Southern Light was a small, rocky, island with a population of exactly three. It was far enough south where it was always cold though it never quite froze over. There were but two buildings on the small island, a stone tower about forty feet high and a small house. At night, firewood was placed at the top of the tower, doused with oil, and lit up. It was a beacon to everyone sailing the southern waters of the Grand Ocean. Well, more like a warning sign to not sail any further. For there was nothing else beyond. No other inhabited islands, nowhere to get food, no one to help you, and all it did was get colder and colder until icebergs filled the water. If you ended up shipwrecked or lost south of Southern Light—you were as good as dead.
Even to Southern Light itself, a ship only came by once a month to restock the firewood, food, and other supplies that the three denizens needed to live here and do their job. It was a lonely place and a lonely life but you didn’t come here to begin with unless you were fine with that.
Arctic Tail was the youngest of the three on the island, and even he was well into his thirties and on his eighth year of working the beacon. He stood on the southern edge of the island, watching the cold water lap up against the rocks. It was part of his usual daily activities, he appreciated the calm, and he loved the beauty of these cold southern waters, a deeper blue than nearly anywhere on the Grand Ocean. He could spend hours out here if he wanted to, and most days he did, quietly observing the world and letting the cold breeze run through his mane.
When he first got here he used to have to wear a jacket—despite his name. Nowadays what would have made him shiver in the past felt normal. Hay, more than that, it felt good. It was the warmer season right now but even in winter he liked to be out here while frost coated his mane and body.
With his two fellow workers in the house he was the only soul outside on the island at the moment. The only other sign of life out here was the occasional seabird that would fly by in front of his eyes, heading either south or across the ocean. Occasionally it would rain here, though the air was usually too cold for it. Those were the only days he wouldn’t go outside. Instead he’d be huddled up with his fellows around the fire, playing cards to pass the time, or reading one of the many nautical journals they had with them. Quite a few of those got dropped off here, old reports and logs that nobody else cared about but made good reading to pass the time when there was nothing else going on.
Nothing else going on was a good way to describe most of the time spent on Southern Light.
“Hey!”
The sudden shout startled Arctic Tail, he jump up in fright and looked around before finally looking up and seeing a pegasus come down from the sky. She dropped right onto the rocks next to him and he was able to get a good look at her.
Unlike him, she was wearing a heavy winter coat with a fluffy hood up around her head and goggles over her eyes that only barely let him see the sky blue color of her coat and the wisps of a rainbow mane. On her hooves was a quad of thick boots that looked brand new and on her sides she carried four full looking saddlebags, two on each side. Her wings fluttered upon landing and she tucked them inside two slits on the coat, keeping them safe and warm from the elements when not in use.
She flashed him a perfect white smile. “This is Southern Light, right?”
He dumbly nodded before frowning and getting his wits about him. “You scared me half to death, who are you?”
She grinned a little awkwardly. “Hehe… sorry about that, just got kind of excited when I saw you. My name’s Rainbow Dash.”
“I’m Arctic Tail, one of the ponies who mans the beacon here at Southern Light,” he looked her up and down. “Well you’re certainly not from around here—what brings you to Southern Light?”
“Heading south, heard this was the last inhabited island on the Grand Ocean and the last place I could stop at. Just wanted to rest my wings for a second though—not like I’m spending the night or anything,” Rainbow Dash said.
Arctic Tail blinked as if he didn’t hear right. “Heading south… whoa—wait a second! You don’t mean flying south from here, do you?”
“Yeah. Why?” Rainbow raised an eyebrow at him.
“Miss—even as a pegasus—it’s my job to tell you that that’s a bad idea. And pointless too, there’s nothing out there beyond this point. You won’t find anything but ice and then the south pole itself.”
“Exactly,” Rainbow Dash grinned.
“Huh?”
“Where do you think I’m going? The south pole is where I’m flying to. And don’t worry about food or anything else-” she patted her saddlebags. “I’ve got that covered.”
“But why? Whatever you’re doing, it’s dangerous, there isn’t going to be anyone to help you if you get in trouble.”
“It’s okay, I’m more than capable of taking care of myself and I’m way better prepared than usual for when it comes to flying somewhere new. Seriously dude, I appreciate the concern but you really don’t have to worry about me. Trust me when I say that I’ve flown through worse places than this.”
Arctic Tail scratched his head. “If… if you say so. Still don’t get why you’d want to do something like this.”
“I’m on a long trip and the south pole just happens to be the next place I’m going,” Rainbow Dash shrugged.
Arctic Tail sighed. “Well I warned you, and if you still want to go it’s not like I can stop you or anything. I still don’t think you should go there but good luck.”
“Thanks!” Rainbow smiled and her wings shot back out from inside the coat. “I’m gonna get going then, you have fun with… uh… whatever else you do here.”
She hunched down and got ready to take off before she stopped. “Oh! Almost forgot.” Rainbow Dash reached over to one of her bags and opened it up, rooting around inside it before pulling out a smaller drawstring bag. “You can have this, since I won’t need it anymore.”
She tossed it to the ground between them and Arctic Tail gawked as a dozen gold coins spilled out of it.
“Bye!” Rainbow Dash grinned and waved before shooting off into the sky.
Arctic Tail watched her go for a little while before shaking his head and picking up the coins and bag. “Crazy mare… well at least I’ve got an interesting story for Silver and Rocksteady.”
When he went back inside the house on the small island to tell his fellows about the strange mare he had just met, there was not a soul outside on the rocky ground of Southern Light. The still unlit beacon tower meanwhile stood tall, casting a shadow down into the water. Far in the distance—Rainbow Dash was still just a barely visible speck.
In a few more seconds she disappeared from view.
Eyes in the shadow of the tower opened up and a pony stepped out, frowning deeply in Rainbow Dash’s direction.
“How?” Harlequin Grey said. “How, how, how? Every single time she somehow survives! She never should have been able to escape Merlantis, and then she should have been killed by that worthless revenant after, and yet she still lives! Worthless, pathetic, annoyances! Can’t anyone do anything right?!” He growled, shaking in rage. “That other unicorn refused me too, and now Rainbow Dash is close to returning to Equestria… unacceptable, absolutely unacceptable!”
He was breathing heavily at the end of his tirade before instantly calming down. The rage evaporated. His face became stony once more. It was like he was never angry to begin with.
“Getting emotional never helps anything. But I can’t let her complete the circuit. What do I have left?” He thought deeply before frowning. “Nothing. I don’t have anything to work with anymore.”
Harlequin Grey paused, pondering the situation. “So it really has come to this then?”
His body started to subsume back into the shadows.
“I’ll finally stop you myself, Rainbow Dash.”