Fairlight - To the Edge of Midnight

by Bluespectre

Chapter Five - The Eternal Gardener

“And that’s it, is it?”

I released my magic and gave an apologetic look. “That’s it.”

The officer looked at me and the other younger officers before turning back to Argo, “You want me to work with this?”

Argo shrugged, “He’s what we’ve got, Tamis.”

The tan coloured officer in the white and gold tunic muttered something into his hoof. “You can conjour a flame and have basic object manipulation skills,” he said plainly.

I nodded.

“And that’s it?”

I nodded again.

“You’re taking the piss!” He turned to Argo and threw up his forelegs in exasperation. “He’s no use to us, Argo. For Luna’s sake, he’s nothing more than a walking cigarette lighter!”

Argo took his pipe from his pocket and tapped out the old burnt tobacco on his hoof. “He’s a fully trained officer of the watch, and I have it on good authority that he’s also a-”

“I know what he’s supposed to be!” Tamis walked round in a circle, fighting back his anger. “For bucks sake, he could have been the god of lightning for all the difference this makes. It’s what he is now that’s important. And what he is, is no bloody good at all!”

Argo gave me an appraising look. “Any good with a sword, lad?”

“Passable,” I said honestly. “Better with a war scythe, but I can hold my own in a blade fight.”

“A scythe!” Tamis scoffed. He rounded on me, “We use magic AND weapons, Captain Fairlight, not bloody garden implements! You want to use fancy crap like that then you’d be better off tending hedges than being a soul hunter!”

My mane twitched uncomfortably. “As I said, I can hold my own.”

The tan stallion’s eyelid began to flicker, probably more so because of the faint smirk on my face that I had tried to keep hidden. Badly apparently.

“Right then, smart arse, let’s see how good you are then.” He nodded to Argo, “We’ll see how ‘passable’ you are.”

Argo trotted over to a weapons rack and selected two broadswords that had been blunted and weighted for practice. “Sorry we’re all out of rakes and hoes old fellow,” he joked, tossing one to me. “You two’ll just have to wallop one another the old fashioned way while I enjoy a pipe, eh?” He passed the other sword to Tamis with a sarcastic smirk.

I treated him to one of my ironic sneers before facing my opponent. Tamis, a unicorn like me, lifted up his sword in the blue glow of magic and let out a loud snort. “Ready?”

I nodded, “Aye.”

We lifted our swords, saluting each other formally. Despite Tamis’ somewhat argumentative and snobbish nature, he didn’t seem a bad sort. Unfortunately what we had to contend with now was the typical hazing of new ponies you get with any large institution like the military. The difference here was that the recruits were usually time served and experienced, sometimes far beyond the level of the senior officers. The fact that I had seen combat, that I was a captain in the watch, meant nothing here. No, here what was important was that you could do your job, and that those around you could trust you to know your craft. I was confident in mine, and it was just as well too, as standing in the training arena with the master-at-arms we were beginning to attract quite the crowd. The buzz of conversation and ponies moving around as they took their seats was as equally exhilarating as it was nerve racking.

“En garde, sir!” Tamis barked and I shifted my hooves in response, dropping into the classic fighting stance.

I was ready when his attack came in. The dull blade roared through the air and I deflected it with my own, letting his sword slide along the flat with an ear ringing shriek of metal on metal. I held the grip up to protect my ears. We weren’t wearing any form of protection other than our tunics, and although the herds magic prevented serious injuries, apparently, you could still be hurt. And as blunt as these weapons may be, a solid clout across the lugs was something that I didn’t fancy at all! Tamis didn’t give me a moment to consider a counter-attack however, and continued to press home thrusts and cuts that were taking all my strength and skill to deflect. Under the weight of this merciless assault I was keenly aware of the fact I was being forced back - a sure sign of weakness that, judging by my opponent’s grimace, he knew all too well. If I didn’t do something soon he’d have me up against the arena wall, then it would simply be a matter of time before one of his blows made a solid connection. One way or another I had to fight back, and finally, knocking his sword aside for the umpteenth time, I saw my opening. I’d noticed Tamis’ attacks followed a certain pattern. Almost like a dancer following a routine, my opponent maintained a rhythm which I now used to anticipate the following swing as I pushed home an attack of my own. Ducking down and to the left, Tamis’ sword shot past my ear and I immediately reared up, knocking him aside and brought my sword swinging in for a cut that, were it a real blade, would have normally opened his throat up. For that split second, for only the time it take to blink, my blade seemed to find its mark.

Before he was on me again.

How…?! Tamis’ sword hilt hammered down on my skull with a resounding thump. At the last moment I’d seen the flash of magic, the mind bending shift of what you saw with your eyes reappearing in another location with such speed you simply couldn’t react in time. And now, crashing to my knees on the arena floor, I’d paid for my complacency.

Tamis walked away swinging his sword. “La!”

“Hit!” Argo announced.

There was a resounded roar of applause from the crowd and my ears burned with embarrassment as much as the pain lancing through my skull. Spitting sand and saliva from my mouth, I pulled fought back my body’s demands to stay still and hauled myself to my hooves. Watching all of this with undisguised relish was Argo, standing on his hind legs and leaning casually against the arena gate as if the sight of two of his colleagues beating each other senseless was as normal as reading the morning paper! The lousy sod was even smiling… smiling! He gave me an encouraging wave of a hoof, apparently expecting more than just a few seconds of action. He wasn’t the only one either, the crowd too were starting to bay for more as well. The deafening stomping of hooves, neighing and shouts, reminded me of a hoofball match during the height of the premier league. Bloodthirsty swines! Mind you, I wasn’t here for their entertainment, I was here for myself, and for the sake of my own honour. I closed my eyes, taking a moment to catch my breath and took up my sword once more. Tamis obliged, saluted me respectfully, and this time… he waited. Stepping around each other I took the measure of my opponent. Tamis wasn’t averse to using magic, that was much was obvious already, and he would use it in any form he could to defeat me. He was creative too, and that alone threw in a degree of unpredictability that made him a seriously dangerous opponent. I drew back, watching how he moved, how he kept the point of the sword aimed at my chest, and launched my attack.

I felt the tingle of magic before I saw it. There was a tiny, almost microscopic delay between Tamis being in front of me and reappearing somewhere else to attack from my blind spot. This time though I was ready for it, barely, and managed to take his hacking blow on my sword as I simultaneously threw myself at him. Apparently body slamming your opponent was something Tamis wasn’t especially familiar with, and he gasped in shock as we connected. I didn’t give him a chance to recover as my forehoof smashed into his jaw whilst his grip on his sword faltered and the blade fell dully onto the sandy arena floor. Snarling through the air, my own came up and I shifted the point to…

“Damn!”

I dropped to the ground into the space Tamis had occupied barely a millisecond earlier. Rolling was the only thing that saved me this time, and I barely avoided the dagger thrust into the ground where I’d fallen. Immediately the small blade was withdrawn and the previously dropped sword enveloped in the glow of his magic, ready for another attack.

Being on the ground was the worst place to be in a fight. You were effectively immobilised, with little in the way of being able to fight back. In the watch we were trained to constantly be on the move, to not let your opponent take the advantage from you. If you were knocked down, you had to do whatever it took to get back up whilst simultaneously preventing your opponent from making your immobility permanent. It was easier said than done of course, especially as Tamis was doing everything he could to prevent me from gaining my hooves. He swung behind me and I span, jamming one of my hind legs into the arena floor to get some purchase. But in a flash he was there once again, slamming my hoof away with his damned magic while trying to impale me. I suppose I could have taken the hit and we would have had to have reset the bout once more, but I would be damned if I’d go down like this. It was then that I realised just how much I’d relied on my wendigo magic in battle. It didn’t just give you offensive and defensive magic, it gave you added mobility, the means to fly and move like the wind. I might not be able to teleport, but my senses were keener, sharper. Now I felt like what those damned foals used to call me: a cart horse, a numb, dumb animal of a pony who couldn’t see past the next bucket of apples. A huff of effort announced Tamis’s sword catching my back, the metal grating over my spine and snagging the fur painfully. Everything paused.

Argo’s judgement in the matter was absolute. “Just a graze. Carry on.”

Hell fire! I couldn’t just- Tamis’ sword howled in, his yell of fury making my body react almost instinctively. I rolled, again and again, scooting round to catch my breath, to do my best to avoid that blade, to just get back on my hooves any way I could. Each time I dodged him, Tamis’ magic flared as he teleported this way and that making my mind spin and my body jerk each time he tried to hit me. And then, mercifully, I felt the arena wall behind me. It was the space I needed, the chance I had to have. I stabbed feebly at Tamis’ face and he effortlessly knocked my blade away. But in that instant I threw the sand up at him making the tan stallion recoil as I finally got to my hooves.

The crowd roared behind me, and a familiar voice, a voice I recognised, called out, “Come on, boy! Come on!”

Damn him! I gritted my teeth and did what felt more familiar than magic: I gripped the sword in my hooves, rearing back onto the hind legs and shifted my balance. It was the way I’d seen warriors fight who had no magic. It was how I had fought, how my brothers and sisters had fought. Held in the mouth, the hooves, by magic - it didn’t matter how you did it, all that really mattered was defeating your enemy. And now… now this pony was my enemy. Not my real enemy of course, but if I didn’t start seeing him as one now I was finished. Practice blade or no, Tamis meant business and I had better kick myself into gear or-

“HA!”

Tamis neighed angrily at his failed strike. His sword missed by muzzle as much by luck as by my attempt at dodging the incoming attack. If that had struck home I would have had half my teeth and probably my jaw smashed! I felt a shiver run through me and tried to reach down inside myself, to tap that reserve of focused anger and rage that had saved my life more times than I cared to imagine. It was like groping in the bath for an elusive bar of soap. You knew it was there, it was slippery, dodging your attempts at catching the damn thing, but eventually through patience and determination, you would win. You just had to stop flailing, to feel gently, carefully, easing it into your grip. Of course you could always empty the bath… That was it! Why hadn’t I seen this earlier? Tamis was breathing oddly, his eyes a little unfocussed. And the tingling of my horn felt different too, as though Tamis’ magic was taking longer and longer to build before he teleported. It was only a minute change, but it was there alright. I took a breath and walked towards him. With a sudden shout I lunged, halted, turned, changing my forward thrust into a swinging cut that howled through the air. Tamis appeared almost at the exact moment my sword slammed into the side of his head. The heavy impact was jarring and I nearly lost my grip on the hilt. But it was enough. Tamis staggered back spitting blood, and fell heavily against the arena wall.

“Hit!” Argo called.

And it was. Fortunately for him, Tamis had moved his head at just the right instant to avoid losing an eye, but it was still a resounding hit. A true blade would have killed or incapacitated him completely. Instead, the tan stallion sank to his haunches, panting for breath. Equally exhausted, I walked up to him.

“I think that makes it one each.” I reached out my hoof, “Want to go again or call it a day?”

Tamis reached up to cheek and winced, “ Call it a day?” He reached Argo who was grinning ear to ear. “Damn it all...”

Argo chuckled, opening the arena gate for us. “You do know he’s not a beginner right, old friend?”

“Of course I bloody do!” Tamis snapped. He flinched and rubbed his cheek again. “I’ve never seen a pony with magic use their body like that before. One or the other, yes, but both?” He gingerly shook his head, “No.” The tan stallion peered at me askance. “You are a unicorn aren’t you?”

I smiled, rubbing my own injury. “I had to learn how to deal without magic for a while after my horn was smashed, but… yeah.”

“Well you certainly got the crowd roaring for more,” Argo observed happily. “They want another round. Best of three?”

“You’ve got to be kidding!” I gasped. “My head’s splitting!”

“Huh! He nearly decapitated me,” Tamis replied bitterly.

“Aw, don’t you fret, old friend,” Argo joked, clopping the tan stallion on his shoulder, “I suppose it’ll teach you not to underestimate the newbies in future, eh?” He shrugged and motioned to the audience. “I’ll go and get rid of the riff-raff. You two go and see the medic before I get myself into bother.”

I could hear Argo placating the bloodthirsty crowd who were clearly still keen on seeing the two of us pound each other into oblivion as we walked, or rather ‘stumbled’, to the medical block. So much for the herd repressing unpleasant thoughts! Still, I’d like to think we’d given them a show that had been worth watching, even if it had been a touch one-sided. Thankfully it was only a short walk away to our destination, and Tamis all but collapsed into one of the chairs, waving to another beside him which I took gratefully. Concentrating on my breathing I tried my best to take my mind off my aches and pains as I looked around the room. By and large it was a fairly spartan affair, set about with the odd flower vase and a desk which was currently unoccupied. A pile of magazines, no doubt donkeys years out of date, were piled up on a small table nearby for the dubious benefit of waiting patients. Most of them were dog-eared copies of ‘Which Chariot’, ‘Good Stablekeeping’, and ‘Mare’s Own’ - none of which appealed to me right then. The tan coated unicorn beside me groaned as he shifted his position, pulling his tail out from under him and muttering something I couldn’t quite catch.

“So, are the stories about you true then?” he asked. “About the whole wendigo thing?”

Goddesses, I’d been dreading this. Ponies in the local town were used to me now and my notoriety had soon been forgotten about, or more likely simply ignored when the latest ‘new interest’ came along. Whatever the reason it was a blessing as far as I was concerned, allowing me to go shopping with my family in peace without being midered every five seconds. Thankfully Equestrians had a remarkable capacity for slipping things into the mental tray marked ‘too difficult’. I remembered one of the officers in the watch actually had one of those too, and I often wondered whatever happened to files that ended up in there.

I caught Tamis’ expectant gaze and shrugged. “To be truthful with you I don’t know what stories they’ve been telling about me,” I said honestly. “If it’s the one about ‘saving one of the princesses’, then no, I didn’t. At least, the one I ‘saved’ wasn’t a princess, and she wasn’t even a pony either.”

“Oh?” Tamis asked, his curiosity peaked. “What was she, a griffin? Yak?”

I shook my head, “A thestral. The daughter of the Duke and Duchess of the The Beyond.”

Tamis’ eyes grew larger as his mouth opened and closed. “A thestral?” I noticed his neck shiver as he looked away. “Can’t say I’ve had much to do with them since the war,” he huffed, “and the less the better as far as I’m concerned.”

“The war?” I asked. “You were fought in the war against Nightmare Moon’s forces?”

The tan stallion nodded quietly. “If you can call it a war, it was more like wholesale slaughter.” He leaned back and closed his eyes. “I was in the centre line at River Valley with the rest of the newbies, facing off against an enemy we new absolutely buck all about. We never stood a bloody chance. We were kids: young, idealistic kids, lead by arseholes whose experience of war was a game of conkers in the school playground.” Tamis huffed under his breath, “We were cut down like wheat before the scythe.” He raised an eyelid, “Your favourite weapon, apparently.” He let out a loud groan. “It was a massacre, Captain. They went through like a hot knife through butter, and as for me? Well, I was just another casualty. One of hundreds, maybe even thousands. I don’t think anypony bothered to keep score that day.”

“I’m sorry...” I said quietly.

Tamis barked out a laugh, “Ha! Doesn’t matter now, that was over a thousand years ago in Equestrian time. Here we try to be a bit more enlightened about such matters. Otherwise…” he smiled grimly, “you can let your own bitterness consume you.” He gave me a look that sent a shiver down my spine. “That’s why many of us came here.”

“You couldn’t let go?” I asked. “Of the memories I mean.”

Tamis nodded. “Not at first. But time, I’m always told, heals all apparently. For some that sentiment is true: the passing of the years eases the heart and soothes the soul. But for many, like the old soldiers here, conflict never quite leaves you entirely. Whether it’s because of past wrongs, violent death, or because they knew nothing else, regardless of what they tell you, Captain, we all have a story to tell. The herd’s magic may help to a degree, but some wounds are deep enough that the scars, the invisible ones, never fully heal.”

“Is that why some take the long walk?” I asked.

Tamis sighed. “Yes, for some at least. The pain never quite goes away you see, you just learn to live with it, or…” He didn’t finish what he was going to say. He didn’t need to.

“And what about you?” I asked. “What made you join?”

“Same reason you joined I suppose.” Tamis replied. “I needed something to do.” He gave me a wink and smirked, “Plus you get all the ale you can drink.”

“Goddesses above, you got that right!” I joked, and got up from my chair. “Hey, do you think anypony is going to come and see to us?” I reached up and rubbed my head. The pain had all but gone now and I was starting to wonder if I was wasting my time being here.

Right on cue the back door opened and a white overcoated blue stallion appeared, clucking his tongue as he climbed up onto the chair behind the desk. “Right, what is it this time?” he grumbled.

Tamis held up a hoof stalling me. “Injuries from sparring practice, Doc,” he said in his business-like tone.

The blue stallion rolled his eyes. “Right, let’s have a look at you then.” He waved Tamis over to the desk for what turned out to be a surprisingly brief examination. “Nothing serious, you’ll be fine in an hour or two.” Next he waved a hoof at me and looked at my head. “Same for you. Couple of hours of rest and you’ll be fit enough to beat the stuffing out of each other again.” The doctor turned back to his desk. “Sign the book both of you, and do try to wear armour next time, eh? There’s a reason we have the damned stuff?”

A look passed between myself and Tamis. Neither of us had apparently given it any thought. Sure, you could survive some brutal treatment in the herd and the magic here healed you, but it could still hurt like hell in the meantime. I took the quill from Tamis and duly signed the injury book. What the point of having such a thing was, was beyond me though. Still, I suppose it kept somepony somewhere in a job. But what job? No wonder the doctor looked bored! The poor bugger was probably here more for the booze than treating ailments. But anyway, with that piece of red tape dealt with the two of us walked outside where we were met by the illustrious Argo. Judging by his expansive grin he was clearly enjoying the sight of us walking solemnly from the office like two chastised foals.

“Get your hooves rapped?” he chuckled.

Tamis ignored him. “I think I can safely say that if young Fairlight here can fight as well out there as he did in the arena, we can sign him off as fit for service,” he offered.

Argo’s face lit up and he clopped me on the shoulder, “There you go! Knew you’d do it!”

I frowned. “Do what? All I did was spar with Tamis and get my skull cracked.”

“Well, yeah,” Argo shrugged, “but even with your crappy magic you were able to land a good one on him, which is more than can be said for most.” He waved a hoof at his friend. “Don’t tell him that though, it’ll go right to his noggin. And that’s big enough as it is.”

“Oh, sod off!” Tamis snapped. But I could see the merriment in his eyes, and Argo’s smirk never faltered.

“So what now?” I asked.

Tamis shrugged, “We’ll get you kitted out and you’ll be assigned a team mate to mentor you. When you’ve done that we’ll send you out on a few milk runs so you can get the hang of things.”

“Milk runs?” I looked to Argo for help.

“He means basic missions,” Argo explained. “They’ll help you get your head around how we do things.”

A shout from across the courtyard caught our attention.

“Tamis? You’re needed. Argo? You too.”

“Get yourself down to stores, lad,” Argo said, then paused. “Oh, and I’ve booked you in under that name you gave me.” He smirked wickedly, “Corny.”

Oh goddesses, what had I done?! The two hurried away and I was left to find my own way to the stores office. Fortunately for me it was easily found, avoiding an embarrassing round of asking for directions. In typical military fashion, the compound had been laid out in a simple manner so even a new recruit like me could find my way around. And so in short order I was tooled out in a simple barding of light armour, sword, spear, and a rather dapper purple cloak trimmed with silver and gold thread. Part of me wished Meadow was there to see me, until I remembered that at some point I was going to have to face her wrath once I got home. The stores pony had asked if I was going to be barracked at the compound, and for a moment I’d actually considered it too, coward that I am. I gave myself a hard shake and snorted. No, I was going to have to face the music and explain why I had done what I had done. Surely she wouldn’t be that angry? After all, I was doing something positive and she had been nagging me for ages to take on a job in the town anyway. Right? Right… who was I kidding? I was in for it, and not just for joining up either. I’d run off like a naughty child and it was going to take all my reasoning and grovelling skills to bring her round. Hopefully Pop would have gone at least some way to helping smooth things over by the time I got home. In the meantime I’d just have to make sure I didn’t stink of tobacco and alcohol - vices that had gotten me into hot water with her on previous occasions. I was walking out of the stores, paperwork signed and on my way to the main office when two ponies walked past me lost in conversation...

“...while they were at the fountain festival? Damn!”

“Yeah, the marshal’s flipping her lid over it. The duty guard are being investigated for dereliction, but you know what security’s like there.”

“You couldn’t get a moth in that place without setting the bloody alarms off.”

“I know, the court mage set it up himself and you know what he’s like about things like that. The guys got a rod so far up his arse you could use him as a mop.”

“Gotta be an inside job. Has to be.”

“Whatever it was, some poor bugger’s gonna be for it all right. Just glad it isn’t me...”

The voices drifted off along the corridor leaving me alone with my thoughts. So, all wasn’t quite as rosy in the herd after all then it seems. Interesting. I made my way to the main office and hoofed over my papers which were duly inspected, stamped, and filed. Well, that was it then, there was no going back now. For good or ill I was a part of the royal guard, or more specifically the enigmatically named ‘soul hunters’. All in all it felt like a bit of a non-event really. Turn up, meet the boss, sign in, get yourself battered in the arena, and you were in. Simple. One of the not-so-insignificant problems I would have to handle was that there was a chance I could be working away from home for days at a time. Not that time held much meaning in the herd of course, but for Meadow, this could be yet another stick to hit me with. I let out a sigh and felt my earlier excitement of having a new role in the afterlife deflating into a grim acceptance that she was, in all likelihood, not going to share my optimism. I looked up my new duty roster and noted the lessons that were to come to try and take my mind off things. They started the next day. Early. So much for having time to come to terms with things with my family then. So far it had been a bloody disaster! First my guts exploding at the play, then that business with Bourbon, and to cap it all my public freak-out at the fountain festival. What a mess…

“Ready for off?” It was Pop. “Looking sharp there, ‘Corn Bread’.”

“Do I have to use that stupid name?” I asked bitterly. “I don’t know how many ridiculous pseudonyms I’ve had to use over the years, but what’s wrong with me using my real name here?”

Pop raised an eyebrow at me in his familiar critical manner. “I thought we’d already gone over that?”

“We...” I sighed. “Yes, I know, it’s just… I suppose I’m just worried about tonight.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that,” Pop said offhoofedly, “I’ve made arrangements.”

“Arrangements? What arrangements?” My heart suddenly surged in my chest. “What have you done? Pop?!”

“Oh belt up.” The green stallion rolled his eyes and lead me off to the locker room. Apparently he had no intention of telling me, and tonight was going to be a ‘pleasant surprise’. Or maybe not so pleasant, if that horrible sense of dread building within me were any judge. Goddesses, I was feeling sick already and now Pop was making matters worse by playing some sort of father-in-law prank by keeping me dangling with his word games! Well to hell with him! I wasn’t going to play his game, and I didn’t ask any more. Infuriatingly he didn’t mention it again either which made my ears burn with anger all the way home, up the garden gate, and into the hallway where Meringue met us by the lounge door.

“Ah, there yer are.” The peculiar west country mare blocked us from going in. “Don’t you be takin’ yer coat orf, love. O’ive arranger fert Berry thar baker’s woif up on top a’ill a ways ter meet us fer cakes an a natter.”

Pop groaned, “I’ll keep my coat on then, shall I?” He turned to me and gave an apologetic look. “Guess we’ll see you later then, Fairlight.”

“Yeah...” I went to ask Merry how Meadow was but was met with the view of my in-laws rather quickly disappearing through the front door which was promptly closed behind them. A moment later it re-opened.

“Fairloit? O’ive left some cake’s in’t oven fer la’er,” Merry chirped. “‘Elp yerself, but let ‘em cool furst, okay?”

“Okay, Merry.”

“They won’t be ready fer another twenty minutes or so moind.”

“Alright, Merry, I got it.”

The door closed once more. I just managed to catch Merry’s expression as the daylight was cut off. I was in for it alright, and these two didn’t want to be anywhere near when the volcano blew. For a moment I felt like I was the only pony there, alone in the quiet of the hallway with only the ticking of the clock to remind me that somewhere, at some time, something had to be done. And for me, that time was now. Damn it all… I gathered my wits, gave my mane a quick fuss, and entered the lioness’s den.

I rounded the door. “Meadow? I’m-”

“Ah! Hark the conquering hero comes, eh?”

I took a step back in alarm. “Wha?!”

“Well come in, come in!” The white mare waved a hoof at me, her beaming smile making me feel as though I was drowning not only in a flood of confusion but a healthy dose of alarm for good measure. “Goodness me, are all stallions like this, dear?”

“I’m starting to wonder,” Meadow said watching me askance. “Scone?”

“Um...”

“You see what I mean?” the marshal exclaimed. “All the bloody same. Can’t make a decision and stick to it.” She rounded on me like some enraged bull, “Yes or no, stallion? Lively now!”

“I… Yes, Ma’am.” I cleared my throat. “Please.” Gratefully I took the scone that had miraculously already been buttered and had my favourite jam spread on it in just the right consistency. Meadow avoided eye contact with me as I took the plate in my magic and all but ended up hugging the thing as though it were a life raft in a raging sea.

“Sign up did you?” the white mare asked.

I nodded, “Yes, Ma’am.”

“And so you jolly well should too.” The marshal snorted surprisingly loudly, and at not all in the feminine manner I would have expected from a mare of the kind of breeding that she radiated like a bonfire. “I’ve brought my own brand of tea for your good lady wife, Fairlight,” the marshal continued. “Bloody expensive too in the mortal world, but I’ve managed to have one of the flowery tree hugging types to cultivate it in an arbo-wotsit. Bloody stupid names.”

“An arboretum?” I asked.

“That’s the fellow!” the marshal announced. She leaned towards Meadow with a cheeky smirk on her face. “Not as daft as he looks, is he?”

Meadow said nothing, instead staring into her tea.

“Um, Marshal Spoon?” I tried. The marshal looked at me and I felt my nerves shudder. “It’s a pleasure to have you in my home, and I-”

“Oh, don’t play silly beggars with me, Captain,” Marshal Spoon said waving a hoof. “You want to know why I’m here, yes?” I nodded in response as she continued, “I make a point of meeting the families of our new bods, and I was at a bit of a loose end today so I decided to make a pre-emptive strike so to speak.”

I’ll say she did. I hadn’t even signed on the dotted line and the batty old fruitloop was already here! But… wasn’t she supposedly dealing with something that had happened at the-

“Well? Struck dumb, stallion?”

I mentally shook myself and looked back at her. “I’m sorry?”

“I asked how you found your first day!” the marshal said with a exasperated cluck of her tongue. “I must say you’d better get your noggin checked again, it seems to have interfered with your lugs, stallion!”

“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied. “It was very… instructional.”

“Mmm!” The marshal put down her cup. “And so it should be.” She turned back to Meadow. “Now then, about those cakes...”

The conversation mercifully shifted away from me to Sparrow, then fashions, baking, and then… I sniffed… “Oh, hell, the cakes!” I jumped up and rushed to the kitchen on a mission to salvage the treats Merry had left in the oven. With no idea where the oven mitts were in Meadow’s nerve centre I snatched up the tray in my hooves instead us doing the sensible thing and using my magic - perhaps not the best course of action as it transpired. The tray slipped, sliding up my hoof and catching me on the leg “OW! Goddess damn it all!” Thankfully I managed to catch the damned thing with my magic before it dropped on the floor, which was probably the first thing I should have done of course, but my nerves were in such disarray I was surprised I hadn’t tried to take them out with my dumb face.

“Everything alright in here?” Marshal Spoon’s white muzzle appeared around the door frame. “Mmm! Something smells good!”

Meadow appeared beside her. “They’re fairy cakes, Sparrow’s favourite,” she said pleasantly. Now there was surprise. I’d thought iced fancies were Sparrow’s current obsession. Apparently I was a little behind the times on that too. She trotted up to the table and opened a cake tin. “Golden, would you like to take some with you? The ones Fairlight nearly dropped are too hot, but I’ve got some already piped,” Meadow said politely.

The white mare’s eyes lit up. “Are you sure?”

Meadow nodded, “Of course, I’ve made plenty.” She took out a cardboard box, deftly placing eight cakes inside which she tied with a neat little bow.

The marshal took them and placed the selection of goodies into her panniers. “Thank you my dear, you’re very kind. Next time I’ve got my baking head on I’ll make sure to get some of my famous lemon fancies sent over with your hubby.” She looked me right in the eyes and… and waggled her eyebrows at me! “See you at work tomorrow, dear.”

I was still stood staring out the door when Meadow reappeared. “She’s mad,” I muttered, “stark staring mad. I’m stuck in a world full of lunatics.” Ones who bake lemon cakes too apparently.

Meadow closed the door behind her and followed me into the lounge, flopping into the chair opposite me in front of the fire. It was a warm night and the fire hadn’t been lit, only adding to the cold sensation in my heart, and now silence too was bringing its own bitterness to the proceedings. Part of me wanted nothing more than to curl up and pretend none of this was happening, but somewhere inside my head that little voice was telling me it was going to be alright. Goddesses above, I prayed it was right. The green mare opposite me sat staring into the fireplace, her features shadowed by the lamplight of the normally cheerful little room. I didn’t know what to say. I’m sure there were ponies out there who would, and knew exactly the right prose that could defuse the dreadful feeling of tension in the air, and-

“Golden told me you’d signed up to help find souls and bring them to the herd.”

I tried to swallow, but my mouth was as dry as an old ashtray. Hell fire Fairlight, say something! I took a breath and steeled myself. “I did,” was all I could manage.

Meadow didn’t look up. “Dad...” she sighed. “He took you there didn’t he?”

I nodded, “Yeah...”

“Why didn’t you speak to me first?” Meadow’s voice was soft, almost a whisper, but there was no love there, none of the usual feminine gentleness I’d become so used to that I could almost hear my heart breaking as she said, “You could have waited until you’d spoken to me. Why didn’t you?”

I closed my eyes and tried to find the right words. “Pop took me there because he believed that giving me a purpose, a direction, would help me.”

There was an uncomfortable pause before she replied, “You could have told me this morning.”

“I would have only...” I bit back the words that included ‘washing’, ‘up’, and ‘water’. “...only we would have been late and… and I…” I sighed. There was no way to say it other than, “I was afraid of what you’d say. I was afraid you’d-”

“Try to stop you?” she answered. “Is that what you thought I’d do?”

“Meadow-”

“Don’t, Fairlight, please.” Meadow took a shaking breath, hiding a sniffle under her foreleg. “I don’t want to hear it.” She shivered noticeably. “I’m your wife, Fairlight. We’re supposed to share everything together. Everything. Doesn’t that mean something to you? Don’t our vows mean anything any more?”

No. Oh, no. Goddesses curse me, I’d done it again hadn’t I? I’d hurt my wife. AGAIN! Gritting my teeth, I did the only thing I could think of right then; to throw myself upon her mercy. “I’m a coward, Meadow,” I replied. “I know I should have spoken to you first. Of course I damned well do.” I squeezed my eyes shut and forced my fury at myself down as hard as I could. “You married a fool. And a coward.”

“If you think that, then what does that make me?” Meadow breathed. “I didn’t expect you to be perfect, Fairlight. I didn’t want you to be.” She slowly hung her head, holding her muzzle in her forehooves. “All I wanted was for you to be truthful with me. To be honest with me.”

“I’ve never lied to you,” I replied.

“No… but you don’t tell me everything, do you?”

I breathed deeply, letting my muscles loosen, trying to slow my racing heart. “I didn’t tell you about this, because I wasn’t sure myself.”

“But you signed up all the same.”

“I did,” I confessed.

Slowly, Meadow turned to face me, her eyes red from the tears I had caused her, the tears a thoughtless husband had inflicted upon his beloved wife through selfish cowardice. “I know what you want to do, and I know why. The marshal told me about other ponies who have… problems, like yours. She said that… she said they find comfort in helping others who are lost. She said it was a noble cause and that your experience and knowledge would be of great benefit to the eternal herd.” I kept quiet as she continued, “You know how I feel about the watch, Fairlight.”

“Love, this isn’t the watch.”

“I know,” Meadow sighed, “it’s worse. This is the army, Fairlight.” Her voice rose ever so slightly, the precursor of a coming storm. “Oh, they call it the ‘soul hunters’ or some such silly name, but it’s still what it is.”

“Meadow…

“You’ll be putting yourself in danger, Fairlight.” Meadow wiped her eyes once more, smearing the remains of the eyeshadow that had looked so lovely on her earlier across her cheeks. “You’ll… you’ll need to fight. Again.”

“I don’t see why,” I replied honestly, “we’re going out there to help ponies. Ponies who need us.”

“And what about me and Sparrow?” Meadow asked levelly. “Don’t we factor into your new adventure? Are you planning on leaving us here again? Alone?”

I shook my head, feeling a slight hint of irritation tremble through me. “This isn’t about leaving you, love. This is the job you wanted me to do, remember? You said that-”

“I said I wanted you to find a job!” Meadow suddenly snapped. Her mane bristled angrily. “You didn’t tell me you were going to enlist!”

“It’s not the same as the real army!” I replied quickly.

“Yes it is!” Meadow shifted round in her chair, brushing a stray hair from her tear stained muzzle. “Don’t you know what you’ve let yourself in for? Dear Celestia, Fairlight, mum’s told me about the things dad’s had to do and I didn’t dream he’d be so stupid as to subject himself to that sort of madness again, especially after what happened to him! And now, now you’re following the same insane path as him! Why? Good goddesses, why?”

“I’ve already said why,” I answered levelly. I was starting to feel a heat rising in my neck, travelling up to my cheeks. “We’re just going over the same thing again!”

“You don’t get it do you?” Meadow suddenly snapped. “Well? Do you?”

“Get what?” I asked irritably. “Meadow, I’ve taken a job to find souls, I’m not going off to war for goodness sake.”

“You could die, you idiot!”

“I...” I blinked. “What do mean?” And damn me if a foolish chuckle didn’t escape my lips. “I’m already dead, remember?”

Meadow shot out of her chair like a cork from a shaken bottle. Alarmed by the sudden flurry of movement, I backed away, succeeding only in ramming myself further into the settee cushions.

“Wha-?”

“You don’t know, do you?” Meadow’s voice was like icy daggers in my heart. “You really don’t know...” She paused, hung her head and leaned on the settee pressing her muzzle nearly into mine. “If you are killed in the herd, you are...” She gritted her teeth and took a breath. “You are reforged. Reborn. Reincarnated. Do you know what that means? Do you understand now?”

“But it’s not-” I stammered.

“I don’t want to lose you again!” Meadow suddenly spun away from me, leaning heavily against the back of the chair. “I can’t… Fairlight… please.”

I closed my eyes and nearly choked on my own words. “Well that’s it then, I’ll go back to the barracks in the morning and retract my enlistment. I’m sure there’s a cooling off period and-”

“There isn’t.”

“-and I’ll...” I looked up. “What? Of course there is! There must be.”

“Golden told me there wasn’t.” Meadow’s voice sounded lost. Hopeless. “It’s a soul binding contract between you and the herd. It… it cannot be broken except by permission of the royal family.”

“Then I’ll petition the palace and-”

“You think they’d listen?” Meadow asked, cutting in. “Do you know how many ponies that have even seen them, let alone spoken to them?”

“They’ll listen,” I replied calmly. “I’ll make them listen.”

Meadow gave an ironic snort. “You still think you’re a wendigo, don’t you?” She glanced at me over her shoulder. “You’re not, Fairlight. You’re just a pony. Like me, like Sparrow, like every other single equestrian here in the herd. You’ve no special magical power to frighten others into doing what you want any more.”

My heart leaped into my throat at her words. “Is that what you think, Meadow?” I asked. “Do you see me as a monster who bends others to his will through fear?”

“No!” Meadow shook her head. “No, I didn’t mean it like-”

It was my turn to interrupt, and for better or worse, anguish mingling with helpless despair gripped my heart as I asked, “Do you believe I am, was, a monster like they said? A… a demon?”

“No! Oh, Fairlight, no!” Meadow turned back to face me. “I never believed you were a monster.”

“But you think I made others do what I wanted through fear.”

“You’re twisting what I said,” she huffed.

“I don’t think so.” I slowly got up from the settee and gave myself a shake. “You may be right though, Meadow. Maybe once I did use fear to get my own way and bend others to my will. I was a monster. I killed ponies. I killed ponies I never even knew the names of, and do you know what?” The cold ball within me writhed. “I don’t regret what I did. I may feel pain for my actions, I may even feel sorrow for the loss of life at my hooves, but I don’t regret what I did. Or why.” I stood up tall and straight, looking at the open hallway door. “You married a stallion, Meadow, one who was forged into the monster I became. And perhaps...” I smiled, “Perhaps deep down inside I still am.”

Meadow’s hoof lifted and she paused. “Fairlight… don’t.”

“I’m sorry, Meadow.” I took a breath and looked her in the eyes. “I think I’d better go.”

“Go?” Meadow’s eyes went wide. “What do you mean, ‘go’? Go where?”

I shrugged, my dimwitted mind set. “I’m going to stay over at the barracks.”

“No you’re not!” Those two bright yellow lantern eyes blazed. “You’re not going out there now, it’s the middle of the night!”

“Mummy?” A tiny voice from an equally tiny grey muzzle drew our gaze. “I’m frightened! Why are you fighting?”

“We’re not, love, oh no… shush, there’s a good girl. Shhh...” Meadow leaned down and scooped up the sniffling foal.

“Mummy, I had a dream the monster was going to get me.” Sparrow’s words were like a dagger through my heart. “He’s not going to, is he?”

I lifted my hoof to brush her tiny mane, and my daughter, the brightest light in my life, flinched away as though I was going to strike her. I felt like I’d been branded. Pain seared through me, stinging my eyes and sending alternating waves of heat and bitter cold through me from muzzle to tail. “No,” I said quietly. “The monster’s going away now, love.” I floated down my hat and coat from the coat rack, carefully buttoning it up. For a moment I hesitated as I reached for the door... waiting. All I could hear was Sparrow’s sniffing and the slow tick-tock of the old grandfather clock.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

I think I must have heard as much as felt the moment my heart broke. Part of me screamed in the darkness, screamed at me for being a fool, for being the coward I’d always been.

The monster I’d always been.

I didn’t see Pop the next morning. The barrack room I was in was empty except for a couple of guards who’d wandered in during the night after a few too many drinks at the bar. Apparently there were several barrack rooms at the depot, and the one I was in was where the discerning imbiber of the foamy brews on offer at the on-site tavern flopped their inebriated carcases rather than face an angry officer at morning roll call. Things were generally relaxed here from what I’d been able to make out so far, especially compared to what I knew of the royal army back in Equestria. But that ‘relaxed’ atmosphere only went so far, and I was awoken by an angry shout for one of my new bunkmates who had suddenly developed a new lease of life, barrelling out of the room at an impressive speed considering the state he’d been in last night. As for me, I hadn’t slept a wink. I was still furious over what had happened, mulling over events from yesterday over and over again in my mind. In truth I was angry, both with Meadow and, even more so, with myself. I’d really done it this time, and as much as I felt justified, at least in some measure, I couldn’t help hating myself for walking out on her.

“Mare trouble?”

I threw my coat over my back and paused. The voice had come from a coal black mare with a white stripe down her muzzle and a pink two-toned mane. She looked up from making her bed and treated me to a cheeky grin. Goddesses, I really couldn’t be bothered right then. “It doesn’t matter,” I said, and moved to leave.

“Want to talk?” The pegasus mare appeared beside me like a ghostly apparition, haunting my attempts at escape. “Or not?”

“I...” I closed my eyes and shook my mane. Talking to somepony else about my problems, especially relationship ones, was not something I did lightly, especially not to somepony I didn’t even know. Still, she was probably only being friendly. Or nosy. I shook myself and tried a smile. “I’m fine,” I said politely. “Thanks for asking though.”

“Hey, sure thing buddy.” The mare flapped her wings and resettled them by her sides. “Don’t let it eatcha up though, ‘kay?”

“Um, yeah. Sure,” I replied.

“You’re new, aren’t you?” A pair of vivid blue eyes peered inquisitively at me. “You that windy-go fella, then?”

Well so much for keeping that secret! I erred on the side of caution and shook my head, “No, just a plain old unicorn. Name’s Fa- Corn Bread.”

“Oh.” The mare raised an eyebrow appraisingly. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you Corny.” The mare’s eyes closed as she smiled broadly, “I’m Zip Line. Zippy to me mates.”

I looked down at the proffered hoof and, if a little uncertainly, reached out to shake it. “Guess I’m Corny then,” I said wearily.

“You said it!” The mare burst out laughing. “First day on the job?”

I adjusted my coat, brushing some lint off my chest. “Second. I’ve got to report to the training room and they’ll be assigning me to a partner, apparently.”

“Lucky them!” Zippy beamed. “Always nice to have a new bod about the place.” She eyed me up and down in a manner which I found altogether far too familiar. “And such a cute one too...”

“If you say so...” I gave her a polite nod. “Well, I’d better be-”

“I like you, Corny!” Zip Line chirped over me. “I think we’re going to be good friends, you and I!”

Oh gods! I gave her a nervous smile and turned for the door. “I’m afraid you’ll have to-”

“Here, don’t worry about that. I’ll show you the way!” The peculiar pegasus lifted off the ground with a lightness of effort that I’d never quite gotten used to even after watching Sparrow do it so many times. I opened my mouth to explain that I knew the way and that I was quite capable of finding it myself, thank you very much, but the chatty was way ahead of me already. “Come on,” she called, “hustle that bustle Mister Corny!”

I rolled my eyes in exasperation, but secretly I felt my spirits, so deflated last night, lift almost as easily as the winged pony defied gravity. A quick shake and a huff and I was out the door following my new self-appointed friend.

Zip Line floated ahead of me, looking back every so often to make sure I was keeping up. “Shame you aint one of those windy-wotsits,” she said happily. “I’d have liked to have met another of ‘em.”

“You’ve met oth- I mean, you’ve met wendigo before?” I asked.

“Sure!” Zip Line called back, “Had a bunch of ‘em through a little while ago. All looked the same too, you know. Only way you could tell them apart was their cutie marks, and their bits. If you know what I mean.”

“Bits? Oh...” My Lewd friend shot me a smirk as I realised what she meant. Suddenly the implication of the rest of what she’d said began to sink in. “Hang on, what do you mean ‘a little while ago’?” I asked in surprise.

“I dunno,” Zip Line shrugged dismissively. “They came in the usual way: dead. Popped into the herd same as the rest of us and went their own merry way.”

My heart jumped into my throat. Surely Zip Line was mistaken? The wendigo had been extinct in Equestria for over a thousand years, and even the distant relations of that tribe were now little more than plain old unicorns who just happened to bear the grey coat, black manes, and yellow eyes of their ancestors. Good grief, with my brown eyes I was far from a thoroughbred myself. I’d always believed I was the only one that had had the spirit bonded to me and that in itself had been through some freak, and very brutal, accident. It sure as hell hadn’t been voluntary. Even Maroc hadn’t said anything about… But he had, hadn’t he? Something about a tribe in the north? My ears pricked up, hopeful for more information.

“Are there any here?” I asked.

“What, in the soul hunters?” Zip Line barked out a laugh. “Why, not likely!”

I quickened my pace to keep up with the flighty creature, “Why not? They’re just ponies like us, aren’t they?”

“Ha! Shows how much you know, Corny.” Zip Line rounded the next corner and was waiting for me as I nearly ran right into her. “They’re monsters, you know.” She opened her mouth, displaying her perfect white teeth. “They can change like morning mist, disappearing like ghosts if you even so much as catch a fleeting glimpse of one with your bare eyes.” She leaned closer. “They say their lonely cries still echo in the mountains, mourning their lost home and luring weary travellers into their snowy realm.” She lowered her voice to a near whisper. “They sing the song of winters passed, lulling you into a dream like trance, calling out to the young, tender and fair. And then, when they have you...”

I swallowed, thoroughly absorbed by her story. “Yes?”

Zip Line watched me, running her tongue over her teeth. “They suck the soul from your body and feast on your still warm flesh, sucking the marrow from your bones and turn your hide into winter overcoats.”

I suddenly snorted out an involuntary laugh. “What a load of bollocks!”

“Oh?” The black and white mare looked a little hurt. “And what do you know about them then, Mister ‘just a unicorn’ eh?”

“Well, not much exactly.” I rallied myself and stood up straight. “Anyway, at least I know that was just an old fairy tale told to frighten naughty children. ‘Behave or the wendigo will get you’. That sort of thing.”

“Yeah,” Zip Line shrugged. She grinned mischievously, “Works though. Bet I had you going there for a minute!”

I rolled my eyes, “Yeah...” We started walking again. Or rather I did and my companion just drifted along lazily with her silently flapping wings. “So, what did happen to the wendigo who came here?” I asked.

“Dunno, but they sure don’t live here,” came the reply.

“Do you mean in the barracks or in the herd?” I pressed.

Zip Line clucked her tongue, “Will you stop asking me about those bloody windy-things, Corny?” She huffed loudly and floated back down to the ground. “All I know is that they came into the herd and probably went off to where those weird bone-bags live. That’s where a lot of ‘em went anyways. Those that didn’t take the walk that is.” She jerked her head, indicating a doorway. “We’re here. Let’s get tooled up and smartened up before one of the spit and polish brigade catch us waffling.”

The two of us were the only ones in the locker room this morning, which to be honest suited me just fine. The last thing I needed right then was dealing with testy mares, especially after my rough nights sleep. It was a very plain room looking for the most part, typically bland and functional with no more than benches, coat hooks, and long rows of lockers which, in typical military fashion, were all clearly numbered. Mine was just like all the rest and had barely enough space for the equipment you were issued with and no more. I put on my overcoat and cloak, fixed my belt in place, and clipped on the neat little dagger which was about as much use as a fruit knife, and threw on my panniers. As simple as my gear went however it was still very well tailored and, I have to admit, really did look smart compared to my old watch uniform. A few tugs and pulls here and there and we were good to go. Thankfully armour and weapons were left in the depot armoury under lock and key until needed so we didn’t need to faff about with that just yet thank goodness. It was probably a needless precaution anyway, but military traditions ran deep with the armed forces, and who was I to argue? In some ways I was as much a part of the traditions of my people as the rest of them. The fact I had been in the watch rather than the army meant little here, it was still an institution as old as the hills – more so in some respects. Beside me the black and white pegasus continued in a world of her own when a thought crossed my mind, one that Meadow had planted there last night.

“Zippy?” I asked.

“Yeah?”

“Am I likely to see much fighting in the soul hunters?”

She paused in adjusting her panniers and looked at me as though I’d asked if the sky was made of chocolate. “Fighting?” she shrugged. “Some, yeah. Not much though. Why, don’t tell me you didn’t know?”

“It hasn’t been mentioned,” I said honestly. “I know we have combat training and so on, but I thought that was more down to tradition than anything else.”

Zip line chuckled, “Afraid of a few boo-boos are we?”

“Hardly.” I huffed under my breath and stood before her. “Good?”

The black mare smiled, “Sharp as a pin, Corny. Me?”

“Looks good,” I replied truthfully.

She reached out, and to my surprise deftly removed my dagger and turned it around before putting it back in its scabbard. “Sun emblem to the outside,” she corrected. “Get that wrong and you’ll be for a right old time with the gaffer. Takes things like that seriously she does.”

“Handy to know.” I nodded my thanks, checking the way the dagger looked in its scabbard and committing it to memory. “I’m glad you were here. The last thing I need’s to get myself in hot water when I’ve barely walked in the door.”

“Nah, don’t mention it.” Zip Line brushed aside my compliment with a wave of her hoof. “That old sod in stores does it deliberately for a cheap laugh.” She gave me a knowing wink. “Tried it with me when I was new and I got it right in the neck from the last commander. The new one’s just as bad when it comes to being all buffed up and ‘army fashion’ too. Must be catching.”

“The marshal?” I asked. “She seems a game old bird.”

“Ha! Don’t let her hear you say that!” Zip Line chuckled before checking her feathers were all neatly preened. “Anyway, don’t worry about any fighting. It’s unusual, but it’s better to be prepared than be caught with your proverbials hanging down.”

I felt a blush come to my cheeks.

“Aw! And he blushes so quickly too!” Zip Line gave me a flick of her tail as she walked past me to the door. “Come on then Corny, let’s see what we’ve got on the board for today.”

“Are we on the same relief?” I asked, following her out.

The pegasus smirked, “Let’s just see first, eh?”

The briefing room was a short distance from the barracks and a few of the stallions and mares of the early morning relief were already sitting behind their small desks. Some paper and pencils had rather thoughtfully been left out for us and we took our seats beside each other. The room was neatly painted, white of course, with a blackboard at one end and a few flower vases – a nice touch that added a more homely feel, if such a thing was possible in a military base. Here and there motivational posters had been placed proclaiming the reader needed to be ‘Vigilant. Respectful. Dutiful’ and show ‘Empathy. Kindness. Understanding’. They each showed a somewhat stylised picture of a white stallion in barding with the usual blue eyes that were synonymous with the royal guard. Of course finding a white pony with blue hair and blue eyes was a rarity in the riot of colour that was the norm in Equestrian society, but some clever clogs in the dim and distant past had sorted that problem out by the simple expedient of imbuing the helmets with magic that changed your colour so you all looked the same as the rest of the gang. There were divisional changes of course: unicorns tended to be grey and pegasi often had lightweight armour to afford them greater freedom of movement, but we all had one thing in common – we all did as we were told. Maybe this was what Pop was talking about: order, duty, and all that other good stuff that came with a soldier’s lot. Still, soldiering wasn’t exactly what I’d intended when I’d signed up. Apple Pop had assured me that it was more like the watch than the army, but personally I still had my doubts. That said he’d joined up himself after arriving in the herd hadn’t he? And if it was such a dangerous occupation then how come Meringue didn’t seem to mind? Or maybe she did and just didn’t say anything? Goddesses, what the bloody hell did I know about the ways of mares anyway? Nothing! Well, next to nothing at any rate.

“Pssst.”

“Huh?” I looked up.

The black pegasus was staring right at me. “What’s with the long face?”

I raised an eyebrow. “I was born with it,” I said sounding a little more sarcastic than I intended.

“Not that, you idiot!” Zip Line rolled her eyes. “You look like you’re spacing out. You okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine,” I replied. I closed my eyes and took a breath. “Fine. Honestly.”

My new friend leaned over to me. The way she did it almost made me burst out laughing; it was just like being back in primary school when we would whisper or pass secret notes to one another. Zip Line’s eyes however were full of apparently genuine concern. “Look, don’t worry about her,” she assured me. “She’ll come round. You’ll see.”

“How-?” I babbled.

“It’s written all over your face,” the pegasus mare observed casually. “Happens to a lot of us, Corny, especially at first.” She sat back in her chair and nodded to herself, “Things often work themselves out in the end.”

Hmph! I hope she was right. Things at home were not good to say the least, especially after I’d walked out after having a row. Sweet Celestia, could I have made any more of an arse of myself? Meadow was normally forgiving of my personality flaws, and not so infrequent cock-ups too for that matter, but last night felt… different, like I’d crossed some invisible line which she could see all too clearly, unlike her numb brained husband. I gave myself a quick shake and tried to push the intrusively depressing thoughts to the back of my mind. This, this here today, was going to help all of that. I was going to be a watchstallion again. Well, of a sort I suppose. But regardless of what my job title was, it was what I was going to do that was important. I was going to have a purpose again. I was going to help ponies. And that thought alone, above everything else, felt like a tiny ray of sunshine breaking through the storm clouds of negativity that had harangued me ever since I’d died. Well, whatever Fate had in store for me I was determined to do whatever it took to fit in here and do my best. Part of that was, naturally, making friends. As much I was something of an antisocial creature at heart I still enjoyed the company of others. Zip Line was a good start of course, and I’d already become relatively friendly with Argo and Tamis too. Okay, maybe not so pally with Tamis since we’d half killed each other in the arena, but friendships had been forged in worse situations than that. My ears suddenly pricked up at the sound of approaching hoof steps.

In front of us a large stallion walked in, a pair of spectacles perched on his muzzle and sporting a pair of bulging panniers. He was in undress uniform but still carried that unmistakable air of an officer about him. In keeping with tradition in that respect he all but ignored us as he prepared his paperwork on the desk before him. He was a well built deep green stallion with a short mane and tail of black hair. His eyes were that metallic bronze colour that I’d always been a little envious of, especially the way the mares had gone all gooey over them back home when that celebrity turned up that time. What was his name now? Celery something… Celery Stalk? Yeah, that was it. I wonder what happened to him. Whoever he was, the alluring eyes meant nothing to my companion who was busy picking at something in her teeth with a toothpick.

Eventually the officer up front turned to eye the clock before returning to his desk. “Ahem!” The rest of the room’s occupants, myself included, sat upright respectfully. He cast his eyes across us and paused on me, nodding to himself. Well now, that didn’t bode well! Unless he was just spotting the new guy of course. “Today’s briefing started at… oh-eight-hundred.” He spoke partly to us and partly to a brass device I spotted in front of him that was half obscured by the paperwork. “Following on from the incident at the fountain festival, senior officers and section commanders are to report for a team leaders briefing at oh-nine-hundred. Junior officers will be informed in due course of any extra-ordinary orders which are to be disseminated to their commands as necessary. I’m certain I don’t need to remind you all of the seriousness of this incident and request both your discretion and patience in this trying time.” The stallion turned over one of his sheets of paper and scratched his chin as he peered at it. “I understand we have a new officer with us today.” He lifted a hoof and motioned to me, at which I stood up and tried to look cool, calm and professional as everypony in the room turned to look at the newcomer. “Captain… ‘Corn Bread’, late of the Equestrian Watch. I’m sure you’ll all join me in welcoming him to our little herd.” I nodded and sat down with no small amount of relief. “In respect to our new colleague,” he continued, “you have been assigned to… let’s see… ah, here it is. You are to be partnered with Flight Captain Zip Line until further notice.” He motioned to the black mare beside me. “Flight Captain, you are to report to Lieutenant Argo with your report after today’s mission. Full mission details are in your packs.” He floated over two yellow envelopes to us in an impressive display of magic. “I know this is a bit of a trial by fire for you, Captain Bread, but with your previous experience I don’t think you’ll have any trouble handling it.” He frowned in thought for a moment, shuffling yet more paperwork. “Hmm… Since the rest of the briefing doesn’t concern you two, I suggest you go off to the break room and use that time to familiarise yourself with the mission particulars.” He checked the clock once more. “Don’t forget your scheduled portal access time is oh-ten-hundred hours. You are dismissed.”

Zip Line and I stood, saluted, and trotted out of the briefing room. “Ha! That was quick!” the black and white mare chuckled. “I should have volunteered to look after newbies sooner.”

“Not a fan of briefings either?” I asked, sharing in her relief at an early escape.

She shrugged, “Briefings, meetings, crowds of dull stiffs droning on at you for hours when it could have done in minutes? Boring stuff in general really. You get the idea.”

I did. “Can I ask: was it a coincidence that you were sleeping in the empty barrack room when I was there?”

“Wow!” Zip Line’s eye went wide. “Suspicious mind you’ve got there, Corny. Strewth!”

“Suspicious?” I asked ironically. “Not really. More cynical than anything else to be honest.”

Zip Line gave me a wry smile as we continued to walk on. “Ah, cynics. The world’s driest humorists.”

“More realism than humour,” I replied. “So, am I on the money?”

The black mare floated down to the ground and knocked on a plain looking door. “Now that would be telling tales, wouldn’t it?” She poked her head through the gap and pushed the door open fully. “Spot on, there’s nopony in here. Come on, let’s get comfy.”

“This doesn’t look like the break room,” I observed.

Zip Line closed the door behind me. “That’s because it isn’t,” she said simply. “Ruby is off on her hols and told me I could use it when I wanted a bit of peace and quiet. ‘Course, that doesn’t stop others pinching it too, but looks like we’re in luck. Grab a seat and let’s see what we’ve got on for today.”

I had to admit it was a lot more comfortable than the break room, and I sank into the well padded chair as together we opened our briefing envelopes to look over the details of our mission. To my surprise however there was precious little compared to what I’d been used to in the watch. Rather than the reams of information on the target, their background, offence details and location, all we had was some basic information on ‘who’ and ‘where’. At least we had a photograph of our errant soul: a faded orange coated earth stallion with a grey mane, equally grey beard, and a cutie mark of a watering can who went by the name of ‘Hedgerow’. I certainly didn’t recognise him or his name. He was ‘overdue’ according to the briefing by two days, and the cause was simply noted as ‘unknown’. Very helpful…

“Looks nice and easy,” Zip Line noted. “Old fella, natural causes and all that.”

“Hmm...” I checked the envelope in case I’d missed anything. “Precious little intel. Says he’s in Polston Retirement Resort in Foal Falls.” I shrugged. “Never heard of it.”

“It’s south of the Unicorn Range,” my companion replied helpfully. “I used to fly trials over there back in the day.”

“Big place?” I asked.

Zip Line shook her head. “Nah, fly speck of a place. Least, it used to be. The retirement resort must have been built after I’d popped me clogs ‘cos I don’t remember it.” She looked at the briefing paper and shrugged. “Lovely views there, and you didn’t need wings to see for miles either.”

“Maybe he liked it so much he didn’t want to leave,” I suggested.

Zip Line nodded, “As good a reason as any I guess.” She closed the thin card file, put it back in the envelope and slipped it into her pannier. “I think we have all we need. Let’s go and grab our gear and we’ll be on our way. No sense in hanging around longer than we have to.”

“Do we need any gear for this?” I asked. “Swords and barding are bit pointless aren’t they?”

My companion snorted as she opened the door. “I wouldn’t say that. Trust me, you don’t know what’s out there and it’s better to be safe than sorry. Besides, ponies like the whole glitz and glam of the eternal herd coming to collect them.”

“I was never one for ‘glitzy’,” I said with a smirk. “Trenchcoat, hat, and my dad’s old truncheon did the job well enough.”

“We’re not wearing the armour for fun, Corny.” She gave me a wink. “Nope, every one of our little trips out is a full armour jobby I’m afraid. Say, we’ll pop into the canteen on the way to the armoury, eh? I’m famished.”

And so with a freshly sandwich filled mare, we arrived at the armoury and signed out our armour, swords, and other assorted oddments which came with the whole soul hunter package. It was then that I remembered just how much I hated wearing helmets. At least this thing didn’t have a visor which was one of the aspects of the watch’s personal protective gear which I found the most uncomfortable. This one, clean and neatly padded, sat just nicely on my head and I looked back at Zip Line who smiled approvingly.

“Looking good there, Cap’n Bread.”

I felt a twinge inside. Goddesses, how I hated that name! Why hadn’t I come up with something better, something… cool. Sadly, ‘Corn Bread’ was it. At least for now. Many of the ponies in the guard used different names to their given one, and I suspected Zip Line knew full well I wasn’t who I said I was. Still, it didn’t phase her in the slightest and I had the disturbing thought she actually liked calling me ‘Corny’. At least it was better than ‘Captain Bread’ for goodness sake. The strangest part of all of this however was the colour change. As I’ve already mentioned, the armour comes with a hidden magical secret: you turn white. And not just plain old white either. No, you positively glowed! It reminded me of one of those advertising posters for washing powder that never quite lived up to expectations. Meadow was constantly complaining about removing grass stains from my clothes and not even the magic of the herd was able to live up to her exacting standards. But this… this was like when I changed, when I really changed, to my wendigo form. At least in some respects. My eyes reflected in Zip Line’s burnished armour were as blue as the ocean; a far cry from the burning blue fires of my alternative self. My hooves too were simply plain old hooves, not the crystalline hooves of the wendigo. My mane was about the same colour though, and my tail too for that matter, but the mist that used to wreath my legs, the feeling of unbridled power and the confidence that came with it… was gone.

I sighed and nodded to Zip Line, “Ready for off?”

She smiled back at me, “Uh-huh. We’re a bit early but I’ll work my charm on the chief and we’ll be on our way in two shakes of a manticore’s tail.”

“Now there’s something I don’t want to do!” I quipped. “Bloody things are lethal.”

“Been up against one?” Zip Line asked as we walked away from the armoury.

I shrugged. “Once.”

“Really?” She seemed intrigued. “How did you deal with it?”

“I used magic,” I said casually. “Magic and guns.”

“Guns?” Zip Line frowned in thought for a moment before letting out a derisive nicker. “Ah… those things. I don’t hold with using ‘alien’ weaponry.”

I had to chuckle. The thought of them being ‘alien’ had never really occurred to me. Probably
because I’d seen so many of the things that had been seized by the watch or converted for Equestrian use by the agency and then used by our own security forces against the changelings. I suppose they were technically alien, if you wanted to use that sort of terminology of course, but the fact remained that for better or worse we were stuck with them. Anyway, the agency had developed their own magically operated beam weapons around the same time the human made things had been smuggled in through the portals to our world, so I hardly think we could claim the moral high ground on this one. After what I’d done… what we’d done, the lethal things had helped save Equestria from a changeling invasion. They certainly had their uses.

“Oi, cloth ears!”

“Eh? Oh, sorry Zippy I was miles away,” I apologised.

Zip line treated me to an overly exaggerated groan complete with rolling eyes. “I said you won’t find anything like that here.”

“Oh?” I replied. “Well, considering how medieval the herd looks I can hardly say I’m surprised. They’re one step away from using sticks and rocks.”

“Medieval?!” Zip Line gasped, “How in Equestria did you come to that conclusion?”

“We’re still using spears and swords!” I laughed. “It’s hardly what you’d call ‘advanced’ is it?”

The pegasus mare snorted angrily, apparently unimpressed by my assessment of her home. “Look here, just because you come from a time when some smart arse realised that stuffing coal into a burner beneath a kettle of water makes steam, I’d hardly expect you to understand now, would I?” she huffed.

“Oh, come on!” I retorted. “Civilisations advance whether we like it or not. Personally I’m not averse to embracing anything that makes life easier for ponies, like trains, steam ships, air ships and the like.” I raised an eyebrow. “Or making a cup of tea.” I jabbed a hoof at her. “And I don’t think kettles are exactly what you’d call a modern invention anyway. Or tea leaves for that matter.”

“That’s not the point,” Zip Line snapped. “You’re being deliberately obtuse.”

“I am not!” I protested. “I have nothing against living in medieval times. Even if they do have ice cream shops.”

“Ice cream…?” Zip Line stopped and leaned against the wall in a fluster. “Damn it all! I was supposed to meet one of the girls for an ice cream and a coffee last night! I completely forgot.”

“You could always re-arrange,” I suggested.

Zip Line nodded solemnly. “I guess so, but I just left her there. Celestia’s buttocks, she’ll think I stood her up.”

“It was a date?” I asked in amazement. “And you forgot?”

“Yes! No! I mean, it wasn’t a date, we’re just old friends and… and… oh, forget it!” She picked herself up and trotted off along the corridor again, muttering to herself something about ‘bloody newbies’ by the sounds of it. Something told me I’d stepped into a very big pile of dung on this one, so I quickly decided on a change of subject.

“Hey Zippy, how did you end up here then?” I asked.

“Like asking questions dontcha?” The black, now white, mare glanced back at me with a distinct look of irritation on her face. “You do know it’s considered rude to ask, right?”

I grinned cheekily, “Yeah, but I doubt anything I say could ruffle your feathers.” Zip Line face hoofed and groaned as I continued unabashed. “Anyway, since you don’t seem to like modern stuff, I’m guessing you’ve been here a while?”

“You could say that,” she said levelly.

I smiled, “And?”

Suddenly she stopped dead and turned to face me, her darkening expression causing me to take a step back in surprise. “Look newbie, I don’t mind answering your questions,” Zip Line hissed. “Really. But there are some things I don’t like to talk about, and that is one of them.”

I took a breath and bobbed my head. “Understood, Boss.”

“And don’t call me ‘Boss’ either!” She shook her head and sighed. “Look, just… Zippy will do, okay? And… and I’m sorry I snapped at you, Corny. I’m just angry with myself over last night is all.”

“And I’m sorry I asked personal questions when we’ve only just met.” I bowed before her. “You have my apologies, ma’am.”

“Or ‘ma’am’!” Zip Line turned away and motioned me to follow her. “I don’t like ‘ma’am’, Lieutenant, or any of that official bollocks. I’m just Zip Line or Zippy, okay?”

“Gotcha.”

We walked on for a while until turning a corner and entered another corridor that ended in a room flanked by two guards. They were especially large characters too, and looked like they knew all too well how to handle the wickedly sharp weapons they were holding. Zip Line walked towards them as though it were the most normal thing in the world.

“Mornin’ boys. You doin’ okay?” Zip Line asked.

One of the guards snorted so loudly I felt the vibration even through my armour. “Yeah,” was all he bothered to say in response. As for the other fellow, he merely gave a single nod. Gods, what a pair! We were about to pass them when, as one, their spears shot out to bar our entry to the room beyond.

“Halt! Papers.” The one the left creaked his head to lock onto me. “I don’t know you.”

“Easy, Bog,” Zip Line casually answered, fishing in her pannier for a slip of paper. “He’s the new boy, Cap’n Corny.”

“Corny?” the huge guard intoned.

I lifted my hoof to the giant beast. “It’s Corn Bread actually. Captain Corn Bread.”

“Nah, ‘Corny’ will do,” Zip Line muttered, putting the paperwork back into her pack. “Corny, meet Bog and Brush.”

“Bog and…?!” I nearly choked. “Um, nice to meet you.” I nodded respectfully to them each in turn. “Bog. Brush.”

The two giants nodded in tandem. Surprisingly the enormously muscled mountains didn’t send down showers of plaster on me from their near tectonic movement. I decided to merely smile and hurried after my cheeky colleague. I caught up with her a moment later.

“You can’t be serious,” I said peeking back over my shoulder towards the doorway. “Bog and Brush?”

“Sure. Peat Bog and Brush Strokes.” The mare’s brow furrowed curiously. “What, you thought I was making a joke or something?”

“No, but somepony is,” I observed drily.

“Oh?”

“Oh, don’t play games, Zippy,” I said. “You know as well as I do that some comedian put those two big buggers together for a cheap laugh. I mean, seriously: Bog brush?”

“Bog brush?” Zip Line thought for a moment and shrugged it off. “Nope. Can’t see it myself.”

“And neither can they, apparently,” I observed.

“So long as they clean up after themselves, who cares?” Zip Line stopped and yawned. “What’s up, you’re looking a little flushed there, Corny. Maybe you need to see the doctor. You know, I’m sure he’ll have something for constipation.”

“Very funny!” I replied sarcastically. “You’re an absolute riot.”

“I rather thought so,” the mare giggled.

My mane bristled. “You rotten sod! So it was you who posted them there?”

“Nah, not me.” Zip Line gave her ear a scratch and knocked on the door before us. “Those two asked to be posted together.”

“They… they asked for it?!” I gasped in amazement.

“Not that surprising really.” Zip Line nodded to the pony opening the door and whispered over her shoulder to me, “They’re brothers.”

I couldn’t believe it. “Well I bet their parents had a good laugh when they named them,” I said. “Bloody hell, can you imagine being at school with those names? They’d have been put through hell.”

“Didn’t stop them growing up to be as big as they are,” Zip Line observed. “Besides, they’re a hit with the girls, and stallions we can rely on when we need some proper muscle.”

I could believe it too. Those two could crush a pony’s skull with little more than sneeze by the looks of them, and I didn’t doubt for one moment that any school child who had suicidally decided to point out their amusing names would likely have been on the receiving end of hoof shaped retribution in very short order. I shook the thought from my mind and took in the sights around us. We had entered a large round hall that was well lit with lamps, and sitting centrally surrounded my chairs and a set of glowing arcane equipment, was what I expected to be here. It was a portal. The damned things never boded well for me and as much as they were a necessity to my new role, I sure as hell didn’t relish the thought of going through one again.

I stared up at the empty archway, its cold white blocks of stone surrounded by nothing but empty space. Despite its seemingly innocuous appearance, everything about it screamed to the observer that this was a doorway, a portal to somewhere ‘else’ that currently was nothing more than the other side of the room. The structure itself was perched upon a circular pedestal, accessible via several steps with the overall effect of drawing the eye and focussing all attention on that ominous… nothingness. Zip Line had left me there whilst she trotted over to join several white overcoat wearing technicians who were standing around what appeared to be some sort of control system. The portals I had used up until this point had been locked into one destination alone. This one however, from what information I’d been able glean thus far at least, was what was known as a ‘master portal’. What its limits were was anyponies guess, and was something that filled me with both awe and no small amount of trepidation. Maybe it was just as well that the things were a rarity in Equestria. Most of them had been destroyed long ago, or otherwise simply forgotten about over the millennia. Unfortunately some enterprising soul had actually managed to rediscover the magical formulae to construct them once again, and that had ultimately lead to the discovery of the human world and all the inherent nightmares that had been unleashed upon an unsuspecting public, all in the name of lining some scum bags pockets. The two behind it all were still out there as far as I knew: the commissioner of the watch, and her puppet. What was his name again? Crimson… something. Velvet? I think that was it. Damn it all, I was still having trouble with my memory even now. In fairness though I’d noticed I’d actually been able to recall a lot more recently, but all too often no sooner had I remembered something than it slipped away again into the mental fog that had been my constant companion since I’d arrived in the herd. Maybe Pop’s idea really did have its merits after all.

Standby… Standby...

“I’d look away if I were you.” Zip Line appeared beside me complete with a beaming grin. “We’re up next.”

My horn began to itch as the magic in the room rose in both intensity and sound. It started as a low hum, deep and resonating, as much felt as it was heard. I closed my eyes as an intense silver flash filled the room, quickly distilling back into the now familiar silver pool that hung impossibly in the air, filling the archway. One of the weirdest parts of this though was the reflection. In a manner of speaking you actually walked ‘into’ yourself, rather like approaching a full-length mirror, but there was nothing solid about this image. One moment you were in the world you knew, and the next-

“Wait!”

A voice rang out across the room, full of authority and carrying a peculiar wheedling tinge that reminded me of something… something, or some pony from…

“What the hell is this?!” An armoured stallion marched in with two others, all three of them fully kitted up and radiating indignation like a hot night in a Manehattan brothel. “We’re scheduled for the next portal alignment in five minutes. Who are these two, and why have they taken our slot? Well? Speak!”

One of the technicians looked nervously at his clipboard, holding it to his chest like a shield. “Lieutenant Zip Line’s team are early and, er… since you weren’t here we thought-”

“You’d sneak them in ahead of us?” the armoured stallion bristled. “You had no right to do that! It is against protocol and damned ignorant, do you hear me? I could have you reported for this!”

Zip Line gave me a nudge, “Come on, let’s sneak away while he’s going at it.”

I stood my ground. Why, I don’t know, but there was something about this guy, something I didn’t like at all, and the way he was leaning towards the technician had my neck quivering. Before I knew it I was staring at the irate stallion eye to eye.

“You! Who the hell are you?” The stallion took a step towards me. “Well? Name and rank!”

“Corn Bread,” I replied calmly. “Captain Corn Bread.”

“Ha! Never heard of...” He suddenly grinned knowingly. “Ah, yes, the new meat. Trying to flex your muscles are you?” The stallion shook his mane and jabbed a hoof at me. “Well let me tell you something, new boy: you’d better learn your place here, and quickly. It doesn’t matter who you are, or who you were when you were alive. You may have been some big noise back in the mortal realm, but here that means absolutely nothing. Here you obey orders. Here you do as you are damned well told, and that means you follow established protocol at all times!”

“Like only arriving five minutes before your scheduled appointment you mean?” I raised an eyebrow and felt a smirk curling my lip. “I was always told that arriving anywhere less than ten minutes early is as good as being late.” I tapped my lip, frowning in thought. “Oh, and that it’s also considered rude to rebuke somepony before you’ve even introduced yourself.”

“Why you damned insolent…!” The stallion face flushed an impressive shade of red. “I don’t have to introduce myself to some lowly maggot of a recruit unless I deem it necessary!”

“Why? Do I outrank you or something?” I asked with a smile.

“Silence! I’ve had enough of this nonsense.” The newcomer switched his attention to Zip Line. “Get on with your duties Lieutenant, and take this obnoxious wretch with you.” His brow drew down in the kind of knowing sneer I’d come to recognise from bullies. “I can assure you I will be reporting this, Lieutenant. And as for you, ‘Captain’, I caution you to watch how you speak to officers of the guard in future or you may find your new position your ex-position sooner than you think.”

I said nothing, leaving the irate stallion with only my sarcastic smirk. I’d had my fill of arseholes like this officer in the mortal world, and I would be damned if I’d take any more of their crap now that I was dead. Anyway, stuff him. One derisive sniff later and I was past the open mouthed Zip Line, walking towards the waiting pool of silver and wherever the mysterious magic of this place would take me. It was time, once again, to trip the light fantastic.