//------------------------------//
// Another Blessing Count 
// Story: The Life and Times of Benjamin Inventor (Part 3) 
// by Bsherrin 
//------------------------------//

Another Blessing Count

A Wolf had been gorging on an animal he had killed, when suddenly a small bone in the meat stuck in his throat and he could not swallow it.  He soon felt terrible pain in his throat, and ran up and down moaning and groaning and seeking for something to relieve the pain.  He tried to induce every one he met to remove the bone.
"I would give anything," said he, "if you would take it out."
At last the Crane agreed to try, and told the Wolf to lie on his side and open his jaws as wide as he could.  Then the Crane put its long neck down the Wolf's throat, and with its beak loosened the bone, till at last it got it out.
"Will you kindly give me the reward you promised?" said the Crane.
The Wolf grinned and showed his teeth and said: "Be content.  You have put your head inside a Wolf's mouth and taken it out again in safety; that ought to be reward enough for you."

Moral: Be grateful for what you have and do not ask for more.

“Tales for Foals”, The Equestrian Encyclopedia of General Knowledge

“Plans for today, Ma?” I asked as I finished the paper.
“I’m foal sittin’ Benjamin, Boss, so Spring and Bull can get some time together before the foal gets here.”
“Let’s see,” I answered, “she’s due in two weeks?”
“Yessir, that she is.”
I’d kept closer tabs on Spring this time.  “She’s carrying well, Ma, so I don’t think we’ll have any problems this go-round.  I’ll check on her next week, though, just to be sure.”
Ma breathed a sigh of relief.  “That’s good to hear, Ben.  Thank you so much.”
I folded the paper, then rose from the kitchen table.
“I’ll put out the ‘Closed’ signs, then, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir!  See you then.”
I trotted around and flipped the signs on the workshop and Annex, then trotted around the outside and ended up at my favorite spot over the gorge.  The Sun was about two hours up and I planned to spend most of the day with AJ and the foals but I wanted some time to myself first.  It was Airlie’s second birthday.  I’d missed her first since I was in Canterlot last year but I wasn’t about to miss this one or any which followed.
I did some T’ai Chi katas and then stretched out.  Time for a Blessing Count.  It was 20th of Sixth, Midsummer’s Day, Year of Celestia 1,106.
One: Emerald Grass had a good death.  It was hard at times to remember what a blessing that was, but I’d seen enough which weren’t to appreciate it.  It didn’t make me miss her any less, either.
10th of Third was just like any other day at the shop.  I’d left Mrs. Grass at the kitchen table working on the accounts after answering a few of the stranger letters which had accumulated including one asking us to build a time portal.  I went into the workshop and was in a brown study making railroad spikes when I heard a mare’s hoofsteps.
I turned from my bar stock and who should I see but Marcia O’Reilly, cloak, scythe and all.
I propped the stock on the workbench.  “Lady Death!  Why, how marvelous!  I haven’t seen you since the train.  Are you doing well?”  I’d played cards with Death a half dozen times when Marcia had some time off, so I hadn’t seen her.  Death also had a number of questions about living with mares and of course I answered them after teasing him mercilessly.
Marcia smiled, a sad smile but a heartfelt one.  “Hello, Mr. Apple.  I’m sorry, sir, but this isn’t a visit.  I’m working.”
“Eh?  What are you doing, then?”  But suddenly I Knew.
Marcia gave me that sad smile again, then turned.  I followed her into the kitchen to see Mrs. Grass at the table, head turned sideways and resting on her crossed forehooves.  I extended my healer sense.
Nothing.
I must have looked stricken since Marcia said again, “I’m sorry, Mr. Apple.”
I shook my head, flinging off tears.  “No, Lady Death, no.  I thank you for letting me know.”
Marcia nodded, then reached into Emerald’s body.  She stepped back and was holding the hoof of a very young Emerald Grass, I guessed about 20 or so.  Emerald looked at Lady Death, smiled, then looked at me.  Marcia and Emerald gave me equally dazzling smiles, then both were gone.  I smiled back through my tears, then gave myself a few more minutes to mourn before I went to get Jon.
Practically the entire town showed up for the funeral.  Fall came in from Hoofington and managed to avoid AJ.  She and AJ had quite the row a couple of years ago at Year’s End when Fall found out AJ had sent me away.  AJ ended up with two black eyes and some cracked ribs while Fall had a broken foreleg and lost a tooth; it took Bull and Spring together to separate them.  Mares.
I gave the eulogy and Jon spoke as well.  He wasn’t much for public speaking but did tell how he first came to the workshop and Mrs. Grass made him shower which got a good laugh.  I stood with Fall and she gripped my left foreleg while, tears running down her muzzle, she gave a short talk about all Mrs. Grass had taught her.  Winter, in from the Crystal Empire, spoke and her calm, gentle humor soothed all of us.
Later, we had a wake at the Homestead with plenty of food, drink, singing and dancing, all of which Emerald loved.  Maggie was more accepting than I expected.
“Eh, I know our time is short, Boss.  Live it up while ya can, that’s what I say!”
The next week, AJ helped us sort out the accounts, letters and orders although Emerald was organized enough there really wasn’t that much to do.  Jon and I looked at one another, though, and knew we’d need somepony pretty quick else we’d end up in a quagmire.  Neither of us was much for accounting and AJ had the foals and the farm, particularly since Granny was getting too old to work much.
“Well…” I started when we heard a knock on the kitchen door.
I answered it and was surprised to see Ma Brickle.  She didn’t come to the workshop often unless it was to visit one of the girls and usually they went to the farm.  Ma looked nervous.
“Ma!  Please come in.”
She did and Jon pulled out a chair for her.  She sat, then looked at each of us in turn.
“I’m glad you’re all here.  I’ve…been thinkin’ for awhile about retiring from the farm.  Bull, Spring and now young Ben can manage well enough without me.”
AJ, Jon and I exchanged a glance.
“Very good, Ma,” I said.  “What are you going to do now?”
“Well, that’s just it, Mr. Apple.  I…want to come and work for you and Mr. Smithson.  You’ve been so good to the fillies, and, well, now that Emerald’s gone, I just thought…”
I must have looked surprised; I know Jon did.
Ma continued in a rush.  “I can clean, cook, keep accounts, write in a fair hoof, grow food in a garden, sew, lay brick, pour concrete…”
Lay brick?  I held up a hoof and Ma stopped talking, looking even more anxious.
“Now, Ma, what I’m about to ask is critical.”
Ma nodded, several short jerks.
“If you come and work here, will you make me that mushroom pie of yours?”  By the Magic, that was worth eating!
Ma grinned and said, “Yes, sir, that I will!”
I shared a glance with a now smiling Jon and AJ, then stood and held out a forehoof.  “Then welcome to Apple and Smithson Manufacturing, Marguerite Brickle!”
Two: Foals.  Foals everywhere!  And I delivered several myself including my very own Sing-Sing.  I shook my head over that one.
We’d had a wonderful Year’s End Eve with snowball fights, snow forts, hot chocolate and ice skating.  Luna had a marvelous time getting rambunctious with the foals and was phenomenally good at ice skating, at least as good as Pinkie who just watched and cheered because she was close to term.  We rehearsed the play and Luna as Captain Mad’s first mate had a raucous scene with Juliette, both of them chewing the scenery.  It ended with a duet I wrote, You’re Just Plain Evil, Evil Queen and Luna’s coloratura soprano was as crystal clear as a mountain spring.  The cast members and I whistled and applauded after the first rehearsal since they were both so good and Luna’s ears and muzzle darkened to almost black from blushing.
We’d all adjusted our schedules so we could stay up later at night for Luna and so she could stay up longer during the day.  Year’s End Eve we stayed up until the Turning of the Year anyway, so we took naps to get ready for it.  I woke up to find Luna between AJ and me holding a snoring Airlie; apparently Lady Astrid had suggested Luna take her place and AJ and I certainly had no objection.
It was about half an hour before the Turning and I was leading a sing-a-long in the ballroom with everypony in the house.  I finished Nelly Bly and was about to play Yellow Rose of Bristol when a very pregnant AJ looked down, then up at me, then down again.
“Time, Partner.”
Whup, here we go.  “Gentlemares and gentlestallions, if you’ll please excuse Mrs. Apple and me.  All Apples, please come to the master bedroom.”
With good wishes from all and sundry, AJ and I headed to the bedroom while Apple Bloom roused Airlie and Big Mac retrieved Granny.  AJ settled on the birthing mat I’d set out for her and I heated the water I’d put next to it.  AJ joked and chatted with all of us, particularly a wide-eyed Airlie who was fascinated with the whole thing and kept asking very perceptive questions which AJ and I answered.
At the stroke of midnight, AJ gave a heave and out into my hooves came a pure white Earth pony filly.  Smaller than Airlie, she had sky blue eyes, a very light blonde mane and lustily told the World she had arrived.  The Apples helped me clean her up, Airlie giggling with excitement, and I turned to hand her to AJ.
Then time stopped.  Or at least became very slow for me and the newborn.
“Guardian.”
I turned to see Lady Magic.  I bowed as best as I could while holding a brand new foal.
Lady Magic didn’t say anything else, just held out her hooves.  Without hesitation, I handed over the foal.  Lady Magic kissed her forehead, then dipped her horn.  A small, white ball of light came out of her horn, landed on the foal’s little chest and vanished into her.
Lady Magic handed me the foal.  “Singing Water,” She said.
“Milady, it will be as You say,” I said.
Lady Magic grinned, kissed my muzzle and said, “Congratulations, Guardian!”
Then Singing Water and I were back.
I laid her in between AJ’s hooves and said, “Mother, please welcome Singing Water Apple.”
AJ nuzzled Singing Water, then looked at me somewhat askance.  We’d agreed I’d name this foal since she got to name the last one but I doubted she’d let me do it again.
“Hey, cutie,” said AJ, then dropped off to sleep.
I settled AJ and Singing Water (which quickly became “Sing-Sing”, a nickname her elder sister gave her) and then made the announcement to much merriment.  An excellent way to start the year, I tell you what.
Cadence was next.  I couldn’t be in two places at once but Winter was there.  Carl sent me a telegram on the 4th of First:

ALICORN FILLY BORN THIRD OF FIRST 1 AM STOP MOTHER AND FOAL DOING FINE STOP WINTER GREAT HELP STOP YOU ARE A DOOFUS STOP

SA

And Pinkie was after Cadence.  Her quiet sister Marble Pie had come to stay with her right after Year’s End and Marble came racing up to the workshop on a freezing cold afternoon on the 20th of First.
“Is it time, Marble?” I asked, putting down my latest project.
She just nodded.  Marble talked even less than Big Mac most of the time although they seemed to get along well.  Pinkie told me at Year’s End she’d like for them to date somehow and I answered they’d spend the entire evening sitting in silence.
I wrapped myself in a muffler and put on my cape which was perfect for cold weather.
“Let’s take a truck, Marble.  They have heated cabs.”
Marble followed me and got in the passenger side.  She looked around, wide-eyed and actually said, “This is amazing!”  Speech!  I just nodded, pleased she liked it.  Jon planned to give one to Pinkie’s family at Midsummer.
We made good time to Sugar Cube Corner, parked the truck in the back and raced inside. I flung my cape and muffler onto a coat rack, then followed Marble upstairs.  There was Jon holding Pinkie’s hoof and a huge Pinkie.
“Ben!”
“What ho, Jon?”
“Contractions are 3 minutes and 32 seconds apart.”
“Good!  Pinkie, any pain, hon?”
Pinkie tried a smile but was too nervous to manage much of one.  “Yeah, some.”
I extended my healing senses.  The first foal was turned slightly sideways.
“Pinkie, I’m going to shift the first foal just bit, all right?”
I started the shift and the foal kicked out.
“Ow!”
“Yes, these foals are ready to face the World, sure enough,” I said.  “How about now, Pinkie?”
“That’s…that’s better, Ben.”
“Pinkie.”
“Yeah?”
“Knock, knock, Pinkie.”
“What?” said Pinkie, looking at me.
“Knock, knock.”
“Uh…who’s there?”
“Interrupting Cow.”
“Interrupting Cow, wh…?”
“Moooooo!” I yelled.
“Ahahah!  Ow!  Hahaha!  Ouch, Ben!” laughed Pinkie with that snorting giggle of hers.
That distracted her enough, though, that when she gave her next push, the first foal made it most of the way out of the vulva.  Pinkie’s vulva was smaller than average, so I used magic to nick it just a bit and out slid a beautiful little Earth pony filly with Jon’s coloring.  The colt followed about five minutes later and was a carbon copy.  Marble, smiling and with tears running down her muzzle, helped me clean them, both showing good, healthy lungs.  I handed them off to Jon who put them between Pinkie’s hooves.
Pinkie nuzzled both, then looked at Jon lovingly.  “You gave me foals,” she said and fell asleep.  I cleaned her up along with the afterbirth and healed the nick I’d made.  I lifted her into bed with the two foals and covered up all three.
When I finished, Jon, every inch the proud new father, shook my hoof.
“Thanks, Ben.”
“You’re welcome, sir.  What will you call Frick and Frack here?” I said, pointing to the sleeping foals.
Jon laughed.  “No idea.  I think Pinkie has some names in mind.  We’ll talk about it as soon as she recovers.”
“Very good, Jon.  Back to the shop for me.  Come get me if Pinkie needs me again.”
“Thank you, Mr. Apple,” said Marble, then kissed my muzzle.
“A pleasure, Miss Pie tertius.
Let’s see, who else?  Spring of course, Fleur was due in four months, Derpy in three.  I sighed over that last.  Deep in my heart of hearts, I wanted to keep Derpy to myself and for her to have my foals and only mine.  It was impossible and wasn’t rational; I at least admitted that.  Maybe it was because she was special to Lady Magic.  Derpy had met and pair bonded with a polite, pleasant, well-mannered and very handsome pegasus stallion and AJ and I really liked him.  He and Derpy spent Year’s End with us and were wonderful company.  Eh, bien, c'est la vie.  If not this lifetime, perhaps the next.
Three: Ponyville and Apple and Smithson Manufacturing.  The changes in the last couple of years were astounding.  After talking it over with Mayor Mare and Bernie, Jon and I had gone to Fillydelphia and brought back six unemployed stallions to work the cider factory.  We selected married ones (Mayor Mare’s idea and a good one) and they’d lived in company housing until they sorted themselves out.  It had been a spectacular success, both the workers and the factory.  They adopted that falcon Rainbow Dash turned down as a pet as the company mascot.  They named him “Fat Bastard” and we even ended up using him on the label of a cider line.  He sat in the factory rafters a good part of the day and watched over production.
The first cider line was “Rainbow Dash Cider” with a tagline of “Spicy with a Hint of Sweetness”.  We had a small ceremony and Rainbow Dash was there for the first shipment as were Celestia and Luna, something of a surprise.  The business gave Rainbow Dash a 2% royalty on all the cider sold with her likeness and all the cider she could drink.  She drank it, too; AJ and I were both amazed at the amount.
Rainbow Dash had been one of the only ponies to stick by AJ a couple of years ago even though she disapproved of how AJ had handled me.  Afterwards, that made them even closer and when I got back…well, Rainbow Dash helped give me quite the welcome home.  Rainbow Dash still visited every couple of months and was wonderful with the foals.
The cider factory also earned me a new nickname.  One day AJ and I were arguing over production or somesuch.  AJ still had trouble working with others at times and blurted out, "That there's just a bunch of malarkey!"
I'd had enough, so I pointed to my privates and said, "There's your malarkey and may you never have a day’s luck with it."
Instead of getting annoyed, Applejack doubled over laughing and finally choked out "That's Little Malarkey and you're Malarkey!"  We both started laughing and, as sometimes happens to married couples, couldn't stop for a good 10 minutes.  So, she called me “Malarkey” most of the time along with “Partner”.  If she used “Benjamin”, I knew I was in for it.
The cider factory was seasonal, so Jon and I built a small factory to assemble the racers, steam trucks and most importantly the LuluBelles which we couldn’t make fast enough.  That kept our workforce busy the whole year and we slowly added more workers until we had a factory workforce of 20.  Jon left most of the personnel decisions to me and Twilight and I crafted a couple of spells to make sure the applicants didn’t have any dramatic character flaws.  None so far, I thought.  Good, experienced factory stallions and some wonderful mares and foals, just what stodgy Ponyville needed.  The company had excellent pay and even better benefits, a brand-new idea to Equestria.  And a healer on the staff, thank you very much.
Four: The Apple and Smithson Transportation Museum.  This one really did make me smile since it was my “rich stallion’s folly”; that was what the Lamberts teasingly called it, anyway.  Around the first week of Second Seamus Martin came by the workshop.  I invited him back to the workbench so we could visit while I finished a couple of iron signs for the print shop.  I’d invested 2,000 bits to become a silent partner and then suggested they print some oversize playing cards along with a booklet of card games to sell the griffons.  That took off like a rocket and the shop had just opened a new branch across town.  Made me a pile, too.
“Uh, Mr. Wizard?” started Seamus.
“Go ahead, Seamus.”
“Well, sir, it’s Da.  You were at his retirement party, remember?”
“Yes, indeed.  I enjoyed playing with your foals.  And your sister is quite charming as well.”
“Thank’ee, sir!” said a smiling Seamus, then he became serious again.  “Well, Da, he’s not one t’ sit around, and…”
“…he’s driving you and the missus to distraction, yes?”
Seamus let out a breath.  “That he is, Mr. Wizard.  Da and I almost got into it last night and we hadn’t done that in 20 year.”
And then I had it.   I Knew what to do, not just for Whiskers, either, but for Ponyville, the railroaders, the railroad itself, the workshop and even Carl and Cadence.
I put down the new sign.  “Seamus, is Whiskers at home now?”
“Yes, sir, it’s my day off so he can’t sit in the station house all day.”
“By the Lord of Hel’s black and hairy tail, I’ll bet you are going insane!”
Poor Seamus just nodded.  “The missus suggested I come to you.  She said since you were a Wizard and Hero and all, you could fix anything including Da.  The mares think you’re just the bee’s knees ever since they saw that picture in the paper of you a’playin’ with that little filly.”
That one shot had earned me more goodwill than any 10 titles.  Most suspected I was one of the most powerful magic users in the World but if I used magic to play with foals, well, not much to fear, was there?  I asked the News and Record for a print and hung it in my study along with the one of me and AJ in front of her locomotive.
I stood up from my work stool.  “Come along, Seamus.”
Seamus perked up.  “You got one of them ideas of your’n, don’t you, Mr. Apple?”
I grinned at him and he grinned back.  I got my cape and muffler, then fired up a steam truck.  I drove with Seamus to his house and, sure enough, there sat a surly Whiskers, the day’s unread paper hanging from one hoof.
“Mr. Martin Sr., a pleasure, sir,” I said as I walked in, using magic to toss my cape and muffler onto a coat rack.  Ponies loved it when I did that although I’d no idea why.
Whiskers perked up.  “Why, it’s the Wizard hogger!  How are ya, Mr. Wizard?”
Seamus and I sat in a couple of convenient chairs.
“In something of a dilemma, Whiskers, I must say.  But first, tell me how you are?”
“Ahhhh, I got nuthin’,” Whiskers said sourly.  “They retired me and scrapped my hog.”  Whiskers teared up.  “My beautiful hog.”
“Actually, Mr. Martin, that’s not quite right.  You see, I have some influence at Smithson and Sons.  When the railroad swapped out your 4-4-0 for one of the new engines, well…I asked Mr. Smithson, Sr. if he’d, shall we say, forget to scrap it for a time.”  I waved a hoof.  “’Just set it on one of the sidings for now, perhaps under a cover’.”
Whiskers sat up.  “What!?!  You mean my hog ain’t scrapped?”
“No, not at the moment.  Neither is the Applejack nor the Cecilia.”
Whiskers fell back into his chair.  “Well, I’ll be jiggered!”  He wiped his eyes and didn’t try to hide how relieved he was.
“Yes, but now my dilemma.  I have three 4-4-0s but no railroad.  I can’t park the engines at the workshop, you know.”  I leaned back, put my front hooves together and stared at the ceiling.  “What to do, what to do?  And Mrs. Apple asked why I couldn’t collect bottle caps like some ordinary stallion.”
Whiskers and Seamus both burst out laughing at that, then Whiskers looked thoughtful.
“I wonder if the railroad would let you use the old roundhouse, Mr. Wizard?”
“Say, that’s right,” said Seamus.  “One of my first jobs was fixin’ the roof and walking the track.”
“What’s this?” I asked although I already knew about it.
“There’s a roundhouse about 12 miles from here,” said Whiskers.  “It usta be the end of the line, but about 100 years ago when the railroad expanded into Canterlot, they built a new one there.  The railroad still keeps the old one, though, even though workers complain about workin’ on it every year.”
“Well, now, that sounds ideal.  What say we drive out and have a look at it?” I suggested.
Whiskers was up and out of his chair before I finished the sentence.  Seamus jumped up as well and soon we were in the truck cab.  I let Whiskers drive and he handled the truck as deftly as he did his locomotive.
Well outside of town we found a dirt road which led to the old roundhouse.  We walked in a side door and looked around.  The roundhouse was brick and in pretty good shape although the roof was rotted in places.  The table and tracks were still down and much of the maintenance equipment was still in place; most likely it was too awkward to move.  Whiskers raced outside and shouted to us.  When we joined him, he pointed to track heading back to town.
“This spur still connects to the main line, Mr. Wizard.”
We walked the track for about a mile.  The track itself was rusty but still sound.  If we used it, we’d have to replace most of the cross ties, though.  I nodded in satisfaction.
“This will do, Whiskers.  Do you think the railroad will sell it to me?”
“Eh, not sure, Mr. Apple.  The railroad don’t like to turn loose o’ property.”
“True, true.  Hmm, I’ll have to sweeten the deal a bit.”  I pretended to think, right hoof at my muzzle.
“Whiskers, Seamus, how many retired railroaders do you know who could use work?”
Whiskers and Seamus looked at one another, then back to me.
“Why, almost all of ‘em, Mr. Apple,” said Seamus.
“And most live in company housing in Canterlot, yes?”
“Yessir.”
“Do you think they’d move here and pay a nominal rent if I built housing for them?”
Whiskers and Seamus both lit up like railroad lanterns.  “Yes, Mr. Wizard, that they would!”
I nodded.  “Not just housing, either.  A community center, play areas for visiting foals, parks, gardens, a medical center.  A pleasant retirement community for old railponies; the Lambert sisters could design and build it.  And this,” I said, pointing back to the roundhouse, “would become the centerpiece of a museum.  A transportation museum.  The retirees could work there if they wanted.  I’ll bet the railroad would sell me this property for that.”
“Why would anypony want to look at hogs, Mr. Wizard?” asked Whiskers.
“They’re familiar to you, Mr. Martin, but not to some.  Besides, a century from now, ponies will want to see how their ancestors lived.  Say, we could lay some more track, too, depending on how much land is here.  Give rides, let the foals drive the engines, that sort of thing.”
“Do ya think ponies would pay for such a thing?” asked Seamus.
“Eventually, Seamus.  We’ll add steam trucks and so on from the workshop, too, maybe bring the M.A.C.E. #1 back from Dodge City.  I still have my first steam car.  And I’ll bet Fall would give us the Apple Bloom.  We could offer aeroplane rides as well.  Yes, indeed we could.  I’ll teach you to fly, Whiskers.”
Whiskers laughed.  “No thank’ee, sir, I’ll keep my hooves on the ground if it’s all the same to you.”
“So!” I said, rubbing my front hooves together.  “We have a plan and we have sponsor.  Now all we need is somepony to deal with the railroad and to organize it all.  Tell me, Mr. Martin, do you know anypony like that?”
Whiskers gave a long, loud laugh.  “That I do, Mr. Wizard, that I do.”
“Excellent, Mr. Martin, I thank you.  You have a free hoof although I’d appreciate it if you’d keep me in the loop from time to time.  I do have one request, though.”
“What’s that, Mr. Wizard?”
“Make the offer that any able-bodied retiree can work three months a year on the Crystal Empire line to pay for an entire year’s rent.  They’d get paid for the work, too, of course.”
Whiskers looked thoughtful.  “Huh, that shouldn’t be a problem.  The only real objection t’ workin’ that line is you’re away from your family.  These ol’ geezers wouldn’t mind that.”
“Then it’s done!”  I spit on my hoof and offered it to Whiskers.  “Welcome to Apple and Smithson Manufacturing, Dylan Martin!”
And so it came to be.  The railroad sold me 450 acres for 5 bits and Josiah sold me the three locomotives for 10 bits each.  An army of old railroaders swarmed over the site, repairing the roundhouse and track, then started building the retirement community.  I went out to the site from time to time, but the project had its own momentum now.  I shoveled bits to Whiskers and the Lamberts as fast as I could but none of it cost as much as I expected because of all the volunteer labor.  Yes, all very satisfactory.
I stood and shook myself, ready to spend the day with my fillies.
“Five:  An Avatar who loves me.”
I turned with a smile and there was Lady Magic.  I walked over and kissed her on either side of her muzzle.  She kissed me back.
“Five: An Avatar who loves me as much as I love Her,” I said.
Lady Magic put her right forehoof on my chest.
“Time for a rest, Guardian.  Live your life, raise your foals.  I’ll always be with you even if I don’t speak to you as much as I have before.  And when the time comes, I’ll be there for you again.”
I nodded, then stepped back and gave a full bow.  When I raised up, Lady Magic was gone.
On to my fillies!
I turned and trotted toward the farm.  A redbird sitting on a fencepost greeted me.
“Beautiful day!” he said, very chipper.
“That it is, Handsome Songbird, that it is!” 
And a beautiful life as well.


The End