Fairlight - The Fortress of the Four Winds

Chapters

Chapter Two - Ode to a hot shower
Chapter Three - The Wyvern's Tail
Chapter Four - Heartache
Chapter Five -The fortress of the four winds
Chapter Six - Love's betrayal
Chapter Seven - Death bringer
Chapter Eight - A new life
Chapter Nine - Chasing Shadows
Chapter Eleven - Tarragon
Chapter Twelve - The dragon of Coalspike Mountain
Chapter Thirteen - Landscapes
Chapter Fourteen - The golden dagger
Chapter Fifteen - A storm of magic
Chapter Sixteen - Into the Shallows
Chapter One - Arrival
Chapter Ten - That which lives beneath the hill

Chapter Two - Ode to a hot shower

CHAPTER TWO

ODE TO A HOT SHOWER

As always, irrespective of how tired I was there were always jobs that had to be done before I could relax. The spirit on the other hoof was as happy as Larry, napping peacefully in the corner of my soul like some contented house cat. One that was brim full of birds too. Still, at least I was getting there. My gear was all nice and neatly stowed away, and I’d cleaned my short sword thoroughly before hanging it back up in my room just the way I’d been taught all those years ago. Dad would have been proud of me for remembering that! As for my clothing, I’d nearly ripped it all off in my haste to rid myself of the stinking blood stained things. Not only were they a constant reminder of the human world, they absolutely reeked to the high heavens. Each of us in the agency had a thoughtfully provided basket for washing and I dropped mine in there for some poor sod to clean before climbing, at long last, into the shower. My whole body shivered as if I’d been dunked into freezing cold water, from the top of my head to the tips of my hooves. Dear Goddesses… that was… so good... The hot water was beyond wonderful, the gradually building steam along with the deliciously warming sensation washing away all the filth, blood and sweat from my weary bones. I sighed luxuriantly, leaning my head against the cubicle wall and closed my eyes. I’d done a good thing today, hadn’t I? I’d saved ponies, and I’d helped put a stop to the humans’ drug and weapons making facilities. Even if there were more, goddess forbid, we’d sent a message loud and clear - Equestrians could, and would, fight back. In mind’s eye I kept seeing Scootaloo’s trusting face smiling up at me, and also Sweetie Belle’s sad eyes as she tried to smile. Celestia, Luna, what the hell had brought us to this? I think I already knew the answer to that one though. It was greed, pure and simple greed, and the ones spreading this misery had to be eliminated for the good of all before their cancer could spread any further. Before there were any more Sweetie Belle’s. I lifted my muzzle up to the stream of water, groaning as the water slowly reinvigorated my body. The human element may have been taken out of the equation, for however long that may be, but the root of it all was still very much alive here, and much closer to home. There were several immediate targets so far as I could see: Gates, Melon Patch, their boss Velvet Cream, and the watch commissioner. I wasn’t so naive as to think there wouldn’t likely be more pulling the strings somewhere in the background of course, but this was as good a place to start as any. If nothing else, I wanted to take out the animals who had murdered my family before they caused any more pain to innocents like Scootaloo and Sweetie. Dear gods, even thinking about it made me want to... I gritted my teeth and slammed the wall with my hoof. Those bastards… For what they had done, there would be no forgiveness… No forgiveness…

I let out an involuntary sigh as the warm feeling on my back began to spread, soothing away all the bitterness and darker thoughts that clouded my mind, consigning them to the oblivion where they belonged. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, I finally, finally, began to relax. Muscles I didn’t even know I had, began to loosen, my breathing slowing as my heart rate returned to what it should have been all along. Luna’s mercy, if there was a better reward than this, I didn’t know what it was. It was so wonderful, so soft yet firm, easing out all the tension and aches in my body. It was simply… marvellous. I let out a sigh and idly wondered how I’d managed to do all that with all four of my hooves on the ground. My magic was holding the soap, so how…? Ah, of course, it was obvious really. I slowly opened an eye and saw an image of three ice cubes on a firm, perfectly curved flank. The water had soaked into her coat, darkening it, her tail was stuck to her hind legs and steam rose from her back to join the rest floating up into the vaulted ceiling. I smiled to myself as the mare rubbed soap into my fur that sent an electrifying shock wave of sensation along my body. The mixture of heat, water, steam and the proximity… Dear goddesses…

Tingles looked at me through one half lidded eye. “Welcome home, hero…”

I felt my self control snap as easily as a spinster in a cake shop, urgently pushing my muzzle into her flank, smelling her, licking her cutie mark, my teeth nibbling hungrily at the neatly depicted ice cubes. Tingles gasped and dropped the soap bottle. With a shudder she began to turn, but I was on her in an instant, pinning her to the cubicle wall, my chest heaving and heart hammering in my chest fit to burst. Animal instinct warred with desire and loneliness, kicking any remaining vestiges of doubt or propriety aside in their howling headlong charge. I could feel her heart beating next to mine, her green eyes looming large in my vision, shining with wonder. Oh, Luna, she was so close I could smell her breath, her intoxicating perfume. In those heady moments the watchstallion, the agent of the princess, had simply ceased to be. My body burned for her with an intensity I never thought possible. I’d seen death in all its forms. I’d seen the wonder of life, blossoming forth from nothingness. I’d witnessed the suffering, the joy, the fear and jubilation of existence on this plane and that of the Wither World. None of it meant a damned thing. Not now. Right now, right this moment, I wanted to feel the warmth of a mare beside me. I wanted that intimacy and passion that I had been yearning for, for so, so long. I needed her… Great goddesses I needed her.

“I want you…” I breathed heavily, looking into her eyes.

Tingles gazed searchingly into mine. A little flicker of uncertainty, and then she answered with a kiss full of such passion and desire I thought I would cry out in sheer unadulterated joy. Our lips met, tongues questing and tasting each other, enjoying the long building rush of feelings that had been driving us to this moment for too long. Far too long.

Suddenly the tangerine mare pulled away, gasping for air. “Now,” she moaned, rubbing her head up my neck. “Celestia, Fairlight… Please…”

I grabbed her in my forelegs, it wasn’t easy in such a small space, but wedging myself just so I could get into position to do what hot blood mammals had been doing since the beginning of time. I closed my eyes and felt the hot rush of emotion, overwhelming warmth, and longing rage throughout my entire body. Tingles gasped and gave a cry she stifled by biting into my shoulder. The pain and ecstasy of the moment heightened my passions like a raging brush fire and there, in that simple little stall amidst a torrent of hot water and steam, we rutted like our lives depended upon it. I don’t know if anypony else was in the shower block with us, but they couldn’t have helped but hear unless they’d been stone deaf. I didn’t care either. The cubicle walls shook furiously, Tingle’s unleashed screams echoing in the tiled room until together, completely spent, we collapsed on top of each other, the hot shower water washing away the evidence of our joining.

“Oh, Fairlight…” Tingles muttered breathily into my mane. I could barely answer. It was taking all my effort to catch my own breath, and the poor mare’s legs were shaking so much she looked ready to pass out. I lay there, holding her and stroked her sodden mane until she looked up at me. “Are you alright love? You aren’t hurt are you?” she asked.

I shook my head, trying to not to laugh at the lunacy of the situation. “No, I’m fine,” I smiled. “Thanks.”

The tangerine mare frowned, looking at me curiously. “Thanks? For what?”

“For being here,” I explained gently, leaning my muzzle against hers. “For waiting for me. You’re very special, Tingles. I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t here, and-”

She lifted her hoof to my mouth. “Shhhh, I’m here, my captain. I always will be.”

Always…I kissed her again, noting how my body was beginning to relax a little too much. An expansive yawn broke free, and despite my far from ideal surroundings, the rigours of the last few hours was beginning to catch up with me and I was in imminent danger of nodding off – that was until I heard my TED buzzing. Tingles rose to her hooves and, with a little shake of her rump, left the cubicle as if nothing had happened.

“Agent Tingles,” I heard her say. “Yes, Sir. He’s in the shower, do want me to get him for you? No… No… Understood… We’ll be ready, Sir. Out.”

I turned off the water and grabbed two towels, passing one to my partner.

“That was Brandy Wine,” Tingles explained. “He wants us to take foals back home to Ponyville in the morning, do you know anything about that?”

I nodded, scrubbing my face with the towel. “Oh yeah, I know all about that!”

She cocked her head to one side and eyed me quizzically. “Well, you can tell me all about it tonight… In bed.” She smacked my rump with a hoof and grinned, rubbing her mane with the rough towel. “Besides”, Tingles grinned back at me, “I owe you for nipping my cutie mark… ‘my lord’.”

The tangerine mare began to laugh, and I happily joined her. Our merriment was a strange counterpoint to the clinically cold white tiles of the shower block, but I didn’t much care about that. That was until I noticed a couple of ponies peering over the edges of their own cubicles, quickly ducking back down when they saw me watching. Hmm, hope they’d enjoyed the show anyway. I shrugged; it probably was time to leave though, there were enough ‘rumours’ about me floating around already. I’d heard a few over the short time I’d been with the agency, they were a pretty secretive lot by and large to begin with after all, but mostly it was simple curiosity. ‘Who is he?’, ‘What is he?’, that sort of thing. This ‘incident’ was just one more to add to the list for the gossips to chew over. I returned to my drying efforts. One final butt floss, being careful of the more ‘tender’ areas of course, and away we went, back to the waiting bed of the happiest pony in the agency.

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

Morning brought with it a delicious array of tantalising aromas emanating from the back of my room. To my surprise, Tingles had brought a set of cooking utensils and a magically powered stove to the modest abode before I’d eventually woken up from what was probably the best night’s sleep I’ve ever had. Sizzling and popping sounds filled the room. Whatever the tangerine mare was making smelled good, really good, so much so my mouth was beginning to water already. Slipping out of the bed I wandered over a sniff, only to be be bopped on the on the nose with a spoon.

“Stop it! That’s for our trip, not for breakfast” she admonished.

The finished article was swiftly deposited into a plastic tub and the lid clicked down, blocking my attempts at a sneaky taste. Something else would have to do instead. I hooked my forelegs around her neck, kissing her ear. “I know what I’d rather have for breakfast…”

Tingles giggled and pushed me off, playfully. “We don’t have time silly. But, you know, it’s a nice place, Ponyville, and there’s always time on the way back if we need to… you know… stop off?”

I nuzzled her neck and stepped back to look at her. By the gods she was gorgeous. “You’ve put a spell on me, Miss Tingles,” I grinned. “I don’t know how you do it.”

The tangerine pegasus barked out a laugh. “Ha! Says the super magical stallion with the horn on his bonce!” She leaned forward, narrowing her eyes as she stared at my head. “It’s nearly mended too by looks of it. Come here, let’s have a proper look…” She took my muzzle in her hooves and looked closely at my broken horn. I felt a bit awkward really, I didn’t like to be reminded of it and it still twinged from time to time like a bad tooth. I suppose there was a unicorn pride thing at play here which was on an almost instinctual level with me. Busted horns usually healed if left alone, but it depended how it was broken, where the crack was and so forth. Still, it was rare to break one at all and- “Will you keep still! Good grief, Fairlight, you’re like a wriggly worm!” Tingles began to move my head this way and that. “Hmm, yeah, it looks almost fully healed to me, that’s good news. Maybe my own ‘magic’ helped it along a little, eh?” She stuck her tongue out cheekily and danced out of my reach when I tried to catch her. Ooh, that mare!

Tingles was still chuckling to herself while she packed our saddle bags, leaving me to my belated morning ablutions. Unfortunately I was far from my best in the morning at the best of times, but today it wasn’t like I had much of a choice in the matter. Getting those young ones home was a priority, and I’m damned sure they didn’t want to be hanging around the facility any longer than they had already. Ha! I knew the feeling! I turned on the tap and filled the sink, swilling some water over my face. Knowing kids, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had probably been up for hours, buzzing with the excitement of a ‘thrilling’ sky carriage trip across Equestria. I wish I could say the same – foalsitting had never been my strong suit, and I much preferred flying under my own power than being towed along too, regardless of who was doing the piloting. Not that I’d ever mention that in front of a certain tangerine mare. To be honest I was a little sceptical about the way Brandy had spoken about our trip to Ponyville as if it was more of an unofficial holiday too, and call me cynical but I was hardly looking forward to trying to explain to the foals’ families where their youngsters had been all this time. Hopefully the parents would be too thrilled at having the foals home to be bothered about questioning us too closely, though I suppose it depended on how you looked at it. Meadow had always said I was a ‘glass half full’ kind of guy, and the gods knew, she was probably right. Putting my worries aside, a quick brush of the old teeth, a wipe over with a flannel, a quick groom, and I was feeling at least a little more refreshed than normal. Rolling the stiffness from my shoulders I leaned towards the small mirror in the bathroom. Let’s see… Huh, fancy that! Looks like Tingles was right. You could still see the crack, even if it had faded a lot, but yes, the old horn was definitely a lot better. I wasn’t sure if it would ever be back to the way it was of course, but at least I’d be able to go out without being stared at by other unicorns at long last. All I can say is thank the goddesses for hats! Yet as much as I enjoyed a neat chapeau, they did little to the conceal the rest of you. I looked at the faint scars on my face and wondered how many more I’d accumulated that I just hadn’t noticed. Good grief, I’d been injured so many times now I’d stopped bothering to check. The spirit had helped regenerate my injuries of course, saving my life on more than one occasion, but apparently it wasn’t too bothered about leaving me looking like an equine road map. Still, I couldn’t complain; it was amazingly effective at fixing broken bones and healing wounds of all descriptions, but busted up horns and other aesthetics just weren’t its forte apparently. Considering the alternatives, it was something I could live with. Anyway, I couldn’t see it very well unless I angled mirrors just so, and as a unicorn you just kind of got used to it being there and developed the ability to duck from an early age. How the hell Celestia and Luna managed with their monsters, I’ll never know. They were probably spearing curtains, bedding, and the occasional passing guardstallion on a regular basis. Mine had never been that long of course, and yes, I know there’s a joke there too, but seriously, if you had something as long as an alicorn, you’d be ducking so much you’d end up with a permanently bowed neck. Mind you, they could afford tall ceilings, so that probably helped. So no, mine was just the right size. After all, it’s what you do with it that counts. Apparently.

“Bit for your thoughts?” Tingles trotted up to me and clucked her tongue, taking up my curry comb and tidying up the areas I’d missed.

“Just wondering how we were going to explain things to the parents,” I said glumly. “It’s not like we can tell them the truth about what’s happened, is it?”

Tingles rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry about it! It’s all taken care of, trust me.”

“What, have they already spoken to their folks?” I asked.

“Nope.” Tingles pulled at a knot nearly dislocating my skull from my spine. “We’ve got a cover story. Just leave it to me, and let me do the talking, okay?”

“Yeah… OUCH!”

The pegasus clucked her tongue irritably. “Well it wouldn’t hurt if you brushed your mane properly now and again! Good goddesses, Fairlight, if you had feathers to look after you’d have something to moan about! Now hold still...”

Finally, fully geared for the flight and with my mane ‘properly’ brushed, we arrived at the guest accommodation to collect our furry cargo. I was surprised to find that most of the other ‘guests’ had already had their memories altered and been sent on their way by the time we got there, leaving the place eerily quiet. No doubt ‘cover stories’ were the order of the day for them too – poor buggers. The young agent on the reception desk looked only to happy to lead us to a side room with the waiting Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo duo, no doubt wanting to get back to her regular duties as quickly as possuble. The accommodation wing was normally only used as an overflow for visitors or dignitaries, and no doubt a job few relished. Being saddled with two youngsters was a task she apparently wasn’t too keen on either and before I had time to turn round and thank her, she’d already left.

The orange pegasus foal looked up at me curiously. “Who are you? Are we going home now?”

The ivory coated unicorn stuck close to her friend like glue, glancing from me to Tingles and back again. “Do I know you?” she squeaked.

It was like a dagger through my heart. “I don’t think so miss,” I said pleasant, “but I’m Agent Nox, and this is Agent Tingles.” My companion gave a little wave. “It’s time to take you home.”

Scootaloo looked up at us without any hint of trepidation. She really was a brave little thing, and I could see why her more cautious friend stayed close to her side. “What’s happened to us?” she asked animatedly. “We were playing by the river and the next thing, ‘Poof!’ we’re here in this place!” She looked around at the plush surroundings. “I don’t even know where ‘here’ is!”

And here we go with the lies… “You were affected by marsh gas,” Tingles chimed in. “Our agents found you there and brought you to our hospital for some really good care. But now that you’re all better, we’re going to take you back home to Carousel Boutique.” She leaned down full of smiles, “Bet you can’t wait to get back to your sister! I bet she’ll want to treat you to something from Sugarcube Corner too!”

Sweetie smiled nervously and circled a hoof. “I want to go home, Miss Tingles, but... can Mister Nox carry me on his back?” She suddenly blushed scarlet. “I… I don’t know why, it just seems… right somehow.”

Scootaloo broke out in hysterical laughter. “Sweetie’s got a crush on you! Ha, ha, ha!”

I blushed as red as Sweetie and shared a look with Tingles. Had the memory alteration not worked properly? I doubt it, but I ignored Scootaloo anyway and lifted the little unicorn up onto my back where she hung on just as she had done when we’d raced through the facility what felt like a lifetime ago.

Tingles hid her grin behind a hoof, turning away when I fixed her with a disapproving glare. “Don’t worry, Nox, I’m not the jealous type,” she smirked, adding in barely a mutter, “Bit young for you though…”

“What was that?!” I squeaked.

“NOTHING! Nothing at all!” The cheeky pest trotted off with Scootaloo, the two of them killing themselves laughing. A snort and mane shake later, I trotted off after them. Bloody mares…

The sky chariot park was almost empty when we got there. No doubt the rest of the agency were off delivering the other mares and foals affected by this mysterious ‘marsh gas’. For bucks sake, who came up with that one? Still, at least the girls believed it so that was a relief I suppose. It was quite surprising really, I’d honestly thought they’d be a bit more resistant to such a hastily concocted story, but they seemed to accept this sort of explanation quite happily. I had the feeling these two weren’t strangers to getting themselves in trouble somehow. Scootaloo especially. Sweetie and I quickly caught up with Tingles who helped me to load the girls and our packs into the waiting carriage. Almost immediately a rustle of paper caught my attention. They each had a bag of sweets which had magically appeared from one of the doctors, no doubt intended to keep them quiet on the journey. None for us though I noted sourly. They looked good too – the good doctor certainly hadn’t gotten them from the agency canteen where flavourless and bland was considered haute cuisine. Dear goddesses, when was the last time I’d eaten anything decent? I was nearly salivating watching the colourful morsels being devoured, so much so I made a promise to myself to buy some for Tingles and myself from the treat shop in Ponyville. Owned by the Cake family, their award winning goodies were one of the few treats I allowed myself come pay day when I was stationed there. Keeping in trim had always been my primary concern as a young watchstallion, but these days I was more of the opinion that ‘a little of what you fancied’ did you the world of good. If not your arteries of course. Suddenly, I was actually looking forward to getting there. Unfortunately however, things never seem to quite go according to my plans, and our trip quickly transformed into a torturous journey with hours of bored foals asking incessant questions and singing the worst songs I’d ever been subjected to. I swear, if I heard ‘are we nearly there yet’ once more, somepony was going to find themselves walking home. Knowing Tingles, that would probably be me...

My ears and head were aching like the morning after a heavy night on the wheat beer when I felt the carriage alter course slightly. Scootaloo noticed too. “Hey, Mister Nox?”

“What?!” I huffed, squeezing my temples.

“Are we ne-”

“Yes!!!” I shrieked. “Yes, we bloody well are! Please, Scootaloo, sit down and keep quiet, for the love of Celestia!”

She sat back and stared at me with a hurt expression. Oh, fantastic, now I felt guilty as well as angry! Sweetie Belle leaned across and tapped my knee with her tiny hoof. “Mister Nox?”

I let out a long sigh. “Yes, Sweetie…”

“Thanks for helping us. Really.”

I looked round at her and patted her hoof. “You’re welcome, Miss, and you too, Scootaloo.” Guilt pulled at my heart and I tried to soften my expression. “Look, I’m sorry I got snappy, girls. I’m not good with foals.”

Scootaloo harrumphed and looked away with her forelegs crossed, but I still noticed the little smirk on her face, the little bugger.

“Do you have foals, Mister Nox?” Sweetie asked.

I was waiting for that question. “Yes,” I replied softly. “She’s called Sparrow Song. She’s a bit younger than you two.”

Sweetie smiled, “Does she have a cutie mark?”

I shook my head laughing, “No, not yet. I guess she hasn’t found her talent yet, but there’s still plenty of time.” All the time in the world…

The little orange pegasus turned to me and shouted excitedly, “Hey! Maybe I can be a secret agent like Agent Tingles?! Maybe that’s my talent!”

“You know, Scootaloo, you probably could be,” I said genuinely. “You probably could.”

Speaking of Tingles, the mare called back on the TED, “Fillies and Gentlecolts, this is your captain speaking. We will be arriving in Ponyville in approximately five minutes. Our approach vector will bring us in from the east at a cruising altitude of around five hundred feet. Please observe the no smoking sign, check your seatbelts are fastened, and your luggage is secured. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for flying with Air Tingles today.”

“Smart arse,” I called back.

“Watch it ‘my lord’, or you’ll get it later,” came the reply.

“I sincerely hope so, agent Tingles,” I smirked. “I really do.”

I heard a loud whinny, and down we went, the girls whooping with delight as the countryside of Ponyville rushed past in a multi-coloured blur. In the distance I could see the snow capped mountains, the deep green of the Everfree forest, and heavily laden apple orchards as far as the eye could see. It was such a change from the bland brick, concrete and stone of Manehattan it was almost hard to comprehend. Celestia’s ears, how long had I been away now? Five years? Ten? Had it really been me, plodding the beat in this beautiful place? I must have been mad to leave, but of course, I knew why. The reason was buried in the cemetery beside the other members of her family… beside our darling daughter. I closed my eyes and swallowed. Despite the threatening cloud of melancholy, my heart still called out at the sheer wonder of this idyllic land. This was how a pony should live, surrounded by lush fields, fruit trees, rivers, lakes and friendly neighbours. Boring it may be for a watch pony in the first flush of his career, but this… I missed it. Dear gods, did I miss it. The wind caught at my mane, sending a shiver down my spine. I have to say it was a real treat to see the trees below us and the sky so pure and blue overhead. The pegasi sure did a good job keeping the clouds away here. Not sure why Manehattan was always so bloody wet, but Ponyville was different. It was like a picture perfect postcard of the ‘Equestrian Way’, if such a thing even existed. ‘Progress’ had a lot to answer for.

We began to slow, and I have to say it was our smoothest landing yet. Tingles’ precision flying skills were displayed to their fullest, and Scootaloo gave the tangerine mare a big ‘Oooo!’ of appreciation.

“I didn’t feel us land at all!” Sweetie Belle shouted, jumping from the carriage.

“I know! I hope I can fly as well as you one day, Miss Tingles,” Scootaloo called back over her shoulder, joining her friend.

Tingles whinnied and unhooked herself from the carriage. “You will, Scootaloo, just keep practising to get your wings nice and strong, okay?” Scootaloo nodded enthusiastically and the four of us set off across the cobbled street for Carousel Boutique.

It didn’t take long to get there, my hooves remembering the route far better than my memory ever could. It looked exactly the same as I remembered it too. Blue, pink, gold and purple told you far more than any sign could. This was the home of Rarity, the daughter of the family that owned the famous Carousel Corporation - outfitters to the gentry, suppliers of custom garments, and with price tags that could make your eyes water. In short, you didn’t go there if you need to ask how much something was. The shop itself was, naturally, immaculately clean, the outside tastefully painted to complement the interior perfectly. Even the flower boxes were smartly planted and colour co-ordinated to harmonise with the overall theme. The only thing that stood out here was a poster glue to the lamp post, unsurprisingly of Sweetie and her pegasus friend offering a reward for information on their whereabouts and safe return. Oblivious to the distress their disappearance had doubtless caused, the two girls raced about laughing, trying to pull faces like the ones in the poster. So much for keeping this low key! Right on queue the door to the boutique opened and a perfectly coiffed, purple tail backed out into the sunshine, the mare following it leaning up to lock the door behind her.

“SIS!” Sweetie Belle yelled in a high pitched squeaky voice, and barrelled into her older sister at full tilt. Not wanting to miss out, Scootaloo ran after her, jumping about with her tiny wings buzzing like a bee’s.

“Wha…! What’s this? Sweetie Belle!?” The white mare stared incredulously at the bouncing youngsters. “Where…? What…? Oh my, Oh Celestia!”

The mare, no doubt the sister, Rarity, snatched up her younger sibling and immediately began hugging the struggling creature for all she was worth, crying into her mane. Mascara ran down her cheeks in dark lines, “Oh you silly, silly foal, where have you been? Mother and Father have been beside themselves! We even had the royal guard out looking for you! And Scootaloo too of course! Oh my goodness…” She turned to Tingles and I, looking relieved yet a little worried. “And who may I ask, are you two fine ponies? Do I have you to thank for bringing these two miscreants home?”

Tingles stepped forward, “Miss Rarity? Agent Tingles, Agent Nox, Celestian Bureau of Investigation.” She held out her identity card before slipping it back into a pocket.

Rarity’s eyes went wide. “The who?”

Tingles carried on as if it were the most normal thing in the world. I was quite impressed really. “The girls stumbled into an area of poisonous marsh gas near the river,” she explained. “Fortunately our agents found them and took them in for immediate treatment. Sadly, it’s taken a few days for them to recover enough for us to find out where they lived. My apologies, Miss Rarity, I know we could have tried harder, but I sincerely hope you’re happy to have these two back home again safely where they belong.”

Rarity blinked and looked shocked. “I am! Good gracious you can’t believe how delighted I am to have them home! Oh, Agent Tingles, I’m so happy I think… I think I’m going to…” She blew her nose on a silk hanky and wiped her tear and mascara stained face. “Look at me, I’m a mess! But never mind that, come in, please. I have to thank you properly.”

“I’m sorry, Miss,” I apologised. “We really need to get going and-”

“Nonsense!” the white mare retorted lifting a hoof to forestall me. “I simply won’t take no for an answer, and neither will Sweetie, will you dear? So do come on in. A cup of tea is the very least I can offer. I’m sure it was a long journey for you after all.”

Tingles and I exchanged a glance and I shrugged. Hell, why not? I could murder a cuppa. Sweetie and Scootaloo raced in ahead of us, helping the eccentric fashion designer arrange a bevy of little cakes and tea for everypony. I had to say, this was all very civilised and certainly a cut above salt licks and wheat beers, but you know, I was never really cut out for this sort of life. To be honest I’d probably be happier working the land with an old chipped mug full of hot tea than sipping out of fancy china. Still, I have to say this was a welcome change of pace from the usual lunacy I was used to, and seeing the smile on Tingles’ face was well worth enduring a little ‘stuffiness’. And boy, could she put those cakes away!

“Are you certain the girls will be alright, Agent Tingles?” Rarity asked. “There’s no, er, ‘lasting effects’, are there?”

“Oh no, ma’am, they’re fit as fiddles.” Another cake vanished like magic. “Our doctors gave them a full check before we brought them home.”

The relief of our kindly host’s face was heart warming. “I’m so grateful to you,” she breathed delicately. “Both of you. I simply must inform Twilight as soon as possible, she’s out helping co-ordinate the search, but I’d imagine she’ll be back soon.”

“I see,” Tingles said taking a bite of one of the petit fours on the cake stand. “Can we leave you to inform the search parties that the girls are home, ma’am? I imagine with your connections, you’ll be able to contact all the right ponies and let them know.”

Rarity placed her cup on its saucer, nodding happily. “Yes, indeed! I’ll be on with that as soon as we’ve finished our tea. I’m going to contact the girls and give them the good news as soon as I can, and I can assure you this young madam certainly won’t be going anywhere for a while, either.”

“Awww! Sis…” Sweetie groaned.

“Never mind that,” Rarity sniffed, dismissing her protest with a wave of a perfectly manicured hoof. “My heart and nerves simply couldn’t take it. We’ll call round to see Applejack and Apple Bloom this afternoon, I know they’ll be overjoyed to see you two safe and sound.”

We all chuckled, watching the foals race back and forth excitedly. The thought of anypony, any human, touching them… hurting them… What if that had been my Sparrow? I wouldn’t have stopped at killing them, that was for sure. I’d-

“Mister Nox?” Rarity was giving me a concerned look. “Are you alright? You looked a little… ‘distracted’”

I held up a hoof in apology. “I’m sorry ma’am, it’s been a long day, and a long journey from Manehattan.”

Rarity nodded. “In which case you’ll be staying here tonight as my guests.”

“Eh?!” I sat up suddenly. “But-”

“It’s a long flight back to Manehattan too, Agent Nox, and although I’m not a pegasus even I can see that your friend is weary from her flight.” Rarity nodded as in affirming it to herself. “I have a room made up for guests which you are most welcome to use, unless you already have reservations elsewhere?” Tingles and I looked at each other blankly. “Then that’s settled then,” Rarity concluded placing her cup down its saucer with a ‘clink’. “Now then, when we’re finished with out tea and cakes, you two go and explore Ponyville. I can highly recommend the cakes at Sugarcube Corner and the rare art exhibit at the town hall – I’m told it’s going to simply stupendous!”

“Rare art exhibit?” Tingles asked, her curiosity piqued.

Rarity nodded. “Why yes, the ‘Star Swirl the Bearded’ exhibit. This year they’ve sent several rare and apparently genuine artefacts that belonged to the great wizard to our very own town hall. They have all sorts of stalls set up there, as well as a puppet show and magic demonstrations. Would you believe there’s even a rumour they’re going to be filming a documentary about him right here in Ponyville!” She gasped suddenly. “I wonder who’ll be making the costumes?!” The white unicorn’s eye’s lit up as her mind began to wander.

“I thought there was a travelling museum for these kinds of things?” I asked curiously. My watchstallion mind began to ponder the nightmarish amount of security needed to keep such priceless magical items safe. If the criminal underworld had the balls to kidnap foals here, I’m damned sure they wouldn’t pass up an opportunity like this.

“Why, yes dear, there is,” Rarity replied with a nod. “However, what they have are cleverly crafted copies, you understand. They couldn’t risk having the real thing being damaged or,” she gasped, “stolen!” My thoughts exactly, although they were quite clearly happy to risk them now. That said, with the amount of top end magic users here you’d have to be one hell of a burglar to even get close.

Tingles shook her head, “I think I’d like to take a look later, if that’s okay with you, Agent Nox?”

“Of course,” I agreed. “It could be quite enlightening.” In fact… I think it probably would be. And if not, there was always the puppet show.

Rarity waved a hoof. “Darling, why wait! If that interests you so much I have something here that might just tantalise your curiosity.” Without further ado the pristine mare trotted across to a cupboard and took out a small chest which she deftly unlocked with a key from her purse. She beckoned us over, and slowly lifted the lid. Inside, on a small velvet cushion, sat something I knew all too well. The small clear crystal on a long gold chain seemed to stare at me as much as I stared at it. I felt myself reaching out to it, my mouth hanging open. “I know! Isn’t it simply divine?” Rarity gushed, “I’ve had it here for polishing and was about to take it back when you arrived here with our missing duo.” To my amazement the white unicorn reached up and placed the chain around my neck, holding the crystal up with her hoof. “There,” she smiled, “A genuine piece of Equestrian history! Now when I was a young filly, my father would...”

Rarity continued to talk, her words washing over me soundlessly, fading away until they were no more the shush of waves against the shore. Memories and faces flowed through my mind in steady stream, drowning me in recollections of a time that seemed almost unreal now, and yet… so close I could almost touch them. Meadow, Sparrow, Shadow, Star Beard, Ember, Thorn… So many faces. So many names. I turned around in a circle, watching the pale glow begin to emanate from the crystal just as I remembered, brightening in intensity when I faced a certain direction.

Tingles stared at it, her wide eyes reflecting the magical light. “Fai- Nox, that’s it isn’t it? What you told me about.”

I didn’t need to say it. It was. We both knew it.

Rarity looked confused. “I’ve never seen it do that before! How in Equestria did you make it do that?”

I shook my head. “I have no idea.”

“Curious,” she said, floating the pendant back up and replacing it in the box. “I’ll have to speak to Twilight about that later, she’ll be absolutely fascinated.”

Part of me wanted to stop her, to reach out and snatch it back. Gods help me, I couldn’t stop staring at the box, at the glowing crystal nestled within. What had it been pointing to? What was it trying to tell me? By the goddesses, Star Swirl’s beacon! It was here, in Ponyville, but… but how? How the hell had it travelled from the Wither World to Ponyville of all places?! And why? I know Rarity said there was an exhibit in town, but what were the chances they’d bring this very piece? Not to mention leaving it in the care of a local mare to polish, let alone… Oh, Luna! I think I needed to sit down - my mind was reeling with it all.

Rarity cleared away the crockery and helped Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle into sun hats and saddle bags. “Swish, stylish and practical,” she announced to nopony in particular.

“Pssst,” Tingles leaned towards me out of our guest’s earshot. “You alright?”

“Yeah,” I swallowed. “Just… A bit rattled, that’s all. Come on, let’s get some air, my heads thumping.”

“Have a nice time you two!” Rarity called, fiddling with Sweetie’s frilly top.

I took that as our cue to leave. We bid our farewells and agreed to meet back at the boutique around six for tea. In the meantime Tingles and I set off along the colourful streets on our way to the exhibit, looking very much out of place in our black agency suits. Damn it, why hadn’t we changed before coming here? We stood out like mange victims in a bloody barbering contest! I was immediately on edge, watching everypony around me as if they were a potential threat, the realisation of which I found both unsettling and a little surprising considering this used to be my old patch. Unfortunately my state of mind wasn’t being helped by the fact we were drawing far too much attention for my liking, even if it was the sort of attention which meant ponies avoided you like the plague.

A hoof bopped me lightly on the side of the head. “Fairlight, will you lighten up? What’s wrong with you?”

“Huh?” I gave myself a shake. “Oh, nothing. Nothing really.”

“Bollocks it’s nothing!” Tingles hissed. “It’s that pendant, isn’t it? It’s got your head in a tizz.”

I let out a sigh. “Yeah… Yeah, I suppose. Look, forget about it. Let’s try and enjoy ourselves while we’re here, okay?”

“Hmm...” Tingles frowned at me, “Okay. But we’re talking about this later, Fairlight. I don’t want you moping all the way home. I don’t like it.”

I tried a smile. “You’re right, love. I’m sorry.”

Thank the goddess that the first place we came across was the gaudy gingerbread house which passed as the local sweet shop owned by the, rather appropriately named, Cake family. ‘Sugarcube Corner’ as it was called, was most likely the single largest cause of cavities in the region, if not the entire country. Not that any of that mattered to my partner of course. All else forgotten, Tingles rushed inside and whinnied like a little filly, darting from one shelf to another, picking up colourful boxes of cakes, chocolates and goodness knows what else. Before I knew it, she was loading a basket with more treats than I ever thought possible. Good grief, after all the cakes she’d scoffed at Rarity’s, I thought the last thing she’d want was more! I shook my head and left her to it. Looking up at the amazing selection of confectionary I could feel my heart accelerating just looking at the artery hardening goodies. I bet the dentist round here was busy...

Speaking of which, from out of the back room a yellow stallion with a jaw that looked like he could chew nails, appeared. He walked up next to me and placed a box of chocolates on the shelf with a ‘50%’ off sticker. Tingles was there in an instant, squeeing in delight as the box swiftly disappeared into her apparently bottomless basket with lightning speed.

“Anything you fancy sir?” The yellow pony asked me politely.

I looked up at the tall fellow and smiled politely. “No, thank you. I love treats, but… well, they’re all a little too sweet for me, you know?”

He nodded slowly, scratching his stubbly chin. “Hmm, yes. Yes, I do sir. Mares tend to have quite the sweet tooth in my humble opinion. More so than us stallions, certainly.” He glanced about conspiratorially. “But I’ve been trying something different lately; something that I believe will cater to our male customers perfectly.” He lifted a hoof, beckoning me to follow him into the back room. “Please…”

Colour me curious! I walked after the stallion, entering into the back room which was quite clearly a storage area filled with boxes and crates galore. Sat in the corner was a large locked cabinet from which a curiously rich scent was emanating. My nose twitched involuntarily.

The tall fellow produced a key and clicked the lock open, looking at me with a knowing grin. “A land of adventure awaits, my good sir, if you would only take that first step.”

I didn’t know whether to be excited or terrified. This chap was obviously dedicated to his craft and his sales pitch really did grab you, but… oh… Oh, wow! The smell of rich chocolate and... was that salt? I wasn’t sure, but chocolate and salt together? Surely not? But good gods, the aroma was so alluring I was salivating already.

“Are they…?” I began.

He nodded, grinning knowingly. “Try one. Go ahead, they’re nothing like anything I’ve ever made before. These have genuine Saddle Arabian pink salt, hearthside caramel, and a blend of chocolate from the zebra isles. There’s a choice of dark or milk of course, but I think you’ll prefer the richer taste of the dark myself. Here... try a milk one first so you can compare…”

Tentatively I floated one from the tray and dropped it onto my tongue. I can’t say I was a huge fan of chocolates, even as a foal. Maybe it was because they’d always been so sweet they’d been bordering on sickly, but this… this was different. The chocolate melted warmly in my mouth, the salt hitting my palate with the subtlety of a runaway freight train. Small pieces of caramel added their own sweet background to the symphony of flavour singing on my tongue. I don’t know about the herd, but this truly was heaven.

“Oh, Sweet Celestia!” I groaned, nearly fainting with the experience.

“Good aren’t they?” the yellow stallion nodded knowingly. “Would you believe my wife can’t stand them? She’s even refused to let me put them on display in the shop! However, I think you can see for yourself just how incredible these are. They’re not to everyponies taste of course, but for those who don’t have a very sweet tooth, they’re just the ticket. You know, I think I’m going to market them as something mysterious - something you ‘shouldn’t have’. Mystery always sells things in my experience. I just hope I can convince Mrs C.”

“Well I hope you can,” I said, licking my lips. Good goddesses, if these were all it took to make me feel this good, who the hell needed drugs? “How much are they?” I enquired, fishing in my pocket.

Mister Cake looked a little uncertain all of sudden. “Ah, well, these aren’t for sale yet you see, they’re samples for distribution to-”

“How much!” I pressed a little more urgently than I meant. “Please, you don’t know what the canteen food’s like in the agency, it’s like being stuck in a desert of blandness and I’ve finally found an oasis. For the love of all that’s holy, sir, I need more!”

The yellow stallion smiled and nodded, clopping me on the shoulder. “Alright my friend, you’ve convinced me. I can always make more of them can’t I?”

Oh thank Luna! I thought for a minute I was going to lose out. And here they were, box upon box of the things, plain and dark, my delicious pretties… I looked down to see my hooves shaking in anticipation.

“Try one of the dark ones while I package them up for you.”

The dark chocolate was a different experience to the milk, but oh… it was just as good! Maybe better! A slightly bitter journey of sweetness and salty goodness. I was in absolute heaven. Confectionery heaven.

“How many would you like sir?” Mr Cake asked politely,

I swallowed, all but humming with the warm feeling of having had something that actually had that magical ingredient ‘flavour’ for once. “Oh, you see that chariot out there? The big yellow one?”

Mr Cake nodded and sighed. “I’ll get a bigger box…”

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

Kindly, and very trustingly too, Rarity had left us a copy of the key to the boutique which also meant, thankfully for my back, that we could leave Tingles’ large selection of cakes and chocolates in there for safe keeping. I couldn’t help but smile when the excited pegasus flew around me in a circle, laughing and looping through the air. Ah, chocolate, are there any problems your deliciousness cannot solve? Suddenly the happy mare swept down and gave me a big chocolatey kiss. She really did taste amazing.

“Tingles, please!” I chuckled. “Ponies will see us.”

“Who cares?” She laughed, floating up into the air happily. “Ho boy! This stuff’s great! It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.” She flew down until she was hovering by my ear. “Really warm, if you get my drift, Agent Nox.”

I did, and now with the afterglow of the chocolate and the warm taste of her mouth on mine, I was getting a stirring that threatened to embarrass me a hell of a lot more than a simple kiss in the street.

“Come on,” I winked. “There’s a place I know where we can be alone.”

The sun was high in the sky, hanging there as pure and golden as the sea of blue that surrounded that magnificent orb. Birds flew overhead, trees rustled in the slight breeze, and throughout it all a fresh scent of lush grass and apple trees tickled my nose. It was, in short, a perfect day. It was nearly always a perfect day in Ponyville; it was one of the things I remembered the most vividly about my time here. Gods, look at how I’d ended up! Why I’d ever imagined walking the beat in a downpour up to my fetlocks in filth was romantic, was anyponies guess. But what had been had been, and for better or worse I was stuck with the outcome. It was, as Pewter often told, ‘better to live in the moment than lament the past and fear the future’. And speaking of which, Tingles and I were doing just that. We walked unhurriedly up to the small wood I used to visit when I was off duty, the one overlooking the river that afforded a view no amount of gold could ever buy. From here you could see for miles: the miles of apple trees, the green fields ponies used for picnics, even the big tree I’d met Meadow under. Oh… Oh, no…

Tingles cocked her head to one side. “Fairlight? Are you alright, love?”

I nodded dumbly, but no matter how hard I tried I just couldn’t move my eyes away from that damned tree, even at this distance. In my mind’s eye I could still see her as clearly as if she were standing there now, wearing that ridiculously huge floppy sun hat of hers and smiling at me with those big lantern eyes. “Sorry Tingles,” I said quietly. “It’s this place, all the memories, you know? Look, don’t worry about it. Can I just hold you for now? Please?”

She smiled and nuzzled me gently. “Of course you can, you don’t need to ask, silly.”

And so I lay there next to Tingles, my earlier excitement ebbing away, replaced instead with a heavy melancholy that steadily pulled my heart and mood towards the abyss that I was desperate to avoid. I’d been there too many times already. Far, far too many.

The tangerine mare snuggled into me. “I’ve done something terrible, haven’t I?”

“Hmm?” I waited for her to go on.

Tingles smiled sadly. “I know how much you love Meadow, and Shadow too. And yet here I am, the new girl, wanting to spend time with you, and wanting you all to myself. I’m a greedy mare, Fairlight. I want you to be with me, yet at the same time I’m prepared to share you with the others… If they’ll let me. But I let things happen too quickly and now... now I’ve hurt you. I’ve spoiled everything, and… I’ve broken your… your heart.”

She began to shake and I caught her up in my forelegs. “No!” I admonished quickly. “Stop that right now, Miss Tingles, do you hear me? It’s me who said ‘yes’, and it’s me who will have to answer to Meadow and Shadow, not you. If they hate me, if they reject me after this, then it’s my fault, not yours. Goddess damn it all, Tingles, I can’t help how I feel. I love you and that’s that, what more can I say? What more needs to be said?”

She reached her forelegs round me and kissed my cheek. “Oh, Fairlight, I wish I could make everything better. I wish I could solve all your problems and live a long happy life together with you, without worrying about the agency, or guns, or drugs, or any of the other horrible things that keep happening all the time.” She buried her muzzle in my mane. “Do you think, somehow, we could some day? That maybe we could escape our fate and be together? Forever?”

I took a deep breath, staring at my hooves. “I don’t know about fate, love, but I hope so. One thing that’s for certain is that I’ll always protect you and do whatever I can to give you the life and happiness you deserve. You’ve brought me so much comfort, so much joy that-”

A hoof reached out and stroked my mane. “No… I don’t want you to give me anything, Fairlight. You’ve already given me much more than I could ever dream of.”

“Oh?” I looked up into her eyes.

She smiled. “Your love.”

Tingles was right on target, my heart melting away from no more than those two simple, heartfelt words. In that moment all my pain, all my grief and worry, faded into into nothingness as we kissed, embracing each other for no other reason than to bathe in the comforting feelings which only the warmth and closeness of being beside the one you love can bring. There on that hillside above Ponyville, we lay side by side, innocently bathed in the dappled sunlight that shone through the trees. I gazed into those deep green eyes and kissed her on the nose. “I love you, Tingles. I really do.” And then to my shock she started to cry, putting her hooves over her mouth whilst I reached up to gently brush the tears away. “What’s up, love? Have I said something wrong?”

“No!” she sniffed loudly. “No, you bloody idiot. It took you long enough!”

“Took me…? Oh...”

I closed my eyes and flopped back down onto the soft grass, realising how dumb I was when it came mares. Tingles had liked me for years, a crush of sorts I suppose, whereas I could barely recall ever seeing her at the watch house at all. It wasn’t that unusual of course, I was more often than not so wrapped up in my own work that some mare eyeing me up wouldn’t, and quite clearly didn’t, register at all. Even working together in the agency it had taken me a while to come to terms with not only how I felt about her, but how she felt about me too. I had an inkling of course, particularly with the way she snuck into my bed when she couldn’t sleep, but to me it was just… I don’t know. Gods, they were so confusing! The love I had for Meadow and Shadow was just as strong now as it ever had been, but Tingles was here, and there was always that nagging doubt that kept reminding me that I might never see Shadow again. At least, I may not in this life. Meadow was already waiting for me on the other side of the veil, but how she’d react to Tingles… Dear goddesses, I just didn’t know.

Together we lay in each others embrace, dozing in the cool shade of the wood, letting the day go by. There was no hurry to do anything here in this idyllic place, we’d done what we’d been tasked with doing, and now we could spend a few precious hours together in peace and solitude – rare commodities indeed at the agency. I yawned and snuggled into my mare. The evening was fast approaching when I realised I’d actually nodded off. Tingles was still asleep and moaning softly beside me, her chest rising and falling hypnotically. I nuzzled her neck. “Tingles? Come on love, we need to go. Rarity’s expecting us.”

She groaned and looked up at me. “Fairlight? I just had the oddest dream… it was so… so real.”

“Oh?” I asked helping her up.

Tingles rubbed her eyes sleepily. “Yeah, you were there with a green unicorn mare, a small grey pegasus foal and an odd dragon-like pony with eyes like little red bonfires.”

I listened intently, my ears pricking up. Was she recalling stories I’d already told her, or something else? I wasn’t sure.

“They were calling to me, telling me to go somewhere,” she continued. “I couldn’t really make it out though, it was all foggy, and covered in snow and ice too. But…” She frowned, trying hard to remember. “There were... towers? Walls too, I think - turrets and things like that. I think it was supposed to be Canterlot, but I’m not sure.”

I stopped and looked her straight in the eyes. “Tingles, can you remember anything else? What they said? Please, it’s important!”

She frowned, holding her head down as she walked. “I don’t know how to explain it properly, it was all so… so abstract. You… You were you, but not you - a pony and a wendigo. It’s hard to explain, but all of us were individuals that somehow ‘came together’ to form a single entity. We were like life itself, breathing life where there was none. Celestia feathers, Fairlight, it’s so hard to remember dreams!” She shivered slightly. “It… it was just a dream though, wasn’t it? I mean, come on, who’s called Maroc these days?”

I stopped her with an outstretched, hoof. “Maroc?! Did you say Maroc?”

Tingles looked a little worried at my reaction. “Well, yeah, or rather, you did. You were telling me to go to that Canterlot-like place with ‘you’ and everypony else. It was crazy! I mean, Meadow’s… you know…”

I neighed, stomping a hoof in frustration. Damn it all, what the hell was this? Were these some sort of prophetic dreams Tingles was having or simply her mind playing tricks on her? Of course they could be just that – dreams. But the description of the fortress… It wasn’t Canterlot, I was damned sure about that. I’d only ever seen the place in my tribal dream memories, and unless Tingles could read my mind I doubted she knew what the fortress looked like back then. And now that I thought about it, I don’t recall being so descriptive about Shadow’s eyes either.

Tingles’ eyes searched mine worryingly. “Fairlight? You’re scaring me. Please, what’s going on?”

I nuzzled her reassuringly. “I don’t know, love, honestly. I think you may have somehow picked up on memories of the spirit, or it spoke to you, or something... I’m not sure.”

“So who’s this Maroc then?” Tingles asked. “In the dream it was like he was you and you were him at the same time, sort of floating from one to another. It was really freaky.”

She had that right! “He’s my ancestor, apparently,” I said with a sigh. “He was the lord of the fortress of the four winds.”

“My goddesses, so it wasn’t Canterlot then?” Tingles looked away from me, her eyes wide in wonder. “It was this ‘fortress’ place?” I nodded. “But, why would they want me to go there?” she continued as though asking the world at large. “I don’t understand what any of it meant, or if it meant anything at all in the first place. In any case it’s all seriously creepy, Fairlight. I like sleeping at night, and having dreams like that are not something I want to have again thank you very much!”

I knew what she meant. Having somepony else’s memories, dreams, or whatever you want to call them, intruding into your own was not something to relish. I’d experienced plenty of it already, and like my feathered companion, I’d kinda hoped they were a thing of the past. “I wish I had answers for you Tingles,” I said heavily, “but I just don’t. Maybe being around me is affecting you somehow. Damn it, I was afraid something like...”

“-this may happen?” she cut in. “Yeah, probably, but I’ve made my choice and spending my time with mystical fantasy ponies is my decision and nopony else’s. Are we clear on that mister?”

“Yes ma’am,” I replied crisply.

“Good!” Tingles nodded smartly, having dismissed the whole incident with her customary level of pragmatism. “Now let’s shift tail my sexy grey stallion, cakes and other things bad for us await!”

Sounded good to me! Putting the mystery of the dreams behind us we rushed off back down the hill into Ponyville, my heart and spirits lifting as the sun began to set, bathing the land in a magnificent deep orange glow. Odd dreams and cryptic interpretations of mysterious messages from who-knew-where, could bugger off for all I cared. My life was stressful enough without worrying myself sick about things I couldn’t do anything about, especially when they affected Tingles too. No, I’d have a think about this at a later date, preferably when I had some alone time and wasn’t in such a beautiful part of the world. On the subject of which, Rarity’s home was a veritable hive of activity when we arrived, with jubilant ponies from all over the town having turned up to celebrate the safe return of the foals. Tingles immediately joined in, and before I knew it I was whisked up into the festivities along with her. Good grief, I even ended up dancing a couple of times - something I never would have seen myself doing ever again, let alone enjoying it. And enjoy it I did, revelling in the simple pleasures of good food, good music and equally good company. Some of the ponies remembered me from my days on the beat here, and I was surprised to find that I’d actually been missed. I confess it brought a tear to my eye at one point, and I excused myself to find a convenient napkin to wipe the evidence away. Nopony seemed to mind though.

Before long though, the evening began to draw to a close and the party goers gradually left for their own homes, tired, happy and contented. The missing girls were home and safe. Normality, Ponyville style, had been restored once again and all was right with the world. You know, I was really starting to relax and forget about having to go back to the agency facility tomorrow. Tomorrow… Oh, crap! I still had that bloody debriefing to give to Brandy! In all the excitement I’d never gotten around to it. I slugged back the last of my apple brandy and grinned to myself. Ah well, there’s always tomorrow…

“Excuse me, are you Agent Nox?”

A little lavender unicorn mare stood next me examining me with her inquisitive purple eyes. I didn’t pay her much attention, I was still in a muzzy state of alcohol fuelled happiness, leaning my head back against the rough stone of the garden wall. “I am, Miss, and you are…?”

“Twilight Sparkle, sir, a pleasure to meet you.”

My eyes shot open and I looked closer at the young unicorn. Damn it all, why did it have to be her of all ponies? I suppose I should have guessed something like this would happen once word got out about the foals return. The rumour-mill here was faster than a pegasus flying at full tilt, and Ponyville was one of those places where you kicked one and half the village jumped. Miss Sparkle was one of a bunch of mares that went everywhere together, even back when I was stationed here. They were the ‘elements of harmony’, Celestia’s personally chosen ponies - or so I’d heard. I’d have to box clever with this one.

“The pleasures mine, Miss Sparkle,” I said politely. “Is there something I can help you with tonight?”

She nodded happily. “Yes, there is. I’d like to speak to you in private if that’s alright?”

In private? Not a chance. “Sorry, Miss, I don’t go anywhere without my partner. It was a long flight over here, and we’re both very tired. I hope you’ll forgive me.”

“I see…” The lavender mare took a deep breath, her eyebrows raising in a manner that had my hackles going up. “So, your partner is the orange mare asleep in the corner next to the empty punch bowl, correct?”

I looked behind her and saw what was quite clearly a very inebriated Tingles, grinning idiotically with a slice of lemon stuck her muzzle. “I’m afraid so…” I smiled politely. “I’m afraid I don’t think it’s appropriate to-”

“Marsh gas.”

My ears pricked up. “I’m sorry?”

“Marsh gas,” Twilight repeated. “There’re no marshes around here, Agent Nox. No marshes, and most certainly no marsh gas. I’m sorry to say your story doesn’t hold water. Not one jot. Now, if you wish, we may continue to debate this fascinating point ad infinitum before the rest of the ponies here tonight, or…?”

“I’ll get my hat.”

Twilight made her excuses and explained that we were going to examine her books on dangerous gasses in the local area, which for some reason the rest of the ponies just nodded and agreed with as if this kind of thing happened all the time. Maybe it did. Or perhaps Miss Sparkle trotting off at night with strange stallions was more common than I’d thought? Suddenly I was starting to worry about my safety, especially when Tingles woke up and found me missing. Even worse when one of the others blabbed about my toddling off with a young mare. Mind you, looking at the state of my tangerine coated partner she was unlikely to be conscious for a good while yet. Thankfully Rarity assured us she would put Tingles to bed before she caught a chill. Meanwhile my unexpected lavender coated ‘host’ never said another word until we reached the library, which, as it turned out, was also her house. I’d been told she lived here, but I’d always thought it was just one of those rumours that country types love so much. How wrong I was. Guess she must really like books then! Inside, the little unicorn magicked over a pile of books, a plate of biscuits and a large pitcher of lemonade before inviting me to sit on the rug near the fire. This all seemed a little strange, more than a little strange actually, and I felt myself eyeing the door for a quick escape. Of course being half sozzled with alcohol didn’t exactly help matters, and any attempt to make a break for it would most likely end up with me breaking something else – quite literally. Mind you, if she was distracted enough I could-

“It’s magically sealed” Twilight said without looking up.

“Wha-?”

“I want answers, Mister ‘Nox’, if that’s even your real name.” Twilight turned a page in her notebook, scribbling something I couldn’t see. “So, let’s begin, shall we?” Purple eyes bored into mine. I have to say she was actually quite pretty in her own way, and also oddly enchanting. Mice probably thought that of cobras too, just before being introduced to their digestive tract. “I’d like to hear what really happened,” she continued. “Oh, and a word of warning, if I hear the words ‘marsh’ and ‘gas’ in the same sentence without it being in a denial of such, then the princess shall be hearing from me faster than you can say… ‘Nox’. Yes?”

I sat and nodded silently.

“Take off your sunglasses, please”

“No.”

Twilight lifted her head, clearly not expecting to be disobeyed. “Take them off. It’s rude to wear them when you’re talking to somepony, and we’re inside too.”

I sighed. “I’m sorry, Miss Sparkle, I have sensitive eyes and-”

An unexpected surge of magical energy snatched the sunglasses from my face and launched them across the room. I blinked in surprise, not least because of my rising irritation with the domineering mare, but also because it was clear from her expression that my young host hadn’t expected what she saw next. The unicorn stared at me, her eyes as wide as dinner plates.

Her next words sent a chill down my spine. “Show me your cutie mark…”

“I don’t think-” I began.

“Show me!” Twilight stomped a hoof in irritation.

Goddesses help me, I was really starting to get annoyed now. It was all I could do to keep my anger under control. So much for a happy end to the evening then! What was it somepony once said? ‘You’re having a great time, now watch some bastard spoil it’. It seemed horribly appropriate right now too. “Very well, if this will get you to leave me alone, Miss.” I removed my overcoat and placed it, my hat, and my retrieved sunglasses, next to me in a pile.

“By Star Swirl’s beard!” she exclaimed.

I groaned inwardly. It was hard to feel annoyed with Miss Sparkle, really. She was a neat little thing with innocent eyes full of foalish curiosity, and she had an adorable mane too, looking for all the world like a young school head mistress. I imagined Tingles would look nice with that style. Once I got myself away from this book loving control freak, I might mention it to her.

Twilight walked up to me, examining me like some furry lab exhibit. Placing a pair of glasses on her muzzle she made a couple of notes then began pulling out book after book from the pile beside us. “No… No… No, not that one. ‘Myths and legends’… Got it! Page thirty four… Here!” She turned the book to face me and tapped the picture on the yellowed page with her hoof. I followed where she indicated. It was a depiction of what was, without doubt, my cutie mark - a single white lightning flash.

“So?” I proffered.

Twilight tapped the book again for emphasis. “You’ve been to the Wither World, haven’t you.”

I said nothing, but watched her, watching me.

“You’re not a pony, are you,” the strange mare said as if I knew what the hell she was talking about. “You’re one of the lost tribe, the mountain tribe, the tribe of… Nightmare Moon…”

I half expected a dramatic drum roll but decided to remain silent. If I didn’t say anything then she’d eventually blow herself out. I hoped.

“But, that tribe died out,” Twilight said half to herself. She turned the book round and began flicking through the pages. “The histories show they fought Celestia in the great war and tried to destroy Equestria, and that they were...” She fixed me with a wide eyed look. “The embodiment of pure evil.”

“Oh, what a load of absolute bollocks!” I blurted out on impulse. “Miss Sparkle, I may be many things, but ‘evil’ is not one of them, I can assure you of that! And as for not being a pony, I think you’ll find my mother and father may want to have a word with you about that pile of manure.”

Ignoring my remarks she ploughed on. “If you were evil, then why would you bring back the two missing foals? And, if you were really from that tribe, you would have the power to… Oh… Oh my Celestia! Can you… Can you do it? Can you?”

My mind was reeling. She hadn’t listened to a bloody word I’d said! “Do what?” I asked irritably.

“You know...” She prodded me with a lavender hoof. “‘Change’.”

“No,” I replied emphatically. “I am who I am, and that’s that.”

“A pity,” Twilight shrugged, adjusting her spectacles. “I’d have loved to have seen that. I may have even been able to help you find out more about your people too.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly and tried to find that pool of calm inside myself. “Miss Sparkle, I don’t appreciate being blackmailed. Whatever else you may think I am, I am still an officer of the law, and a servant of the princesses.”

She nodded, smiling a little sadly. Probably because I’d thwarted her attempts to mentally dissect me. “You’re right sir, and I’m sorry, truly.” She lifted another book up and ran a hoof over the cover. “But if my hypothesis is correct, then you may be one of the last of your kind, perhaps even unique - a remnant of a bygone age, a time I have studied and also have a particular interest in.” Twilight slid closer, picking up a biscuit. “What I propose is this: I believe that you seek answers, like I do. Mine however are from a purely academic standpoint. I swear to you, that what is discussed inside this room stays in this room.”

“You’re making a lot of assumptions,” I retorted. “I’m evil, not a pony, a member of a lost people. Am I on the right track? For Celestia’s sake, I travelled half way across Equestria to bring back a couple of girls from the town and now I’m locked up in the library being interrogated by a mare young enough to be my daughter!”

Twilight munched down a biscuit and pointed to the mirror on the wall. “Do you know how many ponies I’ve read about who have glowing blue eyes, Mister Nox?” She raised an eyebrow. “No? I can tell you - only those who have managed to travel to the Wither World. Travelled, and returned. If that wasn’t enough of an indication, your cutie mark is also referred to as the mark of that realm. Hardly anything has ever been written about the subject, unfortunately. In fact the only documented records I have ever read regarding this phenomena are anecdotal. But those there are refer to those travellers as having belonged to what is referred to as the ‘lost mountain tribe’.” She took a sip of her tea. “A tribe, I might add, that no longer exists. But you, Mister Nox, apparently do.”

“Miss Sparkle…” I felt my resolve failing. If she knew as much as she claimed to I doubted there would be much point denying it any further. “Do you know what happened to the tribe you speak of?”

She smiled, passing me the plate of biscuits. “Yes. They were defeated during the last battle with Celestia’s forces, around a thousand years ago. The time frame is a little in doubt, but the outcome was quite clear.”

I felt the spirit stir. “Do you know what your precious princess did to them?”

Twilight paused, noting my change of tone. “I… No, not precisely. The histories just say that they were defeated.”

“Oh, yes,” I said weightily. “They were ‘defeated’ alright.” I could feel a little well of anger bubbling up in my chest. “Celestia, your delightful mentor, cut them down like they were nothing: the young, the old, the sick, the wounded - it didn’t matter to her. She turned them into ash, her troops baying at them like hounds as they tried to run…” I closed my eyes. “I saw them… I… I saw what she did...” I took a deep breath and wiped my face with a foreleg. “I’m sorry, Miss Sparkle, I really don’t want to talk about this any more.” For a moment she looked stricken. I supposed the revelation that your beloved deity isn’t quite the loving and all-forgiving being you thought they were could cause anypony to question their beliefs. Whether Twilight believed me or not was another matter. The inquisitive academic in her however, quickly overrode any emotional response.

Apparently unphased by my description of her genocidal matriarch, Twilight flicked though the pages in the book, muttering to herself. “Here!” she announced suddenly. “This passage refers to the tribe and how their warriors would travel to the Wither World. It refers to it as the ‘spirit realm’ here, which is another more colloquial term for it, but it goes on to state that they would commune with the entities there. If one was deemed worthy, the two would enter into a ‘contract of the soul’, and share the rest of their lives as ‘one true being’. The spirit joined warriors were known as ‘Wendigo’ or ‘Windigo’, depending upon your pronunciation of ancient equestrian.”

I stared into the fireplace, watching the yellow flames lick around the edges of the blackened logs as they crackled and popped behind the fine brass guard. In the distant corners of my mind I could still smell the smoke from that most terrible of days, the way the fires licked around the bodies of the dead and dying, burning away the last vestiges of my people, turning even the memory of our existence into dust. Dear gods, so many had died. So, so many… I gave myself a shake and took a calming sip of my own tea. Some of what Twilight was saying was news to me of course, some of it not. Personally I just wanted to get out of there. The spirit inside me was getting fired up a little too much for my liking, excited by the way young mare was conjuring up images of the past and places I’d travelled to in my dream-memory.

Twilight continued quoting from the book, ignorant of my inner turmoil. “The ‘Fortress of the four winds’ was the regional home of the ‘Lord of the four winds’. The last of these was Maroc and his wife, the lady Arathea, both of whom died during the fighting.”

I stood up abruptly. I’d had enough of this. “Miss Sparkle, this is all very interesting but are you going somewhere with this? If not, I insist you drop the barrier on the door and-”

“You’re a Wendigo. Aren’t you.”

Oh buck me with a twelve hoof barge pole! She already damned well knew didn’t she. Well of course she bloody well did! You didn’t get to be the student of a living god if you weren’t some child prodigy or something. Hell fire, if any of this got back to Celestia I was done for! That old bitch would be after me like a whippet, tidying up one last loose end from her thousand year old massacre. It would all be done quickly and quietly too. Nopony would even notice I’d gone. Except Tingles of course, and she’d most likely end up as another ‘statistic’ too. No, the only chance I had now was the memory re-writer. I tried rummaging stealthily in my overcoat pocket for it, but naturally, now that I needed the bloody thing, it wasn’t there was it?! Shit! Neither of us had thought to bring all our kit except for the PDW’s and our identification cards, and I could hardly bump off Celestia’s pet now could I? Bloody marvellous. This was supposed to be a pleasant trip out to drop off the foals. How the buck did it end up like this?

I hung my head. “Miss Sparkle…”

“‘Twilight’, please. And your name is?” she smiled.

Oh well, in for a bit… “Fairlight. Former Captain of the Manehattan Watch, now working with the Celestian Bureau of Investigation.”

“I thought so,” Twilight said nodding to herself. “You used to work here, didn’t you?”

I sighed resignedly. “I did.”

“So, are you a Wendigo then?” Twilight asked pleasantly. I hesitated, but she dismissed my concerns with a wave of her hoof. “Oh don’t fret, Mister Fairlight, I already set up a barrier and multiple wards around my home. Nopony will hear us or be able to enter unless I let them. A little trick of my own invention.” She smiled and tapped her chest proudly.

I felt a groan escape my lips. There was no getting out of this one, was there? “In answer to your question, yes, I suppose I am a ‘wendigo’ of sorts, though not through choice. Believe me, if there was some way I could get back to being plain old ‘Fairlight the unicorn’, then I’d leap at the chance.” I closed my eyes, trying to sound as reasonable as possible. “So, if you can help me to understand this... ‘condition’ of mine, Twilight, I would be very grateful for your assistance.”

Twilight nodded sagely. “I thought so. And the marsh gas?”

“A story,” I admitted. “Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were kidnapped by members of the criminal underworld. We got them back. And that’s all I’m going to say on the subject, so please don’t ask me any more about it. I’ve told you far more than I should have already.”

“Very well,” twilight replied. “The important thing is that they’re home, and I thank you, sir, for your honesty.”

I accepted the little unicorn’s offer of a top up and tried to make myself comfortable. This was going to be a long night. “I suppose you’ll be wanting my full story then?” I asked pre-empting the inevitable.

She clopped her hooves together. “Oh, yes!”

Tapping a hoof on one of the books, I gave her a serious look. “No notes though. Nopony can know about this, Miss… Twilight… It would endanger many of us, my loved ones and yours. I will tell you what you want to know, in exchange for your knowledge and silence. Do you accept my terms?”

Twilight looked forlornly at her notebook, but pushed it aside before turning to me with a bob of her head. “I do. And, thank you for trusting me… Fairlight.”

I don’t know how many hours went by, but I felt like I’d been interrogated within an inch of my life. The questions she asked! It was if my mind had been examined, taken apart, reconstructed, and then stuffed back in with a crowbar - Not a nice feeling at all. Eventually though, Twilight fetched a book down from a high alcove. It was old… very, very old. The pages were yellowed with age and fragile, and on the front cover was a picture of a pony with a strange hat and long beard.

“That’s him!” I exclaimed, pointing to the picture. That’s the fellow I saw on the hillside with Meadow!”

Twilight’s ears perked up. “That’s Star Swirl the bearded! You actually met him?!”

I nodded. “Well, he appeared, lectured me, left me with bugger all help and then buggered off back to wherever he came from. So if that constitutes as ‘meeting’ him, then yes, I suppose I did.”

“I can’t believe it!” Twilight squeaked. “You actually met Star Swirl the Bearded? If you did, and this wasn’t some sort of hallucination brought on by an oxygen starved hallucinatory response, then-”

“The worlds are thinnest where the berries grow,” I cut in.

“Yes!” Twilight clopped her forehooves together happily. “Abundant Flora stated in her treatise that the genus known as ‘Spirit Berries’ are said to grow in areas of particularly high background magical radiation. Due to the dangerous nature of those locations, very few studies have ever been made. This is absolutely amazing!” She pulled out a book marked ‘Mythical plants and places’, flicking through the pages until she found what she was looking for. Twilight pointed to a somewhat crudely drawn black and white picture of what was quite clearly meant to represent a bush of crystal berries. “So these actually doexist?”

I put down my cup, helping myself to a biscuit. “Yes, and they’re quite sweet too. I would recommend buying the treats from Sugarcube corner instead though, they’re a lot less dangerous.”

Twilight tittered and stretched her forelegs. “You know your thestrals are extinct in Equestria, don’t you?”

“I guessed as much,” I replied. “But I have to find Shadow somehow. I have a feeling she’s in trouble and I have to help her.”

“But you said Princess Luna’s looking for her, didn’t you?” Twilight asked. “What can you do that she can’t?”

She had a point. “I don’t know,” I said honestly. “It’s hard to explain, but part of me keeps saying that something’s wrong, yet I can’t quite put my hoof on it. All I know is I have to find her, come hell or high water.”

Twilight nodded and closed the book. “That’s so romantic!”

“More terrifying really,” I reasoned. “The Wither World is not a place to travel lightly. Stars Swirl did, but how he got from here to there and back again, I’m not sure. The empty city had a massive portal intended for armies, but it obviously hasn’t worked or Shadow would be here now. Star Beard had to ‘kill’ me to send me back here and something tells me that’s not going to work with thestrals. He’d better not bloody well try either!”

Twilight pulled out another stack of books, rummaging through them until she found what she was looking for. “Did it look like this?” She showed me a picture of an enormous city, shining like white marble. The massive raised dais in the centre was unmistakable.

“Yes, that’s it, that’s the city alright.” I frowned in thought. “But the portals I’ve seen are smaller, not much bigger than a pony.”

She turned a page. “Like this one?”

I looked down at the image of an archway. “Yes, that’s it.” I didn’t tell her that the underworld had been making new ones of their own. If her ‘mentor’ wanted to reveal that little titbit of information she could bloody well do it herself.

Twilight read on for a while in silence, giving my ears a well earned rest. Meanwhile I helped myself to some lemonade and biscuits. I have to say they were absolutely delicious and I found myself licking the chocolate off my hooves. There was no mistaking the cake’s work, even if they weren’t the salted ones I’d bought earlier.

“I thought so,” Twilight muttered eventually. “Star Swirl built a portal to help him explore the Wither World, although according to Clover the clever, this appears to have been accidental. From what I can tell he was actually trying to enter the land of the Eternal Herd.”

I nodded. “Star Beard explained as much to me.”

“The crystal you were given was one of several he had made it seems,” Twilight continued, talking as much to her pile of books as to me. “Apparently they were intended to be able to locate the nearest portal in case he got lost. The Arcanus Maleficarum says that this was particularly relevant in the Wither World due to the lack of any true day and night cycle, thus causing problems with orienteering.”

“You can say that again,” I said around another biscuit. “Anyway, there’s definitely more than one of those crystal things knocking about. Rarity had one in for cleaning earlier. It’s the one from the Star Swirl exhibit that’s on at the Town Hall.”

The lavender unicorn looked at me for a moment, gauging my body language. “I see. Well, I may be able to help you with that, but not tonight.” Twilight stared at her book in thought before adding, “I will contact you when I can, Fairlight, but first, would you… please?”

I rose to my hooves. I knew damned well what she wanted, and I also knew that if I didn’t do this not only would I be cutting off a potential source of help, I’d never hear the end of it either. “Twilight, you can not tell Celestia about this, okay? And please, be assured that I swore to protect Equestria and the princesses. Even if it is from the shadows.”

She nodded, pushing her glasses up her nose. The way she was watching me was making me feel deeply uncomfortable already, but I’d agreed to this so there was no backing out now. I took a deep breath, calming my heart, gently trickling a little flow of the spirit’s energy into my body. Any remaining effects from the alcohol vanished in that instant, replaced by the familiar sensations of cold and warmth simultaneously tingling along my muscles and spine. There too was the equally familiar sharp pain as my wings burst from my back. I barely even noticed it now, but it felt oddly embarrassing flexing standing there, flexing them in the library’s bright lamplight. I quickly folded them by my sides.

Twilight gasped in awe, her eyes going wide as she took in the spectacle before her. “Oh, my Celestia! This is… This is amazing!” She was virtually shivering in excitement now, and I was beginning to doubt I’d made the right decision to do this. “How I wish I could take a picture of you!” she continued. “You’re like a story book come to life! A unicorn with wings, but not an alicorn. They’re more dragon-like, judging by the membrane. Coat transformation, teeth elongation...” Her horn glowed as a book floated up in front of her muzzle. “But… No… Something’s different from the recorded description somehow. What am I missing?”

Different?! What in Equestria was she talking about now? She walked around me, poking and prodding, touching my wings and muttering to herself. Finally, she looked up at my horn and frowned. Mind you, at least she wasn’t yelling ‘Demon!’ at me, which was definitely a welcome change to the usual reaction.

“Twilight, can I-” I began.

She completely ignored me. “Here, this makes sense now…” The eccentric little mare tapped an entry in one of her books. “It says here there were several tribes across the world, and not just in Equestria. Your tribe, the ‘Four Winds’ as it was known, was one which was exclusively made up of unicorns. Those who completed the joining ceremony with the spirits would become the tribe’s warriors, a little like soldiers in an ant colony. Others were brought into the tribe to act as labourers, cooks, servants and so forth, but eventually even they began to adopt the characteristic traits of the tribe over subsequent generations. That is to say, the grey coat, yellow eyes and horn which were unique to the Four Winds. What seems to have made the tribe stand out however is the particularly strong ability for magic which manifested itself in this!” She tapped my horn with her pencil and sighed, “No notes, eh?”

“No notes…” I said plainly.

Twilight shrugged resignedly, then looked up at the clock. “I’d love to study you more, Fairlight, but we’d best get back to the girls or they’ll start to wonder where we are.”

Somehow, I guessed they were already doing just that. “Twilight?”

“Yes?”

“Do you know where the fortress was?”I asked hopefully. “I know it was in the mountains near the Everfree, but I can’t be certain. There’s supposed to be a cave system nearby that the tribe tried to reach when the Celestians attacked them, but where it comes out I have no idea.”

Twilight rubbed her chin in thought. “Hmmm, I’m not sure… I suspect that would be the Spire Mountains, past the Everfree forest. They’re notable for being constantly covered in cloud and dangerous for flying - even for you I suspect. The caves are probably… here.” She tapped a picture on a map of Equestria that was pinned to the wall above the fireplace. “These aren’t named in the book, but if you look closely they’re marked on the map near the swamp. They don’t have any name as far as I know. I’ll need to look that up, although I suspect nopony ever goes there now anyway… or has any reason to.”

“Why, is the area dangerous?” I said, letting the magic drain away.

“Have you ever seen a Hydra, Fairlight?” Twilight asked pointedly.

I hadn’t, but I had certainly heard of them. Mean, constantly angry, and so large they made a dragon look like a puppy by comparison. I doubted even a wendigo would willingly take one on if even half the stories were true. And why was I thinking of going there in the first place anyway? Curiosity? Tingles' dream? To find a way to rid myself of the spirit? Suddenly burying my muzzle in a bucket of punch didn’t seem like such a bad idea. I didn’t get a chance to think much more about it anyway as Twilight’s horn flashed brightly, disarming the wards and unlocking the door. A few moments later we’d left the library and were heading back across town to the boutique, and what I hoped was a sanctuary from nosey unicorn mares.

Twilight trotted along beside me, shaking her mane. Large purple eyes glanced over at me. “You’re going there, aren’t you?”

I smiled bitterly and nodded. “I don’t know. Maybe. But there’s answers there to questions I’m not even sure about myself.”

“That sounds… different,” she replied.

I sighed. “It’s hard to explain, but inside, the other ‘me’ needs to go there for some reason. Even if it is just frozen rubble. Hopefully if I can at least see it, then I can move on with my life.”

Twilight seemed a little dubious about my reasoning, and I couldn’t blame her either, but she nodded kindly anyway. “I wish I could come with you, but I can’t go against my mentor, Fairlight. I promised you I’d keep your secret and I will, but if you find anything, will you tell me? And… If you see Star Swirl again… um, can you tell him ‘Twilight Sparkle is his number one fan’?”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, Twilight, I’ll tell him for you.”

She whooped for joy and jumped about for a few moments before settling down, a rosy blush appearing on her cheeks. Good grief!

By the time we got back the party goers had mostly gone home, leaving behind little more than empty garden furniture, a faint aroma of fruit punch, and happy memories. Those ponies that still remained were tidying away the empty plates and glasses, chatting happily amongst themselves as they worked. High above us the stars were coming out, muted slightly by the lamplight spilling from the arched windows of the boutique. The sound of laughter and clink of glasses emanating from within suggested that the festivities hadn’t quite ended for everypony after all. Twilight lead the way, pushing the door open without knocking. I followed at a respectful distance, just in case of any, erm… ‘misunderstandings’. Inside the boutique the girls were all sat around in a circle on a selection of large colourful floor cushions, happily chatting amongst themselves and enjoying a variety of drinks and snacks. They looked oddly familiar too, and quite obviously knew Twilight by the way they all smiled and waved at her as we walked in. Tingles was sat amongst them like part of the furniture, seamlessly blending into the Ponyville party scene as though she’d been born and raised there.

She looked up at us with an odd look on her face. “Why, welcome back, Agent Nox. Have fun researching your ‘marsh gas’?”

Tingles had an exaggerated look of innocence on her face, although I suspected she may well have suspected I’d been up to no good ‘fiddling with the filly’, or some such nonsense. I nodded and took a cushion next to her, murmuring so only she could hear me, “Whatever your mucky mind is cooking up, you can forget it. I didn’t do anything.”

“I know,” she whispered, picking up another cake. “I just couldn’t resist teasing you.”

I nudged her playfully with my shoulder and stretched my forelegs. “I’ll fill you in later.”

Tingles raised an eyebrow and popped the cake into her mouth, licking her lips. “Oh, I do hope so.”

A big orange mare with three red apples on her flank trotted over and shook my hoof vigorously, hopefully ignoring my burning cheeks as she did so. Damn it, she was strong! “Thank ya kindly fer savin’ our girls there, Agent Nox,” the mare smiled. “Y’all are okay in ma book and welcome ter visit Sweet Apple Acres any time yer want some good ole fashioned home cookin’, y’here?”

“I wondered where all the squirrels had disappeared to,” I heard Rarity mutter.

“What was that?” the orange mare replied, her mane bristling.

“I said I wonder where Scootaloo’s disappeared to,” Rarity smiled innocently.

The big earth mare, tutted. “Y’all gone loco in the noggin Rarity? Yer put them kiddies ter bed hours ago.”

Rarity shrugged demurely, lifting a hoof to her mouth in surprise. “My goodness! I must be getting tired, Apple Jack. Forgive me.”

I caught Rarity’s sidelong wink to me and let out a snort. Tingles, as usual, picked up on it immediately and tapped my hind leg making a ‘shushing’ motion. Trying to stifle a yawn, I wondered how long the wind-down for the party was going to take. I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open now, thanks in no small part to spending most of the evening being interrogated by the ever inquisitive Twilight Sparkle. Unfortunately, just when it looked like the girls were finally about to make their way out, the pink lunatic of the group appeared from behind the chocolate fountain in a shower of broken pieces of frozen confectionery.

“Woweee!” she squealed. “The light really does go off when you shut the door! Brrrrr!”

“Pinkie! That’s really dangerous!” Twilight admonished.

The pink one just laughed. “Yeah, but chilled chocolate tastes soooo much better!” She proceeded to jump about like some deranged jumping bean, trying to catch the broken pieces that dropped off her fur. Good goddesses, that one wasn’t right in the head! And now that I think about it, she kinda reminded me of somepony else I knew too… that nurse at the hospital, whats-her-name…

“It’s YOU!”

I nearly shot of my cushion in fright. “Wha-?”

The pink bouncing creature cartwheeled across the room and plopped down right in front of me, staring me right in the face before suddenly pulling off my sunglasses. “OOOH! Creepy!”

Twilight shouted at her friend in alarm. “Pinkie Pie! That’s rude, give him them back, they’re our guests remember.”

Smiling cheekily, ‘Pinkie’ reached over and balanced my sunglasses on my horn, looked to Tingles, then back to me. “You look different, but you’re the same. I never forget a face… not Pinkie Pie!” She chuckled manically. “You’re the watch pony who had the green marefriend, aren’t you?” She suddenly gasped aloud. “You’re the two we saw doing ‘naughty’ things to each other by the river! Poor Twilight didn’t know what to do with herself!”

“Oh, goddesses!” I squeaked.

Tingles burst out laughing, while the deranged Pinkie rushed off waving a long balloon over her head. “It was thiiiisss biiiiiigggg!”

Buck me, couldn’t somepony control her?! What the hell was she on? “Twilight!” I hissed. “Do something!”

She gave me an apologetic look and caught hold of the out of control Pinkie Pie in her telekinesis, quickly floating her up off the ground and out the door. “Sorry everypony, sorry…!” Twilight said quickly. “Goodnight everypony, and thanks again agents Nox and Tingles. Sleep well!” The rest followed, leaving Rarity, Tingles and myself alone in an embarrassed silence.

We waved them all goodnight, watching the floating Pinkie Pie disappearing backwards through the door, several feet in the air, and doing things with the balloon I don’t remember ever having done with… Oh hell, we had, hadn’t we? That bloody pink menace!

Rarity trotted over and waved the last of her friends away before locking the door to the boutique. “I’m so sorry about that, Pinkie is a little, er… ‘excitable’. Will you two be alright sharing a room tonight? There’s a futon and spare blankets should you need them.”

“Of course,” Tingles smiled kindly. “Nox won’t mind sleeping on the floor, will you?”

“Eh?” I caught myself quickly. “Um, no, no of course not.”

Tingles and I thanked Rarity before retiring to our room. It was certainly small, most the boutique having been given over to the white unicorn’s craft, but it was neat and impeccably clean too, which seemed typical of the generous white mare.

“Sleep on the floor...” I muttered.

“Well you can if you want,” Tingles chuckled. “Or if you’re not too tired…?”

I rolled my eyes, smiling back at her wearily. I was absolutely exhausted, and I hadn’t been the one doing all the flying either. How in Equestria was she still so energetic? Was she alcohol fuelled or something? We disrobed and climbed into bed, Tingles giggling slightly to herself.

“What?” I asked, turning to face her.

Tingles grinned cheekily as she plumped her pillows. “Sorry, it’s that pink pony. That balloon of hers, ‘thiiiisss biiiggg’!” She even did the foreleg motions!

A wave of embarrassment washed over me again. “Stop it! Luna have mercy, what’s with you mares tonight?” Dear gods, I’d never live this down, would I?

Brushing aside my objections she snuggled into me. “Mmm, I don’t know, maybe somepony spiked the chocolate fountain?” She tapped me on the neck. “Turn over.”

“Huh? Why?” I muttered.

Never one to take no for an answer, Tingles gave me the sort of pleading look I’d expect from a foal wanting treats in a sweet shop. “Please? Pretty please?”

I sighed and did as she asked, quickly discovering that the mare was nowhere near as tired as I’d thought. Quite the opposite in fact. A questing hoof reached down and probed until she found her mark. All the while a sly little grin spread across her face, moonlight glinting in her big green eyes.

“Well, well, Mister Nox, what do you know… it is that big…” She disappeared beneath the sheets and a moment later, “I didn’t get many deserts tonight. I think I’ll try this one…”

A lot of kissing, giggling, and exaggerated ‘shushing’ later, we lay panting together face to face. I don’t know why, but I suddenly felt like going for a run. Despite being dead on my hooves earlier this evening, the urge to charge across the open fields, to splash through the river and shout for the sheer joy of living, was nearly overwhelming. A wave of contentment washed through me, making all of my legs tremble. To be here, here with this beautiful creature, was enough to stir any heart. Even mine. In the gentle moonlight flowing through the large window, I stroked her mane, gazing into those fathomless green eyes. Luna’s mercy, she was so beautiful.

A little while later, still in the afterglow, Tingles tapped me on the flank. “Come on love, we’d better wash up. I’m a bit sticky, and I know you are…” She smirked and clambered out of bed, pulling the sheets off me so I couldn’t escape.

The bathroom was en-suite thank goodness. It was just as well too, I certainly didn’t fancy bumping into Rarity, just in case we’d, um… ‘disturbed’ her sleep. Mind you, we’d been carefully to keep it down, but now that I was oddly re-energised by Tingles’ skilful ‘ministrations’, my mind began to turn to things it really shouldn’t have. Sadly the risk of waking our generous host was something neither of us wanted. Rarity had been good to us and it wouldn’t be right. Deliciously wicked, certainly, but not right. Returning to the bedroom, we cuddled and kissed for a while longer before finally falling asleep in each others embrace.

Chapter Three - The Wyvern's Tail

CHAPTER THREE
THE WYVERN'S TAIL

Morning came all too early, with bright sunshine and the now obligatory blue sky warming the sleepy town of Ponyville, as well as the equally sleepy occupants of the guest bedroom at Carousel Boutique. Dear Luna, what time was it? Seven? Oh, gods no… I pulled the sheets back over my head and buried my muzzle into the pillow. Nopony should have to get up this early, it wasn’t civilised! I certainly didn’t want to get out of bed for at least another hour at least, but Tingles soon saw to that, flicking water on me until I managed to tackle the vase from her grip. By that time though I was wide awake, sort of, and the pegasus mare’s strategy had been a resounding success. Dressed, yet still decidedly groggy, I plodded down the stairs after her into the dining room. Rarity as always was the consummate host, and provided us with a magnificent breakfast fit for royalty. Thankfully she never mentioned last night’s incident with the pink menace, nor was there any mention of being awoken by Tingles and my antics either. For that alone, I was grateful. I actually felt a pang of regret when it was time to leave, my tangerine partner and I waving our goodbyes as we set off to collect our chariot. It was right where we’d left it too, safe and sound – quite a shock considering what would have happened had this been Manehattan.

Suddenly, Tingles let out a cry of horror. “Oh my Celestia! What the hell are all these boxes?”

“Whoops.”

“Whoops?” She stared at me incredulously. “Just how much chocolate did you buy, Fairlight?!”

I huffed. “Says the mare buried under bags and boxes of treats...”

She stood there staring at me and then face hoofed. “We’re going to get fat aren’t we?”

Raising an eyebrow, I grinned. “We’ll just have to fly it off, the both of us.”

Hiding a sly grin, Tingles shrugged and we repacked the carriage’s cargo compartment to fit everything in. Ho-boy, all those delicious treats! I wish I could have one now, but I could wait. ‘All good things come to ponies who wait’, apparently. We were getting set up when a shout from across the street made us both turn to see Twilight Sparkle rushing towards us.

“Wait! Please…!” The poor little unicorn was quite out of breath when she pulled up in an excited and panting state. “I’m so glad I didn’t miss you, Mister Fairlight. Here…” She handed me what looked like a hoof drawn map tied up with a neat red ribbon. Upon closer examination, Twilight’s incredibly neat and tidy writing suggested it had been written with the aid of magic. I marvelled at the amount of detailed work that had gone into this in so short a time. “I found it last night while I was studying maps of ancient Equestria. It’s-” She gasped, staring at Tingles in horror as her hooves flew to her mouth. “Oh, no!”

“It’s alright, Tingles knows all about me,” I assured her. Just as well really! I waved a hoof, encouraging her to continue.

Relieved, Twilight visibly relaxed. “I wasn’t sure at first because the official maps were revised after the great war and make no mention of it, and pre-war maps were usually produced locally so very few survived to this day. Much of the information on them was only relevant to the needs of the recipient anyway – trade routes, water ways, and so on. But then I found a reference to a Llamalian merchant who supplied goods to a buyer ‘in the mountain stronghold of Elysium’! The description matches the route the local caravanners used at that time, and although the name doesn’t fit, everything else does. In short, I believe it’s the location of your missing fortress!”

“You found it!” I exclaimed giving Tingles a wide eyed smile. She seemed just as surprised as I was.

“I don’t know how accurate it is though,” Twilight explained. “It’s roughly drawn so it’s could be only an approximate location, maybe even completely wrong. So much of the land has changed since the map was made; mostly towns and villages, river courses and so forth. But this…” She tapped the depiction of the river through the Everfree, “I know this exists, I know the mountains exist, and there’s remnants of an ancient paved road in the forest too. Whether there is anything left of your fortress however, I wish I knew. Oooh, I wish I could go and see it with you!” She gave a little dance and gave us both a beaming smile.

I nodded to Tingles. “Do you want to go and see?”

She flexed her wings. “We’re low on equipment, don’t know what to expect out there, could be dangerous too. Mountains, the Everfree...” Tingles smiled. “What’s not to like?”

“We could always leave the carriage here,” I suggested. “Have a quick look and come back, save you all the flight time?”

Tingles took the map and studied it for a while. “We’ll need proper flight gear for a trip into the mountains, and you’re not an experienced flier either… yet.” She smiled wryly at my hurt look. “I think we should get back to the facility and drop off my, erm, ‘our’ cargo first. What do you think?”

Clopping Tingles on the shoulder, I smiled at Twilight. “Agent Tingles is right, Twilight, we’ll need to get properly geared up before we go. No sense risking ourselves out there.”

I whispered in Tingles ear, “What would I do without you?”

“Eat too much chocolate,” she whispered back to me, patting my backside playfully.

Twilight eyed us curiously, her big purple eyes taking everything in. “Well, I’d better go then. Quality study waits for nopony! Good luck, and don’t forget our promise!”

We gave her a hug goodbye and before long the two of us were heading up into the azure blue sky on course for Manehattan, leaving the gentle world of the ponies of Ponyville behind us.

Tingles called back on her TED. “Go on then, what’s this promise? You’ve peaked my nosiness now, Mister.”

“She wants me to tell her what the fortress is like,” I called back. “She’s like a sponge for knowledge that one. I mean, who lives inside a library for goodness sake?”

“The princess’s favourite student of course!” Tingles laughed. Suddenly her tone became serious. “Fairlight… Are you sure you should have told her what you did? Can we really trust her?”

She had a point, but then Twilight had been able to work out who I was so fast there’d been absolutely no chance of denying what I was. Glowing blue eyes and weird cutie marks were a dead giveaway to anypony who knew what they were looking at. The way I looked at it, it was definitely better to have her on side than not. “I hope so, Tingles,” I said honestly. “After all, she’s the only one who worked out who, and what, I am. If she’d wanted, she could have told Celestia about me at any time. At least this way I get the information I want and so does she. I’ll just need to keep her sweet.”

There was a pause. “Okay, I trust you on this Fairlight, but how are we going to get past Brandy? He’ll be expecting us back sooner rather than later.”

“Now that’s the easy part,” I grinned. “I’m owed a stack of leave, and so are you. A trip to the country is all we need to recharge our batteries, wouldn’t you say?”

“Worth a try!” she chuckled.

Our trip home didn’t seem to take very long at all. With no youngsters to worry about, Tingles flew a lot higher than she had on the way to Ponyville and the sun was still high in the sky by the time we began our descent. Before I knew it we were back at the facility, in all its stone and concrete glory – quite the change from chocolate box cottages and fancy clothing shops. Still, it was home of sorts, even if it was a bit spartan. We quickly stowed our ill gotten gains and I trotted off to the boss’s office to report in. Speaking of which, Agent Brandy was busy reading reports when I arrived and was to my surprise in the best mood I’d seen him in for ages. I gave him my report on the operation at the human facility and he just sat quietly and nodded, taking it all in. There were a few questions here and there, but nothing special. He seemed a bit surprised by the fact that breezies were being ground up to make drugs, but merely noted it in his record book. In his eyes I suppose the matter had been dealt with, and that was that. The breezies had already been returned home and measures taken to protect their home and migration routes in the future, so case closed as far I was concerned. The best part of it though was that Brandy was actually surprisingly amenable to my request for Tingles and I to go off on leave, and at short notice too. My successful mission, along with the destruction of the human facility and rescue of the ponies had no doubt gained me some valuable brownie points on that score. Before I was about to leave however, he beckoned me to stay and poured us both a large glass of some very fine brandy. Now this was a surprise! Mind you, it could be a bit awkward in conversation, couldn’t it - “Pass the brandy, Brandy!” Can you imagine working in a tavern with that name? Thank goodness nopony had ever asked for tall glass of Fairlight! Stranger things have happened I suppose, like being offered a drink by your boss...

The black and silver stallion stood up with a huge smile on his face as he passed me the aromatic spirit. “I haven’t had a chance to congratulate you yet, Nox. You did a damned good job over there, and if it was up to me I’d give you a medal. Sadly, that’s not the world we live in, so I’ll just do this…” He reached forward and shook my hoof. “Thank you. What you did was something Equestria could never thank you enough for, so if you want some leave with your partner, then of course you can. And please, take whatever you need from the stores - within reason of course.”

“Thanks Brandy, this means a lot,” I replied happily. “It really does.”

He clopped me on the shoulder and sat back in his chair. There was something about his demeanour, a happy air I hadn’t seen since I’d met him, that piqued my curiousity.

“Sir?”

“Hmm?”

I sipped my brandy and smiled broadly. “You’re back with Carnation aren’t you?”

“How did you-?!” He cleared his throat, settling back again with a contented grin. “Well, yes. Yes I am. Who told you?”

“Oh, nopony,” I replied honestly. “It’s written all over your face.”

“Ha! You’re right too, I haven’t felt like this in ages.” Brandy stared into his drink, watching the golden spirit swirl round in the large glass. “Carnation came to see me not long after you brought her here. We’ve decided to give things another go.”

I smiled broadly. “I’m really happy for you boss. I wish both of you all the best happiness in the world together.” I meant it too. If anypony deserved some good fortune it was this guy.

Brandy chuckled, slugging back the last of his drink. “Cheers, Nox. Now…” He pointed to the door, “get out of here and enjoy that leave!” And with that, I knocked back my brandy, and set off to give Tingles the good news.

Back in my room, which had ostensibly become ‘our’ room recently, I found the tangerine mare packing our things already.

“Bit pre-emptive there,” I offered, closing the door. “He could have ‘no’, you know.”

Tingles just shrugged. “I don’t think so, not after everything you’ve done recently. Besides, don’t forget we’ve got friends in high places that we could call on if we needed to ‘have a word’.”

“Luna?” I trotted over to the bed and checked my things. “I s’pose so.”

Tingles rolled her eyes. “Here we go again with the negativity.”

“I’m not being negative at all!” I protested. “It’s just that… Well, I still haven’t heard anything about Shadow, and sometimes I wonder if she’s-”

“Using you?” Tingles finished for me. She looked up from her packing. “I know what you mean, but I don’t think she’d do that. The princess put her own life at risk to save yours, Fairlight, and I can’t see her doing that just to use you like some sort of disposable asset.”

“I hoped you’re right,” I replied, putting my sponge-bag into the case. “I’m rather attached to being alive right now.”

“I’m glad to hear it!” The pegasus mare slipped up to me and kissed me on the cheek before giving me a light nuzzle. “Look, stop worrying so much. If Luna said she’ll do her best to find Shadow, then she will. None of us know the other worlds better than the princess of the night, and if there’s anypony who can do this, it’s her. I trust her, Fairlight. I really do.”

I paused, staring down at the suitcase lying on the bed. Was I really so mistrusting of ponies? And was it any wonder after everything that had happened of late? No… No, not really. I trusted Tingles of course, and Brandy too for that matter. But the princess? I wasn’t so sure. Tingles clearly believed in her, but then there were a hell of a lot of ponies out there who were so starstruck by royalty that the royal duo could have burned their house to the ground, murdered the kids, and still have the locals bowing and scraping to them with simpering smiles on their faces. The nobility were well known for betrayals, deception, and bumping one another off at a rate of knots. Even if it didn’t happen so much these days, I wouldn’t anything past them. Nope, I was not a fan of princesses, even if I did have a passing attraction to the… wait… did I? Oh, gods! Did I really find Luna attractive? I mean, she was certainly cute and a lot more down to earth than her older and infinitely more genocidal sibling, but… I closed my eyes and sighed. Hormones were a real pain in the arse.

“Fairlight?”

“Huh? Oh!” I gave myself a shake, picking back up on the conversation. “You’re right, love.”

A raised eyebrow suggested she wasn’t convinced. “Hmm, well, I do try to be. But please, Fairlight, at least try to have a little faith in other ponies? I know it’s hard for you, but you can’t go through life being so distrustful of others all the time, it’s not good for you.”

Maybe not, but it had helped keep me alive. Unfortunately ponies had a habit of treating kindness and respectful behaviour as a kind of weakness or naivety that they could exploit if they felt so inclined. It had been one of the reasons I’d schooled myself in avoiding opening up to others, and if that made me appear antisocial or ‘untrusting’, then that was their problem, not mine. After all, trust was earned, not given out like sweets. Tingles could probably see right through me, she was good like that, but I wasn’t in the mood for an argument, especially when we were going off on a trip to who-knew-where. I lifted up my flight suit and nodded to myself in satisfaction. It was a bit strange having something that was meant for another race, not to mention the fact that I’d had to have it altered to fit too. Pegasi don’t usually have horns. By the looks of the stitching this had been adapted from a pegasi flight suit, but the main thing was that it was comfortable and capable of keeping the wind at bay. The goggles were a nice touch, as well as the insulation layer that would keep me nice and toasty. I lifted up the muzzle cover, turning it round in my magic.

“It’s designed to keep the wind from blasting straight up you nose,” Tingles clarified, noticing me examining the odd looking thing. “High altitude or mountain air can damage your lungs if you fly through it at speed. This redirects the air flow so it’s more tolerable.”

“Damage your lungs?” I put the device down and rubbed my muzzle subconsciously. “I didn’t realise flying was so dangerous.”

“Not usually,” Tingles replied. “But get hit in the eye by a bee when your flying at full belt and you’ll know about it. Even rain can hurt if you fly fast enough into a storm. Then there’s lightning, bird strikes, wind sheer, wing cramps, and low oxygen to contend with.”

“Yeah… You know, maybe we should walk instead, eh?” I suggested.

“Wimp!” Tingles shook out her wings and settled them back down by her sides. “You want to live forever?”

I snorted loudly, checking all my flasks were filled up and stowed properly. “Well I don’t know about you, love, but personally I’m not that good with plummeting.” I gave her one of my sardonic smiles. “Usually I try to avoid things like drowning, falling, claustrophobic environments, being impaled, crushed, falling from a thousand feet and ending up as a puddle. You know, that sort of thing.”

“You’re hopeless...” Tingles clucked her tongue as she walked over and draped a wing over me. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you right. Okay?”

I knew she was teasing me, but my body shivered at the lightness of her touch all the same. Those feathers were so soft, so deliciously exotic against my fur, that it was all I could do to keep my focus on the task at hoof. “Thanks, love,” I said, planting a kiss on her cheek. “I know you will.”

“Ha! I have to, what with your duff old wash-leather wings.” She danced away, but not before whacking me on the backside and making me jump. Bloody pest!

We continued to pack until at last we had everything we needed. At least, I hoped we had. Tingles went through the check list one last time muttering under her breath as she mentally ticked everything off. Personally I was beginning to wonder just how long this trip was going to be. With all the provisions, camping gear and enough sundries to sink a ship it would be a wonder if we got off the ground in the first place, let alone fly across the Everfree and into the mountains.

“That’s everything,” Tingles said eventually. She pocketed the list and peered at me curiously. “You okay?”

“Me?” I looked at her in surprise. “Of course, why?”

“Because you look a lot less enthusiastic about getting away than I thought you would,” she replied. The tangerine mare cocked her head to one side, giving me one of her ‘searching’ looks that made me feel like a naughty school foal. “Well?”

“Well what?” I said a little testily. “What do you want me to say?”

Tingles groaned expansively. “I want you to tell me if you really do want us to go off into the mountains to find this mysterious fortress of yours, or if you’d rather do something else entirely. Honestly, Fairlight, this isn’t going to be the easiest of flights you know. If you’re having second thoughts or getting cold hooves over it, I’d rather know now instead of when we’re freezing our wings off over the mountains!”

“Oh, for goodness sake...” I flopped onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. “I didn’t say I didn’t want to go, did I?”

“You didn’t have to,” Tingles huffed. “It’s written all over your face.”

“Hey! You’re the one having the prophetic dreams, Miss Tingles, I thought you wanted to go!” I reasoned.

“Me?!” Green eyes flared in the lamplight. “You’re the one who said you wanted to go there in the first bloody place! Don’t try and pass the buck onto me, buddy. I’ve been running around like a blue arsed fly trying to get all our stuff ready and now you’re moping around the place like a foal who’s going to his grandma’s for a week!”

“I am not!” I snapped. “It’s just… That is, I...” I groaned, grabbed a pillow and pulled it over my eyes. “I’m worried about what we’ll find there, that’s all. It could be dangerous, Tingles. Really dangerous. And what’s it for anyway? Idle curiosity because of some vague ancestry of mine? Some weird dream you had? Bloody hell, this is like one of those half-cocked mountaineering trips you hear about where they toddle off into the wastes to a big fanfare in the papers, and are never heard from again. All this ‘Lord of the four winds’ bollocks sounds more and more like a fools errand.”

For a while she said nothing, and then to my surprise, flopped onto the bed right beside me. “Yeah… Maybe it is.” She sighed and reached out with her hoof which I gently took in mine. “You know, we don’t have to go there at all. We can always go off and stay somewhere else, or...” She held up a small rectangular pamphlet. “We could stay nearby enjoying a nice, peaceful country retreat. And you know, if you did fancy popping into the mountains for a quick peek, we would be able to get there and back in no time. That way we wouldn’t miss out on our hols, and we’d satisfy our curiosity too.”

I’m glad she said ‘Our curiosity’ rather than just mine! If our trip turned out to be one huge cock-up, I didn’t want her laying all the blame at my hooves, and as much as I loved her, I wouldn’t put it past her to do just that. But what was this though? I stared at the brochure. ‘Smiling Borders’, eh? Never heard of it. But the photograph of smiling ponies standing in front of an idyllic scene of trees, quaint cottages and what looked like… hot springs? Oh, hell yes! I’d always wanted to try those! I also noticed the words ‘Real ale’ too, which was definitely tempting. I wasn’t much of a drinker of course, but I still liked the odd little tipple. Good brandy and locally brewed craft ales were a couple of those little vices I had, like fine cigars and pipeful of quality tobacco. They were all the bad things, and all the things that brought a touch of sunshine into an otherwise grey day.

“If there’s nothing there we’re going straight back, right?” I said, levelly.

“Of course.”

“And if there is something there, we’re not going to put ourselves at risk either.” I passed her the brochure. “We have a look, maybe snap a photo or two, and that’s it. Agreed?”

Tingles smiled. “Sounds good to me.”

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, closing my eyes. “Sounds good...” A yawn escaped my lips, reminding me about just how little sleep I’d had recently. “Mmm… good grief, I’m… so tired...”

“Mmm.” Tingles snuggled into me, shoving the cases aside to make room. “I can’t imagine why.”

“Oh… shush…” I gave her a peck on the nose and smiled like a foal at Hearthswarming as I drifted off into a warm and cuddly slumber. I barely even noticed the envelope being pushed under the door.

It could wait until morning.

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

The sun was barely up when we packed the last of our equipment into the sky carriage. Despite my concerns that there wouldn’t be any room for me, I was pleasantly supplied to find we more than enough space to get everything in as well as my old bones. Since some may be a touch concerned by wendigo flying over Equestria in broad daylight, or at all for that matter, Tingles and I decided to wait until we reached Smiling Borders before I even thought about taking flight under my own steam. Of course, I was more than happy to sit back and let Tingles do all the wing-work, but she seemed to prefer it that way. And who was I to argue? I’d seen the wendigo swooping down like blazing comets in my dream-memories, but my own pathetic attempts at taking to the skies were more akin to a drunken butterfly flapping its wings desperately to stay aloft, bumping into everything on the way. I kept telling myself I just needed practice, but I was far from what you’d call a ‘natural flier’. Perhaps I’d get a chance to improve when I got to Smiling Borders? Yeah… If I didn’t freak out the locals and end up with a lynch mob coming after me. Perhaps I really would just spend the time soaking in the hot springs after all. I mean, who wouldn’t want to do that? Box of chocolates, a find brandy, a pipe of good tobacco and a good book. I’m sure Tingles fitted into the picture too somewhere, but this was my self-indulgent fantasy, thank you very much. A few hours of peace and quiet would do me the world of good.

With a slight lurch of the carriage harness, we had bid goodbye to the agency facility and were soaring high into skies over Equestria on the first leg of our journey to find the enigmatic ‘Fortress of the four winds’. Or a bunch of frozen, snow covered ruins in the middle of nowhere of course. I couldn’t help but feel it wasn’t exactly going to be the most romantic of trips, and at the back of my mind was the nagging reminder that I still hadn’t heard anything from Luna about Shadow yet either. How long was this going to… hang on, I was forgetting something wasn’t I? Flasks? No, I’d filled them all, there plenty for at least a week or so. Note books, camera, what about- Hell fire! That was it! The letter! Buck me, I’d been so pre-occupied I’d forgotten the damned thing completely. I’d have to read it as soon as I returned. Maybe it was from Luna with some good news for me? Dear goddesses, I hoped so. What a wonderful end to the holiday that would be – to discover that my beloved Shadow would be with us soon, and with that, all would be well with the world once more. At the back of my mind I kept expecting her to simply appear one day out of thin air like magic, or for her to knock on my bedroom door with the princess in tow looking smug. But… a dark part of me, the guilty part, whispered my shame in hushed tones that were like tiny daggers in my heart. I had fallen in love with Tingles, I had forgotten Shadow, I had betrayed my beloved Meadow. How could I be so supremely arrogant as to believe that there was enough love left in my tainted soul to share myself with three mares? I was the lowest being in the land, I had left my Shadow alone and in dire peril in the Wither World having taken what I wanted from her.

Betrayer… Liar…

A deep sense of self loathing spread over me like a death shroud. I didn’t deserve them, any of them. I should have done more, I should have tried everything I could have to save Shadow myself, not just buggering off and leaving Luna to sort through the wreckage I’d left behind in my wake. But how? I couldn’t just wave a magic wand and appear in the Withers all guns blazing, could I? What was I going to do, force Star Beard to send her through a portal to Equestria at gun point? And even if he could, how would she feel about Tingles anyway? And what about Meadow for that matter? How was I going to explain to Sparrow that daddy hadn’t been content with mummy and had begun collecting mares like flaming mantelpiece ornaments? I felt like burying my head and hiding away… What the hell was wrong with me?!

“Fairlight? What’s wrong?”

The carriage smoothly rode along on the air currents, silent and free. Soon, I prayed we would have answers and I would be re-united with…

“Fairlight? Are you okay? I’ve been shouting you for ages!”

“What?!” I sat up with a start. “Oh, Tingles...” I rubbed my eyes. “I’m sorry love, my mind was wandering a bit there. Over-thinking things again as usual.”

“Well don’t do that!” she snapped. “Here we are off on an exciting adventure and you’re moping in the back for some reason. Cheer up!”

Ah, Tingles; she was a beacon of light in my ocean of emotional distress. She was right about one thing though - I had to get myself together. If for nopony else, then for her. I gave myself a hard shake. Why was I getting to be so melancholic lately? I’d done some wonderful work for the agency lately. I’d saved not only a number of mares from a fate that was beyond horror, rescued a sack full of breezies, and to top it all off I had a mare who loved me. Three mares to be precise. I had so much to be happy about, I had to try to focus on the positives instead of the negatives all the time. Of course Shadow would come back, Tingles would be with us when she did too, and together we’d live happily together as… what? My own herd? Pfff! It seemed ridiculously far fetched in some respects, but hell, why not? It had been quite common once when stallions kept going off to war and didn’t return. History books, films and romantic novels were full of the stuff. Mares would herd with stallions for mutual protection and support, and before you knew it the population was back to where it was before our ancestors had decided to start killing each other in droves. Of course, sometimes herding had been the actual cause of the fighting in the first place, but it was best not to dwell too much on that particularly salient point!

Hours of flight passed high above the clouds before I noticed how, far below us, the familiar green hills and grasslands had begun to change to thick dark woodland, and then to even denser black forests, deep and foreboding. Slowly we began a wide spiralling descent, sweeping down through the cloud cover towards a small hamlet on the outskirts of the forest, nestled as it was near the banks of a winding river which sparkled enchantingly in the sunlight. It reminded me of Aunt Pewter’s home in a way, if a little smaller in scale. It was certainly no Ponyville though, with the overall theme being whitewashed walls and simple little gardens that looked more practical than ornate. But I could live with that. The modest thatched cottages lined a meandering cobbled road with a single large building that was most likely the local tavern we were planning on staying at. So far so good! But where were the- As if in answer to my unfinished question, my nose began to twitch as the hint of what was quite clearly sulphur tickled my senses. I peered over the other side of the carriage for a better look. And there they were – lazily drifting clouds of steam rising from what was almost certainly the ‘famous’ hot springs. I have to say that overall it looked exactly like it did in the brochure, which was a relief to say the least. I settled back and felt a wave of anticipation flood through me. I could imagine myself sinking into one of them already, soaking away all my stress and worry as I let the world pass me by without a care in the world. It was more than could be said for some of the disastrous holiday breaks I’d been on in the past with Meadow, or even my parents for that matter. So many of these self-proclaimed ‘peaceful holiday destinations’ all too often bore no more than a passing resemblance to the inviting pictures in the posters and holiday magazines, and I’d become very cynical towards their more vacuous promises. Tourism meant crowds, crowds meant bigger buildings, noisy foals, drunken adults singing at all hours, crowded facilities, and before you knew it the word ‘peaceful’ had taken on a whole knew meaning – specifically that you needed to bring ear-plugs to get any sleep at night.

We touch down and rolled to a gentle halt with one of Tingles’ trademark perfect landings. We’d made good time too by the looks of things, and it can’t have been any later than midday by my reckoning. I clicked the lid shut on my pocket watch and took stock of our surroundings. It was certainly quiet alright. Other than for the occasional cry of a bird the place looked absolutely deserted, and the covered carriage barn held only one other conveyance that clearly hadn’t moved in a very long time. I trotted over for a closer look whilst Tingles stretched her legs. It was like a picture from a history book – a rickety old lump of a thing, covered in cobwebs and moss with a distinctly musty aroma that suggested any attempt to move it would likely result in the sudden appearance of a large amount of firewood. The tangerine mare eyed me inquisitively while we parked our own carriage.

“What do you think?” Tingles asked looking around, smirking at the rustic scene before us.

What could I say? The hamlet was exactly what it appeared to be: a small affair of cottages, a tavern, and some outlying work huts. Hardly the cutting edge of Equestrian civilisation. It was perfect! “Quaint,” I replied, flicking a cobweb off my ear. “Spooky quaint. You sure ponies still live here? The place looks deserted.”

“It’s in the ‘where to’ guide I picked up from the tourist office in Manehattan a few months ago, so I would say it’s inhabited alright,” Tingles reasoned.

“By ghosts maybe!” I teased. “Woooo!”

“Stop!” She gave me a playful shove.

I began to laugh, more so than I had in ages. Maybe Smiling Borders was working its magic on me already after all? “Sorry, love, I couldn’t resist.” I reached up and wiped the tears of mirth from eyes. “There must be somepony about though. What’s the brochure say?”

She shook out the leaflet and read aloud, “Welcome to Smiling Borders, the village that likes to welcome everpony with a cheerful smile. Experience life the traditional way, while our friendly craftsponies show you how life really was in the past.”

“In the past?” I quipped. “Bloody hell, I think it still is!” I cast my gaze around at the ramshackle cottages that looked more like hovels now that we could see them better. “This place hasn’t moved on for the last millennia.”

Tingles ploughed on regardless. “‘Guests are always welcome at the popular tavern, ‘The Wyvern’s Tail’, famous for its locally brewed ales and ciders. Home made food is always available from the friendly staff including their world famous ‘chocolate melting-middle cake’. Nanny and Drew have run their family owned establishment for the last decade and The Wyvern’s Tail has been in the Good Grub Guide for six years running.’”

“Oh, good goddesses,” I breathed, taking in the star attraction of Smiling Borders.

The name seemed oddly appropriate alright, the rotten place looked like it had been attacked by Wyvern’s, never mind being a ‘popular tavern’. Popular with whom, anyway? Woodworm? Apart from the noticeable fact that the bloody doors were half hanging off along with the crudely constructed window shutters, there was a nice cultivation of moss and grasses poking up through the boarding outside the mouldering old dump giving it the feeling of being long abandoned. I lifted my hoof then put it down quickly, the image of it crashing through mouldering timbers flashing through my mind in vivid detail. Gods almighty, we were off to a right roaring start!

Her muzzle stuck in the brochure, Tingles kept reading as she walked. “Fully en suite facilities are standard in all rooms. Nanny and Drew invite you to enjoy their hot spring baths which are open all year round for a modest- Ouch! Warn me when you’re going to stop like that!” She clopped me on the rump.

I ignored her. Something had moved behind one of the windows and I touched the grip of my sword for reassurance. “There’s somepony, some thing, in there. I don’t like this… not one bit.”

Tingles rolled her eyes. “You’re being silly, Fairlight. This is a popular holiday destination for goodness sake.”

“Who for? The undead?”

Tingles stomped a hoof. “You’re annoying me now, mister. Come on, we need to get booked in. I’m not leaving our cases out here all day.” She trotted up to the door and pushed on it, the thing creaking open with a loud ominous squeal. “And put that away!” She pulled my travel cloak over my sword, hiding it from view before walking confidently inside.

The inside of the tavern was almost in complete darkness except for a few flickering yellow lanterns and a barely glowing fire - the first signs of life we’d seen since we’d arrived. It wasn’t comforting. Warily I following the intrepid Tingles inside, checking my PDW was ready to hoof, my ears swivelling, trying to detect any potential threat. Our hoofsteps sounded unnaturally loud in the large empty room, and like outside, it was as silent as the grave. Which, on reflection, probably wasn’t the best analogy I could have had. Good grief, this place had my hackles going up like never before! A loud ‘ding’ from the desk bell Tingles rang nearly had me in conniptions. Goddesses, I was a bag of nerves!

“You rang?” A huge griffin materialised like magic from under the counter, fixing me with its round avian eyes.

“Gah! Bloody hell!” I shouted, stumbling backwards in shock.

Tingles tutted at me then turned to face our ‘host’ with an irritatingly warm smile. “Hello, a room for two please.”

“Are you married?” the creature asked.

“No, I mean, yes… recently. Mr and Mrs Salt,” she replied not-so-convincingly. “We’ve just flown in from the big city to sample the delights of your quaint little town.”

“I see,” he intoned heavily. “Mr and Mrs... ‘Salt’. Sign here please.” The griffin dropped a large leather bound ledger on the counter with a bang, dust billowing out from its mouldy pages. By the looks of the other entries, nopony had been here in a very long time. I wonder if they’d ever left?

“Is food available?” I asked hopefully.

“No.”

Tingles looked up from the ledger. “I’m sorry? But the brochure says, ‘Home made food is always available’.”

The griffin stared at her and opened its beak to speak.

“‘From the ‘friendly staff,’” I chipped in, treating the avian creature to a broad grin.

The thing fixed me with a hard stare. “There’s a store in town which should still be open if you’re hungry. We don’t have anything here.”

“This is the ‘Wyverns Tail’ isn’t it?” I asked curiously. “Run by Nanny and Drew?”

I should have guessed the answer. “Yes to your first question, and no, Nanny and Drew are…not here any more,” the griffin explained curtly.

“That’s a shame, isn’t it ‘darling’?” Tingles smiled at me. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes though. I think she was thinking the same as me.

“Do you have any drinks?” I asked.

“What do you want?” came the reply.

“Two wheat beers please.”

“Wheat beers off.”

I shared a look with Tingles. “Um… Okay, two ciders then.”

“Ciders off.”

“Riiight…” Gods give me strength! “Well, what do you have?” I asked.

“Everfree Brandy.”

I clopped my forehooves together. Now this was what I’d really wanted! “Great! We’ll have two of them, please.”

The charming fellow wandered off into the back of the tavern without another word and I looked at Tingles’ bemused face. “Good Grub Guide, eh?”

She scratched her head with her hoof. “I don’t understand it, the brochure’s not that old.”

A loud crash and the sound of various unidentified ‘things’ falling onto the floor emanated from what I presumed was the kitchen, making us both cringe with every ominous bang and creak. There was a pause, and then a cacophony of breaking glass, creaking, and what sounded like hammering that finally stopped when the griffin re-emerged to retake his position behind the counter once more.

He looked at us sternly.

“The brandies?” I asked hopefully.

“Brandies off.”

“Oh, for-!”

Tingles’ glare cut me off. “Thank you, Sir, we’ll take our bags up to our room now if that’s alright.”

The griffin nodded and walked off to leave us struggling with the bags on our own.

“‘Friendly staff’,” I grumbled, heaving the saddle bags and packs up the creaking stairs. So much for customer service!

I should have guessed that the tavern would be just as bad upstairs as it was down. Everywhere stank of mouldering wood and decay up here too, the worn wooden floors covered in at least a decades worth of dust and only the gods knew what else. It obviously hadn’t been cleaned in... well, forever by the looks of it. Gods, what a toilet! I dreaded to think what our room was going to be like. Unfortunately we were about to find out too. I watched with a sinking heart as Tingles turned the key in the lock to room one. I presume it was room ‘one’ as the number had fallen off and never been replaced, a faint outline and screw holes the only reminder of the long since vanished door number. Suddenly sleeping in the tent sounded a hell of a lot more appealing that this gradually unfolding nightmare. Surely it couldn’t get any worse, right? In answer a lump of undefined filth dropped off the door frame, landing right onto my muzzle making me step back in alarm. Damn it all! I don’t know about a soak in the hot springs, but I was sure as hell going to need a wash when I left this dump! Oh, well, we were here now so I may as well try to make the best of a bad job. Taking a deep breath, I stepped through into… Huh! It wasn’t a filth strewn midden after all. In fact, the room really wasn’t all that bad. I suppose when your expectations are rock bottom, even mediocrity is a step up. Tingles was opening the window whilst I took the opportunity to put our luggage down and have a look round what would be our home for the next few days. As you would expect, the bed took up most of the floor space in the modest room, and was a four poster too which was a nice touch. Even more surprising was that the sheets were clean and the furniture surprisingly well made, in fact I’d even go as far as to say, ‘elegant’? Well, maybe not. Let’s say ‘Shabby chic’ instead. I heaved the bags onto the table by the door to give us a bit more room and checked out the closet and under the bed.

“What are you looking for?” Tingles asked curiously.

“Nanny and Drew…” I replied semi-seriously.

Tingles laughed, but caught herself. “Fairlight, you… you don’t think something’s a bit, you know, ‘off’ about this place, do you?”

“Other than the drinks?” I asked. “Noooo, of course not! It just needs a bit of a dust and brush up, that’s all. Maybe a bulldozer too for good measure. At least there’s no bodies under the bed or in the closet to worry about, they probably keep those in the cellar with the empty bottles and beer kegs.”

Tingles gave me a doubtful look, peering over her shoulder with a wary eye. “I don’t think there’s anywhere else we can go now...”

Normally full of confidence, I could see a glint in the corner of her eye. She was upset, if not a little frightened too. All of a sudden my sarcastic sense of humour didn’t seem so funny. “It’s alright, love, don’t worry,” I smiled, reaching over and massaging her shoulders. “Look, just ignore me, I shouldn’t be teasing you. It’s a bit rustic here, that’s all. Sure it’s a bit on the basic side, but we’re out in the country here and they’re a very different breed to us city dwellers. It kinda reminds me of Pewter’s hamlet, and that lot were a bunch of oddballs. Anyway, it could be a lot worse, my aunt’s sense of décor did tend to lean towards the ‘bone’ side of the spectrum. Besides, I don’t think the brochure said it was ‘five shoes’, right?”

She smiled and nodded. “You’re right. I guess I’m just being silly. It’s just… this is our first proper trip away together, and I wanted it to be, you know, special.”

Tingles groaned softly as I rubbed her shoulders. “You’re here, so that is special to me,” I said gently. I guided her onto the bed where I could work on those wing muscles properly. It was easiest to do when she was lying down, but at least this would help get some of the tension out.

She gave me a happy smile that made her eyes sparkle in the sunlight filtering through the net curtain. “My Fairlight,” she hummed. “I love you so much.” She leaned in and kissed me softly on the lips. I was only the faintest brush, but it made my heart sing.

“I love you too, ‘Mrs Salt’.” I gave her a cheeky wink and fished out a box of chocolates from my pack. “Emergency rations?”

Tingles giggled and I popped one of the treats from Sugarcube Corner in her mouth. Moments later she pulled a face which nearly had me rolling on the floor in hysterics. “Argh! Fairlight! What in Luna’s moon is this?!” She swallowed the remainder and rushed over to the saddle bags to take a long drink of water from her canteen.

“Chocolates,” I said innocently. “For stallions.”

“And you can keep them too!” She swished the water around in her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut. “What the hell’s in them? Salt? Celestia’s ears, they’re disgusting! You rotten bugger, I’ll get you back for that, you’ll see!”

Who’d have thought nearly poisoning your marefriend with chocolates could lift the atmosphere? I’d have to remember that one. But now in good spirits we laid out our kit for the next leg of our journey, if for no other reason than the fact that it distracted us from the peculiar surroundings. They were all there and in good order: ice shoes, ropes, cold weather gear… We were all set by the looks of things. Food could be a bit of an issue though if we couldn’t get anything here. I mean, what did that griffin eat? Oh gods! Ponies?!

“Tingles…” I swallowed, my eyes drifting towards my sword. “Aren’t griffins, you know, carnivores?” I asked in a near whisper.

She gave me a funny look “Well, yes they... are… Oh, bollocks.”

And there’s another bad habit she’s picked up from me – swearing. “Don’t worry love, I’ll be keeping my PDW close to hoof.” I wasn’t so sure I was joking either.

Tingles however, was determined not to let my concerns ruin the mood. “I think I will too, but I’m not ‘that’ worried.” She nuzzled me as we locked the door behind us and headed back down the stairs, “my lord of the four winds.”

“For Luna’s sake, don’t call me that here!” I shushed her. “You know what these yokels can be-”

A crash of glass from below was followed by a rush of feet and what sounded like urgent shouting. Something was going on, and I didn’t like the sound of it at all. Not one bit. If I wasn’t already on edge before, I sure as hell was on full alert now. I checked my PDW was free in its holster and flipped off the safety. If I was going to have any chance of a restful nights sleep I was going to have to find out what was happening here, even if it was nothing more than a drunken farmer tripping over his own hooves. We rounded the corner, the last few steps taking us to ground level. In the gloomy common room of the tavern, glass was strewn across the wooden floor next to an upturned serving tray. More worrying however was the huge minotaur standing next to it, staring at us with its beady bullish eyes. The enormous creature had pale yellow fur and rather short horns for such a hulking great beast, and the memories of the last time I’d faced one of them made me reach for my sword on reflex. But something was wrong. I couldn’t quite put my hoof on it, but there wasn’t the sense of imminent danger from the spirit that I would have expected, and it may have had something to do with the fact that the minotaur was wearing… a red and white pinafore and a small white hat. We stared at each other in silence, neither of us moving a muscle. Seconds later the griffin re-appeared from the back with a dust pan and brush held his beak. He looked flustered, and almost comical with his feathers sticking out all over the place.

“Oh, I’m most terribly sorry!” He said, noticing us. “Please, Heather is new here and she’s a bit clumsy… Er, is there something I can help you with?”

“No. No, it’s fine, sir, thank you.” Tingles glided past me, bobbing her head to the minotaur as if pinny wearing monsters were the kind of thing you bumped into every day of the week in Manehattan. “We’re just popping out to get something to eat and drink.”

The griffin’s eyes went wide in horror. “Oh, no! Please, let us, you’re our guests!”

He, well I presume it was a ‘he’, I hadn’t met that many griffins even in the city, waved his claws at the minotaur. “Heather, go and sort out two hot meals for our esteemed guests, would you? Move it, girl!”

‘Girl’! Ha! If it hadn’t been so bizarre I may have burst of laughing. ‘Heather’ as the hulking beast was called, rushed off out the front door and the griffin motioned Tingles and I to a couple of seats by the fire, bowing and smiling all the while. Now thiswas seriously starting to worry me. What had brought about this sudden change in the griffin? And how come the minotaur rushed out of the front door and not into the kitchen? I could almost feel the pistol burning through my tunic pocket. As for the spirit, the damned thing was keeping as quiet as it had been since before we’d set off for Smiling Borders. Whether there was something wrong with it, I couldn’t say, but it was bloody typical that it kept a low profile whenever I needed the temperamental entity. The griffin re-appeared a few moments later with a bucket of coal perched on his back. One vigorous poking later, he had the fire roaring like a blacksmith’s forge. I edged my chair back. It was a touch too warm for my liking, but at least it lit the place up a lot better than it had been earlier, adding an almost cosy air to the place. Opening the window shutters would have helped of course, but I had the feeling that may have been a step too far for our peculiar host.

Tingles put a hoof on my hind leg before addressing the griffin. “May I ask you name, sir?”

“Sir?” The griffin looked horrified. “Oh, no! Please, my lady, call me Grimble. I am at your service for the duration of your stay.” To my amazement he actually attempted a bow. “I sincerely apologise for the terrible state of the place. I fear we don’t receive guests as often as we once did in our humble village.”

This was the same griffin wasn’t it? I watched the creature carefully, but I couldn’t quite size him up. Was he hiding something? Was he keeping us here whilst his lovely assistant gathered up the local mob to come back and lynch us? I’d heard some strange tales about the more remote country villages and their folk, in particular their propensity for ‘keeping it in the family’, if you know what I mean. But overall the stories had always seemed far fetched, and I’d dismissed them as nothing more than fantasy or the ignorance of country ways. Now that I was here however, I wasn’t so sure they were only fantasy. And so I did something I probably shouldn’t have done in hindsight – I removed my sunglasses to gauge his reaction. He looked up into my face, his pupils going wide as his beak hung open with a strangled gasp.

“I’m sorry, Grimble, I have an unusual eye colour don’t I?” I laughed it off as nothing of any real note. “Hope I didn’t startle you, my friend.”

“NO!” he squeaked. “No, my lord. My goodness, no. Forgive me…” He hung his head as though ashamed of his reaction to my appearance. Meanwhile Tingles was staring at the griffin with as much scrutiny as I’d given the poor creature.

“Grimble? Will you join us?” I asked politely, trying to break the awkward atmosphere.

He looked like he was going to throw up. “My lord! I couldn’t, I’m not-”

“I’m not ‘my lord’, Grimble, the name’s…” My brain froze as I desperately tried to think of something believable. “Um… ‘Rock’. Yes. My name’s ‘Rock’. Now, please…” I extended a hoof to the chair opposite us at the table. He looked a little ruffled but complied. I’d have to watch this didn’t turn into a watch style interrogation, I was supposed to be on leave after all, but something was really strange here at Smiling Borders, and I was determined to find out what it was. “Grimble, where are the other people in the village? This place is like a ghost town.”

The griffin looked down at table sadly before replying, “It’s the Everfree.” His voice dropped an octave, his eyes gazing into the fire. “The forest becomes... ‘restless’ every now and again, the creatures that live deep within its depths venturing out into areas they would normally avoid.”

“Something happened, didn’t it?” Tingles prompted gently.

Grimble nodded without looking up. “Timberwolves attacked Smiling Borders a few months ago. Nopony was hurt thank goodness, but it scared folk, and soon most everypony left. Now there’s only Heather and me, plus a few others who found their homes here in the abandoned cottages.”

Others. Couldn’t wait to meet them…

He continued, “We’re quite close to the mountains too, and the mountain is… changing. The mist which used to only stay in the forest, now comes into the town. It frightened off what folk had stayed behind, and I can’t blame them. With the fog came more timber wolves, and if it wasn’t for Heather and her kin, I might have ended up dinner for those things.”

“There’s other minotaurs here?” I asked.

Grimble nodded. “Why, yes my... erm, ‘Rock’. Her kind find it hard to fit in around ponies you see; they frighten easily. No offence to your good lady of course.”

Hmm, no offence to Tingles then. Interesting. Suddenly the kitchen door crashed open and the snorting minotaur in the pinnie barrelled in, thundering towards us. In a flash I was up, my magic flowing. It all happened like lightning: the flick of my travelling cloak exposing my sword, the two plates loaded with food thumping down on the table... I stood dumbfounded. Ignoring me completely, the huge creature nearly smashed the table in half laying the plates in front of us with her enormous claws, and almost gored the hapless Grimble as she tried the clumsiest curtsy I’d ever witnessed. Steam rose from the plates, the delicious aroma dragging my attention around like a foal’s spinning top. There was no braying mob. There was no threat to our lives. What there was… was hot food, and… polite company. I closed my eyes and let out a long sigh.

Far from being as alarmed by the situation as I’d been, Tingles tittered behind her hoof, leaving me to sit back down feeling like an absolute fool. “Grimble,” she asked, thankfully pulling the focus of attention away from me. “Have you ever heard of the fortress of the four winds?”

Oh, for the goddess’s sake! Nice one, Tingles, way to give away what we’re here for! These folk were like cats on a hot tin roof already: under attack from weird fog concealing timber wolves, not to mention the ever dwindling population, and now she goes dredging up mention of legends from the past to add to the mix. Goddess almighty, this trip just kept getting better and better. I couldn’t wait to send Brandy a ‘Wish you were here!’ card.

Grimble waved Heather out of the room, waiting before the kitchen door closed behind her before replying. “Yes, the fortress,” he said quietly. “You intend to find it?”

“We do,” Tingles replied pleasantly.

“Why?”

The tangerine mare smiled disarmingly. Whether it actually had any effect on the curious griffin remained to be seen, but Tingles had a way of putting you at ease that was as remarkable as it was effortless for her. “My husband and I are explorers, Grimble,” she explained. “We’d like to explore the ruins and maybe document them if we can for future generations. Anything you can tell us about them would be of great help in our quest.” I loved the way she casually threw in the word ‘Quest’.

The griffin leaned back and blinked a few times in thought, no doubt considering Tingles’ words. Now that I could see him up close he wasn’t quite as young as I’d originally believed. In fact he looked as old as the tavern around us, and just as crusty. “The fortress,” he said quietly, staring into the fire once more. “Yes, it’s there. What’s left of it. Local legends say that many have tried to find it over the years, but few ever returned. Those that did found little more than frostbite, rocks, and an overwhelming urge to leave as quickly as possible. Year after year the numbers of explorers and treasure hunters gradually fell until hardly anypony even remembered it had ever existed at all. Some of our people believe it was one of the reasons the numbers of visitors to our village dwindled, and that the fog and timberwolves only exacerbated an already inevitable decline.”

“It’s certainly a spin on the old ‘Many have tried, but none have ever returned’ line,” I said a touch more flippantly than I meant. Tingles gave me a quick kick under the table, shooting me one of ‘those’ looks. It was true though, Equestria was brim full of local stories about mysterious places where explorers vanished without trace. Some were all too genuine of course, but it was usually something far less supernatural like poor planning, large carnivores, or blundering into high magical radiation areas that brought things to an abrupt and messy end. Ha! I was waiting for a reference to ‘curses’ next. Come to think of it, did they exist? Perhaps I shouldn’t be so quick to judge considering I was practically a walking mythical beast myself. Gods, what a thought!

Tingles cleared her throat, pulling Grimble’s attention back to her. “So you said that some of the explorers came back, right?”

The old griffin shrugged. “Indeed they did, my lady, but they never found anything of any real interest so far as I know. The wind is different up there you see, the cloud are incredibly thick and cold. Bitterly cold in fact. I’ve known a few, griffins mostly, who tried to find it but even they had to turn back.” He shook his head slowly, flexing his wings on impulse. “A horrible place to fly.”

“What about its location though?” I asked. “The mountains cover a vast area, and we don’t have all that much to go on.”

He nodded sagely, steepling his claws. “Our people used to say that the ghosts of ancient warriors would fly up river through the forest before rising high up into the space between the mountains, back to their home in the fortress of the four winds. They believe the place is cursed and no longer venture there as they once did.”

Ha! Nailed it! I beamed at Tingles who gave me a long suffering look whilst chewing on her food. It actually smelt edible too, and the way she was tucking into it with such relish was making my stomach grumble in response.

“Do you believe the fortress is cursed, Grimble?” I asked, picking up a radish.

The griffin shook his head just as his hulking colleague brought over a bottle and three glasses. “Forgive me, ‘Rock’, it would appear Heather has found the elusive brandy. Would you care to join me for a glass?”

“Of course,” I replied genially.

It was music to my ears! I swallowed the radish, watching the minotaur poor three generous measures. Tingles nodded her thanks, but I noticed she didn’t touch it. She was more of wheat beer girl anyway. I took my first sip of the fine spirit, feeling its warmth spreading throughout my body and helping my mind and muscles to relax. The food was good too, and looked like an excellent accompaniment to this excellent vintage. I motioned to my meal and Grimble held out his claw nodding.

“Please, enjoy your food while it’s hot,” he invited me. “In answer to your question however, I’m afraid I don’t put much stock in superstitious tales. My father, and his father before him, passed down many stories of the fortress and of the great battles between the forces of night and day that consumed the land in those dark days. I expect that being ponies you already know the legends of the princesses?” I nodded as Grimble continued. “The fortress was slighted by the Celestians during the last battle of the war, and although I believe that there is something still there to this day, it is most certainly not some elusive ‘treasure’ as some may have you believe. My personal belief is that is most likely an ancient magic that protects the place - a magic that keeps ‘explorers’ away. In every legend there is at least some grain of truth, my lord, but how much of it is legend and how much is truth, is the real question.”

Tingles finished her meal and leaned back, rubbing her full tummy. “Grimble, that was amazing! Would you thank Heather for us, please?”

He smiled and nodded, “I will my lady. Thank you.”

My companion giggled like a school foal and helped herself to another brandy. Good grief, I hadn’t even noticed the first one disappear! Tingles really was full of surprises. Our host didn’t seem to mind though, and refilled mine and his glass as well. “Rock,” he said quietly. “If you are going to try and find the fortress, I beg you… be careful.”

That struck me as a funny thing to say, but it was more the way he’d said it that really troubled me. Grimble seemed a bit overly familiar for a fellow I’d only just met, and it was especially odd how he’d switched from being a grumpy unfriendly landlord to this open and helpful version in the blink of an eye. I mean, what was with all this ‘My lord’ stuff anyway? I knew he wasn’t being rude of course, well, not now anyway, but there was an edge to his tone that had grabbed the wendigo spirit’s attention, as well as having the hair standing up along my back. I couldn’t quite put my hoof on it right now, but there was some sort of undercurrent here in Smiling Borders that I wasn’t altogether happy with. I’d be locking and barricading our door tonight, that was for certain. Still, the cordial Grimble was a damned sight better than the miserable one, so I’d enjoy it while it lasted.

The three of us relaxed and chatted about inconsequential matters for a while, talking about life in the country, the hectic pace of city life, and the sort of small talk that was as inoffensive as it gets. Grimble was, I have to say, a most excellent host, and we finished our meals feeling content and at peace. Brandy flowed as all three of us stretched out by the fire. Even Heather joined us for a chat, albeit exclusively I might add, but I was delighted to see she’d brought something I’d secretly hoped would appear at some point - cigars. Funnily enough, Tingles didn’t seem to mind either. Hell, I wasn’t going to complain about that! And so the hours passed, with little more to do than watch the logs in the fire slowly burn down, empty the bottle of brandy, and enjoy some most excellent company.

As the sun set, Grimble took me to one side away from the girls. “May I speak to you privately?”

I nodded. “Sure.”

Heather and Tingles were deep in conversation, the gravelly voice of the minotaur was like having my ear scrubbed with rocks and I was glad to get away to be honest. They seemed to be enjoying each others company anyway and I didn’t want to smoke near them either. Tingles hadn’t said anything, but after I started into my second one she developed that ‘disapproving look’ that I was keen to avoid. Time to vanish I think...

Two chairs had mysteriously appeared on the porch outside, and they were just the ticket. Old they may be, but by the gods they were comfortable. I was pleased to note that Grimble seemed to be quite impressed by my fire making trick too, and smiled happily as he drew on his cigar. It was a beautiful evening, the fragrant smoke drifting up lazily into the evening sky as the sun started to sink below the forested mountainside.

“Rock,” Grimble began, “this may sound strange, and forgive me if it does, but, do you ever have…dreams... of this place?”

He was right, it did sound strange. Very strange. “The village?” I asked curiously.

The griffin shook his head. “No, not exactly.” He lifted his claw, pointing off into the distance. “The fortress, these mountains, the forests…”

I frowned in thought, considering his words. I didn’t want to ruin the wonderful evening we’d been enjoying so far by blurting out everything about my tentative family link to a bunch of rocks in the mountains, and most definitely not about Tingles’ recent dream where the self-same fortress featured front and centre. Only the gods knew how that little revelation would end. I had to keep reminding myself that I knew nothing about this peculiar creature, nor why he was asking such a strange question. I felt a chill run down my spine.

“I’m not sure where you’re coming from with this, Grimble,” I replied as politely as I could. I felt like I was walking into some sort of verbal ambush here, but I confess I was intrigued to see where this would take us.

Grimble nodded sadly. “I’m sorry, it’s just a legend amongst our people.” He sighed, tapping some of the ash from his cigar. “Silly, really… A child’s tale, no more.”

“A child’s tale?” I asked. “What about?”

“Mmm,” he took a pull on his cigar as he continued. “A story about a warrior with eyes as blue as the oceans, and as pure as the mountain sky. One day it is said he would return to the fortress and reclaim it for his people.”

I couldn’t suppress the chuckle escaping my lips and lifted a hoof apologetically. “I’m sorry, Grimble, I didn’t mean to be rude. There’s plenty of ponies out there with blue eyes. I’m not unique in that respect. And I’m certainly no warrior either, let alone ‘Pure as the mountain sky’!” Tingles would certainly agree with that one! I’d have to tell her later, she’d enjoy a good giggle. “No, I’m just a unicorn. Nothing more, nothing less.” A faint peel of laughter ghosted from the tavern as if pouring scorn on my words.

The old fellow nodded, but even so I had the distinct feeling he hadn’t quite accepted everything I’d just told him. “Like I said, a child’s tale,” he replied with a shrug. “’tis nothing more than a story.”

A story… The world was full of stories. Each village, every town and city, were replete with tales of unsolved mysteries, hidden treasures, heroes, ghosts and the like. This was, as Grimble said, no more than that – a mere story. I rolled the smoke around in my mouth from the cigar, letting the question float away into the evening sky along with the smoke. Sitting there with a fine brandy next to me and a gentle breeze tousling my mane, there was nothing that could ruin the sheer raw perfection of this moment of absolute peace. Sod the herd, this was the true heaven, right here in Smiling Borders. I decided to change the subject, but my host beat me to it.

“Its getting cold out here, Rock, and we’re losing the light. We’d best get inside.” He shouted over to the girls. “Heather? Could you help me secure the shutters please?” Oh, well, so much for my moment of peace!

Tingles sniffed at me when I trotted up to her by the fire. “Poo! You stink of smoke. I hope you’re going to brush your teeth when we get upstairs, ‘Rock’.”

I sniffed my coat. Smelled fine to me, but then to a non-smoker I probably stank like an old ashtray. I’d have a freshen up before I went to bed. Finishing our drinks we rose to go to our room when Grimble called over to us.

“Rock? Mrs Salt?” He looked concerned. “Please, both of you, don’t go outside until the morning. Just in case. Timberwolves often roam the edge of the forest at night.”

Oh wonderful, what a comforting thought! It was almost a relief when we reached our room and closed the door behind us with a click. Tingles bumped me with her rump and whispered in my ear, “Hey, you okay there, ‘Rock Salt’? Pffff!” She launched herself onto the bed and started to laugh raucously, half sozzled with the bloody brandy I imagined. I don’t think she was used to alcohol stronger than wheat beer, but who cared? This was meant to be a holiday for both of us after all. “Oooh, Rock! Why don’t you come over here and give your wife a little taste of your ‘salt lick’? Ha, ha, ha!”

I tutted at her good naturedly as I locked the bedroom door, wedging a chair beneath it for good measure. A bit of overkill maybe, but I’d heard too many stories about timberwolves to take any chances. Although I’ll admit I’d never actually seen one myself, I knew that at least some of those stories were a damned sight more real than mere quaint folksy legends would have you believe. Those things killed ponies. They’d been responsible for some of the disappearances in the village where I’d been brought up, and as an officer in the local watch, dad had been involved in clearing them out of the local forest. Dear goddesses, I could still remember the night he’d come back too - his uniform had ripped to shreds, and his mane was full of twigs and bits of bramble. But it was the look on his face that had struck me the hardest. He just… sat there, his eyes staring off into some unseen distance, and never said a word. Mum had been absolutely livid of course, but I think she was more relieved to have him home safe than to be angry with him for long. I never found out exactly what had happened, but the disappearances stopped that very night. Even so, parents always made sure their little ones were back before dark. Fear, it seems, is a remarkably efficient teacher.

Tingles was too busy rolling about on the bed covers to notice my ‘precautions’ however, and was singing quietly to herself by the time I’d finished washing up for the evening. I flopped onto the bed with a contented groan, too tired to be bothered with getting under the sheets. Good old brandy, I’d sleep well tonight in its fragrant alcoholic embrace. But no sooner had my head hit the pillow, when a certain tangerine pegasus rolled over next to me and interrupted my plans for an early snooze. Green eyes gazed up at me.

“You okay, love?” she asked.

That caught me off guard. “Uh, yeah. Yes, I’m fine, love.” I gave her a peck on the nose. “This place is bit weird though, don’t you think? I dunno, but I’ve got a feeling there’s more to Smiling Borders than meets the eye. Gotta hoof it to Grimble though, he sure knows how to make a pony feel at home.”

Tingles shrugged. “True, but that’s not what I’m asking.”

“Hmm?”

She pushed her muzzle into me, closing her eyes. “In the carriage… Something’s bothering you, and I think I know what it is.”

Oh, Luna! I didn’t want to be having an in depth discussion about feelings and stuff now, I’d been enjoying myself tonight and really couldn’t be bothered with it. Tomorrow maybe, but not now. “Tingles, look, it’s nothing. I’m just-”

“Worrying about Shadow, right?” she cut in. “I’ll add to that - you’re worried about how Meadow and I fit into the picture too aren’t you? Or, more specifically, me.” I didn’t know what to say, so I just lay there listening to her. “I chose you, because you’re special,” she explained. “Not in a weird, ‘wendigo’ way, but just you being you…” Tingles sighed, rubbing her forehead. “It’s hard to explain. I didn’t want to fall in love, sure, and I knew about Meadow and Shadow too of course, but I’d known you from my first days in the watch, and I guess I knew then, deep down, that you were the one for me. Does that make sense?”

I nodded. “Of course, love.”

“Shadow and Meadow…” Tingles stared up at the canopy of the four poster bed. “Somehow, Fairlight, I feel this... ‘connection’ to them. I dream of them, of you, the fortress, a place of endless black sand and a moon that never sets. It frightens me sometimes, but I think to myself: this is your world, this is the world of which, I want to be a part. Maybe I’m dreaming it all. Maybe my mind’s completely messed up and I just don’t realize it. I don’t know, I’m not a psychiatrist, but I know my own heart, and deep down in my soul I know Meadow and Shadow are a part of me, and a part of your world too.” She sighed and lay her head on the pillow next to me. “I told you before, I’m selfish, ‘Rock Salt’.” Tingles paused.

“You’re not the only one,” I whispered. I mussed her mane and leaned over, giving the base of her tail a nip.

“Ow! That’s twice now you cheeky beggar. Right, you asked for it!” She threw herself over me and bit down on my cutie mark - hard.

“OUCH!” I nearly shot out of the bed in shock. “Bloody hell, Tingles!” Gods above, she’d really got me too!

She stuck her tongue out me and sniffed. “There! That’ll teach you. Now, I haven’t forgotten you still owe me one, ‘Rock Salt’. So...” Green eyes loomed over me, and then, slowly, slid down my chest. “Let’s see just how much of a licking... you can take...”

I have to say it’s amazing how being properly motivated can give your energy levels a boost when you think you’re running on empty, and Tingles was an absolute master at getting it out of you too. Quite literally as it turned out. The two of us lay there, exhausted but happy on top of the bed covers. I was hot and sweaty after our antics, but not uncomfortably so. I mean, how could I be? I had a wonderfully soft tangerine pillow beneath my head, and the most luxuriously downy feathers for a quilt that beat anything you could buy in even the most exclusive shops in Canterlot itself. I let out a soft sigh, setting my mind adrift. It was so quiet out here: No clatter of traffic, no shouting of merrymakers coming home from a night on the tiles, nor even the distant hum of music from the many nightclubs and bars so typical of life in Manehattan. Here, there was absolute peace. My dad’s old pocket watch ticked away quietly in my waistcoat, draped over the back of the chair patiently waiting for morning as it had done back when he’d carried it. What stories it could tell… I yawned and smacked my lips. I didn’t know what time it was, nor did I particularly care either. I was, for want of a more descriptive word, happy.

Outside moon was high in sky and I’d left the curtains open to allow its baleful light in to flood the room. Tingles was sound asleep now, breathing gently and so peaceful, I lay there for a while simply watching her. She was so beautiful it made my heart sing. Mind you, my throat was so dry I wouldn’t be doing much singing for a while unless I got a drink. Carefully, I slid out from under my pegasus bedding and moved to the window so as not to make any sound and wake her. It was still open a crack, the shutters on the upper levels only being closed during foul weather. I was glad of it too; I could smell the forest: alive, fresh, and full of an earthly power that called to me on some level that was probably instinctual. We were animals after all, with needs, desires and imagination for sure, but there was still that basic animalistic drive that remained within all of us. The Everfree was a frightening place, yes, but it called to all of us, to the wild ponies of Equestria that we had once been. It was almost legendary within Equestria, and its weather patterns defied all explanation, their unpredictable behaviour a danger to any unwary flier entering it. Yet enter we must…tomorrow.

I leaned my head on the windowsill. These dreams of Tingles’ were troubling. Harmless, but troubling nonetheless. What they meant exactly, and how she came to have them, was beyond me, but their message was clear enough. Goddesses, I hoped Tingles was right and Meadow and Shadow would approve of her. Herding wasn’t unheard of of course, it was even actively encouraged in some places, but it still ran contrary to the way I had been brought up: one stallion to one mare, and that’s the way it is. At least, that was the way it was supposed to be wasn’t it? Mares had their own ways, and as a stallion my traditional role was to protect and to provide. A stallion or a mare could take on any role they pleased in Equestrian society, true, but deep down inside myself there was still that instinctual desire to protect that would probably be with me until my dying day. It had always been strong in my family, the females too for that matter. Mum had faced down a manticore that had wandered into our farm once, and the huge beast would have had Fairlight for breakfast if she hadn’t kicked the thing into next week. I was too young to remember much of the incident, but it was probably just as well now that I come to think of it! As for dad... he’d cried when he’d found out what had happened. Not of fear, but tears of joy that we were safe, and also... anger. Not so much at the manticore as it turned out, but at himself. He hadn’t been there to protect us and never forgave himself for that. Mum had told him she was quite capable of protecting the home of course, but he was who he was the stallion. The protector. I remembered when he came home with a crossbow one day for ‘home defence’. I’d been upstairs alone when I found it. Being the inquisitive little fellow that I was, I accidentally knocked the release lever and shot a bolt right through the window. Unfortunately for me it had been closed at the time and I’d been showed with broken glass. Mum had raced upstairs and spanked my arse raw for that little escapade, all the time crying until she hugged me within an inch of my life. At the time it made no sense to me, but now, years later… yeah… I know now.

I looked over at Tingles; she was still sound asleep, her feathered wings stretched out where I’d been sleeping only a few moments ago. It had always amazed me how slim pegasi appeared compared to earth ponies, and even unicorns for that matter. But I’d quickly found out that looks could be deceiving. The tangerine mare may appear delicate at first glance, but she was more than capable of protecting herself when need arose. And anyway, whether she liked it or not I still wanted to protect her. It felt right too, and in my own way I suppose it was an expression of my love for her. Still, Tingles had her own way of looking at things though, and over time I would come to understand her better as couples do, and we would fit into each others world like two peas in a pod. Like everypony else we’d argue, we’d fall out, we’d make up, but understanding and being able to compromise was always the answer. That, and the greatest problem solver of all - communication. I had vowed I would never hide things from her. She was my rock in stormy waters, my moon in the sky to light my way, the… hmm, speaking of the moon, there was an awful lot of low cloud tonight. Suddenly a piercing scream from somewhere in the village rang out, followed by a loud howling of something… unnatural. I’d heard wolves before, but they were nothing like this. Whatever it was, the cry had a strange rasping edge to it, and one I didn’t like at all.

Tingles shot up out of bed in a heartbeat and grabbed her PDW. “Fairlight? What the hell was that?!”

Lifting the window to take a better look, I peered out into the night. Damn it, I couldn’t see jack shi- No… There! Something running into the forest, a dog like thing, several of them in fact. Hell fire, they were huge…

Something charged up the stairs and began hammering on my door. “Sir! Are you alright? I heard a scream!”

I dragged back the chair and unlocked the door, my pistol floating in the glow of my magic. To my relief it was our griffin host. “Grimble? Yes, we’re fine, I heard it too.” I turned to face the window. “There’s something out there.”

A loud banging on the front door was accompanied by more agitated shouting. From downstairs, Heather called up to us in her deep, sonorous voice. “Father, it’s Heavy Hoof. Should I let him in?”

“Yes! Please, Heather.” Grimble nodded to me. “Sir, stay inside and lock your door. This is village business.”

To hell with that! Tingles nudged me, reading my mind like an open book. “Getting your gear?”

My sword belt slipped over me like a second skin. “You wanted adventure, love, here’s your chance.” I checked my PDW, flipping down the lid. It was fully loaded. “I’d like to ask you to stay here and keep safe, but-”

“-but I’d say no.” Tingles’ smiled wryly. “And I do say no. You’re not vanishing off into the night to fight monsters without me there to get you out of trouble, ‘Mister Salt’.” She was never, never going to forget this, was she?

On the landing I could here raised voices drifting up from outside, and something else… somepony crying? Whatever had happened tonight it hadn’t ended well for some poor sod, and now it sounded like the whole village was up in arms. Still, there was no way in hell I was going to stay in my room and hide when somepony needed help. Besides, I couldn’t really sleep anyway. I leaped down the stairs, Tingles floating down behind me, her keen eyes watching for anything that might be a threat. The front door was wide open when we reached the lounge, the comforting warmth from the fire we’d been enjoying earlier had been replaced by a chill blast of frigid air. Beyond the doorway I could see lamps moving this way and that amidst a myriad of hulking shadows. Normally a pony would have balked at even the very notion of approaching such a sight, but this was different. Somepony had been hurt, or worse, and what sort of stallion would abandon others to suffer, especially one who had taken an oath to protect his people. Outside, the edge of the forest was wreathed in a dense white mist that swirled and eddied as if alive, whilst high up above us the sky was crystal clear, the moon and stars bathing the village in a hauntingly pale light. Dear goddesses… It was like a scene straight out of a monster hunting novel. Everywhere I looked there were the hulking figures of minotaurs, griffins, ponies, weird furry ‘things’ (no idea what they were) and of course, the obligatory burning torches and lanterns. I half expected pitch forks, until one of the minotaurs stomped past carrying an axe almost as big as me. By comparison he made Heather looks small and cute.

Grimble was busy talking with one of the largest of the creatures when he saw us and rushed over in a fluster. “My lord! Please, go back to your rooms, there’s nothing you can do here.”

Tingles pulled back her overcoat, showing her PDW. “I think there is, Mr. Grimble. Besides...” She jerked her head over her shoulder. “Wings, see?” Now I don’t know much about griffin customs, but there was something in his mannerism that showed a distinct discomfort about being contradicted. Was it because Tingles was a female? Or was it simply because we were, as he said, guests? In any case, Tingles ignored him and immediately took charge of the situation.

“Who can speak on behalf of these people?” she asked in a booming authoritative tone.

A large black minotaur, almost invisible in the darkness, peered down at her. “I am. Who are you… ‘pony’?”

Grimble rushed over and reached up to whisper hurriedly in the massive creature’s ear. Whatever he said it worked like a charm; the minotaur’s attitude changed instantly. “Timberwolves have taken my children: Violet and Buttercup,” the huge beast rumbled. “We must find them before it is too late.”

Luna’s ears! He certainly had some vocal cords on him, I could feel the ground vibrating with every one of those slow, heavily resonating syllables.

Completely unphased by the big fellow, Tingles smiled up at him kindly. “We’ll do our best to find them. What’s your name, sir?”

“Silver Moss,” the thundering reply came.

His eyes took in Tingles, then swung to me, staring at me a little longer than I felt comfortable with. Almost unconsciously I reached up and felt around my ears, and my heart sank. I’d left my sunglasses upstairs, hadn’t I. Anyway, we didn’t have time for that now. I clopped Grimble on the shoulder.

“I’ll go with Silver Moss and his team,” I said firmly. “Tingles, you take your fliers and keep your eyes open for anything. Keep your TED open at all times.”

“Aye, aye, Captain!” Tingles snapped off a salute and quickly began gathering up the winged denizens of the village.

I nodded to the Silver Moss. “You’re with me, big boy.”

Before long we had our unruly mob properly organised into armed and equipped search teams, with the griffins flying top cover to try and locate the wolves. Fortunately, Brandy had allowed us to take whatever we’d wanted from the agency stores and I’d indulged myself in a small selection of their finest gadgetry. Breathing a sigh of relief that I’d had the foresight to bring them along, I fit the TED over my head, nodding to Tingles who quickly took to the air in the direction we’d seen the timberwolves heading.

“Fairlight? You reading me okay?”

I nodded, adjusting the headset for a snug fit. “You’re coming in loud and clear. Keep me posted if you see anything.”

“Understood.”

We were off. The search teams headed into the forest spread out in a long line, shouting to one another to make sure they kept in contact as they moved forward. I could hear their voices, loud at first, but gradually becoming more and more muffled the more we progressed. Cohesion was rapidly becoming impossible due to the dense undergrowth, but there was no turning back now. I could only hope my guides knew the area well enough to navigate us back when we were finally able to get out of here. Like most ponies with more than two braincells to rub together, I’d never been in the Everfree before, and it was no wonder. We’d all heard about the ones who’d succumbed to the temptation to wander into its mysterious depths. Perhaps it was to wonder at the strange plant life, or to collect and document new and interesting herbs. Maybe it was nothing more than idle curiosity. But whatever their reasons, it didn’t make the blindest bit of difference to the Everfree. Many had simply never been seen again. Those who did come back spoke of monsters, strange ruins, and poisonous plants that could drive you mad or kill you in an instant. It certainly did little to encourage the rest of the equine populace to pick up their saddle packs so they could quench their own curiosity. ‘Curiosity’, as Pewter liked to remind me, ‘killed the cat’. Considering her home was wall to wall with the things, who was I to argue? Mind you, the looks on the faces of the villagers when they saw my eyes was priceless. It was easy to forget how much they glowed, and in the dark the effect was even more pronounced. I missed their brown colouring though, it was more ‘me’ I suppose, and besides, it didn’t attract all the inquisitive staring either. Sometimes being a ‘boring’ colour didn’t seem so bad.

My ‘team’ now consisted of two minotaurs - a couple of smaller versions of the giant Silver Moss, but big buggers nonetheless. I certainly wouldn’t argue with them. I’d have to watch what I did in the tavern if I ever accidentally spilled their pint too. That could end very quickly, and I quite valued keeping my muzzle in one piece thank you very much. I let them take the lead, they seemed to know what they were doing. We kept pushing our way into the forest’s interior, each step a torturous chore of snagging vines, branches and sticky fronds. Worse however, was that the tracks we’d been following were proving difficult to detect in the near pitch blackness. My enhanced eyesight helped to some degree, but the lanterns carried by the minotaurs offered more shadow than anything else and were actually making it harder for me to see anything. Their sense of smell however was another matter, and they would stop occasionally to snuff the air for scents. Before long though, the inevitable happened - we lost sight of the other search parties. The distant lantern lights were no longer visible in the thick forest, and even their shouts had vanished into the cloying silence. I didn’t like it. This place had a bad reputation, and by the looks of things it was bloody well deserved too. Strange noises, shrieks, barks, and the cracking of what I hoped was only wood, echoed from its unseen depths. The canopy above us was so dense as to nearly block out the moonlight completely, with only brief glimpses of the stars when I looked up from time to time.

We’d been walking for what felt like hours when my TED crackled. “Fairlight? I can barely see you, are you okay?”

It was a like the voice of an angel! “Yes, we’re all okay,” I replied, trying to hide my profound sense of relief. “Still following the tracks, but no sign of the timberwolves yet.”

“Received. Check in every five minutes. I don’t like this place.”

I nodded. “Understood.”

Pushing our way through the dense undergrowth, making any sort of progress was becoming harder and harder by the second, let alone every five minutes. And I hate to say it, but I was starting to question if we’d ever find the children at all – not alive at any rate. Remembering the size of that wolf, I doubted those things took prisoners somehow. My companions weren’t helping with my increasing concerns either. They remained utterly silent, shambling along and sniffing every so often, pointing out tracks and scents I simply couldn’t. As trackers they were surprisingly good, and despite their size, quite nimble through the unforgiving terrain.

The TED came to life. “Fairlight?”

“Here. Find anything?”

There was a pause. A pause that said more than her next words ever could. “They’ve found one of them.” My heart sank. “There’s… not much left. They tore the little thing to pieces. Love, I don’t think we’re going to find the other one…”

I closed my eyes and swallowed. “I know. We’ll keep searching though, until we know for sure.”

A few seconds later, “Received.”

Tingles was right, this was turning into a bloody nightmare. Literally. Branches and thorns were catching on my coat to the point where I felt I simply couldn’t make any headway at all. And what about finding our way back, too? All I could see was a sea of inky blackness stretching out into infinity, with me at the centre of it in a piddling little pool of light cast from a single flame. Still, we trudged on, praying we may find the missing little one. But with each step, every stumble and slip, my breathing became more and more laboured. The humidity in here was deceptively oppressive, and I was finding myself perspiring profusely with all the exertion. Unfortunately it only served to make the already dreadful experience even worse, if that were even possible. Yet with each step we took the more fruitless our task seemed to be. Despite my initial optimism, I had to admit the likelihood of finding the remaining child was seriously in doubt, even more so the chances of finding it still alive. The way thing were looking if we spent much longer out here ourselves, we could be next on the timberwolves’ menu. After all, this was their home, and we were the intruders here. All it would take would for them to creep up in the dark, leap and- A snap! Something dashed past my hind legs making my heart leap into my throat. What the hell was that?! A fox? A bat? I took a deep breath, trying to keep myself calm. Goddesses, this place was terrible, it was even affecting my nerves now. Yet no matter how much I tried to remain focussed, I kept getting the feeling I was being watched, or worse... tracked.I tried to keep myself calm by clearing my mind of everything extraneous, instead concentrating all my senses on hearing, sight, and smell. It was no doubt the claustrophobic atmosphere of the Everfree that was effecting me more than anything really tangible of course, although- Wait...The minotaurs had stopped. One of them was staring off into the darkness while the other scratched itself, looking for ‘things’ in its fur. Bloody hell, I hoped they weren’t fleas! That was the last thing I needed. Only the gods knew what else I had sticking to me from tonight’s adventure as it was. Ponies expected you to bring back nice things from you holidays like chocolates, post cards, photographs, that sort of thing. Unsurprisingly, parasites didn’t feature highly on the list at all. Pausing to catch my breath I took a mouthful of tea from my flask and offered it to my search buddies, who promptly ignored me, carrying on with their respective tasks as if I didn’t exist. Nice. I wasn’t sure whether they were being wilfully ignorant, or if the minotaurs in the village acted like some kind of bullish hive-mind, with the bigger ones like Silver Moss and Heather being the recipients of all the intelligence whilst the rest of the muscly dullards thudded around dragging their knuckles in the dirt. At the moment the one who looked like a male, at least I think it was, was apparently engaged in some sort of staring competition with a tree. This went on for some time until the great two legged beast gave a sudden loud snort that nearly have me a bloody heart attack, before proceeding to pull a hatchet out from its belt. My hackles immediately went up. He’d seen something, out there, hiding in the darkness.

“Tingles, can you see anything overhead?” I called over the TED. “One of the minotaurs has spotted something.”

The other one of the horned duo loped over to its colleague, grunting. Some sort of primitive discourse resulted in it too drawing a weapon, only this one producing a large iron bat and staring in the same direction as the other. Luna buck me ragged, I really didn’t like this, not one little bit.

I tapped the TED again. “Tingles, talk to me please, I’m starting to get a little worried here.”

Her voice came back in an instant, only this time I almost wished it hadn’t. “Fairlight! There’s movement in the forest! It’s all around you… It’s getting closer to the ground search teams!”

My heart did it’s umpteenth back-flip over evening. “Can you see what it is?” I replied.

“No! Movement from every direction, it’s homing in on the lights!”

Oh, shit! This was it! I drew my pistol and sword, trying to reach the spirit and use whatever power I could drag from it. If it frightened the crap out of the minotaurs then tough, it was something I could deal with later. Right now we were all in serious danger. Damn it all, I should have seen this coming a bloody mile off too. Stuck in the depths of the Everfree, deep in the territory where the timberwolves were the apex predators, the hunters had now become the hunted.

I pushed myself forward. “You two, keep together with me, we can watch each others backs. Hey!” One of the minotaurs suddenly bellowed some sort of defiant yell and in a burst of testosterone and broken branches, barrelled off into the darkness. Moments later, snarls and loud roars followed by a blood curdling scream set my mane to itching like crazy. If I wasn’t certain about it before, I sure as hell was now - we were in some seriously deep shit. “You! Keep with me!” I shouted at the remaining minotaur. Gods forgive me, I may as well have been screaming into a hurricane for all the difference it made. Ignoring me completely, the stupid creature began a lumbering charge into the treeline after its fallen companion. The rest played out as predictably as having a fart after eating a sack of rancid beans. A darker shadow detached itself from the murk of the forest, and I watched in helpless horror as it hurtled into the minotaur, growling, ripping, tearing. I loosed off a shot, the brilliant beam of concentrated magic momentarily illuminating a… thing… a snarling, dripping thing full of lethally sharp teeth dripping with glistening red gore beneath a pair of merciless glowing green eyes.

Death stared at me from the silence of the night. And it was hungry.

I closed my eyes and swallowed. My throat had gone as dry as a bone. “Tingles, get out of here… Get back to the tavern and lock yourself in. Don’t open the door for anypony.”

“What the hell are you talking about Fairlight?”

More of the glowing eyes appeared all around me, one eerie pair at a time. A hollow sound of clicking and rattling accompanied them - the sound of dry bones snapping in the darkness. They were getting nearer...

“Tingles, get out of here love. Please,” I breathed.

“Fairlight! For Celestia’s sake, run you idiot!”

“It’s too late,” I said quietly.

I was completely surrounded.

Life just didn’t get better than this, did it. Who’d have thought I’d go from being a holidaying stallion to a menu item for a group of ravenous timberwolves in the blink of an eye, eh? Still, I wasn’t going down with a fight first. If I was lucky, I could at least get a few of them. Probably by choking them to death on my bones. From the number of glowing green eyes there must have been at least ten of the vicious things, but at the moment they were holding their ground, sizing me up. Damn it all, why didn’t they tell us more about these beasts of the forest? I suppose ignorance was bliss, but I’d prefer being alive and dim than happily wandering into their parlour. Being the cynic I am, I’d never believed more fantastical stories about them, dismissing them as flights of fancy from the over active imagination of country folk. Now that I was face to face with them, I was beginning to question that line of thinking. Rushing out here half-cocked in the dead of night was the dumbest thing I could have done regardless of the motivation, and now I was going to pay a price for that impulsive act. What a fool I’d been. The timberwolves had lead us all right into their home, and with an intelligence far beyond what I would have give them credit for they’d turned the tables on us completely. I readied myself, watching my opponents. I’d never seen anything like them before in my life! They were wolf ‘shaped’ all right, but skeletal in appearance. But rather than beings of flesh, blood, muscle and bone, these magical beings were constructed from the very material of the forest itself: wood, leaves, and a healthy dose of animal cunning. In some other place and time I may well have laughed at the very notion of such creatures existing at all, but the batteries of lethally sharp teeth, some dripping with gore and exhibiting scraps of torn flesh from their most recent meal, were all too terrifyingly real. Some called them the guardians of the Everfree, magical creatures created by the forest to protect itself from intruders. Other believed them to be the ancient spirits of warriors killed during the great war, doomed to wander for all eternity and taking the form of the timberwolf to vent the hatred and rage on the world. Whatever the truth of their origins, the end result was a killing machine unlike any other.

Teeth snapped at me, but so far, none of them made a made towards me. I lowered my pistol and sword, but the result was the same. Curious. Would they all rush me at once? Or were they waiting for me to make a move so they could take me down like a wounded prey animal? To hell with them. If it was a fight they wanted, I would give these things such a battle they’d think twice about attacking a defenceless village ever again. Still, I doubted that I’d be walking away from this one though, there were simply too many of them and the spirit I’d expected to come rushing to my aid at the promise of death and destruction, had instead decided to take a back seat for some damnable reason. I could sense it, sitting there, watching through my eyes as though it were sat in the cinema with a bucket of sodding popcorn. Well to hell with it! I shifted my stance, changing my grip on my sword, the PDW floating in the glow of my magic. My breathing was steady now, readying my body for combat whilst images of Meadow, Shadow, Sparrow and Tingles, rushed through my mind in a rapid fire slide show of memories. That was a touch too prophetic for my liking. Nice to see my mind preparing me for the afterlife like that of course, but I had no such plans to move on just yet. No… Not yet.

You do not wish for death?

The spirit’s distant voice flowed around my mind, probing, questioning my reason. “No,” I whispered. “Not any more.”

Because of the pegasus mare?

“Yes.” I smiled grimly. “I wish to live for her, but also myself.”

There are many.

“There are.”

You may die.

“We may die,” I corrected.

We? The spirit sounded amused. We cannot die!

“Then I suggest you leave while you still can,” I said coldly. “Leave me to fight whilst you flee, spirit. Run. Run back to your world of silence, darkness, and emptiness. I do not need you.”

You need me… the spirit hissed. You always needed me…

“Maybe at first,” I replied honestly. “But you do not own me, spirit, nor I you. I feared you once. I fought you. I wanted to rid myself of you. But now, I see you as a part of me. A part of my soul. I will not stop you from leaving.”

You will die without me.

“Then I will die,” I smiled. “I’ve done it before. And I will do it again, with a smile on my face and the blood of my enemies upon my blade.” I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling a peculiarly calm sense of focus descending over me. “Go, spirit. Flee to your netherworld and leave me to take my enemy down to hell. Death awaits his feast of souls.”

Foolish creature!

That made me chuckle. “Yes. Yes, I am.” I readied my sword, steadying my aim. “Fortune favours the bold.”

It did. It truly, truly did. Whether it was my acceptance of the inevitable, or little more than the fear of returning to the dark realm of the netherworld, but this time the spirit needed no calling. I could sense its anger with me, its desire for battle, and something else – a feeling of, not quite contentment, that would be strong a word for such a volatile entity. No, it was more and overarching aura of… understanding? Perhaps. This wasn’t the time nor the place to be considering such things in any case. This, was a time for blade, magic, hoof, and teeth. A wave of power shivered through me as one of the creatures, clacking and growling, finally stepped forward. Feeling the magic begin to flow through me, I turned to the thing and shouted the first word that entered my head as loud as I could.

“DOWN!”

Astoundingly it actually worked! If only for a moment. Unsure, the timberwolves backed away, their wooden ears creaking down to their skulls, the leaves on their faces rustling. One or two of them even gave a little whimper, casting glances at the larger ones. Thank Luna, it was all the time I needed. The wendigo spirit seethed through my veins with frightening speed, so much more that it ever had before. It was frightening, yet utterly exhilarating. I felt my teeth grow, my eyes taking on their now familiar fiery blue haze, the strength and cold fire of the wendigo running through my body in a tidal wave of primordial magic from the depths of history. Nothing could stop me. NOTHING!

Mist of my own began to roll from around my hooves as I began to laugh. Dear goddess, dear sweet goddess of the moon, this… this was who I was. This is who I am!

The timberwolves backed away from me once more, several of them whimpering and unsure of what to do next. Their evening meal plans suddenly weren’t so attractive after all, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t suddenly rally and launch themselves at me. I was still heavily outnumbered. Their hesitation worked to my advantage however, allowing me to ready myself for what was to come. Magic began to swirled around me in a blizzard, ready to strike, my wings kept tight by my side. I had seen dogs fighting in the streets, trying to snatch at anything on their prey they could catch hold of to give them purchase on their enemy. I’d seen how thestrals strapped their wings to their sides before battle, and I could see why. I didn’t want these things getting a hold of my wings and pulling me down. If that happened, wendigo or not, they’d rip me to pieces in seconds. Something in their mannerism though seemed to have changed, giving me pause. I don’t know what it was exactly, maybe it was no more than a feeling from somewhere deep down in my subconscious that not all was as it seemed here, but the atmosphere was now so thick it was almost tangible. You could say, it was like an itch I couldn’t scratch. A very big itch.

Standing there the very air itself felt alive, as though I were deep inside the deadly heart of a thunderstorm, the electricity sparking all around me, building, searching for release. The entire forest had gone silent, the ancient spirits of this place watching what transpired here this night. I hoped they were, I would give them a show alright. If I so wished I end this now. I could release a mist that would freeze the timber wolves like statues, allowing me to kill them with ease. So why was I hesitating like this? They weren’t showing any signs of attacking – threatening, certainly - but not one of them seemed to be prepared to make the first move. Well, we’d have to see about that, wouldn’t we? As I watched, the circle of wolves cautiously backed away from the mist forming around me and retreated, slowly making a strange click-clack noise with their mouths. Had I been to much to handle perhaps? There was no doubt easier prey here in the forest, so why risk yourself and your pack attacking something that could fight back? For a moment I began to think they’d simply melt away back into the darkness. And as always, just when you thought it was safe… It well wasn’t.

Several of the creatures sidestepped, lowering their heads to allow the passage of what was, quite obviously, the alpha wolf. The damned thing was enormous too, its eyes blazing like green beacon fires in the gloom. And there, dangling from its sharpened log-like teeth, a bawling… nanny goat? Dear gods, it was! It was wearing a torn shirt and pants, bleating piteously as it struggled to get free. Ho well, at least we’d found one of the ‘kids’ alive. I nearly laughed at the sheer madness of the moment. A goat! All this for a bloody goat! Now I was seriously pissed off. I lowered my head into a fighting stance, facing my opponent. It growled at me menacingly, its sonorous rumble like a miniature thunder storm of concentrated hatred. And then, to my surprise, it tossed the small goat to one of its companions who caught it deftly in its jaws, careful I noticed, not to injure it. Strange…unless it was a case of ‘don’t eat the boss’s dinner’. I’d just have to make sure I wasn’t on the starter menu tonight myself.

The alpha wolf rose to its full height, looking down at me with an expression I could only describe as total disdain, and unleashed a low rumbling laugh - or at least it seemed to. It begged the question: were these beasts actually sentient? They’d displayed that they could work together, that they had an established hierarchy, but was there more to them than I was giving them credit for? Somehow I doubted I’d be sitting down to afternoon tea and having a nice chat with one of them any time soon, but it was an interesting observation. One, I would keep in my pannier for later. Meanwhile the massive wolf turned to its companions who began to click at each other excitedly, observing the proceedings from a safer distance. It was clear that negotiating was not going to be an option with this guy, and his sudden charge didn’t come as a surprise. The beast reared and lunged its head out, vicious jaws snapping at air as I danced away, lashing out with a mist shrouded buck that sent the thing crashing into the trees. A crescendo of clicks, clacks and howls emanated from the others while their boss, quite literally, pulled himself back together. Now this was going to be interesting! He reached up a wooden paw and pushed a stray branch back into position on his neck, giving an irritated grumble as he did so. Then, barking like an enraged hunting hound, the monstrous beast dived at me. I narrowly missed being disemboweled, but its claws still managed to rake my flank sending a flare of pain through my body. Suppressed by the wendigo’s magic it barely registered for more than a second, allowing me a chance to breath a blast of ice and magic at the enraged timberwolf. He tried to dodge, catching some of the lethal mix on his back leg. One of the audience wasn’t so lucky though, taking the full brunt in its face. The creatures head broke off, toppling to the ground before its body fell apart like a jigsaw puzzle. Around me the others howled and growled their displeasure, but didn’t interfere. There was some sort of honour at play here, by looks of things. But whatever it was, I’d do whatever it took to get out of here alive. I just wished there was more room to move in this damned forest. I was very much at a disadvantage not being able to use my wings here, but the timberwolf had its own problems. The sheer size of the creature prevented it from moving as quickly as I could, banging into trees and bushes as it tried to latch onto me with its huge teeth.

Focussing my magic I loosed a pulse of blue fire from my horn, incinerating a path through the trees and singing the frighteningly fast alpha male’s chest just as he snapped his jaws around my hind leg. His massive teeth bit down hard and he shook me like a rag doll before throwing me into a boulder with frightening ease. I cried out in frustration, anger, and no small amount of pain as I crashed into the stone with bone breaking force. Blue blood poured from the torn wound in my side, my leg now dragging uselessly behind me. Wendigo magic could heal me, but not at this rate. If I didn’t do something fast I’d be as lifeless as that damned rock and feeding a family of four with some left over for sunday. The creatures of the forest were sensing victory now too, their leader shaking his head knowingly… the cocky bastard. Through my haze of pain I glimpsed the little goat, bleating in fear while it hung helplessly from the mouth of one of the timberwolves. Sparrow Song was about the same size as that kid. Sure it was a goat, but how would I feel if I was this child’s father? How would I feel if this was my son or daughter? I let out a defiant snort. To hell with honour, this was about winning, about saving a life. Honourable combat was hardly honourable when you were dead and the one you’d set out to rescue was being eaten alive. I released the full power of the wendigo throughout my body, the air around me chilling to blood freezing depths making the huge wolf back off hurriedly. It was the pause I needed. A trickle of magic I redirected to my mangled leg, knitting the muscle and hide whilst the rest sent energy and strength to every part of my damaged body. Slowly, the pain subsided, helping my mind to regain focus. I lifted my head, exhaling a blast of concentrated magic at the forest beast, howling my hatred and contempt at the same time as it lashed out at me with a vicious swipe. I didn’t dodge this time, a shield of crystalline ice materialising between us deflecting the beast’s claw while I removed its hind quarters with a pulse of blue fire. The wolf screamed out into the night air, trying to bite at me as it scrabbled helplessly with its front legs. I stepped back, readying another attack. Down it may be, but I knew the stories, and I’d seen the way these things could pull themselves back together like some bizarre magic puzzle with my own eyes. Sure enough the scattered pieces of the timberwolf began to shake - rattling, rolling and skittering across the forest floor. One by one, piece by piece, they started to move slowly but surely back to the main body of the creature, reforming it and making it whole once again. Dear goddesses, this could go on forever, or at least until I was so weakened from fatigue the thing would simply overpower me.

The fight continued. Again and again we tore at each other with tooth, claw and magic, healing the wounds, and attacking again. At some point during the melee one of my blasts of magic opened up a great rift in the timberwolf’s chest. As it turned away, the pieces hurrying to repair the damage, I caught a tiny glimpse of something strange. It was a red light of some kind, glowing deep within the chest of the impossible creature. It had pulsed with energy, with a kind of magic I had never seen before. It was quickly covered up by the branches and leaves I’d blasted away, but I had definitely seen it. And I knew where it was. Pausing for breath we both surveyed each other, trying to find an opening, to find a way to finish our opponent off once and for all. I made my plans. My horn flared, my breath poured, and the north winds blew through the humid air of the Everfree. In that chaotic mix the wolf watched in fascination as I fashioned an object from memory: a form from the Wither World, a weapon not so much of battle but of agriculture. In the blue and green flickering light of the clearing, the scythe glinted and shone like the stars high above.

It was time to reap the harvest.

The wolf lowered it head and charged me, jaws wide and sparkling with ice where it had already tasted my hide. I leapt and span, the scythe slicing through the wolf’s face and neck, sending shattered fragments of wood and leaves to land on the forest floor. Shrieking in outrage, he came on like a driverless freight train, lashing and gnashing with those enormous teeth. I don’t know whether he was tiring, but his movements had become more and more desperately erratic, whilst mine were deliberate, surgical, removing piece after piece of the thing. With every strike the wood parted more easily, the twigs and branches, already cut and shattered, were having trouble rebinding with each other the more damage the wolf too. It was sheer eroticism. A different kind of friend had come to play with me tonight, and I had been so bored too. I’d never had a pet as a foal, and here was this doggy come to play with me! So sad that the poor thing was rabid and had to be put down of course, but you had to do what you had to do. I couldn’t wait to taste its life essence...

The wolf tried its all to rend me, to kill me even if down to its last twig and branch. It was pathetic. Laughing in the throws of the dance I looked for my prize and… There! Yes, there it was! A buck, a blast of ice, a surgically placed slash, and the timberwolf’s rib cage burst open revealing its glowing red heart. The creature screamed in anger before a glittering hiss of the scythe severed its head from its shoulders. It was still standing. Dear gods, these things were an executioners nightmare. Headless or not though, the damnable beast was already pulling itself together. What a wonderful pet is was! We could play and play and play, and never get bored. But even the best games in the world have come to an end eventually, and even the spirit was starting to flag. I had to end this. Quickly, I hurried over to the stumbling headless creature, kicking its noggin out of the way as I reached out with my forehooves, delving deep into its innards. I tried not to think too much about what I was doing, instead feeling for the raw magical power of the timberwolf’s heart, the way it pulsed, its raw feral anger and fear. With a cry of fury and joy combined, I found what I sought. Wrenching the heart from the beast’s chest I threw it into the air, blasting it to dust with a bolt of brilliant blue magic. And then, standing amidst a rain of leaves, moss and twigs, I found myself standing alone.

It was over.

I wiped my muzzle, taking the opportunity to take in the peculiar essence of the defeated beast of the forest. It was strange, unlike any thing either I or the spirit had ever experienced before. There was an earthiness to it, a tang like ozone, and a timelessness to it that made my fur stand on end. But the power… Dear goddesses, the power! Clicking and huffing noises began to fill the clearing once more, the pack watching the pieces of their great fallen leader, waiting. But of the great alpha wolf of the Everfree, only the silent and still detritus of the forest lay where its sentinel had once stood. The wolves fell silent. Nothing moved, not even the wind. The Everfree was mourning the loss of a great warrior, and perhaps, I was too in my own way. The spirit had run rampant, taking me to the edge of madness and beyond, leading me in the dance of death with this magnificent creature. Construction of magic or flesh and bone, it mattered not. Only victory. I trotted over to the child and picked it up, placing the unresisting creature onto my back. She never made a sound, clinging onto me the same way Sweetie Belle had in that other alien environment. It too had been inhabited by monsters, only here death would come swiftly, rather than the long, slow, torturous end the humans would have had in store. Why was it always children that had to suffer? Why was it always those who were innocent who had to bear the brunt of life’s merciless cruelty? Some damned world we’d given them. I strapped a rope around her middle to keep her from falling off, all the while watching the strangely quiet timberwolves for any sign of movement. But so far, nothing. Nothing at all. My next surprise of the evening came out of that very silence. As one the strange creatures began to bow their heads, their forelegs outstretched towards me. Was this some sort of ritual? I kept my sword close, waiting for something to happen. All I wanted now was to get out of here, and quicker the better.

From amongst their number one of the largest of the timberwolves timidly stepped forward and bobbed its head, whimpered slightly, and sniffed at the remains of their leader. Not that there was much to see of, unless twigs and leaves held some sort of particular significance to them. That little fact must have passed me by. The wolf snuffed the air, then slowly lifting its muzzle, huffed noisily and moved towards me. I can’t say for certain how I knew, but there was a submission in the way it moved, in the way it kept its head down and made noises that to some ponies would probably seem cute. If you like wood saws. There was no doubt this would be the new alpha of the pack, and judging by the way the rest watched him, the whole deal had already been decided. Well, I had to admit they sure had a faster system of voting new leaders than we had! I reached out a hoof and stroked the things knotty head, scratching him between his ears as though he were a pup I’d met on the street. Why he let me, who could say? Was it because I’d defeated their leader? Maybe. So long as I got out of here alive and un-chewed, I didn’t much care. I was about to back out of the clearing when the wolves lifted their heads up and howled into the night. It was a long, pining sound that sent a shiver down my spine. It felt almost… familiar, putting me in mind of the cry of the thestral when they sent their dead to the other world. It was a song of ending, and of new beginnings for their pack. And, I suppose, the forest itself. I understood their intentions, if not the words, and so I readied myself to leave.

I looked into the green eyes of the large wolf before me and bobbed my head respectfully. “If there is one request I may make of you, it is this - leave the village alone. The forest is yours, but the village is theirs. Respect each other, and live your lives as the goddess intended - wild and free.”

The wolf gave a barking yelp and bobbed its head before turning about and heading off into the darkness of the forest as quickly as they had appeared, closely followed by the rest of the pack. For me, it was time to go back to the village, to Tingles, and a box of salted chocolates. The small goat’s father owed me a brandy too by my reckoning, I intended to collect. I flicked on the TED and Tingles’ panicked voice immediately bellowed down my ear, forcing a rapid volume adjustment.

“Fairlight! Fairlight are you okay?!”

“Receiving,” I replied, letting the wendigo magic drain away. “All in one piece, and with a young child alive and well no less.”

“Oh thank Celestia! You damned fool, what the hell were you thinking? I thought you were dead! And… and then I saw flashes of light, blue light, and I knew it was you, but I couldn’t get near! I-”

I closed my eyes and forced my voice over hers. “Tingles, for the love of Celestia, please!” I waited a moment until I knew I had her attention. “Just grab a lantern and come find me, love, please. I can’t find my way out of this bloody place!”

A lot of trudging and following of Tingles’ lantern like some equine will-o-the-wisp later, the exhausted kid and an even more exhausted Fairlight emerged from the forest’s dark embrace into the uncomfortably massively hairy embrace of a jubilant minotaur.

“Buttercup!” the huge thing bellowed. “My baby! Thank the moon you are safe my daughter!” The enormous hairy male hugged his bleating ‘daughter’ until he finally realised he was crushing the poor thing half to death and put her down. As soon he did, the curious little nanny dashed around him to hide behind his huge legs. Some thanks I get! Well, that’s kids for you. “Silver Moss thanks you… Rock,” Silver Moss said in his unique tone. “You are welcome here in our home. Minotaurs do not forget their debts.”

“There’s no debt, Silver Moss,” I said waving it off. “This was simply the right thing to do. I’m just glad we were able to save young Buttercup here. I’m sorry about your son and your two friends. There was nothing I could do.”

He nodded. “We will mourn them, and sing them to their brothers and sisters.”

And with that the minotaur turned and shambled away, the rest of his clan following him in silence - with the exception of Grimble who was busy pushing me into the tavern where an anxious Tingles waited with hugs and, I’m pleased to say, a bottle of the excellent brandy. It was on the house too no less. Now this was well worth tonight’s exertions! I accepted a glass gratefully, enjoying the delectable spirit far more than I had the first time. Ah, yes, this was certainly going to be a night to remember alright, although probably in my nightmares unfortunately.

“You saved Buttercup, my lord,” Grimble said pleasantly, topping me up. “You have done our people a great service. One that we will never forget.” Good grief, he sounded like Silver Moss!

“And like I told Silver Moss, I did what anypony else would have done, Grimble.” I replied. “Tingles is the one who you really need to thank, she was the one who spotted the timberwolves closing in on us and got young Buttercup and me out in one piece.”

“But of course!” Grimble turned and bowed impressively to Tingles, who turned beet red. “Lady Tingles, you have our undying gratitude.” He passed me a cigar, but I refused politely. I was absolutely knackered and wanted to go back to bed without having Tingles moaning about me smelling ‘like a used litter-tray’ as she’d so eloquently put it.

“Um… One question though, Grimble,” I said with a yawn. “Buttercup… Is she really Silver Moss’s daughter? I don’t mean to sound nosey, but I don’t know about minotaurs. And, er… she seems a little… I don’t know… small?”

Grimble’s eyebrows shot up and for a horrible moment I had the feeling I’d said something horribly inappropriate. But then he suddenly burst out laughing, nearly upsetting his brandy in the process. “Goodness me, no! She’s adopted!”

“Oh!” I swallowed, feeling a wash of relief run through me. Gods, I thought I’d put my hoof right in it then. “Guess you learn something new every day, eh?”

“Mmm!” Grimble swallowed a mouthful of his brandy. “Yes. She Heavy Hoof’s wife.”

“She’s…! Eh?!” I lifted my hoof, forestalling him. “Never mind!” Good gods, country folk really did have some strange habits. Goats for wives, eh? Bloody hell, it was time for bed alright.

Back in our room, an agitated Tingles examined me from top to bottom before clutching tight hold of my neck. She stayed like that for a while, saying nothing as I simply stroked her mane and enjoyed her warmth against me. I could have stayed like that for hours. I was tired, battered and bruised, but alive. A good result to the day, I’d say. Or I would have until a damp sensation creeping through my fur made me pull away from her in concern.

“Tingles?”

Her eyes were puffy and red with tears, the shining droplets falling like rain onto the old wooden floor. She reached out and kissed me on the muzzle before slowly walking to the wash basin and wiping her face. Slowly the mare leaned her head back and sighed, squeezing her eyes shut.

“Fairlight…” She smiled sadly. “Are we a team? You and I?”

I was quite taken aback. “Of course we are!” I replied quickly. ”You know that, love, why are you even asking me such a silly question?”

“Because...” She choked back another sob, wiping the flannel across her face again before continuing. “Because you told me to leave you there. You told me to... to run away.” She stared me square in the eyes. “Damn it all, you told me let you die!”

I stood silently looking into those big green eyes. Her distress and pain were all too evident. “There was nothing you could do for me, Tingles,” I sighed, trotting to the window and looking out at the dark forest. “You couldn’t have fought those things, there were just too many of them. They took down two minotaurs like they were nothing, and that super-sized wolf nearly had me for afters too.”

She choked back a sob. “That’s what I’m talking about! I could have done something! I could have at least tried if you’d let me! You don’t trust me, is that it?”

Damn it, I was walking right into a minefield here. “No!” I blurted. “Yes! I mean… Oh, for Celestia’s sake, Tingles, of course I trust you! I love you, and I’d trust you with my life.”

“Would you have left me there Fairlight? Would you have left me to die?” she asked.

“Goddesses, Tingles!” I turned round and faced her head on. “Of course not, you’re everything to me! How could I leave the mare I love to die in that evil place, eh? What sort of stallion would I be then?”

“And yet you expected me to leave you, didn’t you?” Tingles’ voice cut me like a knife.

I hung my head. I just didn’t know what to say. She was right, but what the hell could I have done? There was no way through that thick canopy to the forest floor, and even if she’d managed somehow, they would have torn her to pieces. I went to put a hoof around her, but Tingles pushed it away and took a step back.

“Tingles?” I asked in confusion.

She took a deep breath and turned away, unable to look me in the eyes. “I’m sorry, Fairlight, I’m angry and upset with you right now. I don’t know what to think…”

My world felt like a crack had just appeared across its surface, ready to collapse at any moment, plunging both me and my dreams into the void beneath. My heart heavy in my chest, I turned to the door. “I’m the one who’s sorry. I did what I thought was best to keep you safe. If that was wrong of me, then yes, it is my fault. But, Tingles,” I glanced back at her before walking through the door and onto the landing, “if you’d been there you would have died, and that would have killed me as surely as if the monsters of the forest had torn out my heart.” I closed the door behind me. “Goodnight, love.”

Chapter Four - Heartache

CHAPTER FOUR
HEARTACHE

I was halfway down the stairs when my legs started to shake, sending me crashing into the wall like a drunkard too far gone to stand on his own four hooves. I felt sick to my stomach. I mean, what the hell had all that been about anyway? Tingles felt I’d betrayed her trust did she? That I’d hurt her? But what the bloody hell could I have done differently? Should I have shouted to her to open fire and randomly strafe the damned things? She couldn’t even see them! Maybe I should have encouraged her to crash through the canopy and help me to fight them off? Luna’s mercy, she would have ended up like those poor minotaurs - torn apart like paper dolls in mere seconds. Shit, shit, SHIT! Bloody awkward, stupid mare. Stupid bloody females! I banged my head against the wall in frustration. I was so confused! Gods, I hated feeling like this; my heart felt like it would burst in my chest at any moment. Part of me wanted nothing more than to rush back into the room and hold her, to beg her to forgive me, whilst the other part, the proud part, wanted to shout at her about how damned foolish she was and point out the suicidal nature of what she’d wanted to do. Damn it all, I wanted to curl up and hide away…

Down by the fire, Heather and Grimble sat watching the flames flickering in the hearth. They didn’t seem surprised to see me slink back down despite the late hour. Probably heard every bloody word too.

“Mind if I join you?”

“Of course, my friend. Please…” Grimble held out a claw and I pulled up a pony sized chair, sinking into it gratefully.

The griffin looked over his shoulder at the minotaur. “Heather, bring the smoking box and some more brandy, please, my flower.” I didn’t think it was possible to smile with a beak, but the old fellow managed it all the same. Heather, bobbed her head and lumbered off into the kitchen, leaving us alone. “That pony loves you, my lord,” Grimble offered quietly. “I can see it in her eyes, and her body language. You’re a very lucky fellow indeed.”

“Grimble… I don’t know what to think.” I shook my head in frustration. “She’s furious with me because I told her to leave me back there in the forest, but I couldn’t have had her charge in there the way it was. You don’t know what it was like - they would have killed her in a heartbeat. By the goddess, nopony would have wanted that! Is that so wrong of me? To want my mare safe?”

He chuckled. “Well, I’m a little older than you, my lord, but I’m no wiser around females than anygriffin else, or pony, or… well, anything really. Who know the minds of females?” He shrugged, passing me a brandy. “The drive to protect our loved ones is strong, perhaps more so in them than us, eh?”

I threw my forelegs up in exasperation. “I’m so bloody confused! I’m angry, upset… furious even! Damn it, Grimble, why don’t they come with an instruction manual?”

The griffin laughed; a cawing sort of noise which echoed about the empty room. With a slap of his hind leg, he looked me in the eye. “If they came with instructions, I’d still be married now!”

“Oh… Oh, gods, I’m sorry Grimble,” I said mentally slapping myself. “I shouldn’t be bringing my troubles to-”

“Bah! Nonsense. Fast Feather and I never got along anyway. She was a very aggressive female and we fought constantly - emotionally and physically. It was a doomed relationship right from the beginning. Of course, everygriffin told me it would all in end in tears, but I didn’t listen…” He sighed, “I thought I knew best. Ha! The arrogance of youth, right? No. They were right. They were right all along.” The brandy and smoking equipment arrived, Heather leaving it between us and stomping off back to the kitchen leaving the males to their doubtless boring conversation. “Here, my lord, try this. I think you’ll like it.” Grimble passed me a long stemmed pipe not unlike my old one, along with a humidor full of a dark sticky brown tobacco the likes of which I had never seen before. “Take a sniff… you’ll be surprised.”

I was! It smelled like… the forest, the night air, the brandy… Oh, my goddesses, it smelt wonderful! I raised an eyebrow questioningly. “May I?”

“Please do,” Grimble smiled holding out his claw invitingly.

Taking a pinch I began to pack the bowl. Looser at the bottom, tighter as I worked my way up, the way dad had shown me when he’d been in one of his rarer ‘fatherly’ moods. Naturally, mum had been out of the way when we’d done that, or else I’d most like have had the thing rapped over my skull to teach me the error of my ways. Mares, eh? With a flicker of magic from my horn, I had the bowl lit and the smoke started to roll around my mouth, filling me with a sense of wonder and relaxation. Bloody hell, I needed this…

Grimble exhaled a plume of smoke from his beak, luxuriously sinking back into his chair. “Quite the experience, isn’t it? I’ve never found its like before, here or in the griffin kingdom.”

“What is it?” I asked in wonderment. “Does it grow in the forest?”

“No,” he smiled. “There’s an area not far from here where the bushes grow, out past a dry water well and some old stone ruins. ‘Tis an odd place, with a strange feel to the air. Nothing moves, and there’s no sound to be heard. Not even the birds sing there. The villagers won’t go near it of course, they think it’s cursed. I don’t think the tobacco is though, wouldn’t you agree?”

Again with the curses! I nodded, taking another pull on my pipe. “It’s excellent, Grimble. I take it the brandy taste is a little extra addition of your own?”

“It certainly is.” Grimble grinned, clearly pleased I’d noticed. “I make the brandy myself using these peculiar silvery-red berries that grow in the clearing there. They have a particularly delightful elegance of flavour if the distilling is done just so.”

Ah, that’s why the taste was so familiar and fulfilling; it wasn’t just the warmth of the alcohol running through me. I must say though, I did feel a little better in myself. It was just my relationship with Tingles I needed to do something about now, but hopefully a night apart would help cool our hot heads, and the dawn of a new day would wash away any residual bitterness from the night before. Luna’s grace, I hoped so. Still, at least I could take comfort in the fact I had helped to save a life tonight, even if the ultimate cost of it was a night downstairs away from my tangerine marefriend.

“Grimble? Where are these berries, can you tell me?” I asked swirling the brandy in my glass.

He nodded sagely. “Yes of course, just follow the old road to the west of the village. It’s not used much nowadays, but it’s still passable so long as you watch where you put your hooves. You’ll see the well near the side of the road and the track leading to it on your left.” The old griffin chuckled. “The grove they’re in glows in the moonlight, would you believe. Personally I think it’s really quite beautiful, if a little unnerving!”

My mind was made up. “I’d like to go there,” I said suddenly, and paused, realising that the old fellow might not be too keen on my traipsing around his source of tobacco and brandy. Ponies, or griffins for that matter, could be very protective about such things. “Would you have any objection if I went and had a look?” I held up a hoof. “Promise I won’t eat too many of the berries!”

The tavern keeper nodded, taking a mouthful of his brandy. “Of course you can, my lord, I have plenty of brandy to keep me going for several seasons as it is, and the berries grow all year round believe it or not. Going to have a look in the morning?”

“No,” I said pulling on my overcoat. “No time like the present.”

He stared at me, his beak hanging open in amazement, “What?! You can’t be serious, there’s timberwolves abroad!”

Shaking my head I checked my pistol and sword were in order. They were. “I am serious. And as for the timber wolves, I wouldn’t concern yourself with them any more, Grimble. We came to a, er… ‘understanding’, you could say.”

Grimble shook his head and started to laugh. “I was right about you, my lord! My goddess, I was!”

He slapped his hind leg and snuggled his back into his chair with a beaming smile on his face. What an odd creature! I didn’t bother to ask what he found so funny, but all this ‘my lord’ stuff was really beginning to irritate me. I suppose it was appealing to tourists and the like, but I wish he would just use my name, even if he did know me as ‘Rock’. Come to think of it, every time he said it there was this bloody awkward pause, as though he didn’t believe for one second that it was my real name. Grimble was far from stupid of course, he knew damned well it was made up, but he didn’t have to be so infuriatingly obvious about it! I tightened my belt as the kitchen door swung open. From behind us, Heather appeared like a looming demon from the pit, complete with shining onyx eyes and horns. I nearly backed into the fire before I noticed she was holding out a napkin with some biscuits and an apple wrapped inside. That was a nice gesture. At least she wasn’t holding a pitchfork.

“Thanks, Heathe,” I smiled. “And to both of you,” I bowed, “a good evening. I shall be back by morning, if ‘her ladyship’ wonders where I’ve gone.”

Both of them saw me out and barred the door with a dull ‘thunk’ when I was barely a few steps away. I suppose old habit will die hard here in Smiling Borders. I leaned back and took a deep breath of the cool night air. There was no mist now, just a clear sky, the moon, and a blanket of brightly shining stars to light my way. It was strange, but I felt a liveliness in my step despite the exertions of the evening. Adventure awaited me; the moon was bright and the cool evening breeze was deliciously refreshing. Tonight, I could leave my worries behind. If for only a few hours.

I began to trot along the road, finding the going a lot better than I’d expected for a nigh on deserted area. Grimble hadn’t been kidding either, the road was overgrown with grass, weeds and roots galore. Why nopony here travelled west was a bit of a mystery, though considering how remote they were, maybe they just didn’t have many neighbours to trade with. To be honest I couldn’t recall seeing any other villagers on the way to Smiling Borders, but then it was hardly surprising considering how high up we were. Still, despite the disrepair I was making surprisingly good progress, and in no time at all had passed the outskirts of the village. I had to hoof it to the engineers, they certainly knew how to build roads to last round here, even it was goodness knows how many years ago. It seemed a bit out of place too now that I thought about it. The cobbles were all perfectly uniform and well laid, whereas the village was more a higgledy-piggledy mess of cottages that appeared to have appeared beside this once grand avenue like weeds in a horticultural paradise. Ah, if only stones could talk! The breeze abruptly picked up, tousling my mane playfully. I don’t know what it was about this place, but I felt as light as a feather for some reason and soon found myself smiling happily. My hooves clopping on the stony surface added a lively beat to my mood too, lifting me from that dark place I’d been languishing in earlier. Perhaps all I’d really wanted, or needed, was a change of scene, to get a break away from all the confusion, conflict and… well, everything I suppose. They say a change is as good as a rest, and although I hadn’t quite had the latter, I’d certainly had a healthy dose of change. Smiling Borders did ‘change’ in spades. Speaking of which I began to notice a few stones along the side of the road, the cold, lonely memories of former homes. Judging by the type of stone they’d been constructed with, they looked to have been built around the time of the road. Of course, I’m no archaeologist and was only speculating, but I think I was in the ball park. More than that, some of the walls, now only a few courses high, showed evidence of being a great deal larger than the modest abodes of the current resident so Smiling Borders. Here and there evidence of pillars poked up out of the grass, suggesting wealth too. Very interesting indeed! There was a lot more to out holiday location than met the eye it seemed. Speaking of which, I kept my eyes open for the next landmark.

A little further on, a small circular structure appeared out of the darkness. Was this it? Approaching the object the outline became clearer. Solidly made from the same stone as the surrounding walls and cobbled road, this was the stone well Grimble had spoken of alright, and sure enough, there was the earthen track leading off into a small copse of trees. The sharp cry of a fox caught my ear, but I had no concerns out here. I felt as though I belonged here somehow, as if I was one with the night, the darkness my ally and protector. Funny feeling really considering everything that had been going on lately. Perhaps it was no more than the conjuration of a sleep deprived and brandy soaked mind, but I think there was more to it than that. Still, as much as it intrigued me I put it out of my mind for now. I’d been doing far too much thinking recently, and it hadn’t been doing me a great deal of good either. Tingles no doubt would agree with those sentiments too.

Earth and leaf-mould, trees and grass - the smells, sights and sounds of the night were all around me, tantalising my senses with hidden alure. I drew them in eagerly. My eyes gave me a real edge out here, and with the moonlight as clear as it was I had no trouble at all in navigating my way through the trees to the clearing. Judging by the silvery white glow that grew steadily with each step, my goal was close. There was a certain purity to the light here, its silvery white glow was supernatural in a way which absolutely reeked of magic. Raw magic. My horn began to itch and I couldn’t help but give it a quick scratch, not that it really made any difference, the magical field here was surprisingly intense. More so even than the one I had last felt at Pewter’s home, and that was saying something. No doubt Grimble hadn’t been affected in the slightest, but he was lucky. Non-magically attuned creatures ran the risk of blundering into dangerous magical fields without any warning, sometimes leading to ‘interesting’ or downright tragic results. I’d been to a few of those in my time in the watch, and it had rarely ended well for the poor sod on the receiving end. Gods, I can still see the look on the face of the guys wife when she went to identify which teapot her husband had been turned into. We’d been too late. The poor sod had been taken to the canteen to replace the broken one there, and… well, let’s just say it put me off drinking tea for a while. Anyway, as a unicorn it was hammered into from foalhood how essential is was to be able to ‘filter out’ magical interference, at least to some degree. It was everywhere in Equestria, from magically operated equipment, to strong naturally occurring background thaumaturgical radiation. The Everfree had been one of those very areas. I’d noticed it the second I’d walked into it, and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if it had some connection to the creation of the timberwolf species. Stranger things had happened. Naturally though, some unicorns were better at filtering magical interference than others, and you can probably guess which side of the spectrum yours truly fell into. It was one of the subjects I’d kind of ‘skipped out’ on at school and, as always, it had come back to bite me on the rump in later life. Thankfully the watch made sure you were up to par on your basics, and I practised my exercises until I felt like my head was going to drop off. I’d passed, but only just.

Moving forward into the clearing, bushes lush with the crystalline red berries began to appear all around me, becoming denser and more numerous the further I went. Deep red fruit glistened, hanging enticingly beneath lush silver leaves in the ethereal light of a world between the worlds: sweet, fragrant… and impossibly delicious. It was as though they were calling to me, welcoming me to their home. My home. I kept walking, brushing my hoof gently over them one by one. It was a shame to eat them in a way, they really were quite beautiful to look at. Such delicate and fleeting things, the bushes grew only where the gap between the worlds was at its thinnest. Perhaps I’d tell Miss Sparkle about this place when I saw her next. Or not. I doubt Grimble would appreciate an inquisitive young mare, and a prodigy of the princess no less, poking around in his brandy and tobacco grove. Reaching out I took a berry and popped it in my mouth, crushing the yielding fruit between my teeth and savouring the sharp, sweet taste. The first time I’d had one of these was when I was with Shadow in the prison cell of the thestral village. At the time I’d really thought that my end would be coming soon after, but here I was, still hanging onto life. Somehow.

There was a large rock to one side of the clearing, its smooth white surface gleaming in the curious luminescence which emanated from the bushes. Unless Grimble had some strange hobby that involved polishing stones in his spare time, the near mirror finish was probably down to nothing more than natural erosion, or a combination of that and the magic here. Even so it was extraordinary, and quite attractive in an eerie kind of way. There was no way of knowing how long this had been here though. With no inscription or external features to readily identify I couldn’t make out whether it had been part of a structure once or not, but there was definitely a ‘pony made’ feel to it that really set my imagination racing. The thought of ancient ponies walking the halls of their old castles, the chants of the monks singing the praises of the princesses - it must have been a wondrous time. And probably bloody dangerous too, if Maroc’s memories had any bearing on the reality of life back then. From the books I’d read on ancient Equestria it was a miracle we’d survived as a species at all. When we weren’t being eaten, poisoned, or otherwise mangled by the local flora and fauna, we’d been going hell-for-leather to exterminate each other in wars that never seemed to have a beginning or end, let alone any particular reason for happening in the first place. Then there was the issue of having a life expectancy not much long than a gnat, which when compare with the year long gestation period for ponies, meant that by rights we should be extinct right now. And there’s another thing – modern medicine. I know a lot of ponies idealise our ancestors as living in a world of chivalry, nobility and quests to find mysterious ‘pick the religious object of your choice here’, but they always conveniently overlook just how extraordinarily lethal even every day life could be. Live fast and die young, eh? Ha! Combat was probably safer than going to the bloody shops back then. Got a splinter? Long slow death from septicaemia. Laminitis? Hang around a while, and then death. Ringworm? Death. Colic? Death. Rainscald? Horrible skin itching, flakiness, and then death. Then of course there were the all-time favourites like tetanus, lockjaw and flu. You can probably guess how these usually ended too. All of these ailments are treatable nowadays, but so much as a scratch back then was a bloody death sentence, let alone a broken leg. Good grief, I remember my mother telling me about one of her relatives who been working as a soldier on the northern frontier. Spent his whole life there freezing his knackers off keeping an eye out for Yak incursions. He’d fought dragons, manticores, and only the gods knew what else without so much as a scratch. One week into retirement he’d cut his fetlock on a tin of baked beans he was opening for dinner. The result? Blood poisoning. He was dead within a fortnight. Nowadays it was two tablets twice a day for a week and you were right as rain. Nope, Equestria had become a much safer place since those more ‘interesting’ days of yore. For most of us at any rate.

I sat down and leaned against the stone, yawning expansively. What a day! Flying halfway across Equestria, nearly being eaten by monsters, rescuing goats, and all this when I was supposed to be on bloody holiday! Honestly, I think this was the most peace I’d had since… I don’t know. I honestly don’t know. Sitting there amidst so much beauty and peace, my head began to nod. My worn out body was demanding rest, and it was such a lovely night that if I so much as closed my eyes I knew I’d be asleep in no time despite being outside beneath the stars. The changes in me since the spirit had decided to ‘adopt’ me, for want of a better word, had made my body a lot more resilient to cold than I ever used to be. I still felt it of course, but it simply didn’t bother me the way it did. In any case, the cool air tonight was just nice, and Heather’s biscuits went down a treat too. I washed another down with a swig of tea from my flask, licking the crumbs from my lips. She was a good minotaur really, if a bit scary. I can only imagine what would happen to a customer who complained their hayburger was underdone! A part of me, the desperately nosey part, wanted to know how a griffin could spawn such a creature, but I guessed she was adopted. Cross species mating was not unknown, just… yeah… I was going to stop thinking about this now. Otherwise I’d start asking myself questions about such disturbing topics as Heavy Hoof and Buttercup’s ‘relationship’. I yawned, pulling my overcoat up around my head. I was so… tired.

I’d nearly nodded off when my ears detected something walking toward me through the trees. Buck it! Were the timberwolves coming back after all? No. I was well away from the edge of the Everfree here, and it didn’t seem like their kind of habitat anyway. A badger maybe? I doubted it, but it was too big for a fox, and… Oh, no, were there ursans here?! I shook my mane and drew my sword, straining my senses to listen out for anything that may indicate a threat. My heart was in my throat now, and the sound was getting closer by the second. I could see the leaves moving, the bushes parting… Goddesses, what I saw wasn’t what I expected at all…

“So this is where you wandered off to is it?”

A tangerine pegasus mare, the odd light of the grove lending a shadowy outline to her lithe body, stood before me brushing twigs and leaves from her coat. I closed my eyes and sighed, sheathing my sword. All I’d wanted was a little breathing room, some space to myself to think, to escape, and she’d come here to berate me. Whoops! There goes my good mood, disappearing down the plughole of selfish wishful thinking.

“Can I join you?” She asked so quietly I nearly missed it. I nodded silently and nearly jumped in surprise when she snuggled into me. She was still a little distant but… “Fairlight? I’ve been thinking…”

And here it comes...

“I… I’m sorry,” Tingles said gently. “I was unfair with you before. I was angry and upset, so I lashed out at you.” She shook her mane and hung her head sadly. “You scared me back there. And I mean really scared me. I thought you were going to die down there in that horrible place, and there wasn’t anything I could do! I felt so helpless, and I...” she tailed off, taking a deep breath. “I don’t want to be alone again, Fairlight. Not again…”

I didn’t know what to say. What could I say? ‘Sorry’? Goddesses, why was my head full of such damned stubborn pride at a time like this? I was useless with mares. I always had been too. Meadow had known that, but still accepted it as a part of who I am. She knew I loved her, even if I couldn’t articulate it into words as well as I wanted. But Tingles didn’t know me as well as she did, and now that I needed to say something to ease her heart, I was utterly lost for words. And so, hopeless creature that I am, I sat in silence and let her speak.

“I wouldn’t blame you if… if you decided you…” A single tear slid down her cheek. “…if you wanted a new partner. I’m difficult to get on with sometimes I know, but I wanted you to know that… even if you hate me now, I do love you no matter what happens. Please, just... remember that. Please?”

My heart ached for her. She was pouring out her emotions to me – me, the terrible pony who had hurt her. She’d done so much for me, risked so much, and here I was unable to find something as simple as the right words to say when I needed them the most.

She began to rise. “I’ll see you in the morning…”

I reached out and stopped her with a hoof. Tingles stood as still as a rock but I could see her tears falling like rain. Tears I had caused. Each one a tiny dagger through my soul. “Stay. Please,” I whispered. She moved back towards me, allowing me to guide her gently with my forelegs until we were snuggled up together once more. The pegasus mare leaned her head on my neck and licked my muzzle, just a little, managing to convey more meaning in that simple act than a thousand words. “When I close my eyes,” I said quietly into the night, “sometimes… sometimes I see Wist, the flashes of light, and you… falling… dying right there before my eyes. And I’m unable to stop it. If it hadn’t been for the wendigo part of me, you’d be with the herd now and I would have lost you.” I stared up at the stars high above, their peaceful light shining down upon us. “I so want you to be safe, Tingles. I’ve lost so much in my life, I couldn’t bear to lose you too. Not now. Not ever.” I stroked her mane tenderly, smelling the warm scent of her coat. “It’s selfish of me, I know it is, and I know I hurt you today. Luna knows, for that I’m more sorry than I could every express in any words I could say.” I looked her in the eyes. “I do trust you, with my both life and my heart. I would happily fight by your side, love, if you would fight by mine.”

She nuzzled me and buried her face into my coat. “Oh, Fairlight, we’re both hopeless…” looking up smiling she added, “Anyway, I don’t like fighting. But if I must, I want to be with you when I have to. Just don’t closet me away, okay?”

I nodded. “Okay, love.”

We lay there under the moonlight, watching a small bat flutter across the glade out on its evening patrol. Or morning even, as it no doubt was now. I could Tingles’ heartbeat beside mine. She was so warm, so soft… I felt happier than I had in as long a time as I could remember, only this time it was more than simply the primal urge of wanting her… it was like I was letting her in somehow, becoming part of her. I hadn’t felt like this since…

“You two look cosy.”

Tingles’ head shot up, looking around until alighting upon the grass green mare that stood a few yards away, giving us an appraising stare. Oh… Oh, bugger…

“No words for your dearly beloved?” Meadow asked, smiling ominously.

“Hello, love,” I managed, nearly choking.

“‘Hello love’,” she mimicked. “The herding instinct is strong in this one.”

The last comment was aimed in Tingles’ direction. The tangerine mare was pushing into me so hard I thought she’d break a rib. All the colour had drained from her face and her eyes were wide with fright. Gods above, she looked like she’s seen a ghost! Ah, right… On reflect that probably wasn’t the best analogy considering the current situation.

I cleared my throat. “Meadow, this is-”

“I know who she is, ‘darling’, and I know what you two have been doing, too.” The green mare’s eye’s flashed dangerously.

Instinctively I put a protective foreleg across Tingles. “Meadow, if you have somepony to be angry with it’s me. Leave Tingles out of this.”

The green mare advanced on us, those lantern yellow orbs of hers locked onto me. “Well, aren’t you the ‘great protector’? The ‘big stallion’ with the libido of a rampant teenage elephant! How many mares you planning to bed then, Fairlight? Two not enough for you, is that it? What is it now, three? Four maybe?”

I stood up, keeping between the two of them. “You’re the one who told me I shouldn’t be alone!” I snapped. “And I have been, Meadow. Dear gods, I have been! In case you’d forgotten, I was trapped in the Wither World with nothing for company other than an endless sea of black sand and silence for what felt like an eternity after being told I was some sort of bloody demon and denied entry into the herd to be with my wife and daughter. If that’s not hell, then I don’t know what is! Dear goddesses, have you any idea what I’ve been through?” I huffed, tossing my mane as I stood my ground. “I’m sorry, love, but you’re being unfair.”

Meadow’s expression darkened as her eyes flashed furiously, the eerie light of the clearing only adding to the intensity of the situation. “Unfair? UNFAIR?!” She lowered her head. I’d never seen her so angry! “I was raped, Fairlight, remember? Or perhaps it’s slipped your mind? I dare say it might have, what with you being so busy shagging everything in sight and all, but personally I found it a little hard to put out of my mind to honest with you. Being raped, tortured, then murdered with a foal still inside you tends to linger in the mind, just a touch.” Her chest heaved. “Do you have any idea how that felt? Any idea at all? It wasn’t just me that died, Fairlight, it was Sparrow. Our daughter. I could feel her dying. I feel ever single second of her life fading away beside my own after what those beasts did to us. And then, there I was, left alone in a world I knew nothing about with no husband, pregnant, and beyond terrified. If you think you have problems, Fairlight, then you know nothing! Nothing at all! Now here I am, finding you, my husband, banging some feathered tart who threw herself at you the first chance she got! And of course, you were only too eager to please, weren’t you, darling? Cock first, brains later, right?”

Overcoming her fears, Tingles rose to her hooves and pushed me roughly aside. “Leave him alone you, BITCH!”

Meadow grinned menacingly, a sight that put me in mind of a certain encounter I’d had in the Everfree recently. Only this time I really did feel my blood run cold. “Oh? Got some teeth after all have you, you trollop,” she sneered.

“Trollop?!” Tingle’s mane bristled. “Why don’t you just buck off back to the underworld before I send you back there myself!”

Goddess have mercy on us, this was getting out of hoof and somepony was going to get hurt if I didn’t do something. “Girls!” I waved my forehooves. “For Luna’s sake, please! If anypony’s to blame here, it’s me. Let’s just-”

They turned to face me simultaneously. “Oh, shut up, Fairlight!”

The two looked at each other and then I saw Meadow’s chest begin to shake, her eyes closing, and a hoof rise to her mouth. An overwhelming desire to rush forward and hold her flooded me. She was with the eternal herd now, true, but damn it she was still my wife and the mother of my foal. I couldn’t just- She started to laugh. Tingles and I looked on perplexed.

The beautiful green mare threw back her head and took a deep breath, wiping her eyes. “Oh, my Fairlight! You do make me laugh! You’re right, I did tell you to find somepony to keep you company, didn’t I? And judging by your marefriend’s reaction, I suspect you’ve chosen well, too.” Meadow turned to a perplexed Tingles. “As for you, madam, I would speak with you now. Alone.”

Giving me a worried glance, Tingles walked off with Meadow to the centre of the glade and the two began to talk. Poor kid, she had no idea what Meadow’s ‘chats’ were like. She would be dissecting every detail until she was satisfied with… well, whatever she was satisfied with! I flopped down beside the stone and leaned back, staring up at the stars. Well, Luna, today has been one hell of a ride, eh? And not only have I been told I was right by a mare, another actually apologized to me as well! Now that truly was something worth recording. I’d have to mark it on the calender – ‘Fairlight was right!’, day. It could be a public holiday, a celebration of what it mean to be a stallion in a world dominated by mares who thought that we were, by and large, as dumb as a sack of hammers. Unfortunately, all too many were. In any case, I thought to myself stretching, today at least I was right. And I could live with that.

Eventually, after I’d finished the last of Heather’s goodies, the two mares returned. Meadow put a foreleg around Tingles’ shoulder, making her jump. “You sure go from one extreme to another, love: unicorn, thestral, pegasus - what are you, a collector?”

“Meadow, I-” I tried, but she cut me off. As usual.

“Shush. I’m teasing and you know it, silly. Now, Tingles dear, would you wait here while I have a chat with your stallion friend?”

Tingles nodded coyly.

Pulling myself to my hooves, Meadow and I walked to the centre of the clearing. “I see you’ve become stronger of late, and your horns looking better too.” Meadow lifted a hoof, moving my muzzle aside so she could see better. “The scar looks quite dashing. Scary, but still dashing. Have you heard anything about Shadow?”

I shook my head. “Not much, love. Luna said she’s found where she is in the Withers and is trying her best to get her back to our world, but other than that I haven’t heard a thing.”

Meadow nodded sadly. “I feared as much. I don’t know, love, I don’t like to speak ill of the princess, Luna’s done so much to help you after all. But there’s something at play here, something far bigger than you, me, and a lost thestral. I don’t know what it is, but I can feel the world around us changing, bit by bit. Star Swirl felt it too; he fears for the future of Equestria.”

Oh, what a drama queen! It sounded about right for that puffed up wizard too. He should have been on the stage, not fiddling around with ponies lives. I didn’t like the way he was upsetting Meadow with his mystical woo-woo bollocks either. I flicked a leaf off my foreleg. “I don’t think Star Swirl needs to worry so much to be honest, love. We successfully destroyed a huge manufacturing plant full of weapons and drugs on another world recently. The agency rescued all the ponies taken there as slaves, not to mention recovering a sack load of breezies that the swines had planned to process into nose candy. You’d think all that would’ve gone at least some way to restoring harmony for everypony.” But then I’m not some ‘all knowing’ mage type, am I? Bloody wizards...

Meadow shrugged. “True, but if it were only that simple.” She looked up suddenly. “Oh! I’m sorry, love, I don’t mean to play down what you did there - you were absolutely amazing! Everypony was talking about it for ages, and the papers were full of the stories of heroism that you all showed rescuing those foals. You even had your picture on the front page!” I think I must have gone white as a sheet, because she placed hoof on shoulder with a consoling expression on her face. “Nothing stays a secret from the herd I’m afraid, love, but everypony in town was literally abuzz with your antics! I was so proud of you!”

“There’s a bit ‘but’ coming, isn’t there?” I muttered, trying to hide my embarrasment.

She nodded resignedly. “Yes… There is something more, something that may or may not come to pass, although what it is exactly I can’t say. Tch! I wish I could tell you more, but I just don’t know.”

“Star Swirl keeping his muzzle shut on that, is he?” I asked gruffly.

Meadow rolled her eyes. “He may be a lot of things, Fairlight, but he’s not devious. If he knew more he’d tell me, or tell you himself.”

Oh, yes, Star Swirl sure knew who his useful puppet in the mortal world was, didn’t he. And I had an awful sinking feeling that the conniving old shit would be putting in an appearance at some point in the not to distant future too - whether I liked it or not. Knowing my luck he’d have some bloody awful task for me to do for him, and if persuasion didn’t work, he’d get Meadow to put the pressure on instead. I rubbed my forehead with a hoof. It was all a bit over my head anyway, and in any case, other things were troubling me.

“Meadow love, do you know anything about this ‘lord of the four winds’ thing I keep hearing about?” I asked. “It’s somehow tied to the fortress in the mountains near here so far as I can tell. Luna seems to think I’m the descendant of the old lord or something, and the people in the village keep calling me ‘my lord’ too, which is doing my bloody head in to be honest. It’s just so bizarre, I don’t know what to make of it all.”

“Neither do I love,” Meadow shrugged. “It sounds a little overly dramatic to be honest with you, but I’ll do what I can to find out. I wouldn’t read too much in to it though, you know what these village bumpkin types can be like. Half of them are addled by years of cider abuse and the other half are chasing goats around all night. When I can, I’ll speak to you again.” She tapped her chin with a hoof. “Hmm, you know, I approve of Tingles, but…”

I raised an eyebrow. “But…?”

“I can’t quite put my hoof on it, but I just can’t help but feel she’s hiding something.” Meadow nodded to herself as if affirming some thought or other. “She loves you though, there’s no doubting that, and I think she really was ready to clobber me earlier too!” She sighed, pressing her muzzle into my chest. “Look, just take care and don’t do anything silly, okay? I know you all too well.”

“You do love…” I moved to kiss her. “Can I?”

Apparently not! Sidestepping, Meadow pushed me gently but firmly out of the way and beckoned Tingles over who was looking on nervously. A moment later, the three of us stood together in the centre of the glade.

Meadow took leadership roles like a duck to water. Tonight, was no different. “Tingles, this stallion is my husband. I may be dead, well… I am dead, but I entrust you to take good care of him and he of you. Will you do this for me?” Tingles nodded and stood tall, showing her willingness. Meadow’s eyes sparkled in the silvery light of the glade. “Excellent! Now, I want to show you something. And then, I want you to copy what I do… yes?” Again, Tingles nodded, watching on in anticipation. “Good!” Meadow chirped pleasantly. “So… like this…”

Meadow faced me like a cat studying a mouse. I could feel my heart rate increasing by the second as she moved closer, half lidding her deep yellow eyes as she glided up to me. Slowly she began to brush her muzzle up the side of mine, breathing her spicy breath into my mouth and nose. It was just the slightest hint, the barest whisper on the wind. Her eyes locked onto mine, and she moved her mouth up to my ear, a soft tongue snaking out to trace its edge up to the tip, sending a bolt of electricity down my spine. She chuckled quietly, gliding her hoof up my neck and under my chin, lifting it slightly as she moved her lips to mine. Gently, Meadow began sucking on them until I opened my mouth to accept her. Suddenly she moved away, only an inch or so, but still a frustratingly alluring distance that made me move after her.

She stopped me with a gentle push. “No. Not yet…wait my love,” she whispered, those lantern eyes catching the glades magical light. Meadow moved forward slowly and ran her tongue across my lips, the moist warm softness making me burn and ache for her. Smiling seductively, she turned to Tingles who was watching her wide eyed. “You see, dearest Tingles,” Meadow purred, “you have to lure him in… make him want you.“ She looked me in the eyes, her voice maddeningly captivating. “…make him need you…”

I could barely contain myself, but Meadow wasn’t going to allow me any release just yet. She leaned up and breathed gently in my ear, the feeling making my knees quiver. She was bringing me to the very edge of losing my reason and she knew it. The grass green mare was in complete control. My mind was a blank as Meadow put her head down to my chest and opened her mouth, running her tongue and teeth up the underside of my neck until she was mere millimetres away from mine. Reaching up, she took my head in both of her forehooves. “Now, this is how you kiss a stallion…” She moved into me, pushing her tongue into my mouth and locking her lips around my own. Meadow groaned wordlessly and pushed on: tasting, exploring, remembering every detail of my mouth. It had been so long. So, so long... I reached around her and pulled the mare into me deeper, wanting to be with her and burning with the fires of passion to become one with my beautiful green mare. Meadow skilfully pulled me to the ground and lay on her back. “Now, Tingles,” she breathed, “the lesson continues. Pay close attention now…”

She took my head and moved me down to her chest, allowing me to run my hooves and muzzle across her fur, nibbling and licking, urged on by her enticing pants and moans. I could see her chest rise and fall, hear her heart beating hard in her chest while my own thundered deafeningly in my ears. This time, this wonderful moment in the place where dreams came true, Meadow and I defied the boundaries and laws defining life and death, giving ourselves to one another and sharing the love that we had held within our hearts from the very first day we had met beneath that tree in the sleepy town of Ponyville. Dear gods, everything I had been through, everything we had been through and endured, meant nothing here. Nothing at all. And neither should it. The world beyond the walls of the berry laden bushes was million miles away now. All that mattered was the here and now, and the joy we found in each others embrace.

Meadow’s cries grew in intensity until she let out one final grunting moan as a violent shudder ran through her body. I could feel her muscles tense and then suddenly relax, her legs dropping limply by her sides whilst our hot breath curled up into the cool night air. Grinning, the beautiful green mare blew a stray mane hair from her muzzle and winked at me cheekily. “You’ve still got it,” she said breathily, reaching up for a kiss.

Across the glade, Tingles was sat on her haunches, a look of burning desire in her eyes. She’d seen everything. And I mean, everything. For a horrible moment I felt shocked by what I’d done, or more specifically what Meadow and I had done. I mean, what must she have-

Meadow placed a hoof on my mouth, no doubt sensing my concern. She looked up at the tangerine coated pegasus with a wicked expression I found both alluring and, frankly, quite frightening. “Tingles? I want you to come here. Show me what you’ve learned…”

Tingles was a little unsure at first, but still approached, watching Meadow then me in turn. I reached up to kiss her, but she stepped away, moving into me at her own speed. Meadow smiled, nodding her approval. “Yes… like that… he likes that…”

Gradually, Tingles moved into the kiss. Any inhibitions I may have had, vanished in that moment a breath on the wind. Anywhere else, if anypony had said something like this could happen, I would have thought them mad. Or that it was the product of an overactive imagination. But here we were, all three of us, and it was beyond such inconsequential concerns. Far, far beyond them. We began to pull at each other in mounting passion whilst Meadow chuckled and nibbled my ears, my neck, and then moved down to between my haunches. The feeling of warmth and eroticism rolled through me like a tidal wave. As Tingles’ tongue quested ever more into my mouth, we lost ourselves to the magic of the glade. Meadow, Tingles, and a spirit possessed stallion called Fairlight, frolicked and played beneath Luna’s moon until the sky began to lighten, and the magic of the night gradually waned, giving way to the faint warmth of the morning sun.

“I’ve always wondered what it was like from your angle, my love,” Meadow giggled.

I just shrugged. Right then it was all I could manage. One mare was work enough for any stallion, but with two of the demanding turns with me I’d been left in a near stupor. Tingles had collapsed on top of me, utterly spent, her shaking legs echoing my own weakened limbs. And so the three of us lay silently for a while; tired, yet content in each others embrace. Despite the rapidly approaching dawn, the breeze was cooling our sweat soaked bodies quickly, and we would need to move soon or risk catching a chill.

Meadow was the first to rise to her hooves.

“It’s time for me to go now you two.” The young mare got up and stretched, groaning happily. “I’ll have to go and rescue my parents from the tender mercies of Sparrow. The little pest’s a real hoofful at times, and you know what foals are like at that age.” She gave me a nuzzle and a peck on the nose. “Keep safe love, remember what I said and do what you can for Shadow. If I find anything out that can help, you know how to find me. Just look for where the berries grow.” Meadow stuck her tongue out playfully before resting a hoof on Tingles. “He’s a good stallion, Tingles Bit low on brain cells, but I can forgive that. Don’t forget what we talked about… hmm?”

The tangerine mare shook her head, then gingerly reached out and gave Meadow a little nuzzle. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Meadow’s eyes widened in surprise before her face mellowed and she gave Tingles a kiss on the nose. “Look after him, Tingles. I’m counting on you.” She shook herself and gave an expansive yawn. “If you two are going to get any sleep, you’d better get a move on.” Meadow gestured towards the horizon. “Sun’s coming up soon.”

She was right, a faint reddish light was starting to appear along the skyline, heralding the arrival of Celestia’s sun. It was, as painful as it was to admit, time to go. Tingles and I waved to Meadow, the green coated mare walking off a few steps before vanishing as if she’d never been any more substantial than a soap bubble.

“Are you alright, love?”

I stared at the place Meadow had been, unsure of what to say. It hadn’t been a dream. I knew that. So why did it feel as if I’d dreamt the whole thing? Maybe… Maybe life was the dream, and that death was the very antithesis of that. Meadow, Sparrow… They were the ones who were alive. They were ones who were living in the ever loving light of the gods, in the land where there was only peace, where pain and suffering simply did not exist. It was here, here in this world, where we waited. Waiting for the day we were called home…

“Fairlight?”

“Come on, love,” I said, giving Tingles a quick squeeze. “Let’s see what the rest of the day has for us, eh? I don’t know about you, but I could murder a fry up.”

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

We walked slowly back to the tavern with the sun broaching the horizon. I remember the sunrises in Manehattan, the way it would send shafts of rich golden light between the buildings, casting long dark shadows. I always loved that time of day, it was as if the night was warring with the day, casting the darkness out until it gradually returned to reclaim the city street by street. It was a cycle of nature, yet one that reminded me of the stories of the princesses and how Celestia had banished her own sister for a thousand years. Thank goodness that was all a thing of the past now, I don’t think I’d fancy going to war over the fancies of a couple of hormonal alicorns. It’s a shame nopony just gave them a spanking, or shoved them into a room full of rubber bats so they could work out all that aggression without sentencing thousands to death and incalculable suffering. But that’s what you get for having ‘monarchs’, or whatever they like to call themselves. History was full of power crazed nutters, and not just ponies either. Dragons, llamas, griffins – hell, they were all at it! Once they were in power, war was pretty much inevitable. It was as if it was part of the bloody job description, and one that was seen by the elite as a way of gaining more land, more control, and thinning out the unwashed masses beneath them. It was a win-win for them. Couldn’t you be a ruler and not use your people like pawns in a game of chess? Well, yes you could be, there were a good sprinkling of rulers who had been loved by their people and hadn’t stuffed them into the mincing machine of war whenever the opportunity arose. But guess what happened to them? Assassination, ‘accident’s’, mysterious illnesses, and other life shortening ‘incidents’ that would bring their rule to a rapid and usually spectacular end. Celestia had pretty much broken the mold in that respect. She was feared, but also loved. She was not shy of war, but promoted peace. I dare say she had an iron hoof on the pulse of the country, and the CBI was one of those quiet little instruments she kept out of the public eye to ‘delete’ problems that couldn’t be dealt with through more diplomatic means. She was, in many respects, the very definition of the ‘smiling assassin’. Just ask Maroc. He was the ruler of the wendigo, but had thrown his lot in with the wrong team. So what did Celestia do? Did she negotiate with the wendigo? Did she thrash out treaties and peace accords with them? Of course not. She massacred them, wiping even their memory away from the history of Equestria until they faded so much from the public consciousness that they’d become no more than figures of fantasy and characters in romantic novels read by frisky mares. Mind you, that didn’t mean we couldn’t go and have a peek at the remnants of that turbulent time. I’d always loved anything to do with history, even if it was just a pile of busted up rocks and stones.

Tingles leaned her head against me a good part of the way. She was completely worn out, her mane and tail as ragged looking as mine. Goddesses, I hoped nopony saw us trundling into the village like that, they’d think we’d been out on the drink all night! Mind you, we were supposed to be holiday, so the way I looked at it was that as long as we kept quiet we’d probably be ignored as simply a couple of weary merrymakers. Hope springs eternal, eh? Thankfully though, Grimble had unbarred the door in anticipation of our return and the coals still burned merrily in the hearth. I was quite impressed considering the issue with the timberwolves had only been at its height just a scant few hours earlier. Had he taken me quite literally when I said that I’d come to an ‘understanding’ with the curious creatures? Bloody hell, maybe he had! Ha! First time for everything I suppose. Tingles and I shared a smile, and without a word between us, snuggled together by the fire on the deep pile rug. Only the gods knew how clean the thing was, but it was simply too much effort to climb the stairs right now. Besides, it was so warm here, the flickering yellow flames so inviting... Yawning, Tingles closed her eyes and curled into me. Before long, tired but happy, we were both sound asleep.

My dreams ebbed and flowed with the joyful sounds of my mares and daughter. They were my own herd, the ones I loved more than anything else in the world, and the ones I would protect with my life if necessary. In the distance, two wendigo flew, the beautiful creatures twisting and rolling effortlessly through the air in absolute silence before coming together in an embrace. Snow began to fall all around them as the world turned a brilliant white, their whispers carried on the cold north wind echoing across a frozen land…

Brother.

Come home.

Come home to us.

“Who are you?” I cried to them. “What do you mean?”

Come home.

Remember who you are.

“Who I am?” I felt my heart surge, but I wasn’t afraid, more… excited? Why?

You know who you are.

Listen.

Listen to the winds.

Come home.

Heather woke us. Oh gods, what a dream! My head was absolutely thumping besides itself. Had I really had that much to drink? My mane was plastered to my face and I felt as though I’d been rolling in glue all night. Thank goodness somepony had put the fireguard over the hearth whilst we’d been asleep, otherwise I could have woken up to the smell of singed Fairlight. And I can only imagine how Tingles would have reacted to a burnt feather! But… What about that weird dream? ‘Listen to the winds’? I rubbed my head and groaned; that’s what you got for tiring yourself out to the point of complete exhaustion and listening to stupid bloody stories about times that nopony alive would know anything about outside of local legends and one bit novels. Verbal traditions were all well and good, but I knew all too well from interviewing witnesses how easily fantasy could be construed as facts, even when they’d seen it all first hoof. Give it one thousand years and the truth would more than likely morph into something totally different altogether. The ones best placed know what really went on in the forests and mountains around Smiling Borders weren’t exactly ponies either. Celestia and Luna were alicorns, the living deities of Equestria, and somehow I doubt even they’d have perfect recall of events from that far back. Or would they? I smacked my lips; my mouth felt like I’d been chewing on carpet all night. And what was that stuck in my teeth? A hair? Urgh! Oh no, I think I was going to be sick...

As if in answer to my stomach’s threatened rebellion, two steaming mugs of tea were promptly plonked down in front of us, accompanied thereafter by a bowl of porridge each. I closed my eyes and felt a shiver run through me.

“Eat.”

“I can’t...” I groaned. “Oh gods, I think I’m dying here...”

“Eat.” Beady eyes appeared next to mine, and I sat up in surprise. Before I knew it a spoonful of the porridge was all but rammed into my mouth. “Make better.”

“Mmmf!” I snatched the spoon away from the insistent minotaur and nodded my thanks. Bloody hell, what was she trying to do, choke me to death? I chewed the thick goopy… Hey, it wasn’t that bad! I swallowed and took another spoonful. Dear goddesses, it was delicious! “Thanks, Heather!” I chirped. “That’s really…” But she’d already gone. I shrugged and took a sip of my tea – hot, touch of milk, sweet, and just the way I like it. By Luna, Heather was a force to be reckoned with in the morning! The breakfast porridge was as good as it smelled. There was even a little pot of honey and a jar of almond flakes to add to taste. Now this was a breakfast!

Whilst I polished off my tiny slice of heaven, I marvelled at the fact that my dry mouth and thumping head were now fading away, replaced instead with a feeling of peaceful warmth and contentment that seemed bizarre for such a simple repast. That said, these country folk had some ways about them that us city dwellers would do well to learn. It certainly beat popping pain killers, that was for sure. I put down my empty bowl, stretching out my legs towards the hearth. It was still warm too, the fire having been banked during the night. I must have so sound asleep I hadn’t noticed a thing. Either that or Heather could move a lot more quietly than I’d given her credit for. One day I’d have to speak to Grimble about these curious creatures. Speaking of whom, I really fancied a pipe right now. Unfortunately any chances of a sneaky smoke vanished with another sleepy equine stirring beside me.

Stretching all four legs out and yawning expansively, Tingles reached up to rub her eyes, a tiny moan escaping her lips. I chuckled softly to myself, she was so cute! Just watching her warmed my heart far more than the heat from the hearth, and I gave her a light kiss on the forehead. “Morning, love. Sleep well?”

“Mmhmm.”

Not a great starter first thing in the morning then, eh? Good grief, she even had me yawning now! Tingles ate in silence, looking both mentally and physically drained, her mane a tangled mess, She ruffled her feathers, a habit I’d noticed she had whenever she felt under the weather. I left her in peace, simply enjoying the relaxing quiet of the morning. Well, other than the clatter of dishes coming from the kitchen. What the hell was Heather doing in there? She was suppose to wash the pot and pans, not demolish the walls with them!

“Fairlight?”

I looked over at Tingles, rolling my shoulders. “Yes, love?”

Tingles let out a long sigh, her eyes staring into her bowl of porridge. “Did… did last night, you know…” A single green eye glanced up at me. “I wasn’t dreaming it, was I? Meadow I mean, and… that.”

I shook my head. “No, you weren’t dreaming love. We were all there, the three of us. Although it does seem like a dream, doesn’t it? Even now, being here with you here in this tavern.” I leaned back again and felt a wave of relaxation run through me from muzzle to tail. “I don’t want to leave…”

She looked up at me and smiled, brushing a stray hair from her eyes. “I know. For some reason, I feel happy here, like... I don’t know, like I belong here somehow. Does that sound strange?”

I closed my eyes, savouring the moment. “No. No, it doesn’t sound strange at all.” I chuckled. “I think you’ll be picking all our holiday spots in future, love. Go easy on the timberwolves next time though, yeah?”

Tingles stretched and looked to the stairs, rubbing her bedraggled mane. “Fairlight… do we have to go to the mountains?”

I scratched my chin, feeling the need to wash and clean up creeping up on me. “I think so, love,” I said honestly. “There’s answers there. Whether I like it or not I need to get control of this thing inside me. I can’t just ignore it and hope everything will work out okay. Brandy and Luna may be happy to have a ‘wendigo’ on the team, but I know damned well they’re only keeping me around because I’m useful to them. You heard Pewter, I need to get to grips with this, one way or another. If I don’t I’m worried I’ll end up as some sort of guinea pig for them. Or worse.”

“I know that, it’s just…” Tingles shook her head, a expression of heartbreaking sadness ghosting across her face. “Last night, our time together… I don’t want it to end.”

I felt a sudden wave of apprehension ripple through me. “Tingles, is something bothering you about this trip? I want you to come with me, love, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to you know. You can always stay here and chill out while I go and have a look around. I’ll be back before-”

“No!” she barked suddenly, taking me aback. “No, Fairlight, I won’t let you go on your own! We’ve already talked about that, haven’t we?” I nodded as she continued. “Look, it’s… that is, I… Oh goddesses, I don’t know! Just forget I said anything.” She scratched at her mane, “Goddesses I’m itching like mad! I’m tired, filthy, and I really need a bath.”

Laughing, I finished off the last of my tea. “Okay, love, I’m right with you on that one!”

“Pardon me, my lord, my lady...” Grimble ghosted up with his horned assistant. “Will you be using the hot springs this morning?”

Tingles sat bolt upright, suddenly bright and alert. “Can we?”

Grimble bobbed his head to her. “Of course, my lady. Please...” He held out a claw to Heather who presented us with two wicker baskets. Inside was a selection of fragrant soaps, combs, brushes, flannels, towels and all other manner of bathing goodies. “The path to the bathing area is immediately behind the tavern. When you reach the top the pool on your left is for washing and the ones on the right for bathing. I have taken the liberty of reserving them for your use this morning.”

I floated out one of the blocks of soap and sniffed it, noticing the earthy scent that I have say was unlike any soap I’d come across before. It was full of-

“It’s a blend of soap and pumice stone,” Grimble chipped in, noticing my puzzled expression. “We make it here in the village at the alchemist’s shop. It used to be quite popular with visitors to the hot springs back in the day. Personally I find it’s particularly useful for my claws, but it’s also good for scrubbing fur. My paws get terrible callouses on them – a by-product of age, I’m afraid.”

“Good for mites,” Heather added in her bass-drum tones.

Well that was good to know, wasn’t it! Next time I got mites I’d have to remember that. Good grief!

“There’s a jar of feather conditioner in there too, my lady,” Grimble noted, nodding to Tingles’ basket. “I don’t use it much myself, although I’m assured the pegasi here find it most efficacious for lustrous wings.”

Tingles closed her eyes. “Oh, Grimble, Heather… Thank you so much!”

I thought she was going to cry! I floated both of the baskets onto my back and stretched my legs. “Thanks, both of you. Will you be joining us?”

“Goodness me, no!” Grimble looked like I’d said something scandalous. “It wouldn’t be seemly, my lord. You are our honoured guests, and...” He swallowed, glancing at Heather and then back to us. “I am sure you good self and your lady would prefer some time to yourselves. Yes?”

“Well, um… sure.” I caught Tingles’ eye. “No time like the present though, eh? All set, love?”

Tingles nodded. “Do you even need to ask?” She smiled at Grimble and Heather. “Celestia bless you.” And with that she was out the door in a flash. “Come on, slow poke! Last one there’s a rotten egg!”

I shrugged helplessly and dashed out after her, pausing only to cast a final smile at Grimble. Closing the door behind me, I raced after my speeding mare. But my mind was elsewhere. The expression on his face… Had I imagined that? Grimble had been all smiles and falling over himself to help us one minute, and then just as we were leaving his eyes had looked… No, it must have been my imagination. We’d done nothing to upset him, quite the opposite in fact. But the glare he gave Tingles… My neck quivered. It had to be my imagination, right? I put some speed into my pace, racing up the hill to where the steam was rising high into the cool morning air. All of sudden, Smiling Borders didn’t seem quite as welcoming as I’d thought.

As Grimble had explained though, the hot springs were just outside the rear of the tavern, up a steep rise that provided a breathtaking view across the valley and rolling hills in one direction, and the impossibly high snow capped peaks of the distant mountains and dark forests of the Everfree. You could see why this place had once been such a tourist hot-spot, even if it had fallen into decline of late. It was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. I’d never been to a hot spring before, but I’d always fancied going to one. Some of the movies I’d watched featured them, especially ones set in or near the dragon realms. Not that anypony in their right mind would go near those things! Yak Yakistan was notable for them, but once again, our nations weren’t exactly what you’d call on friendly terms. A stinkier, hairier bunch of barbarians you could never wish to meet. I’d met one once, it had been at a dinner party laid on by some posh lord or whatever. I hadn’t been that bothered who we were there to look after, we just did as we were told. Sometimes the watch ended up as a private security force when some big-wig was in town, but hey, if I was getting overtime who cared, right? Anyway, our yak ambassador friend rolls up and within half an hour there was absolute pandemonium. The hulking great rug went berserk because of some cultural sight or whatever, taking it upon himself to reduce the soiree to a free-for-all. Six landed in hospital before we could take the thing down. Gods, I had to wash my uniform three times to get rid of the stink! Imagine damp dog, amplified ten-fold. Oddly enough, instead of diplomatic incident, the yakistani elders brushed the whole thing off as a mere ‘misunderstanding’! Why that was the case and not a green light for a full on invasion of Equestria, is anyponies guess. All I can say is that if they had hot springs there, they needed to use them more often. On the subject of which, there were several pools here, with a cooler one to the left of the path just as our generous host had said. Steam rose lazily from the hot water, a sulphurous tinge to it that made my nose itch. Tingles took a deep breath before letting rip a split second later with a high pitched sneeze, making me chuckle to myself.

“I don’t know what you’re laughing about,” she muttered. “You must be nose-numb.”

“Hey! I’ll have you know I have a very sensitive nose, thank you very much,” I huffed. “Anyway, the water here’s supposed to be good for you skin and fur, isn’t it?”

“If it didn’t honk like a goose!” Tingles moaned.

“Well come on then goosey, let’s see how ‘efficacious’ Grimbles’ magic soap is.” I floated up the pumice infused block, waggling it at the grumpy mare. “Fancy a scrub?”

“You keep that to yourself!” Tingles said, pushing my basket away and fishing out her own perfumed bar. “I don’t know what Grimble was thinking. Pumice gets in everywhere, and it’s a right swine to get all the bits out of your feathers. Just make sure you rinse off properly or you’ll be sleeping on the floor tonight; I don’t want the bed full of gritty bit.”

“Suit yourself.” I huffed cheekily and entered the small wooden structure which passed for changing rooms and cleaning area.

The whole thing seemed a bit rickety for my liking, but it had everything you needed, like hooks for your clothes, benches to sit on and so forth. By the worn appearance of the wood, this place was very well used indeed, or at least had been. Upkeep was lacking a touch, which wasn’t surprising considering the state of the Wyvern’s Tail and the rest of the village. It had certainly all been built to last, but when? Had Nightmare Moon been one of the early patrons? Ha! It wouldn’t surprise me. But seriously, I know the village had been in decline since the drop off in visitors, but surely a touch of maintenance and, goddess forbid, paint, wouldn’t hurt. What did hurt was when Tingles dumped a bucket of warm water over me and started trying to drag knots out of my tail.

“Ouch! Bugger me, Tingles, be careful will you? The last thing I need is a bald arse!”

“Don’t be such a big baby,” Tingles retorted, clucking her tongue. “I told you to use conditioner, didn’t I?”

“Conditioner’s for mares,” I muttered.

“Conditioner’s for mares,” she mocked in a squeaky parody of my voice. “Conditioner is for dry hair problems like yours for goodness sake.” She gave it another tug, having a good go at dislocating my neck too by feel of it. “Look at the state of it!” Tingles snorted. “Honestly, Fairlight, it’s like straw. Didn’t Meadow teach you about mane and tail care?”

“I don’t need to be taught how to care for my hair!” I sniffed. “I’m a grown stallion who – Ow!”

“A grown stallion who has dry hair and doesn’t look after it.” The tangerine pegasus took out another comb, spreading some sort of oil on it and started running it through my mangle tail. “Right, this will help clear the knots out, and then it’s on to your mane.”

“Oh, no! No way!”

She stopped to look up at me. “Are you always this difficult, or you doing it just for my benefit?”

“It’s part of my endearing charm, darling,” I smirked. I raised an eyebrow. “Anyway, if I didn’t say something you’d think I was a pushover and then where would we be?”

“Having a soak instead of spending all day with your bloody tail!” Tingles gave me a shove, knocking back against the wooden wall of the changing room. “Now you listen to me, Lord of the Four Winds, you’re going to sit there, in silence, while I fix you tail and your mane, understand? Because if you don’t, all the minotaurs in Smiling Borders won’t save you when I get started.”

I swallowed, looking into her fierce green eyes. “Are you sure you’re not part dragon?”

Her eyes narrowed. “You never know...”

I lay there obediently for far longer than anypony in their right mind would have found comfortable. The benches here were solid wood, and hardly what you’d call ideal for relaxation. Tingles, however, carried on regardless of my discomfort, combing, brushing, and, to my horror… started to snip away at my tail. Warily I peered over my shoulder at what she was doing, but sensibly said nothing. Scissors in the the hooves of non-uncorns had always filled me with a sense of dread, and I had made a point of avoiding barbers who were staffed by earth ponies or pegasi. It wasn’t out of any sense of prejudice of course, just… How did they do it? One slip, one misstep and it was goodbye ear, or worse – involuntary gelding.

Snip. Snip. Snip.

Every second dragged by as fast as a one legged tortoise, every snip of those blades a harbinger of more to come. I tried flattening my ears only to receive a tap to lift the back up. The feel of the metal sliding past them nearly had me whimpering, but I kept my cool. Somehow!

“Fairlight? What was Meadow talking to you about?”

“Huh?” I felt a shiver run through me. I didn’t like the fact I was being asked questions whilst sharp implements where mere millimetres away from my neck. “She said that she approved of you.”

“I know,” Tingles said quietly. “I mean when she wanted to speak to you privately. I don’t want to be nosy, it’s just…” She sighed. “I feel a little insecure, that’s all. I don’t really know her and everything happened so fast! I did things with her, and you, that… well, you know.” She huffed slightly under her breath. “Forget it, I shouldn’t have asked.”

Snip. Snip. Snip.

I closed my eyes as hair fell past my muzzle. “She said you love me,” I said softly. “Meadow likes you, but I think she’s worried how you’ll react when we find Shadow.”

“Because she’s a thestral?” Tingles nodded. “I had thought of that, but I’ve seen her in my dreams, Fairlight. Yeah, sure, they’re just dream, but they had to be more than that. When I met Meadow in the glade, she was exactly the same as she had appeared in my dream, and I felt… comfortable around her.”

“I thought you just said you felt insecure?” I pointed out.

“I do! Or… at least I did.” She paused. “I don’t think she trusts me entirely, does she?”

I didn’t want to say anything, but she’d hit the nail right on the head. “I wouldn’t read anything into it, love. You have to remember that Meadow died whilst carrying our foal, and then there was that whole Wither World business with the herd’s goons trying to turn me into Fairlight kebabs too. I think she has a right to be wary. After all she doesn’t know you as well as I do – yet - but she wouldn’t have accepted you the way she did if she thought you were an actual danger to me.”

“A… danger to you?” Tingles sounded on the verge of tears.

“Only with those scissors!” I quipped.

She gave herself a shake before letting out a long pent up sigh. “I don’t know how she put up with you, you know.”

“No… No, neither do I.” I smiled sadly. “Ponies around me have a habit of getting hurt. In Meadow’s case, it was worse… a lot worse. I think that’s why I was so wary about opening up to you and accepting how I felt about you.”

“Because you don’t want me get hurt,” Tingles mused.

“Because I hate seeing anypony hurt, love.” I took a chance and looked up at her. She was staring straight ahead at the wall. I nodded slowly to myself. “The wendigo can heal me, and it has the power to heal others from wounds that would otherwise be fatal, but there are some things it can’t do. It can’t bring somepony I love back from the dead.” I shifted round and leaned my muzzle against her. “I don’t want to lose anypony else, Tingles. It would… break me.”

The tangerine mare said nothing, letting me stay there feeling her warmth against my hide. Then, so gently I barely noticed her doing it, a wing as soft as down brushed some of the cut hair from my neck. “Come on,” she said suddenly, clopping me on the rump. “Lets get scrubbed up and hit that hot spring.”

I was always warned not to spend too long in hot water, or cold even for that matter. Mum used to say “you’ll get soft hooves!” And you know, she was probably right. Still, you have to be careful what you say to impressionable foals – they can take you quite literally. Especially in my case apparently. The first few times I’d bathed on my own as a youngster I’d tried to keep them all four hooves out of the bathwater at the same time, nearly managing to drown myself for my efforts. Mum had been there in an instant of course, dragging me out in a bright glow of magic, but the memory of soapy water burning in my nose and mouth still haunts me all these years later. That it in mind it isn’t all that surprising how much I hate water being dumped over me, particularly when I wasn’t expecting it, but with the lack of showers it wasn’t like we had much choice anyway. And so it was, that suitably cleaned and trimmed, the two of us left the cleaning area for what I had really come here for - the hot springs themselves.

They were everything I’d dreamed of, and more. Dear goddesses, ‘bliss’ would be an understatement! It certainly wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the water here gave new meaning to word ‘ecstasy’ either. Best of all, there was nopony else here except us. I sank into the heavenly warmth, feeling it seeping through my fur, skin and muscles, warming my aching joints. Last night had been so full on, in so many ways, I wasn’t so sure flying to the mountains today was such a good idea after all. If only we could stay here, the two of us like Tingles had said... It just felt so right somehow. Maybe we really did belong here, in this little village on the edge of civilisation. No more being sent off on suicidal missions, no more trudging the dark, wet streets of Manehattan waiting for the day some drunken thug got the better of you. No. No, I could see myself here, with my mare and foals, swimming in the river or exploring the ancient ruins. Oh, Luna… If Shadow were here with us, what more could a pony ask for? Tingles moaned gratefully beside me as she sank into the water up to her neck, closing her eyes in sheer bliss. Ha! There was that word again! Ah, but how true it was… Slowly, she pushing her way towards me.

“This is sheer heaven…” She closed her eyes and let out a long, low groan. “Are you sure we haven’t died and moved on?”

I didn’t like the reference, but I knew her meaning. “I don’t think the herd’s got anything on this, love. It is wonderful, though, isn’t it? You know,” I said pulling her close to me, “I’ve been thinking; I’ve got some money tied up in my old house still. Despite the damage, it’s in a sought after location and has to be worth a good few bits. Pewter has control of my estate, so if I asked her she’d be able to sell it for me in no time.” I rolled my shoulders, letting the water do its thing. “This place, this village…” I sighed, not even being bothered to finish my sentence. What did it matter here? I could just close my eyes and nod off.

Tingles smiled luxuriously. “It feels right doesn’t it? Like… home. A real home. No noise, no shouting, no fighting, no dealing with the worst villains Equestria can throw at us.” She moaned softly, closing her eyes. “I’ve had enough of all that. Enough to last me two lifetimes, never mind one. We belong here, love. You and I, together in our own little country hideaway.” She chuckled, “Hey, do you think Grimble would sell the Wyvern’s Tail to a couple of townies?”

“I don’t know. Maybe,” I mused. “But if not we could always build a house here. I doubt real estate’s exactly expensive in these parts, and there’s more than enough land for a small holding, if not a full size farm if wanted. The locals are pretty friendly too.”

“Except the timberwolves,” Tingles added.

I nodded in agreement. “Except the timber wolves, true, but this place: the smell of the forest, the fresh mountain air, the hot springs – We’ve only been here five minutes and yet I just can’t imagine leaving it to go back to the chaos of the city.” I lifted one of my forelegs. It was like a road map of Equestria, all laid out in a cobweb of fine scars. They were barely visible, but I knew they were there. Every arrest that had descended into a fight, every time I’d cut myself jumping walls and fences to apprehend some thug down the back streets and alleys of Manehattan – it was all there. The unspoken story of my life. “You know, when I was younger I couldn’t wait to leave Ponyville. I wanted to see the bright lights, to feel the excitement and challenge of working in the big smoke. To me it was this ‘big adventure’ that I was missing out on. For a naive young stallion it was like a siren call to my testosterone, and I leaped at the chance of a transfer when the opportunity came up. I suppose the small town life seemed so boring back then – a backwater where ponies went to vegetate before being put out to pasture. But when we took the girls back there, it… called to me.” I shrugged. “Not so much Ponyville itself I mean, more the country life, the open air and quiet of it all. Ha! Maybe I’m getting old!”

“Only if I am too,” Tingles chuckled quietly. “But what about the agency? We couldn’t just up sticks and leave, could we?”

I huffed loudly. “I’d like to say to hell with them, but we have to find Shadow first, love. She’s still trapped in the Wither World, and I need Luna’s help, to help her. Once she’s here then I’d be more than happy to wave ta-ta to those suited miseries in the agency.” I groaned and worked at a stiff joint in my hind leg. “I know you’ve never met her, but-”

“I think I have though,” Tingles cut in. “In the dream I told you about, remember?” She brushed at her fur in thought. “I know how important she is to you and Meadow. Now, she’s important to me too.” A gentle smile ghosted across her lips. “The Fairlight herd. Our family.”

I gave her a nuzzle, “Our family.”

A herd, eh? I could live with that. I won’t say the thought hadn’t crossed my mind of course, but to hear it from Tingles was the final piece that made the puzzle complete - the finished masterpiece that was the Failight herd. Meadow, Shadow, Tingles, Sparrow, and good old Fairlight the ‘Lord of the four winds’ - a veritable legend in his own lunchtime. Ha! Ah, if only mum could see me now. She’d have gone absolutely bloody spare! And you know what? I just didn’t give a toss either. Not at all… Lying there, floating in the deliciously warm water, life seemed far too short to be worrying about such trivial things. This was my time. This was our time. The trip to the mountains could wait until the next day. Or maybe the day after that. Who the hell cared?

We spent the rest of the day exploring the village. Smiling Borders had a surprisingly broad array of home made goods for sale. There wasn’t particularly what you would call a market here as such, but more of a collection of artisans who traded with one another from the front of their homes. Money meant little here too I noticed. After all, where would you spend bits other than in the tavern? Hmm, now that I thought about it, I don’t remember Grimble asking for any money. Oh, gods, was that why he was so pleasant all the time? I was going to get stung, wasn’t I? I could picture it now, ‘Here’s the bill my lord!’ and me falling over in dead faint as my savings vanish like last nights brandy down the sodding privy. I didn’t say anything to Tingles, though, it would doubtless upset her if I were to air my concerns over Grimble and the mystery bill for our break. She was the happiest I’d ever seen her, and that was saying something. Sure, she could have her moods, but didn’t we all? No, I’d have a word with the old griffin when I got back before things got too out of hoof. Room for two, dinner, breakfast, exclusive brandy, cigars, tobacco, use of the spring, towel and wash kits – I felt sick. And what about the service charge? I bet that was going to seriously hurt! Maybe I should insist on some discount for the saving the goat, but if this lot were anything like they were in Pewter’s hamlet, I doubted that would hold any water. It would go against my own personal morality too.

“Ooh! Look at this! I’ve always wanted a set of designer panniers.” Tingles lifted the set of pack up, inspecting them. “They’ve even got a small pack on the sides! Oh, Fairlight, what do you think?”

What did I think? Well, I have to say they looked like they were properly made and pretty good quality overall. Brown leather by the looks of it, with brass buckles, straps, and… hmm… “Are these made here?” I asked the pony behind the counter.

The mare shook her head. “No.” She leaned back in her rocking chair and pulled the shawl round her shoulders. “We makes what we need is all. Don’t be makin’ what we don’t.”

Gods, that accent! It was like country drawl meets boulder country. I checked the pockets, the stitching and I they were indeed a well made set. What worried me was the indentations on the leather and the stains that looked strangely familiar. “There’s some damage to the corner here,” I pointed out. “A few stains… How much have you got on it?”

“Hunnerd bits,” came the immediate reply.

“A HUNDRED BITS?!” Oh Luna, I knew it! These rats were going to fleece the living daylights out of us! I was about to put the panniers down when Tingles jumped in.

“Would you take a little less?”

“No. That thar set be worth a good soight more’n that, missy.” The burgundy coated earth pony mare tamped her tobacco in her pipe and took a good pull on it. “You buyin’ or no?”

“Hang on,” I said noticing something peculiar. It was hard to see, no doubt faded with wear, but there was a set of initials stamped into the inside of the pannier flap. ‘E.I.’, and another stamped underneath - ‘C.S.A.R.’ I knew what that was.

“Fairlight?” Tingles moved up to me, her voice low. “What is it?”

I took a breath and smiled at the artisan who was too busy fussing her mangy old dog to be bother with us.

“These packs...” I swallowed. “They’re from a missing expedition.”

“Missing expedition?” Tingle’s glanced from me, to the packs, and back again. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t you remember the archaeological expedition that went out into the Everfree around five years ago? It was all over the papers?” I tapped the flap of the pannier. “Ernest Intent?” She stared at me blankly. “The professor of the Celestian Society for Archaeological Research?” Tingles shrugged helplessly. She sure as hell wasn’t making this easy on me! I tried again. “The C.S.A.R sent an expedition from Canterlot to the Everfree to look for the lost city of the two sisters. The princess was away on a diplomatic mission at the time and a lot us believed that the professor had timed his departure deliberately to avoid having the princess say ‘no’. So, off they went, all twelve of them including some hired yakistani mercenaries.” I watched Tingles’ eyes. “They were never heard from again.”

The pegasi’s face went pale. “I remember. The princess refused to send a rescue party.”

“Exactly!” I tapped the pannier, pointing to the marks on the corner. “The official line was that they’d been involved in a tragic accident with a rogue dragon and had all been killed. Gods know, it could be true, but nopony ever went to investigate so far as I knew. The station was abuzz with it for months.”

“They… could have just found these, right?” Tingles whispered. “I mean, this is a big forest, Fairlight and these people probably forage there all the time. It doesn’t mean they-” She froze. A griffin had appeared from out of the cottage and was whispering to the shopkeeper. The two kept glancing over in our direction.

I put the panniers back. “Thank you for letting us have a look round, miss,” I said pleasantly. I leaned towards Tingles, trying not to sound worried. “Come on, let’s get back.”

I don’t know whether I’d been overthinking things, or whether it was just my watch training kicking in, but suddenly Smiling Borders’ lustre had dulled ever so slightly for me. Grimbles odd glance at Tingles, panniers from a dead stallion… It could all so easily be explained away. Tingles could be right – the villagers could very well have stumbled across the remains of the expedition and simply recycled what they’d been able to salvage. They weren’t the first group of intrepid explorers who’d toddled off into the great unknown only to vanish without trace. In fact, Grimble had said himself that a large part of the village’s income had been based off the amount of ponies coming here seeking adventure and fame. It was all perfectly plausible. After all, they’d never been found by any official search party so far as I knew, but neither had they ‘officially’ bothered looking for them in the first place. Now you may have thought there would have been uproar about such a hard-line decision being so candidly announced to the populace, and I for one would be inclined to agree, but if there is one thing Celestia knows, it is how ponies think. It was no secret that the families had been helped financially by the palace, the papers were full of how grateful they were and how their children would be sent, free of charge, to the best schools in the land. Funerals, sans corpse, were held to a big spectacle of public mourning, and the very next day the world carried on turning just the way it always had. So all things considered, coming across some old set of panniers wasn’t that big a deal, right? So why was I feeling so on edge? Something stank here, and I can safely say that for once, it wasn’t me. That soap truly had worked wonders on the old Fairlight hide, and my hair trim was quite smart too. Tingles had quite the talent for mane dressing as it turned out. I could only hope that we could enjoy the rest of our break without any more peculiar incidents. That said though, I was going to keep that damned door locked at night and a PDW on me at all times.

That afternoon, our fairly scant purchases secured in our room, we set off on a pleasant stroll through the village and up to the hills where we had a view of the cloud shrouded mountains. It was, like so much of Smiling Borders, astoundingly beautiful. To think that a thousand years ago this majestic place was a scene of such carnage and destruction that the world would be forever changed, didn’t seem real. If I hadn’t seen it through Maroc’s eyes I wouldn’t have believed it possible. History books, those few that made even a passing mention of it, could never do justice to the sheer scope of the utter brutality of that now ‘romanticised’ time in our history. Shadow’s race, the thestrals, had been all but made extinct, their numbers never recovering after such losses. Even a thousand years later, they were now only a mere echo of a once mighty and proud race of warriors that faced down the ‘White Witch’ herself. As for the Celestian army, those loyal to Celestia, they hadn’t escaped the grinding wheels of war unscathed either, taking horrendous losses that would be unimaginable by today’s standards. But ultimately, light had won over the encroaching darkness. How ironic it was that the very mare who had brought our world to the brink of destruction now sat at her sister’s right hoof. Even if she was cowed by her older sibling, Luna was alive, which was a damned sight more than could be said for her army when Celestia’s rage had been unleashed. Anyway, I didn’t want to think of that now. The light was failing and it was time to get back to the tavern and get our things ready for our trip into the mountains tomorrow. After that, we’d have to see.

Grimble and Heather were chatting with one of the villagers when we returned.

“Love, you go up to the room. I’ll get something for tea and be up shortly, okay?”

Tingles nodded. “Don’t be long.”

“I won’t,” I assured her with a smile.

The villager, a pony by the look of them , trotted out, stopping to bob their head to me as they passed. “My lord.”

Good gods, they were all at it! I couldn’t see their face too well under the cloak they were wearing, but there was no sarcasm in their tone of voice. Spotting me, Grimble walked over and smiled. “My lord, how did you find our village?”

“Very nice, Grimble,” I replied honestly. “There’s some extraordinarily talented individuals here. Do you trade with other villages in the area?”

The old griffin shrugged. “Not after the stories spread about the fog and timberwolves, I’m afraid.” He indicated a chair by the fire which I took gratefully. “With the loss of our tourism trade and the attacks, nopony from the outlying villages wanted to come here to trade. I can’t say that I blame them. Some of us still visit the other villages from time to time, but you know how superstitious country folk can be.”

“I’d imagine minotaurs aren’t that common around here either,” I observed, accepting the glass of brandy from Heather.

Grimble laughed. “No! They’re an insular lot as it is. Travelling outside the village is unusual for them, although we have had the odd one leave here to find their fortune in the world ‘outside’. Silver Moss’s own nephew left to try his claw at making money hosting motivational seminars of all things. He comes back here from time to time for a visit, but I think Smiling Borders is a little old fashioned for him now.”

“You making me feel old!” I chuckled.

“Ah, peace and quiet are seldom appreciated by the young, my lord.” Grimble took a sip of his brandy. “‘A fire in the loins and a heart yearning for adventure’, my father used to say.”

“A wise griffin,” I noted.

“Aye, he was.” Grimble glanced up the stairs before passing me a cigar. “Care for one?”

Sadly, I held up a hoof shaking my head. “I’d better not. I can’t stop long, we’re flying out tomorrow.”

“You’re leaving?”

“To visit the mountain,” I said quickly, noting Grimbles’ eyebrows shoot upward. “We don’t plan on stopping there long. That’s assuming we find anything at all.” Grimble leaned back and nodded sagely. “Can I ask something personal?” I asked. The old griffin nodded as I continued. “Did we say something we shouldn’t have earlier today? Being from the city we may have come across as a little… crass? The last thing I want is to offend you, Grimble. You’ve been the perfect host for Tingles and I.”

Large avian eyes stared at the wall above the fireplace. I’d hit a nerve alright, although I hoped it was one we could deal with quickly and painlessly. Leaving wounds open, no matter how small, can fester in much large ones over time. Considering how this guy had control of our bill too, I wanted to keep him as sweet as possible.

He looked up at me askance before looking away again. “It’s nothing, really. Please, forget about it.”

I tapped my hoof on my chin, making sure I had his attention. “I’d rather not,” I said plainly. “If something is bothering you, my friend, then I would ask you to share it with me. I would not risk offending so gracious a host as yourself if it were within my power to resolve.”

Grimble froze. Had I gone too far? Maybe I should have-

“The princess,” he said carefully. “Some of us… have long memories. Memories passed down from father to son, mother to daughter - the stories of a time long since passed. Foolish, I know, but to hear her name spoken here...” Grimble sighed, chuckling ironically. “She wasn’t to know. It is I who should apologise, not you, nor the lady.”

“You won’t hear any complaint from me, old friend,” I said with a bob of my head. “The old bag’s no friend of mine. I promised to protect the ponies of Equestria as well as the royal behinds of Luna and big-and-tall, but it doesn’t mean I have to be best friends with them. Let’s just say I doubt I’d be on her Hearthswarming list.”

Grimble nodded slowly. He didn’t need to know why I felt the way I did about Celestia, but I think what I said resonated with him. To my surprise he reached out and clasped my hoof, giving it a firm, but respectful squeeze before saying, “Thank you.”

I didn’t know what to say. I just got up, wished both he and Heather a good night, and gave them our orders for the evening’s meal. In my line of work, speaking ill of Celestia was not a sensible career move at the best of times. Many a watchstallion or watchmare had been ‘reassigned’ or encouraged into early retirement following some off-colour joke or outburst. Naturally we all said stuff we probably shouldn’t have, but you had to remember that when you wore the uniform, the walls really did have ears. I’d found out early in my career that there was always some little shit in the wings after your job, and if they could drop you in it so they could ascend that career ladder one more rung, you could bet your last bit they’d do it without breaking a sweat. Teamwork only ever went so far, even in the watch. Personally I had nothing against Celestia other than the fact she massacred my ancestors, and would more than likely make me ‘disappear’ if she had so much as a passing thought that a wendigo was pottering around in her realm. Whether I was working for Equestria or not wouldn’t make the blindest bit of difference to her. She’d done it before, and I had to believe that she was more than capable of doing so again. I’d mentioned to Grimble that Tingles had no little knowledge of the country and was more than likely to say something about Celestia again. Thankfully he’d assured me he understood, and apologised profusely for any ‘misunderstanding’. As for the matter of the bill, I decided to leave that for another time.

Tingles and I spent the rest of the evening checking through our equipment and clothing for the trip into the mountains. Honestly, I was far less enthused about going than I had been at first. The prospect of flying over the Everfree, right up into those clouds to only the goddess knew where, was diluting my enthusiasm for adventure. The hot springs, the quaint village and beautiful surroundings, were crying out for me to stay there instead. Some of the locals were a bit odd, and that did trouble me a little, but I was determined not to let it ruin my holiday. I suppose it’s true what they say though, ‘Once a watchpony, always a watchpony’. Switching off from the mind set of doubting everyponies honesty, living in a world of suspicion and mistrust, was hard. Very hard. Tingles on the other hoof, was like the counterbalance to my mindset. She had a remarkable talent for looking on the bright side of things, cheering me up with little more than a gentle smile. Right now was I sat on the edge of the bed brushing her long green mane. She seemed to like me doing this too, and I found it exceptionally therapeutic. The steady regular rhythm of the brush gliding effortlessly through that lustrous fall of dark green hair had her humming some hypnotic melody I’d never heard before.

“That’s a lovely tune, does it have a name?” I asked, letting her hair slip around my hooves.

“Maybe… I don’t remember,” Tingles mumbled. “Mum sang it to me when I was a foal. Guess I just never forgot it.”

“Do you keep in touch with your folks?” I asked.

She shook her head slightly. “Not so much these days. We were never really that close as a family, and we only drifted further apart as I grew up. Mum and Dad always saw me as a bit of hanger on I suppose. Once I’d left college, that was it. They couldn’t wait to get rid of me.”

“Tingles…”

She shrugged. “No, it’s okay, I’m over it now… it was a long time ago.” Tingles smiled sadly. “They loved me though, in their own way.”

“You’re a very special mare,” I said gently. “They would be very proud of your work in the agency, if they knew what you did there.”

“Maybe, I don’t know, especially after… when… Ahhh! Damn it, this place is making my head go funny!” Tingles huffed, grabbing a pillow and hugging it for all it was worth.

“Is there something bothering you love?” I asked concernedly. “You know so much about me, but I know very little about you. I won’t pry, but if there’s anything you want to talk to me about, anything at all, I’m here for you. You know that.”

She smiled and leaned her head on my shoulder, “Yeah… I know.” Tingles gave a deep sigh. “Fairlight, I… I was in love once before, with somepony back in our home town. I was a lot younger then and didn’t really understand my own emotions, but… I still knew how I felt about her. At least, I thought I did.”

“Her?” I asked in surprise.

She nodded. “Yeah, I know it sounds like I’m a… you know… but it’s a part of my life, a chapter that’s over, and yet it still haunts me. Her face…”

I worked at a knot in her tail, carefully prising the hairs apart. “Who was she?”

“Her name was Candle,” Tingles replied. “She was a local shopkeeper’s daughter. We’d gone to school together, grown up together really, and over time, we became close. One day, I knew… just knew, that she was my special somepony. And I thought I was hers.” She huffed ironically. “I really did.” Tingles rubbed a foreleg over her face, the pain of what had happened to her still clearly evident. Some scars, as I know all too well, never quite heal. “When I was still a filly she introduced me to her brother, Velvet,” she continued. “He was a lot older than us and had a strange way of looking at me whenever I visited. He frightened me, but at the time, I didn’t know why.”

I put down the brush and held her hoof, sitting quietly as she talked. She’d never opened up to me like this before and I felt honoured she would share her past with me. Unfortunately I didn’t like the direction the story was taking. Call it a hunch, but this Velvet sounded like bad news.

“Mum and Dad had gone to work,” Tingles explained, “and as I was old enough to be left at home, home I stayed. Candle had arranged to come round to see me that morning and when the door bell rang, I… I thought it was her and opened it without checking.” I found myself frozen, holding my breath. I was hanging off her every word. “Velvet had been drinking,” Tingles continued. “He pushed his way into the house and locked the door behind him. He said we ‘wouldn’t want to be disturbed’, or something like that…” She began to tremble, tears welling in her eyes and rolling down her cheeks.

I reached up and swiped them away gently. “It’s alright love,” I whispered, “you don’t have to go on if you don’t want to.”

Tingles shook her head. “No, Fairlight, I want to tell you. If you hate me for it later then… I’ll understand, but I don’t want secrets between us. You do understand that, right?”

“Of course. Please…” Gesturing to her to continue, Tingles picked up where she’d left off.

“Velvet pushed me onto the couch and dumped himself down next to me,” she said quietly. “He literally stank of booze. It was so strong it actually made my eyes sting. He started blabbing about all the mares he’d bedded, how they were all whores and that he’d ‘get his own back’ on them one day. I didn’t know what to say. All I could do was keep praying Candle would appear to save the day. She didn’t. There was only me… and Velvet. He tried to get me to drink, but it was this vile clear stuff that made me choke when he suddenly tipped it into my mouth. It took me years to try spirits after that. Every time I had one the memory would come racing back, like he was there, sitting beside me… grinning.” Tingles took a deep breath, “He… he tried to touch me, but I pulled away. It only made him angry and… and he hit me. I was so shocked I didn’t know what to do, and before I knew what was happening he grabbed me and dragged me off the couch and onto the floor. He…” She sniffed in a tear. “He said I was his sister’s ‘gift’ to him, that he would ‘make me a mare’ and then he… Oh, Fairlight! He…” Tingles shook with the pain of the memory, her tears soaking into my coat while I held her, stroking her mane. I knew what the bastard had done. Scum like that had no place in this world. The pain and suffering they caused made my blood boil, stirring the spirit from its slumber.

Tingles took a shuddering breath. “It hurt. It really, really hurt! But he didn’t care, Fairlight, he just didn’t care! Again and again and again, it felt like an eternity of pain and… Dear goddesses, I can still see his face…” The tangerine mare took a moment to wipe her eyes. “My father came home early and found me curled up crying on the floor. He knew what had happened straight away without my saying a word. He’d seen Velvet leaving our house - still drunk, the slimy bastard.” I noticed her stroking one of her wings, a unconscious act that was probably a habit she developed to comfort herself whenever she was in pain. It made my heart cry out for her. “My parents took me to hospital and while I was there I was interviewed by the local watch. Velvet was later arrested and jailed for a while. I don’t remember how long for, but it wasn’t nearly long enough for what that monster did to me.”

“What about Candle?” I asked.

Tingles turned to face me, her eyes shimmering with tears still welling up in them. “She… She blamed me.”

“Oh, no, Tingles…” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

She held up a hoof. “She said it was my fault her brother had been taken away, that her precious brother, her perfect brother, wouldn’t have done what he did to me unless I’d ‘encouraged him’. Candle called me…” Tingles swallowed. “She called me liar and a whore, Fairlight. She wouldn’t listen to anything I said. I tried explaining to her what had happened. I tried everything to make her see that it wasn’t my fault, even trying to excuse his behaviour by blaming it on his drinking. Do you know what she did? She slapped me. She slapped me and then spat in my face before walking away. And I just stood there, watching my life fall down around my ears. All my dreams, the love that I had in my heart, crumbling to dust like it had all meant nothing – nothing at all. Their family moved away after that. I never saw them again.” Tingles pushed away from me and sat down on her haunches. “Am I a whore Fairlight? A fillyfooler? A dirty, filthy, nothing? Sometimes… sometimes I think I am. I’m not a good pony. You don’t know some of the things I’ve had to do over the years. Terrible, terrible things…” I slid off the bed and took her hoof, but she snatched it away momentarily before relaxing enough to let me hold it. Her voice was shaking so much I could barely make out the words, “You hate me now… don’t you.”

I gazed into her eyes with a gentle smile. “No. No, of course not. I love you as much now as I ever did. You brought the sunshine back into my life when I was lost in nothing but darkness. For that alone, for being who you are Tingles, I have no words to express how happy I am to be with you. I could never hate you, and I don’t ever want you to think I do, okay?”

Tingles nodded and gave me a peck on the lips. “Time for bed now, Captain. We have an early start in the morning.” She trotted round the bed and slid under the covers giving a contented sigh. I snuggled in next to and gave her light kiss on the cheek.

“Goodnight my tangerine marefriend,” I murmured.

“Goodnight, Mister Salt.”

Then I heard the best sound I’d heard all evening - the sound of a mare’s laughter.

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

Well I don’t know how early country folk get up around here, but by the gods it looked like the whole village had come to see us off. Still a little bleary eyed, but with our carriage packed, our flight gear all snugly in place, the last thing I’d expected was to have several hundreds villagers filling the green outside the tavern to wish us well. Grimble must be the hub of gossip alright, but I really wish he wasn’t! I’d had a hell of a fright when we’d pulled the carriage round to find them all standing there cheering. For a moment I thought that was us done for, that we were going to end up like the poor sod who owned that old set of panniers. Tingles hadn’t seemed that bothered by the unexpected attention, but it had taken all I had to keep my hoof away from my PDW. Apparently we’d become some sort of local celebrities, probably because of the whole timberwolf and goat incident. Who’d have guessed, eh? Mind you, Heather crying into a polka dot hanky was one of the most bizarre things I’d seen for quite some time, so that gave me a guilty smile. She was…hmm… a ‘very nice minotaur’. Yes! That was it. I was still a bit intimidated by them truth be told, and I mentally kicked myself for my own prejudices. Strange they may be, but they were nothing at all like the Earl and his son from the purple sands tribe. That bastard had deserved his gruesome end, and I had been all too happy to provide it.

I had to stop thinking of things like this too; my dreams last night had been horribly, and very disturbingly, vivid. Meadow, Tingles, Gates, Melon Patch, and this other bastard, what was his name? Velvet? In the dream I shared the horror, the pain, and the utter helplessness of the mares. I’d wanted to help them, to somehow stop what was happening, to strike down the animals that were hurting them. My anger, my hate and lust for vengeance, was only now fading away. The name Velvet though… It couldn’t be the same as that gangster from Manehattan could it? Coincidence is one thing, but his attitude towards mares, let alone what the swine had done to Tingles, seemed all too much like the behaviour I’d expect from that vermin. I’d only ever dealt with incidents at his nightclub, usually underage drinking, fights, that sort of thing. But of the boss, the one who had been implicated in more nefarious activities than you could shake a hoof at, there’d never been any sign. Sure, there were hints, suggestions, the odd name dropping, but never enough to be able to put him away. He was also the boss of those two bastards who’d… Oh, gods, I was doing it again, wasn’t I? I’d awoken that morning to find whisps of mist in the room and a fine layer of ice on the bed covers and window. It was like that night in the facility all over again. Thankfully the early morning sunlight had quickly disposed of the embarrassing evidence and I’d nearly collapsed with the overwhelming sense of relief. As odd as it sounds I felt like a foal who’d wet the bed and was trying to hide the wet patch. On a magical level, maybe that’s what this was – my subconscious mind releasing magic in response to distress brought on by unpleasant dreams. Whatever the cause, I was damned lucky I hadn’t hurt Tingles who, incredibly, had slept through it all. That said, in the Wither World my magic hadn’t hurt Shadow, so maybe it only affected my enemies? Maybe… but it still worried me just how little control I had over it when I was asleep. Hopefully the ruins of the fortress would hold at least some clue to this little mystery, although I had my doubt we’d find much more than a strong desire to return to the hot springs as soon possible. As for Maroc’s memories and the unusually silent spirit, they’d left me to figure it out for myself.

And so, with a lot of waving and shouting, we soared up into the morning sky over the Everfree. Wind whipped at my mane, the fresh breeze full of the tantalisingly fresh scent of pine trees mingled with the clean bite of mountain air. It was slightly overcast, but warm enough so as not to be unpleasant. With luck the sun would burn off the worst of the clouds before long anyway. Here, unlike much of Equestria, the weather had a wild and untamed quality that no weatherponies would ever dare to tackle. Come to think of it, the weather bureau never even bothered with a city as heavily populated as Manehattan, so it shouldn’t be that much of a surprise. That place had so much rain that virtually every shop you came across sold umbrellas. Last year the ‘in thing’, fashion-wise, had been hats with an umbrella attachment. Honestly I thought they were really useful, but as with all trends they vanished almost as soon as they’d appeared. It turns out that looking like an escaped mental patient didn’t do much for sales after all. Tingles took the chariot up and over the outskirts of Smiling Borders, spiralling as she gained height. In no time our idyllic holiday retreat was no more than a faint speck on the edge of the forest, along with the promise of a hot soak that evening too. Putting that aside, our next task was to find a place where we could land the sky carriage to allow me to ‘change’ without being seen. As much as I like the villagers of Smiling Borders, the sudden appearance of a wendigo may have a detrimental effect on my current appeal. Might knock a bit off the bill though...

My pilot’s pegasus eyesight was a godsend. Before long she’d spotted a convenient clearing with a rock overhang, absolutely perfect for leaving the carriage. Gradually we descended, coming to a neat rolling halt in the lush grass. Unharnessing herself from the carriage, I helped push the carriage under the overhang and began collecting some branches to hide it from any prying eyes. Not that I expected any of course, unless you expected a band of thieving raccoons to roll up and start pinching things, but stranger things had happened. Who knew what lived here in the forest? We were well into timberwolf territory here now, but it would be fatally naive to believe they were the only danger lurking in its shadowy depths. Divesting myself of my flight suits, I set it aside and began dividing our packs, panniers and bags ready for the next leg of the journey. We worked quickly and quietly, keen to avoid staying here any longer than absolutely necessary. Less time here meant less likelihood of becoming a prospective dinner for the Everfree’s bigger, and likely hungry inhabitants. I strapped my sword in to prevent the blade slipping out of the scabbard during flight, checked my flasks, my PDW, and fitted my TED. In some respects it was like being back at work, if you ignored the fact that at least there they gave you a briefing on what to expect. Here, we had almost nothing to go on. Winds, thick cloud, and probably no more than a load of old rocks was the least of our worries. What really troubled me was the possibility of some sort of magic lurking in the mountains intended to ward off intruders. At least, that was the impression I got from Grimble. I shrugged to myself; we’d find out one way or another soon enough. For now there was one more thing left to do…

I reached inside. There it was, the spirit from the netherworld. It had been waiting for me, watching through my eyes like some patient predator. I’d never felt frightened of it before, but the way it was just… ‘sat’ there, unmoving, and unusually compliant too, made my hackles go up like they never had before. It said nothing, its blue eyes observing my every move. I gave myself a shake, pushing away my doubts. I don’t know what had been wrong with me lately. I’d been seeing conspiracies, duplicity and plots around every corner. Was I starting to crack up or something? It wouldn’t surprise me with all the crap that had been going on these last few months, but why now of all times? I could see Tingles from the corner of my eye and I smiled at her to try and put her mind at ease before letting the power and strength flood into me, making my muscles twitch and pulse. The wings burst from my back making me wince, although the shock of pain vanished mercifully quickly. Meanwhile Tingles watched my transformation warily, her eyes wide. The sight seemed to frighten her for some reason. She’d seen me change before hadn’t she? At Pewter’s home up on the hill, she’d been there, she’d seen everything. So what was wrong?

“Tingles? Are you alright?” I asked in concern.

“Huh?” She started slightly, then shook her head. “Sorry, Fairlight, I just can’t seem to get used to the way you look when you turn into… that.”

I liked the emphasis on the word ‘that’! I pushed my wings through the slits in my customised pegasus flight suit, ignoring my injured pride. “I wish I didn’t have that affect on ponies, love, least of all you. For better or worse it’s a part of me now, but I’m still me, even if I do look different.”

Tingles looked away, blushing slightly. “I know… I’m sorry.”

“Oh, stop apologising Mrs Salt and let’s shift flank,” I said trying to sound as jovial as I could. “I want to get there and back while we have light. The sooner we do that the sooner we can enjoy the rest of our break.”

That seemed to change the direction the conversation was going in, and with a few beats of my wings I was airborne, with Tingles effortlessly gliding up beside me. Goddesses I wish it was as easy as she made it look. The sly smirk she gave me said it all too, the cheeky beggar. Far from the neatly feathered wings of a pegasus, mine were more like dragons wings: large, leathery affairs that battered the air rather than becoming one with it as Tingles seemed to do so naturally. I’d get used to it eventually of course. And if I really concentrated, I might even convince myself that was true too. I hung my head for a moment, then did my best to relax. We still had a long way to go yet.

We used the river for navigation as we headed north, the sparkling watercourse snaking elegantly through the lush greenery far below a beautiful contrast to the darker surroundings. As Twilight had predicted, it followed a slightly different course from the one the map suggested, but it was close enough. My dream-memories of the last day of the war when Maroc had raced back to his home weren’t going to be of much use here though. The chaos of the poor sods last moments, the fear, smoke and confusion, gave me little to go on other than the sight of the mountains themselves, and for that I’d have to be virtually on top of them. Meanwhile the forest canopy whipped past in a green blur, and we were making good progress by the looks of things. Occasionally flocks of brightly coloured birds would rise up and speed across the treetops, either alarmed at our presence or simply doing what birds normally do. Perhaps Tingles knew? She was half bird, wasn’t she? I chuckled to myself, letting the magic and wind flow with each long beat of my wings. I was starting to get the hang of this, and despite my earlier misgivings I was feeling quite positive that we would find what it was we were looking for - even if it was just a load of old rocks. I shook my mane, feeling the air tickling my ears. From what I’d seen of the fortress through Maroc’s eyes, the structure had been immense, perched impossibly on the side of one of the mountains. Could recognisable parts of the ruins really have survived in the frozen conditions for a thousand years? Stonework, probably, but what if there was more? Ice did preserve things to a degree. I recall some of the finds from one of the more notable archaeological expeditions that had been in the national press when I was a youngster. Creatures, mummified in ice flows far to the north, preserved and photographed, their remains now in the natural history museum were put on display for all to see. As a foal I’d been fascinated to see such macabre sights, and here I was with that same feeling of foalish excitement of going on a trip to somewhere new. A journey of discovery in its purest sense. Even at my age, that sense of wonder had never quite left me. Mum had told me once that stallions were just colts in bigger bodies, and who knows, maybe she was onto something. What did it matter anyway? Not a damned thing! Damn, I felt good! I banked to the left, then to right, feeling how the wind buffeted me as I rose and fell in this peculiar element. Tingles watched me from the corner of her eye, trying to hide her smile. She was protective of me, like a mother in her own way. To her, perhaps she really did see me as being something of a foal at heart. She still loved me, and that was all that mattered when it came down to it. I looked up at the sky, wondering what the time was. It was tempting to check my old pocket watch and see how long we’d been flying for, although I didn’t think it had been that long in actuality. I was also conscious of the risk of being fatigued when we hit the doubtless cold winds and cloud near the mountains themselves which Grimble had warned us about. Deciding to leave my watch safely in my zipped pocket, I hit my TED.

“Tingles, you okay over there?”

“All in order here, Cap’,” Tingles called back. “You doing alright yourself?”

“Not as well as the seasoned flight veteran apparently!” I laughed. “These things take some getting used to.”

“You want to take five?” she asked.

“Affirmative on that, there’s a clearing up ahead.” I pointed to a spot just coming into view. “Want to follow me in and take a gander?”

“Roger that.”

We spiralled down to the side of the fast moving river to take a look at the wide clearing along its east bank. The river had swollen here at some time and undermined the trees in places, creating an area of rough ground suitable for a quick stop - if you didn’t mind the fuggy smell of damp soil and mouldy wood of course. There wasn’t any sign of life other than for a squirrel and a group of surprised looking birds that immediately vanished into the sky as soon as we swooped in. Bloody things, what a racket! Squawking like banshees, the birds had left us in no doubt as to how welcome we were here. Part of me half expected a bear or some other predator to come charging in to see what all the noise was about, but so far all I could hear was the sound of the wind in the trees and rush of the river. For once I made a fairly good landing too, which I felt quite proud about if I’m honest. At any rate it didn’t warrant a laugh from Tingles, so I took that as a good sign. Shaking my wings out, I folded them down by my side and reached into my pack to take out a flask of the silver fluid kindly gifted by the agency. A little nip was all I needed, making me wonder when I’d last had any of the tangy stuff. Now that I think of it, wasn’t it after I’d fought the timberwolf? Huh, it must have been. Still, this could pose a problem in the future if we ever left the facility to start a life of our own. Or would it? I didn’t have to use my wendigo magic, and the berries growing nearby should provide all I needed in a pinch. I certainly didn’t plan to be using the wendigo’s power when we were intending to settle down. At least not unless I fancied a sneaky flight one night when the villagers were in bed. Ha! Now that would really give them something to think about!

Tingles passed me a sandwich and took a mouthful of tea from her own flask. “Do you think we have far to go now?” she asked. “There’s still time to change your mind you know.”

I shook my head, “No. We’ve come this far, it would be a shame not have a look around at the very least. I don’t think it’s much further anyway; can you smell the air here? It’s icy. That’s from the mountains up ahead, and the water in the river looks different too.”

Tingles looked about her and nodded, “It’s certainly getting colder, that’s for sure.”

“Are you going to be okay? These flight suits are supposed to be thermally lined.” I put the last of my brief repast back in my pannier. “The cold doesn’t bother me much, but if you-”

“I’m fine,” Tingles cut in. “Honestly!” She shook out her wings, bobbing her head towards the mountains. “Well, whenever you’re ready, Captain?”

She’d taken to calling me ‘Captain’ again I noticed, slipping back into work mode without even noticing it. Ever the professional. As much as I would have been happy for her to stay warm and safe back in the Wyvern’s Tail, I was glad Tingles was with me. Good company, somepony you can trust having your back, what more could you ask for? I felt increasingly positive and even excited. “Come on then, slowpoke,” I shouted leaping into the air, “I’ll bet I get there before you. A box of chocolates says I do!”

She laughed, speeding upwards after me. “So long as they’re not those bloody awful salt things. You can keep them for yourself, I’d rather eat a bar of soap!”

We rose above the river and quickly began to close the distance with the mountains, drawing nearer with every sweep of our wings. Flying sure beat walking that was for sure. Not only was it an infinitely faster mode of travel, it was damned sight safer too. I shuddered to think what sort of nightmares had awaited the poor buggers who’d attempted to slog it on hoof through the Everfree, and that was before they even reached the base of the mountains. No wonder so many had gone missing; navigation in that dark mass of trees was near impossible without a compass, let alone having to combat the humidity, poisonous plants, and hungry locals. All I can say is that they had my respect, goddess rest their souls. Suddenly a thought popped into my head. Hadn’t that expedition been killed by a rogue dragon? It was years ago of course, but…

“Tingles?”

“Right here, Cap’.”

I felt stupid asking, but her eyesight was a lot better than mine, even with the wendigo magic. “There’s nothing up here but us up here, right?”

“Nope, just us.” She swooped near, her eyes covered by the large tinted flight goggles. “Worried about dragons, are you?”

I swallowed, feeling my cheeks burning. “The, um… the thought had crossed my mind. Yes.”

Tingles chuckled. “Don’t worry, we’re nowhere near the dragon nesting grounds out here. May be a few ice dragons around, but they don’t bother ponies as a rule. I’ll give you a shout if I see any.”

“Ice dragons?” I took a deep breath, steadying my nerves. “I thought dragons were, you know, just ‘dragons’?”

“Nah, there’s all sorts,” Tingles explained casually. “Fire dragons, water dragons, forest dragons – you name it. A dragon for all seasons.”

“Forest dragons?!” I felt a shiver run through me. “You’re kidding me, right? Gods, I thought timberwolves were bad enough.”

“We had to learn about them all at flight school,” Tingles continued. “When you’re snack sized like us, you have to know what’s out there that could gobble you up with one single snap of those big choppers of theirs.”

“Big choppers...” I muttered.

“Oh, don’t be such a worry-wart,” Tingles sniffed. “Celestia came to an accord with the dragon lord to make sure his kind didn’t prey on us, and in return we agreed we wouldn’t hunt them down to turn them into body armour. It all worked out pretty well in the end. They don’t bother us, and we don’t bother them.”

“Except when they go rogue?” I reasoned. “How do we know all dragons do as they’re told? Maybe they didn’t all get the memo?”

Tingles rolled her eyes. “There’s always going to be the odd one, like the ponies we have to deal with working for the agency, right? Think about it.”

“The bad apple, eh?”

“The bad apple,” Tingles nodded. “Anyway, with your super powers it would be a cinch to turn one into an ice lolly, wouldn’t it? Zap! And down he goes!” She swept past me as if to emphasise her words. “Oh, come on Mr Wendigo, this is supposed to be where you lot came from, isn’t it? You should be right at home here, not bothered by a few piddling little dragons.”

“My lot?!” My mane bristled. “I’m as much a pony as-”

She shot up in front of me and kissed me on the muzzle. “I’m joking, silly!” The tangerine pest rolled through air, looping around me effortlessly. “Are you honestly telling me you don’t know by now when I’m pulling your leg or not?”

I rubbed my muzzle with a hoof and sighed. “Of course, if do! I’m just… I dunno, a bit on edge is all. The memories of this place keep popping up in my head every so often, but they’re so fractious they don’t tell me much at all. And I can tell you one thing, there were dragons in Maroc’s time. Lots of them. And they didn’t have any qualms about turning ponies into charcoal briquettes either.”

“A thousand years ago, Fairlight,” Tingles pointed out, jabbing a hoof at me. “Don’t start going all woo-woo on me, now, love. Not when we’re so close, ‘kay?”

“Woo-woo?” I lifted my head up in surprise. “You wait ‘til I land, Miss Tingles. You’ll be for it then, you cheeky beggar!”

She stuck her tongue out at me. “Promises, promises!”

Re-energised by our playful banter we picked up speed, soaring high on the air currents and simply enjoying the unparalleled freedom of flight. Tingles gave me a few tips too, demonstrating how to bank more efficiently, how to flare your wings to slow your speed rapidly, and even how to perform a high-angle dive. She tried to get me to do it myself, but a few were way beyond my skill level, not to mention the self confidence necessary to pull off some of these potentially dangerous manoeuvres. Before long though, such enjoyable distractions vanished as Grimble’s warnings about the weather slowly began to manifest themselves. It was only a little at first, a touch of cloud here and there, the odd sensation of electricity in the air, but soon we found ourselves forced to fly ever lower just to keep our orientation. The river was increasingly important now, as the rest of the world gradually fading to a uniform white the further we went. I was beginning to have real trouble seeing too with the cloud thickening all the time. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the memories Maroc had shared with me. There was precious little to go on, but there were some tiny glimpses, a panoply of disjointed images, that gave me heart. The land here was different to how it had been during his time, the cloud far more dense, and there was a sense of… I’m not sure how to describe it – anticipation? Whether it was from the spirit or myself was hard to tell, but I felt a pull toward a point midway between two particular mountain peaks that appeared every now and again in the brief breaks in the cloud.

“Fairlight!” It was Tingles. “There’s something down there!”

“Where?” I shouted back. “Damn it, I can’t see a blasted thing!”

“Follow me in!”

Tingles’ green tail appeared in front of me, a beacon of light in the emptiness of the cloud. I didn’t need to be told twice! I stuck to her like glue, following her down through the white soup. Gods, I hated this. Heading down, with no way to tell which way was up and which down, made my stomach lurch horribly. Until suddenly, the cloud fell away and the ground appeared in all its terrifying glory.

“Pull up!” Tingles yelled. “We’re coming in too fast!”

My legs flailed helpless, my wings flapping like torn sails in a hurricane. “Shit! Damn it, I’m-”

“Flare!” Tingles screamed. “Flare your wings, NOW!”

How, I don’t know. I really, really don’t know. But I did it. Hitting the wind with my wings outstretched was akin to hitting a brick wall, but a damned sight better than slamming into the rocks. As it was, I was lucky not to break my leg. Or my neck. Instead of that I managed more of twelve point landing – muzzle first, ears, back, arse, and several inelegant flips that would have appeared quite impressive if it hadn’t hurt like hell afterwards.

Tingles came rushing over. “Oh Celestia… Fairlight? Fairlight, are you alright? Are you hurt.”

I coughed, spitting out gravel, snow and other assorted debris. “Yes… Give me a minute.” I lay there, letting the spirit do its thing. Healing may be an advantage of hosting the spirit of a wendigo, but it didn’t make me immortal, nor did it take the pain away as fast as I would have liked. I’m sure the damned thing got a kick out of me suffering too. When it wasn’t speaking to me directly, I could sense its thoughts, its… amusement. Damned thing! I gradually pulled myself to my hooves, attended to by a fussing Tingles who was busy brushing the gravel from my flight suit. Thoughtfully she passed me a canteen to wash out my mouth before passing me some of the life essence.

“Fairlight?” She looked distraught. “I’m so sorry! I thought we were higher up than we were, but the cloud-”

I lifted a hoof, forestalling her. “It’s fine, love, don’t worry.” I swallowed, wiping my muzzle. “A little bashed about, but I’m still in one piece. Guess I need to work on those landings, eh?”

“You scared the life out of me!” Tingles breathed, pushing her muzzle into my neck. “Fairlight, I don’t like it here. There’s something weird about this place, something odd that’s playing with my eyesight, my hearing – everything!” She looked about us at the rocks. “We’re not welcome here.”

“I dare say,” I replied grimly. Something had caught my eye. It was a few feet away: ragged, torn, and faded from years of weathering. “Is this what you saw?”

Tingles walked over cautiously, careful of where she put her hooves on the loose ground. “Yeah...” She looked pale. “What is it?”

“My guess would be the remains of an airship.” I pointed to the numerous splintered and shattered planks of wood strewn across the rocks. Nearby, pieces of heavily damaged brass navigation instruments, crates, fuel tanks and the large propellers, lay smashed like the broken bones of some long dead beast. I’d seen airships plenty of times over Manehattan, and even Ponyville on occasion. They were the preferred method of travel for non-pegasi, the large rigid airships a safe, quiet, and environmentally friendly way of getting around Equestria that had an impressive safety record. Normally. In fact I don’t recall a single instance of one ever crashing - not surprising considering how slow they were – but this thing looked like it had hit the mountain with all the subtlety of a giant throwing an egg at a brick wall. Worse, there were… ‘other things’ too. Pieces of what looked like sticks at first glance, were anything but. The sun bleached scraps of what had once been living, breathing creatures, now shattered and thrown around in the same haphazard way the airship had been, spoke of the violence of their last moments.

“Those poor ponies,” Tingles breathed. “Just… left here.”

I stepped through the wreckage, looking for what I hoped would be there. Every airship had one. It wasn’t a legal requirement, so far as I knew, but… Yes… There it was. I reached down and brushed away the grit and dirt covering the long brass plate. Some of the wooden hull still clung to it, but the rest showed more evidence of heavy impact damage. The brass screws were bent almost double, the force necessary to do that making me begin to wonder whether Tingles had a point about us being unwelcome here. For that matter, I don’t think anypony was. These poor sods certainly hadn’t been. I read the name under my breath. “R.A.W Pandora’s Hope.” The Royal Airship Works. Only the very best were made there, usually only for governmental duties, postal deliveries, military use, and so on.

“Fairlight...” Tingles’ voice called over the TED. “I’ve found them.”

I closed my eyes, saying a silent prayer as I walked over. There they were, each and every one of them all laid out in a row, their final resting place covered by mounded gravel, rocks and a thin blanket of snow. At the head of each grave was a cairn - a simple marker made from the only available material for as far as they eye could see. There were no names recorded here, no way to know who lay beneath the death shrouds of grey and white in this bleak and inhospitable place. I was no forensic expert, but I determined they must have been buried long after the crash. Bone fragments were still visible in the wreckage, but the majority of the remains were here, respectfully buried. But by whom? The shopkeeper? Surely not. Who in their right mind would travel all the way out here to scavenge a wreck site just so they could sell the belongings of dead ponies? It didn’t make sense. I floated some of the wood up, inspecting the larger pieces for any hint of what had happened here. The official line had been a rogue dragon, but if it had been that then surely there’d be signs of claw marks, or teeth at least. So far though, I’d seen nothing that jumped out at me. That didn’t eliminate the possibility of the beast attacking the gas bags however. Of the actual airship’s actual superstructure there was precious little left at all - a few pieces ragged cloth, the thin light-weight framework that housed them virtually rotted to nothing. I sighed, nodding to myself sadly. Time and nature had hidden the secrets of the last moments of these poor souls well.

“It’s them, isn’t it.” Tingles moved closer to me, her ear drooping sadly. “The expedition.”

I nodded, motioning towards the airship’s nameplate. “I remember the name. The ‘Pandora’s Hope’ was one of the best airship’s in the royal fleet according to the newspaper report. A royal commission into the survivability of this class of airship concluded that there was nothing at all wrong with the design, which only deepened the mystery as to why she’d vanished. Bad weather, high winds and storms are one thing, but whatever made her crash must have been off the charts to bring one of these down.”

“It could have a been a dragon like the palace said,” the pegasus mare observed. “Those things can grow to immense sizes, and even a top of the line airship wouldn’t stand a hope in hell .”

“But out here?” I shook my head, look about at the cloud shrouded emptiness. “There’s nothing here for them; no food, no gold to horde – nothing.”

Tingles huffed. “Who knows the minds of dragons? Ice dragons live in wastelands, and they find food enough to keep them going. They’re a lot smaller than some of their bigger cousins though. Mostly they eat rabbits, foxes, wolves, that sort of thing.”

“And ponies?” I asked.

“If they didn’t get the memo...” Tingles hung her head and gave me a nuzzle. “Can we go now? I don’t think there’s anything here. Only death.”

“There is one thing,” I said quietly. “I want to say a prayer for them. It’s the right thing to do, love. Do you mind?”

Tingles shook her head, and the two of us stood before graves. Carefully, reverently, I place the name plate from the airship before the centre-most grave, securing it with some rocks. “Everypony needs to be remembered,” I said quietly. I closed my eyes, and began to recite the words I remembered from my youth. “Great goddesses of the heavens, creators of all that we are, and all that we hold dear, we ask your blessing for the souls of those departed...”

Whether the goddesses would listen to a wendigo or not, it didn’t matter. My words drifted away into the chill winds of the wasteland, lost to the void of the world around us and the uncaring vastness of the universe. We were so small, so utterly insignificant in the grand scheme of things, that something so trivial as the snuffing out of a single life, or even several, was about as notable as a leaf falling in the heart of a forest. Nopony had seen the end of these ponies. They had died, frightened and alone, only to be quickly forgotten as soon as the next interesting news article came along to distract the masses. To the individuals clinging to the falling airship, watching as death reached out for them, the rest of the world meant nothing. It was that moment, those few seconds of terror and the desperate will to live that they had focussed on. It was life. Everything wanted so desperately to live, to fight to the last to cling onto that faintest of sparks that made us what we are. And then the end came. If nothing else, it looked like it had been quick at least. They were with the herd now, and Equestria had just plodded along like nothing out of the ordinary had ever happened. ‘It was the way of things’, as dad used to say. It never made it any easier to see.

“You ready, love?”

Tingles looked up at me, a sad smile ghosting across her face. “Yeah. You okay?”

I nodded. “Time to go.”

We were soon aloft, and I was damned glad of it too. The crash site had been a surreal experience, reminding me of the graveyard in Manehattan where my family was buried. It too had that peculiar sense of calm, peace, and silence that felt out of place in such a busy urban environment. Here there were no carriages, carts and chariots clattering by, no birds singing, nor even the sound of the winds through the trees. There was only the hush of the breeze across the barren slope, lifting the last remnants of the airships skin. Soon, even that would be gone. One day somepony may come here and wonder at the cairns, another hardy explorer seeking adventure. Would they know who had died here? I doubted it. History was a subject that few had an interest in as it was, and books on the subject were few and far between. What there were, was usually relegated to the dustier corners of the libraries. I think it was one of the reasons I’d been willing to talk to Miss Sparkle. She was one the few ponies I’d encountered who had not only a knowledge of history, but also a keen interest in discovering more about our past. Without ponies like her there was a chance our people may end up blundering into the future with nothing to remind them of the mistakes of the past. Of course, that said they had the guiding light of Celestia to rely on didn’t they? After all, why did you need to bother yourself by such trifles as ‘thinking’ when somepony could do it all for you, right? Gods above, however had we survived?

We kept low and out of the worst of the cloud. We were well into the mountain range now, the sides of the great stone spires grey and barren, utterly devoid of life. Snow lay heavily upon the peaks, in places vanished up through the cloud layer to impossible heights. There was very little wind here I noticed too. And something else – a sensation in the air that made my fur tingle every now and again. Magic? My horn itched occasionally, but not much, so I wasn’t quite sure. One thing was for certain though, I didn’t much care for it. I kept close to Tingles. Every so often she would glance over her shoulder to check I was there, which I damned grateful for. If she’d wanted she could outfly me in a heartbeat, leaving me stranded there like a beached fish. It wasn’t a comforting thought, but… why was I even thinking that? Luna’s ears, I really didn’t like this place. It was messing not only with my eyesight, but also my nerves. The sooner we got this over with the better.

The river had long gone now, the landscape rapidly changing from lush green trees and sparkling water to an endless uninterrupted expanse of grey stone and white snow. According to Twilight’s map we were looking for a group of four mountains, which was somewhat akin to finding a group a needles in a bag of needles truth be told. Well that was going to be easy, wasn’t it! Damn it all… The spirit was keeping quiet at least, although its rumbling sense of anticipation was growing the further we penetrated into the range. I took that for what it was worth. Perhaps it already knew where we were going? Maybe it even knew the way? Ha! Of course it did. It knew everything: whatI was thinking, all my plans, even what I wanted to have for dinner that evening. It was, in the truest sense, a constant reminder of what I was now. I accepted it more now than I had at first, but having a pair of eyes watching your every move was disconcerting whichever way you looked at it. Still, at least it didn’t complain about me smoking which another inquisitive creature, one flying not too far away from me at this very moment, was prone to do. I guess you couldn’t have everything.

My mane suddenly twitched involuntarily, along with an intense itching from my horn that gave me quite a start. The spirit sat up, alert, making me pay more attention to our surroundings. It was hard to say for sure, but I had the feeling we were getting near. It could have been nothing more than my mind playing tricks on me, but the way the spirit was reacting it was too much of a coincidence to ignore. I narrowed my eyes, staring at the mountains around us, trying to find something that might give us a clue as to- There! Dear gods, what was that? Was this it?! I’d been starting to give serious consideration to turning around and heading back, yet now my heart was in my throat as I lifted up my goggles to try to get a better look. I wiped my eyes; it was difficult to make out, shrouded as it was in dense cloud like so much of the mountains, but there something there alright, fading tantalisingly in and out of view. Whatever it was looked to be a large stone outcropping, hanging off the side of one of the mountains like a giant grey birds nest, and not too far ahead of us either. As we approached I was gradually able to make out more detail, as well as the sheer scale of it all. It was covered in snow and ice, weathered beyond recognition, but it tugged at my memories like a fish on a hook. I knew then, in that heart-stopping moment, that this… this was the place we’d been seeking. The pass that lead to the fortress lay not far ahead.

My heart pounding, I tapped my TED. “Tingles! We’re near! The pass is just ahead of us.”

She didn’t reply, instead merely nodding as she followed me down to skip along the top layer of cloud as we approached our goal. The pass was the path to the fortress, and so far I could see was the most direct route. I couldn’t see it clearly, but I knew it was there alright. Maroc’s memories were finally coming into their own, guiding me in. And just as well too - the approach to the pass was quickly becoming shrouded in dense cloud with every beat of my wings. It swirled and clung to our fur as if alive: thick, damp and cloying. My horn began to itch furiously, warning me of a magic field nearby, although where exactly was impossible to tell in this whiteout. Keeping a sense of direction was becoming near to impossible too. With no way to orient ourselves I relied upon nothing more than Maroc’s memories, the ancient images telling me when to bank, which direction to turn, when to dive and climb. Of course, there was every chance that the terrain had changed in the millennia since he had last entered the pass, and I was well aware that at any moment I may plough muzzle first into the side of the mountain never to be seen again. The image of stone covered cairns flashed through my minds eye, but it was it too late to be thinking about such foolishly things like that now. I was committed to my course. I was on my way home. Dear goddess, I was coming home at last...

A strong wind sprung up and began buffeting us from all sides, stinging my nostrils and eyes. I cursed myself for being so impatient, pulling my goggles back down quickly. Tingles was keeping close to me, but she was clearly struggling herself. We slowed our forward speed and kept tightened formation until we were barely inches apart. Normally flying this close would be rightly considered dangerous, foolish even, however we couldn’t afford to lose one another in this cloud. If we did I had the dreadful feeling it would be the last time we saw one another. Alive. I gritted my teeth and kept my course. Surely we couldn’t be far off our destination now? At the back of my mind, a small nagging voice asked if this were nought but folly, if there was nothing here in this goddess forsaken place but a frozen death, a fools errand that could cost us both our lives. After all, the princess was no fool and would surely have placed wards here to prevent any adventurous souls finding it. But then, who but a fool would even think to look for a ruin halfway up a mountain beyond the Everfree forest? How many frozen corpses and bleached bones lined the path between that formidable sea of green and the freezing teeth of the mountains? Memories of dangerous winds and air currents screamed a warning in my head and I shouted to Tingles over the TED to close in on me as we tried to find a place to land. Easier said than done too, apparently. Damn it all, all I could see was white bloody clouds! It was near impossible to see anything of the terrain around us I remembered listening to watch pegasi telling cautionary tales of flying in ‘zero visibility’. I thought they’d been exaggerating, not being a flier myself, but now, great goddesses I understood it all too well. Tingles can’t have been more than a couple of yards from me but was all but invisible in the cloud. Worse, the blasted TED had decided this was the perfect moment to stop working. I tried to calm my racing heart. This situation was bloody ridiculous and, I realised, insanely dangerous. If we didn’t find a landing spot soon, I’d call the job off and get the hell out of there. It wasn’t worth our lives for something that could be nothing more than-

“SHIT!”

My wing caught something solid causing me to lurch away to one side – Whatever it was I’d clipped sent a rattle of fine pebbles down into the void. Beating my wings to hold my position, I looked at what I’d hit. Tingles pulled up beside me, flying in for a closer look. She lifted her goggles, peering at what I’d thought at first to be nothing more than a rock formation.

“Celestia…” she breathed. “Look at the size of that thing.”

Dragon bones. Lots, and lots of dragon bones. In fact, now that I was able to focus properly and distinguish the bones from the surrounding rocks, the pieces slowly came together like some enormous puzzle. It was a whole skeleton, wings and all, melded into the frozen rock of the mountain. I couldn’t stop staring at it, it was like some macabre painting created by a lunatic on one of his off days. A sudden vivid flash of memory made me gasp aloud. I’d seen this before! Another image burst through my mind. And then another. And I remembered. There was a battle here, fought between a wendigo and a war dragon sent by the white witch to slay his people. Maroc. It had been Maroc. This was the creature he had fought on that last terrible day, here above the pass. Realisation flooded me, adding new strength to my wings. From here I knew the way as if it were my own. The spirit inside me stirred in answer to my excitement; scenting, rumbling in satisfaction. It knew this place, it remembered it all, and I could feel it watching through my eyes. There was no anger emanating from it as I had grown so accustomed to feeling, only curiosity and a overriding sense of… longing.

We began our descent. Down to the floor of the pass, down through the endless cloud, keeping the rocky mountainside in sight to help us keep our orientation. Sure enough, a few minutes later we passed out through the bottom of the thick cloud and my hooves finally, mercifully, touched the solid floor of the mountain pass itself. Dear goddess. Dear, sweet, sweet goddess. We were here. We were actually here! How long had it been now? A few years? A thousand? Preposterous! No… No it couldn’t have been. My people, my wonderful, beautiful people. What? What do you mean they’re all gone? They couldn’t be. What a ridiculous notion! They were all here, singing and laughing as they flew through the mountains, full of life and love and joy. Listen to them! They couldn’t… They weren’t... Wind and snow moaned through the space between the ancient stone giants, carrying with it the plaintive echoes of the cries and screams of the fallen. Warriors roared in anger and pain as they were mercilessly cut down trying to protect those who could not defend themselves from the unstoppable wave of celestian fury. Blood flowed along the ground like a river, pony red and wendigo blue, mingling with the white of the snow, pooling around a fallen child of the tribe before trickling away to join its fellows. And there were so many more to join too: foals, fillies, colts, the elderly, the sick and wounded – all of them falling beneath the steel blades, arrows and magic of their cursed celestian killers. No amount of killing could sate them, no plea for mercy heard nor quarter given. Mother, father, son, daughter - it mattered not to them. There was no honour here, no decency for an already vanquished foe. Only murder. Cold blooded, mindless, murder. One day vengeance would be ours. One day we would regain our strength, rebuild our numbers, and then they would suffer for what they had done. They would howl for mercy before the end, for the release that only death could bring. Every. Single. One. We would cleanse the scourge of celestians from the land as wheat from the chaff, and we would bring the light of the goddess, the true goddess, to all who would serve her. The white witch would be the first to fall. And fall she would, just as she had brutalised and slain our-

“Fairlight! For the goddesses sake, snap out of it! Fairlight!”

The voice seemed far away. I didn’t recognise it at all. Who was she talking to? Arathea? Was she here? What was I doing here? I had to get away! I had to get Vela to safety, to the caverns before the celestians-

BANG!

Tingles’ hoof cracked me across the jaw with such force it took me to my knees. All the images, all the sights and sounds so vivid a moment ago, vanished in a flash of white light that made my world spin like a top. I shook myself back to the present to be confronted with a wide pair of frightened green eyes.

“Fairlight!”

“Tingles?” Dear gods, my head! I pulled myself onto my haunches, spitting blood from my mouth. She’d given me one belter of smack across the chops, splitting my lip. “What the hell just happened?”

“I don’t know!” she shouted anxiously. “One minute I was talking to you, and then you seemed to drift off into some sort of trance, and then… and then there were voices: screams, crying, ponies shouting for help, begging for mercy and… Oh, goddesses, Fairlight, I knew it! This place is cursed. It’s evil! We never should have come! We have to get out of here!”

I reached out a foreleg to comfort her. “Listen, love, it’s just the wind, that’s all.”

“The wind?!” Tingles looked amazed. “How can you say that? You don’t know what I heard! You were talking, shouting as if you were somepony else, like you were possessed!”

“There are memories here,” I said soothingly, “ones that want to be remembered, that should be remembered. All that pain, fear and loss has lingered in the air here, even in the very rock itself for a millennia, waiting for those would listen to their story. But memories are insubstantial, love, they can’t hurt you. They’re only echoes from the past, playing through our minds much the same way as a film projector in a picture house.”

Tingles shook her head. “I’m not so sure, but I hope to the goddesses you’re right. Bloody hell, Fairlight, I’ve never been so frightened in my life! Don’t do that to me again!”

“Okay, I promise,” I replied. “But keep that right hook ready just I case though, eh?” I tried to make light of the situation, although by the expression on her face my attempt had fallen predictably flat. “Look, we’re here now solet’s have a look around and then head back to the tavern. Agreed?”

That seemed to calm her down at least. Tingles gave herself a shake as she collected herself. “I don’t like this place, there’s a really bad feeling here. It’s something... I don’t know, something old, really old. But there’s something else too – it’s had it’s eyes on me since we arrived… watching me… waiting for me.” She shivered visibly. “I can feel it.”

I looked around but saw nothing but the rocks and snow of the pass. I knew what she meant though, there was a distinct sensation of being watched here that had the hair standing up along my back. The voices, memories and cries on the wind had affected me badly, Tingles too, but this was different. This was something that wasn’t connected to the ghostly memories of the pass. It felt more… recent somehow. At the risk of sounding overly dramatic, like us it didn’t belong here. I don’t think anything did for that matter, except ghosts. Carefully, I drew my PDW and checked its charge before removing the keeper on my sword for good measure. If something was out here, it would be full of holes before it got anywhere near Tingles. I released more of the wendigo’s power, sending out my senses to try and detect any presence, but here in the empty pass, there was nothing. Absolutely nothing. I think that complete absence of life, more than anything else, made we question why the hell we had come here at all.

I took a deep breath, clearing my mind of all extraneous thoughts. “Come on, the fortress is this way.”

The tangerine mare fell in behind me, her muzzle close to my flank more for comfort than to avoid actually getting lost. There was only one way to go now anyway; Maroc’s memories on that point as frighteningly clear as the last day he’d been here. And the less I thought about that fascinating little nightmare, the better. Around us the grey rocks, slick with ice and windblown snow, were interspersed with bleached white sticks, the only sign of growing things I’d seen since we’d entered the mountains. I wonder why I hadn’t detected them before? The spirit was usually to attuned to living things of all kinds, even plant life to a lesser degree. Stopping to look at one I picked it up in my magic to examine it more closely. Odd, it reminded me of- Tingles squeaked and took a step back as I dropped it. This was no stick, it was like the small pieces we’d found at the airship wreck - only longer. And more numerous. I closed my eyes and swallowed. The more I looked, the more I saw, wishing to all the gods I hadn’t. Heaven help us, the pass was literally carpeted with the pure white bones of countless dead ponies. Unicorns, pegasi, and even earth ponies, the slow decay of their earthly remains arrested by the freezing conditions lay where they’d fallen a millennia ago. Maroc’s memories, as nightmarish as they were, didn’t go anywhere near the unimaginable horror of what had transpired here. The killing in the mountain pass had been on a monumental scale that made my mind reel. In places the more complete skeletons were piled several deep, resting silently despite the ravages of time. It wasn’t all bones either. Rusted remains of armour and weapons lay with their owners, some of them still clearly recognisable, others nothing more now than orange and brown rusted lumps of corrosion.

A twinge in my horn made me wince. As I did, I glanced down and saw the outline of a large skeleton different from the rest. Not of a pony, and not, as it first appeared, an alicorn. The short horn, the sharp teeth and long wing bones, were surprisingly well preserved in the thick ice although any remaining flesh had long since rotted away. My memories flared once more but I was ready for them this time. The spirit rumbled quietly, watching, staring through my eyes at what lay at my hooves. There was no doubt about it. Here was my ancestor, last of the lords of the tribe of the four winds, master of the fortress of the four winds, husband to Arathea and father to Vela. Here he lay, side by side with the last of his people, slain by Celestia herself and left to rot on a forgotten mountainside.

Tingles walked over and peered at the skeleton. “He looks like-”

“A wendigo,” I finished for her. “Lord Maroc. This is the one whose memories I share.”

“My goddesses,” she breathed. “So this was the last lord of the four winds?”

I nodded. “I believe so. Hang on…” I moved some of the snow and ice, using my magic to melt it away from the frozen skeleton.

“Look!” Tingles cried, pointing with her hoof to something glittering in the bubbling, melted ice. “There’s something there.”

Carefully, I used my telekinesis to encompass the object and tried to lift it. There was a little resistance as it was freed, but then with a light cracking noise it floated up to hover before us suspended in my magic's aura.

“My gods, Fairlight,” Tingles breathed, “it’s... beautiful.” She reached out to touch it, but pulled her hoof back at the last moment, looking to me. “No. You should be the one to hold this. Maroc was your family, not mine.”

I nodded. She was right of course, but to say Maroc was family was something of a stretch. He’d died a thousand years ago, and goodness knows how many generations of ponies had been and gone before yours truly was even born. Who knew how many relatives I had out there that would have had just as much claim to this as I. If, in fact, I had any claim at all. Spirits, prophesies, books and folk tales aside, I was just a pony thrown into a crazy world that I knew bugger all about. This, here today in this frozen wasteland, was just one more piece of a bucket-load of lunacy in the universe of insanity that constituted what I laughing called my life. Still, it would be a shame to leave such a lovely piece of my past here to vanish from history forever. At least If I took it with us then I could preserve it and keep it for future generations. If there were any. I’d already lost my daughter, and I sure as hell wasn’t getting any younger either. I sighed, pushing that unpleasant thought aside as I carefully examined the pendant. The detail of the piece was exquisite, the fine metal links as strong today as they had been when Maroc had worn it last. I marvelled at how such a delicate thing had survived for so long in such unforgiving conditions. But survive it had. It was hard to comprehend that I was holding a piece of history before me, letting it hang there, gleaming for all the world to see. From the fine silver chain hung a delicate gold heart design, inlaid with a bright red gem that caught the light, twinkling like a small blood-red sun. I stared at the tiny heart and felt an ache inside me for a time long since passed, and a lost love, Maroc’s beloved Arathea. On instinct I floated it up and over my head, settling it around my neck instead of securing it in my pack. Whatever it symbolised, whether it was nothing more than a gift from a loved one or a symbol of office, I had no idea. But it felt right somehow, as though I were meant to find this.

I tucked the pendant into my flight suit and turned my attention to the pathetic remains of my forebear. So, this was how it had all ended for him, was it? They hadn’t even bothered to bury him, nor any of his people for that matter, instead letting them all rot up here wrapped in no more than a blanket of cloud, snow and ice. Maroc had deserved more that this, so much more. They all did. But to see the once great lord of the wendigo reduced to a pile of bleached bones on a forsaken mountain pass was hard to comprehend. To go from a powerful wendigo, beloved of his people and his family, to be reduced to this? This was wrong, on so many levels. The celestians shouldn’t have left him like this, even if he was their enemy. A single tear rolled down my cheek, the emotion of the moment pulling at my heart. One day, I vowed I would return here to bury him properly, along with all the others. Even if it took me years, it was the right thing to do.

Tingles kept silent, looking wary and fidgeting with her hooves. “Come on, love,” I said trying to sound positive, “let’s go. There’s not much more we can do for him here.”

She nodded and turned to follow me, staying never more than a few inches away. I understood how she felt all too well, this place was bitterly cold, the wind freezing our exposed manes and tails. Thank Luna we’d brought the thermal flight suits from the agency. They’d cleverly incorporated a cover for a users wings and, together with the goggles, covered us right down to our hoof covers. My eyes however I’d left exposed as the goggles interfered with my vision more often than not, and here in the pass I wanted all my senses as keen as I could make them. Thankfully wendigo didn’t seem to be affected by freezing temperatures, but not so Tingles, the mare was shivering and I could see her breath wreathing her muzzle.

I called to her over my shoulder. “I don’t plan on stopping here too long. The sooner we reach the ruins, the sooner we can get back to that hot spring.”

Tingles remained uncharacteristically silent. This was not like her at all, and I was beginning to worry about the tangerine mare. Damn it, I wish she’d stayed at the tavern, but she could be so infuriatingly stubborn at times! No, whether I liked it or not there was no way in hell she’d have let me go off on my own on such a perilous quest. I suppose if I’d been in her shoes, I’d probably do the same. We carefully walked along the frozen rocky floor of the pass with me taking the lead. We did our best to ignore the frozen remains, stepping around the scattered bones and keeping focussed on putting one hoof in front of the other. We were making progress, slowly but surely, until I saw something shining in the middle of the rough path making me pull up short. What the hell was that? It wasn’t metallic, but it was definitely glowing, and not with sunlight either. Magic maybe? My horn had been fairly quiet up until now, and took me by surprise as it unexpectedly began itching so much it made me gasp aloud. I reached up and rubbed it, trying to ease the horrible sensation. Gods, it was like being covered in bloody fire ants! I’d always been sensitive to magic fields even as a foal, the teacher at school treating it as more of a handicap than a helpful indicator of potential danger. Naturally, ponies didn’t face any dangers in Equestria, did they? Of course not! It was all fluffy floofy pillows, cotton candy and rainbows, right? For the goddess’s sake! Naivety was one thing, but pig ignorance was quite another altogether. Gradually it eased off a little, but there was no doubt we were stumbling towards a high energy magic field of some kind. The problem was, it was right in our path, and felt unlike anything I’d ever encountered before. Whatever it was, something wrong here. Something dangerously wrong. Before I could stop her, Tingles walked past me to have a closer look at the object.

“What is that?”

“Tingles, keep away from it!” I shouted. “I think it’s...” The itching sensation suddenly peaked. “GET BACK!” A deep rumbling and booming sound surrounded us. I looked down to see the smaller rocks and pebbles dancing with the now rapidly increasing vibration. “TINGLES!” I screamed, throwing myself across her and taking us down to the hard surface, just in time to avoid a boulder the size of a house from crushing us both. Rocks of all sizes followed, bouncing and crashing down the mountainside, filling the air with lethally sharp fragments. This was no ordinary landslide, something had been set in motion and we were assuredly its target. From up the mountain, a thunderous roaring noise like the hooves of a thousand warriors descending upon us, grew to deafening proportions.

Tingles tried to push me off her, shouting over the din “We can fly! Fairlight, for Celestia’s sake!”

“No! Stay down!” I concentrated my magic, throwing up a shield around us as the avalanche I’d expected ploughed down through the broiling mess of rock and flying debris. Tingles’ scream was drowned out in the suffocating sound of countless tonnes of snow, burying us in its deadly embrace. It was all over in a matter of seconds.

And then… silence.

In the total blackness my horn flared, its blue glow creating a tiny magical flame that flickered balefully in the semi-circular dome of ice I’d created to protect us. Tingles had her forelegs over her face and slowly peeked out.

“We’re… alive?” she whispered.

I nodded, breathing a well earned sigh of relief. “Just.”

“Thank Celestia!”

“I wouldn’t be so quick to thank the princess, Tingles,” I said, staring at the dark mass beyond the protective dome. “I think this was one of those little ‘gifts’ left behind by her gracious majesty to deter any would be adventurers.”

“She wouldn’t do that!” Tingles snapped. “That would be…” She shook her head. “No, that would be too cruel. Leaving indiscriminate traps like that?”

“You heard what Aunt Pewter said.”

“Oh come on, Fairlight,” Tingles huffed. “She’s a lovely old mare, but even you’d have to admit she’s a bit dotty.”

“Maybe,”I admitted, “but the evidence is just above our heads. Anyway, we have no idea when this was set, it could well date back to the war and been left to kill any stragglers from the enemy forces.”

“I can’t believe she’d do that,” Tingles insisted. “No. Fairlight, I know what happened to your ancestors, but please, not the princess.”

“Never saw you as much of a royalist, love,” I smiled grimly.

“I… Oh, for goodness sake!” Tingles rolled her eyes. “What in Equestria are we arguing about at a time like this for? What are we going to do?!”

It was a good question, what the hell were we going to do? The snow was right above us and full of rocks, ice, and only gods knew what else. The weight would crush us like a sledgehammer on an eggshell if the shield gave way, but more importantly we didn’t have much air. I didn’t know if I could pull off the oxygen trick I’d done during my ‘swimming’ escapade, or even if it would have any effect on Tingles either. Worse, she was starting to shake with the cold. I extinguished the flame and used my magic to envelop the mare and warm the air around her.

“Tingles, it’s okay,” I assured her gently, “we’ll get out of here.”

The tangerine mare blinked, licking her lips. “I… Fairlight, I’m sorry…”

As I picked her up in my hooves to share our warmth, I felt a dampness beneath her. Looking at my hoof, even in the ethereal blue glow of magic, the thick red blood was all too real.

“Oh hell, no…”

Gently turning her over I could see the ravaged side and flank, slashed open by the falling debris. Feathers from her wing dripped with thick crimson fluid like rain. She was freezing cold, and rapidly going into shock. There was only one hope for her.

“Love, listen, I’m going to give you some of my life essence, okay?”

Before my eyes she was starting to slip into unconsciousness, and to save her I had to move quickly. Taking my tangerine mare gently in my hooves I pulled her up to me and reached for the power inside myself. The spirit was typically reluctant but I was in no mood for games now. I think it knew it too, begrudgingly giving up its life energy as I teased it forth, dripping the silvery essence into Tingles’ open mouth. She gasped and moaned as she swallowed the magical restorative, shaking with the raw magic surging through her body. Watching bones reset, the skin and muscle reconnecting piece by piece, was still awe inspiring to behold. More importantly, it was bringing my mare back from an untimely introduction to the herd. Gradually, Tingles came back to consciousness, looking at me with her large green eyes.

“We… shouldn’t keep doing this...” she whispered. “It’s… habit forming.” She coughed, licking a drop of life energy from her lips. “Thank you.”

“You’re most welcome, my lady,” I smiled.

Despite her brush with death, Tingles looked far from relieved. Her eyes, normally so full of life, seemed unusually distant, as if a weight was pressing down upon her soul - like the weight above the shield. I’d noticed it earlier when we’d been about to leave the tavern and did nothing about it. Gods, what a fool I was! If I’d had any sense instead of being so damned selfish all the time, I should have gotten to the bottom of it then before it was too bloody late. We’d promised not to keep any secrets from each other, and I intended to keep my promise, but this was really concerning me now. Tingles didn’t seem like the mare I’d come to know and love, the change in her becoming more noticeable the further we’d travelled into the mountains. It was all so sudden too. It was probably this terrible place, and who could blame her? This was hardly the time or place of course, but when all of this was over I’d have to find out what was upsetting her. Damn it, we never should have come here!

I gave myself a hard shake. There was time enough to worry about the small stuff later. Now, it was time to get out of here. I reached into my pack and took out the flask of life essence to give myself a recharge before we- that was odd. There wasn’t as much as I’d thought. Hadn’t there been more earlier? To hell with it, there was still enough and I had an idea besides. I roughly knew our bearing in relation to the pass and concentrated, allowing the full power of the wendigo to fill me, the need to escape and reach the fortress powering my magic to new heights. The spirit stirred eagerly. It wanted to go there, it needed to go there. Nothing would stop us now. In my mind I remembered the pillar of ice, the blue fire, the constructed weapon. Combining all of that should be straight forward, right? Maybe not, but buck it, I was going to give it my all anyway. Beside me, Tingles gingerly rose to her hooves and checked herself over, that same sad cast to her face making my heart cry out to her. The way she hung her head, her ears drooping - I had to get her home. And fast.

“Tingles, stand back love. I’m going to get us out of here, so don’t worry. Okay?”

Tingles swallowed. “Fairlight? I, I need to tell you something…”

“Not now love, please,” I replied quickly. “We’re running low on air and we can talk after we get out.”

“Mmhmm.”

I gathered my magic, focussing on the wall. “Take my tail.”

I wanted to hold her, to comfort her and listen to her, but the air was growing stale and I was already finding it harder to breath. We didn’t have long, and if I didn’t get us out now we’d be just another set of bones in these goddess forsaken mountains. I gathered my magic until it shone a brilliant blue, reflecting off the ice wall of our sanctuary. If there was ever a time to pray, then this was it. Concentrating my energy into a beam of intense heat, ice and manipulation combined, I began to burn a hole in the side of the dome, praying to any gods that would bother themselves to listen that it didn’t collapse in on us. If it did, then… Well, I would be too dead to care now, wouldn’t I? I pushed on. As my magic did its work, the heat grew to horrendous proportions, steam pouring into our temporary haven adding to the misery and difficulty in breathing. Behind me, Tingles gripped my tail in her mouth, just as Shadow had what seemed like a lifetime ago. She had trusted me. She had believed in me. And I had failed her. There was no way in this goddess damned world I would fail another. Not now! The searing beam melted the snow, simultaneously creating a tunnel of crystal around us, taking from the rocks and snow, melding and reforming a way through - a way out of this suffocating tomb. I pushed on, every forward. The effort was intense, but we were moving. It was only inches at first, and then feet… yards. I was doing it!

Tingles stumbled but quickly regained her footing, the heat and lack of oxygen dragging at both us. If I didn’t get us out now, we’d had it. Throwing everything I had into my efforts, I felt a sudden give, a shudder, and then a sickening leap of fear thinking the mountainside was coming down us, until a tiny dribble of white light fell into our wendigo made tunnel. A rattling and whooshing noise followed as the steam built up in the tunnel found an escape route and we were suddenly propelled through the opening like a cork from a bottle, out into the frigid, blessed air. Half dragging Tingles who was still weak from her ordeal, I collapsed outside on the snow, breathing in the delicious air of the mountains. I was weak, the effort had been beyond anything I’d ever had to endure and I was almost shaking with the after effects of the strain. I opened the flask and tasted the last few drops of fluid. Hell fire, why hadn’t I checked it earlier? But… I thought I had, hadn’t I? And I was sure I’d brought berries with me too - ones I’d picked from the glade? I took a deep breath, feeling my heart-rate slow to a more normal pace. This was going to be a problem, but now we had more pressing concerns. We needed to get clear of the pass.

Tired and stumbling, we made our way out of the snow and rock fall, finally reaching the relative safety of the path. Behind us, the way back was now all but completely blocked. The final blow from the victorious celestians had nearly claimed two more victims. Buck Celestia… Tingles followed in silence while I navigated the pass until it gradually changed into what must have once been a road, or at least a more well kept path of some kind. It was badly weather worn and covered in loose pebbles that made treacherous travel, but it was a sign of civilisation that gave me a sense of excitement - I was nearly home! Wasn’t I? I tossed my mane and snorted. Whose thoughts were these I was having anyway? Mine, Maroc’s, or the spirits? I was beginning to wonder whether I would ever be fully in control of my own mind again, let alone my body. But still, if there were answers to be gained, I could only pray that there would be something, whatever it may be, beyond this path that would help me to gain a better understanding, and control, over who I was. Lifting my head the last of the wisps of low cloud began to clear and a glorious panorama of blue sky and almost blinding sunshine unfolded below us in a painters palette of unimaginable colour. And there, not far along the winding mountain track, was our prize.

The fortress of the four winds. The last home of the wendigo.

Chapter Five -The fortress of the four winds

CHAPTER FIVE

THE FORTRESS OF THE FOUR WINDS

In my minds eye I’d pictured the fortress as a towering, elegant structure with delicately soaring golden towers connected by slim sky bridges and impossibly high walls sparkling like the surface of a lake in the bright morning sun. Atop the walls and towers, deep blue and silver embroidered banners and flags waved and snapped lazily in the breeze, the overall scene one of subdued strength and beauty combined. What I saw now with my own two eyes could not have been further from the truth of such idealistic mental imagery. Maroc’s memories hadn’t shown me much of the fortress at all, other than for a few brief images during his dash to save his family. It certainly hadn’t prepared me for anything like this. Of the numerous tall towers the fortress had once sported, now only three remained. Weathered by time and nature, they stood proud and defiant above the smashed and crumbled walls, serving as a pitiful reminder of a once magnificent home. The war, Celestia, and a thousand years of exposure to all that nature had to offer, had slighted the once proud citadel until it was little more than a pile of rubble, snow and ice. Some of the exposed stonework, even after so many years, still showed evidence of the intense heat generated by the princess’s magic as she had assaulted the fortress, attempting to erase even very the memory of her vanquished foe. Considering the evident ferocity of the attack, it was surprising that any of the towers remained at all, but even they sported massive damage and would be unlikely to survive for much longer. Soon, they too would fall, the last witnesses of a war long since fallen from memory.

I don’t know what I’d expected to find here. Answers to questions maybe? Books, scrolls, ancient parchments of forgotten lore… who knows. Now that I could see what little remained of the fortress, I wasn’t so sure coming here had been such a good idea in the first place. Enormous blocks of masonry weighing countless tonnes were half buried in thick flows of ice and snow, utterly impossible to move even with the magic of the wendigo. It would take dozens, if not hundreds of ponies to clear away such debris. What lay beneath was, in all likelihood, long since rotted away to nothing. What had I been thinking?! Tingles had nearly been killed because of my damned obsession with coming here, and for what? My imagination had conjured up something different to… to this. The spirit cried out in dismay, echoing my heavy heart. Why had they done this? This was a cruelty, a punishment far beyond anything that could possibly be justified! Those accursed celestian animals, those foul, evil creatures… they had done this! Shaking my mane, I pushed the furiously bubbling thoughts from my mind and nudged Tingles with my muzzle making her jump in surprise.

“Thoughts?”

“Well, we’re here,” she said quietly, eyeing the remains of the fortress. “There’s, er, a lot less of than I’d expected.”

I sighed. “I know what you mean. Expectation versus reality, eh?”

“So what now?” Tingles asked.

I stared down at the blasted snow covered ruins. “We go in. Unless you want to stay here?”

“You know I don’t.” Her tone of voice was heavy, tinged with something I couldn’t quite place. This wasn’t like her at all.

“Tingles, what’s gotten into you?” I asked gently. “You’ve been acting strangely since we entered the mountains. I know you’re tired and went through a nightmare back there, but please, don’t shut me out.”

She stared at me, her beautiful green eyes catching the bright rays of the sun as it peaked through the clouds. “Fairlight, I…” She turned away, the words fading into the chill breeze.

I lifted my hoof encouragingly. “You wanted to tell me something before?”

“I… No. No, it’s okay, really.” Tingles shook her head, perhaps a little more forcefully than she needed to. “Forget it.”

“No secrets remember?”

“Fairlight, please…” Her ears drooped as she hung her head. “I don’t want to talk right now.”

“Okay, okay, its fine…” I shrugged, feeling a little irritated by her reticence. “Forget I said anything. If you want to tell me, you can when you’re ready, love. I’m here when you need me.”

“Yeah…”

I shook out my large leathery wings. I was still a little low on life energy, but should still be good for the flight back to Smiling Borders as well as across to the fortress, so long as I didn’t have to start perform any more crazy magic tricks. Personally I would have preferred to walk, but going by the amount of damage from landslides and the flows of slick ice, I didn’t trust the path at all. Especially not after the incident in the pass. If Celestia had booby-trapped that place, then the meandering path down the mountainside to the fortress itself was a likely candidate for more mayhem.

“You up for a quick flight to the tower?” I asked trying to lighten the mood.

“Sure.”

One word answers now, was it? She didn’t even question me. Now that definitely wasn’t like her at all. Goddesses, I don’t know what was going on here but it was starting to really get to me. So much for ‘no more secrets’, but then I suppose she’d open up to me in her own good time. I just wish I knew what was troubling her now. If I’d done something wrong, if I’d hurt her in some way, I had no idea what it was. Well, other than the obvious near death incident in the pass of course, but then she’d been acting odd even before that. Gods! Mares were so bloody confusing! My wings stretching out in the fresh breeze, and I took to the air with Tingles not far behind. We swept up and headed straight for the ruins, banking around the towers, searching for a way inside. The majority of the fortress was nearly unrecognisable, with so much rubble and debris, if it hadn’t have been for the remaining towers and the path leading down here, you could have been forgive for thinking it was just a naturally occurring pile of boulders. I opened myself to Maroc’s memories and they flooded into me willingly, more clear and vibrant than ever before, probably due to the proximity of his old home. The effect was one that was just as breathtaking as it was unnerving. A view of a tall tower with a thin connecting bridge overlaid the ruined structure before me. This had been the tower down to the mid-levels. From here could be reached the family chambers, the servants quarters, and below them the armoury, kitchen, and finally… the inauguration chamber. At the final fragment of memory the spirit’s awareness uncoiled like a snake, flooding me with its intoxicating excitement, its... anticipation. It was awakening. This was it! This was what we had been seeking all this time! We had to get there as quickly as possible. There was no more waiting now. Its patience had been stretched to the limits of endurance, but now… now it had finally come to an end. The promise would be fulfilled. The joining would make us truly one, as we were meant to be. As it had always been.

“In here!” I shouted to Tingles and swept in through the ragged remains of the outer doorway into the tower’s interior.

Not surprisingly the room was empty, completely devoid of anything except snow, ice, and memories. The walls here had once held magnificent tapestries of scenes from across the whole world. Forests, lakes, mountains, waterfalls and river scenes, all of them crafted in the most exquisite needlework. Now, they were gone, long since rotted to nothing. Of the beautiful deep pile rugs that had been so beloved by Arathea, there was not so much as a single fragment left. Even the lanterns that had lit the interior adding a sensual warmth during the dark days of winter, lay on the floor in a corroded mass of dark brown rust. I stared at it in silence. All the colour, all the joy, the life and the vibrancy of this once proud home of the wendigo, was now no more than an empty, dark shell of what it once was. I felt a twinge of sadness inside me at the clash between the wonderful memories, and the stark bitterness of reality. At least the long winding stairs were still there, and apparently usable. Interestingly the interior of the tower was quite well lit by the sheer number of holes and cracks in its walls, allowing Tingles and I to navigate our way down into the fortress’s interior. There was no turning back now. Descending further, the natural light slowly began to diminish and we had to resort to lanterns, my eyes helping me to pick out details in the dark hallways. In some ways I began to wish I couldn’t see as well as I could either, the long since dessicated remains of dead ponies, now mostly bone, lay scattered throughout the fortress along with discarded and broken weapons, shields and armour. The scene was both fascinating and terrifying in equal measure, the spirit inside me silently weeping for the dead around me, its grief almost tangible. I stopped and lifted a hoof to my eye as a frozen tear dropped to the floor.

“Fairlight?” Tingles asked walking up beside me. “What is it?”

“It’s nothing…” I took a deep breath, shaking my mane. “Memories of my ancestors I suppose. It’s hard to block them out when we’re walking through the bones of their children.”

She made a little whimpering noise but said no more. Oh, damn me for a fool! I hadn’t meant to frighten her, but the spirits presence was becoming almost forceful being so close to its goal. But…what was its goal? Was it to become one with me, or something I hadn’t seen - a danger I wasn’t aware of? Suddenly a feeling of dread passed through me and I stopped dead in my tracks. I wanted to go back. This wasn’t right. This wasn’t wasn’t right at all!

“What’s up? Why are you stopping?”

Tingles’ voice was distant, as though coming from another room, another corridor even. What did she say? It was so echoing and faint I could barely make it out. I stared down at my hooves in confusion. Why was I stopping? After all this time, we were so close to becoming one, and I was hesitating? This was what I wanted wasn’t it? To become a blend of spirit and pony, a wendigo warrior as I was meant to be. I was a child of the lord of the tribe of the four winds. This was my inheritance. It was my birthright. Everything else had been an illusion, a transient collage of faces, voices, and well meaning ponies that were as fleeting as the life of a mayfly. They could never understand. The tribe was my real family, and I was home, home where I truly belonged. I closed my eyes and smiled. The torches added a delicate warm light to the blue walls, adding a gentle ambience to the glow from the setting sun. Arathea certainly knew how to make a pony feel comfortable, didn’t she? Her latest tapestries had cost a few bits from that roguish llamalian trader, but they really brought a splash of colour to where it was needed. She always seemed to know exactly what was required, where to put it, and how to arrange it just so. Not too much, and not too little. It was just right. I bent to smell the flowers in the vase. They had been brought in fresh from the beds beside our orchards, adding their wonderfully delicate fragrance to the well lit halls. Wonderful! My ears pricked up at the sounds of children playing rang through the halls. Vela? Where was he now? That little scamp was always up to something!

“VELA!”

The small unicorn foal was running ahead of me, whooping and laughing with his youthful exuberance. I chuckled; the little beggar was wanting his old father to chase him was he? Right then!

“Come here you little pest, I’m going to get you!”

He squeaked in delight and glanced back to make sure I was following before turning down another corridor. I ran after him as fast as my hooves would take me. Goddess he was fast! Along one corridor and down the next, past more of the beautiful tapestries, paintings, banners of victories from ages past and even my own more youthful days, we raced. Arathea had been at work with the rugs again I noticed. Long runs of the well made things, colour co-ordinating with the wall hangings and general décor, lined the corridors muffling our steps. Unfortunately for my purse it took a small army of staff to keep them clean, but it made her happy even if I could never personally understand her obsession with such things. We’d had them imported from across the globe, particularly from the Llamlian Empire where the best quality wool and dyes were produced. They had cost, I confess, an absolute fortune, yet it was worth it just to see her delighted smile when the merchants arrived laden down with the things. She wasn’t the only one either, the merchants always left with a smile on their faces too. I kept my own thoughts on that to myself! Still, it was good to find people willing to trade with us at all these days, even if they did deplete the treasury in the process. Some, particularly the followers of Celestia, had been increasingly hostile towards us of late, which in turn had frightened some of our oldest trading partners into avoiding working with us completely. It was nothing new of course, there’d always been some tension between our peoples, but to threaten our standard of living was becoming a very real problem that was affecting the harmony of the fortress. Rumours, mutterings, and even angry outbursts had become commonplace amongst our warriors of late, and that was something I could not ignore. In fact it was one of the reasons I’d been seeking alliances with other powers to offer mutual aid in the event of any more… direct aggression. Naturally we’d sent emissaries to the palace to try to improve matters, hoping that they would be willing to set aside their historical dislike of us so that we could move forward towards a more cordial future together. Our efforts had upon fallen upon deaf ears. Celestia was weak, an idealistic and naive alicorn who was little more than a puppet ruler. Her ruling council were the ones who truly ran the country, and her. The saddest part of it all is that I don’t think she even realised it. Oh, she said all the right things, made promises of closer working relationships and how we were ‘all one people beneath the sun’ or some such tripe, but did anything actually change? No. No, of course not. Anything she tried to do had to run the gauntlet of lords, ladies, advisors, chancellors, treasurers, merchants guilds and who knew what else before the end result, changed out of all recognition, was spewed out the other end. My true hope lay in the younger sister, Luna. Many worshipped her as the goddess of the moon, the hope for a new era. She had a strong heart that one, and may truly have what it took to wrest control of Equestria from the corruption that had seized it. As always, time would tell.

Our foal, Vela, had been a gift from the goddess. She had blessed us with a beautiful little creature whose mere presence made my heart sing with such joy I felt like a child again myself. His fur was the wonderful silver-grey of the tribe, his bright yellow eyes like little campfires, and that tiny horn – it was so cute! One day, when he entered the chamber, when it was his time, he would emerge one of the greatest ever warriors of the goddess. He would be a true wendigo, as well as the future ruler of the fortress when I was my time to hang up my sword for the last time. Mind you, I think that would be a little while yet! By the goddess, he had some legs on him though. He shot around a corner just as I thought I had him. Blast it! I could barely keep up, and maintaining this pace was beginning to tell. I wasn’t as young as I once was, but for goodness sake, he could outpace a Derian! I beginning to tire, rounding one more corner. If I didn’t catch him this time I’d give up and let him go off and play with his friends. I’d just have to- AHA!

“GOT YOU!” I bellowed in triumph to his delighted squeals.

Goddess above, I don’t think I had much to worry about him getting into trouble if he could run like that! I flopped onto my haunches, subjected the little thing to a full on tickling assault, laughing as he shrieked and kicked joyfully. Eventually the giggles subsided and held him to my chest for a hug. He’d ended up here all on his own, had he? And despite my deliberately avoiding coming here with him until he was ready too. I should have suspected something like this would happen one day. The tribe’s bond with the spirits of the Wither World was particularly strong within Vela; he would be a fine lord one day when I passed from this plane.

“Fairlight! Oh goddesses, Fairlight… Why’d you run off like that? What’s going on, and who’s Vela?”

Cracked walls and empty halls, the warm light spilling from a lantern held by… Who was this? I was sure I recognised the face, but… What was her name again? I couldn’t quite put my hoof on it, although whoever she was, she seemed to be in quite a state of agitation for some reason. Perhaps she was one of Arathea’s new maids who she’d… No. No, damn it! This wasn’t me. It wasn’t!I shook myself hard, leaning a hoof against the wall as I caught my breath. Bloody hell, it had happened again, hadn’t it? I’d lost myself, running here following memories – ghosts of the past, the last echoes of the lives that had once filled this dark place. Was it a reaction to my wendigo self perhaps? If what I knew about the fortress was accurate, and I’d take that with a big pinch of salt, I was most likely the first wendigo to step hoof in here for a millennia. With all the residual magic lurking around, a plethora of ancient spells and the outpouring of intense emotions that had occurred here during the final days of the war, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if I’d inadvertently triggered something. With the emphasis on the word ‘something’. We all knew that spells degraded over time, and the more complex they were the more likely it was for parts of the spell matrix to break down and ‘go wrong’, so to speak. As a rule magic tended to be a one-shot deal; use it once and that was that. All quick and easy. Now that was fine for the majority of unicorns, but then you always had those innovative types who had to go that little bit further, didn’t you. Sure enough, before you knew it a whole new industry was born. Magic started to be used in physical devices more than ever, utilising naturally charged crystals such as the ones used in the PDW’s or the portable heaters to name but two. Others began to embed spell matrices themselves directly into larger, more complex machinery, although this had generally been met with a variety of notable successes and, in some cases, catastrophic failure. I think it was the Neighander Ridge hotel where they had that incident with the lift mechanism some years ago. The poor sods would have been in orbit now if those off-duty weather ponies hadn’t seen them when they did. After that we moved onto steam power for the more ‘industrial’ machinery, but magic has still has its place all the same. One of the more troubling aspects of magic though, is the way that it can linger. It has no smell, it’s invisible to the naked eye, but you can feel it if you know how to read the signs. Or have a horn like mine of course. The Everfree is one of the more notable areas for this natural and also not-so-natural phenomena. Unicorns know to keep clear of them, but not everypony can tell when they’re walking into a field of dangerously high magical radiation, and stories abound regarding ‘what came out the other side’. Some species were allegedly born of this curious magic. Hippogriffs for example, maybe even the minotaurs, I’m not sure. What I do know is that during the war, and conflicts prior to that, magical weaponry had been utilised on a spectacular scale that would boggle the mind by today’s more sober standards. In one war the Yakistanis had been, quite literally, ‘bombed back to the stone age’. By who, or whom, was something that has been lost in time however. The results, sadly for them but probably fortunately for us, are still felt to this day. Good gods, have you ever met one? Think bull in a china shop meets carpet factory, dress it up in the armour of your choice, throw in some testosterone, and you’re getting close. And so, with all that in mind it was extraordinary to find magic from so long ago working the way it should here in the fortress. Celestia’s magic was on a completely different level to us plebs of course, which explained the active traps in the pass, but standing here in the corridor, I could feel the life of this fortress thrumming through the walls. Magic could warp and change over time, morphing into something the originating creator never intended, but this… this was different. It felt as though the fortress was breathing, that it was alive. I don’t mean it in the same sense that Tingles and myself were alive, but rather that it was ‘sentient’ somehow. It was hard describe, although I didn’t feel afraid of it despite finding myself in a dark corridor when I had no idea how I’d even gotten here. I know it sounds crazy, but I felt… welcome. I closed my eyes and let go of the spirit’s power, letting my body change back to the more familiar me. If there was magic reacting to my wendigo form, I’d rather it not do that when Tingles was here. She’d seen enough weirdness to last several lifetimes.

I looked up at what the ‘ghost’ of Vela had been running towards. It was a door, a very large wooden door that was as black as midnight. Words in some ancient language were inlaid into the dark wood in silver letters that were still gleaming even after a millennia of total darkness. Whatever lay on the other side was definitely magical in nature, and was seeping slowly out into the corridor making my horn itch constantly. Somehow, standing there staring at this foreboding door in the depths of the ancient home of the wendigo, I knew that behind it lay the answers to all the riddles…

“Fairlight? For Celestia’s sake, will you talk to me?” Tingles pleaded.

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the door. “Don’t mention her name here…please,” I breathed. “Not here.”

“You’re frightening me, Fairlight!” Tingles snorted. She danced back and forth, her eyes catching the light of the lantern. “I don’t like this, I want to go home! Please, let’s just go before-”

“No!” I snapped. “This is it! Don’t you see? I’ve come so far, we’ve come this far, together… For this!” I paused, furrowing my brow in confusion. Even to my ears my voice had sounded almost hysterical.

Tingles took a step back, the look she gave me one of doubt and concern. “This is it? This is what? What’s behind that door?” She backed away, staring at the inscription. “I can’t read that language at all!”

I traced the runes with my hoof. They were so old and yet so clear too. It was a language I’d never known, but could read and write with ease. I read aloud, “There can be no sun without shadow. No light without darkness. No day without night. All come together as one in the passing of the veil.”

“What does that mean, ‘The veil’?” Tingles asked staring at the door. “And how can you even read that?”

“I… I don’t know,” I confessed. “Maybe it’s the spirit, Maroc’s memories, or the magic of this place, I can’t be sure. But I do know it’s referring to the barrier between the worlds - that which separates the mortal realm from the Wither World and the Eternal Herd. When we die, we pass from one to the other through the veil. Hell, I’m no Star Swirl the ‘Magnificent’, but even I can see it acts as a way to stop travellers just popping across from one to the other whenever they fancy. Most of the time anyway. Mind you, when I ended up in the withers I didn’t know I had a return ticket at the time.” I shook my head. “I dunno, it’s a bloody strange life alright.”

I pushed my hoof against the door, and almost immediately the curious runes began emanating a bright white light of their own. Now this, I didn’t expect. Both of us stepped back and I drew my sword in an instant. What a time to let go of my wendigo magic! My breath curled up around my muzzle in the chill stale air and I could hear my heart beating in my ears. Tingles had her PDW out, staring intently as, with a faint ‘click’, the great door swung open effortlessly. Pale blue light spilled out into the corridor, sending our shadows stretching off into the distant darkness as though seeking shelter from whatever mysteries lay beyond the threshold. I swallowed. Well, we’d come this far. I cast a glance at Tingles who looked back at me with a single nod. It was time to see this foray to its conclusion, whatever that may be. Carefully, keeping my hoofsteps as quiet as I could, I moved into the light, letting my eyes adjust. Inside was a circular room, not cold, not warm, and surprisingly plain. It was here that the magic I’d detected earlier seemed to be emanating from, although why was yet another question I had no answer to. I can tell you one thing though, it knew we were there. Tingles was oblivious to it of course, but I picked up on it immediately. Have you ever had the feeling somepony’s watching you? Maybe felt somepony was standing behind you? This room had that sensation in spades. I couldn’t see anything causing the magic field, but it was there, patiently awaiting its visitors. And it had waited, for such a very, very long time. We entered cautiously, not even noticing the door swinging closed silently behind us.

The room, or chamber as it would have been called in ‘ye olde’ times, was like a time capsule. And what a time capsule! The walls were solid crystal, their multi-faceted surfaces providing the room with an eerie ethereal light that was probably some form of naturally occurring magical luminescence. At least I’m pretty sure it was. Had I read that somewhere? I shrugged it off and continued my investigation. In the centre of the chamber sat a raised platform with several steps leading up to an altar of some kind that sported a strange swirling design inscribed along its sides. I couldn’t see any signs of scoring or stains, so that was a relief. I’d heard all sorts about what the ancients got up to with sacrifices and the like, but this looked to be something far more mundane. A brass pot with holes in the top for incense sat nearby, along with a tinder box, a golden pitcher and several goblets. The fact that they were still here and hadn’t been pinched by treasure hunters suggested we may well have been the first ones in here for quite some time. I know some explorers live by the mantra ‘Take only memories, leave nothing but hoofprints’, but come on – gold? Nopony’s that honest! I huffed quietly under my breath; had always been so cynical? Yes… Yes, I think I had been. Snorting, I walked down to where Tingles was examining something near the wall. It was a rug, and had been a very expensive one too judging by the amount of gold and silver thread that was surprisingly still visible. I lifted my head, taking in the chamber as a whole. Decaying rugs lay scattered liberally around the edges of the room next to equally elaborate cushions with long rotted stuffing, adding to the general feeling of abandonment as well as the all-pervading smell of decay.

“What do you think this place was?” Tingles asked, frowning at one of the cushions.

I rubbed my chin in thought. “A ceremonial chamber of some sort,” I said thoughtfully. “There’s a lot of magic in here, although there’s no specific source so far as I can tell. It’s just sort of… in the air.”

“Well I don’t know about that, but your magic brought us here,” Tingles said in her matter-of-fact manner. “So what do we do now?”

“I have no idea,” I replied honestly. “Let’s keep looking a while longer. If we don’t find anything, I’d suggest leaving and getting back before we lose the light.”

“All hail the god of common sense!” Tingles sniffed. “The sooner the better, as far I’m concerned. Exploring ancient locations in one thing, but this place is starting to freak me out.”

I couldn’t disagree. As interesting as this place was, musty, rotten old soft furnishings and a fancy wine set weren’t a good enough reason to risk our lives. Magic was thick in the air, and pervaded absolutely everything. My horn began to itch again, defying my attempts at blocking it out. Within me, the spirit slowly stirred, its senses beginning to merge with my own. It scented my surroundings curiously, taking in every detail no matter how small. Rumbling in satisfaction, it knew this was where it belonged… where I, we, belonged. Beneath it all I could sense a building desire from the spirit, a drive I hadn’t felt before, not even in the heat of battle. No, this was something different, something that quickly filling me with a cold dread I couldn’t explain. I turned to Tingles, opening my mouth to speak. I wanted to leave. There was something strange with… with… My jaw snapped closed. What?! Goddess damn it, what was going on?! Panic began to grab at me, but I may aswell have been railing against the mountain itself. Without any conscious input from myself, my hooves carried me back up the well worn steps to the altar. It was smooth, like marble, cold to the touch yet hummed with an energy that reminded me of the gigantic platform in the Wither World’s empty city. Somehow, on some inexplicable level... I knew. I understood. All the roads I had trod in my life lead here, here to this point. It was inevitable. It was fated to be so. Suddenly light, unfathomably beautiful light, burst all around me, flooding me with vivid memories and images as the chamber came to life. It had awoken. The fortress itself, asleep for so many years, was finally awake. It could see me, it knew who I was and why I was there. The ghosts of ponies long dead, wendigo and spirits alike… they all converged here. The worlds converged here. Behind me I could hear Tingles saying something, but in my now almost dreamlike state her words were nothing more substantial than a breath in the wind.

My body climbed the smaller steps at the back of the altar and lay down, my head placed upon the stone pillow while otherworldly music from a long dead age surrounded me, lulling me into a dreamlike state. Distantly I could feel the spirit taking my consciousness away from me, little by little filling my body with its own being. This was how it was meant to be. The time had come at last… at long last.

The hunger needed to be sated.

Shadowed ponies walked up to me, hooded and cloaked, chanting in a language I couldn’t understand and yet on some level did. Memories of flying, of battles, triumphant victories and a fortress vibrant with the joy of life, filled my mind as the ethereal sound resonated within my very soul. Warmth flooded my being from my nose to my tail, slowly passing and leaving in its wake the bitter tingling of cold, raw, magical power. I was drowning, blissfully, in its intoxicating strength. It called to me, sang to me - soon we would be as one, as we should have been from the very beginning. I had been alone, all the long years, but no longer. Now, I would be remade, reborn as one. I would never be alone again. Around me the chanting rose and fell, ever growing in its intensity. I could feel my teeth beginning to lengthen, my eyesight becoming tinged with the blue fire of the spirit. It had me in its hooves, it caressed and stroked me, promising many great and wonderful sights. Oh, how much we could see and do together! There were such sights to see! This was the way of the tribe. There only need be the sacrifice of the joyful willing to complete the joining, and all would be well once more.

Securely in its thrall, the wendigo rose, and with the lightest of movements gracefully landed on the platform. It hissed its defiance to the world, drinking in the smell, sight, and feel of the living plane. Shaking its mane, the spirit released a blast of cold mist which billowed across the floor, swirling around the shadowy ponies and the legs of the tangerine coated pegasus mare. Satisfaction emanated from the spirit’s mind, permeating my own. This was a fine choice. She was healthy, lean, and full of life energy. This one had willingly given of herself to the tribe, to the spirit, and would make an excellent offering to it. The spirit advanced on the mare who backed away slowly. The wendigo looked on, its surprise tangible in the swirl of emotions pulsing through me. This female was not willing? Had she not come here of her own volition to take her part in the joining ritual? No matter, she had no choice in the desires of the spirit. Its will was, after all, absolute. I struggled against the wendigo’s embrace, watching through its eyes as it drew closer to the frightened mare. Tingles backed up against the wall, fear reflected in her eyes. It was a sight that even in this confused condition, called out to me.
The spirit halted, addressing me. “Why do you resist me? This makes no sense.”

“Don’t hurt her,” I pleaded, “she is special to me.”

“Yes,” it hissed, “she is special to you. She is special to us. We have already tasted of her life essence. She gave of that willingly to sate our hunger. Did she not also come here willingly with you?”

“She did,” I agreed. “but she’s frightened. Look at her!”

The spirit complied, quietly watching Tingles like a cat watches a mouse before hissing out a breath of mist that built up around her, coalescing into the cold white forms of... ponies - ponies with soulless, glowing blue eyes. Tingles cried out in fright and desperately tried to get away from the things, her legs moving like they were wading through tar. The fog ponies reached out and took her limbs one by one, inexorably, silently, carrying her to the ground. I could see her struggles gradually weakening with their touch, her chest heaving and her eyes tight shut. Dear goddesses, this was wrong! So very, very wrong! Once more, the spirit moved forward until its maw was inches from Tingles’ nethers. Suddenly it let out a rumbling laugh, delighted with its perceived gift.

“I said don’t hurt her, damn you!” I threw at the thing.

It shook its mane and addressed me forcefully. “I will not hurt the female, as you would not, but this is the sacrifice, correct? This female has given herself to you willingly and now I will join with her also. Then, and only then, will the cycle be complete, and we shall become one.”

“No!” I howled. “Don’t do this! There is has to be another way!”

“There is no other way,” the spirit rumbled. “Now… be silent.”

I was helpless, raging and impotent in my own body which now had a new master - one whose intent was all too terrifyingly apparent both to myself, and Tingles.

“Fairlight?” the trembling mare whispered, “Please… I don’t want this. Don’t…”

“Please, spirit!” I yelled helplessly. “I’ll give you whatever you want, you can do whatever you want to me, just... for the love of the gods, don’t do this!”

I railed against the thing with all my might, but I may as well have been shouting into a hurricane. An invisible wall had cut me off from the wendigo completely. Whether it was ignoring me or simply couldn’t hear me any more, made no difference now. The spectral being had a singular purpose. It new what it wanted, what it needed, and goddess help us I could see, hear, and feel everything it did with my body as if it was I myself doing this despicable act.

The spirit’s tongue snaked out and ran up the length of Tingles body, slowly tasting her and enjoying her scent. It could sense her fear, smell it in the air, and it drew the thing on excitedly. I screamed and shouted as loud as I could… all soundlessly. If I could have ended my life right there, somehow stopping everything, I would have done so willingly. Luna help us, I had promised to protect her, to be there by her side, and now… now she saw me for who I truly was - a monster, a terrifying, dread creature who hungered for the lives of others. And the damnable thing had her at its mercy. Horrifyingly, I knew all too well just how little mercy this thing had. Goddesses forgive me, I couldn’t even look away. My eyes were the spirit’s eyes, my body the spirits body, and with my body the vile being pulled itself onto my tangerine mare and... mated with her. Every move, every feeling, every touch, I felt and saw. The look on her face froze my soul, the way her eyes were clamped shut, her hooves held fast by the ghostly ponies beside us, and all the while the alien music playing a cruel accompaniment to what was unfolding before, and beneath, me.

With a cry a triumph, the spirit finally released itself. Slowly, wearily, it stepped away from the mare, pleased with what it had done. “The pact is complete,” It said loftily. “I give to you my power and my strength, mortal. Live your life to the fullest. Fulfil your desires and create you own destiny, wendigo warrior.”

My emotions were in the darkest of all places. What it had done, had been done with me, by me. I could not undo what had happened. Nothing could fix this now. Nothing! I didn’t know what to do! What the hell could I say? What could possibly make this right? “I don’t want your power,” I snarled at the spirit. “You… You damned animal!What have you done…?”

It laughed. It actually, bucking laughed! “I have completed the pact,” It replied simply. “The female has been a part of that. You should have known this. Are you not one of the tribe? I have honoured her, and you.”

I looked down at the panting mare, the ghost-ponies holding her dissipating like the morning dew before the warmth of the sun. “Damn you spirit…”

“You are a strange one,” the spirit replied, “but no matter. I am a part of you now as you are of me. We are one, wendigo warrior. You shall not hear my voice again…”

The distant, ghostly voice of the spirit faded away into the nothingness from whence it came. And with its disappearance, I felt a background sense of melding, of joining. The now familiar feeling of being disjointed was finally gone. I felt as I had so long ago, before… Oh, goddess, Meadow. What those monsters had done to her, I had now done to Tingles. The violence was less, but it was still there: the power, the control. It was the tangerine pegasus who had suffered, and I had brought her here to inflict this monstrous act upon her. The strength, the power, the inherited memories… they meant nothing.

I leant down by her side. “Tingles… it’s me, Fairlight. I… I’m so sorry love, I-”

She flinched back, her eyes narrowed. “Keep away from me! You… you monster! You demon!”

“Tingles?”

“No! No, you’ve done what you wanted.” She pulled her flight suit across herself, covering her body from my sight. “I should never have come here with you! Why did I listen? WHY?!” She was shouting in an absolute fury. Tears streamed from her eyes as she picked herself up, slapping my hoof away when I tried help her up.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

“You’re SORRY?!” Tingles screamed. “It’s a bit too bucking late for ‘sorry’, isn’t it, you… you bastard!” Her voice trailed off into sobs.

I sat back on my haunches, utterly devastated with my life crashing down around me like shattered glass. And it was all my fault. I was losing her, my beloved mare… Tingles… Closing my eyes, I took a deep shuddering breath, wishing it could be my last. The chasm opened up before me and I walked willingly into it. I barely noticed the PDW pointing at me in her shaking hooves. Tingles stared at me, tears in her eyes and breathing hard.

I looked into those beautiful green orbs. “Do it,” I whispered pleadingly, “Please Tingles. Do it.”

She pulled the trigger. A burning bolt of energy seared down my shoulder and flank, spraying blood and fur across the crystal floor. I couldn’t feel the pain. Not now. I kept looking at her and reached up a hoof to help steady the pistol, placing my forehead against the muzzle. Taking a final breath, I waited for the end.

“I’m sorry my love…” I whispered.

Moments passed as I waited to move on. I wanted nothing more than oblivion. No Wither World, no eternal herd - nowhere would want me now, not after what I’d done. I just wanted to disappear into the void, into nothingness, to be... nothing.

The pressure of the pistol on my forehead lessened. “No. No, Fairlight, I know what happened to you. I know... what happened to me. But, I can’t…” She swallowed. “I can’t forgive you. I’m sorry. Come on, let’s get out of here.”

She wanted me to leave with her? I took a breath. “No.”

“Fairlight, theres no time for this…” Tingles holstered her pistol. “Let’s just go. Please. You’re hurt too, you can’t stay here.”

I shook my head. “Tingles, I’m not coming with you. I can’t. You know what I am. You know what I’ve done. I’m a monster, a danger to ponies and everything around me. Please, go home and…forget about me. Tell the agency I died fighting the wolves in the forest.”

The tangerine pegasus looked at me for a moment and shook her head. “You bloody fool, come on!”

I released the power and felt the anger, the hatred I felt towards myself building up, higher and higher until the magic was crackling around me like a thunderhead. “I SAID, ‘GO!’”

The tangerine mare’s eyes widened in fright at the sight of the vile thing that had overpowered her, that had… raped her. She turned and ran, out through the now open door and off into the fortress and the long journey home. She would go back to the facility now, back to a place of ponies who were like her - friends. Friends who wouldn’t attack their own. I walked over to one of the rotten rugs and stared at it. Arathea had loved these. I gently traced a hoof over the ancient thing, remembering the feel of it when the merchant had first presented it to the lady of the fortress. Her smiling face had been like sunshine on a cold, grey day. She’d been so happy too, her joy spreading effortlessly throughout the fortress to all who met her. I leaned back, taking out my pistol. It would be good to bring the story to a close here, to end the miserable saga of a poor pony who did nothing but bring suffering to others in his life. There’d been so much death, so much suffering - what the hell had it all been for?

“And what of the foals? What of the ones you saved from the humans? Do you think they would be enjoying the freedom you gave them, if not for your efforts?” Maroc stood before me, looking down questioningly.

“Somepony else would have saved them,” I said. I gave an ironic laugh. “I’m not unique”

“Everypony is unique, Fairlight, even you.”

“Ha! Even me…” Ah, what it is to be talking to imaginary voices in your head! Perhaps going mad wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

Maroc shook his head sadly. “Yes, and as my descendant I thought more of you. You are stronger than this.”

I’d had enough of this bollocks. “And what do you call raping my marefriend, eh, Maroc?” I glowered up at him. “I suppose that was me being stronger was it? WAS IT?”

“That was…‘unfortunate’,” he replied calmly. “But necessary.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “‘Unfortunate’? ‘Necessary’?” I could feel my muscles flexing. If he wasn’t a figment of my imagination I’d take the supercilious prick apart. “Goddesses in their bucking heaven, have you any idea what just happened? I just raped Tingles! I raped the mare I love and you stand there like it’s about as notable as hanging out the bastard washing!”

He looked down at me sadly. “Before the end, Fairlight, mares would enter this very chamber with their stallions, just like Arathea did with me.” He held his hoof up, motioning towards the altar. “The couples would join here, and from that union they would conceive their foal - a parting gift from the spirit before it melded with the stallion. The female would then bear a powerful foal from the joining and the three would be as one, as I was with my Arathea and Vela.”

Well that made about as much sense as a tapdancing penguin, didn’t it? “Tingles wasn’t willing, Maroc. She wasn’t willing at all.”

“I know, but there is still hope, Fairlight.”

I suddenly found myself laughing. Dear Luna, I really was cracking up. “Do you know how many times I’ve heard those vacuous words? ‘There’s always hope, Fairlight’. What a load of shit! There’s no hope. No hope at all! Don’t come here spouting such tripe at me expecting me to swallow it like some naive foal. Hope? It means nothing. NOTHING! Now, for love of all the gods, leave me be.”

“Fairlight, will you listen to reason?” The grey stallion frowned at me, his yellow eyes searching mine. “You will achieve nothing by-”

I hung my head and sighed. “Maroc, just piss off will you?”

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

Days turned into weeks, perhaps even months. All the while I sat there on Arathea’s old rug, a wreck of a stallion. Maroc would return occasionally to try and reason with me, but it was pointless. I’d given up, both in body and in mind. I was just so tired all I wanted now was to sleep, to let go of this terrible existence and become one with the void. I wanted no more than nothingness. No thought, no sensation, no self. It was the one thing I needed, and the one thing I was constantly denied. Several times I’d held the pistol to my head and tried to pull the trigger only to put it down. In my cowardice I’d even failed to finish myself. Tingles should have killed me outright the first time, she’d had every right to, but why should I blame her for not sending me into the dark embrace of death? Why should she have to soil her hooves with my foul blood? There was only one killer in this room now, and soon, goddess willing or not, there would be none at all. The fortress was a graveyard, filled with the bones of a people long since forgotten. What would one more mouldering skeleton be to this remote, isolated tomb?

I should never have come here.

I sat there with my pistol by my side, feeling myself slowly slipping away. I hadn’t eaten or drunk anything in I don’t know how long. I had very little spirit energy left now, in fact it was probably the only thing keeping me alive. Still, even that couldn’t last forever and I’d finally be able to let go…

A noise. Rats, maybe? I caught the glimpse of a long white leg flashing past my vision, kicking the pistol away. It clattered noisily as the useless thing skittered across the floor. I’d never had the courage to use it anyway. Bloody coward that I am. A blue eyed white face loomed in front of mine, a harsh blow smashing me across my head and sending me sprawling to the floor. I made no effort to move. What was the point? The stallion grabbed my shoulders and shook me before brutally kicking me in the stomach. I probably would have retched if I’d had anything in there to bring up, but my stomach was distended from the lack of food and I merely jerked helplessly with the impact like a rag doll. Whoever they were, the pony who’d introduced himself through the medium of sudden brutality was having a conversation with another which I could neither hear nor cared to. They could do what they bloody well wanted with me so far as I was concerned. Buck them anyway, but I hoped at least they’d enjoy themselves - it could be my parting gift to this shitty world. Years of loyal service in the watch, dedication to my work, endless late nights, fighting for my life against drunken thugs, and I end up like this. Gods, what a joke! My captors didn’t seem to see the funny side of my predicament however. They wasted no time making sure my forelegs and hindlegs were shackled and a horn-lock clamped onto my horn to prevent any attempts at magic. I could have laughed! In fact, I think I did. The ponies, all dressed in shiny armour and fancy helmets, hoisted me up, and between them they carried me from the chamber like a sack of grain. At least I didn’t have to walk. Maybe they would help me off the tower? Good view up there boys! I thought madly to myself. My sanity was finally beginning to crack too it seemed. Or had ever really been there in its entirety? Ha! Who knew? Who cared! Eventually though, I was hauled out into the bright sunlight and cold icy air of the mountain range. I could see them in all their resplendent glory now; royal guards, around ten of them, all standing around on the rubble next to several sky chariots and carriages. Every single of them was staring at the curious grey unicorn who was currently chained and bound, bouncing along and giggling like a lunatic. Their officer didn’t seem too impressed either, strangely enough.

“Is that him? You’ve got to be kidding me,” he sneered.

One of my guards looked at me askance. “He was the only one in there, sir, and he fits the description.”

The officer huffed expansively. “Yes, he does doesn’t he. Looks like he’s at death’s door.”

“He was lying next to this sir.” The guard passed the officer my PDW.

“Hmm, agency issue. The rest of his gear is too.” The officer lifted a clip board, staring from it, to me, then back again. “It’s him alright. Come on boys, let’s get him loaded and back to the barracks. I don’t like this place, it stinks of evil if you ask me.” I started to laugh. “And will somepony muzzle him? I don’t want to listen that lunatic all the way back to Canterlot!”

The ‘sack of grain’ was duly flung into the back of one of the enclosed carriages, the doors slamming shut with a deafening finality that would have rattled a fellow’s fillings loose. Hoofsteps crunched over the rough gravel outside, and moments later we rocketed into the sky, with said grey pony bouncing around in the back like the contents of a giant’s maracas. Rather thoughtfully I was kept in place with the odd kick from the carriage guard’s hoof. Well, I did so hate to be a bother, didn’t I! Poor bugger could have done himself an injury, and I know how much time they spend polishing their hooves in the princess’s personal arse licking team. The way they were going though I’d likely never make it to my destination alive, and perhaps it was all for best - I was knackered anyway. Still, it was interesting to note that these guys had been able to fly in and out of here without the kind of bother Tingles and I had faced. Being pals with the bitch who’d set the traps in the first place probably had something to do with it of course, but it would have been so deliciously ironic if we’d flown right into something and BOOM! Can you imagine the look on Celestia’s face then? “Where’s my prisoner?!” Whoops! Ah, but no such luck.

All too soon, battered, bruised, dehydrated, and near starved to death, I arrived at wherever the bloody hell this was, and flung bodily into a cell. Thankfully I didn’t recall much of the journey to be honest, just the floor of the carriage and the occasional hoof to the jaw. My guard hadn’t been the talkative type apparently. Top comfort and safety features in royal guard conveyances these days it seemed! And so I lay there, too weak to move, my stomach empty, and utterly alone. I had no idea where I was, or why, or even cared for that matter. It was almost the event of the year when a small flap at the bottom of the door opened and a tray of porridge along with a bowl of water was pushed inside. Nopony bothered to see I was able to move of course. If they had they may have noticed that I was so weak there was no way in the goddess’s world I was ever going to be able to reach it. My body was failing me… It was as it should be. It wouldn’t be long now, thank the gods. I chuckled slightly; I’d probably not live long enough to meet my host. What a shame! Oh dear, whatever was I going to do now?

I don’t know how much time passed. Drifting in and out of consciousness has a way of distorting your perceptions when it comes to things like that. But whether it was day or night was impossible to say in that cell anyway. There was no real light, nor darkness to speak of. A single lantern flickered in the corner of the miserable, dank hole reminding me that I was at the very bottom of the rung when it came to my status in life. Not that it had been very high to begin with, but even so, what a place to die. Still, it seemed appropriate somehow. Hoofsteps outside caught my attention, keys rattling in the door before it opened to admit a flood of light from the brightly lit hallway. I blinked against the glare as a dark coated mare entered, throwing back her hood and looking at me with deep azure eyes. Why did she look so sad?

“Thank you guard, you may leave us now.”

“Yes, your highness.”

‘Your highness’…Pfff! The mare ran her hooves over me and clicked her tongue, probably realising I was a gone and unhappy about the prospect of returning to her masters to report the prisoner was about to snuff it. I was a disappointment on so many levels, wasn’t I? Ah, but then perhaps she’d come to scoff at me? I’d heard the nobility had a fondness for such sick things like that, yet frankly, I was too far gone to care anymore.

“Oh Fairlight, how did it come to this…” The mare took a deep breath, lifting my muzzle. “Why did you go to that accursed place? I warned you, I pleaded with you. If only you had listened. The letter told you of the dangers there, and now… now you are…” She caught herself and shook her mane. “It matters not now, what is done is done. Come, my warrior, lift your head for me.”

The midnight mare lifted my head in her hooves, a small gasp escaping her lips when she saw how weak and frail I had become. Why couldn’t she just let me go? Bloody females, they always had to interfere with you, didn’t they? Oh, they always knew best of course - mum had made sure to hammer that little ‘fact’ into me as a foal. Gods above, from the cradle to the bloody grave, eh? Why couldn’t they leave me the buck alone?! I pushed away, or tried to. I may as well have been trying to push against a solid wall I was so devoid of strength. Gently, the mare lifted the cup of water, rubbing a little across my dry, cracked lips. At first it burned and I pulled my face away, only to have it moved back again and the process repeated. I hated this! I didn’t… I didn’t want… Oh, goddesses, what was the point? Why fight it? Why fight her? The water, shocking at first, sapped the last fragment of my will power. It was cool and soothing, so wonderful… No! No, I didn’t want this!

“Leave… Leave me, princess…” I croaked, “Just… let me go. Please...”

Luna clucked her tongue, brushing the mane from my eyes, “No. Why would you say that? How could I let you die and not try to save you?”

“I’m a monster,” I rattled, my throat dry like parchment. “Tingles, I… I raped her. You see, now? For the love of the gods, please, princess… let me die.”

Luna paused for a moment. Good, that would do it. Not even royalty would forgive such a crime against one of their subjects, and rightly so. I let out a rattling breath, smiling faintly. Any moment now, the end would come, and the sad, twisted story of Fairlight, the poor bastard from- The sudden shock of cold water dribbling down my throat made my body lurch. Luna had taken a mouthful and was slowly dribbling it into my mouth. What the hell was she thinking? Was she insane?! She held me fast, forcing me to take more and more of the water whether I wanted it or not. Lips clamped around mine as my bloody traitorous body reacted of its own accord despite my weak flailing protests. Drop by drop, each glistening pearl carrying her scent tinged with the unmistakable tang of magic, entered me. I began to instinctively lap at the water, feeling its life giving strength hissing through my ravaged, dessicated body. Satisfied, Luna levitated up the bowl and made me drink the rest, which I did - hungrily. I could feel life and strength running into me once more, re-invigorating me from muzzle to tail. What had she…? The water! I peered into the cup and saw the faint silvery drops of life energy mixed within. I thought I’d tasted magic! I closed my eyes. Why? Oh Luna, why? What have you done?

The princess watched me with her customarily serene gaze. “You will need your strength now, my warrior. I fear that there is little good I can do you other than this small trifle, but I will try. I promise you, I will try.”

“But why?” I breathed. I put down the cup, staring up at her with my dry eyes. “Luna… why bring me this?”

“Why?” Luna let out a soft sigh, smiling sadly. “Because I have no desire to see you die, Fairlight. I refuse to see another pony pass from this world because of me.”

“Because of you?”

Luna nodded. “I should have made you see sense, or at the very least spoken to you before you left. Instead, I was afraid you would be angry and so, I sent you the letter instead. Forgive me… It was wrong of me. And now, my foolishness has caused you and your mare unimaginable pain. My only wish was-”

“I never read it.”

“-for you to…” Luna gasped, her head snapping up. “What? You didn’t read it? Why not?!”

“I...” I swallowed. “I just didn’t. I was distracted, and by the time I remembered, it was too late.” I closed my eyes. “Far too late.”

“Oh, Fairlight, it’s all my fault!” The princess began to tremble, her ears drooping as she a wracking sob escaped her lips.

“No!” I reached up and caught her hoof in mine. “Don’t cry for me, Princess. Don’t you dare cry for me! Please! There’s been too many tears on my account already.”

She reached down and kissed me, actually kissed me, right on the forehead. “I know what happened to you at the fortress, Fairlight,” Luna said quietly. I stared down at her hoof held in mine. It was so delicate, so exquisitely feminine, I could see now why warriors would happily throw themselves onto the blades of their enemies in her name. My ancestors had done just that, and who could blame them? She was the goddess of the moon, and the deity my people had worshipped. Their love for her was not misplaced, but it had brought them in on the losing side of the war nonetheless. Would they have still fought for her if they’d known what the outcome would be? I think I knew. I closed my eyes, hanging off her every word as she continued.“There are books here at the palace which pre-date the last war; everything from reports to studies, analyses, even poetry and simple musings, all written by the many scholars, philosophers and mages who had once been welcomed as honoured guests of the tribe of the four winds. Now, those ancient writings are locked away in the forbidden library lest the more inquisitive of our people, such as yourself and Tingles, give in to their equine taste for adventure and risk travelling into the mountains to see the ruins for themselves.” Luna smiled wistfully. “They were better times than those that claimed the lives of your forefathers, Fairlight. The fortress had once been a home for those who were lovers of music, art and literature, regardless of their warlike nature. In some ways they were the physical embodiment of light and dark - a fusion of pony and spirit that none had ever foreseen when they first left the heart of Equestria during the strife between the three tribes. Many saw them as a race of beings that were as close to the gods as a mortal could be, and that, if nothing else, caused many more to fear them. Fear lead to jealousy, superstition, and ultimately a rift between the tribe and the rest of Equestria. When the war began, the wendigo sided with...” She closed her eyes and sighed. “I think you the rest.” Luna took her hoof away and brushed a tear from her eye. “Gods forgive me, I should have stopped you, Fairlight. As fate would have it, my duties here at the castle called me away that very morning, leading me to slip the letter under your door when I should have made the time to speak to you face to face. When I found you had already gone, it was too late. I honestly thought you would have read my warning to avoid the fortress and that would be that. The whole mountain is a death-trap. That you survived is nothing short of a miracle.”

That damned letter! If only I’d opened it, if I’d remembered to read the thing, I may not have gone. Tingles may have been… I wouldn’t have… “What of Tingles and Shadow?” I asked. “Are they safe?”

The princess nodded, lifting the bowl of porridge to my hooves. “Eat. Eat and we will talk.”

I did my best to comply. I was still as weak as a kitten, but my life’s flame had been rekindled, and I was slowly beginning to feel my body react to the food as well as the life energy the princess had brought me.

“Good, that’s better.” Luna smiled, her azure eyes watching me eat every spoonful. “Tingles, the agency mare, she is safe. I have not been able to speak to her since she returned, however Brandy has assured me she is completely unharmed. Forgive me.”

I shook my head. “There’s nothing to forgive, your majesty. What I did is a crime I alone must bear. At least she’s safe now, and I can take some comfort in that. Thank you for telling me, but… what of Shadow?”

She shook her head. “My sister… she knows. She discovered I have been travelling to the Wither World to seek your mate. Celestia has powers that even I had never realised she had possessed, and even in the dream world, she knew what I had been doing.” To my surprise Luna buried her muzzle into my neck. “I’m so sorry, Fairlight! I promised you I would re-unite you with Shadow, and I failed! I failed you, like I failed you at the fortress. Like I failed… him.” Tears began to fall, one after the other, dropping onto the dusty floor of the cold cell like warm rain.

My hooves shaking, I put the bowl down before I dropped it. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. She had ‘failed’ me? Shadow, my thestral mare…. lost in the Wither World? Oh, gods, no... Even the princess with all her experience and alicorn magic hadn’t been able to help her. My heart sank. If Princess Luna herself couldn’t succeed, then what chance did Shadow have? But wait - could I not do something to help her myself? After all, I had magic didn’t I? The power of the wendigo had to be good for something, gods damn it! I put that thought to one side. I would think more on it later, if I could. A cold flush of despair seared through me, and yet for some reason the spark of hope remained. Forlorn it may be, but it was there alright. I took a deep breath and tried to clear my mind. The princess said she had failed ‘him’? I knew who she meant of course. Luna, the princess of the night, the nightmare of the moon; in her eyes, when she looked at me she saw her long lost love - Maroc, the lord of the four winds. My heart cried out to her. All these long centuries of loneliness she had carried a torch for a long dead stallion. I couldn’t imagine how much pain that had caused her, and worse, I could do nothing to give her what she wanted. There was no balm for broken dreams. Or a broken heart.

Taking a deep breath I looked her in the eyes. “My princess, I found him. I found Maroc.”

“Wha- you did?” She blinked in surprise. “What do you mean?” Luna lifted her head, expectation written across her features. He’d been dead for over a thousand years, and yet somehow there was still that tiniest flicker of hope. Even now.

I shook my head. “I found his remains… in the pass. He had something with him.” I was surprised I still had it to be honest. The guards had searched me, but they’d only really checked my bandoleers, equipment and pockets. The tiny chain with its heart pendant was so small they must have missed it, or not thought it of any importance. I fished it out of the remains of my battered flight suit with my hooves, fiddly though it was. Being a unicorn I relied so much on magic, having it blocked was a serious handicap; hooves weren’t exactly designed for handling such small objects. Even so, I managed well enough. “Here,” I said passing it to the midnight mare, “you should have this. It was his.”

Luna levitated the pendant from my outstretched hoof and stared at it in stunned silence. Floating there before her eyes, held in the glow of her magic, it sparkled like a thing alive. I could see the red of the heart clearly now, the red as deep as blood, and in my minds eye it as if it were beating, pulsing with energy. Luna covered her mouth with both hooves, her eyes filling with tears. “Oh!” She held the tiny thing to her chest and kissed it, whispering, “Maroc, my lord, I miss you so much… I loved you, and yet I never told you. Gods above… I never told you…”

Her tears fell like rain, wetting my coat. Once more, I had made a mare cry. Was there anything I did that wouldn’t end in causing tears to flow? The feeling of self loathing was resurfacing, little bubbles of bitterness floating into my consciousness - until Luna surprised me once again. I felt the chain and pendant float down around my neck, settling onto my chest.

“No.” She closed here eyes and huffed softly. “This belongs to you now, Fairlight. Maroc was gone a long time ago. I know that… of course I do.” She shook her mane, countless constellations shimmering in the stellar winds. “You are one of his children, and this was a gift to Arathea, not to me. As their descendant, it passes to you now.”

Tentatively, I reached over and gently hugged her. I had no right to really, and half expected her to push away the impulsive stallion before her. “Thank you, Princess,” I said respectfully. “I know you tried everything you could for Shadow, and for me. Alas, I fear I have only brought more trouble to your door with your sister. Is there anything I can do for you?”

“No,” she sighed. “I wish I could say otherwise, but I fear the worst, my faithful stallion. My sister’s mercy has its limits, and her wrath is the stuff of legends. Such sentiments are not unfounded either. I think you know that all too well.” Luna took a sip of water, topping up my cup. “Most times she is a kind and benevolent ruler, but now, although we share the throne, there are matters I still have no say in. This is one of them.” Suddenly she slammed a hoof down, making me look up in surprise. “But by the gods, we will make her listen!” Luna nodded to herself then quickly rose to her hooves, mussing my mane with a smile. “Finish the meal and the water, my lord of the four winds. Whether you like it or not, that is who you are now. What you do with that title however, is up to you, and you alone. Soon enough, I fear my sister will call for you and you will know your fate. I will do what I can, but be assured I will not stand idly by and be silent witness to any more suffering on my account.”

The beautiful princess of the night rose to her hooves and knocked for the guard. As she left the cell, Luna looked back over her shoulder and gave me a subtle wink. Well, that was unexpected! The door slammed shut with the kind of finality that would normally have been the harbinger of the kind of end that involved a liberal application of axe. It still might of course, but hey, so what? There was bugger all I could do about it, and besides, I’d been here before hadn’t I? Crazy thestral matriarchs and now a genocidal alicorn. Same shit, different day – different world too for that matter. Ha! Bring it on! I let out a raucous laugh, flopping back onto the pile of straw that passed as a bed in these parts. I’d have to have a word with the management about the accommodation here, it could definitely do with a bit of improvement. Some curtains, lick of paint and a pot plant could make all the difference in the world. Hell, they could even rent it out! I chuckled to myself, closing my eyes with a sigh. Despite my predicament I was actually feeling a lot more like me. Still, the horror of what had happened in the fortress was weighing heavily on my heart, my potential fate with the princess too I suppose. I had been so eager to die, but now… Now, I wasn’t so convinced. Luna was an alicorn I wanted to protect, the goddess of the night, and one whom Maroc had served. Was it something in my genetics? Whatever, it didn’t matter anyway. Right now, I just wanted to sleep and give my body a chance to recover. I had to look good for judge, jury and potential executioner, right?

I must have nodded off at some point, because the next thing I knew was that I was being rather rudely awakened by a bunch of Celestia’s gorillas dragging me bodily down the endless corridors of the palace, suspended, once again, like a grey coated hunting trophy. Bloody hell, weak I may be but I could still walk for goodness sake. I mean, it would be nice to have been given the chance to at least try. Come to think of it, it would have saved their backs too, gods bless ‘em. Royal guards had always had something of a shitty reputation in watch circles. ‘Nancy boys’, we used to call them. ‘Posers’ was another of the nicer, and more ‘repeatable’ epithets used to describe what we thought of them too. Unlike the scruffy, practical garb of the watch, these guys all wore matching armour, polished until they shone like mirrors. Their helmets, complete with fancy crests, carried some sort of spell matrix that changed the wearer’s coat and eye colour so they all looked the same, like chocolate box soldiers. Only the very best for her nibs, eh? The general opinion however, was that they’d be like chocolate soldiers in a fight – melting in the heat of battle. Whether the miserable sods who’d nabbed me had got the same message thhough, was a little in doubt right now. Unlike some the ones I’d met over the years, this lot apparently worked out. Oof! Yes… Yes, they definitely did! They kicked me roughly to the floor as they stood before a huge set of ornate double doors that lead, I guessed by their demeanour, to the throne room. Loud muffled voices beyond said portal were raised in anger. Luna’s I recognised, but there was another, one much more commanding in tone. Celestia, it had to be. One of my guards readjusted his armour and knocked respectfully on the door. A moment later it glowed briefly with a golden light. Well, here we go!

Silently, the huge portal swung open and I was pulled through past yet another set of guards. Being upside down was making my head spin as all the blood rushed into my tortured brain. It didn’t last long though, as my thoughtful captors had another little treat in store for me. Rather than presenting me to the princesses in such an ungainly manner, they decided to unhook from from their carry pole and dump me on the floor like a bag of dirty laundry.

“Get up!” One of them snarled under his breath. “Show some respect!”

“I’d… Hnngh, I’d love to...” I gasped, trying to make my legs support me.

I was still hopelessly weak, my hobbled legs making walking nearly impossible even if the damned things had been working properly in the first place. The horn-lock blocked any magical ability too, so I was, for all intents and purposes, completely at their mercy. And right now, that was in very short supply. Down the long gallery they dragged me, along the thick red carpet, past huge stained glass windows depicting scenes that would probably have been something I’d have liked to have seen in different circumstances, until finally I was stood before the two alicorns. The guards shoved me to the floor and placed spears to my neck - as if I was in any fit state to pose a risk to their beloved royalty! Regardless of what I thought personally of the princess though, she was still the one I had sworn an oath to when I joined the watch. Whether that meant anything to her remained to be seen, but I doubted it would make a jot of difference to the overall outcome. ‘Off with his head!’ came to mind.

The two of them stood below the steps to the thrones in heated discussion:

“…have already told you, Luna. I will not continue to discuss this further.”

“You have ‘told’ me?” Luna, considerably smaller than her elder sibling, stood her ground admirably. “Big sister, you have not listened to anything I have said on the matter. The Wither World is my domain and my responsibility. You are not to interfere in-”

“The Wither World is not your sole dominion sister!” Celestia retorted, cutting her off. “Do you not remember what happened the last time you travelled there? We were plunged into civil war! Years of suffering and death at the hooves of those ‘things’ you found in that place, and all because of that vile spirit you ‘contracted’ when you were there. They are attracted to you because of who you are and so you are especially at risk. I will not allow that to happen again!”

Now that was interesting. Had Luna been inhabited by one of the spirits just as I had? Perhaps the way unicorns of the tribe used the spirits power to morph into wendigo, maybe Luna used hers to change into Nightmare Moon? It was an interesting theory.

“I do not need a history lesson ,Tia,” Luna snapped. “I know all too well what happened, and what you did to me afterwards!

“How many times, Luna, how many times?!” Celestia paced back and forth, tossing her her mane irritably. “We have been over this, again and again. You gave me no choice! Would you have had me kill my own sister? Banishment was the only option.”

Luna took a deep breath, steadying herself. “I have a responsibility to those creatures, Tia. Whether you approve of them or not, does not matter. They may not be ponies, but they are still living things, and they need my help, our help.”

Celestia ruffled her wings in irritation, “Living things? Those ‘things’ Luna, are beings of unadulterated evil, full of malice and cruelty. There was a reason they were put there in the Wither world by father - they cause nothing but fear and suffering wherever they go, and I will NOT have them here in Equestria!”

I had to open my big mouth, didn’t I? “Is that why you butchered them your highness?” I asked coldly. “Cut them down like you did the wendigo? Foals, the weak, the sick - slaughtered them to the last pony?”

Celestia slowly turned to face me, her alabaster coat shining in the filtered sunlight from the high stained glass windows. She was, even I would have to admit, a most magnificent creature - terrible and beautiful to behold, and all in one impossibly elegant being. Her deep purple eyes opened wide in surprise momentarily, then narrowed, her wings ruffling by her sides.

“Guards… leave us.” The royal guards bowed and left, leaving me alone with the princesses. Celestia walked towards me slowly, deliberately. “And here he is,” she said quietly, “the cause of all our problems. The source of all the suffering and misery that has befallen us. Here, I have you, at last.”

Luna tried to stand between us. “Sister! You cannot lay the blame for all our woes at this stallion’s hooves! He has proven his loyalty to us time and time again. He has saved ponies, foals too. He-”

“Be quiet Luna!” The white one’s voice rolled out through the throne room like a tidal wave, making my fur stand on end with its raw power.

Luna stopped in her tracks, her mouth still hanging open while her sister whipped around to face me. “So… You know a little of your peoples past, do you?” Celestia nodded slowly, her eyes staring deep into mine. There was no love here. No kindness to found. All I saw was death - the death brought by the white witch in the frozen wastes of the mountain pass. “There was was a reason I did what I did all those years ago, ‘wendigo’,” the alicorn continued. “Oh, yes, I know who you are... and what you are. Yet perhaps... you do not? Or at least, you do not know the depths of the depravity from which your kind spilled out to infect our land.” She shook her mane, the rainbow of magic light shimmering as though a living thing all of its own. “Allow me to elucidate for you. Your race, your ‘tribe’ as they called themselves, was a cancer within Equestria, a source of cruelty and evil which revelled in killing, and in war. Do you know how many of our children lost parents because of those… those things?”

“They were living creatures, Celestia,” I replied. “They had thoughts and feelings of their own, just you, just like me. They lived, they loved, they died, just like any other pony. They were not the only ones involved in the war, they were only a part of it.”

The princess lifted her head, then nodded slowly. “Yes, they were. But one part of a whole does not negate its impact, ‘Fairlight’. You may have done good things here in service to the royal family and Equestria, but your hooves have been drenched in blood ever since the spirit of the netherworld took you. Even from here, I can smell it on you.” She peered down at me, wrinkling her nose, “You stink of death.”

I held my head up. I wasn’t going to show weakness before her, not now. “Your majesty, I have only ever served you. As my father before me, and his father before him, my loyalty to you and to Equestria has never been in question. If what I have done was wrong, then I beg for your forgiveness. But I have always done what I believed was right for our people, and Equestria.”

Luna placed a hoof on my shoulder. “Sister, listen to him! He is loyal to you, he swore an oath to serve you. Please, Tia, just let him go. Let me find his marefriend and re-unite them, it is all I ask. Please, sis.”

I looked up into the big purple eyes of the princess of the sun, willing her to allow me to leave, to find Shadow and to go… to leave Equestria if I had to. But not like this, to be branded a criminal…it was too much.

Celestia closed her eyes. “You think I’m a fool, don’t you…”

Luna cocked her head in confusion. “Tia?”

Celestia rounded on her sister. “You think I don’t know what you’ve been doing, Luna? The sneaking, the manipulation…”

Luna took a step back, clearly rattled by her sisters forcefulness. “I don’t understand…”

“Don’t lie to me, Luna!” Celestia thundered. “I know all about this so-called ‘Equus’, your secret little toy which you had your pet work for. Do you seriously believe I would not have anticipated such a thing from you? I created the agency to keep our people safe, to act quietly, out of the public eye so that our citizens could live their lives in peace and harmony, just as our mother intended. But no, no you simply could not leave such things alone could you? You had to interfere, thinking that you knew best, just like you always do! And look what happened the last time!” Celestia tossed her mane, fixing her sister with a hard stare. “I knew about what you were doing, and I allowed it. I let you keep your little toy, so that you may have a hoof in keeping our land free of the sickness that forever waits in the shadows. But like last time you took a step too far, didn’t you? Now see! Here he lies before you, broken, damaged beyond repair. ‘Lord of the four winds’? Pah! Foalish nonsense! A leopardnever changes its spots.” Celestia moved her mouth close to Luna’s ear and spoke in a dangerously low tone. “Oh, and I know all about the ‘other things’ you’ve been doing with your pet, Luna. Your coat, your aura… You stink of that… that thing!”

Luna’s eyes went wide in shock. She took a step forward, stomping her hoof in anger. “Whomsoever I choose to lay with is my concern sister, and not yours! How dare you suppose to lecture me in who-”

“ENOUGH!” Celestia’s horn glowed as bright as the sun, her eyes shining like supernovas. Luna stepped back in fright as her sister’s wings snapped out and she floated up into the air suspended by a massive magical build up. The alicorn’s voice boomed through the halls. “I will not allow another of these creatures to step foot upon Equestrian soil. To think of them breeding, to have more of their kind infesting our most sacred home… I say NO!” This was it then - judgement time. Maelstrom had ordered me put to death, now Celestia was going do it too. It was becoming quite a habit this. “Wendigo, your kind were cleansed from our lands a millennia ago. Yours are a forgotten people, one who should have remained that way. You are an aberration, a mistake. A mistake that must be corrected.” She held her gold shod hooves up to the ceiling, throwing her voice until it filled the room. “Fairlight, you are to be taken from this place, from Canterlot and Equestria, to be exiled to the wastes beyond the north, never to return on pain of death. Sentence is to be carried out immediately. The prisoner is to have no contact with anypony before he leaves.”

Luna cried out in alarm, putting herself once more between herself and me. “NO! Tia, for mother’s sake, please don’t do this! How can you be so cruel?”

Celestia landed gracefully on the carpet and folded her wings, the pure white mare smiling down at the tearful Luna. “But I am merciful, Luna. If I was not, I would have had him executed.”

Luna wiped her eyes, her voice trembling with emotion. “Times were different then, Tia, we were at war! The land has been at peace for a thousand years since then. You have to let go of the past and your ancient hatred. Don’t let such a time of darkness taint your view of those who have done only good in their lives. Fairlight has sacrificed everything for our people, and for us! Please! Please, Tia, let him go.”

Celestia blinked slowly, her expression as cold as the ice that entombed the dead home of my people. “Is that all you have to say?”

Luna balked. “I-”

“My judgement has been made.” The princess announced. “The decision is final. Guards!”

I bowed to the princesses as the doors to the thrown room opened. “Princess Celestia, your majesty. Before you banish me from Equestria, I will say this, ‘There can be no sun without shadow. No light without darkness. No day without night. All come together as one in the passing of the veil.’”

She stared at me, her ear twitching and raised a hoof. “Where… Where did you learn that?”

“Fairlight…” Luna whispered.

“From the home of my ancestors,” I said calmly. “I was led there by the ghost of a little foal, the son of Maroc, the one whose bones you left to bleach in the sun on a forsaken mountainside, abandoned and alone.”

“Oh!” Luna cried out, looking away as tears streamed down her face.

The guards drew up alongside me, but I wasn’t quite finished yet. “You say I have the blood of ponies on my hooves Celestia, and I do.” I took a deep breath, looking her right in the eyes. “But I am not the only one who can smell blood, and even after a thousand years, the smell never quite goes away.”

Celestia glowered at me but was noticeably shaken. She motioned to the guards. “Take him away”.

Chapter Six - Love's betrayal

CHAPTER SIX

LOVE’S BETRAYAL

The sky carriage swept effortlessly through the afternoon sky, my silent guard sitting opposite me somehow managing to look both alert and bored at the same time. As impressive as that may have been, I was too fatigued and emotionally drained to care much right then. My body felt about as heavy as my heart did. Life had shown me its cards back there in that throne room, and it was a full house. Mine on the other hoof were one great steaming pile of yak dung. Goddesses know I’d tried my best, but ultimately… I’d failed. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to keep the sadness from swallowing me whole. Meadow, Shadow, Sparrow, even Tingles… I’d failed them all. Our ‘merciful’ ruler had deemed me to be an enemy of the state, ever so kindly choosing not to have me executed as I’d expected, but rather exiled instead. Where to precisely, I neither knew nor cared right then. Luna had done tried what she could for me, but ultimately it had been a futile waste of her time. Celestia was the ruler of Equestria for a reason - cross her, and you were a goner. Dear gods, she’d gone out of her way to send her goon squad to the fortress just to drag me to the palace so she could lord it over me before booting me out of my homeland. What an absolute bitch! Ha! If she’d been so keen to get rid of me, all she’d needed to do was leave me there and I would have eventually starved to death anyway. What the hell had been the point of it all? To dangle hope in front of my muzzle just so she could snatch it away? Well, whatever her reasons she’d done one hell of a number on me now, that was for damned sure. I was being exiled into the wasteland where I was probably going to die anyway, so as far as I was concerned, all she’d done was prolong the inevitable. I leaned back with a sigh. My heart was leaden in my chest, the future now no more than a frightening uncertainty. I’d been so sure of my path in life once, following in the hoofsteps of my father into the equestrian watch, to protect and to serve the citizens of our home - my home. Now my hopes and dreams had all crumbled to dust in my hooves, and the hour glass of Fairlight’s life was rapidly running out of sand. I could have screamed, I could have cried, but in truth, I had no more tears left to shed.

Wind buffeted the carriage, shaking us about a lot more than was comfortable. Not that I was particularly comfortable to begin with of course, thanks to being bound up like a Hearthswarming steamed pudding. What the hell was it with these idiots? Didn’t they know how to- Ow! Damn it all, my head! The carriage lurched suddenly before righting itself, but not before my head bounced off the side with all the subtlety of a grape smacking into a brick wall. Talk about insult to injury… Or was that the other way round? Either way my head was ringing like a bell, only made worse by the whatever the hell was going on outside. Over the sound of the wind, shouts from the drivers up front made my guard jump to his hooves and he quickly opened the communication hatch. There no doubt about it now - something was definitely happening, and it sure as hell didn’t sound like we’d blundered into a storm. I barely heard any of the exchange, lost as I was in my own dark place of self misery at that time. Perhaps if I had kept my wits about me I would have been a little more prepared for what happened next. The carriage suddenly shook violently, then banked steeply, picking up speed as it descended below the cloud layer. A high pitched screaming noise rapidly passed beneath us causing the guard to push his face up against the window to try and see what was happening outside. I recognised the distinctive sound even if he didn’t. They were magical energy weapons. Several of them in fact. I sat up straight; goddess buck me senseless, somepony was firing on us! The air around us crackled with the unmistakable discharge of energy bolts while our drivers desperately weaved through the sky, trying to evade the attacks. Suddenly, in a blinding flash of green light, the whole side of our carriage disintegrated into wooden shrapnel. The guard’s head, caught in the same blast, erupted into sizzling chunks of bone and flesh. I nearly gagged; my coat was spattered with his gore, the stink of the stallion’s burnt remains catching in my nostrils making my stomach heave. Right then however, I more concerned with hanging on for dear life. We continued to roll through the sky, wind buffeting the interior of what remained of the carriage and making the vehicle creak and groan ominously. There was another shriek of an energy weapon’s discharge, a shout from outside, followed by a terrible cry of pain which heralded our sudden downward plummet. We were picking up speed now alright, stretching the remains of the tortured carriage to impossible limits and reminding me of a term Tingles had used – Terminal Velocity. Goddesses, what a time to remember that! I was flung to back wall by the powerful g-forces of our descent, so hard I could barely catch my breath. I grit my teeth, wondering whether I would feel anything when we impacted the ground, and whether I would suddenly find myself back in the Withers… or worse.

The world span.

An overpoweringly strong smell of burning wood accompanied the thick, acrid smoke that quickly began filling the carriage to the point were I couldn’t see a bloody thing. My eyes stung horribly, tearing up as I squeezed them shut against the pain. Fan-bloody-tastic! So this was probably the last thing I’d experience here, was it? I think starving to death in the fortress was damned sight more appealing that ending up a puddle! Another shudder rolled through the carriage. We can’t have been that far up now, surely? I kept my eyes shut and waited, trying not to think of the ground hurtling up to meet us. I could hear screaming, not of ponies, but the tortured howls, grinding and popping of bolts and the superstructure of the carriage, as it was subjected to stresses far beyond what its creators ever intended. My eyesight started to blacken at the edges, my breathing increasingly difficult. Back in the watch they used to put pegasi through tests that could cause them to black out like this, didn’t they? What did they call it now, a centrifuge? That was it. According to them, it was some sort of ‘right of passage’ for the feathered lunatics as much as anything. It sure as hell didn’t feel like fun to me! Oh, gods, I think my stomach contents had found their way out, but with everything else that was happening I couldn’t tell whether I was up or down, let alone if I was covered in puke or not. A loud bang and scraping sound followed by more shouting from outside brought me to my senses. What the hell was that? There was another gut-wrenching lurch that threw me to the floor, all but knocking the teeth out of my head. We weren’t spinning at least, and apparently the carriage’s downward plunge had been checked, though we were still falling at a dangerously high speed. I could feel the thing slowing, barely, and a glance out of the wrecked side was enough to see what was coming up to meet us – the river. We were heading right for it. There were more shouts, more yelling that was so muffled by the wind I couldn’t make out the words. I didn’t need to. The panic in the voices was more than enough to convey the gravity of our situation. Ha! Gravity! Funny how silly things like that pop into your head when you’re about to become a pancake.

Mere seconds passed before the tortured carriage made its first bone jarring impact with the ground. I was flung bodily across what was left of the floor, my head smashing into the bulkhead sending blue sparks across my vision. The vehicle lifted again, accompanied by more shouts and screaming from outside. It hit the ground and rolled, flinging my battered and bruised body around like a hoofball in a washing machine. In one final ear splitting bang, the carriage split apart. Wood, metal, burning timbers and the dead bodies of the drivers were strewn across the banks of the river. The back of the carriage, containing myself, was violently ripped away and rolled down towards the fast running water. Well, this was great, wasn’t it!I wasn’t going to die in the crash, I’d just drown instead! Thumping and banging its way down the slope there was that sickening moment when everything seemed to stop. Then tilt. Then slide. And sure enough, with almost glacial inevitability, the remains of the carriage slowly tipped into the river, taking me under into the swirling, bitterly cold depths.

I wasn’t a bad swimmer really. After I’d nearly drowned as a foal, I’d taken it upon myself to learn to swim and kept up with my practice until I’d become quite proficient. Overcoming my fear had been a task in itself, and I can assure you, no matter how good you are, you never forget. Right now though, here in the dark waters with heavy chains pulling me down, I surrendered to it. Why bother to fight any more? I was sick to damned death of fighting anyway. I was lost in a war I couldn’t win, a war where the outcome had been decided before it had even started. The deck had always been stacked against this poor fool of pony, but it had still been one hell of a wild ride though. I’d met some wonderful creatures along the way: ponies, griffins, thestrals, even minotaurs. I hoped they’d be safe, all of them. I gasped out the last of my air and my lungs filled with ice cold water. Well, this was it then. Goodbye everypony… I’m sorry, I couldn’t be better… I tried…

Huge hooves attached to orange forelegs reached down through the water, grabbing me around my neck and hauling me upwards, up towards the light. I struggled against them. What the hell were they doing?! For the goddesses sake, just let me go! What was it this time, forgot to inflict more misery on me had they? Bastards! I yanked myself away, but the hooves snatched me back, pulling inexorably, powerfully. My back scraping agonisingly against the wreckage of the cart, splintered wood tearing through my flesh, and then… I was free. Whoever my self-appointed saviour was, was not gentle. I was flung bodily across the muddy bank where I landed in a soaking, wet heap with a equally wet thud. Coughing water and blood from my mouth, my body drank in the damp air. Suddenly I was hauled up once more and dragged unceremoniously into deep shadow beneath the arch of a large stone bridge. A hoof kicked me viciously in the stomach, making me retch and cough all the more violently. Some bloody rescue! My ears were still full of water, but I could just make out a gruff voice yelling obscenities at me. Opening my eyes painfully, I had trouble focussing, though I could see enough to know who the large muscular orange unicorn in the black overcoat was before me. It was Warlock. And he looked seriously pissed off. He reached down and punched me across the side of the head, rattling my teeth. The iron taste of my own blood filled my mouth as the stallion grabbed my muzzle, glaring down into my eyes with unadulterated malice.

“Why aren’t you dead?” he snarled. “Why can’t you just die like the stinking rat you are!”

Another kick and a rough blow across my head caused my vision to waver sickeningly. So much for help! Why was this great thug of a stallion here? I spat out a mouthful of blood. Gods almighty, what the hell had I ever done to this guy?! More to the point, why did ponies keep saving me just to try and kill me?! Was there a queue of ponies somewhere who hated me so much they were all waiting their turn to pop me off? I could have laughed, if a pistol hadn’t appeared before my muzzle a moment later. The furious orange unicorn’s eyes gleamed with unrestrained malice above the PDW’s sights, hopelessly lost in a world of hatred for the grey stallion before him.

“You think I don’t know what you did?” Warlock spat. “She stank of stallion, you little bastard! She stank of you! You… you fucked Luna! My Luna!” The pistol levelled at me began to shake as his fury rose to fever pitch. “You may have pulled wool over the eyes of the rest of the agency, ‘Nox’, but you didn’t fool me for one damned minute. Not a single one! I’m going to do what the agency should have done the moment we found out what you really were.” His voice began to crack as he magic focussed on squeezing the trigger. “I’m going to send you back to the pit of hell you crawled out from, and you know what? I’m going to do it myself, you damned freak!”

He fired. A green bolt of superheated magical energy punched a hole through my shoulder like it was as substantial as tissue paper. The all too familiar stink of burning pony flesh and the onset of searing pain made me cry out. In my agony, a mare’s frantic cry drifted down the embankment.

“No! Oh goddesses, Warlock, what the hell are you doing, you maniac?! Stop it!”

I recognised that voice.

Warlock’s grimace only deepened. “Don’t interfere, girl. You played your part, and now its time to close the curtain on the final act of this sickening farce.”

Tears pouring from her eyes, Tingles rushed over to me and dropped to her knees. “Fairlight!” She cried out in horror at the sight of my emaciated, broken and bloodied body. “I’m sorry! Oh goddesses, I never meant for this! I tried to tell you, to warn you...”

I coughed out blood, a small trickle dribbling down my cheek. “You… you were working for Celestia all along, weren’t you. That’s how they knew where to find me.”

“Yes!” Tingles sniffed loudly, trying to staunch the blood pulsing from my wound. “ Fairlight… I’m so sorry…”

Weakly I reached up to her hoof. “Was it all a lie Tingles? All of it?”

“No!” She gasped. “No... not all. Maybe at first, yes, but later…” Tingles rubbed her bloodshot eyes. “Fairlight, I didn’t want this!”

Warlock shoved her roughly out of the way. “How bucking touching. Trying to screw another mare, freak? Or have you already ploughed her? It’s all filth like you are fit for.”

He aimed the pistol and fired again, this time straight into my side. I don’t know how much damage he did but the pain was beyond anything I’d felt since those bastards Mel and Gates had worked on me. I tried not to scream, but willpower can only go so far. My body reacted on it’s own.

Tingles pushed past the orange unicorn and threw herself between us, hugging me to her chest. Looking over her shoulder at Warlock her voice was full of fear and anger. “For Celestia’s sake, Warlock, you’ve done enough! You never said you’d kill him!”

“Get away from him,” he growled raising the pistol once more. “Get away or I’ll shoot you too, you already stink of that animal.”

“No!”

I tried to push Tingles off me. “Get…away. Please…” I began to choke as blood filled my lungs.

“Damn you, Fairlight!” she sobbed. “I won’t leave you behind again!”

“Get out of the way girl!” Warlock shouted, smashing Tingles across the side of the head and roughly kicking her off me. Impotently I spat blood at the lousy bastard who merely wiped the scarlet drops from his face with a hoof. “Nice… But now, it’s time to die…”

Warlock aimed his pistol at my face.This was becoming something of habit lately, but hell, what did it really matter when you got right down to it? Dead was dead, and it didn’t make any difference how, when or why – the end result was always the same. Whichever way you looked at it, it was time for me bow out, and maybe it was for the best too. Fate had played me like a blasted hoofball these last few months, and I was sick to damned death of it. Literally. Pity it had to be by this bucker of course, but I suppose on some level I could see his point. I’d be pretty pissed off too if somepony had slept with my girl. But as for Tingles? She didn’t need to be here to see this. Unfortunately I didn’t have much to bargain with right then, not that Warlock would have listened anyway - I knew that look on his face all too well. They say that when you die your life flashes before your eyes, but all I could see was Warlock’s magic squeezing the trigger of his pistol, the beam gathering at the muzzle. From the corner of my eye I saw a blur of wings as Tingles threw herself in front of it, the blood, hair and flesh erupting from her back in a hellish fountain. My cry of horror was muted as the mare’s blood hit my face in a splash of crimson, yet even as she fell more shots screamed out from the top of the embankment, narrowly missing the murderous Warlock.

He shouted orders to his fellows. “Get her out of here, pull back!”

Two agency ponies grabbed Tingles’ lifeless body and hurried off up the embankment followed by Warlock while more shots flashed out, chewing up chunks of earth around the agents who returned fire in kind. The air was thick with energy bolts, chasing the escaping agents as they scrambled into their sky carriages and rocketed up into the sky. Meanwhile all I could do was lie there in shock, physically and emotionally shattered. Tingles… She’d thrown herself in front of the PDW blast to save me. The same way she’d saved me from Wist what felt like a lifetime ago. Dear goddesses, why? Why did this keep happening?! I didn’t know if she were dead or alive, but at the very least she was badly hurt. I could save her if I could reach her. I… I could... Pain wracked my body, and I screamed helplessly. I was losing a little blood, the cauterising nature of the weapons energy keeping it to a minimum - It didn’t help much. Every movement, every breath, hurt like the hounds of hell were tearing my body apart piece by succulent piece. With my magic blocked I couldn’t heal, and yet I knew I had to get out of here or else it really would be all over. For both of us. I had to reach Tingles somehow. But how? I tried impotently to crawl away, but my chained hooves just slipped helplessly on the slick mud of the ban whilst white hot pain lanced through me. I wouldn’t let it stop me, I couldn’t! Damn it if it wasn’t for that bucking horn lock…

I didn’t hear anypony approaching until a hoof roughly pulled me over and onto my back. Gasping in pain, I found myself staring up into a surprisingly familiar face - the neat little pink mare with the red and white striped hair. Agent Sweetie?

Blue eyes peered into mine. “Hello, Agent Nox. Long time no see…” She looked me up and down like I was some sort of fascinating museum exhibit. “Glad I was in time.”

I tried to speak, but I was in so much pain all I could do was gasp for breath.

“Let’s get this over with shall we?” she smiled.

Expecting a helping hoof up, I was shocked to feel hooves pulling at the remains of my flight suit. I saw her darting furtive glances left and right, as though she was doing something she didn’t want any pony else to see. Or about to do something.

“Well,” she murmured, “I see this isn’t damaged at least. Let’s see if there’s anything left in there shall we?”

To my horror, Sweetie reached down and began rubbing me roughly with her hooves. I could barely feel anything over the pain and tried feebly to kick her off me. What the hell was she doing?! Was she insane? The mare suddenly grabbed one of my hind legs and pulled – hard - making me shriek as the pain from my wounds raced through my brain.

“Shut up!” she hissed, slapping across the muzzle. “If I hear another squeak from you, or you don’t comply, I’ll kill that stupid little pegasus of yours. Do I make myself clear, ‘Nox’?”

I stared hatred at the sick bitch. “Damn you… Sweetie… Why are you doing this? What in the name of the gods are you…?”

She kept stroking me and the traitorous thing responded. Sweetie licked her hoof and reached down, pulling herself up, readying herself for what she did next. With a grunt, she lowered herself onto me. Letting out a little whimper, the mare collapsed on my chest which had me gritting my teeth against the sheer intolerable suffering my body was experiencing. Sweetie however, didn’t give a damn about how I was feeling, nor how much pain I was in.

Smirking she began to rock back and forth. “Oh, Fairlight, you have been a naughty boy. Oh yes, I know who you are… mmm…. yes, your power, your strength!” She wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. “Fairlight… you really ought to be better behaved…” She moved faster and faster, puffing and panting like a broken freight train. And there was nothing I could do. Not a damned thing! Consciousness threatened to escape me and I partly hoped it would. Damn it, I didn’t want this! “Oh, Celestia… we’ll make a fine foal Fairlight,” Sweetie leered. “One with my brains, your power - imagine the possibilities!” With a final groan, Sweetie shook and twitched as my body did what its biological imperative was – breeding. The mare pulled herself up abruptly, looking round and ducked as a pulse of green weapons discharge flashed past her head and flared against the bridge support in a shower of stone fragments. Sweetie reached down and patted me on the cheek with her hoof. “Later, big boy,” and rushed off in the opposite direction.

It was madness. The whole world had gone insane, and I was just another one of the inmates in this asylum. None of it made sense. Tingles had been working for Celestia, telling her where to find me. I’m captured, sentenced to exile, then my guards are gunned down by agency goons who for some reason pull me out of the water only to try to kill me. And best of all, Tingles was with them! Oh, and lets not forget my being raped by Sweetie – what fun that had been! Evil, bucking bitch! What sort of freakish monster does that to another, let alone a dying stallion? Goddesses, you must be having a grand old time up there in your ivory towers, eh? Was this all part of your game? Perhaps I was looking at it from the wrong angle, though. Perhaps Celestia acted as more of a warden to this madhouse, keeping the inmates in check through the occasional cull. Was that what the war had been about, then? Thinning out the numbers of nutters by the application of good old fashion war? I nearly laughed, but an agonising cough took me, blood spraying from my nose onto my hooves. Looking at it, slick, warm and steaming in the cold air beneath the bridge, I knew that If I didn’t get help soon I was going to die here. Probably slowly too. Yet as much as being able to underline all of this misery was strangely attractive, I was starting to develop a deep sense of outrage. The princess, Warlock, the bucking governor and her damned goons Melon Patch and Gates… If not for them, none of this would have happened: the suffering inflicted on my wife, my foal, countless others… now Tingles too. And what of Shadow? I had no idea what was happening with her, whether she was safe or not. Celestia had seen to that alright, destroying my hopes of the princess of the night finding her, but I hadn’t entirely given up yet. Maybe there was still some way of getting to her - preferably one that didn’t involve being killed first. Or dying here under the bridge. Even if I did survive, I wasn’t sure that I could return to the thestral realm. Hey, hope springs eternal, right? I tried to get to my hooves but I had no breath left in me. By the looks of the frothing blood on my hooves, my lungs had been punctured - and goddess damn it, it hurt like hell. Where the hell was I anyway? If I could just get away from here, get my bearings, then perhaps there was some way I could get help. Then I could-

“He’s here!”

The clatter of hooves over rock and mud announced the approach of at least three ponies. One of them looked familiar too, though I couldn’t quite put my hoof on it. Oh, goodie, had they come to finish me off? Come one, come all! Damn it all, I was so sick of this! I coughed again, trying to look up at the newcomers. They were all heavily armed, and one of them was sporting a large bandage over a foreleg. At least I wasn’t the only poor sod who got a few nicks!

“Pick him up, carefully now, he’s hurt. Get him to the others by the carriage.”

Hurt?! Yeah, you could say that! I had to grit my teeth when they put their hooves around me to lift me onto the back of one of the larger ponies, a big lime coloured fellow. Thank Luna for earth ponies. They walked hurriedly, but carefully, back to a number of waiting carriages. My eyes went wide in shock. Bloody hell, it was a battleground! Dead royal guard ponies lay scattered around the river bank, their armour having done little to help them against the modern weapons of their attackers. They hadn’t gone down without a fight though; black clad bodies lay here and there, crossbow bolts protruding from the still corpses. Nearby, several wounded ponies were being treated by a medic who was currently bandaging the head of an injured mare. Thankfully it only looked superficial.

“Doc! We’ve got him, but he’s in bad shape.”

“Okay, put him there and let’s have a look…” The doctor, a chocolate coloured mare with pretty eyes, looked me over. “Celestia’s hairy arse...” she breathed looking over my wounds. “How the hell is he still alive? Quick! Banjo, get that damned horn lock off him, those shackles too.”

The metal chains clattered noisily to the ground with a quick burst of fire from a PDW and the horn lock was popped effortlessly from my head, unceremoniously thrown into the river where the damned thing belonged. Hang on a minute… did she say ‘Banjo’? Putting that though to one side, I tried to channel a little of my spirit energy into the wounds, but I was so weak it was like trying to catch a soap bar in the bath. My vision was swimming, darkness pressing in from the sides threatening to plunge me into unconsciousness. Part of knew that if that happened, wendigo or not, there’d be no coming back this time. I had to grasp onto something, some need to keep me focussed on staying alive. The answer was obvious. Tingles. She needed me. I didn’t know if she was alive or dead, but there was no way in this stinking world I was going to leave her to the tender mercies of that bastard Warlock. I had to get to her, and I had other business that required my attention too. Oh, yes, my work was unfinished as yet, but it would be – as soon as I could get to them. Gates. Melon Patch. The Commissioner. Velvet. And now, Warlock had been added to that list. This was going to be so much fun! I smiled grimly, feeling my resolve strengthen ever so slightly. There was just so much to look forward to...

The doctor waved at one of the other ponies. “We need to get him out of here. He won’t last much longer if we don’t-”

“B… Banjo?” I whispered.

“Get him some water somepony, quickly!”

One of the mares rushed over and gently lifted my head so I could wet my mouth and throat with something other than congealing blood. It was heavenly; such a simple thing, and yet so sweet it was like the nectar of the gods.

“Banjo...” I coughed weakly. “Where are we?”

The familiar face appeared before me, his peculiar accent strangely comforting. “Just north of the Fallow Mountain range, north-east of Canterlot. Save your strength, Mister Fairlight, we need to get you to help.”

I cleared my throat. The spirit energy was flowing now, but it was struggling. There was so much damage I wasn’t sure if I had enough in me to fix everything. “No…” I blinked up at him as the doctor wiped my eyes with a wet cloth. “Banjo, do you know of a small village… It’s called Hackamore.”

One of the others trotted over wearing... a watch coat? “I know,” he said confidently. “It’s a fly speck of a place, about fifteen minutes flight from here.”

“Take me there…” I said quietly. “It’s my aunt Pewter’s home.” Licking my blood soaked lips I winced against a sudden shock of pain before adding, “She… she can help me.”

The doctor started to protest, but was cut off by Banjo. “Come on ponies, let’s move tail. Doc, you come with us. And for the princess’s sake, keep him alive.”

I must have blacked out soon after as the next thing I knew I was being rudely awoken by a loud hammering and angry shouting. One of the voices, a mare’s, was very familiar indeed…

“I’ve told you bloody kids a thousand times, buck off the lot of you! I’ll turn you into mice and set the cats on you, you little twats!”

The next voice was a male’s, one of my contingent by the sounds of it. He didn’t sound too pleased either. “Open the door you mad old bag!”

“What did you call me?!” The door was suddenly flung open by an enraged and very bedraggled looking grey mare with curlers hanging from her damp mane. “Who the buck are- Oh goddess above! Nephew!” She stared at the ponies around me. “Well, what are you waiting for you dullards? Get him inside! Quickly!”

My rescuers carried me into the dark musty interior of Aunt Pewter’s cottage. Most of the pain had faded away now, replaced instead by the usual fatigue I felt after using far too much of the spirit’s magic. During the flight over here the spirit had been doing something useful for once and repairing the worst of my more life-threatening injuries. I groaned faintly, licking my dry lips. What had happened to spirit anyway? The voice, that presence… it had gone. The power was still there, tired and weary like I was, but it felt different than it had before that terrible incident in the fortress. I’d been in such a state since then, both mentally and physically, that I hadn’t really thought about it much, as odd as that might sound. And it did, even to me. The spirit had either left me or melded with me somehow, leaving me feeling… not so much alone, rather… more like the old me I suppose. Ha! I’d been so used to having another voice talking to me in my head all the time that it felt extraordinarily quiet for once. Well, if you ignored the occasional appearance by Maroc of course. He, it seemed, was never that far away. A slight bump brought my attention back to the present as familiar sights and sounds assailed me from every direction. Even the incessant bubbling of the old cauldron was like a balm to the poor beleaguered Fairlight soul. Apparently though, not everypony appreciated such ‘homely’ surroundings if the general muttering was any judge. Some of my companions stared nervously around at the eerie fixtures and fittings that adorned the village mystics home, paying particular attention to a notable new acquisition. Was that another dragon skull? Good grief, she’d really outdone herself this time! Distant crashing and the noise of plates falling onto a tiled floor assailed my ears from the kitchen as the old mare searched for something. Then, with a cry of victory, she rushed back to my side, barging the doctor out of the way.

“Useless bucker,” she hissed under her breath.

The doctor spluttered in indignation. “Madam!”

“Oh, belt up and make yourself useful,” Pewter snapped. “Give that pot a stir. And you two…” She waved a hoof at Banjo and a charcoal coloured mare, “bring those leaves and the oat cakes over here. I know how many there are, so don’t even think about stealing any!” Nopony was left in any doubt as to who the mistress was in this house, and I pitied the ponies who had inadvertently charged into the crank old bugger’s parlour. I’d have to apologise to them later - when I’d got myself together. Quite literally I suppose. Auntie carefully lifted my head up and shoved a large cushion under it giving me support. “Come on, Fairlight, open up, there’s a good boy… yes, that’s good. Now swallow it down.” I did as ordered, just like I had when I’d been a foal staying here when mum and dad had been away. “Ready for another one?”

Luna have mercy on me! I was half expecting her to shout, ‘here comes the sky carriage, whoooosh!’ Thankfully, that little treat was not forthcoming. The jam however, was. The sweet sticky preserve tasted strange in my mouth mixed with all the crap that I’d been choking on recently, but did its job. I could feel the energy of the berries trickling back into me, giving me the strength I needed to rebuild the damage Warlock had wrought. Warlock. That bastard! What had he done with Tingles? Was she alright? And… hell, let’s have a reality check for a moment - she’d betrayed me, she’d lied to me, used me, and all in the name of that bitch Celestia. Oh, she may have had a change of heart at the end of course, but she’d still done what she did. None of it justified what happened in the chamber of the fortress though, and… gods help me, I still loved her. Auntie’s preserves could mend my spirit and help repair the physical damage, but for my heart, there was no cure.

One of the stallions walked over to Banjo and whispered in his ear. With a few hoof movements the rest of his team rushed out and he turned to me. “Mister Fairlight, we must go, the royal guard will be looking for us. We’ll cover our tracks, but you must stay here until we can move you somewhere safer. Here…” He pushed a small golden transmitter into my hoof. “It’s encrypted. We’ll be in touch, soon. Goddesses bless you.” With a swish of his short tail, the orange stallion rushed from the cottage and out into the waiting sky carriage. What was it with all the orange ponies lately? If they weren’t betraying me they were trying to kill me, or save me! I’d always liked that colour too…

“Oh, just leave the frigging door wide open why don’t you?!” Auntie spat, walking over and slamming it shut. “Bloody kids…”

“Auntie…” I mumbled, still weakened. “I-”

“And you can shush too, Fairlight,” Pewter huffed, bopping me on the nose with her spoon. “Get this down you and have a rest. We can talk later.” She looked about her as if she’d lost something. “Is that orange filly with you? The one with the ice cubes on her arse.”

I closed my eyes, willing the image of Tingles’ body bursting into bloody chunks away. The betrayer, the one I-

Auntie kissed me on the forehead. She’d always been frighteningly intuitive and could read me like a book with open pages. “Oh, Fairlight… I’m sorry love, really. Me and my bloody big mouth. Here, you get comfy and have a nice rest. I’ll watch over you until you’re better, okay?” She started to sing softly as I drifted off, the words so familiar. “Hush now, quiet now…”

I fell into the soft dark embrace of sleep, a wavering, smiling face above me, one full of unquestioning love. Mum? Mum, is that you? I hadn’t seen her for so long, yet the passage of time had done little to lessen how much I missed her.We may have had a rocky relationship like so many sons do, but I still loved her even with all her faults – as I’m sure she had with mine. Gods know, I had more than my fair share. Pewter reminded me of her in many ways too. Most obvious was her physical appearance. She was so similar to her sisterthe resemblance was uncanny. At first glance the two of them could have been twins. I know some thought they were, however Pewter was older by a good few years, and ironically had outlived her younger sibling which only added to my suspicion that the canny old bugger was secretly immortal. Auntie rarely spoke about her sister, although that wasn’t anything unusual for her. She was quite the secretive sort, preferring the isolation of her home in Hackamore to the busier towns and villages.I think she loved us in her own way. After all, photographs of the family were all over the mantelpiece, intermingled with pictures and models of her favourite cats. Good old Pewter, who’d want to be upstaged by a moggy, eh?

My dreams were a mess of disjointed images and disassociated memories: Mum and dad playing with me at the beach, my first day at the watch training school, Meadow’s eyes watching me from under her sun hat - so many happy, and yet bitter-sweet memories. I was better for having them, but some of them, knowing I would never see them again, at least not in this world… hurt. I wondered how they were. The eternal herd was their home now, and it seemed so far away. How I wished I could be with them, but there were others who needed me still. Well, Shadow did, maybe… but of Tingles, I just didn’t know. If Warlock had wanted her dead, he’d have just left her there, unless she was already… No! I wouldn’t think of that! She’d betrayed me after all. All those lies, the deceit. ‘No more lies’, eh? Ha! What a bloody fool I’d been. She’d used me like a dirty bucking rag, playing with my emotions like a puppet master jerks the marionette’s strings. I bet she and Warlock were laughing at me right now. Soft, pliable old Fairlight, the oily rag of whoever needed to have dirty work doing. The rag that could be discarded when it became just that little bit too filthy to handle. Damn them all… And damn the bucking princess, that murdering bitch! Tingles, Warlock, Mel, Gates… to hell with them. To hell with them all. Tartarus had a special place for betrayers and murders. Ha! Maybe I should just send them all there? Anger and emotional pain overwhelmed me and, Luna forgive me, I let it. I embraced it, bathed in it, letting every fibre of my being be immersed in grief. The foul beings that had started all of this would be first: Mel and Gates. I was grateful to Banjo and his team of course, but this was something I needed to do. Vengeance needed to be served and all the old emotions of bitterness, loss, anger and rage, had begun to boil up inside me. Forgive me mum, dad - this is something I have to do before somepony else gets hurt by them, like Meadow was, and my little Sparrow Song. Cold anger washed around me, whipping up my emotions into a tempest of rage. Where was the great Celestia when my family had needed them? Murdering more innocents? More foals? DAMN HER!

I woke sweating heavily, my breathing heavy and course. Auntie was dozing beside my bed next to a pile of blood stained cloths and a bowl of water. By the looks of it she’d been there all night too. As I sat up, a warm damp cloth fell from my brow and plopped wetly into my lap. I picked it up and rinsed it in the cold water, before giving myself a quick wipe down. Most of my injuries had healed, fresh skin showing where once there had been charred and torn flesh oozing blood. Luna’s backside, I looked like I a bad case of mange. As if that wasn’t bad enough I was absolutely covered in dried blood that made me feel nauseous as it fell away from me. Auntie had done her best to clean me up, but the best thing for this was a damned good soak in a hot bath. Or a hose-pipe. Right then I would have happily jumped in the river! I smacked my lips; I was thirsty too. My throat was as dry as a griffin’s wit and my mouth tasted like something had died in there. Now that was a horrifying thought… I tried to stand, perhaps a little too quickly. My head immediately began to spin, reminding me of my lack of life energy, and I managed to grab one of the roof supports just time. Mercifully the feeling of nausea subsided fairly quickly, even if my legs did feel like they’d been remade with rubber bands instead of flesh and bone. A quick wash might spruce me up a bit though. A little wobbly on the old hooves, I stumbled over to the hearth, pleasantly surprised to find the kettle still had some fairy hot water in it. That wasn’t like Pewter to leave it on here, nor let the fire die down without banking it first, suggesting she had inadvertently nodded off some time ago. I levitated some dry wood from the skuttle, shoving them into the dimly glowing coals. She’d like a cup of tea when she got up. For now though, I’d use what hot water there was for a more pressing matter. One bowl later, complete with a block of soap, a flannel, towel, and a weary stallion, I was ready. Albeit not the warmest in the world, the water still felt amazing, the warmth from the fire and the wash giving me a feeling of wellness I hadn’t felt in a long time. It was no hot spring, but by the gods I was in heaven! I must have stunk like I’d been rolling in sweat and turds if the first lot of water was anything to go by, and I ditched it out the back door before starting the process again. I don’t know how long I went at it, and frankly I didn’t care. I scrubbed myself within an inch of my life, ignoring the aches of my joints and the missing fur until I could no longer see the rusty, mud coloured slurry in the water. Only soap suds remained now, and a good rinse. Dumping the last of the water outside I walked over to the stream and filled the bucket, upending it over myself. Gods, I nearly screamed it was so cold! Some bloody wendigo I was.

“Hello, I see you’re back already. How was Manehattan?”

Shaking the water from my mane I looked up to see a familiar purple pegasus smiling at me. “Shit,” I replied. Levitating the bucked over my back I gave my haunches a good rising off. “I wouldn’t recommend it. How’s things, Glow Bug?”

The cabbie shrugged. “Same old, same old. Not much business round here to be truthful with you.” He frowned, nodding towards me. “Been through the wars, I see. You okay?”

“Damn sight better than I have been,” I huffed. I snorted out a blast of water. “Fate can be a real bitch sometimes.”

“You got that right!” Glow Bug chuckled, heaving his pack up onto his back. “You look like you stallion who needs a cuppa. Fancy one? I left the kettle on in the workshop so it should be ready by now I reckon.”

“Thanks...” I sighed, letting him help me out of the river. “I could kill a brew right now.”

Water sluiced poured off me, much to Glow Bug’s amusement judging by the grin on his face. He passed me my towel. “You’ll dry off a lot better by the forge. Come on, let’s get along. If we’re lucky we’ll have a few scones too.”

This was sounding better and better by the minute. Tea, scones; say what you like about country folk, they sure know about hospitality. Glow Bug’s home wasn’t far from Petwer’s, which wasn’t all that surprising considering the hamlet consisted of no more than about a dozen cottages, a mill pond, and… that was about it really. The workshop, carriage park and house which constituted Glow Bug’s place was by far the largest set of structures in the village, but wasn’t saying much. Frugal living was the order of the day here, and that was just the way they like it too. No modern conveniences like radios, no washing machines, no fridges, no bloody mider either. Ah, wonderful peace and quiet – where had you been all my life? I have to say the forge was lovely and warm too, so much so I had to watch I didn’t singe. I think I’d lost quite enough fur and hair as it was without knackering any more of it. Plonking myself on the stool, Glow Bug took my towel from me, hanging it up to dry nearby before setting about pouring a couple of mugs of what turned out to be eye wateringly strong tea.

“Post’s in, dad.”

“Thanks, pet.”

“I’ve brought you a couple of scones too. Mum says don’t forget to- Oh!” The yellow unicorn looked at me in surprise, but bobbed her head respectfully. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know we had company.” She quickly hung up a satchel on a peg, then shot into the house like Sombra himself was nipping at her hooves.

“Long Branch,” Glow Bug said with a smile. “She helps me out around the workshop. Bit timid around strangers, but you know what it’s like round these parts.”

I did too. I was no stranger to Hackamore, even if hadn’t been much of regular here for quite a while. I wasn’t familiar with Long Branch though. She was certainly quite young, I’d say in her late teens, early twenties maybe. I took a sip of the proffered tea and smiled my thanks at Glow Bug as he passed me a scone. It had been cut in half, smothered in butter and jam, and still warm from the oven. It was so delicious, it nearly brought a tear to my eye. Meadow could have made these herself, and I wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference. What a strange, strange world.

“Good to have a spare set of hooves around here,” I said around a bite of the delicious treat. “Bit of a jack of all trades there, Glow Bug.” I smiled, nodding towards the postal satchel. “Expanding your empire?”

The stallion laughed, nearly sploshing tea on his wing in the process. “Aye, that’s me!” He jerked a hoof towards the table. “Blacksmith, hunter, post master, taxi service, you name it. You have to diversify out here or you can go hungry pretty damned quickly.”

“Low overheads I’d imagine.”

He swallowed a mouthful of tea, nodding. “Aye, there’s that!”

“Beetroot’s a real catch,” I said admiring the scone. “These are delicious!”

“That’s why I married her!” Glow Bug rolled his shoulders and smiled broadly. “Your aunt doing okay?”

“I think so,” I replied. “She’s getting on a bit, but other being a bit grouchy she seems fitter than me.”

“Yeah...” The taxi driver sighed. “Keep an eye on her though, eh? Like you said, she’s no spring chicken.”

“I’d love to, but I’m not staying,” I confessed. “Why, is something wrong?”

Glow Bug shook his head. “Nothing that age doesn’t bring with it, my friend. I remember Pewter when she was younger. Of course, I was just a nipper then, but even I could tell a fine mare when I saw one. Real looker she was too, and the lads in the hamlet couldn’t keep their eyes off her.” He shrugged. “Then she got married to a fella from somewhere, I forget where exactly, and that was pretty much that. The locals may be a nosy lot, but they don’t dabble with other stallions mares.” He nodded to himself as though confirming it as a well know fact. I suspected it was one of those unwritten rules that villagers adopted to avoid causing upset in the village. That said, nature was a powerful force, regardless of how strong your willpower was.

“I didn’t know my uncle very well,” I said absently. “I’ve seen photo’s, but auntie rarely ever mentions him at all.”

“Aye, well, that’s country folk for you in a nutshell.” Glow Bug raised an eyebrow as he tended the forge for little more heat. “We like a good natter, though know when to keep our muzzles out another privates – if you get what I mean.”

I chuckled. “I hope so!”

“Meh! Never was one for a good turn of phrase. Not much call for it out here.” He stretched his wings out, inspecting them the same way I’d seen Tingles do it. “I suppose I’ll have to be away soon. I’ve got a decent run to sort out today, and bits are better in my pocket as not, right?”

“Mmm...” I swallowed the last of my tea. It was time to go it seemed, but I had one last thing I wanted to ask of him before I did. “You know villages in the area well, Glow Bug?”

“Have to,” he replied. “Wouldn’t be much good as a postie if I didn’t.”

I nodded. “You ever take letters to Smiling Borders?”

“Smiling Borders?” He frowned. “Hardly in the area, that. But aye, I’ve been there, quite a few times actually. Barely heard of the place to be truthful, and the next thing I know I’m running back and forth like a weavers shuttle.” He lifted his post sack onto his back and began strapping it into place. “Funnily enough, all from old Pewter too. Guess she must be planning on going there for her hols soon, eh? They’ve got a cracking hot spring there.” Glow Bug paused before turning to face me. “Fairlight, listen, I don’t likes to speak ill of folk, but Smiling Borders...” He took a deep breath. “I know it used to be a holiday spot some time back, but… the locals there are… a bit odd.”

“A bit odd?” I asked.

“Aye.” The stallion suddenly looked very uncomfortable, no doubt wishing he hadn’t said anything at all. “There’s more than ponies there. There’s…” He swallowed. “Minotaurs.”

“And?”

“And griffins, hippogriffs, and all sorts of weird and wonderful creatures that… well, don’t mix too well with normal Equestrian folk if you get me.” Glow Bug’s ears went a faint shade of red.

Oh, gods! Was he talking about Heather?! I decided to play along. “They’re not dangerous, are they?”

“No! Well, not as I see they aint no...” He sighed. “It’s just, there’s rumours about Smiling Borders, see? Not just about the minotaurs either, although they’re bad enough, the other villagers keep away from the place. They say there’s evil there, and things that come out of the Everfree at night and eats ponies.”

“Ah, that’ll be timberwolves I suspect,” I said with a nod.

“You’ve heard it too?” Glow Bug sat down on his haunches, clearly relieved that I hadn’t thought him a superstitious yokel. “Thank the goddess! Wait… you aren’t planning on going there yourself, are you? Ponies used to go there years ago, hunting for treasure in the forest and hardly anypony came back. Those who did were… different, ‘gone’ in the head.” He seemed genuinely concerned for me. “Fairlight, for the love of the gods, talk your Aunt out of going there will you? I’ve never refused a cab fair before, but if she comes here expecting me to take her there, then I’m going to say no. Hot springs or no, that place make my wings itch just thinking about it!”

I nodded, “Of course, Glow Bug. But I can’t make any promises, you know how stubborn she is.”

“Aye… Aye, I know.” He gave himself a shake. “Right then, I’d best be off. You can stop as long as you fancy.”

I held up my hoof. “I’m fine thanks, I’d better get back to my aunt’s. She’ll be wondering where I’ve got to.”

Glow Bug chuckled, then walked over and shook my hoof. “It’s good to know she’s not completely alone in the world, Fairlight. You take care of her, and yourself, okay?”

I nodded. “I will. Gods bless you, my friend.”

Glow Bug bobbed his head to me before leaping into the air and vanishing up into the early morning sky. At least, I think it was morning, I’d never checked. Damn it! Poor aunt Pewter, the aged mare must have been up for hours tending to me. Miserable she may be on the surface, but she had a heart of gold that one. Like mum and I she was another descendant of the tribe, one whom Celestia would have had no qualms about killing during her attempted annihilation, or to be more specific, her genocide of the ponies in the pass. No wonder she wasn’t keen on the princess, and that was putting it mildly. The longer I stayed here though, the more danger she was in. Celestia’s goons would be looking for me as soon as they realised their buddies had gone missing, and somehow I doubt they’d be above beating information out of an old mare. Or worse. What they’d do to me wouldn’t be worth thinking about. What concerned me right now though was what these letters were about that Glow Bug had mentioned. As much I’d humoured him about my interest in the place, it was obvious that the rumours of Smiling Borders ‘issues’ with the Everfree were fairly common knowledge. Even so, why, and who was she corresponding with there. Dear gods, I had a headache just thinking about it. Was I the only pony who didn’t know what the hell was happening in my life? I mean, it was my bloody life here! Hells bells, maybe I should have welcomed exile. At least then I’d get some blasted peace and quiet.

Back in the cottage I helped myself to the remaining jars of jam, stuffing them, some oat cakes, and a flask of cold tea into a rucksack I found hanging up next to a large cloak. It had probably belonged to her late husband - my uncle. I’d never known him except for some faint memories from foalhood, but I’m sure he wouldn’t have minded my borrowing his cloak. Besides, I needed to be hidden for what was I was going to do next. I gently stepped up to my aunt. She was murmuring in her sleep, completely oblivious of my presence. My goddesses, she looked so like mum… I leaned down and kissed her softly on the forehead, careful not to wake her. Part of me wanted to wake her and speak to her about Shining Borders so I could discover what her involvement was with that place. But frankly, I wasn’t sure it would be anything I wanted to hear. Sticking my muzzle into things that didn’t concern me had never ended well so far had it?And this? Well, Fate would do with me what she willed, and no amount of fannying around was going to change what that old sod had in store for me. Quietly, I walked to the door, muffling the latch as I lifted it and stepped out into the night. Closing the door I peeked back at Pewter who was still sound asleep on the chair beside the bed where she’d nursed me. Next to her was the golden communicator. I didn’t need it, where I was going, no pony should follow. It was more use as a fancy paperweight anyway, and did fine service as one. Beneath it on the small bedside table was a note with two simple words that I hoped would convey far more than any fancy word-smithing a dullard like me could conjure up.

Thank you.

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

The hillside path was just as I’d remembered it: dark, steep, and full of the smells of the forest. It was quite invigorating really. The air here was delightfully fresh and I felt alive like nature itself - full of purpose, determination and drive. I had a defined goal now, and I would complete my mission even if I fell in the process. Considering how many had been trying to kill me it was more than likely only a matter of time before one of them got me, however I remember a line from one of the tactical manuals I’d read during basic training – Strike hard. Strike first. Keep you enemies guessing. It was intended more for actual combat than rolling around with some fizzed up arsehole on a Friday night down Mane Street, but the principal was the same. Get them, before they get you.Whether I knew what sort of mess I was embroiled in meant bugger all to me. The agency had been attacked by the agency, then Bingo rolls up with some other ponies who were wearing a mix of agency and watch outfits and… I sighed, pushing the thoughts aside. It gave me a headache just thinking about it, and right now I needed my head clear. Up ahead lay my first destination, although it has to be said, not one I relished. In the darkness the other worldly light of the small grove awaited me. The silver berry bushes glittered like diamonds in the place where the walls between the worlds was as fine as gossamer, yet as impenetrable as iron-stone. Here I took my fill of the sweet fruit and likewise filled my pack for the rest of the journey. It was funny, all the years I’d been coming to Pewter’s home in Hackamore, and I’d never known this grove was here. I wonder why? I sat down in the centre of the clearing and cleared my throat.

“Meadow, are you there?” I asked the night.

Silence answered me. It figured, she’d probably seen what I’d done, and it had sickened her, turning her against me exactly the same the way I had with Tingles. Who could blame her? Celestia had been right about one thing at least – my hooves were drenched in blood. You couldn’t see it, you couldn’t smell it, but it was there. Now, what I had done to Tingles only added to my list of foul crimes that some day, some how, I would have to atone for. In this world, or the next. I stared at the grass beneath my hooves. It was such a simple thing; it knew nothing of joy or pain, grief or suffering. It simply… was. Gods, what a life, now I was waxing lyrical to the bloody grass. It was time to leave this place, and the past. Like the Fairlight I once was, it was dead and buried, just like my dreams. Just like... my family. I turned to leave, but as I did a familiar soft voice from behind me made me spin to face it.

“Fairlight?” Meadow stood before me, a sad look in her eyes. “Are you alright, love?” She lifted a hoof in surprise. “My goddesses, what have they done to you…”

I shook my mane, what was left of it anyway. “Meadow, I…” I swallowed. Damn it this was harder than I’d expected it to be. I tried again. “I have to go now, love, I have a job to do. I just wanted to see you again before I left. I wanted to say… I wanted to tell you, how much I love you and Sparrow.”

Meadow frowned. “Fairlight? What are you talking about? What are you going to do?”

I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter, just… I have to do this. Tell Sparrow daddy loves her, and that I’ll never forget her… or you, my darling Meadow.”

“What?” Meadow’s ears pricked up. “Fairlight, you’re frightening me! What are you doing? Please, don’t go off like this, love. Don’t-”

I closed my eyes tightly against the rush of emotions. “Meadow, I’m a monster! Ponies die around me, don’t you see? Celestia has banished me, and I’ve failed to find Shadow too. I have to make sure that nopony else suffers the way you did - the way all of us have. I have to bring this nightmare to a close, no matter what else happens.”

Meadow huffed, looking around the clearing. “Where’s Tingles, Fairlight? She needs to talk some sense into you. I’m not having you going off and doing whatever it is you’re planning on doing.”

“She gone…”

She blinked, staring me in the eyes. “What do you mean, ‘she’s gone’?”

Here it comes. “I raped her.”

“You… You what?!” That look in her eyes. That expression of horror, shock and disbelief. She couldn’t believe what I was telling her. And to some degree, neither could I. “Oh, Fairlight… what have you done…”

“It was in the chamber at the fortress,” I replied quietly. I hung my head, unable to look her in the eyes. “The spirit… it took control of me. It was part of the ritual. I had no idea…”

Meadow closed her eyes and let out a deep breath as she rubbed her muzzle. “Star Swirl mentioned something about this. But… I never thought it would happen like-”

I nearly choked. “What did you say? Star Swirl knew? He bloody well knew?!”

Meadow looked abashed “Yes… well, sort of. He’d read about it in an archive, but the details weren’t exactly detailed on what the ceremony entailed.”

“He could have told me!” I roared. “The old bastard could have warned me somehow, or at least bloody well tried instead of letting me go blundering in there like the local village idiot! Dear sweet goddesses, Meadow, you don’t know what it was like! What I did was… It was evil.”

Meadow stared at me with her big yellow eyes. “You didn’t hurt her, did you?”

“No!” I was pacing now, my heart racing. “She wasn’t hurt, not physically anyway, but so what? She was terrified, Meadow! I forced myself on her and she was scared out of her wits! Who knows how much emotional damage I’ve caused her, and it’s all my damned fault!”

“Theres more to this isn’t there?” Meadow said calmly observing me. “There’s something you’re not telling me. It’s about the secret she was hiding, isn’t it. It’s how you ended up looking like… like this.”

I took a deep breath to try and steady myself. “She… She was working for Celestia all along, telling her everything I was doing.” I squeezed my eyes shut, the words turning to ashes in my mouth. “There was something about her that changed when we set out for the fortress. I didn’t think much about it at the time as I was having second thoughts about it myself, but she tried to get me to turn back - several times. I think… I think she threw away some of the life energy I’d had in the flasks to weaken me, too.” I rubbed my eyes, “I trusted her, Meadow. I believed in her! Dear goddess, I’m sorry, I… I loved her.”

She reached out a hoof to me, “I know, love, I wish there was something I could do. But please, don’t give in to hate, Fairlight. You’re angry and hurt, I know that, I can see it in your eyes. Please, whatever it is you’re thinking of doing, don’t.”

I shook my head, allowing the magic to run through me, feeling the fog curling around my hooves as my mane, tail, teeth and coat changed into what I truly was. I unfurled my dragon-like wings. “Look at me, Meadow. Is this the stallion you married? I’m a thing from legend; a horror, a nightmare from the story books of foals.”

Meadow took a step back, “Fairlight! No… this is…”

All I saw was her take that single step. One solitary step, away from me. Her hesitation, the fear in her eyes… it said all I need to know. Snow began to fall in the glade all around me, soft and cold, as a single crystalline tear rolled down my cheek. Silently it dropped to the dark grass by my hooves. A tear from a monster – from a wendigo. It had all been a lie, a fleeting dream. Even the rock in my ocean of despair, my Meadow, was afraid of me. She held up a hoof, speaking words I couldn’t hear. It was pointless anyway, I had a job to do, a mission that needed to be fulfilled before Fate threaded the last of my life into her great loom. My wings snapped open, and with a few beats I was airborne, looking down at the rapidly shrinking figure of the little green mare in the glade.

“Goodbye Meadow, I’ll always love you.”

A few hard downward thrusts and I flew off into the bitter night sky, arrowing like a comet towards Manehattan, and that harsh mistress called destiny.

Chapter Seven - Death bringer

CHAPTER SEVEN

DEATH BRINGER

The rain was hammering down, turning the gutters into rivers and creating a low mist along the surface of the roadway. Manehattan was well noted for its rain and I’d never found out just why the weather ponies here allowed the seemingly incessant deluges. If I were cynical I’d say it was probably to wash away the evidence of the depravities of the scum and filth that lived below the iron grey skies… If I were cynical. I stood in the dark opening of an alleyway, partially hidden by the trunk of a wide tree opposite the Strawberry Cream nightclub on 22nd. The club itself had a short flight of steps leading from the pavement up to the main door which was protected from the elements by a large glass canopy with even larger glowing red letters above it proclaiming the name of the establishment. As if it needed any advertising in the first place. Strawberry Cream had been here for years, and was a simmering shithole of all the worst things that Manehattan could offer. On the surface it was a fun night out for youngsters who liked the sort of deafening tinnitus inducing noise that roughly passed as ‘music’ these days whilst getting themselves paralytic. Dig a little deeper and you found where Strawberry Cream really made its money – drugs, gambling, prostitution and only the goddesses knew what else. It was owned by one of the biggest scumbags the city sewers had thus far failed to carry away. I don’t how many times we’d been called out here, especially on a Friday and Saturday night. Fights, underage fillies, allegations of inappropriate touching – you name it. Of course, nopony who worked there had ‘ever seen anything’, and all our attempts at getting this dump shut down had fallen flat. The city authorities were reluctant to refuse their licence too, stating that they couldn’t shut a ‘legitimate’ business down on nothing more than hearsay. Personally I had to ask myself who the judges had been paid off by, but I think we all already knew the answer. Velvet Cream wasn’t beyond blackmail either, and there’d been a scandal some years earlier involving a local councillor who was a little too ‘outspoken’, shall we say, for his own good. Shortly after he’d put forward a bill to restrict licensing hours, photographs of him appeared in the papers donated by a ‘concerned citizen’ showing our illustrious councillor rolling around with some very young looking girls. His wife found him hanged in his loft the next day. Needless to say the proposed bill quietly vanished into the ether, and Strawberry Cream simply trotted along just the way it always had. I gave myself a shake to clear the water from my eyes, trying to make out details in the murky light. Two hulking door-stallions lurked beneath the canopy sheltering from the downpour. Before them a long line of ponies waited patiently to be allowed in despite the rain. One of them however had decided that standing outside in the driving rain wasn’t exactly the best start to his evening and was loudly arguing with the bouncers.

“What?! Let me in! I’ve been stood out her for bucking ages, and I’m pissing wet through!”

The first bouncer was surprisingly polite for the usual gorillas that worked here. Obviously he hadn’t received the memo. “You don’t have any ID, sir, so the answer is no. Now, please leave before you make a scene.”

Unfortunately the young fellow unhappy with standing in the rain with the rest of the soggy revellers, had other ideas. “Before I make a scene?” he neighed. “I’m obviously old enough you gormless twat, and you’re letting in underage fillies all the time! For bucks sake let me in!”

Oh, dear. I could see what was going to happen as clearly as if it were the plot of very bad movie. The young lad tried to dodge through a gap made by one of the mares, and the stage was set. Quick as a flash one of the bouncers lashed out with a forehoof, taking the younger one off his hooves and sending him tumbling down the stairs where he landed in a stunned and bloodied heap. The others queuing for their entry into shangri-la barely paid him any attention and simply continued to file in one at time, like good little sheep. I suppose what you don’t see can’t hurt you, right? Idiots. I’d seen it time and time again, the way ponies would pretend something wasn’t happening ring in front of their muzzles to avoid being drawn into anything ‘unpleasant’. No wonder crime was running rife in Manehattan these days – everypony had develop a remarkable capacity for becoming deaf and blind at just the right time. Meanwhile the ragged form on the pavement stood shakily to his hooves before stumbling drunkenly away into the night uttering a string of threats and expletives. He’d sleep it off.

As the evening drew on a steady stream of ponies went in and out of the nightclub. Mostly in, I noticed; the night was still young and it would be at least two or three in the morning by the time this lot were turfed out. Still no sign of the pony I was looking for though. Perhaps he was already inside? It was a distinct possibility. Some of the Velvet’s mob were known to reside here on the upper levels - the levels where the younger, more pliable and vulnerable members of society went for ‘special treatment’. It was special all right, sometimes they’d be found floating in the bay. Sexual abuse, drug abuse, extortion – it all happened here. Another of the ponies was let in and the queue moved one shuffle forward, keeping close together for mutual warmth. I didn’t recognise the goons covering the door tonight. There would be more inside no doubt, and that could very well be where my boy was hanging out. After all, who would want to be out on a night like this when you could stay inside with a cold drink and warm filly? In any case, I had all the time in the world. If tonight didn’t yield results there was always tomorrow. And the next day. And the next. Ah, yes, everything comes to he who waits. And I could be very patient indeed. I wiped my eyes again, wishing I had my old hat with me. I would have to rely on sight alone tonight. The music from inside was absolutely deafening; a deep, thumping, booming noise which must have all but deafened the ponies inside. When you considered the sensitivity of equine hearing, how anypony could listen to that level of volume was unimaginable. Oh, Fairlight, you’re getting old mate…

I shook the rain from my cloak and took a breath, letting it curl out from under my hood and vanish into the night. Something was coming, I could sense a change in the air. It wasn’t much, just a feeling more than anything, but if there was one thing I’d learned over the years it was to pay attention to that little voice in your head. And sure enough, as I watched a carriage came rumbling along the road. It was a big one too, much large than the normal two or four seater. It was a polished black affair, with garish gold filigree work and a team of four pulling the thing. Talk about ostentatious, this was either a hen night or some rich bucker who liked to show off. If it was the latter it’d be interesting to see which cankerous pustule emerged from its depths. A young mare, not much more than a filly, trotted up to the carriage door and opened it for the occupant, holding up an umbrella for them. Meanwhile one of the drivers rushed round to place a small step next to the carriage door. I waited with baited breath to see who it would be. The last time I’d seen anything like this had been a movie premier being hosted in at the Manehattan Palais Grande Cinema. Somehow I doubted we’d be seeing any of the big names at a dump like this, but stranger things had happened. As I watched, a long elegant white leg emerged from the unseen interior of the carriage, followed by the graceful lines of… my goddesses, was that… Celestia?! No… Damn this rain! I wiped my eyes again, holding my cloak’s hood up to try and help me focus. Standing beneath the umbrella, the mare bobbed her head pleasantly to the staring ponies in the queue who were all staring in amazement. To a pony they looked like their mother had just caught them stealing cookies from the kitchen. I couldn’t blame them either, but… hell fire, it couldn’t be! It was almost her double though… almost, but there were no wings beneath that white and gold dress. I focussed on the mare before me. She was truly an amazing creature, and goddess forgive me - that horn! Long, slim, elegant, and the perfect dimensions for the rest of her aquiline features. By the looks of lust and envy on the faces of the waiting patrons, they agreed with my sentiments exactly. There was a background nagging in my memory though, and one that broke through my haze of admiration like a knife. She was familiar… very familiar. My memory was running on overtime when the bit finally dropped. Dear sweet Luna, it was the mare from the warehouse! By the gods, she had some balls walking around the city after what she did. What was she doing here? I didn’t have long to wait to find out though, as the next passenger of the carriage emerged. He was a slightly taller than average male, wearing a deep red velvet overcoat with matching wide brimmed hat and, despite it being pitch black out, sunglasses. An exceptionally overt but vicious character who I knew from the files of the watch, it was Velvet Cream himself. Nightclub owner, gang lord and crime syndicate head, he was the one behind the drugs, gunrunning and kidnappings that had started to plague the nation. Well, I’ll say this for him though, he sure had good taste in mares, even if they were murdering criminal filth. Looks could certainly be deceiving; these two were both up to their necks in it, and to even think of all the horrific suffering, death, and pain these ponies had caused, laughing and smiling to their adoring patrons as they casually sauntered up the steps into the nightclub, made my blood howl. My muscles tensed. I was almost salivating at the thought of what I would do with him. As for the mare… well, we’d have to see.

The door closed on the carriage, and moments later was rattling away up the street into the darkness. Still no sign on the one I’d come for tonight, then. But no matter, I could wait; the menu had changed but what was on offer was just as good. The question though, was how to get in without the whole place going up? Fortunately the answer came in the form of a stallion staggering drunkenly out of the darkness. He was so far gone he didn’t care who was looking and, raising himself up on his hind legs, placed his forehooves on the wall of the alleyway, and unleashed a torrent that would have made the fire department jealous. Eventually though, the small river the fellow created ran dry, at which point he wandered back the way he came. Manehattan was a city full of dingy back alleys and the night club was no exception. Down along the side of the tall building where the secret urinator had emptied his bladder, was a narrow alley filled with steam pouring from various vents. Judging by the clatter of pans in the background the kitchen was in full swing, the high pitched sound a sharp staccato against the deep thumping of the club’s booming music. Laughter and loud conversations, no doubt a fruitless pursuit for those attempting such frivolities, echoed down the dark dank length of the alleyway. Yellow light spilled from steamed up windows into the darkness, but even so I kept clear of them. You never knew when- Damn! I quickly ducked behind a skip to avoid being seen by the beige pony emerging from the nightclub’s side door to throw a bucket load of scraps into a bin. A barrage of sound and light followed him. This could be tricky, the place was in full swing tonight. Still, considering the gang thought I was a dead stallion, it could work in my favour.

“Hey, Sam, you got Mel’s order yet?” a voice called from inside.

The beige pony adjusted his stained chef’s hat and spat on the ground, calling over his shoulder, “Nah, he’s busy wit’ dat filly, da fuckin’ prick.”

The voice from inside sounded amused, “Ha! He hears you say that and he’ll gut you with your own paring knife, buddy.”

Unfazed by his colleague’s taunts, the chef trotted back in and closed the door behind him. ‘Mel’? He was already here? A wave of anticipation rolled through me and I smiled to myself. My hunch had been right after all. It wouldn’t be long now… I’d waited more than long enough already. Closing my eyes I concentrated on the sounds flowing around me as carefully as I could, filtering the wendigo magic through my body, channelling the hunger, the need to find him - to find Melon Patch. The repetitive strains of the audible diarrhoea that passed as music was all pervasive, but hidden behind it was the faint background hum of voices, and beyond that… narrowing it down, slimming the magic to a thin gossamer thread…There! A scream, shouting, and what sounded like a hoof smacking heavily against a jaw. I looked up. It had come from the third floor. Since the ‘joining’ I’d developed more control of the spirit’s power, or rather my power as it now was. By restricting myself and channelling just a little, I could bend the magic to my will, rather than the full on energy burning which I had been using up until now. Something good had to have come out of that vile episode, as foul as it had been, and one of the architects of that self same misery inflicted upon me, my family and my loved ones was so near I could almost smell them. I owed them for what they had done. Tonight, it was time to begin paying my debts. My wings snapped open and with one hard push, I shot up like a cork from a bottle, straight up the side of the building, rolling and banking to land with the slightest of splashes on the flat roof of the club.

The building was fairly modern by Manehattan standards, and somepony had thoughtfully placed a number of skylights here which suited my purposes very well indeed. Keeping my face well hidden in the depths of my cloak’s hood I moved swiftly from skylight to skylight, observing the various scenes below. The multicoloured lighting flashed in time to the music, illuminating the club’s patrons who were no doubt having a wonderful and probably memorable evening. One ‘patron’ however, was having the sort of memorable evening that would haunt her dreams for the rest of her life. Below, a dark red stallion with a short matted green mane was pinning down a young mare on the bed. A mare, I noted, who was in reality not much more than a child. The stallion stood over her, hammering himself into her again and again, heedless of her cries and pleading. Spittle flew from the foul creature’s mouth, landing on the lemon coated filly’s face making her cough and retch. I remembered all too well the stink of that bastard, the way his cracked hooves had smashed down upon my ravaged body, the way he struck Meadow… the way he… For some reason, one I will probably never know, Melon Patch paused in his depraved act and looked up at the skylight. His blood red eyes narrowed and then went wide as saucers as they locked with mine, the young filly immediately discarded like so much chaff on the bed. In less than a heartbeat I was crashing down through the skylight and landed amidst a shower of glass, my knees absorbing the shock of impact as my cloak flared out around me. The stallion backed up towards the dressing table.

“What-? Who the buck are you?!” Melon Patch spluttered at me.

I released more of the spirit’s strength through my body, but not too much, I wanted him to see - to remember. I wanted to experience this moment to the fullest, savouring the taste of his fear. White mist poured from my muzzle, saliva dripping from between my teeth in anticipation whilst freezing fog billowed out from around my hind legs making the filly squeak in alarm and jump further back on the bed. Melon Patch likewise backed up from me until he collided with the dresser.

“Why, don’t you remember me, Mel?” I pulled back my hood, giving him a good view of my glowing blue eyes as I laughed wickedly. “We had some fun together, didn’t we? Ah, such good times. Good, good times.” I advanced on him humming the tune Meadow used to like so much, that repetitive, silly, innocent advert for stock cubes.

Mel glanced toward the bedroom door, breathing heavily. “I don’t know who the hell you are, but you’re bucking with the wrong guy, motherbucker!”

The crimson stallion desperately tried to pull out a pistol from the dresser drawer behind him, but he was just that little bit too slow. The problem with gorillas like Mel, was that he was so big and clumsy he telegraphed everything he was going to do before he did it. I suppose the only advantage he really had over ponies was his strength, brutality and size, picking on the weak and helpless. Old habits truly did die hard. He cried out as my hind legs bucked the draw shut on his foreleg. I felt, as well as heard, the accompanying hollow snap, and a wave of satisfaction passed through me making me smile wickedly - it wasn’t just wood breaking. Despite the pain, Mel snarled and swung a wild punch at me with his other hoof that I dodged effortlessly. My horn flared with magic and a bolt of ice shot out and right through his shoulder, pinning him to the wardrobe door. The male’s screams were like a warm shower on a cold winter’s day. I began to salivate. This was… simply delicious. Complacency however, can kill you no matter how much you think you have the upper hoof, and a trap even the most experienced of us can fall into. As dim as he was, Mel’s strength was truly something to behold. Bellowing, the stallion tore himself free and charged me, ignoring the broken bone in his foreleg. He didn’t get far. The hulking monster crashed to the floor in a heap, his rear legs frozen solid, curling white fog wreathing them and curling up around his nethers.

I tapped a hoof against my chin, “Hurts, does it Mel? Tut, tut… I thought you liked pain. After all, you’re so generous with it when it comes to others.”

He gasped, trying to crawl to the door. “You bastard! I… I don’t know even who you are! What do you want? What is this, some sort of twisted bucking revenge for something?”

I reached down and gave him a smile, “Bingo! Right on the money, Mel! You really are the clever pony, aren’t you!” Leaning back against the bed, I stroked the terrified filly’s mane. “Such a cute little thing isn’t she, Mel. Did she taste good? As good as the green mare with those big yellow eyes? Do try to remember, Mel. I wouldn’t want you to forget her… not now…”

I could see the strain of thoughts warring with pain and shock on the stallion’s face. The bastard had forgotten her, forgotten me too. It had been just another job, just another life to end at his masters behest. And then, suddenly, his expression changed. Realisation dawned on his face and his eyes widened in horror.

“It… It’s you!” he yelled. “It can’t be, we killed you! I saw Gates stab you right through the heart. We burned the cabin down! But… I know you’re him, but you don’t look anything like him!”

A deep rumble escaped my throat while I looked gently upon the filly who was squeezing her eyes shut with fright. “Right again, Mel! You’re good at this aren’t you?” I bared my teeth, mist dripped from between the lengthening fangs. “What was her name, Mel?”

“What…?”

I took a breath, trying to get through his thick skull. “What was the name of the green mare, the one you and your pal Gates raped?”

Mel’s red eyes stared at me. “I… I don’t know! I can’t remember! For bucks sake, let me go! I won’t say anything to anypony!”

Hatred rolled through me, my hooves trembling with barely restrained rage. “You can’t remember her name…” I moved over to one of the lanterns and blew it out, unscrewing the filler cap. Normally places like this had magically powered lamps, and it was nice to see something so traditional. Especially for what I had in mind. “Gets cold on a night here, Mel. You need to keep warm. It’s good for your health…” I poured the lamp oil over him from muzzle to tail, the thick paraffin soaking into his fur. Squirming, he tried to lash out at me with his hoof, but the biting cold was slowing him down.

“For Celestia’s sake, what do you want?!” he shrieked.

“Simple, Mel.” I leaned down, pouring the last of the oil on his face making him cough. “I want to know who ordered you to kill me, rape my wife, murder my foal and burn us along with the evidence. Come on now, you’ve done well so far, my friend. Third times the charm.”

He gagged and spat, slowly edging towards the door. “Okay! Bucking hell… okay! It was Velvet, the boss, he told us to do it to you. ‘A real special job’, he said. We were just doing what we were told. He’s the one who you should be going after, not me!”

I took another lantern from the wall and gave it shake. “Is that all, Mel? You wouldn’t lie to me now would you?”

“No!” he shrieked. “Oh goddesses, don’t do it!”

“Don’t do what Mel?” I lifted the shade on the lantern, letting the little flame dance before his eyes, his words from that terrible night branded into my memory. “I’ve got a little show planned for you, little piggy. You’re going to have your very own private cremation. Free of charge.”

“Buck you!” he screamed, and with a stumbling crash, managed to throw himself through the door which such force it splintered into fragments, his legs stumbling and faltering as he went. Full of adrenalin, nothing was going to stop this monster now. Well, almost nothing...

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes in concentration as I sent out the barest touch from my magic - the gentlest of caresses. A burst of yellow light from the hallway gave me pause, and I opened my eyes again, grinning to myself in satisfaction. Charging through the nightclub, the lumbering rapist was transformed into a screaming, burning mass of red fur and blistering flesh. As much as I would have loved to have stayed to witness his pell-mell charge through the masses of drunken revellers, I instead grabbed the terrified filly from the bed and blew out the window with a blast of magical energy. Holding her close, we dropped lightly down to the sodden alleyway below, my cloak billowing out like black smoke as I landed. Moments later, the back door to the club’s kitchen was flung open with a loud bang, quickly followed by a shouting, screaming stream of ponies charging out into the night. They barely noticed us, streaming past in a wild panicked stampede, desperate to avoid the burning mass of equine that following them out into the rain.

I pushed the filly behind the skip and passed her my cloak, taking out the folded scythe as I did so. Giving her a gentle pat on the head, I smiled down at her kindly. “Close your eyes sweetheart, I don’t want you to see this.”

One of the chef’s rushed out to throw a huge pan of water over the hulking form of Melon Patch, putting the flames out in a loud whoosh of steam. They shouldn’t have wasted the water. Now the once arrogant stallion stood with his back to me, gasping and whimpering like the filly had beneath him in the bedroom, like countless other victims of this sadistic vermin. Nopony would ever smile upon that ravaged face again. His clothes, fur and hide had been reduced to blackened rags, charred like the ruins of the cabin where he had left my family to burn, though I doubted he would have the intelligence to realise the irony of the situation. With a click and a hiss of air, the blade swung out and snapped into position, making the stallion raise his head. Slowly he turned to face me, his hind legs nothing more than shattered ruins, his foreleg hanging uselessly whilst whisps of steam rose slowly from his molten skin. How he had managed to run at all had been nothing short of a miracle, speaking volumes of the strength this wild animal had within him. All it had done was prolong the inevitable, and I wanted him to know it. There was no escape. No escape at all. I fixed him with a stare that could never have conveyed enough of the sheer contempt and hatred I felt for this filth. Melon Patch…. gang member, rapist… murderer… He tried to retreat but stumbled back onto his haunches, his nostrils flaring at the rush of pain. I advanced on him, mist dripping from my maw, salivating in anticipation. Behind me a silent mass of frightened ponies looked on, even as the ever rising flames licked at the windows from inside the club.

I hefted the scythe, my voice rumbling with barely restrained fury. “Look well piggy, look well. You’re gonna enjoy this…”

Mel’s scream was cut short by the separation of his head from the rest of his body. There was a dull, wet thud as it fell, and I quickly plucked it from the muddy ground, looking into the rapidly glazing eyes. “I’m going after your friend next,” I said, pitching the rotten creature’s head at the kitchen ponies. “Melon’s off the menu boys.”

One down.

Frightened beyond her wits, the young filly, the last of Mel’s victims, had already fled. At least she’d think twice about going out alone after tonight, but that was all for the better. The streets of this city were crawling with vermin like Melon Patch. Now at least, there was one less piece of scum to worry about. I lifted my head, looking up into the night sky. Letting out a pent up breath, I let the rain fall upon my muzzle.

It felt good.

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

I’d decided to lay low for a while. Let them think that the attack on Mel was nothing more than retribution for one of his numerous sexual ‘liaisons’ - a jealous coltfriend, that sort of thing. It didn’t really matter, Velvet would continue his nefarious trade, his minions like the elusive Gates raping and murdering at their bosses whim. And behind it all was the one really pulling the strings - the puppet master… the Commissioner. She’d have her day of reckoning, and then… well, I’d have something very special in store for that one. First of all though, I had to do something about my rumbling stomach. Food was actually quite easy to come by, so long as you enjoyed dumpster-diving for leftovers. Goddesses knew what it was doing to my insides of course, but at least it kept me alive. I was desperately low on auntie’s preserves too, and rats didn’t quite have much in them to keep me going. Their tiny spirits were little more than a spoonful of what I required, but it was better than nothing. The night I killed Mel I could have taken his strength within me, though even the mere thought of absorbing that scumbags energy made me want to retch. I had done a good thing, I’d removed a little piece of corruption from the city that was still my home - as much as it ever had been. Buck Celestia and her damned banishment. Now I avoided the daylight. Wandering around in a cloak here in the city would bring more attention than I needed right now, and raiding shops for clothes would surely give me away to anypony looking for me. And they would be, of that I had no doubt. Celestia and the royal guard would have me high on their hit list, but I’d be damned if I’d make it easy for them. Still, at least the old gramophone I’d found went some way to making my subterranean existence tolerable. In some ways it was a link to my old life, one that had condemned me to wallow down here in the dank tunnels beneath the world of the living. Even so, playing music was a risk, but one I needed. The old time music hall numbers were so familiar to me now that I knew all the lyrics, every bar, every chord. I swung out with my scythe, cutting through the air, singing in concert with the scratchy music…

“…It must be time to say goodbye, to all the girls along the way. Our dreams may dim our lives grow old, but your kiss will stay and love will never lie…”

Sentimental. In my mind the lyrics felt like they were directed at me somehow, as though the story woven throughout the notes was a tiny reflection of all the joy and sadness that had constituted my life up to this very moment. I knew it wasn’t of course. It was all a dream… just a dream. Meadow, Shadow, Tingles, my little Sparrow… had they all been part of that dream? Perhaps in some way they were. They were all gone now anyway. Life, death, none of it made any damned difference to the horror of reality, no matter how much I wished it could be otherwise. I’d never be allowed into the eternal herd. Not now. Not because of my wendigo nature, but rather the deaths of numerous ponies I had etched indelibly upon my soul. Scum they may have been, but they were ponies nonetheless. And not even just ponies: thestrals, minotaurs, right down to that damned timberwolf in the Everfree. All of them, every single one, was a living, breathing creature. And I had slain them like they were nothing. Even if by some miracle, they allowed me in, I could never face Meadow again. How could I? Oh, how I’d been tricked! How they’d all made fools of me… you had to laugh! I allowed myself to indulge in the dance, swinging the scythe in a deadly ark.

“Shall we dance my darling?” I laughed, kissing the scythe shaft. “Why yes, I do believe I am a ‘cut above the rest’.” The scythe sliced through the air. “Oh darling! How droll!”

I whirled around and around, kicking up my hooves, sweeping through the dank air in time with the music. For a moment, just for a brief few minutes, I could forget everything. The music took me away on a tide of simple pleasure, that I never truly appreciated when… what? When I’d been a live? Before I became a wendigo? Ha! Maybe! But as with all good things, eventually the music came to a stop and I flopped into the chair. This was more like it, and just what a tired pony needs: a half eaten hayburger, stale fries - delicious! And the soda? Orange… still slightly carbonated too. It was like a gift from the goddesses - one of them anyway. If was from the white one it would probably be seasoned with a little strychnine. I have to say I was in a buoyant mood today. Today was the day I’d be meeting Gates, and after such a long time. He must have been missing me, his old playmate. I could certainly have done with a little more life energy, but what the hay…

“Need one of these?” the blue pony asked, tossing me a flask.

I caught it in my telekinesis and looked inside. “Nice!” I smiled. Since the ghost was being so generous I saw not harm in downing the stuff. It was the real deal too, the life energy coursing through me filling the emptiness and sating the wendigo part of my being far better than mere rats. “Hey, dead pony, come to have a laugh at me? Oh, Luna, I must be really bucking gone now, eh?” I sat back in my chair and stretched out, chuckling to myself.

“Never thought I’d see you reduced to this, Fairlight, but after what you’ve been through I suppose I should be more surprised you’re alive at all,” the apparition said gruffly.

“Pfff! Yeah, well, being dead’s a pain in the arse.” I waved a hoof at him. “I’ve tried it, mostly, but then you’d know all about that wouldn’t you. How is the afterlife then, Chief? Treating you well?”

The huge blue pony stepped toward me from the dim tunnel, silhouetted in the oily lamp light. “Don’t know, boy, you’re the one who looks like a ghost to me. I’m just a plain old pony who should have been put out to pasture years ago.”

Something in his voice, his mannerism, his... smell? My eyes went wide. “Ch… Chief? What…?”

“Hello, Fairlight. Been a long time.”

I reached out and touched him, feeling the rough blue fur, his eyes, ears, muzzle - it was all as I remembered. Quickly, I ran my hooves across his chest and… yes, there was a scar, a big one too, like a zip - a surgery scar.

“Mitre? How the hell-” I took a step back in amazement.

“-am I alive?” he finished, chuckling dryly. “Yeah, well, like you it looks like the herd wasn’t quite ready for me yet.”

“Oh goddesses! Chief!” I flung my forelegs around the gruff stallion and hugged him for all I was worth. My old friend and mentor… he still alive! For the first time in ages I felt tears sting my eyes and I moved away, brushing my face with a foreleg. “But, how, Chief?” I pulled him up a barrel, the best I could offer down here.

He took it warily, knocking some of the worst of the dirt away. “Could do with a few mod cons down here, boy, like chairs for example.” He harrumphed. “Never mind… So! Where to begin…” He rubbed a hoof along his stubbly chin and began. “Like you, I woke up in the agency facility. I don’t know how long I’d been there, they’d kept me in a medically induced coma so I must have been in a bit of a mess when they’d picked me up. I didn’t find out what had happened to you until some time later. As you know, the safe house was on fire when the agency turned up, but they managed pull you out of while there was something still there to save. Meadow was…” He closed his eyes and sighed. “She was already gone. I’m sorry, boy. I let you down, and her.”

I shook my head sadly. “There was nothing you could do, Chief. Those bastards had our number from the very start.”

“I know, but Fumbles of all ponies… Bastard had us all fooled.” He shook his head then slapped his hind leg. “Anyway, they took us both back to their facility, but not before magically altering two of the dead ponies we’d taken out and chucking them in the fire.” Mitre shrugged. “The rest you know – Watch turns up, all bodies accounted for, and as far as Equestria is concerned we’re dead and buried.”

“What about Shelly?”

The big stallion smiled wryly. “She’s good. Had a bit of fright though, and she let me have it alright when I rolled up out of the blue on the doorstep one day. After the funeral she retired from the watch and moved out into the country like we’d always planned. Believe me, I had to do a lot of convincing to get the agency to let me see her. They don’t like… ‘loose ends’, if you know what I mean.”

I leaned back and took a sip of the life energy from the flask. “I don’t know, Chief, this all sounds very convenient to me. For instance, how come the agency just happened to turn up when they did? I mean the watch were in communication with us and yet still managed to roll up after the dust had settled. The whole affair stinks like a week old hayburger.”

Mitre nodded towards the wrapper on my makeshift table. “I imagine you’d know, lad.” He waved a hoof, dismissing the comment. “But yes, you’re right, the agency knew what was going on.”

“What? You mean those bucking bastards, knew? And they let it happen?!” I was near incandescent with rage. “My wife’s dead, Mitre! And those scum sucking rats sat back on arses waiting until-”

Mitre raised a hoof, cutting me off. “They knew something was happening, Fairlight. Do you think they don’t monitor the watch’s communications? Of course they bloody well do! As for whether they knew about Fumbles and the attack on the safe house, I don’t think they did. I worked with Fumbles every day for Celestia’s sake. I knew his father, I was the lad’s godfather, and I would have trusted him with my life, Fairlight, my life!” He paused, taking a breath. “If I didn’t know he was going to betray us, then I doubt very much the agency would have known any better. No, the agency were waiting for something to happen and were simply better prepared. They took the opportunity to recruit two new agents and that was that. There’s enough conspiracies around without inventing more.”

I wasn’t convinced, but trying to drag any more information out of my old friend wasn’t going to achieve anything. “So, where’ve you been then? I think I would have noticed if you’d been wandering around the facility.”

Mitre raised an eyebrow, a wry smiled on his face. “Working for Luna. Equus business, lad. Nopony knew about me in the agency except a few: Luna, of course, and Brandy.”

“Warlock?”

The blue stallion shook his head. “No. I don’t think the princess ever really trusted him fully to begin with, even if they did have some… ‘personal’ involvement with each other. He’s become a real problem now, his hatred for you has poisoned his mind and he’s causing problems in the agency. He told Celestia everything about you and had a double agent planted to feed back information to him about your whereabouts as well as to monitor Equus’ actions. Luna thought the information was coming back to her. Little did she know that her sister already knew every damned move before we’d even made it.”

That made sense, I’d never trusted the thuggish unicorn either. “He attacked the convoy, the one taking me into exile.”

Mitre nodded. “I know. We found out too late to stop them attacking the guards, but we still got you out of there before we lost you for good.”

“Where is he now?” I asked.

“He’s still in the agency,” Mitre replied, “at the main hub. Celestia thinks the attack on the guards was conducted by ‘criminal elements’ working in league with you to ‘overthrow the legitimate government’.”

“Hell’s bells!” I nearly choked. “Has she lost the bucking plot completely?”

“She’s under a lot of strain at the moment,” Mitre explained. “What with the royal wedding coming up and all.”

I snorted loudly. “I don’t give a toss about bollocks like that, Chief, but to believe I’m a national threat? Great goddesses, no good deed goes unpunished eh?”

“True boy, true.”

“That doesn’t explain how he managed to grab a load of ponies to join him and attack me.” I slammed my hoof down angrily. “Tingles was with him, for bucks sake!”

Mitre sighed. “Truthfully? I don’t really know. Warlock is a very influential stallion in the agency, and who knows what he told them to follow him into that madness. An attack on the royal guard is a capital offence, and if he’s working for Celestia at the time?” He shook his head resignedly. “If she knew the truth she’d have him vanish in the blink of an eye, you can be certain of that. As for Tingles, she probably went along because she knew you’d be there. I can’t say for sure, you’d have to ask her yourself.”

I doubted I’d be doing that any time soon. “So, what brings you here to my humble abode?” I asked.

“This.” Mitre tossed a communicator to me. “Remember that?”

“Ah…”

“Yes, ‘ah’.” The blue stallions stared at me hard, leaving me in no doubt what his thoughts on the subject were. “We save your arse and you bugger off the first chance you get. Poor Bingo thought he’d let us all down and blamed himself. The old mare was beside herself too, hit him over the head with a frying pan when he came to collect you. Feisty old gal.”

“Old mare?”

He nodded.“Your Aunt?”

“Oh...” I closed my eyes. “Oh, shit...”

“Mmm… I wouldn’t go back there for a while if I were you. Not unless you have a good helmet with you at least.”

Mitre pulled out two cigars from his pack and hoofed one to me. Now this was what I was talking about! It was such a simple little thing, but one that was worth more to me than all the gold in Canterlot. With a flicker of magic from my horn a small flame appeared before the old watch chief which he used gratefully. Sitting there together it was just like old times, if you could overlook the disgusting surroundings. The cigar smoke taking the mouldy smell out of my nostrils was most welcome too. As much as they were bad for you, right now I didn’t give a damn.

“Good cigars and good company,” I sighed.

“I couldn’t agree more my young friend,” Mitre said quietly, taking a draw. “Anyway, aside from telling you off for your disappearing act, there’s another reason I’m here. I need you, Fairlight. I know you’ve been bucked about, and I won’t ask you again if you say no, but will you hear me out first?”

The cigar smoke swirled around my mouth and smiled happily. “Yeah… I’ll hear what you have to say, Chief.”

His reply came like a bolt out of the blue. “There’s an assassination plot to kill Celestia and Luna, and to take over the entire government.”

“What?! Gods almighty!” I nearly choked on the smoke. I wasn’t that bothered about the white crone, but Luna?

Mitre nodded. “We believe we know who’s behind it, but she’s well protected and just as well connected. Any attempt by us to move on her without watertight evidence backing us up would look like a coup by Princess Luna. Celestia’s already paranoid because of the wedding, and we don’t have that long to take care of it.”

I sat there dumbfounded. “Chief, I want to help you, but I have problems of my own,. Shadow is still trapped and-”

“-and your path of vengeance, Fairlight?” he cut in “I know all about that. How do you think I found you?”

“I don’t,” I replied simply.

“You’d think a decapitated bastard like Melon Patch wouldn’t cause that much of a stir, would you. Sooner or later his actions would have caught up with him, whether by you or an irate father doesn’t matter, what goes around comes around. But no, it was the little filly that gave you away.” He looked up at me, his mouth curling into a grin. “How many ‘grim reaper ponies’ with glowing blue eyes and swinging a scythe do you know? I mean, come on boy, a scythe? For bucks sake, Fairlight, how much more dramatic could you have been?”

I couldn’t help but smile myself. “Still doesn’t explain how you found me down here.”

“No,” Mitre admitted. “But then, when was the last time you washed your tail?”

“My tail…?”

I looked back at the filthy, matted mess that passed for my once proud black and white tail. I felt about with my hooves and found tucked in its little explored depths what looked like a small brass beetle… The lousy the sods had bugged me!

Mitre nodded at my expression of shock. “Sorry about that boy, but in case the agency grabbed you again, Equus needed to be able to find you.”

I sighed, leaning back and staring up at the dank ceiling. “Okay, Chief, you got me there. But that scum Gates is still out there. I need to get rid of him, and his boss, before I can do anything else. Princess or no princess.”

“Gates needs putting down, Fairlight, I agree.” Mitre tapped the ash from his cigar and leaned towards me. “But leave Velvet alone, we need him alive for now. Like it or not we need him to help us take down the commissioner. When the time comes, he’s yours.” I opened my mouth to protest, but Mitre held up a hoof to stall me. “There’s one other thing; I think you ought to know, that mare, Tingles? She was working for Celestia, but she didn’t willingly tell the royal guard or agency about your trip to fortress.”

“Bollocks!” I slammed my hoof down. “Sorry, Chief, but I can’t believe that. How else did they ‘magically’ appear after Tingles left? And what about her involvement with Warlock? He obviously knew about my being arrested, otherwise how else could he have planned to intercept the prison convoy? She was with him for goodness sake!”

“Two reasons,” Mitre said levelly. “Firstly, the trap you set off activated some archaic alarm at the palace. Nopony could work out what it was about until Celestia returned from her diplomatic mission abroad. Secondly, when she returned without you, Warlock got his hooves on her and made her tell him about what happened. He can be very… ‘persuasive’ that one. He threatened to reveal her condition to the princess which would have-”

“Condition?” I interrupted. “What condition?”

Mitre looked surprised. “Didn’t you know? Boy, Tingles is pregnant.”

Dear sweet Luna, was that my foal? Or was it the spirit’s? Maroc’s words rang through my head - I’d chased her away from me. I’d abandoned her. Oh goddesses, what was I going to do?

“She’s recovering in the hospital, boy, and if you have any foolish thoughts about barging in there I would strongly advise against it. I’m sure I don’t need to explain why, do I?” Mitre adjusted his hat. “Fairlight, if you’re going to chase after Gates, then do it soon. When you’re ready, if you want to, I’ll be waiting. You have the communicator.”

I nodded, dumbfounded… Tingles…

Mitre patted me on the shoulder and dumped his heavy saddle bags next to me. As he was leaving I heard him murmur, “Goddess bless you boy.” I felt a shiver run through me. So, this was how it was all going to pan out was it? I was going to play along with the agency, or more specifically with Equus, once again. Worse, it right under Celestia’s nose. Did Luna even know about this? She must do, but then her sister had revealed she knew all about Equus and would doubtless be watching her like a bloody hawk. Gods give me strength, this was making my head spin! There were moves going on here which I could never fathom in a million years, let alone do anything about. No, as always I was a mere pawn in a game played by invisible hooves. I let out a sigh and walked over to the saddle bags, listening to the fading sounds of my old friend walking away. In some respects what I did meant nothing anyway. In the great scheme of things I was just one guy - one guy railing against the injustice of the world that had stripped him of everything that had ever held any meaning. At least, I had believed that until Mitre found me. I’d think more on it later. First things first though, I had one last loose end to tie up – Gates. I heaved the bags onto my table, nearly jarring my back in the process. What did he have in here, bricks? Flipping open the flaps, rather than the aforementioned building materials, the saddle bags were packed with a wide assortment of gear that was a literal treasure trove of goodies. Much of it was- Oh, Mitre, you star! My dad’s pocket watch! And not just that - my coat, hat, short sword… it was all here, even the picture of Meadow and my family! One of the photographs from the frame was missing, but it was a small thing and not worth thinking about. Oh, Meadow! I… I closed my eyes, feeling tears stinging the corners. I wasn’t sure how to feel about looking at the smiling mare in the picture, not after what I’d done. I left it in the pack. I didn’t deserve her, and I’d pushed her away in any case… like I’d pushed away Tingles. A horrible thought flashed through my mind; was this all my fault? Had I been the real cause of all of this misery, blaming others instead of myself and taking my anger out on the ones who had shown me nothing but love? But, what I’d done to Tingles, the way Meadow had backed away from me in fear... I couldn’t get the soul wrenching images out of my mind, yet I’d never even spoken to either of them about it. I’d just... assumed.

Damn it all. Damn it all to bloody Hades!

I sat in the flickering lamp light worn down by my woes. What could I do? What the hell could a dead pony living in a bucking sewer do about anything? It wasn’t like I could get any lower, was it?! I opened my heart and my senses for the first time since I’d come here, letting the magic take me and bear my soul along in its bitter sweet caress as I surrendered to the icy cold of the wendigo. I thought of my daughter, Sparrow Song. How her little wings had buzzed! I wished I could hold her in my forelegs now and sing her a song to lull her to sleep. My dear, sweet, precious darling daughter. I took a deep breath and did my best to relax, opening my mind to the memories of my forebears, hoping it would provide some respite from the doubt and pain of my life. Down and down I swam, deep into the past, far past the barrier of the present into the uncharted waters of unknown recollection. Mum was there, her mother too. Grey pony after grey pony, stretching back, further and ever further, deep into the depths of time. They were all gone now, every one of them resting peacefully with the herd, until finally… Maroc. There he was, smiling at me next to another wendigo, a glistening white creature with a long flowing blue mane. It was Arathea, his wife. Beside them stood another wendigo, a muscular male I didn’t recognise.

“Hello Fairlight, you’ve come at long last I see. Are you well?” Maroc’s deep voice resounded with confidence, radiating the strong sense of self assurance I’d come to associate with my enigmatic ancestor.

I nodded to him respectfully. “I am, Maroc, thank you.” I looked around at the featureless expanse of white. “What is this place?”

“A memory,” he replied politely, “something we can tap into when we die to help our children through the trials in their lives.” He fixed me with his burning blue gaze. Here was a stallion who could command legions without batting an eyelid. I could easily imagine him leading ponies into battle without the benefit of memories.

A lilting feminine voice floated across to me – Arathea. “Maroc explained what happened in the chamber, my dear Fairlight. I am truly, truly sorry.” She looked across to her husband. “When we were alive the chamber was a place of happiness. It was a time for joyful bonding of those in love, to help bring that same love and life into the tribe with the strength of the Wither World spirit’s union. I do not know this marefriend of yours, but if she is strong, she will forgive you and love you all the more for the treasure she will bear.”

I gave her a little smile and she nodded. The third wendigo was a strong looking creature who gazed at me with timeless blue eyes. “Vela?” I asked quietly.

He grinned, showing me a lethal array of teeth. “Fairlight, I was never able to achieve the bonding in my life. Most of our people who survived fled to the wastelands of the frozen north. So many died at the hooves of the Celestians, but Herath saved me. At great risk to himself he hid us amongst our enemies, right under their very muzzles. Over time our family continued, but we were not the tribe we once were. We began to mingle more and more with the rest of Equestrian society as ponies came to accept us as simply that - ponies. And that is what we have remained, until now. You have rejoined the circle, making us whole once again. For that, I thank you, my descendant.”

“Vela,” I asked, “what of the rest of the tribe. Do you know if any still survive? As wendigo, I mean.”

He looked at me sadly. “I cannot say. Not many would have survived the journey north and there were very few to start with. Those who stayed with us drifted away over time to meld into the new world the Celestians had created. Without a way to bond with the spirits of the Wither World, they could not become any more than the ponies they are now. Perhaps, it is for the best. Our time has long since passed from this world.”

Maroc stepped forward. “Fairlight, you have a good heart and are a worthy successor to the wendigo tribe. Find your own path in life and stay true to who you are. We cannot tell you what you must do, it is not our way.”

I nodded gravely. “Thank you. All of you. I only hope I can be half the wendigo you were.”

Arathea smiled. “That, and more, my Fairlight. Go now, there is a little one who will need you soon.”

Little one? Did she mean Tingles, or... my foal? With a final bow, I released my grasp on the magic and the light of the waking world flooded my eyes. I was back in the sewer, and it was time to go to work. I strapped on my black suit, holstered the PDW, strapped on my sword and a selection of other items I’d found in the packs. Including, rather fortuitously, a bandoleer of flash bugs. Mitre must have raided the armoury for this little lot, there was even a set of hoof covers. Excellent, they would prove very useful for what I had planned.. My sword secured to my flank and the scythe over my back, I covered the whole ensemble with the old cloak, smiling to myself. It was going to be a good day.

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

Wind whipped and pulled at me, my wings beating a steady rhythm that helped to angle my body through the sporadic cloud cover. Carefully, I alight upon a particularly dense one overlooking the statue below. There were no visible lights on the island that I could see, with the exception of the magical fire flickering above the huge torch held in the statue’s outstretched hoof. My field glasses, another gift from Mitre, allowed me a good view of the island from my vantage point. J.J had said that Gates worked here, however the raid to rescue the kidnapped ponies may have inadvertently chased him away. Inwardly I cursed not having asked Melon Patch about him before I incinerated the sick bastard. But rats often returned their holes, and Gates was one of the biggest ones out there. Hopefully, not for much longer. The visitor centre, like the rest of the island, was in total darkness. There was no sign of any nearby river traffic either. Had I had come at the wrong time? He couldn’t be here all day everyday, even vermin needed to sleep from time to time. All that raping and murdering must take quite a toll on them. Taking a deep breath I let out a sigh to settle my nerves. I had managed to wait this long, and ‘all good things come to ponies who wait’, apparently. If you could believe that vacuous nonsense. Ruffling my wings, I settled in for a long night atop the cloud.

It was around 2:00am when I heard the faint chugging of a motor somewhere in the distance. I sat up immediately, keeping low and straining my eyes to see anything moving either on the water or above it. There was always the chance they may have brought pegasi with them to scout ahead, especially after last time. The enigmatic creatures had phenomenal eyesight, and there was no guarantee my cloudy perch would shield me completely from observant eyes. I avoided making any moves that could attract attention, remain still, watching… waiting. I couldn’t see any pegasi, but there was something coming this way alright – a shadow on the water, running without lights. It was too small to be a barge - a launch maybe? Small puffs of smoke drifted up into the sky from its steam engine, helping me to focus on it. Was it them? There was a possibility it was simply a private vessel of course, but at this time of the morning? And why no navigation lights? I took a chance and sidled forward for a better look. Leaning over my perch I watched the curious vessel drawing steadily nearer. There was no doubt about it now, it was heading for the island’s jetty. Fortunately a combination of my field glasses and wendigo eyes allowed for a relatively clear view of the occupants, if not necessarily their coat colour. Darkness played hell with identification as I knew all too well from the many ID parades I’d sat in on over the years. Regardless, I had to be absolutely sure before made my move. Focussing the binoculars I counted six of them. Two were earth types, but very tall for ponies which was strange. Foreigners, maybe? Another two were griffins by looks of them, and the last two were the one’s that were apparently hosting this little early morning river jaunt. One of the ponies piloted the launch whilst the other sat facing the passengers. I couldn’t hear anything from this distance, but there something about his mannerisms that jarred at my memory. He reached up, sweeping a hoof through his slick coal black mane as he talked. A few moments later, he did again. My heart jumped in my chest – the last time I’d seen Gates hed had that exact same habit. I hadn’t really thought about it until now, but… Dear gods, it was too much of a coincidence. It had to be him!

The small vessel pulled up alongside the jetty and the passengers disembarked, heading straight for the visitor centre lead by their rather animated host who was jumping about like a flea on a dog’s back. The other four filed up the winding path behind him, apparently more interested in their destination than listening to their ‘guide’s’ excited drivel. Watching them go I noticed the last pony on the craft had stayed behind to tie the vessel up to the mooring bollards. This was my chance. Finished with his tasks, the vessel’s pilot let out a long sigh into the cold night air and sat back, enjoying watching the lights of the city reflect upon the calm water’s surface. The wind was just starting to pick up now, though it was still pleasantly mild despite the hour. I think that was why he let his guard down and lit up a cigarette. He certainly should have been more vigilant, the remoteness of the location had doubtless given him a false sense of security. Perhaps nopony had told him about the last lot who’d used this island for their nefarious deeds? Whatever the reason, he never saw my blade until it was pressing against his throat. He choked on his cigarette, but stayed still as a statue.

“Make a sound,” I hissed. “Go on… I’ll slit your throat from ear to ear.”

The pony remained silent. I could hear his heart beating like a hammer in his chest.

I leaned forward, satisfied I had his full attention. “Now, where’s Gates, and what’s he doing here?”

He swallowed, “He… He’s in the visitor centre with the foreigners. He’s showing them the operation we’ve got here. They’re new c… customers.”

“What operation?”

The stallion hesitated. “I-”

I pulled the blade nearer, nicking his throat ever so slightly. He was panting heavily as he squeaked, “Drugs! Breeze and Ryetalin. Weapons too. They’re stored here ready for sale, then the barges take them down river and out to waiting ships. Please, that’s all I know!”

“Any guards here? Don’t lie to me friend…”

He closed his eyes. “Some, I’m not sure. Maybe four or five of them under the visitor centre. The entrance is inside the generator room.”

“Portal?”

“No.” He went to shake his head then thought better of it. “They’re made here on-site in the underground warehouse workshops.”

I patted him on the head, “Good boy! Now then… nighty-night.”

A quick spray of the old knock-out gas and he was out like a light. I tied him up and left him in the launch for the Equus clean-up crew to collect later. I Adjusted my gear, avoiding walking on the gravel path and instead walking on the grass. I’d also released my wendigo powers to take advantage of my dark colouration - wendigo were hardly inconspicuous creatures. A large white monster crunching along a noise gravel path in the dead of night would draw more attention than a tramp at a cocktail party. So much for this island being checked over though. The criminal organisation were still up to their old tricks, bouncing back in no time despite the raids both here and the human world. Since they were without a portal though, at least this time I didn’t have to worry about sex slaves being transported to only the gods knew where. What really worried me though was how come the agency and the watch hadn’t know about this place even after our raid? Despite the corruption in the watch, surely somepony would have done a thorough search of the island? The agency certainly should have. Did they only look at the statue? I wasn’t sure, but there was one thing for sure - this had the stink of commissioner all over it. Who else had the clout to leave a place untouched by the watch, or maybe even the agency? Who knew how far her insidious claws reached?

I trotted alongside the well worn path from the jetty up towards the main buildings. Every year untold thousands of visitors travelled here to see the island and its magnificent statue. Standing at over one hundred feet high it was supposed to be a symbol of freedom, which considering what had happened the last time I was here was likely the most sickeningly ironic thing I’d ever heard. I’d been here with Meadow once, and as strong willed a mare as she was, the height had terrified her. Half way up the stairs she’d frozen as stiff as the statue itself and I’d had to lead her back down for a very quiet, and embarrassed coffee and cake. Normally it was me who freaked out about heights, but there had been something about the inside of the statue that had scared her out of her wits. Exactly what, I’d never discovered. Claustrophobia perhaps? Or a premonition of what was going to happen here when the visitors went home? Whatever it was, we never came here again nor spoke of it even in jest. Yeah, they different days alright…

When I reached the visitor centre it was locked up solid and, as I’d confirmed earlier, not a single light to be seen. In fact the whole area was completely silent except for the background lapping of the waves and faint thrum of a magical generator. The deep resonation sound was more felt than heard, and was emanating from a small building adjacent to the main building. According to my compliant friend in the boat, this was the unexpected entrance to their operations here. Interesting – it looked like the kind of magical substation you found pretty much anywhere. Was that why it hadn’t been investigated? It made sense – would you investigate a post box? Of course not, such mundane day to day items were often overlooked, that was why they made the best hiding places. Approaching it cautiously, I kept to the shadows. There was no sense taking chances and potentially alerting anypony nearby when I was this close to my goal. Impatience was my enemy here as much as- My nose wrinkled suddenly as an acrid smell caught in my nose and I had to stop myself before I sneezed. Bloody hell fire, that stink! And one I remembered all too well. Breeze had a particular smell, at least during manufacture, and thanks to my misadventure in the human realm it was one I will never forget. My poor nose had taken days to recover following that little escapade. Not that living in a sewer had done it any favours.

The steel door to the generator room was apparently unlocked. A padlock and chain that would normally keep it secured sat wrapped around a piece of nearby fence railing. Some part of my wondered about locking them in here and calling the agency, but what would happen then? No… No, this had to be dealt with at source. The root of evil had to be cut out, and frankly, I had lost all faith in the ‘authorities’ to deal effectively with anything at all. If the commissioner could warp the watch I had loved so much, then who knew how far that corruption had spread? I took a deep breath, reaching out to pull the handle… and froze. From inside I heard the distinct sound of a cough from somepony clearing their throat. Damn it, they were right on the other side of the door. I‘d have to keep this nice and quiet. Thinking quickly, I backed away, hiding behind the shadow of a large rock. I looked about and levitated over a nice sized stone, took aim, and threw it at the door. Nothing, my angle must have been off slightly. Picking up another I tried again. This time I was right on the money, the metallic clang from the impact echoing like the toll of a bell.

“What the bucks that…?” an irritated sounding voice shouted from inside. Hooves on metal, the click of a latch, and the door began to open slowly.

A second, quieter voice from inside spoke this time. “It’s probably Polo messing about again. Give him a kick from me.”

“Ha! Sure…” the first one laughed.

The door was fully open now, pushed by a cerulean blue earth stallion, pistol in mouth. I threw a stone further down the path, and like an untrained puppy he followed the noise. Dropping onto his back, a quick twist was all it took. Beneath my hooves I felt his bones snap as his body went limp, exhaling his last breath. Quickly I searched his still warm corpse, fishing out a key, a few rounds of ammo and the fallen pistol. Mouth fired… blech!

The second pony appeared around the corner a lot quicker than I expected, “Hey, Rigg, you deal with Polo ye- Holy buck!”

The pegasus tried to pull out his pistol but was way too slow. My magic flared and the blast of blue-black energy took him full in the face before he could react. There wasn’t much left that was recognisable as a pony when his blackened remains hit the ground. Wasting no time I took out my PDW and quickly moved to the door, checking for any more ponies. Nothing. So far, so good. Inside the entrance was a small room that was little more than a short landing and a set of red painted metal steps which disappeared down into the bowels of the island. Well, there was no other direction to take, so down I went. Level after level, turn after turn. Gods almighty, I was starting to feel dizzy. I must have been way below sea level now surely. How far did this go? Were they using submarines or something? I’d actually seen one once. The emphasis on the word ‘once’. The poor bastard went down and never came back up. At least, not until the recovery divers managed to levitate the submarine out of the bay. By which time, the intrepid nautical adventurer had already found himself dripping wet at Aethel’s desk. I could see it now: ‘Cause of death? I’ll just put stupidity, shall I?’ There was a reason ponies had hooves and not bloody flippers. Or did they? Ha! Maybe somewhere out there in this madhouse of a world there really were. Poor sods.

My uneventful descent was finally brought to a halt by a set of heavy double doors. No guards this time, thank Luna. There were signs of life though, light spilled out from a gap at the bottom of the doors, but not much else – other than that ever present smell of Breeze. Pushing one of the doors open slightly, I listened carefully for anything that might indicate a nearby guard. There was no sound of any voices, only a… shuffling? Shit! Faster than I could blink a huge clawed paw swiped through the gap in the door, slashing my foreleg and sending a burning pain through me that was like molten metal. The painful gash wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but now the bloody thing on the other side of the door was trying to get at me and finish the job. It barged forward, growling menacingly as I tried to keep the metal barrier between me and a horrific death. The beast was a snarling face full of fangs and animal rage, desperate to get at the juicy stallion that had intruded upon its lair. Gods almighty, that was some guard dog! Thank Luna the thing was as thick as bricks though, and rather than trying to pull the door open to get at me, it simply kept ramming its head into the gap, trying to squeeze through. I didn’t have time to unleash all my wendigo magic, hang onto the door and fight back all at the same time. Instead, I had to improvise something of a more ‘direct’ nature. Concentrating my magic my PDW levitated into my line of sight, and I put a bolt of green energy right through the damned things open mouth. The blast blew the monstrous creature’s back end out and it flopped over, stone dead on the concrete floor. Dear Luna, what the hell was that thing? It looked like a giant winged cat with a barbed tail, and not the kind of grumpy old moggy that moped around Aunt Pewter’s cottage hunting the ever present mice either. This thing was… what… a manticore? I wasn’t sure, but if that scorpion-like tail was anything to go by it could well have been. It was probably another one of Equestria’s menagerie of ‘friendly magical creatures’; another skipped class that I probably should have taken. One day I’d have to get some night school lessons. I gave myself a good shake, now was not the time to get distracted. Whatever the bloody thing was, it was dead and I could only hope that the noise hadn’t alerted the others. Listening carefully however, all I could hear was the faint hum of the generators.

I managed to push the door open enough to let myself through, after first kicking the still warm corpse of the big cat thing out of the way. Buck me, I was glad I hadn’t been hit with that stinger thing. I’d have to be more careful from here on in. If there was one, there could be more, and the damned thing moved like fog on the water. The room the thing had been guarding was cavernous to say the least, and surprisingly well lit too, with magically powered lights stretching out in long rows across the concrete ceiling. How long had this been here? And we’d never known about it?! For a moment I stood there in shock, my jaw hanging open at the sheer scale of it all. Goddess almighty… it was wall to wall guns! Crate after crate, rack after endless rack of the death dealing things stacked from floor to ceiling, waiting for their new owners. I trotted down the aisles, wary of any movement. By the looks of it however, I was the only one in there. Where the hell was Gates and his party from the launch? The pilot of the small vessel had said there were more guards here too, but where? Up ahead was another door, beyond that another room. No manticores thank the gods, and no guns this time either. Instead it held long rows of smaller crates, each filled with tiny plastic wrapped packets of a white powder. Breeze. Just how many of the hapless creatures it had taken to produce this amount was unimaginable. Even if the substance had been cut with another to bulk it out, they must have needed thousands of them. Considering the relatively small population to begin with, this must have been akin to an extinction level event for them. I wasn’t exactly fond of the annoying little creatures, but ‘every living creatures deserves to live’, my mum used to say. I wonder what she’d say if she could see this now.

Sounds from the next room caught my attention. I ducked behind the crates, straining my hearing. I could hear several voices engaged in conversation, but one of them stood out from the rest. The swearing, the rough accent, the unmistakable sound of... him. That filth, Gates! My hatred for that scum was beyond anything you could imagine. A rapidly building fury began to rage inside me, screaming with a wrath that demanded release. I tried desperately but couldn’t… couldn’t control it… Fog began to form around my hind legs, the familiar feeling in my mouth as teeth sharpened, my eyesight taking on the slightly blue edged hue. My heart was beating like a war drum.

“Mister Gates, what is this… this mist? Is there a leak in here?” a heavily accented voice questioned, sounding slightly alarmed.

“Gentlecolts, griffins, please, everything is under control I assure you! This is just a minor malfunction in the cooling system, that’s all. You’re not in any danger whatsoever.” Gates didn’t sound convincing. He walked away from the other before hissing into a transmitter, “Nails, what the buck is going on down here? There’s a leak of some sort, get your raggedy arse in here and get it sorted before we lose the shipment!” He turned to his guests, his voice taking on a greasy, smarmy quality that made my skin crawl. “So, here are… you’ve seen the merchandise, you’ve seen the factory. Shall we discuss terms?”

The creatures began to chatter to one another in languages I’d never heard before. Whatever they were saying was meaningless anyway. He was here, the torturer, the rapist… murderer. I was alive with such white hot hatred my muscles felt like they were burning, my magic surging through me demanding release. It was time… I would wait no longer…

“What is that rumbling noise Mister Gates?” One of them asked. “Is there an animal in here?”

“It’s probably just one of our guard manticores, gentlecolts.” Gates tapped a box on his belt with a knowing smile. “All of them are fitted with control collars that we control with these. I’m sure you will appreciate that we have to maintain a high level of security here at all times, as well as discretion, of course.” He hissed into his transmitter once again. “Nails, where the hell are you?! I think one of those bloody manticores got out of its…” He froze, looking up slowly. “Oh my goddesses…”

I stepped out from behind the crates, flicking out the scythe, staring intently at the object of all my woes, all my suffering...

“Gates…” It was him alright. Any doubts I may have had were long gone.

The stinking piss yellow scum stared at me then took a step back, the colour draining from his face. “Oh shit… Oh shit! Somepony shoot it! Shoot that bucking thing!”

“I’m coming for you, Gates,” I said quietly, “I’M COMING FOR YOU!” I let out a howl that filled the cavernous room and charged him, ice and blue fire flaring out from my hooves, thick white mist billowing from my haunches and muzzle. It was time for the dance to begin…

The griffins were the first to react, drawing their curved swords and standing to meet my charge. Brave creature they may be, but misguided. Nothing could stop me now. My blade swung round and up, disembowelling the first of them. The creature dropped, coughing out blood. The second screeched as it thrust its blade at me which I deflected easily, a cloud of icy fog engulfing the creature which began to solidify almost instantly. With its dying breath the griffin made one last swing before its head separated from its neck, rolling across the floor to the hooves of the tall ponies - Saddle Arabians by the looks of them. They stood there, staring at me in abject horror. As one they turned to run for the door. They never made it, their bodies frozen forever in a permanent scream. Shouting began emanating from the room that lead to the stairwell. Poor Gates, he was trying to open the door but somepony had locked it. I wonder who…

He stopped dead, his ears twitching as I approached him. “Hello Gates,” I hissed. “Long time no see… Miss me while I’ve been gone?”

The stinking creature still had that terrible odour problem. My sensitive nose wrinkled up at the nasal assault.

“I don’t know who, or what the buck you are,” he spat at me, the gobbet of spittle freezing solid mid-flight and dropping to the floor, “but you made a fatal error coming here. Get him!”

Gates’ shout was immediately followed by an orchestra of metallic clicks as weapons were cocked and readied. At least I knew where the other guards were now, and best of all, they were all in one place. I flung myself aside as the expected hail of bullets flew from the room a heartbeat after Gates dove through it, narrowly avoiding being riddled himself. From what little I knew of this place, there was no escape from that room. It was one way in, and one way out.

I had an idea…

Bullets smashed through the door, sending lead, chipped concrete and wooden splinters flying past me in a cacophony of death. Magazines were changed, brass cases tinkled onto the concrete floor, then with a crash the tortured door finally succumbed to the onslaught and it fell from its hinges. It was what I’d been waiting for. Holding them in my telekinesis, I threw in two boxes of breeze.

“Hey! What the bucks he doing?” one of them shouted.

“Dunno,” another bellowed back. “Just keep firing, don’t let that damned thing in here!”

The flashbugs hidden inside the boxes went off seconds later, filling the room beyond with clouds of the foul drug. Coughing and shouting, the ponies inside began firing wildly, hitting each other and items of equipment around them. The sound of breaking glass and ricocheting bullets only ended when they finally ran out of ammunition. By that time those that were still alive were so high, it was almost cruel to have to put them down. I swept into the cloud of white like an avenging angel from the herd, my respirator keeping my body free from the poison that its makers were taking in by the lungful. I’d been introduced to breeze the hard way, and I sure as hell didn’t want to experience anything like that again. These wouldn’t. Steel flashed through the air, the scythe blade only stopping when it hit the floor as both sides of the first pony’s body fell neatly away. The second just sat there laughing until I decapitated him, kicking his lifeless corpse away from me effortlessly. One after the other they fell, as corn does to the reaper… until only one remained. Gibbering, laughing, and foaming at the mouth, the piss coloured earth pony had quite literally shit himself. The stink was so bad I smell even with the respirator. A swift buck to the face took the foul beast to the floor, knocking him cold. And then… silence fell, with only the pinking of cooling gun barrels and the endless background hum of generators to disturb the hellish scene. Blood, brass casings and gore stained the once pristine white concrete, glistening like demonic gems beneath the bright white lights. Here lay Gates, rolling in the still warm blood and guts of those whose lives had come to an end because of him. It was almost poetic. I stood over him at last - Gates, the vermin who had destroyed my world, my wife, my child, and finally my self. My heart was beating hard in my chest, its sound filling my ears like a bass drum. I had to get to work now, before he came round. There was so much to do, and so little time. Oh, so little time...

When I’d finished I took a moment to examine the breezy cages. As I’d feared, they were all empty. Every single one of them was gone, and up some pony’s nose too by the looks of Gates. He was covered in breeze, his yellow coat and greasy mane coated liberally with several thousand bits worth of dried and crushed endangered species. Did the goddesses have some strange sense of divine retribution after all? If so, they must have been having a riot with this one. I hoped they’d enjoy what was to happen next. I pulled up a chair and settled down to wait. Now that I was sat there next to him, I was able to see him up close. Occasionally I’d wondered how I would feel when I was able to catch up with the stallion. Would I still be filled with rage, or would time have mellowed my anger, my hatred for this sickening creature. The answer had been with me all along.

No.

All I could see in my mind’s eye was this monster dragging my beloved wife from the bedroom, and laughing as he beat her, raped her, then set fire to the so-called ‘safe house’. For what this bastard had done there could be no forgiveness. No forgiveness. And not just for my myself and my family either, but for all the others who had suffered at his hooves. Evil had to be expunged, immediately, and without delay. Still, a few minutes would help to make this moment all the sweeter, and I was in no hurry. Besides, by the looks of it that moment had come sooner than expected - Gates had begun to regain consciousness. His eyes blinked several times and he smacked his lips before gradually realising his predicament. Struggling against his bindings, he whipped his head from side to side until he caught sight of me watching him.

“What the- What the buck is this?!” he shrieked.

“‘The buck is this?’” I repeated quietly, leaning back in the chair I’d set up next to him. “Why, you remember don’t you, Gates? If I said the names, Watch Captain Fairlight and Nurse Meadow, would that ring any bells with you?”

“Who?” he smirked at me.

I clucked my tongue, taking a draw on the cigar lazily. “You disappoint me. Your friend Mel remembered… Quite sad what happened to him really, wasn’t it? Reminded me of that old song; you can sing along if you like.” I stood and held my forelegs in the air, “It’ll be a hot time in old Manehattan tonight….!” I laughed, white mist spilling from my muzzle.

“You did that?” Gates shouted, “You did that to Mel? What are you, some sort of demon, is that it?”

I sighed, “Maybe, Gates, maybe. But, oh! Silly me!” I released the power, my normal appearance returning. The grey coat, the blue eyes, damaged horn, scar… normal as I was ever going to be after what those two bastards had done to me. I stood up, flicking the ash from my cigar onto his face. “Remember me now?”

A light of recognition came on in his eyes. “Yeah… Yeah! I remember you! You’re that watch pony the boss ordered us to take care of. You and that bitch wife of yours! How the hell are you still alive?”

“That ‘bitch wife’ of mine?” My blood ran cold in my veins. “She had a name, filth. Her name was Meadow.” I stood over him and pressed my hooves to his chest. “Let me give you… a little ‘reminder’.” I pushed down slowly, firmly, harder and harder, putting all my strength, my anger and hate into that moment until, with a sickening crack, his ribs gave way.

Gates screamed, or rather, he tried to. One or more had of his ribs punctured a lung and he coughed foaming blood into the air.

“Sorry darling,” I hissed. “I don’t think I quite heard you. Could you try saying that again?”

“You… you bastard!” Gates coughed/ “You can’t… can’t do this! The boss will-”

“You mean Velvet Cream?” I puffed out a smoke ring. “I’m afraid, Gatesey old stick, ‘Mister’ Cream will be meeting a similar fate soon enough. If I were you, I’d focus on my own problems. They’re a little more ‘immediate’, wouldn’t you say?” I walked over to the control panel at the end of the breeze processing line. “But don’t worry, Gates, I’ll be making all your problems simply disappear – just like magic. You’d like that, wouldn’t you? No more worrying about who to rape, who to murder or torture. It must be a real headache having to carry out all the dirty work for your pal Velvet all the time. And so, I thought about this to give you some relief. To… ‘send you on your way’ so to speak. Observe…” I pressed the large green button on the control panel. With a click and a whine, the breeze grinder started up, the small sharp teeth on the rollers gradually picking up speed. It wasn’t meany for anything much larger than one of the diminutive breezies, but needs must when the devil drives as they say.

Gates began to struggle. “For bucks sake, what do you want?! Don’t do this!”

I held up the conveyor’s remote switch. “You know, Gates, I thought about killing you quickly. But then I thought… ‘no’. I mean, why deprive you of experiencing that which you so happily inflict on others? Ponies, Breezies, it doesn’t really matter to you who suffers, does it?”

“What are you doing?!” He shouted desperately. “Why can’t I feel my legs?!”

I pressed the conveyor’s start button, the machinery rumbling into life beneath him. “Well, that would be because they’re frozen, Gates,” I smiled. “That way you won’t miss a single second of what’s to come. Can’t have you missing out now, can we?” I lifted his head and gave him a good look of the rollers as they started chewing through his hooves, working up his hind legs and inexorably working their way towards his nethers. Gates cried out in horror, but I kept his head locked in my hooves. “Look well, piggy, look well. You’re gonna enjoy this. At least, I am anyways!” I started laughing. The sight was so horrific, so sickeningly macabre, and yet this was what I’d wanted - the end of the vermin who had taken the lives of my family. Here… here I would show him the same mercy he had shown them.

“Please! Oh Celestia, please… just kill me…kill me for the goddess’s sake!”

I watched as the grinders did their grisly work, watched how the bones splintered and shattered until his haunches and nethers were pulled in, steadily chewing and cracking their way up his body. I watched... everything. I would remember. I would always remember. Gates’ agonised screams were never ending. The terrible sound echoed around me, through me, a resonating song of suffering that even at its most intense would never come close to the pain he had caused me. Never. The brutal stallion who had brought unimaginable misery to so many innocents lay before me, helpless, howling and shrieking, until finally I drew my PDW and pressed it to the side of his head. I hesitated. What was I doing? He deserved no mercy. No mercy at all! He deserved nothing but an eternity of agony in the deepest pits of hell. But somewhere, somewhere deep inside me, there was that tiny voice, that solitary spark that lay within us all. It made us who we were. Even Gates.

I whispered softly into his ear. “I’m better than you,” and squeezed the trigger.

At some point during the gun battle, crates of explosives and ammunition had been broken open, spilling their content across the floor. I was damned lucky the whole place hadn’t gone up and taken me with it, but then, who would give the gods a good laugh then? The show had to go on after all. Gathering a good quantity of the ammunition and explosives in one place, I opened the generator room’s gas valves and trotted up the stairs from the scene of carnage below. Strangely the stairs seemed didn’t seem quite so long on the way out. The whole situation was so surreal, so unbelievably dream-like, I barely noticed I was outside until a cold wind off the bay ruffled my mane. I looked up at Luna’s moon and offered my thanks. Taking several deep cleansing breaths, I tried to remove the stench of death and the chemical reek of breeze from my nose, mouth and lungs. It was going to take ages to get my sense of smell back to normal after tonight, but it would be worth it. It had all been worth it. Flooding myself with the power once more, I flew up to the cloud layer and took out another of Mitre’s wonderful cigars. By the gods, what a night. Gates and Melon Patch were gone, now there was only the commissioner and Velvet to deal with. Eventually. The chief had said to leave them alone for now, and I would be true to my word. One day though, their end would come, and I would be there to look them in the eye as the reaper took them. I took a pull on the cigar and leaned back on the cloud, staring up at the stars high above. Truly, a fine cigar was one of life’s little pleasures, yet it was a pity I didn’t have any of Grimble’s delicious brandy to go with it. But this would do for now. I smiled to myself - I didn’t even feel hungry, I’d fed quite well down there tonight. All in all, a most satisfying evening all round. Finally finishing the cigar, I let it drop to the ground below, just by the open door to the visitor centre.

The flash, rumble, and subsequent explosion rent the still night air, sending debris flying for miles around. Fortunately, only smaller pieces hit the statue, the larger ones landing harmlessly out in the bay. I was lucky that I was quite adept at shield construction now or else I could have taken a nasty hit by the flying pieces too, and that would have really spoiled the mood. Mind you, who doesn’t enjoy a good fireworks display? Sadly all good things come to an end, and the saga of Mel and Gates was finally over. I would probably see them again in hell some time, but at least I had the satisfaction of sending them there first. After all, as the old saying says, ‘May as well hang for a bag of gold as for an apple’. I’d crossed that line long, long ago. There was no going back now. I had a good stretch and then set off back to my home from home - the dank sewer. It almost seemed inviting now. Soaring out over the bay, I revelled in the feeling of the cool air on my hide. I’d get back, get some water heated and have a wash. My skin tingled with anticipation of getting clean, even if it was only for a short time.

Something began buzzing in my pocket. It was Mitre’s encrypted transmitter. “Mister Fairlight? It’s Bingo. Get over to the roof of the Manehattan General Hospital as quick as you can. It’s that orange mare… I think she’s dying.”

Chapter Eight - A new life

CHAPTER EIGHT
A NEW LIFE

Manehattan General Hospital. Gods above, I never thought I’d come back here again. The last time I’d been to this place had been to pick up Meadow after work. Little did I know at the time it would be the last time. Meadow never wore her uniform to or from work unless she was running late, although I have to say, it suited her very well indeed. Seeing her in that white uniform with the dinky white cap with the red cross on it was surprisingly sexy, and she knew it too. I’ll leave the details of that to your imagination. Mind you, being tended to by my wife during one of my all too frequent hospital visits was a touch on the surreal side to say the least, but I could live with it. She would berate me for getting myself into scrapes, bandage my wounds, salve burns and grazes. On more than one occasion she’d even had to help the doctor set a bone or two. However, as much as I secretly enjoyed the personal attention, if not the pain that usually came with it, ultimately the constant battering I was taking began to put a strain on our relationship. Meadow loved me, of that I have no doubt, but seeing me lying there half dead time after time was becoming too much for her. And me too if I’m honest. I was no colt any more, I was in my forties and things were beginning to slow up. I ached in places I never knew I had, my joints making strange cracking sounds every so often and my eyesight sure as hell wasn’t as good as it was when I was a youngster. I used to be a crack shot with a crossbow, now I could barely make out the damned target board. The wendigo had changed all of that, mending and repairing the wear and tear of endless years of plodding the beat when anypony sensible was in bed. For that at least, I was grateful. The wings were a definite bonus, although the were hardly what you’d call discreet.

I kept to the clouds as much as I could on my way across the Manehattan skyline, putting as much speed into my lumbering flight as possible. By comparison, pegasi could fly rings round me, but this was still a damned sight better than trying to get across the city by boat, hoof, or taxi. At least this way I could travel in a straight line. It was still dark too, the sunrise a good few hours away yet. Even so it wasn’t worth taking any chances by being reckless - that could potentially endanger both myself and by association, Tingles too, if the damned royal guard got wind of me being in the area. Fortunately I knew the layout of the city like that back of my hoof, and in no time at all was pulling up in a blast of wind, landing heavily on the gravelly flat roof of the huge Manehattan General Hospital. I let go of the magic, my emotions and mind in complete turmoil. Mitre, Bingo and several other ponies were waiting for me by their sky carriages.

“Fairlight, thank Luna you’re here lad.” Mitre clopped me on the shoulder, his neutral expression strangely calming, “Come on, we’ll talk while we walk. But first we need to do something about how you look.”

He hoofed me a thin silver collar which, when I clicked it into place around my neck, completely changed my outward appearance. I’d used one before in the watch when on surveillance duty, but right now all I could think of was reaching Tingles, and every moment wasted felt like a dagger through my heart. Passing my gear to Bingo I put on the doctors coat, clipped on the ID tag, and slipped in the eye-shields. These things reacted to light and had been a human development, but right now they covered up the magical glow from my eyes which was still noticeable despite the magical collar. I checked the ID card - ‘Doctor Yew Tree, neurological and cardiac sciences.’ The photograph didn’t look anything like me. The real me at least.

“Let me see…” Mitre looked me over before nodding his approval. “Good. Right, come on.” He headed off through an access door and down the stairs with me in close pursuit. “Your marefriend Tingles is having complications with the foal,” he explained. “She was shot whilst pregnant with it, but we thought she’d made a full recovery.”

I gritted my teeth. that sick bastard Warlock had done this to her. Goddesses I’d see him pay for that one day. If we lost our child too…

Mitre continued. “I know you two have had issues, boy, and I’m not the best at understanding relationships as you well know, but when she was feverish she called out for you. One of the nurses recognised the name and I found out about it.” Mitre cast me a glance, “You’re going to have to put any differences you have behind you for now, I don’t think we’ve got much time. If anypony can save her, it’s you.”

I was all but running down the corridors now, with Mitre leading the way. Despite his perpetually calm exterior he appeared to be just as desperate to reach Tingles as I was. Thank the gods he knew the way too. The hospital was labyrinth of corridors, wings, units and only gods knew what else. I’d usually met Tingles by the staff entrance or else been shuttle around on a hospital bed. You didn’t need a degree in medicine to work here, you need one in bloody orienteering. We rounded one more corner, passed a desk with a mare working on a pile of paperwork that must have been at least six inches thick, and finally arrived at a set of double doors. ‘Ward Fourteen. High Dependancy Unit’, the sign read over the double doors. Without pause, Mitre and I pushed our way though. The two armed agency ponies standing outside a side room turned when they saw us rushing toward them.

Mitre flashed his card. “Agent Miles,” he said abruptly. One of them nodded, then opened the door to let us in.

“Agent Miles?” I whispered, catching my breath as we stopped.

“Anything wrong with that? Agent ‘Nox’?” my old mentor said levelly. Point taken.

Inside the room, a frightening array of medical equipment hummed, hissed and beeped. Numerous tubes and wires criss-crossed the prone figure of Tingles who I could barely see under the oxygen mask and white sheet. I didn’t know what to say. The normally lively, happy-go-lucky pegasus I had fallen in love with was just… lying there.

One of the nurses carrying a tray of instruments rushed past, nearly bumping into us. “Sorry doctor,” she called over her shoulder heading out the door.

There were two doctors in the clean room already. One of them noticed us and waved us in. “Are you with the agency?” Mitre nodded in response. “And who are you?” the doctor asked my directly. “Are you an intern?”

I shook my head. “Doctor Yew Tree, neurological and cardiac sciences,” I quoted off the ID card. “What’s the status of the patient?”

My bluff seemed to be working pretty well so far, if their wide eyed expressions were anything to go by. From what Meadow had told me about hospitals they were all about the strict observance of hierarchical structures. Fancy titles and qualifications denoted your standing here more so even than the bloody military by sounds of it. If nothing else it may help avoid too many awkward questions, and since my ID badge made it sound like I knew what I was about, I would just have to wing it and hope I could pull this off.

“Frankly, we don’t know,” one of the doctors replied. “We’ve tried everything, but the patient simply isn’t responding to any of the treatments.”

The other doctor hoofed over a flip chart of unintelligible figures and graphs. “She came in with a severe water-electrolyte imbalance. The patient has also developed anaemia.” I looked down at the chart and nodded. He continued, “Normally these are treated fairly easily, however she’s not responding to anything we’ve tried so far.”

The first doctor leaned over Tingles with his stethoscope. “The foal’s heart beat is slightly raised, as is the mother’s. If I didn’t know better, I’d say that the mother’s very life force is being drawn into the foal. We’re seen this with unicorns before, where the mother’s magic can be absorved into the developing foetus resulting in fatigue, but this is something new.”

“Have you completed x-rays of the foal?” I asked, hoofing them back the clipboard.

“We don’t x-ray foals doctor,” the white coated stallion replied. “We scan them with the aether-scope.” He frowned. “Don’t you use one in your department?”

I raised an eyebrow, “We’re a little behind the times at our hospital, gentlecolts. Now, if you’ll excuse me?” I opened the folder of scans the second doctor gave me and saw, in the fuzzy grey blur, the outline of a tiny unicorn - my son… or daughter. My heart skipped a beat.

Suddenly a loud alarm sounded and the doctors rushed to the bank of monitors. “She’s going into cardiac arrest!”

“Blood pressure’s dropping.”

I leaned over Tingles’ prone form, her eyes flickering open slightly. “Fa… Fairlight… Fair-”

Gently I lifted her hoof in mine. “I’m here love,” I whispered. “It’s me, I’m here for you.”

Her eyes were unfocused, her voice weak and distant. “My foal… I… I don’t want… to lose our…”

“You won’t love.” I stroked her sodden green mane. “Listen to me, I want you to drink what I give you now, understand? You’ve done it once before when you were hurt, remember? I know it frightens you, but do this okay?”

Her voice was becoming fainter. “Fairlight…”

I turned to Mitre and nodded. The large blue stallion walked forward and grabbed the first doctor firmly. “Come on doctor, Doctor Yew Tree works better alone.” He began pushing the second doctor, “You too, now. Come on… Out!”

“What?! Hey!” the doctors protested, but under the guidance of the large blue Mitre were propelled from the room. The agency guards would prevent any further intrusion.

I took a deep breath and reached down, as deep inside myself as I ever had, feeling for the power. It flowed like quicksilver through my senses, and I willed it on, filling it with my need, my desire to save my mare - to save our foal. Fire and ice, mist and fog, it all mingled and coursed within me. My teeth itched and grew, my wings rustling down my flanks as I changed into my wendigo self. From behind me I heard an intake of breath from Mitre. Of course, he’d never seen this before had he? Probably heard about it or read it in reports of course, but in reality, it must be quite the sight. Personally I was more worried about Tingles’ reaction. She eyed me with the same fear as she had in the chamber of the fortress and moved back ever so slightly into the pillow.

“I’m so sorry, love,” I said quietly in my wendigo altered voice. “I never meant to hurt you, I would never do that willingly, but I have to do this to save you and our foal. Do you understand?”

She nodded weakly and tried to hold out a trembling hoof. I took it carefully and leaned over her, stroking her mane with my other. The tangerine mare closed her eyes as I lowered my muzzle over hers, dripping the silvery life giving fluid into her open mouth. Tingles was unsure at first, taking in a little, just a taste, a little more, and then suddenly grabbed me hungrily, drinking down great gulps of it, lapping at my teeth and tongue. I could sense the strength returning to her, bringing her back from the very brink of death. She took everything I could give her, her body taking in the strength it needed to repair itself, singing, howling with renewed vigour – and need. But now I was in trouble. Tingles was taking all I had alright, and was desperate for more. Far more than I had to give. She pulled at me, feeding from me both for herself and the foal. I gave all I could until there was simply nothing left. Yet still she tried, until eventually, exhausted, she released me and I fell to the floor barely conscious.

Mitre rushed to my side. “Here lad, drink this…”

He held a flask of silver life energy up to my lips and poured it in slowly. My mouth felt like all the moisture had been sucked from it and I snatched the flask from the big blue stallion, gulping the stuff down as fast as I could. I nearly threw up from drinking too fast, but just about managed to keep myself together somehow. I gasped in a breath; goddesses, that was an ordeal I never wanted to go through again. Aethel nearly had an unexpected arrival.

I heard a brief movement beside me and I looked up. “Tingles!” I stood up on quavering legs to look down upon the smiling face of an almost glowing tangerine mare.

“I knew you’d come back to me one day.” Her voice was still a little strained, but I could sense her returning strength, both in her words and those beautiful green eyes.

I leaned over and kissed her gently. “I’m sorry love… I’m so, so sorry…”

Tingles reached her forelegs up and hugged me. “There’s nothing to forgive. It was you, but it wasn’t you…” She smiled faintly. “It really frightened me, and when you shouted at me to go… I didn’t know what to do, so I panicked and ran.”

“I’d never hurt you love,” I said pressing my muzzle into her neck. “Luna knows I’d never do that.”

“Fairlight, listen, there’s something I need to tell you,” Tingles sounded suddenly very serious indeed. “It’s about the agency…”

“I know what happened love,” I assured her gently. “You did what you did out of loyalty to Celestia, I understand that.”

She shook her head. “There’s more to it than that. Please, Fairlight, Warlock is… is… Oh!”

“What is it?” I said suddenly, pulling away. “What’s wrong?”

“The foal!” Tingles squeezed her eyes shut and gasped. “It’s… It’s moving! Oh goddesses, it’s… ”

I stood up, panic gripping me. “Mitre!” I bellowed. “Get a nurse in here, for Luna’s sake!”

Right on queue a bubbly yellow mare bounced in, took one look at the scene and started grabbing equipment. She was like a blur - everywhere at once and, despite an outwardly chaotic manner, somehow completely in control. The nurse gave orders to Mitre and myself, gently but firmly moving Tingles into a position so she could… she could... Oh gods, she was going to give birth! Right here! Right now!

Tingles shouted for me and I rushed to her side, “Oh, Fairlight! I’m so scared!”

“It’s alright, love,” I tried to assure her, “you’ve got the best nurse in Manehattan here with you and you’re doing great. I’m right here with you every step of the way.”

She started to cry, but still listened to the instructions the little nurse gave her. Everything was happening around me like some pastiche of reality. I’d heard about these things, heard the stories from new mothers as well as more experienced ones, but nothing prepared you for the reality of it all. It sure as hell did nothing to help Tingles. She shouted, screamed, swore, and cracked me right across the muzzle at one point, but managed to give one last push and flopped exhausted onto the pillow, her mane literally soaked with sweat. I reached over with a damp flannel and wiped her face, neck and chest while she lay there panting. I didn’t dare look at what was happening at… the other end…

“You did it love,” I smiled. I gave her a kiss on the cheek. “You really are the best pony.”

Tingles gave a weak nod and looked up as the nurse brought over a tiny wet looking creature wrapped in a soft white blanket. It was a little unicorn foal, grey like it’s dad, with big yellow eyes and a black and white striped tail. For a moment we stared at each other in wonderment before Tingles, tired but happy, claimed her prize.

I had a quick peek under the blanket. “He’s a he!” I stammered. “I… I’m a dad! You… you’re a mum! Oh bloody hell fire! Mitre! I-”

“Calm down boy!” the Chief laughed, leaning against the door frame. “Good grief, let Tingles see the little one too!”

Tingles smiled as she gave the tiny scrunched up life a nuzzle. “He’s just like you - a tiny Fairlight. What should we call him?”

“How about Rock?” I grinned.

“Fairlight! For goodness sake, no!”

We both laughed, Mitre looking on confusedly as the nurse busied around us wiping down and tidying up with a buoyant grin on her face. When our new family member was safely placed in the heated basket next to mum, I walked over to Mitre and hugged him.

“Thanks old friend, without you…”

The big stallion chuckled. “I know lad, that was quite the ride.”

The nurse received a hug too, whether she wanted one or not. “Thanks, Quill, you’re a wonderful mare. Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart.”

“Do I know you?” she asked in her chirpy voice.

“No, but I’ve heard all about you,” I laughed. “You’re the best in the business, right?”

“Yeah! I am aren’t I!” She bounced happily from the room. How did she do that?!

Mitre was speaking quietly on his comms device before turning to address me. “Fairlight, we need to go, there more agency ponies coming and it won’t be good if they find you here.”

Tingles gasped. “No! I need him here!”

“Tingles, if he’s caught you may never see him again. See sense girl.” Mitre placed a hoof on her shoulder and smiled. “I promise we’ll bring you to him the first chance we get, but for now, he was never here and you never saw him, understand?”

She nodded, then turned to me. “I want to be with you, Fairlight. I should never have run off like that…”

“It’s alright, love,” I smiled, kissing her on the nose. “It’s all good now. We’ll see each other soon.” I kissed her again, and gave another to the tiny foal who gave a little squeak before curling up into a ball “…and you too little one.”

Mitre and I rushed to the door, and I paused, turning back briefly. “I still like ‘Rock’.”

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

The campfire crackled and snapped merrily, sending its radiant heat out to warm our tired bodies and sooth our minds. There was something inherently magical about a well made fire; the colours and sounds alone made you feel safe somehow. I lay back and yawned. I was full of good food, good beer, and had a good pipe of some damned fine tobacco. What more could a fellow ask for?

One of our jolly band had thoughtfully brought thick blankets for us all and we lay on them beside the fire while Banjo poked it with a stick, occasionally feeding more wood into the flames. Stretching out my legs, I closed my eyes and smiled. I still couldn’t believe it, I was a father… again! I wished that our new foal could play with Sparrow Song, but it was not to be - they lived in two different worlds now. As melancholy a thought as that may be I I took comfort in knowing that we’d all meet again one day, though not for a while yet, not until this life was done. Unless the herd decided they had other plans for me after what I’d been up to. As much as those scum deserved what they got, what made me the judge, jury and executioner? The answer was simple – justice. When your government cannot protect its people any more, then you have a right to defend yourself and your family through any and all means possible. Melon Patch and Gates lived to cause suffering to others. Putting them down wasn’t a punishment, it was a kindness you would afford a rabid dog. Not to mention the lives that had been saved by cutting that cancer out of our society. I huffed to myself and worked a crick out of my neck. Dark thoughts aside, it really was a wonderful evening - not too cold, and with barely a breeze to speak of. The sky above us was bright with stars and the moon shone down just like it always did. I wondered how Luna was, and whether she had mended her bridges with Celestia. The last thing I wanted was to be the cause of a rift between those two, family was the most important thing in a pony’s life and I knew all too well the pain of loss when that comfort was torn away from you. Right now I missed mine terribly, Tingles and my foal especially. I didn’t know when I’d see them again, and the mere thought of being away from them was like a bolt through my heart. I hadn’t even named him! Gods, I hoped she wouldn’t give him oe of the damned stupid names that were all the rage at the minute – like Joist, or Tile or some other stupid name. Didn’t I know a pony called Spatula once? Luna’s ears, I did! He went on to be a cook somewhere if I remember rightly...

I put my thoughts to one side and tried to enjoy that simple moment of calm out here under the stars. Mitre had promised he would have some news for us tonight, although it would no doubt be ‘something’ to do with work. It always was. One of these days I’d actually get paid for doing something too… not that I had that many bills these days. Could you even get a mortgage on a sewer? Hell, I couldn’t live with Tingles and our foal in a bloody sewer! Hey, maybe I could call him Pipe, or what about Flush? A whistle from one of the sentries caught everyponies attention and we all sat up like merekats while two of our number trotted off to investigate. A few minutes later a lone covered carriage rattled into the encampment. Bingo walked over to talk to the occupants. As for myself, I could tell who it was without even turning around; Mitre’s voice was like distant thunder. The lucky sod, I’d always envied him that voice, I bet he’d bagged more than a few mares over the years with those dulcet tones.

“Fairlight? Can you come with me for a moment.”

That sounded a lot more pleasant than usual? Perhaps the relaxed atmosphere had finally mellowed the old bugger. I pushed myself to my hooves, feeling my muscles protesting at the effort. We’d been travelling for days, if not weeks, keeping out of sight and generally keeping a low profile. The outdoors may be ‘healthy’, allegedly, but it had played havoc with my coat. My tail alone was a right mess. I’d have to get that washed and brushed out soon or I’d have to get it cut right back, and I didn’t fancy that one little bit. As for my mane, I dread to think how that looked now. Fortunately my overcoat and hat covered most of the ‘imperfections’ in the time honoured ‘Fairlight style’, so whatever it was Mitre wanted to see me about, he’d just have to put up with a rather tatty looking ex-captain. On the subject of my old friend, we hadn’t seen him since the birth of my son. He’d stayed behind to liaise with Princess Luna on some matters which I wasn’t privy to, although I admit I was still a little intrigued as to what was going on ‘behind the scenes’. Sometimes though, ignorance was most definitely bliss. The large frame of the chief was easy to make out in the starlight, and after being out in the wilds for so long it was oddly comforting to see him again.

“Sir?” I asked trotting over to the side of the wagon where he was waiting for me.

“Ah, Captain, good.” Mitre shook my hoof, standing back to indicate the carriage. “There’s somepony here who wants to speak to you.” He took down a saddle pack from the driver’s seat and placed it on his back. “I’ll leave you two to chat together while I grab a cuppa and have a chat with Bingo.” Mitre looked up to the back of the wagon. “Can I get you anything, ma’am?”

Whoever she was shook her head and Mitre nodded in reply, wandering off to the campfire and a welcome cup of tea. A few seconds later my mysterious visitor jumped down from the wagon and bade me follow her with a wave of a foreleg. Soon we were well into the secluded woodland, although not so far that we couldn’t see the campfire. We’d need some way to navigate our way back in this darkness after all. The pony threw her hood back and I found myself looking into the large purple eyes of a very familiar lavender coloured unicorn.

“Miss Sparkle!”

“Shhhh!” Twilight held her hoof up to her lips. “Yes, it’s me. Captain Fairlight, I promised you I would find out what I could, and I have. But please, nopony must know I’m here tonight or what I have to tell you, yes?”

I bobbed my head. “Yes, Miss Sparkle.”

She let out a louder than necessary sigh. “Good. Captain, my mentor would disown me if she knew what I’m doing tonight. Celestia is a kind ruler, and I love her like a second mother, but in this…” Twilight closed here eyes, apparently warring with some inner conflict before blurting, “I believe she is… wrong. There, I said it!” She looked around furtively as if the princess of the sun would descend on her like an avenging spirit from above at any moment.

“Please, miss, go on…” I encouraged.

Twilight started in surprise. “What?! Oh, right!” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before starting again. “Yes, well you see, Captain, I read up on Star Swirl’s adventures in his diaries and journals. Most are kept in the restricted palace library in Canterlot, but I found another copy elsewhere – locked away in the temple of the two sisters. Locked, that is, unless you happen to know the entrance to the secret passage. Hmm, now that I think about, you would imagine there would have been more deterrents or even traps. Of course that could be because of the degradation of the spell matrices combined with-”

“Twilight! That place is incredibly dangerous!” I exclaimed. “What in Equestrua were you thinking, risking yourself going there for a mere book?! It’s in the middle of the Everfree for goodness sake!”

She giggled, hiding her smile behind a hoof. “Oh, Captain! I didn’t go alone, my friends went with me. I assure you I was quite safe, but listen, I’ve found something that may interest you.” She paused for dramatic effect. “A way to enter the Wither World.”

“What?!” I nearly swallowed my own tongue. “How? Where?!”

Apparently suitably impressed by my reaction, Twilight explained. “Star Swirl had a portal he used to travel the realms. It was designed to be activated by one of the crystal beacons and would allow him to travel to the Wither World. Whether he ever managed to reach the plane of the eternal herd however was-”

“Miss Sparkle,” I interrupted, “please, where is this portal?”

She shook her mane in irritation. “That’s just it, I don’t know!”

“Oh…” My heart sank. What was the point of telling me this then?

“But I know a way to find it,” she beamed. “Here, come closer.”

I stepped up to her and the little unicorn’s horn began to glow with a deep purple light. From inside her cloak’s pocket, a golden chain with a small crystal pendant floated out and over my head to settle around my neck. My goddesses, was this what I thought it was?

“Twilight…” I breathed.

She blushed, looking away shyly. “It’s the beacon from the exhibition. I… I borrowed it.”

“You what?!”

“I didn’t steal it!” Twilight said squeakily. “I just borrowed it and replaced it with an exact copy Rarity made for me, that’s all. She thinks it’s for my research, but I… I swapped them. Nopony uses it anyway, and you need it to find your friend, and...” She tailed off with long sigh. “You see, according to Star Swirl’s diary the beacon works on the bearer’s ‘need’, that is it detects your desire and effectively sends you there like a magical compass. It’s a little more complex than that of course, magical inversion and co-fluxation extingencies etcetera etcetera, but I think you get the general idea.”

I smiled politely. “I do. Thank you, Twilight, I don’t know what to say.” I truthfully didn’t either. I had no idea what she was going on about, only that she’d risked so much for a pony she didn’t even know, and that I’d been given another chance to find Shadow.

Twilight smiled at me. “Captain, I read a lot of books. Not just for research, but for enjoyment too, and I do love a good romance!” She giggled coquettishly. “Your story, the one about your lost love… I want you to rescue her and bring her home. That’s what heroes do, right?”

I was flattered, if a little unsettled by the intensity of her belief in me. “I’m no hero, Twilight. I wish I was.”

The little unicorn shrugged. “Maybe not, but there’s a damsel in distress and you should go save her, mister! And,” she clopped me on the chest, “I want to hear all about it when you get back. If it’s safe to do so, of course.”

Safe? Oh, she meant when princess big-and-tall wasn’t around. “Of course,” I said seriously.

Yeah, ‘safe’ was somewhat subjective too. So long as Princess Celestia hadn’t got wind of what Twilight had done we’d be ‘safe’, otherwise we’d both be in peril. I wouldn’t put anything past that genocidal megalomaniac mare. Of course, Twilight would probably get off lightly compared to me. Celestia’s warning ‘on pain of death’, was most likely deadly serious. She saw wendigo as a threat to the stability of the country, and as for her student helping one? It was unthinkable.

“Give it a try!” She urged waving at the pendant excitedly.

“Huh? Oh!” I nodded, holding up the beacon in my hoof. It was so familiar, like an old friend somehow. I’d worn one in the Withers and had used it to find my way home, in a roundabout way. Ironically, if this one worked it would help me return to that very same place I had been so desperate to escape. And not that long ago either. I smiled to myself; it was a funny old world. Concentrating, I channelled a tiny stream of my magic into the crystal, picturing in my mind the land of endless black sand, the dark hills, and the changeless light. I thought of the Beyond, with its beautiful crystal forests and white grass. I remembered the tribe of the Beyond, the empty city, the great black sea… and finally, my beloved thestral, Shadow. That beautiful aquiline face was as clear as day in my mind’s eye. Her little horn like ears, her sharp teeth, those fiery red eyes and great dragon like wings made my heart race just thinking about them. I could recall her with such detail I could almost feel her long tongue tasting my muzzle, kissing me… the scent of spices rich and warm…

“Captain? Twilight to Captain Fairlight, are you receiving me?”

“Wha-? Oh!” I blinked in surprise and shook my mane. “Sorry, Miss, I kind of lost myself in my memories there for a moment.”

“Ooooh! Look at that!” Twilight chirped, ignoring me to stare wide eyed at the crystal.

I understood her foal-like fascination completely. The tiny pendant was glowing with that same faint otherworldly light which grew brighter - or dimmer dependant upon which direction I faced - as I remembered from my time in the Wither World. A flush of excitement ran through me at the possibilities this brought. I could find Shadow. Dear goddesses, I could finally bring my mate here, back to Equestria! How exactly wasn’t something I wanted to consider right then, but… here, here around my neck I had the most important thing of all. It was what I had needed all this time.

A direction.

“That… is… amazing!” Twilight gasped, clearly impressed at seeing an ancient relic come back to life before her very eyes at I was. I suppose may be a little cynical as I’d used one before, but even I couldn’t help but smile at the enthusiasm in the little mare’s eyes. She’d risked a lot to help me with this. Risked far too much really.

“Miss Sparkle… Twilight… I don’t know how to thank you, really.” I told her honestly.

“Oh, that’s easy!” she grinned. “Just come see me when all this is over. You can tell me all about your adventures! You never know, maybe the princess will have forgiven you by then and you can come back to live in Ponyville. I know we’d all love to have you there.”

I had to hide my face for a moment as a wave of nostalgia and emotion rolled through me. To go back to Ponyville, to live with ponies who accepted me? I will confess I’d thought about it, even when Meadow was still alive and my career trundling along very well indeed. A simple transfer to somewhere quiet and peaceful would have been just the thing for a middle-aged stallion. We could have found a position at the local hospital for Meadow I’m sure. I’d always got on well with the doctors there, and Nurse Redheart was one of Meadow’s old mentors during her work placement. I felt a shiver run through me my eyes began to sting. It was too late now. If only I’d done it when I’d first thought about it. Meadow wanted me to leave the watch because of toll it was taking on me, and yet… and yet I’d been so damned stubborn. If only I’d listened to myself. If only I’d listened to her! Could I really come back here now, though? What about Celestia? There was no chance of that closet dictator going back on her decree, and there was no way in hell I was going to put Twilight and her friends at risk on my behalf either. Sometimes, I suppose, even if you have the means to do so, it’s not a good idea to go back. Rose tinted spectacles or no, memories of what was often conflicted with the reality of what now is. Ponies change, places changes even more so, and perhaps the past is better left as it was best remembered – in the past. My memories of Ponyville were precious to me. I wanted to keep them that way.

“Thank you Twilight, I’ll do what I can.” I looked away and rubbed my muzzle, taking a deep breath to steady my racing heart. “Thank you.”

She reached up, standing on her hind legs and kissed me on the forehead. “You’re welcome.” Twilight blushed, looking away slightly. “Would you mind asking Mitre to come over here now, please? I think he’s keen to see me home. It’s getting quite late.”

“Of course,” I said with a respectful bob of my head. “It would be my pleasure.”

The carriage rumbled off into the night with an escort of heavily armed Equus agents escorting the brave little lavender unicorn home. I watched her leave and prayed that she would be safe, that one day all of us would be able to live in the wonderful world of sunshine and rainbows Celestia professed she wanted for all of us. ‘All of us’, eh? Yeah, right. I don’t think I factored into her grand scheme somehow, but by the goddesses I still had my honour regardless of what the princess thought of me.

“Hey, you okay?” Mitre clopped me on the shoulder making me start slightly. “Come over to the fire and warm yourself up, boy. We’ll need to be off soon, sun’ll be up in a few hours.” My old friend glanced at me as we walked. “That was some trick back there in the hospital, Captain. I have to say, it sent a chill down my spine I can tell you. What’s it like when you’re like that?”

“What’s it like?” I scratched my chin in thought. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised he’d ask, after all, walking, talking mythical monsters weren’t exactly everyday occurrences in Equestria. More like once a month actually. I hung my head and closed my eyes. Mitre was curious, he had a right to be too. Like any leader he wanted to know everything about the team under his command, especially one so… unique. Asking me this was as sensible as it was typically direct of him, even if it was merely to satisfy his curiosity. “It’s like, being me, but not me… It’s hard to explain,” I began feeling a little foolish. “You have power way beyond that of any regular old unicorn. Well, beyond my level anyway! You… know things you never knew, can do magic that you’ve never even seen let alone understand how to manipulate, and it can heal wounds – terrible wounds. You saw what happened to Tingles, right?” Mitre nodded as I continued. “Yeah, it’s very impressive alright. Yet even with all that magic at your command, it comes at a cost: anger, hatred, and a hunger that’s ever present. You’re always on a knife edge of being in control, and losing it completely.” I lifted a hoof at his wide eyed expression. “I wasn’t born to it you see, but I’m learning, and I’m a damned sight better at controlling it now than I was.” I leaned back and sighed. “You know, whether I like it or not it’s a part of my ancestry, my heritage on my mum’s side. By rights I’m not even a proper, y’know, ‘wendigo’. I’m more of a bloody mongrel than one these ‘mystical things from the mountains’ that parents tell stories about to frighten the crap out of naughty foals. I was scared to death of it at first too, and I let it control me. Now at last, I’m very much in the driver’s seat. Honestly, I’m still in two minds as to what to think about it. It’s saved my life on more than one occasion that’s for damned sure, but...” I scrubbed my mane, struggling for the right words. “It’s a bit like going for a ride with a loaded crossbow sat next to you. It’s useful to have, and yet you’re constantly aware of just how insanely dangerous such a thing could be if you were careless even for second. Good gods, Mitre, when the spirit first entered me all I could think of was how to get rid of the damned thing! It was like an infection I needed to purge, to cleanse myself of as quick as I could. Now… Now it’s a part of me the same way a fish is part of the river. We kinda… ‘go together’, if you know what I mean.” I shrugged. “Anyway, bad analogies aside, I think it’s what I actually do with my life that really defines me, not what I ‘physically’ am.” I smiled apologetically. “Sorry, Chief, I guess I’m not making much sense.”

The big blue stallion shook his head. “No… you are, boy, and I’d agree with you on that. To my mind, life’s about our actions and deeds, not what you are, be you pony, griffin, or whatever. Pop used to say ‘talk is simply that - talk’. He was right. Without acting on what we say, or on our intentions, words are meaningless. I guess that kind of ties in with this,” he waved a hoof at me, “it’s what you do that makes you… you.”

“That’s quite profound there, Chief,” I smiled.

He simply nodded. “Aye.”

We reached the fire and sat down with the others. One of the ponies who was wearing a thick overcoat had brought a concertina and began to play. She was damned good too, and I found myself moving to the cheerful sound, even if I didn’t recognise the tune. I loved music, it had remarkably soothing effect on the soul, a fact that hadn’t been lost on me even during my subterranean life in the sewers. Mitre and I talked a while longer of insubstantial things; sharing stories of past loves, ponies we’d worked with and missions we’d been on. He knew all about the ‘incident’ at the watch house of course, though merely shook his head when we touched on the subject. I was glad to hear that Shelly was safe though, she’d retired from the watch after Mitre had been ‘killed’ and moved away to start a new life. They’d planned to live in the country when he retired and they’d saved up enough to be comfortable. He’d let slip that he had one last mission to complete before he hung up his whistle and truncheon for the last time, but wouldn’t divulge any more ‘until the time was right’. Bloody typical! The ‘need to know’ line was one I was all too familiar with from my days in the watch. I guess old habits die hard. I stretched, working a crick out of my neck and checked the time. It wasn’t long before dawn and Mitre was already getting up from his place by the fire.

“Time to move, ponies,” he announced, brushing the dirt from his cloak. “Get that fire put out and the gear in the carriages. Fairlight, give us a hoof please.”

Before long all the gear was stowed away, leaving the camp as no more than a happy memory and a lingering scent of wood smoke on my clothes. No rest for the wicked, eh? Suitably strapped in, our sky carriages flew through the dark sky, heading north toward the mountains and the Everfree. I peered over the side and felt a tingle rush through me from muzzle to tail at the sight of the trees far below. Even the smell of the air here gave me a distinct, and rather unsettling sense of déjà-vu. Just where were we heading anyway? I glanced at Mitre questioningly, and as always he just gave me that mysterious half smile of his. The old bugger was up to something, and I bloody well hated surprises - I’d had far too many of those by far. One of these days some well meaning pony was going to go too far and I’d end up dropping dead from a heart attack. Huh! Maybe I’d finally get some peace if that happened. Taking a deep breath of the clean country air I sank back into the carriage’s seat, looking out at the horizon. The sky was just starting to change colour from midnight blue to a deep orange hue that stained the underside of the distant clouds. Dawn would be here soon, washing away the sea of stars in a blaze of warmth and golden light. I’d always wanted to see the sun raising ceremony in Canterlot as a foal, but had never been. I should have made more of an effort. Unfortunately I’d most likely be used for some ad-hoc target practice if I turned up there now. Even so I’d like to think young Twilight was right though, and that someday Celestia really would have a change of heart. She had with Luna I suppose, but then she’d already banished her for a thousand years and the night princess was quite obviously second fiddle nowadays - even if she was supposed to be ‘co-ruler’. Oh well, hope springs eternal.

The dark scenery below looked somewhat familiar, if only vaguely. It was, after all, variations on the theme of grass, hills and tree’s. Being this close to the Everfree there was probably a good chance that any sight seeing would land you a first class ticket to a timberwolf’s stomach; unless they actually were behaving themselves now, but I doubted that. Personally I was just glad the bloody things couldn’t fly. My ears pricked up at the sound of the drivers calling to one another. They weren’t using TED’s I’d noticed, a wise precaution in case our ‘friends in high places’ were listening for us. Moments later we began to lose height and the carriage banked into its landing pattern. The pilot was good at his job, but nowhere near the quality of my pegasus mare. Goddesses, I missed her, and the little one too…

With a relatively soft bump, we landed on the outskirts of the village. Now this place looked familiar.. Really familiar! The half dilapidated cottages, the old tavern, and the faded sign - ‘Welcome to Smiling Borders!’ Pfff, my hairy arse! Mitre trotted up to the weathered front door of the Wyvern’s Tail and knocked. A shuffling from inside, the click of a lock, and the delightful smiling face of Heather the hulking minotaur greeted us. I couldn’t help but smile, this place had a certain peculiar charm that was all its own. If ‘charm’ was the right word to use that is. ‘Mess’ might be a little more accurate. Heather snorted and waved us into the warm interior, the fireside chairs looking particularly inviting to a pony who’d been living under the stars for days. A brandy, a clean bed, and some proper food would go down a treat. We’d need to order enough for-

“Time for me to be off then, boy,” Mitre announced from out of the blue. “Either myself, Bingo, or Brandy will be in touch about that job soon. Things have been put back unexpectedly, so we’ve got ourselves a much larger breathing space than we originally planned. I intend to make the most of it too.” He raised an eyebrow. “In the meantime, I expect you to keep that TED near you at all times, okay?”

“What? Yes! I mean, Chief, what’s going on?” I said, startled. “Don’t just bugger off and leave me here without an explanation!”

He stopped and looked over his shoulder at me, a surprisingly cheeky smirk on the old stallion’s face. “You’ve got a mare to rescue haven’t you?” he beamed. “Oh! And this is yours too, don’t spend it all at once. Call it ‘thanks for services rendered’.”

He threw a large bag of bits to me and disappeared out the door. I rushed out after him but the sky carriage was already disappearing up into the early dawn. Damn it! I neighed in frustration, slammed the door shut and dropped into one of the chairs by the fire. I hated all this bloody cloak and dagger stuff. What the hell was I supposed to do now?! Curiosity prevailed however, and I opened the bag he’d given me. Now this was unexpected! I whistled through my teeth - there was a small fortune in here! What the bloody hell was I going to do with this lot?

“My lord, you’ve returned!” A familiar avian voice called from behind me. “This is wonderful news!” The exuberant griffin appeared from the stairwell, “You are in room one, as last time. And I’ve taken the liberty of preparing some of your favourite items too, by the hot spring. Should I take your coat?”

Well, it looked like somepony knew I was coming, didn’t they! Bloody hell, was I the only one who didn’t know what was going on around here? You know, I had the sinking feeling I’d hit the nail on the head. Grimble smiled expansively, no mean feat with a beak, and held out his claws in anticipation. Gratefully, I hoofed him my overcoat but kept my saddle packs. Not that I didn’t trust him of course, but the way ponies had a habit of sneaking up on me around here… Well, better to be safe and all that, right?

“Thank you, my friend,” I said wearily. I was so tired I didn’t even bother to correct on the ‘My lord’ business. Frankly, the offer of a good warm soak was all I could think of.

Thankfully there were no more ‘unexpected’ encounters at the hot spring, which was bubbling and steaming in the cool dawn air just as it had the last time I’d been to this most tranquil of places. The golden light heralding a new day was starting to broach the treeline now, glinting majestically off the distant mountains beyond the forest and making the rocks around the spring look like they’d been painted by the very gods themselves. Revelling in the early morning sunshine a flock of birds flew overhead, singing to one another in a language all their own. It felt like a lifetime ago since I’d gazed upon this beautiful scene. Had it really happened the way I remembered? Minotaurs, griffins, the timberwolves, the fortress… it all seemed so unreal somehow, like a dream that had happened to somepony else. Or a nightmare depending upon your point of view. As I sank into the blissful hot water, I closed my eyes letting the steam envelop me. Maybe it had been somepony else, maybe I was still in the Wither World and I’d wake up any moment surrounded by an expanse of nothingness, or maybe I was just a regular day to day pony with an active imagination? In a world of magic, anything was possible. Here, floating in this amazing warmth, feeling it soaking into my aching bones and muscles, nothing mattered any more - even if only for a few minutes. I probably shouldn’t have, but I could feel myself dozing off in the heat and thick white steam. Goddesses, it was sooooo good!

My hind leg bumped into something and I paddled my forelegs to pull away. I liked floating, it was… hey! What the hell? Something had my hoof! I looked up quickly, the hot water sloughing off me as I found myself staring into the eyes of… “Tingles!”

“Why, hello there, Captain Fairlight. What brings you here?”

“What…? How the- Gah!” A half gallon of hot, steaming water shot right up my nose. Damn it, I knew they were trying to kill me! And Mitre, that old bugger, this was his doing too! I leaned back, snorting the water from my nose as my mind reeled. “So that’s what all the mystery was about.” I turned to face her, trying my best to look suave. “You’re the surprise.”

“Mmhmm, and here I have you… my stallion…” She reached out and grabbed me round the neck, planting a kiss right on my lips. It took me a moment to react, but I quickly returned it hungrily. My goddesses, it had been too long. Far, far too long. The two of us splashed like foals in a paddling pool, grabbing and pawing at each other until we finally had to break apart for air. I was already starting to broil in the hot water and the temperature had most definitely just shot up another few degrees. I didn’t know whether to kiss Mitre the next time I saw him or strangle him for playing such a foalish prank on me, but the end result was more than worth it.

I nuzzled Tingles’ soaking wet neck. “I’ve missed you so much, love. Are you alright? Where’ve you been?”

The tangerine mare chuckled quietly. “I’ve missed you too,” she purred. “Mitre had me moved to a private hospital under Equus guard. I don’t think I was in any danger, but you know how protective he is.”

“You’re okay though?”

“Of course, silly.” She gave me a nudge. “You filled me with you wendigo magic, remember.” Tingles hoof traced a line down my chest as she whispered, “Filled me… right to the brim.”

I ignored the double entendre. For now. “Where’s the little one,” I asked gently. “Is he okay?”

Tingles nibbled my ear. “Sleeping. Heather’s with him in the tavern, he’s been up for hours and I needed a break to re-charge. Besides, I was expecting a delivery this morning too.” She tapped me on the muzzle playfully. “By the goddesses, Fairlight, I’ve missed you… I’ve missed you so much, I…” Tears started to well up in her eyes and I reached forward and took her in my forelegs.

“I’m sorry love, but I’m here now...” and I was. I didn’t know what the future held for us, and Celestia’s soldiers were probably looking for me too, but to hell with them. All that mattered was I was here with my tangerine pegasus, and very soon I’d be able to see my son again. My son! I actually had a son! I’d have to show him off to Meadow and Sparrow when we went to the grove next, they’d be so happy! Sparrow had a brother! Ha! I felt like bursting out laughing; though something was… Hang on... “Oh!” I squeaked, realisation dawning on me.

“What?” Tingles asked.

“Oh, no…” The last time I was here, the things I’d said! “Meadow… Luna’s mercy, what have I done?!”

“Fairlight? What about Meadow?” Tingles looked confused. “I was hoping we could go see her tomorrow and show her our little one.”

“That’s wonderful, love, really. But…”

“But?”

I face hoofed. “I think I may have said some things I shouldn’t have when I saw her last…”

Tingles moved away from me, her eyes going wide. “Oh, Fairlight! What have you done now?!”

I told Tingles the whole sordid story: the way I’d felt, the fear I saw in the eyes of both her and Meadow when they’d seen me as a wendigo, how I’d flown off and killed the vermin who’d started all of this. I didn’t go into the graphic detail of precisely ‘how’ I’d dealt with Gates and Melon Patch of course, that was something she didn’t need to hear, and a burden I alone had to bear. Unfortunately, Tingles’ incredulous expression told me all I needed to know about her opinion on stallions. Me, to be specific.

Tingles shook her head. “You-!” She bopped me on the forehead. “Agh! Fairlight, sometimes…” The tangerine mare gave my ear a hard nip.

“OW!”

“That’s for upsetting Meadow!” She clicked her tongue and climbed out of the water to a waiting towel. “Honestly, I don’t know… She’s going to be furious with you. You know that, don’t you?” I nodded resignedly as Tingles continued. “Even so, I can understand how hurt you were. I mean, I did some terrible things too, things that… really hurt you. I still can’t believe I… that I…” She swallowed, hanging her head as she mumbled, “That I shot you.”

“I deserved worse than that,” I said quietly, following her out. “What I did was unforgivable, love.”

“And what I did wasn’t?” Tingles shook her head. “Maybe it’s me who should have… gone away…”

I reached over with a towel and began to dry her mane. “Don’t ever say that again please, Miss Tingles. There’s been far too much of this ‘running away’ business to begin with, and I’ve probably been the worst culprit too.” I put on my more serious voice, making sure I had her full attention. “Let’s put this to bed right now. Can we promise each other that if we do have a fight or a misunderstanding in the future, and we probably will, we’ll talk about it like we are now?”

Tingles closed her eyes and smiled, nodding her head. “Of course, love… like we are now.” She took another towel and began to dry me off as well. Unfortunately the more ‘personal’ attention I was receiving started to make me feel particularly warm in a certain place. I tried desperately to think of something else, but it was hopeless. Tingles noticed it too, giving a coy giggle when she saw my embarrassed expression.

“Somepony’s happy…” she purred.

I covered myself with the towel and kissed her on the nose. “I’d love to, but I’m just so tired.” I sighed, giving her nuzzle. “Can we go back to our room first?”

Tingles winked at me playfully. “Of course, my dear Captain Fairlight. I’ll get my things.”

As we turned to walk back down the hillside to the tavern, I paused, a thought crossing my mind. “Tingles, do you remember much about what happened in the hospital?”

She shrugged. “Hmm, not much really, it was all very unreal and I was doped up half the time.” Tingles tapped her chin in thought. “Mind you, there was this really strange doctor there who sounded just like somepony I knew. Even smelled like him too.” She smiled at me wickedly, nuzzling me lightly before whispering in my ear, “He did things to me, you know… examined me, touched me in my secret places. He did such naughty things to me… so… very… naughty.”

With no more than her breath, she sent me over the edge. Animal instinct grabbed me and I was immediately lost in its thrall. My bellowing neigh rolled over the hillside as I grabbed Tingles and kissed her hard on the lips, taking her to the ground. She gasped and pulled me down on top of her.

“Oh goddesses, Fairlight, it’s been so long…”

The two of us rolled around the warm gravel near the hot springs, pawing at each other and grunting like the animals we were. My tiredness and fatigue vanished in the fires of a wild need to become one with this beautiful tangerine pegasus. Tingles’ wings shot out and quivered as we rutted, her gasps heavy through gritted teeth. There was no foreplay, no gentle build up… we just wanted this. Here. Now. Yelling, screaming and shouting, we probably woke half the village. To be honest, neither of us cared who heard. In a cacophony of whinnying and neighing, we collapsed on top of each other completely spent. I don’t know how I looked, but Tingles was a mess. Her eyes were unfocussed, her mane wild and chest heaving. Goddesses above… I swallowed, trying to slow my heart rate down. I could really do with that soft bed now! For now though we simply lay there catching our breath as the sun smiled down upon us. The way it shone on Tingles, sparkling on her sweat slicked fur, her breath joining with the steam from the hot spring… it was enchanting. A shiver ran through me, making me feel outrageously content. She was amazing, and I realised just how incredibly lucky I was to be her stallion.

“Fairlight…” she whispered.

“Mmm?”

“I think I need a bath.”

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

Tingles and I lay with our tiny foal between us dozing quietly. He was so cute it was almost painful! Those big shining yellow eyes together with his grey coat and ridiculously small mane and tail made my me feel so proud I felt as if I my heart was going to pop right out of my chest. I wanted to cuddle him so much, but the little fellow looked about as fragile as a soap bubble.

His mother leaned her head on the pillow, “We can’t just keep calling him, ‘him’. Have you thought of a name you like? And NOT the one I think you’re about to come out with mister!”

I shut my mouth quickly. I really did like ‘Rock Salt’, it sounded like a film star’s name. ‘Starring Rock Salt…’ Oh yeah! “Hmmm, there was one…” I said, scratching my chin.

“What?” Tingles asked.

“My great uncles name, I always liked it and thought it sound tough too.” I nodded to myself. “A stallion needs a strong sounding name.” I wasn’t going to mention the fact I had a cousin called Flower Basket. Who’d have guessed he’d grow up to be a florist?

“I’m dreading it already…” Tingles mumbled.

I took a deep breath, held up my forehooves and said, “Lux.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Lux? That’s a bit short isn’t it?”

I nodded. “Lux... Exterior.”

“Oh, come on!” Tingles huffed. “I knew you wouldn’t take this seriously!”

“I am being serious,” I protested. “That was his name.”

Tingles gasped, “No! Good grief, Fairlight, what were his parent thinking?”

“He was named after his father.”

Tingles face hoofed. “Oh goddesses…”

“Lux Interior.”

The tangerine pegasus rolled her eyes “Now I know you’re taking the pee!”

“Sorry!” I chuckled. “I’m just in one of those moods today. I haven’t felt like this in ages…”

She smiled at me, leaning across for a quick kiss. “I know, love, but come on, in our family it’s traditional for the males to name the boys and females to name the girls.”

“What, really? Is that a pegasus thing?” I asked inquisitively.

“Not particularly,” she shrugged. “So, come on, what do think?”

“Well,” I said leaning back, “I thought that as I like the ‘light’ part of my name, it would be nice to try and incorporate that somehow. Light also makes me think of sunlight shining through the clouds and,” I said with a wink, “the ice cubes of your cutie mark. So, maybe it’s a bit cheesy as it’s old Equestrian, but… ‘Lumin’.”

Tingles looked down at our foal. “Lumin? Sounds very old to me, but… ‘Lumin’, eh?” She scratched her chin in thought, mulling it over. “Yeah… Yeah, I like that. No second name though?”

“I can’t think of one,” I said honestly. “Some ponies like them, but I find one sounds kind of mysterious, like a secret agent or something… something cool. If I’d been named ‘Lumin’, I’d think my parents were cool.” I raised an eyebrow. “And we are.”

Tingles chuckled and leaned forward to nuzzle my nose lightly. “You’re daft, Fairlight. Daft as a brush.” She looked down at our little one and smiled. “You hear that, Lumin, you daft dad’s named you now, so you’re stuck with it. When you grow up you can have a go at him about it then.”

“Hey!” I laughed, “He’ll thank me, you wait and see!”

“Ho-kay…”

Why did she sound so dubious? Nah, the name was cool and all the foals at school would be seriously jealous. I wonder what his cutie mark would be? Ho ho! I couldn’t wait! As if in answer, Lumin stirred and stretched out his tiny legs, opening his eyes to look at us with those big yellow orbs. He squeaked and smacked his lips before giving a huge yawn and snuggling back down.

“Is he meant to squeak?” I asked.

Tingles bopped me on the nose. “He’s not a mouse, silly! It’s just foal speak. He’ll be talking soon enough, you just have to be patient. Roam wasn’t built in a day, remember? Mind you, he’ll probably be hungry again before long though.” She shifted round and sighed. “I love nursing him, but he can really nip me sometimes.”

“I know somepony else who nips. You didn’t half get my ear earlier,” I complained rubbing the still sore tip.

“You big filly!” Tingles tutted. “You near knocked me into next week, before! My bum’s going to be black and blue for a month.”

“I’ll rub it better if you like…” I rumbled lustily.

“Fairlight!”

We both chuckled and snuggled in next to Lumin, the latest addition to the Fairlight herd. One day the tiny stallion would be the new lord of the four winds. Not that the title exactly meant that much in reality. I just hoped I could leave him something a bit more substantial than a frozen load of old rocks. His future had to have hope, and with the removal of some of the worst of the Equestrian underworld, the daylight definitely seemed a little brighter. Speaking of which I wondered what time it was? We’d gone straight back to the tavern after our morning activities and slept right through, only stirring to feed and change Lumin as well as to have some food brought up to the room. I wasn’t used to have lazy lie-ins, let along lazy days, although with everything that had been going on, I think it was well deserved. Still, being woken up every few hours by a hungry foal was something I wasn’t used to either. Watching him Tingles feeding him was fascinating, even if she did seem a bit embarrassed by my inquisitive observations. I’ll say this for him too – he didn’t cry. Not once. I’d come across squalling babes many times over the years, and as much of a blessing as it may have been, I did wonder a little if this was...you know… normal? I didn’t say anything to Tingles in case it worried her unnecessarily, but she never said anything about it. Besides, what the hell did I know about foals? Unfortunately, changing nappies was not something I enjoyed at all, and that quickly became my job. “I did all the hard work,’ Tingles had said. “Now it’s your turn to help out.” And it was, too. By the gods, could that guy pump it out too! Heather, thank Luna, was an absolute gem in that regard. A steady supply of cleaned nappies, buckets for the dirty ones, powder and salve for sore bottom cheeks, were delivered to the room like clockwork. She always seemed to know when she was needed too. I wrinkled my nose as I dumped the latest one into the bucket, quickly sealing the lid. She could probably smell when she was needed.

Morning came round all too early in these parts. Lumin was fast asleep while Tingles dozed peacefully next to him. I gave them both a kiss and quietly nipped downstairs for a wash and brush up in the lounge bar rest room rather than risk waking them. I’d barely slept last night, but I felt surprisingly energetic today. Very energetic! I all but bounced out of the bathroom, slipping my pannier over the back of a chair and gave myself a hard shake. Judging by the clattering in the background, our friendly resident minotaur was in the kitchen already. I popped my head round the door, nearly bumping right into her.

“Morning Heather,” I chirped.

Silence.

I see she was as chatty as always. She just... stood there… in total silence, staring at me. Whoa! Now that was creepy!

“Um, can I have two breakfasts please?” I asked. “Oh, and a couple of warm malted milks?”

For a second there was horrible pause where she stared at me with those bullish eyes before, with a simple nod of her head, she clomped off into the pantry. I bet in minotaur circles she was one hot piece of… whatever minotaurs have - horns? Bull’s head? They looked a bit ‘human-y’ to me, at least some parts did. I wonder if they’d been here in the past and mated with- Ugh! I think I’ll drop that line of thought! A shudder ran through me; I needed to be able to sleep at night, and didn’t need any more graphic imagery that I already had, thank you very much. I parked myself in front of the fireplace and stretched my stiff legs. Soon after, Grimble trotted in and patted me on the back.

“A fine hatchling you have there, my lord Salt!” he announced happily.

I grimaced. “Grimble, please, we’ve been over this. Just ‘Rock’ will be fine.” I thought it best to keep to the ruse in case somepony came around looking for me. I had the disguise thing from Mitre too, just in case, but Grimble had seen me without it so I didn’t want to cause any uncomfortable questions. I suppose I should have been a bit more trusting of the tavern keeper, but still…

He held up a claw, smiling. “Of course, of course. You found the things I left for you last night to your liking?”

“Things?” I frowned in thought. What- “Oh! I’m so sorry, Grimble, I was, er… ‘pre-occupied’ and totally forgot about them.”

“Don’t worry, it’s alright my lord,” the griffin replied with a grin. “I’ll bring them back down shortly.” He bobbed his head in the direction of the bar. “I’ve taken the liberty of making up another batch of brandy and tobacco for you, in celebration of the new life. He’ll be the new lord some day after all.”

My heart leapt and I looked him square in the eye. “New lord?” I felt my heart rate surge in my chest. “Grimble, who do you think I am? Really… be truthful with me, please.”

He seemed taken aback by my question, as if I’d just asked what colour grass was. “Why, you are the lord of the fortress, the home of the tribe of the wendigo. You’re the lord of the four winds, aren’t you? Our books told us that you’d return one day, and that your people should wait here and-”

“My people?!” I gasped. “Grimble, I… Good goddesses!” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

He blinked in surprise. “I don’t understand, my lord, you have already helped us have you not? You returned to the fortress and we feel the bond with you too. Your people have done as we were commanded. We have waited patiently, waited a thousand years, and here you are!”

What the bloody hell could I say? I was the descendant after all and, so far as I knew, the last wendigo in Equestria. These creatures, these minotaurs and griffins, they were the descendants of the tribe too? How did that make sense?! Minotaur wendigo?! No… No, something wasn’t adding up, yet Grimble was being completely open with me. It was, unfortunately, time I was too.

“Grimble, forgive me,” I said, taking a deep breath to steady my nerves. “I’ve not been totally honest with you.”

He gave me a quizzical look and held out a claw in invitation to a chair.

I sighed. “My name’s not ‘Rock Salt’, it’s-”

“-‘Fairlight’. Yes, my lord, we know,” Grimble interjected.

“What?” Damn it, I should have known! Grimble was hardly deaf now, was he? “How?” I asked. “Did you over hear us?”

He shook his head. “No, not really. We have... ‘friends’ in the city, and stories of a wendigo came to us some time ago, along with a name - your name. Of course, I didn’t really know who you were at first, but when I saw those eyes and your colouring, I knew our lord had returned to us.”

I scrubbed my mane, trying to make sense of it all. “You mentioned a ‘bond’?”

“Why, yes,” he said nodding. “The bond is a part of who we are, it makes us what we are. The bond was something that helped our ancestors to serve and protect the lord of the four winds. It’s certainly weakened over the last thousand years since the calamity, yet now you are here we can all feel it. There is no doubting it.”

I felt sick. These creatures were seeing me as some long lost ‘lord’ and believed they were somehow ‘bonded’ to me? Time for a few home truths before this insanity got out of hoof. “Grimble, honestly, you’ve got the wrong stallion my friend. You’re right, my ancestors were wendigo, however that was a very, very long time ago. Tingles and I explored the fortress and there’s just bones, rubble and ice there. It’s a tomb, a place of nothing but memories of death and a time long since passed.” I scratched my ear. “Please, Grimble, I think it’s best if you forget all this ‘lord of the four winds’ stuff. For all it means now, I may as well be Mad McMad, king of the Mad ponies.”

He stared at me for a moment before slapping his hind leg in laughter, “Ha! You are amusing, my Lord Fairlight! Please, I beg you to forgive me, I expect you think I’ve been a little forward on this and... well, yes, I have. In my excitement I’ve been rude and forgotten that you may not understand all of our history, or even want to take on the mantle of the fortress’s lord at all. The choice is yours, of course. It always has been.”

Heather lumbered over with the hot drinks and porridge, helping to break the tension in the air. I asked her if she’d take Tingles’ up to her and let her know I’d be along shortly. I’m tactful like that sometimes. Returning my attention to our griffin host, I motioned for Grimble to continue. He nodded, staring into the fireplace.

“You see, we’ve been living in the shadow of the fortress for a long time, metaphorically speaking of course,” he explained. “Our ancestors hid in the caves until slowly, over generations, Equestria changed and began to forget the war. It became little more than a memory, eventually slipping into legend and myth - a story to enthral children. We had been all but forgotten when we finally ventured out of the caves and came across this village. It had been virtually deserted because of the timberwolf problem even then. Simply put, we moved in and been here to this day. The holiday destination aspect was created to help with our income and avoid unwanted attention as to our origins. Even so, we are still viewed with suspicion by other villages in the surrounding areas. Ancestral memories linger, even if the new generations cannot remember why.” He stretched his long lionesque hind legs, groaning in concert with his chair’s creaking. “You don’t owe us anything, Lord Fairlight, but we hold our oaths very dear here, and we’d happily serve you and your family as our forefathers did before us.”

I shook my mane. All of this was beyond strange and rapidly moving into the territory of the bizarre. I have to admit that as weird as all of this was, it made me feel both flattered and a little disturbed at the same time. If nothing else at least I felt my identity was safe with this griffin, and my marefriend and foal too. I just hoped that if anypony ‘official’ rolled up looking for me, we wouldn’t have a mini bloodbath on our hooves. Those minotaurs were big and brutal, if not the most intelligent warriors I’d seen. Touch low on the old grey matter if you ask me. Even so, I wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of those bloody great axes they used.

“Grimble?” Tingles said, entering the room carrying Lumin in a sling held in her mouth. “We don’t consider you servants, but friends.” Despite being slightly muffled talking around the sling, her words made the griffin smile and even blush slightly. Blast it all, she’d heard every word!

“My lady Tingles, thank you for your kind words,” he replied politely.

“Oooh! I like that!” the pegasus mare giggled happily. Oh goddesses, it was going to her head now!

“Alright, ‘Lady Tingles’,” I said rolling my eyes mockingly, “don’t get carried away. We’re not exactly high up in the property market you know, resale on rocks is a bit low these days.”

There was also the problem with it being in Equestrian territory. I doubt Celestia would exactly be overjoyed to have a new resident in the fortress, nor the nearby village for that matter. If nothing else, the fortress itself was a bloody death trap anyway. Tingles sat back in the chair and placed Lumin in her lap. Personally I’d always found that position a bit funny, though Tingles liked it as her wings didn’t get cramps when she was nursing. Heather placed a freshly made breakfast on the table before us and Tingles nodded her thanks to the pinny wearing creature. I noticed the design on the front; it was rabbits today - how cute. I smiled at the little foal in Tingles’ sling, bundled up and all cosy warm. He was fast asleep. Unfortunately looking at Lumin like that was infectious, and now it was making me feel sleepy too. I gave myself a shake.

“Grimble, could you speak to the rest of the villagers here and ask them not to tell anypony we’re here? If asked, we’re mister and misses Salt, that’s all. I don’t want any fighting on our account. Personally, I’d much prefer it for us to be left alone.”

He nodded in agreement. “I understand ,my lord, we’ve hidden in Equestria for a thousand years. Have no fear that we can keep your secret safe as well.”

I felt embarrassed for asking to be honest. I should have known the villagers would be living here with one eye over their shoulder all the time, and it made me wonder if anypony else had ever wanted to move here only to be… ‘discouraged’. I decided to drop that line of thought, I was already getting images of overweight minotaurs and howling timberwolves. The rest of the day passed quietly enough though, with Tingles and I taking turns cleaning, changing, and feeding Lumin. It was endless, exhausting work, and I confess I began to wish I’d taken precautions when doing ‘things’ with the tangerine mare. I quickly kicked myself for such a selfish thought. Would I really be willing to give up my son so I could have a quieter life? No… No, of course not. This fragile life, so miniscule and precious, was one I would cherish all my days. At least, until the little bugger was old enough to trash my chariot. All that fun was yet to come… joy of joys!

Evening came upon us without much warning. We were so pre-occupied with Lumin that we didn’t noticed the sun setting and it was only the clock over the fireplace chiming that reminded me that I had somewhere to go. I stood, trying to get the crick out of my neck and stretched my legs. Tingles eyed me thoughtfully and called over to Heather.

“Would you be okay looking after Lumin for an hour or two Heather?” she asked the hulking thing. Heather nodded. “You’re a darling. Here’s his bottle and food…” She rattled off a list which the minotaur quietly nodded at until, finally satisfied, Tingles collected her overcoat and trotted to the door. “Coming?”

Oh goddesses, I really didn’t want to do this. Sure, there was the excitement of telling Meadow we had a new foal in the family, however there was no way in hell I was just going to simply stroll in there and give her the good news without her tearing a strip off me first. Although she hadn’t said anything to that effect, Tingles expected it too - she’d decided to leave Lumin in the care of Heather whilst we went and faced the music. Or more specifically, I was. Luna have mercy on my soul, I was seriously going to cop it tonight, of that I had no doubt whatsoever. I’d seen Meadow angry before, and I never ended well for me. She had a remarkable talent for taking a fellow apart without resorting to such primitive things as, say, a hoof to the jaw. Oh no, Meadow could literally destroy you with words alone, and in my world view, that was infinitely worse. Given a choice, I’d rather take the beating. Damn it all, what choice did I have? Grabbing my overcoat and hat, I followed Tingles outside, giving Grimble an eye-rolling smile. He grinned and waved us out before bolting the door securely behind us. Very untrusting these country folk. Mind you, I suppose I’d be a bit untrusting too if it meant avoiding being woken in the middle of the night with a timberwolf’s teeth around your knackers. Luna, what a thought! The cool even air caught at my mane, giving a renewed energy to my pace. It was better to get this over with sooner rather than later, and who knows, maybe Meadow wouldn’t be as upset as I expected her to be. If I kept telling myself that, I actually might start to believe it too. We walked in silence along the old worn road, our hooves rhythmically clopping along over ancient cobbles. It was quite therapeutic in a weird sort of way, placing one hoof in front of the other, letting your mind wander wherever it fancied. Normally I quite enjoyed the peace and quiet of the countryside, although it did have that horrible tendency of making my mind drift onto subjects I really wished it wouldn’t. Tonight was no exception. Without realising it I’d become so completely wrapped up in my own troubled thoughts about how I’d hurt Meadow with my childish behaviour, I hadn’t realised we were virtually at our destination until Tingles gave me a nudge. Turning off by the well, the glade up ahead glowed ominously in the light of the berry bushes and the early evening starlight.

Tingles pulled me up momentarily. “Fairlight, I’ve left Lumin because I didn’t want him to get cold out here, but also, well… I’m worried Meadow might be, I don’t know… angry?”

I’d been right on the money with that one then. “Yeah, angry with me though,” I said, my ears drooping. “I’ve been an utter bloody fool and she’s going to give me what for. I think I deserve it too.”

Tingles put her hoof on my shoulder. “I’m not talking about you, I’m talking about, you know, what I did. Fairlight, I betrayed you, you nearly died because of me.”

I waved it off. “Look, love, we’re here now and we have a beautiful foal to show for it. Meadow will be happy for us, I’m sure.” I groaned involuntarily. “Eventually…” Unsurprisingly Tingles didn’t seem too placated by that comment. Me and my big mouth…

We entered the glade and settled down to wait. Tingles lay next to me, curling her legs underneath herself to keep warm. It was quite cool out tonight, the sky above beautifully clear except for the ever present clouds over the Everfree. Thankfully they rarely ventured outside the forest’s perimeter. I remembered all too well what happened the last time we had fog and ‘things’ encroaching into the village from that dark place. Only the goddesses knew what caused it. I wasn’t a weather pony, so my knowledge of meteorological matters was pretty sketchy at best: it’s raining, it’s snowing, it’s warm - you get the idea. That said, there was definitely a different ‘feel’ to Smiling Borders since then. I noticed it more so when I arrived here with Mitre and company the other day. It was a feeling of… contentment maybe? I shrugged; perhaps I was reading too much into it. Wishful thinking didn’t do much to stop a timberwolf’s teeth closing around your knackers. I pulled my cloak around both, watching a nightjar fly across the treetops steering well clear of the glade itself. Did it know something I didn’t? I had the feeling I was about to find out too.

Meadow appeared without ceremony, nor even the slightest sound, just a brightening of the light in the glade around us. Silently, the green mare slowly walked towards us, her yellow eyes catching the light. Something was clearly wrong; her head was down and her ears flopped - a look which I can’t remember ever seeing except for that time I’d stormed out of the house like a petulant school child after a heavy drinking session. I swallowed, trying to keep my resolve.

“Hello, love,” I managed, feeling more than a little uneasy.

She stood there like a statue and said nothing. Instead she just… stared at the ground. Tingles got up and walked over to try to speak to her.

“Meadow?” Tingles began. “Are you alright?”

Meadow’s voice was barely a whisper. “‘Am I alright?’…” Oh hell! I wanted to warn Tingles, but it was too late. “Am I alright?!” The green mare snarled. “No! No, I am not all bloody right!” She turned her attention to me, tears welling in her eyes. “How, Fairlight? How could you? You… you bastard!”

My heart dropped into my stomach like a lead weight. I’d never heard her call me that before, not even when she’d been furious with me! Hell fire, what was I going to do now?! I’d obviously done a lot more damage than I’d thought with my petulant foolishness, I could see it in her eyes. What I saw there was better than any mere weather report - there was a storm coming, and one of my own making too. I took a breath, steeling myself. I fully deserved a dressing down from her, and then some. I hung my head and lowered my ears.

“Meadow… I’m so sorry…”

“No, you’re not!” she shouted back at me. Her tail lashed angrily. “You’re always doing things like this! Always! Goddesses, Fairlight, why? Why do you keep acting like this?!”

Tingles looked to me, then back to Meadow. “I don’t understand, Meadow, why are you so upset tonight? Is there something I can do?”

Yellow eyes flashed as Meadow suddenly reared, catching both Tingles and I by surprise. “Don’t you dare, don’t dare patronise me! You-” She paused, narrowing her eyes then shook her mane before continuing a little quieter, “Do you want know what he did, Tingles? Do you want to bucking well know what this damned fool did?!” If I could have buried my face in the ground I would have. Luna’s shiny arse, I wished I were a bloody ostrich right now. Meanwhile, Meadow continued, “He flew off, saying he was a ‘monster’ for Celestia’s sake. A monster! He just took off and left me standing there like I meant nothing to him! I tried to reason with him. I tried calling to him… Goddesses forgive me, I thought I’d never see him again! The look in his eyes, Tingles, he… he didn’t trust me…”

“Meadow...” I whispered, my heart burning in my throat.

“I waited here,” she continued, “for days, weeks, I don’t know… but he never came back. I had to keep leaving young Sparrow with my family and they thought I was losing my mind. Gods, maybe I did! Damn it, Fairlight, I’m so bloody angry with you right now, I… I don’t know what to think any more.” I opened my mouth to speak but my rebellious brain had shut down on me. Tingles went to put a hoof on Meadow’s shoulder only to have it roughly knocked away. “And YOU!” Meadow screamed. “I trusted you! You promised me you’d look after him and you betrayed him to those rats who wanted to hurt him - to kill him! Good goddesses, Tingles, why did I believe in you? Why did I trust you? You’re as bad as him!”

Tingles backed away nervously. “Meadow, it’s not like that! I-”

“It is!” the furious green mare cut in. “It bloody well is! I know he… he did things to you, Tingles, and the goddess knows I understand what that horror is like, yet your betrayal of him happened long before that didn’t it? All that conniving and tale telling to your mistress? You may as well have put a gun to his head yourself - or have you done that too?”

Oh gods, she had! Well, to be precise she’d actually shot me as well, but there was no way in Equestria I was going to mention that now. All I could hope for now was that the storm would blow itself out and we’d be able to-

“I’ve had enough of this!” Tingles suddenly rounded on her, “Now you bucking well listen to me, mare!” Ever wish you had ear plugs? “Do you seriously think, even for one minute, that I wanted to do what I did? Of course I bloody didn’t! And even if I did I’d hardly be stupid enough to come go to him, let alone be stood here talking to you now, would I?” Meadow stood her ground in silence as Tingles continued her tirade. “The agency told me that Fairlight was a ‘danger to our society’ and that he’d been possessed by some sort of ‘alien entity’ which could run amok at any moment putting innocent lives at risk. My orders were to befriend him, to win his trust, and keep an eye on him in case he…” She took a deep breath. “In case he needed… ‘putting down’. At the time I had no reason not to trust what they were telling me was true. After all, I didn’t know much about him other than he’d been a secret crush of mine when I’d worked in the watch. That was why they’d picked me for the job, because I had genuine feelings towards him.” Tingles tossed her mane, her confession clearly causing her as much discomfort to divulge as it was for me to hear. “It was only as I grew to know him, to see him as you see him, that I came to understand who he really is. Celestia forgive me, I’d believed everything they told me, Meadow! At least, I did at first. However, like you, I gradually got to know him and… I fell in love with him.”

“So why did you betray him then, Tingles?” Meadow said quietly. “Answer me that.”

“I didn’t,” Tingles replied with a shake of her head. “It was that thousand year old magical booby trap Celestia left in the pass which I set off. By accident, I might add, not deliberately - being buried alive doesn’t appeal to me very much, surprisingly enough.” She shook her mane. “All I’d ever done was pass on information about him, and then not much of any interest. In the end, they wanted me to contact them if he found the fortress, but I never actually thought he would! I thought it was just some silly old fairy tale, that he’d satisfy his curiosity and give up on it. When it was obvious that he wasn’t going to give up on the idea, I thought we’d go and have a look, find nothing, then that would be that. I hadn’t planned on telling the agency anything, and I sure as hell didn’t!” Tingles looked to me with a sad look in her eyes. “I… I hid some of the flasks, hoping you’d run out and turn back.” She huffed. “I nearly killed us both with that stupidity.”

“‘Stupidity’ is putting it mildly!” Meadow stomped a hoof. “But what I really can’t forgive is that you left him there, Tingles. You ran away and you left him in that dead pile of rocks in the middle of nowhere all alone. Don’t you get it? I trusted you to take care of him because I can’t be there for him any more, and you just ‘flew away’ when you should have had the guts to pull him into line. For the goddesses’ sake, he nearly died! You claim to love him, and yet you abandoned him with no way of getting home!”

“He… it… it raped me, Meadow…” Tingles squeezed her eyes shut, a single tear rolling down her cheek. “There were these… these things, these ghosts, pinning me down. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak! I’ve never been so frightened in my life! The goddesses know I tried to be strong, I really did! I just… I...”

Meadow shook her mane and gave Tingles a sad look. “I know...” she whispered. “He told me. But surely you must have realised it wasn’t really Fairlight who’d done that? You’re not a fool, Tingles. I just don’t understand… you could have gone back for him, couldn’t you?”

“It… it was Warlock. He…” Tingles took a deep breath, steadying her nerves. “I ran into him back at the agency. I’d shut myself in my room, trying to make sense of it all. I was going to go back, I really was! But he had me locked up in the interrogation wing and tried to get me to tell him everything I knew about Fairlight, the fortress - everything. I’ve never seen him like that before. The anger in his eyes... they were filled with such utter hatred! I did my best to hide what had happened from him, but he… he did things to me. He… he hurt me…” I saw how her wings shivered as she spoke. “He really hurt me, Meadow. I thought I was going to die and I’d never see Fairlight or you again.”

That bucking orange bastard, I was going to rip his stinking head off when I saw him next. I owed him now, really owed him. Shooting me was one thing, I could understand how upset he was about my brief liaison with Luna, but Tingles? No… there would be no forgiveness for what he’d done. Meadow reached out a hoof and gently stroked Tingles’ mane as she began to cry.

Wiping a foreleg across her face, Tingles’ voice trembled. “He… He wouldn’t let me out of his sight. When he found out that Fairlight had been recovered by the royal guard and was being transported for exile, he went berserk. I’ve never seen a pony so full of hate! Shouting, screaming, smashing everything in sight - he wanted him dead, and I knew that nothing was going to stop him. Warlock arranged for a hoof picked strike team of ponies loyal to him, to attack the palace guards. He took me along to ‘keep an eye on me’. Then, when I saw Fairlight… I froze. I didn’t know what to do! I thought he hated me. He’d chased me away and I’d abandoned him, but when I saw him lying there… When I saw Warlock standing over him with a gun…”

Meadow nuzzled Tingles’ neck as the tangerine mare sobbed into her mane. “He shot me, Meadow… my own brother… he shot me.”

“Your brother?!” I shouted, nearly choking in surprise.

She nodded quietly. Whatever he’d done to her she’d never said a word about it, and I hadn’t even thought to ask. I’d figured that if she’d wanted to tell me she would do so in her own time, but goddess damn it - her own family?

Meadow kissed her cheek and hugged her warmly. “I’m sorry, Tingles. I wish there were something I could do to fix things for you, truly I do.” The green mare walked up to me, her eyes glistening. “It still doesn’t make things right for you though, Fairlight. I know what you did and I know you weren’t in the right frame of mind… but still, I thought you trusted me.”

“Meadow, will you let me explain?” I said quietly, and a lot more calmly than I felt. She nodded as I began, “After what I, or rather the spirit, had done to Tingles, I lost myself completely. The look of fear on her face when she saw me in that wendigo form, when I saw you step back from me when I came to speak to you here… you both had that same look. It was fear, Meadow… Absolute fear. I couldn’t stand it, I couldn’t stand what I’d become. And so I-”

“You killed Gates and Melon Patch didn’t you,” she whispered.

There was no denying it. “I did.”

“Oh, Fairlight… why?” Meadow’s ears flopped slightly, her eyes full of compassion but also sadness for what I’d done. “You’re supposed to uphold the law, to protect ponies… even scum like them. You didn’t have to seek them out and kill them, did you?”

I stood my ground. I couldn’t give in to despair again. Not now! “Meadow, the watch Apple Pop and I joined has long gone. It’s become corrupted; tainted by manipulative politicians, money, greed, and the very scum we fought to help keep our people safe, day after day, seven days a week. There’s no real justice left in Manehattan. Those two bastards Melon Patch and Gates tortured, raped and killed ponies to line the pockets of their boss and for their own sick amusement. I couldn’t sit back and do nothing knowing they were subjecting others to what they did to you. Melon Patch was busy raping a girl when I stopped him, for Luna’s sake. She was a filly, Meadow, barely more than a foal for Celestia’s sake! Believe me, if there was some way I could have brought them to justice I...” I paused. Would I? Meadow didn’t seem to believe me.

“You would have killed them anyway, wouldn’t you?” she said quietly.

I nodded, looking her straight in the eyes. “For what they did to you, Sparrow and myself, for those mares and foals in the pens… Yes. I’m sorry, Meadow, but yes.”

She shook her head sadly. “I never wanted revenge. I never wanted you to become a killer, Fairlight. I understand why you did what you did, but it still feels... ‘wrong’ inside, despite how horrible and cruel they were.”

“How did you know they were dead?” I asked.

Meadow grimaced slightly. “Aethel told Star Swirl, and he told me.”

I was astonished. “They’re with the herd?”

Her expression said it all. “No. No, they’re not with the herd.”

A cold wash of realisation flowed through me. “Oh…”

Meadow placed a hoof on my shoulder. “Fairlight, I don’t want that to happen to you… Please, revenge is not the way. Don’t you understand that? Sparrow and I are dead, you can’t bring us back, and staining your hooves with blood is only going to taint your soul!”

“My soul’s already tainted, love,” I replied quietly. “The wendigo, the things I’ve done… You saw how frightening it is, how frightening I am. I don’t want to see that look on your face ever again…”

She shook her head defiantly, “Do you know what you look like Fairlight?”

“I-”

“Bloody terrifying!” Meadow cut in, waving her hooves in the air for emphasis. “You had me frightened witless, do you know that? You suddenly change into this huge ‘thing’ from legend and don’t expect me to nearly soil myself? How would you feel if I magically transformed into a dragon right now? Just stand there and say, ‘oh, hello, that’s a new look’?”

“Um…”

“Do it…” she whispered shyly.

I blinked in surprise. “What?”

“Do it,” Meadow insisted. “Now. Come on, I want to see it again. I want to see the... other you”

Tingles walked closer. “Meadow, I-”

“Oh shush, he’s a wendigo whether we like it or not,” Meadow snorted. “And if you want to be a part of his life you’ll need to accept all of him, Tingles, not selected bits. I will too. We can do this together, but only if you want to.”

For a second, she paused. Tingles looked unsure, looking to me, then Meadow, before nodding solemnly, “You’re right. Let’s do this.”

‘Lets do this’? Hell fire, they were being serious! The last time they’d seen me in my wendigo form it had been an unmitigated disaster - for both of them! By rights I should refuse, I should stand my ground and say ‘no’! After all, they were both reasonable mares, right? Yes! That was the answer, then. I should simply refuse and… and… I sighed in resignation; there wasn’t any real option here was there? They’d already made their minds up regardless of what I thought about it. I could see their determination as clearly as the stars in the sky. Not only that, I could sense their resolve too. Both of them were watching me with such intensity I began to understand how a mouse feels when under the scrutiny of a rather hungry cat. Dear Luna, I hoped they knew what they were doing. As for myself, I wasn’t so sure. But, as always, I did my solemn duty and reached for the power inside myself. It sprang to me surprisingly eagerly, its energy beginning to seep through my body like it was in slow motion. I could sense as well as feel the changes even without seeing them reflected in Meadow’s ever widening eyes. Suddenly I felt incredibly self conscious about the whole situation. I wanted to look away, to avoid her gaze, although… she was watching me so intently, I knew that would be a mistake. I locked eyes with her as my mane grew, changing to the now familiar deep blue hue, my tail likewise changing from its usual black and white to the colours of a true wendigo. My teeth itched while they lengthened and grew to points: long, sharp… lethal. A large pair of dragon-like wings burst from my back with that familiar shock of sharp pain which, thankfully, quickly dissipated. They spread out, catching the light of the moon and shining like they were coated in liquid silver. White mist flowed out from me as if it had a life and mind of its own. Steadily, it began to wreath my hind legs and nethers: billowing, building, spreading its otherworldly luminescence out around me. Reflected in Meadow’s ever widening eyes, I could see my own normally bright blue pair, change to flickering blue flames that tinged the edges of my vision with their otherworldly colour. My nostrils flared as the magic pulsed in my veins and my muscles stretched, bulging with the power of the wendigo. Of me, of who I was normally, only my horn remained. Yet even that, like my coat, had changed to a brilliant snowy white. I gazed into my wife’s deep yellow eyes. They still shone as brightly and as beautifully as they had the very first day I’d met her all those years ago. My heart ached with longing to hold her, to take her to my breast and wrap my wings around her, to keep her safe. All I could do now though was wait, and so I did, silently dreading her reaction. The scene of my magical transformation, as dramatic as it probably appeared, was slightly spoiled by Meadow’s mouth hanging open. Her drooping ears added to the scene, giving her an almost comical appearance. I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly and waited for the expected judgement.

“My… goddesses…” she breathed, finally remembering to blink. She took a tentative step forward and reached out to touch me, pulling back for a moment. “Fairlight? That is... you… right?”

“Of course it’s me!” I grumbled sourly. I let out a huff.“Can we hurry up and get this over with, please? I feel like I’m an exhibit in a bloody freak show.”

She ignored me. “You… you look… beautiful. Terrifying too, yes, but… Celestia’s grace, you are…magnificent.”

Well, that was nice at least! Not sure about the ‘terrifying’ part of her assessment though, but I could remember my own reaction when I’d first encountered Shadow for the first time, and how she’d appeared to me. To my shame I’d treated her like some sort of stray pet rather than a sentient creature with thoughts and feelings just like my own. Was this how Meadow and Tingles saw me? I don’t know. I’m not sure I wanted to know either. The image of Shadow flew to the forefront of my mind. Gods, how I wished she were here with us now, and Sparrow, and Lumin. All my beloved family should be here.Meadow waved a hoof to Tingles who cautiously approached me.

“Look at him,” Meadow breathed. “Isn’t he simply magnificent? So strong…”

Tingles nodded, her eyes downcast slightly. She was obviously having a problem with this, whereas her green counterpart was virtually drooling over me. The green mare stalked around me slowly, eyeing me up and down with an expression I could only describe as ‘predatory’. I don’t know about an exhibit in a freak show; with all this attention I was beginning to feel like a prime piece of meat on a hungry dragon’s plate - if they actually used plates of course. By the looks on my wife’s face, she’d be all too happy to dispense with crockery and gobble me down right there and then. Movement caught my eye. What was she doing now?! I watched as she reached down and swirled a forehoof in the mist around my haunches, examining both it and her leg. Next she leaned her head down and, I was horrified to see, actually tasted her hoof.

“It tingles… Tingles!” she giggled. “It’s not that cold either, a little chilly perhaps, but not dangerous I don’t think.” Meadow looked up at me, “Do you use this some other way?” I nodded, but she didn’t seem to be interested in a reply, rather she kept on walking around me, sniffing and prodding. “I love the tail!” Meadow beamed. “Look at that colour - so lustrous! The girls would go wild for a tail like that in the spa.” Tingles sniffed at the proffered tail, nodding her approval. Meanwhile Meadow walked round to my side and carefully licked my flank. “Here, Tingles, have a lick and tell me what you think.”

Dutifully, the orange Pegasus stepped up and leaned towards me. I looked back to her and she jumped away suddenly, ears flat and head down. Meadow slapped me hard on the arse making me yelp. “Keep looking to your front mister!” she instructed. “There, that’s better. Come on Tingles, you’ll be surprised!”

I felt Tingles’ tongue barely touch my fur before she smacked her lips, turning to Meadow with a surprised grin. “He… He tastes… minty?” She smiled and nodded as though confirming to herself what she’d discovered. “He does! He tastes like mints! That’s… incredible!” Tingles leaned forward and took a longer lick this time. Oh, Luna! This was having a decidedly funny effect on me and I tried desperately to think of something else. Anything else! Unfortunately the only thing I could think of was where my missing chocolates were. I wonder whatever happened to them?

“Fairlight?” Meadow asked curiously, “Can you open your wings again? I want to see them.”

On queue I opened them out for inspection, the two cooing and a clucking like a couple of hens while they continued to poke, prod and lick me.

“Look at his hooves, Meadow. They’re like diamond!”

“I know! And look at those wings! He’s like an alicorn, yet more... ‘dragon’-like. How extraordinary… Lift them up love, there’s a dear…”

More prodding and poking ensued. This time though, Meadow ran her hoof up the inside of my foreleg, nearly making me buck up in surprise. My wings ruffled and something else was… Oh, hell no! It was too late, the green mare had eyes like a hawk.

“Tingles? Come here… have a look.”

Meadow and Tingles moved closer to examine my underside. I couldn’t see them, but I could feel them alright. Hooves prodded me, stroking me here, there, and everywhere that was within reach. Nothing, apparently, was sacred at all to these two. Murmuring reached my ears along with no small amount of giggling… Hell fire, what were they up to now?

“Look, he’s blushing! How cute!” Meadow chirped trotting round to face me. She reached up and took my head in her forehooves, examining my eyes, ears, and goodness knows what else. She whispered to Tingles who came up beside me, still looking a little unsure. “Go on, he won’t bite” Emboldened, the tangerine pegasus reached up and licked the edge of my ear, sending a tiny electric shock around my body. I shivered. Meadow nodded to her and-

“Ouch! Hey! That bloody hurt!” I yelped. My poor ears where the target for menacing mares once again. Good grief, she’d really sunk her choppers into me too, the bloody lunatic! I reached up and rubbed my poor ear whilst the two mares laughed and nudged into each other playfully. Part of me felt like giving up on this silly game of theirs, especially if they were going to keep savaging my extremities the way they were, yet as always I dutifully gave in to the demands of my mares and did as I was told. Ha! I’d thought that ‘doing as you were told’ was something I’d leave behind when I left home to strike out into big wide world as a young stallion. How naive I was! Mind you, Tingles no longer seemed frightened of me which was a relief, and Meadow’s mood had changed dramatically from her earlier fury too, so I could hardly complain. I took a deep breath and gave myself a shake. Hopefully this would be over soon and I could go back to the tavern for a smoke, a brandy, and a warm cuddle. Meanwhile I’d behave myself and stand there so they could satisfy their curiosity to their hearts content. Let them have their way with me then, a few nips weren’t going to hurt, right? Still, it was a bit strange standing there while two females touched you, brushing their hooves over your fur, whispering and breathing against your muzzle. All the while I had to restrain myself, to be submissive and... Damn it all, now my blasted imagination was starting to kick in too!

“Your eyes are a little strange,” Meadow muttered, “but I kind of like them. They’re very… mysterious… mmm….” Her muzzle brushed past mine and I gave an involuntary whimper. “You like that… don’t you…” she whispered. I nodded. “Open your mouth now, that’s a good boy.” The green mare examined my teeth and tongue. “Incredible… they look sharp too. Do you bite?”

“No…” I breathed.

“I wouldn’t mind if you did you know,” she grinned seductively. “But… not too hard. Just... enough...” I saw Tingles shudder and her wings stretched out momentarily before she saw me looking and quickly folded them again, her cheeks blushing beet red. “Put your tongue out, Fairlight,” Meadow commanded firmly. “Yes… that’s the way.” She beckoned Tingles closer and whispered in her ear, “Taste it.”

Tingles blinked. “What? I-”

“Go on, just a little lick,” Meadow cooed. “He looks delicious, doesn’t he? If you don’t, I will. You need to assert your dominance over him, Tingles. He’s your stallion like he is mine. Take control…”

Whoa! Now hang on a minute…!

Tingles reached up to my muzzle. I could smell her breath, feminine and warm. Her eyes, so green and full of life, stared into mine. I wasn’t sure she’d be able to do this, and frankly I couldn’t bear to watch. I shut my eyes.

“No!” Meadow tapped me on the nose with a hoof. “Keep your eyes open, Fairlight, your mare is here and you will attend to her as a stallion should, understand?”

I nodded and did as I was ordered. The game she was playing was one I wasn’t used to, and I wasn’t entirely sure I approved of it either. It seemed more than a little kinky to me, and that was putting it mildly! However, if it helped Tingles get over her fears, I’d play along. Unfortunately so was another part of me, the bloody traitorous thing. I took a deep breath, slowly letting it out. Keeping my mind focussed on anything other than what being done to me was rapidly becoming an impossibility as Tingles moved closer, the pegasi’s tongue warm and soft upon my lips, gently probing the edges of my mouth and making my mind go blank. Against my will, my own tongue moved against hers making her jump a little, but she came back quickly and moved a little closer still. Our lips met, her tongue slowly entering my mouth and tasting me, running along my teeth inquisitively.

I couldn’t help but release a little of the silvery fluid into my mouth. I could feel it welling in there and was about to pull away, but to my surprise she reached forward and grabbed me around the neck. Tingles’ tongue lapped at the fluid, running it around her own mouth and mine, our tongues running around each others in a steady dance. Gods help me, I was running on testosterone now and I was barely managing to keep myself together. The gentle and slow teasing of these two was becoming torturous. Deliciously so. I opened my eyes when our lips parted and felt her gasping and shuddering against me. Looking down her flank, I nearly squeaked in shock to see Meadow beneath the pegasus mare doing something that I never thought I’d ever see. Luna forgive me, I couldn’t tear my eyes away. Any self restraint I had left was dwindling fast, and I wasn’t the only one either. Tingles’ eyes were nearly rolling in her head and she groaned aloud before suddenly biting down on my neck, squeezing me for all she was worth. Moments later, Meadow stood back up and walked over to me.

“Now… it’s my turn,” she purred, taking my head in her hooves and pushing her tongue deep into my mouth.

The scene repeated, Meadow lapping and tasting, pulling on my tongue and lips whilst Tingles… Oh, goddesses… Let’s just say that all of us were now a lot less ‘restrained’ now than we had been earlier, Tingles especially. The little pegasus whinnied and pushed me to the ground, her chest heaving. Meadow moved closer to us, her hind legs noticeably wobbling.

“That’s it, Tingles,” she breathe. “You’re the one calling the shots here. Don’t ask… Tell him what you want.”

The tangerine mare pushed and prodded me until I was lying on my back, my hooves in the air in a ridiculous position for a pony. Not so for Tingles though, she straddled my chest and reached behind her, feeling about for what she sought. With a firm hoof, I was guided to the ultimate destination.

“Now, Fairlight,” she breathed, “I’m going to…” She gasped as she pushed down on me. “I’m going to buck you…as hard and as much as I want. As I like…”

Tingles used me to her heart’s content, taking everything she wanted, everything she needed, until with a scream that rent the night air she collapsed on top of me, breathing heavily inches from my mouth. Her eyes looked straight down into mine, her sweat soaked bottle green mane hanging limp and draping over my face.

She brushed some of her hair from her own muzzle and from mine. “Goddesses, I love you, Fairlight. I love you so much.” I opened my mouth to reply, only to have her clamp hers over mine and kiss me with a passion that surprised me. She sat back up, taking a deep breath. “Meadow, that was… That was wonderful! And he really does taste of mint.”

The rest of the evening passed in much the same way, with the three of us tangled up together once again, warm and safe in each others embrace. As with all good things though, time catches up and life has to move on. The sun would be up soon, and Meadow would have to return to the herd. She stood to leave and I kissed her.

“Love, how come you can spend so much time with us now?” I asked gently nuzzling her. “You were always in such a rush before.”

She scratched her ear in thought before giving me a quick peck on the nose. “Because there are many in this world, and the next, who love you, Fairlight - not just us. You have a surprising number of allies in the herd, in fact more than you’d think actually. More than Celestia would either for that matter.” She shrugged. “Having friends confers certain… ‘benefits’.”

“I hope so,” I said yawning. “I have to find Shadow now though, love.” I tapped the pendant around my neck. “I may be gone a while.”

She nodded. “What are you going to do about Tingles?”

“I promised I wouldn’t leave her behind again, but…” I closed my eyes and breathed out slowly. “Meadow, I… I have something to tell you.”

“You mean your foal?” she said, raising an eyebrow. “Yes, I wondered when you’d get around to telling me about him. A new life is always news in the herd, and your antics aren’t exactly hard to follow you know. You’re quite the celebrity there.”

Celebrity? Now she was just being silly. “I’m sorry, love,” I said, trying to regain the conversational initiative. “I’ve not had a chance to tell you yet. We were a bit, um… busy?”
She chuckled. “I know, but you owe me one, mister. Don’t think this lets you off the the hook completely. I’ll expect you to be on you best behaviour from here on, understand?” I nodded as she continued. “But, please… don’t ever doubt me again… promise me, Fairlight.”

“I promise, Meadow,” I said honestly. “On my life, I promise.”

“On your heart will do…” She gave me a kiss on the nose. “You silly pony.”

Tingles began to stir and opened her eyes, “Meadow? Are you leaving already?”

“I have to,” Meadow smiled. “I’m sorry, I wish I could stay but the magic that allows me to visit is a very old type which is powered by the moon. Rather appropriate, wouldn’t you say?”

“I wish you could stay. You belong with us, Meadow,” I whispered into her fur as I nuzzled her.

Meadow shook her mane and gently pushed away from me. “I want to be with you too, all of you, but this is all I can do.” She closed her eyes and sighed. “One day we’ll be together again though, just as we were always meant to be. And until that day, my love will always be with you – all three of you.” She sniffed and rubbed her eyes, walking backwards as she was surrounded by an ethereal aura of otherworldly light – the light of the eternal herd. “You’re making me cry you silly stallion!” Meadow called. “I’ll get you back next time! And bring your foal too! What’s he called?”

“Lumin!” Tingles and I shouted together.

Meadow was starting to disappear in the morning sunlight, her voice growing fainter. “I think I preferred Rock…”

Chapter Nine - Chasing Shadows

CHAPTER NINE
CHASING SHADOWS

In the lamplit room, a very tired looking Tingles sat nursing a surprisingly hungry Lumin. The little fellow was feeding from her breast, his comically tiny tail swishing from side to side like a clock pendulum as he took his fill. His ears were so adorably cute I just wanted to squeeze him! Unfortunately though, that wasn’t going to happen. Both of us treated him as though he were made of porcelain, and no wonder. I’d missed out on Sparrow growing up for reasons that were too dark to dwell upon, but I was damned sure I wasn’t going to let that happen with my son. Agency work or no agency work, my family would have to come first. The down side to that line of reasoning however, was money didn’t grow on trees, and although we were currently flush with money it was only a matter of time before that merry old wellspring ran dry. The next time I saw Mitre I’d have to have a word with him and see if there was anything we could do that would allow me to work from Smiling Borders - or perhaps I could look for work in the village? There had to be something here, surely? I settled back to stretch my legs. Now that I thought about it, it was funny how unusually content I felt in myself today, especially considering the nightmarish roller-coaster of recent events. Tingles was right – Smiling Borders had such a noticeable calming effect on the nerves I simply couldn’t imagine leaving it all behind. A good part of me wanted nothing more than to stay here, the three of us, living out our lives in peace and good company. My familiar and all consuming thirst for revenge had been quenched by the realisation that I had something to protect that was a lot nearer to home. Tingles and Lumin were my priority now, not running off to fight only the gods-knew-what at the arse end of nowhere. Except…. that was exactly what I was about to do, wasn’t it? Shadow was a part of our family, and I would be damned if I left her behind. As much as my instinctive drive was to stay here and protect my mare and newborn foal, I couldn’t leave one of my loved ones to an unknown fate in another world. What sort of stallion would I be to do that? Could I really turn my back on Shadow so callously? No. No, of course not. I closed my eyes and steeled myself as the contradicting thoughts warred for dominance in my heart and my head. Either way however, I had to accept that despite my desire to find her there was always the chance it may simply prove to be impossible. After all, I was just one stallion, and even Luna hadn’t been able to to help me. Mind you, that was probably down to her sister’s interference as much as anything. And that was another problem, wasn’t it? The royal guard would be looking for me. This time I doubted they’d be as ‘gentle’ with me as they were when they’d originally collected me from the bowels of the fortress. No, they would really be out for blood now. Agency, Equus… None of that would mean a damn to them. All they would see would be a monster who had killed their comrades and escaped. I’d seen it happen in the watch. One of our relief had been killed intervening in a street brawl one Hearthswarming Eve. It had been bad luck as much as anything - a mis-placed kick knocking him onto the pavement where he cracked his head on the curb. Poor sod. The response however, was swift, and brutal. The whole watch forgot everything in their desire to find the one who’d done this to our colleague, and the result was all too predictable. He was taken alive of course, but only just. Gods, I remembered him being brought in too. What was left of him. What would happen to my family if something like that happened to me? What if I was killed? I doubt the agency would miraculously appear with a barrow-load of bits to take care of them then. No. The last thing I needed was to-

“Ow! Lumin! Ooooh…”

“What’s he done?” I asked curiously, pulled out of my revery.

“His teeth,” Tingles groaned. “He’s got a strong jaws on him, and every so often the little beggar has a good nip.”

“Ha!” I chuckled, “The revenge of the stallion! Now you know how my poor ears feel when you go chomping on them!”

Tingles glowered at me, clearly unimpressed. “My boobs are a hell of a lot more sensitive than your floppy old lugs… ‘Mister’ Salt.”

I sniffed loudly. “Don’t start that again, please! Gods, it’s bad enough with Grimble calling me ‘My Lord’ every five flippin’ minutes without you at it too.”

“Well… honestly…” She rolled her eyes at me.

“As you say, Lady Tingles.” I leaned across and kissed Tingles’ nose before returning my attention to the pendant hanging around my neck. It was an extraordinary thing to be sure, although I think what truly captured my imagination more than anything was how these things just seemed to ‘pop up’ whenever I needed them – the veritable ‘Deus ex machina’. I remembered the first time I’d heard that term too. In the ancient plays, a god or goddess would often ‘pop up’ out of a hatch in the stage floor or be winched in to magically resolve an otherwise pretty bland performance. The difference for me with these things however, was that the damnable pendants didn’t ‘resolve’ anything at all, rather they sent me right into the heart of what was quite likely going to turn my body into the next protein on some monster’s menu. How many of these had Star Swirl made anyway? One appears in the Withers courtesy of Meadow, then this one appears via Celestia’s own protégé. Coincidence? Yeah… I’m bloody sure it was. Still, ‘never look a gift-griffin in the mouth’ as they say. Ha! Like they existed! A meaner bunch of tight-wads I’d never met. Griffins didn’t do ‘gifts’, unless there was some kind of recompense at the end of the transaction. Birthdays must be a riot in the Griffin Kingdom. ‘Happy Birthday, son!’ ‘Thanks, dad!’ ‘Yeah! That’ll be twenty bits, please! Cash or charge?’. Perhaps I was being a bit harsh though, I mean, look at Grimble. He couldn’t do enough for me or my family, and so far there’d been no sign or even a hint of a bill either. I wonder what he was really after? Somehow I doubted my big bag of bits from Mitre was going to be mine much longer. I took a breath and sighed it out, watching how the pendant’s glow brightened as I turned it in place, levitating my old compass onto the bed as I did so. It was pointing due north, out across the Everfree and towards the mountains. I shouldn’t have been surprised really, should I? Damn it all, not again…

Tingles looked up at me, a sad look on her face. “You’re leaving soon, aren’t you.” It wasn’t a question. All I could do was nod in reply. “I want to come with you, love,” she added quietly.

I turned to look out the window at the darkening sky. It was going to rain today. “I know, I want you to as well.” I closed my eyes, knowing what was coming next.

“Lumin…”

I nodded, “He has to come first. He needs you.”

“He needs you too,” Tingles said softly. “You’re his dad”

I hung my head at her words. She was right. By all the gods, she was right. I wanted to stay, I wanted to do nothing more than care for my beloved family, but as always there was something that I had to take care of first. “Tingles, I want you with me, but to take him with us to the Wither World?” I shook my head. “It’s a terrible place, and not a place any sane pony would want to go, let alone take a foal.” I sighed, stretching my hind legs. “I don’t know much about little ones, love. Could we leave him here with somepony we can trust, perhaps? What about Heather?”

Tingles shook her head. “She’s lovely, Fairlight, but I’m worried about him, he’s so tiny and fragile.” She gave his back a rub to bring up any trapped wind from his feed. “He’s going to be nursing for while yet, and I can’t take that away from him.”

I sat next to her on the bed and snuggled in. “You’re his mother, love, the final decision is yours and I’ll stand by you whatever you decide.”

“I know...” She looked up and sniffed back a tear. “But with Lumin, he’s what we made together.” Tingles smiled wearily down at the fuzzy bundle. “I can’t risk him coming to harm.”

“What about Aunt Pewter?” I suggested.

“She’s a sweet old thing at heart, but I wouldn’t want to burden her at her age,” Tingles smiled sadly. “Besides, I don’t want him being brought up on formula milk - even if he does chew me sometimes.”

I certainly wouldn’t have called my mother’s sister a ‘sweet old thing’ by any stretch of the imagination. Auntie had always been as mad as a box of frogs as far as I was concerned. A wise and beloved member of the family she may be, but still, she had that nutty side which I think went hoof in hoof with living in a cottage surrounded by skulls and wall to wall cats.

“So, that’s decided,” I announced firmly. “The next leg of the adventures of the ‘Lord of the four winds’, a.k.a ‘Rock Salt’, will be a solo edition.”

“I’m sorry, love, are you okay with it?”

I chuckled. “Of course, just take care of yourself and Lumin. I’ll let Mitre know what’s happening and get ready for the trip. A few supplies, some snacks, and I’ll be good to go.”

Tingles kissed me and we settled back for a quick snooze before the next round of changing began: feeding, burping, and all the other good things that came with raising a young one. Good grief, would I ever get a full night’s sleep again? Suddenly going off on my recovery mission didn’t seem so bad! Unfortunately the morning only brought more work as I spent the rest of the day making arrangements for my departure. Trotting downstairs, shopping list in pocket, I slipped out before I was caught by the ever vigilant hosts of the tavern. As much as I enjoyed chatting with Grimble, I didn’t have time to stop this morning. There so much to do: Speak to Mitre, organise food, clothes, and so on and so on. Fortunately my old friend had already left me more flasks of the life-energy than I could feasibly use, which I was extremely grateful for too. Foraging for food was a little outside my skill set at the moment, though in truth I hadn’t used my wendigo magic since that night in the glade. By the gods, that had taken it out of me though! I chuckled to myself, picking up my hooves as I reached the first shop on my list – the bakery.

The cottage was little different from the others, only with a relatively large covered area out the back where the ovens were located. A sensible precaution considering the danger of thatched roofs catching light. Quaint they may be, but living in a tinder box certainly had its down side. I somehow I doubted they had much of an established fire brigade here either. Meadow had always wanted to live in a cottage though, one surrounded by hedges, white picket gates, and more flowers than you could shake the proverbial stick at. I’ll admit I could see the appeal, they did have the kind of ‘ye-olde’ charm that put me in mind of the sort of pictures you saw on biscuit tins every year at Hearthswarming. Not that it meant much living in the city surrounded by smoke and noise of course. The artist quite clearly hadn’t stayed in down-town Manehattan. If it wasn’t idyllic country scenes, it was kittens in buckets or some such silliness. Speaking of kittens, the obligatory village moggie was sat outside on a barrel cleaning itself as I approached. In fine old style it completely ignored me too, the miserable old flea-bag. I pushed open the door, finding myself in a very warm, dry room that was festooned with bread, pretzels, rolls, and goodness knows what else. Good grief, there were even locally made jams and pickles arranged on the shelves in jars next to bags of sweets, fudge, and all manner of delicious looking goodies! Now this was something I’d have to tell Tingles about when I got back to the tavern. The smell was amazing too: cinnamon, nutmeg, roasted nuts… Mmm… amazing! If they tasted half as good as the smelled, I’d have to watch my waistline living here. Speaking of which, there was no sign of life though.

“Hello?” I called. “Anypony home?”

“No ‘ponies’, here.” A large shadow filled the far doorway, immediately followed by a flour dusted creature so tall his horns near brushed the ceiling. Judging by the white hat and apron, I was apparently addressing the proprietor of this fine establishment. He snorted loudly. “Yes?”

I produced my list. “Can I have half a dozen flapjacks, please. A dozen-”

“You have a list?” the minotaur asked in surprisingly eloquent Equestrian.

I nodded. “Um… Yes.”

“Well, give it here then an’ we’ll see what we’ve got then, shall we?” I floated the sheet of paper towards the great creature who plucked it out of the air. “Neat handwriting,” he observed. “Good to see someone’s received an education at last.” The hulking beast turned away and commenced taking down items off his shelf. “We don’t have ‘Yearling Rolls’, whatever they are. Will cinnamon buns, do?” I nodded, watching in fascination as he worked.

“I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure,” I said politely.

“Of course not,” the minotaur said levelly, “on account of the fact we haven’t met before, correct?”

I was a little taken aback by this, but held my own. “There’s a first time for everything, sir.”

“Indubitably.”

I cleared my throat. “My name is-”

“I know who you ‘claim’ you are,” the minotaur huffed. “An’ I have no doubt that many of my more… ‘educationally challenged’ brothers an’ sisters would believe such fairy tales without question.” He took a pair of tongs, placing several cakes into a muslin bag. “Myself, I prefer to base my assessments on empirical evidence rather than mere ‘intuition’, or other such fantastical claims.” He raised an eyebrow at me. “Barrick.”

“Pardon?”

He rolled his eyes with a sigh. “My name is Barrick.” He placed a loaf of bread into the bag. “I understand that many of your people like to proclaim their names on their posteriors, however my own race have no such pictorial adornment. Therefore, I fear you shall just have to rely upon your memory to absorb that fact.” “Should you wish to do so of course,” he added needlessly. Barrick passed me the bag. “Your order… sir.”

“Thank you, Barrick,” I said politely. “May I ask how much I owe you?”

“Thirty four bits.”

“THIRTY FOUR…?!” I nearly dropped my wallet. “Good gods, you’re not related to Dick Turnip are you?”

“Dick-?” He paused. “Ah, yes, the famous highway robber. Last stallion to be hanged for such a crime too, if I’m not mistaken. I presume you are attempting to make some form of analogy, yes?”

I stared at the bag and took the money from my pannier. “I meant that he was condemned for daylight bloody robbery!” I snorted, trying to contain my anger. “Luna’s backside! If these are the sorts of prices you charge around here then I’m going to have to re-think my plans to move to the village.” Damn it all, Tingles was going to go spare...

“Perhaps you should,” Barrick sniffed. “In case it had escaped your notice during your visit, we don’t exactly have a surplus of housing for city dwellers who fancy a holiday home in the country.”

“A holiday home?” Gods, I felt like throwing the damned bag of baked goods right back at the ignorant prig! I took a step towards the door as Barrick pocketed my bits. “Allow me to ask you something, Barrick.” He lifted his head curiously. “Are you always such a prick with newcomers to the village, or are you just making an exception in my case?”

“Well, that’s the question of the hour, isn’t it?” the great creature said with a half smile. “What do you think it is?”

“I ‘think’ you’re either doubtful of what you’ve been told,” I suggested levelly, “or that you hate ponies. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve come across a racist in my travels.”

“Really?” Barrick grinned broadly. “Quite a term to throw around so casually, isn’t it? Although it does lose its edge somewhat when used carelessly. Particularly when the one using such a term belongs to a race most noted for attempted genocide on-”

“Don’t you bucking dare finish that statement!” I hissed, dropping into a fighting stance. “My race? What the buck do you know about my race, eh? My people were butchered, Barrick, slaughtered in their hundreds, and now we’ve been reduced to this? One half-breed wendigo and a shit-hole of a village in the arse-end of nowhere, populated by self-important pricks who only want to fleece the innocent?”

“And are you?” he asked.

“Am I what?” I snapped.

Barrick raised his eyebrows in a way that made me want to kick him right in his stupid damned bull-face. “Why, ‘innocent’, of course.”

My lip curled, my magic starting to boil up inside me. “Believe me,” I rumbled, feeling my teeth beginning to itch, “you don’t want to go there...”

“But you do,” he said quietly. “Don’t you? You want to bring back the glorious days of yore?” He waved a hand casually as he walked nearer. “To rekindle the great flame of the tribe, to rebuild what your ancestors lost?”

I’d had enough of this. “What do you want me to say, Barrick? Five minutes ago I was just some slob from the city working his arse off to keep the streets safe from scum. Now I’m this ‘Lord of the four winds’? Give me a bloody break, will you. What the hell does it matter anyway? The wendigo are all dead, the fortress is destroyed, and that’s all there is to it. You can call me what you damned well like for all I care.”

That infuriatingly sly smile of his back. “So what do you care for, Lord Fairlight?”

I leaned my hoof against the door frame and took a deep breath, trying to keep my temper under control. “What do I care about?” I glowered back over my shoulder. “My family, Barrick, that’s who I care about. And if anypony, or any one, threatens them… then you’ll see what a wendigo can do.” I opened the door to leave. “I promise you that.” I slammed the door shut behind me. “Keep the change.”

Gods, what a start to the day! Thankfully the rest of my shopping expedition didn’t prove to be as blood pressure rising as my encounter with the delightful Barrick, but it was hardly what you’d call ‘better’ by any stretch of the imagination. I don’t know what Grimble had told the locals, as barely anypony spoke to me more than was absolutely necessary to complete our transaction. Honestly, I was glad of it too. My mood had soured after my trip to the bakery, ruining my previously buoyant spirits to point where all I wanted to do was get back to the tavern and forget this morning had ever happened. Some of the menagerie that passed as the local population of Smiling Borders stopped and stared at me, whilst others hurried away as though I were about to detonate in the middle of the blasted street at any moment. Bloody hell, maybe I was! It really would give them something to stare at then, wouldn’t it? The miserable, sodding… I huffed under my breath. I was seriously beginning to wonder whether moving here to Smiling Borders was such a good idea after all. I felt about as welcome as a chronic case of halitosis, with a good old case of mange thrown in for good measure. What truly concerned me though, was that if they felt this strongly about me, how did they feel about Tingles and Lumin? I don’t think they’d be in any danger of course, but the last thing I needed was to go on my trip to find Shadow, leaving Tingles and Lumin in a village of local yokels who treated them like undesirables. Damn them! Unfortunately my foul temper followed me back to the tavern too. I nearly took the old door off its hinges when I finally stalked inside, dumping my packs noisily on a table and dropped into a chair with a frustrated neigh.

Tingles looked up from her knitting, clucking her tongue at me in annoyance. “Do you have to make so much noise? I’ve just got him off to sleep!” She motioned towards the crib beside the table. Oh, great! I hadn’t noticed it at first, and now felt thoroughly guilty as well as miserable. I decided to say nothing. “Get everything you needed?” Tingles asked.

“An empty pocket?” I grumbled. “Yeah, I got it.”

“I take it your trip out was expensive, then?” she asked.

“Expensive?!” I hissed. “Luna’s arse, Tingles, the thieving bas-” I paused, noticing Lumin move in crib and quickly checked my language. “The thieving beggars charged me through the nose, Tingles! Thirty four bits for a few buns and some bread? That’s dearer than bloody Canterlot! Look at that old fart with the panniers. Remember her? A hundred bits for a scavenged, half knackered bag!”

“Tourist rates,” she said absently. “It happens.”

“Ah, I get it,” I replied. “One price for us and one for the regulars, eh?” Bloody thieves! I leaned back in my chair and sighed. “Goodbye bits...” I stared up at the ceiling. “I think we may need to look at our plans to move here again, love. If this continues we’ll be penniless before you know it.”

“I wouldn’t worry too much about that,” Tingles replied, adjusting her ball of wool. “If we moved here they’d get used to us eventually, and we’d blend right on in.”

“Huh!” I snorted. “You’re a lot more trusting than I am, I’ll say that. Do you really want to take that chance? They’d take us to the bloody cleaners.”

Tingles frowned at me. “Will you watch your language, around Lumin!”

“Bah! He can’t understand a word I’m saying,” I snorted. “Anyway, I think he’d be pissed off too if he found out his family had been turned into a paupers by a bunch of robbing country bumpkins.” I leaned down and rubbed my hind leg. “I don’t what Grimble’s been saying about us either. That lot treated me like I had leprosy or something. I mean, I know I’m not the most sociable guy in the world, but the way they leaped a mile whenever they saw me coming was really starting to get to me.”

The tangerine pegasus didn’t look up. “Are you surprised by that?” she asked. “You heard Grimble, they all know who you are now.”

“Ah, yes,” I said sarcastically, “this mysterious ‘bond’ that he likes to go on about. Ha! What a load of bollocks! The only ‘bond’ there is round here is the one they have to the contents of my bloody wallet! All this ‘Lord of the four winds’ guff is a right load of old tosh. I bet they flatter everypony who comes here like that... just before they fleece them and chase them out of the village at the end of a sharpened pitchfork!”

Tingles clucked her tongue. “Honestly, Fairlight, how can you say that? You are who you are, and there’s nothing you can do to change that. I’m sure the people here are just as confused about the whole situation as you are.”

“Confused about what?” I asked. “I may as well be the king of the Everfree for all the difference it makes. I’ve hardly got two bits to rub together, or at least I won’t have at this rate!” I picked at a knot in my tail. “You know what the gentry are like, love, they’re all born into it. They’re raised into a life of money, luxury, and hot and cold running servants. I’m the son of a couple of regular old ponies from a regular old village, I’ve hardly been born with a silver spoon up my bum.”

“No, but what difference does that make?”

“That’s what I’m asking!” I snorted in frustration.

Tingles rolled her eyes and put her knitting down to face me. “I’m saying that you can’t help being a wendigo the same way I can’t help being a pegasus. The title of ‘Lord of the four winds’ may not mean much to you, but it obviously does to the people here in the village. Remember what Grimble said: it’s up to you if want to take on this mantle of ‘Lord’ or not. If you don’t want to, just tell him. I doubt he’ll think any less of you for it.”

“I think he’d up the bill!” I winced as the knot pulled painfully. “Damn it all!”

Tingles clucked her tongue and knocked my hoof away, pulling her chair closer. Carefully, she lifted up my tail, taking out a small pack of combs from her satchel. “Look at the state of this,” she muttered. “One of these days you’ll pay more attention to your hair before it ends up full of mats.” I watched as she began to untangle the mess, my mind still reeling from this morning’s antics. It had promised to be such a lovely day too…

Tingles teased out another hair. “Fairlight?”

“Hmm?”

“You don’t like nobility, do you?”

“I…” I flopped back in my chair, trying to hold back my impending sarcasm. “No, love,” I said simply. “I never have.”

“Does that include Luna?”

“Of course not.” I closed my eyes.

“Why?”

“Because Luna’s more… ‘down to earth’, I suppose,” I explained. “She’s not full of all those pretentious airs and graces that the rest of that lot are. Nobbing around in gold plated carriages, blowing money like tap water and lording it over the peasantry as if we’re something nasty they’ve just stepped in.” I rolled my shoulders, feeling my muscles slowly relax. “I had to work with them in Canterlot, and the way they spoke to us was like we were dirt. Worse than dirt really. And yet we had to just stand there and take it all - ‘Yes, my lord. No, my lord. May I wipe your pampered arse for you, my lord?’” I let out a derisive snort. “I hated them for it.”

Tingles nodded, quietly brushing out my tail hairs. It was quite therapeutic really. “You don’t have to be like them,” she offered reasonably. “Maroc wasn’t like that, was he. From what you’ve told me, he was… more like you.”

“Like me?” I opened my eyes, and… Yes… Yes, I suppose he was really. He loved his wife, his son, and his people. He certainly didn’t give a toss about Celestia. He’d had some sort of relationship with Luna, although exactly what was something that I hadn’t discovered, nor had any desire to either. But… Maroc was hardly what you’d call your more ‘traditional’ nobility. Wendigo society seemed to a lot looser than I was used to. Social standing was still present of course, you were either a wendigo or you weren’t, though I didn’t pick up on anything that might suggest they looked down their muzzles at the rest of their society. Good grief, they even had races living there that could never be wendigo, like Grimble’s ancestors. Or could they? I didn’t know. Gods, there was so much I didn’t understand about my own people! I stared at a cobweb on the ceiling, one of the few that had miraculously avoided Heather’s usual morning feather-duster assault. A lone spider sat there, sitting… waiting. It was at the centre of the web, the strands radiating out from the single, central point. In some ways Maroc was like that web; the curious fellow sitting at the centre with his family with the wendigo surrounding him, and then from there were the rest of the populace that made up the tribe of the four winds. It didn’t matter whether they were pony, wendigo, minotaur, griffin, or whatever – they were all his people. My people. Tingles, Lumin, Shadow, Meadow, Sparrow… they were my herd. The people of this village were too, to some degree. I had inherited them, the way I had inherited the title of ‘Lord’. But what did it mean? They’d been waiting for a thousand years? For what? Barrick was right to be skeptical. Bond or no bond, he didn’t know me, nor did he know my true intentions. Goddesses above, I didn’t have any! Well, other than recovering Shadow and looking after my family. Keeping out of Celestia’s clutches would be nice too, of course. Agh! What a bloody life!

“Love?”

I sat up, blinking in surprise. “Huh? Sorry, I was miles away...”

Grimble was stood there next to Tingles. I must have been well away in own little world to not notice him walking in. The two of them were watching me expectantly. “Oh, good morning, Grimble. What’s up?”

The old griffin bobbed his head respectfully. “My lord, would you please accept this gift for the lady Tingles as a gesture of our good will? Grubber explained that you had expressed an interest in it, and we felt it would be appropriate to offer it to you as a token of our gratitude for all you have done for the village.”

I stared down at the things he’d placed on the table in front of me. Dear gods, I never thought I’d see them again. It was the panniers we’d seen for sale. The very same panniers from the fateful expedition to the fortress that had lead to the deaths of everypony there. “Grimble?” I said swallowing. “Do you know what these are?”

He looked surprised. “Panniers?”

I closed my eyes and tried to fight down the rising tide of alarm. “Yes. But… Can you tell me how they came to be here in the village?”

The old griffin frowned in surprise, “I’m not certain, my lord. Grubber noticed how much your good lady liked them and wanted to gift them to her. Other than that, or how she came to have them, I cannot say.”

Tingles looked at me, her expression conveying her own opinion on the subject. “Grubber…. I presume that’s the earth pony who sells odds and ends from her cottage?”

Grimble nodded. “She’s a little difficult to deal with at times, however she is respected in Smiling Borders as a wise and learned mare.” He cocked an eyebrow. “Is something wrong?”

Was something wrong? Perhaps in his mind there wasn’t. In mine, however, this was setting off alarm bells like noponies business. I decided to err on the side of caution. “Nothing’s wrong at all, my friend,” I smiled. “Thank you for your kind gift. It means a great deal to us.”

Grimble visibly relaxed, letting out a relieved sigh. “It was my pleasure, Lord Fairlight, Lady Tingles.” He bowed formally, backed away a step and then lifted his head suddenly. “I nearly forgot!” Reaching back into his pouch, he produced a purse of coins that clinked on the table. “Barrick the baker sent this for you. He said that you’d overpaid him for what you’d bought earlier, and that he could not in all conscience let you pay him so much.” He chuckled. “You must have made quite the impression on him, my lord. Barrick is not noted for generosity.”

I didn’t know what to say. First the panniers, and now a returned overpayment from Barrick? I could understand the village wanting to show their thanks for what Tingles and I had done, but this felt so out of character, I wasn’t sure how to view it. It was time to roll the dice, and see what came up…

“Grimble, I’d like to pay the bill for our stay thus far,” I announced. “Since I’m going to be away for a while, I’d like to make sure that Tingles and Lumin are cared for in my absence. So, if you could arrange for that to be made up as soon as possible, I would be very grateful.” I smiled politely at the old griffin, and yet… he stood there and said absolutely nothing. His large avian eyes stared as me as though I’d just offered to have his family murdered and buried under the patio for shits and giggles. “Is that a problem?” I asked.

“Erm….” Grimble glanced from me to Tingles and back again. “I don’t understand.”

Tingles came to the rescue, thank the gods. “Grimble, we can’t stay here forever. Fairlight, Lumin and I are only on holiday from the agency for a short while. Sooner or later we will have to take our leave, and when we do we’ll also have to pay what we owe you for the rent of the room, food and so forth. You’ve been very kind to us, both you and Heather, however you must understand that we only have finite resources. None of us want to part here on anything other than the very best of terms and leave only the happiest of memories, for all of us.”

The griffin frowned in thought for a moment, then to my surprise began to laugh. It was a squawky, screeching sound that was more akin to nails down a chalkboard than an expression of humour. Mind you, since I wasn’t half bird how would I know, right?

“My lord!” Grimble chuckled, wiping his eyes. “Forgive me, but how can we charge you for staying in your own home? It is very generous of you, of course, however this is yours. In truth, it is Heather and I that should be paying you.”

“Mine?” I said, swallowing. “What do you mean, it’s mine? I’d never even heard of Smiling Borders until a few weeks ago!” I rubbed my forehead; I could feel a headache coming on. “I think I would have noticed if I’d become a landlord, Grimble. It’s not something you accidentally forget about, you know? No… No, I think you’ve got the wrong end of the stick here, my friend. Maybe you-”

Grimble held up a claw, forestalling me. “My lord, your family own the land from the fortress in the mountains, across the Everfree, up to and including this very village. It has been in your family ever since the days of your ancestors. Forgive me, but… didn’t your aunt ever explain this to you?”

“No!” I gasped, “I think I would have remembered something like that! And besides, how can my family own it anyway? Maybe it’s been overlooked over the last thousand years, but hello, we lost the war? Ancient property rights or not, this is part of Equestria now, and I think the princess would have more than a few words to say about property claims from a defeated enemy popping up out of the blue. We’re hardly on good terms you know, and that’s putting it mildly!” I sat up, taking the drink Heather had just brought in. Good grief! This day was just getting weirder and… and… “Hang on, how do you know my aunt, Grimble?” Suddenly the conversation I’d had with Glow Bug, the taxi pegasus from Hackamore, flagged up in my mind like his bloody meter. “You knew we were coming here, didn’t you!” I stood up, my mane bristling. “That old bugger knew all along we’d be coming here, and she told you ahead of time, didn’t she!” I threw my hooves up in the air in exasperation. “All this ‘My Lord’ stuff, is all down to that old bugger sticking her muzzle into my business, isn’t it?!”

Grimble took a deep breath and backed up a step. “Hardly.” The doddery old griffin seemed to change before my very eyes, those two golden avian orbs locking onto me the way his kind had viewed prey animals since time began. I couldn’t look away. “I would appreciate it if you would not refer to Galena in such a course manner,” he said coolly. “Lord you may be, however there is no excuse for rudeness. Especially with one’s family.”

“One’s family?” My face must have been a picture. “Wait... You called her ‘Galena’?” My mouth hung open in shock. I’d only ever heard my mum call her that, and even then only in private. How the hell did he know her? Did he… Oh, gods. Somehow, this all made sense. “You and her...” I muttered.

“Indeed,” Grimble said calmly. “Galena… and I.”

“Fairlight?” Tingles asked, watching us. “What’s going on?”

“Grimble...” I began. “He’s my… He’s my uncle.”

“Of sorts,” Grimble replied, bobbing his head towards Tingles. “We were never actually married. Galena, that is, Lord Fairlight’s Aunt, lived with me for many years after I split from my wife Fast Feather. Over time however we drifted apart, but we never lost touch completely. She told me about your situation of course, but not in any detail.” He smiled wryly. “Galena liked to, um… ‘surprise’ others.”

He had that right! “I can’t believe this,” I mumbled. I stared helplessly into my drink, hoping that the insane roller coaster the world had strapped me to would stop and let me off before I lost my mind completely.

“Did you have any children?” Tingles enquired. She turned to glance up at Heather. I felt my heart drop into my stomach.

“Oh goodness, no!” Grimble replied quickly. “Sadly, we were never blessed with such joy. However, Galena was not one for hatchlings. She preferred to enjoy life simply, spending her time caring for others and crafting potions, remedies, and other such crafts from the old days.”

“I take it you two parted before Fairlight was born?”

Grimble shook his head. “No, I met him a few times when he was but a babe in his mother’s crib. Although, you have to understand that relationships between ponies and griffins aren’t always looked upon by others as…” He sighed sadly, “Natural?”

“Was that why she built her cottage away from the rest of the village?” Tingles asked.

Grimble nodded. “We wanted to avoid too much gossip from the rest of the ponies there, but alas, you know how small communities can be. Eventually it put a strain on our relationship and… well, here I am.” He bowed to me respectfully. “Lord Fairlight, forgive me. I did not wish for you to find out this way.”

“Uncle Grimble...” I mumbled.

The old griffin shook his head. “Just ‘Grimble’ will do, my lord. Strictly speaking I am little more than your aunt’s ex-lover. One, whom I hope you will understand, has nothing but the utmost respect for both you and your family.”

“So, Pewter is the owner of the village by inheritance?” Tingles asked. “Am I understanding this correctly?”

“She was,” Grimble explained. “That title was passed to her as the eldest direct descendent. When her nephew developed his wendigo magic and re-established the ancient bond of the tribe, all rights passed to him and his immediate family.” He motioned to Tingles and Lumin. “That would be the two of you. Although young Lumin would naturally be the successor should he come into his wendigo magic in the event of, forgive me my lord, your demise.”

What a comforting thought…

Tingles frowned in thought. “So… What you’re saying is that the tavern, the village, and all the land between here and the fortress, belongs to Fairlight?”

“Yes, my lady.”

“Fairlight?” Tingles looked to me as though I had some magical bloody answer to all the madness unfolding before me. I didn’t.

I got up, chugged back my drink and picked up my cloak. “I’m going out.”

“What? Where are you going?!” Tingles sat up in surprise. “You’ve just got in!”

Clipping the cloak around my neck I strode for the door. “There somepony I need to see,” I called back. “Or some minotaur.”

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

“Can I help you?”

I closed the door behind me, flipping the ‘Open’ sign round to ‘Closed’. “That’s the big question, isn’t it?” I said turning to face him. “Would you like to start, or shall I?”

Barrick wiped his hands on his apron, that slight smile of his curling the corner of his mouth. “Ah, you wish for a comprehensive description and explanation of an idea or theory.” He took lifted up a tray of rolls and placed them onto the cooling rack behind him. “Exposition, yes?”

“I know what exposition is, Barrick,” I huffed, “and I know what the dictionary definition of it is too. I’m not here for a grammar lesson.”

“Cinnamon rolls, perhaps?”

I gritted my teeth. “Don’t start with me, Barrick, I’m not in the damned mood for bullshit right now. You know things you’re not telling me, and I want answers.”

The large minotaur sighed softly under his breath and produced two plates. “I was merely asking if you would like a cinnamon roll.” He plucked a pot from under the counter along with a couple of cups. “Tea?”

I could my cheeks burning. Damn him, he’d outmanoeuvred me again! I had to try and regain the initiative or else I’d never-

“Lord Fairlight Loam, son of Tulip and Lamplight Loam, nephew of Galena, and last direct living descendant of the line of wendigo.” The minotaur poured the tea into the cups. “At least, you were before you had your son, of course.”

My hoof slowly slid towards the sword that wasn’t there. I’d latched the door behind myself too, like a fool. Damn... “Who are you?” I asked a lot more calmly than I felt. “Agency? Equus?” My mane bristled. “Royal Intelligence?”

The minotaur paused, only for a second, but I noticed it. He put down the pot. “Sugar?”

“One,” I replied.

“I can assure you, you have nothing to fear from me,” Barrick said absently. “It is incumbent upon those, such as myself, to… ‘understand’ those who would come into contact with our small community.” He passed me the tea and bun. “Why should the Celestian authorities have a monopoly on information?”

“Celestian authorities?” I asked. “A little out of date, aren’t we, Barrick?”

The minotaur raised an eyebrow as he took a sip of his tea. “Celestian, Equestrian… A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

He was sarcastic, I’d give him that. I took a bite of the bun and nearly shivered as the delicious pastry made my taste buds sing.

“Good?” he asked.

I nodded. “I thought you said you didn’t have any cinnamon buns.”

Barrick smiled that thin smile of his. “We all have our secrets, Lord Fairlight.” He brought over two chairs. “I would offer you somewhere more comfortable to sit, however my living quarters are somewhat spartan and not ideally suited for guests. Besides,” he smiled. “Here we have tea, food, and good company. What more could a fellow ask?”

“Good company?” It was my time to smile. “Forgive me, Barrick, I’m surprised to here you say that. I had the impression you were far from impressed that I had come to Smiling Borders.”

The curious baker nodded slowly. “True. Although, I’m certain you’ll appreciate that I would want to take the measure of a stranger appearing in our midst claiming to be the new lord.”

“I didn’t ‘claim’ to be anything,” I said levelly.

Barrick held up a hand. “Of course not, and it is for that reason, and that reason alone, that I put more stock in the reports I had about you.”

“You certainly know a lot more about me, than I do of you,” I pointed out.

The minotaur smiled, genuinely so this time. “True… true…” He looked up at me from his tea. “You must understand, Lord Fairlight, that our village has existed for a thousand years by virtue of the fact we are cautious. Ponies are by their very nature, inquisitive and capricious creatures. For years we simply sat here in isolation long after the memories of the war had faded from the public conscience, and peace, as the old saying goes ‘reigned’. Grimble has no doubt explained this to you?”

I nodded. “He told me you found the village abandoned after leaving the caves, then gradually began to open yourselves up to the tourist industry for additional income.”

“More so to avoid unnecessary attention from the authorities,” Barrick explained. “There were rumblings coming from the capital about ‘treasure’ of all things, out in the ruins of the old fortress. As we were the nearest village, it was inevitable that we would eventually become the last stop on the route for adventure seekers. To chase them away would have only brought undue attention to ourselves, so we decided to make ourselves known to the outside world as a welcoming and comfortable place to visit. Of course, that all worked well until the disaster with the archaeological expedition into the mountains. After that, and the incursions from the timberwolves, Smiling Borders once more slipped into the obscurity in which we now find ourselves.”

“About that,” I said, sipping my tea. “What happened to them?”

“The expedition?” Barrick shrugged. “Who can say for sure? The mountain is protected by alicorn magic placed there by Celestia to keep intruders away – very effective magic. I have no doubt you have already discovered as much?” I nodded as he continued. “Many such ponies came this way over the years, lured by the promise of fame and fortune. We let the adventurers go upon their way of course, it was good for our economy as well as diverting some of the more ‘unwanted’ attention. Some came back, others did not, though that is the way with such things.” He took a bite of his roll. “You may think that the risk of death would have put many off, but in fact the opposite proved to be the case. We had no real concerns about the fortress being discovered after all, an’ even if it was, I doubt there is much left of any note after such a long time. The celestians would have carried away most of what they could after their victory, doubtless looting the home of our ancestors until only their bones remained.”

That wasn’t strictly true. Yes, the fortress had been all but completely destroyed on the surface, however there were parts of it that lead further into the mountain itself, like the chamber I had discovered. Precisely why the celestian forces had left that place the way they had could be more down to their desire to get away from the cold of the mountains to enjoy their victory rather than superstition. But honestly, who can say for sure? I doubted Celestia would be giving up any information on her actions that day any time soon, and really, what did it matter anyway?

“Grubber sent my partner a set of panniers from the Celestian Society for Archaeological Research.” I watched his reaction carefully. “They’d been buried on the mountainside. All of them.”

“Ah...” Barrick nodded solemnly. “The last resting place of Professor Ernest Intent an’ his team.” He peered at me with his bullish eyes. “This appears to be troubling you, is it not?”

“More my curiosity than anything else,” I replied.

He raised an eyebrow. “Professional curiosity?”

“Maybe once,” I said with a smile. I held out a hoof, encouraging him to continue. “Please...”

Barrick put his cup down with a clink of china. “There’s not much to tell. As I told you, the expedition stopped off here for supplies, then headed off across the forest in an airship. They never returned.”

“So who buried them?” I asked. “The army?”

“No,” the minotaur said calmly. “We did.” He took a deep breath and turned to stare a painting of the wall. It was a young minotaur family by the looks of them. “It was the day after they left that we realised one of our young ones was missing. Clash, one of our…” He cleared his throat. “My nephew. He had gone with them.”

“Your nephew?” I sat up straight, listening intently. “Why?”

“Because he was young, foolish and headstrong, like all young males,” Barrick snorted. “We knew what had happened when his parents found him missing the next morning. He had supposedly been staying with friends, thereby delaying any suspicion on the part of his mother an’ father. The day before the expedition had been looking for a guide into the mountains, and Clash had been there in the market place, soaking in every word. As is the agreement in the village, none of us would go with them. Clash, however, decided otherwise.”

I took a breath. “I’m sorry, Barrick.”

“Sorry?” He huffed. “There is nothing to be sorry for, Lord Fairlight. You did not know him, nor should he have been so impetuous. His actions could very well have endangered us all. The princess never forgets, neither does she forgive.”

“You don’t refer to her as the ‘white witch’?” I asked.

Barrick barked out a laugh. “No! An’ why should I? To give something a different name does not change the essence of what it is. Oh, it may go some way to salve the bitterness many of our people feel even to this day to call her such a name. I, on the other hand, would rather call my enemy by their true name. Fear of a name breeds fear of the thing, an’ I do not fear her. In the end, death comes to us all eventually, rich or poor, minotaur, pony or alicorn.” He closed his eyes a moment before continuing. “But I digress. When we discovered Clash missing, a large party of our strongest warriors headed out into the mountains to find out what happened to him. Our more talented fliers went with us, scouting ahead. It didn’t take long to find the crash site. What we found when got there was little more than still smouldering wreckage, and the bodies of those killed in the crash. My nephew was among them. What was left of him.” He smiled sadly. “We found survivors too – yaks. There were two of them, feeding on the dead.”

“Dear gods...” I breathed. “They must have been the mercenaries the expedition took with them.”

Barrick nodded. “We brought them back with us to the village along with my nephew, after burying the dead.”

“I didn’t know there were any survivors,” I said quietly. “What happened to the yaks?”

The large minotaur shook his head. “They were dealt with.” He motioned towards a coat rack beside the door where a thick, hairy cloak hung beside a thinner one. Apparently it hadn’t been a good day to be a yak. “You have nothing to fear from us, Lord Fairlight.” Barrick said in answer to my expression. “I can assure you of that.”

I cleared my throat and took a quick sip of my tea. “You mentioned ‘unwanted attention’?”

Barrick nodded. “Naturally. Celestia has a considerable network of agents ranging far across the land, and even beyond our borders, all of them feeding information back to her. You worked for one such organisation yourself, correct?”

“We dealt with threats to Equestria,” I replied hoping not to sound defensive. “I wasn’t involved in intelligence gathering, and I sure as hell wouldn’t have had anything to do with spying.”

Barrick smiled. “Good.” Suddenly he slapped his thigh loudly. “Now then, enough of such matters. I have one question I would like to ask you.”

“Oh?”

That wry smile was back. “Are you going to take up the mantle of you ancestors an’ lead our people?”

“Blunt and to the point,” I observed drily. I finished my tea and polished off the delicious cinnamon bun. “You have been honest with me, Barrick, and it is only right that I am the same with you.” I tapped my chin with my hoof. “Truthfully… I don’t know. I wish I did, and I wish I could give you a more definitive answer too. But really, how can I? You know yourself what my background is. You know probably better than anypony else here that I only became a wendigo very recently and, more to the point, that I had inherited this village, a chunk of forest, a load of mountains and what’s left of the fortress, not even an hour ago.” I shook my head. “I’m sorry, Barrick. If I could give you an answer I would.”

Barrick chuckled. “Truly the great dilemma, is it not?” He sat back in his chair and scratched at his muzzle. “May I ask what your family thinks you should do?”

“Huh!” I let out a snort involuntarily. “They think I should just accept who I am.”

“Sound advice,” he replied.

“For you, maybe.” I leaned back and stared up at the ceiling. “I can’t lead ponies, Barrick. The last time I did it was a bloody massacre. I was out fought, out manoeuvred and way out of my depth. I don’t want that sort of responsibility again. Never again.”

“And yet you travelled to another world, successfully rescued innocent females, and have defeated your enemies time after time.” Barrick shrugged his shoulders and waved his tea cup at me. “Interesting that you should see that as an inability to lead. Is this a… pony viewpoint I’m not understanding.”

“Oh, come on,” I nickered. “You don’t know everything about me, Barrick. Have you been to the Wither World?”

“The home of the thestrals? No,” he said absently. “Although I would imagine it would take quite an extraordinary individual to survive there, let alone come back again.”

“Lucky, you mean.”

“I don’t care if a stallion is good, just tell me if he is lucky,” Barrick quoted.

I furrowed my brow in thought. “I’m not familiar with that quote.”

“Colonel Dray, later to become General Dray,” Barrick explained. “And excellent officer, and one who was, by all accounts, a humble and modest stallion.”

“Didn’t do the legion much good, did it?” I retorted.

Barrick smiled that infuriating smile of his. “I never said he was with the Legion,” he said softly. “He was-”

“The celestian armed forces commander at River Valley,” I cut in. “Yes, I know who he was.”

“An’ a student of history too.” Barrick nodded to himself with a wry smile. “There is one other quote which I believe you should know, Lord Fairlight.” I lifted my head as he continued. “‘Be more than you appear to be.’ I believe that is rather appropriate, don’t you?”

“And which sage figure from history is that pearl of wisdom from,” I asked bluntly.

He watched me carefully for a moment before answering. “I thought you’d know, he was your ancestor after all. Maroc, the lord of the four winds, an’ master of the land of Everwinter.” Barrick leaned forward, fixing me with his bullish eyes. “We ask nothing of you, though should you ask it of us, our people would gladly give their lives to protect you and your family. It is a grave responsibility to bear, naturally, however the choice of whether to become part of our world or not, is your choice. A choice that we will respect whatever you decide. Know, however, that wherever you go, no matter what you do, you will always be the lord of the four winds.”

“Changing the name does not change the thing, right?” I quoted back at him.

Barrick nodded.

I hung my head. What the hell was I supposed to make of all this? Damn it all, I needed a moment to myself to think. “You know I’m leaving tomorrow, don’t you?”

The minotaur bobbed his head. “I do.”

I should have guessed really, shouldn’t I? “Barrick, I need to think about this.” I lifted my hoof to the door latch and paused. “Whatever I decide...”

“We will know,” Barrick finished simply. “The bond will tell us. More than words ever could.”

I pulled the door open and stared out into the sunlight. “Barrick?”

“Yes, Lord Fairlight?”

“Thank you.”

Outside I stood and lifted my muzzle to the sky, closed my eyes, and took a long deep breath. Responsibility, duty, honour… all those good things. Nothing really changed, did it? Working for the watch, the agency, the tribe… I gave myself a shake and set off. I needed a drink. The walk back to the Wyvern’s Tail was a solemn one, my mind distracted by a mishmash of thoughts, memories and quandaries that would have taxed even the most experienced inspector of the watch. That said, wasn’t this more of a question of morality than practicality? For me, the watch was a thing of the past, as much as it would forever be a part of who I was now. The agency was… well, I wasn’t entirely sure to be honest. I can’t remember ever signing a contract, and besides, Equus had their hoof in whatever I did, irrespective of my wishes. Of course I did get paid, albeit sporadically, and money was something everypony needs to survive whether they like it or not. The tribe though, now that was another matter altogether, yet one that still carried that all pervasive requirement of servitude to ‘the greater good’, so to speak. The lord of the tribe may be more of a ceremonial title now than it was, probably something like that of a town mayor, but it was not something to take lightly all the same. These people took their history seriously, even if it was one that had, for all intents and purposes, come to a grinding halt a thousand years ago. It was tempting though. If my family owned Smiling Borders, then that meant I had a ready made home for my family, a people who would protect them when I wasn’t there, and a title that was, if I’m honest, pretty cool sounding. To think my son would grow up knowing his father was the ‘Lord of the four winds’ would be something that would fill him with pride – and me too for that matter. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I completely missed the sky carriage parked outside the Wyvern’s Tail, and walked in to a room full of patrons. Music rolled out, a jolly tune with a surprising mix of instruments I’d only ever seen in history books: bombards, hurdy-gurdy, crumhorns… Good grief! Well, at least I could say I’d paid some attention in history class! It was certainly the liveliest I’d ever seen the dusty old tavern since arriving here. Normally the lounge was more akin to a cemetery than the focal point of village life. Today for some reason, there were at least a couple of dozen or so in there - the usual blend of minotaur, griffin, pony, and… was that a hippogriff? I’d always wanted to see one! Half pony, half eagle, they were something like a griffin but with-

“Lord Fairlight!” a voice called anything but tactfully. “Can you come into the back, please?”

So much for being ‘low key’, then! I squeezed through the throng, dodging past the hairy mountains of bull headed creatures, smiling and greeting those who met my eye, until finally I managed to reach the relative sanctuary of the back room.

I’d never been in here before. It was quite spacious too, nicely panelled, with oil lamps, a few paintings adorning the walls, a long table in the centre, and an array of comfortable looking, if worn, chairs. A familiar blue stallion sat at the far end, with Tingles, Lumin, Grimble, Bingo, and even Heavy Hoof. They were all looking right at me as if I’d suddenly sprouted two heads. Impulsively I looked behind me, but no… it was most assuredly myself who was the focus of attention. I quickly took a seat, taking the offered brandy as though it were a life preserver in the middle of the ocean.

“Good to see you, boy,” Mitre announced in his usual dulcet tones. “We got your message and came as soon as we could.”

I looked at Tingles who gave me a nervous smile, no doubt a little embarrassed by the fact we had some very unannounced visitors. “Sorry, Chief, I thought when I left a message to say I was leaving soon, that would be it. I didn’t think you’d actually fly all the way out here to see me off.” I scrubbed my mane. “You’ve caught me on the hop a little, to be honest.”

“Always good to keep you on your toes, Captain.” Mitre grinned slyly. “Besides, I couldn’t properly wish you well without seeing you face to face first, could I? It wouldn’t be right. Anyway, I have a message to convey from the princess.”

“Princess?” My heart leaped into my throat. “Oh gods, it wasn’t from-”

“Luna,” Mitre assured me, noting my discomfort. “Don’t worry, her sister knows nothing of our visit.”

Huh! I wouldn’t be so sure about that. The local baker had known everything about me, and probably my bloody shoe size for good measure too. If some guy in the middle of nowhere knew who I was, where I was, and everything I’d been up to, it was a sure bet that old cake-breeches knew it too.

“What’s the message?” I asked.

By way of an answer, Mitre pushed a scroll across the table towards me. Carefully, I opened the midnight blue wax seal embossed with a crescent moon. I closed my eyes and began to read...

Fairlight,

Mitre has informed us of your current situation. We have therefore taken precautions to ensure the safety of your family during this trying time. Mitre will speak to you about this in my stead. Please be assured that we are doing everything we can to help you in your quest, and that we will continue to do so. We are reminded of the words you spoke when you addressed our sister.

‘There can be no sun without shadow. No light without darkness. No day without night. All come together as one in the passing of the veil.’

These words ring as true today as they did then. Know that in the trials to come, as night follows day and light succumbs to the darkness, that you are a child of both worlds. The darkness is your ally, the moon your guide, and the sun the light for the road ahead.

May the gods bless the path you tread and be with you all your days.

Luna.

She signed it. Her alter-ego as ‘The Mistress’ had been dropped in the light of her sister’s revelation that she’d known all along about Luna and Equus. How much she knew about me, and what I was planning however, remained to be seen. In any case, I couldn’t stay here and put my family in danger. Willing as this eclectic group may be to protect me, if it came down to a choice between sacrificing myself and a bloodbath in the village, there was no contest. I closed my eyes and leaned back in my chair. The princess certainly had a sense for the dramatic. ‘A child of both worlds’? I suppose I was in some respects. I was born a regular old pony and then inhabited by a spirit from the Wither World. I was, for all intents and purposes, a wendigo. Barrick was right, calling myself something else or trying to deny that fact was counter intuitive. Mind you, a nice pep talk from Maroc’s old flame was nothing to be sniffed at, and her offer of help to look after my family whilst I was away was encouraging whichever way you looked at it. Whatever she was doing ‘behind the scenes’ however, would probably have to stay there. She hadn’t been specific, nor did I want her to be. This time, I had to rely on myself. A moment later the scroll vanished in a whuff of smoke and heat. Mitre, apparently, already had some idea as to its content...

“Grimble has assured me the villagers will be providing protection for Tingles and Lumin whilst you’re away.” The big stallion nodded to the old griffin who gave a single bob of his head in reply. “I’ve arranged for Bingo and six Equus agents to stay here for the duration, ostensibly on ‘recuperative leave’. After all, the hot springs here have some quite remarkable benefits do they not?” Mitre glanced at Grimble before adding, “They’ll come in useful if the royal guard appears snooping around.”

I closed my eyes and leaned back in my chair. I’d been afraid of this. “I don’t want anypony to be hurt, Mitre. Not my family, nor anypony else in the village or elsewhere.”

“And they won’t be,” Mitre replied calmly. “I know how… ‘impulsive’, some can be, particularly when they are protecting young. However, that is precisely why Bingo will be here. He carries a lot of weight with the guard, and knows how to handle them better than most.”

I raised an eyebrow at the orange stallion. “You know how to deal with the royal guard?” I asked curiously.

Bingo nodded as Mitre replied, “Naturally. He was a Major with the Royal Inquisitorial Division before we recruited him.”

The R.I.D?! Good goddesses, those swines were the animals who investigated the watch. They’d become a kind of ‘bogie stallion’ to frighten us into keeping in line. Hadn’t done much to stop the latest lot of corruption though, had they? Still, from one of the big boys to the owner of a laundry working for Equus? In this crazy mixed up world it seemed almost inevitable somehow. Another round of drinks appeared, although I noted that it was limited to soft drinks this time. By the looks of it, we were going to be here for a while. I wasn’t disappointed either.

“Now, let’s discuss arrangements,” Mitre announced. “Heavy Hoof and his big boys are going to be working with us to set up patrols around the perimeter of Smiling Borders. Now, I’ve brought an ordnance survey map of...”

The discussions went on, long into the night. And I mean long. Tingles had gone to be bed hours ago, taking young Lumin up with her. The poor little guy had been fast asleep through most of it, and I’d begun to wish I’d been able to simply nod off without anypony noticing. These sorts of situations though, were Mitre’s speciality. Part of me suspected that his meticulous planning for any potential interference by the royal guard, was grounded in his feeling of guilt for what had happened at the safe house with myself and Meadow. If it was, then I wasn’t going to say anything. He was my friend, then as well as now. And here he was, overlooking nothing, looking for any advantage we could have should the worst happen. In some respects I glad Tingles wasn’t here to hear it, but then she was hardly some wilting flower. She would do whatever it took to protect our son, and was a lot stronger than her light pegasus frame would suggest. Even so, the words ‘Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst’ rang in my mind as clear as a bell.

“Boy? You alright?”

“Hmm?” I sat up and stretched my back. Gods, I was so stiff! “Yeah… Yeah, I’m good.”

Mitre clopped me on the shoulder. “Don’t worry yourself, your family are in safe hooves. Claws and hands for that matter.” He bobbed his head towards the door. “Come on, lets get some air.”

The lounge was empty, the evening revellers having gone home to their beds and leaving no more than the smell of tobacco and beer in their wake. Grimble and Heather had already turned in, the others going up to their rooms whilst my old friend and I made for the porch. A bottle of brandy, two glasses and a humidor awaited us. Good old Grimble.

“We wouldn’t have been able to do this until a few weeks ago,” I said, taking my seat.

“Bad weather?” Mitre asked.

“If only,” I said casually. “Timberwolves.”

“Mmm… I heard.” Mitre lifted his cigar and accepted a light from my magic. “Any trouble with them since?”

I shrugged. “Nope. And long may it continue.”

“Amen to that.” Mitre raised his glass and took a sip. “What about you though? I’ve known you long enough to recognise that look in your eyes. Something’s troubling you.”

I chuckled. “Am I that transparent?”

“Sometimes,” he replied. “I’ve always appreciated honesty in a pony, and that’s one of the things I like about you, Fairlight. Your father would be very proud of you.”

“Dad...” I sighed. “I don’t know about that. He could be a cranky old sod at the best of times.”

“Ha! He could that,” Mitre smiled. “You could always go and see him if you wanted, boy. He’s a grandfather now, and he doesn’t even know it yet.”

And there it was. I’d expected him to come out with something like this sooner or later. He probably couldn’t see any harm in it either. Simply up sticks, go and see my father, and act as if nothing had ever happened, right? So simple to say – just… go and see him. No. No, I couldn’t do that. At least… not yet. When mum had died, dad hadn’t even bothered to turn up at her funeral. I’d stood there like a fool, glancing towards the gate of the cemetery, waiting, watching, expecting him to roll up at any moment like he always had. Even as mum had been lowered into the ground, I held out hope. As the final shovelful of earth covered her from the sun high above, I waited. I stayed until the light had gone, the moon and stars filling the sky, yet of my father… there was no sign. No flowers, no letter, no visit, no nothing. I know they’d split up, I knew that their relationship had come to an end, but… I closed my eyes and shook my head slowly. There were some things you couldn’t forgive. Even if it did feel like a knife through my heart.

“They want me to be this ‘Lord of the four winds’,” I said, changing the subject.

There was a pause before Mitre answered. “And what do you want?”

“Honestly?” I sniffed loudly. “I want to be left alone! I just want a quiet life in a boring part of the world. No wendigo, no Celestia, no drug dealers or other assorted underworld scum. Just me, Tingles, Lumin, and a peaceful retirement.”

Mitre began to laugh. “You?!” He slapped his hind leg. “What a load of crap!”

I nickered, turning to face him. “You think that’s wrong? After everything I’ve been through? Gods almighty, Mitre, I thought you of all ponies would understand.”

“I do,” he replied, wiping the mirth from his eyes. “I’m sorry, boy, but I think I know you better than you know yourself.”

“Really?” I said sarcastically.

Mitre shook his head and slugged back his brandy. “I know you, Fairlight. You’re not the kind of stallion to give up on anything. You won’t turn your back on your mare, and you won’t turn your back on Equus either. You,” he said, pointing a hoof at me, “don’t leave loose ends. It’s not who you are, and as much as you may complain and gripe about your lot in life, you have more drive in you than a locomotive with a full head of steam.”

“You know me that well, do you?” I flicked my mane out of my eyes.

“Aye.” Mitre leaned towards and smiled broadly. “I know, because I was like you: a risk taker, a fighter, impetuous to the point of being foolhardy, and a pony who knows what it means to have honour. You, Captain Fairlight, live your life to values that many have forgotten in more recent years. It makes you… more than you appear.”

“Been speaking to Barrick, have you?” I retorted.

“Who?” Mitre gave a sly look as he leaned back in his chair. “Listen, boy, it’s entirely up to you what you do. Equus is there when you need us, and the goddesses know we need all the extra hooves we can get these days.”

“Any chance of a desk job?”

“Here is Smiling Borders?” Mitre shrugged. “Maybe… maybe...” He rubbed his muzzle in thought for a moment. “We don’t have many friends in the nobility, so it’s a definite possibility.”

“Huh!” I sniffed, “I’m sure it is. I never said I was going to take up the role, yet.”

“Didn’t you?” Mitre took a pull on his cigar. “Like I said, I know you, boy. And I know you’ve already made up your mind, even if you won’t admit to yourself.”

“And what if I did?” I said suddenly. “It means jack shit, Mitre! Lord of a pile of crap in the arse end of nowhere? All it’s like to do is attract Celestia and her goons like flies to turd, and what happens then? She’d think nothing of murdering everypony here and making the evidence vanish in a poof of smoke. We’d be dead, forgotten, and anypony else we knew would either disappear too or have their memories altered. You know it, and I know it. You can’t trust her!”

A bird flew past us, squawking noisily before vanishing into the forest. The tension in the air popped like a bottle of champagne. “Are you a threat to her?” Mitre asked.

“A threat?” I nearly laughed. “Come on! I nearly died breaking my neck for that old sow, and what good did it do me, eh? Answer me that?”

“A wendigo with a small army at his command could do a lot damage, Fairlight.” Mitre blew a smoke ring out into the cool night air. “I’ve seen Heavy Hoof and his lads. They’d be handy in a fight that lot. Put them all together with the rest of Grimble’s lot, and you’d have a sizeable force. The royal army would have their work cut out for them, I’d tell you that for nothing.”

My face must have been a picture. “You’re talking about an armed insurrection!” I blurted. “For the goddess’s sake, Chief, I swore an oath to protect Equestria, not destroy it!” I banged my hoof on the table. “Is that what these guys are thinking? What, they want to go out in a blaze of glory or something, is that it? Because I’ll tell you now, that’s what would happen alright. One zap from sun-butt’s horn and your a floating cloud of ash!”

Mitre shrugged his shoulder and let out a long, deep breath. “Well, there you go then.”

“There I go what?”

“Just be who you want to be,” he said simply. “If these people want somepony to lead them, then lead them. Not against Equestria, but for it. Make Celestia see that you aren’t some monster in her kingdom, but rather a protecting force for good.”

“You’ve been reading too many superhero comics,” I snorted. “She wanted me gone, Mitre.”

“True,” he said dismissively, “but even monarchy can change their mind.”

“Not her!” I laughed.

“You know her that well do you?” The big blue stallion sat up, knocking the ash from his cigar. “Let me explain something to you, boy.” His large eyes locked on to mine. “Celestia may be a lot of things, but she is still a mare, and if there is one thing I know about mares, it’s that they can change their mind like the wind.” He smiled quietly. “It may take some time, but she may.”

“I wish I had you confidence,” I groused.

“Many do, boy,” Mitre chuckled. “Many do.”

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

The morning was fresh and cool. Autumn was in the air and winter wouldn’t be far behind, bringing with it the shorter days and early snows to blanket the land of my ancestors. Being this close to the mountains, as well as being so far north, would be quite the experience compared to what I was used to in Manehattan. In the city snow rarely stuck at all, the salt water in the air and general heat generated by that compressed mass of life usually melted it before it even hit the ground. It was still dark outside, the pre-dawn light only just now beginning to colour the distant horizon with a faint hint of orange. I zipped up my flight suit and checked the goggles were clear and accessible. As much as I hated the blasted things, they had their place. Besides, Tingles had insisted on me wearing them, and if anypony knew about the perils of flight, it was her. One last check, one last look over everything to make sure I hadn’t missed anything. It didn’t look like it. All my packs, food, weapons and gear, were stowed and ready for the long flight to wherever the pendant would take me.

“All set, boy?”

I smiled at my old mentor. “Aye.”

Mitre nodded sagely, checking me over like a father with his son on his first day at school. Strangely, it didn’t feel unusual in the slightest. I trusted him, and that was something I didn’t do lightly. In fact, I was entrusting him and his team with the welfare of the most precious treasure I had in this world – my family. ‘My family’… So simple to say, yet those two words held so much meaning to me it made my heart sing. I’d lost one already, I wouldn’t lose the other. Shadow was a part of that very same family and she would be coming home soon, I’d make sure of that. She’d already waited too long by far.

“Good,” Mitre announced stepping back. “Make sure you keep that communicator close. If you need us, it’s on an encrypted channel straight mine.”

I nodded. “Understood.”

My cloak had been mended, cleaned and stashed in one of the packs. Mitre, goddess bless his hooves, had also managed to recover the rest of my gear from the agency, courtesy of Brandy. According to my old watch chief, it appeared that Luna had stood her ground against Celestia after all, and it looked like Equus would end up becoming officially recognised as Luna’s special operations ponies. I didn’t doubt Celestia would still have a hoof in it all, but you had to take what you could with that one. As for me, that was quite a different matter and the sisters had been in a quarrel about ‘The wendigo’ ever since. I felt terrible about being the cause of strife between two sisters, but Celestia was still ‘the great destroyer’ in my eyes - a creature of merciless death and destruction who was just as likely to finish me off as she was to stuff herself with a mountain of cupcakes. Maybe one day I could reconcile with her, but… well, who could say what the future held? Mitre clopped me on the shoulder and gave me a fatherly hug before letting Tingles trot up carrying Lumin. Those green eyes always made my eyes turn to jelly.

She gave me a peck on the cheek. “Take care out there, love. Keep safe and come back soon.”

“I will, my beautiful pegasus,” I gave her a hug. “Take care of our little guy. I’ll be back before you know it.”

“The harem continues to expand…” Mitre muttered rolling his eyes. I raised an eyebrow, turning to leave just as Grimble and a massive charcoal coloured minotaur walked in from outside.

Our griffin host held up a claw, “My lord, before you leave, please…”

Grimble reached into a bag slung over his shoulder, passing me a paper wrapped package, a bottle of brandy and a bag of his special tobacco. Thoughtfully he’d also included a pipe in a hard travelling case as well as a small box of cigars. I could have kissed him! I hid them in my pack quickly in case Tingles caught me with them. Thank the goddess she was too busy changing Lumin to notice my contraband.

“Thank you, my friend, this means a lot to me,” I smiled broadly to him.

We shook hooves, claws… Ah! Whatever! The giant minotaur was next. He snorted and rumbled something before handing me a large oil cloth wrapped package. What in Equestria was this? It was fairly heavy, and smelled of linseed oil and grease. I scrubbed my mane, “Er… thank you, mister…?”

“I am Vent!” The huge mountain of muscle thumped his chest and grinned, showing his large bull teeth.

“Thanks Vent, may I open it?” I asked.

The big minotaur nodded and smiled at Grimble conspiratorially. The older griffin leaned in to whisper to me, “Vent’s the local blacksmith. He’s a bit low on, um, you know… Deaf as a post too.”

I opened the package warily, the smell of wood and oil from within tugging at my imagination. Held in the glow of my magic, the string fell away, the cloth unfolding and… Oh gods... Inside was a very familiar folded construction of steel and wood. I gasped in surprise, “My scythe!”

Vent grinned, “Work well now! Vent work long days to fix.”

Discord’s scaly arse, he had too. The blade shone like a mirror, catching the early morning light along its length. The haft had been carefully re-tooled as well and the mechanism, cleaned, polished and tuned to perfection, worked like the finest clockwork. I pressed the release catch, watching the piece come to life before my very eyes. I could imagine it slicing the air in twain, gliding gracefully through the particles of existence as effortlessly as a salmon through a mountain stream. This unusual instrument of war sent a cold thrill of excitement through my body that I thought I had forgotten. By all the gods, who knew such big creatures could have so delicate a touch? I clopped Vent on the elbow as I couldn’t reach his shoulder. “You’ve excelled yourself Vent,” I said with a beaming grin. “Thank you so much.” I turned to face the others and bowed. “Thank you everyone, each and every one of you for everything you’ve done for me, and my family. I hope some day I will be able to repay you for all your kindness.” The all watched me in silence, their faces filling my heart with a sense of loss for having to part from them, but also hope for the future. I would back, and this time… this time it would be for good. I brushed my muzzle against Tingles, before addressing them all. “For now my friends, sadly, I’ll need to be on my way. I won’t say ‘goodbye’ though, just… ‘see you soon’.”

Smiles, well wishes and hugs lead me to the open front front door of the tavern. It was a cool morning, the fresh breeze making my fur tingle with anticipation. Steeling myself I took a step outside where I became aware of a large number of eyes focussed on me. A very large number! They were all around me, hundreds of them, accompanied by a variety of huffs, snorts and grunts. There were even some shining green, hidden in the darkness at the edge of the forest – not threatening, just… curious. It was all a bit unnerving to say the least. Had the whole village turned out to see me off? Normally I would have expected to be reaching for my magic, or at the very least slamming the door shut and expecting a mob with pitchforks to come barrelling in at any minute. And yet, as incredible as this scene was, I felt no fear whatsoever. Instead, I felt… pride? I could feel myself smiling, my mane bristling and hooves itching to be off. I was at home here. These were my people, my family.

My tribe.

A voice which had all the audible qualities of a landslide, called out from the throng, “Lord Fairlight! We have come to wish you well on your journey.” Silver Moss walked forward, the last echoes of moonlight mingling with the blood red of the sun catching on his polished horns and…armour? My goddesses, they were all in full armour! The curious light glinted upon the black and blue spiked battle gear, hi-lighting the edges of innumerable swords, spears and axes. He slammed his spear into the ground and stood tall. “Will you light the torch?”

He held out a long piece of wood with rags tied around the end that had been soaked in something that smelled very much like pitch. This held some sort of symbolic meaning, but exactly what I didn’t know. Still, there was that little part of me, call it a memory or just a gut feeling, that told me that this was the way of things. This, was the way of the tribe. Summoning a little magic, not much more than my party trick really, I held it to the torch and it rapidly burst into a rich, flickering flame. The minotaur bowed, walking off around the mass of creatures, passing the flame from one to another, to another. Before my eyes the flames rippled out like a fan, with me as its focus. They all looked so expectant! What the hell was I going to do now?! And yet… somewhere, inside of me, I could feel Maroc’s memories bubbling away, guiding me. This was as it should be. Our traditions, our ceremonies and festivals, had been kept alive by these people, passed down through all the countless generations until this moment. For this moment. These were my people, the remnants of the tribe of the four winds. There was no doubt, no question. The answer had been here all along. I closed my eyes and dipped into my memories, finding what was expected of me. But doing it myself? Well now, that was a different matter. So why was I smiling? Grimble walked up to stand next to me, grinning expansively. I wondered what his real role was here? I’d have to ask him next time I saw him. Right now though…

I began to release the power. Slowly, gradually, the ancient magic began to flow once more, filling my body from the wellspring deep within my soul. I felt a chill run through my veins as I allowed the changes to build. Too much too quickly could burn my reserves off needlessly. I’d learned a lot about my powers as I’d used them, and controlling the flow of energy and how it was released felt more natural to me now. To be honest, I thought it looked pretty cool too. Once, in the beginning, the changes had been frightening to me, whereas now they filled me with excitement, and a thrilling sense of anticipation of adventure to come. So much so, I began to laugh – a deep rumbling laugh that made the very ground beneath my hooves shake. My humour spilled out, rolling across those gathered as the sound of the wendigo echoed across the village for the first time in a millennia. By the goddess, it was good to be alive! There was a collective gasp and a shuffling from the crowd as those at the back tried to see my transformation. Some of the winged villagers were flying up to have a better view, and I could feel their eyes looking down upon me. Suddenly, I felt incredibly self-conscious; normally I didn’t like being the centre of attention at all, preferring to let others be in the spotlight. Was that the pony in me feeling that way? I neighed loudly, thumping my hoof down on the old decking. Even if it was my pony nature, such feelings of weakness were out of place here. I couldn’t be weak now. I wouldn’t be! Not for my family, nor my people! I huffed loudly, feeling my teeth itch as my wings pushed out from the slit in my flight suit. White mist wreathed my legs, shining in the pre-dawn light. I had to do what was expected of me, and I shook my mane, taking a deep calming breath to keep my composure.

“Brother and Sisters,” I began in my wendigo voice, “for a thousand years you have waited here, holding true to the oaths of your ancestors, remaining true to the family of the tribe of the four winds. I came to you as unknowing as a newborn foal, unsure of who I was and of my place in the world. Since that first meeting I have found new strengths and new friends, both among the Equestrians and the people of Smiling Borders. It is my hope that together, you and I, we will forge a new path, and restore the glory of our forefathers.” The very air around me felt electric, the throng hanging off me every word. I bowed, allowing the mist to flood out around me, swirling around the hooves, claws and feet of the assembled villagers. “My brothers and sisters… I salute you all.”

Silence.

It lasted for no more than a second, but had me worried I’d put my hoof right in it. It was like one of those scenes in the movies where the stranger walks into the saloon and all the music suddenly stops as the locals turn as one to stare. I knew so little about these people. Gods, I knew next to nothing about wendigo, and I was one! They were all staring at me, every single one of them, until Silver Moss broke the spell.

He bellowed at the top of his bullish voice, holding his battle axe in the air. “THE LORD OF THE FOUR WINDS HAS RETURNED!”

A brace of massive cheers filled the air, making my ears pop. “URRAH! URRAH! URRAH!”

Lead by Silver Moss the massed villagers went to one knee, bowing to me. And there I stood, my blue eyes burning brightly, the mist billowing around my hooves, the nobody pony from a nobody place. Now, I was the last of the wendigo, the lord of the four winds. If somepony had told me what I’d be seeing now a few years ago, I’d think they’d gone completely bonkers. And maybe I had. Perhaps this was all just some crazed fever dream and one day I’d wake up, back in that nowhere village where nopony gave a damn about wendigo, or criminal syndicates or corrupt officials. I’d thought that before though, hadn’t I? I’d even wished I could turn clock back and avoid ever joining the watch, or at least do something that would have put me on a different path in life. But would I change it now if I had the chance?

No. No way in hell.

Grimble stepped forward, speaking loud enough for all to hear. “My Lord, the winds of the mountains guide you safely upon your journey. May our prayers to the goddess of the moon protect you. May the stars light your path so that you may return to us again. As warriors of the tribe of the four winds, I vow that your wife and foal will be safe with us. We would gladly die to the last to defend your family, and your honour. SO SAY THE PEOPLE OF THE WINDS!”

The air boomed as hundreds of voices cried, “AYE!”

I nodded to Grimble and prepared my wings, stretching them out for a few experimental flaps. As weird as this all was to me, it still felt... ‘right’ somehow, as if I’d done this before and I was going through a ceremony of sorts. Perhaps I was. Only the gods knew where my words had come from when I’d addressed the people of the tribe. And now that was another thing, wasn’t it? I wasn’t really thinking of them as villagers any more, but rather as ‘the tribe’. A warm fuzzy feeling deep inside my chest, just on the edge of perception, made me shudder. I hadn’t particularly noticed it before, but there it was. The bond. Speaking of warm and fuzzy, Tingles suddenly lunged at me, grabbing me with her forelegs and kissed me passionately on the mouth.

“My lord of the four winds, eh?” she beamed. “That’ll take some getting used to. Be careful out there and bring Shadow back safely love, I’ll be waiting for you.” Tingles nodded towards Heather who was cradling a sleeping Lumin. “…we all will.”

A spontaneous cheer went up as Tingles kissed me again and, with a single leap, I took to the air. I had no idea where the crystal’s light would take me on my journey, but with a joyous heart, it was one I was genuinely excited to begin. Shadow would wait no longer. Behind me the light from the torches and the cheers of my people, followed me on the first leg of my journey. My spirits soared as I rose up, up and out into the brightening dawn sky.

Chapter Eleven - Tarragon

CHAPTER ELEVEN

TARRAGON

I flew through the early light of dawn following the pendant’s familiar glow, my mind drifting back to everything that had happened back in the caves. Dragons… Dear goddess, I can barely recall ever seeing even one of the elusive creatures when I was a youngster, and then there, right beneath our hooves, was a place full of the bloody things! Somehow I doubted anypony would believe my tale anyway, or Nimble for that matter, but it was hardly the kind of story to bring up during polite conversation, was it? Once you’d left out all the juicy details about being shot at, blown up, nearly eaten alive and being surrounded by living nightmares, there wasn’t much left to talk about really. One day I’d like to meet up with the corporal again though. Despite being one Celestia’s mob, I genuinely hoped he would be alright and that he wouldn’t get himself into strife with his superiors. Mind you, a bit of a chatterbox he may be, but he was a suprisingly intelligent young stallion and I had no doubt he’d be more than capable of concocting some sort of cock and bull story to cover his back. He’d escaped ‘the monster’ after all, and who would even begin to suspect that a royal guardspony would become friends with such a vile beast? If he’d been the only survivor they may have raised an eyebrow or two about his ‘miraculous escape’, however there were several survivors from the pegasi detachment that had chased me in the first place. And frankly, I think they’d be the ones doing most of the explaining about that bloody debacle. Come to think of it, I was damned lucky they hadn’t rolled up to see what had happened to their ground based buddies. Unless they already had of course. The wagons had been abandoned and all it would have taken was one look into the tunnel we’d emerged from to send them running. Once burned, twice shy as they say.

My newest travelling companion seemed quite content, the diminutive creature continuing to cling to my back like a leathery black limpet. I thought she’d have become bored by now and flown off back home, but she was still here, nuzzling happily into my mane. I hoped dragon slobber washed out. I have to say I was surprised that Barathel hadn’t seemed bothered in the slightest about his daughter running off with somepony she’d only just met. Neither did he seem as hell bent on killing me as I thought a father would be in similar circumstances. I know if some random guy appeared out nowhere and wanted to bugger off with my daughter in tow, I’d have more than something to say about it. A hoof shaped print pressed into his bollocks would be least of his worries. Actually, now that I come to think of it, was Barathel a male or female? I had no idea, but ‘he’ seemed to be the most appropriate. Interestingly, his daughter had been able to communicate with him, and yet not with me. All I picked up on was a variety of clicks, squawk and squeaks, not unlike the dreadful language the thestrals spoke. Maybe she hadn’t learned equestrian yet? She was absolutely tiny too, barely a sapling compared to the mighty oak of her father’s stature. Ha! Just as well too, I don’t think my back could take it if she got much bigger! Fortunately though, any pursuit of the two of us had disappeared along with the disaster in the caves. From what Nimble had told me, it seemed there was nothing especially mysterious about the royal guard chasing me after all… They were all after me: the army, royal guard, probably even the sodding navy. How nice it was to be wanted! This sort of attention though, I could seriously do without. Anyway, they’d probably be licking their wounds for a while yet and may think twice about coming after me again. With any luck they’d think I’d died in the caves, especially after throwing in an M.A.D after me. But as always, hope springs eternal!

I flew high, keeping to the cloud layer as much as I could to avoid detection. This far north and at this time of year, cloud was a lot more plentiful than it had been only a few weeks ago. It was almost as bad as the near perpetual overcast that made Manehattan the eternal ‘Rainy City’. Almost. Even so, this journey was really beginning to wear me down though. Day after endless day, through wind and rain I struggled on, taking whatever shelter I could find in forests, barns, in fact anything that would give me a safe place for the night away from prying eyes. When I had to, I would release a little of the magic at night to help ward off potential predators whilst I slept. Mostly all it caught were mice and the odd rabbit in its deadly embrace of course, though seeing their frozen bodies like that when I awoke in the morning wrenched at my heart. The little things had done nothing to me, but I had to think of myself, or more specifically Shadow, first. I was relieved it didn’t affect Tarragon though, and she continued to sleep happily on my back - unless she wanted to wander off looking for food which she did whenever we landed. I’ll say one thing for her, she was no herbivore that was for damned sure. I lost count of the amount of times she’d brought back a fresh kill to ‘share’ with me. I almost had, too. So far, however, I’d kept to my rations, avoiding the desire to eat half chewed squirrels. If need be I could always use the disguise to buy food in some of the more remote villages, although right now that was something I wanted to avoid unless at the very end of need. Speaking of need, I was beginning to ‘need’ a rest. I’d come to the point where I’d quite literally lost track of the time I’d been flying. How many days had it been now? I was beginning to think there was something wrong with Star Swirl’s pendant after all. I mean, it had been designed around a thousand years ago or something like that, hadn’t it? How could it still be working properly now? I held the thing up before me, and as always it shone brightest to the north, as indeed it had done since I’d left Smiling Borders – more or less. I sighed, hanging my head. Goddesses, I what I wouldn’t give for a bath! As luck would have it, not far off in the distance I could make out the telltale misty rainbow of a waterfall. And where there’s waterfalls, there’s often a pool for a tired pony to relax and wash. Right on cue a sudden whiff of pungent, unwashed equine caught in my nose. Celestia’s furry arse, I seriously needed a bath! With a whinny, I dived through the clouds down to the river below and circled, checking for any unwelcome visitors. The area certainly looked clear, I hadn’t seen any sign of habitation for ages amongst the wide grassy plains. Apparently ‘civilisation’ hadn’t quite reached out this far yet it seemed, and that was all the better for me. There was a nice spot near some trees where a quite pool of water surrounded by smooth pale grey rocks lay just crying out for its next customer - me! I came in for a landing and hastily began divesting myself of the myriad packs, bags and other necessaries with an enthusiasm born of decidedly smelly desperation. Finally the last pack dropped to the ground, accompanied by a loud heartfelt groan. Getting that weight off my back was a relief in itself, the damned stuff felt like it was fused to my back and pulled horribly on my fur. I don’t know whether that was down to a combination of sweat and dirt or a reaction to the intense heat from the explosion in the tunnel, but either way it was coming off - pain or no pain. Thank the gods there wasn’t anypony around to hear my pathetic squeaks as I worked. Even more so due to the fact I was just about bald by the time I’d finished. Ah, mum would be so proud...

I took a moment to catch my breath. Time for a smoke, I think. Or at least it would have been if I hadn’t still been half trapped inside that blasted flight suit. What the hell was damned thing made of anyway? I don’t know about being ‘skin tight’ as Tingles had described it, the slippery material felt like it had been painted on, and the only loose bits had been where I’d had to pry my packs away, removing so much hair I could have made a nice rug for myself. Out of me! And so, with wendigo magic put away for night - metaphorically speaking of course - I peeled myself out of the last of what was left of my flight suit. It wasn’t a pretty sight. I held up the tattered thing and sighed; thank goodness I’d brought a sewing kit with me. It had stood up pretty well considering everything I’d subjected it to, protecting me a lot more effectively than I’d expected. The least I could do was to make some effort at keeping it in decent condition. For now though it was cigar time. Lifting one out, it didn’t quite register with me at first just how surprisingly intact it was. How had it-? Aha! That crafty old bugger Mitre had put them in a padded hard shell case without my knowledge, no doubt anticipating some rough handling by yours truly. And I was glad of it too! Soon enough, leaning back against my bedding roll the pleasant scent of best quality Llamalian tobacco smoke rose lazily over the ad-hoc campsite into the still blue sky. Now this was more like it. Relaxation, calm, and a welcome sense of peace beside the bubbling water of the river was beginning to make me a little drowsy. I yawned, stretching my legs. Wish I’d brought a book to read. Lovely countryside it may be, but days of travel could really wear you down, and a welcome distraction would have been just the ticket. Speaking of which, I’d have to collect some firewood while we still had some light. It could get dark in this part of the world very quickly, as I’d discovered the hard way after hours of strength sapping flight. At least I didn’t have to worry too much about keeping out of sight for once. I’d keep it low though, just in case some eagle eyed pegasus happened to be passing by. Not that there was much chance of that all the way out here. I’d be more likely to run into ‘other’ things that might not be quite so friendly - dragons for one. Speaking of which, my dragonling passenger seemed to be right at home. She clicked at me in her funny little language before waddling up to the rocky pool and took a long drink. For some reason she reminded me of Shadow at a distance. The black leathery look, the odd clicking and hooting language - maybe they were related somewhere along the line? I still preferred hooves to claws though, as although small, the dragon’s talons dug in like bloody needles. Fortunately my gear had decent enough padding and she seemed happy enough clinging to that so long as she could nuzzle into my mane. And chew it. She really liked to chew apparently. I’d have to think of a name for her sooner or later, and hopefully something that didn’t come back to bite me on the arse later too. I didn’t know anything about dragons except the one’s I’d read about when I was a young colt, like ‘Tarragon, the terror of the east’. I’d absolutely loved that book. It was a gritty tale about an enormous fire dragon that had annihilated a number of towns along the east coast of Equestria around the turn of the century. It was a true story too, and even if it had been exaggerated a little to make the story more exciting for modern readers, it was still a damned good read that had me on the edge of my seat. Oh, and hiding under the covers at night too. You see, as well as the creature’s well documented pyromaniacal tendencies, it was especially notable for having a voracious appetite, and it certainly didn’t discriminate between sentient creatures and the more… um, ‘free range’ variety, if you know what I mean. Ultimately the angry beast was hunted down and captured by pegasi from the royal guard, which must have been quite a task all things considered. Hadn’t they drugged a cow carcass or something? I couldn’t quite remember. Still, in the end they’d banished the destructive dragon to the north with a magical ward to stop it ever coming here again. I guess the soldiers had that in mind for me as well, courtesy of the lovely Celestia no doubt. And what the hell was it with ‘the north’ anyway? Was it really that bad? There were remote forts up there along the Yakistani border, but other than that it was just a frozen wasteland. Or perhaps that was the idea? It was probably easier on the conscience to ‘exile’ some poor sod to freeze to death rather than have their blood on your hooves. Even if the end result was exactly the same. The little dragon snuffled at my foreleg and I reached over, fussing the little creature on the head. In response she butted my hoof with her head, closing her eyes and chirruping in what I could only think was an expression of happiness.

“Do you have a name already?” I asked her. Always best to ask, right? She cocked her head to one side, watching me quizzically, but then seemed to give up on understanding the strange pony in front of her and began biting at muck between her claws. “Right then, Tarragon it is,” I said with a nod. “Do like that, little lady?”

The dragon didn’t seem to understand, but I imagine they take an enormous amount of time to develop. I mean, just how old was Barathel after all? More to the point, how old was Tarragon? I offered her a piece of oat cake from my pack, which she sniffed at before emitting a snort of displeasure. Of course… carnivores. I hope she didn’t fancy pony any time soon. Suddenly she darted off back to the pool, clambering up onto one of the low, flat rocks. As I watched, Tarragon stood carefully on the edge and dangled her long red tongue into the water. Seconds later, there was a splash and her head darted in quick as lightning. My initial reaction was shock, thinking my diminutive friend had fallen in, when she suddenly pulled her head back triumphantly waving a rather large fish in her jaws.

“Show off…” I muttered to her, stepping into the water. She squawked at me and returned to her dinner.

It was no hot spring, I can tell you that! The river water was bitterly cold, but at the same time intensely refreshing on my hide. Already I could feel all the filth, sweat, blood, and general build-up from days of rough living sloughing away into the riverside pool. With no small amount of help from my wash kit I scrubbed myself from muzzle to tail. Gods above, what a mess; my fur was patchy, my tail and mane matted and full of things I’d rather not think about. It was going to take ages to sort out this mess. You could see why adventuring types preferred short hair, and it wasn’t as if mine was that long to begin with. Well, all I can say is that I gave it my best shot. I certainly wouldn’t be winning any beauty pageants for a while, but what the hay, at least I didn’t stink like a wet turd any more so that had to be something positive, right? Finally finished, I towelled off as best I could, laying the rough piece of fabric out on a rock afterwards to dry in what was left of the sunlight. The rocks were quite warm considering, and my little friend had taken full advantage of that fact to stretch herself out. I reached over to give her a tickle, but in typical Tarragon style she had her own mind about such things, and in a flurry of leathery wings leaped up before rushing off into the woods, squawking at something she probably wanted to eat. For myself, I decided to treat my mane to a damned good brushing out. Rummaging in my pack for the case of accoutrements, the home made case contained everything a pony on the go could ever need: curry combs, different grades of brushes, scissors, hoof files and so forth. Thankfully none of the set had been damaged, all except for a slightly bent handle which I was able to straighten out without too much effort. With any luck, the lady the set belonged to wouldn’t notice. Hope, as always, springs eternal. Getting to work on my ragged mess of a mane, I can honestly I was really glad Tingles had made me take her spare grooming set now, despite my initial misgivings about needing the thing and it taking up valuable space in my pack. Naturally she was having none of my nonsense and the set was duly packed away before I could say another word. Boy, did I know my place! Mind you, other than a few stubborn knots, the old mane didn’t seem quite so bad after all really - and goddesses, did that feel good! Next, I gave my tail a good service. The white streak had some stubborn stains in it and I was beginning to wish I’d brought a shampoo rather than just soap to help me get the damned knots out. A tangled tail was no joke, and the comb caught and pulled painfully until, at last, it was all done. What a job! When I was a foal, Mum used to tell me off for running through thickets and brambles, catching all sorts of things in my mane and tail which she would then fuss over getting out. I’m sure she used to deliberately pull hard on the comb to make her point, and I bet she was doing the same with Sparrow now too, the awkward old mare. Raising a hoof to my eye I felt a tear welling up and wiped it away. I missed them, all of them. Sometimes I just… I sighed. These melancholy moods of mine were never helpful. As much as I preferred my own company from time to time, I needed company just the same as any other pony. Speaking of which, where was Tarragon?

“Tarragon?”

She’d been gone for ages, which was unusual for her. Normally she didn’t stray far at all, or for long. I left my gear by the river and walked into the trees at the edge of the woodland where I’d last seen her. It was quite dark in here too, not much natural light could penetrate through the thick canopy above. What there was created dappled shadows which mane my mane twitch uncomfortably.

“Tarragon?” I called. “Where are you? Tarragon!”

Still no reply. I was starting to get worried now. I thought about going back to get my kit and weapons, but I was too far in to go back now. Anyway, what if she was lying hurt somewhere? I took a grip on my magic and let it flow through me gently, just enough to enhance my senses and be ready in case I needed it. My muzzle twitched. If I concentrated I could ‘feel’ the forest all around me, smell the leaf mould, the damp, yielding soil beneath my hooves. In the distance I could hear the eerie cries of deer, the chirrup of crickets and… something else… something nearer - a muffled shrieking noise…Oh goddesses, Tarragon! I homed in on the noise and charged forward, the cries growing louder with ever step. I could smell something else now too. It reminded me of the griffin quarter of Manehattan where they sold all sorts of strange, exotic foods. Of course, being a pony I didn’t eat things like that, even if the smells were enticing. This smell didn’t carry all the fancy spices the griffins used, and was a bit more like… I don’t know, something burning? Like roasted… Oh no... No, no, NO!

Bursting through the tree’s I was met with a sight beyond my worst imaginings. It was a small clearing, no more than a few yards across. And there in the middle of it, tied to a spit, was Tarragon, slowly being roasted over a low fire by several large dog-like bipeds. The beady eyed beasts hadn’t noticed me and were busy gutting rabbits, throwing their skinned bodies into a small pot. Tarragon shrieked in pain and fear as the flames licked around her, her captors callously ignoring her plight as they went about their meal preparations. Without pause I magicked a blast of icy wind directly at the fire, throwing off the shackles on my wendigo power in a heartbeat. In that same instant the source of my friend’s torment exploded in a gout of ash and steam, transforming it into a mass of charred wood and ice. Everything happened at once. The dog creatures scattered, yipping and howling into the safety of the treeline, ignoring the equine intruder in their midst and giving me enough time to reach my goal unimpeded. Using my sharp teeth, I quickly severed Tarragon’s tight bindings and flipped the little dragon onto my back. I could tend to her injuries later. Right now… Oh, yes… Right now...

I turned to look at the foul things that had done this barbaric act, baring my teeth and hissing out my anger at what they had done. I could feel the power, the hatred rising inside me inexorably. How could they? How could any being do this to another? I advanced on them, thick plumes of freezing fog rolling out from my hind legs, turning the ground and trees into cracking, splintering solid lumps of ice. Standing there in shock, the dog creatures drew knives and gabbled at each other in some sort of pigeon equestrian. I wasn’t listening. I didn’t care. These filth had dared to attack one of my friends, they didn’t deserve mercy.

They would receive none.

As one the dog things turned and ran, shrieking into the woodland. And I followed. Howling my fury at their fleeing forms, a well aimed blast from my horn turned the first of the sickening animals into flying chunks of meat. Panicking, the second creature tripped and I was on him in an instant, my fangs sinking into his throat and ripping out his windpipe. And that was where I made my first mistake. I paused, savouring the taste of his life energy as it poured into my open maw, replenishing and revitalising me. Thankfully Tarragon squawked out a warning in the nick of time, as a spear flew past my ear and embedded itself into a tree with a dull ‘thunk’. There were even more of the dog creatures now, and they were taking cover in the thick undergrowth, sniping at me. An arrow sped towards me and I barely had time to bring a shield up to knock it away. More spears, more arrows… The bloody things were getting cocky now, feeling emboldened by the fact they were hidden in the undergrowth. But the show wasn’t over yet. Not by far. I’d teach these filth a lesson they’d never forget. My lips curled back, baring my teeth as I howled out unbridled fury and hatred at the enemy.

Winter... had arrived.

The burning desire for vengeance concentrated my magic to a white hot fury, unleashing a broiling wave of mist and fog out toward the source of the attack. I smiled to myself, watching in grim satisfaction as the ground froze beneath its inexorable path. For added measure, I breathed deeply, focussing my magic into my horn and unleashed blue hell into the trees and bushes before me. The crackling beam of lethal magic swept from left to right at almost ground level, cutting through tree and bush - wood and rock alike exploding into splintered fragments like shrapnel. Blood curdling cries and agonised screams accompanied the onslaught until, eventually, silence fell once more upon the woodland. Not even the birds sang now, my blind anger and fury had brought a swathe of death and destruction to this once idyllic place the likes of which it had never seen. Nature was resilient though, it would rebuild what was destroyed, mending the scars of battle and grow anew.

Not so for my friend, however. That was my role.

I felt Tarragon shudder as she whimpered pitifully on my back, bringing me back to my senses. She needed my help. Now. Lifting her off my back in my magic, I lay her gently on a carpet of leaves and knelt over the little dragon. Checking her over, I felt unbidden tears sting my eyes at the sight of the ravaged body of my friend. Those bastard creatures had really done a number on her. Blood and sickening burns covered her from nose to tail, her minute scales cracked and blistered from the intense heat of the fire. The young dragon looked up at me, her green eyes pleading. She was my friend, and by the goddesses, I would do what I could to help her. I felt the familiar tingle of magic as I released a small stream of the silvery-blue fluid into my mouth, which I drizzled onto her wounds. Carefully, I rubbed it all over the small body with my hooves, watching with relief as her hide steadily repaired itself and the rapid rise and fall of her chest returned to normal.

I picked her up, sinking to my haunches and cradled the young dragon. “You silly little thing, don’t you ever, ever run off like that again. Understand?”

She nuzzled my chest as I held her in my forelegs, to weak to reply. The little creature had become quite special to me since I’d found her in the tunnels. She’d abandoned her home, risked her life for me, and for what? To help a pony she’d never met before? Equestria was truly full of wonders. I put back her on the ground and, keeping my magic ready, walked over to where the arrows and spears had come from. I wanted a closer look at the things that could commit such an act of evil. As it turned out there wasn’t much left to see - that was still in one piece anyway. Scattered around me were the bloodied, rendered body parts of burned and frozen dog creatures. There must have been around four of them here, but it was hard to tell now. I didn’t think it too many. One of them however, mostly intact compared to its fellows, was still just barely alive. Its lips moved, it was trying to say something.

“Why?” It rattled. “Why you attack us?”

I leaned down to face the mangled beast. “Why did you try to burn my friend alive?”

“We…” The creature swallowed, coughing out blood. “We need meat, to survive… lizard is meat…”

I shook my head. “I think you’ve got this the wrong way round, friend.” I moved my muzzle close to the dog things ear and whispered, “You see, she needs meat to survive too. And, from what I can see,” I smiled, “…she’s hungry for yours…”

Tarragon looked to me in anticipation. I nodded.

The creature cried out as Tarragon began to take her fill, and later, when it was time, I took my fill of the beast’s life energy as well. Sated, we both headed back to the river and recovered my gear. Hanging around here wasn’t an option now, we’d have to find another spot for the night elsewhere. And soon. At some point I didn’t doubt that more of the curious dog-like things would come back to look for their missing comrades. When that happened I wanted myself and Tarragon to be long gone. Yet as I fixed the last of my packs into place, I felt a strange feeling deep down inside, niggling at me. Was that... guilt? I shrugged; maybe, but such inconsequential feelings like that were nothing more than a passing breeze to me now. If I wanted to survive, if I wanted to rescue my beloved Shadow and protect those I loved, I had to forget about being a soft-hearted pony and harden my heart. As far as I was concerned, those that attacked us would be dealt with – permanently. There would be no more mercy for the cruel and wicked. They had shown my family none, and I knew all too well how kindness could be interpreted as weakness by those who meant you harm. The sickness running throughout our society cared nothing for such sentiments as gentleness and caring. Even closer to home, the idealism of duty, honour, and respect had been washed away by the tidal wave of uninhibited greed. Where once there had been the watch, now there was only the corruption of the commissioner. Wherever I was, I would bring my own justice, and to hell with anypony, anything, that tried to hurt that which was special to me.

The feeling I had as I soared up into the evening sky, Tarragon snuggled into my back, was one of… total liberation.

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

Riding on the air currents, the sun on my back and the great tapestry of Equestria far below, was a feeling I had never known before my encounter with the spirit in the Withers. If I would be grateful for one thing alone, it was this. Occasionally Tarragon would detach herself from my back and take wing, flying alongside me the way I’d seen ducks in their remarkable formations as they flew south for the winter. Ha! I guess we must have looked very strange for wildfowl! I used the peace and quiet to practice my flying skills: rolling and diving, pitching and yawing, all the while Tarragon keeping up with me and squawking in delight when we ‘chased’ each other through the clouds. As much as I missed my family, this was an experience I wouldn’t have missed for the world. In fact it was probably the nearest to an accurate definition for the word ‘freedom’ as I could have imagined.

The little dragon swept under me and playfully batted at something dangling from my neck, squawking as she glided away happily. Blast it! It was Star Swirl’s pendant. In my rush to escape the carnage near the pool, I hadn’t noticed the thing was just hanging there, flapping around in the wind like a piece of old washing. One good gust and the ancient fine gold chain could give way, dropping my only way of finding Shadow down into the vast plains of Equestria. It was so light I’d probably never even notice it had gone until it was too late. Normally the precious thing was safely tucked in the pocket of my flight suit and I hurriedly took hold of it in case it fell. Goddesses help me if that happened. My heart thumping I pulled open my chest pocket, and paused. Something caught my eye when I moved to place the pendant back in its makeshift home, and I lifted up the crystal in my hoof for closer inspection. It was then that I noticed just how bright the light was. Was it-? No. No, it wasn’t the sunlight reflecting in it as I’d thought at first. This was something else entirely. Damn it all! I’d been so used to seeing that dull, never changing glow, that I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I closed my eyes and took a deep cleansing breath as my heart began to thunder in my chest. Maybe I’d been flying for so long I was seeing things. Was I wrong? I banked and circled in a wide arc, carefully watching the pendant’s light. It changed. I tightened my course, watching the brightness changed until… There! Below me! By Luna’s backside, this was it, I was here at last! Wherever ‘here’ was of course.

I dove below the cloud layer, Tarragon attached to my harness, squeaking her excitement which echoed my own. Could she sense our goal was near? The tiny creature was remarkably perceptive, and in all fairness, If she hadn’t drawn my attention to the crystal I could have ended up flying a full day out of my way. Gods, I could have kissed her! Wind whipped past me, streaming my mane and tail out behind us like the tail of a comet plunging down to earth. Laid before us was a lush green rolling countryside of grass and scattered tree’s. A small stream meandered its way over a rocky bed past a large collection of white stones, many covered in a thick matting of moss and multi coloured lichen. This was it alright, there was no doubting the crystal’s glare now. Flaring my wings I touched down, landing neatly on the soft grass near the outline of what was quite clearly the remains of some sort of long since collapsed structure. If the amount of worn, dressed stone was any indication, this must have been quite an impressive structure at some point in the dim and distant past. I wonder what it was? There was no sign of any other buildings around here, nor for miles around for that matter. If this had been part of a village or town, there would have been something else, surely? Sure, wooden structures would have rotten away long ago, but I would have seen their telltale outlines from the air even now. Of course, it could have been built out here in this remote location by design. I scratched my chin in thought. So, some sort of temple, maybe? I wasn’t sure. I remembered from my history books that columns and stonework had been all the rage around the time of the three tribes, however considering that the whole of Canterlot looked like that now, it wasn’t much of a gauge. Some things never went out of fashion, I suppose. I walked slowly amongst the broken reminders of a previous age, breathing in the heavy scent of history in the air. The worn remains of columns, flagstones, and large cut stonework still lay where they had fallen countless years ago. It just went to show how few ponies lived around here by the fact that the once elegantly finished blockwork hadn’t been carried away to be recycled into farmsteads, crofts or some other home that would benefit from a ready made source of building materials. Gods above, I loved history. And this place, more so than any other location I’d ever seen, resonated with that same fascination I’d had ever since I was a foal. All around me, standing there like the bleached bones of some long extinct beast, were the silent memories of a grander past. I ran my hoof respectfully over the stones, imagining what it may have looked like in its heyday. Who had built this place? Who were the ponies who had laboured to construct this magnificent building out here, miles away from civilisation? Had the grassy plains once resounded with music? Or the chants of long forgotten prayers, and the hushed whispers of monks? Only the gods, earth, and rocks knew now. Everything here showed signs of considerable weathering, and by the untouched nature of the surrounding area, I doubted anypony had been here in a very, very long time.

Carefully, I lifted the pendant. It felt warm to the touch, and I could feel it pulling me onward, but where to? I couldn’t see anything out here at all. Maybe something buried? Fascinated, I followed its light, picking my way through the ruins until I found myself standing on a set of slightly uneven flagstones. Judging by the water filled post holes next to a few remaining wall sections, there had probably been a substantial set of doors here once leading to… well, nothing really. There was nothing here at all. The grassy bank before me marked what must have once been an entrance at one time, perhaps even leading to what could have been a portal. Now, it was just a large mound of earth and… grass. I trotted up to and around it, searching for some clue, some hint that would give me an answer to what I sought. Yet with every step my hopes withered, little by little. There was no doubt in my mind now; this was definitely where the crystal was pointing to. More specifically it was pointing to what had been here. But when? How long ago? Maybe in Star Swirl’s day there really had been something here that could have lead me to the Wither World. Maybe this was the very portal he had used himself. This crystal, this tiny piece of history hanging around my neck, had been fashioned countless years before I was born, most likely when this enigmatic ruin was still vibrant with life. Weather worn stones, memories, the sound of the wind through the grass… that was all that lived here now. The portal was gone. Decayed or destroyed, it didn’t matter which. All my effort, all of it… had been for nought. I sank onto my haunches and hung my head. Closing my eyes in dismay, my heart felt like lead in my chest. I just couldn’t believe it…

Tarragon jumped down off a nearby stone, jogging over to the grass bank in her own particular lolloping gait, those leathery wings of hers making the curious creature flop about from side to side comically. I wasn’t in the mood to laugh. Right now I felt like screaming my lungs out to the damned heavens. My whole world was just one giant mess, a huge cosmic buck-up from start to bloody finish. And what was worse, was that I’d failed to protect the one I’d sworn to look after - Shadow. I stomped my hoof into one of the ancient flagstones in anger, snorting out my frustration.

“Goddesses!” I screamed to the heavens. “What more do you want from me? What?!” And what was Tarragon squeaking and squawking at? Bloody hell, what a racket!

Pulling myself up from the pit of my own self pity, I stared in bemusement at the small reptile as she jumped about, clawing at the earth in front of me. What had she seen there? Sometimes she reminded me of a playful kitten, chasing after butterflies and moths, whilst other times her true nature as an alpha predator came to the fore. The intelligence in those reptilian eyes was quite unnerving in some respects, but also strangely adorable. It was hard to describe. I walked over to her and looked down at what she was pawing at. It was probably just a rabbit hole or… I leaned closer. That was no a rabbit hole, it was a large block of stone, one still partially covered in earth and grass where Tarragon had been digging at it. I reached up and scratched my horn which had begun to itch uncomfortably. Magic? Could be no more than thaumaturgical residue of course, even after all this time there was still likely to be the odd patch hanging around in a place like this. But there was ‘something’ about it I couldn’t quite describe, something strangely familiar that gripped my attention and refused to let go. I began to scrape with my hoof at the stone, brushing away the build up of centuries, uncovering more of the block beneath. Tarragon squawked loudly, helping scrabble at the dirt with me until a glint of dull metal caught the sunlight amidst the loose soil. My heart suddenly leaped into my throat. It could be nothing of course, maybe no more than a carelessly dropped coin or a trinket left behind by the last ponies that had lived here. But hope… hope began to raise its head within me once more. I took a deep breath and shook my mane. I had to keep my head and try not to let my imagination get the better of me. As the old saying goes, ‘Expect lead, but hope for gold’. Carefully, I concentrated my efforts into clearing away what I could, finally revealing what turned out to be a large bronze ring. No ring for a horn or hoof though, this was about twelve inches across, and fixed into a very solid piece of stonework. A tie point, maybe? No… No, I don’t think so. It showed signs of uses, though not from ropes. Resisting the temptation to grip it in my mouth, I used my magic to seize the thing and tried pulling it. Nothing. Next I tried turning it to the left. Nothing. To the right then, after that I’d… Was that a ‘click’? Yes! Definitely a click! I held my breath and waited, Tarragon snaking between my legs and squawking excitedly before jumping up onto my back as the earth before me began to shudder violently. Hurriedly I spread my wings a lifted off, dropping back down a few feet away, my heart beating fit to burst. Before my incredulous eyes the land itself… moved. The grass beside the bronze ring heaved, split asunder, and then, abruptly, dropped down into a wide rectangular opening. The deep layer of soil and grass that had covered it over long ago finally relinquished its remaining purchase and collapsed into the blackness with a clatter of stones and pebbles.

I licked my dry lips and took a pull on my canteen. “Well, little one,” I murmured to my companion, “I’ve no idea what lies beyond this, but I’ve brought us this far, so I’ve little choice but to move forward. You sure you want to come along? Could be dangerous.”

Tarragon squawked and turned full circle on my back before snuggling into my mane in response. Goddesses knew what she found so enthralling about my back, but for better or worse, it looked like we were heading off into the bowels of Equestria and, I hoped, would be one step closer to recovering our lost Shadow. But why did it have to a tunnel? Damn it, I hated tunnels! I floated a flame into the blackness below the entrance, illuminating a long flight of well worn stone steps which lead down at a steep angle until they disappeared out of sight. I’d have to be careful – one wrong step and a broken leg in the darkness would be the least of my problems. The last time I’d been in a dark hole in the ground, things hadn’t quite worked out so well. I sniffed the air. It was stale, old, more reminiscent of a dusty library than an underground passage. Surprisingly there wasn’t even the slightest hint of damp beyond the soil that had fallen in through the entrance just now. How in Equestria had it stayed so dry down here all these years? If the door was hermetically sealed, then that was a level of engineering, or magic for that matter, far beyond what I would have thought our ancestors capable of. On the wall to my right the light picked out a thin strip of metal. It was blue-green in colour, possibly copper that was covered in verdigris. I wasn’t sure to be honest, but there was one thing for sure, it was magically charged, that was damned sure. I could feel the tingle of magic emanating from it from here. Tentatively, I reached out and touched it with my hoof.

Nothing happened.

I’m not exactly sure what I’d expected to happen, if anything at all, though there was something very significant about this seemingly innocuous object, as well as its location, that played on my mind. For now all I could say with any level of certainty was that it was definitely a metal of some sort, but other than that… I closed my eyes, trying to calm my racing mind. It wasn’t easy. Memories were bubbling up from deep within me, niggling at the edges of my consciousness like Tarragon when she wanted a fuss. It was something to do with magic, and... applying it to the metal? Well now, that was really helpful, wasn’t it?! I let out a groan and took a deep breath. Luna’s ears, I wished my brain came with an instruction manual! Not knowing what would happen, I allowed my magic to flow through me, reaching out a tiny sliver of it so as to barely caress the metal plate. As I did so part of me screamed out that I shouldn’t be doing this. Goddess almighty, was I a complete idiot? This was insanely dangerous! What the hell was I doing?! Hadn’t I paid any attention to those stories about lost magics and how they had become warped over the years? They could change, degrade, causing unexpected and often completely unpredictable results. Ponies had died messing about with ancient artefacts, whilst others… others had been changed… and terrifyingly so. I took a step back, shaking my head. Of course I knew the stories, but how true were they? Most of them were probably ones told to foals to stop them wandering off into the wilds and getting killed by more tangible threats than magical artefacts. Yes, there were still pockets of high magical radiation left over from the war, we all knew that, but I was a grown stallion for Luna’s sake. I could make decisions for myself, and when you boiled it down, what bloody choice did I really have here? My memories were vague on the point, sure, but that hadn’t lead me astray this far. I felt a shiver run through me from muzzle to tail. Gods forbid, they started now…

I tried again. The feeling of the cold surface was the first thing I noticed, followed a moment later by a tingle of another magic, one that prickled at my tentative investigation. From where my magic had touched the metal strip, a blue glow began to pulse faintly. It was slow at first, and then without warning suddenly rushed off down the passageway, on and on into those unknown depths. As it disappeared into the seemingly endless void, at regular intervals on the stone walls a series of loud ‘pops’ accompanied the appearance of peculiar glowing symbols, each one adding it’s own ethereal light to the way down. Fear and fascination warred within me; whatever was down there could very well lead me to Shadow, but the spectre of the caves beneath the hill and the worm creature tugged inexorably at my memory. Stomping a hoof, I shook my mane and gave a loud neigh. Buck it, they were only memories. I’d survived worse.

“Fortune favours the bold, Tarragon,” I said aloud, to which I received a happy chirrup and a warm, if rather damp, nuzzle. Hefting my kit, I put my best hoof forward, once again, into the unknown.

We had barely begun our descent into the oddly lit tunnel when the doors behind me grated shut with a deep dull boom, the dull, sonorous sound echoing around us making my ears quiver. I glanced back briefly before shrugging and continuing downward. ‘Fools rush in...’ I lifted my head, keeping my magic at the ready; who knew what was waiting down here for us. Nothing living that was sure - there was no smell of animals in here like there had been back in the caves, so that at least was comforting. Unfortunately there was no air flow either, which was troubling. I’d better not hang around. Heading down, I passed one after another of the curious glowing symbols. They must have meant something to somepony once upon a time, but to me they were just odd, colourful shapes on the wall. It was a shame I couldn’t interpret their meaning really, but occasionally one would remind me of something: a tree, a flower, grass… all very organic and each one unique from its fellows. As a pony had once told me, “Art is to be enjoyed, not necessarily understood.” If these images were indeed some kind of ancient artwork they truly were beautiful, and I’m pleased to sat their elegant form wasn’t lost on me, nor was the sobering fact that I was in all likelihood the first one to set eyes on them in hundreds of years. Whichever way you looked at it though, there was some seriously high end magical construction at work here. We had many magical items in Equestria, true, and some were even designed to be operated by non-magical ponies as well, but to make something that could last beneath the earth for who knew how many years? No, this was on a level that only the best of the best magic-smiths could have accomplished. It kinda put my own feeble grip on the art into perspective, that was damned sure.

We walked on. The stairs never deviated, the descent straight and precise like an arrow heading unerringly toward its target. It was right at the point where I was beginning to wonder when we would reach the bottom, or even if there was a bottom to reach, when our progress was brought to a halt by a heavy wooden door affixed with enormous iron furniture. My horn began to itch immediately, the surest indication that some sort of magical warding was at play here. There was no lock that I could see, nor handle even. What the hell was I supposed to do here? I scratched my head, taking out the pendant to see if it was still glowing. In the eerie light of the symbols on the walls, the pendant glowed like a star in the night sky. I held it up to the door to help me see if there were any inscriptions, or at least some clue as to what lay beyond and how to reach it. What I didn’t expect was the pendant to suddenly start glow so bright I was near blinded. Even closing my eyes, the glare was painfully intense, forcing me to cover my muzzle with my foreleg. Behind me, Tarragon squeaked in alarm, whilst in front of me, with a groan like the gates of hell themselves opening up to admit the damned… the door slowly creaked open. Like the one to Luna’s chambers, the crystal must have acted as a magical key, activating the ancient lock. Whoever had designed this place, and this pendant, had known what they were doing alright. And I knew who, too - Star Swirl. That crafty old sod, I’d put bits on it. Not that he’d been that much help to me to be fair, more the prophet of gloom and doom - the fifth pony of the bloody apocalypse. In any case, my heart was beating so rapidly in my chest I thought it was going to burst. I really didn’t like being underground, and once had been bad enough. This time I wasn’t being shot at or blown up of course, but it didn’t exactly help my state of mind knowing that I was willingly walking into the unknown only the goddess knows how far into the bowels of Equestria.

Steeling myself, I pushed on the door and it effortlessly swung open fully in complete silence. I’d half expected a loud ominous groaning from the thing, but somehow this felt even worse. There was a complete absence of sound, with only my own breathing and the occasional squeak from Tarragon giving any life to this place. What was-? Abruptly there an immense surge of magic energy as all around me, like the stairs, magical lights flared brightly. Iron sconces hidden in the darkness, quickly filled with flickering blue flames, merging with more of the strange images on the walls of the small circular chamber in an ethereal display of arcane wizardry that took my breath away.

“By all the gods...” I breathed aloud.

I looked around in open mouthed amazement. A table sat to one side with a chair, some writing implements, lanterns, and other detritus. A bookshelf stood next to that, the dusty books still in remarkable condition considering their age and all in a language I couldn’t make head nor tail of. It was what was in the centre of the room however, which truly drew my attention. There was no mistaking that hollow arch of cut stones. It glowed with an energy I’d only ever felt once before, when I’d stood atop the giant plinth in the dead city what seemed like a lifetime ago. Magical runes inscribed around its edge glowed with the same blue light as the rest of the room, several steps leading up to it promising a journey to a land far beyond this one. I held up the pendant, the light bright as the sun, shining a light out to the portal which responded with a light of its own. Liquid silver gradually began to coalesce, swirling and rolling like the surface of the sea, until, as a uniform pattern, it hung there, a silver curtain between this world and the next.

I tucked the pendant away and gave Tarragon a rub. “All set?”

She let out a high pitched chirrup before flapping her wings and stared straight ahead at the portal.

“Right then.” I pulled up my harness and double checked all the fittings. “Off we go…”

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

Light.

Darkness.

I never thought I’d be back here again, at least not willingly. What a damnable place. Black sand as far as the eye could see, the dark unending sky, the hills which never seemed to get any nearer no matter how far you walked. The Wither World was never going to be on anypony’s choice for a weekend break that was sure. I lifted the pendant and turned to follow its light, half expecting it to be as dead as a doornail. Thank the gods, I was wrong. Gradually the little thing brightened in intensity until it was pointing... straight back to the portal. I had to laugh. Yeah, well, maybe I did want to go home, but not just yet. Not without my beloved Shadow. Still, I was here at long last and my link to my mate, together with my will, and my heart, would light the way to her regardless of any ancient crystal trinket. First off though, I had to investigate the cylinder lying half buried in the sand right next to the portal…

My first reaction was one of caution. Apparently somepony was expecting me, although who exactly was another matter, and one I had the distinct impression I was about to discover. As I approached the cylinder my horn began to itch, warning me of the presence of magic. It wasn’t in any worrying quantities so we weren’t dealing with any MAD here, thank the gods. Still, that didn’t mean the thing was entirely safe of course. Personally, I wouldn’t put it past Celestia to have had one of her mob place this here just in case I happened to roll up in the Withers after all. Unlikely, maybe? Perhaps, but I wouldn’t put anything past that one. Taking a deep breath, I reached out a hoof. To my amazement, my name began to appear in bright red letters along the length of the mysterious brass tube, as though written in blood by an invisible hand. This was beyond suspicious, but the real question was whether it had been left there by a friend as a means to contact me - or a trap. The ‘royal hind-quarters’ had used traps before, and I sure as hell wouldn’t put it past her to get rid of me using a trick like this. I sighed inwardly at my hesitancy. If I wasn’t careful, I’d end up seeing royal guards and white alicorns around every corner and behind every tree. That, wouldn’t help anypony, least of all Shadow. No, right now I would have to make a choice and take a gamble one way or another. Leave it, or walkaway. Ha! Some choice. And so, with a nudge of my magic, I gingerly lifted the cylinder from its sandy resting place. It glowed suddenly and I nearly dropped it in surprise as the lid popped off like a cork from a bottle, narrowly missing poor Tarragon who squeaked in indignation. Inside, sat a rolled up scroll and a compass of sorts. The scroll looked fresh and was written in Equestrian, albeit in a very old style.

My Dearest Fairlight,

I pray that this message finds you in good health and in time.

The compass which accompanies this note will show you the way to the Beyond. Seek me out when you arrive.

Star Beard.

I couldn’t believe it, the message was from Star Beard! My goddesses, to hear from him, even in written form after all this time, was the first ray of genuine hope I think I’d had since the beginning of this quest. How in Equestria had he known I was going to appear through this very portal? And more to the point, what did he mean by ‘In time’? In time for what? Luna’s arse, that didn’t sound good. My heart leaped into my throat, a cold shiver racing down my spine. Shadow. He had to be talking about Shadow. I hefted the compass and oriented myself to the direction the needle was pointing in. With no time to lose I clicked my tongue at Tarragon who jumped back up to her now familiar perch, sharp little claws and all. I was ready. One good hop and a strong push of my wings, I took off in the direction of the Beyond.

Well, I can truthfully say that if there was one thing that the Withers could be notable for, it was an abundance of sand. And it got everywhere: in your ears, your eyes, your mouth, and let’s not forget all the other fun places it managed to get into that made travelling a far more ‘interesting’ experience than it had any right to be. It’s a shame you couldn’t do anything with the bloody stuff really. If there was ever an export market for black, gritty granules, the locals would all end up living like kings. Sadly for them the only usable resources they had access to were very few, and also, very far between, leading to an almost constant state of internecine warfare. Over the millennia the thestrals had thinned out their own population to the point where it could feasibly be assumed that before long, perhaps no more than a few generations down the road, they’d be completely extinct. Why the hell they insisted upon fighting one another was something I just couldn’t get my head around. Oh sure, by their own admission they were a ‘warlike species’, a fact which was made abundantly clear from very first the moment you set hoof in one of their villages - but that hardly excused revelling self annihilation. It wasn’t like they were unaware of the issues they were facing either. Their birthrates were painfully low as it was, and they were getting worse all the time. When you coupled this with the need to raid other villages for resources, snatching females to incorporate into your own tribe to help boost your own population had become commonplace. The strangest part of this practice however, was that it was accepted as perfectly normal! According to Thorn, the females went voluntarily once they had been captured, integrating into the new tribe almost immediately and adopting their host’s traditions and customs. How in the name of all the gods this could be viewed by any civilised society as ‘acceptable’ was beyond me. But then, to a thestral at least, perhaps my culture was the strange one? And which one were we talking about here anyway - Equestrian or wendigo? In all honesty I knew bugger all about wendigo culture, and it wasn’t like I had a steady stream of ancestors queuing up to explain it to me either. Maroc popped up when he felt like it, and only when I was in life or death situations for the most part. The rest of my ancestral memories were like staring at animated slide-shows – all ‘bits and pieces’ that more ‘hinted’ at something rather than explaining it directly. I suppose when you go right down to it, were my people, my wendigo family, any better or worse than the thestrals? Or were we simply… different? Only the gods knew, and they weren’t giving anything anyway. In any case, there was no way in Equestria I could ever see kidnapping females as anything other than abhorrent. Whilst I was here, however, I’d keep my opinions to myself. I’d nearly lost my noggin the last time I’d visited the Beyond, and I didn’t particularly fancy going through that again, especially not for something as foolish as criticising their way of life. Without warning the words ‘Too late’ floated through my mind, once again sending a chill through my heart. I had to keep focussed.

The bleak and boring landscape felt almost stationary as I flew. With no real features to the land, nor much in the way of a horizon, it was seriously disorientating. The compass however, its needle pointing unerringly towards my old friend Star Beard, gave me heart. Of course, I’d have to remind him he’d actually ‘killed’ me the last time I’d seen him, albeit with the best of intentions, but I’d be polite about it all the same. I’d just buck the living shit out of him once I had Shadow back. Goddess, what a character! The old bugger was strange to say the least, even by thestral standards. He’d been a student of Star Swirl the bearded whilst the ancient wizard had been staying in the Withers, and was, from what he’d told me, the closest his kind had ever come to being a wielder of magic. He’d told me once that thestrals ‘had a magic of their own’. I’d been doubtful at first of course, thinking he’d been speaking more metaphorically than anything else, but now that I knew them better, I didn’t doubt it at all. I’d seen Shadow let fly with a blast of purple and black lightning once, and even the males regularly fought with jets of fire complementing their enthusiastic use of the sword, axe, or scythe - in fact pretty much anything that could crush, cut and maim. Ah, what a way to spend a Saturday afternoon, eh? It must be quite the dilemma really, to choose between, say, a nice gentle game of croquet on the lawn, or go off and split some poor sod’s head in two. However did they manage? I let out a sigh. Sarcasm notwithstanding, they were who they were. Many would consider them no more than brutal creatures obsessed with fighting, and for the most part they’d be right too. The majority of the thestral race comprised of warriors, and they were terrifyingly efficient at their trade too. Despite that though, they still had a strong sense of honour, duty, and loyalty which bound them together in their tribes, providing the race with a gentler side which was not so unlike many of the ponies I’d known. Unfortunately, the moment you set hoof outside that tribe you were viewed as fair game by the others. How in Equestria Luna had actually managed to bring such antagonistic beings together as one fighting force was a miracle in itself, though sadly her actions had done little to help their population. Quite the opposite in fact. All in all, I could see why Celestia wanted them gone from her world, but regardless of her reasoning, it didn’t excuse the mass killings that I, or rather Maroc, had witnessed. The word ‘surrender’ didn’t appear to have been understood by either side.

Tarragon chattered and squawked in my ear. There, directly ahead of us and drifting serenely into view like breakers on some distant shore, was the oddly familiar crystalline landscape of the Beyond. Mile upon mile of white grass and crystal trees filled the darkness with their extraordinary natural light, the breathtakingly alien panorama standing out in stark relief to the bleak emptiness of the black sand. The two didn’t even seem to blend from one to another as they commonly did in Equestria. There, rolling hills would gradually transform from a spattering of trees, maybe with the odd copse here and there for a touch of variety, then gradually become thicker, denser, until the fullness of the forest began. Here it was like somepony had simply drawn a line in the world and placed the Beyond on top of the black sandy nothingness and that was that. Simple! And weird. I’d be hesitant to say it was beautiful, but… perhaps it actually was, in its own way. Some ponies found beauty in the oddest things, like modern art and strange mane styles. I met one guy who’d had some peculiar pattern of swirls and knots shaved into his coat who everypony thought was ‘avant garde’, or some such rubbish. Personally, I was a bit cynical about such things. A nice short mane, a decent clip, a good sturdy coat and hat, and I was good to go. Somepony barfing onto a piece of paper and sticking on the wall with a price tag nopony in his right mind could ever afford, was best left to those who could ‘appreciate’ such things. Now that wasn’t to say I didn’t find the Beyond unpleasant. It was more… ‘different’, than anything else. And different, it truly was. As I flew, the hills covered in those peculiar crystalline tree’s shining brightly with their own inner light, lead me inexorably onward towards a familiar bowl shaped depression in the land, and the neat rows of huts I remembered so well. Beyond those, sitting atop the rise at the far end of the village, was the great hall of the tribe - and my destination. I could only hope the lady of the house was a little more, shall we say, ‘cordial’, than she had been the last time I’d called.

Sweeping low along the perimeter of the village I saw a small group of thestrals amidst the trees. Some of them were busily engaged with various tasks whilst several others stood chatting together near a pile of cut crystal logs. Felling axes sat nearby beside a bucket of water and a few stacked panniers. It could have so easily been your everyday gang of workponies, the hard working lads and lasses taking a breather for a smoke and a natter – a scene common throughout the countryside of Equestria. At least, it could have been if it hadn’t been for the very un-equestrian surroundings. It was strange to think about such dangerous creatures as thestrals doing something so mundane and, dare I say, ‘normal’ as passing the time of day with friends, but here they were. And here they probably would have stayed too, until one of them looked up and saw me. A moment later he was shouting animatedly to his fellows, pointing and drawing the others to him to stare at the newcomer. Allowing the magic to sing through me, I treated them to a display of wendigo magic; hopefully to avoid any misunderstandings. I remembered all too well the reception I’d received the first time I’d arrived here. Hopefully though, Maelstrom, Shadow’s mother, had been put in the Wither World equivalent of a rubber room and the key unceremoniously thrown away. I hate to say it of my mate’s mum, but that one would have been dangerous as bag leather.

Streaming white cloud behind me, I flared my wings to brace my descent, aiming for the clearing. Moments later, wreathed in a blast of cold air and sparkling white cloud, I landed neatly near the milling warriors.

“I am Maroc,” I announced loudly. “Lord of the four winds, mate of the lady Shadow, and friend of the tribe of the Beyond. Will one of you inform your leader that I am here and that I wish to speak with them?”

The thestrals stared at me in silence. Finally, one of them, a deep blue coloured fellow with burning white eyes strode forward. I noticed him glance momentarily towards one of the felling axes before he addressed me.

“You are the mate of the lady Shadow?” he asked in equestrian.

“I am,” I replied with a single nod of my head. “And you are?”

“Of no consequence,” the male replied coolly. “You will wait here, wendigo. Our duchess will decide what is to be done.”

As he spoke there was a movement from behind the throng, a general muttering in the clicking and hissing language that as much as I couldn’t understand a word of it, suggested they were far from impressed by my arrival. Strange. The last time I’d been here, I’d fought side by side with Thorn and his warriors against the Purple Sands tribe and their sadistic Earl. Ultimately we’d ended up incorporating them into the tribe of the Beyond, which had to be a good thing, right? And another thing, my transformation into a wendigo had left a lot of the warriors on both sides speechless, which suggested I was seen at the very least as an ally. Had something happened since then to turn them against me? I doubted Mister ‘No consequence’ was going to shed any light on the matter if the stern glower on his face was anything to go by, however by the looks of things the small forest of spears moving through the workers towards me was likely to answer that question a lot sooner than I’d expected.

The warriors fanned out, all of them wearing the spiked, black armour of the Beyond and carrying a wickedly sharp spear bearing a purple pennant with a white helmet emblazoned upon it. One of them marched forward and lifted his head, staring down his muzzle at me. My heart skipped a beat. I knew who this was.

“Good morning,” I said politely.

The warrior’s lip twitched. “Stand and be recognised, wendigo,” he rumbled formally.

“Forgotten me so soon?” I bowed low, but never let my eyes leave him for a moment. “I am Lord Fairlight of the tribe of the four winds, Captain of the watch, and mate of the lady Shadow.”

He shifted his grip on his spear. “State your business.”

“I’ve come to see my mate,” I replied graciously. “Would you be so good as to show me to her?”

The guard’s muscles rippled under his fur, his dislike for me as dark as his coat. “Follow me. The duchess is expecting you.”

The duchess? Oh, wonderful! History truly does have a habit of repeating itself. Tall dark and gruesome here recognised me, of that I was damned sure. He hadn’t said anything of course, nor did he say another word all the way back to the village proper. I didn’t know his name, but after being introduced to it in such a spectacular fashion, I can honestly say I never forget an axe. Or chains. This time at least I wasn’t being dragged muzzle first so that had to be a good sign, right? I subconsciously kept my grip on power, feeling the comforting presence of both it and my sword strapped to my side. If Maelstrom was up to her old tricks again, they wouldn’t find me as ‘compliant’ as I had been last time. My friend with the axe here, had had his chance. Everypony only ever gets one, as they say.

We halted at the foot of the steps that lead to the great hall… and waited. At first glance it seemed little had changed here whilst I’d been away. It was the same hall, the same deep purple and black banners with the white helmet motif on them. In many ways it was almost like time had stood still. I was half expecting Maelstrom to appear at any moment in all her broiling insanity, screaming for my head on a spike. Luna’s arse, I hoped it didn’t run in families! A thestral appeared briefly in the doorway to the grand hall and shot me a worried look before ducking back in when they saw me smile. I couldn’t help but grin at their reaction. After all, with these teeth I probably looked like I’d eat the poor creature for dinner. Speaking of which, my similarly toothy friend jumped from my back and began chattering at me, blinking her eyes meaningfully. Ah, if only she could talk! I would have to ponder Tarragon’s attempt at communication later though, as two burly thestral guards marched out from the hall wearing yet more of that eye-removingly sharp armour their kind liked wearing so much. One of them looked vaguely familiar too.

“My lord, the duchess awaits you within the grand hall. Please, follow me.”

The two bowed slightly and turned back to the steps. Aha! I thought I recognised him, he was another of the little charmers who’d been positively chomping at the bit to see my head removed from my shoulders on the orders of the duchess the last time I was here. I probably had nothing to fear from the rest of the thestrals, but this guy and the goon stood next to me were probably itching to get their hooves on me. By the looks of things, they’d have to wait a little longer. I trotted up the steps after the two guards, passing beneath the forbidding archway that had filled me with cold dread the last time I’d passed beneath it. This time, praise Luna, the atmosphere inside the home of the leader of the Beyond was the polar opposite to what it had been back then. The great hall was as bright and colourful as I remembered, with magnificent carpeting, banners, flags, and the incredible light that flooded the wide open space from nowhere and everywhere at once. It put me in mind of the fortress, and the faint blue-white luminescence of the building material they used. Was there some connection here? I felt a tingle run down my spine. It was almost humbling to walk through here, especially as I was most likely the only Equestrian to have done so since Star Swirl’s gangly arse had trod it’s ancient halls. Mind you, he probably did so without the chains and death threats of course, but you had to work with what you had. Word had apparently spread of their unexpected visitor with a speed that would have put the agency to shame too. A fair number of robed thestrals were already congregating, standing either side of the long carpet which lead to the throne. Walking through the throng, I scanned the assembled thestrals, several of whom were desperately trying to look anywhere but at me. These were most likely the same ones who’d been baying for my execution not all that long ago, bless them. I treated them to an especially hard stare… and a grin. Ah, but all good things come to an end - I was out of carpet. And yet… no Maelstrom? Instead of the half-expected maniacal mare, from the chair atop the dais a midnight coated thestral mare with burning orange eyes slowly rose to her hooves. For a moment she watched me carefully, as if she was unsure of who, or what, she was looking at. And then, with a loud cry of emotion, she suddenly rushed down the steps to embrace me just as one of the guards opened his mouth to announce my attendance. The look on his face was priceless.

“Fairlight!”

I’d recognised that remarkably equestrian sounding voice anywhere. “Ember? Good goddess, it is you!” I took her hoof and kissed it, bowing before her. “Are you well?”

She nodded and waved the guards away. “I am, thank you! But what of you? We have not heard from you in such a very long time.”

Ember lead me back to a chair beside hers atop the dais which had miraculously appeared in the few seconds it took for us to climb up there. There was something in her tone of voice and… wait, was she bigger? Good grief, she was! I almost dreading asking,

“Ember, how long have I been away?”

The thestral mare looked at me askance before retaking her seat on the throne and motioning me to sit beside her. Right on cue, a young thestral in a white robe brought a silver tray to us laden with food and wine.

“Star Beard warned us of this,” Ember sighed taking a draught of her wine. “Fairlight, I’m not sure how to tell you this… You’ve been gone nearly five years.”

“What?!” I nearly fell off my chair in shock. “I can’t have been!”

She shook her head slowly and watched me with those otherworldly eyes. In my heart I already knew. Luna had warned me about the difference in time between here and the mortal realm, and now reality had come crashing in on me. I’d left my mate alone for five years while I was arsing around and… oh goddesses, what had I done… Ember clopped her hooves together, motioning to a thestral in a deep red robe. In my confused state, I barely noticed the hushed tones of the hall being cleared until the large doors closed with an echoing thud.

“Come with me,” she said quietly and lead me away to a chamber behind the throne room. Ember whispered to one of her hoof maidens who curtsied before rushing off. “I’ve asked Star Beard to join us. I hope you don’t mind?”

“Hmm?” I walked in a daze, my mind still reeling from what she’d told me. “No… No, thank you Ember… I’m just a bit, you know…”

Ember nodded, closing her eyes. “I understand, it must seem so strange for you.”

You could say that again! After all this time, anything could have happened. I shook my mane and released my hold on the power, feeling it recede back inside me once more. The thestral mare watched in fascination as I morphed back to the more usual ‘me’.

“Ember, what’s happened since I’ve been gone?” I asked, clearing my throat. “Where’s Shadow?”

She smiled sadly, no doubt expecting me to ask something like this. “After you… ‘left’,” she began carefully, “we tried everything we could to send my sister through the city gateway to you. For some reason, whatever it may be, we could not invoke the magic necessary to do it. Star Beard tried everything he could.” Ember closed her eyes, hanging her head. “He laboured tirelessly for months on end, but the results were always the same - nothing. I’m sorry, Fairlight.”

He’d tried. He’d tried and… I put my hoof on Ember’s shoulder, trying my best not to let the horror of the reality that was wrapping its insidious tendrils around my heart show. “It’s alright, Ember. I know you all tried your best for us, but tell me, where is she now?”

The thestral stared at the wine in her glass, taking a deep breath before answering. “She’s… gone.”

I think my face must have been a picture right then. Ember looked up at me, a tear slowly running down her cheek to land sizzling on the floor where it vanished into eternity with a faint hiss. In that moment, in that terrible moment, the world froze. My heart sank like a stone, my legs turning to rubber. I sank to my haunches before I collapsed, lifted my head to the ceiling, and closed my eyes. Gone. She was... gone? I swallowed. “What do mean she’s ‘gone’?” I was terrified of hearing the answer, but I needed to know. I had to hear it myself.

“We… that is, ‘I’, don’t know where she is.” Ember shook her head. “Star Beard has been trying to track her down ever since she left.”

She’d left? Oh, thank the gods! I thought when she’d said ‘gone’ that Shadow had… that she’d… I huffed, tossing my mane. This wasn’t making any sense. I had the feeling there was a story here and I was only getting snippets of it. Ember was hiding something from me. I was set to all but interrogate Shadow’s sister when the chamber door swished open and a familiar old face appeared. The effect was somewhat ruined by the thick blue smoking cap, dressing gown, and fuzzy slippers.

The ancient fellow mumbled to himself as he walked up to me, peering into my eyes. “You took your bloody time, Captain.”

I opened my mouth to speak but the Colonel beat me to it, clopping me hard on the shoulder. “I’m damned glad you made it boy. Welcome back.” My thestral friend, his eyes burning like hot coals, treated me to a toothy smile and eased himself into a chair next to Ember and myself. With a wave of a hoof, another of the white robed thestrals rushed in with a basket and yet another with a box. I could tell what was in it already and my nose twitched in anticipation. Star Beard looked up at me from under his thick eyebrows, sniggering knowingly. “Don’t stand on ceremony, Captain, do the honours…”

Magicking the box over, I removed the dark wooden lid and took out the two elegant long stemmed pipes which were nestled within. They were true works of art, beautifully carved with swirling designs that shone with an inner light which was strangely calming. I stared at them, my mind wandering back to the last time I had sat with the old warrior. It didn’t seem five minutes since I’d been here with everypony, and yet it had still been five years. I couldn’t seem to get my head around that fact. And maybe, I simply didn’t want to. I sighed. Regardless of whether I believed it or not, I was here and there was only one direction to take now. Forward. With a good shake of my mane, I returned to my task, loading the pipes and taking a good whiff of the spectacularly good tobacco. Well, at least I presumed it was tobacco, out here it could be something terrifyingly different altogether. Thestrals appeared to make half of their items from the crystal trees, whilst the rest was a type of white leathery material - and I knew all too well where that came from. As for the tobacco…well, ‘best not to overthink things’ as Meadow always used to tell me. After hovering my flame over Star Beard's bowl, I settled back and drew smoothly on my own. Oh, Luna… It was like floating away on a stream of starlight. Magnificent…

“Expecting trouble?”

“Huh?” I followed Star Beard’s gaze down at my piled packs, panniers, and other assorted accoutrements. “Oh, um… Better to be prepared than go in half-arsed, right?” I offered.

The old colonel shrugged. “Nothing wrong with a good axe or sword, my father used to say. If you can’t get the bastard with a crossbow, you have to go in with a blade to finish the job.” He pointed his pipe stem at the assorted equipment. “You go into a fight carrying all that lot, you’ll be as hampered as a tinker’s wagon. Mobility is everything in a battle, boy. If you can’t run, the fight’s already over.”

“Understood, Colonel,” I replied politely.

He paused, peering at me curiously. “Hmm, well see that you take my advice as well as ‘understanding’ it, Captain. You may be a wendigo, but that won’t matter a damn if you get yourself tangled in all those blasted strap and belts.” He had a point. I would have to do something about it later. For now, he was giving me one of ‘those’ looks, which suggested something that- “I hope you’re up to some story telling, boy,” Star Beard smiled.

I face hoofed. “Oh no…”

“Oh, yes!” he laughed, blowing out a smoke ring. “But I’ll throw you a bone and take the abridged version. You have an important job ahead of you after all, and the less time we spend chatting, the better. Wouldn’t you agree?”

I nodded and accepted a proffered crystal goblet of wine from one of the attendants. It gradually dawned on me, surrounded by these dark coated skeletal creatures with their fire pit eyes and teeth, that I saw them now as no more strange than any pony I’d ever met in equestria. Griffins, minotaurs, thestrals, alicorns, I hadn’t really seen any of these before coming into contact with the spirit, or at least not many. Not long all that long ago I would probably have been freaking out over such strange encounters. Not that I was xenophobic of course, it’s just… Oh, I don’t know, I was probably still a small town pony at heart with an equally small town view of the world. Mind you, I don’t think it was fair to say that of me now. The roller coaster of weirdness that masqueraded as my life had brought me to see beings that would terrify most ponies as perfectly normal. That said, what the hell did I look like to others when I was stood there all teeth, blue eyes, and looking like my arse was on fire with all the white fog pouring off it? And seriously, who cared anyway? The tobacco was great, the wine was warming, and my friends were here with me. Soon, Shadow would be too.

I finally reached the end of my tale, and Star Beard got up to stretch his archaic body. His xylophone ribs stood out from his hide a lot more than your usual thestral, a sure sign that even here, old age snuck up on the best of us. The old chap scratched his ear with a fore hoof and stood before the fireplace.

“After you left, I tried to send her to you.” He turned to me, raising an eyebrow. You know that, don’t you?”

I nodded sadly.

Star Beard shook his head and continued. “I was so sure, Fairlight, so certain I could send her after you. Your spirit had already returned, but something was blocking Shadow from crossing the veil. I tried everything I knew, read every book Star Swirl had left me. We travelled across the Withers searching for portals, but every single time we found something that could have been of use to us, it was the same result. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.” He hung his head and closed his eyes. “I failed her. I’m sorry, boy, I tried everything I knew. I even managed to find the original portal Star Swirl had used when he came here, but that too was blocked, even to his own magic! Out of desperation I left the message for you there just in case you were somehow able to come through it.”

Well, that made sense. However he… hang on. Blocked?! I stood up in shock. “Are you saying this could be a one way trip?” My heart felt like lead in my chest.

Star Beard sat carefully on his haunches and stared into the flames of the fireplace, “I don’t know, boy. I don’t think so, but there’s more to this than meets they eye, of that I am sure. Something, or some-one, has blocked my access to my old mentor in the herd as well as the portal. It had been difficult to contact him before, but now it’s like the connection has been completely severed.” The firelight glinted off his bony frame as he spoke. “I have a plan, but I need your help, and that of an old friend of mine.” Star Beard took a bowl of fruit from the basket and passed it to me. “You still want to find the lady Shadow, don’t you?”

“Of course I do! I’d hardly be here If I didn’t!” I exclaimed a little testily. “Star Beard, Ember, listen, I’m sorry it took me so long to return, but now I’m here I’ll do whatever it takes to get Shadow back.” I banged my hoof down on the arm of my chair. “Whatever it takes.” That was of course, if she still wanted me back. Would she, after five long years? Goddesses, I just didn’t know.

Ember must have read my mind. She leaned forward, smiling. “Fairlight, Shadow still loves you, of this I am certain. My sister is a passionate mare and would not give up on her feelings for you so easily.”

‘So easily’? It had been five years! “I hope you’re right,” I said plainly. “For you it’s been five years, but for me it’s been more like five months, and even that felt like an eternity.”

Star Beard looked tired, as if the weight of the world pressed down upon his old bones. “Boy, Shadow left after I had exhausted every avenue I could think of to send her to you. One day, the girl had simply… vanished. Her travelling gear was gone and all she left me was a note saying she was going to find a way to reach you by herself.” He popped a berry into his mouth and chewed it slowly. “I tracked her down as near as I could to the northern most mountain range, past the territory of the Purple Sands. Thanks to you, with Ember now the duchess of both tribes, I was able to find out that much. Otherwise I dare say I’d have been spitted on some warrior’s pike by now. No respect for age, young thestrals these days…”

I took one the berries and put the bowl down next to me. “Ember’s the duchess now?”

She smiled at me, nodding. “Mother, Maelstrom, couldn’t take the loss of another daughter and flew away to the wastelands. Father went after her, but we’ve not seen anything of them since. In their absence, and being the eldest, the mantel was passed to me by right of succession.”

“What of Short Stride?” I asked her. “Is she safe?”

The duchess smiled. “Yes, she’s safe. Married and with foal too, another addition to the tribe. She’s married to the new Earl of the Purple Sands tribe.”

“The new Earl?” I asked reaching down for another berry, and finding to my surprise the bowl was nearly empty. Strange, weren’t there more there a minute ago? Hmm, I must have eaten more than I’d thought. I’d have to watch that; too many of these things could do you more harm than good.

Oblivious to my snacking issues, Ember smiled as she clarified the situation between the tribes since I’d left. “My sister has married well,” she said proudly. “Her mate is a strong and brave warrior from their tribe who can trace his line back to before the darkness fell. With these ties of family and blood, as duchess I have the responsibility for both our peoples. With Short Stride and the Earl governing the Purple Sands, we have grown stronger than ever.”

Ah, politics. Never my strong point to be honest. I would read about it in the paper like everypony else of course, but I was usually more interested in the ‘what’s happening’ section… and the cartoons.

Star Beard gave me a quizzical look. “You seem different somehow from when I saw you last, Captain. More… content? Is that the word?”

“Sorry?” I asked taking another berry. “I’m not sure I follow you. I’m just the same as I ever was.”

The Colonel clucked his tongue. “When you were here last, boy, you were a complete mess of warring emotions. Although your body was still in the mortal realm, your spirit was in absolute turmoil. The wendigo spirit within you was unsettled, and the two of you were pulling apart from one another, putting a strain on your soul.” He nodded to himself. “It was a tragedy to see, particularly as I was unable to do anything to help.” Star Beard scratched the stubble on his chin. “But now, you seem… ‘whole’. You have melded with the spirit, yes? I take it you were able to locate the fortress?”

Damn, the insightful old bugger was right on the money, as always. Personally though I didn’t want to think about it too much, that episode in the chamber at the fortress was the stuff of nightmares, both for me and Tingles. Unfortunately by the expectant expression on Star Beard’s face there was absolutely no chance of him leaving the subject alone with a simple ‘yes’. He’d want the whole sordid story, every single gruesome agonising detail, laid out for him to mull over and inspect. I suppose I could explain it in a way that didn’t make me sound like a- What the-? What the hell was that noise? I could hear a little squeak, like a chirruping sound every so often. Was it this chair? I wobbled the thing back and forth but couldn’t manage to get it to do it again.

Ember raised an eyebrow. “Is something wrong?”

“Did you hear that?” I asked curiously.

Ember frowned. “Hear what?”

“Like a sort of... ‘squeaking’ noise?”

Shadow’s sister looked at Star Beard who shrugged, shaking his head. Oh, wonderful! Now I was bloody well hearing things again. I couldn’t blame the spirit this time though. Ah well, never mind, maybe the trip had finally unhinged something inside my head. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Nothing to worry about there then! Sighing, I quickly changed the subject back to the topic at hoof. Warily, I explained what had happened at the fortress but was careful to leave out some of the more ‘explicit’ details.

Star Beard nodded sagely. “It is for the better, my boy. Over time the two of you would have pulled each other apart completely, and I daren’t imagine what would have befallen you if that had happened.”

I don’t know about him, but I didn’t want to imagine it either! Turning to Ember, I noticed she was staring at my pannier with an intent expression. “Ember?” I asked questioningly.

“Your… your bag,” she whispered. “It… it moved.”

“What? My bag?”

I reached into the bowl to take the last berry just as a tiny head shot out of my pannier like lightning, plucked the sweet fruit before I could get a grip on it, and disappeared back inside.

“WHAT WAS THAT?!” Ember shrieked leaping onto the chair, keeping her hooves off the ground.

And the lid was off... Pandemonium broke out around me as guards charged into the chamber weapons drawn, whilst white robed staff rushed about in a panic at their mistress’s cries of alarm. Star Beard face hoofed, and slowly, meaningfully, treated me to a particularly hard stare.

“I’m sorry everypony!” I announced quickly, holding my hoof up apologetically. “Sorry! No need for alarm. It’s my friend, that’s all. Don’t worry, she’s harmless.” I tried smiling to show there was no need for concern.

The guards didn’t seem to share my opinion however, glowering at me with looks that suggested bloody murder was barely a hairs breadth away. Thankfully they decided to curtail their impulse to turn me into luncheon meat and looked to the duchess for orders first. Ember, however, was nowhere to be seen. The poor creature was completely surrounded by maids - a veritable equine shield of bodies with her buried somewhere deep within their massed ranks. Daggers shone in the mysterious light. These were no mere hoofmaidens. Their loyalty to their duchess was quite something to behold, and in truth, I was relieved that she’d been accepted so fully as Maelstrom’s heir. I couldn’t say I knew very much about warrior based societies, however I doubted that bloodless successions were exactly commonplace. In Ember’s case though, she had slipped into the position seamlessly. She was one hell of a mare. Speaking of which, gradually, and with some assistance, Star Beard managed to gently, yet firmly, extricate the ruffled looking Ember from her enthusiastic staff. Thankfully, and despite her worried looks, she waved the last of them away. My axe wielding friend shot me a look that threatened bloody retribution if he had to come in here again today. Or tonight. Damn it, couldn’t they get some clocks here? The munching and chirruping noises from the pannier lessened when I lifted it up and carefully placed it on the floor before me.

Unstrapping the flap, I tapped the side, “Come on, Tarragon, come and meet my friends. It’s okay…”

The tiny creatures head popped out, covered in berry juice and gave a little burp. Ember’s eyes went wide, and then, unexpectedly, she let out a delighted laughed before trotting over to have a closer look, her previous fright already forgotten. “By the moon, Fairlight, she’s a dragonling! What are you doing with her in your pack?!”

Star Beard was less impressed. “Fairlight! Good goddess, Captain, have you lost your mind? Don’t bring one of those creatures in here! If the mother finds out she’ll raze the whole village to the ground!”

I gave Tarragon a pet and she quickly clambered back up onto my back to nuzzle my mane.“She’s from my world, Colonel,” I explained. “Her father let her come with me. Look, it’s a long story and I don’t think now’s the time, if you’ll forgive me.”

Star Beard frowned, tossing his mane. “I’ve never heard of such a thing, boy. Never! Dragon’s are solitary creatures and deadly when roused. It’s not that I doubt what you’re telling me, it’s just that it flies in the face of everything I’ve ever known about her species.” He rubbed a hoof over his leathery face. “This really is most peculiar. You say the father allowed a child follow you here? His own child?”

I shrugged. “I saved her life and she decided to follow me. What more can I say?”

“‘What more can you say…’,” he repeated quietly. “I don’t know, Captain, you never cease to amaze me.” The old fellow raised an eyebrow. “Or scare the shit out of me.”

I tried to ignore that last mumbled comment, taking a sip of my wine. If he wanted to talk about having excrement scared out of a fellow, he wanted to try living in my overshoes for a while. And another thing, I hadn’t seen any vineyards round here, so where in the name of all the gods had they managed to get wine from? I shuddered, putting the goblet down. Yes, there were scary things in the world alright, but not all of them were harmful. It was just a matter of perspective. Take Shadow for instance; she was a thestral. To most ponies she would be a terrifying monster straight from the pages of a horror novel. To me, she was my beloved mate and part of my family. Then there was Tarragon of course. I suppose the majority of equestrians would consider dogs and cats as your more ‘normal’ companions in life, whereas Tarragon on the other hoof, would probably eat them. I’d always wanted a pet. I’m not so sure you could call a dragonling a pet as such, especially when you took into account the fact she’d eventually grow to be the size of a house and be able to talk one day. But that was way off in the future. For now, she was my friend, travelling companion, and so cute you just wanted to cuddle her!

Ember, Star Beard and I passed the time talking about what had happened in the Withers since the last time I was there. Surprisingly very little had changed, with the exception of some border disputes with other tribes. Whether this was as a result of the joining of the Purple Sands and the Beyond was anyponies guess, and being blunt, not particularly of any concern of mine. I was saddened to hear that Shadow’s parents had vanished however. Far Sight had considered me to be his ‘adopted son’, but Maelstrom his wife hated me with a passion bordering on insanity. Wherever their travels had taken them, I wished them well. Finally Star Beard clopped his hooves together and one of the servants appeared carrying a quantity of gear which she placed on the floor before me.

“Captain,” the old colonel began. “When you… ‘left’ our world, these were left behind. I think you may wish to be re-acquainted with them?”

I felt a wave of nostalgia pass through me. My battle scythe was there, still as solid and dangerous as I remembered. Hmm, that made two now. I was going to have to get a cart at this rate. There too was Starswirl’s beacon and some other odds and ends I’d collected along the way. Something was missing though, one item I’d been given as a parting gift. Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned it, I certainly didn’t want to appear ungrateful after all, but my bloody words were already out,

“Thank you, Colonel. But, may I ask, do you know what happened to the dagger?”

“Dagger?” Star Beard frowned. “No… No, I don’t remember there being one, Captain. Was it a trophy of some kind?”

I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter really. What’s important now is to work out how to find Shadow and bring her back safely.”

Star Beard nodded, “I understand. First though, allow me tell you what we’ve managed to find out so far…”

The old thestral’s assistant passed him a large scroll which he placed on the floor between us. Hoof drawn, stained, and smelling distinctly musty, the scroll turned out to be a surprisingly well detailed map of the Wither World. It was incredible! Judging by the amount of features noted, with a plethora of lakes, rivers, mountains and so forth, I hadn’t seen even a fraction of what I’d assumed to be just a vast expanse of nothingness. It was still far from what you’d consider to be a holiday destination, but dear goddesses… it was an explorers dream! Unfortunately though, the old map’s place names were written in a language I didn’t understand, and I would have to rely on Star Beard here to interpret them for me. Ember trotted over and sat next to us, looking intently at the map as if Shadow’s location would suddenly materialise before us by force of will alone. Meanwhile, Star Beard tapped the map with his hoof.

“We had scouts out looking for her as soon as we knew she’d gone,” he explained, “but being able to fly makes tracking nigh on impossible as I’m sure you already know. Fortunately, information from others who’d seen her showed that she was heading across the Purple Sands’ lands and on to... here.” He tapped on a portion of the map that looked like a field of little mushrooms. “The Tallow Marshes. Beyond them, lies dragon country.”

The way he said ‘dragon country’ worried me. There was an edge to his voice that made my mane twitch nervously, and with good reason too. If an old warrior like the colonel was concerned about this place, then there had to be more to it than just some enigmatic name. I’d caught the way he glanced down at Tarragon as he spoke. Ah, so… dragons it was then. I looked down to Tarragon who was sleeping next to me, a leg occasionally twitching as she dreamt. It was hard to imagine one day she’d be the size of her father, or maybe even bigger. Maybe he’d been cute once too, who knows? Despite their enormous size and power, I wasn’t afraid of dragons, but neither were they of me, wendigo or not. I’d have to keep my wits about me, that was damned sure. It would be best to avoid them altogether.

I raised an eyebrow, turning to Star Beard. “So, I’m guessing that’s where the trail went cold, right?”

He nodded. “Maelstrom ordered her found, but when we discovered she was heading toward the mountains past the marsh, we had no choice but to call off the search. Maelstrom was furious and…well, I think you know can guess happened next.”

I could. I’d seen Maelstrom’s temper in action, and after the incident in the city the cracks in her sanity where there for all to see. She’d already lost one daughter to the lake creature and another had run off looking for, what her mother considered at any rate, to be a demon. I looked over at Ember who was busy petting the snoozing Tarragon, a smile on her toothy face.

“I don’t understand,” I said, “why stop at the mountains? Is it a barrier of some kind?”

Ember shook her head. “The mountains are forbidden to our people. They are dragon territory.”

Star Beard’s eyes were downcast. “It’s an old animosity going back to the great war, boy. They believe that the rest of the forces of the moon abandoned them on the field which resulted in their exile along with the rest of us. Since then, any thestral who enters the mountains is liable to be seen as…” a pained expression crossed his face, “…as food.”

I closed my eyes against the realisation that Shadow may not have been seen because, goddess help me, she was already dead, eaten by one of those terrifying creatures. But then, if she was dead, wouldn’t she be with the herd? Surely Meadow would have said something, right? Oh, gods, what if they didn’t go to herd at all! Did they have their own heaven? Their own version of the herd?

Star Beard gave me a beaming smile and slapped his thigh suddenly, making me jump. “Ha! Listen to the old fool droning on! Don’t you worry, I have faith she’s still alive, boy, and that you’ll find her. But, Fairlight, you must realise that we can’t send any warriors with you past the marshes or else risk war with the dragons. The peace has held fast for a long time, and our numbers are too few to take those monster’s on should things… unexpectedly deteriorate.” He turned to the duchess. “Ember my dear, it’s late and I must attend to some matters. Would you please excuse us? I’d like to have a stallion-to-stallion chat with my young friend here. Do you mind?”

Ember nodded, holding out her hoof for Star Beard and I to kiss respectfully. Even though he was her grandfather, propriety, even here, meant a great deal to these fascinating people. My old friend rose to his hooves, motioning me to follow him. We walked slowly along a rear corridor, possibly the one I’d been jostled down when the previous duchess had decided to give me a ‘little off the top’, before we eventually arrived at a large door inlaid with some of the most beautiful silver scroll work I’d ever seen. It was incredible. Black wood, carved with leaves and vines, the whole picked out with extraordinarily fine silver marquetry. Oblivious of my fascination, the old thestral warrior leaned a foreleg against the wall beside me. He looked tired, and an awful lot older than I remembered.

“By the goddess,” he breathed, rubbing his back, “I’m feeling my years, boy, forgive me.” Star Beard stretched his hind legs out, groaning loudly. “Stay in here tonight, Fairlight, I need to see to a few things. I’ll call for you in the morning, do you think you’ll be ready to set out then?”

I nodded. “I will, I don’t want to waste any time Colonel.”

He looked up at me quizzically. “No. No you don’t, Captain. I didn’t want to say anything in front of young Ember, but I fear for her sister. Shadow is in a dangerous place right now, a very dangerous indeed. You’re going to need to focus all your strength for what awaits you out there, but for now I want you to think of her, and only her. Can you do that for me?”

Star Beard sounded so insistent, it had my mane bristling. “Of course,” I said honestly.

He reached out a hoof and tapped the crystal hanging from my neck. “Keep that on tonight. Don’t take it off, understand?”

His eyes fixed me in their fiery stare as I replied, “I will. Star Beard, what’s all the mystery about?”

He just shrugged. “I’ll tell you in the morning. For now, just remember what I said.” The old thestral turned to walk away down the corridor. “Goodnight, boy. Goddess bless you.”

“Goodnight, Colonel.”

Star Beard was certainly a strange creature, and that was saying something. By thestral standards he was akin to that of your common local mystic, or shaman. I suppose you could say he held a similar position to my very own Aunt Pewter, until you factored in his close links with the ruling family. Officially he was supposed to be the priest for the tribe, but I’d never seen him conduct any form of ceremony so long as I’d known him. In fairness though, I’d just have to admit I knew incredibly little about thestral society, and as awful as it sounded, I didn’t plan on staying around the Withers long enough to find out either. Come hell or high water, I had to find Shadow and bring her home. Every second I spent here, ever moment, was like a cold dagger in my heart. She was in trouble, she needed me, and here I was being fussed over by her family like I was on my bloody jollies. Gods, I hated this! I wanted to be off. I wanted to get my gear together, spread my wings, and launch into the sky to find my missing Shadow. But how? Where? Whether I liked it or not, I had to wait for Star Beard to do whatever it was he was going to do before I could get under way. Patience, unfortunately, was not one of my virtues.

The beautifully carved door opened easily and I walked into the spacious room beyond, closing it behind me carefully. I barely noticed it. A wave of heart wrenching sadness gripped me, threatening to pull me into it’s dark depths, and I leaned my muzzle against the door, closing my eyes. Shadow… After all this time, after all these years, I was here. And I was alone. Angry with myself, I gave my coat a hard shake and wiped my eyes and turned to examine my surroundings. It certainly was a bed chamber alright, of that there was no doubt. It had been constructed from the same glittering crystal as the rest of the thestral buildings I’d seen, only this one had been adorned with a number of large tapestries and pictures that hung from the walls. For what I took to be such frightening warriors, whoever had used this room enjoyed a particularly delicate touch. Elegant filigree vases and caskets sat neatly arranged on a white dresser, tastefully painted gold leaves and vines adorning its surface. The tapestries really caught my eye though. They weren’t scenes from anywhere I’d seen in the Withers. In fact, judging from the overall style, I’d have said they were of Equestria. But… how? Where they from the war? Good gods, just how old were these?! The paintings too were of similarly familiar scenes: green rolling hills, miles of forests and blue skies. They were really quite beautiful, each and every one of them. I couldn’t see any artist’s name recorded, but then my knowledge of artistry was roughly the same as what I knew about meteorology - zero. Generally the whole room was well appointed, and had a large window with a thin crystalline type of glass which allowed in what passed as natural light in the Beyond. Curtains in a deep maroon fabric framed the window, co-ordinating nicely with the deep carpets and chair cushions. The bed however, was another matter altogether. It was absolutely huge, with heavily carved crystal posts holding up a canopy in the same colour as the window curtains. Golden rope ties added an extra touch which made me begin to wonder just how a lowly ragamuffin like me had come to be here in such magnificent surroundings when only recently I’d been sleeping on cardboard sheeting in a rat infested sewer.

A yawn abruptly broke free from my lips. Gods, what timewasit here anyway? I had no way of knowing for sure, though Star Beard was right when he said it was late. With no clocks anywhere to be seen, I had to rely on my body to tell me. And tell me it did, as a wave of fatigue suddenly passed through me making my fur shiver. Well, there was one thing for certain at least, I didn’t need a watch or clock to tell me it was time for bed. With a sigh of relief, all of my heavy gear, packs, boxes and strapping, were unceremoniously dumped on the floor, after which I wriggled out of my patched flight suit. Hell fire, I felt as light as a feather! That bed looked incredibly inviting too, and yet... I paused, feeling a twinge of guilt run through me. This room was somepony’s home, and here I was, mucky and smelly after days, if not weeks of travel. Could I really just walk in and wreck it? No… No, that wasn’t right at all. I picked up my gear and neatly arranged it on a blanket chest for the morning. I hadn’t been born a slobby pony and I sure as hell wasn’t going to start becoming one now. Not that I’d ever describe myself as a neat freak of course, it’s just that it felt like the right thing to do.

There was a knock at the door.

“Hello?” I trotted over and opened it.

To my surprise it was two young thestrals in white robes. As one they bowed to me as they entered, brushing past me while whispering to each other in their strange clicking language and giggling coquettishly. I couldn’t help rolling my eyes at their girlish behaviour, even as it put a smile on my tired face. What in Equestria was going on here? Was this room service of some sort? I was just about to shut the door when another of the great hall’s staff pushed it back open, shooting me a haughty glare. By the gods, she was huge! She was a real charmer too, making the others look like tugboats next to a liner. I’d never seen a fat thestral before, but by Celestia’s ample arse, here was one now. The creature held her nose in the air and harrumphed as she passed me, giving orders to the younger two who curtsied to her respectfully. I caught sight of one of them surreptitiously smirking at the other who playfully stuck her tongue out a little at the larger female. Thankfully, their ample colleague didn’t notice the cheeky gesture.

“CAN YOU SPEAK OUR LANGUAGE? DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?” she bellowed at me.

I took a step back, flattening my ears. Great goddesses, what a bloody racket! I’d almost forgotten how thestrals had a habit of speaking straight into your head, and I’d only just gotten used to Ember and Star Beard speaking normally. My brain cells must have been vibrating with the mental onslaught, but she wasn’t finished yet.

“YOU FOLLOW US, YES? WE BRING YOU TO CLEANING PLACE, UNDERSTAND?” She spoke slowly, pronouncing each word with a deliberate overemphasis that had the other two shaking with silent laughter. I decided to play along.

“Duhhhh?” I mumbled, cocking my head on one side like some village idiot.

The large thestral tutted irritably and waved to the other two who trotted round to take station behind me. With numerous nudges and shoves, I was propelled back through the door and along a new set of corridors, the stuck up female leading the way. As we walked it felt like somepony was pulling on my tail, not painfully of course, but it was noticeable alright. The occasional tug would have me looking back over my shoulder to the two girls who quickly averted their eyes, glancing anywhere but at me with a poorly feigned innocence. Returning my eyes to the front, the giggling started again until I let out an involuntary squeak. Something, or more likely, some ‘thestral’ had nipped my backside. I shot them a look. One of the cheeky buggers smirked back at me, making a show of running her tongue over her teeth in what I could only describe as a extremely suggestive manner. Unfortunately my bloody body started to react on its own as usual, and I had to take my mind off it by staring at the huge thestral arse in front of me. Yikes! That was enough to cool off any dirty thoughts alright. Thankfully my galleon sized chaperone eventually came to a halt before a large set of double doors which she opened like they were made of nothing heavier than a piece of paper. Once more I was prodded into action, following my guide inside. There was no mistaking what this place was for. A large walk-in bath awaited me, steaming silently in the lightly scented room. The plain wood panelled walls were lined with a bewildering assortment of baskets, bottles, and all manner of assorted grooming tools – everything arranged and ready for what I suddenly knew was coming.

“Oh no!” I squeaked. “I can groom myself, thank you very much!”

The older mare stared open mouthed at my miraculous understanding of the art of speech and spluttered in indignation before giving out more orders to the younger ones. With another extra loud harrumph, she flounced out of the room leaving the other two alone with me and the steaming bath water. Well, that was one down, two to go...

“Ladies, thank you,” I smiled. “I’ll be fine, thanks.”

They looked at each other and began taking off their robes.

“Hey! Wait, no!”

One of them chuckled, flicking her robe onto a hook before nudging me with her muzzle into the bath water. The other waded in on the opposite side of me, taking a bottle in her mouth and a large sponge in her hooves. Before long, and regardless of my impotent protests, I was summarily soaked, lathered, and sponged down from muzzle to tail. They certainly knew their craft too. In no time at all the girls had efficiently curry combed and scrubbed every inch of me, getting all the tangles from my coat, mane and tail. It felt, I have to say, absolutely amazing; particularly when one of them started to sponge me… somewhere else.

“Thanks ladies, I can wash there my- Oh!”

They ignored me. Come hell or high water these two were intent on washing me completely, and I mean completely. By the goddess they were good at it too. Heat surged through me, and it wasn’t just from the water either. I closed my again, praying to the goddesses that I wouldn’t embarrass myself in front of these young mares. Somehow, I doubt they’d care if I did. Thankfully though, the tortuously exotic experience came to a halt when I was finally led from the bath and towelled down. One of the mares then pulled a chain, opening a vent in the wall which blew warm air across me as the girls began brushing and smoothing my coat and hair. Now this was more like it! I’d never been to a salon before, but if this was what the hordes of mares who went experienced, I’d been missing out! Gods, talk about relaxing, I’d sleep well tonight that was for sure. I let out an involuntary sigh which made one of the thestrals giggle. Moments later she moved from my flank to my underside, taking extra special care to dry me off between my haunches. I had little choice but to stand there and endure it, naturally. But as with everything in life, all good things come to an end. Tonight that end belonged to the glacia sized mare who had re-appeared before me like an avenging spirit in all her muscular glory.

She treated me like I was a prize entry in a show, clicking and clucking over the work the other two had done before nodding to herself, “You’re done. Follow me.”

The miserable mare wasn’t talking to me like I was a dullard at least, and the three of them guided me from the bath and back to my room, all clean and neat. I had to admit, I felt great too. Not only that, I didn’t stink like one of Pewter’s litter trays either, which was a definite improvement. Despite the scar and glowing eyes, I thought I must have looked pretty damned good all things considered. Tingles and Meadow would have been particularly pleased with the results; my tail and mane were in the best condition they’d been in for ages, and flowed nicely, swishing the way they should. Even that simply act felt great.

Back in the room, my entourage left, but not before one of the younger mares grabbed my muzzle and gave me a quick kiss before rushing out after her scandalised friend. Thankfully the large mare hadn’t noticed as the door shut behind them with a dull thud, leaving me standing there like a stone statue. Smiling to myself, I stretched out my legs and moved to the side of the bed. Thestrals... who could fathom them? It wasn’t that long ago I’d have been scared witless by these pony-like beings with their sharp teeth, glowing eyes and skeletal bodies. Before I got to know them better I’d thought they all looked alike, but now… now I knew better. Speaking of which, how come I could understand what they were saying? A quick feel of my ears confirmed that I hadn’t inadvertently put on the magical translator. It was, as I already knew, in the pile with all my other gear. Was this a side effect of the merging of my spirit with the wendigo? Deciding it didn’t really matter anyway, I shrugged it off. I mean, what’s one more mystery to add the pile? The meaning of the word ‘normal’ had become very subjective of late. At least tonight I could get a decent sleep in a decent bed - the first time I’d done so since this quest had started. I pulled back the heavy sheets and slipped beneath their cool embrace. Now this was more like it! I let out a pent up sigh, my stresses and strains disappearing in the enveloping comfort of the roomy bed. With my mane, tail, coat and hooves, all clean and neat, I breathed in the fresh smell of linen and… mare. I opened my eyes, half expecting to see somepony there, but... no… No, it was just me and the pillow - the pillow which smelt of warm cinnamon, of exotic spices, of femininity, of… Shadow. I closed my eyes, feeling the sharp prickle of a tear building, and let my feelings flow out. She’d be with me soon, and I with her. The smell of Shadow was was all around me, deliciously intoxicating and reminding me of all the good times I’d spent with her. I rubbed my nose against the pillow, taking it in, imagining her with me in my forelegs. I could see her, touch her, smell her… She was in my heart and my soul - the beautiful, terrible creature of the nightmare world, and my deepest desire.

“Shadow…” I moaned, hugging the pillow and whispering into it. “I miss you, love. Where are you? Show me the way…”

In the darkness, between my coat and the pillow, the crystal glowed.

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

It was morning. At least I presumed it was, because first off I was awake, and secondly the gargantuan maid was back, brutally yanking the covers off me with zero consideration for my need for a lie in. Yawning expansively, I had a good stretch and rubbed the sleep from my eyes as a quick breakfast of porridge with berries and a glass of fruit ‘something’ appeared like magic before me on a tray. Whatever it was, it smelled surprisingly appealing too. Breakfast in bed, eh? Well, not quite, the words ‘GET UP!’ hadn’t been spoken, but by Luna, they were still coming across loud and clear all the same. I settled myself into the chair and floated over a spoon. Meanwhile my self-appointed ‘overseer’ busied herself around the room, whilst I busied myself by filling up on the best start for the day a fellow could have. It was probably best not to think too hard about where a lot of the food came from in the Withers I’d found. So long as you disengaged your brain from your taste buds, you were good to go. And soon, I was too. I was pleasantly surprised to find my flight suit had been properly cleaned and laid out for me on the chair next to the dresser, along with my cloak and blanket, all them freshly laundered. I lifted the suit up, staring at it in amazement. Not only did it smell fresh, unburned and clean, somepony had even taken the time to unpick my hastily made repairs and re-sewn it so well it looked as good as new! Only the goddess knows how they managed to do that without me noticing. Oh, they were good! And so, dressed and ready for the day, I followed the maid out of Shadow’s bedroom and off to wherever, or whatever, Fate had in store for me.

Star Beard was already at work in his rooms, pouring over a number of old tomes when I was unceremoniously deposited by the helpful maid. “Ah! Fairlight my boy, come in, please,” he chirped enthusiastically.

I was genuinely relieved to see him in such good spirits this morning, his weariness last night had really concerned me. The old fellow was no spring chicken, and that was saying something. What was he, a thousand years old or something? I know the time differences between Equestria and the Wither World were about as linear as a dog’s hind leg, but even so, the war had been a millennia ago, and here he was pottering about in his study like some jolly old grandpa. On the subject of his room, it was just as I remembered it - a right bloody mess. Books, maps, candle wax and discarded clothes, all lay haphazardly across the desk, floor, and only goddess knows what else. I presumed there was a chair in here somewhere, but it was probably lost in time beneath a layer of paperwork.

Star Beard looked up from his musings. “You look a lot better, Captain. Freya have a good go at you did she?”

“Freya?” I wrinkled my brow in thought, “Oh! The maid I presume?”

He snorted out a laugh and scratched his ear, “She’s not the gentlest, I’ll admit, but she’s got a good heart. Takes care of me in my old age too.” I’d read into that what I may. She certainly did bugger all with his room. “Anyway my equestrian friend,” he continued, “we have a visitor…” He held out a hoof.

“Good morning, Captain.”

The familiar voice from behind me made me look up in surprise. Slowly, I turned round to find myself face to face with the time worn features of the leader of my last mission in the Wither World - the warrior whom I’d had the honour of fighting beside in that final, desperate battle against insane odds.

“Major Thorn!” I exclaimed happily. “Good to see you! Are you well, sir?”

He grasped my hoof and shook it firmly, a broad smile spread across his battle-scarred face displaying those lethal teeth of his. “I am, Captain, very well. I’m pleased to see you once more.”

Star Beard nodded to the Major before leaning across the map he’d laid out on the table. “Gentlecolts, I’m not going to procrastinate over this, so I’ll get to the point. Captain Fairlight…” He looked into my eyes. “We have to find Lady Shadow, and quickly. The difficulty I have is discovering exactly where she is, but my sources inform me she is either here…” He pointed to a large mountain to the north-east of the marsh, “…or here.” Star Beard moved his hoof to point to another mountain range west of the first one. There was no scale on the map so I had no idea of the distances involved, but it didn’t matter right now, I was just relieved that at long last we were finally getting something concrete. “We officially cannot enter dragon territory or risk sparking a war,” he explained. “The duchess will not risk it, and neither will I. As much as I love Shadow, Captain, our people’s survival is at risk if we provoke an open conflict with the dragons. I’m sure you understand this, yes?”

I nodded in response. ‘We’ meaning ‘They’ the thestrals, couldn’t enter the dragons domain. The same restrictions didn’t relate to me however, the wild card wendigo. I stared at the image of smoking mountains on the map, feeling my resolve harden. So, essentially this looked like it was going to be another solo mission then. In a funny way it was that old favourite of the agency ‘plausible deniability’ once again, just in a different guise. This way at least, if I was caught or killed, they’d just say, “He’s not a thestral though, is he?” And problem solved. Personally I’d prefer the third option - staying alive.

Star Beard gestured to Thorn who explained further. “One source indicates that the lady Shadow may have been… ‘taken’, by the dragon of the Coal Spike mountain. If true, then I fear the worst. He’s a vicious bastard that one, and a dragon whom many of us believe inspired the rabid hatred of us with the Celestians in the first place.” Thorn examined the map, a wisp of smoke rising from his nostrils. “One other source suggested that she may have headed here…” He tapped the second mountain range, “Emerald Fires, the home of a female fire dragon known as ‘Etrida’. Goddess help her if she’s there - that one is the mother of the worst of them.”

All very positive then! Dragons, a missing mare, throw in the words ‘Vicious’ and ‘Worst of them all’ just for good measure, and then off you go! It did wonders for your optimism. This was going to be a walk in the park, wasn’t it? Gods almighty! Inwardly I groaned; couldn’t somepony give me some good news for once? So far it was all variations on a theme of misery and despondency.

“How do we know any of this information is correct?” I asked the two old warriors directly. “Are these ‘sources’ you mentioned reliable?” I scratched my muzzle in thought before pointing to the mountains depicted on the map. “I mean, why would she go there? There must be something in the mountains that’s attracted her for some reason, or else this could all be a wild goose chase based on rumours of sightings and nothing more.”

Star Beard took out his pipe, passing a spare one to me. Thorn politely declined. “My sources are trustworthy, Captain, of that you can have no doubt,” the ancient warrior said confidently. “And, yes, there is something there, or at least Shadow believes there to be - The Rift.”

I hadn’t heard of it. “The Rift?” I asked.

The colonel nodded. “It’s a place in the mountains which, according to lore, is where the veil is thinnest between all the realms. A sort of ‘natural fault line’ so to speak, I can’t say for sure. I for one have never been however, and I suspect no living thestral has either. I can only speculate that it is where she’s heading, but after all this time… I just don’t know.”

I had to ask, as much as it pained my heart to even consider it, “How do you know she’s still alive?”

Star Beard let out a puff of smoke. “She was seen recently, no more than a week ago, near the Coal Spike.” He pointed his pipe stem at me, smoke flowing from his nostrils. “This, is why I said you needed to hurry.”

And here I was, smoking! I banged my hoof down on the desk. “So what’s the plan then? I need to get going as soon as possible!”

Thorn grinned. “We’re going with you, to the edge of the marshes at least. I wish we could go further, Captain, but this time you’ll be on your own for most of your journey - behind enemy lines, so to speak. Think you can handle it?”

By the way his eyes blazed, he knew my answer already. “Does an Ursan shit in the woods?”

Thorn sniggered, while Star Beard just rolled his eyes. “Have you looked at your pendant this morning, Fairlight? Star Swirl’s beacon?”

I deftly extracted the elegant pendant from my flight suit pocket, holding it up for the other two to see. It was glowing as usual and I turned on the spot to face the direction where it shone the brightest. Star Beard oriented the map with the aid of a heavy brass compass he fetched down from the bookcase and tapped at a landmark, a beaming smile on face.

I scrubbed at my mane irritably. “So much for that then, It’s pointing back to the portal again. Not sure how that helps if the bloody thing won’t let us back through.”

Star Beard stepped round the table with the compass and ruler, drawing an invisible line with his hoof. “No, it’s not pointing to the portal, Captain, it’s pointing towards the dragons territory. Did you do as I asked last night?”

“You mean thinking of Shadow?” I asked curiously. “Yes, of course I did. Was that your idea, to put me in her room?”

He nodded, a wry smile on his lips, “The pendant works on need, leading the wearer to what their heart truly desires. That, and it can only be used by Celestians - no offence.”

No offence?! I involuntarily scowled at him, a flare of temper bursting through me. “I’m not a bucking Celestian!” I snapped, “Do you know what those bastards did?! Do you know the suffering…” I paused, rubbing my face with a foreleg. “Sorry… sorry, my friend. I didn’t mean to-”

Thorn clopped me on the shoulder. “We know, Captain. We were there, we know what they did. Some of it anyway.”

Star Beard shook his head sadly. “You’re right to be angry, boy, but you’re a part of their world now whether you like it or not, and in this age, Equestria is Celestia. One way or another you must find your place within that world. I can only pray for you and your family’s safety and prosperity in the future. If the goddess is willing, Shadow will soon become part of that family.”

“There are other places outside of Equestria,” I replied. “Saddle Arabia for example, the Griffin Kingdom, the Llamalian Empire or even Yak Yakistan. It doesn’t have to be Celestia’s ‘perfect’ utopian society.”

Star Beard nodded knowingly. “True lad, true, but you’re the new lord of the four winds, and your heart will always lead you home. Believe me, I know.”

Thorn gasped, “Lord of the four winds? Precious Goddess! Fulmin, you old goat, you never told me that!” Thorn turned to me, looking me straight in the eyes as if he was searching for something. Suddenly he snorted loudly, letting out a rumbling neigh. “Of course! Its all so obvious, I can’t believe I hadn’t realised it before now. By the nightmare’s grace, you’re the descendant of Maroc and Arathea!”

“Apparently so,” I said rather embarrassed by Thorn’s reaction. “Not that there’s anything to be ‘lord’ of to be honest. There’s nothing there now, only rubble, ghosts and memories.”

“Dragon shit!” he spat, “Stone remembers stone…”

“What?”

Star Beard slammed a hoof on the table, “Enough! We’re wasting time!”

We both stopped and turned to face him. He was right of course, every moment counted and we needed to prepare for the journey without any more delays. Thorn and I stood and listened in respectful silence as Star Beard explained his plan. And explain he did. Every detail, every possibility, stratagem and contingency had been thought through in impressive, yet pragmatic detail. Standing there listening to the old warrior, this former leader of the thestral invasion force that had tried to wrest Equestria from the control of Celestia, was something I still couldn’t quite come to grips with. He had a presence, a force of will and professionalism, that effortlessly filled you equally with both confidence and burning enthusiasm. This stallion, this officer from a bygone age, knew what he was about. He understood his trade as a carpenter understands wood. Here was a stallion who had commanded untold thousands, his drive and skill forging a path across an alien world he knew little about, yet had come within a hairs breadth of conquering. I wonder how Equestria would have looked now if he had succeeded, if Nightmare Moon were now the one true princess and living goddess of our nation. And here I was, here in this old officer’s study, listening in rapt attention until there were simply no more plans to explain and no more questions to ask. By the gods, would I have had the resolve to fight with the forces of the Legion? Perhaps… Perhaps I would. Thank the gods It was a question that I would never need to know the answer to.

The colonel nodded to himself as he finished his explanation, satisfied we all now knew as much as there was to know about what we had to do. It essence, it was quite simple. We would set off that afternoon which would allow us time to travel to the Purple Sands. We would overnight there and then head across their land to the Tallow Marshes. At the northern most edge of the marsh I would head off alone into dragon territory, locate the two places marked on the map and, with the grace of Luna, find Shadow. Upon finding her, we would return to our rendezvous with Thorn and his warriors. What we would do to get myself and Shadow home to Equestria however, was a problem for another day.

We were about to part when Star Beard walked over to me and peered at the pendant closely, giving it a tap with his hoof. “You didn’t let me finish what I was saying earlier,” he observed, cocking an eyebrow. I hung my head in embarrassment as he continued, “The pendant will lead you to Shadow, boy, but that is all. The rest is up to you. If there is one piece of advice I can give you before you leave however, it is this: believe in her, and in yourself. Never doubt your strength, your skill, nor your resolve. Self doubt can kill you just as surely as any enemy blade. You can do this.”

“I will do this, Colonel,” I said confidently. “Fortune favours the bold.”

“Ha! It does indeed my boy,” the Colonel laughed, clopping me on the shoulder. “It does indeed.”

There was nothing more that needed to said. My packs, belts, and other assorted gear were stowed and ready, the pulse gun disassembled and in its storage case, my PDW fully charged and in order. My war scythe I’d left in Shadow’s room along with other items I didn’t think I’d need. Perhaps for sentimental reasons, I don’t know for certain, I’d brought the scythe my friends had prepared for me rather than the one I’d used in the Wither World the last time I was here. That one had been a weapon I’d taken from a fallen enemy, but this one had been hoof made by myself and modified by Smiling Borders’ very own blacksmith. There was a certain significance in that which made it special to me. Guess I had a heart after all then. I was checking my food and water supplies when a loud chirrup behind me caught my attention. I span round just in time to see Tarragon leaping onto my head and then claw her way painfully down my neck to nestle into my back. Goddesses the little beggar had sharp claws! Ember followed her in a moment later.

“She’s so friendly, I’m sad to see her leave,” Ember smiled, oblivious to the myriad of scratches I’d just endured at the claws of her scaly new pal. “You too, Fairlight. I pray you find my sister safe and well, and bring her home to us soon. May the goddess watch over you on your journey.”

I bowed formally. “Thank you my lady, your kind words give my heart hope.”

She sniggered behind her hoof. “My name’s ‘Ember’, Fairlight, not ‘Duchess’ or ‘My lady’. At least, not to friends. Or would you prefer I start calling you ‘My lord’ as well?”

“Oh goddess, no!” I laughed. I’d had quite enough of that nonsense from Grimble.

We all chuckled, with the notable exception of Thorn who was busy preparing several of his troops, issuing them their orders for our trip. Meanwhile, Star Beard rummaged under the table before hoofing me a copy of the map we’d looked at last night.

“All set?” he asked me, raising an eyebrow.

“I am, Storm Colonel.” I stood tall and gave a single nod of my head. “I’ll bring her home, sir. Come hell or high water, I’ll bring her home.”

“Good. See that you do.” Star Beard turned to Thorn and his troops who’d already begun filing out the door into the courtyard. “Give my regards to Short Stride, Major. Tell her I expect to see foals before my days are done.”

Thorn nodded, clopping hooves with his old friend before following his troops outside, myself in tow. I was barely past the doorway when a bitterly cold wind hit me like a bucket of ice water, sending a shiver through my body. Cold weather? Here in the Withers? I smiled to myself; it was a good sign. The wendigo were the harbingers of the north winds, and we were heading north now. I could scarcely believe it. This was it, at last! All this journeying, all this wonder, doubt, and fear. Now, here I was, out beneath a dark sky in the middle of a thestral village on another world. I’d never felt so alive in all my life. With a shout, Thorn’s wings snapped out, and as one our band, myself included, launched into the air. Hopefully, fortune truly did favour the bold. I had a funny feeling I’d need all the luck I could get too.

Chapter Twelve - The dragon of Coalspike Mountain

CHAPTER TWELVE

THE DRAGON OF COAL SPIKE MOUNTAIN

The flight didn’t take anywhere near as long as I’d thought it would. For such large and heavily armed warriors, the thestrals flew at a steady, rhythmic pace which I found refreshingly easy to keep up with. A pace too, it has to be said, that ate up the distance far better than I could have done on my own. From what I understood of thestrals, flight was seen more as a means to an end rather than something to be revelled in - a mindset that would be as alien to equestrian pegasi as they would be to the these extraordinary warriors from another world. I wonder if their wings had developed this way because of their environment? There were certainly few air currents here, or even weather patterns for that matter. According to Star Beard, seasons did exist in the Withers, but nothing the ones I was used to. It had been cold out this morning, with a fairly strong breeze which had all but vanished by the time we’d crossed the borders of the Beyond. Now, our leathery dragon-like wings thumped mechanically through their, propelling us inexorably towards our destination. Nopony talked. All kept their station in a fairly loose ‘Vee’ formation reminiscent of migrating geese. From some perspectives the manner of our flight might appear to be casual, almost lazy even, if it wasn’t for the fact we were all armed to the teeth. I expect the warriors deliberately flew this way so to ensure they didn’t tire too quickly in case they needed to fight - a constant theme it seemed with these enigmatic creatures. Shadow’s bed chamber certainly stood out in stark contrast to the rest of the thestral mindset, with the possible exception of Ember, her sister. Come to think of it, was Short Stride the same? I knew very little about the youngest sister. However, Ember, from my point of view at least, seemed completely normal. She was level headed, sensible, open minded, and pragmatic. Considering she’d been spawned from that monstrous lunatic Maelstrom, it’s nothing short of miraculous the sisters didn’t end up just as maniacal as their warped mother. Thankfully Far Sight, their father, and quite likely Star Beard too, had been on hoof to keep them on the straight and narrow. Casting my mind back to when I’d last been in the Beyond, I remembered that at some point, somepony had told me Shadow was ‘incomplete’. I still didn’t know what that actually meant, and when I broached the subject with Star Beard he’d deflected my question completely, advising instead that I ask her myself. Like that would be easy! It was hard to get more than two words out of Shadow as it was, without trying to ask her something that was no doubt intensely personal. Mind you, with everything that had happened during that hectic experience, I’d never had the chance to bring it up in conversation anyway. Besides, I’d been happy enough just to enjoy her company. Maybe one day she’d tell me, but in all honesty I wasn’t really bothered by it that much; she was who she was and that was more than good enough for me.

For the several hours we’d flown, the landscape had changed little from the common vista of white crystal trees, white grass and rolling hills. There was the occasional river or stream, and on one occasion some small bat like creatures that I’m sure I’d seen once before, but other than that it was fairly unremarkable. At least it was, until the border came into view. Once again the Wither World threw everything I knew about geography out of the window, and the goddesses know how little I knew about that subject to begin with! Actually, was it even geography? Geology maybe? I was running out of ‘g’ words. Still, regardless of which fancy words scholars might use to describe the phenomenon, the Purple Sands just simply… started. The white grass disappeared abruptly, together with the crystal trees. What replaced them was an immense expanse of sand, purple sand, stretching out for as far as the eye could see. Huh! Very imaginative naming by this tribe then, I don’t think! It was no wonder the last earl wanted to merge the tribes. This was a desert of sandy nothingness, like the black sandy desert on the other side of the great lake. At least the Beyond had something to look at other than bloody sand. Anypony would get the impressions the gods had simply given up when they had created this world. Either that or they’d used it as a place to dump unwanted ideas – the veritable ‘odds and ends drawer’ everypony had in their house where they put things that they couldn’t think of what to do with but were reluctant to throw out. What a place!

Early evening was coming on when we encountered the first, for want of a better word, ‘feature’ I recognised from Star Beard’s map. Rising up from the purple sand was a forest of thorny tree’s that apparently passed for vegetation here, although in all honesty to call them ‘trees’ was something of a large stretch of the imagination. The long tapered spikes on the black woody things could have skewered a pony from stem to stern several times over. I don’t know what sort of evolutionary tick caused that, but I hoped never to meet the creature those lethal barbs were meant to deter. More than the kinds of trees I was used to seeing in Equestria, these were more akin to the kind of things I used to pull out of the garden – brambles. If your idea of brambles was coal black and as thick as I was round the middle. They spiralled, twisted, and wound their way across the landscape, a warped nightmare of life dangerously similar in colour to the dark purple sand in which they grew, and a lethal obstacle to anything, or any one, unlucky enough to stumble into them. Beyond them, nestled between several hills and sitting silently upon the shores of a large lake, sat the village of the Purple Sands tribe. No bigger nor smaller that the Beyond’s, it was all but invisible from the air; black huts on a purple background providing a natural camouflage that helped hide them from view. Occasionally a wisp of smoke carried the scent of cooking or the faint chatter of voices on the light breeze, reminding the observer that there was a life beyond this hellish landscape. It almost made me long for the forests of the Beyond.

Suddenly my ears pricked up. The distinct thrumming sound of beating drums rolled out across the lake like the heartbeat of some great beast waking up from a deep slumber, reaching up to us as we began our descent. Apparently, we were expected. I looked across at Thorn who had heard it too, guiding our unhurried glide towards the shore. Below us, the thestrals left their huts to peer up at us as we approached. The black and red armour of this tribe was still very much in evidence and, I confess, after my dealings with them in the dead city it made me more than a little twitchy. The last time I’d encountered this tribe they were going all out to kill me and kidnap Shadow. The bastards had killed Glimmer without a thought, and I couldn’t forgive them for that. She was another mare who’d died in front of me… Another who’d passed from the land of the living because I’d been unable, or incapable, of saving them. I mentally shoved the blood soaked image of the dying mare away before it coalesced in my mind any more than it already had. That was something I never wanted to see again as long as lived. My dreams however, were another matter. Many nights I’d been trying to sleep only to find myself in a state of semi-consciousness for hours, tossing and turning, my mind torturing me by replaying the most horrific memories it could find, over and over and over again. It was enough to drive anypony to drink. Thank the gods for tobacco and showers. A good wash, a smoke, and a book to read worked wonders. I don’t how many times I’d read ‘Boffo the bucking bronco’s biscuit bonanza!’ It was one of the books we’d bought for our expected foal. Silly perhaps, but it brought me a strange sense of calm with its childish simplicity and innocence that washed away the darker thoughts that were forever lurking in the recesses of my screwed up brain.

Flaring my wings I landed with the rest of our group, releasing the wendigo magic and settling back into my more ‘regular’ self. I gave my mane a shake, staring down at my now grey leg. Gods, did I really think of myself as ‘regular’? I’m not sure I actually did any more. It was getting harder to think of myself as just a pony now; the wendigo side of me was just so… comfortable, I suppose. It was like a set of socks - it didn’t really matter which legs you put them on, they were all as comfortable as one another. Not that I wore socks of course, but Tingles did… nice ones too. Damn it! Shaking my mane again, I brought myself back to the present. There before me, was an avenue of armoured thestrals, and walking between them to meet us was…

“Short Stride!” I shouted without thinking.

All eyes were on me now, but I didn’t care. Beside me Thorn said nothing, his stern gaze remaining as impassive as always, although I could feel the irritation radiating from him at my complete lack of propriety. Shadow’s sister however, didn’t seem to care about such things, thank Luna. She trotted up to me and gave me a hug.

“Fairlight!” she laughed. “You really have returned! Star Beard sent word you would be coming to see us, yet I could scarce believe it! He always said you would, and I never gave up hope that you would find a way to come back to us some day. But to see you here in the flesh, and in such good health too, truly is a sign that the all-father favours you.” She took my hoof, turning to address the tall male who drew up next to her. “Forge, this is Fairlight, the warrior I was telling you about. He is Shadow’s mate.”

The slim but muscular young stallion looked at me at me with an expression that betrayed his uncertainty. “You are… a wendigo, are you not?” His voice slammed into my brain with all the usual subtlety of a speeding cheese grater.

I bowed formally. “I am, Lord Forge.”

“Please,” he said smiling slightly. “‘Forge’ will do. Ember has told me of your exploits here in the Withers. Alas, I was not in the city at the time our forces clashed. To have met you in battle would have been… spectacular.”

It was an odd way of looking at things, but also stereotypically thestral. I returned his smile. “I’m pleased we can meet as friends though, Forge, your tribe needs more thestrals in its ranks, not less.”

For a moment the big warrior watched me before bursting of with great raucous laugh. “Well said!” he thundered, clopping me on the shoulder. “I like you, Fairlight, I think my wife’s sister chose well.”

Well, I couldn’t argue with that. After all, I hadn’t really had much say in the matter anyway. Shadow had decided I was her mate, and that, as they say, was that. What, I didn’t agree? Not in thestral society! I wonder how they’d have reacted if I told them I had a wife, partner, and two foals already? Probably bloody well congratulate me on that too; the more the merrier! Come to think of it, how would I introduce myself at parties or functions? “Oh hello! My name’s Fairlight, Lord of the four winds. Have you met my late wife and daughter? This one’s my partner, and the terrifying one’s my mate that I’m knocking off as well by the way”. What a line that would be! Mum would have killed me.

“Come!” Forge said, leading me away, “We shall feast and drink together to welcome you to our home.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Storm Major Thorn, don’t think that I have forgotten you! Bring your warriors and join us, brother. Tonight the balta shall flow freely, the music play, and the food fill your bellies. You have brought a smile to wife’s face, and so too a joy to my heart. Today is truly a good day!”

Our party, flanked by guards and the ever curious populace, followed Short Stride and her husband towards the great hall. It looked for all intents and purposes remarkably similar to the Beyond, even sporting the same banners which were no doubt a more recent addition following the tribe’s absorption into their conqueror’s expanding little empire. Short Stride’s marriage to one of their own nobility had doubtless smoothed some ruffled feathers, and was the kind of thing even equestrian aristocracy was noted for. Daughters and sons were brought up into a world were they would be used like bargaining chips in some wider game, married off to cement alliances, trade deals, secure land and so on and so forth. Love seldom came into the equation, although looking at the way Short Stride glanced up at her husband and his responding smile, I suspected that these two may have had more say in the matter than poor Shadow would have had with the last earl. If I hadn’t gutted him first of course.

Thorn caught up with me, leaning down so he could speak quietly. “Captain?”

I said nothing, but glanced at Thorn, letting him know he had my full attention.

“Be on your guard here,” the old stallion cautioned quietly. “The Purple Sands tribe have been our enemy for generations, even from before the time of the great war. Forge is a strong warrior, but he is young and idealistic. Our presence here may not be quite so welcome to others within his court.”

“You think we may be in danger?” I asked.

Thorn huffed quietly. “It is not our way to be resentful to those who best us in battle, Captain, however some wounds run deeper than those of any blade. Memory, resentment and humiliation can be strong motivators that may force a warrior’s hoof, despite their better judgement. Forge is not one for adherence to tradition. Rather he has what you may think of as a… ‘looser’ approach.”

He had a point. Forge was indeed young compared to the rest of the cloaked nobles I’d seen milling around so far. Unfortunately I knew so little about their customs I would have to take what Thorn told me at face value, something I hated doing. My watch training emphasised gathering information from as many sources as possible, analysing it, looking at it from different angles and leaving no stone unturned in the pursuit of the truth. To simply take what one individual said, no matter how reliable and trustworthy he may appear, was leaving yourself wide open to trouble further down the line. For now though I would accept what Thorn told me, and keep my wits about me. And my sword close. We were all soon lead away to an area where we could remove our travelling gear and freshen up whilst preparations were made for the evening’s official welcome. Short Stride and Forge bid a hasty farewell so they could get changed, although ‘dressing up’ was something I hadn’t given even the slightest thought too. Black tie and polished hooves probably meant little in the Withers, although one could never be too careful. I decided on keeping it simple, with a good groom, brush and tidy up. Sitting there giving my hooves the once over, it put me in mind of my days in the watch. Here I was, sat amongst the quiet warriors from the Beyond, all of them helping one another to remove their armour and stack weapons as if returning from an operation. It was done without a word, without fuss nor direction, each one aiding their brothers and sisters just the way they always had. As much as we were all tired from our flight, there was an electricity in the air, a sense of anticipation which I took as these strange creatures looking forward to an evening of drink, food and merriment. Or were they on edge because of where we were? It had been five years since the Purple Sands had been amalgamated into the Beyond, and as far as I could see, other than a change in management, little had changed. Short Stride had married into their ruling class and it was one of their own people in charge. As far as ‘conquests’ go, it seemed to me to be more in name than anything actually tangible as such. Was this how things worked here? My understanding of equestrian history was very different. The history books were replete with tales of conquest, where villages, towns, and even whole regions were invaded and effectively scrubbed from existence by the victor, eventually merging into one great ‘whole’. Granted, most of this happened abroad in places like the Llamalian Empire, Saddle Arabia, and so forth, but Equestria was far from being ‘pure as the driven snow’ when it came to the progression of politics ‘by other means’. As little as our own past was ever mentioned in school, it was still there, buried beneath the green grass and tall trees, mouldering in ancient ruins, or recalled as dimly remembered folk stories in some far away village somewhere. To the thestrals however, memory ran deep. Very deep indeed.

It wasn’t long before our party was collected by some of the earl’s servants who lead us into the great hall. Thorn and his warriors were all seated together at a long wooden table opposite their Purple Sands counterparts, whilst I was guided to a seat at the head table next to our kindly hosts. I felt honoured, although in all honesty I would have preferred to have bit a little less conspicuous. It was bad enough being the only pony in there without having the thestral equivalent of a spotlight over my noggin, Lord or not. In short order however, our food arrived. Wooden bowls were passed around the assembled guests filled with long rubbery white ‘tubes’ which had been stuffed with something I’d rather not think too hard about. Judging by the smell and look of this steaming thestral fayre, the interesting offerings had once been wandering around minding their own business not that long ago - just before somepony had made the somewhat dubious decision that they’d be the ideal choice for an enjoyable repast. I know resource availability was an issue out here, but to think of other living creatures as no more than ingredients was not something I’d been brought up to consider. Sure, the griffins ate meat, as did many other races, we all knew that, it was just… we didn’t think of it much. Ignorance was bliss, I suppose. Fortunately though, with me being a herbivore, Star Beard’s expansive maid friend had provided me with a selection of comestibles that were, allegedly, vegetarian. What they were exactly, I hadn’t dared to ask. I popped one in my mouth and almost immediately regretted it. The flavour was unlike anything I’d ever experienced, and don’t particularly want to again. Ever! By way of description you could say it was somewhere between that of carpet felt and glue in consistency and… well, let’s just leave it at that. It took at least the next fortnight to get all the bloody bits out of my teeth. As for what it did to my insides, I could only apologise to the poor sods who had to clean the privy later that night. Right then I could only hope that my hosts didn’t take offence at my not eating their food. Seriously, I was starting to think it might actually a better alternative after all.

As well as Short Stride, Forge and myself, several of the higher ranking tribal elders had joined us at the head table. Nopony had bothered to introduce them, nor had they shown even the slightest interest in doing it themselves either. Instead, everypony simply dived right into their food, drink, and very loud conversations. It was times like these I wished my hearing wasn’t so sensitive. With all the clicking, squawks, and clacking sounds around me it was like being trapped inside a very large bag of crisps. One that a giant was currently stamping on. Thank the goddess for the music! At least that helped drown it out to some degree. I took a sip of my drink, taking stock of my surroundings. Lamps had been set up at intervals around the interior of the black walled room, adding little to the light but possessing the horrific side effect of stinking to high heaven. Although externally very similar to the great hall of the Beyond tribe, the interior of Forge and Short Stride’s home was the polar opposite. Thorn had reliably informed me that the lamps used fish oil for fuel, although judging by the contents of the bowls on the table, I think they were eating the bloody stuff too. Thestrals were, of course, carnivores. It was funny, now I thought of it, but I couldn’t remember ever seeing Shadow eat anything other than fruit. Oh, and that ‘egg’ thing she’d found in the desert, but I don’t think that counts really. It certainly hadn’t been anything anypony in their right mind would have considered ‘food’. Maybe she was the one who broke the mold in the family - she certainly seemed different from the rest. It could have also been the reason why her mother had wanted to marry her off to that monstrous minotaur, the one who, ironically, would have been sat next to me now if he hadn’t been… ‘removed’. I sighed, rolling my shoulders. I wished Shadow were here with us tonight. Sitting up here I stood out like a three legged mule in a derby race. Still, with all the loud chatter and festivities, nopony seemed to be paying me much mind now that the novelty of my appearance had worn off. I just wish I didn’t feel so damnably self-conscious. At least the music was quite lively in the hall, with several horns and flutes playing a queer ‘old world’ kind of sound that I hadn’t heard outside of the renaissance fairs that were held in Ponyville each year. I would have loved to have been involved in that sort of thing too, but I just couldn’t get away with tights.

Forge leaned forward, allowing a passing servant to fill his drinking cup. “So, Fairlight, how do you intend to find your mate in the mountains?”

I felt a little uncomfortable explaining our plans to the earl. After all, it hadn’t been that long ago he would have quite happily killed me if he’d had half a chance. “I’ll simply be following the light of my heart, Forge,” I said with a polite smile. “That, and the blessing of the goddess.” I took a swig from my own cup, downing the strange drink in one hit.

He gave me an odd look then laughed, slamming his cup down on the table, “Indeed!” he boomed. “What would a warrior be if had no light within his heart nor fire in his soul, eh?” He grinned expansively, receiving a roar of support from his fellows. “I speak for us all when I wish the blessings of the goddess of the moon to be with you on your quest, my friend. I have arranged for you to have whatever provisions you may need from our stores and, of course, rooms for you and your friends in our guest wing. Tomorrow, we will pray for your safety and the lady Shadows safe, and swift, return.”

I nodded respectfully. “Thank you, Lord Forge, your hospitality appreciated. I pleased to see that-”

Suddenly a powerful voice called out from the throng, clearly audible even above the music.

“You’re all insane! Every damned one of you!”

Forge leapt to his hooves, his chair flying out behind him, “WHAT?!” His voice was like thunder, pulling the attention of every eye in the hall.

The music abruptly stopped as silence fell upon the gathering like a lead curtain before the voice rang out again. This time, everypony could hear it.

“This!” The voice called. “All of this, it is madness! This fool will bring the wrath of the demon lizards down on us and we will burn in the fires of their wrath!”

Forge’s voice was menacingly low, “Who speaks?”

“I do,” came the voice. “Astral, of the Purple Sands.” A deep green thestral walked forward wearing a long black and red striped robe. “You risk war with the beasts of the mountains, my lord,” he announced in a more normal tone. “They will kill us all, down to the last child. You know this, and yet still give sanction to such a foolish adventure that could bring ruin down upon our heads. I say again, this is madness!”

I could see Forge eyeing his sword before another of the thestrals stood, thankfully distracting him from what was gearing up to be a sudden, and very messy, end to the evening. He was an old fellow by looks of his wrinkles, although with all those scars it was hard to tell. Whoever he was, he banged his hoof down on the table as he addressed all in attendance.

“Aye, we cannot risk war with the demons, your Earlship, our numbers are too few.” The old warrior cast his gaze around at his fellows. “I cannot understand why we would risk such a catastrophe for one mare who, in all probability, is in the belly of one of those monsters already.”

There was a general chorus of agreement before silence descended once again. To say you could cut the atmosphere with a knife would be an understatement. Suddenly the earl’s eyes flared, and then, without warning, he leaped over the table in single bound to stand before Astral, smoke pouring from his nostrils. “Your concerns are noted, ‘brother’,” he snarled. “But you have openly insulted a guest within my house, and in so doing you insult me also. Astral, you more than anyone here know our laws...”

“I do, my earl,” the green thestral said calmly. “I am prepared to accept the punishment for what I have said. I can only pray to the goddess that she lends weight to my words and helps you to see the truth of them.”

Forge drew his sword as Astral knelt before him. Dear gods, I couldn’t believe what was happening here! “In the name of the moon!” I called out, rising to my hooves. “Earl Forge, please, stay your hoof I beg you!”

Short Stride’s husband paused and turned to face me, a look of confusion on his face. “Why? He has insulted you! Would you not see him punished?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “Astral’s behaviour may be inappropriate, my lord, but his concerns are understandable. Indeed, if I were a member of this tribe I would be thinking the same thing. After all, I am an outsider here, not of your tribe, nor even your race.” I walked up to Astral, looking him in the eyes. “You have not offended me, Astral, and I understand what you are saying. However, I do not look even remotely like a thestral, and I swear upon my honour that I will not divulge anything about my mission nor where I have come from to your enemies. Of that, you have my solemn vow.”

“Ha! Fine words, but look at you!” he jibed, sneering up at me. “A mere slab toothed pony - a cursed ‘Celestian’ if ever I smelled one. You would betray us and see us all dead! Your kind never changes.” His lip curled in derision. “Damned cowards, one and all.”

Forge’s eyes flared and he raised his axe before I lifted a foreleg to stop him. Staring at the kneeling Astral, I leaned forward and lifted his chin with my hoof, letting the anger and power surge through me. My vision began to tinge blue, my teeth lengthening and I felt my wings burst from my back and spread out with a leathery snap. I hissed my disgust and contempt out along with the mist from my haunches. “DON’T YOU EVER CALL ME A DAMNED ‘CELESTIAN’ AGAIN, OR I’LL TEAR YOUR BUCKING THROAT OUT!” The stallion’s eyes went as wide as saucers, the room seeming to freeze around us. Goddesses, you could have heard a pin drop. I looked from left to right; all eyes in the hall were on me now as I spoke, my eyes flaring in the flickering light. “You all see me now for who I truly am, now hear my words, warriors of the Purple Sands. I am the Lord of the tribe of the four winds wendigo, the lord of the fortress of the four winds, descendant of Maroc himself.” I bared my teeth, glaring down at Astral. “NOPONY will stop me from finding my mate, Astral, and no damned overgrown lizard will prevent me from bringing her home to her people. I swear to you now, as the goddess of the moon is my witness, I will send any pony, any ‘thing’ that stands in my way, straight into the jaws of hell.”

Astral stared straight up into my eyes, his lips moving silently, before lowering his head. Behind me one of the thestrals began to bang his goblet on the table in a loud, steady rhythm that was picked up by one, then another, then another, until the whole room was filled with a rising crescendo of sound. I leaned down and reached out a hoof to the kneeling stallion, bringing Astral back up to his hooves.

I looked into his eyes. “I may not be of your tribe,” I said levelly before clopping him on the shoulder, “but you are still my brother beneath the moon.”

He simply stood there staring at me, his face a mixture of surprise and awe. Astral must have been expecting me to cut him down where he stood, and now that I hadn’t, he didn’t seem to know what to do. I marvelled at him. He was truly a brave creature, of that there was no doubt, and one who was willing to sacrifice himself to protect his tribe without a second thought. Around us the thestral warriors, those of both the Purple Sands and the Beyond, broke out in cheers. Right on cue, servants appeared carrying barrels and ladles to dole out whatever alcoholic beverages these frightening warriors consumed, breaking the strange spell that had held us all in that terrifying moment between life and death.

Walking back to the table, Thorn leaned over to stop me. “How in name of the goddess’ backside did you pull that one off, Captain?”

I let go of the magic, giving myself a shake as I became the token equestrian once again. “Buggered if I know,” I admitted honestly.

And I was being honest too, these thestrals had seemed to change before my very eyes. Where I had once seen uncertainty when I’d first arrived, both in them and myself, now I saw them for who they truly were - a family, brave, strong, and true. Each of them were bound by a strong sense of honour and duty all their own. They must have been a terrifying force on the battlefield.

“An impressive display, Lord Fairlight,” Forge said formally, taking his chair once more. “A rare sight indeed. One, perhaps, all too rare in this age.”

I took up my cup, draining the last of the curious beverage. “I wish it were not so, Forge.” I waved to a passing maid who topped my up. “The goddess has her plans for all of us, of that I have no doubt.”

“And Fate?” Short Stride asked, leaning across.

I knocked my drink in one slug, licking my lips with a grin. “Buck Fate.” I held my hoof in air. “Another round!” A great cheer arose in the hall as the music wound up again, and the drink flowed like a waterfall. Gods, what a time to be alive...

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

The morning saw me nursing a hangover the likes of which I can only describe as being of ‘epic’ proportions. It quite literally felt like somepony had beaten me repeatedly over the head with a mallet…hard. What the hell had been in that stuff? My stomach bubbled menacingly, threatening to empty whatever contents I had foisted upon it last night right back out again. “Oh, buck me…” I groaned, picking myself up off the rug by the fire pit. The thestrals were mostly still snoring away where they’d fallen over or just collapsed, drunk. Chairs, tables, it didn’t matter - anything and everything had become a makeshift bed. Damn it all, what the hell had I been thinking?! My mouth was as dry as a bone, and I kept getting wafts of bad breath that was doing nothing at all to help me quell the waves of nausea that kept snatching at me. There had to be some water around here somewhere...

The door to the hall opened and Short Stride walked in, looking sickeningly fresh and alert. “Good morning, Fairlight. Did you sleep well?”

“No!” I groaned, trying to catch onto the table as I stood. My legs were hopelessly uncoordinated and I nearly screamed when, out of habit, I went to give my mane a shake. My poor brain was aching horribly. “Gods help me, I think I’m dying here… What the hell was I drinking last night?”

Short Stride giggled. “‘Balta’,” she smiled. “It’s a local speciality made from the squeezed glands of-”

I held up a hoof to stop her, the room was still spinning and now I thought I was going to empty my stomach out too. “Please… don’t!” I pleaded. “I just need some water...”

“I have something a little better than that,” Short Stride beamed. “My grandfather said you may need this in case you ‘indulged’ a little too much.” To my surprise, and eternal gratitude, she passed me my panniers. “I hope you don’t mind my bringing them.”

What an angel! Carefully, the young mare helped me open the flap and extract one of the flasks nestled within. It was one of the most wonderful sights my gritty eyes had ever seen, and I clung to it like a life raft in the open sea, silently praying to the goddess it would be the ideal hangover cure I desperately needed. Sitting back on my haunches I took a long draught of the life-energy, almost choking as its concentrated magic sizzled through me. It was not pleasant. My body convulsed, fighting the intoxication I had inflicted upon it. Short Stride backed away hurriedly as I coughed and shook, locating a pitcher of water and a cloth that she brought over to my sweating, shiveringly pathetic form. As I sat there huddled on the floor of the great hall, I could feel my body quickly re-energising itself. Short Stride wiped my muzzle, the damp cloth gradually unveiling the ‘me’ I had drowned in alcohol only a few hours earlier. Only Luna knows how many brain cells I’d killed off last night. Hmmm, last night… hang on… where was Tarragon? Oh hell! She hadn’t ended up as a kebab for these warriors had she?! As if in answer to my unasked question, a snuffling noise from behind Short Stride quickly revealed a small inquisitive muzzle, swiftly followed by the elusive dragonling.

Short Stride smiled sympathetically. “Most of your friends are outside waiting, Fairlight. I’d suggest you take your cute friend and go before this lot wake up. They’re not too fond of dragons, whatever their size.”

They were all up? Dear gods, why hadn’t anypony come and collected me? Blast it, I had to move! “I’ll have to go and-”

“All you equipment and clothes are here,” Short Stride interrupted. She lifted her hoof, pointing to the neatly laid out gear I’d left in another room the night before. “Thorn left it here for when you woke up.” She put down the cloth and picked up my flight suit. “Come. Let me help you.”

I didn’t know what to say. For once I decided to keep my big mouth shut and let the young mare held me the way I had seen Thorn and his warriors. Packs, panniers, bags, weapons… Short Stride looked so much like her sister I began to wonder if this is what life in the Withers would have been like if I had stayed here with Shadow, readying myself for battle, my mare by side. This… This could have been my life. Why had I left? What if Star Beard had been wrong, and I could have lived my life here, with the mare I loved? I would never know, and perhaps, it was better that I didn’t. Right now I had to have hope, and faith, that I would find my beloved, and bring her home. Then, we would see what life would have in store for us. Both of us. Finally, with the last buckle closed, the last strap in place, I gave my kindly host a hug and the small leathery Tarragon clambered up to settle onto my back, snuggling into my mane. I smiled. It was now her regular spot when not being petted, rummaging through my saddle bags for treats, or narrowly avoiding being eaten. As long as I lived, I would protect her as I would any member of my family.

“Thanks, Short Stride. Say goodbye to everypony for me won’t you?” I asked with a smile.

She nodded. “Of course. I wish Forge had been here to see you off too, however he’s probably going to be sleeping for a little while yet.” The dark coated mare smiled gently, bobbing her head to me. “Take care, and give my love to Shadow when you find her.”

“I will,” I promised.

As the lady of the Purple Sands had said, the rest of the thestrals from our team were already assembled outside. Thorn watched me descend the steps, motioning to his warriors to get ready. I too took that as my cue, releasing the magic inside myself, allowing the power of the wendigo to fill me with its song. I was one step nearer now. One step, with many more to go, yet a step all the same. And so, with no more ceremony than a wave from Short Stride, we took to the air once more. Behind us the rest of the sleepy village was silent, with only a faint cloud of dust raised by our wings to suggest that we had ever been there. That, and the memories we left behind. I felt surprisingly enthusiastic this morning, even if my usual melancholy was still hovering nearby as it usually was. Despite Astral’s words last night, my hopes of find Shadow alive burned brightly within me. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but I doubted it. Fate would not have brought me this far simply to crush me, right? I glanced at the pendant around my neck, taking heart. She was alive. I knew she was. I closed my eyes and smiled. Death held no terrors for me, nor some oversized lizard. After all, I had my own dragon now, didn’t I? My own adopted daughter – Tarragon. Gods, with a wendigo and his dragon, who could stop us now?

I watched another of the warriors take the lead in our formation, allowing Thorn to fly up beside me.

“Are you well?” he asked.

“Better than I deserve to be,” I replied. “That stuff packs one hell of a punch.”

“Balta?” Thorn sighed. “I blame myself for that, Captain. I should have warned you. From my experience, equestrians are not used to such potent spirits. Still, it may have worked out well for us in the end.”

“Oh?” I asked curiously. “How’s that?”

“Your display of strength last night,” Thorn replied. “Conviction. Purpose. Honour. These are all traits our people respect, and the amount of balta you consumed was also noted. Warriors pride themselves on how much they can consume before succumbing to its effects. I saw them watching you, and even old Long Tooth passed out trying to keep up with you.”

“What?!” I blinked in surprise. “You knew what that stuff was likely to do to me, and you let me keep on going? Bloody hell, Thorn, whose side are you on? It could have killed me!”

“A normal equestrian, perhaps,” the old warrior observed. “But you are no mere pony, are you?”

“I…” I groaned, giving my mane a hard shake. “I see your point.”

“Good lad,” Thorn grinned. “Now, as we have a little time to spare, I would like to speak with you about what you know of your ancestors...”

Sure enough, the ancient warrior began quizzing me about what I knew of the tribe of the four winds. He had known them, at least to some degree, and had even met Maroc during the war where he’d served as a Major in the army of Nightmare Moon. An army known as the ‘Legion’. Apparently, and to my surprise, it hadn’t just been made up of thestrals, but also of many other races, including ponies, minotaurs, griffins, dragons, sirens, and goodness knows what else. Although the conflict had taken place in equestria, it looked like every race you can imagine had had some sort of stake in the outcome. I still wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about that. After all, we’d all been brought up with the stories and legends of the nightmare that had threatened to plunge the whole of equestria into eternal darkness. Yet now, after everything I’d been through though, I’ll confess I’d begun to wonder just how much of those stories was grounded in truth, and how much was, quite literally, simply legend. Thorn himself seemed fascinated by wendigo, with an almost childlike curiosity that was heart warming to see. From what he said, it appeared that they had been revered by his troops for their prowess in battle. I could believe it too, if my memories of the battle at River Valley had been any indication. Yet to be respected by thestrals, a race of warriors who excelled in fighting having been brought up in a world where war was a way of life, was hell of a thing to live up to though. Personally I’d rather not fight for my life at every given opportunity, although the wendigo within me would doubtless disagree. When the fighting was at its peak, the all encompassing song of death would begin within me and I would dance to its tune, a curious blend of both puppet and master at that same time. And, goddess forgive me, I loved it. In some respects it frightened me just how much I actually enjoyed the sounds and smells of combat. The screams, the blood spraying through the air, the feeling of being truly alive… I shook my mane. Sometimes I wondered if I were in truly control of my own life, or just along for the ride. Sometimes.

A dank and musty smell began to tickle my nose, laced with an earthy, woody dampness. The cloying odour steadily grew in intensity until, sure enough, ahead of us the unmistakable outline of the Tallow Marshes hove into view. Without pause we flew over them, disturbing a group of small bat like things that rushed out of our way, disappearing into the cover of the scattered trees. The dark canopy and long leafed plants below had that same dark colouring as the rest of this land. And they steamed too, the warm muggy clouds reaching up and catching my throat, making me cough.

“Don’t breathe it in,” Thorn called over to me, gaining height, “marsh gas can sicken the unwary. Keep above the clouds.”

I did as he suggested, flying up above the foul smell and flew on in formation with the others. Around an hour later the first signs of solid ground began to appear, and beyond that, the unmistakable outline of the mountains, sitting black and ominous against the skyline – the home of the dragons of the Wither World. Eventually finding a suitable area, Thorn brought us down and the thestrals immediately began to set up camp with their customary efficiency. I noticed the old warrior wince as he shrugged himself out of his armour to help.

“Are you going to stay here, Thorn?” I inquired, looking around at the bleak landscape of desolate rock and sand. “Why not go back to the Purple Sands village? They’d look after you there until I return.” I took one of the ropes in my magic and helped haul the canvas into place whilst another rammed a peg into the ground.

“Look after us?” Thorn huffed. He adjusted one of the rope tensioners, moving onto the next in quick succession. “Think I’m too old for a few days in the field do you?”

“Not at all,” I said honestly, letting go of my magic. “But why stay here when the Purple Sands tribe are willing to offer shelter and food to you and your warriors? I think I could find my way back from here. Besides, Short Stride would welcome your company.”

He stared back the way we’d come. “Yes, they’d be very hospitable I’m sure. But still...” His eyes took on a far away look. “I can’t forget what they did to my son.”

How could he? They’d booby trapped his son after crucifying him, turning him into a living bomb. Thorn had been forced to kill him to end his suffering and protect the rest of the warriors in an act that must have torn his heart in two. Goddesses help me, I couldn’t even begin to imagine how he must have felt. I knew thestrals saw such tactics as legitimate to achieve victory, but Thorn was still a father and Nimbus was his only son. Even now I keep wondering if there was something I could have done for him, something other than just letting him die such a horrible death. It was one more memory. One more nightmare to add to the rest.

He cleared his throat, “We’ll stay here until we exhaust our supplies, then we will return to the village and await your return.”

“Sounds like a plan, Storm Major,” I said, trying to lighten the mood.

“A plan...” he muttered. “No plan ever survives first engagement with the enemy,” he quoted, half to himself. “Which is why-”

“A good soldier knows how to improvise,” I finished for him. Thorn looked up at me in surprise. “Some things in life never change,” I said with a smile, nodding to myself as the finishing touches were made to the tent. “Soldiering, being one of them.”

The old warrior huffed loudly, smoke rising from his nostrils. I heard him mutter under his breath, “Ponies...”

Soon, most of the work erecting the camp was finished. Pickets were sent out, orders relayed, the fire laid, and Thorn, ever the old soldier, took the free time to inspect his hooves and armour. As for myself I checked my own gear and, finding everything to be in order, lifted the crystal up before me to check my bearings. Sure enough, the light was directing me toward the mountains in the distance. Only the goddesses knew for certain what awaited me there, and frankly I didn’t think they’d be letting on any time soon. We weren’t exactly on speaking terms these days. As if in answer to my thoughts, a faint breeze tugged at my mane making me shiver involuntarily. Out here, the concept of any kind of deity seemed as empty as the land itself. It was as if the gods had forgotten about their creations altogether. And perhaps, they really had. The thestrals still worshipped the goddess of the moon, but where was the moon here? Luna was in Equestria, her alter-ego of Nightmare Moon consigned to the dustbin of history. Like the Legion. Like the thestral warriors who had fought for her. Poor bastards… I glanced over at the mountains, fancying that I could see one of the great lizards soaring across the distant smoke wreathed peaks. I’d never met a Wither World dragon, and I was hardly keen to encounter one either. The huge drake I’d encountered in the caves beneath my homeland had been terrifying enough. I have to say though, it did surprise me that there were dragons here in the Withers, and in Equestria. Yet there were no thestrals there. I suspect we had Celestia to thank for that.

Taking a deep breath I cleared my lungs, and after checking my gear one last time, prepared to leave. Tarragon was still firmly attached to my back and squeaked at me when I leaned round to make sure she was alright. Tiny green eyes peered into mine, conveying a level of conviction that echoed my own. What a curious thing she was. Personally I would have liked to have left her with Short Stride, but like all females she had a mind of her own, and truthfully, I was quietly grateful of the company.

“All set, Captain?”

“As much as I can be, Storm Major,” I replied. I closed my eyes, letting the magic flow through me before testing my wings with a few experimental flaps. “Wish me luck.”

Thorn clopped me on the shoulder. “Warriors make their own luck, Captain.” He stood tall, his military bearing as clear now as it had been in his youth. “Fortune favours the bold, does it not?”

“Aye, that it does,” I chuckled. “That it does.”

The rest of the warriors carried on their duties around camp as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. And you know, perhaps they were right. To them this was simply another duty that had to be completed. I was going to collect my mate and bring her home. It was as simple as that. A rolling tingle of excitement fizzed through my body, broiling up around me in a cloud of pure white mist. It was time. And so, with no further ceremony than that, I bounded into the air and flew on in the direction the crystal’s light shone brightest. These warriors weren’t big on goodbyes, and I was all the happier for it.

I would see them again soon.

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

The air here was unlike any mountain air I’d ever come across before. This was warm, with a strange sulphurous smell to it, reminiscent of eggs that had gone bad. Combined with the pungent odour, occasional updraughts of heat would catch my wings, causing me to readjust my flight line. None of this seemed to bother Tarragon, who chirruped and took off from her perch to fly around me, swooping and diving, clearly enjoying the strange environment. For my liking, the black rocky slopes, crags and gullies, were bleak and foreboding. How anypony could live in such a place was unfathomable to me. Maybe to dragons though this was the perfect place to be, a veritable reptilian paradise of heat, smoke and noxious fumes. Interestingly, I quickly noticed how my diminutive dragonling’s colouration blended in so well here. Other than her green eyes, she was all but invisible if observed from above, and it most certainly aided her in gathering food as, with a squawk, a small winged beast became an on-the-wing snack for the young dragon. All I managed to catch sight of was a bit of wing and a leg which thankfully disappeared in a couple of gulps. I checked the crystal, adjusted my heading, and flew on. With any luck I wouldn’t be in this part of the Withers any more than necessary. It was take months to get the smell out of my gear, to say nothing of my coat. Mist, steam and smoke all hung in the air here, swirling and blending together. The cloying and oppressive way it clung to my exposed fur, particularly my nose, was making flying a less than enjoyable experience to say the least. The noxious fumes around me only added to the misery, stinging my eyes which began to water incessantly. Once again I wasn’t wearing my flying goggles, but the bloody things were so uncomfortable I’d left them in one of my panniers. I’d have to reappraise my stubbornness in that regard when I landed next. That was, if I could find somewhere that wasn’t totally exposed to the elements like it appeared to be for what looked like miles around. Flying higher up helped with the discomfort to some degree, but I quickly discovered the smoke was even thicker here in places, and my eyes felt like they were on fire when I hit a patch of it.

Tarragon began to squawk insistently, flapping around me while I was busy checking my heading for the umpteenth time. “Not now, Tarragon, please.” I was still on course, but this thing never gave any indication of how far you had left to go until- “Tarragon!”

I sputtered in alarm as the little dragon flew right into my face, shrieking like a banshee. What the hell was she doing?! The dragonling flapped against my muzzle with all the subtlety of a damp wash-leather. Something had clearly spooked her, but what? Gently moving her aside I turned to face where she was staring, wiping my sore eyes and trying to focus through the drifting miasma. Was that…? Damn it, I couldn’t see a bloody thing in this! Why hadn’t I worn those blasted goggles?! I blinked back the tears from my streaming eyes, looking again. At first there was nothing, but then a second later, just as the clouds parted… a shadow on the rocks. I focussed, slowing my speed for a better look. Far below us a winged creature flew, hugging the ground closely. A dragon? No, it was much smaller than that. I recognised the outline of the leathery wings, the streaming tail… Dear gods, it was a thestral! And it was moving at speed as well. Suddenly a monstrously large black shadow passed overhead, briefly making me look up in time to see the largest dragon I’d ever seen. Abruptly it lifted up, pulled in its wings, and dive down on its intended prey with terrifying speed. I dodged out of the way, snatching at my magic, but the beasts focus was not on me – it was on the thestral below us. I heard a cry of fear carried on the wind, it sounded distinctly… female. Oh goddesses no!

Channelling the spirit’s power through my body, I dove after the dragon which had already snatched the thestral up in its claws and was powering away into the dark sky. The harrowing cries of the its stricken prey echoed across the bleak landscape, dragging at my heart and lending speed to my wings. I could barely keep up. Despite its size, the dragon was incredibly fast. The thing’s dimensions were simply staggering too. I couldn’t remember anything from Maroc’s memories of one this size; even the one he’d fought in the pass was dwarfed in comparison. Something told me it wasn’t exactly friendly either, and that flying after one was probably not going to end well. But if that mare the beast held was Shadow, if the vile creature had her in its great taloned claws… As if sensing my concerns, Tarragon chirruped and squawked loudly, flying up and encouraging me onward. By the gods she was fast! She was surprisingly insistent too, and once again my inability to communicate with the tiny creature frustrated me. Soon however, our chase with the great dragon would end, but then what? I didn’t have a plan. Oh, I’d run various scenarios through my head of course, I always did, though nothing had prepared me for this! I’d just have to improvise something on the hoof and pray to whatever gods in this place would listen, that I could pull it off. To make matters that little bit more interesting however, thick, almost yellow sulphurous clouds began to surround me, all but blocking my vision of the surrounding landscape to the point where I found myself flying virtually blind. I dived, picking up speed, angling myself to try and draw every last ounce of speed I could muster. Now I was navigating only by occasional glimpses of the ground through breaks in the cloud, but I just couldn’t slow down, not now. I had to reach that thestral, come hell or high water. At the back of my mind was a strange tickling sensation, the proverbial itch I couldn’t scratch. Whatever it was, it made me look behind me to see a group of heavily armed thestrals heading my way. I pulled up and attempted to call to them but they charged past me with set expressions, locked inexorably onto their target. Banking steeply, I flew after them until I was able to pull alongside the nearest of them - a muscular deep maroon stallion with a short black mane and yellow striped grey armour.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” I called over the wind noise.

The warrior eyed me with disdain. “The demon has stolen one of our daughters! We will have that foul beast’s head for our tribe’s trophy wall. Do not stand in our way!”

“Which tribe are you from?” I asked, as we dived low over the rocks below.

“The Broken Cliff tribe,” he called back. “Who are you, stranger? What are you, and why are you here?”

“My name is Fairlight,” I shouted, “of the tribe of the four winds wendigo. As for why I’m here, you could say it’s the same reason you are.”

“Well then, Fairlight of the four winds,” he replied, eyeing me, “if you truly are a wendigo, then I will welcome your help in defeating the demon lizard.”

“You already have it,” I called back, fixing him with me blue eyes.

He gave me a smirk, showing his long teeth. “I am Stone Hammer, brother of Needle.”

“Well met, Stone Hammer,” I replied. “I thought dragons didn’t enter the land of the thestrals? Isn’t this an act of war?”

“You may want to take that up with him when we get the chance!” he shouted. “Now save your breath for the fight, wendigo. Battle awaits!”

I nodded, keeping station alongside him until, in the thick cloud up ahead, I could just make out a tiny red light growing rapidly larger by the second. Tarragon screamed and flapped her wings, digging her claws into my neck. The sharp pain made me bank to one side, as almost simultaneously a concussive blast of flame rushed past me, singing my mane. In my lurching flight, I inadvertently slammed into Stone Hammer, knocking him from the fire’s path. The warrior looked at me in irritation but then shook his mane, smiling, and nodded his understanding. Clumsy I may be, but for once, Fate had shown she could show mercy. I doubted it would happen again. The two of us dropped down below the clouds then flared our wings before touching down on the treacherously loose rock of the mountainside. I folded my wings, quickly adjust my equipment and freeing my weapons. There was no doubt where the dragon was now. Before us was the mouth of a gigantic cave, and judging by the scorch marks, the source of the fire that had nearly barbecued us. It was a natural choke point; the gigantic beast that lurked within could doubtless incinerate us in a heartbeat, and didn’t appear to have any qualms about doing it either. Celestia’s sagging arse, if this wasn’t Shadow, what the bloody hell was I doing here?! Was I really going to risk my life to save a creature I had never met before when I was so close to finding my mate? Relief warred with determination in my mind. What did it matter who it was? I would be damned if I saw another innocent die when I could step up and do something about it. Who was I anyway, a coward? No. No, I had my honour. I knew what I had to do.

Myself, Stone Hammer, and several of his warriors hurried across the rocks, taking position on one side of the cave entrance whilst the rest took the other, all of them hefting a selection of heavy axes and spears. It was a little too close quarters for my liking, especially considering the sheer size of our foe. Instead, I readied my pulse gun which Stone Hammer looked at curiously before shaking his mane, dismissing it as unimportant. A weapon was a weapon, after all. Tarragon had disappeared again I noticed, but a rummaging in my saddle pack soon gave the little dragon’s location away. I was glad of it too, I didn’t want these thestrals seeing her just in case they decided to eliminate any ‘future threats’. Or the one carrying her. They had already risked war with the dragons by coming here, but what choice did they have when one of their tribe had been taken? I doubted the dragons would bother themselves considering such trivial things as one of their number causing the encounter in the first place, however that was of secondary concern right now. I could feel my heart racing, the magic pulsing through me. Freezing mist curled around my haunches, mingling with my breath. It was time for the song of war…

Stone Hammer took a step back warily, then smiled with a brief nod of his head. “It is true then…the wendigo really have returned.”

I didn’t want him to read too much into the situation. “Not really,” I breathed. “I’m afraid there’s only me, and I’m on a rescue mission of my own. Right now though, let’s see what we can do to rescue your friend, eh?”

He gritted his teeth, nodded once, and then signalled to the thestrals on the other side of the entrance. As one they began to move, heading straight down the dark throat of the cave. My heart sank; this looked like it was going to be a frontal assault after all. So much for tactics! Shit! Hadn’t I witnessed one of these already recently? That brash foolishness had ended in disaster for the soldiers then, and they were a damned sight better armed than these guys - at least in ranged weaponry. I checked my gear and snorted before heading in after Stone Hammer. I was here now and that was all there was to it. I could only pray these warriors knew what they were getting themselves into. Luna, I wish I did.

The interior of the cave was as black as night, the walls and floor thick with a greasy soot that did nothing to help your footing. The overwhelming smell of sulphur was everywhere, permeating the very rock around us. Bones and general detritus littered the dark interior which our team, moving as quietly as possible, penetrated cautiously. At least they hadn’t gone charging in, axes flailing. With any luck we may actually-

From deep inside a low rumbling growl rolled out, followed by a resonating, laughing voice. “So, more of you have come calling have you? Welcome… Welcome… I would hate to keep guests waiting…”

My mane stood on end, my back shivering under the audible onslaught. I began to develop the distinct feeling we were completely in over our heads here, and despite my new friend’s enthusiasm, it was looking like our rescue mission could quickly descend into little more than a futile suicide mission.

“Come!” the voice laughed from the invisible depths, “…a little closer now… just a little further...”

The wan light from outside barely penetrated this far into the cave, the visibility falling all the more the further we ventured into those unknown depths. I lifted my muzzle, using my wendigo magic to try and squeeze the most I could from my sight. Stretching my senses to the limit I could see… something. What was-? From further back in the darkness I caught sight of a small red flickering light, one which was rapidly building in intensity. My heart leapt at the realisation - it was the precursor for another attack!

“GET DOWN!”

I screamed my warning a split second before the boiling blast of searing flame engulfed the cavern. It was too late. Thestrals around us howled in agony as their hides were incinerated, their wings burned away in that searing inferno of death. In a flash of blinding light, the once proud warriors were left writhing on the unforgiving floor of the cave – those who hadn’t been lucky enough to have perished instantly. My hastily constructed shield of magic had protected Stone Hammer and myself from most of the blast, but many of the others hadn’t been so lucky.

Time, however, waits for nopony.

“NOW!” Stone Hammer bellowed, and the remaining thestrals, screeching their war cries as they ran, charged into the cavernous interior where the huge mass of the dragon awaited. Inside, a scene of utter chaos unfolded before me. Thestrals dived from above and charged from below in a brutal melee of thrown spears and swinging axes. Some of the warriors held back, shooting bolts from their heavy crossbows to cover their brethren whilst the dragon bellowed in pain and rage at the onslaught, swinging its huge tail like some monstrous spiked flail.

As for myself, I was too slow.

Catching myself and another thestral, the impact threw us bodily into the side of the cavern like a foal’s toys. My head hit the rock wall with a sickening crack, the blow leaving me dazed and with blue sparks of light dancing in my swirling vision. As I tried to gather myself, I could only watch helplessly as the creature’s great head darted out, those massive teeth, each the size of a sky carriage, biting down on one of its attackers. Blood and entrails sprayed out in a nightmarish fountain of dark gore, yet despite losing one of their number, the rest of the warriors didn’t let up their attack for an instant. Slowly, my vision and hearing came back to me. Regaining my senses, I readied my beam gun, emptying a whole crystal’s worth of the deadly energy straight at the dragons belly. The brilliant green bolts of searing magic hit the thing’s scales in a blinding shower of magical light and heat. A direct hit! The world took a breath... and paused. Breathing hard I pulled myself to hooves, watching in horror, as incredibly, the blasts did nothing more than make the dragons scales glow… and get its attention. The monstrous beast lifted its head and inhaled. I knew what was coming next. Almost instinctively, I fired a beam of concentrated magical energy from my horn straight into its cavernous mouth. The dragon cried out horribly, swinging it great clawed arms and tail, smashing thestrals about as if they were as substantial as smoke. Clawing at its mouth, the creature shrieked and gasped before stopping suddenly. Slowly the great scaled head turned, one eye open, fixing me with a massive golden reptilian stare… it was seriously pissed off. Great Luna, how the hell were we going to stop this thing?!

The thestrals had done some damage to the dragon but it hadn’t slowed the beast down, not even for a second. Now nearly half our number had been added to the dead already scattered about us in this nightmarish place. I drew my scythe and flicked the blade out; doing things ‘old school’ looked like the only thing that could damage this hideous creature. Howling in defiance I launched my attack, the full power of the wendigo surging through me as I span, slashing and hacking at my opponent. Around me the thestrals attacks continued, though slowing as the warriors numbers, as well as their strength, dwindled. Despite their bravery they were tiring quickly and neither their blows nor mine combined made any appreciable difference to the black scaled dragon’s armoured hide. I leaped back as a huge whooshing noise above me signalled another blast was imminent, and I lunged to my left, pulling one of the thestrals out of the way of the oncoming fiery death. Fortunately for us, the flames were directed at two other warriors whose horrifying dying screams echoed even as the roaring fire died away. It was then, in that desperate moment between life and death as we sheltered in the corner of the cavern, that I spotted possible salvation. It was a low tunnel, leading off the main chamber. I didn’t know how long it was nor whether we stood a chance of getting out of here alive, but my earlier assessment had been right - this was a bloody suicide mission. There’d been no sign of the female thestral the dragon had taken, and I suspected the hapless mare was already in the monster’s belly before we’d even entered its lair. I glanced down at the maroon thestral beside me. It was Stone Hammer, his armour was smashed and he was bleeding from multiple wounds. I reached down and grabbed him in my forelegs, pulling him to his hooves.

“For the goddesses sake, come on!” I shouted over the cacophony of battle. “We’ve got to get out of here!”

“No!” he gasped. “My sister needs me!”

He tried to pull away but I hung on. “She’s already gone! For bucks sake, we’re done here, Stone Hammer. This is suicide!”

“You’re a damned coward!” he snarled. “Crawl back into your hole if you’re that scared, wendigo. You abandoned us at River Valley and you abandon us now! To think I used to look up to your people. I even denied the stories the old ones told of your treachery. You’re all the same...”

“Don’t be a bloody fool!” I shouted back at him. “We may as well be fighting the bloody mountain!” I gazed into his eyes, trying to make him see sense, yet all I could feel was the fire of his conviction. Some of them were still fighting, true, but we were getting cut down like wheat before the scythe. What had I missed? Couldn’t we do something? Could we really just turn tail and run? “There must be another way,” I said calmly. “But a frontal assault is killing us. We have to fall back and re-think this.” I felt something move in my pannier. It was as if a spark of light had burst in my mind. I looked him in the eye. “I have an idea. Do you trust me?”

“Are you mad?! I don’t even know you!” he shouted over the din. “But… Damn it, fine! Let’s move!”

We made it to the tunnel entrance just in time. A massive claw arced past where we’d been only a heartbeat earlier, gouging rock from the cavern walls like they were made of paper and showering us in fragments of stone. Hammer and I rushed through the tunnel and I prayed I hadn’t lead us into a dead end, or we’d be just that – dead. Our hooves thundered, my heart beating hard in my chest. The tunnel turned sharply, narrowing, then lead us up a short slope. Taking a moment to catch my breath, I offered a silent prayer of thanks that my gamble had paid off. So far at least. Scrambling up over the rocks and debris, we found ourselves overlooking the main chamber, and the carnage of what had been a rescue attempt turned blood bath.

“By the goddess…” Hammer gasped. “My brothers and sisters… they’re all…”

I leaned close to his ear. “Shhh, keep out of sight. I’m going to try something.”

The gigantic reptilian creature below let out a bellow of victory and began casually dispatching the odd twitching thestral with a quick snap of its jaws. The dragon had won, and it savoured its victory, letting out a low rumbling laugh which reverberated around the cavern. It wasn’t quite over for Hammer and I just yet, however, I still had to try and get us out of this mess alive. But maybe, just maybe, where brute force had failed, guile and deception may prevail - if I could pull it off. Closing my eyes and concentrating my magic, I allowed a small trickle of mist to spill out over the edge of the ledge into the cavern below. It was just the tiniest dribble of scent, barely even perceptible. Gods willing, it would be enough. A few moments later, I had my answer. Below us the dragon paused, snuffing the air curiously. Narrowing its eyes, it swung its huge head from side to side, trying to determine where the scent was coming from. Then, abruptly, it stopped. Closing its eyes a sinister chuckle escaped from deep inside the great beast’s throat.

“It has been many years since I smelled the winds of winter… wendigo.” The dragon’s serpentine tongue flicked out, tasting the air. “I had thought your kind had gone from this world, and yet here you are… in my home. How ironic.”

Taking a deep breath, I called out, “Why ironic, great lord of the mountains and skies? Did we not fight side by side in the armies of the moon?”

The dragon let out a blast of fire straight to the roof, the heat passing over me in a wave as the creature screamed out its hatred. “Cowards! All of them! They ran like whipped dogs, shrieking and crying as we dragons fought and died to cover their escape. All to save their own miserable lives!” Snarling, the dragon bared its enormous teeth. “All they are fit for now is food to sate my hunger.”

“That is not how it happened, great one,” I called back. “My ancestor was there and I saw, through his memories, what happened that terrible day. Both thestral and wendigo fought side by side with the dragons, and all fought as one beneath the light of the goddess’s moon.”

“LIES!” he bellowed. “All of you fled! I saw your ‘ancestor’ flee the field with the rest of the rats when you should have stayed and fought to the end!”

My anger was rising, and it took all my willpower to stay where I was. “My people were all but annihilated by the white witch, dragon. We fought when all hope was lost, and we paid the price for our resistance with the blood of our kin. My home is in ruins, the bones of my ancestors frozen amongst the ice of the mountains where once we flew, proud and free. Now, I am all that survives of our tribe. You are killing those who fought with you as brothers. Where were you, when the fighting was at its height?”

The dragon rose up and slammed its forelegs into the ground, making the very walls shake. “Where was I?” he thundered. “I was watching my own brothers and sisters die as I fought the traitorous scum who’d sided with the Celestians. Fighting whilst YOU ran!”

“We are not your enemy, lord dragon,” I shouted back, hoping that somewhere inside that great beast remained some semblance of reason. “I beg you, cease your attacks upon the thestrals and live alongside them in peace. The war is long since over.”

There was a long pause before he answered. “Yes… yes… ‘in peace’, wendigo. I will think on this. Yes... Come out now. You may bring your friend with you.” And in a sickly sweet voice added, “I promise I won’t ‘harm’ you. A dragon never breaks a promise you know.”

I nudged Hammer to follow me back into the main chamber. “Are you insane?” he whispered angrily. “That thing will kill us both! You can’t trust them!”

I nodded. “Just follow my lead, and get ready to fly.”

“Fly?” he breathed. Stone Hammer stared down at his hooves and licked his dry lips. “My goddess, you really are mad.”

In the main chamber the immense form of the dragon lay curled atop a pile of bones and shining objects of various descriptions. Not quite the legendary ‘golden hoard’, such as the one Barathel had made as his nest, yet this beast was by far the largest of its kind I’d seen, even in Maroc’s memories. Perhaps in the Wither World there were fewer opportunities for collecting shiny objects. Judging by what I’d seen of this dragon however, all it hoarded in this place was death. I gave myself a hard shake, keeping my magic close. Entering the beasts lair, the stench of burnt flesh assailed me along with the smoke rising from the numerous burnt corpses. Hammer stood beside me as the dragon leaned towards us slightly.

“Yes,” the repile rumbled lazily. “Yes, I see you now. You are what you say you are. Interesting... Tell me, wendigo… why are you here?” The dragon stretched his wings and yawned.

“I seek a thestral mare,” I replied respectfully. “A friend of mine by the name of Shadow.”

“Shadow? Why, yes… I believe I did meet her, wendigo.” He reached up to pick his teeth with a claw before fixing me with a golden eyed stare. “She was quite… delicious.”

I cringed, lowering my head and ears. My heart felt like lead in my chest. Shadow? Oh, Luna… Had this all been for nothing? “Why? Why would you do such an evil thing?!” I shouted in despair.

“Why?” it laughed. “Because she was food of course! All creatures must eat, wendigo. Even you.”

I swallowed. “So you… you will eat all these… these warriors who only came to save their friend?”

“Their friend?!” It laughed out loud, the sonorous booming of its mirth reverberating around cavern. “Oh, how very touching! Your sentimentality is a weakness, wendigo. It is no wonder the Celestian’s annihilated your cowardly kind from Equestria.” The dragon reached down and picked up one of the fallen thestrals in its claw, pulling off the armour and then flicking the bloodied remains into its gigantic maw. Crunching and tearing the body of the fallen warrior between its deadly teeth, it made a display of swallowing, before leaning towards us. “Dear me! You seem…rather upset.” If a dragon could smile, it was now. The dim light glinted in its huge golden eyes. “Do you... miss her?”

I hung my head, hopelessness heavy in my voice. “I do.”

“What did she look like?”

I motioned to the corpse at my hooves. “Like her…”

“I see, I see,” the dragon said, nodding with clearly fake sincerity. He picked up the body and eyed it closely. “Yes… there is a resemblance to the one you mentioned. She cried and called for help a lot, if I remember correctly. Called out for someone, some ‘pony’… I don’t recall the name…”

“Fairlight,” I said quietly.

“Yes! That was it… called out for ‘Fairlight’, to help her.” He slowly opened his mouth, “Help... which never… came.” He bit down on the thestrals body before swallowing it virtually whole. “Oh, and Fairlight?” he hissed.

“What…” I whispered, hanging my head.

“You know I said I wouldn’t hurt you?”

“Yes?”

“I’ll keep my promise,” the great dragon hissed. “No… I’m not going to hurt you…” The massive reptile lifted his head to the ceiling, breathing in a deep huff of air.

“Now!” I shouted at Stone Hammer.

The great voice of the dragon boomed out along with a broiling gout of flame, “…I’M GOING TO KILL YOU INSTEAD!”

We ran.

Fire washed over us, but not the type we’d seen before - this was a vivid blend of yellow and green combined, the whole billowing and bubbling up like some gangrenous wound. A thunderous boom followed it, shaking the cavern and echoing behind us as we took flight, hurtled towards the cave mouth as fast as we could go. Screams of pain and rage resounded around us in the glaring light of the magical inferno, my shield the only thing protecting us from becoming a charred mess on the cave floor. Hammer and I ignored it, flying as fast as we could, bursting out into what passed for daylight here in the Withers like corks from the proverbial bottle. Salvation it may appear to be, but I wasn’t so foolish as to think we were safe - at least not yet. The two of us flew dangerously low, and at a speed I thought I couldn’t manage until now. Concentrating on putting as much distance between us and that damned thing, I didn’t even dare look behind me. Long after we’d reached the point of exhaustion in our headlong rush to safety, we half landed, half fell to the ground, gasping for air as we took cover under a rock ledge. My heart was hammering fit to burst, and I took a shaking mouthful of the life energy from a flask. I could barely feel its effects over the rush of adrenalin.

The maroon thestral lying next to me looked across wearily, his breath ragged. “What…what in the moon’s embrace was that?” he gasped.

I passed him my canteen. “Magical Annihilation Device. I’d hidden it in the dragon’s dinner. Remote activated.” I held up the detonator in my telekinesis for him to see.

Stone Hammer shook his head in wonderment. “I’ve seen such things in the halls of our elders, but never in battle. You’re a clever one, my friend.” Gingerly he shook his mane and gave his legs a stretch. “Do you think we killed it?”

“Goddesses, I hope so.” I brushed my mane from my eyes. Like the rest of me, it was soaked in sweat. “What could survive an internal explosion like that?” The damned thing was probably dripping from the cavern walls in bloodied chunks by now, and rightly so.

Hammer rose to his hooves, shaking the dust off his gear. “Do you think he meant what he said? That he’d eaten your friend?”

I shook my head. “No… I know she’s alive. That dragon couldn’t lie straight in bed.”

He laughed. “Well, my friend, as much as it grieves me I must return to my tribe. I’ve risked open war with these things and it wouldn’t do to hang around any longer than I have to. Besides, I need to mourn my brothers and sisters. Will you come back with me or…?”

I held up a weary hoof. “Thanks for the offer, but no. I have to continue on, wherever Fate may take me.”

Hammer smiled. He understood, probably better than most I’d ever met. “In which case, I will wish you the best of luck in your quest… Fairlight.” The warrior made a final adjustment to his armour before clopping me on the shoulder. “Farewell. May we meet again in better times!” The warrior’s leathery wings snapped open and he lurched up into the sky, heading back to his tribe – and home. Lucky bastard.

Shaking myself I nudged my pack, eliciting a chirrup from within. “It’s alright Tarragon, you can come out now, little one.”

A small toothy face poked out, snuffing the air before looking around in wonderment at our surroundings. With a lot scrabbling, the dragonling clambered out and onto my back making a rather uncomfortable fuss of my neck and mane in the process. I couldn’t help but laugh though, she was so relieved it was almost painful to watch her antics. It was also painful where the little beggars claws gripped pony hide rather than barding! But still, such things mattered little in the great scheme of things. What did matter was to move on to my next destination and, I prayed, finding Shadow alive and well.

Chapter Thirteen - Landscapes

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

LANDSCAPES

Ahead of me a huge gout of flame erupted from the broken top of one of the myriad of black, craggy mountains. Further to the east, another, and then another, blasts of molten rock spewing high into the air. Combined with the orange tinge of the sky from the fiery inferno below, it was as if I’d entered another world - the underworld by the looks of this goddess forsaken land. Luna give me strength, I’d never complain about summers in Equestria again! Smoke and fire was all around me, heating the air to intolerable levels as the thermal currents buffeted me this way and that. Not only was staying on course becoming increasingly difficult, it was making me uncomfortably hot in the now sweat soaked flight suit. I wiped the sheen of sweat from my muzzle; wendigo were not designed for heat it seemed. Smacking my lips, I lifted up my canteen and took a draught of water. It was warm. Damn it! I’d need to land soon; flying conditions were worsening the further I progressed, as if the very land were rising up to confound me. To make matters worse, I was starting to tire quickly. Checking my heading one last time, I spotted ahead of me a large black outline on the side of a smoking mountainside, one that appeared to be… ‘unnatural’ when compared to rest of the nightmarish landscape. The beacon was taking me right to it too. Suddenly my heart thumped hard in my chest. Was this it? I was so-

From the corner of my eye a dark shadow, black as midnight and impossible large, flitted across my vision. A dragon? Dear sweet goddesses, I couldn’t face another of those monsters so soon! I was still worn out from my encounter with the last one, my wounds having barely healed. I needed to rest, to try and gather what little I had left of my strength. What use would I be to anypony if I reached my destination only to drop dead from exhaustion, or better still, make myself a defenceless snack for any passing dragon who felt a little peckish? But where was I to land? I gave myself a hard shake, trying to focus my weary mind and draw deep upon my mental, and physical reserves. Magical healing always took a massive toll upon my body. Normally I would eat, drink and rest after the adrenalin had finally drained away, giving myself a chance to recover. Yet now... now I had no choice but to fight through the fog of weariness. I was tired, but I would go on. I had to go on. I pushed everything I had into my wings, trying to pry as much speed from them as I could. The shadow moved, vanishing into the darkness. This was my chance!

With little choice left, I swept down towards the strange shape on the mountain. Images of raking claws, enormous teeth, rending and tearing through flesh and bone, flashed through my mind like lightning. At any moment I expected the dragon to strike, to cut me down in a crimson explosion of gore the way the last one had ripped apart the thestrals. I was afraid. Not just for myself, but for Shadow. How could anypony, let alone a single, lone thestral, survive in this hell? Had Star Beard been wrong? He had killed me once, I wouldn’t put it past him to do it again. Maybe this was his way of simply removing me from the Withers once again? Shadow was no ordinary thestral after all. She was the daughter of the duke and duchess of his tribe, and here I was, a complete stranger, come to take her from her home to some uncertain future in a world where I was seen as a wanted criminal – a danger to the very society I had sworn to protect. Some thanks I’d got for that! How bloody ironic. Bastards. Every stinking last one of them. You couldn’t trust anypony: not the gods, not the agency, the watch – anypony. Magic surged through me, pushing me on towards my destination. Only now I wasn’t so much flying as plummeting, the muggy air blasting past me, streaming out my mane and tail as I fell from the heat soaked heavens to the dark patch below.

At the last moment I flared my wings, wrenching one of them badly with the excessive velocity. It was like slamming into a brick wall. I gasped out loud as the wind was driven from my lungs, but at least I was down on the ground - and staring up at the enormous carved entrance before me. There was no doorway, nor any gate to be seen. It was simple a hole, a large arch, cut into the very rock of the mountain with no discernible purpose. Deep swirling motifs showed a simplicity of taste that was bordering on the austere, though nothing so much as hinted as to why it was here. Or who made it, I wondered to myself. I may have even been impressed if it hadn’t lead to yet another black cave, and one frightening similar to the charnel house I’d just escaped too. Folding my wings, a twinge of pain made me wince. I’d over-exerted myself, and now my body was re-acting to it. Fortunately a draught from my flask, as well as a moment to catch my breath beside a large rock, made me feel at least a little better despite still being bone numbingly tired from muzzle to tail. Thankfully I was sheltered here in the shadows. It was probably the nearest I’d found to ‘safety’ as I’d seen since entering this desolate area. Mind you, the word ‘safe’ was a little subjective when considering what might well be lie beyond the enormous archway. My more immediate concern was that falling asleep here may be the last thing I ever did, especially as caves around here tended to be…occupied.

I closed my eyes for a moment, stretching my legs before taking out a couple of Heather’s oat cakes. Tarragon, as usual, turned her nose up in disgust at the mere sight of the things. Shaking her wings out, she wandered off to look for her own dinner instead. I noticed she avoided the archway without any word from me too. Talk about inauspicious! About an hour had passed by my reckoning. Dad’s old watch was still stuffed into a pocket and I just couldn’t face trying to reach it under all the other gear. I surprised it was all in one piece too. Not that it was much use against the leviathans that lived round here. My scythe and sword may as well have been made out chocolate. As for the beam weapons I had… well, I may as well have brought a sodding water pistol for all the difference they’d made against the scales on that monster. Damn it all, I wish I’d managed to snatch one of the axes the thestrals had brought with them as Hammer and I had run for our lives. They’d done at least some damage to the dragon. Blowing it up from inside with the MAD was more blind luck than anything else, though the end result was what really mattered – I was alive. I took out a rag and wiped my muzzle and neck. Gods, this bloody heat! Wendigo were beings of snow and ice, not this! I lifted up the pendant and moved it from side to side, up and down. I closed my eyes and sighed. There was no doubt about it. Heat or no, I’d have to face the cave’s interior. Goddesses, I hated those oppressive places with a passion, and so far there hadn’t been anything I’d found to change my mind about them either. I was stowing my packs when Tarragon flapped down beside me with something sticking out of the side of her mouth. I tried not to look, but my bloody curiosity won the day. I wished it hadn’t. It was a tiny leg…

Gathering myself with the tiny dragonling nestled in her favourite position on my back, I ventured forth. I must have been mad. Perhaps I was too. Only a lunatic would go in there, especially after what had happened last time. I bobbed my head and huffed under my breath, cursing my cowardice. How could I rescue my mare if I was quaking in my overshoes just to walk into a dark cave? What sort of a stallion was I to let fear grip me like this? I gritted my teeth, feeling the magic tingling in my veins. Fortune favoured the bold, and fear or no fear, I would march forward. Death should hold no terrors for me, so why did I feel like this? ‘Bravery,’ dad had said, ‘Is being afraid and still going forward. Only a liar say they aren’t afraid. Fear keeps us alive.’ Even saying that, walking into the darkness of that cave took all my willpower, although to be honest the crunching and subsequent loud burp from the now content micro-monster on my back distracted me from dwelling too much on what I might find at the end of it all. As cute as she was, the thought that one day she’d be as big as the beast I’d faced earlier was not comforting. Unless she was on my side of course! I just hoped she didn’t get so hungry she forgot who her friend was.

I pressed on, my hoofsteps echoing loudly around me despite my efforts to keep as quiet as possible. Stealth was impossible. Anything with ears could have heard a bloody moth fart in there. To make matters that little bit more interesting too, the further I penetrated into the cave the hotter it became until it was like wandering into a sauna fully clothed. The air was hot and dry, my mane and tail quickly becoming soaked with sweat, not to mention my poor coat. Tarragon’s own body heat didn’t exactly help matters either. What I found most odd though, was that on either side of the cave’s walls were… paintings? Hang on, was I seeing things? I moved in for a closer look. Dear gods they were! Large paintings of scenes that were so typical of Equestria, hung neatly arranged on the cave walls. They were full of tree’s, lakes, and green hills - the kinds of things I’d never seen anywhere in my travels in the Wither World. They had a certain familiar style to them too, one which reminded me strangely of the ones in Shadow’s bedroom. What in the name of all the gods were they doing here?

“Visitors?”

The distinctly feminine voice rolled out from deeper inside the cave, making my mane twitch. I swallowed as my heart skipped a beat, and I took a steadying breath before calling back in my politest voice, “Please, forgive the intrusion, I was not aware anypony lived here. It was not my intention to trespass in your home.”

“Any… Pony?” The voice sounded puzzled. “What are you, stranger?”

Here it comes…

“I am known as Fairlight, my lady. Lord of the four winds tribe of wendigo. A visitor from the mortal realm.”

Dragons seemed to like grand titles, and although mine held about as much credence in this world as a sieve holds water, I hoped at least this one may be impressed enough to decide not to turn me into a char-grilled dinner.

The voice returned, heavy with curiosity. “A wendigo? I have not seen one for many a year, most certainly not here in my realm. You must come further in, my mysterious visitor. I await you… eagerly.” And with two slices of bread probably.

Well, I’d come this far, so with a deep breath and my magic making me look as impressive as possible, I headed into the cave’s deep interior. The black rock soon opened out into a large central cavern, the fire licking the walls casting shadows and light in equal measure. The heat was, thankfully, slightly lessened here, and there was even a slight breeze of sorts providing fresh air. Around the walls were yet more of the landscape paintings, along with massive iron braziers and neatly placed items of what appeared to be silverware. At the centre of it all, lying across an expanse of steaming black rock, crystals, and… cushions? Lay an emerald green dragon whose scales shone magnificently in the firelight. Her great blue eyes glinted as I approached. Maroc’s memories itched away at the back of my mind, like a house cat wanting to be let in for its dinner. Obligingly I opened the door and let them through. They didn’t control me, they didn’t even say the words, they were more of a guide really - a teacher and mentor both. I let them guide me...

I stood up straight before bowing low and respectfully, keeping my eyes downcast. “Forgive my rude intrusion, great one. Your kindness for allowing me to speak to you is matched only by your magnificent beauty.”

Although my words may not have been entirely sincere, she truly was an amazing creature to behold, and I couldn’t help but feel a little jealousy of such incredible power and form.

She laughed quietly, for a dragon, her voice dropping to a more tolerable level. “My, my! Aren’t you the flatterer!” She stretched out a hind leg before re-adjusting herself. “Tell me again, wendigo, what is your name?”

“I am Lord Fairlight, my lady.”

She considering me for a moment with those large blue eyes.. “Hmm, yes, you appear to be the one I have heard of.” She scratched her chin thoughtfully. “Release your power, sir.”

“Pardon?” I said in surprise.

“Release your power,” she repeated. “Now. I want to see what lies… ‘beneath’.”

I felt distinctly uncomfortable doing this. My wendigo magic was the only chance I had of getting out of here if everything went wrong, any yet something about this large female put me at ease, making me feel as though I could trust her. Why exactly, I couldn’t say, though she claimed she’d heard of me apparently. Intrigued, I wanted to learn more, and so did as she commanded.

“That’s better!” she exclaimed, clapping her great front claws together.

My pony self stood before her. I felt oddly naked and vulnerable in the presence of such a powerful creature, but I didn’t make any attempt to move from where I stood. The female dragon leaned toward me, her blue eyes taking in every detail.

“Hmm… Yes, you do have the look of him about you. And yet…” She sniffed my coat before letting out a low rumble, her eyes narrowing. “You smell of dragonling! Why do you smell of one of my children, Wendigo? Speak quickly!”

I looked behind me, but Tarragon had vanished. Damn it, her timing was bloody perfect! The huge dragon let out a whuff of smoke and I readied myself to grab the power and, perhaps, a headlong escape. But just as I thought things couldn’t get any worse, a small, flapping, squeaking Tarragon landed by my hooves, the remains of yet another example of the local fauna in her mouth. A few snaps and it disappeared down her throat.

“Urp! Ack!”

The great dragon looked at the small form with one baleful blue eye. “What is this?” she said in surprise. “You have one of my… my daughters! What is she doing with you? SPEAK!”

I felt a cold shiver run down my spine at her words. The dragon’s demeanour had suddenly transformed from polite and calm to one of anger, shock and surprise. I bowed low, preparing to speak when I heard a long low chattering and squawking from above me. Tarragon had flown up to beside the head of the huge female and was… talking? It wasn’t in any language I knew or could understand, but the two seemed to have no trouble communicating with one another. I could only stand there and wait until they’d finished. Must be a female thing, I speculated. Meadow and Tingles often wandered off to talk out of earshot of yours truly, and I seldom found out what they’d been discussing either. There were some things in this, and the other world, that were universal after all it seemed. A few minutes later, Tarragon flew down to sit by hoof, nuzzling me happily.

The emerald dragon raised an eyebrow as she appraised me once again. “My daughter speaks highly of you, Lord Fairlight. It would also seem I have been quite rude to you. I am Etrida, eldest of the dragons here. You are fortunate indeed to have made it here. Alive that is. Many of my kin would have seen you as food and devoured you, wendigo or no.”

I nodded. If there was one thing I could agree with her upon, it was that point. “My lady,” I said politely, “you appear to know me, and yet I have never had the honour of meeting you before.”

She smiled, letting out a jet of steam out from her massive nostrils. “That would be because my last servant told me all about you. She is the one whose paintings adorn my walls. Beautiful, are they not?” A waft of sulphur huffed from her great nostrils. “Equestria, the realm of green and blue… that is my real home.”

Hope suddenly flared within me. “My lady, this servant of yours. Was she named Shadow? Is she here?”

Etrida shook her head. “She was, but recently she left to join the monastery to the east. I fear she has given up on ever seeing her mate again. That would be you, I believe?”

My heart sank, and yet at the same time I felt a thrill of excitement. I was on the right track! “Yes, my lady,” I said respectfully. “I have been away a lot longer than I’d hoped.”

The great dragon eyed me, showing several of her lethal battery of teeth. “You saved the life of my daughter, and for that, I am grateful. Dragons do not forget their debts, Lord Fairlight of the four winds, and I always pay my debts.”

I bowed. “Please, my lady, you are too kind. I helped Tarragon as it was the right thing to do. Anypony would have done the same.”

She shook her head, laughing ironically. “No, no I don’t think so. What creature saves one that would normally prey upon them? Regardless of her size, she is still a predator.” Etrida waved the matter off with a dismissive gesture. “Now, tell me, what did you call her?”

“Tarragon,” I replied. “I fear I don’t know her real name.”

The great dragon raised an eyebrow. “She didn’t have one. I would have named her myself if I had been there when she’d hatched.” Etrida stretched out her wings and hung her head momentarily. This was unexpected! I didn’t realise dragons had such complex emotions. Was she… was she crying? A deep breath accompanied a gout of smoke from her nostrils as she turned back to me. “Forgive me, I quite forgot myself for a moment. As a mother, to not see your children… it pains me so.”

“Lady Etrida,” I began curiously, “you said Tarragon your daughter? I don’t understand. She was with her father, Barathel, in Equestria when we met.”

Her eyes opened wide in surprise. “Barathel?! So, the old fool is still alive is he?” She rose to her feet and stretched languorously. “I thought…” She trailed off, lost in thought. “I had believed him dead long ago. When we were thrown into the Wither World, I lost my mate and my eggs in one blow. Can you imagine what that was like for me?”

I shook my head. “No, my lady, although your children appeared fit and well when I saw them. There were a great number of them too.” Enough to wipe out an army assault team, I thought to myself.

She wasn’t impressed. “Hah! And that stupid lizard hasn’t even bothered to name them! Typical male… utterly useless.”

Well that was nice wasn’t it? Being Equestrian I was used to playing second fiddle to mares, but now even the bloody dragons were at it! Did Maroc get this treatment from Arathea? I resigned myself with a sigh. Yes... he probably did.

“I expect you will be wanting to look for your thestral mate, Shadow, as soon as possible,” Etrida began. “However, you may stay here for the night in safety if you so desire. I can smell the fatigue on you from here.”

Although excited to be off, I would most likely have crashed into a mountainside I was so tired.

“Come, Fairlight,” Etrida said pleasantly. “Let us relax and talk together before you rest. I would know more about you and your journeys.”

Oh goddesses, here we go again! The great dragon settled near me, which was somewhat disconcerting considering her head was about the same size as my whole body. Meanwhile Tarragon had wandered over to her mother and was nuzzling her, chirruping happily.

“Tarragon,” Etrida murmured. “I approve of that name. You are Tarragon, daughter of Etrida.” She licked Tarragon’s head, eliciting a delighted squeak from the tiny dragon who then rolled onto her back for a tickle. “Why did you choose that name, Fairlight? It seems an odd choice for an Equestrian to make.”

I scratched the stubble on my chin. “I named her after a dragon in a foal’s book of stories: ‘Tarragon, the terror of the east’. I just liked the name I suppose. It sounded right for her.”

“And so it should,” Etrida smiled. “Tarragon was my mother’s name.” Tarragon let out a little burp and a jet of fire whooshed out of her nose making Etrida laugh. “See, Fairlight! She can make fire already!”

Oh, bollocks… The descendant of ‘The terror of the east’ was riding around on my back! Why me? WHY?! I hung my head, smiling wryly to myself. Was I the only one who thought it a little hypocritical that a ‘demon’ would call a dragon a ‘terror’? I wasn’t a demon at all, but then, what did that matter in the court of public opinion? To some, I was. To Celestia, most definitely. Resigning myself to an evening of story telling, I made myself as comfortable as possible and we began. Tarragon, rather wisely I thought, had apparently heard this all before and was already nodding off. At some point I must have fallen asleep too, and awoke to my dragonling friend licking my muzzle. As cute is this probably sounded to the casual observer, the smell of her breakfast on my nose was far from pleasant. Dear gods, what had she been eating?! I jumped to my hooves in alarm, furiously rubbing my face.

“Gah! Tarragon!”

A deep laugh from behind me made me turn to see a happily smiling Etrida. “She likes you, Lord Fairlight,” she observed. “You are honoured indeed.”

I looked down at the dragonling and smiled, rubbing her head with my hoof. “I am, and she’s saved my poor old hide more than once.” As I fussed the little creature, a thought that had been troubling me finally surfaced. “Etrida, in truth I’m not really sure how to look after a young dragon. Wouldn’t she have a better upbringing with her own kind?”

The great dragon clicked her tongue. “She’s is not like a pony, Fairlight. At her age she can fend for herself, and will grow ever stronger over time. She has a mind and a will of her own, and she has made her choice to stay with her friend.” Etrida nuzzled Tarragon who chirruped happily. “And that friend would be you, Lord of the four winds.”

I cringed involuntarily as the dragon eyed my mischievously. “Etrida,” I asked, “why did Shadow come here? I don’t understand.”

The dragon shrugged, “She was looking for the Shallows, also known as ‘The Rift’ to some. It is the place further into the mountain range where the veil is thin. The poor thing was half dead when she got here and I took her in. Of course, when she revealed she was an artist I changed my mind about eating her, so she stayed with me and painted the magnificent pictures you see on the walls of my home.” I suppose I should have thanked her for not eating my mate, but I was just so relieved I let her continue uninterrupted. “Shadow talked about you, about how you’d fought the Earl of the Purple Sands before returning to your world. The fact that she could not follow you began to become an obsession, and she eventually she went looking for a way to reach you herself.”

“Did she ever reach the Shallows?” I asked politely.

“Yes, I escorted her there,” Etrida sighed, readjusting her hind legs. “There are many dragons around there who would not take kindly to a thestral in our lands, Fairlight. You have already met one of them.” She flapped her wings before settling them by her sides. “Let us not mince words. Powerful magic blocks passage between the worlds in the Shallows, a magic that is as old as the world beneath your hooves. No mere mortal could pass through such a place, otherwise I would have left long ago to be with my children. I explained this to Shadow, but she would not listen, insisting there was ‘another way’. Although what this way was precisely, she could not say. We visited there several times, and each time, was to no avail.” Etrida sighed, “I knew she would leave here one day, and leave she did. She said she was heading for the monastery, where lost souls gather to spend their days in prayer to the goddess. If Shadow believed she could find something there that could help her cross over to your world, then I fear she is sadly mistaken. None leave that place, Fairlight. None at all. Not even dragons will approach it.”

Lost souls? This all sounded very dramatic, and more than a little ominous too. Etrida didn’t strike as the type to exaggerate though, and from what little I knew of dragons their prideful nature alone would prevent them from admitting to such things as being ‘unwilling’ to enter an area due to, say, superstition alone. No… There had to be more to this.

“This monastery,” I began, “You said it is where ‘lost souls’ spend their days in prayer?”

“Not literal lost souls,” the dragon replied, no doubt assuming that was my concern. “They are those who have lost their way in life: Thestrals, of course. Some are warriors who have been disgraced in battle, whilst others are those whose lives have simply lost all meaning. In the past their people used to practise ritual suicide in such situations, however due to their ever dwindling numbers such acts were outlawed as ‘An affront to the goddess’.” Etrida waved a claw, displaying what she thought of such foolish notions. “Now these poor creatures seek peace in the company of others of their kind. Many die attempting to reach the monastery of course, although I suspect that is probably more of a kindness to them than to wither away in such a place.”

“They go there to die...” I murmured.

“Eventually,” Etrida said with a yawn. “However, when one has lost all hope, would it not be the most sensible decision to simply end ones own life?”

I looked up in surprise as her words. “That’s a terrible thing to say!”

“Why?” Etrida asked curiously. “If one has no desire to continue living and only sadness and hopelessness remain, then why continue to suffer? Because your society demands it of you?”

“Because there is always hope,” I said confidently. “Always.”

“Is there? And what of you, Lord Fairlight?” Etrida leaned towards me. “Are you always full of hope? Have you never felt the bitter sting of hopelessness and loss drag you down into darkness? Have you never stared into the void as the cold grimness of bleak reality snaked itself around you heart?”

“I-”

“Can you stand there before me and say, truly say, that you have never so much as even considered bringing an end to your life?”

I hung my head. “No...”

“Of course not.” The great dragon eyed me, her nostrils emitting a faint wuff of smoke. “Your kind are always so sure of yourselves, and with good reason. Equestrians draw many to them because of their positive nature. They are a flickering light in the darkness of despair. Indeed, they embody much of what other races seek their entire lives: joy, optimism, love… hope.” She smiled at me quietly. “Though I suspect that may be something of a generalisation, correct?” I nodded, unsure of what to say in reply. Etrida closed her eyes as she continued, “You lost your wife, and your daughter. You yourself were murdered, denied entry into the afterlife, then lost your mate. And yet you still hung on to hope. Perhaps without even realising it yourself, that tiniest sliver of hope remained alive, silently, hidden deep within your heart. Can you imagine what it would be like if even that minute link to life were gone, Fairlight? What would you do then?”

“I… I...” I swallowed. She was right of course. When I had lost Meadow and Sparrow I had longed for death so I could be with them once more. And then I met Shadow, though even she was taken from me. Then Tingles had come along. She had rekindled the fire in my heart, stirring the ashes of a defeated creature back into a burning flame. I had crossed worlds to get this far. I had cheated death, fought monsters, seen my friends die in droves around me, and yet here I stood. There was no bucking way some damned monks were going to keep me from my mare. I had lost too much already. I wouldn’t lose now! “I will bring her home, Etrida”, I announced, lifting my head. “Nothing will stop me.”

Etrida leaned back, nodding to herself. “There are no gods here, my equestrian friend. No magical alicorn to appear in a flash of light to guide and protect her children. Here you stand, here in the darkness, and there is only you. Only... you.”

“The gods?” I chuckled throatily. I let out a rumbling neigh, my eyes never leaving hers. “They’d only get in my way.”

The dragon’s eyes widened. “Really?” Suddenly she let out a low rumble, her lips curling into a grin. “I see now why my daughter likes you, warrior of the wendigo. Here… a gift for you.” She reached behind herself and rummaged about in a pile of oddments before holding out her claw with a large crystal orb in it. “Use this, should you ever need me.”

Without thinking I took the orb in my magic and floated it over to hover in front of my muzzle. It looked for all the world like one of those crystal balls you see at gypsy carnivals. I gazed into it, staring at my reflection in its polished surface. “What is it?” I asked. “How does it work?”

“Straight to the point, Lord Fairlight. I like that,” Etrida chuckled. She stared into the globe intently. I could smell her breath - deep, rich, and sulphurous as it washed over me. “All you need do is look into it and say my name aloud,” she purred. “As you do, think of me, both in your mind…” She lowered her voice to a near whisper, “and your heart.”

“Eh?!” I nearly choked as Etrida leaned toward me, batting her eyelids. Suddenly she rolled back on her haunches, laughing so loud the very mountain itself seemed to shake.

“Oh, if you were only a little larger!” she roared, “what a mate you would make!”

My cheeks burned as red as coals. “Um… Thank you. I don’t know what to say.”

Etrida shook her head, holding her sides as she tried to contain her mirth. “A fine trait in a male!” she announced, taking even more delight in my discomfort. Gradually however her humour abated, and she leaned towards me once more, lifting my muzzle with her claw. “You have put a smile on face, Lord Fairlight, for the first time in a long time.”

Quickly I slipped the crystal into my pack, trying to ignore my furiously burning ears. Etrida had a remarkable charm about her that was as majestic as it was terrifying. Almost subconsciously I felt for the other crystal that was hanging around my neck; my link to Shadow.

“Fascinating,” Etrida said quietly. Noticing my gesture, she reached out to lift it in her claw. “Equestrian magic. Although… Hmm...”

I looked back at her curiously, hoping she wasn’t considering adding it to her hoarde. “Is something wrong with it?” I asked, glancing at the pendant. “It guided me here, but I’m not sure how it would show me to the monastery.”

“Oh, it shall.” The great dragon’s eyes shone, reflecting the light in the crystal. “This is an old magic, Lord Fairlight. Old as creation itself. Such a thing carries a power, a spark, of that which made the heavens and the earth, the seas, the sky and perhaps… even the gods themselves.”

Suddenly I didn’t feel quite so happy about having the damned thing around my neck!

“The gods?!” I asked in alarm.

Etrida smiled, letting the pendant go. “It is only a tiny fragment,” she said dismissively. “The one who crafted this took quite a risk playing with such unpredictable magics.” She scratched her chin in thought. “The proximity to the Shallows may be resonating with it, interfering with its intended purpose.”

My heart sank. “Oh...”

The great dragon clucked her tongue. “So quick to despair!” she huffed. “Come now, wendigo, you think I cannot show you the way myself? This is my home now. Such as it is.” For a while she grew quiet, apparently lost in thought before suddenly reaching out, and to my surprise, lifted the crystal once more, placing a kiss upon its shiny surface. “For luck,” she breathed. Sitting back, she settled her wings, nuzzling Tarragon with a tenderness that was remarkably touching for such an immensely powerful creature. “Now, alas, our time together has drawn to a close. Take my gift and leave in good cheer, Lord Fairlight of the four winds. Go… Find Shadow, and let us part with gladness in our hearts.”

“It has been an honour to meet you, Lady Etrida.” I bowed formally, yet at the same time felt a curious warmth welling up from deep inside me. As alien as this all was to me, I had enjoyed her company and was saddened to be leaving so soon after meeting this fascinating dragon. Naturally I had heard of ‘the glamour of dragons’ like so many ponies growing up, about the way they could enchant you with a mere glance from those fathomless, timeless eyes of theirs. And yet I sensed no threat, nor even magic from her really, only a sense of genuine curiosity, and a kindness that reminded me of… my mother. I took her claw and kissed it gently. “Farewell, my lady. I hope we shall meet again.”

“Oh, I think we shall,” Etrida smiled. “Now go!”

“Ack!” Tarragon suddenly leaped onto my back, chirruped, and flaps her wings, eager to be off. Gods know, she had the right of it.

Bidding our kindly host farewell, Tarragon and I flew up through the pungent sulphurous clouds into the eternally dark sky above. Etrida had explained the monastery was only a few hours flight from her home, though whether that was on dragon wings or wendigo, she hadn’t been specific. Either way my heart was pounding away like a steam engine. Shadow was so close now I could almost smell her scent on the air. Tarragon must have sensed my excitement too, as the young dragon began squawking loudly, flying around me with her little green eyes flaring brightly. I smiled broadly. Fate had brought another daughter to the Fairlight family, although something told me that sorting out a bedchamber for the little dragon could be a bit of an issue. One careless puff of flame could well transform our favourite country tavern into a blazing inferno. I wonder if we could fireproof the rooms somehow? I closed my eyes and grinned wickedly to myself, picturing Heather running desperately after the tiny creature with a bucket of water as puffs of fire sprung up in her wake. Mind you, Tarragon would make a most excellent cigar lighter, so you had to look on the positive side, right? I let out a laugh, rolling through the clouds alongside my young companion. Despite the ominous warning of the monastery, I was in a pleasantly buoyant mood. What was it Etrida had said now… ‘nopony leaves’? Ooooh! Scary! What a load of rubbish. My biggest worry was meeting another dragon on route, but so far so good. Making long sweeps with my wings I increased my altitude, staying up as high as I could where the air was cleaner. It didn’t do much to help with keeping your bearings of course, however Etrida had warned me to keep above the clouds as dragons tended to keep low when hunting, using the poor visibility to their advantage. I imagine their prey would do the same, as indeed I had at first. These great hunters would lurk in the clouds, carefully watching for any movement, and then strike like lightning before their intended dinner could react. Seemed a bit back to front to me, but still bloody frightening I can tell you. In any case my confidence was back, and I felt decidedly refreshed from a good nights sleep in the warm cavern. Etrida had even allowed me to use one of her giant cushions, which I suspected Shadow had made for her. It was still a bit of a mystery what exactly had gone on there, but the two seemed to have shared some sort of bond, and for that alone I was grateful beyond words.

Wind and cloud whipped past me, becoming thinner by the second until they finally gave way to unveil a spectacular view below me. Etrida’s directions had been perfect – it was the monastery alright. What she hadn’t told me however, was just how immense this place actually was. By the goddesses it was huge! Turrets, spires, walls, and battlements galore adorned the black rock structure that sat there in absolute silence, looking for all the world like a castle from a nightmare rather than some ecclesiastical retreat. Etrida’s warning’s, which I had thought somewhat exaggerated at the time, suddenly lost their humorous edge. A shiver ran down my spine. This sprawling structure was one that emanated an unmistakably grim finality to any whose mere gaze fell upon it. It was a warning, a promise to those who so much as even dared consider approaching its massive iron gates that this was the final destination for them. There was no return. No escape. No wonder the dragons kept away. Even from up here I could feel it, the way it seemed to suck the very light from the air around it, hungrily drinking it in until it vanished forever into that black, black stone. There would be no escape from this final repose of hope, and yet here I was, trying to enter – a fool knocking on the gates of hell.

I gritted my teeth as I descended. My first task was working out how to get in there. I sure as hell didn’t look like a thestral, and I certainly didn’t know how they’d react to a wendigo suddenly appearing on their doorstep like some travelling sales stallion. However, if they truly were servants of the moon, then surely a wendigo fit the bill, right? We had fought on the side of the goddess of the moon during the great war, so what more could they ask for? It had to be worth a shot. In a blast of freezing blue-white mist and flaring wings I landed in the large open courtyard to be greeted with… nothing. The immense gates stood there behind me in silence like the rest of the structure. They were closed, with no sign of anypony posted here to greet would-be visitors. Mind you, considering the fact that those who came here could fly, they were probably present more for aesthetics than any actual practical application. Still, you would have thought there would have been at least one thestral on duty, surely? I turned, my hooves crunching on the black sand and grit that carpeted the ground. It didn’t look to have been swept in years, nor were there, as I noticed upon inspection, any other hoofprints other than my own. Was I mistaken? As if in answer to my unspoken question a light breeze whispered through the silent expanse of stonework, whipping up small eddies of sand that brushed against my legs. My mane itched nervously whilst my magic rumbled away to itself deep inside my soul, waiting to be called upon. Though to what end? My imagination began to stir, conjuring up images of a thousand pairs of eyes watching me from the shadows. And yet looking around, all I could see was dark emptiness. There were no lights in the tall thin windows, no movement, nor any sound other than that made by the wind and my own breathing. If Etrida had not assured me Shadow was here I would have believed this monastery at the end of the world to be completely abandoned.

A horrible sense of foreboding washed over me as I walked on cautiously through the courtyard towards a long light of stone steps. Tarragon, who had been quiet ever since we had arrived, dug her claws into my back and began making a faint clicking sound. As much as I could not understand the little creature’s language I could still detect the inflection in the sounds she was making - she was nervous. Goddess knows, I knew how she felt. Reaching behind myself with my magic, I readied my pulse gun and short sword. The feel of them afforded me some small comfort. Silently I prayed I would not need to draw them, however it always paid to be prepared for any eventuality. Besides, the safe extraction of Shadow from this frightening place was my primary concern, and I could only do it if I was in one piece. I couldn’t afford to let my guard down now, not when I was so close.

My hoofsteps echoed between the walls, adding an eerie and unsettling feel to what was already an unnerving place to begin with. Come to think of it, perhaps my presence had actually frightened the inhabitants away? Wendigo had not been seen in the Withers since the war, and I did look like a phantasm of sorts I suppose. Not that I really saw myself like that of course, but to others… well, maybe I did look a little ‘demonic’, to coin a phrase. Not that thestrals looked that much better of course. That lot could scare the crap out of a minotaur, let alone a pony. Speaking of which, I wonder how Mitre was going to react when he saw Shadow? I couldn’t wait to see his face! I chuckled under my breath, feeling my spirits lift slightly as I pressed on. Before me lay a grand staircase constructed of the same black rock as the rest of the monochrome edifice, the whole flanked by impressive statues depicting the unmistakable form of Nightmare Moon in battle with dragons, ponies and even, yes, Celestia. They looked quite dramatic truth be told, if not entirely historically accurate. If old crumpet buns had been as feeble as depicted here, with the looming lady of the night bearing down on her, I doubted Equestria would look anything like it did now. Still, the look of horror on her face was almost comical. I wonder If I could get this reproduced as a painting? I’d love to have that on my wall. Pulling my attention back to the present and magic ready to hoof, I ascended the long flight of stairs, keeping my wings folded by my sides. It was easier to get to my weaponry with them out of the way, yet even now I still found them a little strange. Although I hadn’t been born with them, every day that went by I found myself becoming more and more comfortable in my wendigo form, and wings came as part of the package. Just to be on the safe side I let the magic slip away, revealing my more ‘Equestrian’ self. There was no sense in frightening the locals, right?

“Halt! State your business here.”

The voice reverberated around me, coming from, I suspected, somewhere up ahead. With the echoing effect of the acoustics in this place I was finding it hard to locate the source. Time to play the game then…

“I am Lord Fairlight of the tribe of the four winds wendigo,” I announced. “I have travelled far to visit your monastery. Is there somepony in charge I may speak with?”

There was a delay of several moments before a different voice, older sounding this time, called out, “Be so kind as to wait, Lord Fairlight. We shall be with you momentarily.”

Up ahead, the large set of doors at the top of the stairs swung inward, revealing a passageway lit with a long row of burning torches. Dwarfed by the large doors, a pair of thestrals walked silently toward me wearing deep purple cloaks adorned with white crescent moons. The taller of the two, a deep blue thestral with red eyes, bowed before me.

“Welcome Lord Fairlight,” he said formally. “Welcome to the monastery of the blessed moon. The abbot had asked us to respectfully request that you follow us. He shall receive you in his chambers shortly.”

I nodded slightly, “Very well, lead the way.”

If formality and stiffness made an impression on these creatures, I’d have to play along with them. Despite them being monastic they were still a warrior race at heart, with all the militaristic trappings and hierarchy that accompanied their way of life. These two thestrals however were exactly what I’d expected of the religious class – they were far from what you’d consider chatty, and walked along like they’d been struck mute. I also noticed, thankfully, that Tarragon had disappeared back into my pack and was keeping quiet. In a way that worried me, she was surprisingly perceptive for such a young creature, and if she was keeping low it suggested there was the possibility of trouble ahead. It would be wise if I followed her example and remained on my guard as well. And on the subject of guards, I noticed as my two escorts walked along, a slight movement in their cloaks that belied some sort of object hidden beneath the folds of cloth. I couldn’t be certain of course, but I was left with the distinct impression they were armed. Interesting. And worrying. Almost subconsciously I took a firmer grip on my magic, keeping it close. Walking along the austere corridor we passed a number of statues of thestrals, minotaurs, and of course the ever present Nightmare Moon. All of them bore small inscriptions on a metal plaque describing events, deeds, names, and so on. I was able to read some of them, another ability of my wendigo self I imagine, but others were in a different script altogether and totally alien to me.

Noticing my interest, one of my hosts looked back over his shoulder. “Heroes of the great battles against the Celestians. All of them, honoured here for eternity in stone.”

I wondered if there would be any wendigos here? Somehow I doubted it. The attitude towards my people was mixed to say the least. Some saw them as cowards, fleeing the battlefield when they were needed the most, whereas others viewed them as beings nearly as divine as the goddess herself. The truth, I suspected, was buried amidst the stone on the mountainside along with the bones of my ancestors. But whoever paid any heed to truth when a good story would suffice? I was becoming lost in my ruminations when we eventually arrived at a large hall. I was directed towards a heavy black stone table and chairs set with bowls of fruit, carafes of wine, and crystal goblets. Light was provided to the incredible scene by an array of candles, torches, and the deep yellow flickering of a log fire. It all looked extraordinarily Equestrian, and also... ‘pre-prepared’. Had they been expecting visitors this day? If not then they had a remarkably efficient team of staff to have assembled such a welcome at a moments notice. A loud click of metal resounded in the room as a side door opened and a deep scarlet thestral emerged wearing a heavy blue cloak with a single large silver crescent moon emblazoned on the back. His mane was the purest white, like his eyes, creating a distinct impression of timeless age which for some reason sent a twinge of unease along my spine. Just how old was this fellow? Star Beard and Thorn were at least a thousand, by the Equestrian calender anyway, yet neither of them bore any more signs of their extraordinary years than wrinkles and flecks of silver in their manes and tails. I turned to face him as the thestral’s eyes looked me up and down with an unfathomable stare. Meanwhile the other two bowed, backed away several steps, then turned to walk away leaving me with the old thestral.

He nodded silently to himself, as though affirming something I wasn’t privy to before speaking in a low soft voice, “Forgive my rudeness, Lord Fairlight, my name is Abbot Rigel, the spiritual leader of our modest flock.” He bowed. “I fear we seldom receive guests to our humble home, as you can imagine. And wendigo…” The abbot gave a faint smile. “Well now, it has been many of the goddess’s moons since one was last here within these walls.” The ancient thestral held out a hoof. “But please, won’t you take refreshment with us? Be assured you are most welcome indeed. We are all children of the goddess, are we not?” I nodded to him and accepted his offer of a chair. “May I offer you some wine?” he asked politely. “Perhaps fruit from our very own orchards? It is not much I fear, although I think you will find the berries to your taste.”

I eyed the items he indicated to on the table. Sure enough the bowls held the same crystalline fruit of the variety I had come to know so well since my first visit to the Wither World. Yet as thoughtful as the gesture was, alarm bells were ringing in my head ten to the dozen. There was something definitely ‘off’ with this place and, I suspected, the abbot himself. The fellow had been remarkably well prepared for my visit, and it set my mane to twitching like crazy.

“Thank you for your kindness, Abbot Rigel, but I must decline. I won’t be able to stay here very long I fear,” I explained diplomatically.

He nodded slowly, “I see, my Lord Fairlight. That being the case therefore, may I enquire as to the purpose of your visit?”

In for bit… “Abbott,” I began, “I seek a friend of mine, a thestral by the name of Shadow. I understand that she is here?”

“Shadow?” he muttered, scratching his chin. “No… I don’t believe I recognise the name, however she may be one of the new initiates.” The abbot looked me in the eyes, a slow smile spreading across his face. “I will need to speak to our registrar to know for certain. Would you care to wait in our guest quarters whilst I make enquiries? I shan’t keep you waiting long.”

I smiled in return, “Thank you abbot, I appreciate your understanding.”

“Yes…” he said quietly glancing toward the door before turning back to me. “Blessings of the moon’s light be with you, Lord Fairlight. Brother Danu will show you to your room.”

With a final bow, he swept from the room as a younger robed thestral appeared in his place. Silently he held out a hoof beckoning me to follow him, which I did so politely, if a little warily. We trotted down one corridor after another, each just as plain and austere as the last. Whoever had built this place was big on the whole ‘dark castle’ stonework theme. So much so it would have served well as a villain’s home in one of my old foals books. I was half expecting a skeleton to jump out at any moment, or find myself walking muzzle first into spiders webs. The monastery however, was spotlessly clean of such frightening paraphernalia; it was bad enough without any such unnecessary additions. Abruptly my ears pricked up. Somewhere in the distance I could make out the sound of chanting, a low thrumming sound that made my chest vibrate slightly. It was probably some invocation to the goddess of the moon, or perhaps a prayer. I wonder if Luna could hear them?

My thestral guide, Brother Danu, noticed my interest. “The brothers are preparing for the commemoration of the final battle,” he explained politely in his soft voice. “I pray their songs will not disturb you?”

I shook my head, “Of course not, Brother, I am a servant of the goddess also.”

Danu nodded silently, apparently satisfied with my response. A moment later we halted before a heavy, dark wooden door. “This is your room, my lord. I will ensure food and drink are brought to you presently.”

I was barely inside when the curious fellow backed out of the room, shutting the door behind him so quickly he nearly took my tail off. At least he didn’t expect a tip, I thought to myself sarcastically. Mind you, I have to say that the room itself was actually quite well appointed, if a little austere for my tastes. It was certainly in keeping with the rest of the monastery though – black, on a theme of black. There was a bed, a wash stand, cupboards, windows and so on, just like you’d expect. All of it in that strange, black wood I’d seen in the territory of the Purple Sands. Bringing it here must have been an incredible undertaking in its own right, particularly when you considered having to run the gauntlet of the ever present, and ever hungry, dragons. Perhaps they had arranged some sort of non-aggression accord with them? I wasn’t sure if dragons were the religious type, however Etrida had been very wary about the monastery, and perhaps by extension, that also applied to the monks? It was certainly plausible. Lifting up the bedsheets I tested the mattress finding it to be very well padded indeed. By thestral standards it was positively palatial! Overall I was struck by how such a massive structure like this came to be in the Wither World in the first place. It was in total contrast to everything else I had ever seen here, and at the complete opposite end of the spectrum when considering the nest like constructions of your typical thestral village. It made me wonder who had built this place... and why. Thestrals simply didn’t seem the reclusive, religious type. I was pondering this as I reached round to take off my gear, nearly jumping out of my skin as Tarragon immediately leaped out, chirruping at me in agitation.

“You’re all fired up, little one,” I said, hanging my pack over the chair. “What’s up, eh?”

The dragonling bounced around my hooves, flapping her wings. She was desperately trying to tell me something, but all I could pick up on was her distress. I could understand enough though - it was this place, it had to be. Pleasant room notwithstanding I didn’t like it at all, and neither did Tarragon, but with any luck we wouldn’t be here much longer. The pendant’s crystal was now blazing brightly and even began to float up when I held it in my hoof, a sure sign my goal was within reach. Tucking it back into my flight suit, I’d just taken a draught from my flask when Danu re-appeared, letting himself in after a brief knock.

“Initiate Shadow is out with friends at the moment, my lord, and shall not be back until late,” he announced. “I am asked to respectfully request that you rest here until she has returned.” The monk bowed and left the room with as much ceremony as he had when he’d entered.

‘Out with friends’ eh? What, at a nightclub? Bullshit. The crystal was glowing so brightly she was probably within a stones throw of right where I was standing. Something stank about this whole situation… badly. Of course there was still the chance I was over-thinking things, a disagreeable trait of mine I’d battled with all my life, but it didn’t mean that my initial reaction was wrong. Still, they said she’d be here soon, so I’d play the obliging host and wait as they’d requested - for now. I checked my watch, a few minutes couldn’t hurt. Unfortunately those minutes had apparently brought re-enforcements with them, gradually transforming themselves into hours. For the time being I occupied myself with feeding and playing with Tarragon, as well as checking my supplies for the umpteenth time. There wasn’t much more to look at that I hadn’t seen a hundred times already. There were still faint traces of scorch marks here and there from where the royal guard had tried to blow me up. Or was that the dragon in the mountain? Goddess almighty, I couldn’t remember! It made no difference what world I was on, everything seemed to be either trying to kill me, eat me, or otherwise eviscerate yours truly in one way shape or form. I put down my pack with a sigh. If only I could be repaired as easily as cloth and leather, then perhaps I wouldn’t be the bucked up mess I was now. My body might heal itself well enough thanks to my wendigo magic, so long as I didn’t take too much damage of course, but what toll was it all taking on me in other ways? Every time I shut my eyes I saw flashes of teeth, fire, blasts of magic, and heard the screams of the dying as though they were right there next to me. Was this what I was going to be seeing for the rest of my life whenever I tried to sleep? I let out a tired breath and slumped in the chair, tickling Tarragon under the chin whilst time dragged on so slowly I could almost feel the seconds passing by. Where the hell was she? I found myself checking my father’s old pocket watch again and again. It was late. In the absence of any sun or moon in the Withers, I worked on the assumption that the time when I awoke was probably around eight, so by my reckoning it was now late evening. One day, I’d have to find out how the locals knew. Damnit all! Regardless of the time, there was still no sign of Shadow, and now I was starting to feel my temper rising. That was it, I wouldn’t wait any longer. Rising from the chair I checked my gear and took a quick swig of water from my flask. Suddenly a knock at the door made my ears perk up. I turned just in time to see Danu walking in without bothering to wait for a reply. Politely, of course…

“The Abbott has requested you join us. Initiate Shadow is here.” His monotone drone was grating on my ears, yet his message was like a balm to my weary soul. At last!

“Lead the way,” I said, holding out a hoof.

Danu turned and walked slowly back out of the room. Trying to contain my mounting sense of elation, I followed the quiet monk as he led me down a number of twisting corridors lit with the ever present torches. They were most likely magic I suspected by the lack of noticeable fuel for them. My horn itched slightly every time we passed one too, confirming my hypothesis. Although nothing new in Equestria, it was strange to find such things here, especially considering the thestrals didn’t have any intrinsic magical skill that I was aware of. There was something else I noticed too; the thestrals who I’d first met when I arrived at the monastery, and this ‘Danu’ character, had a decidedly strange manner about them. They were slow, drawling almost, like they were in a daze or trance of some kind. What really bother me though, was their eyes all had this odd, far away look which made my skin crawl. Thankfully I’d had the foresight to put my gear back on just before my guide had reappeared. As soon as I could, I wanted to collect Shadow and get the hell out of here. As we progressed the chanting I’d heard earlier was back. With ever step the sonorous sound grew louder, and judging by the light of the crystal, Shadow must be mere yards away.

Sure enough, Danu soon halted, motioning towards a large, black wooden door. “Initiate Shadow is inside,” he intoned. “Please go in and wait for her there.”

He didn’t open the door for me this time. Instead the odd thestral simply walked away and left me standing there like a spare part. Unsure whether to simply walk in or not, I knocked on the door. There was no reply. Shrugging to myself, I grasped the handle in my magic and pushed. It was heavy, but with a little effort it creaked open allowing me access to the room beyond. Stepping through, I paused. There was a large group of thestrals in here, the cloaked figures kneeling in absolute silence before a short flight of steps that led up to a stone altar. The similarly cloaked figure of the abbot stood calmly atop a dais behind a large wooden lectern.

“Come, Lord Fairlight,” he said smiling and holding out a hoof. “Your friend is here. She is waiting for you.”

I walked slowly into the room, my senses on alert as a bitterly cold shiver ran down my spine. My eyes took in the circular room, the smell of incense and that timeless, resonating sound. My goddess… it was all so… familiar… The arched ceiling flickered in the torchlight, casting eerie shadows as the monks chanted quietly, their faces hidden in the dark cowls of their cloaks. Shadowed figures romped through my minds eye. The cries of helpless fear… Flashbacks to the chamber in the fortress gripped me fast in an instant. Tingles, the spirit, the ghosts! My heart thundered in my chest, my breathing increasing rapidly. I swallowed, trying to regain my senses, fighting back the hideous images. But it too late. Distracted, by time I realised somepony was beside the door there nothing I could do. A heavy dull thump to the back of the head later, and the lights of my world were snuffed out. Darkness took me, and then, in what seemed like the blink of an eye, a throbbing pain accompanying a sound like I was underwater, panicked me back into a terrified consciousness. Desperately I tried to stand, but no matter how hard I tried my legs refused to move. They were held fast. Looking about me as best I could, I could see ropes of white sinew tied around my fetlocks. Panic rose within me in a torrent, flooding my senses with its urgency and I reached for the magic, finding only a muggy, indefinable mess of ‘something’ in its stead. I was lying flat on my back on a hard unyielding surface and felt almost drunk, my senses dulled… What had these bastards done to me?

Beside me a robed thestral appeared, his smiling face betraying a cruel inner darkness behind his burning white eyes. “Welcome, lord of the wendigo. We are truly sorry for your current… ‘inconvenience’. However, the goddess provides as always. As it has been. So shall it always be.”

“What… what are you doing?” I gasped past the pain and grogginess.

The robed figure’s emotionless smile never wavered. “Why, you are being honoured, my lord. This is the commemoration of the defeat of our beloved goddess by the evil one. Every ten years we remember her and sacrifice one of our own, in the sure and certain hope she will bestow her wisdom and life upon us, her humble servants.” He stroked my mane with his hoof. “Now, a wendigo walks into our halls on the eve of the ceremony… truly an auspicious event! You must be joyful knowing you shall be joining her soon, to feast at the side of the goddess of the moon.” He held his hooves up and called out to the assembled monks, “Be thankful for the moons embrace, brothers. Praise the moon!”

“PRAISE THE MOON,” the monks chanted in reply.

I was finding it harder and harder to speak. A strange bitterness in my mouth suggested they’d drugged me with something to block my magic and dull my wits. “You’re... insane…” I gasped. “The goddess still lives, she’s… in the mortal realm even… as we speak.”

The abbot smiled, “You speak of Princess Luna of course, yes?” He closed his eyes, nodding to himself assuredly. “I understand your confusion, she is not the nightmare of the moon she once was… but she shall be. Soon. Before long her night will cover the land and we shall be free of this place, to stand by her side as we should, once more.”

He turned to the side and smiled gently as another thestral walked in wearing the now familiar black cloak, only this time without the embroidered moons. This new thestral held something in their mouth that glittered brightly of gold and silver, catching the lamplight like tiny bursts of fire. There was something about the movements, the sway of the hips… it was a female. She moved closer, laying the metallic object on the altar beside to me. I struggled through the drug induced haze to reach my magic but, damn it all… it was just not there. If Maroc was still there somewhere inside me, now was the time… before these buckers… oh goddesses… The thestral pulled back her hood to reveal the midnight coated mare beneath: sleek, lean, and with eyes that smouldered like glowing coals. The mare’s neat sharp teeth glinted in the torch light, her mane and tail as dark as the night sky. She was as terrifyingly beautiful as I remembered, yet the fire in her eyes was wrong… like this whole damned place.

“Shadow…” I gasped, trying to wet my dry lips. “Shadow, it’s me… Fairlight.”

She didn’t respond. Almost mechanically, she stood on her hind legs and lifted up the object from the altar. With a flick she unsheathed the familiar looking dagger which I stared at in horrified fascination as it caught the light. I recognised it immediately, the blade glowing blue with little flickers of electricity sparking along its fuller. It was my gift from Thalio, the alicorn who had been sent to recover me from the Withers. I could have laughed at the irony of the situation. All this way, all this time, merely to be killed at the hooves of the very mare I had come to save! My eyes followed the blade’s path upwards, the grip held between Shadow’s forehooves as she towered over me. Around us the chanting of the monks rose to fever pitch, the abbot shouting in a language I’d never heard, but right then all I could see was my beloved thestral… and the blade held motionless above her. With an unnatural scream from the abbot the blade descended, hissing through the air in an unstoppable deadly arc. Even as it pierced my chest, I kept looking into Shadow’s eyes, smiling.

She was so... beautiful…

Chapter Fourteen - The golden dagger

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

THE GOLDEN DAGGER

Pain. Great goddesses, why did every single part of me feel like it was on fire? Wasn’t I dead? Dear Luna, I wished I was. Unbearable agony screeched through my being from the tip of my muzzle to very hairs of my tail: white hot, unavoidable, and without end. I couldn’t move, I was dead and yet cruelly somehow still alive. Chanting and a low background moaning sound from the monks filled my ears, merging in the dry air with my own screams. I was dying, my life ebbing away from the pumping wound in my chest, and nothing could stop it. How bloody ironic to be sent to hell by the very mare I’d come to rescue. Behind me I was faintly aware of a scrabbling sensation at my mane, niggled at me through the haze of suffering. For the goddesses sake, leave me be! Even in death could there be no peace? I was dying, leaving this miserable existence to be finally rid of this tragic pastiche of life. And maybe… maybe the herd would have pity on me? Maybe if I bowed to them, accepted my fate which… What was that? The insistent scratching and scrabbling was quickly followed by a gurgling chirrup as a small scaly head appeared before my eyes. It was Tarragon. I smiled and tried to speak, but I was so weak now, my last moments pouring from my body with every laboured beat of my torn heart. I just wanted to say goodbye to my friend, that was all… it wasn’t much to ask. In response she grabbed my muzzle in her tiny claws and held her mouth over mine, dribbling something into me… the effect was almost instantaneous. She jumped down and returned a moment later with more. It slipped down my throat as if it had a will of its own and I gulped it down greedily, feeling life slowly build within me once more. My senses began to tingle, sparking like a cut wire, bonding, regrowing. Under the ministrations of the extraordinary magic, the terrible wound in chest began to knit closed, the blood flow stopping. Tarragon reappeared, the silvery magic of the life giving fluid shining on her muzzle as she delivered her precious cargo once more. How had she know to do this? Had she seen me doing this and copied me? I would ponder this later, as for now, there were more pressing matters to attend to. I licked the last of the magic from my mouth, closed my eyes, and felt the pain slowly start to ebb away.

It was time.

Behind the lectern the enraptured abbot had his back to me, calling out in a feverish pitch to his mighty goddess. He had made his sacrifice and now awaited his reward whilst the monks prostrated themselves before him, chanting and swaying in time to the mesmeric sound. Tarragon continued to bite and chew at my bonds with teeth that were more used to slicing through sinew, flew and bone, but one by one they yielded to the dragonlings determinations. As soon as the second bond fell away I reached out and grasp the flask she had pulled out of my pack. My magic was back, if a little weakened, but after I’d drained nearly half the life essence from the container, I could feel the power of the wendigo back as it should be. It was beyond exhilarating. Beyond ecstasy. Tarragon took the flask in her little claws and hid it back in my pack while I reached down to take up my scythe, slipping it silently from within its oiled cloth sheath. For a moment my eyes caught the gleam of bright metal. It was Thalio’s dagger, now abandoned beside on the alter still dripping with my blood, its deadly purpose fulfilled. Shadow was there, sitting beside me in a glassy eyed daze reminiscent of the dulled state I had seen on so many of the monks since my arrival. Gently but firmly I took her muzzle in my hooves and dribbled some of my own life fluids into her open, and unresisting mouth. Almost immediately the mare’s eyes flickered for the briefest of moments before quickly returning to their normal blazing red. Recognition, life, and the horrible realisation of what she had been a party to, flooded through that gaze as surely as the magic I had imparted to her. Shadow stared ahead of her in silent confusion, taking in the scene of the monks and the abbot, the knife… and me.

She looked down into my face as if she couldn’t believe I was there. “Fairlight…?”

I raised a cautionary hoof to my lips. “Hello love,” I whispered. “Long time no see.”

“Fairlight…!” She more mouthed the words that said them, but it was enough.

I held a hoof up to her mouth, swinging myself off the altar. “No time, we have work to do… up for a challenge?”

By way of answer the thestral mare took Thalios’ knife from me and glared abject hatred at the abbot who, his own senses pulling him back to the movement behind him, paused in his chanting to look in befuddlement down at the mist swirling around his hooves. He turned slowly, his face a picture of horror and surprise as he took in the glistening form before him. I clicked the release on the scythe, and with a bang of its haft on the stone floor the wickedly long blade whipped out and locked solidly into place. I smiled at him, liquid mist dripping from between my teeth, the frigid winds of the north whistling around me in an unleashed fury of hatred and vengeance.

“Abbot…” I hissed, letting out a long breath. “Time for you to meet the goddess yourself, my friend. Can you hear her calling?”

“L… Lord Fairlight!” he stuttered, “How are you…?”

“How am I still alive?” I laughed, propping the scythe against my shoulder. “You really are a pitiful soul aren’t you, Abbott, spreading misery and death in the name of the princess. Do you think she knows you are doing this to her children? Do you believe, truly believe, that the goddess of the moon understands that you are aiding in the extinction of your own race, one soul at a time?” He never saw Shadow move gracefully behind him. Like her namesake, both in silence and unseen, she reached the blade around the abbot’s neck until she was holding it to his throat like an avenging angel of death. I leaned forward and whispered in his ear, “How would you like to see what death is like?”

Shadow pulled the blade effortlessly across his throat as he turned to his flock. Staggering toward them, his blood sprayed out in a crimson fountain across the stupefied monks; his final blessing as he passed to the afterlife he was so happy to send others. Silence fell as the thestral monks looked on in horror at the collapsed, bloodied figure of their leader. As one they looked up and saw Shadow, the bloodied dagger held in her mouth, and beside her a creature they could only begin to imagine in their worst nightmares. Pandemonium broke out a heartbeat later, the panicked monks all shouting, screaming, and running at once, desperately trying to open the doors that had somehow mysteriously frozen shut. My laughter echoed throughout the room and I leaped out into the midst of the throng, the song of slaughter loud in my ears and pulsing through my veins. It was time for a different type of chant in this dreadful place, and I was here to teach it to the faithful. I danced through them, a blur of steel and ice, wreathed in a white fog of death and the cries of the dying. I thrilled at the sounds, the feeling of the blood warm upon my hide. I breathed in their escaping life essence as I flowed unstoppably through the panicked monks, a whirlwind of metal and death. I’d not felt my magic so full in an age, and now… now I had achieved my goal. My thestral mare moved as effortlessly as a salmon through the river, joining me in the dance, dealing out death with the knife that was still stained with the blood of her love. The gift from the herd, was now my gift to my mate… my beautiful, wonderous Shadow.

The two of us laughed aloud, lost in the dance, whirling and spinning through the fog, the crimson torrent a wondrous accompaniment to the cries of the monks as they fell around us. It was as it should be, the wendigo and his mate, death and life… together. Yet all too soon the moment came to an end and we had to pause to catch our breath. The scene around us was indescribable, yet beautiful in its own, grim way. It was a charnel house of blood, bone and carnage that left us knee deep in the torn bodies of our enemies. I smiled, it was a beautiful sight, but not as beautiful as the girl beside me…

“Shadow,” I breathed.

She leaned forward, fiery tears dripping down her cheeks. “Fairlight… Love.” Shadow grabbed me round my neck in her forelegs and cried, racking sobs taking her body as she squeezed me for all she was worth. Finally, pushing herself away, Shadow began sniffing me, nudging me with her muzzle and taking the occasional lick. She stood and walked around me, repeating the process several times until she was satisfied. Nodding, Shadow smiled. “Fairlight.”

I took her up in my fore legs and kissed her, Shadow’s lips parting to allow my tongue to enter her mouth. A little unsure at first, she met me, her own tongue questing into my mouth, tasting and exploring. She pulled me hard against her and moaned wordlessly as she took her fill. Smiling at each other I knew we had to leave that terrible place, and I wasn’t sad to go. On our way out, Tarragon had returned to sit on my back, much to the surprise of Shadow who instantly took a liking to her. The two seemed to share some sort of bond too, clicking and chirruping to each other while we walked. Could she speak the dragon tongue? Shadow had never been one to talk much, but there was so much I wanted to ask her. Right now though, that could wait; we needed to get out of there. Fortunately we didn’t encounter any more of the monks on our way out, and were nearly at the entrance to the courtyard when a massive blast of wind violently blew the doors open, the force nearly knocking us to the floor. Shaking my head, I rose to my hooves just as a huge dragon’s head poked in, opening its great toothy maw. I knew what was coming next. The small yellow flame began to glow just as I pulled Shadow into a side room in time to avoid the flesh stripping blast of searing flame that engulfed the corridor.

“COME OUT WENDIGO!” the dragon screamed, “COME OUT AND FACE YOUR DEATH!”

I recognised that resonating voice. The casual cruelty and mocking tone had gone, but I knew it all the same. The last time I had clapped eyes on the enormous beast it had been vanishing in a broiling blast of green fire. How had this dread creature withstood such immense destruction energy? More to the point, how in the name of all the gods in the heavens, was I to defeat such evil? I shook my mane and allowed the power to seethe through me once more.

Suddenly Shadow took hold of my foreleg, her eyes full of concern. “No! Fairlight…”

Damn this place! I’d just been re-united with Shadow and now this! Luna’s arse, couldn’t anything go my way for one? Just for bucking once? Smiling ironically to myself, I kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll be alright love,” I said gently. “I haven’t come all this way for some stinking beast like that to keep me from you. Here… take Tarragon. I won’t be long.”

She moved to protest, but I closed the door behind me and walked out into the courtyard carrying my scythe.

“I’m here, dragon,” I called. “I am here.” I looked up the scaled beast, my voice dripping with the utter derision and contempt I held for this disgusting animal. “You should have left things be. You could have simply let us go and continued on with your life in peace, but you can’t can you? What is it that drives you to such self destruction? Is it anger? Humiliation? Or is it wounded pride?” I hefted my scythe. “Whatever it may be, it shall be your undoing this day.”

The huge creature lumbered up to me, bloodied rents in its body showing where the MAD had caused considerable amounts of damage. How the damned thing was still alive was a miracle in itself, for the dragon at any rate. It let out a hideous cough, spraying blood like rain. The monstrous denizen of the Coal Spike mountain was clearly in dreadful torment.

“You…YOU!” it bellowed, blood and smoke escaping from its wounds. “I’ll take you with me to the underworld, you cursed Celestian vermin!”

My wings snapped open and I flicked out the war scythe’s blade. “I’m no bucking Celestian!” I snarled, and immediately leaped into the air, diving in to the attack.

A rolling wave of flame came right at me as I rolled away, slamming my scythe into and through the creature’s already wounded side. It howled in pain, spinning round and tried to catch me with a snap of its immense jaws. I pulled away, pouring blue-white fog and ice at the thing in an attempt to freeze it. Despite its injuries and weakened state, the dragon was still insanely strong. Ice formed on its body, slowing it movements as blizzarding winds buffeted it from my magical assault combining with the blows from my blade. The scales on the creature were too hard to penetrate, however the innumerable injuries from the MAD had removed many, and these choice locations became the focus of my attacks. The dragon roared defiantly, attempting to leap into the air after its harasser but its wings were now so coated in ice they were all but useless. In a blind fury, the beast thrashed wildly, lashing its tail around like a whip, smashing into the black stone of the courtyard with extraordinary force. I dove, dodged, and swung my scythe, aiming for the dragon’s weakened areas until both the beast and I were breathing hard in our attempts to kill each other. It was then, when I should have been the most cautious, that I made a fatal error.

Heedless of its mangled body the great beast whirled round, and with lightning fast reflexes swung his tail like a flail, smashing it into the stonework of one of statues. The impact was deafening, sending chunks of stone spraying out like shrapnel at incredible speed, taking me full in the face, neck and chest. Crying out in anger and pain, I crashed into the ground, partially blinded by the stone shards. Before I had even a chance to try and repair any of the damage or even to drag myself aside, the dragon was on me. A claw that could have lifted a house grabbed me and brought me up to his huge jaws. To be honest I expected instant death from the half crippled creature. There was no toying with its prey now, nor what I had considered to be its customary gloating. The dragon’s body was so torn and broken from its ordeal it must have been running on nothing but sheer willpower, though it was all too clear that that alone would be enough to bring down its enemy this day. But some things, as the old saying goes, never change. Just as the creature lowered me towards my doom, he paused, glaring hatred at the helpless stallion in its grip. The ragged face grinned menacingly at me, unable to resist one final opportunity to gloat.

“I have you now, ‘wendigo’.”

My eyesight was just coming back to me in time to see the huge jaws opening and an inevitable bone snapping death. It was a final gamble, a last gasp so to speak, but I had one more trick up my proverbial sleeve to play. With all the magic I could summon, I aimed a blast of magic from my horn right down the things throat to where the little yellow flame had been. With a terrible shriek, the dragon recoiled from my attack. It wasn’t anywhere near as powerful as I’d hoped, I was still injured, and focussing was proving a lot harder than I’d hoped. Was it enough? In answer to my unspoken question the great beast smashed me bodily into the side of the main building and I dropped to the ground, a broken doll of mangled bone and flesh. I couldn’t breath. Pain and shock fought inside me for dominance, and even with my magic I doubted I could repair this amount of damage. I could only hope that I’d done enough to- The world boomed around me as a massive claw landed beside my muzzle and I looked up into a huge serpentine eye. Blood poured like a river from between its teeth, and I knew then with cold certainty, that the dragon would still be able to send me to the gates of hell with its dying breath. I watched impassively as those jaws opened, and I closed my eyes… waiting.

There was another huge, bone jarring impact. Dust and sand showered down on and around me as I lay there waiting for the end which never came. My eyesight was still unfocussed but I could just about make out the outline of the immense head and neck of the black dragon, now lying motionless on the sandy floor of the courtyard, its tongue lolling out and steaming in the dry air. Was I seeing things? My answer came in the form of a familiar thestral gracefully jumping down from the top of the dragon’s spiky skull to trot towards me. My last sight, as darkness took me, was of Shadow, looking into my eyes with her own. They burned with such a bright fiery red ferocity it melted my heart. By the goddess, she was beautiful.

It was a good way to die.

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

I was in a wonderful place, full of warmth, happiness, and the overwhelming taste of spice with a sort of fresh minty afterglow flooding my mouth. Marvellous, I thought quietly. I was back in my mother’s fore legs as a foal; warm, safe, and protected from anything that could wish me harm. There was no more pain here, no more tiredness. I was just there… safe. The way I’d been pushed and pulled by life didn’t really matter any more, I simply didn’t care. I’d saved Shadow and thrown down my enemies. What more was there for me to do? My work was done, and it was time to-

“Fairlight?”

I opened my eyes.

“Fairlight!” A tearful Shadow stood over me, two empty flasks lying beside her and a flapping Tarragon rushing about squawking wildly.

I smiled up at her. “Hello love… Long time no see.”

She leaned across and hugged me gently, her mane falling across my muzzle smelling wonderfully of rich cinnamon. I tried to move, and was surprised to find I was actually still in one piece. I’d used an enormous amount of life energy to repair myself and it seemed that my wonderful marefriend had come through in the nick of time. Shadow reached around and beneath me, helping me to my hooves. She was incredibly strong for such a bony creature, and… my goddesses, there before me lay the dragon… I hadn’t been seeing things after all! And there, a knife embedded in the top of its head. Shadow helped me to my hooves, guiding me over to the creature. The monstrous thing, still gripping onto to its life right to the bitter end, let out a final, gurgling exhale. A few seconds later the very air around it began to shimmer as the dragon’s irascible spirit began to leave its body, the last vestiges of energy holding it to this mortal existence leaking away. Shadow held me as I breathed in, taking its escaping strength into my body. It was unlike anything I could have every imagined. I could feel indescribable amounts of power coursing through me, boosting my own to heights I’d never even dreamed possible. My awareness became razor sharp, my muscles bulged, and I felt strong… incredibly strong. I let out a rumble of joy at the sensation, the sheer unadulterated power of it all! I lifted a hoof and saw, to my surprise, running down my leg a sort of pale blue spiral in my normally pure white fur. This was new! I tried rubbing at it but it wouldn’t go away. I noticed then that it wasn’t isolated to only one of my legs either, the others were the same…even my flank! Good grief, I looked like somepony had been drawing on me in weird swirling lines whilst I’d been asleep! My surprise quickly turned to a helpless chuckle at the peculiar situation, and I sighed. What difference did it make? The madness of the world was frightening enough without becoming alarmed by odd blue lines. Maybe they’d fade away over time? Shaking my mane I dismissed my concerns as Shadow looked up at me quizzically.

“Fairlight?”

I stood there looking at her in nervous anticipation. How would she see me now? Five years apart, thrust into a terrifying world created by those cruel monks, and now- In silent answer to my unspoken question, she walked up to me and licked my muzzle before taking my muzzle in her forehooves. Without a word she kissed me, slowly working her way up my head until she took one of my ear in her mouth for a nibble. An electric shock of sensation ran through me and, despite the currently incredible strength of my body, my knees went weak at the slightest touch of my thestral mate. As happy as I was though, this was not the place nor the time. We had to leave. Shadow, however, had other ideas. Returning to the steaming corpse of the dragon, she clambered up onto its huge scaly head and deftly pulled the knife from its brain. I watched in fascinated horror as Shadow next walked over to the creature’s ravaged chest and, horribly, plunged Thalio’s dagger into the exposed flesh, dragging it along in her forehooves. Gritting her teeth, she strained with the effort of her work but soon had the rib cage exposed, before digging ever deeper. In silence I watched her cut and slice at huge slabs of flesh with the skills of a trained surgeon, until she eventually re-emerged from the bloody carcase carrying in her mouth its still warm, and steaming, heart. In the dim light of the Wither World, the thing seemed to stare back at me accusingly as I stared in horror. I had a feeling I knew what was coming next.

“Love?” Shadow gave a slight purring sound as she brought the organ over to me. It was enormous.

“Oh no!” I said, holding up a warding hoof. “You’re not catching me out like that again!” I looked away, backing up.

I may as well have been shouting at the tide. The thestral advanced on me until I was up hard up against the stone wall. There was nowhere else to go. Slowly, she lifted it to my mouth and her words entered my head, warm but insistent.

“Eat…share the strength…with me.”

It was unusual enough for Shadow to say more than one or two words at a time, but with that look in her eyes, my mouth opened of its own accord and she pushed the warm meaty lump inside. Suspended between us, she bit down and I followed her lead, trying not to think of the strong iron like taste flooding my mouth. It was tough, chewy, and…. not all that bad really. I’d never eaten meat before and doubted I would again, but at least I wasn’t bringing it straight back up. But there was just so much of it! Shadow moved closer, taking another bite. All the time she gazed into my eyes, the burning red fires filling my vision until I felt I could dive right into them. I could see her, smell her, reach out and touch her. It had been so long, so terribly long. Slowly, inch by inch, we drew closer until our lips met, our teeth bumping against each others until she pushed the last piece of the dragon’s heart into my mouth with her tongue.

Shadow licked the final drops of the blood from my muzzle and then turned to look up at the sky. “Others will come,”she said simply. “The spell is broken.”

I wasn’t sure what she meant exactly, but I nodded my understanding of the general situation. “Come on love, we need to go.”

“Home?” she asked.

I nodded. “Yes. First stop is the Purple Sands to pick up some friends, and then back to the Beyond. Hopefully Star Beard will have found a way to get us back to the mortal realm. That is, if you still want to go there?”

Shadow merely bobbed her head before stretching her wings out in readiness for flight. I had my answer. I think that in truth, I always had. I let the magic pour into me once more, unfurling my wings, smiling at the fascinating mare that had captivated my heart so thoroughly. It was hard to fully comprehend the strange and mysterious paths Fate had steered me down to reach this point. Five years apart, living amongst monsters both reptilian and her own kind, and the lady Shadow, daughter of Far Sight and Maelstrom, was as determined to spend her days with me as much she ever had been. I was humbled. Truly, truly humbled. With a shared glance and a strong downward beat of our wings, we were soon aloft, keeping high just as Etrida had cautioned, arrowing straight for the thestral lands. Thank the goddess I’d brought dad’s compass; this whole area looked the same to me. In fact, I never thought I’d say it, but I almost missed the Beyond. At least the thestral land had something different to look at than rocks, rocks, and more rocks. I looked back to see Tarragon, full tummy included, landing on my back with a contented look. Nothing like a little cannibalism, eh? Dragons! I’d better not tell her mum...

Shadow flew closer, looking down at the small device I held in front of her in my magic. She looked at me with confusion on her face. In answer I simply smiled. “No thestral will be hurt there ever again love, but it’s your choice. All you need to do is-”

I never finished my sentence. Shadow reached out and pressed the detonator, determination and anger in her eyes as she did so. Whether she understood what the device was, I had no way of knowing. Either way, it was done. The blast behind us signalled the last of my MAD’s and the end of the dark monastery, or at least a good portion of it. That dire place… Gods, as if the Withers wasn’t bad enough, what with the lake monsters and bloody dragons to contend with, now there were insane murderous monks on the prowl! What the buck was- Oops! Better not tempt fate, Fairlight, I thought to myself sagely. We flew for hours in silence, exchanging no more than the odd smile. It was enough for now. Shadow had never been one for conversation, and as for myself, I needed to conserve energy for flight. After such a massive expenditure of magic my body would normally require considerable rest. A rest that would have to wait a little longer. Thankfully we didn’t encounter any more of the giant flying beasts on the way back, other than little Tarragon of course. I kept forgetting that one day she’d be big enough to eat me in one bite, just like her mother. I truly hoped dragons didn’t suffer from teenage angst or else I could find myself becoming a tasty snack before I knew it. The tiny creature chirruped happily behind me, snuggling into my back. I smiled to myself. For now at least, the diminutive ‘Terror the east’ was still cute enough for cuddle. Gradually the land below us began to open out into a large plain of rocks, the smokey fog and pervasive sulphurous clouds of the dragon realm changing to a muggy, earthy odour which made my heart leap. We were near the marsh at last! And near the marsh was…

“THORN!”

Shadow’s screech of joy resounded around us as she dove down to meet the grizzled old veteran who was stood outside his tent casually smoking a long stemmed clay pipe. He dropped it in his surprise and flew up to meet her. I began to laugh at the scene unfolding before me, partly out of relief, partly out of exhaustion, but more for the simple pleasure of seeing my mare so full of life once more. Truly, it was a sight that would have gladdened even the most cynical of hearts. The two thestrals hugged in mid air, twirling around each other in a rare display of unbridled happiness before coming in for a landing on the rough ground near the tents.

“You’re alive!” Thorn exclaimed. “Thank the goddess.” He gave me a wide eyed grin. “Fairlight! I knew you could do it, my friend, and here she is… alive and well.” The old warrior checked Shadow over briefly before calling his medical officer across to examine her.

“What exactly am I supposed to be looking for?” the medical thestral asked sarcastically, taking in the thestral mare before him.

Thorn raised an eyebrow. “Just give her an examination, Char. I don’t need one of your lectures.”

“You always need lecturing,” the medic huffed, taking a look at Shadow, “you just never listen to a word I say.” The wrinkly thestral snorted loudly, clopping her on the behind. “She’s fitter than you, you old goat.” And with that the medic stomped a hoof and stalked away muttering to himself.

Thorn watched him go, shaking his head. “Ignore him,” he said smiling, “Char and I have been on many campaigns, and he’s like family of sorts. I’ll ignore his insubordination this time, but one day...” With no more than a wave of his hoof, a group of thestral warriors rushed up to stand respectfully before the storm major, waiting for orders. “Strike camp, we leave at once.” He turned to me next. “You seem up for a flight, Captain, and the lady Shadow?” Shadow snorted and nodded her head enthusiastically. “Excellent!” Thorn exclaimed. “We will head to the Purple Sands for food and rest. Camping out is not as agreeable for my old frame as it used to be.” He shot me a look. “Not a word to Char. Understood, Captain?”

I bobbed my head. “Understood, sir.”

Shadow nudged me playfully before nuzzling Tarragon who chirruped happily behind my mane, digging her little claws though my gear and making me wince as they sank a little too deep. I was seriously going to need to have a wash when I got home, I probably reeked of dragon drool, but it was worth it to have my family complete once more. For that, I would have paid any price. For now though I joined in with the others striking camp. In due course the last of the ropes were loosened, pegs pulled out, and canvas rolled up ready for the trip home. It struck me as strange how seamlessly they all accepted me like one of their own for what was, in actuality, such a simple act, and even went so far as to thank me for the extra hooves during the work. There they were in their black armour, with me, the white stallion with blue eyes and a small dragon curled on his back, like I’d always been a part of the team. I think then, for the first time, I finally began to understand what it was that made the thestrals what they were. They were a single entity, a group of individuals, true, but individuals that made up one single, powerful, entity. They protected one another, fought for one another, and drew strength from the absolute belief in their chain of command. The watch could have learned a lot from these guys.

A few hours of flight later the welcome sight of the village hove into view once more. And what a sight for a weary pony it was! If the sheer numbers were any indication, the entirety of the Purple Sands tribe had turned out to witness our return: stallions, mares, even the odd foal, were arrayed below us with curious eyes as we came in for a landing. Actually, now that I thought about it, I hadn’t seen that many foals in my time in the Withers. It seemed that the birth rate was just as low as Star Beard had described upon my first visit to this mysterious home of his people. It may also explain to some degree the long life span of the thestrals, which was at odds with the warlike nature of their race. By and large the shorter lived a creature was, the more frenetic its breeding cycle. Conversely, the longer lived tended to have longer gestation periods to match their low rates of birth. Compared to some of the creatures of Equestria, such as the enormous Ursans, ponies must appear to be as prolific as mayflies. All things considered however, I was surprised this extraordinary race living in their perpetually dark world weren’t extinct. To see a child though was encouraging indeed. Suddenly my eyes caught sight of Short Stride, trotting down the steps of the great hall beside her husband. Even Astral was there, glancing partly at us and also, I noticed, nervously up at the sky. The cynical old soak probably half expected a dragon to come in and incinerate the whole village at any moment. Still, I wasn’t going to let him spoil the mood. Besides, tired as we all were we were far more interested in getting a bath, hot food, and a drink. Fortunately our goodly hosts were one step ahead of the game on that point, ushering our party into the hall where a small army of serving staff awaited us. I had barely managed to exchange a single word with Shadow before she was duly whisked away by her sister, leaving myself and my comrades to be divested of our clothing and equipment before being all but thrown into the communal bathing pool. I don’t think I’ve ever been so relieved to see soap in all my life. In due course we were all suitably washed, groomed, and politely, if a little firmly, informed that any possibility of an early bed was completely out of the question. The Earl and his good lady were awaiting us in the hall. From the reaction of my comrades this appeared to be fully expected. As for myself, I think a few hours sleep would have been far more beneficial. However, ‘When in Roam’, as they say…

Soon, copious quantities of drink and music were unveiled to start the evening off. This time however, I decided to avoid the balta. I noted more than one disappointed gaze at my unspoken decision on this point, though ignored them, tucking instead into the food my body cried out for. Just as I was starting to relax, Forge stood, stomping his hoof on the table for quiet. Gradually, the room fell silent and the musicians ceased playing. All eyes were on the Earl.

“Warriors of the Purple Sands. Brothers and sisters from the Beyond. My bride’s sister has been returned to us this day, plucked from the land of fire where few are brave or foolish enough to enter.” Forge cast a quick glance at Astral who lowered his head submissively. “To you, Lord Fairlight…” He raised his goblet, “I salute your bravery. You may not be a thestral, but I for one would be proud to fight by your side and call you my brother.” A round of mugs and goblets thudding on tables followed before the Earl called for quiet once more. “Will you come among us and tell us the tale of your expedition? I for one am eager to hear it!”

Another round of mug bashing and shouts of agreement followed, and I couldn’t help but smile. What the hell, I didn’t mind spinning a yarn or two. In fact I think it was about time I had some positive attention for once. As I walked to the centre of the room, my goblet floating before me in my magic, I hoped they were all sitting comfortably - this could take a while. Letting the magic roll through me I allowed my body to change, the mist flowing out around my hooves as I spread my wings dramatically. The thestrals murmured amongst themselves, watching intently whilst I turned slowly, casting my blue gaze upon them all. Smiling quietly to myself, I reared onto my hind legs and sent my voice out through the room as cold as the north wind…

“Let me tell you a story…”

The warriors hung upon my every word until the very end, at which point I bowed before them with a flourish. A wall of silence met me. Everypony stared at the newcomer in their midst, some of them even visibly paled. Had my story been met with incredulity? Scepticism maybe? Perhaps I hadn’t told it well enough or had committed some unknown cultural blunder. There was so much I didn’t know about these people. In any respect, it was a little late to do anything about that now. Releasing my grip on the magic, I was returning to my seat when Astral stood once more.

“You…You killed Sharar?” he exclaimed into the silence. “The black dragon of the Coal Spike?”

“Well, Shadow did actually,” I replied politely. “But as I said, we had help.”

“From the Broken Cliff? Stone Hammer?”

I nodded, hoping to the goddess I hadn’t put my hoof right in it. “That’s right, he fought the dragon with me when we were in the mountain.”

This last sentence was received with a loud muttering and flurry of excited gestures from the assembled thestrals. I couldn’t pick up on what was being said with everypony talking at once, so resumed filling my stomach instead. Meanwhile, Forge leaned across to speak to Short Stride. Unfortunately, I couldn’t hear what they were saying either, however their body language gave me a hint of what it was about - they knew who Stone Hammer was, and there was some significance in my involvement with him.

Forge spoke next, loudly enough for all to hear. “Lord Fairlight, are you sure this thestral was Stone Hammer?”

Wiping my mouth I nodded. “He said he was, and the others followed his orders. I’ve never met him before, so I could only take him at his word.” I thought for a moment, casting my mind back to my encounter with that warrior from the Broken Cliff tribe. “His coat was a deep maroon colour, and he had green eyes,” I explained. “Nasty scar down his hind leg, from here,” I indicated with my hoof, “to here.”

There was a great deal of chatter and nodding before Astral spoke. “My Lord Forge, this is interesting news… very interesting news indeed. I ask that we me speak of this later and allow our guests to relax and enjoy themselves. It appears they have had quite the exciting adventure."

“Agreed,” Forge nodded, sitting back down and waving to the musicians to start up once more.

The tension dissipated I took my seat once more, a little perplexed perhaps, but happy to be back amongst friends. Shadow nudged my shoulder, pushing a bowl of cherries into my hoof along with another goblet of the local speciality - the ubiquitous ‘gland squeezings’ known as balta. Well, in for a bit, I thought to myself, and downed the bitter brew to the encouraging cheers of the warriors. I hate to admit it, but I really did revel in the attention. Normally around this time the old Fairlight body would be getting a little worn down, but oddly, I felt absolutely fine. In fact, I felt amazing! I downed some more of the fruit and balta, then stopped, staring at my foreleg - my pristine white foreleg. When had I slipped back into my wendigo form? Good gods, I hadn’t even noticed. A slight chill ran down my spine; was I forgetting who I was? No… No, I felt the same as I always had, it was just that this felt more ‘natural’, more... ‘me’ somehow. I watched the light catch my diamond-like hoof. In a way it was as though I’d always been a wendigo, yet for some inexplicable cosmic reason I hadn’t realised who I really was, or my true potential, until I’d eventually merged with the spirit. I could still release it whenever I wanted of course, but right now, this felt... right. Shadow seemed to think so too, she’d been leaning against me most of the evening and occasionally sneaking titbits to Tarragon who was nesting quite happily in my pannier. If she didn’t mind, why should I?

The music began to pick up tempo, and soon I found myself tapping my hooves to the lively tune. It was quite catchy really. I think I must have had a little too much to much to drink as the next thing I knew was Shadow and I started dancing together after watching Forge and Short Stride take the floor. I wasn’t one for mane pulling and jumping about, however after a few drinks and my mate by my side, all inhibitions had simply melted away. To hell with it! Why not? I may have had four left hooves, but nopony seemed to care, in fact more warriors soon joined us, whooping and laughing with complete abandon. The terrifying warriors of the goddess of the moon, danced, sang, and leaped about with all the joy and smiles that would not have looked out of place anywhere in Equestria. And here I was, in their midst as though one of their own. It was certainly food for thought. Soon however, Shadow and I ended up collapsed in a heap near the fire, giggling like foals and nuzzling each other before Short Stride walked over, her wing draped over Forge.

“Come with us you two,” she beckoned. “Come!” The mare laughed, beckoning us to follow them whilst her husband, more than a little inebriated himself, leaned across and kissed her neck.

Shadow stood, giving me a push to get me moving. Personally I could have quite happily nodded off right there and then, and admittedly it was with a little reluctance I did as I was directed. And so together, if a little unsteadily, we followed our generous hosts out of the hall, down a passageway, to a set of heavy wooden doors.

“Your room,” Forge sniggered, leaning drunkenly against the wall. “May it serve you well, my Lord Fairlight!”

He burst out laughing, only to be swiftly guided away by a chuckling Short Stride. What a bizarre group they were! However I didn’t have much time to wonder about that due to the surprisingly energetic thestral beside me pulling me headlong into the bedchamber. With a reverberating ‘bang’, the door slammed behind us as I was propelled inside. Stumbling to a rather wobbly halt I noticed my gear had, rather thoughtfully, already been brought in and placed neatly on the back of a chair by the little fireplace. Yellow flames flickered merrily above the snapping logs, adding a wonderful ambience to the dark wood panelling of the room. The rug in front of it looked comfy and inviting too, but then, so did the bed.

As did Shadow.

She moved up to me, her chest rising and falling rapidly, her fiery eyes burning brighter than any mere flame. The realisation of just how much I’d missed this exotic creature slammed into me hard enough to take my breath away. It may have been one year at the most for me, but it had been five for her. Five long years, lost in a nightmarish world of confusion, clinging to any scrap of hope she could find. Many would have surrendered to their despair in such circumstances, allowing hopelessness to wash away any last vestiges of determination they may once have had. But not Shadow. She’d never given up on me, not even for a moment. She had done all she could to find a way to reach the world in which her mate was marooned, even at the risk of her own life. Yet even those passionate fires of selfless determination could only burn so long. Five years is still five years, and despair eventually took hold, leading her to seek comfort in the monastery. As it turned out, a monastery full of murderers. If I hadn’t come when I had…

Shadow pushed her nose into my neck and huffed deeply, distracting me from my thoughts. “Fairlight…” she purred. “Love?”

Unbidden, a horrible thought crashed through my desire with all the subtlety of a derailed locomotive. The heat of my passion was gone in a heartbeat. Shadow didn’t know about Tingles, or Lumin for that matter. Oh goddesses, I couldn’t tell her… not now. And yet, if didn’t, if I kept it a secret… I had to tell her or else all would be lost in a mire of lies and deceit. I couldn’t face that. She deserved so much more. I hung my head, ashamed to even be near her.

“Shadow…there’s something I need to…” I swallowed. “...to tell you, love” The dark mare cocked her head on one side, clearly surprised by my words. Hell fire, this was going to be bad. There was no sugar coating I could put on this choice revelation that could take away its sting. I took a deep breath and ploughed ahead. “When I returned to the mortal realm, I… I met a pony who helped me, who saved my life. We… we became close.” Oh Luna, this was it. “We’ve had a foal together. Meadow knows of course, and she’s happy for us, but… Shadow… I don’t know what to say…”

Slowly she turned away from me and walked over to the fire, sinking to her haunches. “Five years,” she said quietly, gazing into the flames. I stood there, struck dumb like the fool I was as my emotions churned in a turmoil of thoughts and words that failed me at every turn. My heart ached fit to burst. I could only nod dumbly as she asked, “Fairlight? You do not want me?”

I looked up suddenly, “Yes!” I exclaimed. “Of course I want you! Shadow, I love you, I’ve never stopped loving you. It’s just I… I love her too. I don’t know how all of this happened, it just seemed to-”

“The orange one?” she interrupted quietly.

My mouth opened and closed like a beach carp. “Yes, she’s the…” I gabbled, trying to comprehend what she had just said. “Hang on, how did you know? I didn’t say what colour she is.”

Shadow shook her mane. “We dream together. Meadow, Tingles… All of us. Together.”

I stood there helplessly, my mouth hanging agape. A conversation I’d had what felt like a lifetime ago burst in my mind as brightly as an exploding firework. “Tingles said she’d seen you in her dreams,” I said quietly. “She described you so clearly, and yet I couldn’t understand how it could be so.” I hung my head, my shame there for the universe to see. “I didn’t believe her...”

Shadow’s words revealed the truth in all its unadulterated glory. “The dream world,” she said steadily. “The Wither World. Close.” She continued to stare into the fire. “You do not want me?”

“I want you,” I said gently. “Meadow wants you, Tingles wants you. We want you with us, Shadow. You complete me, complete us all.”

Shadow rose to her hooves, her tail swishing as she approached me with tiny burning tears forming in the corner of her eyes. I felt like I was dying inside. “Oh no, Shadow, please… please don’t cry,” I pleaded. “The goddess knows I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m so sorry. Look, I’ll go and sleep in the hall with the others, okay? I’m sure you don’t need me hanging around here to-”

A foreleg shot out, blocking my movement toward the door. Slowly, I followed the line of the slender leg upwards, along her shoulder, past that smooth elegant neck, and finally to the sharp teeth and burning red eyes I had fallen in love with so long ago. Silent seconds flowed by as Shadow glowered at me, and then, in a blur of legs and surprising strength, she took my hooves out from under me, throwing me bodily to the floor on the rug. The thestral stood over me, her eyes blazing and teeth bared. For a moment I thought she was going to rip my throat out. Gods know I couldn’t have blamed her if she had. And so I closed my eyes, expecting the worst. Seconds passed. Minutes. I could sense Shadow drawing closer, feel her breath caress my muzzle. The warm cinnamon smell of the elegant mare tickled my nostrils and I shuddered involuntarily at its gossamer caress. Clenching my eyes tight shut I waited for the teeth to close on me, yet incredibly, instead of the expected retribution, a long tongue snaked across my muzzle sending a shock of sensation into my alcohol addled mind.

The mare’s rumbling voice blasted into my head like a sledgehammer. “MINE!” Then, as barely more than a whisper sneaking seductively into the back of my conscience, “Mine...”

Bringing her muzzle up to my own, Shadow gently held my head in her fore hooves and slowly, seductively, placed her lips against mine. Her tongue pushed and probed until I opened my mouth to her insistent advance, returning the kiss in kind. Tasting and rolling our tongues around the other’s, I breathed in her scent, remembering all I knew about this incredible mare. I’d missed her terribly, dreamed of being with her so often, and at long last, after all this time, she was with me once more. Shadow let out a soft wordless rumble, pulling on me more and more until, with a loud gasp, she released me. As I opened my eyes I could see her the red glow of hers in the mist I’d inadvertently released, surrounding us in a fog of shining white-blue cloud. The warmth from the fire was still there but Shadow didn’t seem to notice. Her eyes were locked onto mine, focussing only on what was before her. I’d never seen a look in her eyes like this before, even in the prison cell. This… This was primal, animalistic drive. I could almost hear her heart hammering in her chest, echoing my own. In wonderment I watched the midnight coated mare, her chest heaving and nostrils flaring as she ground herself against me before settling back and angling herself just so. With a loud gasp and a resounding sigh, Shadow pushed herself down onto me only to collapse onto my chest, shuddering slightly. A moment later she pushed herself back up and looked down into my eyes, growling menacingly. I was a little taken aback by this aggressive side to her, but she knew what she wanted, and as her mate I was there for her whatever her desires.

In the white fog, Shadow’s eyes lent a deep red corona to my vision and I reached out to pull her down into a deep kiss, sharing my silvery life essence with her. The mare’s tongue took up the concentrated magic hungrily until, with a high pitched cry, she pulled away snapping her wings out. Suddenly Shadow lunged at me and I gasped as her sharp teeth sank into my shoulder, the pain both sharp and sweet. I groaned in ecstasy; I’d never felt anything like this before in my life, and I wanted more. I leaned forward and gently bit her shoulder opposite where she held mine. The mare moaned wordlessly and ground herself into me ever faster. Little whimpers began escaping from her jaws and she began to shake uncontrollably until, with a final ear splitting cry, her whole body shuddered and she collapsed on top of me, panting. Before my eyes, Shadow looked down at me with bright silver glowing eyes that made my heart leap in my chest. As I watched the ethereal colour gradually faded away, replaced with the bright fiery red I was so familiar with. I’d seen this before, in the prison cell… Then as now it was a little unnerving, but also incredibly erotic. Shadow pulled herself from me and moved to the bed, eyeing me meaningfully. Dutifully, and in respectful silence, I picked myself up and went to her.

The thestral mare held her forehooves up to me, uttering only one word. “More.”

Naturally, I had to oblige.

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

Shadow and I lay in the welcoming warmth of the bath house come steam room. The water was not at the point of being ‘uncomfortably’ hot as such, but most certainly bordered on it. I could tolerate a fair amount of heat of course, take the hot springs at Smiling Borders for example, but this was on a different level altogether. Not that it bothered the thestrals of course, all of whom were happily lounging around as though it were no hotter than a warm hoof-spa in here. Sweat poured off my slowly cooking body as I lay there beside my mare, remained resolutely determined to stay until I could endure no more. Right now I needed the muscle soothing heat, and I have to say the feeling of submerging your whole body in its rejuvenating waters was something truly wonderful. In small doses. We had both washed and scrubbed ourselves thoroughly before easing ourselves into the steaming bath, as was the custom in the thestral world. I lay back, staring up at the ceiling and wondering to myself how familiar some aspects of this odd land were, and at the same time so completely alien to me. No wonder Star Swirl had stayed amongst as long as he had. Stretching out my legs I let out a sigh that made no secret of how tense I’d been up until recently. Not that last night hadn’t been a great stress reliever too of course, however battling religious zealots and dragons did tend to take it out of you. I chuckled to myself as Shadow moaned softly beside me, snuggling into me while I nuzzled her neck.

“Fairlight?” she murmured quietly.

“Mmm?”

A burning red eye gazed up at me. “Tingles…Tell me?”

So I did. I told her all about how we met, our ‘adventures’, for want of a better word, and even the terrible events that had transpired at the fortress. I held back nothing, telling her everything so that she could fully understand what had transpired. Besides, when had hiding the truth ever done me any favours? Concealing facts I considered to be ‘unsavoury’ from my loved ones had a horrible tendency to come back and bite me on the arse, and not in a good way either. I determined never to be so foolish again. Tingles lay in silence, occasionally turning to stretch a leg or wing as she listened to me. What she thought, or even if she could fully comprehend everything I was saying, remained, as always, a mystery. When my tale drew to a close she looked into my eyes with an expression I couldn’t begin to describe.

“The fortress,” she said softly. “You will take me there?”

“I…” I nearly choked in surprise. What the hell did she want to go there for? I cleared my throat and tried again. “If you want to, love. But why? There’s nothing there but rocks, snow and ice.”

“Please?” she pleaded, quietly nuzzling me.

I shrugged. Hopefully she’d give up on the idea with everything else that was going on right now. Personally I never wanted to see that damned place of horrors ever again. “If you want to, love,” I assured her. “Just don’t expect too much when we get there, okay? In any case, we need to concentrate on getting you home first so we can see everypony again. They miss you.” I gave her a peck on the cheek. “I’ve missed you.”

Tingles reached up and nibbled my ear before breathing into it, “Missed you.”

Goddesses, she was working her bloody thestral magic on me again! I pushed myself away to face her. “I love you, Shadow,” I said earnestly.

She reached out to pull me into a steam drenched kiss. “Love…”

At some point we must have made it back to the bedchamber, although I can’t remember exactly how. I think I was more unconscious than asleep that night, gradually drifting slowly back to a fuzzy wakefulness on the large comfortable bed. Somepony had placed covers over me whilst I slept and was singing softly at the far end of the room; a strange song in the thestral language which to anypony who didn’t understand them, would sound like so much screeching and clicking. To me, having lived amongst these fascinating creatures even for such a short amount of time, it reminded me of home, a mother’s love for her foal, and finding a dream. Sentimental stuff for sure, but I couldn’t think of a better way to wake up in the morning. It sure beat the radio, that was for sure. I let out a contented yawn and pulled back the covers. Despite a night’s sleep, I still felt physically worn out, yet at the same time deliciously content. With a good shake and a rub of my eyes, I climbed out of that warm nest to see Shadow brushing her mane in the mirror. She saw me watching her and smiled back at me in the reflection, her fiery eyes as warm as my heart. Noticing the grooming kit on top of the dresser, I magicked over the hair brush and began to run it gently through her mane. I have to say that there was something extremely intimate in mutual grooming, and the midnight coloured mare purred happily to herself as I worked. We didn’t need to speak. Sometimes, as the old saying goes, actions truly could speak the loudest. After a little while we swapped places, Shadow treating me to a good stiff brushing with the curry comb. I couldn’t help but hum in pleasure at the tingling sensations that the feeling of the brush running through my fur sent through me. My tail, mane and coat felt absolutely amazing by the time she’d finished, although I admit I was still a little tender in places despite the healing magic of the wendigo. To conserve energy I’d released the spirit energy before going to bed, remaining in my pony form. Besides, I just couldn’t get away with sleeping with wings. I mean seriously, how did she do that?! It never seemed to bother Tingles either for that matter, now that I thought about it. Granted, her pegasus wings were feathered and a little smaller than my own, however she always managed to sleep soundly. Whenever I tried to do so the bloody things were always in the way no matter how I lay. Despite my best efforts to get used to them, I’d had wing cramps one morning after sleeping in my wendigo form and I didn’t ever want to experience that ever again!

Groomed and ready to face the day, the two of us trotted out into the main hall and straight into a wretched scene of groaning, farting, and generally hung over warriors. Some still slept whilst others tried gingerly to stand and head home, bleary eyed and looking like they’d lost a championship boxing match. Tingles and I went completely unnoticed amongst this sad expanse of party goers, with the only other signs of life the ever indomitable white robed staff who glided effortlessly between the stricken warriors, attempting to clean and tidy the mess from the previous night’s revelry. Even the musicians had been indulging. One of them was fast asleep across their Lute, drool dripping from his open mouth whilst a bubble of snot in the corner of the musician’s nose expanded and contracted in time with his breathing. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. One of the earl’s ever vigilant maids trotted over with a couple of bowls of porridge and berries balanced on her back, including some of the crystaline ones for me. Somepony had done their homework! In short order, Shadow and I were ushered to one of the few tables that had been cleared of equine detritus and made surprisingly comfortable. Thanking the thoughtful maid I wasted no time at all tucking straight into the steaming porridge. Despite my hearty meal last night I felt half starved this morning, and I confess, it was damned good too. In what seemed like mere seconds I’d wolfed the whole lot down, berries and all, before sitting back contentedly. Good gods, I felt great! The best I had in ages in fact, and now my stomach was comfortably full I was suitably reenergised to face the day.

Shadow was the first to get up. She trotted towards the main door, calling back to me, “Run?”

So much for a lazy day then! Nodding to her, I followed her out into the open air. It was something I’d never get used to in this world - no sun. You couldn’t even have a decent roll as most of the ground here was sand, and I wasn’t sure what that weird white ‘grass’ stuff was back in the Beyond either. I was still oddly tempted to try and sample the stuff, although admittedly I don’t know why really. It was just… different. I shrugged the thought away, stretching out my legs as Shadow trotted off through the village. I followed her, keeping pace.

“Shadow?” I asked. She turned to me smiling, and raised an eyebrow. “When I was in Etrida’s cave,” I continued, “she showed me the most beautiful paintings I’ve ever seen. She said you’d done them for her.” Shadow nodded. “Is there a place like that here in the Wither World?” I asked.

She shook her head. “No,” she replied. “Dreams.”

“They’re in your dreams?” I asked.

She smiled. “Dreams with Meadow. Dreams with Tingles. Flying, running.” Shadow gave me a knowing look. “Foals.”

“Foals?” What did she… Uh, oh...

Shadow blushed. I think I did too. Damn it all, I was beginning to get the picture. Of the three mares she was the only one who didn’t have a foal. Without warning an image of Mitre popped into my mind, his sarcasm heavy as he spoke, “The harem continues to expand.” I shook my mane, dispelling the image and increasing my speed into a canter as a shiver ran down my spine.

The land here had what you may think of as ‘dread’ appeal all of its own. Inky black water lapped against the shore making a pleasant ‘shushing’ sound as the breeze took up my mane and tousled it playfully. Tarragon had flown off on her morning breakfast hunting rounds earlier, but now she was back, swooping in to skim over the waves happily chirruping and squawking to us. On my first venture into the Wither World I’d noticed the complete absence of wind, at least until I entered the Beyond. Even then it was barely a whisper, but here in the Purple Sands it was very noticeable indeed. What made the Withers so unique to my mind was not so much the inhabitants, but more the way their ‘areas’ were defined so specifically, each one a little ecosphere all of its own. It was almost like each area had been specifically tailored to the peoples living there. Very strange indeed. I imagine that the denizens of these places didn’t even consider such oddities as out of the ordinary as they’d been living here so long it was accepted as normal. Doubtless they’d see my homeland as being just as alien as theirs was to me. And that was something else that worried me. The longer I was here the longer I was gone in the Equestrian realm, and only the goddesses knew what that was going to be like when I got back. Time was very skewed between the two worlds, and it would also appear to be completely random too. What would I find when I got back? Lumin as a colt, wondering who I was? I gave my mane a shake. It didn’t bear thinking about. We’d have to find Star Beard as soon as possible. We soon paused to catch our breath by a small wood, and by ‘wood’ I mean a collection of the lethally spiked ‘things’ that passed for trees in this land, when a plaintive cry drifted to us over the sound of the surf. Shadow lifted her head, listening intently. I moved up beside her, following the direction the sound was coming from, trickling a little magic into my senses until...

“There! Come on!”

My hooves dug into the sand, propelling me rapidly towards the source of the cries. Shadow followed closely whilst Tarragon flew on ahead, squawking her encouragement. My heart thundered, my ears flattening as I ran. The sound was louder now, intensifying in its urgency, and dripping in unbridled fear. The little dragon began circling up ahead and shrieked at something below one of the dark purple dunes that gave area its name. Cresting it in a flurry of hooves and sand, we came upon the source of the distress. It was a young thestral mare with a large pack of wood strapped to her back. She was heading right for us, head down, bawling and shouting as she came. In a lather the panicked mare rushed up to us and all but threw herself at Shadow, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Ghosts!” the young mare howled. “Spirits of the dead!” She gasped, choking for breath and was trembling all over.

Shadow looked back at me in alarm. Damn it all, what madness was this now? Ghosts?! What else was this madhouse going to throw at me? The poor girl’s chest was heaving and her breathing laboured from her headlong flight. As Shadow comforted her I took the opportunity to reach over unbuckle the heavy wood carrier from the terrified creature’s back.

“Show us where you saw them,” I said trying to sound reassuring, “and then get yourself home. I’ll take your wood back for you.”

She nodded her thanks and turned to point back the way she came. “There! The clearing beyond the dunes.”

Shadow gave the mare a hug and sent her on her way, the young thestral taking wing now that she was unencumbered from the confines of the wood carrier. I gave Shadow a nod and we both took off at a gallop following the hoofprints in the sand. It wasn’t far. The mare had been cutting wood for the fire and her axe was still lying where she’d dropped it together with several piles of cut logs. Just beyond where she’d been working I could make out the occasional white sparkle of light, its silvery motes glittering through the gaps in the trees. It looked oddly familiar too, in fact, very familiar. With a quick shake of my mane I decided to explore this peculiar phenomenon and confirm my suspicions. We pushed into the prickly undergrowth, dodging past the lethally spiked branches and finally emerged into a small clearing. The brightness immediately hit me like a sledgehammer, shining so intensely it hurt my eyes making me flinch. I’d been in the Purple Sands too long; I was getting so used to dark and drab as being the predominant colour scheme that anything bright was like having a searchlight shone directly into your eyes. It was no wonder Shadow took so much pleasure in creating her landscape paintings, it was the safest way to see colour here that didn’t incinerate your retinas. Thankfully though my vision began to clear quickly. The last thing I wanted was to come under attack when I was all but blind. To make matters that little bit more interesting however, my horn began to itch with the telltale build up of magic in the air. Somepony was here, or at least had been here, although the place looked empty now. Shadow snorted beside me, nudging me with her muzzle. Turning to where she was looking I tried to focus on the hazy figure of a familiar pony approaching us. Honestly, I don’t know if I was relieved or furious right then. The newcomer was carrying a staff in the glow of his magic, but something was wrong, the image was wavering in and out like a poorly tuned radio signal. Despite that I could still recognise the outline of the swine I wanted to throttle. It was Star Swirl, the most self important blow hard magician Equestria ever spawned. That rat owed me for not warning me about the chamber in the fortress. He halted a few feet away, his voice distant with an echoing quality.

“Fairlight? Is that you?”

“I’m here, Star Swirl,” I said tossing my mane. “What do you want, is something going on?” I looked about us, but we were the only three there. “Where’s Meadow?”

“There’s no time to explain,” the old wizard replied firmly. “But have no fear, both she and Sparrow are safe.” He clucked his tongue, fidgeting with something in the pocket of his robe. “It’s all I can do to speak to you like this.” His image shook and reformed itself. “Blast it all!” He reasserted his focus on us. “Listen, you need to get to the Rift, it’s your only way home. My research has shown you need three things: firstly, dragon magic. Second, you’ll need magic from the realm of the eternal herd. Finally, you need a light to shine the way - the beacon you have around your neck should suffice in that regard. As for the other two, it’s up to you my boy. I wish I could do more, but the barrier is just too strong.”

I shook my head, ,aybe I hadn’t heard him properly. “Barrier? What barrier?”

The image flickered. “Celestia has placed a barrier between the worlds. She sensed you enter the Wither World.”

My blood froze. That old witch! “She’s trapped us here?”

He nodded, affirming my fears. “I’m sorry, Fairlight. The barrier is preventing Meadow and I from forming here properly, even where the veil is usually thin. It’s taken all my magic to do this much, and I’m on borrowed time as it is.”

A thought suddenly struck me. “Wait! Tarragon here is a dragon, and we have the dagger Thalio gave me from the eternal herd!”

The wizard’s eye went wide. “My goddess, Fairlight, that’s it! But, you have a dragon with you?” He stared at the tiny creature milling around by hooves, “How did you-?” He gave himself a shake. “Regardless, its magic won’t be strong enough I fear. Still...” Star Swirl scratched his wispy beard with a hoof. “It may be worth a try though.”

“What do I need to do?” I asked urgently.

“Speak to my old apprentice,” Star Swirl replied. “Tell him to follow the directions for combinations in ‘Magical Transmutational Dynamics and Quantifiable Dimensional Quadratics’.”

“What?!” I blurted.

The old wizard thumped his staff on the ground. “Just tell him to read the bloody book!”

I opened my mouth to reply but the image was already gone, leaving me standing there like a lost soul. A lost soul... but with hope. “Shadow,” I breathed, “we can go home. To my home…”

The thestral mare nuzzled me and then pulled me into a hug, her wings flapping excitedly.

“Home!”

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

I stopped to collect a nice quantity of the berries for later, loading them into the basket the wood collector had left behind. I wasn’t so sure I’d need them just yet, after all my magic still felt unusually strong, but I certainly wasn’t complaining about that. “Don’t look a gift pony in the mouth”, mum would always say. I wouldn’t either. As I’d promised I collected the young mare’s wood before we headed back to the village. It was hard to concentrate though, my head was now a raging torrent of thoughts and emotions all centered around what Star Swirl had told me. We could go home! Plans began to form in my mind and my excitement spurred me into a gallop which even Shadow had trouble keeping up with. In no time at all we were back at the tribe’s hall. Forge was outside, stretching and yawning before lazily scratching at his tangled mane. Smoke wafted up from his pipe as he looked up in surprise to see us charging into the village, and especially at the large collection of wood strapped to my back.

The Earl nodded towards it and grinned mischievously. “You know, we have staff who collect the wood, Lord Fairlight. You needn’t have troubled yourself. Or is this some sort of wendigo work-out routine I’m not privy to?”

I laughed. “Just doing my bit, Forge.” I glanced at Shadow who smiled back at me, her eyes sparkling. “We have news!”

“It’s not those blasted ‘ghosts in the woods’ I’ve been hearing about all morning is it?” Forge groaned rubbing his eyes. “Whatever next?”

With a quick tweak from my magic I took off the wood carrier and had a good shake. “They weren’t ghosts, my friend, but messengers.” I closed my eyes, savouring the words, “We have a way to send us home, at last.”

“Then this is truly wonderful news!” he exclaimed loudly. The warrior clopped me on the shoulder and turned to Shadow. “Come my friends, let us ready you for your trip home without delay.” Forge trotted back up the steps into the hall, his morning fatigue vanishing like the smoke from his pipe. “Squires! Servants! Rouse your lazy heads you scoundrels, there is work to do!” With a spring in our step, Shadow and I followed him inside.

The rest of the morning was spent replenishing supplies and preparing for our return to the Beyond. Shadow was off chatting with her sister and Forge, no doubt regaling them with the details of our ‘ghostly encounter’ near the shore, leaving me to get on with the packing. I’d elected to collect my things from the bedchamber and had joined the others in the great hall rather than spending time apart from the rest of the tribe. Sitting there strapping my equipment in place I was pleasantly surprised to note that despite the excesses of the previous evening, Thorn and his warriors were as bright and alert as ever. Although admittedly they seemed a little uncomfortable accepting help from the Earl’s legion of staff, eventually even these grizzled veterans relented under their insistent onslaught. It wasn’t all business either, I’d noticed more than a few exchanged glances that were most certainly far from platonic. I smiled to myself, strapping one of the panniers to my flight suit. Relations between the Purple Sands and the Beyond looked to be about as stable as they ever could be, and you never know, with any luck it may actually prove to be a step in the right direction with regards to calming their warlike spirit. Goddess willing there may even be more foals before long too.

The overall cacophony in the hall produced by so many thestrals was actually refreshing to hear, reminding me that the world around us was far from the desolate expanse of dry nothingness I had once assumed it to be. In actual fact the Wither World was literally teeming with life. Strange life, to be sure, but life nonetheless. Here in this hive of activity armour clattered noisily, voices shouted to one another, and there was even the occasional roar of laughter. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, taking it all in. It would be a shame to leave all of this behind. I felt unexpectedly comfortable around these peculiar creatures, perhaps even more so than my own people. They had come to accept me amongst their number, fought by my side, and I had joined them in ale, dance and song - even if I didn’t know the words! But it was Shadow who it would affect the most. This was her world, her people. Her sisters were here, as well as her mother and father. I know she had made her decision, but to leave all of this behind? Dear Luna, I hope she knew what she was doing. Dreams of Equestria were all well and good, but it would be like drawing a conclusion about an entire country and culture purely from watching a movie. I mean, look at Smiling Borders for instance. The brochures painted it out to be the most luxurious and well attended holiday destination a pony could wish for. Reality however, as I’d discovered on at least one occasion, barely ever bore any resemblance to expectation.

We assembled outside the hall along with most of the tribe’s ever inquisitive villagers who had crowded round to watch the proceedings. Forge, Short Stride, Astral and a whole bevy of dignitaries had similarly gathered at the top of the steps to wish us all a final farewell. What thoughts, if any, that our hosts had about Shadow’s departure to Equestria was neither mentioned nor alluded to. In typical thestral style it had simply been accepted as ‘The will of the goddess’ as they often intoned when confronted with a situation or scenario they could do little to influence. I was relieved by that of course, the last thing I wanted was to be met with a barrage of angry opposition, although at the same time it would have put my mind at ease somewhat if somepony here had at least offered a differing opinion. Discussion was always to be welcomed. I liked to be challenged in my beliefs, made to think and reconsider my standpoint before a decision was reached. Blind acceptance of matters as being willed by some amorphous deity added little to even the mere possibility of any constructive discourse. Still, I’m sure if Shadow had any concerns she would have shared them with me. For now though, having successfully extracted herself from her sister’s embrace, she simply smiled that gentle smile of hers and shook out her wings. Suddenly a vigorous movement caught my eye from amongst the throng. It was the wood collecting mare whom we’d ‘rescued’ from certain peril on the shoreline earlier that morning, waving to us. By the looks of things we’d made a new friend here. If nothing else, at least she’d avoided having to lug all that wood home herself. Still, I’m not sure whether Star Swirl qualified as ‘peril’ particularly, however I wouldn’t put anything past that old sod, corporeal spirit or not. In any case the mare was waving at Shadow and I happily, no doubt relieved to find her ‘ghosts’ weren’t actually hungry spirits from the afterlife after all. I smiled back at her just as Forge reached us, shaking my hoof vigorously. Even Thorn received this warm gesture from the earl which I was pleased to see. Old enemies, now friends, was a little ray of sunshine in this land of eternal darkness - metaphorically speaking of course. Shadow didn’t escape either, receiving yet another hug and a kiss from her sister, making for a heart warming scene for all to see. As for Tarragon, she’d already had her morning fuss from Short Stride, and was safely snuggled inside my pannier and probably munching her way through the berries. Fortunately I’d had the foresight to mash the rest and refill my empty flasks before the little monster scoffed the lot. It wasn’t life energy, but it would be better than nothing.

And then it was time to leave. Horns blew and drums rolled out our departure. It was all a lot more than I’d expected to be honest; I felt quite the celebrity! In fact my metamorphosis from a dull grey coated pony into my wendigo self elicited such a wave of ‘Oohs’ and ‘Aahs’ from the onlookers that it had my cheeks burning in embarrassment. So it was with some relief that, with a cry from Storm Major Thorn, we leapt into the air, sand billowing up around us as we soared high into the sky. In mere moments the village that had made us feel so welcome was quickly dwindling behind us. I kept in formation with the others, feeling as though a heavy weight had been lifted from my heart. I don’t think I was the only one either. It could have been my imagination of course, but the atmosphere of our group felt lighter and more ‘alive’ than at had at the outset of our quest. Thorn’s warriors seemed re-invigorated, possibly by the knowledge that they were returning from a successfully completed mission. Better yet there had been no casualties. Only yours truly had been mangled, stabbed, fried… the usual. I sighed. With my luck going out for dinner was probably going to result in a life threatening situation. That said, I still considered myself to be one damned lucky pony. I had my own herd, a heritage that had I could be proud of, and friends.

What more could a stallion ask for?

Chapter Fifteen - A storm of magic

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

A STORM OF MAGIC

Star Beard ran his hoof along his bookshelf peering closely at the old tomes. “What was the name of that book again?”

“Trans… transmu… something…” I mumbled, trying to remember the ridiculously long name his mentor had thrown at me before vanishing into the aether.

Star Beard clucked his tongue irritably. “That’s not helping Captain!”

“I’m sorry!” I exclaimed, throwing up my forelegs in frustration. “I know bugger all about magic, Colonel, and he didn’t exactly write it down you know.”

Star Beard face hoofed. “Fine… I’ll keep-”

“Magical Transmutational Dynamics and Quantifiable Dimensional Quadratics.”

We both turned as one to stare open mouthed at Shadow who was taking down a dusty leather tome inscribed with golden letters in ancient equestrian. Sure enough, it was the very book Star Swirl had told me about. I think Star Beard was just as surprised as I was. Dear goddesses, that mare never ceased to amaze me. Not only that, and admittedly it may have been my imagination of course, but she seemed a lot more… ‘eloquent’ than when I’d first met her.

If Star Beard had noticed he never let on, quickly opening the cover and leafing through the age yellowed pages of the book. “Here…yes, this is it,” he muttered. “Right then… Hmmm.” His voice trailed off.

“Anything?” I asked hopefully, moving closer to peer at the book.

The old thestral tutted, pushing me away. “No! Go and sit over there and play with your dragon or something, I’m going to need time to read this. In peace!”

I raised my eyebrows. Awkward old bugger! ‘Go and play with your dragon’. Bah! Probably a metaphor for something he did with that massive maid of his. Shadow looked up at me with a mischievous smile on her face as I plopped myself down on the chair beside her.

“Won’t be long love,” I said, casting a glance at the Colonel. “We’ll be going together this time. As the goddess is my witness, we will be.”

Shadow nickered in response, nudging me playfully. Hopefully this time it wouldn’t involve him poisoning anypony either. Even accepting a cup of tea from him now had my mane bristling. Come to think of it, there’d been that case in Los Pegasus hadn’t there? Yeah… Yeah, that was right. It had centered around some mare whose husband had been playing the field and blown all the family finances on his new found liking for younger models. His good lady, taking exception to her hubby’s behaviour, had concocted a poison so virulent, yet so tasteless, she’d bumped him off and his death had looked for all the world like a heart attack. If it hadn’t been for the small matter of the half million bit life insurance policy taken out a week earlier the local watch may not have looked at it twice. The worst part of it though was that she’d bragged about it to friends, and some of the local ladies whose moral compasses were a touch ‘skewed’, began asking her for the recipe. Before we knew it there’d been a small epidemic of dead stallions dying of ‘natural causes’ popping up all over the place, even in Manehattan. I stared into my tea and pushed it away. Suddenly I didn’t feel so thirsty.

Time passed. Star Beard read and re-read the book, scratching his head far too much for my liking. Occasionally he’d cross reference another book, tutting to himself and making notes, sometimes stopping to stretch and refill his mug with water now that the tea had long since disappeared. I loaded the colonel’s pipe and passed it to him which he accepted gratefully. Of course I had one myself, much to Shadow’s annoyance, receiving a hard stare of disapproval from those red eyes of hers. Gods! Even in this world… I groaned inwardly; apparently another bad habit I enjoyed would have to stop. I don’t know how many times I took out my watch and fiddled with it whilst I waited in that old room of his. Hours dragged by one after the other until finally, with a sleeping thestral’s head on my shoulder and a dragon snoozing on my back, I looked up to see Star Beard’s bleary eyes staring into mine. I started in surprise, rousing my two companions in the process.

“I know what to do,” he announced wearily, “but it’s not good news.” I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, waiting for him to continue. “You need the old magic,” Star Beard explained. “It is the magic of creation, a magic known only to the gods and, to some degree, dragons. The beacon and the dagger we have, but that magic…”

I motioned toward Tarragon. “But we have a dragon. She may be small but she’s still a dragon.”

The old fellow nodded sadly. “She is, Fairlight my boy, she is.” He yawned expansively. “But she’s simply too young. The sort of magic needed to complete the process would need to come from a dragon who was more mature, and strong, both physically and magically.” He stretched out, yawning. “I just don’t know…”

Something was pulling at my saddle pack. Tarragon after treats again? No… To my surprise it was Shadow this time. With a few firm tugs she had the flap open and produced from within a large crystal orb. My goddess, of course… Etrida.

Star Beard stared at the orb in fascination. “What is that?” he asked in wonderment.

Shadow tapped it knowingly with a grin, uttering only one word. A name. “Etrida.”

The old thestral stopped in his tracks and slowly turned to stare at her. “Etrida?” He swallowed, visibly paling. “By the moon, girl! Do you know who that is?”

Shadow nodded, “My friend.”

Star Beard scrubbed his chin, flopping back into his chair. “I think you need to explain my dear.” He shot me a look. “I think I need a drink too.”

I quickly poured the colonel a good measure of balta before sitting back in wonderment, listening to Star Beard and Shadow talk. This was like a whole new thestral! She was still a little shy in some ways, but I could understand her perfectly clearly and Star Beard spoke with her with no trouble whatsoever. Shadow was literally chock full of surprises lately, and this was one more to add to that ever expanding list.

The old fellow stared at us, shaking his head as Shadow’s explanation of her time with Etrida drew to a close. “I still can’t believe it,” he breathed. “Our old allies, our oldest enemies, and now you befriend their elder? By painting her cave? Astounding…” Tarragon nudged the crystal with her nose, sniffing it intently whilst Star Beard watched her absently. “Captain, if you can enlist the aid of Etrida, we can do this. The question is, will she come here to help you?”

I tapped the crystal, looking the old warrior in the eye. “There’s only one way to find out. Let’s ask…”

Star Beard’s mouth opened wide in what I was certain was going to be one his animated, and undoubtedly vocal, protests at my outrageous suggestion. For a moment he froze, his timeless eyes locking with mine. I could all but hear the cacophony of calculations, plans and considerations whirring away behind those mysterious burning orbs of his. What sights they must have seen. To see war, to fight beside the goddess of the moon on a foreign world, to be there upon the field surrounded by thous of your brothers and sisters as the battle raged around you. And to see all your hopes and dreams burn in the fires of the white witch. I stood there in silence, watching him. To my surprise the old colonel merely let out a strangled choking sound and closed with mouth with an audible ‘snap’. Then, his decision made, in a huff of smoke and a flurry of his billowing cloak he flopped back in his chair, waving a hoof for me to continue. Dutifully I held the crystal in my hooves and stared into it clearing my mind. I brought forth a memory of the emerald dragon with the blue eyes, picturing her modest yet tasteful home, her resonating voice, even her scent.

“Etrida”, I whispered.

Nothing… I tried again, remembering the way she seemed to reach into my very soul with no more than a gaze. She was the mother of my friend and companion, Tarragon. She was an ancient dragon who had cared for one of the mares I loved so dearly. Etrida could so easily have thrown Shadow out when she appeared at her home, abandoning her to the many ravenous beasts that lived in the volcanic mountains. Or worse.

“Etrida.”

I stood there like an idiot, staring into that damnable crystal. Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one.

“Anything?” Star Beard asked, frowning at the steadfastly silent object. “Maybe you’re not doing it right.”

I scrubbed my mane, frustration taking a grip of my mind. Had I missed something? “I’m-”

“Look!” Shadow interrupted Suddenly.

As one we stared at the crystal again. She was right – something was happening. Before our incredulous eyes the curious object was beginning to glow with a soft, pale inner light. Gradually it began to build, and then a voice, feminine and strong, flowed out into the quiet of Star Beard’s study.

“Ah, Lord Fairlight. You kept me in your heart after all I see.” I blushed deep red and the dragon chuckled, “You wish to ask me something?”

Fighting my embarrassment I glanced at Shadow who held her laughter behind a hoof. She of all thestrals knew all too well what Etrida was like. “Etrida,” I began, “I have found Shadow, she is safe and well.”

“Good,” came the reply. “This news is pleasing to me, Lord Fairlight. Although, I suspect there is more, yes?”

I nodded. “There is. I’m afraid that to return home...” I swallowed. “We will need dragon magic.”

“Dragon magic?” Etrida’s voice sounded puzzled. “How can this be? I have tried many times, and even I cannot penetrate the veil. It is even stronger now than it ever was thanks to the interference of that cursed alicorn. No… No, there is more to it than that. This is far beyond the machinations of some foolish pony trickery. Some thing, some unseen will, is keeping me here, denying me my freedom.” Abruptly her voice rose in anger, “I wish to return to my children, wendigo. If there is a way then I would have you tell me. Now!”

Star Beard nodded to me before facing the orb. “My lady Etrida, my name is Star Beard of the tribe of the Beyond. May I speak with you?”

“Star Beard...” There was a pause. “I remember you…” I could almost see the dragon’s great blue eyes staring through the crystal orb as she appraised the one addressing her. “This is the name you choose to travel the world with now is it, old one?” Etrida’s voice took on a note of what I could only describe as being one of resignation. “A cloak to hide the shame of a past than none of us care to recall, even in the blackest of nights...” I heard huff of breath. “Very well. You have more honour than most, thestral. Speak.”

Shadow and I sat back as the two began talking at length about the processes needed to break through the barrier in the Rift, or ‘The Shallows’ as Etrida called it. Most of the subsequent conversation was way over my poor addled head, and the old Fairlight brain cells were taking a real pounding simply trying to keep up with them. I may not have had much in the way of formal training in the intricacies of magic of course, nor what you might consider to be ‘natural aptitude’ if I’m being brutally honest, but I still managed to comprehend enough of what was being said to be able to piece together a picture in my mind that was sufficiently vivid to give anypony nightmares. And what a nightmare it was. My blood ran cold as the unfolding bitterness of reality washed over me, mercilessly crushing my naive optimism. It transpired that the portal Star Swirl had used centuries ago when he had visited the thestral realm was the very same one I myself had blundered through. There was a reason Star Beard hadn’t been able to send Shadow through it to Equestria, and that reason had a name – Celestia. The ancient magic of the portal had allowed my passage through to this realm of night just as it had with the old wizard a thousand years earlier, but that was all. It was, as I now discovered, a one way ticket. I stared down at my hooves, trying to slow my ever increasing heart rate. Had she known I would come here all along? She had certainly known about Shadow, if her loud conversation with her sister had been any guide. What’s more her soldiers pursuing me had ceased to do so the further I travelled… and the nearer I got to the portal. Perhaps… Perhaps it always had been a one way ticket, and the white witch, the scourge of the wendigo, had merely help to guide me to into that trap laid so long ago, never to be seen again. I had the terrible feeling that Star Swirl knew it too. I wouldn’t put anything past that devious old rat. I gave myself a hard shake and turned to play with Tarragon. I didn’t want to hear any more.

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

Luna’s arse, they’d been at it for bloody hours. I leaned back in my chair, rubbing the weariness from my eyes to stare blearily up at the ceiling for the umpteenth time that afternoon. At the last count I made it one hundred and thirty six cracks, twelve stains, three disturbingly large cobwebs and four equally disturbing looking spiders. At least, I hoped that was what they were. The Withers had a veritable artist’s pallet of flora and fauna that awaited discovery by one of the more ‘intrepid’ explorers out there. To the many botanists and naturalists that Equestria produced it was doubtless a treasure trove of fascinating marvels and new discoveries just waiting to be photographed and documented for posterity. It was a task, I’m relieved to say, that I was more than happy to leave to somepony a lot more adventurous than myself. Gods know, if the plethora of bookshelves, bookcases, and stacks of archaic volumes leaning haphazardly in every nook and cranny was anything to go by, there was probably a whole encyclopaedia’s worth of musings on it here already. Speaking of which, Tarragon had gone back to sleep nestled in Shadow’s lap as the quiet mare consumed what must have been her third helping from the pile of musty old tomes. If I’d been in a fit state of mind to be able to concentrate as readily as she clearly was, it would have been an ideal way to pass the time. Instead, I simply sat there, bored beyond endurance. Anyway, I doubted I’d be able to read thestral even if I’d tried. I picked at a bur on my hoof, an act which my mother would have berated me for as ‘fidgeting’ not so long ago. Now all I got was a slight reproving glance from Shadow for distracting her from her concentration. Damn it all, I wished I could have sloped off for a sly smoke, or maybe even a few minutes snooze. I mean seriously, would anypony even notice if I slipped out the door for a bit? Sitting here certainly wasn’t achieving anything other than making my arse sore and raising my irritability to new heights. The pipe was there, as was the pouch of tobacco. I was still considering how I could put such a plan into motion when a hoof reached out and tapped mine lightly. It was Shadow. She gazed at me silently, and slowly, deliberately, shook her head before returning to her book. Damn and blast it all! Could she read minds or something? Gods above, maybe she could! I let out a long sigh, settled back once again, and together we waited as patiently as we could for Star Beard and Etrida to formulate their plan. I stretched out my hooves and gave my wings a quick preen and brush down - that bloody sand got in everywhere and made me itch something chronic.

“Fairlight?” Star Beard said suddenly, making me look up. “Get yourself tidied up, I need to see the duchess straight away.”

“Huh? Why?” I said scratching my mane.

He face hoofed. “Weren’t you listening? We’re expecting visitors, stallion!” The old fellow stretched his legs, releasing a barrage of audible, bony ‘clicks’ that set my teeth on edge before leaning forward on the table to fix me with a particularly hard stare. “We’d better be bloody well ready for when they get here too, so I’d suggest you get that flank of yours out of that chair and shake a tail! Move it, Captain!”

Oh, bollocks!

And thus the cat had well and truly been loosed amongst the pigeons. In fact this was the nearest I’d seen to what you could quite reasonably call ‘out and out pandemonium’ in many a year - a situation that was only made all the more extraordinary by the normally implacable creatures that were involved in the uproar. Around me thestrals rushed hither and thither carrying a bewildering array of boxes, trays, banners - in fact everything they could lay their hooves on by looks of it. Some climbed ladders to set up colourful pennants and bunting from the great hall’s arches whilst others arranged vast quantities of food, drink, and goodness knows what else leading out from the now packed interior and out down the steps. How they didn’t crash into one another in some enormous squirming heap of legs and hooves was a mind boggling achievement in itself. But then I saw her. At the centre of this maelstrom of activity the head maid stood as stolid as the tallest mountain, squawking and clicking her orders to her troops with her customary calm precision and directing the operations like a general on the battlefield. I expect in some ways this was one, to her especially, and by the goddess she knew what she was doing. Chaotic it may appear, but there was a certain order to the proceedings which I could only marvel at. Perhaps I’d need to reassess my opinion of that expansive thestral. One day. For now though I had more important things on my mind. I’d managed to wash and brush up earlier and had my gear packed and ready, just in case. Tarragon had picked up on the general air of expectation too, and was currently swooping wildly around the ceiling and pillars letting out little jets of flames in her mounting excitement - much to the annoyance of the staff and guards. A loud shriek of protest from the other side of the hall as one of the banners caught light from the dive bombing menace incentivised me to leave the staff to get on with what they did best, whilst I vacated the area as quickly as possible. Shadow was already outside with Star Beard and Ember.

“Ah! Good, you’re here, boy,” The old thestral exclaimed as I approached. “I’ve explained the situation to the duchess here, and the staff should have everything in place ready any time now.”

As optimistic as that may sound, in answer to Star Beard’s assertion a detachment of warriors in polished armour began to emerge to take their positions whilst tables laden with food and drink flowed out from the depths of the great hall to envelop the steps and approach with military precision. There was no magic at play here. No tell-take glow of levitation or spell craft. Everything was done by hoof. For non-unicorns it was an extraordinary display of how teamwork, dexterity, and sheer determination could overcome their lack of an ability we not only took for granted, but also relied on in our everyday lives. Personally I don’t know how I’d manage without any magic at all, in fact when my horn had been broken by those animals and what little ability I had had gone haywire, it was like the end of the world for me. Simple tasks such as brushing my teeth, eating, even going to the toilet, were an entirely new set of frustrating experiences. I’d learned a lot during that time. Still, I suppose the old saying’s true: ‘you don’t miss what you’ve never known’. Freya had certainly done her job well though. Now it was just a case of waiting for our ‘guest’ to arrive. According to Star Beard, if Etrida had left straight away she was likely to be-

“Dragon!”

The lookout’s warning drew every eye as she dove down from the rooftop to take her position with the other assembled warriors. No orders were necessary. They all smartened themselves up in an instant, the drums beginning to raise of deep, low beat that merged with the haunting resonating drone of some sort of horn like instrument. The effect was quite impressive, if a little grating on ones nerves. Thestrals would never win any musical awards, that was for sure. In the distance, and growing larger by the second, was an enormous green dragon – the unmistakable form of the formidable female Etrida, the queen of them all. Well, I wasn’t so sure she actually was a queen as such, though she certainly came across as one so far as I was concerned. When I’d spoken to him earlier, Star Beard had referred to her as the ‘elder’, so maybe her people didn’t go in for the usual trappings of royalty the way ponies did? It was entirely possible there was simply no real hierarchy at all and it was a society composed entirely of solitary individuals. Who knew? Regardless of the answer, the effect was still the same - imposing. As I watched the magnificent beast approach it reminded me of the bottomless void of knowledge I had about the world outside of Equestrian society. Dear Luna, I knew so little! Our history, as taught in Equestria’s educational establishments at least, glossed over more than just the cracks, it virtually paved over them, or in more cases than I cared to think about right then, simply ignored them altogether. Where was the history of our military past? Where were the documentaries of our wars, our struggles against adversity and the sacrifices our people made as we forged the wonderful world we now took for granted? Probably there along with the history of the thestrals, dragons, and every other race that our glorious leader didn’t think her plebs were capable of ingesting without breaking out into hives. All of it consigned to the dustbin of time.

I took a deep breath and stood in respectful silence alongside my friends. Nopony spoke now. The drums and horns had gone still. The only sound left was the snapping of the guards pennants in the faint breeze and the faint thump, thump, thump of approaching wings. It was a strange sensation standing there. Despite years of animosity I surprised by how much respect was being show by the thestrals for an old foe, and likewise from Etrida herself. Fortunately for us, and my plans to return home with Shadow, she appeared to have no qualms whatsoever about entering a thestral village. Slowly the huge dragon swept down and across the village, the wind buffeting us whilst she banked, treating us a close view of her in all her green, scaled glory. In her cave she had appeared to be of considerable dimensions. Looking at her now, stretched out with her great wings guiding her through the dark sky, what I had seen had been a mere drop in the ocean compared to the magnificence of this incredible creature in flight. For a moment my heart leaped. Was there enough room? Would she come in to land only to crush the nest-like homes of the thestrals to matchwood? I don’t think I was the only one to think this either. As Etrida swept down along the centre of the village thoroughfare she flared her wings to slow her descent, the sheer size of the noble creature forcing the assembled warriors to hastily back up to afford her more landing room. And then, with barely a whisper from the ground she alighted upon, the emerald dragon from the smoking mountains beyond the marshes stood before us. She was surprisingly graceful for such a large animal, drawing every eye as she lifted her head and blasted out a thunderous, trumpeting cry mixed with a great gout of flame straight up into the sky.

In reply the warriors held their weapons in the air and shouted three times, “Etrida! Etrida! Etrida!”

Thank the goddess Star Beard had hastily informed everypony that this was the ‘correct etiquette’ when dealing with a visiting dragon. Who knew how long ago it had been since such a scene had unfolded in the Withers? The first time I’d met one of the creatures, the ‘etiquette’ had seemed to be a little on the thin side.Star Beard and the duchess walked forward and bowed.

“Lady Etrida, we bid thee welcome to our home,” Ember said respectfully, and in Equestrian too which I found a little odd. “We have prepared food and drink for you, should you desire it.”

Etrida nodded to them both before looking about her. “Where is the wendigo?”

I stepped forward. “I am here, Lady Etrida.” I bowed, sweeping my foreleg around respectfully. “Thank you for coming here today.”

She sniffed the air and all but knocked us all out of the way to reach Shadow, who raced up to greet her as if she were a long lost aunt. “Shadow!” Etrida exclaimed. “It is good to see you again, my child. And you are well, too?” She cast a quick, yet meaningful glance in my direction that made me thank the gods that Shadow was indeed alive, well, and very much in one piece. I shudder to think what would have happened if there’d been so much as a hair out of place on my adventurous mate’s leathery hide. I watched as the thestral mare nuzzled the dragon’s face like a friendly house cat, an act which was responded to in kind by our sizeable guest. It was immediately obvious who Etrida had really come to see this day. Myself and the tribe were secondary concerns, with the possible exception of the ever excitable Tarragon who, never one to be left out when fuss was being offered, had joined in the fun. As impossible as it might sound the unlikely duo of Etrida and Shadow had become fast friends during their time together. To see them together like this made my heart soar to know that Shadow had been cared for so well by the powerful creature. At least until she’d decided upon that crazy ‘monastic lifestyle’ adventure of course. Praise Luna that lunacy was over and done with. On the subject of Shadow, with a wave of her hoof the elegant mare gestured to the rest of us to join them. Dutifully myself, Ember and Star Beard, gathered around her and Etrida to properly welcome our gargantuan guest to the home of the tribe of the Beyond.

“My dear Etrida, will you partake in our local speciality?” Star Beard asked. He motioned towards one of the barrels. “This year’s distillation has proved to be particularly fine, both in its bouquet and depth of flavour.”

Etrida nodded. “It would be a pleasure, old one.” And with that, the great dragon plucked an entire barrel from the stack as if it were no more heavy than a matchstick, pulled one end off with a flick of her claw, and upended the entire contents into her cavernous maw. I stared in amazement as the entire contents of the barrel vanished down her throat the same way I would have drunk a single cup. “Excellent,” Etrida announced, licking her lips. “It has been a long time since I last enjoyed such a simple thing.”

“Toolong.” Star Beard’s voice was light, but the expression on his face spoke his true feelings on the subject as clearly as though he had uttered the words aloud. “Far too long.”

This was interesting indeed, and another revelatory peek into the murky world of my secretive, eccentric thestral friend. I knew very little about Star Beard of course, other than the fact that he liked to keep it that way. He had been a student of Star Swirl the Bearded when he’d visited the Withers in the dim and distant past, even modelling himself to some degree after his mentor, not to mention the fact that he’d gone so far as to rename himself after the fellow. He was a veteran of the great war and Thorn’s ex-commander, as well as a relative of the ruling family. So far as I could tell he was either Shadow’s uncle, or grandfather, or… whatever it was called here. He wasn’t married, though he was in a relationship of sorts with the head maid. However the way he looked at Etrida now, and the way she looked at him... He was quite adept at hiding it, but… yes… The little glances, the slight blush on Etrida’s cheeks… Apparently there was a little history between both he and the dragon that I hadn’t expected. It was certainly a history that had kept them apart following the rift between the dragon realm and that of the thestrals caused by the defeat of Nightmare Moon, and yet there was… maybe not so much a fondness as such, but more… more of an understanding? Hmm… old lovers perhaps? Gods, in this world it was a possibility! Size isn’t everything they say, however there had to limits to it surely? Regardless, I didn’t know the answer to this intriguing riddle, but it would be interesting to find out even if it was just to sate my nagging curiosity. I made a mental note to speak to Shadow about it later. Right now though we had more pressing matters to discuss, and thankfully that was exactly what these two had in mind too. Star Beard’s plan was ‘relatively straight forward’ according to the ancient thestral, yet involved so many references to places and things that I had never heard of it went right over my poor pony head. Magic had never been my strong point, apart from the inherited wendigo powers of course, but that seemed to happen on a more instinctual level than anything else. In fact it had become so second nature to me since I’d merged with the spirit that I barely gave it any thought at all. I wanted to blast an enemy with a beam of concentrated magic – it happened. I wanted to flood an area with freezing magical fog – it happened. Gods above, if you’d even suggested I could have done such a thing even a year ago I would have laughed in your face. Hell, it used to take all my concentration just to light a cigarette! Now, vaporising enemies was as simple as blowing my nose. Still, as incredible as all that destructive power might be it didn’t do anything to help me understand the complexities of magical theory. Nor did it help me to come to terms with how my ‘abilities’ had little practical application for anything other than turning me into a weapon. A weapon that others wanted to wield. Or eliminate. From what I could piece together however, it seemed that a combination of the dagger that Thalio had given me, Star Swirl’s ‘Beacon’ and Etrida’s magic, Star Beard believed he could create a ‘key’ of some sort that would allow us to breach Celestia’s barrier in the Rift. Etrida had willingly agreed to the plan, but it was clear that she was doing this for two reasons: firstly for Shadow’s sake, and secondly so she could return to her children, and her mate, Barathel. Poor Tarragon barely got a look in. Sure, her mother had acknowledged her, but now she seemed to take the opinion that her daughter had made her choice and was quite capable of looking after herself, thank-you-very-much. Pretty harsh I thought, at least when compared to equestrian society at any rate. Anway, at the risk of speaking too soon it looked like, for once, things were actually going to work out favourably. Etrida, Shadow and Star Beard continued to talk at length together for some time, leaving me to sit with Ember and Tarragon. Ember passed me a bowl of nuts and an intriguing flaked ‘something’ that was actually very tasty.

“What will you do when you return home, Fairlight?” Shadow’s sister asked in perfect Equestrian. “Any plans?”

“I don’t know for sure,” I replied honestly as I munched on the contents of the bowl. “I want to settle down, raise my family, and live a nice boring life surrounded by loved ones. I’ve got a pot of money put aside that my aunt’s been looking after for me, and I quite fancy getting into the landlord business.”

Ember’s brows drew down. “Landlord?”

“The ‘Wyvern’s Tail’,” I explained. “It’s the tavern which Tingles and I have been staying in with some of the tribe’s descendants. Little place in the middle of nowhere, sure, but I like it. With Shadow there with us, our family will be whole.”

“Tingles?” Ember asked. “This is the mare Shadow has told me about?”

Oh, hell! I’d really dug a hole for myself with this conversation, and I was walking straight into it too. “Yes, that’s the one,” I answered plainly.

Ember merely nodded her understanding. “In our society, taking more than one mate is not uncommon. Our birth rate is… ‘not as it could be’. I think Star Beard has explained?”

“He has.” I stretched my hind legs out and rolled my stiff shoulders. “Equestrian society used to herd commonly in the past, especially following periods of conflict. The ratio of males to females has always been low, particular in more rural areas for some reason.” I shrugged. “These days though, I don’t think society would so readily accept it.”

“Nor would they readily accept a wendigo or a thestral I suspect?” Ember asked with a raised eyebrow.

She had a point. I nodded in agreement with her sentiments. “True, but we have magic that could alter Shadow’s appearance just by wearing a collar when she’s out and about.”

Ember sighed, clearly unimpressed with the situation. “My sister should not have to hide who and what she is, Fairlight. Not for anyone, nor for any reason. Would she really need to do this? Would your people truly threaten her life because she is a thestral?”

“My people?” I paused and looked into her eyes. Images of the curious blend of creatures that made up the denizens of the little village of Smiling Borders clattered through my mind like slides in an old magic lantern. There was Grimble the griffin landlord of the Wyvern’s Tail, his tea-towel habitually stuck in his belt as he adjusted chairs in the common room. In the background was Heather the minotaur, cleaning dishes in one of her infinite variety of pinnies. There were the elusive hippogryphs, soaring through the air above the forest whilst a group of ponies, who tended to keep themselves to themselves, set up their wares in front of their cottages. And then, finally, the last image clanked into place. They were all stood there gathered on the village green, quietly watching me, their faces aglow with the first light of dawn as they wished me well on my travels. Shadow wouldn’t stand out here, she’d just be one more face in the crowd. A proud nail in a board chock full of proud nails. We were all different, and yet still one. One people, living in the shadow of the memory of a dream… I shook my head slowly, turning to look at my beautiful mate. “She wouldn’t be at risk from my people,” I said quietly. “As for the rest of Equestria… I don’t know. I wish I had an answer for you, Ember. But to many ponies, she probably would look… a little frightening.”

To my surprise Ember actually chuckled. “And how do you see us now, Fairlight? Did you not find us, even Shadow, ‘a little frightening’ when you first met her?”

I smiled, shrugging my shoulders. “At first? Maybe. But somehow I was able to look beyond my pony instincts and see her for who she really is. Who you all are for that matter. Hell, with everything else that’s happened, I don’t know… I’m starting to think that everyday I becoming less and less the pony I always thought I was.”

“And what do you believe you have become?”

I leaned back on my chair, staring up at the dark sky. “A wendigo.”

Ember leaned across and gave me a gentle nuzzle. “You are who you are, Fairlight. My sister loves you, and you love her. There’s not much more I could wish for than that. All I can say is that I pray to the goddess you will both live long happy lives and have many foals together.”

“Thanks, Ember,” I smiled to her softly. “But what about you? Isn’t there any thestral around here who’s caught your eye?”

She blushed, looking away shyly. “Not yet… maybe one day.”

Ember was a young healthy thestral, and the duchess of two tribes no less. I didn’t doubt that one day she’d find her own special somepony, either from within the ranks of her own tribe or perhaps even further afield like Short Stride had with Forge. Hopefully it would be one who would love her just as much I loved Shadow, rather than merely seeking a leg up on the social ladder. Somehow though, I had the feeling she’d be just fine. Ember began to laugh as Tarragon squeaked and clicked in response to her onslaught of tickles whilst I got up to stretch my legs, enjoying a few more berries and a glass of wine before Star Beard trotted over. He’d left Shadow and Etrida talking quietly together.

“We’re all set,” he announced, brushing at a speck of grass on his cloak. “Tomorrow you will fly through the Rift with Etrida, Shadow, and your dragonling. I’ll explain more in the morning, but for now I must prepare things with Etrida and you will need to sort out your own affairs. You don’t have long, Captain, so if you want to do anything before you go, this is the time to do it.”

The Rift? The place that Etrida had said ‘No mere mortal could pass through?’ Damn it all, Star Swirl had told me it was our only hope too. I could only pray that his apprentice, or whatever the Colonel actually was, knew what he was doing. Still, at least I could take some comfort in knowing that Etrida was coming with us on this adventure. She had been to the Rift before in an effort to get through to my world, albeit failing in her attempts to breach the barrier that lay there. Who knew what that had cost her, both physically and emotionally. More to the point though she had one thing that neither Shadow nor myself had – a hide as hard as steel. And what about Tarragon? She may be a dragon, but she was so small! I’d seen what Celestia’s magic could do, and it wasn’t pretty. By all the gods, if this went wrong… somehow I doubted all the wendigo magic in the world wouldn’t protect us. I took a breath, steadied my nerves and said,

“Colonel? I don’t know what to say, except… thank you. Thank you for everything, my old friend.”

He looked quite taken aback by my words, huffing slightly. “Yes… well, I suppose I’ve quite… ‘enjoyed’ your company, Captain Fairlight. After all, you did save the lady Shadow and helped to bring our tribe together with the Purple Sands. Helping to get you home after all that doesn’t seem much to ask.” The old thestral coughed nervously, apparently unused to discussing personal matters. He stood tall, taking a deep breath. “I think it fair to say you’ve been quite the breath of fresh air in our world, yes?”

“I don’t know I’d go so far as to say that!” I chuckled. “Still, this means a lot, Colonel,” I said honestly, “both to Shadow and myself. I just hope we can all meet again some day, be it in your world, or mine.”

Star Beard stared into the distance, an empty look on his wizened old features. “Maybe…” Suddenly he pulled out a bag of tobacco from his pocket and tossed it to me. “Here, take this with you. There’s enough there to keep you going and I’ve made notes for you on how to make it too. It’s in the book I’ve put in your pannier.”

“Book?” I asked in surprise.

Star Beard nodded. “My diary, from the war. No thestral here would be interested in it, and…” He sighed, rubbing his forehead. “I’m old, Fairlight. My children have grown up, and even… well, I’d like it to go to someone who would understand it.”

“But Thorn-” I began.

“Thorn has had enough of war,” the colonel cut in pointedly. “Besides, there’s nothing in there that he doesn’t already know.” He took out his pipe and passed it to me to load up for him. “Not everything in there is suitable for ‘youngsters’, you understand. I wasn’t always proud of what I did, but in war, there is seldom room for sentimentality. Or... mercy.”

I paused, looking into eyes, but Star Beard wasn’t seeing me any more. He was lost in the past, reliving scenes that nopony should ever have had to face. I lit my pipe and waited until, with a snort, the old warrior snapped out of his revelry.

“Don’t smoke alone, Captain, not when you have comrades with you,” he admonished with a smile.

The lines in the warrior’s face occasionally betrayed long faded scars that spoke of fights and battles that had been close in, and no doubt brutal beyond imagining. To some degree I’d been there, seen things and done things I wasn’t proud of either, and one day when I was old and grey like my old friend here, maybe those memories would come back to haunt me too. Maybe Meadow’s concerns for me, for my soul, were… I don’t know… I didn’t want to think about it. Not now.

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

One of the things that I’d found most surprising about thestral society was just how quickly word seemed to spread. Despite the oddly defined lands they occupied there was a well established, if unofficial, ‘grapevine’ that bypassed tribal boundaries as if they simply did not exist at all. Jungle drums certainly beat loud in the Withers, and so did the ones in the village, only this time they weren’t to welcome a visiting dragon. This time, something else was coming… and there were a lot of them too. Etrida turned to face the mass of armoured thestrals flying inexorably toward us, letting out a loud rumble as smoke vented from between her bared teeth and nostrils. I had a sudden mental image of intense fire rolling towards me but shook my head, dispelling the dreadful memory. Whether she was a calming influence or not was hard to say, but as Etrida’s friend, Shadow stood next to the dragon elder speaking quietly to her. The massive dragon may well have listened, but the burning tension in the air right at that moment was clear for everypony to see. Concerned about the newcomers, Ember rushed over to a group of warriors who were talking urgently with Thorn. The old major motioned me to join them.

“Captain,” Thorn said gravely, “we don’t know who they are yet, but we’d welcome any assistance if need be, and if you’re willing. You’re still a guest here, but...” He left the rest of his sentence hanging.

I shook my mane. “You know me, Major, and you already know my answer.”

He gave a short laugh before trotting over to the duchess, bowing to her. “My lady, your orders?”

Ember stood tall, authority radiating from her in her every word. “Find out who they are, Major Thorn, but do not fight unless you have to. Make sure your warriors know that as well, please. Today should be a day for celebration, not for battle.”

Thorn bowed again. “Yes, my lady.”

We were soon flying high over the tree tops in an attempt to reach the same altitude as the approaching warriors, when I noticed them cease their forward movement and come to a halt, maintaining station. Three of them them then detached from the main host and approached us. Thorn, myself, and another officer headed out to meet them. At this point our weapons were sheathed to avoid appearing threatening, but if I knew thestrals as well as I thought I did, they could be drawn and ready in a heartbeat. Following their lead I fought the urge to check my sword was free in its scabbard – a habit I’d developed of late. Other than my magic, right now it was the only physical weapon I had on me. My scythe unfortunately was back with the rest of my gear in Shadow’s bed chamber. After all, why would I need to be fully geared up for a welcoming celebration? I sighed inwardly, ‘Welcome to the Wither World…’

The thestrals before us kept a respectful distance, apparently just as wary of us as we were of them. Typically the newcomers were armoured the same as those of the Beyond, but with the addition of long yellow stripes, making them look like grotesquely large bumble bees. I’d seen armour like this before, hadn’t I? It was the same as the ones I’d seen…

“You! Wendigo!” one of them shouted, pointing directly at me. “You’re one of these… these ‘dragon lovers’?! Have you lost your mind?”

All eyes were on me now as I said calmly, “Hello, Stone Hammer. Welcome to the Beyond.”

“What?!” The familiar warrior spluttered as he shook his head in disbelief. “But… but you…”

“If you’re talking about Etrida,” I said pointedly, “she is an honoured guest, and the one who saved my mate from meeting the same fate as your sister. You may also be interested to know that we hadn’t killed Sharar at the Coal Spike after all. He’s dead now though.” I crossed my forelegs for emphasis. “Very dead.”

Stone Hammer looked to Thorn who grinned at him, hefting his axe. “I assume you’ve come to meet the dragonslayer, the lady Shadow?” Thorn asked politely. “We would welcome you to join us in peace… brother.”

The three thestrals from the Broken Cliff tribe looked to one another and spoke just out of earshot. The exchange was definitely heated, with no small amount of confused gesturing and head scratching. From where I was, it was almost comical. A minute passed, then one of the warriors from the main body suddenly flew up to Stone Hammer’s group and was shouting urgently, waving off toward the north east. From there another group of armoured thestrals was approaching at speed. I recognised the banners fluttering above the ranks of red and black immediately. Entering stage right was Forge, Short Stride, and the warriors of the Purple Sands. It looked like one big family re-union… just with heavy weaponry. Good gods, we were in for one hell of a fight if this all went south.

I addressed Stone Hammer who, now finding himself outflanked, was looking decidedly uncomfortable. “Hammer, this is a day for joy, not for war. The lady Shadow has returned safely from the dragon realm, and we will shortly be returning home. Come and celebrate with us, brother. There is food and drink for all.” I held out my hoof which he looked at as though I were holding out a poisonous snake.

For a moment he didn’t seem to know what to say, and I confess I began to fear the worst. But then he glanced at Thorn, back to me, and the moment burst like a soap bubble. “I will trust you, Lord Fairlight,” he said calmly. “These others-”

“Are my brothers, as you are Stone Hammer,” I cut in firmly. “Our ancestors fought side by side with the goddess of the moon, and I for one honour that memory.” I fixed him with my blue eyed gaze. “Will you, my brother?”

There was the briefest of pauses as uncertainly flashed across the warrior’s face. What would he do? Would he relent? Would he order his warriors into the attack? His sister had been killed by a dragon, his brothers and sisters killed in the futile attempt to rescue her. And here I was, the one he had fought beside beneath the Coal Spike mountain, the stranger he had trusted, feasting with the elder of the very same beasts that had taken one of his family. I could feel my magic stirring, my hoof twitching, desperate to feel for my sword. And then, in an instant, his expression changed. Stone Hammer reached out and linked forelegs with me.

“I will.”

And that, thank Luna, was that. The tension that had hung so thickly in the air only moments ago now dissipated with the breeze, leaving nothing more than a mass of armoured thestrals. This time however, weapons remained mercifully sheathed. Much to the chagrin of our favourite head maid the gathering in the village was now far larger than it had ever been designed to accommodate, but in an encouraging show of solidarity the villagers opened their homes and even the grand hall itself to the new arrivals. The warriors of the Purple Sands, Broken Cliff and the Beyond, all mingled together with surprising ease, the curious creatures laughing and drinking like old friends reuniting at a festival. I looked on in wonder at what could so easily have become a battlefield only minutes earlier. Now it was a scene of laughter, music and merriment. Maybe even the ponies of my homeland could learn from this extraordinary race. Beneath the veneer of separatism, the thestrals really were all one family after all. Even if it was only for today, everypony here had been able to put their old tribal differences aside and enjoy each others company. Ha! The ‘element of harmony’ would have been proud of me.

Thorn clopped me on the shoulder. “Damned glad we avoided a fight there, Captain. With the duchess here and our village as a potential battlefield, it wouldn’t have ended well.” He shrugged, “Even with the earl’s warriors backing us.”

“You actually think we could have lost?” I asked in surprise. “We outnumbered and outflanked them, didn’t we?”

“True,” he conceded. “But you have witnessed Stone Hammer’s warriors in battle with your own eyes, correct?”

I nodded. “They put up one hell of a fight, I’ll give them that.”

“Against a dragon.” Thorn took a slow sip of his balta. “The Broken Cliff tribe live on the border with the dragon realm and are highly experienced warriors. From birth their people trained how to protect their home from the many predators that come down from the mountains or cross the sand sea looking for food. For Stone Hammer’s tribe, every day is a battle simply for survival.” He paused, casting a glance at Stone Hammer and his warriors. “It is a different way of life from the one we lead, Captain. A harsh life, and one I do not envy. Such conditions breed a certain kind of warrior. I would not willingly face one in battle.”

“What about the accord with the dragon realm?” I asked.

“Ah, the so-called ‘accord’.” Thorn shrugged, staring into his empty cup. “Accord’s are all well and good until your belly begins to rumble. Rogue dragons will often cross into their land to take livestock. They would certainly have no qualms about taking a lone thestral. As a result the tribes of the region have come together, forming a common pact to defend themselves in the event of an attack.”

“They didn’t show up to help Stone Hammer recover his sister,” I pointed out. “The only warriors there were from his own tribe.” I floated over a bottle of balta, pouring us both a healthy measure.

“Ah, but there is a difference between defence and retaliation, is there not, Captain?” Thorn raised an eyebrow knowingly. “It is one thing to defend against an attack, and quite another to cross the border into enemy territory, regardless of the provocation.”

“That was one hell of a provocation!” I protested. “If scum like that know they can get away with such acts of wanton barbarity then they’ll keep on doing it with impunity.” Gods help me, I could still see it. I could hear the sickening crunching of bone and the fountain of blood. The smell of iron, thick in the air. She hadn’t stood a chance. “That mare was eaten alive, Thorn,” I said, gritting my teeth against the surge of anger gripping my heart. “As far as I’m concerned the bastard deserved everything he got.”

“At the risk of many lives and all out war.” Thorn shook his head. “Escalating disputes into a full blown conflict would have lead to more than the loss of one mare, Captain.” He fixed me with his firm gaze. “We don’t all benefit from having the kind of magic that can bring down such a beast.”

“Your people fought dragons in the war, Thorn,” I pointed out. “I saw them in my ancestral memories.”

The old soldier sighed, taking a draw on his pipe. “We had numbers then. Numbers, dragons of our own, the magic of the goddess, and,” he smiled slightly, “the tribe of the wendigo.”

I opened my mouth to protest but was interrupted by a familiar cloaked figure moving between us.

“What are you two droning on about?” It was the colonel. “Goddess give me strength, we’re surrounded by frolicking fillies and your faces are down round your blasted fetlocks.” He pushed an empty cup towards me. “Come on, boy, don’t leave an old soldier with a dry one, eh?”

“We were talking about the Broken Cliff tribe,” I explained, reaching for the bottle once more.

“Mmm!” Star Beard took his cup and nodded vigorously. “Tough beggars they are. Your wife was from there if I recall correctly, eh, Thorn?”

Thorn gave his mane a shake, knocking back his balta in one impressive slug. “Yes, sir.”

“That’s right. Hell of a warrior she was too. Knew how to keep you in your place, alright!” Star Beard clopped his friend on the shoulder. “Why don’t you go and have a chat with Ball Sack or whatever his name is? He’s over there by young Narith. Dirty old sod, she’s at least half his age.”

“Barrack,” Thorn corrected absently.

“Hmm? Yes, that’s the fellow.” Star Beard waved a hoof towards the mingling mass of warriors. “I’m sure he’d like to catch up on things with an old comrade. Come on, get yourself over there before he gets too drink in him.”

Thorn let out a long sigh. “At once, Colonel.”

“Excellent! Off you go then.” To my surprise he clopped Thorn on the rump, adding a little speed the ancient warrior’s pace. “Always did like a drink or three did old Ball Sack,” the colonel muttered. We watched Thorn vanish into the throng before Star Beard turned to me. “Come, we have important things to discuss, Captain. Keeping dragons waiting is not conducive to polite discourse.”

I finished my drink and followed him back towards where Etrida stood like an island above a sea of thestrals. Getting there however was no easy task either, not least because of the mass of spiked armour we had to navigate our way through. Dear goddesses, I’d never seen so many warriors! Somehow I doubted that a pitched battle here would have left many structures standing if Stone Hammer hadn’t stood down when he had; thestrals weren’t exactly considerate of collateral damage when they fought. Right now however the fellow in question was stood with the higher ranking thestrals from all three tribes, and deep in conversation. Star Beard headed off to join them, waving me off to join Shadow and Etrida. I can honestly say I was glad to be away from whatever it was they were talking about too, I’d had more than enough politicking to last a lifetime already. There was, after all, a time and a place for such things. I gave Shadow a nuzzle in greeting as I pulled up a chair next to her.

“Hello, love,” I smiled.

Shadow lowered her head and nudged me. “Look...”

She motioned towards the tiny curled up form of Tarragon. I hadn’t seen noticed at first, the little creature was sleeping so soundly under the protective shade of her mother’s wing and all but invisible unless you looked closely. Towering above her, the gentleness in Etrida’s deep blue eyes spoke more than words ever could. The touching scene reminded me of my own mother, the warmth of my bed at home when I was but a foal, safe… and protected. Loved. Maybe… Maybe I’d been wrong about Etrida. Sometimes I was too quick to judge, too cynical, and admittedly, tainted by my bitterness towards what I saw as the casual cruelty of an uncaring world. Perhaps she truly did love her daughter, and that her apparent dismissal of her now that she had ‘made her choice’ as she’d put it, was simply her way of accepting her child had grown up. It didn’t mean her affection for her offspring was diminished in any way. Despite everything else in the crazy world, Etrida was still her mother, and it warmed my heart to see them together. It hadn’t escaped Shadow’s notice either. She gave me a meaningful look from under her eyebrows that even a dullard like me could read loud and clear.

The great dragon grinned down at us, which was quite an unsettling sight with teeth as long as my foreleg. “You must have a foal together, Lord Fairlight,” she said with all the subtlety of a concrete elephant. “You know it is what your mate wishes, do you not?”

Oh, very subtle indeed! Thanks, Etrida... I nodded and smiled pleasantly enough, whilst simultaneously trying desperately to hide my embarrassment. ‘Tact’, as it transpired, was not one of the great elder of the dragons’ strong points. Of course Shadow wanted a foal, she’d dropped more hints about the subject than I cared to think about, even in the short time we’d been together since I’d rescued her from that damned monastery. Five years apart it seemed had only inflamed her desire to make that wish become a reality. But on the subject of reality, was even such a thing possible? Such joinings between the races were not uncommon of course, and had themselves been responsible for any number of ‘new’ races that were hybrids of the two parents: Hippogryphs and griffins to name but two. But a pony and a thestral? Their rate of conception was painfully low as it was, and as wonderful as it would be to try to create a new life between us, the thought of seeing her hopes of motherhood only to be dashed on the rocks of despair was not something I ever wished to see. In all my years I’d never heard of any living creature in Equestria being descended from such a pairing. Perhaps it had simply never happened? Or maybe… What if Celestia had-

I nearly leaped out of my skin at the sensation on my neck. I looked up to find myself staring into the deep red eyes of Shadow who nudged me again with her muzzle before looking away shyly. It was cute, and an obviously loving gesture, but I wished Etrida wouldn’t make me feel so bloody uncomfortable staring at us like that. Gods, she couldn’t read minds, could she?! Maybe she could too. The great dragon certainly hadn’t finished with me quite yet apparently...

“You will need to assert yourself, Shadow,” Etrida announced, smirking slyly. “He is a male after all. He will require... ‘adequate’ guidance.”

I have to say I was getting used to the matriarchal nature of things now, but for once, just bloody once, I’d have liked at least one of the females in my life to actually take me seriously! Mind you, as irritating as it could be at times, secretly I was just happy to be with them and felt honoured to be a part of their lives. A little nagging and pestering I could live with. I stretched a wing over Shadow and she snuggled into me, letting out a soft whinny. If only I could have stayed there like that for a few minutes it would have done wonders for my weary heart, but as always, it wasn’t to be. I looked up at the sound of approaching hoofsteps. Etrida was eyeing the newcomer warily, and I could see why. It was Stone Hammer. He’d removed his weaponry and had recovered some of the proud demeanour I’d seen when we had fought Sharar together in the bowels of that cursed mountain. He nodded to me then approached Etrida - slightly hesitantly I noticed. Etrida never moved, but stayed where she was, watching him in absolute silence. I didn’t doubt for a moment that the huge creature could turn all of us into ash in the blink of an eye if she so desired, and I hoped Hammer wouldn’t be so foolish as to rile her to such rash acts. But then, who could understand the minds of dragons? Or thestrals for that matter.

“Lady Etrida,” the thestral warrior began, “may I speak with you?”

She nodded.

Stone Hammer bowed to her. “The duchess has explained why you are here in thestral lands, and for helping my brother, Lord Fairlight, I thank you on behalf of the Broken Cliff.”

Etrida slowly stroked Tarragon who purred happily in her sleep, her eyes never leaving the thestral before her. For his own part, Stone Hammer seemed a little unsure of how to continue, but did so magnificently. “My lady…” He backed away, bowing respectfully again before Etrida let out a small puff of smoke.

“You came here to kill me, didn’t you? You and your warriors?” It wasn’t a question.

Hammer stopped in his tracks, lifting his head as he replied, “Yes. Your coming here into thestral lands was an act of war. Any thestral entering your lands would also meet a similar fate.”

Etrida snorted. “True enough.” She let out a loud yawn, treating us all to a display of her enormous teeth before settling down and fixing Hammer with a stare that made my blood run cold. “And now?”

Hammer looked to me, to Shadow, then back to Etrida. “No,” he said simply. “Not now.”

The great dragon emitted a throaty chuckle, leaning over to nuzzle Shadow. “Times change, warrior of the Broken Cliff. Hearts too may change, but memories will remain forever. It is up to us to decide whether those memories will help define us… or control us.” She smiled down at Shadow. “Sometimes it takes someone to help show you way back to the path you lost… and guide you back home.”

I stared at her in amazement, unable to look away. This huge creature, this powerful being who could kill a pony with a single snap of her enormous jaws, had a much greater depth of wisdom to her than I’d initially given her credit for. In my world dragons were terrifying killing machines to be avoided at all cost - a preconception that Etrida had just turned upside down. In that moment of reflection I wondered about the small dragon in Ponyville. Maybe he would grow up to be like Etrida some day: wise, noble, and true of heart. Goddess forbid he ended up like Sharar. But then, for all his cruelty, Sharar was still a tragic product of a war fought in the distant past that had left dreadful scars upon all whom it had touched. I would probably never know what had driven him to commit such terrible acts, and perhaps a little selfishly, I was glad of it too. I needed to be able to sleep at night, and I had enough bad memories of my own without adding to them. But then, perhaps he hadn’t always been that way. Memories, as Etrida said, could mould us, shape us, and even come to define who we were. And who we would become.

Stone Hammer bowed again to Etrida before turning to me. “I am pleased you found your mate, brother. Perhaps you can tell me about your exploits? My brothers and sisters have found some balta. Will you join us?”

I looked to Shadow who nodded to me with a wink. A bow to Etrida and a quick kiss for Shadow later, I followed Stone Hammer into the raucous depths of the broiling mass of warriors and the rapidly empting barrels of brain scouring alcohol. So much for learning my lesson last time then! As the balta flowed several fights broke out here and there, if only what you could conservatively call ‘good natured ones’. All I can say is thank the goddess no weapons came into play. Mind you, judging by the state of the protagonists they would have been far more of a danger to themselves than anypony else – weapons or no. What’s more, quite unlike the kind of brutal fighting I had come to expect when facing these fearsome warriors in battle, this time it was more akin to the kind of flailing school yard scraps young colts engaged in back home. There were no desperate snarls of anger, no snorts, grunts of effort, nor even so much as a glimpse of those sharp teeth of theirs display. No, this lot were were too busy giggling like the aforementioned school children to even try to land proper blows, resulting in the two pugilists falling against each other and… and… Oh, gods! I couldn’t watch any more... I mean, come on, in public?! Meanwhile Thorn, Forge and Stone Hammer, the erstwhile military leaders of the tribes, looked on, laughing and even cheering at the antics of their warriors and drinking together like old friends at a picnic. Was this normal for them?! I looked away, desperately trying to find another familiar face in the crowd, although in truth it was just so I didn’t have to see any more of… of that! Nearby I caught a glimpse of Ember, Short Stride and Shadow. The trio had somehow managed find one another in this madness and had formed a huddle of their own, seemingly oblivious to the now very public orgy going on only a few yards away. I began to make my way towards them.

“Hoi!” A foreleg suddenly draped itself over my neck, followed by the pungent alcoholic waft of breath from the owner. “You’re that wendigo fellow, aren’t you?”

“Uh… Yeah,” I managed. I tried to pull away but the mare dodged in front of me. “And just where do you think you’re going, mmm?” Orange eyes bored searchingly into mine as I tried to move, and again she blocked my passage.

“I’m sorry, I really need to see my-”

“Oh, I don’t think so.” The warrior took a swig of her balta before throwing the now empty cup away. I watched it bounce off into the crowd. “No… No, I don’t think so at all.” I began to notice more of them now, mares one and all, pushing in behind her, boxing me in. “You’ve found what you seek already… my fine stallion.” There was a deafening barrage of cheers and laughter as the mares egged her on. Dear gods, she didn’t need any more encouragement!

I had to regain control of the situation before it got completely out of hoof. Before she go out of hoof. “I’m sorry, Miss,” I began, “I have a mate already.”

“Oh, do you now?”

“Yes, in fact I-”

“And who is this mysterious mare, hmm?” Another round of neighs and cheers resounded behind her. “What has she got that I haven’t? Is she soft? Does she have fluffy ears and a weak spine?” For some reason this drew a barrage of laughter from the onlookers. Suddenly I realised we were rapidly becoming the centre of attention too. “I have strong legs, a strong back, and firm hips,” the mare continued, oblivious to my protests. “See...” To my shock she bumped her flank against me, turning to give me a full on view of what she was… offering. I swallowed, trying to avert my eyes. “Do you like what you see, stallion?” she purred. “I know you do. Together we can make many strong foals for our tribe. They will be powerful warriors, great warriors! The likes of whom could make even the heavens tremble!”

“Look!” Somepony called out. “His ears have turned red!”

As the audience fell about in fits of laughter some idiot passed my antagonist another drink which was duly consumed. “Well?” she huffed, wiping her mouth. “What is your answer, stallion?”

“Answer?” I stammered. “I told you I-”

“Oh, just take him, Root!” A voice shouted.

“Yes! Get on with it!”

“Give him a drink or two and he’ll come round!”

“She doesn’t want to wait for that, you idiot! Grab him, Root! Grind his pony bones ragged!”

Goddess help me, this was rapidly becoming the kind of situation that nightmares were made of. This ‘Root’ didn’t look like the kind of mare who understood the meaning of the word ‘no’, and if I didn’t think of something quick I’d be- “Oof!” The world tipped upside down. I was on my back, black coated legs locking around me, driving me into the ground. Winded, I coughed the sand from my mouth, opening my eyes to stare up into the orange burning orbs bearing down on me.

“You are mine now, wendigo.” The mare’s brow drew down as she slowly licked her lips. “I will have you. I will mate with you.” She lifted her head, catching the eyes of all around us. “I claim this stallion! Let any other mare who lays claim to him speak now or forever hold their silence!” Root chuckled under her breath, turning back to me until her muzzle was barely an inch from mine. “Where is this mate of yours, stallion. Hmm?” She raised an eyebrow seductively. “It would appear you have been telling me lies. Wicked, wicked lies. And lies need to punished, don’t they, girls?” Encouraged by the whoops and cheers of her comrades, Root wiggled her hips into my stomach, working her way inexorably down. “Severely… punished...”

A million thoughts raced through my head at once. What the hell was I going to?! Magic? Yes! Yes, I could try and levitate her off me. But she was so heavy! What about releasing the fog? The white clouds may frighten her off, but what if hurt innocent bystanders? I was strong enough to knock her off of course but- Oh, gods!

“Ah, there we are...” Root closed her eyes and smiled. “I’ve been looking forward to this...”

I had to do something now! If I didn’t then-

“ENOUGH!”

Oh, thank the goddess!

Thorn stepped forward like a knight of old, flanked by Ember, Short Stride, Shadow and Star Beard. Helpless idiot that I was, I could only look up at them from my pathetic position and try not to make matters any worse than they already were by opening my big mouth. I was hardly in a position to do much anyway. As interesting as it was seeing them upside down like this, I certainly wouldn’t recommend it.

Root huffed loudly. “What are blathering about, old one?” she snorted. “Wanted him yourself did you?”

“Be silent, girl!” Star Beard rumbled. He had barely raised his voice, yet the effect was instantaneous. Silence fell all about me, radiating out like ripples on the surface of a pond as the warriors took note of who it was who had interrupted their sport. Faces that had been laughing and egging Root on only moments earlier now began to look unsure, exchanging nervous glances with one another. With the appearance of a veteran of Star Beard’s renown, suddenly this comedic situation with the wendigo had lost its appeal. Alcohol and high spirits were all well and good, but the respect they had for their elders was deeply engrained in thestral culture, regardless of which tribe they were from. Showing disrespect to a veteran warrior, especially one as old as the colonel, was unthinkable. Some of them started to back off, but not the mares with Root. They stood their ground, closing ranks with their comrade. The colonel was not impressed. “This stallion is already claimed,” he announced, addressing Root directly. “If you wish to claim him as second, then by our laws you must request such a joining from the first.”

“Pah!” Root barked. “I will not! I have made my claim before witnesses, and what is done cannot be undone. His mate has not staked her claim upon him, and therefore by our laws he is mine.” A slow grin spread across her face. “To do with… as I please.”

It was Short Stride who spoke now. “The wendigo is not one of our people, nor native to this land,” she explained in her clear tones. “He is not bound by the laws of the people. As such, your claim is invalid. Release him immediately.”

“Nonsense!” one of the older mares with Root chipped in. “He is in our land and therefore bound by the same laws under the moon that all of the goddess’s children are!” A general mumble of agreement began to spread amongst the onlookers.

“He is an Equestrian,” Short Stride retorted. “He was not born-”

“He is a wendigo!” The warrior snapped back. “Are they not children of the moon?” She looked around at the warriors, garnering support. To my dismay, many nodded their agreement. “You may be too young to remember, girl, but I am not. The moon remembers. Stone remembers stone.”

Damn it all, there was that phrase again. Silence took hold once again as the tension began to mount. Closing my eyes, I decided to throw my hat into this ring of madness. “I keep trying to tell you,” I attempted, “my mate- Mph!”

“-is not here!” Root snapped, planting her hoof squarely over my mouth.

“She is here.”

“She… What?” The mare looked up in surprise, trying to see who had spoken. “Who is she? Speak!”

And then, like an angel from the heavens entering through the black clouds of despair, the sleek form of Shadow stepped forward.

“I am mated to this stallion.” Shadow’s eyes blazed like fires, her presence alone forcing many back. Dear gods, I’d never seen her like this before! Normally so shy and of few words, this Shadow was radiating confidence and self assuredness that I found not only extraordinary, but also oddly alluring. She raised her head, staring straight as an arrow at the defiant Root. “He is mine.”

For a moment Root hesitated, her expression changing from that of brash self confidence to one which betrayed her underlying concern that maybe, just maybe, this mare was telling the truth. To my dismay however, it didn’t last. Root’s alcohol fuelled desires burned away any doubts that may have been creeping into her consciousness, as scepticism took hold.

“You have proof of this?” she asked.

“I am witness,” Ember said aloud, joining her sister. “She has shared of the cetean egg with the wendigo. They have eaten of their enemy together – the dragon of Coal Spike Mountain.”

“The black one?” Somepony gasped. Suddenly the atmosphere changed again, and not for the better. Gods, I hoped I was wrong.

“Root,” one of the mares whispered to her comrade, “leave this. Come away and let us find you another-”

“NO!” Root shoved down hard on my chest, nearly break my ribs as she shot to her hooves. “He is mine! I have made the claim! You all heard it! All of you!”

“He is not yours to claim, girl,” Star Beard said to her calmly. “The first has her witness, and as elder of the Beyond I have consecrated their union with the goddess. Lady Shadow’s claim to her mate is valid both in law and custom.”

“And by our laws she may still take a second, can she not?” the older mare asked, projecting her question like a railway announcement. “It is still the first’s decision.”

What in Equestria was all this ‘first’ and ‘second’ business anyway? I rubbed my forehead, trying to make at least some sense of this madness. From what I’d managed to piece together so far it was apparent that Shadow was being referred to as this ‘First’, and she could, what, rent me out to another mare? This… ‘Second’? Maybe I was wrong, but it certainly sounded like it! Bloody hell fire, I felt like I was stuck in the middle of a livestock auction and I was the next poor sod to go under the hammer to the highest bidder. Well, bollocks to that then! Mare or no mare I was going to get up and put an end to this lunacy one way or another. I took a breath readying myself to move, then quickly decided against it after seeing the warning glance Thorn shot me. Reluctantly I left myself in their hooves. I suppose it was just as well really, my mind was still reeling from being flung to the ground like a sack of potatoes, not helped either by the fact that my chest ached like hell after Root had pounded me half into the ground. I’m sure if I hadn’t already half numbed myself with balta it would have hurt a damned sight worse too.

“Then what is the first’s decision?” Star Beard asked aloud. “Lady Shadow, as first you have been challenged. As the goddess watches, your answer will be final.”

Shadow’s eyes took on a dangerous cast. If she’d been a cat her back would have been arched and her tail fluffed out, ready for the fight. There was doubt about it, she had been challenged, and there was no way in this goddess forsaken world that she was going to back down now. I closed my eyes and took a breath. I knew the answer before she’d even spoken the word...

“Mine.”

A moments pause, and then Star Beard slammed his staff into the ground right next to my ear making me flinch involuntarily. “So she has spoken! Root, your claim is denied. The first has claimed her mate. Withdraw.”

“But-!”

“Shut up, for the goddess’s sake!” The older mare who had spoken earlier pushed forward between Root and Shadow, grabbing the belligerent creature’s muzzle in her forehooves. “Would you insult our hosts? This has gone far enough, daughter. Come now, come… There are more than enough warriors here to sate even your appetite.”

“I doubt that!” Somepony chuckled.

A rumble of laughter began as the tension finally broke. In the background the music began again, washing away the last vestiges of Root’s desires in its jaunty refrain. Her face was a picture. Determination had given way to resignation now, and I have to say, I was damned glad of it too. Slowly, she back away, then with a bark of laughter, vanished back into the crowd with her friends and leaving me covered in sand like a discarded bundle of washing.

“Up you come, lad.” Thorn reached down, offering me his hoof which I took gladly. “No worse for wear, eh?”

“Other than a few ribs,” I winced, rubbing my chest. “Gods almighty, what the hell was all that about?”

Star Beard answered. “Ah, well, that was probably my fault. I should have warned you.”

“Warned me about what?”

“Balta is a… what’s the word in Equestrian… aphrodisiac?” He scratched his chin thought. “I think that’s it.”

“You think?!” I rolled my eyes, feeling both relief and outrage at the same time. “Bloody hell, Colonel, she was ready to…” I caught Shadow’s eye. “Well, you know.”

“You don’t mate at festivals, Lord Fairlight?” Short Stride asked innocently.

I think my burning cheeks and ears were all the answer she needed.

“Equestrian society is different to ours, my dear,” Star Beard explained, perhaps a little unnecessarily. “Fairlight may be a wendigo, but he was born in a different land, and a very different age. Don’t forget that.”

“A boring age,” she replied. The young mare tossed her mane, displaying exactly what she thought about that! “Forge! Come here you lazy braggart. Bring me another drink!”

And so, together with our newfound friends from the Broken Cliff, the three tribes resumed the festivities, leaving me in the care of my ‘First’.

“Come,” Shadow said leading me away. “Dance.”

Gods, I hated dancing! And yet somehow, I still managed. There, following the lead of my mare, we moved to the rhythm of the sound of an alien world as others joined us. It was as if he incident with Root had never happened, and perhaps it was just as well. It was simply the way of things here. Dancing, music and rough housing was the order of the day for these warriors when the drink flowed it seemed, and in the flickering light of the fires that had been hastily lit for the revellers, I soon found myself propelled towards an improvised stage made from an assemblage of now noticeably empty barrels. At Stone Hammer’s prompting I was once again the centre of attention, telling my story to a rapt audience. My earlier embarrassment forgotten, I spoke of my battle with Sharar, the adventure at the monastery and, to the surprise of many, the final slaying of the dragon by Shadow. In truth I wasn’t sure how referring to the ‘slaying of a dragon’ would go down with Etrida, but fortunately for me she hadn’t been on good terms with the black dragon to begin with. Especially as he’d apparently tried to make a meal of Shadow, who’d barely escaped with her life. Besides which, a quick check showed she was too engrossed in chatting with Shadow to be bothered listening to my overly dramatic performance. Later that night, drunk, snoring, and generally unconscious thestrals littered the village from end to end. Not a few had found their way into each others huts too, their noisy exploits carried through the air to my ears and, no doubt, Shadow’s. She looked up at me with those burning red eyes of hers making my heart race. By the gods, she was so beautiful…

Etrida cleared her throat when she saw me moving to kiss Shadow. “If you’re going to being doing ‘that’,” she rumbled, “I’d prefer it if you found a room inside, and not in front of my daughter. Or me for that matter.”

Honestly, I didn’t really feel like doing ‘that’ anyway. I was too tired, far too drunk, and deliciously comfortable just lying by Shadow’s side. Smiling, she snuggled into me and let out a deep breath, closing her eyes. No, tonight was for resting, and tomorrow… tomorrow we’d be on our way home.

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

We were awoken with a substantial breakfast of porridge, some type of oatcake, and a selection of berries, the whole assemble brought to us courtesy of the small flotilla of maids under the ever vigilant direction of the stern faced Freya. The surprisingly tasty hot malted beverage which followed washed it all down very nicely indeed too. As well as providing some much needed nourishment, the appearance of breakfast also served the additional function of helping to rouse the previous evenings drowsy revellers from their alcohol soaked slumber. Most of them anyway. Some time later we had all been assembled in the overcrowded village as if on military parade: the three tribes, myself and Shadow, as well as the respective leaders. Before us stood Etrida, the elder of the dragon realm, and Star Beard, the elder of the Beyond. The ancient thestral mystic was cloaked in his familiar threadbare ‘look-alike Star Swirl’ cloak and hat, the latter of which was smothered in so many of those ridiculous brass bells that it made him look like a morris dancer on steroids. What in the goddess’s name possessed him to wear such a ridiculous garment was beyond me, but each to their own I suppose. Earlier that morning the hall’s porters had brought out a makeshift altar of some kind, upon which Star Beard had neatly arranged Thalio’s dagger and one of Star Swirl’s beacons - probably the one I had left behind during my first visit to the Withers. Personally I was relieved that I still had another of the curious things in case of any ‘accidents’, but also because I planned to return it to Twilight Sparkle the first chance I got. That young mare had risked a lot for me, and I prayed she’d be safe. Not that these days I really knew who to pray to, specifically, as the world around me was rapidly becoming something so completely alien to everything I had experienced growing up that I’d given up trying to make head nor tail of any of it for the sake of my own sanity. Not only that, but I was repeatedly finding myself with that unsettling sense of ‘being here before’. Hopefully it was just my imagination.

Shadow nudged my shoulder to get my attention, no doubt noticing my wavering concentration. And no wonder! I was absolutely exhausted from the night before, what with all the drinking, story telling and displays of wendigo magic, I felt like a piece of washing that had been wrung out, dragged through a mangle and left out to dry. Dutifully though, I snapped my head up in time to see one of the most bizarre sights I’d seen outside of a circus big-top. Star Beard, the oldest thestral I had met and one who must have been close to a thousand years old or more, was stood atop a raised platform, standing tall on his hind legs with his wings splayed whilst holding his staff high above his head. My face must have been a picture. I don’t know what amazed me the most - the fact that he was taking such a flamboyant pose in the first place, or that old bugger was actually able to maintain his balance without his knees giving out. Gods, I hoped he had somepony nearby to catch him if they did! But then something even more extraordinary happened. From the open mouth of the thestral elder flowed some of the most unusual sounds I’d ever heard: grunts, clicks, hisses, and a throaty moaning that were unlike any thestral language I’d encountered in the Withers, emanated from his toothy maw until they seemed to fill the very air around us like some living, breathing entity in its own right. I could feel it in my hooves - a slow, physical rumbling, flowing up my legs and into my chest. It was in my ears, in my brain, passing through my lungs with every breath I took. Presumably it wassome sort of language he was speaking, but whatever it was, it was making my hackles go up like noponies business. Judging by the slightly alarmed looks on the faces of the others around me, I wasn’t the only one wondering what in the goddess’s name was going on here.

Magic. It had to be.

My horn was itching besides itself, and it took all my concentration just to prevent myself from reaching up to give the blasted thing a damned good scratch. Whatever Star Beard’s words were, whatever they meant, there was power in them alright. A lot of power. I attempted to distract myself by focussing entirely on Star Beard himself, but it did little to help ease my predicament. Every passing second, with every breath I took, the itching intensified to new eye-wateringly unbearable levels. As it did so the air around Star Beard’s staff began to shimmer with what I could only describe as a heat haze, a phenomenon I’d only ever heard about in the warnings from our school teachers about blundering into areas of ‘high background thaumaturgical radiation’. I’d never seen one. I’d never met anypony who had either. “It can turn you inside out!” they’d said. “Strip the flesh from your bones before you even taken a step!” they’d said. At the time I’d thought it was the usual kind of old codswallop that adults liked to spout at youngsters for shits and giggles. But this… bloody hell fire, I was beginning to think they hadn’t been exaggerated at all! If anything, the dire warnings hadn’t been nearly enough to prepare you for the real thing. And the ‘real thing’ was beginning to have an effect on the objects on altar as well. As I watched, the beacon on the altar slowly began to glow, the familiar white of the crystal brightening in intensity before turning a vivid cerulean blue, changing again a moment later to a deep purple hue that was as enchantingly beautiful as it was unnerving. There was something about this extraordinary transformation that made the hairs stand up along my spine, something distinctly unnatural that I simply couldn’t explain. Something… ‘wrong’. The enormous magical build up was ever present now, but the pendant’s colour… it drew my gaze so intently, so thoroughly, that I found myself completely hypnotised by it. This purple, this deep, fathomless, purple... it wasn’t so much a glow from with the crystal’s surface as such, but… I know it sounds foolish, and yet… it was like staring into a hole. A hole in the very fabric of the universe. Fascination warred with the sensation of rising horror within me that screamed at me to get away, to run, to put as much distance between this otherworldly object and myself as possible. I was going to die. We were all going to die, sucked into that bottomless hole, torn from this fragile speck of life to be ripped apart by the soulless nothingness of the infinite void – eaten, by that emptiness the gods had left behind from the dawn of creation. My heart was pounding in my chest fit to burst, sweat breaking out on my forehead and running in rivulets down my muzzle. But I knew, as terrified as I was, there was no backing out now. I had to trust my friends.

Thalio’s dagger responded. Sparks of electrical energy, tiny glints of vivid light, sparked along the blade’s razor sharp edge. The flow of sound permeated everything around us now, building, ebbing, then rising again as waves lap against the shore. My attention shifted to Etrida. She rose up on her hind legs and she too began to chant that strange language in time with Star Beard, harmonising their two voices into one, dreadful song. It was, I admit, quite fascinating in its own way, yet at the same time something that I’d likely hear replayed in my nightmares for years to come. As the pitch reached its zenith, from her mouth the elder dragon blew a fine green plume of intense magical fire which lapped across the objects on the altar. It was a total contrast to the incinerating, bright yellow flames Sharar had used against us when we had fought him in the mountain. This produced no heat that I could feel at all, merging instead with the magic in the air around us, making my horn itch all more to the point where it became a sharp, piercing pain that drove down through my skull and into my brain. I wasn’t sure how much more of this I could take. The incredible build up of raw magic before me was becoming more and more intense by the second, a virtual whirlwind of power swirling between the thestral mage and the dragon, and all of it focussed on the altar. Abruptly a wind sprung up from nowhere, blasting through the village, picking up sand as it came, howling around the crowded warriors and screaming with an ungodly sound like a soul in unimaginable torment. All eyes were up on it now. Sensitive to magic or not, the sight of such unimaginable power at work was affecting each and every one of us. I could feel Shadow pressing up against me as the wind span faster and faster, mere yards from where we stood. To my untrained eyes it looked as though this magical force was sucking up all the energy in the air, drawing it inexorably into a magical vortex that began to coalesce over the heads of the two wielders of magic. Worried looks amongst the thestrals displayed their concern for all to see. For all their warlike nature, to stand against this unknown power, this magic in its rawest form, was clearly something very few of them, if any, had ever seen. It truly was a scene I would never forget, even in all my long years of life. The green fire of the elder dragon, merging and flowing within the whirlwind, was nothing short of mesmerising. And then, unexpectedly, lightning flashed, sending a rumble of thunder out around us as shadowy after-images seared into my eyes. Some gasped in shock, others looked up into the sky as though expecting to see gathering storm clouds. But this was no natural storm - it was held there, imprisoned fast and deep within the vortex itself - a perfect storm of absolute magic. The pain in my head was still there, and yet I found that as I stood there watching this incredible sight, to my surprise it almost began to make some sort of sense to me. The best way I could describe it was like trying to piece together a jigsaw puzzle you’d never seen the final picture of. Each piece that came together offered you a glimpse, but only a glimpse, of the finished article. Overall you had an idea of what it was going to look like when it was completed, although you couldn’t be entirely sure until all the pieces were in place. There was no doubt Etrida and Star Beard knew what it was. These two were masters of their craft; each piece was there, slotting seamlessly into place, the words finding the right location, blending, drawing and shaping the magic, fixing it all into place. Until…

A deafeningly loud clap of thunder pulsed out from the altar in a shock-wave of sound and force, flattening the grass, lifting the sand and buffeting the entire village in an ever expanding circle. The swirling green fire flared a bright blue before abruptly winking out of existence, taking with it the wind that disappeared as quickly as it had come. Silence fell. Wearily, Etrida lowered her head, clearly exhausted by the massive expenditure of magic. But the toll on Star Beard had been far more telling. The old thestral dropped back to all fours and stumbled sideways as his legs gave way, thankfully caught by a fast thinking Freya whose face bore an expression of such genuine kindness and concern I couldn’t help but feel moved. Truthfully, and to my shame, I hadn’t thought the brusque mare capable of displaying such emotions, let alone feeling them. Now they were there for the whole village to see. Shadow and I hurried to Star Beard’s his side as Freya carried him gently to the ground, cradling his head against her chest. Within seconds a whole slew of maids were shuttling back and forth with blankets, cloths and warm water to tend to their elder. Star Beard’s eyes were closed, he was weakened, but mercifully breathing.

“Do not fear, he will recover,” Etrida said quietly to Freya. “Right now he needs to sleep so that he may rebuild his strength. Keep him warm, and feed him two of the crystal berries, crushed and mixed with water. But no more than two, you understand?” Freya merely nodded, wiping away a stray tear. Etrida turned to Shadow and I next, nodding, “It is done.” Her voice was heavy from the unimaginable strain she had put upon herself, but also held a background note of relieved pride. “Come, take the key and ready yourselves.”

Key? Almost in a daze I walked over to stand before the altar. My headache was dissipating at last, and that dreadful sound that had made my legs feel like jelly had done no lasting damage so far as I could tell. But my eyesight was another matter. I stared at the altar, blinked, then looked again. I felt like a drunkard on a Friday night trying to find the keyhole in my own front door when it was right in front of my nose. Was I seeing things? The beacon, that ancient artefact of unimaginable value, had vanished. Simply… vanished. Now there was only Thalio’s dagger, or rather what had been Thalio’s dagger. I couldn’t help but stare at the thing in open mouthed incredulity. It had looked strange before, but that paled into insignificance with what lay before me on the cold, stone altar. Now the blade glowed with an intense white light, swirling patterns and flashes of electricity sparking along the entire length of the fuller. I hadn’t been mistaken after all. The beacon had gone, true, but not entirely. It had melded with the dagger, becoming one with it in the forge of magic.

A tired voice called out to me, “Didn’t think the old fool had it in him, eh?”

I turned to see Star Beard, still trying to extricate himself from the confines of his mare’s fussing embrace. “No, Colonel, I never doubted you,” I replied honestly. “Not even for a moment.”

He gave me a knowing wink before gently moving away from the protective forelegs of Freya. He was still a little wobbly I noticed, but thankfully no worse for wear. “Well, this is it, Captain,” he announced, leaning against the altar. “If this works, if Star Swirl’s calculations and our efforts to transcribe the texts were on point, it will act as a key to allow you through the Rift and back home to Equestria.”

I stared down at the dagger. “And if it doesn’t work?”

“Let’s not think about that, my boy!” he huffed. “Positive thinking and all that, right?”

I felt my eye twitch. “Yeah… Positive thinking...”

Etrida laughed aloud before reaching out to stroke Tarragon who had scrambled up and onto my barding, no doubt anticipating the next leg of our adventure. “You will be riding on my back for this journey, Lord Fairlight,” Etrida explained. “I can fly a lot faster than you, and other dragons will not bother us this way.” She shook herself and looked down at me with her huge reptilian eyes. “I would not normally degrade myself in such an undignified manner for anyone, but for Shadow and my children, I will… ‘permit’ you to travel on my back.”

She gave me a meaningful look and I bowed to her gratefully. “Thank you, Lady Etrida. We couldn’t have got this far without you.”

The great dragon blinked, letting out a snort of smoke. “No. No you could not.”

Well, that was me put firmly in my place! Shadow gave me a shy grin, accompanied by a conciliatory nuzzle. I think that more than made up for any wounded pride I might have been feeling right at that moment, and to my relief I began to feel the stirrings of something I hadn’t sensed in quite some time – Hope. We were close now, so close I didn’t want to so much as think about it in case even that simple act burst the metaphorical bubble, thereby dooming us to a fate that even Star Beard didn’t want to elaborate upon. I glanced at Shadow. She already knew about our chances out there. She didn’t have to say anything, but she knew. I could see it in her eyes.

This time, there was no turning back for either of us.

Chapter Sixteen - Into the Shallows

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

INTO THE SHALLOWS

I hate long goodbyes, especially when there’s a crowd. What if you say the wrong thing? What if you leave the wrong impression? You can call it stage fright or a lack of self confidence, yet the simple fact remains that no matter how hard I try to keep my cool, all of these doubts assail me every single blasted time I find myself in that sort of situation. Is it a character flaw of mine? Probably. Does it point to some underlying issue that I need professional help with? Who knows, but I wouldn’t be surprised. No doubt some highly paid professional sitting in a swanky office in Canterlot would be able to point to some trauma or suchlike in my past that had caused me to be like this. Be it the schoolyard bullying I’d endured during my childhood or the fact that I’d watched my wife being raped and murdered before my very eyes whilst being tortured to death myself, inevitably they would be able to point to it and assure me with absolute conviction, that this single, pivotal moment, was the ‘trigger’ which had created the mixed up mind of the poor sod called Fairlight. All things considered it was a wonder I wasn’t a raving lunatic by now. Still, in my own defence I think I’d managed to muddle through things pretty well so far. I was still alive, intact, and had a wonderful family. Meadow and Sparrow were with the herd, Tingles and Lumin were waiting for us in Smiling Borders, and I had successfully achieved my goal of finding the lost member of our own herd – the lovely Shadow. Which brought us neatly back to this latest, awkward moment in my life. Sometimes there are situations there’s simply no way round, and honestly, neither should there be. These were, after all, my friends. Thus began a long bout of farewell’s and hoof shaking, to the point where it left me with an uncomfortably aching shoulder. I didn’t care though really, after all, who knew when, or if, I would ever return here. Indeed, this could very well be the last time I would ever set hoof in the mysterious, alien land of the Wither World. As odd as it might sound too, I think it had kinda grown on me during my time here – to some extent anyway. And speaking of which, this could likely be the last time I would see Short Stride, Ember, Star Beard, Thorn… I closed my eyes as that terrible sinking feeling dropped my heart like a lead weight into its unforgiving depths. I think it was this fact, cold and unforgiving as it was, that was truly behind my reluctance to say goodbye. These were not just friends, they had become so much more than that, even during my relatively short time with them. They were my family. Even the axe wielding guard shook my hoof which I accepted with a wry smile. Forge, Short Stride, Ember, Thorn, Stone Hammer... everyone. And then finally, tired and weary as he was, came the indomitable Star Beard who reached out to give me a hug that nearly made me jump in shock.

“Take care, my boy,” he smiled. “And take care of our young Shadow, won’t you? She will most likely be the first thestral to enter your world in over a thousand years. Others may not see that change as being particularly ‘welcome’. I’m sure you understand what I’m saying here, yes?”

I nodded. “I do, Colonel.”

The old thestral closed his eyes and bobbed his head once. “Good. Now then, I’ve put my diary in your pannier along with some extra bits and pieces for later. There’s a package of tobacco seeds too, but make sure you read the directions before planting them, yes? I can’t guarantee they’ll grow in Equestria the same way they do here of course, but they came from there originally so it seems reasonable to assume they still will.” Taking a deep breath he looked me in the eyes, those burning orbs that had seen so much of life, fixing with me with a gaze that was unusually tender for the ancient warrior. “Don’t forget us, Captain. Don’t forget the rest of your family on the other side of the veil. We may be worlds apart, but you are as much a part of the Wither World now as any of us. The Beyond, the Purple Sands, and even the Broken Cliff, will never be the same again. And who knows, perhaps now we may see a period of something I never dreamed possible in my lifetime – peace. And it is through you, through your children, that the memory of our people will be kept alive in another world, as we will remember you. May goddess protect and be with you always, my friend.”

Star Beard and I shook hooves. It was a simple gesture, and like most, one I didn’t tend to give much thought to really, yet now it felt as though it was resounding throughout my entire being. This was it, it was the end of my time here in the Wither World, and this entire chapter of my life was about to come to an end – the metaphorical closing of a book that had been read cover to cover. It was hard to come to terms with the fact that I would most likely never come here again. I would never see my friends again. Emotion bubbled up inside me and I took a deep breath, keeping it under control as best I could. This was neither the time nor the place for such displays, regardless of how much it wrenched at my heart. The last thing I wanted was for Shadow’s people to think they were sending one of their daughters away with a stallion who was incapable of keeping his emotions under control. No, to protect her I had to be strong. And remain strong. I trotted over to Etrida next.

She looked back at us over her shoulder, stretching all four legs as she adjusted her enormous wings. “Wait until I am in the air and then land on my back,” she called. “When you are in place, take the collar around my neck and hang on as tight as you can. I will not be slowing nor stopping once we enter the Rift.”

No pressure then! I took a quick glance over my equipment, making sure none of the buckles or straps were loose. They weren’t. The maid army had gone to work on myself and my companions already, adding more ropes, straps and who knew what else, so that in the end I was trussed up like a Sunday roast at a griffin’s dinner party. I was especially glad I had the foresight to go to the bathroom before we’d come out here too. I somehow doubted that there’d be a chance for toilet breaks on our way to the destination, let alone any in-flight snacks. Fortunately I’d managed to snaffle some snacks from the kitchen when Freya’s back was turned, so at least we had something to nibble on if the opportunity arose. ‘Hope springs eternal’, as they say. But now it was time to leave at last. A final round of farewells and tearful hugs from Shadow’s sisters later, and the three of us, four if you count the squeaking dragonling, took to the air. Etrida began to circle, steadily gaining height until at last we were able to come in for rather fumbled landing on her back. Honestly, I tried to be as gentle as possible, but it was like trying to balance on wet soap in a warm bath. I’d barely made contact when my forehooves slipped on the dragon’s polished scales, my hind legs scrabbling helplessly for purchase. To my horror the world began to tip upside down as I frantically flapped my wings trying to grab something, anything, to stop my fall. I heard Etrida shout something, a neigh of alarm, and then… I was caught. Thank the gods for Shadow. She was there in an instant, catching me and guiding me into position beside her. I don’t think I’ve ever been so relieved to be grappled in all my life! My heart was hammering fit to burst in my chest, though I still had the wherewithal to strap myself in as tightly as possible. Shadow did the same, and between us we made ourselves fast.

Surprisingly Etrida was actually not that uncomfortable to sit on once we were in place, although it was immediately obvious that dragons were never meant for carrying passengers in any form. If the slippery scales weren’t bad enough, innumerable spikes and large bumps meant to protect against enemies in a fight stuck out all around me. Fortunately though, not in me. Still, at least they gave me something else to grab hold of if the need arose. I hoped to the goddess it wouldn’t come to that of course, though with the amount of straps on me now, extricating myself from Etrida even in the best of conditions would be a monumental task in itself. Freya’s minions had hastily constructed a collar out of that horrible white rubbery material the thestrals used in place of leather, which had then been fitted around our mount’s neck with straps for us to hold on to. All things considered we were pretty well secured for our foray into the unknown, even if I did harbour a few unspoken reservations about flying on the back of something when I had no direct control. All I could do now was put my trust in my scaly friend to know what she was doing. Little did I realise that I was just about to find out too. With a few beats of her enormous leathery wings the elder dragon shot forward like a bolt loosed from a crossbow. A very big crossbow... Dear gods! The sudden transition from stationary flight to forward flight threw me back into my harness with a such ferocious jolt that it was as if I’d been bucked full in the chest. I put my head down, trying my best to breathe, but in truth it was all I could do just to simply hang on for dear life. The sheer speed Etrida could fly was absolutely eye watering, not mention astonishing for such a large creature. The rush of air flowing over her scaled body threatened to tear us from her back and fling us both bodily out into the clouds below, into… wait… clouds? That smell… No, that couldn’t be right. We weren’t over the marshes already were we? By Luna’s grace, we were! If I strained myself I could just about see past Etrida shoulder, and… Yes! Sure enough, far below us was the dark muggy landscape of the marshes beyond the Purple Sands tribe’s land. A few strokes of her wings later we were flying high over the mountains, the blasted and blackened desolation that made up the realm of the dragons whipping past us in a grim blur of rock and sulphurous cloud. Tarragon had wisely remained in my pannier, and a quick check on Shadow showed she was having the same thoughts I was - we both wanted this to be over as soon as possible. Flying in a sky chariot or carriage was a far cry from being strapped to a dragon’s back, but if nothing else, this experience was something I’d be able to regale Sparrow and Lumin with one day - if daddy survived of course.

As if in answer to my unspoken thoughts, Etrida called back to us in her great booming voice, “Behold! The Shallows lie beyond the next mountain!”

I tried to see past the tears streaming from my eyes, but all I could make out was a large black crack in the rocky ground. A crack that seemed to be growing inexorably as we approached. The inside of it seemed endless, with thick white clouds flowing deep within its depths from which lightning flashed sporadically, illuminating the sheer jagged sides with its retina searing light. I took a deep breath to speak, but the dragon had her own plans.

“Have the key ready, Fairlight,” she roared. “We’re going in!”

“We’re going in?” I shouted in surprise, “Aren’t we going to-”

“No time like the present!” Etrida shouted back, interrupting me. “Fortune favours the bold, little pony!”

I closed my eyes just in time as the huge dragon pulled in her wings and suddenly pitched forward, rolled, and then dropped like a bolt from heaven straight down, straight towards that wicked split in the earth that beckoned all that were foolish enough to dare approach its merciless depths. Wind howled in my ears, bursts of lightning searing even through my tightly closed eyes. Shadow screamed beside me, and I think I did too. My insides felt as though they were burning up through my throat whilst my head and ear pounded like a bass drum. With the violent pressure squeezing my body the way it was I honestly thought I’d throw up, and I probably would have done too if it hadn’t been for the fact that the freezing wind and sheer incredible speed of our descent made any physical reaction nigh on impossible. All we could do now was hang on for dear life. And pray. Dear gods, did I pray… In my mind I imagined the straps groaning beyond their limits, fraying, snapping… Fortunately they were made of stronger stuff than my nerves it seemed, and were holding up remarkably well despite the wind shaking and throwing us about violently in our headlong descent. One term chose to pop into my mind involuntarily too: ‘Terminal Velocity’. Goddesses help us, if we hit something at this speed we’d be in the afterlife before we felt anything… What a comforting thought.

A shout from Etrida slammed into my head over the noise. “Fairlight! Hold the blade before you and send your magic into it as we planned. Do it. Do it now!”

Shaken from my numbing fear, I fumbled for the blade, but it was like trying to catch a slippery eel with the force of the wind against my body. Time and time again I reached for it, focussing my magic, trying desperately to-

“Fairlight! Now would be a good time!”

With all my magical strength, I pulled out the dagger and held it before me, my wendigo power holding it firm and steady. A moment later Etrida let out a huge gout of green fire into our path which encompassed our bodies in its otherworldy light until, with a slight resistance and ear popping ‘thump’, the landscape below us transitioned to one I recognised all too well. The wind was still there, but it had lost its bitter edge. Gone was the searing flash of lightning, the dampness of the clouds sticking to my exposed fur. I blinked the stinging tears from my eyes, focussing them on the green fields, the wide vista of forest and lakes below us...

“Equestria!” I shouted, “By the goddess’s hairy arse, we’ve made it!” Despite my jubilation I was quickly aware that something was wrong. As beautiful as the world was around us, and as welcome a sight as it was, we were plummeting towards it at a terrifying speed. Etrida’s wings couldn’t seem to stabilise us properly and I cried out to her. “Etrida! We’re going too fast, you need to pull up!” She didn’t reply. Instead I caught a sense of the tremendous struggle she was having trying to correct our descent, the feeling of straining muscles and the gargantuan efforts going on beneath those rippling scales all too apparent. Terminal Velocity. “Shadow!” I shouted to my mate beside me. She was just coming back to consciousness herself, but was able to catch my eye. “We need to add our strength to Etrida’s or we’ll crash!” I called. “Follow my lead...” Giving herself a shake, she nodded her understanding, and together we spread our wings to catch the air, adding our own braking power to aid our huge friend pull out of her lethal dive.

It worked, but barely.

Shadow and I beat our wings as hard as we could, but it was like dragging them through treacle. Angling them just so, inch by torturous inch whilst shouting guidance to one another, the three of us began a long, slow correction from a straight down dive to a controlled descent, and just in the nick of time too. Hills and trees tore past only yards below us, and I’m sure I heard Etrida’s claws clipping the tops of them before she was able to beat her wings properly again and power us back into the blue sky of my homeland. Come to think of it, now that I was able to have a good look around at the landscape and breathe normally again, I actually had no idea where we’d emerged. The land below us looked like Equestria sure, but there was nothing I could see other than trees, hills and grass. There were no signs of life other than birds and the odd deer, but thankfully, our well travelled pilot had no problem with knowing where she was.

“I can smell my children!” Etrida shouted to us excitedly. “They are near!”

“That’s wonderful, Etrida!” I called back. “Do you know where we are?”

“Near the Crystal Mountains,” came the reply. “Where are do you wish to go?”

“Do you know a little village called Smiling Borders?” I asked hopefully.

She shook her head. “Alas, no. It was probably established during my absence.”

“Would you be able to take us to the Everfree, then?” I called. “The Spire Mountains?”

“Now that I do know!” she laughed. “We must be quick, I don’t want to leave my children with that buffoon any longer than I have already.”

My jubilation of being home would have to wait. Once again we were off at high speed, with Etrida soaring over the sea of green forest below us. I could almost see the Spire Mountains in the distance, and beyond them my beloved home in the village of Smiling Borders. Shadow looked over at me, tired, but with a ridiculous grin on her face. I couldn’t stop staring at her. The way her coat and mane looked in this light, the way it shone like onyx... it made my heart sing. The light of the Wither World had always been dull, with that odd background luminescence which was only ever one step away from total darkness. It certainly did nothing to illustrate the remarkable variation of colours I could see now. Not even the crystalline light of the Beyond had prepared me for the incredibly lustrous sheen of Shadow’s fur shining in the equestrian sunlight. Her coat, which had looked almost black back in the Withers, now appeared a deep blue, the colour of the night sky. Her long tail and mane, rippling in the backwash from Etrida’s wings, were a pure black but with a silvery sheen to them that made them sparkle like starlight. As expected though, her eyes still blazed as red as they always had, they just weren’t as noticeable in the daylight. I marvelled at her. She truly was a magnificent creature. Shadow furrowed her brow, watching me staring at her. I suddenly realising what I was doing and opened my mouth to apologise, but not knowing what to say I simply sat there looking like a prize idiot. She just shook her head and chuckled to herself, giving me a cheeky wink. She knew alright! I could feel myself blushing red in embarrassment. I know it was rude to stare, but still, how I could I not after all we had been through?

I could smell the Everfree long before we saw it, the clouds thick and pungent with its familiar earthy scent. Sure enough, there, wreathed in white cloud, were the Spire Mountains and… yes! There it was, the river! I knew where we were now, we weren’t far from the village! I was nearly home! Etrida must have sensed my excitement.

“We are near, Fairlight?” she asked.

“We are,” I called back. “You can drop us off here if you like, Etrida. We haven’t got far to go and I know you’ll be wanting to get back to your babies.”

“True,” she said raising an eyebrow, “but I wish to see this ‘home’ you have for Shadow, Lord Fairlight. After that ‘incident’ at the monastery, I want to be assured my friend is in safe hooves. I am certain you understand this, yes?”

I smiled at her. “I do. Thank you, Etrida. From the bottom of my heart… thank you.”

With my directions, within what seemed like mere moments we were directly over the sleepy village I had come to love so much, sweeping down in a gradually tightening circle until we came in for a rather ‘lumpy’ landing on the hilltop near the hot springs. I breathed in the fresh air, letting it fill my lungs with its magnificent fragrance. Sulphurous steam had never smelled so good! My hooves and legs felt like jelly after our trials though, my mouth and throat were painfully dry and my eyes were still stinging too, but with the excitement of being home, none of that mattered now. Shadow and I thankfully unbuckled ourselves from the harness which we also quickly helped remove from our dragon friend. I suddenly felt incredibly light after having the heavy straps taken off my body, and no doubt Etrida felt that tenfold having had two equine passengers as well to contend with. Blood flowed once again through my limbs where the straps had dug in. And by the gods it felt wonderful! I checked over Shadow, helping rub the life back into her legs and back. She had been wearing a tight fitting set of robes, but they hadn’t been as effective at I’d hoped, and she was painfully cold. Quickly, I hurried over to the changing rooms and brought towels which I dipped in the hot water to give her a rub down.

“Home?”

I smiled up at her as I worked, gently wiping around her muzzle. “Aye, love. We’re home.”

We’d landed on the slight rise outside the village and had a wonderful view of Smiling Borders. On the air I could smell the inviting aroma of woodsmoke. A thin trail of it rose lazily from the chimney of the largest building we could see - the Wyvern’s Tail.

Etrida snorted, lifting her head to look around. “We are being watched, be on your guard.”

I checked my gear just in case, but… here? I couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary myself. “Don’t worry,” I assured her. “The creatures here are my friends, Etrida. We’re safe.”

She didn’t seem so convinced, continually looking towards the forest’s edge. What could she see? I looked beyond her, scanning the trees for any signs of danger, but couldn’t see anything except the darkly ominous forest. Just on the edge of hearing though I heard a light woody clacking noise. Timber wolves. Were they friendly? Who could say, but they didn’t normally come out during the daytime anyway and there’d been no more attacks since my fight with their leader. Maybe it was a different pack? In any case they didn’t pose much of a threat to a wendigo and a dragon, probably not to a thestral either for that matter. Although I hadn’t seen her use it often, Shadow had a lethal form of magic all her own, and was perfectly capable of defending herself in a fight. Mind you, I had the distinct feeling was forgetting something. What was-

“ACK! Urrrp!”

“Tarragon!” I cried as the little thing leaped from my pack. “Oh, thank the goddess!” The little dragonling jumped down, giving herself a hard shake before letting out a tiny belch of fire. No worse for our terrifying decent through the Rift, Etrida’s daughter looked as full of beans of ever. She yawned expansively and licked her teeth. Her muzzle was… Ah… Of course… She’d found the treats...

“Come on then,” I said with a gentle chuckle. “Time to say hello.” Tarragon jumped up onto my back, snuggling into my mane as I lead the way.

We made quite the trio walking and loping down the winding path toward the village green. Etrida’s graceful lines were clearly more in tune with flying than with walking. Despite that however, the sunlight made the emerald green dragon shine as if she were made of polished gemstones. Seeing her like this I could see why these wondrous creatures were held in such awe by ponies, even if their reputation wasn’t ‘quite’ as well deserved as I’d originally thought. Etrida hadn’t eaten anypony yet at any rate, so that was a bonus. But of course, things had a habit of changing when you least expected it. Without warning, from out of the treeline a large figure emerged: horned, armoured, and ready for a fight by the appearance of the large double headed axe held in its hand. Behind the bipedal creature more armoured figures emerged until we were soon facing what was, in effect, a small army. Banners began to appear sporadically like somepony had just remembered to pull them out at the last minute too. Across from us the door of the tavern opened. From within, a magnificent armoured griffin emerged, the gold and silver plates of his burnished armour catching the sunlight like a mirror. The warrior walked steadily towards us, head held high and proud. The the massed warriors parted like waves before him, until finally he stood before us.

Grimble smiled, bowing respectfully. “My Lord Fairlight, you have returned to us.”

I bowed formally. “I am, Grimble my friend. And I have brought new friends to our home.”

The griffin bowed before Etrida. “My lady, please forgive our inexcusable rudeness. We had no idea one so magnificent as yourself would grace our humble village. You bless us with your presence.”

Etrida bobbed her head to Grimble as if it were the most normal thing in the world. “I am pleased some still remember the old ways,” she rumbled. “Grimble, was it?”

He nodded. “Yes, my lady”

Etrida raised an eyebrow, sniffing the air. “I wish to see this… ‘Tingles’, Grimble. Bring her to me.”

I felt slightly alarmed by this. We’d just arrived and Etrida was making demands to see Tingles? Come to think of it, where was she? Grimble was about to speak when the door of the tavern flew open with a bang and a tangerine pegasus flew out in a flurry of feathers, streaking towards us like some orange fireball.

“Fairlight! Oh thank the goddesses you’re safe!” She threw her forelegs around me and hugged me for all she was worth. By Luna, had she always been this strong?! “I thought I’d never see me again!” Tingles cried. “Oh goddesses, you’ve been gone for so long!”

My heart leaped into my throat. “So long? How long have I been gone?”

The reply made my heart skip a beat. “About three months.”

I hung my head. The bloody Wither World’s odd time fluctuations had struck again. Thank Luna I hadn’t been any longer. “Where’s Lumin?” I asked. But I needn’t have worried. Lumbering up in her latest pinny, a green one with an appliqué rabbit, was the monstrous form of Heather, the ever happy minotaur. In her hands she held a wicker basket housing a tiny grey foal. Thankfully, he hadn’t changed much at all. But… “Is he bigger?” I asked in surprise. “He looks bigger.”

“Of course he’s bigger, silly,” Tingles laughed, “He’s still growing you know!” Suddenly she froze, her eyes rolling up as tried to see behind her without looking round. Dragon breath steamed over her back and she quivered. “F… Fairlight?”

I held out a hoof. “Tingles, this is our friend, the lady Etrida, elder of the dragons. She’s been keen to meet you.”

Tingles slowly turned then backed toward me hurriedly as the great head of the dragon moved closer, sniffing her with those cavernous nostrils. The creature’s rumbling voice rolled out. “Hmmm, you certainly ‘smell’ like a pony.” She raised an eyebrow, carefully appraising the mare before her. “I trust Lord Fairlight in his choice of mates, however I will still ask you - are you a Celestian?”

Tingles nearly choked. “A… A what?”

Damn it all! She didn’t really understand all this ‘Celestian’ business from a millennia ago. I mean, who the hell would nowadays? I nudged her, whispering, “She means, are you a follower of Celestia?”

Tingles gave me a worried look, but valiantly stood her ground before the enormous dragon towering over her. “I don’t really know what a ‘Celestian’ is, Lady Etrida. However, I serve none but my foal, and I am the partner of Lord Fairlight. Be he the ‘Lord of the four winds’, or just a regular pony, it doesn’t make any difference to me.”

Etrida huffed a small puff of smoke. “And of the lady Shadow?”

Tingles turned to Shadow and smiled at her warmly. “We have already met in our dreams, yet I am excited to meet her for the first time in person. I’ll confess, I’ve been looking forward to her arrival and getting to know her better. Now that she’s here, I feel our family is complete.”

“But can you share?” Etrida asked inquiringly.

“I already share, my lady Etrida,” Tingles replied. “He’s a big enough stallion for all three of us.”

“For all… THREE?!” she bellowed suddenly. Shadow quickly trotted over to her reptilian friend and, reaching up as far as she could, whispered into her ear before looking away shyly. The dragon’s eyes stared down at me in utter amazement as she tried to digest what she’d just been told, but then, slowly, she shook her head resignedly. “The ‘third’ would be this...” she glanced at Shadow for confirmation, “Meadow? Your late wife, yes?”

I nodded. “And daughter. They were both…” I trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished. This was a happy time, a time for my family and friends to share in our joy at returning home safely. Raking up the past over and over again did nothing to help anypony, least of all me. Beside which we all knew the story anyway, and poking that wound repeatedly only ever succeeded in one thing, and one thing alone – causing yet more pain.

Etrida snorted, shook her head, and harrumphed loudly. “Dragons only need one mate, and even that is one too many!” She laughed, a thunderous rumbling sound which shook the leaves on the trees and rattled my chest like a dice cup. “Let me see the child,” Etrida announced suddenly, indicating Lumin.

Heather looked worriedly at Tingles, then turned to me as if I was likely to feed the little one to our scaled newcomer as a convenient snack. Etrida narrowed her eyes at Heather before I motioned her over hurriedly. The last this thing I wanted was an insulted dragon elder on my hooves. Carefully, I gathered Lumin in his blanket from the clutches of the nervous minotaur and held him up for the dragon to see. Etrida leaned down and sniffed him, the smoke curling around her nostrils causing some alarm from Tingles who rushed up to me, her chest heaving. I gave her a light nuzzle to try and reassure her. “It’s alright Love, Etrida’s a friend,” I said gently. I don’t think she was as convinced as I was, but at least she didn’t charge right in.

The great dragon examined the tiny foal closely, while Lumin, to my amazement, reached out with his hooves and tried to grab her nose. Etrida chuckled throatily. Lumin was a little charmer alright, even at this age, and whether he knew it or not he already had the elder dragon wrapped around his fore hoof.

“So small, so... delicate…” she whispered. Which for a dragon was still about as subtle as flying bricks. “He looks like you… So much like you.” Etrida gave me the most inscrutable of looks I’d ever seen from her, and I felt an odd flush run through my body. Shadow and Tingles both looked at me askance which only added to my befuddlement. I hadn’t a clue what that was all about, but Etrida wasn’t finished yet. “I have a gift for him,” she said suddenly, and I watched in amazement as she lifted her claw to her mouth and suddenly bit down, causing a drop of blood to well up. Gently, she reached forward and moved the claw to Lumin’s mouth. Tingles gasped in alarm, but was stopped from intervening by Shadow who shook her head at her. Something was happening here, something I felt oddly excited about for some peculiar reason too. I couldn’t tell what it was exactly, nor why I felt this way either, but whatever it was it resonated with the deepest parts of my memories. But why? Not that it really mattered of course, it didn’t seem to bother Lumin in the slightest. He gurgled and lapped at the blood happily, taking it all in until Etrida’s claw had been thoroughly licked clean. We all watched with baited breath for something to happen, but… nothing did. Nothing at all. All of us let out our combined held breaths. As if echoing our relief, a loud sigh emanated from the gathered ponies, minotaurs, griffins and goodness knows what else that comprised our merry tribe. Etrida however, merely smiled and gave Lumin the tenderest of kisses on the forehead. “He will be the next lord of the four winds, Fairlight,” she said gently. “Take good care of him, for he is your future. He is the future of you all.”

I bowed before her, as did we all. “Lady Etrida, on behalf of my family and my tribe, I thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

She reached across and nudged me with her nose, nearly knocking me over as she did so. “And I expect more foals,” Etrida rumbled, nodding towards Shadow. “You have the orb. I will await more good news. Soon.” Shadow blushed beside me, and even my own cheeks burned red.

Grimble walked up to the emerald dragon, dispelling the awkwardness of the situation. Gods, I could have kissed him right then! “Will you stay for a while my lady Etrida?” he asked. “We can bring you fresh venison from the forest, and I have a few casks of brandy waiting to be enjoyed.”

The dragon rumbled deep in her throat. “I am in a hurry to see my own children, but… venison you say? And brandy?” She scratched behind her ear in thought. “Perhaps... a little longer then.”

Grimble clapped his claws together, causing minotaurs and griffins alike to rush around like some kicked over anthill. Meanwhile I excused myself from my regal guest and walked with Shadow, Tingles and Lumin, back to the Wyvern’s Tail to help arrange things for what had suddenly turned into an impromptu welcoming party. Heather happily recovered Lumin, sitting herself down on the porch and rocking him to sleep in her muscular arms, leaving the adults to catch up on three months of lost time. The door to the tavern had barely closed behind us when Tingles suddenly grabbed me and gave me a deep kiss on the lips.

“Goddesses, I’ve missed you so much…” Tears began to well in her bright green eyes. “I thought…I thought, maybe…”

I brushed her tears away with a hoof. “No tears now,” I smiled. “Come on you, I’m home, and I’m not going anywhere. Anyway, I know I’m a little late but I’d like to present…” I bowed, holding out a foreleg, “The lady Shadow of the tribe of the Beyond, daughter of Duke Far Sight and Duchess Maelstrom. Shadow, may I present my partner, lady Tingles of the tribe of the four winds.” I gave them both a cheeky grin, but Tingles rolled her eyes at me and turned her attention to Shadow,

“We’ve been together, you and I,” she said quietly, “in our dreams.”

Shadow smiled softly. “We have.”

Tingles’ eyes shone brightly in the lamplight. “You’re part of our family now, Shadow. He never forgot you, you know. Fairlight wanted so much to bring you here, and I did too. Now, at last, you’re with us. You’re home.”

“Home,” Shadow said quietly, walking forward and taking Tingles in her forelegs for a hug. “Home.” The two nuzzled each other and then turned to me.

Tingles shook her head slowly, a knowing smile on her face. “Lord of the four winds, eh? Good grief.”

Shadow whinnied then moved over to me, rubbing her head up my neck before glancing to Tingles as if to ask permission.

“Go ahead!” Tingles laughed, “He’s our now…” She gave me a firm look, those neat eyebrows of hers drawn down in a slightly menacing expression. “…to do with as we please.”

Oh hell fire, I was in trouble now! Just... maybe not in a bad way. Maybe!

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

Drums, horns, and other assorted instruments played whilst the revellers drank, ate, and danced in the flickering yellow torchlight. Large bonfires had been hastily constructed around the green, adding their own heat to the already raucous behaviour of the assembled creatures, myself included. True to her word, Etrida had indeed joined us. Currently she was happily devouring her third deer, several empty kegs of brandy lying beside her while Grimble’s press-ganged helpers barrowed up yet another batch to her. I don’t know if she was drunk, or even if dragons could get drunk, but the emerald green dragon was definitely swaying and hiccuping small gouts of smoke and flame in time to the music. Grimble just shrugged at me and grinned wickedly. I think the old fellow enjoyed the attention to be honest, and making guests happy was something he clearly revelled in. It was quite the change to the gruff griffin we’d met when we first arrived here in Smiling Borders. Honestly, I was glad to see I wasn’t the only one who could ‘transform’! Happily, I knocked back my glass of brandy and rose to my hooves, laughing aloud as Shadow, Tingles and I, danced into the night. At some point I even danced with Heather who snorted and huffed as she span and pranced. The pinafore was one of her best party ones by the looks of it, embroidered with colourful prancing ponies. I have a vague recollection of dancing with a griffin too, but after that…

Oh goddesses, I didn’t feel well…

The morning found me collapsed on the floor in the tavern before the fireplace. I had no recollection of how I’d ended up there instead of my bed, and frankly, I didn’t care either. Right at that moment it hurt to think, let alone move. Some kindly soul had put a blanket over me and a rolled up coat under my head as a makeshift bed. My nose twitched. What was…? Oh… A bucket sat nearby with something horrible floating in it that was best not- Celestia’s arse, my head! Pain battered me, increasing tenfold with any attempt to move. That was when the room suddenly lurched and my stomach, aching from the night’s activities, threatened to attempt another evacuation. Alerted by my weakened shuffling, Heather trotted in, sickeningly healthy and carrying a flagon of something that smelled like a mixture of cinnamon and nutmeg, along with a bowl of porridge. She grinned mischievously at me and after helping me up to the table, retrieved the bucket, coat, and blanket.

“Heather?” I croaked. She stopped and looked back at me, her little black eyes glinting. I attempted a smile. “Thank you for looking after us. I know I probably haven’t really said much to you before now, but… thanks. I truly mean that.”

Heather stood there for a few seconds, a variety of expressions passing over her face before she curtsied and, with a hand over her face and cheeks flushing, rushed from the room. Strange minotaur, I thought to myself. But then, she was like another member of the family now I suppose. Odd how things were happening lately; I’d gone from one family, to none, to a huge one spanning the entirety of the village. And speaking of family, I’d have to see Meadow soon too. I hadn’t seen her since I’d left for the Wither World, and I missed her and Sparrow terribly. As soon as I could I’d visit the glade, and this time I’d remember to bring Lumin and Tarragon with me. That should liven things up a bit. Ha! I couldn’t wait to see the look on her face! You know, I may even thank that stuffy wizard Star Swirl if he decided to put in an appearance. I may not exactly be a fan of his of course, but I could still appreciate just how much he’d done to help reunite me with Shadow. Without him… Gods, I only dread to think where I would have ended up. I realised that at some point I’d have to check in with Mitre now I was back as well. The old grouse was probably wondering if I’d buggered off permanently. Mind you, if I kept a low profile for a while I might actually get that bloody holiday I’d been promised that never materialised. Huh! We live in hope… I leaned back and sighed. I’d agreed to help him of course, but now that I was here with my family with all my friends around me, things felt different. I felt different. Smiling Borders had become my home, and the rest of my troubles: the commissioner, Velvet Cream, Warlock, Celestia… it was as if they were from a different time, and a very different life. Truthfully, I just didn’t care about them any more. I just wanted to be left alone - a middle aged pony with foals, surrounded ponies who loved me, and friends. This was my little slice of heaven, and as far as I was concerned the eternal herd could just go and buck itself. For the first time in ages I felt at peace with the world, and dare I say it, with myself. I rubbed my head, wincing. Content and happy I may be, but it didn’t do much to help with a pounding hangover! Thankfully the spiced drink Heather had brought me earlier had apparently incorporated some sort of medicinal effect, taking the edge off the headache and even soothing my stomach to a degree. The porridge helped too, settling things down inside the bubbling cauldron that was currently masquerading as my tortured innards. Luna’s ears, would I never learn? As much as I may enjoy a tipple now and again, drink had never liked me very much, and as for my smoking habit… the less said about that the better. I quite fancied some now too, but where was my pipe? Hell, where was my gear?! Tutting, I resolved to check on the gang and the bedroom before-

“Aaaah!”

A scream rang out from upstairs, echoing through the quiet lounge. It was Tingles. My hangover forgotten, the chair flew out from under me as I charged for the stairs.

Another shrieking cry “FAIRLIGHT!” And again, “FAIRLIIIGHT!!”

I took the stairs two at a time, rounding the corner onto the landing and bursting through the door of our bedroom to find Tingles standing on the bed clutching Lumin and trying to reach her PDW on the bedside table. She was staring wide eyed towards the end of the room where my panniers were lying in a heap.

“What’s going on?! Are you okay?” I shouted looking around the room for a weapon.

I reached for the magic and felt it leap to my urgent need, cold and hard, ready for release. Nothing would attack my family and walk away. Nothing! I could feel my hackles go up, and a rumbling escaped my throat when I saw the movement. My pannier twitched slightly, the flap shifting almost imperceptibly, and then suddenly a small snout appeared huffing a tiny whuff of smoke. It was followed by a familiar scaly creature emerging from the scattered packs, dragging behind it a leg of half eaten venison.

Tingles screamed like a harpy. “What the hell is that thing?! Get it away!”

She backed away to the end of the bed, protectively cradling Lumin who merely gurgled merrily without a care in the world. I closed my eyes and leaned against the door frame as I released my grip on my magic. Relief flooded through me and I trotted over to the little dragonling who had made a nest for herself in my gear, apparently unbeknownst to poor Tingles. Tarragon burped loudly before letting me pet her, then returned to far more pressing matters - her breakfast.

“Tingles, this is Etrida’s daughter, Tarragon,” I smiled. “Don’t worry, she’s harmless. Just think of her as another friend of the family.” Well, ‘relatively’ harmless at any rate.

The tangerine pegasus edged off the bed and backed toward the door. “That… that’s a baby dragon?”

I nodded. “Yup.”

She bumped up beside me. “It’s… I… I don’t want it near Lumin, Fairlight. Look at those teeth! Those claws are like knives too!”

I shook my mane. “She’s a ‘she’, not an ‘it’, love. Tarragon saved my life in the caverns and is a friend of mine, a friend of yours too, if you let her.”

Tingles looked at me with an uncertain expression. “I don’t know…”

A clatter of hooves announced the arrival of Shadow who appeared behind us, panting and steaming. She smelled of soap, and still had a towel wrapped around her mane. “Fairlight, Tingles. Scream? Danger?”

“It’s alright everypony, no need for alarm, it’s just Tarragon,” I said holding up my forehooves. “She was asleep in my pack and must have sneaked out to grab some venison. I wondered where she’d disappeared to.”

“Shadow, do you know about this… dragonling?” Tingles asked her friend warily. “I mean, is it… Is ‘she’, safe?”

Shadow nodded. “Safe.” She walked over to Tarragon who’d finished her meal and gave a happy chirrup at the thestral’s approach, giving her a nuzzle and a lick. “Safe.”

“Hmmm, well, she may be safe around those too big to eat, but I’m still watching her around my baby.” Tingles held Lumin close to her and kissed him, her fears allayed. “How’s the head?” she asked me with a raised eyebrow.

I rubbed my muzzle gingerly. “Bit better now, thanks. Boy, what happened last night?”

Shadow sniggered, “Brandy.”

Oh yeah… By the gods that stuff was potent. Balta was bad enough, but couldn’t hold a light next to Grimble’s mystical brew. A thought struck me though. “Where’s Etrida?”

“She’s gone,” Grimble announced, appearing from behind the doorway. “She left just before dawn.” He bobbed his head to Shadow and Tingles. “My ladies. She bid me not to wake any of you and to say that I was to remind you to, um… ‘make more foals’, or she may change her mind about eating you.” He scrubbed his feathered neck in embarrassment. “Sorry, Lord Fairlight.”

Tingles nudged me. “I’ve already got my hooves full. Meadow too. So that’s two out of three down, one to go.”

My cheeks flushed beet red. “Tingles! Please!”

“The lord of the four winds needs a large family,” Grimble added unnecessarily.

“Not you too!” I face hoofed. “I’m going for a wash, you guys can pester some other poor hung over stallion.”

“Aw! But you’re so much fun!” Tingles chuckled, “Don’t forget to take your… er… ‘new friend’ with you. I don’t want the ‘Terror of the East’ sitting here while I’m feeding Lumin.”

Ah, so she’d read the book too obviously. Maybe I should have chosen a more ‘family friendly’ name, like ‘sausages’ or ‘bangers’ or something. Hmm, ‘Sausages the dragon’, eh? Ha! Now there was a title of a foal’s story book if ever there was one! Anyway it was too late now, Etrida had already approved of the name and Tarragon would henceforth be known as such. So long as she didn’t take after her namesake and torch the village on a whim some day, I was happy to have the little one here. Growing up as an only child I’d desperately wanted a pet, but mum and dad had never let me have one for some reason. My friend Fennel had one though - ‘Frank’ the dachshund, and I never missed an opportunity to call round after school to visit. That energetic little monster was always up to something mischievous, although he must have passed away what, thirty years ago or so now? How long did dogs live anyway? I let out a quiet sigh under my breath. It was quite sad the way I’d lost touch with my old pals, but it years ago now of course. Jobs, marefriends, marriage - all those lovely little facets of life in Equestria taking their toll on our social lives little by little the way it had for countless generations. I wonder how they were all doing? I guess they wouldn’t even recognise me now, what with the scar, the weird eyes and the cutie mark… honestly, it made me wonder why these mares were attracted to me at all. Some might think the title I had inherited made me something of a catch, but they couldn’t be further from the truth. Lord of the four winds, right? Lord of a pile of rocks and a rickety old tavern I didn’t even own, more like it.

Bollocks to it…

Shadow stayed with Tingles to fuss over Lumin whilst I took Tarragon out with me for my morning ablutions. The little dragon, oblivious to the chaos she’d caused only a few moments ago, was sitting happily on my panniers which, rather cleverly I thought, secretly housed my pipe and tobacco as well as my sponge bag. I trotted past the minotaurs who had gathered at the foot of the stairs, all of them fully armed I noticed. No doubt they’d appeared in reaction to Tingles’ shrieks, and boy did her lungs work well! The racket she’d been making must have had half the village up by now.

“All in order, boys and girls,” I called to them heading out the door, “you’d think she hadn’t seen a dragon before!”

I left the surprised warriors to stare after me whilst I headed for the hot spring, and a well deserved soak. The steam and hot water was drawing me like a magnet draws iron filings; I could almost feel its wonderful body relaxing heat already. Fortunately there was nopony else in there when I arrived, and I wasted not time packing my pipe with tobacco before easing myself into the water hind hooves first until I was up to my neck in its glorious warmth. Goddesses, this was so good it was probably a sin, and even if it was… Bah! To hell with it. I hovered the flame over my pipe and took a few puffs until it was properly lit, then settled back to relax. The taste of Star Beard’s tobacco was something else alright. I closed my eyes, leaning my head against a rock as I enjoyed the pungent, yet aromatic smoke rolling around my mouth and nostrils, mixing together with the steam. Sin or not, it was blissfully good. The smell of the tobacco reminded me of Star Beard and his disorganised study. It reminded me of Ember, of Short Stride and Thorn… all my friends. Part of me wished they could have been here with us here, but you couldn’t have everything. Right now though, I felt like I owned the world. Chuckling slightly, I let my body float up to the surface. It was a survival technique we’d learned in the watch; by lying in a certain way and controlling your breathing, you could find your centre and simply float without sinking. In my case, I just drifted, smoking my pipe and sighing out my happiness to the blue sky above.

Of course, it couldn’t last…

A huge plume of water erupted just before my hind legs, the waves dunking me under and making me inhale the steaming water. In a coughing, spluttering mess, I came to the surface and fought my way to the bank as a pair of orange forelegs grappled me from behind.

“Gotcha!”

“Gah! Tingles!” I sneezed out a gout of water. “What the hell?!” Water had gotten into my eyes too. “You nearly drowned me, you silly mare!”

She flapped her wings, using them like oars and propelling us into the shallower area of the spring. “No more than you deserve mister.” She held up the incriminating article. “What’s this?”

I mumbled my reply, “My pipe.”

“Fairlight…” She sighed shaking her head. “You promised me you’d stop didn’t you?”

“I did, but I didn’t say when,” I huffed. Waving my hooves in resignation I rolled my eyes at her. “Tingles, please love, it’s the only vice I’ve got-”

She clopped me on the shoulder. “Bloody bollocks it is! Last night you were so drunk you couldn’t stand up! Poor Heather had to carry you into the tavern too. What an example you’d set to little Lumin if he’d seen you. His dad - a drunkard!”

“Oh, come on Tingles, Please!” I protested. “Don’t start bloody henpecking me. I’ve been through absolute hell recently and you’re going on at me like this! Give me a break!”

She laughed, ignoring my protests. “Somepony needs to talk some sense into you, and you know that Shadow’s too sweet to say anything to you about it. Oh, Fairlight, I don’t like you smoking and drinking because I worry about you.” Tingles pulled herself over my midriff. “Because I love you, don’t you know that?”

“Of course I do!” I said holding up my fore hooves, “but I rarely drink at all, and you had a few last night too don’t forget.”

She began to protest but I cut in, “Okay, look, I’ll stop if it makes you happy, love. As for drinking, I will socially but that’s all. I’m not a drinking pony anyway, I never have been. All that happens when I’m tipsy is I end up chucking up everywhere and hanging onto the toilet like a blasted life preserver.”

Tingles released my neck and moved her head down until her nose was barely a hairs breadth from me. “I know that, who do you think put the bucket there?”

“I thought it was Heather”

“No… your loving pegasus did, the one who waited patiently for her stallion night after lonely night.” She let out a long sigh. “Fairlight… do you know what its like to be alone like that, especially when you’ve been up for hours nursing Lumin?”

“I’m sorry love,” I whispered.

She shook her head. “No… you had a mission to complete and you succeeded, you saved our Shadow. But you haven’t answered my question, do you know what it’s like to be alone at night?”

“Of course I do,” I sighed. “I spent many nights, and days, alone in the Wither World. So yes, I know what it’s like to be alone.”

She looked away from me. “Did you… think of me, when you were away?”

“Of course I did, I missed you like crazy,” I assured her, giving her a peck on the muzzle. “I was barely there five minutes though compared to the time that passed here. I was worried sick something like that could happen which is why we rushed back as soon as we could.”

Tingles’ voice was barely a whisper. “I spent so many lonely nights without you, sometimes I cried myself to sleep wondering if I’d ever see you again.”

“Oh, Tingles…” I’m sure I felt my heart breaking in my chest.

“Other times… I dreamt of you,” she said nuzzling my neck.”I could smell you on my pillow and I had to… I had to…” she trailed off.

“Had to what?” I asked.

She whispered in my ear, “I had to… you know… I wanted you so badly...”

Tingles licked my neck and then suddenly bit my shoulder hard. “Ow!” I squeaked, but she wasn’t done with me yet. Not by a long shot.

“Fairlight… I’ve waited so long for you to come home, and now you’re here, I’m here, and nopony else…” The tangerine mare shifted her body, pulling herself up. Despite the heat of the water I could feel another warmth surging through me now. “You know what I want, and as your mare, I want you to take your fill of me…” Tingles stared down into my eyes, breathing heavily. “…And I of you…” I gasped as she pushed herself into me, her eyes squeezed tight shut, “Goddesses, I’ve missed this…” That was it. My magic slipped from my grasp and I could feel my body changing, the wendigo power surging uncontrollably through nerves, veins, my wings bursting from my back and the blue haze forming around my eyes. Tingles pulled at me, an animalistic snarl on her face and a fire in her eyes. “Do it…”

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

Together, kissing and gasping for air at the same time, we slowly collapsed onto the warm rocks of the spring. I was exhausted. Last night, this morning… dear goddesses, she was going to kill me at this rate!

Lying beside me with her wings splayed out, Tingles groaned and nibbled my ear playfully. “I think somepony needs a wash, my minty fresh wendigo.”

I smiled weakly, stroking her mane as my magic seeped away, utterly spent. “I don’t frighten you as much as I did, do I love?”

Tingles shook her head with a smile. “No… Well, a little maybe, but I know it’s you. It’s a bit like…” she tapped her chin with a forehoof, “like being on a roller coaster. The fear makes things a bit more, um, ‘exciting’? You know you’re safe, but there’s that part of you that isn’t so sure. It’s something I needed Meadow to show me.”

“Meadow…” I stared up into the endless blue sky, casting my mind back to that glorious evening all three of us had spent with her before I left for the Withers. “I haven’t seen her since we came back, love. Will you come with me to the clearing tonight? You, Shadow and Lumin?”

“Of course,” she smiled. “But you know, I haven’t seen her there for a while. I don’t know exactly why though, I figured she’d most likely be with you in the Wither World helping to look for Shadow.”

My heart sank. “No… No, she wasn’t.” I closed my eyes and took a long, slow breath. “Celestia blocked our passage from the Wither World home. She even cut off our link to the eternal herd, but Star Swirl found a way to help us return even so. It was only with Star Beard and Etrida’s help we managed to get back here, so if Meadow’s not been with you then I can only imagine that the barrier the princess erected affects this side of the veil as well.”

Tingles sat up as my words sank in. “There must be a way, surely?”

“Oh, I think there is,” I grinned mischievously, “there’s always a way, love. But let’s not think of that now though, eh?” I took her in my forehooves, Tingles giggling and making a mock show of struggling. “Come here you…”

The two of us ran down to the tavern, laughing and joking as we charged in through the front door like a couple of naughty school foals. Shadow was sat there by the fire cradling Lumin, cooing to him whilst he kept trying to grab her muzzle with his tiny hooves. Trotting over to her, Tingles whispered something in her ear that made Shadow look at me intently, her red eyes flaring in the firelight. I wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or not, at least until Tingles took Lumin in his sling and trotted off upstairs without another word. Shadow waited for me to sit beside her.

“Are you alright love?” I asked her.

She nodded shyly, staring into the flickering flames. “Lumin. He is… beautiful.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at her description of our loveable little rogue. “I wouldn’t describe him as ‘beautiful’!” I grinned. “I’d say ‘cute’, sure, I may even go so far as to say… ‘delicious’.”

Shadow gasped, “Don’t eat Lumin! Wrong!”

I burst out laughing. “I didn’t mean I’d actually eat him!” Gods, I think she actually thought I would! “He’s just so cute you could eat him up,” I added, smacking my lips for comedic effect. “It’s an expression, that’s all, love.” She gave me a scandalised look which made her look absolutely adorable. I shook my mane and kissed her on the muzzle. “You’re cute too… maybe I should eat you up as well! Rrrrr!” Shadow gave me an odd look and turned her head away, muttering something I couldn’t quite hear, but I could see the red flush blushing her cheeks all the same. I was still smiling when Grimble walked in.

“You seem in fine humour today, my lord,” he said jauntily.

I reached out and took the offered hot tea from him. “Thanks Grimble, and yes… yes, I’m in a great mood today. The best I’ve been in for a long time in fact. Come, sit with us my friend, I wish to ask you something.”

Obediently the old griffin pulled up a chair and sat down, looking a little confused.

“Grimble, the girls and I… we want a home of our own,” I began. “This place, this village, this is our home now, and… well, what I’m trying to say is, we’d like to stay.”

The old griffin clapped his claws together, a beaming smile spreading across his avian features. “But this is excellent news, my Lord Fairlight! Of course we want you to stay.” He leaned on the table, his eyes sparkling merrily. “I must tell everyone right away!”

Quickly, I held up a hoof to stall him. “Wait… Grimble, look, I mean that I want to stay ‘here’. Right here, in the Wyvern’s Tail. Would you…” I suddenly felt embarrassed and looked down at my hooves. Damn it all, I had not right to ask him this! This was home, and Heather’s too. What if he felt obligated to obey me and- Shadow’s hoof appeared on mine, her smile encouraging me to speak my mind. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and continued, “Would you sell us the tavern?”

“Wha-?!” Grimble nearly choked. “But it… It’s nearly falling down!” he exclaimed. “Have you seen the state of it? My lord, this place is-”

“-is perfect,” Tingles added, reappearing from the stairwell with a freshly changed Lumin dangling in the sling between her teeth. “Please Grimble, I know this is your home, but at least think about it. Why not have a chat with Heather and see what she has to say?”

Grimble shook his head, unsure of what to say. Finally he spoke. “The truth is...” He closed his eyes. “It’s not really our home, my lady Tingles. Our true home is a cottage in the village near the flour mill. We only moved in here because Lord Fairlight and yourself came to stay, and the Wyvern’s Tail was nigh on derelict even then. It was only by the grace of the goddess I was in here the day you came to the village. Truth be told, we were planning to demolish the old place.”

“No!” Shadow cried suddenly, jumping to her hooves. “This is home! We will stay here now!”

Thank the goddess for Tingles. She quickly rose to her hooves, guiding the agitated thestral back to her chair with a kindly smile. Right then I was glad she hadn’t brought her axe with her; I’d not seen her so animated since we’d faced down Sharar, and yet here she was, defending a decision to buy a tumble down tavern she had barely been in for five minutes. As for Grimble, the ancient griffin seemed to be in a state of shock, the poor fellow’s feathers were all but standing on end.

“But…” He sighed, hanging his head. “My lord, this place is already yours. The people here, the villagers, we all used our money, skills, and whatever we could salvage from the fortress, to restore and repair Smiling Borders to what it is today. We stayed here because its lands once belonged to the tribe of the four winds, as did the land between the fortress and here, even if it is mostly uninhabitable now.” He stood and resettled his wings. “My Lord, what I’m trying to tell you is that the Wyverns Tail is not ours to sell. It belongs to the lord or the fortress. It already is yours.”

I stood up and faced him. “All the same, I’ll still pay you, Grimble,” I said plainly. “It is the right thing to do.” He raised a claw in protest but I waved him off. “Please, accept it as payment for providing us with room and board. We owe you that in any case.”

“And we’ll need a manager and staff,” Tingles added, smiling at Heather. “The place needs a bit of a spruce up, as does the village too. I think if we work together we can get this place looking lovely, don’t you?”

Heather nodded and I shared a look with Grimble who started laughing, the tension in the air dispelling as quickly as it had arrived. “Very well my ladies, my lord,” he bowed. “You’ll have your work cut out for you though, but I think I know you all well enough by now to know that you are a family that gets things done when you set your minds to them.” He held out his claw and each of us shook it, even Shadow who looked the most relieved out of any of us.

I pulled out a chair, inviting Grimble to sit back down by the fire with his friends. “Now then,” I beamed, “how about a nice brandy each, eh?”

THE END

Chapter One - Arrival

THE FORTRESS OF THE FOUR WINDS

CHAPTER ONE

ARRIVAL

Something peculiar about the stomach is that it has a rather nasty habit of continuously trying to empty itself even when there’s nothing left to bring up. No wonder the agency scouts hadn’t mentioned the risk of nausea from travelling through the portals; if I’d known beforehoof, I would have brought a pannier full of paper bags. Bloody swines, I bet they’d held this tit-bit of information back deliberately. Squeezing my eyes shut as another wave of heat rolled through me I spat out another mouthful. My poor muzzle was covered in it, my mouth and nose burning with the disgustingly acidic taste of bile. Celestia damn it all, I’d puked up everything and I was still retching! Thank the goddesses I’d arrived in an area devoid of humans, as I was about as much use as a chocolate teapot right now, and just as incapable of defending myself too. All the simulator training I’d endured hadn’t done jack to help me cope with this nightmare. The first step through the portal, the room had turned a full one-eighty and I’d fallen into a helpless heap of limbs and vomit. Now at least, despite being covered in sweat and feeling like I’d been chewed up by an ursan, the worst of it seemed to have passed and I was able to take stock of my surrounding – and myself. I was still grey at least, albeit completely devoid of fur as I’d unfortunately expected. My mane was invisible, reduced to a mere tuft on the top of my head and, as expected, no tail either. Surprisingly my ears freaked me out the most - the tiny things were bloody useless, and no matter how much I tried I couldn’t seem to move them either. The monkey-like flaps of skin stuck to the side of my head would no doubt be fantastic for hearing something come at me from the sides, but what about behind or ahead? What was I meant to do then, walk sideways like a crab? I’d just have to angle my head if I wanted to hear anything did I? I groaned quietly. Goddesses above, this was going to take some getting used to. As for the hand things, they at least were pretty useful, and excellent at manipulating objects as I’d quickly learned in the simulator. What I wasn’t especially prepared for though was the barrage of peculiar sensations that were assailing me. In the simulator you couldn’t feel the way the air played against your furless skin, the heightened sense of touch, pressure, heat, and how ‘alien’ everything was. That said, other than the general ‘weirdness’ of my body the world around me was, to a surprising extent, surprisingly ‘normal’. A nearby flight of stairs provided access to an upper area and albeit a little smaller in design than I was used to, could still comfortably accommodate a pony no problem at all. Doors, lights, windows, tables, and the large quantity of packing materials around me were all readily recognisable as such too. In fact for a moment I had to remind myself I wasn’t in Equestria, let alone my normal body any more, and had to pick myself up off all fours to get used to the ‘real feeling’ of this new human form.

I took a deep breath, inhaling the musty aroma of what appeared to be a large store room of sorts. The smells here were certainly familiar, mingling with a few others that were less so. I didn’t want to know what they were, the ones I knew were bad enough as it was. Oil, sweat, damp, and other foul odours wafted lazily through the stale air. I recognised some of it from the briefing’s description, and more disturbingly the terrible stink in the cellar of the coffee shop. My sense of smell was a hell of a lot worse in this body than I was used to, but in some respects I was glad of it. How the hell could anypony work in such a place? Money was one thing, but the overwhelming feeling of fear, hopeless and despair, permeated everything like some malevolent fog. It didn’t bode well for any captives that was for sure. I checked my gear, adjusting the straps and packs. I wasn’t sure how much time I had before things hit the fan on the other side of the site, and the agency team would most likely be engaged with the humans already. I’d arrived some ten minutes after they’d started going through the other portal to attack the weapons plant and storage area, so with any luck they would act as a distraction for the humans here, drawing them away from me. Meanwhile my target was the drug making facilities, with the secondary objective of finding any ponies being held prisoner. Furthermore I was to make use of the magical annihilation device’s in my pack, crippling or eliminating the humans’ ability to send their poison into our world. So many of us had died because of that already. So many lives lost, so many families destroyed because of nothing more than selfishness and greed. I only hoped the others would be able to- Damn it! I closed my eyes and pushed away the unbidden images of what had happened the last time I’d been part of a large operation in a warehouse. I had to stop thinking of the others and concentrate on my own tasks. They were professionals, they were trained, they had the best weapons and magic Equestria had to offer. For Celestia’s sake, this wasn’t Shire Wharf in Manehattan; it may look like it, even smell like it, but it wasn’t the same, it wasn’t even the same world for goodness sake. Damn my bloody memories! Come on Fairlight, keep it together…

Spitting the last of the vile tasting bile from my mouth I took a quick swig of water from my canteen and drew my pulse gun. The indicator lights showed it was fully charged and ready, which had been a very real concern of mine. I mean, if this world had no magic, then would magically powered weapons still work here? Had anypony tested them in this environment? I doubted it. Brandy had said that the effect of magic was reduced in the human realm, but how much was ‘reduced’? I was beginning to wish I’d brought a human weapon instead. Interestingly though, the weapon I had fitted my new appendages pretty well, or maybe that was the other way around? I shrugged, hefting the weapon in my grip. So long as it worked, that was all that mattered. I checked my foreleg and the device strapped to it. Judging by the green glow and the blinking lights, the mapping system I had was working exactly as it should. Thin lines of light and a small flashing ‘X’ indicated my position inside the room, further marking out doors, stairs, and so on. According to Brandy it would provide me with a ‘real-time update’ of my surroundings taken from the data our scouts had gathered. Bunsen and her team had certainly excelled themselves this time, and any advantage I could have here, I’d need. The last thing I wanted was to be bumbling around blind, but it was still bloody awkward. I was very much in alien territory, both figuratively and literally.

My TED crackled. “Nox, you there?” The voice was barely a whisper.

“Receiving,” I replied.

“It’s Dune,” the voice came back. “We’re in position. There’s been some resistance but we’ve neutralised it. Teams are fanning out to secure the perimeter before we set charges. The place is packed with weapons and drugs, and it’s going to make one hell of a mess when it goes up. What’s your status.”

“Just starting out now,” I said quietly. “Scouts have marked locations for drug manufacture and possible prisoner holding areas. I’m going to radio silence. Buzz me if you need me.”

“Understood. Good luck, Nox.”

Dune was a good mare, and a trusted Equus member according to Brandy. If he trusted her enough to confide in her the details of my mission, then I would too. She had gone in with the main force but had a private channel direct to me in case of emergencies – effectively Brandy’s eyes and ears on ‘the other side’. In any case protocol now was to keep our comms silent unless the shit really hit the proverbial and we had to bug out fast. Speaking of which, I’d better get my arse into gear too. True to the scout’s report the room I was in didn’t look like it wasn’t in regular use. A thin layer of dust covered everything from the boxes and crates, to the floor and even the portal itself. I can only surmise that the humans thought this particular portal between the worlds to be deactivated, hence why it was left unguarded. Had the scouts worked their own particular brand of magic here too? Who knew? I shrugged and examined the floor around me. There was no sign of any recent activity that was for sure - no hoof prints, or even ‘foot’ prints for that matter. ‘Foot’, ‘feet’, ‘hands’… good grief, this was really going to take some getting used to. Thank the goddesses I wasn’t going to be here long and would never have to be in this unnatural body ever again. And then I paused, the image of a white winged equine with glowing blue eyes standing upon a field of snow flashing through my mind like lightning, reminding me of the peculiar irony of that line of thinking.

Up ahead I could see how the flight of metal steps led to a small room from which corridors branched off as a sort of ‘feed way’ to other parts of the complex. That was probably going to be my best bet for reaching my targets, and also had the advantage of being able to provide me with a good field of vision. Dad had always told me to keep a height advantage wherever possible, and in this case I was more than happy to follow the cantankerous old bugger’s advice. Taking a deep breath, I set forth. I was relieved to that find that along with much of my clothing, my rubber stealth shoes had changed to a shape which fit my new body perfectly. I don’t know who’d come up with that idea when they’d designed these portals, but it was a stroke of genius, especially as clothing seemed to play a much more essential role in this world than it did in my own. I could see why too – it was so cold I could see my breath, and the lack of fur left my skin wide open to the elements. If I felt this uncomfortable inside, only the goddesses knew what it was like in the open air. Thankfully though, keeping myself moving generated enough warmth to keep me focussed on my task and off the very real possibility of hypothermia. One step at a time I swiftly ascended, keeping my attention locked on the topmost platform. No movement – so far, so good.

My feet never made a sound in the still air as I climbed, except for the odd creak from the gantry supports, but other than for that it was as quiet as the grave. The small room at the top was empty too. It was your typical workers hideaway, full of empty mugs, chairs, a couple of tables and what were quite clearly pornographic magazines. I resisted taking a peek. I mean, who the hell would find hairless monkeys a turn on anyway? I shivered, Luna save us all… Turning my attention to the device on my arm, the little arrow on pointed off down another of the overhead corridors which I began to walk down as quietly as possible. It wasn’t easy either, the corridor was nothing more than a thin steel box section affair that seemed to be designed to amplify sound like a blasted gramophone speaker. What was worse was that up ahead I was certain I’d already heard something. Voices? The wind maybe? Hell fire, these sodding monkey ears where next to useless! I turned my head trying to pick up on whatever it was. Had it been my imagination after all? But... there it was again… Yes, definitely voices, drifting this way from the next junction by the sound of it. Shit, I didn’t know another way around either. This could get interesting. Very interesting.

I crept closer. In the shadow of the dimly lit corridor I peeked around the corner and saw one of them for the first time. It was one of the ‘humans’, a male by the look of him. Great goddesses he was big - really big! He was talking on a headset, the same type as my TED.

“…what I damned well said, Jake. Get your fuckwits over to the weapons distribution centre, there’s something going on down there.” The human paused, listening. “No, I don’t know what it is, and if I did I wouldn’t be blasted well asking you to go and find out now would I you cock! For Christ’s sake, use your head man!”

The big guy was pacing back and forth shouting into the headset, fidgeting with a pistol resting on his hip. He was so engrossed in his animated conversation, if I could just… Damn! My unfamiliar body sent me clanging into the side of the metal corridor. it was only a slight sway, but enough to alert the being standing before me. With a shout of surprise he lunged for a firearm that was leaning against a table. It was a mistake. If he’d had any sense he’d have drawn his pistol, that way I wouldn’t have had as much reaction time as I did. My first shot hit him in the arm, sending a plume of blood and bone into the air, the second turning the gun he was trying for into a puddle of molten slag. So much for my concerns about magic not working here then, but I bet the human wished it hadn’t. He yelled in pain trying to pull his pistol out offhandedly, until I jammed my weapon into his face.

“Tell me what I want to know and you live,” I snarled. “Lie, and I’ll cremate you here and now.”

His eyes were wide, the adrenalin and shock making his pupils dilate until there was barely any other colour than black. “Shit! You’re one of them, aren’t you?” he panted. “One of those fucking horses!”

I raised an eyebrow, staring into his alien eyes. “Yeah, only I don’t like being called a horse, you hairless freaking monkey.” A mirthless smile curled the corner of my mouth. “You’re going to find out you’ve been bucking with the wrong ponies.” I snatched the pistol away from him before smashing it over his head in one fluid movement. Dazed, he didn’t put up any resistance while I tied his hands and feet together with one of the zip-ties that had been thoughtfully provided by Brandy. After shoving the side arm into my pack, I took out a small cylinder and shoved it down his jacket, tying a piece of string to the ring on the end of it. Gradually the hulking creature began to come back to his senses, winced, blinked, saw string, the tube...

The human’s eyes went wide. “Wha- What the hell are you doing? What’s… What is this?!”

“Parasprites,” I replied pleasantly. I sat back on my heels, watching him carefully. “Nasty little critters they are too. You get them riled up enough and they’ll eat their way to freedom, one tasty little bite at a time.” I smiled wickedly. “Listen… Can you hear that little chirp? They’re getting pissed at being cramped in that tube. Guess they must be hungry already, eh?”

“Bullshit,” the human spat. “A frigging horse doesn’t scare me! You’re a damned herbivore, for god’s sake. You’ve got no teeth!”

“Oh really?” I smirked and released a little of the spirit’s energy. I had no idea what was going to happen really, but it had the desired effect - the human’s eyes bulged at what he saw. I could feel my teeth itch as they lengthened, the unnatural strength of the wendigo flowing through me making my muscles ache deliciously. My goddesses, this was what life really felt like. This was what I lived for! I began to laugh, the corridor echoing with my long low rumble of joy and anger combined, of anticipation at the vengeance waiting to be unleashed, and the feast of life that was to surely come. I took off my sunglasses and turned my blue eyed stare on the human.

“Oh Jesus Christ! What the fuck are you?” he gasped.

I shrugged. “Somepony you don’t want to lie to, ‘human’.” I leaned closer, making sure he had a good view of my teeth. “Now, let’s try this again shall we? Where are the prisoners, and where are the drug making facilities?”

“Go fuck yourself, you...” For a moment he hesitated, his eyes darting around in every direction but at me. I don’t know whether he was expecting help or a way to escape his predicament, but eventually his primitive desire for survival overrode everything else. “Okay! Christ almighty I’m not paid enough for this shit!” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “The slaves are in the cells at the far end of the site.” He pointed off down the corridor behind him. “The drugs are made in the basement block, near the water tower.”

“How many guards?” I pressed.

“Twenty,” he said shaking his head. “Maybe more, I don’t know! I only look after the warehouse, man.”

“How many in the distribution centre?”

“A few, maybe… I don’t know!” The human pulled away and stared at the floor intently.

I leaned forward and sniffed the air around his neck. I could smell his fear, it was emanating from him like a thick miasma – alien, tempting, and full of delicious allure. The spirit rumbled deep down inside my soul, watching the strange ape-like creature through my eyes. I felt myself start to drool and saw the nervous look on the human’s face as a white fog as pure as the first winter snows began pooling around his bound feet.

“H- Hey, man,” he swallowed. “You got what you wanted, right? Just… just leave me the fuck alone. Please!”

“Please...” I echoed. I smiled softly, closed my eyes, and wondered. All it would take would be a quick nip, a simple, swift movement and it would be over quicker than… I shook myself quickly and took out the spray bottle, much to the spirit’s disgust. “Just because you asked so nicely…” A quick whiff of the gas and it was lights out for the hairless alien. Good old Bunsen, she had more tricks in her panniers than a stage magician, and probably just as well for the human too considering how close he had come to satisfying my more ‘culinary’ curiousity.Still, so far so good, but I couldn’t linger here. I moved along the next corridor swiftly, checking every angle, every cover point. There was no sense getting ahead of myself and getting shot for my troubles. There was every chance the human may have lied of course, but even so, twenty was a hell of a lot of hostiles in anyponies book. As I walked, I replaced the flashbug tube back into my pack. “Parasprites!” I chuckled to myself. I’d have to remember that one for another day. Mind you, I doubted one of these going off next to your hide, fur or no fur, was going to end well. I shrugged. Results were results, regardless of the method, and nopony had been hurt either which was always a bonus. More for him than me.

The corridor ended in a set of metal steps leading down to another level, a short dimly lit corridor, and a set of double doors with two human guards who were stood to either side. They were talking to each other, but it was clear that all was not well. The one on the left had his finger on his weapon’s trigger and was talking in short rapid bursts, betraying his agitated state.

“Something’s going on, I tell you!”

The second one rolled his eyes, trying to ignore his colleague’s behaviour. “Shut up for fucks sake! I can’t hear anything if you keep jabbering all the time.”

The first one shook his head, his eyes darting this way and that. “But I’m telling you, Carter was on the radio and then it suddenly went dead, just like that! Something’s happened to him!”

“Something’s going to happen to you if you don’t shut the fuck up, you’re setting my nerves on edge just listening to you!” The bulkier human rubbed his eyes in exasperation. “Anyway, I… Wait… What the fuck’s that?”

Too late they realised what the tube rolling towards them was. “GRENADE!”

The outraged flashbug went off with a deafening bang and blinding white flare, the two guards screaming and holding their ears as they lost two of their most valuable senses. The first one lifted his weapon, “Christ!” he bellowed. “They’re here! They’re fucking here! Oh god, I can’t see a bloody thing!”

“Get a hold of yourself Vince, remember your training, damn it.” The bigger human had slipped behind a metal trolley for cover, leaving his more inexperienced comrade flailing around like a beached fish.

I let a little of the spirit flow through me, loaning its strength, exciting the wendigo within my soul. I called down the stairs, my voice icy and dripping with malice intent. “I’m coming for you, Vince… It won’t be long now. It won’t be long…”

I’m not sure if it was my words, or the glow of my eyes in the gloom, but whatever it was the effect was as immediate as it was intensely gratifying.

“NO! Oh, fuck me, NO!” Terrified, the already frightened Vince opened fire, spraying bullets in all directions and opening his colleague up like a tin of beans. His screams drowned out the dying agonies of the other guard, before a single shot removed the top of his head. I was quite impressed - despite the concerns over magic having less potency here, my weapon worked just fine.

Vince’s comrade twitched and gasped out the last of his life onto the cold concrete floor. A messy end, true, but what did I care for these creatures? They meant nothing to me. We meant nothing to them, except as a commodity in a transaction whose currency was pain and suffering. I took a breath of his escaping life energy and rolled my shoulders luxuriously. It was mostly similar to those I had taken before, if a little earthy tasting and sort of… meaty? I didn’t like it especially, but still, it hit the spot. The spirit purred in satisfaction, but was far from satiated. I knew how it felt.

Keeping to the wall I reached out to push open the door to the room beyond. It was unlocked, the room itself in complete darkness. For a moment I paused, stretching out my wendigo senses… and then I heard it - the faint yet distinct click of metal sliding against metal. Just in time I flattened myself against the wall as hail of bullets flew out to greet me, the air around them hissing like a snake on a hot skillet. Metal clattered and rattled through the metal steps behind me sending shards of metal and broken concrete spattering in all directions. Abruptly, mercifully, there was a lull as they paused to reload giving me a couple of precious seconds to take stock of my situation. From what I could tell there were at least three of them: two by a row of steel cages and one behind an upturned table at the far end. My wendigo eyes would give me some advantage here in the darkness, but not if I ended up as a sieve by diving in recklessly through the doorway. No, it was time for a change of tack, and this time courtesy of another new toy from the agency armoury. One of the cylinders on my bandoleer had a bright blue top and a ring pull denoting its use. Visually it was similar to the flashbug tubes, but with a much more ‘interesting’ surprise inside for the poor sod on the other end of it. Thankfully, that wasn’t going to be me. Sliding the tube out of its keeper I smiled to myself grimly. My mind was made up, my resolve unwavering. Theoretically the device should do the job nicely – if it worked half as well as the briefing had said it would. My heart rate was increasing by the second, the spirit’s attention fully focussed on the task at hoof. If I made it out of this madness alive I’d definitely be having a word with the trainers about providing practical demonstrations for their new toys in future instead of their bloody obsession with slide shows. Standing here with the tube sitting in my hand, another fusillade of bullets singing past me by mere inches, was one hell of a way to field test new inventions. I slipped my respirator over my head and snugged it down, pulling the straps tight. Almost immediately the horrible sensation of restraint and claustrophobia hit me, reminding me just how much I hated the things. Rubber, especially new rubber, had an aroma unlike anything else. Still, it was a necessary evil, and one I pushed from my mind as quickly as I pulled the ring from the tube. On a count of three I threw the grenade into the room, listening as it hit the ground and rolled off into the darkness. Harlequin gas truly was an amazing invention, it filled the room with a disorientating mist which contained magically charged mirror-like particles which were intended to cause confusion and allow for a quick take-down of a target. At least in theory.

I held my breath, waiting. But instead of the anticipated explosion the cylinder burst with a dull ‘thump’, almost immediately filling the air with countless particles of rainbow coloured glitter that hung in the air, floating there, spinning silently. The humans inside began to shout at one another, one of them suddenly leaping to his feet and grabbing at the air, at some… ‘illusion’ that only he could see. It was a distraction, and one I took full advantage of. There was no time to be bucking about with these guys, and time was most definitely of the essence. My muscles surged as shouts from inside the sparkling room and random gunfire drew the spirit to the fore from deep within me, salivating and baying for battle. I let its rage fill my entire being, allowing it to course through me, although still keeping enough of myself there to stay… me.

I moved quickly despite the strangeness of the alien body, doubtless aided by the spirit’s own particularly unique brand of magic. A magic that saved my life a heartbeat later. My enhanced reflexes acted almost instinctively, pulling me to one side just in time to avoid a spray of lead that tore past my head. I dropped, rolled, and brought my weapon to bear burning one, two, three holes through the first human’s chest, dropping him like a rag doll to the cold hard floor. The second human I locked onto was grasping desperately at something on his chest - buck it, a grenade! My shot took off his hand too late as the pin came free and the metal sphere landed between his legs. His shout of alarm distracted his friend who was still rubbing at his eyes furiously. It didn’t do him much good… The grenade exploded. Shrapnel and fire engulfed the human, flying pieces of clothing, equipment, bone and meat, showering the room like some macabre rain from the depths of hell. The third ones leg had been caught in the ensuing blast, and he too was now reduced to a ragged mess of blood, cloth and gore. Despite the shock and the effects of the harlequin gas, the human’s vision was finally starting to come back when he caught sight of me. Bravely he tried to lift his blood slicked weapon, driven more by adrenalin than anything else now. His arm shook, the trigger slippery with his friend viscera, and… he squeezed.

I’ll never forget the look on his face.

My sword plunged through his chest and burst out the other side, my thrust given unnatural strength by the sheer will of the wendigo spirit. I snarled in triumph before kicking him off my blade, making sure he was dead before turning my back on him. I needn’t have worried. If nothing else the wendigo’s sense of smell was especially acute, and death had a very particular scent, sickly sweet and alluring - if only to a spirit. A flick of the wrist later and the blood was free from my short sword’s blade. Replacing it in its scabbard, I soon found the light switch and blinked as the room was bathed in a bright, artificial white light. What it illuminated was what I had half expected of course, yet even so there are some things you could never truly prepare yourself for. Dear gods, It was the cellar of the coffee shop all over again, only this time there were more of them. A lot more. I rushed over to the row of cells and cages. The smaller cages were stacked up and empty, probably used only for transportation by the looks of them, but the cells behind them held… humans? Or were they? No, I already knew the answer: they were about as human as I was. Numerous pairs of eyes stared at me in absolute silence. They were all female, all different colours, sizes, and ages. Without exception, without any allowance for the tenderness of youth nor their physical condition, every single one of them showed signs of being beaten, bruised, and every one of them bore an expression that made my blood seethe with an inner fury that normally I would have found frightening. Now, it just felt right. It felt… just. I took a step towards them and nearly gagged. The smell of excrement and urine was nearly overpowering. How the hell could they endure this? How could they simply stand there, watching me as if it were I who was the one in a cage instead of themselves? What they must have endured was staggering. Despite looking like the humans, they were still treated like shit, like… animals. I shook off my emotions and took stock of what I was looking at. Out of all of them there was only one who looked more responsive than the rest - a small orange skinned child with a mop of red hair.

“Hello. What’s your name, young miss?” I asked quietly, kneeling down to her level.

Large eyes looked up at me curiously. “I’m Scootaloo. Are you with the humans?”

I shook my head. “Nope. I’m with the CBI. My name’s Agent Nox. I’m Equestrian, just like you.”

The tension popped like a soap bubble and the rest of the ponies began shifting nervously, talking quickly between themselves and watching me with a combination of hope and nervousness.

“You look funny,” the young foal chirped. “You sure you’re a pony?”

“Yes!” I smiled pleasantly. I looked over my shoulder, noting the doorway and felt the hair on the back of my neck start to itch. This was taking too long already, but I could see how distrustful the young foal was of me. Gods, I couldn’t blame her either. I turned back to Scootaloo. “Look, I’m here to get you out of this place and bring all of you back home. See?”

I showed the little foal my identification card which she read painfully slowly. “Celestian… Bu… Bureau… of In… vesti… gation.” She scratched her head, screwing up her face in thought. “I’ve never heard of you. You like the Watch or something?”

I face hoofed. “Yes, something like that. We work for Celestia and Luna.”

She foal clopped her hands together. “That so cool!”

I nodded, slipping the card back into my pocket. My instincts were screaming at me to get out of there as quickly as possible, but I couldn’t blow this now. One wrong move and it would be like trying to herd cats. The small orange foal was the key to this situation, and one way or another I had to get her on side. Where she went, the rest would likely follow. “Look Scootaloo,” I said calmly. “I need you to come with me so we get these ponies to safety, okay? The portal’s not far from here, but we have to hurry. Can you convince them to come too?”

She thought for a moment before nodded enthusiastically. “I guess so. Hang on mister” She trotted to the back of the cell and spoke to the ponies gathered there who pressed in around her, casting worried glances at me.

One of them stepped forward and coughed into her hand, her eyes bearing dark shadows that spoke volumes about what she had endured here. “You’re with the agency?” she asked. “Please sir, they have more of us in that room beyond that door. It’s where they take us to meet their…” she swallowed. “Their ‘clients’. There’s foals in there too. For Celestia’s sake, please, please help them.”

Foals… I took a deep breath and nodded. “I will. But first we need to get you out of here.” I readied my pulse rifle and waved the captives out of the way. “Stand back, ladies.” A couple of shots later the cell locks were nothing more than molten gobbets of steel, glowing white hot, dripping to the floor like so much molten candle wax. I dragged the doors open one by one, standing back to give the females room. As expected, Scootaloo was the first to venture out. Emboldened by the little one’s example the rest followed, cautiously at first, and then in a sudden surge, pouring into the centre of the room. I gave silent thanks to the goddess they were free, but there was that constant niggling voice at the back of my mind reminding me that the hard part was still to come. Moving a large group of mares, fillies and foals, some of whom were injured and weak, was going to be a logistical nightmare at the best of times. With just myself, I had to think quickly. I grabbed the weapons from the fallen humans and held them out. “Anypony know how these work?”

To my surprise, four of the mares stepped up and took them. “We’ve seen them using them,” one of them said levelly. She glowered at the gory mess that had been one of their captors and narrowed her eyes. “I think we can handle them.”

I nodded my understanding. “Good. Now, one of you up front with me while the other three take the rear, and for Celestia’s sake no shooting unless you have to. The priority is to move as quickly as we can, the strong helping the weak.” I took a breath, making sure they all understood. “Ready?”

The four nodded, the rest looking at each other nervously. They would take strength from our numbers, and would keep together, of that I had no doubt. That primal herding instinct was still there deep down, and I was pleased to see how they kept the youngsters in the middle, flanking them from danger. Now it was merely a case of retracing my steps, and praying that the humans were too distracted by the agency team in their midst to be bothered with us. Wasting no more time we headed off back the way I had come, swiftly yet carefully, and surprisingly quiet too for ponies in such a weakened state. Another interesting fact I noted: human ‘feet’ don’t make much noise when running, other than for a faint pattering sound. I suppose that was a useful trick, although they were very soft underneath and I certainly wouldn’t fancy standing on anything hard with those things.

Our little convoy soon reached the small gantry office, pausing to recover one of the mares who had decided to kick the unconscious human half to death before we’d dragged her off him. Lucky for him she had feet and not hooves, but he’d still wake up with one hell of a headache in the morning all the same. Better that than dead. But now the portal was just below us. I could feel it in my bones, sensing the magic even without a horn. I moved closer to the edge of the gantry, keeping low, keeping quiet... and my blood ran cold. Several of those damned humans were peering at the recently activated portal as if expecting an attack at any moment. They were right to, just from the opposite direction. No doubt somepony in charge had remembered they had more than one portal in this place and had taken the precaution of dispatching these guys to watch out for any additional incursions. Fortunately for me, they were a little late to the party. Still, I couldn’t risk shooting and damaging the portal in a firefight. Harlequin gas wasn’t an option either, it was far too risky in such an open room where its particles would be less concentrated. And so my old favourite the flashbugs were the order of the day. The first one I pitched a little far, but the other landed right amongst them like a dream. The combined detonations sent the humans in all directions, shouting and trying to get into cover, bumping into boxes and tripping over their own feet in their confused rush to do so. And that was another thing I’d found during the fight at the warehouse: wooden crates offered buck-all protection from weapons fire.

The first few shots from my beam weapon took out the human in front of the portal, his face disappearing in a crimson mist. The second, facing my attack from the wrong direction, took two more shots in the back. He never even made a sound as he fell backwards onto the dusty floor. The third human, a big fellow with a, what was it… a ‘shotgun’? opened fire on me. He was still disorientated, but with a wide area weapon like the one he was wielding, accuracy was less important. Pellets chewed into the door frame making the mares cry out in fright.

“Scootaloo! Keep them back!” I shouted.

Buck me, their curiosity could get them killed, and we were so close! Suddenly firing erupted from behind the mares, and dangerously close. I couldn’t tell if it was them or us, but I didn’t have time to find out in any case. I pulled out my sword and dove into the room below, vaulting the stair railing and landing on a pile of boxes before cleaving the big brutish human’s head clean from shoulders. The spirit rumbled happily, revelling in the mayhem and the taste of the escaping life energy. I grinned with it, feeling my muscles burning, my senses keening. This was more like it! What a shame there weren’t more of- Unexpectedly another came at me from the shadows, still half blinded from the effects of the flashbug and waving a large combat knife. Despite my initial surprise that I must have missed him, his attack was laughable. I dodged his thrust with ease and danced away.

“That all you have, human?” I hissed.

“Fuck you!” he spat, taking another swing at me. “I’ll gut you like a fish, you damned horse!” He coughed and let out a heavy final breath, my sword withdrawing from his ribcage with a smart twist.

“Scootaloo!” I shouted, “Get those ponies out of there!”

“Okay, Mister!” the squeaky voice called back.

They came in a rush down the stairs, running headlong through the portal and onward to the promise of the safety that lay just beyond that ethereal silvery surface. I didn’t waste time checking to see if they were all through, but considering the way they’d completely ignored the bodies we’d passed on the way back, getting in their way would have been like trying to stop a charging ursan with nothing more than good intentions. A few bounds later and I was back in the office heading towards the gunfire. Bullets rattled around me like hailstones, pinging off the metal structure and leaving round shining dents where they had impacted. Two of the mares had been hit, one of them badly - she needed a medic, and fast. More humans had joined their fellows now, stepping over the bodies of their fallen and firing on us from the other end of the corridor. They’d brought up something heavier to deal with us too, the deeper thudding sound announcing the arrival of larger calibre bullets that began punching holes through the light grade steel with alarming ease.

“Keep them off us as long as you can,” I said to the two still firing.

Quickly, I leaned over and lifted the most seriously wounded mare, pulling her close. A little more roughly than I intended I clamped my mouth over hers, drawing on the spirit’s power and began to drip a steady stream of my own silvery life energy into her. For once the spirit didn’t resist. Already satiated from its gorging on the escaping energies of the humans, as far as it was concerned all this did was make room for more. And for the spirit, there was always room for more. Moments later the wounds of the mare started to knit, hissing and smoking until I saw the bullets that had entered her forced from the entry holes and roll out of the repaired flesh to clink onto the metal floor.

Slowly she opened her eyes and looked at me in disbelief. “How…?”

“No time,” I said quickly, “we need to move.” I pointed back the way I’d come. “Down the corridor, down the stairs, and through the portal. Move!”

I dragged the other mares from their positions and sent them on their way whilst I covered their escape. Fortunately there was no way they could get lost but Scootaloo had unexpectedly reappeared along with one of the armed mares to help guide them anyway. She was a good kid, and brave too. She’d make one hell of a good watch pony some day. If there was any watch left to join, and who knew what was going to happen there after that disaster in Manehattan. A bullet zinged past my muzzle, reminding me to keep focussed. The girls were gone, but that didn’t mean my job was done. There was the little matter of the drug plant to deal with, not to mention the missing foals, and right then I had to reload. A few crystals later and the beam gun was recharged nicely, the indicator lights burning brightly. Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I returned fire. Immediately a storm of bullets answered me, whizzing past my ear by mere inches. The noise echoing in the steel corridor was deafening, and for once I was grateful I didn’t have my equestrian level of hearing or else I’d likely be stone deaf by now. Damn it all, I couldn’t bug out and leave these guys here. One of the mares had told me there were foals being held somewhere, but from the direction she’d pointed it was right through the middle of this lot. Looking over my shoulder I noticed the unconscious human I’d tied up was now, sadly, no longer unconscious… not with that many holes in him. The holes in the steel beside him matched those in his back. Ironic how it had been his own friends who had finished him. I frowned in thought; if I played this well, he could still be useful to me even now. Carefully, I crawled over to him and fished out a couple of my more interesting toys and a length of string. Ha! The Pony Scouts would have been proud of me.

I shouted out into the corridor, “Please Mister, don’t hurt us! We give up… Please!”

One of the humans let out a laugh and shouted to his colleagues, one of them however, apparently more cautious than the rest, hung back.

“It’s a trap,” he rumbled. “Gotta be.”

“Yeah?” one of the sniffed. “You pussy, you’ve been fucking horses too long. That lot are scared shitless of their own shadow.”

“Scared shitless?” the first retorted. “I can’t raise half the guys on the radio! How do you explain that, smartarse?”

The reply was simple. “Radio’s fucked”

“Oh!” the first laughed sarcastically. “That makes sense doesn’t it, brainiac. Tell you what, you go first and see what’s happening, okay?”

The second one spat on the floor, his bravado disappearing with the challenge from his colleage. “Fucking pussy. Krebs, Bagwell, you’re with me.”

I backed away quickly, waiting in silence as several of the humans cautiously reached the corner. They quickly spotted their downed colleague. “Hey, it’s Carter!” One of them barked. “He’s been hit! For Christ’s sake, give us a hand here. You two go round up those damned horses.”

I wondered whether the humans had an afterlife. Maybe they had some sort of magical monkey land full of sparkly moody monkey clerks being dicks like Aethel from the eternal herd. Carter would know, and… well, these three would on their way there any second now too. Goddesses forgive me, I couldn’t help but chuckle at their plight. I pulled the string, popping the ring pulls from inferno grenades and, three seconds later, concentrated dragon fire incinerated the hapless creatures. The furious green light flare briefly, and then all was silent once more except for the clanking of the metal walkway cooling down. They hadn’t even had time to scream.

“Oh….!”

I whirled round to see a wide eyed Scootaloo watching the scene and my heart froze. “Come away now little one,” I said quickly shepherding her to one side. “You shouldn’t see this.” The little foal was shaking, her eyes wide with fright. Seeing the carnage in the room where she had been held captive had been one thing, but seeing dragon fire burning the humans to ash and bone in the blink of an eye had been too much for her. Suddenly my ears picked up on something, as if the whole place was waking up from a deep slumber. There was more shouting from the remaining humans now too, their shocked silence turning to one that probably involved bloody vengeance upon the one who had torched their friends. I didn’t wait to find out. Scooping the foal up in my arms I ran from the sickening stench of burning flesh and death, the child remaining silent as we raced down the stairs to the portal. The room was empty except for one of the mares had stayed behind, her weapon trained on us. Thank the gods she lowered it when she did or else our adventure in the world of humans could have been cut a damned sight shorter than originally planned. She looked at me and the foal in surprise as I pushed Scootaloo into her arms, shoving them towards the ramp.

“Go!” I shouted. The mare hesitated, her mouth opening to say something. “I’ll save the foals. Just go, girl. Now!”

She nodded, diving through the portal as the far door opened and more humans poured in. Unlike the others I’d encountered these didn’t pause for breath, the first few kneeling and taking aim whilst those behind sought cover. Better armed, better equipped and trained, these humans were a different altogether from their brethren and I threw myself to one side as the expected firestorm erupted. Countless bullets tore past me, slamming into the portal and sending sparks, chucks of metal and stone through the air. Gathering my energy despite not knowing what the hell would happen, I aimed a blast of magic at my attackers more on instinct than anything else. Nothing happened. No horn, no magic, eh? Damn it all! Plan B it was then. Dodging behind a heavy looking piece of machinery of some kind I fire blindly, the humans returning fire in kind. The noise was deafening, the air thick with bullets, pinning me down and keeping me from reaching the stairs. And then a thought struck me: had the assault on the factory failed, freeing up these humans to come here and mop up the last of the Equestrians? Perhaps the assault been a success and they’d already left, leaving me behind. Or had we simply underestimated the number of humans here? Dear goddesses, maybe I was the only one left! Suddenly I caught the glint of a grenade whirling towards me through the air, and with a speed which surprised myself I leapt and kicked the thing right back at the humans. The ensuing blast sent body parts, hands, fingers and blood showering across the floor together with no small amount of wooden splinters from the shredded crates. One of the humans staggered out of the smoking carnage, his face blackened and torn, one of his arms hanging uselessly by his side. Using him as interim cover I charged forward, plunging my sword into his chest as I used him as a springboard to land amongst the others. They tried to dodge, to strike, to shoot, but they hadn’t expected an attack at such close quarters and I used that confusion to my advantage. Magic or not the spirit was in its element here, and I gave it full rein. My mind freed, my body became a lethal blur of steel and unleashed wrath. I barely even felt the resistance to the blade as it carved through clothing, flesh and bone in a seemingly endless dance of death. Warm blood slicked my hand and face, stinging my eyes, the taste of iron sharp against my tongue. But I didn’t have it all my own way. One of them, quicker than the rest, managed to land a blow to the side of my head with the butt of his gun - before I removed his throat in one deft stroke. The final human broke, making a run for the freedom of the open doorway before my blade, cart-wheeling through the air, took him squarely in the back bringing him down will all the grace of a felled tree. It was the last of them. For now.

The spirit purred happily, filled with the life energy that rose like geysers from the fallen. There was no time to waste here though, if the humans didn’t know they were under attack before then they sure as hell did now, and the foals could be in mortal danger as a result. Possible scenarios raced through my mind as I ran: they could be taken hostage, used as living shields, played like a bargaining chip, or even killed in a blood crazed moment of desperation. Speculation however would do nothing to help them, only decisive action. I narrowed my eyes, passing the smouldering remains of the dead. Speed, surprise and aggression may be the only options here, but adaptability was key, and something I had been trained in from the moment I’d first set hoof in the training academy. All those years of training would be put to the test today, that was for damned sure.

I burst into the now empty cell area, the heavy steel door one of the mares had indicated to me earlier just as solid and ominous as it had appeared the first time I’d clapped eyes on it. This was my next obstacle to face, and as I’d expected the damned thing was securely bolted from the other side with no visible way to open it. Save for a small hatch, again opening from the other side, the door itself was featureless. Almost instinctively my hoof reached for the bell, but somehow I doubted those inside were expecting a pizza, especially with all the noise we’d been making earlier. There was however, something I could try…

I sat cross legged in front of the door and tried to focus my mind, a task which I can attest was a hell of a lot easier said than done. My heart was racing like a runaway train, the blood singing in my ears as my muscles ached from the exertion I was putting this peculiar body through, but letting the spirit flow through me I felt a wash of calm that was as welcome as a cool shower on a hot day. Closing my eyes I pictured the cold of the north wind, the way it swirled the top layer of loose fresh snow, the way it tingled against your hide. To many the grey mountains, the white peaks and plains of unbroken snow was a potentially deadly environment. To me, or at least a part of me, it was home. It was my birthright. Even thinking about it, here in this unforgiving and alien place of misery, suffering and death, I longed for the blue skies and sun high above me. All of a sudden a shiver ran through me. I felt… alone, so horribly alone. I wanted to go back, I wanted to get away from here, I had to… I had to get home! I threw back my head, feeling the tears rolling down my cheeks and howled out my anger and fury at the universe. Magic flowed out of me, filling the room as it had with the Withers, dropping the temperature to an unnatural level. It released more, letting my grief for my home and the emptiness fuel the tempest, until finally, slowly, I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. The room, that terrible, stench filled room, was a glittering, sparkling hall of the most beautiful ice. The ceiling was festooned with icicles, the bodies of the dead humans buried beneath a sheen of frost that made them look more like an artist’s flight of fancy than the bringers of such misery. But it was the goal before me that drew my blue eyed gaze. The door…

I may have no horn in this world, but I still had the magic within my soul, and the ever needful hunger of the spirit. Both us sat in silence, watching as the thick white mist flowed around my legs, bathing the door, listening as the structure of the metal began to play a symphony of its own. It barely audible, almost impossible to detect, but there it was – the staccato ringing, the cracking and tinkling of the molecules within its core, waiting for what was to come.

We smiled. It was time.

Taking one of the red topped inferno grenades from my pack, I wedged it up against the door and moved a safe distance away. Carefully, I aimed my beam gun at it and took a long, slow, steadying breath… and squeezed. One shot was all it took. In an instant the door exploded in a fantastic fireball of green light, flames and ice, the molten steel fragments that had been blocking my progress dropping all around me like hail. A smile slowly spread across my face, and I chuckled low in my throat. I had seen magic at work before, but this was something that rang with me on some deeper level. The raw nature of magic, the power of the wendigo and the explosive magic in the grenade was a truly impressive sight to behold. And the spirit agreed. It howled through me, screaming with unbridled delight at the destruction of the barrier that held me… us… back. But now its impatience was coming to the fore. The spirit was anxious, displaying its frustration at the lack of killing when there was so much more work left to do. Saliva dripped from its maw, and I could taste the iron on my tongue. It wanted, it needed to kill, to feed the incessant hunger that burned within. It was so hungry now, and it could sense what was to come.

My eyes narrowed. Keeping control over the spirit was difficult, but not impossible. I’d found through experience that it was more a case of channelling its desires into actions, rather than fighting them head on. When I’d tried to confront the spirit all it had lead to was a war of wills, a battle for control between it and myself, a battle that had done nothing but tire us both to the point of exhaustion and promote even more disharmony. Pewter had been right on the money about that too; I had to become master of both it and myself, so that we could work together as one instead of pulling ourselves apart. And together now we entered a room that had my jaw hanging open in wide eyed amazement. Had I passed through another portal and not even realised it? Dear gods, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Completely alien to the rest of the site I’d seen so far, the stark, functional metal and concrete of the factory had been replaced with a decadent swathe of the most magnificent surroundings I had ever laid eyes on. I wouldn’t be exaggerating when I said it wouldn’t have looked out of place in the grand marble halls of Canterlot Palace itself either. Deep scarlet velvet lined the walls, the floor, and even the large comfortable looking chairs and sofas of this immense room. Huge crystal and gold chandeliers hung from the ceiling adding a soft light to the scene whilst soft music, a gentle classical style, filled the air together with occasional muffled whimpers belying the true nature of the extravagant surroundings. This was what I was here for: to clean house, to ‘sweep and clear’ as the briefing document had so plainly outlined. The spirit stirred. It knew what was coming. Oh Brandy… Brandy, Brandy, Brandy…you were missing out on this weren’t you? Poor little pony. I laughed aloud, drawing my sword and moved quickly between the tables, checking them one by one.

I didn’t have to look far.

The mares were hiding beneath them, warily peering out at me as I approached. To their eyes I probably looked like just another human, the beasts that had torn them from their home and brutalised them here in this velvet lined cage, but the odd one would look at me askance as if detecting something beyond my outward physical appearance. I couldn’t face them. I had to look away and close my eyes, trying to hold back my rising fury at the kind of sights I never dreamt I would ever see, either in this world or my own. Dear gods, it was like a dagger through my heart. We had failed them. We were supposed to protect our people, the people I had sworn to serve and defend with my very life if necessary. And yet here they were, the playthings of these… these beasts. I took a deep breath, steadying myself. I hadn’t come here with any illusions about what I would find of course, but to see it close up, to actually see it with your own eyes what was truly happening, was something no briefing document could ever prepare you for. Celestia have mercy, some of them were little more than fillies, and some… some were even younger still. Every single one of them showed signs of rough treatment, from bruises and swollen lips, to grazes and cuts that had been inexpertly smeared with make-up to try and conceal the worst of the humans’ atrocities. The ‘merchandise’ had to look its best after all.

My teeth began to itch, my hand squeezing the hilt of the old sword so tightly that the wire bound leather started to cut into my skin. I didn’t feel a thing. I couldn’t feel, or else… or else I don’t know what I’d do. The death of innocence was here, here all around me in this beautiful room on a world on the other side of the mirror. Hiding beneath the tables, crying, shaking, or simply waiting for whatever fate held in store for them, they watched me. But far from the stinking, filth covered wretches in the cells, these had been cleaned, washed, and clothed in flimsy garments that left little to the imagination. The first I coaxed from her hiding place I fixed with a stern gaze, my blue eyes reflecting in her big eyes.

“Wait by the door,” I instructed firmly. “Any ponies I send your way, keep them together until I can get you out. Do you understand?” She nodded silently, staring at me as if in a daze. I just shrugged and smiled, “Won’t be long…”

The first male I came to was a pathetic weedy little character, casually clothed in jeans and a loose fitting shirt, and undoubtedly human. His beady eyes stared at me with undisguised terror, but he didn’t resist. I think he knew already, and if he didn’t, it wouldn’t have mattered. In this world we may look like them, we could act like them, we could even be covered in the stench of our own shit and piss, and I could still smell them. Corruption. Suffering. Greed. I could see it in their eyes and in the vile aura that hung around them like some sickening miasma. The human swallowed, nervously looking past me at the emerging females, but I felt nothing for the creature… only contempt. He was a gangly specimen too, unlike the burly warriors I had encountered so far. He looked like the kind who would use others to do the work he was incapable of doing himself, while he would skulk in the shadows, indulging his warped fantasies with those who were too afraid or otherwise unable to resist. I’d seen what happened to those who did. It was a sight I would never be able to forget.

Abruptly the sickening little weasel tried to pull away, yanking his arm until I grabbed him by the leg and dragged him out from from under the table he had scrambled under. He even tried begging for his life. “Please!” the weasel squealed. “I have money! For fucks sake man, what do you want? What do you want?!”

I smashed a fist across his face and took him to the floor, placing the point of my sword to his chest. I could feel and hear his heart beating rapidly beneath me. “What do I want?” I hissed at him coldly, “Let’s see now…”

I leaned on the hilt and pushed the sword slowly and steadily into his chest. Inch by inch, past the cotton, the skin, the yielding muscle, until his heart finally ruptured and stopped. His thrashing and gasping had only heightened my desire, the song of the wendigo ringing through my mind. I had to take up its refrain, I had to answer the call, it was so… so… demanding. I licked my lips, breathing in the escaping life energy and added it to my own as I lifted my eyes. Unusual it may be, but it was what it was. It was the force of life, the energy of the body as the soul left on its final journey to the afterlife. And it was sheer ecstasy. But it wasn’t enough. There had to more. There had to be! I snuffed the air, taking in the sounds, the aromas, the sense of fear. I wasn’t disappointed. Shouts of fear and panic rang out around the room and I let myself go, joining with the spirit as one, letting the sword take the lead in our dance with death. It was right. It was as it had always meant to be. I leaped and span in time with the song, dancing through them all, singing and laughing as I moved as gracefully as a swift on a summer’s day. My blade thrust, slashed and hacked its way amongst the panicked humans, their desire to rape and torture quenched in their feverish desperation to escape. Crimson splashed the magnificent velvet, blending into the plush upholstery and hiding the artist’s pallet of colour flashing the through the air. One after the other like wheat before the scythe they fell, their screams a fine accompaniment to the song from a world long since lost to history. But not from memory. Not from mine. I swept through the humans effortlessly, without pause, without hesitation. Some tried to fight back of course, one with a short pistol which punched a neat hole through my side. I grabbed his neck and thrust my sword through his mouth, watching the back of his skull erupt in fragments that spattered the wall with gore. He would feed me well. I drew in a long pull of his energy, filling my spirit’s desire and repairing the wound as if it had simply never been. And then, almost painfully, I realised there were simply no more humans. None alive anyway.

The mares huddled timidly together around the first pony I had sent to the door. As one they backed away when I approached and I sheathed my sword, relinquishing my grip on the spirit’s power. “You don’t have to say it ladies,” I said casually. “‘Demon’. It gets very old, very fast.”

The first mare spoke up, ignoring my remark. “Who are you? You’re not human are you?” It wasn’t a question.

“No.” I tried a smile, but managed little more than a grimace. “I’m here to get you home.” I looked around at milling females. “Is this all of you?”

The mare shook her head. “They have one more. A foal, she’s…” She swallowed nervously. “She’s popular with the human male who runs this place.”

‘Popular’… I grabbed her more roughly than I meant to. “Where?” I growled.

Eyes widening she pointed to the far door. “Through there. There’s a long corridor, and a big office at the far end. He… He takes her there sometimes.”

I nodded my understanding and addressed the mares. “There’s not much time. Follow me if you want to get out of here alive and back to Equestria. Don’t stop for anything, and don’t look back. Understand?”

They didn’t need to reply. Desperate to escape their prison, survival instincts took over and added speed to their flight. In silence we ran from the room and back to the portal, and the promise of freedom from this world of unimaginable cruelty. There no more humans here now, only the dead, and the mares ignored them all. We ignored them all. They were nothing. They had always been nothing. I counted the mares through that shimmering pool of silvery light - every one, every single one. As they plunged through the portal each bruise, every black eye and scar, branded its unique image into my memory with frightening clarity, until finally the last mare was through. Thank the gods… I turned to head back to the stairs when a shot rang out from the upper corridor window. Whether it was a fluke or a damned good shot I couldn’t tell, but the result was all too apparent. The bullet had struck the control for the portal, and with a flickering ‘pop’, my way home vanished. I was dumbstruck. What the buck was I going to do now? I doubted the agency would send a rescue party for me, but.. of course, the second portal! Yes… Yes, if I could reach it that would be my best, and probably only hope to get home. But first that foal needed rescue before I needed a way home. Checking my pulse gun I set up a MAD on the portal and set it to ‘remote’ - a little surprise in case some of the monkey buckers tried to get it going again. Better warn Dune too...

I tapped my headset. “Dune? Nox. You there?”

A barrage of gunfire crackled over the TED, “Nox! Dear Celestia, I thought you’d bought it!” Another rattle of automatic fire. “Damn it, there’s millions of the bastards.” A pause. “We’ve taken some casualties but we’re holding our for now. Engineers have rigged the place to blow, and we’re bugging out any minute. What’s your situation?”

“Not good,” I replied. “The portal’s down and there’s one foal left to pick up. Can you hold on for us before you bail?”

“Celestia, Nox!” Dune huffed. “Damn it… Okay, we’ll do what we can here, but you’re not supposed to be part of this mission, remember? Right, look, I’ve got an idea, so just get your mangy arse here as quick as you can, okay? Move flank, Agent!”

She didn’t have to tell me twice. Hefting my weapon I threw caution to the wind and leaped up the stairs looking for the shooter. My heart was in my throat as I dived around the corner, but whoever had taken that last shot had already vanished, taking to their heels with only a solitary empty shell casing to show where they’d been. Had they been aiming for me or the portal? If it was yours truly then they were one hell of a bad shot. Lucky for me. Luckier for them. Either way I didn’t pause, charging off once again through the facility, keeping an eye out for any sign of humans. The now familiar corridors raced by, but of my foe there was little sign, only the distant thump and rattle of gunfire. Intentional or not, the agency ponies were acting as the perfect distraction, so long as I could get past the humans surrounding them in one piece of course. Still, I could cross that bridge when I came to it. Hopefully.

In the plush room I halted to catch a breath and take a drink of water as well as to check my gear was still in order. The prisoners had been recovered and would no doubt be back in Equestria receiving the care they so desperately needed, but one still remained, and I would be damned if I’d leave anypony, let alone a child, in the clutches of these sadistically vile beasts. As far as I was concerned the less time I had to spend here the better… for both of us. Themap screen showed me the corridor ahead picked out in faint green lines with what had to be the office the mare had told me about at the end of it, before turning off to the right and vanishing into the unknown bowels of the complex. Half way down was another of my objectives, but one that was of secondary concern to me now. No, I had to concentrate on the office, save the foal, and then it was a simple a matter of getting past the ‘millions’ of humans Dune had mentioned and a gut wrenching portal journey home. Yeah… ‘simple’. I set off down the corridor, listening for anything that might indicate a threat, but the only one I was picking up on was the unimaginably foul stench that was getting worse with every step I took. Should I use the gas mask? My hand instinctively reached for it and paused half way. No… The thing restricted vision horribly and moving quickly in it restricted my breathing. I needed to keep all my senses alive here if I was to free the child from her captors and get her home alive. So instead I carefully unwrapped a cloth from one of my packs, dampened it with some water from my canteen, and wrapped it around my face. It didn’t help much, but it was better than nothing. My eyes were beginning to water now, and my nose wrinkled up in disgust at the sheer intensity of whatever was filling the corridor. Dear gods, how could the humans stand it here? For once I was glad I didn’t have my normal sense of smell or it probably would have floored me. I’d encountered it before of course, but never to this degree. It was ‘breeze’, the powerful narcotic that had an unmistakably acrid aroma quite unlike anything else I had ever encountered. And one I’d hoped, in vain, I never would again. More so even that the guns, this cruel export from the human world destroyed lives indiscriminately. It didn’t care about age, sex, innocence, or guilt. I had seen first hoof the damage this evil drug inflicted; the images of Warlock’s niece, the vacant, empty staring eyes...

In crude painted letters the word ‘Lab’ had been daubed on the metal door from where the smell was emanating. I couldn’t read much of their language, but I recognised this one from the briefing alright. According to the map this was the drug making area where I was meant to set up one of the MAD’s, but I was all too aware that I was fast running out of time. If I didn’t get that foal out of here before the team pulled out we’d both be sunk, and the thought of being trapped forever in this nightmare world was beyond unthinkable. I readied myself to move on but something tickled at the back of my mind - it was a whimper, a tiny sob, coming from behind the lab door. Was it the foal? I closed my eyes and took a breath. Maybe she’d been moved? Damn it! I had to be sure...

Thank the gods my watch training took over. Normally I would have had ponies either side of me in a situation like this, watching for any unpleasant surprises on the other side and covering as many angles as possible. Today, there was only me. Pressing myself against the wall I reached for the handle and carefully pushed the door open. Surprisingly for something so heavy it swung open effortlessly, bright light spilling out into the corridor revealing the well lit interior. I wiped my eyes and peered around the door frame, and... the scene inside was… Dear Celestia. It was breeze. I had no idea… Why hadn’t anypony told me?! My face must have been a picture as I stood there staring wide eyed into the raw guts of the hell that was the laboratory. A long table ran the length of the room with an assortment of bottles, pipes and tubes all bubbling away with the final product being dried and packaged at the far end. There was no ambiguity about the origin of that acrid smell now – cardboard boxes of the stuff were piled everywhere from floor to ceiling. There must have been dozens, no, hundreds of pounds of that evil powder. By my reckoning there was enough Breeze here to kill half of Equestria - after one hell of a trip though. But it was what languished in the overcrowded metal baskets at the other end of the table that really caught my attention: small multi-coloured fairy-like creatures that I had only ever seen once during their migration through Ponyville. They were noisy, irritating little things that the foals adored, but as an angsty teenager dragged there against my will I’d been more interested in the fillies, ice cream, and getting home as soon as possible to pay them much attention. But once seen, you’d never forget them. They were ‘Breezies’, tiny winged creatures that had a culture, language and behaviour that was utterly unique amongst all the races I’d ever encountered. Perhaps even more so than the wendigo, and that was saying something. They were frail, powerless things too, and about as dangerous as the marshmallows that were given out during the migration festival to the onlookers. Oh goddesses, now the name made sense, it was bloody obvious when you looked at the setup here but… the crusher, the cutting blocks, the tiny pieces of discarded life. Oh Celestia, where are you when your people need you?

One of the more animated creatures clung to the bars of its depressingly temporary home, squeaking at me in a manner that was more reminiscent of a novelty bath toy than anything coherent. Needless to say I couldn’t understand a word it said. I rubbed my ears, trying to make the bloody useless things work a little better. More likely than my poor human hearing however, was that the seemingly random squeaks and peeps emanating from the breezie was a language all their own, and one I couldn’t speak a single word of.

“I can’t understand you,” I said in exasperation. “Do any of you speak Equestrian?”

A green one with a missing antenna and a short white beard stepped forward, pushing his fellows out of the way. “I do.” He peered up at me with eyes that seemed far too large for such a small head. “Are you going to help us pony?”

I blinked in surprise. More than being able to speak my tongue, he knew straight away what I was! “You know I’m Equestrian?” I asked in amazement.

“Of course,” the thing replied with a shrug. “The humans do not trouble themselves with such trivialities as discourse with their prey. They feed us, they give us water, but only so we remain fresh for processing. Polite conversation?” It smiled bitterly. “No.” The breezie motioned towards the table before fixing me with an oddly resigned expression. “So, you will help us?”

I could barely tear my eyes from the table. “Yes… Yes, of course,” I stammered trying to get my head back in the game. I looked around at the boxes, the containers, or any other options I had for getting them out of here. Everything I looked at was far from ideal, but what choice did I have? “it’s not going to be a comfy ride guys,” I said levelly.

There was a short, squeaky, and decidedly heated discussion. “We need to ride the currents to fly from here, pony. You must flap your wings and-”

Flap my wings?! I stomped a foot angrily. “Do I look like a bloody pegasus?” I snapped. “I’m in a human’s body in case you hadn’t noticed!” I held up a hand and closed my eyes, trying not to lose the plot completely with these creatures. They’d already been subjected to horrors that were beyond comprehension, they didn’t need me yelling at them too. I took a breath, calming my racing heart. “Please, just stop messing about and get your people together, okay?”

But it wasn’t okay. Not at all. Far from being as keen to escape as the mares, the breezies seemed to be more content with shouting at each other as loudly as possible, as more and more arguments began to erupt amongst the occupants of the cages, spreading like wildfire until the whole room resounded with their deafening, squeaky chatter. I face palmed in resigned exasperation. Dear gods, this was madness, absolute madness! I had to wrest control back from them, and quickly. The direction the situation was heading in right then wasn’t going to end well for any of us, and I didn’t have any more time to waste bucking about with these infuriating creatures. I turned away from the cages, shoved a hand in my pack, and got on with one of the tasks I had originally thought I’d have to avoid. Nimbly, I began attaching the MAD to the underside of the lab’s table.

“What is that?” the green Breezie asked me.

“It’s an M.A.D,” I replied levelly. I used to tape to stick it in place, out of sight from the casual observer. “I’m going to blow this place off the map. In a few minutes this place will be going up, whether you’re here or not.” Brushing myself off, I stood up and faced them. “I’m not waiting here any longer, so either you get in the sack or stay here and die.” I shook out the large sack I’d found amongst the detritus of the lab. It wasn’t what I would have liked, but if it was either that or death… “It’s your choice.”

There was a pause, and then without another word, or squeak, all but two of the breezies obediently climbed into the hessian sack I held open for them. The little creatures were frighteningly frail as it was, and already weakened by only gods knew what treatment at the hands of their captors, but what other choice did I have? And you know, for a moment, I actually thought I’d managed to pull it off too. At least, until the last two decided to sit down with their arms folded and glare up at me defiantly. Without waiting another second I reached in and grabbed them, stuffing the protesting fairy things into the bag with their fellows. They could complain all they wanted later. Slinging my living cargo over my shoulder, I nearly ran straight into the human coming out from a back room to investigate the noise. He was fast too, but thankfully was just as surprised as I was. It was the only thing that saved my hide that day. Firing his pistol at point blank range I felt the burn of the muzzle flash, the hiss of air beneath my arm and the ear ringing bang. His bullet had missed its mark, instead sending shards of glass up from the table behind me, including a glass phial that ejected a huge plume of white powder that engulfed both of us. I managed to get my own shot off at the human before the powder entered my lungs, but… it was too late. One sniff. One single exhalation. It was all it took. And it was like nothing I’d ever experienced before in my life.

The room suddenly swayed sickeningly, throwing me around deliriously. It was like being on a ship in the midst of a raging storm without a rudder, and with nothing to hang on to either. My legs were weak, weak as rubber bands, but… but the colours! Such wonderful colours! And those sounds, the sounds of the sirens themselves, calling me to joyful ruination upon the rocks of their water home. Everything was so vivid, so… alive! I felt sick, happy, sad, and yet oddly at peace all at once. A voice called to me, trying in vain to grab onto my wavering consciousness, but all I could do was laugh. Laugh, and laugh and laugh. I staggered down the corridor towards the main office, or at least, I think I did. I kept taking big breaths to try and relieve the symptoms, but nothing worked. And did I really care anyway? Who knew! Dear gods, I felt as high as a bucking kite.

Two, or was it four? Ha! I didn’t know! Humans, however many of them there were, emerged from the room in front of me and with an arm under each of mine, carried me laughing hysterically into a massive office come bedroom. At the far end a naked girl wept as a big burly gorilla of a human climbed off her, dealing the helpless female a vicious slap which sent her tumbling across the enormous bed. Blood flying from her mouth spattered a stark line of crimson upon the once white sheets that she weakly clung to as the only modesty she had left in her shattered world.

“Fucking little bitch! You show me some god-damned respect.” The big human turned to face the newcomers, tying the cord on his robes.

The two goons who had hold of yours truly kept me propped up between them. One of them gave me a shake. “Got one of the nags who’ve been causing all the commotion, boss.”

“Commotion?” the large human repeated incredulously. “They’ve cost me fucking MONEY!” he advanced on my captors, making them back up a step. I just giggled. The colours on this guy! Orange, purple… it was all so… far out...

He reached up and grabbed my jaw. “Look at the state of him, he’s been shooting the fucking breeze. Some god-damned hero we got here. Couldn’t keep your pretty little muzzle out of it, could you, horsey?”

One of the humans punched me in the stomach, but I barely flinched. “Want us to teach him some respect, Boss?”

The ‘boss’ shook his head. “Nah, it’s pointless, he’s so messed up he’d never feel it. Wonder why he’s not with the rest of his mob, though?” He shrugged.

“Dunno, Boss,” one of the thugs replied. “We found ‘im in the lab. ‘E was the only one there.”

The boss sniffed loudly. “Doesn’t matter I s’pose, we’ve got ‘em cornered anyway. Just a little bump in the road that a few rounds’ll smooth out. Right boys?” The others chuckled. Suddenly the human span, back-handing me across the face with a meaty slap that made my ears ring. The boss’s equally meaty face leered at me menacingly as a thought entered his warped mind. “Hey horsey hero, wanna see a show?” Eye’s, dark as night and as cruel as the oceans depths, stared into mine. “Yeah… Yeah, of course you do. A little ‘dressage’ perhaps?” Abruptly he turned away, waving a hand towards a painting on the wall I couldn’t make out in my drug infused state. “My daughter’s pony. Loves ‘em she does. Keeps ‘em clean, well fed, watered, and costs me a pile of cash to keep the damned things from going to the glue factory. If I had my way, that’s where I’d send the bloody lot of ‘em. But I don’t, and why? Because my daughter likes them. And she’s not the only one. You see, in this world humans ownhorses, Equestrian. We break them, we control their will, control their spirit, moulding them into pliable, controllable beasts that do what they’re bloody well told. Only here they look like what they are – horses, right?” He motioned to his underlings who nodded obediently as he continued. “Four legs, long face, tail, shit everywhere.” He smirked. “But when your people come ‘ere, well, you already know the rest, don’t you? And you know the best part? We like to ride them too.” He licked his chubby lips. “There’s some good money in horse flesh, horsey, and our clients pay well for a taste of the exotic. Very well indeed.” He stretched and walked over to the mantelpiece to take down a glass of wine. The burly thug knocked the drink back in one slug and threw the glass into the fireplace before walking back over to me, a smug expression on his face. “I’ve made a lot of money serving the ‘needs’ of others over the years, my equine friend. So when one of your own wandered in here one day to offer me a way to make even more, I was hardly going to turn them down now, was I? Ha! You can’t imagine how surprised I was to discover just how keen your own people were to sell one another off for drugs and guns. God almighty, I could barely keep up with the demand! Still, that’s what I’m in the business of: supplying quality goods to willing, paying, customers. Goods we’re only too happy to provide. After all, money is money wherever you are, or ‘whatever’ you are. Anyway, it’s all academic for you now isn’t it?” He took a step back to allow me to have a good view of the foal on the bed. She was pale, pale as milk with soft two tone purple hair. The human watched my expression and chuckled menacingly, “Cute isn’t she? You’re going to see now… ‘Equestrian’…”

No.

“…Just how powerless…”

NO!

“…you really are…”

The human took off his robe, letting it slip to the floor before grabbing the shrieking foal by the ankle. Colours and sounds raged through my head as I tried desperately to grab my spirit’s energy. Goddesses, it was happening again! Gates, Melon Patch, Meadow… How many more had to suffer? How many?! My head was still ringing, my eyesight swirling, but I had to do something, anything! I couldn’t just let this happen! My guards laughed, watching the show with brutal smiles, never relinquishing their firm grip despite my struggles. Terrified, the foal cried and scratched at the hairy thug pulling at her legs, but it only made the vile animal all the keener. Drool spilled from his mouth like a hungry dog, his hands grabbing, pulling her ever nearer… There was nothing I could do. Absolute nothing...

Enough of this.

The voice inside me, the voice from the sea, it rolled through me, pushing my senses aside and reconnecting nerves, control, and impulse.

Give me your will, Fairlight. Give it over to me. Yes, that’s the way… Yes! YES!

I don’t remember much of what happened next, it was all a boiling fog of white cloud, screams, and incoherent voices pleading... begging. My body moved without any direct input from myself, dancing to an otherworldy symphony played by an orchestra where I was merely one of the audience. The voice was the conductor, the guide of the magic, the wielder of the spirit. When I finally picked myself up off the floor I retched over and over again like some penitent drunkard on a Saturday morning. Still, at least my head was gradually clearing, even if I did feeling like I’d been hit with a sledgehammer. Shaking, I reached over to where the thugs had dumped my gear and took out a flask of life energy, downing the sparkling fluid greedily. The effect was near instantaneous. I was like being plunged into freezing water, my senses bursting back into life with the shock, my headache already forgotten in the sizzling wave of intense, raw magic. What the hell had happened? I had an idea of course, this wasn’t the first time I’d ‘lost myself’ but… I closed my eyes and sighed. Since when had I become so immune to such sights? Once I would have been sickened, frightened out of my wits, but now… now this sort of thing was beginning to look almost normal. Perhaps to a wendigo it was. I sat up, examining the ice laden room with its shimmering walls, the icicles, the frozen blood, the mangled pieces of what had once been alive. And then I saw her. The foal was sat huddled in the middle of the bed with a blanket wrapped around her, shivering, staring out at… not me, but… Dear goddesses, the hairy human, the ‘boss’, was hanging from the wall above the fireplace, nails of ice driven through his limbs transfixing him to the wall. The other two were frozen mid scream in pillars of ice amidst piles of their own insides. It was the stuff of nightmares. To the foal, maybe I was too. With a sigh I stood up and approached her with as gentle a smile as I could muster. Large eyes peered up at me, but she only emerged from her bedding cocoon once I handed over her clothes. They were old, dirty and ripped, but they’d do for getting her out of here. Her hand brushed mine briefly, and I nearly jumped in surprise. The poor girl was freezing cold. But she was alive. We both were. And I intended to keep us that way. I barely heard the whisper behind me as we turned for the door. I looked over my shoulder. His eyes were closed but his lips were moving, each word painfully laboured, every syllable a strain beyond endurance...

“Kill… kill me… don’t… don’t leave me... like this...”

Instinctively I put my hand to my sword but stopped short, gazing up into the boss’s meaty face. All it would take would be a second, a flick of the wrist, one little slice and- I looked down at the slight pressure, staying my hand. The little foal had taken my arm, tears welling in her gentle eyes. Slowly, she shook her head. I nodded. I understood. Silently the two of us left the room, the MAD my parting gift, jammed into the hairy bastard’s mouth. I would grant his wish, I just didn’t say when. Closing the door behind us, I glanced down at my young charge. The foal stared off into the distance, her face a blank mask devoid of emotion. I could only pray to the goddesses she would recover, children were generally a lot more resilient than adults gave the credit for, but this? I didn’t know. She was unnaturally quiet too, not surprising considering the hellish ordeal she’d been subjected to, but thankfully she was more than capable of keeping up with me as I took to my heels. Together we raced along corridor after corridor, passing a myriad of rooms and junctions, every one of them devoid of life. On my forearm the map whirled around dizzyingly in an attempt to keep up with our headlong flight, its glowing arrow showing us the route we had to follow to reach Dune, and more importantly, safety. One of the rooms, a secondary objective, flashed up red on the display. It was one of the weapons manufacturing rooms on the way to Dune’s position, but I had a foal with me now, she had to take priority. Only… if I didn’t stop this… damn it all!

“Dune? How you holding up?”

The agency mare’s voice crackled back through my headset. “We’re hanging on, Nox. Wounded have been evacced but the team leaders are beginning to ask questions. We’ll need to bail soon, the humans look like they getting ready to launch another assault - a big one.”

I tapped the communicator. “Understood. I’ve got the last foal with me now, Dune. We’re not far from your position, so hold on as long as you can.”

“Received. Good luck, Nox.”

The foal stumbled suddenly, but with a quick flick I had her up on my back clinging onto me like a limpet as we continued our race through the empty halls of the facility. One wary eye on the map, I took the next junction to where a roughly painted sign pointed down a short side corridor to a door marked “Manufacturing”. The map confirmed it too. This was one of the secondary objectives, yet another manufacturing facility within the main plant that made the kinds of weapons I’d seen flooding into Manehattan. Whether the ones produced here were intended for the human market or my world, I couldn’t say, but either way the damned things had been responsible for the deaths of who knew how many innocent lives. Or more specifically, the ones pulling the trigger had been. I took a breath. Should I do this? Should I take the chance when I had the child with me? I knew the answer of course, but… Sensing my hesitation the foal suddenly jumped down to stare at me with those big bright eyes of hers. Without a word she reached out her hand and placed it on the pack containing the last of the MAD’s, and nodded. I think she knew, or at the very least understood what I intended to do.

“Stay close, and keep quiet,” I told her. “This won’t take long.”

I didn’t have long either. Dune was waiting, and sooner or later the humans would go in there with everything they had to retake their facility. I had to be quick. Steeling myself I pushed open the door and was hit by a wall of deafening sound. The factory was absolutely vast: conveyor belts, forges, all manner of machines clanking, banging and rattling amidst a dark sea of smoke and heat. Here and there humans worked, tending the hungry machines, and completely oblivious to our approach and the chaos in the rest of the facility. One well placed MAD here would set their operation back months, if not years. Right then, I thought to myself. Fortune favours the bold… Brazenly I walked in, looking at all the different weapon types in the racks as If I owned the place. I picked one up and looked closely at it. I’ll say this, the monkey-like creatures certainly knew their craft - it was very well made indeed.

“Hey! Put that that down!” A voice yelled over the din. “Who are you? What are you doing in here?”

I almost went for my pulse gun, but this time… yeah, I’d play the game. “Nice bit of kit that,” I said eyeing the firearm. “Got any spares going?”

The big fellow in the apron wiped his hand one a filthy rag that only seemed to make them worse. He stared at me curiously. “No I haven’t. Now, I’ll ask again, who are you and what are you doing in here? You one of the new guys?”

“S’pose so,” I shrugged dismissively. “Boss wants to know what’s happened to Carter. He’s been trying to get him on the radio and thought he might be skiving off in here.”

That seemed to work. The well built human nodded knowingly. “Carter? Nah, haven’t seen him for hours. Don’t get many visitors in here. Too noisy see?” It was too, the noise was absolutely deafening and I had to shout to get myself heard. The human bobbed his head towards the foal. “What’re you doing with that kid? She one of the horses?”

I felt the spirit shift within me, but kept my demeanour as nonchalant as possible. “Yeah, I’m taking this one to meet with one of our clients. Boss has had his fun for the day. Guess he likes to share, eh?”

The human let out a bellicose laugh that made his large gut shake. “Yeah, I bet!”

I turned to leave, “Hey, nearly forgot, boss says to give you this.”

The sweaty human took the small object from my outstretched hand. “What is it?”

“How the fuck should I know?” I replied, emulating the humans’ course language. “Looks expensive though, I’d keep it safe if I were you.”

He held it up to the light and grinned greedily. “Oh, hell yeah! It looks like one of them Fabergé eggs! Is he nuts? These go for an absolute bomb!”

As I walked out of the workshop, I muttered under my breath, “You can say that again.”

The door closed behind me, mercifully cutting off the deafening noise. I taken a chance, a gamble that had put both our lives at risk, but the task had been completed. Now, we had to save ourselves. The child clinging to my back, I gunned all my energy into running once more. Even without the map it was impossible to take a wrong turning now, the rattle of gunfire reverberating between the buildings was so loud it was making the very floors and windows shake.

In response the little foal squeezed my neck even tighter and I reached up to pat her hand. “Nearly there little one,” I breathed. “We’ll get you home soon.”

As if in answer to my words a beam of light up ahead of us appeared as a door swung open to the outside world. It was like an oasis in a desert to a stallion dying of thirst. It was the promise of freedom, salvation, and life itself. My heart was beating so hard now my ears were ringing, but even so, throwing myself through that opening to the outside might be a one way ticket to turning us both into jam. Instead, I slammed myself up against the wall, and peered outside. The building the agency ponies were inside was impossible to miss. Beams of light shot from broken windows towards where the humans were taking cover, returning fire with their projectile weapons. Between myself and sanctuary was a gap of some fifty feet or so, and one that was looking increasingly likely to be my final resting place. How the hell were we going to manage this?!

I tapped my communicator. “Dune? You there?”

“Nox!” The mare sounded desperate. “Gods almighty, stallion, where the hell are you?!”

“Right outside,” I said quickly. “For the goddess’s sake, tell your ponies to watch their fire!”

Dune paused. “There’s a side door near some large red pipes. There aren’t many humans there, and I’ll lay down as much covering fire as I can.”

I leaned round the doorway, spotting a large array of large diameter red pipework that disappeared into the building. “I can see the pipes, Dune.”

“Then shift flank, Nox. And keep your head down!”

Dune didn’t need to tell me twice. Foal in tow, I slipped out of the door, keeping to the wall and as much cover as I could find. Fortunately the place was a dumping ground of bins, containers and bricks that provided at least some protection from stray shots, as well as keeping us from sight as we moved ever closer. One short dash at a time, shrinking into corners, hiding behind the detritus of this alien world, we were only a few short steps from escaping this mad house when I saw them. There two of them, humans, peering up at a window and readying what was clearly a grenade. The ponies inside didn’t seem to have spotted them, and, thankfully, they hadn’t seen me either. Two rapid shots from my beam gun settled the matter, taking them down in smoking heaps of mangled flesh.

A face appeared at the window. “Hey! Is he one of ours?”

“He’s got a foal with him, check your fire!” Another shouted.

A snap of gunfire fizzed overhead, cracking against the brickwork mere inches away.

“Here they come!”

“Keep their heads down.”

“Nox! Move your arse, stallion! Covering fire!”

Under a withering barrage of covering fire from the agents I made a charge for the side door and barrelled through it without stopping, nearly managing to run head first into a support beam in the process. Thankfully one of the more quicker witted agents managed to grab me whilst another slammed the door shut behind us with a clang of steel that was like a balm for my soul right then. Dear gods, my heart was beating so fast my head was spinning! I passed my canteen up to the foal who spilt more over me than she got in her mouth, but she needed it more than me. The poor kid must have been parched. Fear does that to you. Personally I was looking forward to a shower, a wash, a clean bed, and as much wheat beer as I could pour down my throat.

A tall female with sand coloured hair walked over to us as I gratefully took a draught of water from her own profferred canteen. I closed my eyes, wiping a dampened cloth across my face. “Bloody hell, Nox, you cut that fine.” Dune nodded to the others. “Come on, we have to go. Glance, take charge of that foal, we’re clocking up some serious over time here already.”

Following Dune’s orders one of the mares walked up to us and tried to take the foal from my back. She wasn’t exactly rough with her, but the child resolutely refused to budge and even aimed a kick at the poor mare who dodged out of the way just in time. I sighed inwardly. Whether I liked it or not the tenacious creature was sticking to my back like a barnacle on a ship’s hull, and was showing little sign of releasing me any time soon. The mare looked at me in exasperation, but I just shrugged it off with a smile. “It’s alright,” I said pleasantly. “I think she’s become rather attached to me.”

Around us orders were quickly passed along and suddenly large pops began to detonate around the exterior of the building. I recognised the sound immediately - Flash bugs. We were pulling out.

Dune stood up tall, waving her arms and indicating the glowing portal. “Come on! Move it! Move it!”

Her order was followed with more enthusiasm than I think I’ve ever seen before in my entire career. One by one the team began to withdraw until only Dune and I remained to pass through the shimmering silver pool, and home. There was a crash of glass as a bullet blew out one of the few remaining windows, sending a shower of shards onto the concrete floor. The humans were still firing sporadically at the building, probably momentarily stunned by the flashbugs, but I was in no doubt they would rally soon enough and would be on us in a rush when they realised nopony was firing back.

The agency mare handed me a detonator. “It’s set for ten seconds. You want to do the honours?”

I nodded, taking out my own detonator for the other MAD’s. It too I set for ten seconds and placed them both on a packing crate, hands poised over them.

“Ready?” Dune asked.

I nodded. “Ready!” And by the gods, was I ever!

I clicked both detonators simultaneously and ran like the wind for the portal, just as the warehouse doors were blown in by the assaulting humans. Dune, myself and the little foal lunged through the active portal, landing in a heap on the other side. Suddenly I felt a warning from the spirit. Both of us knew what was coming next. I grabbed Dune and dragged us both clear as a wave of searing heat flashed out over us a moment before the swirling silvery portal collapsed in on itself. Bloody hell, so much for ten seconds, that was more like three! Still, other than the smell of singed fur, we looked to be pretty much in one piece. And more importantly, with all my legs where nature intended them. Unfortunately, my stomach didn’t agree.

And so, retching and sweating like a drunk on a Friday night, I lay there panting for breath whilst the medics dashed around tending to the more seriously injured. But we’d done it. We were home! At last, at long, long last… It was over.

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

Most of the teams had cleared out by the time I pulled myself back to my hooves. A steady stream of ponies, weary but jubilant, were heading off to a well deserved shower. The wounded had already been taken to the medical wing, whilst yours truly had been left to his own devices with a damp cloth, a mug of water, and a bucket of something especially unpleasant. It had all gone very quiet. I wasn’t sure what to make of that really. There I was, risking my neck to save ponies, and they all sod off and leave me there with my muzzle stuck in a bloody bucket. So much for being ‘one of the gang’! I sat on my haunches and nursed my thumping head, my jubilant mood souring by the second. But behind the last group to leave I saw something that was like a burst of sunlight through gathering storm clouds. Until I realised who it was. It was a large orange unicorn, staring at me with undisguised contempt. Warlock. I locked eyes with him, the two of us watching each other until another agent walked between us and he vanished, melting back into the throng like the odious little prick he was.

A hoof on my shoulder reminded me that I wasn’t quite as alone as I’d originally thought. “Nox? Come on, you can’t stay here.” Dune reached down and helped haul me up. It was quite a struggle too, and then I realised why - the little foal was still suck fast to my back.

“Is she…?” I asked, catching my breath.

Dune nodded. “Yeah, she’s okay, Nox. You did good, fella. Real good.”

I smiled wearily, and together we walked towards the door after the others.

“Feels funny doesn’t it?” Dune said, shaking her mane.

I huffed. “You’re not kidding. Could have done without puking up when I got back of course, but at least I’m not naked any more. Miss the hands though, those ‘thumb’ bits were quite useful really.”

She laughed, her ears twitching. “I know what you mean, a load of us emptied our guts when we arrived too. Fortunately enough of us were unaffected and we were able to clear a path for the rest.”

“Clear a path?” I asked curiously.

Dune nodded solemnly. “We were ambushed. At least, I believe we were…”

“Dear Luna…” I breathed.

Dune shrugged it off. “It’s just a feeling, Nox, that’s all. It may be nothing more than a coincidence, but I’ll guarantee you I won’t be the only one who’s thinking that those bastards knew we were coming.” She raised an eyebrow. “If I were you, I’d keep alert and keep your head down. Report anything to Brandy or myself, okay?”

She didn’t say what, but didn’t have to. I nodded. “Sure.” Goddesses above, was there a mole in the agency? If so, who? Warlock maybe? I’d never liked the guy and he sure as hell hadn’t made any secret of the fact he thought the same way about me, but the way he’d stared at me back there had sent a shiver down my spine. I’d be watching him in future alright, and keeping a pistol close to hoof too. I caught Dune’s attention. “Will you excuse me? I want to go and check on the mares and foals we got out. Do you know where they’ve be taken?”

Dune nodded. “They’ll be in the second accommodation block annex. Brandy arranged for medical facilities, drink, food and clean clothes. Normally the mistress keeps it for visitors, so it’s rarely used and, best of all, quiet.”

An irate squeaking and chirruping made us both stop and look towards its source - the brown sack on my back behind the foal. It was moving.

“What the hell’s in there?!” Dune sputtered, stepping back suddenly.

“Oh bollocks, the breezies! Hell fire, I nearly forgot… Here.” I untied the writhing sack, lay it on the ground and one by one the tiny creatures began to drag themselves out, battered and bruised, but mercifully alive. Not a few of the ungrateful little swines waved their minute fists at me. “Ah, I um... may have pissed them off a bit there, Dune. But at least they’re not getting snorted any time soon, right?”

“What?!” Dune looked shocked, “Oh goddesses, are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

So she didn’t know either, eh? “Oh yes,” I replied casually. “Breeze is Breezies, alright. Ground up into powder and taken straight up the old hooter. Surprised nopony realised it sooner.”

Dune shook her head in disbelief. “Leave them with me, I’ll find somepony to help care for them before they get stepped on. Bloody hell, I don’t believe this...”

I clopped her on the shoulder. “Thanks Dune, I’d better get this one back to her friends.” I motioned towards the tired foal.

The sandy coated agent smiled warmly and stroked the little foal’s mane before we trotted off through the facility towards the accommodation annex. The sooner I got my passenger delivered the better – my back was killing me! Reaching the building, I surprised to find the door blocked by two ponies who looked pretty annoyed to see me for some reason.

“Hey! Look who it is - the crazy lady’s pal. Where’s the nutcase today, Nox. Bucked any more agents in the face lately?”

Ah, that explained the black eye then. I shrugged. “Should work on those reflexes agent, she’s given me a few thumps more than once.” She had too, but I wasn’t going to tell him she’d done it in her sleep.

The grumbling pony opened the door, his friend sniggering behind her hoof and flashing me a cheeky wink as I went through. My hoof instinctively went to my cheek, feeling for any signs of the bruise the rampaging pegasus had put there a few nights ago. Tingles was an absolute nightmare in bed, the way she fidgeted in her sleep kept me up half the night - and those wings! I tried putting a foreleg over her to stop them flapping around, only to get whacked right on the muzzle. After that I’d insisted on her sleeping under the covers, and with her back to me too. If it had kept up the way it was I’d have ended up having to sleep on the settee, and somehow I couldn’t see her agreeing with that at all. One of these days I’d get my own bed back…

Brandy was already in the annexe's specious lobby with several of the senior agents whilst a bevy of medics, nurses, and assorted assistants distributed drinks, food and blankets to their weary patients. Mares, fillies and foals sat around looking absolutely exhausted, but mercifully in one piece. It was disturbingly quiet too, and no wonder. The mental scars they bore would be something that would take much longer to heal than any mere injury, and that was something I could sympathise with entirely. After all, who would believe their story? How could they explain where they’d been all this time to the families? Dear gods, they’d put them away in a nuthouse!

Pushing her way through the mass of ponies, a familiar squealing orange pegasus foal barrelled into us, leaping up at the one still clinging to my back. “Sweetie Belle! You’re safe! Oh thank Celestia!”

The little foal clambered down off my back and rushed into the open forelegs of her friend, the most animated I had seen her since finding her in the clutches of that evil monster in the human world. It was a heart-warming scene to be sure, and one that hadn’t gone unnoticed by the mares who observed the young ones in respectful silence. The two girls clung to one another without a word, and then a heartbeat later the orange one began excitedly rushing around her friend in a circle before the ivory coated one stopped in her tracks. Scootaloo, still lost in the joy of being rejoined with her friend, paused. Noticing Sweetie Belle’s expression, she moved closer, her face full of concern.

“Sweetie?”

Sweetie Belle looked up at me. “Mummy used to say there weren’t really monsters, Mister Nox,” she said gravely. “But there are, aren’t there? That… that human... He hurt me… He tried to… to…”

Tears welled in her eyes and I knelt down, a hoof outstretched. She backed away for a second before allowing me to pull her into a hug. Dear goddesses, she was so frail, so innocent. How could anypony, or any ‘human’ hurt something so precious? “There are monsters, Sweetie,” I said gently. “But there are many good ponies out there as well, maybe even good humans too. But it’s over now, you’re safe, and we’ll get you home to your family as soon as we can.”

She clung to me, sobbing silently until a nurse arrived with a plate of cupcakes and juice. “Would you girls like some cake and drinks?”

Scootaloo jumped up suddenly and managed to down one of the treats in one go, almost instantly breaking out in loud hiccups. The scene made me chuckle, despite the weight of my heart. Watching her friend, Sweetie Belle couldn’t contain it either, and before long we were all laughing at the stricken foal while the nurse rubbed the stricken creature’s back.

Brandy appeared a few moments later. “Nox! Thank bu- Celestia you’re alright. What happened over there? The mares and foals came through saying you were right behind them, and then the portal went dead.”

I shook my head. “Plan B.”

“There was a plan B?” Brandy asked in surprise.

I grinned. “There’s always a plan B, Brandy. Improvise. Adapt. Remember?”

He shook his head, looking around at the mass of females. “Is this all of them?”

I nodded. “So far as I know. The girls didn’t mention anypony else. Sweetie Belle was the last one.”

“Hang on!” Brandy near shouted, grabbing me suddenly. “Did you say ‘Sweetie Belle’? Shit! Do you know who she is?”

I shrugged. “Nope. Never saw her before. Not so far as I know anyway.”

“Damn it…” Brandy rubbed his eyes wearily. “Nox, she’s the daughter of one of the top noble families in Equestria. Haven’t you heard of Rarity? The Carousel Company?”

Racking my brains I remembered the fashion shop in Ponyville, the white unicorn with the purple mane who usually hung around with…Yes... Yes! She was the one who bumped into me, quite literally, in Manehattan when I was waiting for the informant! She was friends with those young mares and the crazy pink one.

Brandy searched my face and nodded. “Remember now? She’s one of the bearers of the elements, and a personal friend of Celestia herself.” He took me to one side. “We’re going to have to mind wipe all the ponies anyway, but this is going to be delicate, Nox. I want you to take her back to Ponyville to her sister’s place. We’ll come up with some cock and bull story to cover it first of course. Oh, and take Tingles with you too, the doc’s due to see her today and should be able to clear her for flight duties.” He paused. “That her friend?”

“Scootaloo?” I asked. “Yeah, guess so.”

“Looks like you’ve got your work cut out for you then,” Brandy pointed out helpfully. “Take as much time as you need, Nox. The goddesses know you deserve it. And don’t worry about your debriefing either, we’ll sort it out later when you’ve had time to tidy up. In the meantime I’ll let the mistress know.” I looked up as he clopped me on the shoulder. “And Nox? Thanks. You’ve done more than anypony could have ever asked of you. I mean that.”

“Thanks, Brandy.” I tried to smile, but I was so tired all I wanted right then was to get my gear off, clean up, and collapse somewhere quiet. But dear gods, Ponyville? Why did it have to be Ponyville of all places? It was the place where it had all begun in a sense, where I had first met Meadow, where I’d had my first assignment as a young officer of the watch. It was also where the princess’s rising star and protégé Twilight Sparklelived too. To think that the criminal underworld would have the sheer audacity to kidnap a child from a place like that, from right under the nose of one of the most adept magic users in Equestria, was beyond brazen. Not only that, but the foal in question was from of one of the most influential families in the land too. But in all honesty, I doubted they cared about that. They probably just saw a young, pretty foal that would fetch a good price. I sat back and took a long, slow, deep breath. I definitely had some mixed feelings about it all, but getting Sweetie Belle home was a lot more important than my emotional discomfort. Besides, it might be just the break I needed to recharge the old batteries. I watched the little foal playing with Scootaloo and some of the others, and my heart ached for them. Despite the exuberance of their play there was a hesitance in Sweetie’s movements which spoke volumes of the ordeal she’d lived through, and the horrors she’d seen. I suppose the memory alteration would be a goddess send for them, taking away all the sights and experiences no foal, no pony, should every have had to face. Damn those bucking humans, I hoped the MAD’s left nothing but ash.

It was the least I could do for them.

Chapter Ten - That which lives beneath the hill

CHAPTER TEN

THAT WHICH LIVES BENEATH THE HILL

All of my thoughts, the doubts, the fears, even my optimism, I suppressed now, focussing everything on one single goal – to find Shadow. The pendant’s light was leading me north-east, skirting past the mountains and up over the farthest reaches of the Everfree forest. I’d released a lot of my strength now, focussing on flight only. To anypony watching I probably looked like one of those batponies, the ones Luna employed as her personal guards. My eyes were different of course, but fortunately so few equestrians had ever seen one of the reclusive creatures that I could probably get away with the impersonation if push came to shove. I had the transformation collar with me just in case, however it was only intended to change you to a unicorn or earth pony - pegasi were beyond its design. Must be the wings I suppose. In any case, it was not only thoughtful of Mitre to ‘loan’ me the thing, it could very well prove to be invaluable in the days ahead. I wonder if it could make me look like Celestia? Now that would be a trick I’d like see! If I covered up my flanks I could just roll up at one of the village taverns and be like ‘Two beers and one of your largest chocolate cakes, my good stallion!’ The looks on their faces would be absolutely priceless! Ah, we can but dream.

I rolled lazily through the sky, sensing how the wind reacted to every small tilt of my wings. The seemingly endless panorama of dark green trees spread out in all directions, with a few dense black clouds scudding across the cloud layer below. Up here though, the air was clean and crisp, with the warm sun high above me in a perfect blue sky. By all the gods, this was the life! It was if Equestria itself was blessing me, adding speed to my flight and rolling out a world of adventure to explore. For the first time in I don’t know how long, I felt incredibly alive. I banked and rolled, stretching out my wings in the sunlight. This was the first chance I’d had to really try them out properly and get a ‘feel’ for flying without being under pressure. Most of the time, Tingles and I had been struggling to get from point ‘a’ to point ‘b’ and I was certainly no experienced flier to be sure, but now… now I could really cut loose. Surprisingly, it was a lot easier than I’d thought. My earth bound mind was the biggest barrier I’d had to overcome, and trying to readjust it to understanding that barrel rolling and looping was perfectly normal had been unsettling. Occasionally I still felt a little lurch of nausea, though that was settling down now thank goodness. At first the stomach gripping sensation happened mostly when I lost sight of the ground. Now, it really only tended to affect me when I pushed myself to make hard manoeuvres and ended up not being able to tell up from down. Still, I felt I was beginning to get the hang of this now, and perhaps even starting to enjoy it. I pulled in my wings and dove, snapping them out just before I plunged into the clouds. Skimming over the fluffy white pillows of vapour, I trailed my hooves through them like a baker’s spoon through meringue, leaving thin trails in my wake. Oh, hell yeah! I could have been a pegasus alright! I bet that with practice before long I could match even that multi-coloured filly in Ponyville for aerobatic skill. She was the one with the designer hair, wasn’t she? Yeah… Yeah, I remember! I’d overheard some of girls chatting in the street one day, explaining that it was natural. Ha! What a load of rubbish, there was no way it could be. Mind you, she must have had one hell of a stylist. Either that or her mother must have been on some major narcotics when she was pregnant with her. I laughed out loud, swooping down to skim over the cloud tops. Goddesses, this was great!

Time passed quickly above the clouds, especially with my newly developed passion for trying out different flying manoeuvres. The sun however, seemed intent on spoiling my fun for the day and was already beginning to dip towards the horizon. Soon, Luna would be sending up her moon and the first day of my journey would be nothing more than a memory. At least it would be a good one for once. I stretched myself out and groaned. I had no idea what time it was, dad’s old watch was secured in a pocket I couldn’t easily reach, but regardless, I was starting to feel more than a little fatigued now and began to look for a resting place for the night. Yawning, I smacked my lips; definitely time to find a spot to land.

Below me the forest had thinned out to rolling lush grassland with a winding narrow river that twinkled merrily in the sunlight. From up here I could see the land was actually in a very wide, shallow valley, home to a number of small houses and outlying farms. An expansive cherry orchard nearby looked like a nice spot to come in for a discreet landing, and I dipped below the tree line with a practical, if not exactly elegant, re-acquaintance with good old terra firma. As much as I enjoyed flying though, it was definitely a pleasure to feel solid ground beneath my hooves once again, and my stomach was already beginning to rumble in expectation of food. Speaking of which, the faint whiff of something cooking drifted across the orchard, tickling my nose. I wonder… I could dip into my supplies and sleep out under the stars of course, but why do that what I could pay my way for a hot meal and decent bed? Country folk were normally a welcoming lot with travellers, especially when they were getting paid. You just had to make sure you didn’t outstay your welcome with them. I slipped on the transformation collar and threw my cloak over my back, letting my magic retreat back to reveal a… bright red unicorn? I felt my horn and stared down at my foreleg. Hell, why not! Peering at myself in the reflection from a bucket of water that sat nearby, I turned this way and that to admire the incredible transformation. A bright yellow tail, mane, and green eyes completed the ensemble. Not very imaginative I suppose, but at least I looked nothing like my normal self. Adjusting my equipment, I trotted up to the nearest farm building. It was a neat, if somewhat practical affair, built from heavy white wooden beams with burgundy panelling. A few tubs of flowers had been arranged outside that made it look more homely, suggesting that whoever lived here had a sense of taste as well as practicality. The property was warmly lit too. Behind the curtains I could see the shadows of several ponies moving about inside, while the sound of laughter rang out in the quiet country air. I took a breath, neatened my mane, and knocked. The sound inside died away a moment later as hoofsteps approached the front door. I heard the latch lift and a face appeared in the spill of light.

“Hello, can I help you?” the cream coated, burgundy haired earth pony mare asked curiously. She had a lovely, warm country accent that reminded me of home, a roaring fire, and good old fashioned home cooking.

“Good evening ma’am,” I nodded politely. “I’m looking for a place to stop for the night, and food if possible. I’m willing to pay if you have a spare place for me.”

She eyed me up and down. “A pony in need, huh? Let me ask my boys.”

The door closed and the murmur of discussion could be heard from the room beyond. It was a damned shame I couldn’t hear it, but at least I didn’t have to wait long. The door opened again and a bulky strawberry red and white stallion appeared, chewing on a length of tobacco.

“You looking for work?”

“No, sir,” I replied politely. “Just a place to sleep for the night. Food too if there is any spare. I can pay.”

“Yeah...” He spat a black gobbet of the tobacco juice onto the ground. “Reckon you can use the barn.” The big fellow jerked his head in the direction of the large red painted building standing nearby. “Two bits okay, lad?”

“Sure thing,” I nodded.

I fished two bits out of my bag and tossed them to him, which he deftly caught in his jacket pocket. Now that was a neat trick I wish I could learn!

He shouted over his shoulder, “Hattie? Bring the lad some food will ya?”

I waited patiently while the stallion just stood there… chewing. Gods, it turned my stomach! It was a bloody awful habit and one I’d never seen the appeal in. One of my pals at school had offered me some once and, being the adventurous sort that I was, I’d given it a go. Unfortunately my adventure ended rather prematurely when I violently threw up my stomach contents into the waste paper basket, much to the amusement of my ‘friends’. The stallion in front of me now must have had a stomach lined in lead. Thankfully, the awkward silence was broken by ‘Hattie’ reappearing with a plate of stew balanced on her back.

“Thank you, ma’am, sir. I’ll be away at first light, so I’ll leave the dishes by the door.” I nodded gratefully and levitated the plate steaming goodness away, heading for the barn and a well deserved rest.

Well now, that was nice and easy. Apparently money really did talk, even out in the sticks. Mind you, two bits? Cheap too! You’d be lucky to get a cup of tea in the city for that. I suppose it didn’t really cost these guys anything though, but a hot meal, shelter, and peace and quiet were just the ticket for a tired pony. It would eke out my supplies a touch longer too, and make my first night away from home that little bit more tolerable. Hell, if I could live in a sewer, I was damned sure I could sleep in a pile of straw for the night. The door to the barn was open ever so slightly, and I was able to slip inside to investigate my shelter for the night. The interior was dark, but a lantern hanging up from a hook fizzed into life with a little tinkering and the application of a touch of flame from my horn. A ladder stood at the bottom of the hayloft and gave access to my evening’s perch. Ha, you had to admire country folk! Simply, rustic, and extraordinarily comfortable, the hay gave just enough to rest my tired bones while the old lamp shone a relaxing light that was just enough to add atmosphere to the scene. Placing my steaming plate beside me, I took a mouthful. I closed my eyes and groaned softly. De-licious! You didn’t get fayre like this at fast food joints. Nope, give me home country cooking any day of the week. Gods, they even gave Heather a run for her money! I took another forkful. I had to give my complements to the chef for this masterpiece, the food was absolutely fantastic; a mix of soft grains and crunchy vegetables cooked to perfection in a light gravy. Everything would probably be locally grown too. No freezers or dried tat out here, no sir!

Finishing up, I found a dry comfortable sleeping spot and even an old blanket which would serve nicely to keep me warm until morning. I may not feel the cold the way I used to, but that didn’t mean I didn’t prefer to stay good and toasty at night. Still, the word ‘warm’ meant different thing to different ponies. I could imagine that to many, trying to catch a few winks in a hay loft was far from the luxury accommodation they were used to. To me, on the other hoof, it was simply perfect. These country types seemed to be a little rough around the edges, but they were good ponies at heart. The Apple family back in Ponyville had been a friendly bunch too if I remembered correctly. I’d not had much to do with them as a rule, except when they were dishing out gallons of cider to everypony who was old enough to hold a mug for goodness sake. Dealing with half drunk fillies and colts was not something I would ever want to deal with again, especially after incidents like the one where that poor sod had nearly drowned in the village well after he’d got himself so inebriated he’d convinced himself he was a hotdog, or some such nonsense. I doubt he’d do it again though, especially after being hauled out arse first in front of his parents. I chuckled to myself as I reached over and pulled over my gear. Fiddling about in my pack I found some nice little extras, including a few standbys from Equus. Mitre had included a pulse gun which was broken down into handy sections for stowage - practical and deadly. I genuinely hoped I wouldn’t need to use the thing, but at least it was there if the situation demanded. It came together with a good number of spare charger crystals too. Ah, there was nothing quite like being prepared to help settle nerves was there? Considering where I was going though, I suppose I ought to have resigned myself to the fact I probably would need the thing sooner or later. The Withers was hardly a pleasant holiday retreat populated by fuzzy bunnies, and regardless of how much life energy I had with me, it was better that I had an alternative method of keeping the more ‘determined’ denizens at bay than relying on my magic reserves too heavily. After all, I still had no idea how long this expedition was going to take, let alone how I was going to get to get there in the first bloody place. Magic crystal or no, who knew what I was going to find when I got there? Damn it, why was I thinking about things like that now? Bugger it all, I’d have to- My attention was caught be a light tap on the barn door.

“Hello? Anypony in here?”

I poked my head over the ledge from the hayloft. “Up here! Is everything alright?”

The lime coated filly smiled up at me in the glow from her lantern. “Mum’s sent me over with some cherry pie, sir. If you like, there’s cream in the jug too.”

She walked closer until I was able to levitate said pie and jug of cream from her back. Thanking the girl, she bobbed her head and trotted off back to the main house without another word. Probably under orders from mum and dad not to speak to the ‘stranger’. A sensible precaution considering we were miles away from anywhere. I suspected any form of law and order in these parts was swift, and more than likely, completely arbitrary. Speaking of which, I was about to give my dessert justice too. Deliciously spicy aromas tickled my nose almost instantly. I’d smelt home cooking before, but this was something else altogether. I didn’t wait to climb back up the stairs, instead plonking myself down on an equipment chest and tucked right in. I wasn’t disappointed. The sweet tartness of the cherry pie and mellow cream was simply heavenly, and before long I was wrapped up in the old blanket drifting off into a deep sleep, full of good food in the simple yet rustic charm of the hay barn.

My dreams were a lot better than they had been of late. Images of Meadow, Tingles, Shadow and the foals, playing together in the sunshine of a golden cornfield made my heart soar. Lumin and Sparrow frolicked and laughed, chasing one another while I lay there watching them, smiling happily. Meadow and Tingles were singing a song from one of Equestria’s many festivals while Shadow listened, joining in on the chorus. This particular one was a celebration of the end of winter, of the coming of spring and new life. I had no idea why, with sunshine and blue skies overhead, why think of cold and snow? It didn’t matter anyway, everypony was here and I was happy – truly, truly happy. In essence, the best way to describe it was… contentment. I didn’t get that feeling very often to say the least. In fact… What was that? Something made me stir, spoiling the wonderful dream and dragging me back to the darkness of the barn. Whatever had woken me was also waking up the main farm building’s occupants too, and I could hear irritated voices from inside even from here. My senses were beginning to bristle. I didn’t like the sound of this, there was an edge to the words being spoken and I quietly descended the ladder to listen. Secreted in the darkness of the barn’s large entrance, I could just about make out the shapes of three ponies in the light spilling from the farm house’s open door. One of them was the farmer, the strawberry red and white stallion’s deep voice raised in annoyance.

“…and I keep tellin’ yer, there’s no such pony ‘ere! Yer deaf or summat?”

The second voice sounded like it belonged to a pony used to being obeyed, and certainly not being argued with. “Sir, intelligence leads us to believe that the fugitive headed this way. Yours is the most remote farm in the village and an ideal place for him to hide.”

“Yer daft, is what yer are,” the farmer snorted. “Bloody townies.”

The newcomer took a deep breath. “Sir, we have an official royal order to allow us to search any properties as we deem necessary, including yours. Please, see sense.”

“See sense, is it?” There was a loud thump as something, probably a hoof, was slammed down in anger. “Now you listen ter me, shiny arse. Piss off! Go on, flap yer buckin’ wings afore ah set the dogs on yer!”

“Dad, for Celestia’s sake, let me handle this. Sirs, please, can you tell me what’s going on?” It was the young filly who’d brought me the pie and cream. Judging by her use of the word ‘Sirs’ there was definitely more than one of these ‘Shiny arses’.

“Madam, have you seen this pony?” the official sounding pony asked her, ignoring the farm stallion.

She shook her head. “No… No, I don’t think so. A unicorn’s staying here at the minute, but he doesn’t look anything like that fellow. He’s in the barn, but he’ll be asleep I reckon. Can you come back in the morning maybe? Perhaps he’s seen the one you’re after?”

There was a brief muttering from the visitors. Finally, the leader of the group spoke. “No. We’ll go and speak to this pony now. If he has seen the one we’re after, we need to know.”

Oh shit! They were coming this way. Time for me to grab my gear and bail out sharpish. I rushed back up the ladder and quickly secured my equipment just as the guardsponies marched in, high powered lanterns sweeping the place like searchlights. I clicked the crystal on the collar just in time…

“You there! Stop where you are!”

“Great Celestia!” I squeaked. “I’m just a pony down on his luck looking for work, sirs. I haven’t done anything wrong!”

The guards officer was a fit young stallion, not much older than I’d been when I’d joined the service of the princesses. He watched me warily with his blue eyes as I stepped out in front of them while another guard approached me, holding up a picture in the lamplight.

“It’s not him, sir,” she said shaking her head, “doesn’t look anything like him. The one we’re looking for is grey with blue eyes, a scar and-”

The officer slammed his hoof down. “I already know what he looks like! Damn it… Come on, let’s…” He slowly turned to leave then looked back at me, narrowing his eyes. “Where did you come from, stallion? There’s nowhere here for miles around.”

I tried to look as innocent as possible. “I was born in Fetlock sir, but I heard there may be work out here, so I’m hoping they’ll hire me on.”

“Hmmm, sounds reasonable,” he replied scratching his chin. “Wain, try the goggles on him.”

“Sir!”

Hang on, I didn’t like the sound of that. I tried to look nonchalant but quickly looked around for a way out, just in case. Bugger it, I should have been more careful! If I’d used my head I would have checked for open windows and back doors in case a rapid escape was necessary. It was too late now. One of the guards slipped on a weird set of goggles that glowed with a magical blue light, then proceeded to look me up and down. My muscles tensed. I hadn’t seen anything like this before, but I had that feeling-

“Dear Celestia…” he gasped suddenly, “It’s him!”

And then the shit really hit the fan. With barely a pause for breath the royal guards all rushed me at once, trying to grapple me. Unleashing my magic, I span, bucking one in the face with a metallic clang as my hind hooves impacted with his helmet, throwing him back into his colleague and leaving both of them in a tangled heap. Taking my chance in the confusion, I leaped over the prone guard ponies and spread my wings with a snap, bursting up and out into the night sky, ramming the wendigo magic through my body as fast I could. Shouts and yells followed me, including several crossbow bolts that mercifully fell short of their intended target. I didn’t bother to look back, the cloud layer ahead was now my sole focus. With any luck it would help me avoid detection, and I poured out my full energy into flying there as fast as I could. If the yelling was anything to go by the royal guard were far behind me, dwindling into the distance despite their best efforts to catch up with their fleeing quarry. Unfortunately for me though, there was no way I could keep up this pace for long. I’d unleashed the magic so quickly my head was spinning and my stomach reeled horribly. The overall effect was like a heavy night on the ale, but without the benefits of enjoying yourself first. Somehow I doubted I would be if these bastards caught up with me. Even so I kept to the clouds, eventually having to slow my pace to allow my wings a chance to recover and clear my head. By the goddesses they ached too. Maybe I wasn’t cut out to be a pegasus after all - this was hard work! At least I didn’t have to worry about wearing armour like the guard ponies did. If they hadn’t been wearing it, they may well have been all over me by now. Lousy rats. So much for my hopes Luna had been able to change her sisters mind about me. Bathed in moonlight, I popped my head above the clouds and looked about. There was no sign of pursuit so far, thank the gods. I took a quick swig from my canteen, trying to settle my stomach. It was a lot better than it had been, but still felt like I’d been gut shot with a bloody siege engine. Damn it all, that was one hell of a way to learn a lesson in being prepared, wasn’t it? I took several deep breaths before checking my heading with the crystal, and with a few sweeps of my large wings I reoriented myself, and flew on unto dawn.

How the hell had they tracked me? Was I just that unlucky? Ponies used to say I was, but that was just mindless superstition, wasn’t it? Maybe Warlock been up to his old tricks, or had Celestia’s net been thrown that wide just to try and catch one single pony? Actually, I think I knew the answer to that already. The sun was beginning to light the sky as the hills gave way to a marshy looking expanse, and what I believed to be part of the Foal Mountain range in the distance if Mitre’s map was anything to go by. It was a useful thing to have, certainly, though right now only goddesses knew where the crystal’s light was going to take me. It could be the other side of the world for all I knew. In my musings I completely missed the shower of crossbow bolts until one clipped my hind leg, taking with it a sizeable chunk of the dumb sod called Fairlight. The shock of pain at least gave me a chance to dodge the next barrage that whistled past moments after the first. Seconds later the pegasi dove into view, hurtling after me like a swarm of furious bees. More of bloody Celestia’s goons by the looks of them, and this lot weren’t wearing heavy armour either. I banked steeply, allowing myself to try out some of my new moves. I rolled left then right, narrowly avoiding another of the deadly bolts intent on striking its intended target. Flying steeply into the sun, I hoped the light would blind them long enough to shake them off my tail in the clouds. No such luck though, the buckers were all over my arse like a frigging rash. Regardless of all the diving and climbing the pegasi remained stuck to me and wouldn’t let up for a second. Sooner or later one of their shots was going to hit me and that would be that. Wendigo magic or not, a well placed shot could tumble me from the air to end up as nothing more than a dent in the landscape, and I would likely never see my girls again - at least not in this world. Yet despite my will to survive, I didn’t want to kill these ponies. That bloody oath I’d sworn was beginning to hound me, and would probably follow me to my grave if I wasn’t careful. I had to come up with something else... and fast. A flash of inspiration struck me, with ‘flash’ being the operative word. Levitating out a flashbug in my magic, I shook the little cylinder as hard as I could and prayed to Luna this harebrained plan would work. Gods, I had to have some luck, didn’t I? Well, luck or no, here goes…

The squeak of outrage from inside was all the warning I needed and I tossed the thing up and behind me, barely clearing it as it detonated. The ensuing bang and associated yells from my pursuers allowed me a chance to drop to near ground level where I prayed I’d be able to shake them off. Flaring my wings, I rapidly wove this way and that amongst the rocks and trees until I found, thank the goddesses, what looked like a cave to take cover in. This strategy however, as much as it may have been my best option on the face of things, unfortunately did little more than highlight just how inexperienced a flier I really was. I shot in through the rocky opening like a comet, and immediately paid the price for my panicked recklessness. My large wings clipped the entrance as I ploughed into the dark interior, causing me to lose control. My flailing hooves smacked into something hard and I tripped, the impact sending me cartwheeling and skidding head over heels until I crashed helplessly into a heap of rock, muck, and the goddess knows what else. It was only by the grace of Luna I wasn’t killed outright or knocked out, but that didn’t stop my head from ringing like the old school bell at Ponyville Elementary. I lay there, coughing and retching in a terrible state. My vision too was horribly blurred, with gut wrenching pain racking my body from muzzle to tail. I was in a mess. In ever sense of the word.

“He went in here, Captain.”

Shit, they’d seen me. What a bloody surprise! Gods above, I’d nearly crippled myself for nothing and the bastards were already advancing on me. Voices rolled through the cave, echoing amongst the damp rock walls.

“By the numbers ponies. Ttake him alive, but if he resists, kill him. Don’t take any chances with this monster, you know what he did to the relocation team.”

I couldn’t help but snort in derision. ‘Relocation team’, eh? Yeah, right, the ‘prison guards’ more like, and this lot thought that was down to me somehow? Hornlocked, chained in the back of a sky carriage with armed guards, and somehow I magically took them all out? Give a break. I’d be laughing if I didn’t feel like throwing up my insides right now. Hell fire, I was in a state. My eyes were full of grit, and blood was pouring from a nasty gash on my head. Trying to move I muffled a cry as white hot pain lanced through me from, I suspected, a broken leg. I looked down but couldn’t see anything for the crap in my eyes and the congealing blood.

“First file, left side, covering by two’s…”

“Understood. Moving in.”

Well, at least they sounded like they knew what they were doing. Kinda reminded me of the operations I used to be involved in back in the day. Ha! Perhaps it wouldn’t be a summary execution after all. Right? No… No, they’d keep that little treat for old crumpet buns herself to enjoy. Either way I didn’t think I’d be getting away from them as easily as I did earlier. I closed my eyes and hissed in pain. ‘Easily’? Hell, call it ‘lucky’. Unfortunately my ‘luck’ had lucked out. I reached back and found to my surprise, and no small amount of relief, that my canteen was incredibly still intact. Pulling the stopper out, I poured some over my face. The water washed away the worst of the grit from my eyes and I released a trickle of spirit magic into my body to start healing the disaster area that had once been the ‘Lord of the four winds’. Huh! What a load of bollocks that was. This lot wouldn’t give a toss if I was Lord Sombra himself come back from the grave to turn Equestria into ash. Her royal arseness had told them get me, and get me they would. Well, to hell with them. And to hell with my oath too. I had to get to Shadow come hell or high water, and to Tartarus with anypony who tried to stop me. If it damned me to too… then so be it. My family came first. It always came first.

My magic was flowing better now. I could feel the open wounds and bones knitting back together, repairing the damage caused by my reckless headlong flight into the cave. Although the healing still hurt like hell, I offered a silent thanks for the wendigo healing power. It was damned sight better than bandages and healing potions. Considering how mangled I’d been, in normal circumstances the guards would probably have put a shot through my noggin to finish me off. Now at least I’d have some chance to fight back. I tried to grab a weapon, but my webbing and gear was hopelessly tangled and caught up in a mass of straps from the crash. I’d have to remove the whole damned lot and realign everything to make sense of it, but there was no time to do that now. Reaching out with a hoof I could just about get to the pulse gun, but on closer examination the fall had jammed the lock on its case solid. I spat on the floor in frustration - I didn’t have time to mess about with these buckers. Steel and muscle it would have to be. Weighing up my options, I decided I had to make a stand. Weapons or no, I’d stop them here or they’d just hunt me down again. Sooner or later they’d get me. If not these guys, then the next lot. And the next after that. I was so sick and tired of running, but did I really want to kill more ponies? These poor bastards were only doing their job, just the way I’d done mine back in Manehattan. How many had I killed now? How many of them had children or husbands or wives back home who would never see their loved ones again? Damn it all, there had to be another way.

In the darkness at the back of the cave I waited, and watched, letting my body heal. The longer they took, the better for me. Unfortunately the stench of rot and urine in this place was sickening, the overpowering odour assailing my nostrils with its acrid stink. It had to be the lair of some sort of forest beast, but regardless of which fantastical creature called this place home, it was long gone. Hopefully. The evidence of previous dinners lay everywhere too, crunching beneath me with even the slightest movement. I avoided looking down at whatever it was I was lying on; it felt distinctly… boney. Crouching down I felt something metallic hit my knee. It was the pommel of my sword. If I was careful, If I angled myself just… so… I could just about manage to draw it out, and… success! I breathed a sigh of relief as the heavy thing came free. It wasn’t much against this many ponies, but it was something I could trust, and something I knew how to use in close quarters. Of course, using my magic in here would be deadly for these guys, though I still had hopes of getting out of here with minimal injury, either to myself or them. If I was careful, I might actually be able to pull this off. If not, then things were going to get very messy, very quickly indeed. Steeling myself, I readied my father’s old blade, ready to cut down Celestia’s royal guard if I had to. Dear goddesses, I’m sorry dad, I really wish it hadn’t come to this. Letting the magic course through my body, I slowly released the white mist into the cave. Closing my eyes and concentrating, I wove my will into the swirling fog, carefully tempering it so it wouldn’t harm the guards but was still thick enough to provide me with cover for when I made a break for it. Up ahead the ponies called to one another quietly, moving in on their target.

“You in there,” one of them shouted. “I’m giving you one chance to come out or we’ll have to take you by force.”

“Sorry boys,” I called back, “I have an important date, and you’re in my way.” I laughed ironically. “Tell you what, I’ll give you guys one chance to buck off or I’ll use force. How’d you like them apples?”

“Why you…!”

Whoops! That riled them. Several bolts hissed over the boulder I was hiding behind and hit the rock wall at the back in a shower of sparks.

“What was that?” one of them said suddenly, looking over his shoulder. “Thought I saw something…”

“Are there snakes in here?” one asked. “I can hear hissing…”

The officer spat on the floor. “Secure that shit, Hocks. Keep your eyes peeled everypony, this buckers in here and he’s got some weird wendigo magic going on. Beans, bring the pulse guns up front trooper.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Celestia! We’ve got movement… Fifteen metres, can’t focus on it in this damned mist.”

“Jazz, ready a flashbug, we’ll winkle the bastard out.”

“It’s not coming from that direction! It’s behind us!”

“Then you’re not reading that thing properly, give it here…”

The officer took the goggles from the hapless pony and put them on. “Right, lets have a look and-” His scream was cut short by something large and black taking him off down a side passage. The rest all started shouting at once.

“Oh buck! They’re in the walls! They’re in the bucking walls!”

“Fall back, covering fire! Now!”

A torrent of bright green pulse gun fire lashed out, mingling with the screams of ponies and…something else… something that echoed around me making my already frigid blood run cold. I hadn’t got a clue what was going on, but it scared the crap out of me. My bones and wounds had healed for the most part thank the goddesses, and I’d managed to re-arrange my tangled kit so I could reach my PDW, but I was still far from safe. I slipped my sword was back into its sheath to avoid using my magic and have the glow give away my position. That said, I don’t think it exactly mattered too much at this point though, as I was suddenly far from the most pressing problem for these poor buggers. The guards in the cave were bellowing as though the gates of hell had been thrown open. By the screams and gunfire, they were starting to take heavy casualties from some unseen foe. Or some… thing.

Around me, rocks were being pulverised and blasted into fragments by the wild firing of the pegasi, their terrified shouts gradually beginning to lessen. Frighteningly, I could hear some cries for help from further away being abruptly cut off by hissing and growling before yet more screams of agony assailed me. To hell with this! Pulling myself up from the rocks, I began to head back the way I’d come in. It was a lot further than I’d thought, but my eyes gave me a distinct advantage in here. Forming more of the mist around my hooves, I kept feeding magic into it until the ethereal fog shimmered and swirled around me in a protective cocoon. Being white coated in my wendigo form, I would have been all but invisible if not for my various packs and other gear, but there was no helping that now. I edged forward, a green bolt of pulse gun fire penetrating the fog and missing me by inches. So much for stealth then! There was no point worrying about using my telekinesis either. The ponies would probably never notice the glow in the state they were in now, and I reached for my sword. With a flourish I flicked the archaic weapon out of its scabbard, holding it low as I’d been taught in the watch. Stabbing was always preferable to slashing anyway, it left you less open and gave you a chance to get a lethal strike in before the enemy knew you were on them. In any case, while ‘they’ were distracted by killing each other, I might actually be able to get out of this charnel house in the confusion. If I moved quickly enough.

Keeping low and to the walls I moved as quickly and as quietly as I could, inching forward step by step, until one of my hooves hit something... soft. I froze. Slowly, I glanced down, down into the torn face of one of the pegasi that was staring back up at me, his glassy eyes having seen the last of this harsh world. There was nothing anypony could do for him now, poor bastard. I stepped over the hapless pony and moved on towards the distant daylight. Gods preserve me, I didn’t want to die in this shit hole. Not like that, not a gutted, bleeding mess, far away from the sun and moon. I kept looking forward as a scattering of magical energy bolts flashed past me, this time followed by more of the sinister rattling growls. What the hell were these things? Timberwolves? No… No, these were different, more… reptilian. Whatever they were, they were cutting through the pegasi like butter. Pony body parts lay scattered around me in a grotesque trail, a river of horror leading back to the entrance in a slick trail of hellish red gore. I had to keep moving. I had to stay alive. I had to- A bony, clicking noise from above my right side made me stop dead in my tracks. Oh, gods… Looking up slowly, a pair of slit-pupiled green eyes stared right back at me. I could feel the thing’s breath on my face as it let out a long low hiss, the blue from my eyes glinting off its shiny, angular body. Well, two could play at that game. I opened my mouth, displaying my long, wickedly sharp teeth, and hissed back at the thing. Thick translucent mist dripped from between my teeth, oozing down, dripping onto the dank cave floor. For a few seconds I stood there glowering at the creature, each of us taking the measure of the other. Whatever effect this had on the beast, it worked; the thing backed away from me, keeping a careful distance but still continued to watch me warily. I was all too aware there would be more of them nearby, and I focussed my attention into getting the hell out of this butchers yard before that ‘thing’ or one of its pals changed their minds about trying me out for a snack. Breathing hard, I could see the entrance clearly now. It was so close! I gritted my teeth, focussing my attention on that precious splash of light beckoning me onwards towards the promise of safety. Unfortunately, salvation wasn’t quite as near to hoof as I’d hoped. There were three ponies that I could see stood there, all of them silhouetted at the mouth of the cave. They were talking hurriedly, their voices carried to me by the echoing, confined space.

“What? Are you bucking kidding me?!” One of the shouted. “Maybe you haven't been keeping up on current events, Lieutenant, but we just got our arses kicked in there!”

“I say we MAD the bastard and his pets into the next world. ‘Boom!’, problem solved.”

“That’s right!” another jabbered hysterically. “Yes… YES! Let’s blow the bucker and those… those things back to the underworld!”

“We’ve got our orders, trooper.”

“To hell with those bucking orders!” One of them snapped. “If you want to go back in there, do it yourself. I’m staying here.”

Another of the pegasi started to argue but was cut off by a pulse gun shoved in his mouth. “Arrow, you got an M.A.D there?”

“Right here.”

“Set it up, throw it, and let’s blow the place.”

By the time the pegasi threw the device into the cave, I was already running…

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

When ponies tell you things happen in slow motion, it’s not always the case. In this one, definitely not. The concussive force of the blast caught me despite the ice shield I threw up, flinging me bodily into a side passage as the world around me filled with a heart stopping intensity of light, sound, and green fire. If I hadn’t been using my spirits full energy when the explosion hit, they’d have had to send me back to Tingles in a shoe box. Not that they’d bother of course. Besides, I wasn’t even sure Tingles even wore shoes. Hmm, there was a thought for a later date. I spat grit out of my mouth and groaned. Why the hell was I even thinking this?! Was I- Oh goddesses, my body was… I swallowed… it was broken. Broken badly. I couldn’t bear to look, but I knew I had to. My wings, taking the brunt of the blast, had been burnt to stinking crisps and half my fur was gone. The half that survived had been protected by my packs and other gear which smoked from where the flames had singed them. I could still feel things though, and I think I must have either been in shock, or the spirit’s magic was keeping me from blacking out. Part of me wanted to, but I knew with frightening certainty, that if I closed my eyes now I would never open them again. Without pause I concentrated my efforts on healing before doing anything else, directing magic into the areas which… My howl of pain broke the absolute silence, echoing in the rocky tomb. Hell fire… I could really feel it now. This hurt… This really, reallyhurt!

I coughed blue blood onto the cave floor, feeling my heart hammering in my chest, the stink of burnt hair making my stomach churn. Laying in a pool of my own gore I fought to stay conscious and keep the magic flowing. If I passed out now I’d never leave this place, and end up as little more than food for the terrifying things that lived here in the darkness - if there were any left after that detonation. MAD’s didn’t tend to leave much in the way of life in their fiery wake. There was barely any left in me for that matter. Ha! Yeah, that was a point; so much for them being banned, right? Not only did the agency have these ‘forbidden items’, but the royal guard too! Gods above, did anypony tell the truth in Equestria any more? No? No... they probably didn’t. In fact, most likely they never had. Bastards…

Time passed like blood oozing down a dusty rock wall, every second dragged out agonisingly into the next as the magic did its work. Slowly, painfully, I felt my body becoming whole once more. Wings, legs, head, jaw… Buck me, I could feel every little thing cracking, sliding and slipping into place. It was just as well I’d topped myself up with life energy before those rats had tried to turn me into a hedgehog, although exactly how much I had left was anyponies guess. Hopefully, it would be enough. The last time I’d used magic this intensely had been in the hospital when Tingles had drunk me virtually dry. Looking back, I think if she hadn’t released me when she had I’d almost certainly have died. Fortunately Mitre had been on hoof with some life energy, but no such luck here. No, I was on my own this time, and I sure as hell didn’t fancy blacking out here. Keeping conscious however, was easier said than done. Darkness pushed in on my vision with each pulse of magic, my body crying out for rest. But I couldn’t rest. Not now. Instead I embraced the pain, let it guide me to the damaged areas, direct the flow of energy, using it to keep me awake – and alive. Eventually though there simply didn’t seem to be anything left to repair. Either that, or I’d simply run out of magic. Ha! Well, there was one way to find out, wasn’t there. I took a deep breath, braced myself, and stretched out my legs. Joints moved. Muscles pulled and pushed. But no pain. At the risking of speaking too soon, everything looked to be in working order so far as I could tell. Praise be to the goddess! If she’d been there right then I would have kissed her hooves. Brushing bits of rock and debris from my coat, I muttered bitterly to myself. Being mangled was rapidly becoming a habit these days, and it was a habit I really need to get out of before it killed me. Again.

With just a few re-adjustments, I checked over my gear which, apart from a few scorch marks and snapped straps, was still remarkably intact. The pulse gun case was scratched and dented, but otherwise in one piece. My sword was similarly scratched to hell, although I think I could live with that. As for my scythe, it was still in its protective oil cloth. Whether it had survived being thrown into a rock wall I’d have to find out later. The rest of my supplies were similarly bashed and squashed, but what did that matter? In the great scheme of things it could have been a damned sight worse. Speaking of which... I pulled open the most important pack of all, reached inside, and felt the dampness within. My heart sank like lead into my chest. The life energy flasks! In a rising panic I pulled them out, one after the other, until… Oh, thank Luna! Only one of the flasks had been broken, and even then there was just enough in the bottom of it to give myself a good dose of the slick, silvery goodness. Mercifully they’d been in the pannier opposite the wall I’d been flung into. It was sheer luck, sure, and I was damned grateful for it too. I took another deep draught before feeling brave enough to try putting any weight on my legs. Gritting my teeth I let out a long breath of relief - they worked.

Shaking my mane, I took stock of my surroundings. The side passage I was in had been filled with suffocating smoke and heat, although it had gradually begun to clear as I’d lain here. I closed my eyes and concentrated my senses, feeling a slight ripple across my fur. Cooling, and most importantly fresh, a steady flow of air was coming from somewhere off in the darkness. A way out perhaps? Maybe. But where there air, there was life, and more importantly – hope. It wasn’t much of course, but it was enough. It had certainly been enough to clear that damnable smoke, or else I’d probably have died of something other than that bomb. I brushed the last of the debris from my coat and readjusted the saddle packs and bags. There was nothing worse than grit under a pack for irritating your hide, and things were bad enough as it was without adding to it through sheer carelessness. I gave myself a shake. I couldn’t see much in this complete darkness, although my wendigo vision was still able to make out just enough to see the tunnel I was in stretching off ahead of me; the one behind me was now little more than a solid wall of collapsed rock. My nose twitched. There was that unmistakable scent of fresh air coming from somewhere up ahead, and instinctively I knew it was my best chance of finding a way out. Ice cold water dripping from the roof tickled my ear, and I stuck my tongue out to take it in. There was no sense wasting an opportunity like this and unnecessarily using my supplies. Fortunately most of my provisions had survived, and as I had no idea how long I was going to be down here yet, I was going to be careful how I used them. I unclipped my canteen, holding it under the ice cold water in my magic. Just a few moments and I’d be good to go.

A scratching noise by my hind leg caught my attention, making me look around at it’s source. I must have dislodged a rock or something. It couldn’t have been anything else, after all I- Dear gods! What I saw made me jump back, nearly falling over in surprise. Behind me was a small, black, leathery creature with bright green eyes. It was almost like a bizarre cross between a bat and a dog, with rows of lethally sharp teeth and wings thrown in for good measure. My heart rate was just starting to come back down, though I kept my guard was up. This thing was all of your worst nightmares in one terrifying package, albeit a very small one. If I made it out of here alive, I’d probably be having nightmares for bloody months. Whatever it was, it wasn’t moving though. I backed up away from it and was turning to leave when the thing coughed and let out a long plaintive squeal, a big pair of luminous green eyes looking up at me almost pleadingly. The creature was obviously hurt, its mouth opening and closing in short panting breaths. Goddess forgive me, was I going to leave a living being to die in here, alone in the dark? Against what I hoped wasn’t my better judgement, my heart won the day over my head. I knelt down on the rocky floor, trying to gently slip my fore hooves under the small body. As soon as I made contact it cried out pitifully, the leathery thing’s wings flapping uselessly like torn paper. Looked down at the helpless creature and the pain filled green eyes that peered back up at me, it reminded me of something… or some thestral. Shaking my mane to help me focus on the task at hoof, I took a deep breath and allowed the silvery fluid to begin welling in my maw before drizzling it slowly, drop by drop, into the creature’s open mouth. It responded almost immediately. I don’t know whether it knew on some level what the silver fluid was, or if it was acting on nothing but animal instinct, yet as I watched a small red tongue darted out, tasting the life giving elixir. The thing’s body shuddered and it emitted a plaintive whimper. Although a little reluctant at first, on some level it must have known in its animal mind that this white pony with the burning blue eyes was trying to help save its life. Drip by slowly falling drip, the creature took in the liquid life. In what seemed like no more than a few seconds, its eyes began to glow brighter, its muscles filling under the sagging skin. At its sides, a pair of stubby wings began flapping enthusiastically as it greedily squawked for more. What a strange thing it was! It reminded me of a baby bird, chirping for food from its parent. I can honestly say I’d never seen its like before, except maybe in a nightmare. Sadly, I had no time to marvel at the curious little thing and had to keep moving. There was the very real concern that the soldiers would find another way in to the cave system and block that too, or else call for reinforcements. I wasn’t going to hang around to find out though, I had to shift flank.

I’d barely taken a step when, without warning, the small creature let out a gurgling squawk and abruptly landed on my back, digging its small claws into my hide and nearly making me buck him off instinctively. I could have used my telekinesis to rip the leathery beast off me of course, or even blasted him with my magic, but instead... I stood perfectly still. I sensed no aggression from the strange animal, nor anything in particular really. Normally my wendigo self was fairly astute when it came to detecting what you might call the stronger, more ‘basic’ emotions from other living things: fear, anger, love, hate, and so forth. But not this time. This time, there was nothing at all. Although I didn’t feel especially afraid of it, there was still that primitive part of me that expected an imminent barrage of hungry teeth or claws to rend me the way these things had with the pegasi. What happened next however, took me completely by surprise. The odd creature sniffed me, then began nuzzling my mane, emitting an unusual purring sound not unlike a domestic house cat. A few moment later it had curled up amongst my packs and rolled up blanket. I couldn’t help but smile to myself. What a crazy, crazy world… Well, whatever this thing was it had apparently decided my back was its new home, and so, resignedly, I trotted off into the darkness with my peculiar companion in tow.

The going was awkward, but nowhere near as hard as I would have expected. Rocks of every conceivable shape and size were strewn everywhere, making finding my footing a little tricky, though not impossible. My greatest fear was turning an ankle on the uneven ground, which could quite easily pitch both myself and my passenger into a muzzle-long plunge into a painful heap. As much as I may be able to heal myself it would doubtless hurt like hell, and the little thing on my back was far from invulnerable either. Come to think of it, neither was I! I huffed under my breath. Strange how I’d found myself becoming more concerned about a leathery hitchhiker than myself. Very odd indeed. Was I becoming soft in my old age? Or was it simply because I appreciated the company, no matter how strange, and as a result felt protective of the little thing. Ha! Who could say?

It was a junction in the passage that brought me to a halt. One route held the stronger feeling of moving air and the scent of water, the other was drier, with a faintly musty odour. The one with the fresh air and water it was then, and away I, that is ‘we’, went, trotting for what felt like miles in the absolute darkness. I’d wondered about using my magic to conjure up a flame to help light the way, however if there was one thing I knew about being underground it was that there was the ever present danger of pockets of gas – also known as ‘firedamp’. To be honest my knowledge of mining or cave exploration was limited to say the least. Everything I’d learned had been from overhearing the old hooves in the bar at night, regaling anypony who would care to listen with tales of gas explosions, troglodytes, sudden rock falls, and the numerous other perils of their dangerous profession. Being a bit of history buff I’d found it fascinating, albeit now was probably not the best time to be thinking about things that could blow me to pieces or crush me in an instant. Since my eyesight had adjusted well enough, I would rely on that until I managed to find my way out of this bloody awful labyrinth. Hopefully soon, too. Gods, I hated enclosed spaces. And on that subject, was the creature riding along with me one of the mysterious beings the old miners called a ‘troglodyte’? Like a lot of their stories they’d been a bit vague on what they actually were, referring to them more as ‘mischief makers’ and things that pinched your tools or made strange noises off down empty tunnels. Somehow I doubted the type of ‘mischief’ this little fellow’s chums had been up to were hardly the kind of antics anypony would find amusing. The evidence of that was splattered all over the walls and floor where I’d been standing just before my own countryponies had tried to blow me to mincemeat. In all fairness though, I suspected the beings referred to by the miners were more of a whimsical way of explaining away unusual phenomena. Somepony nicking your hammer was hardly something I’d expected these toothy, clawed, whatever-they-were’s to do. No, these guys were a little more ‘direct’ than that. Mind you, I think I would have heard something about strange creatures in caves eating miners. Maybe they only lived out here in the middle of nowhere so nopony disturbed them? By the gods, we’d done that alright. For all I knew, my new travelling friend was the only one left. Like me.

Trudging along the tunnel, the path eventually took a downward angle and I felt myself automatically picking up speed. The scent of water and air, fresh air, was stronger than ever now, and getting more intense by the second. I felt a rush of excitement; I might actually be able to get out of here yet! Still, I had to watch my footing - hooves and rocks don’t mix that well, especially when they were wet. Picking my way along, the passage eventually opened out into a cavern that had me pulling up short, my mouth hanging open in absolute astonishment. Dear goddesses, it was breathtaking! Every sound, every tiny drip of water of crunch of my hooves, vanished into the dark expanse of nothingness. I would go so far as to say it was akin to a cathedral in scale, if not larger. Simply put, it was… monumental. Deep underground, I was standing on the rocky shore of a vast underground lake. The inky black water lay as motionless as the surface of a mirror, disappearing out into the distance. Massive rocks the size of houses as well as stalagmites and stalactites taller than I was, were liberally sprinkled throughout the otherworldly vista making me feel like I was in another world altogether. Strangely coloured crystals in the rock walls, similar to the ones in the chamber at the fortress, leant the cavern an ethereal ambient blue light. It was, in truth, one of the most engaging sights I’d ever seen and was one of those times I wish I’d had my old camera with me. My little companion seemed to agree, chirruping sleepily and snuggled further into my back. By the feel of it, the enigmatic creature was wrapping my mane around itself like a blanket. I wonder what Meadow would make of this if she could see me now?

“Don’t. Bucking. Move…”

It was a mare’s voice, and one that sounded as cold as the black water of the lake. I stood stock still. The voice had come out of nowhere, and so wrapped up had I been in my awe of the natural beauty around me I’d let her get the drop on me like a bloody foal. From the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of light on armour and the glint of metal as the soldier pushing the cold metallic muzzle of her pistol into the side of my head. She watched me intently, backing away slightly, but all the while kept the weapon trained on me until we were just stood there, watching each other in a wary silence. She looked like your typical guards pony, but her eyes were wide and her breath laboured.

“All my ponies…” she snarled. “Dead. Dead, because of you! You cursed demon!”

“Don’t be a fool, soldier,” I snapped back at her. “We’re both in some seriously deep shit here, and you’ve got a gun on me?” I huffed loudly. “I don’t give a damn who you are or what your orders are, all I’m interested in is getting out of here. And I expect you’d like to do the same, yes?”

The soldier looked unsure for a moment, but wasn’t so easily swayed. “You are my prisoner and will follow my orders.” She clicked off the safety on her weapon. “Or, I will shoot you where you stand. Either is fine with me, monster.”

I raised an eyebrow. “And ruin your best chance of getting out of here alive?”

She smirked at me menacingly. “I can find my own way out. With, or without your help.”

Confident she may sound right then, but I could sense uncertainty radiating off her like a blast furnace. “Bullshit,” I snapped, “you’re as stuck as I am!”

The soldier’s foreleg swung round like lightening, smashing me across the muzzle with the pistol. “Shut your bucking mouth, you freak!” The impact made the little creature on my back shriek and flap up into her face before disappearing out across the water in a flurry of wings. Shouting in anger and fright, the soldier fired her pistol at the creature, the green bolts of energy reflecting blindingly off the walls and water leaving a vivid afterimage in my eyes as they screamed off into the distance.

Damn it, that bloody fool! With all the noise she was making her idiotic behaviour could attract more of the little creatures, and I doubt they’d be as friendly as the one that I’d been carrying with me all this time. Angrily, I threw myself at her, knocking the soldier off her hooves. The two of us scuffled on the uneven ground trying desperately to best one another, the mare attempting to shoot me whilst I tried everything I could to get the pistol away from her and not get hit in the process. It was like trying to catch soap. Despite my usual assertions about the quality of the royal guard, she was damned well trained. One of her hind leg lashed out with unerring accuracy and kicked me right in the nuts, making me gasp in pain and shock. The follow up blow made me see stars and I staggered back, allowing the mare a chance to level her pistol at me once again.

“I knew it!” she roared. “You’re in league with them, those… those things! They’re the ones that killed my team, ripping them to pieces before my very eyes. This is all your fault! It’s you… you’re evil, utterly evil!” The pistol shook in her grip as her eyes narrowed in hatred. “I was going to take you in alive, but I can’t let something like you into Equestria. You have to be put down, for the sake of everypony.”

“You’re a fool if you believe that, soldier,” I wheezed. “I’m about as much a danger to Equestria as you are. I’m no demon, but I suspect you know some of what I’m capable of. I could have killed you at any time I pleased - but I didn’t. And do you know why? Because of a promise I made to my wife. I promised her I wouldn’t become a killer, and I don’t intend to break that promise unless I absolutely have to. Look, just… put the gun down, please. Let’s work together and try to get out of here. You can do what like after that.”

I’d hoped I would be able to get through that stubborn head of hers. I’d hoped she may have at least seen that working together would give us a better chance of getting out of this nightmare in piece. Instead, she lifted her muzzle… and sneered at me. “Your silver tongue doesn’t fool me, demon! I’m going to send you back to hell, where you should have stayed…”

I lunged for my magic, expecting the shot, but instead of a bright green flash I saw the mare looking up quizzically, as if something had just dripped on her head. A blood chilling look of abject horror slowly spread across her face, her mouth hanging open in a silent scream. Quickly, I turned my head to look towards what she was staring at. My blood near froze in my veins. Towering over the guardspony was a sight I never thought I’d ever see again, at least, not in Equestria. Here… Here was the true nightmare of this dark tomb beneath the earth. Ember’s terrified cry of alarm came back to me as though echoing through eternity - it was a lake demon. The enormous translucent worm-like monster dripped water and slime from its slick body in thick, shining strands, down onto the shore. Sharp thin teeth as long as my foreleg ringed a mouth that could doubtless swallow a pony whole. I had no idea how such a hideous thing could be here when the only ones I had ever seen had been in the Wither World, though I had no misconceptions about how deadly they were. This one was roughly the same size as the lake monster that had eaten Shadow’s sister too. Goddesses in their heaven, I didn’t want to see that again.

“Soldier,” I whispered, “get behind me, and keep quiet.”

Her eyes wild, the mare glanced at me before raising her PDW.

“Don’t!”

It was too late. The soldier fired a quick succession of blasts at the sickly white creature, many of them scoring direct hits that only served to make it howl in pain and thrash in an absolute fury. Those hideous cries echoed across the cavern, sending chills up my spine while the world around me turned into an eye-watering display of brilliant green flashes. I threw myself to ground, narrowly avoiding the wildly firing mare. I could only watch in helpless horror as the guard pony suddenly broke, turning tail in a blind panic and loosing off more shots before tripping over one of the multitude of rocks lurking in the darkness. With no more light than that provided by the natural crystals around us, running was potentially suicidal on this type of ground – as the mare had found out, all too late. Unluckily for her she didn’t have the benefit of my ‘freaky eyes’ as somepony had called them. On reflection, maybe it was just as well, or she may have seen those hideous teeth descending on her. I got up, throwing caution to wind to try and reach her, trying to distract the hellish lake demon with a blast of blue fire from my horn.

I was too slow. Far too damned slow.

The soldier was fiddling with an MAD from her pack when the massive white worm descended, swallowing the hapless mare whole in one stomach churning gulp. In that moment, as the creature’s slime dripping teeth engulfed the pony, I caught a glimpse of the light on the device. It was green. In less than a heartbeat I’d turned, running as hard and as fast as I could in the opposite direction. Damp rocks be damned! In my desperate flight I kept my head down and poured everything I had into speed. I wasn’t the only either. From the darkness of the cavern ceiling, the tiny creature I’d saved earlier flapped down until it was flying beside me, squawking insistently before racing off along the rocky shore line. I didn’t stop to think, instead putting my fate in the claws of this bizarre little creature, and followed - just as the MAD detonated.

I threw up a magical shield of spirit energy as thick black ichor and rubbery shrapnel began raining down around me in chunks big enough to crush a pony’s skull. It was pointless dodging. Most of it I ran through or leaped, reeking gore from the creature splashing my legs and hooves, and the smell… dear gods, the smell… We continued to race along the shore, through an archway and into a tunnel, as fast and as far away from the carnage behind us as I could get. I careered dangerously along corridor after corridor until finally coming to a gasping, panting halt, my heart hammering in my chest so hard my vision began to blur. By Celestia’s hairy arse, I thought I was going to throw up… I tried to breath, to steady my heart rate, all to no avail. I don’t know if I was hyperventilating or having a heart attack, but whatever it was I could feel my tenuous grip on consciousness slipping away from me. I swallowed, trying to keep calm. I couldn’t stop here. I couldn’t! What if there were more of them? Oh, dear gods…

Squeaking madly, the flapping creature leapt up onto my back once more, nuzzling me with its head for all it was worth. I suppose in its own way it was trying to comfort me, encouraging me with some of the weirdest noises I’d ever heard. Purrs, squeaks and chirrups, assailed me along with a great deal of head bumping. And you know, oddly, it actually seemed to be working. Breathlessly, I sank to my knees in complete exhaustion and grabbed my canteen, pouring a measure onto a cloth to wiped the foul black crap from my face. Almost immediately I began to feel a little better, my pounding head lessening a fraction. I stared down at the black goo on the cloth as a single, frightening word, popped into my mind. Poison. Oh, gods no! I poured out another measure of water, wiping more and more of the creatures disgusting remains from my body, legs and hooves. For bucks sake, what the bloody hell was that thing doing here? If I hadn’t known better, I’d have sworn I was back in the Wither World already. The worm thing in the cave, the strange bat like creatures - this was still Equestria wasn’t it? Squeezing my eyes shut, I took deep calming breaths and gave myself a shake, careful not to dislodge my new friend. And then another thought intruded into my mind - ‘corridor’. Lifting my head up, I magicked up a flame and looked closer at my surroundings. My vision was reasonable in darkness without the aid of artificial light of course, but here there was something I wanted to see in more detail to confirm to myself I wasn’t seeing things.

I wasn’t.

My eyes must have been as wide as saucers. We were in a pony made corridor, or at least I presume one made by ponies. It was cut stone certainly, and old too. Very old. In some respects it reminded me of the sewer, with it’s solid walls, arched ceiling, and overall sense of emptiness. That said, at least I wasn’t up to my hocks in shit here. The floor was solid cut stone, covered in a thin layer of dirt that acted as a cushion to my hoofsteps. A strong musty smell hung in the air too, not unlike what you get inside an old wardrobe that hasn’t been opened in years. Similarly, judging by the distinct lack of tracks in the dirt, I imagine nopony had been down here in a very, very long time either. What in Equestria was this place? There were no side corridors, no doors, nor any features of note other than for the rusty old hooks hammered into the wall spaced every so many yards which suggested lamps had been fitted here at one point. Any sign of the lamps themselves had long since been removed. But by whom, and why? As I walked on, my imagination began to run riot. There was so much about Equestria we simply didn’t know, and history was a subject few had any interest in outside of scholarly circles anyway. If ignorance was bliss there’d be one hell of a lot of happy ponies around, that was for damned certain. Mind you, the disappearance of those poor buggers in the mountains hadn’t exactly done much to encourage poking around in old ruins. The fact the once steady tourism industry at Smiling Borders had bombed out afterwards was proof enough of that, and that was without Barrick’s revelation regarding the expedition being cannibalised by the yak survivors. It was an interesting titbit of information I was hardly surprised never made it into the papers. Yaks were far from popular in Equestria as it was, and the palace was constantly trying to keep the peace with our volatile neighbours. Exposing the fact that their people had been eating ours, out of necessity or not, wouldn’t have done either country any favours.

I trotted on. My unusual companion had fallen asleep on my back, our mad dash from the cavern having exhausted both it and me. Sooner or later I was going to have to take a break, perhaps even sleep, and that was something I dreaded. Who knew what else was living down here, down in the bowels of Equestria, far from the sun of the princess? For now at least, and despite my curiosity into my surroundings, I was determined to keep a good pace. A quick drink of water, one of Barrick’s oat cakes, and I was good to go once more. Extinguishing the flame, I allowed my vision to re-accustom itself to the darkness and followed the corridor, avoiding the odd stones that had fallen from the wall along the way. Following a curve in the way ahead, my nose began to twitch. I could smell something… something that made my wendigo senses light up like a Hearthswarming tree. From up ahead there was distinct the smell of smoke. It was getting stronger too - acrid and cloying. It had a familiar tinge to it, one that reminded me of some of the street vendors in the griffin areas of Manehattan. It was like… meat. Burning meat. I checked my gear before continuing warily along the corridor. I’d let things get the drop on me already because I hadn’t been paying attention, and I would be damned if I let that happen again. The next time could be my last.

Soon the passage I was in opened out into a large empty hall with what was quite clearly a wide central flight of steps cut from the very rock itself. It was hard to make out much more detail in that ever present darkness other than the sheer scale of it all. Hell, you could have hidden an army in here and you wouldn’t have seen them until they were right on top of you. I threw open my senses, and got… nothing. Nothing at all. There was no sign of life here, that was for sure. And that was another thing – there was no sign of any habitation either. In a place that somepony had taken a great deal of time and effort to build like this, I would have expected to find at least something that would have suggested it had once been occupied. And yet, it was like the place had been picked clean. There was no furniture, no barrels, boxes, nor generalised rubbish of any kind. In fact the only thing in here was emptiness, and the almost overpowering smell of smoke. Still, whoever had designed and built this place had a definite leaning towards spacious, if somewhat plain, architecture. Perhaps I would find out more the further I went.

Climbing the staircase my hooves echoed loudly, making me flinch at each and every step. I could only hope the sound didn’t attract any unwanted attention - I’d had quite enough of that already! Flying would have been an option of course, if it hadn’t been for my passenger, although I didn’t relish the thought of trying to unhook it from my gear right then. I remembered all too well what had happened when I’d tried to remove one of Pewter’s legion of cats from my back when I’d visited there in my teens. The indignant little sod had dug its claws in so much it’d left marks there for weeks. The claws on this thing would likely do a damned sight worse than leave a bunch of scratches that was for sure, and frankly, I’d had quite enough of having my skin torn to shreds, thank you very much. So instead, I took a breath and steadied myself, carefully watching where I trod. Carefully, and as quietly as I could, I finally reached the landing. The way ahead lead to yet another corridor, but still no sign of any tracks in the dust. Maybe whatever, or whoever was causing the smell, hadn’t come this way? No doubt I’d be finding out the answer to that question soon enough.

I walked steadily, gathering my magic. The burning smell was now quite intense, and I was able to see the flickering of flames in the distant darkness - and shapes... moving. It wouldn’t do to go charging ahead, besides which my hackles were already going up like noponies business. I reached for my PDW and immediately thought better of it. The blasts from the energy weapon the solider used in the cavern had destroyed my night vision, near blinding me just when I’d needed it the most. No, this time It would have to be hoof and steel, with a little wendigo magic thrown in for good measure. Still, I had a bad feeling about this situation, and considering my amazing ability to be ‘surprised’ that I seemed to be inadvertently developing, I kept my sword ready and my magic simmering in the background. My diminutive companion seemed to be thinking along the same lines too as it leapt from my back to land of the dusty floor next to me, clacking its teeth menacingly.

“Keep close, little one,” I whispered.

Green eyes peered back at me. “Ack!”

Well, whatever that meant, he seemed to understand me well enough to waddle along next to me on his stubby legs. Clearly more at home in the air, I could only pray that my new friend kept himself out of harms way while I did whatever I had to do. I took a breath, shaking my mane. Magic flowed through me, urging me onward. If something in here was going to attack me, I wanted to be ready, and I bloody well would be this time. This time I was fully alert, and as prepared as I could be for whatever lay ahead. I hoped.

The corridor opened up once again into another large chamber. This time, one lit by small fires dotted around the wide open central space. There, in the centre, was another soldier clad in the burnished golden armour of the royal guard. Around him lay the burning corpses of dozens of the things that had attacked them earlier in the caves – the brethren of my new friend. I had no idea how this guy had gotten this far, but in the chaos of the attack and ensuing explosion, how many others had been trapped in here? Unless… unless there was another way in. And if he’d found a way in, that meant there was another way out! I could only hope the stallion was willing to team up until we could get out of here.

“Hey soldier!” I called. “Don’t shoot, I’m on your side!”

He looked up suddenly, loosing off a shot that sizzled past my flank. “Stay back!” he roared. “You’re that thing from the cave!”

Oh goddesses… “My name’s Captain Fairlight of the Equestrian Watch, soldier, and whether you like it or not we’re trapped in here together. I know you have your orders, but I’m willing to work with you to get us both out of here alive and in one piece. What do you say?”

The stallion was panting with exhaustion and clearly at the end of his rope. “I can’t trust you!”

I shrugged. “Okay, no problem. I’ll leave you with your friends then…”

“NO!” He lowered his pistol, looking around frantically in the darkness. “For the love of Celestia…Alright, just… come down here, and no tricks!”

I nodded and trotted down the steps towards him. As I approached, the little creature beside me let out a frightened sounding shriek and flew off into the gloom leaving the two of us alone. Well now, that wasn’t ominous at all was it?! Mind you, I could hardly blame him. Being surrounded by the burning corpses of dozens of your own people would probably rattle the best of us. Shrugging it off, I approached the armoured royal guardspony, trying to look as harmless as possible. Not an easy task for a wendigo. It was probably a bit late to release my grip on the magic anyway, but regardless, I didn’t want him having a sudden change of heart and putting a few energy bolts into me. I slid my sword back into its scabbard. The soldier eyed me warily. He was wounded, but not badly. Scratches and burns covered his hide and his pupils were wide, probably from running on nothing but adrenalin. He reached into a pannier and took out a hoofful of crystals, reloading his pistol.

I smiled at him, trying to sound reassuring. “What’s your name, trooper?”

“Corporal Nimble.” His eye twitched. “You know how to get out of this hell?”

“I wish I knew,” I replied honestly, “or I’d be out of here already. I was hoping you’d know, or at least have some idea. How did you manage to get this far and past that thing in the lake?”

“Lake?” His brow furrowed in thought. He shook his head. “No, we came in through another entrance through some ruins up top. But then these things came out of nowhere, and they… they killed everypony in my squad.” He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, steadying himself. “I think I’m the last one left. I ran as hard as I could, but now…”

I noticed his oil lantern. “Not much fuel left, eh?”

Bitterly, he spat on the ground. “No. Not many crystals left either. I’m saving the last for me though, I’m not being torn apart like my buddies.” The soldier looked me up and down. “You try anything…”

“Yeah, yeah, I know the drill corporal.” I tapped the side of my head. “Look, my eyes are better in this light, so let’s see if we can backtrack your hoofprints, okay?”

He nodded, closed his eyes, and let out a long pent up breath. Poor sod, he was clearly at the end of rope. As for whether my plan would work though, it had to be worth a shot. In fact, as there was only one other way into this room it made the most logical sense anyway. I gave myself a shake, adjusted my packs, and headed towards it and, hopefully, daylight. The soldier followed close behind, his lantern suspended on a pole strapped to his back. Not a bad idea considering it would give him more flexibility when it came to using his hooves and magic, although I confess I was surprised to see they were still using those old oil lamps. Weren’t there magically powered ones now? Good grief, even the cash strapped watch used them! You’d think that considering these guys were funded directly from the palace coffers they’d have had the best of the best. Instead they looked to have been just another victim of the kind of bit-pinching bureaucracy the ‘powers that be’ were notorious for. Lousy bastards, I’d like to see them crawling around in a shit-hole like this with outdated crap to rely on. They wouldn’t last five bloody minutes. Fortunately though, young Corporal Nimble seemed to be handy in a tight spot and had made a good account of himself against those hungry little monsters. Even better though, his tracks were clearly visible and the thick dust and muck lining the floor in this place made them stand out nicely. In the poor light from the oil lantern however, I suspect the beleaguered soldier hadn’t been able to see very well, especially since he’d been fighting for his life. Speaking of which, he cleared his throat.

“Hey…” he began. “What are those things that attacked us? I’ve never seen or heard of anything like them before in my life.”

“Don’t ask me”, I replied. “I’ve lived in Ponyville and Manehattan for years. The only weird creatures you see round there are drunks, arseholes and the odd griffin.”

“You’re from Manehattan?”

I nodded. “Well, I wasn’t born there, but I worked in the Manehattan watch for years before I rose to captain.”

There was a pause. “I… I don’t understand… The colonel said you were a ‘dangerous monster that butchered ponies’, and that you’d murdered our boys who tried to send you into exile on the princess’s orders. Why would you do that if you worked in the watch?”

I sighed. I doubted he’d see it from my point of view even if I put the evidence up in front of him in glowing orange lights. “I didn’t kill them,” I said honestly. “It was a rogue element in the agency who, how can I put this... ‘don’t like me very much’? To them, the guards were just… in the way, I suppose. They shot us down, killed the guards, and left me for dead after shooting me at point blank range. Nice guys, eh?”

“The agency did that?!” Nimble shook his head in amazement. “Gods, those corrupt buckers…”

“They’re not all bad, Corporal,” I reasoned, giving my neck a quick scratch. “There’ll always be a few bad apples wherever you go. I worked with them for a while myself before… well, let’s say Celestia wasn’t exactly happy when she found out a wendigo was working there.”

His mouth hung open for a moment while he stared at me. “Is that what you are? Really?”

“Yeah, white coat and mist not give it away?” I shook my head in dismay. “Didn’t get much of a briefing I see. What did they tell you, that I was some sort of rampaging escapee from Tartarus or something?”

Nimble nodded. “Something like that. Only the officers get to know what’s really going on.” He shrugged. “Nah, I’m just one of the poor sods who joined up because I thought I was going to ‘make a difference’. Instead I ended up being thrown in at the deep end with this buck up shit show.” He held up an apologetic hoof. “No offence.”

“None taken,” I replied.

“Some of the guys overheard the commander saying you were a wendigo, but none of us really believed it. I mean, come on, you guys are supposed to be nothing but a story, right?” He huffed loudly. “But… hang on, how did you work for the watch looking like that?”

The inquisitive corporal’s incessant questions were beginning to irritate me, but I suppose I couldn’t blame him. At least it was distracting me from dwelling on our current miserable situation. He was right about one thing though – this really was a complete shit show. Unfortunately, I was the star attraction too. “I don’t always look like this,” I explained, “it’s only when I use my magic… kinda. Most often I look like who I am - a regular everyday unicorn. Like you, Corporal, I couldn’t help what I was born as.”

“So you’ve always been a, what, a wendigo?” he asked.

I shook my head. “Not really. The tribe I’m descended from used to enter into pacts with spirits to become wendigo, but that was a long time ago. It was being sent to the Wither World that did this to me. Some bastards murdered my wife and foal before sending me there half dead. Now I’m back, and no bucker will leave me alone.”

“Your wife and foal?” he breathed. “Goddesses! I’m… I mean, did you ever find out who did it?”

“Oh, yes,” I said, gritting my teeth. “They’re dead now. Very dead.”

“Good,” he nodded assuredly. “If somepony did that to my Ruffles, I’d sent them to Tartarus by any means necessary.”

I sniffed the air. I thought I could detect something… something familiar. “Hold up. Can you smell that?”

The corporal stopped and dropped to his haunches momentarily while I tried to find where it was coming from. “Smell what?” he asked.

I turned to face him. “It smells like… Wha-?!”

He sat there looking at me, drawing lazily on a cigarette as the pungent smell of the tobacco wafted over me in the dank corridor, tickling my senses. “Oh, sorry! Would you like one?”

I face hoofed, but had to admit, “Yes, please… By the goddess, I would!” I magicked one out of his packet and lit it with a small flame from my horn. Meadow and Tingles would flog my hide if they found out, but down here, I didn’t give a damn right now. I took a deep draw and let out a sigh. “Thanks, Corporal.”

“You’re welcome, Cap’,” he grinned.

That brought back memories. Nimble was quite the stallion alright. The way he accepted the situation we were in, adapting to it and treating me like his commanding officer, was quite something to behold. It seemed extraordinary to think that not that long ago this guy would have filled me full of burning holes, following his orders as any good soldier should. Now, it was like being back in the watch with an old comrade, covering each others back.

“How’d you get here?” I asked. “I was chased by a load of pegasi into the caves before one of them blew it up. I didn’t see you guys.”

“Sky carriage,” Nimble replied simply. He tapped the ash off his cigarette. “We got the call to back them up and I just followed the rest inside. The rest you know.”

“You turned up before they blew up the cave?”

He nodded. “Guess so. I felt a lot of rumbling and got showered in rocks, so that must have been it.” He jerked a hoof towards his flank. “I’ve got the dents to prove it too.” Nimble sighed, stubbing out the last of his cigarette. “Wish somepony had warned us. I think it was the explosion that kicked off the things that attacked us.”

“Damn...”

“Yup.” Nimble rose to his hooves and brushed himself off. “That’s what you get for working with muppets, I suppose.”

I couldn’t disagree there. I’d never heard the expression ‘Muppets’ before, but I didn’t need an explanation to understand the implication. A few minutes later we were off once again, the tracks before us still nice and clear.

“Cap’?”

“Hmm?”

“Where are you going to go?” Nimble asked curiously. “When you get out of here that is. I mean, half the army’s out after you, the palace guard too.”

“Wherever I can go, Corporal,” I said solemnly. “I wish there was some way to clear my name, but noponies listening. They’re not likely to either, especially after this monumental cock-up.”

“But what about Celestia? Surely the princess-”

“-Wouldn’t listen,” I interrupted. “Not even to her own sister.” A tinge of bitterness entered my voice involuntarily. “So much for co-ruling, eh? Anyway, the tribe of wendigo and our ‘beloved ruler’ have a history that goes back a long, long way. Forgiveness may be divine, Corporal, but old muffin-butt doesn’t seem to be inclined towards such fanciful sentiments.”

He didn’t reply. I knew why of course; Celestia was still his overall commander, and besides, I remember how Tingles had reacted when Pewter told her that her precious alicorn poster girl was actually just as capable of dreadful acts as us mere mortals. In my ancestral memories the war and subsequent slaughter of my people was as clear as day. To ponies like Tingles and Nimble who had grown up in a world of peace and sugary cupcakes, I might as well have speaking Yakistani. And, as expected, he just followed me in silence. I was glad of it too, I was sick of answering questions.

We walked on for a good distance, the corridor making several turns before I spotted something up ahead - ‘something’ lying motionless in the dust. Stopping in my tracks, I held up a hoof to warn Nimble. His training kicked in immediately and he kept silent, drawing his PDW and watching the darkness for any danger. Meanwhile I took a few steps forward, magicking up a flame to light the way ahead and to better see what the obstruction was. I had the horrible feeling I already knew what it was too. Suddenly my companion gasped, and my heart sank.

“Oh, hell no… Bramble… those bastards…” He sounded on the edge of tears.

I could see why. The mare’s fancy armour hadn’t done much to protect her, the long rents in the metal showing just how powerful, and merciless, her attackers had been. The hapless Bramble had been cut to ribbons, her bloodied corpse now lying in a goddess forsaken hole in the bowels of Equestria, her body half eaten. The corporal leaned down, carefully recovering something from her armour and pocketed it. Dog tags by the looks of them. Next he took what remained of her cloak, and laid it gently across her face. A deep look of determination warring with sadness in his eyes.

“Come on, Captain,” Nimble said quietly. “There’s nothing we can do for her now. Let’s just get the buck out of here.”

I nodded solemnly, stepping around the stricken form of the former guardspony and once more returned to following the tracks into the unknown. We walked in silence, the normally chatty Nimble now lost for words. I understood. I knew all too well what it was like to see your friends killed. I had seen far too many of them disappearing into those cold, uncaring holes in the ground, their memories carved into a small stone plaque that would, one day, be forgotten to all but a footnote in the history books of Equestria. And even then I doubted it. Ponies had a habit of burying the dead and moving on as quickly as possible. It made sense I suppose. After all, who wanted to live wrapped in grief and misery for the rest of their days? Still, it was a damned sight easier said than done when it was a pony you had loved. To others, they got on with their lives and might, over a cup of tea one day, mention the passing of the deceased – perhaps a few pleasant memories, a joke or two, a humorous story remembered. Reminicences of happier times. But to the ones who had loved them, to their family, that sense of loss, that pain and emptiness in their lives… it left a hole that could never be filled. And the pain… the pain never quite went away.

I pulled my darker thought away from the abyss, concentrating on the here and now. I was starting to warm to the corporal, he grew on you, but the terrible scene of his disembowelled comrade had silenced him completely. Although I was somewhat relieved I didn’t have to keep answering his incessant questions, I still felt for him. Losing a comrade was a painful experience, but finding them like that, a bloody shredded mess… Nothing could prepare you for that. I sighed quietly; I’d been there too many times myself. Yet somehow, no matter what I did, it kept happening. I gave my mane a hard shake and huffed. The tracks were all heading from one direction and I followed them closely, eventually coming to yet another large chamber, one that immediately made my hackles rise. The air in here was different from the corridors. It was heavy, cloying, and thick with the scent of burning flesh, hair… and blood.

Corporal Nimble nickered quietly. “This is where the bastards hit us,” he whispered. “We weren’t far in from the entrance when it happened.”

It was no wonder they’d got disorientated either, this place was huge. It was another massive cavern, natural this time, but no lake to be seen, thank Luna. I magicked up a small flame and sent it ahead of us for a better look. The flickering yellow light illuminated what I could just about make out with my eyesight. And by the gods, I wished it didn’t. Bodies. The floor was covered in bodies. Sweet goddesses…they were everywhere. Most had been cut down by tooth and claw, whilst others had been hit by their own side by the looks of it. Crossbow bolts and energy weapon wounds marred several of the corpses, clearly announcing how desperate, and panicked, the fighting had become. Casting the flame around, I found a couple of boxes of crystals lying on the ground by a pony who wouldn’t be needing them any more. I leaned down and picked them up. A broken pistol lay by the stricken soldier’s outstretched hoof. He’d been killed while trying to reload - the poor bastard. It may not be much consolation for him now, but at least his ammo could still help the living, and I intended to remain that way. Pocketing one, I passed the other to the corporal who accepted it with a nod. Somehow I had the horrible feeling I was going to need them. If there was thing I’d learned over the years, it was that the most obvious route was often the one most likely to get you killed. I could be wrong of course, but there was that little voice inside my head telling me there wasn’t going to be an easy way out of this mess, even if the way out was near. I took out my PDW and allowed the magic to flow through me, casting out my senses and readying a shield. As I did so my magic tingled and I sensed… high above us… Dear goddesses…

“Nimble…” I whispered. “Stay close, I’m going to raise a shield to cover us. Whatever you do, don’t stray from my side, you understand?”

He nodded. “Aye, Captain.”

“Nice and quiet now…”

There must have been hundreds, maybe thousands of them, high up in the black depths of the ceiling, hanging down like monstrous bats. Wings rustled quietly and the occasional chatter or squeak would remind us of their presence. My heart racing, I tried not to look up but kept myself facing forward, following the pattern of bodies to reach, what I hoped, would be our way out. Step by quiet, careful step, we moved towards what I prayed would be the exit. My heart was thundering, my neck tingling horrible. Every second I expected something to-

A furtive movement to my right made me pull up short. One of the bodies had just... moved…

“Is… is somepony there?” The desperate croaking voice was barely audible.

The corporal froze beside me. “Hasp? Captain, one our boys is still alive!”

I looked closer. ‘Hasp’ was buried under a number of other ponies and dead creatures alike. Getting him out was going to be a bloody nightmare - quite literally. I steeled myself, and taking a quick draught from my flask, I reached out with my magic to try and encase the stricken soldier. It wasn’t easy, but inch by torturous inch, my magic began pulling him, gasping and struggling towards us, until with a final kick from his hind legs, he was free and hobbling under his own power. Unfortunately I’d been concentrating so much on freeing Hasp, I almost missed the movement behind him. A loud hiss and rattling sound reverberated around the cavern making us all freeze. In near silence, a massive bat like thing, the light from my magic glinting off its black leathery hide, rose up behind Hasp like some hideous rippling mountain. I tried to snatch him in my magic and pull him in, but the bloody fool turned to face it and wasted time pulling out a PDW.

“No! Hasp, don’t!” I called out desperately. “Get the buck over here, you idiot!”

Luna’s arse, I could have written the bloody script myself. The stallion stood there like some bloody action hero from one of those cheap movies, opening fire at the monstrous creature and laughing dementedly. Brilliant green bolts of supercharged magical energy screamed into the void as I shouted to Nimble, “Forget him! Let’s get the buck out of here!”

The corporal shook his head defiantly. “For Celestia’s sake, Captain, please! I can’t leave him, he’s my friend!”

“Hell fire, Nimble!” I shouted at him, gathering my magic. “What the bucks up with you ponies? You got a damned death wish or something?”

I aimed a bolt of blue fire past the creature’s head, the blast missing the beast but making it recoil long enough for me to yank the traumatised Hasp under my shield. Enveloping him in my magic, I hoisted him off the ground and the three of us made for the passage the soldiers had originally entered from. At least, I prayed to Luna it was. The bodies had all fanned out from a single, dark hole in the far wall. Forbidding it may appear, but right then, to me, it looked like the entrance to paradise. Thankfully Hasp had finally remembered how to use his legs and began to run with us. If need be I’d pick him up and carry the damnable idiot, and if that didn’t work, he was on his own. There was no way in hell I was going to die in this shit hole. I fired off another blast of magic into the darkness, praying that it would be enough to make those damned things think twice about tangling with us.

As always though, I was hopelessly over optimistic.

We were no more than a few yards away from the other tunnel when an impossibly huge arm, tipped with claws like ships anchors, swept round and smashed into my shield, taking all off us off our hooves. The ferocious impact was bone jarring, flinging us like rag dolls across the ground to slam into the unyielding rock wall. White bursts of light popped in my vision, my head ringing like Ponyville’s school bell, while my stomach churned sickeningly as the world turned upside down. Damn it all… No, no, NO! It couldn’t end like this. It couldn’t! Trying to pick ourselves up, an intense hissing and grating sound from above made us look up to see great gobbets of saliva dripping from between teeth that were as long as my whole body. Great red reptilian eyes glared down, viewing us as probably no more than the creature’s next prospective dinner. I tried to stand, sliding on a pool of my own blue blood, but I was determined to show the damned thing I would not back down, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to lie there and be eaten alive. I bared my teeth and released all my magic into my battered body, urging the muscle and sinew to rebuild far beyond anything I had ever done before. Mist formed around me, billowing up to wreath my haunches, my blue eyes shining out into the darkness. If this thing wanted a fight, if it dared, dared, to challenge me, it was going to get a battle it would never forget… NEVER!

The giant reptile reared up then screamed out its anger at me, blasting hot foetid breath and sound like a battering ram. How the hell could I top that? How? Hell, I didn’t need to. I had nothing to prove here. Wendigo had nothing to prove. I felt my lips twitch, and I smiled, letting a loud rumble from my throat, hissing as the silvery blue fog built, white mist dripping from between my fangs. I snapped my wings open as my horn glowed a rich, bright blue, engorged with the elemental magic of my forefathers, lighting the chamber and the nightmarish creature before us. Hasp let out a strangled cry behind me, while Nimble tried desperately to placate him quietly. I thought I heard a word whispered, one I hadn’t heard in a long time…

“Dragon.”

Memories of the battle in the mountains flooded back to me. Blazing fiery death, the reek of brimstone, the same brutal strength and barely restrained lust for blood. Yes… this was like the one Maroc had fought. It was the same species without doubt, the same colouring too, but... different somehow, and on a level I couldn’t quite put my hoof on. It didn’t matter. It would fall just the same. The enormous lizard eyed me curiously, swinging its huge spiked tail this way and that before snorting a blast of steam at my hooves. Its great scaled head loomed close to mine.

“Who do you serve wendigo?”

If ever I needed old Maroc, it was now. I delved down, allowing my ancestral memories to flow to the surface and mingle with my own consciousness. I hoped to the great goddesses that I could get us out of this mess somehow, and, Fate willing, preferably without having to fight this behemoth. Sparks of memories, tiny glimpses of conversations, of etiquette between the two enigmatic races, flashed through my mind. And suddenly... I knew. I understood. I took a deep breath, bowing respectfully.

“Great lord of the high realms, I serve the one true ruler, the lady of the moon.”

The creature rumbled deep in its throat, eyeing me curiously. “And what is your name, little wendigo?”

I took another deep breath, keeping my voice calm and made sure my eyes never left the creature, not even for a second. “I am named Fairlight, Lord of the tribe of the four winds, and master of the fortress of the four winds.”

The dragon reached out and placed a claw under my chin, lifting my head for closer inspection. “Hmmm, you do bear a certain similarity to the one I knew. His tribe was that of the four winds. Tell me, wendigo, what was the name of your illustrious ancestor?”

“Maroc,” I replied firmly.

The great beast scratched his scaly belly, leaned back, and with a sound like thunder, clapped his enormous front claws together. In a burst of rainbow colour, elemental magic rushed out in all directions to light dozens of lamps hanging from sconces on the walls and from impossibly huge chains high up in the ceiling. I blinked in amazement at the dramatic change of scene. Here was a creature that was old enough to remember Maroc, and I still didn’t know whether he saw me as a comrade… or dinner. The dragon snorted, then turned and walked away to curl up atop what I could only describe as an unfathomable fortune of glittering gold and jewels. Dear gods, there must have been enough there to buy the whole of Equestria ten times over! Growing up in a modest home with cynical parents, I’d always believed fantastical stories of things like ‘dragon hoards’ to be nothing more than a flight of fancy to entertain impressionable youngsters. But then, I’d thought that of wendigo too, hadn’t I? Now, here I was, standing before one of these magnificent creatures as it settled down amidst its nest of extraordinary riches. Making itself comfortable, the dragon reached down and plucked a dead soldier from the ground, letting the bloodied corpse dangle from a claw while it addressed me.

“Your kind had more self respect once, wendigo,” it said in its rumbling reptilian voice. “Why do you ally yourselves with these murderers and thieves?”

There was no doubt who it was referring to, and I noticed the way it’s eyes glanced menacingly towards my companions. “My lord dragon,” I said formally. “I ask you to forgive my rude intrusion into your home. I was being hunted by those who would see me dead, and I took refuge in a cave not knowing it would lead to your lair. All I desire is to leave in peace and continue my journey.”

It watched me carefully, considering every word I said. “And where will your journey take you, my little wendigo?”

“I intend to reach the Wither World and rescue a friend,” I replied simply.

The dragon flicked the corpse into the air, and with a bone crushing snap of his jaws, swallowed the dead pony whole. Hasp cried out in alarm and I could hear Nimble trying to wrest his pistol from him behind me. Damn it all, I should have tied the bloody fool up.

“It would appear your companions are not wholly friendly, Lord Fairlight.” The dragon chuckled, the sound making the ground beneath my hooves vibrate with its timbre.

“Forgive them, my lord,” I said bowing low. “They are simply misguided ponies who stumbled in here unknowingly, looking for me. By your leave, I will take them from here and never return.”

The great best wiped the gory remnants of its meal from its mouth. “You may leave, Lord Fairlight. I will honour the covenant with the moon. These however…” He gestured to the two soldiers, “...will be food for my children.”

I shook my mane, keeping my head up as I addressed the huge creature. “Lord dragon, is there no other way? They are only here because they have been lied to by their leaders.”

The dragon suddenly leaned its massive head towards me, bellowing in outrage. “Of course they have been lied to, they are Celestians! These fools have such weak wills they are little more than mindless puppets in thrall to the white witch in the ivory palace. And yet they came here, intruded into my home, and murdered my children! And you defend them?!” The dragon snorted smoke at me, his distaste for my companions abundantly clear. “You are not like any wendigo I have ever met, ‘Lord Fairlight’.”

I stomped a hoof, snorting out a jet of icy wind. “I am not Maroc, great one. The war ended over a thousand years ago. The world has moved on. The Celestians dominate this land now, and yet I must do what I can to recover my people and try to rebuild what was taken. Do not speak to me of loss, my family was murdered by Celestian’s, my tribe slaughtered by them in their hundreds. Some day, our people will return, but it is not now. Now, I must do what I can to protect what I have, and making allies to the moon goddess will help take us one step further to regaining our strength.”

The dragon watched me quietly, then stepped down off his hoard, his head held low. “How can I trust you?” it hissed. “If I let all of you go, then how do I know you won’t betray me, and come here with more of your new ‘allies’ to try and steal my gold? Your companions stink of Celestia and her sickening kind…”

A voice from behind me made us both turn. “Then take me, Lord Dragon.” Corporal Nimble walked up beside me and bowed to the giant creature as he went to remove his armour. “I will gladly be your dinner, if you would but let my friends leave in peace.” As the helmet came off, a truly remarkable change occurred. Before my very eyes the soldier’s coat began to alter, darkening from the pure white so characteristic of the royal guard, to a deep grey. Even his eyes changed from blue to yellow, his blue tail and mane turning as dark as midnight. There must be some sort of enchantment woven into the metal to make them all look alike. I’d heard of it before of course, but never actually seen it in person. Bloody military showmanship, I thought to myself. They would have been better off spending the military budget on more up to date equipment than poncing around in pretty pony armour that was about as much use in battle as wearing a sheet of blasted tin foil. I mean, Oil lanterns, for bucks sake!

The dragon leaned down and sniffed the soldier. “How very noble of you, Celestian. No, I don’t think so… Perhaps your… friend?” He looked past Nimble to Hasp who was shaking like a leaf. Whether the poor sod was going into shock or pissing himself in fear, I couldn’t say, but neither was good. Hasp suddenly shrieked and fumbled for his PDW, trying to aim it at his antagonist.

“Lord dragon!” I pleaded, desperately trying to intervene. “Please!”

The giant thing leaned back and unleashed a laugh that was more akin to a thunderstorm than actual humour. “You need not fear, Lord Fairlight. One of my daughters has spoken for you already.” It waved a huge claw and the small flapping creature I’d rescued flew down to squeak at me near my hooves, giving my forelegs a nuzzle. “She likes you, wendigo,” the dragon boomed. “You should be honoured, a dragon does not give their friendship easily.” It clapped its claws together. “Now, all of you, leave whilst my good humour remains. The way to the outside is before you. Go.”

I bowed to the dragon. “Lord dragon, may I ask your name?”

The creature yawned and rolled on the expansive golden hoard, peering at me with one eye half closed. “My name? Hmmm… It has been so long since anyone has asked me.” It shrugged. “My name is Barathel. Remember it well, Lord of the four winds, I may decide to call upon you some day, and will expect to find a welcome befitting one as nobly born as I.”

I bowed low, sweeping my foreleg across my chest in the formal manner of my ancestors. “I will, Lord Barathel. My people will sing of your deeds.”

He opened his eyes wide, staring at me with those huge red orbs before letting out a thunderous laugh which echoed around the room making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. With a happy squawk, his daughter leaped up onto my back and snuggled herself into my mane as we hurriedly left the dragon’s home. I didn’t look back. I don’t think any of us did really, nor did we want to. All we could hear were the sounds of our own hearts racing, and the rumbling peels of hissing laughter following us out into the darkness.

Without another word spoken between us we picked up the pace, trotting at first and then breaking into a gallop. The passage before us sloped inexorably upwards, up towards… light? My goddesses, it was! It was only faint, barely a hint of pale grey beyond the familiar black, but it was there alright. My nose twitched in anticipation, my muscles burning with the desperate need to escape this nightmarish world and reach that tiny patch of light, that oasis which held the promise of open skies... and freedom. At last I could actually smell fresh air and daylight ahead of us, it was so near now I could even taste it. I wasn’t the only one either. Our thundering hooves caused a cacophony of noise which spurred us on to run even faster, to finally break free from this terrible place. The entrance was growing closer all the time, the rock walls becoming more noticeable, brighter, clearer. Just a little further now. Just… a little… further… Nimble let out a loud neigh of triumph as we burst out from the darkness of the tunnel like a cork from a well shaken champagne bottle. Luna be praised, we’d done it! Dear goddesses and all the gods in their bloody heaven, we were free! Free! All three of us, or rather ‘four’, emerged out into the daylight and collapsed in a heap on the cool ground, panting, revelling in the simplicity of taking in the fresh late afternoon air. I had no idea what time it was, nor where I was. The part of it was that I didn’t care either. All I wanted to do now was relax - relax, close my eyes, and just… breathe.

We’d been lying there for some time, trying to take in the fact that we’d actually survived and this wasn’t just some cruel feverish dream, when a cigarette floated over to me, courtesy of the extraordinary Corporal Nimble. I accepted his offer gratefully, feeling a smile spread across my face. By the gods, it was good to be alive! I sat up and offered him a light. Seeing him sat there in the light without his golden armour on, he looked like the kind of everyday stallion you’d find anywhere in Equestria. He was grey, like me I suppose, a unicorn with yellow eyes and a golden shield for a cutie mark. A slight twinge of foalish jealousy took me - I would have loved to have had one like that when I was younger. Now, all I had was that rather nondescript lightning bolt thing. Funnily enough my girls had never been that interested in my cutie mark. In fact, it only seemed to bother me… Oh, wonderful!I was becoming neurotic now too, was I? I sighed and took a draw on my cigarette. What the hell did it matter? And why was I even thinking about that? Bollocks to it...

“Corporal?” I began, releasing my magic. “Thanks for what you did back there, my friend. You’re a brave fellow, and I won’t forget it.”

Nimble watched my transformation in fascination. “Nah, it was nothing, Cap’.You’d have done the same for me.”

I smiled. I probably would have too.

“Hey, is that how you look normally?” he asked in wonder, looking me over. “Heh! Apart from the blue eyes, you kinda look like me. At a distance of course!”

I chuckled. “Plenty of grey unicorns out there, Nimble. Still, we’re all unique in our own way, every single one of us.”

He was right though, the similarity was quite uncanny. I’d been born with brown eyes and a white streak in my tail of course, but other than that… Could he be related to the tribe somewhere along the line? Looking at him now, he could have been mum’s male twin. It was an interesting question, and if there was one thing I’d learned, it was that in this life there was no such thing as mere coincidence. Everything happens for a reason, even if you couldn’t work it out or understand what that reason was. No matter how crazy things looked, Fate, the gods and goddesses - all of them had their bloody hooves in everything. Actually, now that I think about it, I would imagine that-

“You two are getting on very well I see…”

I heard the click of the safety coming off and closed my eyes. Without even looking I knew Hasp pointing his pistol at my head.

“Hasp! What the buck are you doing, soldier?!” Nimble shouted in surprise. “He saved your life!”

The other guardspony spat on the ground angrily. “He’s in league with them, Nimble! That… that thing on his back, it’s one of them! Look at it for bucks sake!”

I shook my mane. “Hasp, you’re being a bucking idiot, stallion. Put the gun down and let’s settle in for the night, eh? I’m too tired to be dealing with this bollocks right now.”

Spittle flew from Hasp’s mouth as he yelled at me, “Buck you, you piece of shit! I’ve seen what you really look like, you can’t be on our side looking like that! You’re a… a demon! A demon masquerading as a pony!”

“Again with the ‘demon’ thing,” I groaned, lying back on the grass smoking the cigarette calmly. “If you’re going to shoot, Hasp, just do it. You won’t get another chance…”

The little dragon on my back chattered and hissed at Hasp who, rather surprisingly, ignored her. Instead he turned to Nimble. “Come on, Corp, let’s kill him and take the head back as evidence. Nopony’ll give a shit about ‘im. We’ll be friggin’ heroes!”

Hasp’s voice had a strained note to it, and I began to wonder if the soldier still had a full grasp on his sanity. After what he’d been through, I doubted anypony would be able to simply shrug it all off and lead a normal life again like nothing had happened. I watched quietly as Nimble lift his own pistol.

“Put the gun down soldier,” he said calmly. “I won’t ask again.”

For a moment I actually thought Hasp would comply. He stood there like a statue, staring at Nimble, his lips moving soundlessly. Then as quick as a flash he span round, sighting his pistol on me. “Buck it…”

His head exploded into a thousand pieces, spattering the rock wall behind us in gore and armour fragments. The rest of Hasp’s ruptured body followed a moment later, thudding wetly onto the ground, gushing crimson from where his head had been. I closed my eyes and sighed. What a waste of life. He’d been through the kind of hell nopony should ever have to experience, seen things that nopony should ever see, and then, when freedom was handed to him on a silver platter, he’d thrown it all away. Nimble just stood there in silence, closed his eyes, and let out a long breath before holstering the pistol.

He gave his mane a good shake. “Stupid cunt, I couldn’t bucking stand him.”

“I thought you said he was your friend?” I asked, looking at him calmly.

He shrugged, “Would you leave a team mate behind?”

He was right of course, you didn’t have to like somepony for them to still be a colleague. “I see your point. Thanks, Nimble. Looks like I owe you once again.”

“Not for this,” he replied bitterly. “This was for me.”

I nodded slowly. If I’d been in his shoes I could only hope that I’d have the same courage and strength of heart to do what he’d done. He’d killed a comrade, and whether or not it was to save another life, he’d crossed a line here, and we both knew it. I rose to my hooves. “I’ll get a fire a going, it’ll be dark soon.”

Brushing myself off I began gathering some dry wood from a nearby copse for our makeshift camp. Together with the corporal’s assistance, we soon had a good fire roaring away. My tiny dragon companion hopped down and waddled away to start sniffing curiously at Hasp’s body. Every living being had to eat of course, but I was just glad I’d moved the corpse away from our camp fire so I didn’t have to watch. I certainly didn’t want Nimble to see his deceased comrade filling the belly of a hungry dragonling, even if they hadn’t exactly been on good terms. Our escape from the caves had been exhausting for all concerned, and before I knew it, we were both soon fast asleep.

The morning came early here, and I awoke to the singing of birds in the trees and the rustling of leaves. A slight breeze ruffled my mane, carrying with it a cool tinge which hinted at the approaching winter. The sky was a perfectly clear blue, the sun rising over the distant hills bathing the land in a wash of golden light. It was ideal flying weather. Checking over my gear, I prepared a quick breakfast from my squashed rations and readied myself to move out without delay. Corporal Nimble was already having a morning roll on the grass and ,by the sounds he was making, he was enjoying it too. Damn it, I wish I’d thought of that now! Bugger…

“Captain Fairlight?”

I turned to my new friend who deftly tossed me a bag of equipment he’d fetched from the carriages and chariots parked nearby. Catching it in my magic, I looked inside. There were two boxes of crystals, some un-squashed rations, water, and… Oh! Oh, very nice! Two MAD’s in a travel case complete with detonator. I popped them into my pannier and fastened down the clasp.

I nodded to Nimble gratefully. “Thanks, my friend. I wish I could stay, but I’ll need to get going before your buddies get here. I doubt they’d be to happy to find me here, especially with...” I bobbed my head towards the roughly covered remains of Hasp. “With that there. What are you going to do now, though? There’s bound to be questions.”

He shrugged. “Well, I’m no pegasus, so flying’s out.” His trademark cheeky smile was back. “Anyway, there’s a comms device in the sky carriage over there, so I’ll be okay. Failing that, there’s a village not far from here to the south.” Nimble laughed at my expression of concern. “Look, I’ll be fine, honestly! Just wish I could come with you, I suppose. But… well, you know, my girl…”

He wanted to come with me? Now that was a surprise! I clopped him on the shoulder. “You’re a good pony, Nimble, a lot more so than many I’ve met over the years. Just make sure you take good care of yourself and your girl, okay? Oh, and try not to believe everything you hear about my exploits, yes?”

He chuckled. “I won’t, Captain.” The young corporal stood back, watching me in amazement as I let the magic flow through my body once more. “Amazing,” he breathed.

“It never gets old,” I grinned. I gave my wings an experimental flap. “Gods bless you, my friend.”

Corporal Nimble, the unlikely friend I’d made in the bowels of Equestria, bowed before me and smiled a smile that made my heart sing for the first time since my journey had begun. “Goddesses speed you on your journey, Lord of the four winds.”

I chuckled to myself, and waved to him as my wings caught the morning air. It felt wonderful to stretch them again after the suffocating closeness of the tunnels and corridors beneath the hill. Even better, I was back on track to finding Shadow. With renewed vigour, a short run and a few strong beats of my wings, I launched up into the sky, the small leathery passenger attached to my back squawking happily.