Tether Of The Soul

Once Amber put Berath to sleep on his bed of hay, a green light engulfed the room they were in. The light was blinding to even look at let alone try to stare upward toward its source. Amber tried his hardest to keep his eyes closed as he blocked out the light with his body, trying not to wake Berath. A gentle tap on Amber’s shoulder helped Amber to open his eyes. The blinding light was no more. He looked around to find the source of the tapping and found the golden being hovering in front of him. ‘It’s you! What are you doing here?’ The gold shine began to fade away, it revealed a white unicorn underneath. ‘My little lamb, I have come to collect you. It seems as though my lord, Gilldahara wishes for you to join him in heaven.’ Shocked, Amber squinted his eyes a little ‘Sorthath? You are real?’ but before Sorthath could confirm that it was him Amber interjected ‘No! I do not wish to go and see this Gilldahara. I will not grant him his request!’ Amber had turned his body away from Sorthath but Sorthath did not take Amber’s objection and grabbed a shoulder of his. ‘What are you doing!?’ Amber cried out. Sorthath softly spoke as he started to lift Amber toward heaven ‘This is bigger than you, me, or even my brother Amber.’

Silence during the journey upward was suffocating for Amber. Millions of questions, accusations, and concerns swam inside his mind. He didn’t know how to articulate anything at all, it was like his mind was fading away from him. But there was one thing that shone brightly, that one thing was clear to him, his new friend Berath. Those images were the only thing that kept Amber’s mind at ease. For Amber, it was weird. His feelings for his friend were both endearing and fearful. Fearful of what Berath had done to him in their first few days of meeting but also endearing. Berath had shown Amber that he was capable of change. After all, Berath took charge of his destiny. Amber saw the good that could emanate from Beraths heart and soul, and when Berath saw that too he asked Amber to forgive him. Amber knew that Berath needed to have someone, anyone to believe that he had changed. But for Amber, he knew that Berath never needed to ask. He saw that Berath had always had that goodness inside him. He just needed acknowledgment from another to liberate him from the shackles that bonded him to his family.
Amber smiled as he thought about Berath’s recovery. He saw a champion, a champion who would rise against all who tried to rule over the mortal realm. And that gave Amber the strength to push himself forward, no matter how dark things got when it swamped his waking mind. He could picture Berath’s smile, and everything would just be ok. ‘Why would the King of Heaven, wish to see me?’ Amber asked timidly. Sorthath hesitated ‘I-. I do not know the reasoning behind my Lord's desires. I dare say, it has put me on edge from his recent ambiguity. I find myself doubtful of his actions and behaviors.’ He sighed softly ‘Why am I telling you this? Of all of the ponies I speak my mind to, does it have to be you?’

Amber placed a hoof on his own chest and closed his eyes. ‘It could be because you do not have a soul to confide in. I can only assume how you feel.’ Sorthath shook his head as they reached two golden gates blocking the entrance to the holy realm of heaven. ‘We are here, just hang on a little more.’ Sorthath gently helped Amber down to the clouds as they landed. Sorthath leads Amber to a golden elevator in the middle of the space. In between the souls lining up, waiting to get passed the pearly gates. The souls gasp when the elevator descends from the clouds above them. Sorthath and Amber enter the confined space and ascend into the higher echelon of heaven. Silence reigned supreme once again between the two ponies as they traveled upwards toward Gilldahara’s chambers.
‘How could a commoner ever make me feel so, so content in telling them my inner thoughts?’ Sorthath asked in his head. Amber was peering outward from the side window of the elevator. He saw angles of all creatures enjoy themselves within their everlasting paradise. He smiled softly ‘I think, I finally have found my peace…’ Amber turned to wards Sorthath with a gentle smile ‘Sorthath, I don’t hate or blame you for anything that is to come.’ Sorthath was confused, yet another being was being cryptic ‘What are you talking about?’ The elevator stopped as Amber placed a hoof onto Sorthath’s chest, where his heart was ‘I think things are going to change for the both of us. Just keep in mind that you will always be wanted and welcomed, no matter where your soul goes.’ Amber exited the confined space of the elevator and headed deep within the misty room, but when Sorthath realized that he wanted Amber to stay, to talk with him more, to ask questions, or even just to be in the same space Amber took up. The elevator doors closed shut. Screams of confused longing started to emanate from behind the elevator doors. His voice could not travel passed the threshold of the elevator because they were muffled by its doors, and could not reach Amber's ears as he trotted deeper into the mist.

Sorthath could only watch as Amber faded from his sight ‘I tried to convert you to the light to save your soul… I now realise that it was only for me to feel how Berath felt when he saw you. I also see that I wanted what Berath had as well. Now, you too, have fallen through my grasp. All I wish to have is stability for my eternal soul. Please come back, I do not wish to be alone anymore!’ Sorthath began to open his floodgates to his emotions but the built-up pressure destroyed anything that tried to stop the current, as he began to wail in the confined space that was the elevator. He would never be able to hear the three words that he desperately wanted to hear from another. He wanted “I Forgive You!” to come from the same lips that forgave his brother, but he knew that he would live for the rest of time and never get a single slice of peace for his soul, not like his brother. The poison of hate began to boil in Sorthaths chest, and it started to corrode his heart till it was nothing more than a blackened pebble of flint.