Finally, we were together. Though what really mattered to my stallion Spirit, we were free.

I had introduced him to the world of servitude, but he rejected my world. Then he opened my eyes to the world in the wild. The plains, the forests, the deserts; he showed me everything. What mattered most to me, however, was that I was with him.

My fondest memories were when we had literally been tied together with a piece of rope. I didn’t fear losing him then. But Spirit could not be bound not by me and not by anyone else; it’s why I loved him so.

I found happiness at his side and with his herd. Yet, Spirit was restless as if he was still not fully free. He explored every cranny, investigated every sound, climbed every rock formation. And when he wished for my company, I was always by his side to please his every need. Yet, it wasn’t enough. Again and again, I’ve caught him groaning and glancing in a particular direction at a particular mountain. Something was still tying him down.

Doubts filled my mind. I wondered if another mare occupied his mind. Was it just a matter of time before I became a third wheel? Was I simply not good enough for him?

My world shattered when he nickered goodbye to me and his herd. I crumpled on the ground. With every step he took toward the ominous mountain, my heart sank deeper. Doubts overcame me. Was it all my fault?

I couldn’t take it anymore. The moment he walked off, my world no longer existed. I was nothing without serving a purpose, and he was my purpose. I would do anything for him.

A thought glinted in my mind. What if he was trying to protect me and the herd like so many times before?

I stood up in determination and focused on his plot. I didn’t need protection. Not even death scared me. His absence was my only concern.

The herd looked at me in confusion when I set after Spirit. They knew as well as I that there was no stopping him. He could never be bound. But that wasn’t my actual intention. No matter what lay in the mountains, I would face it together with him, even if that meant becoming a third wheel.

When I caught up to him, he grunted and groaned at me. He turned around and tried to push me back but to no avail. Even after receiving a kick, I would not turn back. My focus remained on the mountain. That was my destination because it was his goal.

Just like I knew better than to go against Spirit’s freedom, he knew better than to go against my stubbornness. He may have gotten rid of the line that connected us, but I have not. His pathway was my purpose. His aim was my target.

With a snort, he continued his journey and I followed along.

I hoped that his goal would make him happy, but that wasn’t what I observed. His body language told me everything I needed to know. What awaited on the mountain wasn’t another mare; it was danger!

His whole body shook when he reached the cave. He dug at the ground with a forehoof as if something prevented him from moving on. Again, he whinnied at me despite knowing full well that nothing could dissuade me from serving him, even if it was for the last time.

I thought I saw a glimmer of tears in his eyes just before we walked into the darkness.

Yet, the further we traversed, the brighter the cave became. The walls shimmered in pink, unnatural shades.

What we saw before us at the end of the cave was out of this world. It was like an entrance, but it had a surface of a polluted pond.

Spirit wasn’t surprised. He must have seen it before. Yet his body was frozen in place with fear as if he faced his worst enemy yet.

I kicked a stone at the mystical doorway because it was hurting my mate. The surface waved and swallowed the stone. It must have been an entrance to another room. Or maybe another world!

At that moment, I understood his life like never before. His adventurous nature, his pursuit of freedom, none of that was born out of nothingness. It was preparation for this very day. Spirit may have not been able to face it when he was younger, but after all the adventures, he must have finally felt that he could interact with this thing again. After all, one cannot be truly free when one is stuck in a cage, even if the bars are opened; A horse is only free when the horse chooses to leave the cage behind. That’s what Spirit had been preparing for all his life, to leave it all behind.

Deep inside, I felt that he didn’t come all this way to merely observe the challenge. As always, he had to express his freedom. As long as there was a cranny left to explore, he wasn’t truly free. And because the portal existed, he was a prisoner of our world. Only by entering the space on the other side could he consider himself free. He desired freedom more than anything in the world, but because of the existence of the doorway, he never was, not even on the open plains.

He brushed his head against my neck and I leaned my head on his. He still loved me!

A moment later, he strifed aside and jumped into the vertical pond.

I caught my balance and gasped. The emptiness was all around me. I was alone. Alone in the cave. Alone in the world.

Though I did not have a life-long preparation to seek freedom in another world even at my own expense, I had something just as powerful. All my life I nurtured my will to serve and that I was willing to do even at my own expense.

I cycled my forehooves in the air then plunged myself into the portal.

My body twisted in the stream of colors and I feared that it would end me right there and then. But the ordeal didn’t last long. A few moments later I was expunged back into a cave.

I stood on all four and looked around. It seemed to be a different cave. The air was lighter and colder. The chamber itself was bigger, with various mystical items scattered around.

It truly was an entrance to another place. I looked back at it and was surprised. What I saw was a reflection of myself. I tapped on it and it was solid. There was no way back.

A hissing sound came from beyond the turn. My heart skipped a beat, “Spirit?” I peaked my ears.

“Oh, I’m far worse than a mear spirit.” A slim silhouette walked toward me. “I’m Queen Chrysalis!”

Even though it looked like a horny monster with her crooked horn, she wasn’t what drew my attention. I caressed my snout with a hoof. “I spoke?” I looked at the stranger and announced at the top of my voice, “I spoke words!”

She snickered, “You’re not from around here, are you? Who are you?”

“I’m Rain.” I pointed at a mirror behind me. “I came from there.”

“Extraordinary! It seems that it really does work. King Sombra told me that he designed a portal through space and time. He wanted to go back in time to fix his mistakes; to get a second chance.”

None of what she said mattered. Only one thing was important. “Where is my stallion Spirit?”

“Did he enter the portal before you?”

I nodded, but inside I pondered why she would even ask such a question. How could she not have seen him? There was only one entrance in the chamber and he must have been in the cave just moments ago.

“Oh, you poor mare you. You don’t understand anything, do you?”

“I understand love!” I objected.

The holey, slim, black horse smiled. “I know you do.”

I looked at her sideways. “Do you now?”

Queen Chrysalis licked my ear with her split tongue. “I can taste it on you.”

Author's Note

Check out the AI review of this chapter.

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