//------------------------------// // Chapter Six - Love's betrayal // Story: Fairlight - The Fortress of the Four Winds // by Bluespectre //------------------------------// 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.