing me. Something had prompted the thestrals into a blistering charge, heading straight for the cover of the city’s outermost buildings. I poured everything I had into my legs, willing them go faster. Thorn had said something about a city rendezvous, but… Bollocks! I didn’t even know where that was! Hell fire, I was completely dependant upon following these guys, and now I was getting left behind in a cloud of dust.

As we galloped, a faint noise overhead intruded on my hearing and I risked a glance upwards to see what it was. Goddess give me strength, I wished I hadn’t. Large sizzling balls of green magical fire were arcing through the dark sky in our direction. If it was possible to gain any extra acceleration out of the poor old Fairlight legs, then this was the time I need it. The first one screamed in with a noise like the damned of hell trying to escape into the world of the living. Taking us back with them if that thing catches us, I thought to myself as I locked onto the first building that hove into view. The explosion of the green fire however was almost anticlimax; more a ‘wumpf’ than a ‘boom’, as I’d expected. The flames spewed and splattered in all directions, the heat so intense where the fire landed that it melted the black sand to glass at its centre. But it was only just beginning. More of them came in, almost blotting out the sky until all I could see was a bright green haze all around me. The thumps of the fire balls bursting nearby flashed me with waves of searing heat and, frighteningly, I could smell burning hair. I saw Glimmer coming up next to me, blowing like an equestrian steam engine. Thank the gods I wasn’t on my own out here!

“Keep running, ghost pony,” she called between pants. “We’re nearly there. Just keep going!”

There were burn marks on her armour from the fire and smoke trailing from her hide where it had caught her. Glimmer’s stoic face showed nothing but grim determination and I used that as inspiration to draw deep for a little extra speed. More thumps came in, some close, some far away. I thought I could hear screams carried on the gusts whipped up by the explosions but kept my head down and willed myself on. If those things hit me I would be an instant pile of ash, my body becoming indivisible from the black sand around it for all eternity. Oh, goddesses! Why was I thinking of that now?! Shoving that thought roughly aside, Glimmer and I almost simultaneously leapt the retaining wall of the first structure we saw and turned quickly down a side alley. I had no idea where the rendezvous point was but an educated guess would be the central raised platform-like area at the heart of the city. Any enemy we faced in here would most likely be there already waiting for us, and we would have little choice but to meet them. But at least in this maze of roads and alleys the glowing green balls of magical death were nowhere to be seen, and if given the choice I would always prefer to know who was shooting at me. At least then I’d have a chance of shooting back. Right now I let Glimmer take the lead. She seemed to know where she was going and galloped around a corner, just in time to be met with a hissing blizzard of crossbow bolts seemingly from out of nowhere.

“In here!” she shouted, heading off down another alley.

I was hot on her hooves. The clatter of our passage echoed off the empty buildings, their open windows and doors like the bones of dead creatures staring out at the living ones running past them. A sudden thought broke through my adrenalin soaked brain. “SHADOW!” I shouted at Glimmer. “She’s not behind us! I have to go back. You go on ahead, I’ll catch you up.”

Glimmer screamed back at me, “Don’t be a bucking idiot! She’ll be with the others. We need to take care of ourselves right now and get you to the target area.”

“You don’t know she’s with the others!” I bellowed. “She could be back in the open field - hurt! For Luna’s sake, Glimmer, I have to go!”

Glimmer suddenly lunged for my barding, grabbed it in her teeth and, flaring her wings, she flung both of us through the open doorway of a small building. She threw me to the ground and kicked me roughly in the chest, “Shut up pony, just shut the buck up! Do you hear me?!”

I was taken aback by her attack but rose to my hooves, taking to a fighting stance by instinct. “She’s my mate and your duchess’s daughter. I promised her father I would protect her with my life and that’s what I intend to do! So get out of my way, Glimmer, I’m going back for her with or without you.”

Glimmer stomped her hoof. “We don’t have time for this bullshit Equestrian! Your mate has her orders and she knows this place like the back of her hoof. We all do. It’s you we need to worry about, since you’re obviously not the duchess’s ‘precious’ daughter. The good Lady Shadow is far less likely to come to harm than her pony kidnapper, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I…” I closed my eyes and felt my shoulder sink.

Glimmer nodded, satisfied her point had been made. “Good. Now we’ve got that settled, get your goddess cursed arse out of here before those buckers come in here for us.”

Wasting no more time we charged back out into the street, keeping to the side alleys more than the main roads. Row after row of what had clearly once been shops and homes, flew by in a blur as we galloped down one thoroughfare then another. It was immediately apparent that Glimmer knew this area well, which was surprising considering that nopony had lived here in a very long time judging by the overarching abandoned feel to the deserted city. If I hadn’t have been so jacked up on adrenalin I probably would have had some serious reservations about this place. I’d heard of ghost towns before, especially down in Appleloosa, but this? This was on a whole new level altogether. But Glimmer had no such concerns. She never slowed, never faltered, the dust whipped up by her thundering hooves catching in my nose in our haste to catch up with our comrades. Honestly, I thought nothing could catch us now, not even the wind. But I should have known better. Every time I dared to believe things would be going my way, even for a moment, my old friend Fate dragged my hopes and dreams kicking and screaming into a reality so horrible I had begun to believe I truly was cursed.

As were those around me.

We hurtled around another corner just as a volley of bolts crashed right into us with a sound of hail hitting glass. It all happened in the blink of an eye. Glimmer cried out and smashed into the ground at a full gallop, sliding to a halt as I twisted to arrest myself from colliding with her. Grasping her barding as she had done with mine, I pulled her with all the strength I could muster into the nearest open doorway. With a speed born of desperation I took out my crossbow, flicked off the safety, and covered the door entrance while simultaneously looking over Glimmer’s body. It wasn’t good. Several bolts had hit her flank, chest and neck. The mare’s laboured breathing and coughing evidenced that at least one of them had penetrated her lungs. As if I needed any more proof, blood foamed from her muzzle, joining the crimson rivulets seeping from the numerous terrible wounds on her body to drip soundlessly onto the dusty floor. She held her eyes tight closed and let out a low whimper of pain. Oh goddesses, what could I do? My basic training had been just that – basic. The whole emphasis had been on stabilising the injured only until properly trained medics could get there, with an assumption that they wouldn’t be that far away. There hadn’t been anything at all about treating injuries this severe, and there sure as hell wasn’t an ambulance on its way to help either. I tipped out my pack onto the floor, searching for medical supplies but finding only bandages. I remembered that the team had a medic with them, but only Luna knew where they were now. There was only one thing for it...

“Glimmer, look, stay here and don’t move, okay?” I rolled up my cloak and tucked it under her head as gently as I could. “I’ll draw them away from you and come back with help.” I lay her own cloak over her to keep her warm and checked my sword was free.

A hoof reached out and stopped me.

“No...” Glimmer glanced up at me with a half open eye, wincing with pain as she opened her mouth to speak. “No, just… just get out of here. I’m… I’m not going… to make it.”

I took a breath, trying to stead my racing hear. “Glimmer, please, just try and hold on.” I started to undo the strapping on her gear, “Here, I’ll loosen your armour so you can breath and I’ll go get help for you.”

She reached out and hooked my barding with a foreleg, panting for breath. “Don’t be a…” She let out a gasp and coughed droplets of blood onto the dust covered floor, “Don’t be a bloody hero. I can… I can feel my ancestors calling my… my soul to them now. Get to the centre of the city. Remember… Remember what Star Beard told you, my… my young equestrian… pony.” More racking coughs hit her and I put my hoof on her chest for her to hold, chancing a peek out the doorway just in time to duck back as a bolt pinged off the frame. I levitated my crossbow up and shot back, quickly reloading as Glimmer pulled me back to her. “Make me one promise, cute flanks…” she croaked. The fire in her eyes was starting to flicker, and with heart breaking certainty I knew she wouldn’t be able to last much longer.

I nodded, “Of course, Glimmer.”

She smiled. “Sing to my ancestors for me. Let them know. Let them… know, I’m… coming home.” I could feel tears stinging my eyes and glanced out the door. There was some movement but it was hard to pinpoint. Suddenly Glimmer shook violently and gave a stifled cry, “Damn it, come here!” She pulled on my barding and kissed me full on the mouth, her blood and hot breath taking my breath away. Weakly, she moved away and snorted blood and steam onto the floor. “I always thought you had a… a cute arse… pony boy. What I wouldn’t do to… to you. If only that little filly hadn’t stolen… stolen your heart, eh?”

“Glimmer…” Tears rolled down my face. How many mares had died before my eyes, now? How many more were going to suffer because of me? Goddesses, was I cursed to bring so much pain and death to those around me?

Her hoof reached out and tenderly brushed away the tears. “Go now,” she breathed. “Run. Go save your mate… go…”

I took Glimmer’s head and kissed her, giving her a nuzzle before I drew back, brushing the soft mane from her eyes. “I’ll never forget you, Glimmer. We’ll remember you. May the goddess be with you.”

She waved a hoof at the door, “Go!”

I turned to leave, loosing off a bolt towards some movement at the end of the alley, grimly satisfied by the answering scream of pain. I took one last look back into the dark room. “Goodbye Glimmer,” I whispered, and galloped off into the eerie streets of the dead city.

Arrows and bolts flew past me as I turned corners at break leg speed, thanking Luna that I was able to get a grip on the gritty street surface. A broken leg here would more than likely mean death, rather than a few weeks in a Manehattan hospital being waited on by nurses and, on occasion, Meadow. Dear gods, when had been the last time I’d thought of her? Or Sparrow Song for that matter? I mentally kicked myself. Now was not the time to allow my mind to wander, damn it! I had to keep focussed and- Shit! Stepping out of what looked like an old shop frontage, an armoured thestral appeared in dark red striped armour. Definitely not one of ours, he saw me and immediately drew a long hafted weapon from his back. With a loud ‘click’, a long scythe-like blade flicked out and locked into place, white light glinting along its edge drawing my eye. He swung, the blade whooshing by as it sliced the air mere inches from the top of my head. Thanks be to Luna that I’d flattened my ears when I did or they’d have parted company from the rest of me in a flash. I certainly didn’t fancy losing any body parts in this world like I did in the last. I was rather attached to them to be honest, and I intended to keep them that way! Unfortunately my unexpected adversary seemed intent on the opposite, and if I didn’t do something quickly I’d have be in danger of having a much closer shave that any barber could give me. Grunting with the effort, he swung again and I rolled to one side just in the nick of time. My own blade, designed for close in work, allowed me to duck in under the thestrals swing. Without thinking I grabbed the hilt in my magic thrust upwards, straight between the armour plates and into his heart. He barely let out a sound as his still warm corpse slammed into the dusty ground. I took a chance and stole a glance at his armour before moving on. It was red and black painted crystal with a purple bulls head motif where a cutie mark would normally be on a pony. Something about it niggled at the edges of my memory, but I didn’t have time to be thinking about it right now. I had to get moving. Hopefully the others were having better luck than me and had already reached the centre of the city with Shadow, where they would be waiting for me to catch them up. Snorting, I took to my hooves and ran for all I was worth.

Hurtling up the deserted streets I caught glimpses of the platform. To be fair though it was impossible to miss. The thing was absolutely vast, with long, impossibly wide steps stretching up pristine sides to what looked like a simple flat summit. Whether something was going to be built there and construction had stopped for some reason, was most likely lost in the depths of time. But like so much of the thestral’s homeland I just couldn’t understand this place at all. The city was such a juxtaposition from the bird-like nests of the village that it was as if they had been built by completely different races, yet the thestrals clearly knew this place and had no fear of it. That being the case, why was it abandoned? None of it made sense, but then, neither did the thestrals. Something told me that I was going to have some very interesting evening conversations with Shadow when all this insanity was finally over. I only hoped she was safe with Thorn and the others. Following the back alley, I turned onto the main road where the dread sounds of battle carried to me on the breeze, echoing off the buildings like the ghosts of battles from long ago, doomed to repeat them for all eternity. And we were adding to their number. I raced around a corner and there, at the bottom of the steps, was a seething mass of armoured warriors, ducking, jumping, hacking, biting and slashing. Blasts of flame lanced out here and there in the unrestricted melee as diamond bladed weapons mercilessly sliced through flesh, muscle and bone. Ear splitting screams, shouts, neighs and snorts grew louder in my ears as I charged in, sword ready and eager. From deep down inside me my anger surged forth, searing away any trepidation I may have had. There was none. Not even fear could withstand the molten heat of battle. My friends needed me. Shadow needed me. The cries of the wounded, the bellows of the combatants, and the memory of Glimmer’s last agonising moments spurred me on to a need for battle. It was a desperate want for blood which normally would have terrified me. Now, it excited me and filled me with a heady sense of complete euphoria. It was all I could do to restrain the cold rage of the wendigo within me as it howled for release.

I gutted the first of them, sliding under him and slashing with my short-sword, his entrails, hot and steaming, spilled onto the ground like slick wet rope. He screamed, trying to hold onto his innards with his hooves as I rammed my sword up into his brain silencing him. Another armoured thestral swung one of those scythe blades at me. I ducked and took both his legs out in one swing, slashing his throat open as my blade twisted and was brought up into the yielding flesh. I couldn’t see who was fighting on our side for the tide of red and black armoured thestrals at the foot of the stairs. Whoever they were was being pushed up towards the summit, and my destination. Grimly, I swung, hacked and slashed with the short sword, carving my way towards them, the dead and dying marking my passage. The steps were becoming treacherous for hooves now, the blood soaked slabs slippery with gore. I had to use what purchase I could, to lose my balance would mean death here. Ironically I narrowly avoided being decapitated by the simple fortune of slipping on a thestral’s entrails, allowing a bolt to whistle past where my head had been only a split second earlier. I returned the favour, loosing a bolt straight into his open mouth, the shaft not stopping as it exited the back of his head and carrying skull fragments and brain matter out over the back of his armour. My eyes were wide, taking in every scintillating moment of the gruesome spectacle. It was…It was… delicious.

My sword and I became as one being, merging into a whirling, snarling, killing machine of magic, hoof and steel. Blood misted in the air and I could taste its rich iron on my tongue. I laughed as I slew my enemy upon the steps, always on the verge of releasing the power, always but a mere breath away from losing myself to it. It was bliss and torture combined, but it wasn’t time. Not yet. For now I sated my thirst in the blood of my enemies. And then, unexpectedly, the thestrals began to back away from me. Unable to reach me for the bodies of their dead and dying comrades, their eyes showed uncertainty, and some, the faint tinge of fear. At first I thought them afraid of me, but then from behind them came the bellow of something huge. Huge… and angry. The thestrals that couldn’t get out of the way in time were knocked flying by a hulking great beast from the pit, coming towards me like a runaway freight train. Half bull, half something else, the dark blue creature shook its huge horned head, flexing its claws, staring down at its intended victim - Me. Its beady eyes glared at me with a hatred born of insanity, as the creature lowered its head and bellowed a great blast of noise at me.

I lowered my sword and hung my head, laughing to myself. With a deep breath I looked up from under by brow, “You’re one ugly mother bucker, bully boy. Time for you to meet the butcher’s block.”

The minotaur took a half step back, cocking its head in confusion at my words before grabbing the severed head from a fallen thestral and pitching it at me like a hoofball. The throw was wild and missed me by a yard, the intention probably being to distract me from the huge axe it now produced from its back, the blade swiftly swinging downwards. I dodged the blow, jumped up and sliced my blade along the haft, removing several of the minotaur’s fingers. The hideous thing howled in rage and pain, then lowered its head and charged me with its lethally sharp horns. There was no way I could dodge in time. Levitating a thestral’s corpse, I slammed it into the things legs, taking them out from under it. The monstrous creature fell and slid at full tilt towards me. I leapt vertically, landing on its back and span round while grabbing one of the packages from my saddle bag. The minotaur, dazed and winded, started to push itself to its feet. But it was too late. Seizing the moment, I enveloped its head in my magic and slammed its skull against the stone steps as hard as I could. Again and again, I pounded the thing until its tongue lolled out and its eyes rolled up in its head. It wasn’t dead, just stunned, but it had been slowed enough for what I did next. Grabbing the creatures muzzle in my hooves, I wrenched its head back and plunged the pack of flashbug tubes into its steaming mouth and down to its throat. Releasing the minotaur’s head, I sent a small spark of flame down to the packaging material setting it alight and jumped off. The monstrous creature choked, clawing at its mouth and throat, trying to pull out the burning parcel but to no avail. It would only have delayed the inevitable anyway. I turned my back and walked off up the stairs as the flash bugs went to work. The resultant explosion rained pieces of skull, brain and flesh like a thunderstorm from hell around myself and the minotaur’s motionless comrades. Reaching down and picking up a fragment of bloodied skull which still had the horns attached, I turned and tossed it back down the stairs at the hooves of the stunned Thestrals.

Slowly, I licked the blade of my sword and smiled at them, “Come my friends, death is waiting for you. Will you keep him waiting?”

One of the Thestrals whinnied and retreated a few paces, the creature’s fear almost tangible. “Demon!” one of them cried and barged his way down the steps past the others who, one by one, began to back away.

I stood on my hind legs sheathing my sword and spotted something that I recognised poking out from under the corpse of its own. Picking up the particularly ornate scythe, I gave it a test swing. I smiled at the sound it made whistling through the air and swung it up and back, resting it on my shoulders as I turned to the thestrals below. “COME!” I roared, and moved toward them menacingly. It was all they needed. They turned and bolted, discarding their weapons as they went. I clicked my tongue in mock disappointment. “Looks like I’d better find some new playmates,” I chuckled. I shook my mane and snorted, looking up to the armoured warriors staring at me from the top of the stairs.

Thorn was sat on his haunches trying to stem the flow of blood from a shoulder wound while several other officers surrounded him, bloodied, burnt, and utterly spent. Before them a group of black and red armoured thestrals had turned to face me. All had stopped fighting to stare wide eyed at the newcomer, but I didn’t care, it was time to play and these would make fine playmates for my blade this day. It was like being in a dream, of dancing and of song. Shouts and screams of fear tantalised me as I cut them down with my scythe, just as a farmer cuts the fields of straw. I sang a wordless, meaningless song of joy and death while my blade did its thirsty work. Most fell, some tried to run, some lay dying - all knew that to oppose me was death. It was as it should be.

“CAPTAIN FAIRLIGHT!”

I could here a voice, a recognisable voice, calling my name. Was it my name? Yes… Yes, I think I was. I paused to kick the thestral from my sword, the creature’s blood shining seductively on the blade…

“Captain Fairlight, as your commanding officer, I order you to stand down. NOW!”

Who? I stood and stared at the body by hooves, and turned to face the one shouting at me. Shaking and gasping for breath in the cold air, my muzzle foaming, I stared at the wounded officer. Thorn? In a daze, I looked down at my hooves. They were black, black with blood. The scythe blade dripped with my victims gore, scraps of flesh and fur hanging from the haft. My armour, gouged and dented from blows I never even felt, let alone saw, was covered in grey brain matter and stained red blood. How much was of it was mine I had no idea. And yet, I felt… nothing. Nothing at all.

“My goddess, Equestrian. I would thank you for our rescue, but I… I have never seen the like.” The warrior I recognised as the reconnaissance squad sergeant, bobbed his head to me warily.

“I have.” Thorn stood, his attendant fussing over him as she applied bandages to his wounds. “Battle fever, blood rage, we had many names for it. Warriors lusted for it, but few achieved it. Thestral warriors could enter a blood rage but it was mostly common in wendigo.”

“What?! Wendigo?” the sergeant spluttered in surprise.

“Yes.” Thorn sounded thrilled yet to my surprise, also a little envious. “Have you not seen it this day with your very own eyes, sergeant? You may not believe my words but see! The proof lies before you, at our pony comrades hooves.”

The sergeant observed the carnage and looked back at me with an expression of wariness and even a tinge of fear. With a shake of his mane he sheathed his sword, “I don’t mind saying it, Equestrian, but you scare the shit out of me, let alone the enemy. I’m damned glad you’re on our side.”

Thorn gave a mirthless laugh, wincing as his shoulder shook. The medic tutted at him and reset the bandages. “Glimmer?” the commander asked.

I shook my head, “She was still alive when I left her, but not…” I drew a ragged breath, “She died saving me. She was a true warrior Storm Major. I promised her we would honour her when this is all over.”

“We will, Captain. We will. She was a good friend.” Thorn smiled faintly. “Tell me, Captain Fairlight of the Manehattan Watch,” he continued, leaning his foreleg on his thigh, “A warrior likes to leave a memory, a piece of advice for future generations that will be passed down from mother to daughter, from father to son. Did Glimmer tell you anything that you will be able to pass on to your foals?”

I nodded.

“Yes?” he asked me.

“Ears,” I mumbled.

“Sorry, Captain, I can’t hear you very well. Can you say that again?”

“Ears.”

“Ears?”Thorn frowned in confusion. “What about them?”

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Nibbling the ears ‘apparently’ drives mares crazy.”

I blushed and shuffled my hooves in the burning heat of embarrassment. There was a long, silent pause as the warriors before me absorbed the words, looking at each other in wonder. And then, like a bubble bursting, the moment was over. The Storm Major, his injury forgotten, threw back his head and roared with laughter, his comrades joining him. The joyful sound echoed across the cityscape spread out around us and I couldn’t help buy raise a smile. Glimmer’s ancestors didn’t know what was going to hit them.

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

We climbed cautiously to the top of the platform, keeping pace with Thorn who was walking slowly with the aid of one of his troops. There wasn’t one of them who hadn’t been wounded, but they’d insisted on reaching the top before pausing for anything other than life saving medical aid. The poultices they had applied to the more serious of their wounds was a pungent blend of what appeared to be mushrooms or fungi of some kind. It stank to the high heavens but worked amazingly well, stemming blood loss quickly and covering the wound in a rubbery seal preventing any dirt ingress. I’d dipped a hoof in some when the medic offered a little to me in case I’d been hurt and I’d gladly dabbed a little onto the patchwork of cuts and burns I never realised I’d had until now. I have to say it was absolutely amazing. The odd concoction gave instant relief from pain and provided a cooling sensation that had me marvelling at some of the creations here in the Withers. Considering how barren the whole land seemed to be, there must be a hidden wealth of resources here which could be farmed or worked, like those handy white blob things that they made leather straps from. I felt a shiver run through me at the thought!

“Sir?” I asked politely as we climbed the stairs, “Is Shadow nearby or is she with another party?”

The old thestral gauged me with one of his fiery eyes and spoke levelly. “No, Captain. I fear the Lady Shadow is not with us. We lost sight of a lot of our people in the city.” He rubbed his eyes with a foreleg. “As much as it pains me to say, it would appear we have been betrayed. Our route here, and our plans, were known only to a select few. We had precious little time to concoct them in any case. All of our preparations were drawn up quickly in case of need, although there was always the chance that the duchess would have allowed you to leave.”

I doubted that. That old bitch Maelstrom was power crazed. I’d seen it in the way she attacked anypony, even her own family, to assert her complete dominance over the tribe. I’d thought at the time that maybe it was simply the thestral way of doing things, and that really I shouldn’t be judging them. After all, I was the outsider here whichever way you looked at it. ‘When in Roam’ and all that shtick. At least, that was what I’d thought until she’d struck Shadow. So maybe… nah, she was just a bitch. Personally, I’d love to return the sentiments to her before I left - once I’d found my Shadow of course. I could only pray to the goddesses that she was nearby waiting for me and would appear once she heard the sound of battle die away. I gritted my teeth and climbed. I had to have faith we would find her and we’d leave together, otherwise… I didn’t know what I’d do.

Painfully slowly we finally broached the top of the plateau with a combined sigh of relief. The others set about checking equipment, wounds and so on, whereas I stood there in open mouthed amazement staring out at the surreal scene. I’d never seen anything like it. Squinting against the glare from the immaculately polished surface, it was as if I was in another world. It stretched out before us, sparkling like a gigantic tabletop made of solid diamond: white, pure, unbroken, and radiating the feeling of a sleeping, hidden power, that was as faint and passing smile but infinitely alluring. This place was incredible! There were no signs of flagstones as I’d expected, nor were there seams or joints of any kind. It had to be a structure wrought of magic, and immensely powerful magic at that - the type written about in books that foals would read and marvel at. And here I was. Gods, I felt so small… The light from the surface reflected off our coats and we had to allow our eyes a moment to adjust to its glare. Looking up I saw… Dear Luna, it was the moon! The Equestrian moon! Shining like a massive light house in the dark seas of the sky I had begun to think I would never see it again, yet here it was in this most ethereal of places. A thought popped into my head and I took out my pendant. To my shock its bright light was now almost blinding, and it lifted out of my hoof to float towards the celestial orb high above. The little golden chain, thankfully, anchored the crystal to my neck and I went to place it back into my barding, trying to steady my racing heart.

“Great goddess…” came a voice thick with wonder next to me. It was the recon sergeant. “What is that?”

I held out the crystal for him to see, his eyes burning just as brightly as the others as they moved toward me in wonder. “It’s a beacon, a guide of sorts I suppose,” I explained. “It’s guided me all the way here. With your help. All of you.” I nodded to them. In all the time I’d been with these people, they had never questioned why they were doing what they were doing. The enormity of it was staggering. They had betrayed their ruler, fought and killed their own people, and all for a pony they didn’t even know.

Thorn spoke to the sergeant. “I saw it in Star Beard’s quarters. It glows when held in a certain direction. To here apparently. Useful, if this is your only destination.”

The sergeant gazed at the crystal for a moment longer then shrugged and walked away to sit on his haunches for a scratch. Very pony like, I thought. Good grief, I could even overlook the teeth now.

“Sir,” I asked, “who are the ones who attacked us? They don’t look like they’re from your tribe. The purple mark on the armour, the minotaur?”

Thorn sighed and nodded resignedly. “They’re the Earl’s warriors.”

“My goddesses,” I breathed. I suddenly realised what had been nagging at me since my first encounter with the one in the city below. “The Earl of the Purple Sands. Shadow’s betrothed.”

One of our party stood up, gazing up at the moon intently. “You’re going to be meeting him sooner than you think Equestrian. To arms, warriors of the Beyond. We’ve got company!”

Shading my eyes against the moon’s brightness, I could just about make out the flapping shapes approaching. There must have been dozens, if not hundreds of them, and they were getting closer. I felt a hoof on my shoulder and Thorn appeared.

“Listen, Captain,” he said gravely. “You are the one they want. You and the Lady Shadow. But make no mistake, we are all now hated equally in the eyes of our duchess. I don’t know if any of us will leave here alive this day, but I sincerely wish I could have brought you both here safely. I fear I may have failed you.”

I closed my eyes and smiled. “No, Thorn. You are the bravest and most noble warrior I have ever met, pony or thestral. You and your team have sacrificed your lives for a stallion you’d never met before. You’ve done what no other could, or would, have done to get us to this point. Whatever happens next, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” I took his hoof in mine and gave a single shake. “Thank you, Storm Major Thorn. It has been an honour serving with you.”

The scarred commander of the thestrals looked surprised and smiled a toothy grin, his white scar showing vivid against his skin. “And I thank you, Watch Captain Fairlight, for this final chance at glory for my kin.” He rose on his hind legs and the thestral warriors fanned out, weapons ready. “Brothers and sisters, we may die this day but our spirits will go to the land of our ancestors who will welcome us all as true warriors of the goddess. Honour to you all, warriors of the Beyond!”

Thorn let out a howling roar, followed by the others - a fanfare of defiance to the approaching horde. My feeble pony voice had nowhere near the strength and power of my comrades, but I added it to theirs nonetheless. This Equestrian would fight by their side and stain his blade with the blood his enemies until the very end. I thanked Luna that Shadow wasn’t here to witness what would surely be coming, and prayed that she was safe. As much as I missed her terribly, I knew too that whether in this world or the next, I would see her again. Soon I would be with my family, one way or another, and all of us would be as one. I would have a lot of explaining to do with Meadow. Oh, goddesses I was in for it now!

The sergeant clopped me on the rump, laughing as he hefted his axe. “You smile, Equestrian, good! You are a true warrior now. Happy are those who fight by their brothers side.”

“And their sisters!” called another voice from further back in the formation.

I laughed aloud, joining in the merriment of the tribe. I had never felt comradeship nor friendship like this since… home. Friendship truly was magic.

With a blast of wind and the shudder of hooves landing on the plateau a good distance from us, the earl’s troops readied themselves for battle. Arrayed in ranks several deep with their blood red banners emblazoned with a purple bull’s head flapping lazily over the heads of the standard bearers, they stood in silence. Waiting. I adjusted my barding, scythe glittering in the moonlight, my brothers and sisters with me by my side. We too waited for what was to come. With the crack of a whip, a thestral driven sky chariot swooped low over the plateau and above our heads, giving me a clear view of the being within. As it passed by a pair of beady yellow eyes in a huge bulls face stared down with undisguised hatred. Dressed in what looked like furs, the minotaur cried out a hideous bellow which was echoed by his troops who began banging their spears on the ground in unison. It was quite impressive, if a little theatrical, but I had the impression it was more to psych themselves up for battle rather than to intimidate us. If that had been their intention however, it had failed hopelessly judging by the smirk on Thorn’s face. The sky chariot swept over us and banked, landing in a clatter of hooves and creaking wood. The chariot itself looked like it had originated from Equestria judging by its design, with modifications to accommodate the bulk of the gargantuan thing inside. No doubt the earl himself was paying us a visit. He pulled himself out of his conveyance which quickly took to the air, landing far back behind his massed troops, and well out of crossbow bolt range. Perish the thought we’d damage the upholstery…

The earl’s cloak caught the wind and flew out, revealing the massive musculature of the minotaur beneath. His horns, polished to a near mirror finish, shone brightly. There was no show about those things, their lethal points could doubtless disembowel a pony effortlessly. By the looks of his cloak, he’d managed to do that more than once already too. The macabre thing was an assemblage of thestral and pony hides, sewn into a grotesque robe of his defeated enemies. Cutie marks, faded and old were still quite visible. But I didn’t feel any fear at the sight. Instead I felt a pang of hunger in my chest, a flash of pain for my fellow ponies, but something more… A desire for vengeance. I watched as the earl lifted his cloak and inhaled of the hides deeply, eyes closed in obvious pleasure, a gratuitous display of intimidation which failed to have the slightest noticeable effect on Thorn’s team.

A voice rang out from our ranks. “Time for some more of your ‘bull’ shit your Earlship?”

Sniggers and laughter rang out from the hardened veterans. Amusingly I noticed that even some of the earl’s own troops were chuckling at the cheeky jibe.

Undaunted, the great beast bared its teeth, scanning the line of warriors one by one until its eyes caught mine. With a snort from those giant nostrils of his, the earl howled his words at me. “YOU!” He pointed a brown clawed digit at me. “Where is my betrothed you cursed thief pony?”

I took a step forward and looked him in the eye. “Don’t you know, Earl?” I grinned. “My, my, you really are careless aren’t you?!” I don’t know when I’d started delighting in antagonising my opponents, especially ones with hooves that could crack a pony’s head like an egg, but it had the desired effect. My comrades shook with laughter whilst the earl’s face turned a deep shade of scarlet.

“WHERE IS SHE?” he roared. “I WILL NOT ASK AGAIN, PONY.”

The words were like a sonic attack on my ears. I thought I’d become immune to the denizens of the Withers and their ability to speak deafeningly into my poor old brain, but this two legged leviathan was a walking fog-horn. The translation thing in my ear had done sterling service, but I half expected it to explode with this hairy clowns deafening racket. I opened my mouth to speak, my grip on the scythe tightening as I did so. The earl noticed it too. The beast was coiling like a spring ready to release, and I knew with deadly certainty that if I didn’t meet his charge, my hide would end up as the latest patches on that goddess damned cloak. Before I had a chance to speak though, there was a loud commotion from behind the earl’s warriors, drawing everyponies attention. Momentarily forgotten, the earl turned his back to me and I had to refrain from seizing the opportunity to attack. It set in me the grain of hope that maybe, just maybe… we could all just walk away from this. Some hope, I thought to myself sarcastically as the huge form of a familiar deep green thestral mare rose over the plateau followed by the equally familiar shape of Far Sight and, bringing up the rear, an enclosed sky carriage that landed next to them. All very dramatic, I pondered, but even so an icy chill tingled down my spine. Events were rapidly reaching their zenith but I would be damned if I was going to be carried along helplessly like a leaf on the river. For now though, I waited for the duchess to speak.

“Hold, my most gracious Earl. Please, I beg you, stay your hoof!” The old girl sounded breathless. Perhaps she was a little out of shape after all?

The earl stood where he was and rumbled his reply. “The thief is here, Duchess. He has stolen my betrothed. Where is she?”

The duchess gave a startled snort, “Yes, yes, I understand your impatience, my dear earl. But before that there is the matter of the treaty which-”

The earls face darkened, “-THERE WILL BE NO TREATY, FEMALE, UNLESS YOU FULFIL YOUR SIDE OF THE AGREEMENT!” Goddesses, that noise!

The duchess recoiled from the minotaur’s bellowed words but quickly regained her composure. “But my dear Earl, I have fulfilled our agreement. Here, see for yourself...”

She held out a hoof to the carriage door which a cloaked attendant hurried to open. My heart skipped a beat and I felt a wave of cold realisation flush through me at what came next. Slowly, warily, a slender black leg emerged from the darkened interior. Muzzled, wings bound, hobbled to prevent escape, Shadow followed, stumbling onto the white flat stone of the plateau. I felt a huge pulling sensation deep inside my chest, all the while choking back my desire to call her name. I didn’t want her to see this.

“Here is your gift from the people of the Beyond!” The duchess smiled expansively and spoke once more to the minotaur who continued to glower at the new arrival. “Now my dear Earl, the treaty…?”

The minotaur leaned down, sniffing at Shadow and growled low. “She stinks of the pony. She has been tainted and is useless to me now. There will be no trade agreement.”

“WHAT?!” Maelstrom screamed, grabbing at Shadow roughly. She pulled her muzzle towards her, staring into her daughter’s eyes. Shadow looked back, unmoving. Roughly, her mother released her and with a gasp of shock, shouted out her rage in a gout of steam. “You… you filthy little whore! You’ve lain with that stinking, filthy… HORSE!” There was that word again. By Luna, I didn’t like this mare one little bit, and I didn’t like where this was leading either. She was a vicious bitch who even her husband had little sway with, and I wouldn’t put anything past her. Sure enough, Maelstrom turned to me, grabbing her daughter around the throat. Far Sight rumbled low threateningly, steam pouring from his muzzle as he advanced towards his wife, but she ignored him as her rage boiled over. “She’s ruined now,” she snarled. “You… you filth! All those years of planning, grooming, training. Ruined. All ruined, because of a damned Celestian! Damn you and all your kind to the deepest circles of hell!” The duchess was incandescent with rage. All reason and sanity disappearing like the steam wisping from her maw. She smiled, shaking as the insanity took her. “Well… Well my dear sweet one… Sweet, sweet Shadow. I hope we meet again in ‘pleasanter’ times. You can go to be with your sister now…” A flash of sparkling diamond filled my vision as the duchess took a dagger to Shadow’s throat. I screamed in fury and charged at the same time my vision turned white, a jet of flame like a surgeon’s scalpel burning across the duchess’s chest and foreleg. The dagger clattered to the ground where it was kicked away by Far Sight, flames and smoke licking up the side of his muzzle.

“You go too far wife!” he hissed in barely controlled fury, whilst Maelstrom stood staring at her leg like she’d been poleaxed. At her father’s command, Shadow was quickly collected by two cloaked ponies and had her bonds removed. She was shaking in fright and, knowing Shadow, a healthy dose of anger too.

“PITIFUL.” The earl turned his back on the scene to face me, leaving the broken duchess sobbing in outrage and shame while her husband put a protective wing around her. Far Sight looked over to me and nodded slowly. Taking this as her chance, Shadow broke free of her assistant, looking about herself frantically before she saw me. We locked eyes. The black mare’s nostrils flared and she prepared to come full gallop just as another cloaked pony stepped in front of her, pulling her up short. The two spoke briefly and Shadow’s face looked towards me in utter desperation before nodding and walking slowly, head down, back to the sky carriage.

The sound of heavy hooves clopping on the hard surface pulled at my attention. “NOW, PONY, WE WILL FINISH THIS CHARADE. YOU HUMILIATE ME, AND I ANNIHILATEYOU!” The earl’s furious words made the dust dance around him.

“Oh dear,” I smiled. “I really don’t think so.”

Thorn shouted to me, “Now, Captain! Your moment is here. Seize your glory!”

If a pony had shouted that to me at any other time I would probably have cringed in embarrassment. But as my old mentor once told me, it was all about timing. Timing and context. I breathed in several times, calming my heart, gently sensing for the cold anger inside. Like a frightened cat it backed away into the dark, and for an instant I feared I wouldn’t be able to achieve my goal. I

breathed slowly, all the while easing the storm inside, holding out an invisible hoof to it, teasing it, promising it all it wanted to fulfil its needs. ‘Come,’ I thought at it. ‘A banquet await us. Will you let me feast alone?’ I felt a movement, virtually imperceptible, but I could feel the restraints I’d put on it relinquish their grasp. Slowly, the tiny icy feeling sent questing tendrils out to my consciousness. ‘Come,’ I said to the darkness, ‘Let us be one again. We are halves of one whole are we not? Join me in the symphony now and bring our foe to the feast of death.’

A bare whisper answered, ‘Yes.’ Again a moment later, stronger, ‘Yes.’ The cold wall suddenly burst free of its restraints and flooded through me in howling flood, sending a rush of ice and fire through my body that made me gasp out loud…

“YES!”

I cried out to the night sky, my heart soaring on a wave of euphoria and anger. Cold, black vengeance, retribution for the fallen - it was all waiting for me. My rattling cry of pain and despair howled out across the plateau, my wings bursting forth from my back and snapping out to show their magnificent, terrible beauty to the world. I growled low and loud, the thick white mist beginning to pour like liquid cloud from my teeth. My vision became tinged in blue, my eyesight becoming impossibly clear. Every detail of my surroundings, every smell, every sound, the tiniest of movements, were as an open book to my senses. My hooves were the bringers of thunder, my teeth would rend, my fire would burn. There was time to kill…

The minotaur dragged a giant axe from its back as it yelled a terrible battle cry and charged me, horns down. With a single beat of my wings I flew up into the dark sky, my white coat and blue mane shining brightly in the moonlight. I hissed my defiance and swept down, plumes of white cloud shrouding my flanks making me appear like a comet from the heavens, howling down to sunder the earth. The Minotaur swung his mighty axe but I was too quick for his lumbering frame and I released a blast of blue fire from my horn straight for his chest. Surprisingly fast for such a monster, he twisted and my attack glanced across his chest flensing his flesh and drawing a shout of pain.

“COWARD!” he bellowed, stopping and lowering his axe to the ground. “YOU FLY WITH YOUR MAGIC, AFRAID TO FACE ME. YOU ARE LIKE EVERY OTHER CELESTIAN WORM I HAVE EVER KNOWN. YOU HAVE NO HONOUR.”

I came to a halt, my wings beating steadily. He was wrong. I was no coward. I was a pony of Equestria, a captain in the service of their royal highnesses. I would kill this animal, claim my mate, and return home. We all would return home. Except… him. I called to the Earl with my Wendigo voice, cold and otherworldly. “Very well…”

“By the goddess’s arse, Fairlight, don’t do it, it’s what he wants!” Thorn shouted up at me from below. “Take the bastard out with your magic.”

I understood. Victory was victory no matter how you achieved it. I flew down to him and recovered my scythe, turning to my commander as he regarded me with wide eyes. “The ends justify the means eh, sir?” I hissed, feeling the weight of the scythe in my magical grip.

He looked at me, the faintest of tears and a far away look in his old eyes. I could almost see the images of his son, Nimbus, nailed to pieces of crystalline wood.

“No, Captain,” Thorn said quietly. “Not always.”

I nodded and turned my face to the minotaur, my blue eyes reflected in the blade of his axe. The creature laughed expansively, “FOOL! You cannot defeat me! I have been in over a hundred battles!”

“Oh don’t worry, bully,” I retorted. “You can’t lose all the time.”

The earl screamed in a red haze of fury and ran at me full tilt, swinging the axe like it weighed no more than a feather. I deflected it with the scythe and span, cutting up and round, slicing through the vile creatures thigh and side. In reply his axe swept down, cleaving through my flank, leaving a trail of silvery blood pouring down my leg. He was a lot faster than I’d given him credit for. But no matter. We circled each other, everything and everypony else forgotten. Our sole focus now was on cutting down the other. Nothing else mattered. I felt the exhilaration of combat sizzling through me, almost but never quite overwhelming my conscious mind. I was floating in a sea of calm, dead calm, the waters around me surging and boiling, the white wind flowing and crying out for release. Inside the eye of the storm I controlled it all, working the flow of power and anger. I was the conductor of an orchestra of destruction. I was the bringer of woe, the maker of widows, and the harbinger of death. I cried out into the storm and the wind flew free.

The minotaur lifted his axe above his head and brought it down with a bone splitting strike that would have cleaved me in two. Whirling around him my scythe flashed and struck, blood blossoming where it drew back, only to strike once more. It barely phased him. An unstoppable mountain of muscle and rage, the earl snarled and tried to grab my mane, screaming in pain as his fingers froze when they barely brushed my body. Incensed with agony and fury, he lowered his head and charged, horns glinting with deadly purpose. I barely dodged his attack, his horns grazing my foreleg and drawing forth more shining blood. Even as his horns froze in shining blue-white ice, he swept the great axe at me and I pulled out all my speed to block the heavy weapon away from gutting me. I wasn’t quite quick enough. The blade nicked a piece of flesh from my rump and I gritted my teeth against the pain, dropping the scythe and pulled the short-sword from its sheath. The hulking creature, blood streaming from its many wounds, threw his ruined weapon on the ground and ran at me, bloodied clawed arms outstretched, screaming his hate and bloodlust as he came. I stood my ground, waiting for the right moment. He was almost on me as I arrowed the sword straight into his throat. Staggering off target he reached up and yanked the sword free, tossing it like a toy across the white ground towards the watching thestrals. The earl gagged, choking on his own blood and turned to glare at me with his cold hard bullish eyes while I took up my scythe, power seething through me in a cascade. I was beyond ecstasy. The end was near now. So near I could taste it. And I would - I would drink deep this day,

“Oh, Earl,” I hissed, the cold of the north wind in my voice, mist dripping, steaming onto the plateau’s solid ground. “No more running. No more games. Time... to play.”

I took my fighting stance as he came at me, a final rush that would leave one of us lifeless at the dead centre of the city of ghosts. Time slowed and I took in every movement of his muscles, the steam blasting from his nostrils, the blood seeping from his wounds. The claws, several broken away by the frozen touch of my body, reached for me. His mind was gone, and any thought of the injuries he would receive in grappling me meant nothing to him now - only my death at his claws. I waited, reaching out with my magic, bringing the scythe to my hooves. With an animalistic cry, time snapped back on track and the Earl of Purple Sands stumbled to a halt. A line of blood spilled from his neck to his waist. The life sparked in his eyes, then went out, the two halves of his body slipping wetly to the now blood slicked ground.

It was over.

I dropped the scythe from my hooves and stood over the defeated enemy. My breath slowed, I closed my eyes, and opened my mist dripping maw, breathing in the delectable aroma. It was time to feed. To the victor, the spoils...

Silence fell across the city like a shroud. I sat back on my haunches, my hunger satisfied. After what felt like hours I opened my eyes and looked upon the shrivelled ruin of the Earl of Purple Sands. What was left of him. Lifting the scythe I cut the thong holding the hideous cloak to his remains and brought it up so I could take a closer look at it. I was right, it was covered in cutie marks. They were old, faded, but had been unique and special to the victims of the vile creature from years gone by as they would be to any pony today. Dark red, purple, black, and green tinged thestral hides contributed to this abomination before me. I rolled it up and held it in the air with my magic before incinerating it with a pulse of blue fire. The burning cloak filled the air with the stink of hair and skin, sending black smoke up into the sky, covering the face of the moon.

I lifted my head to look to the symbol of the goddess. “Luna, princess of the night, goddess of our dreams, hear my prayer. Your children are coming home.”

Tears stung my eyes and tiny crystals of silver rolled down my face to land on the ground like hail. A light nuzzle against my neck brought me back to look into my lover’s eyes. Shadow smiled shyly and licked my cheek. I leaned into her and spread a wing across her back, feeling her warmth against my hide and felt the pain in my heart lessen with every heartbeat.

A familiar voice echoed out across the vastness of the plateau from behind the Duchess who was still weeping into her husbands chest as he cradled her. A broken doll she may be at present, but I had no doubt that the stern thestral inside would return some day. Hopefully, her children and husband would help her to become more - to be a better ruler.

“This is nice isn’t it? Everyone here then I take it?” A cloaked thestral emerged from the covered sky carriage and trotted over with Ember who kept several steps behind him and her head down.

I looked at Star Beard and smiled, “Impeccable timing my friend.”

He shrugged, changing from Thestral to Equestrian effortlessly. “Well, mmm, not really. I was quite tired galloping about after everyone you know and, well, I may have had a little snooze in the carriage… um.” He gave himself a shake. “Still, everything seems to be in hoof, eh? Like the look by the way. Very… ‘you’.”

Thorn trotted over with his warriors. The late earl’s troops may as well have been invisible for all the attention they paid them. “You old donkey fart!” he laughed. “I thought you’d finally been done in! Thank the goddess you’re alive.”

Star Beard clopped hooves with the Storm Major and pulled him into an embrace. “I missed you too, my son.”

Wait… Thorn was Star Beard’s son? Bloody hell, just how old was he?! I remembered him explaining how time was different between here and the mortal world, but somewhere between fighting wars, he’d fathered Storm Major Thorn and, quite a bit later judging by the age difference, the duchess. I wondered just how many of the tribe the randy old sod had spawned. Wait a minute, that meant… If Shadow was my mate, then she was the daughter of the duchess which makes him-

“You’ve been busy I see, grandson,” Star Beard said happily, nudging me with his nose. “Long time no see, eh? Hope you’ve been taking good care of my granddaughter.”

“Star Beard-” I began, but he stopped me with a raised hoof.

“We have guests, fillies and gentlecolts,” the old thestral pointed out, gesturing to Thorn and his officers. “We must attend to our duties. It would be rude not to now, wouldn’t it?”

Star Beard nudged Shadow and myself into following him out in front of the confused looking warriors from Purple Sands. Their commander dead before them, they looked to have lost their will to fight as well as any idea as to what to do now. With a flourish, the old thestral unclipped his cloak, revealing another underneath. I recognised it from the secret room beneath the hill. It was a floor length dark blue cloak, a little mouldy looking, but serviceable. Silver crescents and stars were sewn into it and, oddly, brass bells which tinkled as he straightened himself out. He fussed a moment longer, pulling out a huge blue hat in the same outrageous style as the cloak from the depths of his saddle bag and plopped it on his head. Ember fussed with his garments until she was satisfied. He smiled and nodded to her and she backed away coyly.

Clearing his throat, Star Beard addressed the massed warriors. “Warriors of the Purple Sands, who speaks for you now that your earl has been defeated in honourable combat?”

A tall Thestral in black and red striped armour and sporting several white stripes on his helmet stepped forward. “I do. I am Captain Light Step of the tribe of Purple Sands.”

“Do you speak for all your people, Captain?” Star Beard asked.

“I can,” the warrior replied. “The earl is dead and his only heir is also slain.” I nodded as the thestral dipped his head in my direction.

Star Beard bobbed his head in understanding. “Captain, the ancient agreements of our peoples still bind us. By the laws of the goddess, your tribe now belongs to this warrior.” I nearly fell over backwards when Star Beard pointed his hoof at me.

“But… Elder,” Light Step stuttered, “He is not a thestral, nor even a pony! I… I do not know what he is. How can he lead us, such a… a demon?”

“A demon?!” Star Beard laughed out laughing and clopped the captain on the shoulder, “Oh come on now my dear fellow, don’t you know a wendigo when you see one?”

Everypony broke out in shocked mutterings and nervous movements all around me. Goddesses, I hated being the centre of attention and I could feel myself blushing slightly. How that looked on a white ‘demonic’ being with a blue mane and tail, not to mention leaking white fog everywhere, was anyponies guess. I certainly had an effect on the thestrals here though.

“They are extinct!” Light Step announced suddenly, rallying himself. “How can you say this one is a warrior of the goddess when none of them have been seen since the Return ? My people-”

“-Your people will know when they see a wendigo, Captain, as you did when he slew your despicable Earl.” Star Beard’s authoritative tonerolled out across the plateau brooking no dissent. “Where were you looking when the blue fire burned the sky? Where were you when the breath of the princess of the night caressed the ground? You have heard the war cry of our goddess here today, and you still say they are… extinct?!”

Light Step’s head dropped, “I… Elder…I’m sorry, it’s all…”

Star Beard put a hoof on the stricken captain. “I know my boy. In truth I couldn’t believe it myself at first, but here he is before you. Speak with him now. Go on, he doesn’t bite.”

The captain nervously stepped up to me, his eyes full of uncertainty and fear, but still carrying a touch of pride. “My Lord…” he began.

I stomped a hoof, making him wince. “I am not your Lord, Captain.” My voice flowed from my maw like wind gusting across a glacier, “You are a thestral, proud and strong, a warrior of the goddess of the moon. Hold your head high, my brother.” The captain stared up at me, his eyes wide. I stood tall, addressing them all. “I have fulfilled the terms of the agreement with the tribe of the Beyond. From this day forth, I decree that both tribes will be as one – whole, as they once were and shall be again. Be as one under the moon of the goddess.”

Shocked silence met me.

“I am leaving this land my brothers and sisters. I cannot say if I can return or not, but know this: All of you share a bond with me now, one forged in the heat of battle. We have fought and bled upon the land of the ancestors, and that is a bond that can never be broken.” I turned to the duke. “LORD FAR SIGHT!” I called, and the great thestral landed beside me, shaking his long mane. “Your warriors await your orders, my father. For now, I must beg your leave.”

Far Sight stared at me intently for a moment before smiling and giving me a sly wink with those big red eyes of his. With a sweep of his great wings, he turned to join to Light Step and Thorn. As for myself, I walked away with Shadow and Star Beard, leaving the old soldiers to discuss the future of the two tribes. Whether things would last, whether they would be able to put centuries of division aside and forge a new future together, was in their hooves now. I quietly prayed to Luna it would be so. We followed Star Beard past the milling thestrals, their old rivalries apparently set aside along with their stacked weapons as they joined their new friends to drink, smoke, gamble, and all the other things familiar to warriors of any race. If this was how easy it was to get the two sides talking to one another, then perhaps there really was hope. And then we passed the huddled form of the duchess and headed down the steps behind her. Spotting me she gave a terrified cry and scuttled away from us, from me, with a foreleg over her face. “Demon!” she hissed. “To think my daughter… with you… Demon! Back to the pit with you… demon…”

Star Beard craned his head round sadly and spoke to me in a hushed tone. “Don’t worry about her my young friend, I will see she is tended to. It’s all been a little too much for the poor girl.”

I glanced back to the duchess who squeaked in alarm when she noticed me looking at her and covered her face with a wing. I hoped Star Beard knew what he was doing. The duchess looked like she needed a little more than simply ‘tending to’. Shadow and I followed the eccentric old thestral into a large building with a crescent moon carved on the door lintel. Nopony had been in here for a long time by the looks of things, and our hoof prints were the only ones visible in the dust on the solid floor. Apparently they didn’t believe in carpets here. The building itself was built, like the rest of the city, in that solid white crystal giving the observer the feeling of being inside a cube of ice but without the chill. And speaking of chilly, I’d noticed on my breakneck journey through the empty streets a distinct lack of doors, glass for the windows, in fact furniture of any kind. It was almost as if the city was a blueprint, a plan for something that never truly happened. There was certainly no sign of decay, wear, or life of any description. There was one pony who I knew held the key to this mystery though, and he was a few feet in front of me wearing a relic from equestrian history.

“Star Beard,” I asked, “or should I call you ‘Starswirl the Bearded’. You knew what was going to happen today, didn’t you?”

He stopped in his tracks. Without turning he spoke, “My dear boy, I’m not a pony you know. I’d have thought you’d have realised that by now. The glowing eyes and teeth are a bit of a give away, wouldn’t you say?” His voice was level and had an almost dangerous note to it compared to his usual manner of speaking.

I pressed on regardless. “The cloak, the hat, the secret room full of Equestrian artefacts in a world like this? How old are you, what, like a thousand years or more?” I wanted answers before I left this place, probably forever.

Star Beard smiled, but it never reached his eyes. “You have a right to ask questions, Fairlight. After all, Equestrians have always been an inquisitive species. But I cannot answer them all. You will just have to accept that I have my reasons, why I can’t. Think of it as a promise to a friend, from long ago.” He slowly turned to face me. “And you, my pony friend, will also have to bear in mind that no pony, not even the goddesses themselves can know everything. That friend of mine I mentioned, he tried, and spent the best part of his life searching for the answers to magic, to life, even to death. He found some, true, but not all that he desired to know. And it was that same passion for knowledge that slowly consumed him until, one day, he simply stopped. He realised that sometimes the answers we seek are not always there ones we should, or want, to hear. And so he came to us here in the Wither World. He spent many years helping our people, teaching us, helping us to become more than the brutish, warlike animals we were. There is still a lot to do to continue his good works, but I am old, Fairlight. As you said - very old.”

“The cloak and hat belonged to this ‘friend’?” I asked inquisitively.

Star Beard nodded. “Yes, Fairlight, they belonged to him. Oh, I dare say that he had more than one set of clothes of course, but now, sadly, he is no longer with us. So it falls to his, shall we say, protégé to follow in his hoof steps. My adopted name is my homage to him, to help us remember what he did for us.”

“But you’re not a unicorn!” I blurted, regretting my thoughtless words the moment they left my mouth.

Star Beard looked past me into a memory only he could see. “No. I’m a thestral, like the rest of my people. However, we all have a magic within us, Fairlight, be you a unicorn, pegasus, earth pony, thestral, or even, yes, a minotaur. Aren’t you taught that any more in your world?”

I hung my head in shame, “I… I don’t know.” I swallowed my pride and cleared my throat. “I’m sorry, Star Beard, I shouldn’t have pushed you for answers and now I’ve made you remember painful memories.”

Star Beard shook his mane and looked at me with a slightly puzzled expression. “Painful? Goodness me, no! If my mentor hadn’t have come here I’d never have had the chance to wear such an amazing cloak and hat!” He suddenly pranced around the empty room making the bells jingle and tinkle, striking ludicrous poses. Shadow laughed, and I looked into her face as she held her hoof to her mouth, red eyes sparkling with mirth. I couldn’t help but burst out laughing with her at the old thestrals antics. Star Beard was definitely more than a little strange and secretive, but I knew in my heart that he was the best chance we had of getting out of here and I would put my trust in him completely.

Chapter Nine - The journey of the soul

CHAPTER NINE

The journey of the soul

We sat together by a small black stone font set in the centre of one of the empty building’s rooms. It was a place with a peculiar sense of calm, too. Niggling at the back of my mind I sensed a subtle background thrum of magic, similar to that on the plateau, but here it was more… ‘personal’ somehow. Ember, the most eloquent of Shadow’s sisters, was so quiet I had almost forgotten she was with us. She silently passed around a woven basket full of the plump silvery berries. What caused me some consternation however, was that the once talkative thestral female now avoided eye contact with me completely, turning her head away if I even so much as glanced in her direction.

“Eat. Both of you.” Star Beard motioned towards Shadow and I, taking a particularly juicy one for himself.

I’d already ‘eaten’ earlier of course, but I could still feel the warm tingle of magic from the berries lifting my reserves. A sudden worry popped into my mind. “Star Beard, Thorn told me he believed we’d been betrayed,” I began. “That ambush had been prepared long before we got here. We’re fortunate to be alive.” I put a hoof on Shadow’s and smiled at her. “We all are.”

Star Beard smiled at us both and nodded in his usual knowing manner. “Sometimes the ties of family are so strong they can make us do the strangest things, Captain. Even to the point of driving us to make choices that we know in hearts are wrong.” I saw him looking at Ember who turned her head away in embarrassment. Or was it shame? “Love, even if unrequited, is a powerful force.”

Shadow nuzzled her sister’s neck and they spoke in low voices to each other for a moment before Ember gingerly moved closer to snuggle into her sister’s side.

Star Beard watched them quietly and smiled, “She loves you, you know.”

I watched them for a while before answering. It had been so obvious, I’d overlooked it completely. “I know,” I answered.

We sat in silenced for a while longer before Star Beard stood and walked over to the font. After a few moments he began to mumble words in a language I had never heard before, standing on his hind legs and holding his hooves out across its surface. Before my astonished eyes a silver fog gradually began to rise from it as he lifted his forelegs high as though in prayer. Even with my magical translation device I couldn’t understand any of his words. Listening to them closely they were something quite different to what anypony would normally describe as a ‘language’ at all. It was a gutteral, rumbling sound that ebbed and flowed in time with the swirling fog. This was more like magic, raw magic given voice, and it send a shiver down my spine. My horn was tingling and itching now too, a sure sign of a large magic field building up nearby. And yet even though I was expecting ‘something’ to happen, I still started in surprise as the font suddenly threw out a beam of brilliant red light straight up into the ceiling. As I watched, blue and yellow spirals of energy began to separate from the central beam, travelling up the outside of it, illuminating the room with a kaleidoscope of colour. Star Beard spoke into the light and nodded. He continued to do this for several minutes before bowing to the light as it winked out of existence in complete silence. Strangely, Shadow and Ember were fast asleep, oblivious of the peculiar spectacle before them.

The mysterious old thestral sat back down before me and smiled a sad smile.

“Colonel?” I asked quietly, trying not to wake the sleeping mares.

He fiddled with his satchel for a moment before speaking. “The preparations are complete, my boy. You leave here tonight.”

I sat up on my haunches, eyes wide in shocked realisation. I couldn’t believe it! So, this was it was it? I was to finally say goodbye to this world and leave for my own, back to the land of mortals - Equestria. I was suddenly filled with excitement and fear in equal measure. “What of Shadow?” I asked.

“She will meet you there,” Star Beard replied simply, looking down at the floor contemplatively.

“We aren’t going together?” I asked.

My question unanswered, the old thestral clambered to his hooves while fidgeting with his hat. “Come, Fairlight, there’s someone here who’s waiting to speak to you.” Without another word, he walked out of the room in a tinkle of little bells. I felt a strange resistance as I stood up, rather like something was anchoring me to the floor, but a good push was all it took and I was trotting after Star Beard in no time. “In here, my boy.” He gestured to a side chamber which was glowing from within with a peculiar, yet almost familiar golden warm radiance.

Rather than being worried however, I felt strangely drawn to it. After all the countless days of darkness, the endless nothingness, to feel such a comforting warmth upon my face was… inviting. Unexpectedly a hot need to enter the light thrummed through me. It was so gentle, so comforting, that I was almost overwhelmed with the sheer intensity of its silent call. In a sudden moment of hesitation I opened my mouth to speak, to voice my confusion about this strange phenomenon, but Star Beard had already gone back to the room with the font leaving me alone, bathed in the otherworldly light. Shaking my mane and gathering myself, I entered cautiously. Inside… By the goddess! I looked around myself in complete astonishment. No. No, this couldn’t be real! I’d have to have been eating something seriously hallucinogenic to experience visions like these. Something like... Agh! Of course, those damned berries! The sneaky old goat had probably sent me on some sort of drug induced tribal ‘spirit journey’ like those zebra shaman I’d heard of. But by Celestia, this was so real! The tall field of wheat, heavy and ready for harvest, the trees laden with lush red apples and the winding river of crystal clear water bubbling merrily through it all. I was in heaven. Dear gods, this was it, I was here! It was the Eternal Herd! It had to be, only… Only when I looked back, there in the dark room was Star Beard, Shadow and Ember, lying by the font as I expected. And yet lying between them was another stallion. A very ‘Fairlight’ looking stallion. My heart felt like it was in my throat. I’d moved on! At last I was here, here in the place I’d been so desperate to reach. And yet despite my euphoria I could still feel something niggling at the back of my mind; a bond, a faint tugging, pulling my gaze towards… Shadow. That beautiful ethereal creature, the thestral who had stayed by my side throughout my trials in the Withers. Did I really want to leave her? Did I even have a choice? Goddesses I was so confused...

“She really is quite beautiful, isn’t she? Once you get past the initial impulse to run away screaming in terror of course.”

I knew that voice. Soft and delicate, strong yet still alluringly feminine. “Meadow!” I cried, and flung my forelegs around my beloved wife. “Oh goddesses, Meadow, I’ve missed you so much!” I showered her with kisses, my emotions bubbling over with the sheer relief and joy of seeing my wife again. “I’m here now. It’s all going be the way it should be, Love. We’re in the eternal herd and nopony will ever tear us apart again. You, me, Sparrow, it’s going to be-”

She planted a hoof on my lips with her slender green foreleg. “Love, please, we haven’t got a great deal of time. The goddess has intervened on your behalf to allow us to be here, together, before you have to...” Meadow choked back a sob and then suddenly pulled me towards her, kissing me deeply.

It ended all too quickly. “It’s alright love, I don’t want to go back,” I said with a smile. “I’m meant to be with you. I always was.”

The green mare shook her head sadly. “You don’t understand, Fairlight, my darling stallion.” She stroked my chest slowly, “Your life is still tied to the mortal world, remember? Even now it calls you back. You cannot resist its call, it is… the way of world. We will see each other again, but you must fulfil your destiny first.”

Destiny? What bloody destiny?! Anger surged through my heart, threatening to wash away my joy of being in my wife’s embrace. Goddesses almighty, hadn’t I been through enough? I gave myself a shake. “To Hades with destiny, Meadow,” I huffed. “I want to be with my family. I’ve already been through death and the hell of the Wither World, so as far as I’m concerned I’ve fulfilled my bloody destiny ten times over.”

Meadow shook her head and spoke quietly, “Wait here, there’s something I have to do.”

She trotted off into the next room and up to Shadow. I watched spellbound as, incredibly, another Shadow rose from her sleeping form, blinking and looking around in as much shock as I was in. The two spoke briefly and the thestral mare nodded in apparent agreement. Then, together, they both trotted into the corn field to face me.

“Oh, bollocks…” I muttered.

“Fairlight! You promised me about that swearing!” Meadow laughed and nudged Shadow playfully.

“Sorry, Love…” I answered.

“She doesn’t speak much does she?” Meadow said to me while eyeing Shadow.

“Hey! Who’s being rude now?” I said in mock indignation.

Meadow clicked her tongue, “Oh shush you. Shadow and I are going for a chat now. You stay here and no eaves dropping either, understand?”

I sat in the wheat and plucked a stalk, holding the thing in my mouth the way I’d seen farm ponies do in Ponyville. And they could keep it too. Personally I couldn’t see the appeal – it tasted really bloody awful. Still, the feeling of light and sunshine on my coat was beyond bliss, and I could have just melted away in that moment forgetting all the darkness and strangeness of the Wither World. That was, until something made me sit up suddenly. There was a movement: small, barely imperceptible, but it was nearby in the wheat making it rustle. Unexpectedly a childish giggle made my ears prick up. Huh? Nopony there? Odd… Maybe it was my imagination after-

“You look funny!”

My heart leaped into my throat and I looked down to see where the little voice was coming from, only to see a familiar small grey pegasus foal smiling up at me.

“Hello, Daddy,” Sparrow said happily. “Are you coming home with us today?”

Damn it, I was tearing up again already. I hadn’t seen my beautiful daughter in what felt like a lifetime, and then suddenly, here she was right in front of me. I picked her up in my hooves and swept her into the air. “Maybe if I had wings,” I laughed, “and could… FLY!”

Sparrow squealed in delight as she flapped her tiny wings. “I can fly, Daddy! Weeee!” The diminutive pegasus shrieked, giggled and whooped as she ‘flew’ atop the golden ears of wheat, banking, climbing and diving. I laughed with her and gave her one last cuddle before putting her down. “Who’s that scary lady with mummy?” the little grey foal asked chirpily. “She looks like a skellington.” Sparrow stood on her hind legs, her front hooves either side of her mouth with an intent stare that only added to the amusing spectacle. “Look at me, I’m a big scary black monster thing! Look at my big pointy teeth! Arrr!”

I couldn’t help but laugh out loud, and Sparrow, encouraged by my reaction, continued to stomp around me making growling sounds. “Sparrow!” I chided, trying to control my mirth. “Come on now, you’re being rude. Shadow isn’t a pony, she’s a thestral.”

“Fes...trul,” she attempted.

I shook my head. “No. It’s ‘thes-trull’, see? Thhhhhh.”

Shadow frowned and too a deep breath. “Ffffff…” The look of exaggerated concentration was adorable.

“Oh forget it!” I laughed, and lay down on my back amongst the golden stalks of wheat. Sparrow giggled and jumped about me, her tiny wings buzzing like a bee on a summers day.

Finally exhausted, she jumped onto my chest, snuggling down into my fur. “You are coming home though aren’t you, Daddy?”

“Yes love,” I said mussing her mane. “I won’t be too long. Will you be a good girl until I see you next?” She just stuck her tongue out and I tapped her on the head with my hoof. “Naughty!” We both giggled and waited for the chatting mares to come back. I must have been dozing off for a while there, because when I opened my eyes two pairs of eyes filled my vision. “Wha-!” I squeaked, and nearly choked on the stalk in my mouth.

Meadow smiled and turned to Shadow. “He’s so cute when he’s surprised,” she smirked. “You’ll have to try it some time.”

I lay there unsure as to just what was happening. But it seemed very quiet for some reason. Where was- “Sparrow!” I said suddenly.

“Is back with my parents playing house,” Meadow said, rolling her eyes. “You on the other hoof are going to stay right there, mister, and listen to us girls for a minute.”

I sighed as she put a hoof on my chest pushing me back down with a broad smile. “Yes miss,” I said resigning myself.

“Good boy!” Meadow replied with a playful chuckle. “Shadow and I have been talking. She does become quite chatty when she gets going you know. And, she’s told me all about your ‘adventures’ together.” I think I must have turned white as she added, “And what adventures they were!” I cringed, but Meadow hadn’t finished with me yet. “Well, who can blame you for losing control in that cell when you thought you were going to be executed? Tut, tut, Fairlight...”

I could feel my face burning. “Meadow,” I breathed. “I’m sorry. Oh, goddesses, I’m so… so…”

“Pity I wasn’t there with you two,” she pondered, her eyes searching mine. “Could have made things a little more… ‘interesting’? I liked the part with the berries too. Maybe we can try that out some time.”

“Meadow, please, I don’t know what’s going on,” I blurted. “I’m dreaming, or having a nightmare, or... Oh, goddesses...” I was in a panic and struggled to get away but found myself completely immobilised. Looking up I saw that Shadow was holding me down on one side and Meadow on the other. My heart felt like it was going to burst right out of my chest.

“The goddesses already know what you’ve been up to, Fairlight,” Meadow grinned wickedly. “And now, I do too. We both do.” The mares nodded to each other in perfect harmony. “I want you to show me…” Meadow purred seductively and deftly produced a red berry from the wicker basket that they’d pilfered from the other room. Straddling me, the green mare placed it in her mouth

and moved toward mine, her lantern yellow eyes leaving me in no doubt as to what this pony expected from me. And, as a dutiful sort of fellow, I was more than happy to oblige.

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

I awoke happy but tired, a warm fuzzy feeling running through me from the tip of my nose to the dock of my tail. The room was in darkness, other than for the faint light offered by two oil lanterns near the peacefully dozing thestrals. I gave my eyes a rub and let out a sigh as I noticed the muzzle pressed into me. The light pressure I’d noticed across my chest proved to be Shadow’s foreleg. She was snuggled in tightly against me, her warmth both pleasant and welcome comfort in that dark place. I looked up to see Star Beard leaning with his back against the wall, eyeing me curiously.

“Back with us my boy?” he murmured quietly so as not to disturb the others.

“Mmmm. I must have nodded off,” I said yawning widely. I ran my hoof gently down Shadow’s foreleg, taking in her wonderful scent. For all her leathery black appearance, she was surprisingly soft. She let out a throaty rumble of contentment and snuggled into me a little more.

“Nodded off? I suppose you were dreaming then, were you?” Star Beard asked pleasantly.

I managed a glance at the door I’d passed through into the beautiful golden wheat fields to be with Meadow, Sparrow and Shadow. I could still feel the warmth of the sun on my muzzle, the smell of Meadow on my hide, the taste of the berries, and a background spiciness lingering in my mouth. On a tide of sated need I felt like I was blissfully floating along without a care in the world. Was it was wrong to feel this happy? Goddesses, let all dreams be like this! In any case, I didn’t know how to respond to the old fellow so simply shrugged.

“For a dream, you certainly seemed to take your time in the other room,” the old fellow continued. “I was surprised with all the noise you three were making that you didn’t wake poor Ember. And as for myself, why, I didn’t know where to put myself!”

I nearly jumped in shock at his words, though concerned about disturbing Shadow I caught myself and tried to settle my racing heart. “How…?”

He sniggered and pulled his satchel over to begin rummaging through the contents. “This place, this city, is where the gap between realms is, as I think you already know, at its thinnest. It makes for easier transition from one to the other. If one knows how to do it and certain, um, ‘conditions’ are met, naturally.”

“Condition’s?” I asked.

“Well, you wouldn’t want to be trotting along one day, say for a dinner date with a lovely lady and then suddenly, ‘poof!’ you’ve blundered into the Wither World, right?” Star Beard grinned, displaying his long teeth. “That could really spoil the mood!” His face suddenly darkened as his voice took on a more sombre tone. “This city was built here for that reason, Captain. It was once a staging post for the armies of the Legion during their invasion of your homeland. From all over the Wither World, thestral warriors, minotaurs, dragons, and others who had heeded the call, would gather here to follow the goddess of the moon to fight for a new future for us all. The large platform up there was constructed that size so it could draw in and focus the Wither World’s magic so as to allow our forces to pass through the veil as quickly and as easily as possible. The city itself however, was a plan which was never fully realised. And maybe… maybe it is just as well.” His eyes took on that now familiar far away look. Shaking himself suddenly he turned to me, then took a deep breath and stood up, “Come on, Fairlight, my pony friend. Let’s get going. Time waits for no-one.” I went to wake Shadow but Star Beard stopped me. “No,” he said gently. “Let the girl rest. You’ve quite taken it out of her you know. What we do now is something only for you.”

I slowly pulled myself away from the young thestral mare, placing her foreleg back down by her side and leaned in to gently kiss her cheek. Letting out a soft moan, she wriggled in her sleep before settling back down once more. Sadly, I walked slowly after the cloaked Star Beard and out into a courtyard lit only by the light of the moon. In the centre was a small circular dais made of the same white crystal material as the platform. It, like everything else here, had that same appearance of something new that had simply been left behind long ago. In some respects it was hauntingly romantic, whilst in others, it could send a chill of ice through your heart. Silently, Star Beard passed me a small bottle of silvery liquid in a nondescript glass bottle. I was surprised at first as there was a distinct lack of materials here in the Withers, so I assumed it to be another leftover from his mentor.

“Right then, come on, get that down you there’s a good fellow,” he encouraged when he saw me examining the contents.

Uncorking the bottle I drank it down in one gulp. There wasn’t a lot in it really, and it didn’t taste of much of anything either. Probably a thestral ‘pick me up’ of some kind. And then a disturbing thought popped into my head. “Star Beard,” I asked, “what are we doing here?” But as I spoke I felt a pulling sensation, soft at first but quite noticeable all the same. “What the-?”

“Quick, Fairlight! Up on the top now, we don’t have much time.” Star Beard pushed me up the short flight of steps to the top of the dais and bid me lay down.

The pulling feeling came again, more insistent this time. Suddenly the cold sensation of fear gripped me with such intensity I looked up at the old thestral in shock, my eyes going wide. “What have you done?”

Star Beard closed his eyes and swallowed. “I’m sorry, Fairlight, but this really is the only way. You cannot survive in both worlds separated in body and soul. Sooner or later you would have faded away into nothingness, leaving your body to wither and die as your soul wandered the black sands for all eternity. I couldn’t let that happen to you.” He looked up at me, his eyes carrying a sadness I never expected to see in the old warrior. “You see, creation is all about balance. For one to live, the other must… die. You must be one or the other, Fairlight. You do understand, don’t you?”

I understood, but goddesses, the cold… Abruptly, a shock of white hot pain racked through me in a howling torrent of agony that made me cry out into the bitter night air. In the distance I could hear the cries of thestrals joining mine. Star Beard held my head and looked into my eyes, small flaming tears rolling down his cheeks. “I’m sorry, my boy. Please, forgive me. If only I could have sent you via the portal, but it simply doesn’t work that way. Not any more.”

I was panting for breath now, burning fear and pain mingling with that great pull from… elsewhere… like a deafening heart beat, strong and demanding. I cried out as another tide of pain flowed from my head to my tail, surging and relentless.

“Your brothers and sisters are singing you to the next world, Fairlight.” Star Beard said softly. “Shadow will join you soon. Be strong, my boy…”

He held my head in his hooves and rocked me as I had done with Meadow so long ago. It was like I could still feel her in my forelegs and smell her sweet feminine scent. I loved her so much… I could still see her now, gazing into my eyes, the scent of… of smoke? The burning smell of wood, the crash of broken glass; heat, fire and the sensation of floating were all around me. I had to let go! It was so easy, and yet at the same time the hardest thing I could ever have imagined having to do. It was all so alien, I was terrified and wanted to run… to escape. But where to? The pulling sensation caught me again and there was a loud cracking sound, like a rubber band snapping. And suddenly I was flying, rushing through images and sounds of… my life? Meadow, Chief Mitre, Dawn, Glimmer, their faces talking to me, smiling, encouraging, whirling around in a blur of colour. And then, abruptly, everything stopped. The brief roller coaster ride of Fairlight’s life had come to the end of the tracks. All around me now was total silence in the black emptiness. I was alone, lost and afraid with only my conscious thoughts to keep me company. I could hear my mother, my father.

Meadow…

Fairlight?

I opened my eyes and looked about at the void. Nothing. There was absolutely nothing. Goddesses help me…

Love, listen to your heart. You have to let go.

“No…” I said, fighting the fear gripping my heart. “No…”

You have to. To be together again, all of us, you have to let go!

“I’m afraid!” I gasped, squeezing my eyes shut. “I’m so scared… I want to go home!”

I know love, it’s all right to be afraid. I was at first. Sparrow and I will be waiting for you, but you need to go back for now. It won’t be long, I promise. We’ll be together again soon the way we were meant to be, waiting for you in the golden wheat fields, the sun on your back and blue skies high above. It’s all there ready for when you come home. Now, go to Shadow. She’s waiting for you.

“Meadow,” I breathed. “I love you so much…”

I know, I love you too my brave Fairlight. But somepony else needs you now, and ponies shouldn’t be alone my love. Go to her now...

Shadow. My thestral mate. I had to go to her, she needed me. I couldn’t leave her alone in the mortal world. How could she survive not knowing anything about it? She’d be like I was in the Withers when I arrived there, scared and afraid. I had to reach her. I had to try… There was deep booming sound that shook my very core, and a voice, a different one this time. It was distant, but somehow sounded incredibly close, like somepony was talking though cotton wool into my ear.

“Captain Fairlight? Come to us now. Come home…” It was a female’s voice. Soft, and curiously alluring.

Another voice. Male this time. “Mistress, it’s useless. Please, you’re taxing yourself too much. We can’t put you at risk for just one stallion.”

The female’s voice strained with effort, “The strength of all is lessened by the loss of one. If there is even the slightest spark left we must try to fan the flames of life.”

“But Mistress,” the male insisted, “I’m begging you, you’ve been trying to revive this one for days! It’s hopeless. Let him go, please, just let him go.”

“NO!” the female shouted angrily. “We will not abandon a pony to the herd without trying our all first. Do you forget so easily how you came to be here? If we had left you when that slightest spark of life was dying out, you would have crossed over. Would you have gladly left than stand here at our side as you do now?”

“No Mistress,” the male replied solemnly. “Forgive me, I spoke out of line. It’s not my place-”

“My child, you have a mind, a life, and the soul of a kind pony,” the female said gently. “We would know your thoughts as we would know your heart. Keeping everything hidden inside is the pathway that allows darkness to enter. This one, this single pony, has something inside him that could help us bring balance back to our land. Help us. Help us to bring him home.”

“Mistress…” The male was sobbing now. “I fear for your safety! You know how I… That I…”

The female’s voice was gentler, full of understanding. “Shhh, quiet now, little one. We know, we have seen your dreams.”

I floated there, listening. I couldn’t help but feel that I was intruding on something that was, well, ‘special’ I suppose. There was a warmth here with these two, and I felt a curiously strong compunction to go to them. Carefully, warily, I reached out...

“Mistress! Did you see?!” a third voice said on the other side of me, excitedly.

“Yes, we see. We have done all we can now. The rest is up to our good Captain now.” The female sounded pleased; satisfied, but weary.

The male gave a sudden gasp. “Mistress? Quickly, catch her!” There was a soft thump and a commotion of hoofsteps and furniture being dragged around. “Take her to her rooms, she’s at the end of her endurance. Take some food and drink for her as well, for when she awakes.”

Several other voices spoke in agreement and there was the sound of a door opening as more came in, apparently helping the owner of the female voice from... wherever I was. With each moment I was becoming more aware of myself, but still felt strangely ‘distant’ somehow. There was a bone weary tiredness and aching running through me - sensations I hadn’t experienced since before I’d arrived in the Wither World. It was an unpleasant reminder of some of the most terrifying moments of my life, and a desperate need to move gripped me. Mentally I forced my body to obey me, but my eyes felt as heavy as lead and the light that flooded into them as I tried to open them was so blinding I nearly cried out. Yet despite the discomfort I slowly clawed my way back to consciousness, inch by agonising inch, battling the desire to simply give up and sleep. But eventually of course, nature won out. The waves of fatigue overtook me and I began to drift away into a blissful haze of rest.

Next to me a voice spoke quietly, “You’d better be worth all this, ‘Watch Captain’. If anything happens to the mistress, I’ll send you back to the underworld myself. And this time… This time

you won’t be returning.”

I vaguely heard the hoofsteps retreating and murmured sarcastically to myself, “It’s good to be home.”

END OF BOOK ONE

Chapter One - Memories of a perfect sky

FAIRLIGHT

CHAPTER ONE

Memories of a perfect sky

The sharp clatter of crockery mingled with the faint bubbling of saucepans on the stove. It was one of those simple, yet elegantly sublime moments which sang of home, good food, and a warm hearth. I inhaled deeply, allowing my senses to fully absorb the delicious aroma whilst attempting to discover exactly what it was we were having for dinner tonight. I caught a hint of… carrot? Yes, and turnip, perhaps a touch of basil, and something… something else I couldn’t quite put my hoof on. Celery? Goddess damn it, that had to be it. Blast it all, I couldn’t stand the bitter tasting stuff. Its stringy stems would always end up stuck between my teeth and have me picking at them all night unless I attacked them with a vigorous tooth brushing. The smell however, was simply delicious. Stretching out my forelegs, followed in turn by my whole body, I sank back into the large comfy settee with a contented groan. Compared to the rest of the rustic wooden furniture that lined our modest abode, it stuck out like a sore hoof for one very simple, yet important reason – it was actually comfortable. Letting myself enjoy that moment of perfect calm, I relaxed deeper into it, revelling in the warm flush of contentment that spread through me from muzzle to tail. I found myself smiling for the first time in what felt like months. Dear goddesses, it just didn’t get any better than this.

Unbidden, my ears twitched as they locked onto the song that accompanying the rattling of pans and other indeterminate kitchen items. It was a simple little ditty, and one I recognised almost immediately. She and I would often sit together and listen to our radio set on dark, cold evenings by the hearth. The song itself, if you could even call it that, was an advert for vegetable stock cubes of all things. Foolish I suppose, but it was usually that way wasn’t it? The small things in life that made it all seem worthwhile somehow. The long nights at work, the days away from home on a complex case. And yet she despite all that she would always be stood there at the door waiting for me with a smile and a kiss to welcome me home. I loved her. From the first moment I’d gazed into those big yellow eyes I’d fallen for… for… That was strange; for some reason I couldn’t quite seem to remember her name. That was ridiculous of course, I mean, she was my wife wasn’t she? For Celestia’s sake, she was only in the next room! I shook my head and grumbled to myself. Why did everything seem so… ‘distant’ tonight? It was almost as if I was detached from my surroundings, a veritable passenger in my own body, looking out at the world around me with no real control over what I was doing or what was happening. I’d certainly been working harder than usual recently, sure. Perhaps that was the reason. But whatever it was, I sure as hell wasn’t thinking straight, and a combination of the delicious aroma wafting in from the kitchen, the wonderfully soft chair and my weariness, were all combining to lead me to an early bed. Rather than, Luna forbid, early senility. I chuckled to myself and let out a sigh as I gazed into the fire which snapped and crackled merrily in the hearth, sending its own enticing scent of wood smoke out into the small room.

The song emanating from the kitchen ended with a loud drum roll flourish on pan lids, followed by a peel of gentle feminine laughter. “Ready for bed already, love?” A grass green unicorn mare with the deepest yellow eyes poked her head around the door. Cocking her head to one side she fluttered her eyelids at me and laughed teasingly. There was a lilting, musical sound to her voice, and her smile only made her eyes sparkle all the more.

My heart soared and I stuck my tongue out playfully, “Not just yet…”. A sudden silence followed. What was her name again? “What’s on my favourite chef’s menu tonight?” I asked. “It smells amazing.”

“Oh, just a few things I found in the cupboard,” the mare replied cryptically.

Ah, yes, the usual answer to my equally usual question. I’m not sure why I bothered to ask really, but it had become such a regular fixture of mealtimes that not to perform this small ritual of sorts, had become almost unthinkable. I’d certainly be lost without her, that was for sure. Come to think of it, left to my own devices I’d probably end up starving to death or grow fat on a steady diet of convenience meals and takeaways. I never lost sight of how lucky I was to have met her. She was an incredibly talented mare and regularly spoiled me with her magical ability to create astounding flavour combinations from ingredients I would have had no idea what to do with. My own attempts at cooking were limited to an extravagant three or four dishes that were all variations of a theme of tomato. Thank the goddess she liked tomatoes or I’d be really sunk! Still, these culinary masterpieces of mine had been restricted to days when she wanted a break and, I suspected, was feeling sufficiently brave enough to face consuming one of my creations. Oh well, flavour never got in the way of enthusiasm, right? I can still remember how my mother would often tell me I could ‘manage to starve to death with a full larder’. What a cheery thought.

“Easy on the bran love, you know what happened last time!” I quipped.

The mare giggled and disappeared back into the kitchen, the song starting up again. “Full of goodness, full of flavour”. I closed my eyes and joined in, “bring the taste for you to savour.”

The ‘taste to savour’, eh? I chuckled to myself and settled back into the settee, letting the world gently slip away from me into a world of warmth and peace…

I hung there for a while, adrift in an expanse of nothingness, an absolute void completely devoid of light, touch, sound, or any sensation other than a lingering sense of… ‘being’. I existed in that place, at that very moment in time, and nothing more. My thoughts were hazy and I could feel my consciousness slipping away from me like wisps of smoke in a fresh morning breeze. I stretched out a foreleg and felt… nothing. There was no sense of direction, no up, no down, and yet deep inside my soul I felt as if I should have been in a state of abject terror. Yet despite this, for some reason I can’t describe I was completely calm. Physically I was in a state where I did not feel anything at all. I was neither cold nor warm, and despite that lingering feeling that I should be afraid, conversely I felt almost… content. Truthfully I could have stayed like this and floated in the emptiness forever. I had no concerns here, no fear, no anger, no happiness, no joy. No… No… What was her name again? Damn it all, why the hell couldn’t I remember?! In my mind’s eye, I could see her, smiling at me with those beautiful yellow eyes. They were yellow, weren’t they? Or was it just my imagination conjuring all of this up? I suppose it didn’t matter really anyway. Nothing mattered here, nothing at all. I could simply… go to sleep. Rest. Close my eyes and float silently away on the eternal sea of oblivion.

I don’t know how long I rested there in the darkness. Who knew? Who cared? Nothing mattered here; not time, not- Suddenly I winced as a vividly sharp pain flashed across my head making me open my eyes in alarm. And then, as fast as it had appeared, it was gone. I was still in the darkness of the void, still floating in the blackness, but for some reason this all seemed wrong. Very, very wrong. I shouldn’t be able to feel anything here and yet… I had, hadn’t I? No sooner had the thought crossed my mind than the wave of pain was back, swiftly intensifying to stomach churning levels. I gritted my teeth as the burning sensation dragged across my face like a branding iron. Desperately I tried to lift my hooves to my head to protect myself, to fend off whatever was causing this, but no matter how hard I tried I found myself completely unable to make them respond to my will. Something, whatever it was, was preventing me from moving so much as an inch. My heart thundering in my chest, struggling against invisible bonds, I began to feel a rising well of fear bubbling up from deep within me. I needed to move, I had to wake up, but I was trapped both in this black nothingness and, it seemed, inside my own self. Meanwhile the pain in my head intensified to a level I never believed could exist. Dear goddesses, there was no end to it! Every nerve within me felt as though it were burning with white hot brands. I tried to keep it in. Oh gods, how I tried! But it was no use. Tortured beyond endurance, caught in a maelstrom of agony... I screamed. I could feel my chest heaving, my lungs bursting, but not even the smallest mote of sound came forth. The utter wrongness of this assailed me and I could feel my grip on reason beginning to slip away as I heaved my body, fighting with all my might against the unseen shackles that held me in their vice like grip.

I poured every last ounce of remaining strength into my struggle to escape. But escape what? I couldn’t shout for help, I couldn’t even cry out in pain, and… Dear Celestia, it hurt. It hurt so much! What the hell was happening to me? I had to escape this, I had to get away. Finally, I took one last deep burning breath and gathered myself before pushing out with every last drop of strength I had left within me. At the back of my tortured mind a mantra I’d heard at the ‘temple of the two’ when I was a foal, flashed into my mind, ‘Luna, guide me, Luna protect me, your strength is our strength, your wisdom lights the way’. Luna was the princess of the night, the moonlight in the darkness to show the weary traveller the way home. Dear gods, If ever I needed her divine guiding light it was now.

I chanted the words in my mind, silently mouthing them. Despite my desperate struggles I became dimly aware of a strange sensation of pressure on my back, giving me a sudden, and welcome, extra drive to push forward. The feeling intensified but there was no pain or discomfort. Instead it was almost as if somepony were behind me, helping to push my body forward, up and out of the void. The more curious part of me wanted to look round and see what the source of the pressure was, but the driving need right then was to move forward. I had to push ahead, to push forward. I had do this, I had to! And then, just as my strength began to die away, I felt rather than saw the blackness... move. It pressed in on me, threatening to suffocate me, trying trap me, and I silently cried out in panic and anger as I lowered my head and mentally charged right at it. Oblivious to my urging, my legs steadfastly refused to respond, yet despite this I still had the faintest sensation of movement. It wasn’t much, but it was there, that indefinable external force urging me onward. And there, ahead of me, lay a faint hint of pale grey light. It wasn’t far now. It was so close I could almost reach out and touch it, but I had to keep trying. Damn it all, I couldn’t give up now! I dug my hooves in and pressed on, feeling myself closing the distance yet still with the otherworldly feeling of standing still. With so little to focus on around me I kept up the chant of the mantra, desperate to try and keep some level of focus and stop my mind from drowning in the abject terror of the horrible situation I was in. With every push, every surge, I struggled closer to my goal. I was so close now. One last effort was all I needed. Somehow I knew this was my last chance to save myself, to save my beloved wife. All other thoughts were meaningless to that focus. I gave one final great effort and the world upended, plunging me muzzle first into the grey light.

Behind me I could hear a faint voice, swiftly fading away as the storm of sound swallowed me. “Be strong, brave one. Be strong for them.”

There was a blinding white flash of light, a sense of falling, and the sound of a foal’s laughter….

My eyes opened to a day so beautiful it could have made even the darkest of hearts sing with the sheer joy of life, while high above me the bright light of the morning sun hung in a sky of perfect azure blue, warming my coat with its radiance. The pegasi had cleared all the clouds for miles around, gifting the land with a clear view of Celestia’s blessing to the world. I relished in it all, rolling in the grass and breathing in the refreshing, clean air. I thrashed and huffed as I ground my back into that wonderfully cooling grass, covering myself liberally before finally leaping to my hooves. One good hard shake later, I took off at a full gallop, charging straight into a nearby copse of trees with their inviting shade. The sunlight broke through the canopy and I jumped between the beams of light, laughing with the sheer exuberance of youthful life. And then, unexpectedly, a deep orange butterfly appeared, lazily circling my head before landing on the tip of my nose. It tickled. Laughing, I stood on my hind legs with my forelegs held out to either side, imitating the acrobats I had seen the last time the circus had been to our town. One step, two steps, three steps... It wasn’t easy for a four legged creature to balance on two, and gravity, along with my own imbalance, started inexorably to topple me over. Inevitably I began to stagger, trying to catch my balance, focussing on the butterfly right up until the point my hooves landed on… nothing. I fell. Oh, how I wished I had wings right now! But wishes weren’t going to arrest my plummet into... Celestia knew what. The world around me transitioned from being a joyful and carefree land of sunshine to a sudden and unexpectedly heart jarring terror of helplessness and fear. I plunged downward through a seemingly endless abyss of branches, bushes and tree limbs. The shattering foliage did little to slow my descent and I cried out as thorns and bark tore at my hide. Everything was a blur and, in all reality, probably had not lasted more than a few seconds, but to my foals mind it seemed to take forever to come to a final, jarring halt. And halt I did, but not in the way I had thought I would.

I hit the water with a deafening splash and my vision became a watery world of shadows, distant shapes and strange noises. I couldn’t breath! Despite my pain and fright, I clamped my mouth shut against the water, but no matter how much I thrashed around, the dark world of shadows and death pressed in on me relentlessly. Panic gripped me, sending my heart racing in my chest. Horribly I found the reason I couldn’t move was that my hind legs were caught in something unseen and I realised with sudden clarity that I was trapped. I was going to drown, and no pony, not even my parents, knew where I was. In my foolishness I had become lost amongst the trees and I simply hadn’t cared. My parents had been nearby finishing off the last of the picnic and told me not to wander too far, but as always I hadn’t listened, had I? What a fool I was! And now this was where it would all end; the all too short and pointless life of a foal who hadn’t even managed to live long enough to get his cutie mark. Desperate for air my body reacted on impulse, gulping down not the life giving breath of the world, but the cold, bitter wash of the water. In my fog of terror I could feel my lungs filling with water as the essence of life within me began to slip away, along with my ever weakening struggle to survive. Fear soon turned to acceptance. Luna and Celestia would take my soul to the next world, and it would all be over. In a few moments it would be time for me to sleep. Time to… Father? Father is that...? Yes! Yes, it was! He was looking at me through the surface of the water, a frightened but resolute look on his face as his forehooves grabbed me and pulled me up, up towards the sweet, sweet air, the sky and the earth. Oh thank the goddesses, I was going to live!

In a coughing, sputtering and retching mess, I broached the surface. I gasped for air despite the pain knifing through my lungs, but something, something wasn’t right here. The light had gone. It was dark now, but I was aware of being... inside? “Father? Mother?” No answer. I was in a room, badly lit from a couple of flickering storm lanterns that hung from hooks in the wooden beamed ceiling. It seemed familiar to me but was oddly hard to make out much in the way of details. No matter how hard I tried, my eyes simply refused to focus properly. Actually, make that ‘eye’, singular. My right one didn’t seem to be working at all. I tried to take a deep breath and clear my head, but a wave of gut wrenching pain and nausea filled me and my lungs felt like they were full of fluid once more. I coughed weakly, straining to fill them with life giving air. Somehow I managed to take at least some pitifully shallow and rapid breaths, but my brief sense of accomplishment was quickly crushed by another torrent of hot agony that made me vomit across the floor where I lay unmoving. Sounds assailed me from… somewhere, although in my current muggy and disoriented state, I couldn’t say for certain what it was nor where it was coming from. Despite my confusion I tried to take stock of my surroundings; I had to remain calm and stay alive. I was of no use to any pony, let alone myself, if I panicked blindly.

Gradually small parts of my brain began to reluctantly grind back into action - for what it was worth. At least I could tell that I was in a room lying on a wooden floor. I was also soaking wet; saturated in fact. Well, that was to be expected if I’d just been pulled out of a river I suppose, right? Ah, wait. I wasn’t a foal any more, and what was drenching my fur wasn’t water was it. That was… Damn. It was blood. My blood to be precise. I still couldn’t see well nor move my head, so I decided that the only thing I could do for now was make a mental check of the rest of my body. Unfortunately it became quickly apparent that this, whatever ‘this’ was, wasn’t going to end well for me at all. My forelegs seemed to working alright, but my hind legs, my hind legs were... Oh gods, I was going to be sick. My heart rate soared as I managed to look back at them and take stock of the ravaged devastation that had once passed for a fairly serviceable part of my body. The last time I had seen them they sure as hell hadn’t been bent that way. What the hell was going on here? What in Equestria had happened to me, and why was my mind bouncing around like a blasted rubber ball? Damn it all, there no time for this now. Something was going on around me, and I had to do something, I had to… to stop them. But do what? I asked myself in a frantic voice, stop who? My tortured consciousness was a disaster of wavering images, distorted sounds, fear and pain. I couldn’t move, I certainly couldn’t stand, but by Luna I was going to try. I had to try. I gritted my teeth and huffed out a fine spray of blood.

“Hey Gates, our buddy’s waking up over here.”

I looked up. No easy feat with my good eye near the floor.

“Not ready to die yet then eh, big guy?” a sneering voice said as a large red stallion glowered down at me.

“I think he will be when he sees what I’ve got in store for our little pet here.” It was another male, his words dripping with malice as he called from the next room.

“Oh, you’re going to love this one, big guy,” the red stallion leered. “You’ll never forget this. Never….”

As he hissed out the last word a hoof slammed brutally into my neck and the red stallion laughed, shrieking with borderline hysteria. He caught himself quickly, took a deep breath and looked me in the eye once more. His crimson eyes staring searchingly into mine he grabbed my head between his forehooves, pulling me closer; so close I was breathing in his fetid breath. I glared at back at him, desperately trying to remember as much detail about this vile animal as I could. He was a big bastard alright, heavy set and sporting a short green mane matted with grease. He had cracked black hooves that were spattered with what I guessed was probably my blood. I couldn’t see his cutie mark from where I lay, however there was one feature of his I would never be able to forget, and that was his eye-watering stench. The reek of unwashed equine hung around him in a thick miasma and I wouldn’t have been surprised to see flies buzzing about the stinking creature. His hot fetid breath from what were doubtless rotting teeth, rolled over me and I tried, fruitlessly, not to inhale his foulness into my body any more than I had to. He had a strange accent too. It certainly wasn’t local, and had an unusually feminine quality that was at odds with his heavy set form. I didn’t know much about him, but one thing I did know was that I hated this foul creature. I hated him with a vengeance that, as strange as it may sound, surprised me. I didn’t know what I had done to this sick swine, but whatever it was it must have been bad, really bad, to warrant this sort of attack. What I didn’t know though, was that what had happened to me was as nothing compared to what was to happen next. No comparison at all.

Angry shouting and the unmistakable sound of breaking glass could be heard coming from the next room, but it was the suddenly scream of fear and pain that riveted my attention firmly to the doorway. As if on cue a filth smeared yellow stallion appeared, dragging another pony into the room behind him like a rag doll. By the pitiful cries it was a mare, though from my position I couldn’t make out who it was. The paraffin lights offered little to illuminate the room, and the blood still stinging my remaining good eye only compounded the problem. Had it always this dark in here? My mind was such a mess of disjointed thought I couldn’t keep focussed on much beyond what was happening right in front of me. And right now, I wished to the gods I couldn’t. The mare lay a few feet away from me and screamed in fury at her yellow coated captor. Despite her fear and pain she kicked out at him, narrowly missing what would have been a good shot to his fetlock. The mare was clearly weakened, her face bloodied and beaten. Even from here I could see she was nearing the end of her endurance. Above her the foul beast laughed as he violently smacked her across the face, a spray of crimson flying from her muzzle and landing on my mouth. The iron tang of blood not my own trickled down lips and oozed onto my dry tongue. The mare looked across at me, the large yellow eyes reflected in the lamp light going wide in shock.

“NO! Oh goddesses, no! What have you animals done to him,” she cried. “Oh Celestia no, no, NO!”

The mare tried to struggle towards me but was slammed to the ground by the bigger male, driving the breath from her lungs. Both the stallions laughed cruelly, clearly enjoying the absolute control they held over us. “We’ve got a little show planned for you, little piggy,” the yellow one called across to me as he pushed his forelegs into the green mare’s chest. He started to push down harder, increasing his force inch by merciless inch, all the while grinning at me with his bared teeth. The green mare coughed, flailing her legs, trying to free herself, struggling for breath as his pressure compressed her lungs. “Sorry darling,” the foul creature sneered, “I don’t think I quite heard you. Could you try saying that again?”

The green mare squeezed her eyes shut, fighting for every breath. “You…” she coughed. “No, I-”

Suddenly the stallion released his pressure on his captive, the mare beneath him gasping and coughing as she tried to free herself. The brief respite, that tiniest glimmer of hope, didn’t last any more than a single beat of the heart. With a huff of effort the yellow male took a single, loud deep breath, leaned his head back and then lunged forward. The resultant crack resounded across the room and a warped look of ecstasy crossed his triumphant face. Her eyes wide in shock, the mare cried out in agony trying to stifle a scream, but it was no use. Horribly she belched out streamers of crimson blood, her struggles visibly slowing all the more as the agonising seconds dragged by inexorably one after another. All the while that sickening look of ecstasy spread across her attackers face burned itself into my memory. My anger flared white hot and I silently prayed to Luna that I could return the suffering this animal had inflicted on the mare and return it ten fold. I gritted my teeth and gave him a look I hoped he would remember. One day, Luna willing, I would look down into his eyes and smile with that same rictus grin as I slowly extinguished his existence from the world. But thoughts of retribution were far from the reality of this horror. I barely noticed the red pony moving behind me. Roughly lifting my head in his hooves, he locked my head and neck so I could see only the mare.

“Look well piggy,” he whispered, “look well. You’re gonna enjoy this. At least, he is

anyways!” He shrieked out another of his maniacal laughs as he shoved my useless body with his, probably trying to make himself more comfortable.

My mind raged in impotent fury. I knew this mare! But... I just couldn’t place her. Why? Damn it, why were my thoughts such a mess? Who were these bastards and why couldn’t I fight back?! I wanted to fight, to pull myself up and get away from the grip of the stallion with the vice like hold on my head. But most of all, as I looked across at the green mare, I wanted to save her.

“Do what you want…” the mare coughed. “I’ll do… I’ll...” She coughed more blood as she struggled for air, her face a torment of emotion, “Do what you want but please, let him go. Please...”

She pleaded with the two ponies, hoping against hope that they might listen to her, that somewhere inside their testosterone fuelled brains that there was a kernel of decency that she could appeal to. But I knew it was hopeless. She knew it was too. It was the last grasp for a straw in the unyielding floodwater of cruelty. And yet she still tried. In answer to her hope for mercy the yellow buck smacked her across the face once more. The mare flinched but kept trying to speak, and again the stallion struck. Blows rained down like a thunderstorm until the crack of bone and wet gurgling sound of the final impact made my stomach heave as it tried to empty itself. Beneath me the floor vibrated with each strike, causing me to flinch with her. Selfishly I wished I could block it all out, to pretend this nightmare wasn’t happening. I prayed that this was all just some horrific dream and I would wake up panting in my bed at any moment, relieved it could all be washed away with the usual morning shower. But there was no god or goddess to help us here. No miraculous answer to my desperate prayer. All I could do now was fall back on my training and try to remember every single detail, no matter how small, of what I was seeing. Whatever else happened, I would remember. I would absorb every detail, record every moment, every facet of this event. Even if this was the end I would take the memory of this to Hades and hunt these two down until the end of time. I had to remember the green mare with the yellow eyes.

She coughed again, blood trickling down her muzzle whilst the red stallion giggled behind me.

“Go easy Gates,” the stallion smirked, “I don’t want her going cold on me”. I could feel him shaking with excitement while he squeezed my head in his vice like grip. Part of me wanted nothing more than to close my eyes, to shut it all out, but for the mare’s sake I wouldn’t. She was watching me now with an expression of complete resignation, and… something else. There was a kindness there, a tender gentleness and… love? I… I wasn’t sure, but those eyes, the way those deep yellow orbs pulled at my heart so earnestly that I felt like howling. I knew her, and yet I couldn’t remember her name! The green mare gazed lovingly into my eyes while the yellow stallion dragged himself atop her and with a wild, animal like whoop… violated her.

She never flinched nor cried out, but I wanted so badly to cry out for her. Her strength showed in those eyes and she shared it with me. I wanted to scream, fight, to do something, anything to stop these… these things, from doing what they were doing to her. I struggled as hard as I could, my forelegs scrabbling for purchase. I couldn’t just lie back and let this happen! “Luna,” I gurgled past the bubbles of blood in my mouth, “please... give me strength.”

The red stallion made a tutting sound. “Luna?” he scoffed, “What the bucks she going to do for you eh?, fly in and rescue you like some bloody fairy tale?” He nearly choked laughing on the last words, banging my head off the floor for emphasis.

I gritted my teeth, trying to keep my wits about me despite the stars of light bursting in my vision. “You... sick vermin,” I gasped, “I’ll find you, and I’ll... kill… kill you.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you will big guy,” he laughed. “You first though.”

“After we’ve enjoyed the party first, Mel,” the other pony called over his shoulder. He gave one final grunt and shuddered, pulling himself off the mare.

My captor snorted loudly, “My turn at last! By the bitches tits, you take your bucking time.” The one who I now knew as ‘Mel’, slammed my head to the floor, stepping on my face as he walked across the room to the mare. “Whoops!” he said as he glanced behind him, “Looks like I stepped in something”. He laughed at his own joke, wiping his hoof with exaggerated movement on the rug. “Ah, look at the friggin’ mess. You could’ve tidied up after yourself buddy.” The two of them laughed as the red pony grasped the mare’s hind legs, turning her violently to one side. “I’m going to enjoy this bitch,” he sneered into her ear. He turned to look at me and smiled; a sickening smile which emphasised his utter contempt for the mare, for me, and graphically displayed his knowledge that he had complete and total control over us. He had won, and he knew it.

The mare continued to look into my eyes searchingly, trying to lose herself in me. I could feel tears streaming down my face, but there was nothing I could do. The wash of utter despair threatened to engulf me. Nothing I could do nothing… nothing but wait. Hopelessness grabbed at my heart and pulled hard, but… What was that? I felt something cold beneath me - something metallic, long, hard and cold. It must have been there all along but I had been beaten so senseless that I hadn’t been able to pick it out from all the other sensations my body was trying to take stock of. I noticed the yellow pony standing to one side, brushing his black sweat soaked mane back from his face, urging on his fellow as he watched him brutalising the helpless mare. While they were both distracted I moved my agonised body to try and free whatever it was beneath me. If I could move even only a few inches then with a just a fraction more effort, it would be loose. I could feel it more now. I scrabbled with my hooves as quietly as I could until my teeth managed to snag a purchase on whatever the item was. Right then I didn’t care, any thought of what this thing was disappeared in a red haze of pain, hatred, and loathing for these vile animals.

I pulled as hard as I could. What I had taken for a metal rod of some kind, slid out from beneath me and I grabbed it with my forehooves. In those few moments it felt like time was almost standing still around me. I could see the yellow stallion starting to turn towards me. I saw the red one’s head turning. Colour faded out as I swung the metal rod with the final energy reserves I had managed to gather. But it wasn’t enough. The metal rod struck the yellow stallion in the head, a hook like protrusion stabbing into his face. He screamed, rearing, and pulled violently at the rod with his hooves. In spray of crimson, the rod clattered to the ground with a metallic clang and I looked up at torn and ruined face glaring down at me.

“Bastard, bastard, BASTARD!” Gates yelled whilst holding the flap of skin tight against his face and pacing round the room.

“Huh, should have kept your eye on him, eh?” Mel shouted back at Gates. He paused, looking down at the mare as disappointment flashed over his brutish features. “Ah, bollocks. Looks like this one couldn’t handle a real stallion. Could have waited till I’d bucking well finished shagging her”.

“Never mind the green bitch, look what this turd did to my face!” Gates yelled back at him, blood dripping past his hoof onto the floor.

“Nah, a few stitches will patch that up ya big girls blouse.” Mel shoved the broken mare dismissively to one side and pushed Gates with his hoof. “You’ll look well hard with a scar, mate. The girls love a tough looking guy. Guess you’ll have to do though, eh?” He gave another of his manic laughs and walked over to the corner of the room, picked up a large metal container, and trotted off to the other room.

Meanwhile the yellow pony walked over to me, his amber eyes full of hatred and murder. I hated him, and he knew it, yet all I could do was stare back at him as defiantly as I could manage. They may have won, but at least I’d managed to give that bastard something to remember me by. With any luck, Luna would let me haunt his dreams. Suddenly a strong chemical smell hit my nostrils and I could see the red one, Mel, walking around the room pouring liquid from a metal can around the floor and walls. Eventually he threw the empty can into the corner and took out a cigarette lighter as Gates grabbed my head and looked me in the eye. I had never seen such utter hatred before. I had never imagined any pony could harbour such utter loathing towards another.

“You’re going to burn now, copper,” he sneered. The effect was somewhat ruined by his torn mouth, but the evil intent in his words carried all the menace he needed. “You’re going to have your very own private cremation. Free of charge.”

“Who… are you?” I gasped weakly. “Why are you... doing this?” He stopped for a moment and looked, I was surprised to see, genuinely amazed I had asked this.

“You bucking with me?” he asked incredulously. “You don’t… Ah!” He leaned forward and tapped my horn. A white hot shot of pain lanced down though my skull making me cry out. “Hurts don’t it?” he smirked. “Bucks with your memory when this thing cops it.” He coughed, choked, then laughed aloud at some joke I couldn’t understand. Tears streamed down my face as I lay there helpless. What the hell had they done to me?

“Come on for bucks sake, this place is ready to go up,” Mel shouted to Gates as he trotted to another door. “Leave him will you, he’s already dead.”

The yellow pony picked up the metal rod and looked at it closely. He stared at me, lost in thought whilst slowly licking the pointed end which was still slick with his blood. The wickedly curved barb was hung with pieces of flesh from his ruined face. “Seems appropriate,” he said as he sidled towards me, “A fire poker should be used to… stoke a fire”. The smell of burning wood and fabric hit my nostrils and I could see the flicker of flames from the back room. Yellow firelight wreathed Gates as he reared up on his hind legs, the metal of the poker reflecting the coldness of his eyes. “It’s nothing personal, piggy,” he hissed. “I just wanted to see you squeal.”

The yellow pony lunged, the poker driving down towards my chest. With my ruined eye I couldn’t see what happened next and was glad of it, although the sensation of my skin giving way as the poker was thrust into my already battered body was beyond anything I could ever have imagined. Choking and writhing in a white hot rush of pain, I lashed out at something, anything I could catch hold of to get away from this situation. My frantic flailing only made the yellow one laugh all the louder whilst my fountaining gore dripped from his hooves.

“Gates, move your arse will you!” Mel hissed from the doorway as the other pony took his weight off the makeshift spear.

“Yeah.” Gates’ voice was heavy with effort, the earlier triumphant tone marred by the pain of his injury. “Time to get the herd out of Dodge,” he muttered.

The front door slammed shut behind them.

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

Consciousness is definitely overrated as far I’m concerned. I drifted in and out of it like a foals yo-yo, with about as much control as a leaf on a river. A mind reeling sensation of falling into emptiness engulfed me, followed by a hideously gut wrenching lurch back to an all too terrifyingly real present. The sad broken doll that had once been a precious life lay motionless several feet across the floor from me. Her once vibrant yellow eyes that had seen sights no pony should ever have had to witness, were now closed. Almost mercifully, wisps of pale green mane covered most of her innocent face from the cold world’s stare. She had known me. Of that there was no doubt. The look in her eyes when she’d gazed at me and her reaction to what those monsters had done was all the proof anypony needed to show that there had been something special between us. My mind screamed at me that I should remember her, but try as I might my memories were simply… gone. Gone? Dear goddesses, my magic! I could sense that something was missing and now the reality of it hit me; the bastards had done something to block my magic! In shock, I started to panic, the sudden adrenalin fuelling my struggles and I felt the metal poker shift, tilting with my body as I dug my hooves into the floor. Free of its wooden sheath, the poker’s tip dragged against the floorboards, the vibration adding to the symphony of agonies railing throughout my body. All other thoughts dismissed, the horrors temporarily forgotten, I was overwhelmingly possessed by a need, an all encompassing drive, to reach the cracked mirror lying forlorn on the floor just of reach. I had to see what those animals had done to my horn. I hadn’t realised it yet, but my mind, my sanity, was slowly but surely beginning to slip away from me. Maybe it was just as well. My panting grew as I spat foaming bloodied gobbets from the corner of my mouth, my focus now locked fully on my intended target. It was so close, not much farther now, a little more effort, one last pull and… I looked down.

What looked back at me was not the unicorn from my dream memory. It was a… a ‘thing’, a ravaged image of a creature that was barely recognisable as a pony, cruelly reflecting back at me with its lone remaining eye. The other was a mangled mess of scarlet and black slurry, dripping its warm life essence onto the remains of that damnable mirror. I let out a pining wail. My horn! Oh, Luna, why? This was everything to a unicorn, it was what defined us as who and what we are. How could they do this to me? The broken stump sat there lifeless; a useless nub of splintered… me. I was a unicorn with no magic, and unicorn without magic was like a Pegasus without wings. I was useless, lost and alone, with no memories and no purpose. I was… nothing. They had taken everything I was and destroyed it utterly. By the gods, I couldn’t even feel anything towards the green mare, but my horn! I cursed the bastards who had done this: I cursed Equestria, the world, every pony and every damned thing that walked beneath its skies. Tears ran down my face and I cried out my pain to the empty room.

I barely noticed the hoof touching mine.

The slight pressure brought me back from the brink of complete despair and my self obsession, to focus upon the object of the feeling on my hoof. Looking down I followed the slender green leg up to a baleful yellow gaze.

“Fair… Fa… Don’t cry love.” The green mare’s voice was little more than a whisper, nearly lost in the hiss and pop of the encroaching fire. “Oh… goddess. What have they done to you? My handsome Fa… My...” The mare was racked with coughing, blood spraying from her muzzle and spattering the broken mirror. I looked into her eyes, trying desperately to remember. Damn my self centered soul to Hades, my cursed horn didn’t matter. Not now. I gritted my teeth and squeezed my eye shut. How could I have been so-

“Love? I’m sorry… I’m so, so sorry…” Her voice carried a soft musical note that echoed within me, her plaintive words calling out as if to my very soul.

I returned her touch, gently stroking her hoof. “No. What happened here, it wasn’t your fault,” I said softly. “Don’t say you’re sorry, please. I… I should have protected you. I failed. I should have been more than I have become. I should have pushed myself and now... I’m so sorry.” I hung my head. I couldn’t imagine how I looked to her right now, how I had failed her when she needed me. She was… she was... she……

A barrage of memories flooded into my mind: mixing, churning, image upon image, colours both vibrant and grey with sound, music, voices, shouting and laughter. All at once I was deluged by the orchestral tidal wave of imagery crashing into me. Disjointed and fractured, whole and complete, they all swirled, threatening to drown me in both the past and present. Above it however, a single face hovered. A beautiful green mare with lantern yellow eyes, a pale green mane and a cutie mark of the sun rising over a grassy… “MEADOW!” I cried out, all thoughts of myself cast aside. “Meadow! Luna forgive me… Meadow.” I shook as emotion overtook me. My wife, my dear, dear wife, lay broken and fading away before me.

“Love...” She hacked a wracking cough, wincing in pain as it gradually subsided. Slowly, she drew a laboured breath and I could tell she was trying all she could to stay conscious. “Don’t blame yourself. You were always… always the strong one. So brave…” She reached up to touch my muzzle with her hoof before weakness overtook her and I caught her with my own, gently lifting it to my face and nuzzling it. I breathed in her scent; it was like flowers in the rain on a warm day. She was a breath of life, of colour and joy in a world that had brought her only cruelty and horror. I felt her brush away a tear from my cheek. “I… love you, Fair… I...” She shuddered and breathed in rapidly. “Oh! I’m so… so cold, I…” Her eyes widened suddenly and her head lifted to look straight into mine with a look which I will never forget, “I can’t die! I can’t! Oh my love, I’m so scared, please ! I…” And then as quickly as she had rallied, her strength drained from her body and she slumped down across my outstretched foreleg, her head leaning against mine.

“Shhh, it’s alright love,” I whispered into her ear, “It’s alright.” Carefully, slowly, I rocked her head in my forelegs and sang a lullaby my mother had sung to me when I was a foal, “Hush now, quiet now, it’s time to lay your sleepy head…”

I felt the quickly fading warmth of her muzzle against my ear as she breathed out with one long final breath, “Forever and always, my brave Fairlight. Remember me… please?”

I felt the life leave her body. The earthly vessel in this world that had once been a green mare called Meadow, now no more than a broken and empty shell, lay motionless beside me. Who she was, and everything that had made her that shining light in the darkness of my world, was no more. She was gone. Just like that. It was so simple to say. So simple that it didn’t seem real at all, like a bad dream or a terrible play you would forget come the light of the morning. But this... this was real. All too, too real. The world would carry on without her, foals would still go to school each day, they would fall in love, have foals of their own and, eventually, pass into the next world. The cycle would continue. But Meadow… Meadow should have lived to have had a chance to grow old, surrounded by her own children and grandfoals. I’d always imagined her knitting by the log fire listening to the radio as our foals played in the garden on a bright summers day. It was an idealistic world to be sure, but a world filled to the brim with laughter, love and caring. The world of sunshine and rainbows which I had hoped to have given her some day. The world I should have given her. But I had failed her, and now, now it was all gone. Bathed in a sea of the deepest red, framed by the fire of our home, our dreams had been consumed by evils of violence and hatred. As I held her, even in my grief I became aware of a faint, oddly warm glow emanating from her body. A golden glow which, ever so slowly, rose upwards from her broken body, hovering over it as if in silent contemplation of the scene below. I blinked in astonishment, and in that instant it disappeared, no more than a trick of the light. I shivered, a rolling feeling of icy cold passing through me. An odd thought suddenly entered my mind; I’d never got round to buying carpets, and this floor was freezing cold. In fact it was so bitterly cold I could see my breath regardless of the flames now entering the room. It was so insane I almost laughed. Almost.

The crackling of burning wood and a crash of glass made be look round towards the flames racing up the doorway as they marched hungrily on. Wooden buildings were a banquet for any blaze. The fire brigade would be here soon I imagined, but it would be too late for us. My breath caught and I coughed again and again, catching the blood on my foreleg. I didn’t want any making a mess on Meadow’s fur. She was so beautiful. I had always loved her soft green coat and mane. I closed my eye and sighed. Oddly I found the pain had subsided somewhat, replaced by a chilling cold. Of course – blood loss. I remembered it now from basic training. Not a good sign, and there was probably the issue of shock too. Not good at all. Still, it wasn’t so bad really. I glanced down at the spreading dark pool of blood and silently thanked Luna that I would be gone before the flames reached me. I could just make out the flickering of fire light reflected in its surface; it was strangely… calming. I yawned, feeling a wave of weariness drawing at me. Breathing in her scent, I kissed Meadow tenderly on the cheek and snuggled into her, placing a foreleg protectively across her chest. I could not defend her in life but at least I could be with her at the end. She had given me so much. She had given me back my name, given me back who I was. “Fairlight,” I murmured to myself, and smiled. Darkness was pressing inexorably in on me now. The dancing light of the fire beginning to dim ever more rapidly and I could sense my life’s flame guttering like a spent candle. At least I would die knowing myself, and knowing the name of my dear, beloved mare. Meadow. I couldn’t ask for more.

“Wait for me,” I whispered to her, brushing an errant wisp of hair from her eye. “I’ll be with you soon.” As carefully as if I were holding a snowflake I closed her eyes with my hoof and leaned my head across hers, closed my eyes and sighed out my final breath into the soft mane of the one I loved.

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

An odd feeling of comfortable familiarity was the first thing I noticed upon opening my eyes. Indeed, the fact that I felt absolutely fine considering the hell I’d just experienced, simply didn’t register; much in the same way that waking up on any other day wouldn’t. It all felt so normal, that it gave me goosebumps.Had it all been a dream after all? I’d prayed it had been, but it had all seemed so real! I patted myself gingerly, half closing my eyes as I felt around the area where the fire poker had been thrust through my body. But no, no hole. There was no sign of any blood either for that matter and, most blessedly, no pain. I started in surprise when I suddenly realised that both of my eyes were working and, it had to said, amazing well at that. I was normally a touch short sighted in my right eye and had taken to wearing spectacles for distance vision. But not any more. My eyesight was… absolutely perfect. Better than it ever had been in fact. Ah, right, of course… I was dead wasn’t I? I’d heard that when you passed over everything went back to the way it was when you were in your prime. Could be worse I suppose. Hmm… damned dark though. Where were all the singing ponies, sunshine and rainbows then? Guess I’d just have to hang about and wait until somepony turned up then! I looked down at my legs and hooves. They all seemed remarkable clean, neat, and a damned sight better than they had been even after a good hours grooming. My dark grey coat along with my nondescript black and white striped mane and tail had never been particularly popular with the ladies, but I liked them. My black hooves were kept well polished and my coat groomed properly. I was particularly proud of my large dark brown eyes which Meadow had fallen in love with. Well, I had to have at least one redeeming feature didn’t I? Still, considering I was dead though, I couldn’t help but feel a touch surprised that I was… well, still me I suppose.

Throughout my life I had been told that when we passed over to ‘the other side’ - a subject rarely if ever mentioned in polite conversation - we would be reunited with our ancestors in the Eternal Herd. There was no debating it, nor was it ever questioned. It was simply accepted as a cold hard fact. I wasn’t aware of anypony coming back and saying it was all a load of fairytale bollocks, so I believed in it just the same as everypony else. To a degree. The way I looked at it, you were going to find out sooner or later anyway, so did it really matter what you believed? Religion had always been a strange topic in Equestria. My folks had never been particularly religious, despite our periodic trips to the ‘temple of the two sisters’. We weren’t unusual in that either; not many ponies were exactly what you might call ‘religious’ at all, save for the priesthood whose job it was to attend to the spiritual needs of the populace. Generally that would be weddings, funerals, festivals and that sort of thing. The rest of the year the temple was simply a nice place to visit, with pleasant gardens, cooling fountains, and quiet prayers for one thing or another. It wasn’t really that surprising when you had considered we had two very real and very visible goddesses living in our homeland. Oh, sorry, I should have said ‘Princesses’ shouldn’t I? We weren’t supposed to refer to them in that manner as it was considered to be most impolite. Goddesses know why, I don’t!

A maverick thought struck me - where were these ‘all powerful’ alicorns when we needed them anyway? A small flame of anger flared and was just as quickly expunged as I shook my head in exasperation at my own foolish, and decidedly selfish thought. Of course I realised that as much as Luna and Celestia were tremendously gifted and powerful mares, they were still flesh and blood like myself. They had their limitations like any pony and I couldn’t expect them to be everywhere and know everything, right? I sighed and looked about for Meadow. She should be here somewhere surely. But as I stared out at the great expanse of emptiness, of the grass green mare with the yellow eyes there was no sign. Instead of the land of sunshine, rainbows, and hot and cold running joy I’d expected, there was a vast barren landscape of coal black sand, what looked like dark hills in the indeterminate distance, and an equally dark slate grey sky; the whole stretching out around me in all directions as far as the eye could see. Beneath my hooves the featureless ground had a uniform smoothness which gave a little as I shifted my weight. There was no sign of any hoof prints around me other than my own. In fact there was no sign of anything at all for that matter. I was completely and utterly alone. Very quickly I began to feel incredibly small and isolated, not to mention vulnerable. There I was in what looked like a vast black desert, the residual smell of burning wood still in my nostrils and with no idea where I was. I fought down the rising tide of fear and panic that was already snaking its way into my heart. Falling back on my training I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to take stock of my situation. I was dead, that at least I was certain of. If nothing else it was one fact I could tick off the mental check list, but what in the name of the goddess was I supposed to do with that information? I mean, what did I know about pony heaven and hell? Not bloody much! Damn it all, I wished I’d paid more attention in class when we’d talked about these things. Outside of school it was as if the subject of death, the afterlife, or anything of that nature, simply didn’t exist. Well, unless one went the temple of the two sisters I suppose, but who ever went there except for weddings and, goddess forgive me, funerals? This sort of thing happened to other ponies, not to me! No, sir! But here I was nonetheless, with no direction in which to go, no sun to get my bearings by, and above all, no Meadow. I had only one goal now - to find where she had gone.

“She’s already moved on old boy.”

I jumped round in shock at the voice behind me, turning at what was, I later thought, a most impressively fast rate for a four legged being. Unexpectedly I found myself face to face with a scene so bizarre I took a step back in surprise, my mouth open and eyes wide. There before me was a rather bored looking gold coloured stallion with equally golden eyes and the purest white mane, looking up at me from over a pair of half moon glasses that were attached to a thin chain around his neck. What added to the perplexing scene was not only the miraculous appearance of the pony, but that he was also sitting behind a large, and very ornate marble desk. It too had materialised seemingly out of thin air along with its occupant. On the desk in front of him was an equally large book with a smart brass lantern, inkwell, quills, and other assorted writing implements. A dull purple glow surrounded his horn as he dipped a quill into the ink.

“Name?”

I blinked in surprise. “What?”

The stallion raised an eyebrow, “First name?”

“I...” I stumbled.

“‘I. What’,” the pony mumbled as he wrote in the book. “Unusual name.”

I gave myself a shake and lifted a hoof to catch his attention. “No, look, my name’s not ‘I. What’, it’s-”

“-Are you sure?” the stallion interrupted in an irritated manner. He made a show of putting down his quill and fixing me with a stern gaze.

“Yes,” I replied clearing my throat. “I’m sure.”

“Well then, Mr Sure, this is all most irregular,” the strange stallion began. “You’re very lucky we found you here before you faded, you know. Bringing in shades from the Withers is not a task we take likely in the herd. I was just saying to my wife the other day that-”

I slammed both my forehooves on the desk making the golden coated pony sit back in surprise. He gave a loud huff and I stared down at him narrowing my eyes. “I have a name,” I said firmly. “My name is Fairlight. That’s all. Just, Fairlight. Not ‘I. What’, and certainly not bloody well ‘I. Sure’ either!” I banged my hoof on his desk, emphasising each word, “Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear?”

Visibly taken aback the stallion harrumphed, straightened his glasses, and took out some correction solution from a desk drawer before writing my name, correctly this time, in his book. “Crystal,” he said in a low voice.

“Good,” I said regaining my composure. “And now that you know know who I am, may I ask who you are, where am I, and what the hell is going on!” I lowered my voice, trying to keep my anger under control. “I would also recommend, my friend, that you explain very clearly exactly where my wife is too.”

The unicorn closed his eyes and sighed loudly as he pushed his chair back. Very quickly I realised that the desk had given me the illusion that the bespectacled clerk was a normal pony like myself, but as he unfolded himself from the velvet lined chair, I balked at how wrong I was. He was taller than me alright. A lot taller. He shook out a pair of huge wings, stretching and then folding them back again to his flanks. Letting his spectacles drop from his nose to dangle from their chain, he walked slowly around the end of the desk until he was standing uncomfortably close. I had never seen an alicorn before, and this one brought back to my mind all the childhood stories of their awe and power. This creature was quite literally glowing with it - a shining aura emanating around him that caused me to shield my eyes from the glare.

“You are NOT in any position to make demands of ANYPONY, Mister Fairlight,” he bellowed down at me. “I don’t think you realise just how much trouble you are causing us right now!”

It was like be screamed at by an angry hurricane. Rallying against the audible onslaught I lowered my head into a fighting stance and glared back at him, unwilling to back down. “Trouble?” I seethed. “Do you have any idea what I’ve been through? What my wife went through? Damn you, sir, I want answers, and I want them now! So you had better get your arse in gear Mister Alicorn, and tell me what I what I want to know!”

“Aethel.”

“What was that?” I asked.

“My name is Aethel,” the alicorn explained cooly. “First phalanx, second clerical division of the royal host. Where you are is the Wither World, also known simply as ‘The Withers’. A world between worlds if you will.” Aethel advanced on me, poking me in the chest with his hoof. “You, Mister Fairlight, are dead. Deceased. Terminated. Call it what you will.” He scratched his ear for a moment in thought before continuing, “Ponies do not normally die violent deaths. You on the other hoof, have, together with your wife”.

“Where-” I started, only to be interrupted by Aethel raising a hoof and shaking his head.

He went on, “She is with the herd now Fairlight.” He turned back to the desk and spun the oversized ledger so I could read it. Pointing out the entry before mine, I saw the name ‘Meadow’ together with her signature and a description of her. Before I could read any more, the golden alicorn slammed the book shut.

“You cannot enter the Eternal Herd, Fairlight.” Aethel spoke with a quiet gentleness that made the very breath catch in my throat. This was unexpected. Unfortunately it didn’t sound like it was good news either, and that was an understatement to say the least. My blood froze in my veins at his next words, “I’m sorry.”

“What? What do you mean, ‘I can’t enter the herd’?” I stammered.

I think the shakiness in my voice gave him pause, as he moved forward and momentarily placed a sympathetic hoof on my shoulder. “It is hard to describe to you in terms you may understand. Believe me, this is something Equestria has not experienced since the wars of the three tribes, Fairlight. Violence, hate, killing, rape, murder. Nothing has happened like this for an age.”

“Until now,” I added quietly.

“Until now,” Aethel agreed with a solemn nod. “Fairlight, ponies were never meant to experience what you have, and the herd are...” he paused, “concerned.” Aethel shook his mane as he continued, “Concerned about letting you join the herd in your, erm, ‘current’ condition”.

“Eh? What condition?” I almost shouted, “I’m damned well dead for bucks sake! I don’t think I’m going to be making a sudden miraculous recovery from that, buddy! It’s a bit more final than a bad case of flu wouldn’t you say?”

“Don’t be flippant,” Aethel admonished me. He glanced over his shoulder as he walked back behind the desk. “I can see it in your eyes, Fairlight.” His voice took on a deep serious timbre. “There is something within you which cannot be allowed into the herd or else it could… ‘corrupt’ us.” He grimaced slightly, and looked me straight in the eyes. “To be brief, your soul has been tainted by your experiences and must be dealt with before you can join us. Surely you must understand this, yes?”

“But Meadow!” I said, my voice taking on a note of desperation, “I promised I would see her again and-”

“I understand Fairlight,” Aethel interrupted, “but as I said, you simply cannot enter in your current condition. You must stay here in the Wither World until we can think of some solution to the problem.”

“And how long will that take?” I shouted, “You’ve already said I could fade away here. Goddesses above, Aethel, haven’t I suffered enough?! Don’t do this to me!” I cradled my head in my forelegs, this was all simply too much to bear. “Meadow,” I whispered, “I’m sorry, love, I don’t know what to do.”

“Fairlight, I-” Aethel began.

And then I felt it. It was a fire, not of heat but of cold, ice cold, burning in my chest, building up and up into a raging, howling inferno of such anger and ferociousness as I have never known before. Every synapse in my mind felt like it was alight with fiery ice, my coat prickling in waves from my neck to my tail. Rage, fear, hopelessness, despair, loss: all these emotions boiled in my heart screaming for release, crying out for me to slip the chain restraining them and burn my pain out into this barren landscape. I turned on the gold coated stallion who backed away from me with a sudden look of abject terror in his wide eyes. A roaring, blood chilling scream the likes of which I had never heard before filled the air, rolling like a shock wave across the black sand causing it to ripple outward. Outwards, I discovered, from me.

“I. Want. My. WIFE!” I part croaked, shouted, and screamed simultaneously at the alicorn.

“Goddesses!” he cried out. “Take a look at yourself, stallion. Look what you have become! Can’t you see why you cannot be allowed to enter the herd, you fool? If you came to us now you would poison us all, including your precious wife!” His wings ruffled as he narrowed his eyes, “Meadow is with us. She’s safe. Would you risk her safety by bringing that… that ‘thing’ in with you?”

I backed away from him and howled up at the dark sky, a long lonely howling cry of utter despair. Around me small white flakes appeared in the air and slowly began to fall to the ground.

“I’m sorry, Fairlight.” Aethels words came from another world now. A world I could no longer be a part of. “You can see now why this must be the way it must be,” he said quietly. “Forgive us. I hope you find peace.”

I didn’t notice him leave. I could only stare down at the ground between my forehooves, the snow falling all around me as tears turned to tiny crystals that rolled down my cheeks and fell like a rain of diamonds. None of this was real of course. There was no way any of it was real. But… what if it was? What if this wasn’t all just some feverish dream conjured up by a damaged mind? Not only had I witnessed the utter destruction of my life in Equestria, but now even my rest within the Eternal Herd had been denied me. The horrible truth ran through my mind over and over again, yet no matter home many time I tried to make sense of it, the same words kept coming back to me with dreadful clarity. I had been denied entry to the herd. Denied. Refused. Taken. Stolen. Stolen by those two vermin who had cause Meadow unimaginable suffering: the big red bastard called ‘Mel’ and the piss yellow one, ‘Gates’. They were the ones who had caused this. They were the ones who should be here suffering, not me. Not after what they had done to my beloved Meadow.

I growled. A long low rumbling exaltation of hatred and anger, my muzzle dripping with the anticipation of the deliciously painful deaths I would inflict on these ponies should I manage to somehow visit my vengeance up their filthy carcases. These weren’t ponies, ponies wouldn’t do those kinds of things. They were… vermin. Yes, that was it - vermin. And vermin must be exterminated, killed without delay, destroyed to stop their sickness from infecting others. As they had infected me, and cursed my soul to this damned existence in a barren world. It was then, in that moment of anger, hatred and sorrow, that I pledged to avenge myself upon those two murderers. I had no idea how, but now, at least I had a direction. I had a purpose. A purpose that would not be satisfied until I had drenched myself in the blood of those two animals. If it took me until the ending of the world, I would visit hell itself upon them.

Chapter Four - Explanations from another world

CHAPTER FOUR

Explanations from another world

My companion knelt to take a long drink from the pool we had stumbled across whilst trudging ever onward into the unknown expanse. I didn’t feel thirsty at all myself, and even if I had the water looked more like quill ink than something you’d find in Equestria. Unless you were in a stationers shop that is. On our journey to wherever the crystals light was taking us, I’d made a game for myself of marking time by counting Shades’ bones. I don’t think he much cared either way, the thestral was a free spirit and would probably grow bored sooner or later, leaving to go his own way. Speaking of Shades, I wondered where all the other thestrals were? I hadn’t seen any other animal life in this land for weeks, unless you counted that vile creature in the river. I presumed that there must be more like him out there somewhere, but if there was a population of thestrals here, they were well hidden. My companion wasn’t giving much away either. He didn’t speak much, and when he did it was more often than not simple one-word replies. But, he knew my name and called me friend. And that was enough for me.

“Shades?” I asked. The thestral looked up from his drink, the black liquid dripping from his wickedly sharp teeth. “Do you know what lies beyond those hills?” I motioned towards the black shapes in the distance - the same ones that looked exactly the same size and distance as when I had first arrived here.

He stared off at them for a moment before returning to his drinking. “Beyond,” came the reply.

I’d never quite gotten used to Shades’ way of communicating. The words weren’t so much spoken as they were ‘thought’ at you, appearing centre stage in your brain. He’d have made a killing as a ventriloquist back in Manehattan, I chuckled to myself.

Shades looked up quizzically. “Fairlight?”

“Just ignore me, Shades,” I replied, stretching my forelegs. “I’m just having one of my moments. Anyway, we were talking about the place beyond the hills?”

“Beyond,” he hissed, nodding his head in affirmation.

Well that certainly helped clear things up didn’t it! Letting out a long sigh I stretched my hind legs out and occupied myself with examining the pendant. The light it gave was bright and clear - certainly a welcome purity in this drab land. In fact whichever way you looked at it, the Withers wasn’t the kind of place to appear on anyponies holiday destination plans, that was for certain. But if nothing else, I think that was what made the pendant’s light so special. It was a beacon of hope as much as it was a directional guide. The chain it hung from was beautifully made too, consisting of intricately fashioned, fine gold links. It was quite beautiful in its own way, and my only physical link to Meadow from what seemed like a lifetime ago. In some ways, I suppose it quite literally was.

Shades and I had been walking in silence for some time now, stopping only for a drink. Now sated, we were just starting out again when he stopped abruptly and stared intently into the far distance. He let out a low rumbling growl, his wings flexing.

“What is it?” I asked warily.

Without looking round, the thestral’s eyes flared like tiny suns, throwing his thoughts at me. “Run!”

I didn’t hesitate this time. Muscles flexing, adrenalin kicking into high gear, I took off into a gallop. Likewise, Shades leapt, his leathery wings hammering the still air as he gained height.

“Follow!” he shrieked into my head, and disappeared ahead of me until he was a faint speck in the distance.

“Not so fast!” I puffed back. Bloody hell fire, what had him so riled up? I trusted his instincts, sure. I mean, after all he was a native of this place, right? But still, it was ridiculously difficult to fathom what was going through the odd creatures head sometimes and this was most most definitely one of those times. Sand billowed up in black plumes around my hooves as I galloped on, wondering just what it was I actually running from. At least, that was until a spear whistled past my ear, nicking it on the way past before embedding itself in the ground. “Oh, shit!” I shouted to myself, increasing speed as another thudded into the sand only a few feet away. Dear gods, I know I’d been craving something to do other than all that endless walking, but this wasn’t what I had in mind! In fact, all I could do was keep running and hope to the heavens I’d outpace whatever, or whoever was throwing those damned spears at me.

The chase didn’t last long, and as odd as it may sound I couldn’t help but admire the cunning of my hunters, especially when the rope hidden in the black sand shot up and I ploughed into it full tilt. Sand exploded into the air as I crashed muzzle first into the ground before skidding unceremoniously to a coughing and sneezing halt. Some of the damned stuff had got in my eyes too, partially blinding me. Gathering my legs beneath me, I dragged myself to my hooves, just as one of the most bizarre voices I’d ever heard shrieked into my ears.

“Hold knave, in the name of the Queen, I command thee to hold !” The commanding voice boomed out with a most peculiar effect - my legs instantly buckled. For all I tried, I just couldn’t get the damned things to work! Whatever the voice’s origin was though, it had done its work well. Helplessly, I tried to focus on where it was coming from, only to be met with an array of spear points hovering mere inches from my sand grated muzzle. I sat there, locked in mute silence as the sound of crunching sand announced the arrival of something straight out of one of my old history books. Standing over me was an alicorn - a blindingly white pony resplendent in golden armour that had been burnished until it shone like Celestia’s sun. He was the most breathtakingly magnificent image of the knights of old, his sea green eyes boring into me as I lay helpless at his hooves.

“You are Fairlight of Equestria?” It was more an announcement than a question.

“Apparently,” I replied.

“You will follow us.” His tone brooked no dissent. Turning away with his two fellows, virtual clones of the one in charge, they were several paces away before they realised I hadn’t moved.

“You WILL follow us!” The first alicorn bellowed, pointing a forehoof at me.

I couldn’t help but feel compelled to move as he commanded, even though every part of me was screaming out to do the opposite. Meadow’s warning replayed in my mind. ‘They’ll be coming for you. They don’t like loose ends. I said I’d try to persuade you to surrender, but it’s not right. If they take you, they’ll strip your memories - your mind. Don’t let them!’ Strip my memories?

“To hell with that, and to hell with you!” I snarled, holding the crystal to my chest. I would be with Meadow again some day and no pony, or whatever this lot where supposed to be, would stand in my way.

“Art thou a fool mortal pony?” the alicorn snorted imperiously. “Thy mind must be befuddled to try to think in such a manner!” One of the glowing pony’s companions sidled up to him, speaking in a low voice. Whatever it was he said, the head of the not-so-merry band backed away, waving his compatriot towards me.

“Thalio is unused to speaking to ponies from the equestrian plane, mortal,” the new fellow announced. “I have agreed to speak in his stead.” Despite the different tone of voice, the unmistakable expectation of obedience was still there front and centre.

“I expect you have a name?” I asked calmly. “I do, it’s ‘Fairlight’, not ‘Mortal’. I think your pal ‘Thalio’ may have mentioned it?”

A look of surprise tinged with a distinct hint of anger flashed across the pony’s face. “I am Helios,” he said, adjusting his wings. “I collect lost souls and return them to the Eternal Herd. You, Fairlight, should have been collected long ago.” He snorted and shook his golden mane. “You have been particularly hard to track.”

“Yeah, well, no disrespect, Helios, but considering the current situation I’m in right now, I’m rather glad I have been,” I smiled cheekily. “Normally try to kebab ‘mortal ponies’ with spears rather than speak with them first, do you?”

The alicorn bobbed his head in irritation, his ears flicking as he looked towards his fellows then back to me. “We,” he began, “that is, the Eternal Herd, cannot have tainted souls wandering around lost in the Withers. It is wrong. You are wrong. Don’t you understand, Fairlight, we are trying to help you.”

“You’ve a funny way of showing it!” I snapped back at him, stomping my hoof. “You and you pals threw a bloody spear at me! Two of them!” This pony was really starting to get my back up.

Helios didn’t seem phased by my angry outburst in the slightest. “The spears were meant to slow you down,” he explained. “They would not have ‘killed’ you.” I didn’t like the way he emphasised the word ‘killed’ either. He continued, “You are harbouring a dangerous entity, Fairlight. We must exorcise it from your spirit so that you can move on from this place. Once that has been done you will be able to go home to your wife and daughter where you belong. Surely you must see how this is the only choice you have? It is the right choice.”

I wasn’t convinced. “And just how do you plan on exorcising this ‘entity’ from me then, eh?”

Helios shifted uncomfortably. It was barely a hairs breadth, but my keen eyes picked up on it straight away. “You will have your essence cleansed,” he said quietly. “It will be remade pure and clean, with the taint flushed from your soul. You will be reborn and ready to join us, Fairlight. You will be able to become one with your brothers and sisters in the herd, as the gods decreed.”

“By wiping my memories away?” I asked.

Helios closed his eyes and took a breath. “That is one of the effects I fear. The entity taints a pony’s very being: their memories, their personality, their magic, and everything about them that makes them unique. To purge it the only effective way is to cleanse the soul completely. Memories are a part of what makes a pony who they are, and therefore they are inextricably linked with the soul. Naturally, cleansing the essence - the soul - will unfortunately wipe all the individuals memories clean during the process.”

“Will they return?” I asked.

Helios paused, giving me a pained look. “No. At least, it is highly unlikely. Your case, Fairlight, is rare - very rare indeed. I cannot say what will happen, but we cannot leave you like this. The Queen herself has commanded we collect you.”

“The Queen?” I asked in surprise. “And if I refuse to follow you, what then?”

Helios’ expression hardened. “You do not refuse a request from Her Royal Highness, Fairlight. May as well refuse sunlight itself.”

“I see...” I smiled bitterly, feeling the hair tingle along my spine. “So basically it’s have my personality destroyed to live in you utopia, or have my botty spanked for upsetting her royal nibs, is it?” I felt a low growl growing in the back of my throat as I turned away, “Then you can keep you damned sunlight, Helios. I will live on in the night.”

“You cursed stubborn fool!” Helios shouted at me in a burst of sudden fury. “Nopony denies the Queen! No pony denies the herd! You are coming with us. NOW!”

“Go buck yourself,” I smiled, narrowing my eyes. For the briefest moment, Helios looked disconcerted. And that was all the opening I needed. I charged him, hooking a foreleg around his neck and pulled the long knife free from his scabbard. The blade glowed blue with crackles of lightning along the fuller, yet despite my surprise I kept a tight hold on the strange thing. I had never seen such a weapon, but now was not the time for marvelling at its design. In any case, whether I’d wanted it or not I had the alicorns full attention now. “We are going to take this nice and slow boys,” I said in my deepest authoritative voice. “Drop your weapons. All of you, if you please.” I couldn’t resist a suitably menacing grin to emphasise my words.

Briefly I wondered if the ponies would charge me regardless of the peril their comrade was in. They glared angrily at me, but thankfully and soundlessly complied, dropping their spears and swords onto the sand before them. “Now, nice and easy,” I said politely, “buck off the lot of you.”

“You do not command the Eternal Herd!” the one I knew as Thalio bellowed at me in indignation.

“Yeah?” I gave him my most derisive snort. “Well your friend here is going to gain some extra ventilation unless you two clear off and leave me be. Comprende?”

It was a bluff, and a poor one at that, but I hoped that the shock of being defied was something that these alicorns hadn’t expected and that it would be enough to gain some time for me to make my escape. The flaw with the plan was that as soon as my captive, Helios, was released, there was nothing to prevent them from returning and finishing what they’d started. The next time would no doubt involve a lot more spears too, and that, I thought to myself with a grimace, would certainly not end well for yours truly.

What came next surprised not only myself, but all the equines assembled.

In the struggle with Helios, the crystal pendant had dropped down across his neck. The tall creature’s eyes focussed on the glowing object and he cried out, waving a foreleg frantically. “Hold!” he shouted, “For the Goddesses’ sake, hold! Thalio, this one bears Starswirl’s Beacon!”

There was a long pause whilst everypony stared at the little white crystal at it hung there glowing silently. “It’s what?” I asked in surprise. “You’d better start making some sense here, friend.”

“How didst thou come by this, mortal?” Thalio rumbled stepping forward, all concern for his comrade forgotten in his fascination with my pendant.

“None of you concern friend,” I said in as neutral a tone as I could muster. I didn’t know what they were talking about, but whatever it was I wanted to keep things as violence free as possible.

Of the three alicorns, the one who had stood in silence all this time finally stepped forward. His voice was very different from the rest. It was calm, honest, yet carried a commanding tone that drew my attention like iron filings to a magnet. “Fairlight,” he intoned, “this changes things. Please, let my brother go. You have my word you will not be harmed nor forced to do anything your will.” The stallion walked forward, Thalio bowing to him as he did so. Aha! So this was the head boy pony here was it? I was beginning to wonder which one it was. “I am Artemis, Captain of the fifth cohort of the second legion, Wither world detachment,” the tall alicorn explained. There was no arrogance or expectation of obedience in this one. I could have almost taken a liking to him, if the situation we were in had been different.

“Fairlight, Captain of the Royal Equestrian Watch, Manehattan,” I replied in a no-nonsense voice, which oddly seemed to unsettle poor Thalio as he stood watching us. “Forgive me, Captain Artemis, I think you will appreciate that were the situation reversed, you would be unwilling to release your hostage until negotiations were complete. You do outnumber me three to one you know - not good odds in anyponies book.”

Artemis smiled and gave a short nod. “I understand Captain Fairlight.” He glanced towards Helios, “Keep still brother. This one appears to be a pony of his word, and a kindred officer of ponies. We will discuss this matter like stallions of honour.”

Oooh, what fine words! I thought to myself. I felt a little self conscious after that. After all, holding a hostage was not exactly what an officer of the watch should be doing. Right now however, needs must when the thestral drives. Metaphorically speaking.

“Fairlight,” Artemis began, “my brothers have already explained to you who we are, and what we have been tasked to do. We have little choice as, by royal decree, we must bring you in to the herd.” I shook my head, but Artemis went on. “By now you will know yourself that here in the Withers there is no beginning, and no end. It is an eternity of emptiness, of fading memories, madness, and only an infinity of sadness as you are slowly lost to the black sands. There is no life for ponies in this place of darkness, Fairlight. There is only death. We want to bring you home, to your wife and your foal. Many of your brothers and sisters are there from the watch already, and I know they will welcome you with love and kindness as all our children are.”

I stood transfixed. What the hell could I say to that? I dropped the blade and my forehooves flopped to my sides. My friends in the watch, my ponies who died on that terrible night... they were in the herd? They were waiting to be with me? By Luna’s radiant moon I wanted to be with them. I wanted to see them once again and beg their forgiveness for my failure to protect them. Sitting there on my haunches I hardly felt Helios scooch away from me. Artemis however, a pony of his word, stayed where he was.

“Your family are waiting for you, Fairlight,” Artemis said quietly. “I beg you; don’t let this terrible place take you.”

“What about Meadow?” I asked quietly.

“Who?” he asked, suddenly looking disconcerted.

“My Wife,” I told him, a tear trickling down my cheek. “If I go with you, will you not take my memories of her away from me?”

The reply was a honest as it gave me chills. “Yes.”

It felt like I had swallowed a leaden weight as the captain continued, “I cannot say whether you will eventually recall her or not once the exorcism has been completed, Fairlight. Truthfully, I would tell you if I knew.” Artemis looked down at his hooves, not wanting to meet my eyes. “I’m sorry, there’s no other way.”

I gave him the only reply I could. “Then the answer, Captain Artemis, is no.” Meadow was all that kept me sane in this dire land of black sand, and whatever it took, I would find my way back. I would follow her crystal’s light. If it took me an eternity...

Rubbing his neck, Helios stood up and shook his mane, pushing a few loose hairs back into place. “We’ve tried reasoning with you, Fairlight, but you just don’t seem to want to listen to reason.” And ‘reason’, according to this guy, included chucking spears at ponies. He continued, “Should you stay here as you are determined to do, you will eventually fade away until there will be nothing for us to save. It will be too late for you. As Artemis has said, nothing can live in Wither World”.

“And thestrals?” I said, wondering where the elusive creature had vanished to.

“What about them?” Helios asked.

I raised an eyebrow quizzically. “You said ‘nothing can live in the Wither world’. They do. So your assertion that I cannot survive here, is wrong.”

Artemis huffed. “Thestrals are not truly alive as you know it, Captain. They are creatures that live ‘between’. Some were once living ponies like you and me. Some of them… once.” His eyes took on a distant look as silence fell.

“What of this pendant then?” I queried, holding up the glowing crystal, “You said it was ‘Starswirl’s Beacon’?”

“Don’t-”, Helios began, but Artemis stopped him with a hoof on his shoulder.

“No brother,” the tall alicorn said gently. “I can tell him.” He looked me square in the eyes. “You know who ‘Starswirl the bearded’ is of course?” he asked me. I nodded. “When he still lived, the wizard would travel the planes between life and death, a walker of dreams and a seeker of the deeper knowledge.”

“And he developed this crystal as a way to find his way home?” I ventured, marvelling at the tiny creation.

“Yes and no.” Artemis shook his head. “He used it to navigate the worlds, true, but the crystal itself was a gift. Starswirl had found a way to enter the plane of the Eternal Herd, something no living mortal pony had ever accomplished before...” He scratched his ear with a fore hoof and sighed. “The gift was from a member of the-”

“For the goddesses sake brother, hold thy tongue!” Thalio shouted. “Thy head will roll, Artemis!”

Artemis lowered his head in resignation, “You’re right brother, it is not my place to tell. Forgive me, Captain Fairlight. I would tell you if I could. Suffice to say that the crystal you wear around your neck lights the way to the veil.”

“The veil?” I asked, intrigued. At least I had a name for my destination, and that in itself sparked a light of hope in my heart.

“Yes,” Artemis replied. “It is the place where the division between the Wither World, the mortal and immortal realms are at their thinnest. Though know this - the veil can only be crossed by one with enormous magical power. A power both of the mortal world and of this world. Raw magic.”

My heart sank. Raw magic? Was he kidding? I’d heard of it of course, I mean, who hadn’t heard of it? It was the magic the gods had used to create the world and allegedly there were pockets of it still around in the deepest places of Equestria, but here? And even if I found one, I was only a unicorn with about as much magical aptitude as a common conjuror. Oh goddesses, I couldn’t sink into despair now... Racking my mind, a question came to the fore, “That being the case Artemis, how did Starswirl manage to cross in both directions? He was a mortal pony after all, and hardly wielded the magic of the gods.”

“Yes… yes he was.” Artemis nodded sagely. “But Starswirl had tapped into magics unheard of – Raw, primal powers which few save the King and Queen had ever known. Do you have that power Fairlight? That depth of knowledge?” Artemis fixed me with a searching look. I think he actually expected me to say “Yes”.

“No. No, I don’t,” I said dejectedly.

“Then come with us, brother,” the alicorn offered. “I will take you to Meadow. Even if your memories are gone you can start afresh with the love of your friends and family around you. You can begin again, as you were meant to be.”

My heart ached. I threw my head back and took in a deep breath fighting back the tears. Damn you, Artemis! He knew just where to strike a pony. Shaking my mane, I held my resolve tightly. I would end this. End it the way Meadow wanted me to.

“Forgive me, Captain,” I said politely but firmly. “As you have your mission, I too have mine. Be it a fools errand to which no good will come of it or not, I will follow my orders.”

To my amazement, Artemis actually looked impressed and smiled appreciatively. “Your Wife’s orders by any chance?” he chuckled.

“My Wife’s orders,” I confirmed with a broad grin. The two of us broke out in laughter and I felt my heart lift, re-invigorating me with a renewed energy I’d thought long gone.

“Captain Fairlight of the Equestrian Watch. My brother stallion,” Artemis announced, standing straight and tall. “I commend you sir for your integrity and honesty. Gentlecolts…” Helios and Thalio walked up to stand either side of him. “Goddess speed you on your journey, sir. I pray you complete your mission and return to us one day, victorious.” Two of them, with the exception of Thalio, snapped off an impressive salute which I returned smartly.

With a nod, Helios unbuckled the baldric for the knife I had taken from him and tossed it towards me. “Keep the blade, Captain. You will need it more than I. May it serve you well.” He raised an eyebrow with a wry smile, “I’m just glad you didn’t try it out on me!” I blushed in response, scratching my ear in embarrassment.

A white glow of almost blinding white light appeared behind them, seemingly out of nowhere. And then, as one, they turned and walked away until they were enveloped in the brightness. “Farewell, Captain,” Artemis called out. The three figures grew smaller and more distant as the glow began to fade, a faint voice calling back, barely audible now. “See you again soon, my brother.”

Soundless darkness re-asserted its dominance and I blinked my eyes to re-adjust. I had a renewed sense of purpose, a cool looking knife from the eternal herd, an ancient relic from an equestrian hero and a sturdy set of hooves. What more could a pony ask? With a loud neigh and swish of my tail, I span to aim myself in the direction the crystal’s glow indicated. “Starswirl you old bugger, I could kiss you,” I laughed aloud to the silent land surrounding me. I settled for a light kiss on the crystal instead. Gods, how I wanted to shout a war cry, to howl my defiance to the universe. It would have to be something unique and challenging, full of mystique and portent…

“BOLLOCKS!” I bellowed, and with a wild laugh I galloped off as fast my regular old pony legs could take me.

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

I galloped until my poor hooves felt like they would drop off at any moment. Although I had a great deal of endurance here in the Withers it, was certainly not without limits and I had all but reached mine for the day. Not that I could tell what time it was here of course, but tired was tired regardless of whether it was morning, midday or evening. In any case I had to try my best to get some well earned sleep and recharge the old Fairlight batteries. Carefully, I reached towards the unnaturally cold ball of power within me and released a little of its magic. It was just the barest of caresses, but it was all it took. I’d been experimenting with my new found and decidedly peculiar abilities since I had ‘arrived’ here, discovering to my relief that some were almost controllable. Actually, ‘controllable’ might not be the most accurate way to describe this. It was little like wrestling with a cobra, bare hoofed and trying to bend it to your will, all the while hoping to avoid the thing sinking its fangs into you. In fairness though, I don’t think I’d fully appreciated the gravity of what was really going on. Apparently I’d died, but was not ‘quite’ dead. My spirit, essence, or soul, or whatever the bloody hell it was supposed to be, was tainted so I couldn’t go to the herd anyway, so… I closed my eyes and scrubbed my forelock in frustration. What the hell did it all mean, anyway? I couldn’t do sod all about it other than grasp at the sliver of hope Meadow had given me in the form of the tiny crystal. Funny how it had belonged to Starswirl though, and from what those alicorns had been fussing about, it seemed it had been a gift from a benefactor whom they weren’t supposed to mention. All very intriguing of course, but meant absolutely bot-all to me right now. Stupid bloody herd with their wings and horns and posh, shiny coats. What the hell was wrong with mine? Grey was good. It was a nice, neutral colour that went well with most things. Gods, I could murder a cup of tea right now...

I drew in a deep breath, the warm air mingling with the ice cold from deep inside my chest. With a long exhale that far exceeded my actual lung capacity, I breathed out a thick swirling blue fog that hung in the air. Next I turned full circle, surrounding myself with the deadly miasma. In its own eerie way it was really quite beautiful, glittering and sparkling like a cloud of countless stars. I could have taken a job on the stage with this as a special effects pony with this trick. I’d used it the first time completely by accident, frighteningly during my sleep shortly after meeting Shades. Thank the goddess that the friendly creature hadn’t been affected by the lethal fog, but how I had no idea. Upon waking up that ‘morning’, I’d found the frozen remains of what I can only describe as ‘things’ which had wandered into its deadly grasp. ‘Things’ I might add that I certainly wouldn’t have wanted finding me defenceless when I was asleep. There’d been far too many tentacles and teeth for my liking. And so I settled down, shifting my weight to even out the sand beneath me to something approaching a bed. Oh Luna! What I wouldn’t give for a bed right now. I yawned, letting my mind drift away on a unsettle raft on a sea of doubt. Perhaps one day I’d get a decent night sleep here. But this… this would do for now...

Dreams took me into the warm embrace and drifted, floating away on sea of happy memories.

Meadow had taken the news of my suspension well. Surprisingly well considering our plans to have a foal had just come to a crashing halt. My wages were still being paid for now, but the outcome of the investigation was still in doubt. Meadow was confident I would be exonerated of course, but if the way the Chief had torn a strip off me in his office that day was any judge, I just didn’t know. As days turned to weeks the strain began to tell on our relationship as I found the boredom of being out of work intolerable. My grandfather used to tell me, “Idle hooves are Discord’s playground.” And he wasn’t wrong.

“Morning love,” Meadow called to me as she prepared breakfast. I mumbled a reply whilst concentrating for umpteenth time on the Manehattan Enquirer vacancies page. Every day it was the same. Every sodding day! ‘Look for a job in case the worst happens,’ she’d said. ‘Hope for the best but prepare for the worst,’ and so on and blood so on. Gods, whose side was she on?! One minute she’s all full of confidence and the next it’s like I’m a condemned stallion! She popped her head round the door. “Morning love,” she said again.

“Morning,” I replied far too loudly.

Meadow clucked her tongue at me and vanished back into the kitchen before re-appearing a few minutes later with a light breakfast of orange juice and mixed veg. A bowl of toasted oats added a tasty crunch to the ensemble which I ate in gloomy silence, reading through the sparse list of crappy low paid jobs that were on offer.

Meadow sat down at the other end of the table and took a sip of her juice. “Anything?”

“Nothing,” I huffed irritably, scrunching up the paper. “Not a goddess bucking thing.”

Meadow grimaced at my crude choice of words. “Don’t swear Fairlight, you know I don’t like that.”

“What’s it matter?” I replied bitterly. “I’m a failure anyway. I may as well act like one.”

“You’re not a failure and you know it.” Meadow looked up at me from her glass of orange. “You’re only suspended remember, not sacked.”

“I may as well be!” I shouted, throwing the paper across the room. “I ‘screwed up’ remember? I killed my friends. I left them to die! Goddess forgive me, Meadow, I should have died there with them. I shouldn’t be here now! It’s wrong. All of it’s so wrong…”

The green mare reached over to me and put her hoof on mine. “Stop this Fairlight, please! You’re torturing yourself with what happened. You did what you could, and Mitre knows that. I know you did your best.”

Cruelly, I smacked her hoof away, “My best?! My ‘best’ wasn’t good enough! I’m a disgrace to the watch, Meadow. Pop would be spinning in his grave.”

Meadow hugged the hoof I’d knocked away, wincing, “Your father wouldn’t have wallowed in self pity, Fairlight. This isn’t you. This isn’t the Fairlight I married. You need help to get you through this, so I’ve had a word with Dr Spindle. He wants to help you, love.”

“You’ve done what?!” I yelled, jumping to my hooves.

A pair of sad yellow eyes stared back at me. “Please, Fairlight, you need help. Look at yourself! You’re not you anymore. We can’t keep going on like this!”

My chest was heaving with my untethered emotions. I was furious: with the damned commissioner, the watch, Equestria, but most of all - myself. I had shouted and roared at the only pony who I had ever loved, the one who gave me support unconditionally and, Celestia forgive me, I had hurt her. I looked at those beautiful eyes as they began to well with tears, yet maintained a determined look despite the despair and anguish she was feeling. I couldn’t take it. I couldn’t bear the self loathing I felt for myself, nor witness the misery I was inflicting on such an innocent soul.

“I’m going out,” I announced, and snatched my coat and hat from the hat stand. For a moment the coat caught on the stand and I pulled at it in fury, ripping the sleeve slightly and sending the stand crashing down the hallway. Like a defiant foal who’d been told he couldn’t have the sweets he wanted, I kicked it petulantly, slamming the door behind me as I left.

Meadow… said nothing.

A strong wind was blowing outside and the endless Manehattan rain was driving down in earnest. Celestia, don’t they pay for weather ponies here? I’d sack the damned lot of them if I had my way, the useless bucking idiots. Now I had to contend with a foul mood, and even fouler weather on my way to only gods knew where. I used my magic to pull my hat down and pulled up my collar to try and keep the worst of it out. The paper stall was nearby, and a hot cup of tea and something sweet might go some way to improving my- Oh, I don’t bucking believe it! Shut! Goddess damned typical! Everything was turning to dung around me - a now tangible reflection of hopelessness of my situation. I kicked the paper stand’s shutter and walked on until I reached the ‘don’t walk’ sign. Red. Stop. Dear Luna, what a bucking mess…

I barely heard the carriage rumbling up the cobbled street and pull up beside me. The door opened and a trench coated blue stallion held out something that I needed more now than ever - a cigarette. “I think you need this,” the chief said in his usual gruff voice. “Get in”. Woodenly I climbed into the cool yet mercifully dry interior of the modest conveyance. Mitre leaned forward and slid the driver’s hatch open, “Fumbles, let’s roll.” The carriage lurched forward and we sped off down the dank Manehattan streets. “There’s somepony I want you to meet.”

I sat in silence, taking a deep draw on the sweet tobacco. I’d given these things up years ago, but today... today I needed this. I’m sorry, Meadow.

“Shelly says these’ll kill me some day,” Chief Mitre said as I lit his cigar for him. “But you’ve got to go of something, I always say. None of us know what’s around the next corner.”

I sure as hell hadn’t. My team had paid the price for that failure too. Suddenly a hoof smacked me across the jaw, “And you can pack that in right now, Captain. I’m not in the mood for bullshit today and I need my officer back. Clear?” Mitre’s eyes bored into mine.

I nursed my jaw with a hoof, checking it was still attached. The old bugger had nearly taken it off! “Yes, sir,” I said woodenly. No trip to the dentist required this time, thank Celestia.

“Let me ask you something Fairlight,” the chief began. “Doesn’t anything strike you as odd about that night in the warehouse?”

Other than everypony I knew being butchered? Damn it all I felt like screaming at the stallion, but I knew Mitre well enough to know he was referring to something other than the obvious. Still, there was a protocol to follow. “Chief, I’m suspended,” I explained. “I’m not supposed to be talking with any of the watch until the investigation is-”

A heavy hoof on the end of a blue foreleg smashed past my ear into the carriage’s wall, sending splinters flying everywhere. “I don’t give a buck about any ‘investigation’, Captain! Now, are you going to give me my officer back or am I going to have to throw you out into the street to wallow in you own self pity?”

The driver’s hatch opened and a voice came back, “Everything all right back there boss?”

“Aye,” the Chief replied simply. “Having a little language difficulty, that’s all. I think we’re beginning to understand each other now though.” He looked me right in the eyes. “Aren’t we?”

“Yes, sir!” I said smartly, feeling to my surprise a little of the ‘old’ me returning. I noted the muted chuckle from the driver as he slid the hatch closed.

“Now then, Captain, I’ve read your report,” Mitre began. “Several times actually. Some of it simply doesn’t add up though, no matter how many times I read it. I need your help to connect the dots and fill in the gaps.”

“Sir,” I replied.

The chief produced a notebook and pen. “You deployed the flash bugs?”

I nodded. “They worked as planned.”

“Their effect on the targets?”

I paused, my mind racing back to that terrible night.

“Captain?” Mitre asked, putting his pad down to look at me.

“None,” I confirmed quietly.

“Any idea why?”

“Sorry Chief, I don’t.” I took a breath and swallowed. “I’ve replayed the night’s events over and over a thousand times in my head. I can only suspect that...”

“They had anticipated it?” the Chief cut in.

I nodded. “Yes, sir”.

Mitre reached into a brown case, taking out an evidence envelope. “Here, what do you make of these?”

Inside was a concave, oval glass dish. It was incredibly thin, but with a surprising amount of flexibility too. I held it up to the window of the cab with my magic and watched in amazement as it darkened. When I moved it back again, the glass became clear once more. “Is this magical? I haven’t seen anything like it. What’s it for?” As the words left my lips, I suddenly realised what it was that was niggling at the back of my mind. Chief Mitre smiled wryly and nodded. “Goddesses,” I breathed. “I understand now. It’s not equestrian made is it?”

“No, Captain,” Mitre solemnly replied. “Look at the other item.”

The next object to emerge was a hard cased black box with wires protruding from it. By the general shape it was obvious it was designed to go in your ear, with a curving strap holding it in place over the head. A long bendable rod with a finely textured end piece followed the contours of the wearer’s chin, terminating where their mouth would be.

“This is from the same place,” I pondered. “It’s like our TED’s, but a different type of magic.” Normally my horn itched near significant magical fields or artefacts. In this case, it was as dead as a door nail. “If magic at all?”

Mitre took the items back, placing them back into the folder. “It’s not equestrian, and not magic. At least, not as you and I know it,” he said cryptically. He made a note in his pad and glanced out of the window before continuing. “What’s your take on the snipers?”

I sighed., I’d been dreading this. The dead staring eyes of those ponies were burned into my memory and kept me awake long into the night. Maybe talking about it would help, but I doubted it.

“They were dead when I got there Chief. Single shot to the back of the head. No sign of any weapon nearby.”

“Location of the bodies?” he asked.

“One on the balcony, two in the office.”

“The doors?”

“The one to the gantry was padlocked from the inside. The other was unlocked.”

The chief flipped a page in his note pad. “The pre-action report from the recon team specifically notes that the padlock on the inner office door was missing when they arrived. They were the last to leave the warehouse before your teams arrived. So far as we know.”

“The padlock was there, Chief,” I reiterated.

Mitre closed his eyes and nodded, “I know, Captain. It was still there when the forensic ponies arrived. After the army had trampled over all the evidence that is.” He let out a puff of smoke from his cigar, twirling it in his hoof. “Assessment?”

“Somepony knew we were coming,” I suggested, hating my own words. “They were too well prepared. Those light reactive eye covers and fancy TED’s could have been coincidental, brought as a precautionary measure, but the snipers? Somepony took them out quietly from behind with one of those other-world weapons and then locked the door from the inside. My guess is the bucker on the landing outside.”

“We recovered her body before the army arrived,” Mitre explained blowing a smoke ring. He wound the window down to let some of the thick grey cloud out. “We can thank Blaze’s team for that.”

“Sir? About Dawn, Dawn Rush. She tried to warn us just before all hell broke loose. I haven’t had a chance to speak to any of her flight, but Blaze told me that she… she hadn’t made it.”

The Chief reached across and put a comforting hoof on my foreleg. “She didn’t suffer, Captain. But yes, her flight was ambushed. That tube like contraption you mentioned in your report? There was another on the barge, concealed, and a lot larger.”

“Celestia’s backside!” I exclaimed, “We did recover it though, didn’t we?” We had to have had at least one break in this blasted case, and the barge must have held a treasure trove of clues that would be able to help us get to bottom of this whole fiasco. Unfortunately for the watch however, the reality of what happened after our ignominious rout made my blood run cold.

“No,” Mitre said gravely. “The agency cleared it out.”

“What?!” I nearly shouted. “The whole barge?”

“Aye.” The big blue stallion tapped his note pad. “The agency goon squad came in with their army pals and seized the lot. Everything except what you’ve seen in the file here.”

Luna buck me in a blind alley! “Chief, what the hell is going on here? The agency suits grabbed me after I left your office. After you-”

Mitre sighed and tapped the ash from his cigar out the window of the speeding carriage. “I know, they came and took the weapon you recovered too. What they don’t know is that we’ve been tinkering with some toys of our own. Here...” He passed me another folder from his case containing a selection of photographs, a number of diagrams with detailed pictures, dimensions, and operating instructions for one of the tube-like devices. Notably, somepony had also included a list of recommendations on adaptations and possible improvements that could be made. I was impressed; the forensic ponies must have worked round the clock to compile so thorough a study of the otherworldly weapons.

“This may interest you too. The mare on the gantry?” Mitre asked. I nodded as he continued, “We had Speak Easy’s boys look her over.”

The mental image of Speak Easy pawing over the body of the mare I’d killed was not one I’d like to dwell on. But here was the report, autopsy pictures and all. I suppressed my emotions and read the horrifyingly detailed description of the dissection of a once living creature. Keeping my stomach from emptying itself I turned to the last page and read the coroners conclusions, circled in red by, I suspected, the Chief.

Conclusions

Name : Unknown

Age : Indeterminate

Gender : Female

Race : Non-Equestrian

Type : Earth Pony Appearance

‘Non-Equestrian’, was hi-lighted and underlined several times. I flicked back through the descriptions of organs, blood type, colouring, even the condition of her teeth. “Goddesses, Chief,” I breathed. “Who, or rather ‘what’ was she?”

Chief Mitre fixed me with a level stare, “None of this leaves this carriage, Fairlight, do you understand?”

“Yes, sir,” I nodded.

“Good. And don’t worry about Fumbles, he’s one of us.” The chief waved a hoof towards the driver’s hatch. He took a deep breath and sighed it out, looking me in the eyes as he spoke. “This goes deep, Fairlight. Really deep. The portals we’ve found so far have always been inactive when we’ve managed to grab one. Apparently the magic that makes them work responds to various factors we haven’t been able to fathom yet, but we’ve got our best ponies on the job as we speak.” He took a draw on his cigar. “There’s a smuggling operation bringing items in from non-equestrian sources. We’ve known about that for some time, and your teams have shut down a good number of them. B what happened at the warehouse this takes the game to a whole new level. These… ‘things’,” he said tapping a hoof on the photo of the strange weaponry, “ups the ante. Whoever is behind this has been bringing in off-world weapons that were never designed for pony use.”

Hang on a minute, I thought, ‘off world’? Surely they could have been made by other races here in our world, such as, say, those ever crafty griffins for one. But the more I thought about it, the more fantastical it all became. I didn’t want to start thinking about little green ponies in space suits as well! “But the ones I saw were used by ponies, Chief, and all too effectively at that,” I reasoned.

Chief Mitre nodded, “Initially some had been brought here ready converted. We suspected they were a sort of ‘test batch’ to sweeten the deal. Since then they’ve been brought over in ever greater numbers, and the majority we’ve found have been re-engineered after they’ve arrived in Equestria to fit our physiology.”

I leaned back in my seat. This was so much to take in my mind felt like it was going to explode. He’d seen some before?

“Fairlight? The commissioner wanted you off the case - suspended pending a ‘full investigation’. In my opinion the whole thing’s going to be buried and forgotten. I was instructed to throw the book at you, so you’d take the fall.” Mitre took a draw on his cigar and leaned towards me. “Listen, there’s a reason I let fly at you the way I did that day. You probably aren’t aware of it, but my office has been bugged.”

“WHAT?! Gods almighty!” I shouted in surprise.

Mitre shrugged, “I had Speak Easy run a MET on it, and guess where it ended up?” An M.E.T or ‘Magical Energy Trace’ was a method employed by unicorns highly skilled in covert ops to match magical energy signatures to their owners. A sort of unique magic hoof-print finder. Just how bad had things become for the chief to resort to using one in his own office? Unfortunately, I knew the answer already:

“The commissioners office,” I said flatly.

“Good boy,” Mitre smiled. “I haven’t got anything concrete, but I think she has something to do with this and is trying to bury the evidence. How the agency fit into it exactly, I don’t know. Yet. This ‘non-equestrian’ mare though is another piece of the puzzle, but we’ll get to the bottom of it sooner or later. And to do that we need every pony we can get our hooves on.”

I felt the carriage beginning to slow. “But sir, I’m off the force now so what good is telling me any of this? And if the commissioner is gunning for me too, I won’t stand a chance of doing any detective work. She’d have me locked up and the key chucked in the bay.”

He smiled knowingly and hoofed me an umbrella, “That’s where you’re wrong, Captain. Ah, we’re here.” The carriage stopped with a slight lurch and Fumbles opened the door, rain blowing into the interior. “Come on my young friend,” Mitre smiled patting my knee. “Let’s give our comrades a good send off, eh?”

I stepped out of the carriage, magicking the umbrella open as I did so. The rows of open graves, coffins, and grieving families beckoned. The Equestrian Watch’s flag flapped wetly in the downpour at half mast, bearing witness to the tragedy below. This was my final duty to them as their officer, and as their captain. It was time to say goodbye to my friends.

That evening I staggered home after far too many wheat beers. I didn’t drink normally, or smoke for that matter, but the send off for our comrades had been a grand affair and I had indulged myself fully. The watch had really pushed the boat out on the wake, and well it should have. Equestrians mourn their dead at the funeral, but celebrate their lives afterwards, turning tears into smiles. At least, that was the theory. I was so inebriated I didn’t much care one way or the other. And so, in a fuse of drunken logic, I had turned down the offer of a taxi and tried to find my own way home, which, thank Luna, I actually managed to achieve. How exactly, I can’t remember for the life of me. All I recall is falling headlong into the porch and fumbling for my front door key. Damn it, the Celestia cursed thing was here somewhere. I could feel it in my pocket but for some bizarre reason my alcohol soaked brain couldn’t seem to co-ordinate my hooves to get the bloody thing out. Just to add insult to injury, my magic only made matters worse and I ended up with my coat stuck half over my head.

My pitiful cries for help were answered by a mare opening the door and announcing in a flat tone, “You’re home.”

“Oh thank Luna, I’m stuck. Meadow, help me get my coat off, love.” There was no reply. Hell, she was probably still mad at me. I’d have to make it up to her in the morning. Right now though I’d have-

I coughed.

“Oh goddesses, I think… I think I’m going to be… Meadow, I…” I belched loudly, following it up rapidly with the contents of my stomach. “Eurgh! Help! Meadow… Meadow, I can’t breath in here! Oh Luna, some went up my nose. Urrrgh!” My stomach retched over and over again, vomit filling my mouth, nose and eyes. I was trapped in a hot and slimy prison of cloth and puke, my hind legs sliding helpless on the tiled porch floor. “Meadow! I-” She roughly shoved me back out with both forelegs and, with a bang, the front door slammed shut. I heard the bolts slide into place and the click of the light.

“MEADOW!” I shouted, coughing on my sick. Oh goddesses, was that carrot in there? Damn it all, oh… Oh bollocks! “Urrrrggh!” I was burning hot, covered in sick and the world was spinning around me. Suddenly there was a horrible feeling of falling and a heavy crack as my head hit the inner porch wall on the way down. Considering how I must have looked and smelt, I was rather glad of the unconsciousness that followed.

I awoke to the beautiful melody of songbirds singing outside the bedroom window - the bloody noisy things. Goddesses in their bloody heaven, how was it possible to feel this bad and still be breathing? Everything hurt: my head, my eyes, even my ears of all things. I turned over to find Meadow wasn’t there, the space she normally occupied – cold. I wasn’t surprised. Smacking my lips I looked around for a glass of water, which incredibly sat there on the bedside table. I took a long draught gratefully, but even that relatively gentle movement had my head pounding like a bass drum. Still, I couldn’t wallow in my pit all day no matter how much I would have liked to. And so, with a long low groan of self pity, I rolled out of my soft comfy bed and headed for the shower, my poor legs nearly giving way as the room lurched worryingly around me. At least I didn’t feel sick any more, thank Celestia, and if there was one thing to be said about our modest home, it was that the bathroom was right next to the bedroom so I didn’t have far to stagger in case I was. Carefully climbing into the shower, the warm water was sheer bliss on my coat, freshening me up and soaking new life into my tired bones and muscles. Somepony, Meadow obviously, must have cleaned me up last night before putting me to bed. Hadn’t she? Hang on… I thought I’d been locked in the porch! Oh, bollocks, I was in so much trouble. Where in Equestria had she gotten to anyway? I hadn’t seen hide nor hair of her since I’d woken up. Mind you, seeing her in this condition wasn’t exactly the best start to the day, so I decided to make myself as presentable as possible before any concerted attempt at a grovelling apology. I finished showering and towelled off, dried out the old ears, a quick flank floss, and I was good to go. On my way to the dining room I noticed that my rain coat and hat were missing from the stand. No surprise there I suppose. I’d probably have to buy new ones after last night’s escapade. It was a damned shame too; they’d been my constant companions on many a shift in the watch, but nothing lasts forever. Especially when plastered with your stomach contents. Bugger it all…

I searched the house, but of my long suffering wife there was no sign. Her nurses uniform was still hanging in the wardrobe but her hat and scarf were gone. Perhaps she’d gone shopping and left a note for me? I checked the fridge door and the coffee table, the usual places for any household missives, but no sign of any note. Marvellous. Defeatedly I sat down, nursing my poor battered head with my hooves. Damn you alcohol! Unfortunately my appalling behaviour in the porch was starting to come back to me bit by bit, adding an extra dose of misery to my already delicate condition. Worse still, my behaviour towards Meadow earlier the previous evening began replaying though my mind as well, adding even more to the agony of the hangover.

Oh Luna, Celestia, what had I done?

My mind made up, I took my old watch-coat out of the cloakroom, knocked back a couple of candied pain killers, and headed out the front door to find my wife. A walk in the fresh air would help my head, and the quicker I found Meadow the better. Leaving things like this wasn’t good for either of us. Nor my sense of burgeoning guilt either. It was cool out, with a crisp breeze that was quite brisk for the time of year. In fact if I hadn’t have been feeling so tender I would have walked all the way to the first place on my list of places to try, but the nearby taxi rank was too much of a temptation to pass up, and in short order I was whisked across the city to Meadow’s place of work.

Manehattan General Hospital was a huge white complex of purpose made buildings, with each wing capable of housing hundreds, if not thousands of ponies. Everything from sore fetlocks and mane loss to laminitis was treated here. All quite common knowledge of course, but what a lot of the city dwellers didn’t know however, was that a lot of watch ponies had been treated here recently in utmost secrecy. And for reasons a lot more serious than mange or a jiffy tummy. Some of them would never be able to return to work due to the seriousness of their injuries, whilst others… others would not live to see another sunrise. I hung my head at the memory of my lost comrades, and with heavy hooves climbed the steps to reception.

A yellow earth pony nurse with a white feather cutie mark trotted up to me. “Hi Fairlight! How ya doing? No Meadow?” Quill looked past me to the door, obviously expecting her friend to be nearby.

“Hi, Quill,” I said solemnly. “I don’t know where she is. I thought she might be here.”

She nodded sagely. “Ah. You two had a fight?”

“Yeah, something like that,” I replied.

Quill nodded, her eyes closed as a knowing smile appeared on her face, “Drinking was it? Came home plastered and she was angry, right? Woke up and she’s disappeared. Am I in the right ball park?”

“How did you-?!” I exclaimed as Quill laughed and clopped her fore hooves together.

“Oh, I knew it!” she squealed, “My tail was twitching when you plodded in, and I just knew!”

“Plodded in?” I muttered.

“Oh, yes! Twitchy tail, itchy nose - they always tell me when something’s going to happen! Or in your case, already has happened! Or is that ear flopping? Hmm...”

Celestia, my head! Gods above, I didn’t have time for this. And now Quill’s inexhaustible energy was starting to make my headache worse that it was when I woke up! If that was even possible.

“Quill...” I began.

“Hmm?” she replied, blinking up at me.

I closed my eyes and sighed. “I think you ought to see a doctor.”

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

Back outside the ground was still damp from the previous night’s rain as I approached the Manehattan municipal graveyard. Even when it wasn’t raining the place had a dark and oppressive feel to it, and it certainly wasn’t the kind of place I would want to come given any choice. My heart felt leaden in my chest and I was uncertain as to what I would find in this place. “Other than dead ponies,” I sighed quietly under my breath. The stone stairs from this side of the site were large and shallow, designed to help ponies who were young, old, or perhaps simply infirm to reach the level ground at the summit. A respectably healthy climb later, and I was there. The flag had been taken down since I’d last been here, but the clearly new graves and colourful flowers stood out in stark relief from the rest of the drab stone. The ponies of the watch had clubbed together to top up the funeral fund for a little something more than the usual square slab which indicated the final resting place of the fallen. I walked slowly past each one, noting the name and examining the faces of each pony that had been engraved into the surface beside the inlaid gold lettering. Luna forgive us, there were so many…

I’d seen them lowered beneath the earth only the day before, but in the shock of the chief’s revelations and the incessant freezing rain, it had all seem unreal somehow. Now, here was the starkness of reality before me. No more games, no more laughter - this was how it all ended. They were gone. I gently stroked a hoof along the top of each grave stone, looking for the one I knew would be there.

Dawn Rush.

Her grave stone was no different from the rest of those belonging to the fallen of the watch. From what I knew of the chirpy pegasus, she wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. Her picture however, rather than the standard ID types of the rest, was a cheekily smiling Dawn, winking at the camera. I couldn’t help but smile, a light chuckle in my throat escaping despite my sadness. “Dawn…” I whispered, closing my eyes. After a deep breath, I read the inscription:

Watch Lieutenant Dawn Rush

Beloved daughter of Lilly and Carrot

Hero of the Manehattan Watch Flying Squad

Fly proud, Fly true

“Hero of the Manehattan Watch,” I read aloud. “You were that and more Lieutenant.” I sat back on my haunches, wiping a rogue tear away. “No tears for you, eh? You’d buck me into next week!” I looked up into the sky, breathing out slowly. She’d tried to save us that night. Save all of us. A ‘hero of the watch’, indeed. “You better be taking good care of her up there y’here?” I called up to the heavens, “or I’ll kick your arses into next Thursday!” I laughed and stood back up, brushing the mud off my coat. Dawn hated mucky uniforms. I was so lost in my reminiscing I barely registered the crunching of hoofsteps on the gravel path beside me.

“Capn’? That you?”

Now that voice brought back memories. “Blaze,” I said turning to look at the sleek pegasus mare standing there in her smart blue watch cloak. The pale grey pony shook her rust coloured mane and turned her gaze towards the grave marker. “Thanks for coming to see her, sir. She’d have wanted you to, you know.”

I was lost for words. Blaze and Dawn were... well, there was no other way to say it - they were lovers. ‘Officially’ it was supposed to be a secret of course, but a badly kept one that absolutely everypony in the Manehattan Watch knew about. Watch regulations stated emphatically, ‘No fraternisation between watch ponies’ and, yeah, we took that as an advisory rather than actual ‘rules’. Besides, they were two of the best liked ponies in the watch, and their little flirtations between each other would bring good natured lectures from the chief if he ever caught them. We all knew them, and we all loved them. Our sisters in the watch. Now, there was only one.

“I couldn’t protect her, Blaze.” I said finally managed. I was barely able to meet the gaze of her big silver eyes. “She tried to save us. I’m... sorry. I’m so sorry.” I hung my head, unsure as to what else to say. And what could I say, anyway? Nothing I said could mend a broken heart or bring back a lost loved one.

Blaze said nothing for a few moments. She just stood there, staring at me in silence. I could feel her eyes boring into me, searching my soul, but for what exactly I didn’t know. Answers to what had happened? Why her lover had been taken from her? I half expected her to buck me full in the face, and I wouldn’t have blamed her if she did. I stood, waiting for the blow that never came.

“Do you know how she died?” Blaze asked suddenly, turning back to the grave.

I looked up, blinking. “No.” I took a deep breath before continuing, “The chief told me she didn’t suffer though. Blaze, it’s not a good idea to-”

“-She flew in front of me,” Blaze interrupted suddenly. “My Dawn flew in front of those bloody damned fire bug things and… and…” She choked back a sob. “She took a full blast in the chest. I caught her as she fell, but there was nothing I could do. Dawn was… she was already gone. The bastards damned near cut her in half. I can’t get the sight of her blood out of my mind, Cap, it was… Do you know what that’s like? Those bastards took the one reason I had for living and destroyed it. They stole my Dawn and…” I went to put a foreleg around Blaze but she backed away shaking her head, “Capn’ I… I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye!” Tears were falling from her eyes like rain as she stared right at me. “They took her from me!”

I closed my eyes for a moment before speaking. “Blaze, Dawn loved you. We all knew she did, and that’s why she did what she did to save you. If the roles had been reversed, you’d have done the same thing. Please, don’t beat yourself up over it.”

Blaze reared up and slammed her forehooves down into the gravel. “That’s just it!” she roared. “Those things were meant for me! It should be me under that Equestria damned muck, not her… not her…”

The pale grey pegasus mare collapsed to her knees, tears flooding down her muzzle into the freshly dug earth. And all I could do was watch helplessly as my fellow watch pony poured out her grief, hugging the mounded soil that blanketed the final resting place of her beloved Dawn. I moved to put a hoof round her, but it was clear from her body language she wanted to be left alone.They wanted to be left alone. Turning away, I solemnly walked away down the row of graves, unable to comfort a friend. In time, when she was ready, she’d share her grief with us all, and we’d talk about the good times, the bad times, the happy, the sad, and we’d be there waiting for her when that time came. Watch ponies looked after their own.

My legs followed their own course, letting the Fairlight mind wander into places it probably shouldn’t whilst the chief’s words rang over and over through my head. Goddesses help us all, whatever was going on it wasn’t going to end well for Equestria. Just what were we going to do? Who could we trust? Being off the watch was bad enough, but the way this was heading, would there even be a watch to go back to? I mentally slapped myself; this wasn’t the time to be melodramatic. Rounding the next row of graves, a green pony in a large straw hat came into view. She was lying on all fours, her muzzle resting on her outstretched forelegs. I could hear her plaintive sobs as I approached and the hopelessness of despair etched onto her beautiful face. She didn’t look up when I knelt beside her. A fresh bunch of marigolds had been placed on the grave. It was a neat, understated plot; tidy, well kept, and with a simple marker:

Chief Officer Apple Pop

Manehattan Watch

“Dad”

I lay there in quiet contemplation next to my wife. I didn’t deserve her and I knew it. A terrible part of me wondered how long it would be until she had simply had enough of her lot in life, of being the wife of a watch pony, and one day would simply no longer be there when I awoke in the morning. Today had been a sample of what that terrifying future would hold, and it scared the hell out of me. To lose Meadow would be like losing my heart. I couldn’t live without her. There would simply be… no meaning. The pit opened in front of me and my soul marched blindly on towards the precipice.

“He would have been so proud of you, you know.” Meadow’s voice was barely a whisper. “Dad was the strength in our family, the one we felt would be there to protect us. Be there, with us, forever.”

I kept silent as Meadow went on, “When I was in high school, Dad was already Watch Chief. We were proud of him, and I think the other fillies and colts were jealous of us because of that and used to tease us. My brother, Silver, would stand up to the bullies and face them down. Just like Dad would have.” She smiled through the tears and reached out to nudge the flowers into a neater pattern. “He was on a shout to a school fire in the fourth precinct. Suspected arson, they said. Who it was or why they did it, nopony ever knew. It was all so… pointless. It was late at night and the school should have been empty. The fire department was still there, and Dad had gone in with Captain Mitre to have a look around before the forensic team arrived.”

It was hard to imagine the big blue pony as the same rank as myself, and younger too. He looked the sort who’d been middle aged when he was still a foal. I listened intently though; Meadow had never told me what had happened to her father.

Meadow closed her eyes and swallowed before continuing. “He and Mitre entered the school library and found…” She paused, struggling with some inner conflict. “They found a foal. He’d been…he’d had his…” Meadow took a deep breath, but began to shake. I removed my thick worn watch coat and placed it over her as she gasped, “He’d had his tummy cut open.” Meadow let out a cry of distress, covering her muzzle with a foreleg.

“Meadow…” I whispered, but she waved me off.

“He’d had his organs removed and they were strung up, like streamers, all around the bookshelves. Dad and Mitre couldn’t do anything for him. He was… he was already gone.” Meadow’s eyes were open but narrowed, staring off into some world I couldn’t see. And one I didn’t want to see wither. My own eyes were stinging as it was. The waves of raw emotion rolling off my wife along with the mental imagery I was receiving, had me on the verge of tears.

“Mitre thought he heard a noise and went to investigate, and Dad went with him,” Meadow said quietly. “After the fire there were no lights in there, only what they could see with their lanterns. In the darkness of the library alcove they heard a foal, crying…” I held my breath involuntarily. “She wasn’t alone. There was another with her - a crimson coated stallion. Dad didn’t get a good look at him, but he saw enough. He was… doing things to the little foal. Dad never said what it was and Mitre wouldn’t talk about it at all.” She took a deep breath. “There was a fight. The crimson pony shot Mitre with a hoof held crossbow. Dad only had his truncheon on him, and he pulled the foal off the table to safety, but the other pony…” Meadow whimpered, shaking her mane before looking across at me. “He stabbed him. Just like that, right in the back as he held the foal. It was like his life meant nothing, nothing at all… just a piece of meat.” Meadows eye’s were wide and staring now, pain searing through her mind and words with a clarity that only the kind of agony she had experienced could express. “He was my dad, Fairlight! That dirty animal, he stabbed my Dad, he…” She was coming apart fast. I put a foreleg around her and pulled her into me while gently resting my head across her neck. She resisted momentarily before she continued. “When they failed to return to the team in the school yard, the Lieutenant sent in another team to look for them. They found Dad and Mitre, alive but in critical condition. Dad was lying there, still sheltering the foal in his forelegs. The crimson pony was long gone. The first I knew was when mum woke me and Silver to help her look for dad when he didn’t come home. We took a cab to the watch house. They told us about the fire, but nopony knew where he was. Mum was hysterical. I was so frightened, all I wanted to do was find dad, and so I ran out into the night and headed for the school. I ran and ran and ran…”

I nuzzled Meadow’s neck to try and reassure her that I was there for her. All I could do was hold her and pray that she knew I would do whatever I could to help her through this.

“The ponies at the school told me dad was at the hospital.” Meadow blinked a tear away and sniffed, brushing her muzzle. “They wouldn’t tell me what had happened, but the looks on their faces… Oh, Fairlight, I… I’ll never forget the look on the faces!” She pushed me away suddenly and hauled herself to her hooves to look down at me. “I ran all the way to the hospital. The watch ponies offered me a ride there, but I just ran. My mind was a blank. All I could think of was finding dad and making sure he was okay.” Meadow began to shake again, whether with the cold or her distressed state, I wasn’t certain. “He was-” she began. “Oh, Fairlight! He…”

I gave her a reassuring smile, “It’s alright love, take your time. I’m with you, and I’m not going anywhere.”

She nodded. “Dad was just… lying there. His eyes were open but they were so distant, like he wasn’t quite there somehow. I think that was one of the things that frightened me the most; they’d always been so bright and full of life. But now he was just… staring. There were tubes and magical monitors and… and they were sticking into dad and…” Meadow stopped to steady her breathing. “I tried to hold him, to tell him it was going to be okay, but the nurse stopped me from hugging him. He just looked across at me and smiled, Fairlight. Smiled! After what that monster had done, my dad actually smiled at me.” She hung her head and cleared her throat. “The alarm on one of the machine went off and the nurse called the doctor. He ran into the room and pushed me to one side. Dad had… stopped breathing. I didn’t know what was happening at the time and tried to stop them from ‘hurting’ my dad, but they just continued and shouted for the nurse to push me out the room just as Mum crashed through the doors. I’d never seen a look like that on a pony’s face before Fairlight, and to be on my own mother’s...” Tears started anew. “The Doctor tried Fairlight, he tried so hard to save dad, but there was just too much damage. I remember the way he looked at mum. I couldn’t quite hear the words, but I could see his lips moving. ‘I’m sorry’. That was it. ‘I’m sorry’. Dad was gone. Mum’s screams were deafening. I can still hear her sometimes in my dreams you know? Crying and screaming out at the world that took her beloved husband. My dad.”

My heart was aching for her. Dear Celestia, was this what Meadow thought could happen to me, every time I went out to work? Goddesses, I never truly realised until now. In my narrow minded view on life I simply saw the watch as a means to an end, a way to help the everyday lives of common ponies and make some money for my family. The strain it put her under… Luna forgive me…

Meadow wiped her eyes and pushed her muzzle into my neck, breathing in my scent. “She never recovered from the shock. Mum was like a ghost after that night, and Silver and I spent most of our time with family relatives or with Mitre and Shelly. She simply… faded away. The doctors said she died of a broken heart. I… I didn’t even think that was possible.” The beautiful green mare walked several steps away before turning back to me with a determined look in her big yellow eyes, “I don’t want to fade away, Fairlight. I don’t want to find you hooked up to hospital monitors and tubes, dying before my eyes. I won’t have it, damn you Captain Fairlight! To hell with the bloody watch and to hell with your stupid oath to Celestia!”

“Meadow!” I exclaimed at her words. I’d never heard her swear before. It was a taboo in our home and I was careful, usually, to respect her aversion to it.

“I don’t care, Fairlight! You’re mine and I will be damned if I let anypony take you from me!” She shouted her words with a conviction that made the hairs stand up on my back and even lowered her front into a fighting stance. I was shocked and, I hate to admit, slightly aroused by her aggressive stance. This was a Meadow I had never seen before, and a facet of her which I found oddly exciting.

She advanced on me, a strange look in her eye. Her muzzle nuzzled into my neck before she retreated a step, eyes closed, to inhale the smell of my cloak. “It smells of you,” she said quietly. “You were wearing this when we met, remember?”

“I remember,” I replied. “You were wearing that hat too.”

Meadow pushed her hat up on her head and walked away down the gravel path, a slight glance over her shoulder beckoning me to follow her. As I trotted to catch up to her, she began to canter away. I increased my pace but she broke into a gallop and turned off into the woods. What the hell was she doing?! I galloped after her but she was pulling ahead. Damn, she was fast! Seconds later I’d lost sight of her and was forced to slow to a trot, then a walk, gasping to catch my breath. I was blowing hard. I was built for strength, not speed, Celestia damn it all. What was Meadow playing at anyway? I leaned against a tree, sweat steaming off my flanks as I tried to slow my racing heart rate just as something large and blue crashed out of the bushes to my right, bowling me over onto my back in a blur of legs and… wool?

“Too slow my dear,” Meadow grinned down at me, my cloak was still wrapped around her.

“Wha-?” I began, but she pushed me roughly to the ground with her forehooves. The green mare looked me over with her lantern yellow eyes searching mine, her pupils wide, steam rising from her body in the chill air. She huffed a deep breath and pushed her muzzle deep into my chest.

“I don’t want to lose you, Fairlight. Please. I can’t lose you…” Meadow breathed heavily.

I licked my lips; the gallop had dried my mouth out. “You won’t love,” I said gently. “I’ll quit the watch if I have to. I don’t want to see the mare I love cry because of me ever again. Not as long as I live.”

Meadow lifted her head and suddenly clamped her mouth over mine, her hot breath filling me, her tongue hungry and desperate. My forelegs guided her into the kiss and we lost ourselves in each other for what felt like an age, until finally, she pulled away from me. “No love. I don’t want you to leave the watch. I don’t want to lose part of who you are. Just… just promise me you’ll be careful. Please?” I nodded silently. “Mmmmm… good.” She moaned softly and began rubbing her haunches back and forth along my stomach, all the while gazing lovingly into my eyes. “My Fairlight...” she sighed, and gave me a smile, the smile she gave only to me. Meadow was the one in charge this day. I was her stallion, and she was my mare.

“I love you, Captain Fairlight,” she whispered to me as I gripped her hind legs with a gentle, yet firm embrace.

“I love you too, Nurse Meadow,” I smiled up at her.

Birds rose from the canopy as her cries resounded throughout the chill air of the quiet forest.