Fairlight - The Fortress of the Four Winds

by Bluespectre

Chapter Five -The fortress of the four winds

CHAPTER FIVE

THE FORTRESS OF THE FOUR WINDS

In my minds eye I’d pictured the fortress as a towering, elegant structure with delicately soaring golden towers connected by slim sky bridges and impossibly high walls sparkling like the surface of a lake in the bright morning sun. Atop the walls and towers, deep blue and silver embroidered banners and flags waved and snapped lazily in the breeze, the overall scene one of subdued strength and beauty combined. What I saw now with my own two eyes could not have been further from the truth of such idealistic mental imagery. Maroc’s memories hadn’t shown me much of the fortress at all, other than for a few brief images during his dash to save his family. It certainly hadn’t prepared me for anything like this. Of the numerous tall towers the fortress had once sported, now only three remained. Weathered by time and nature, they stood proud and defiant above the smashed and crumbled walls, serving as a pitiful reminder of a once magnificent home. The war, Celestia, and a thousand years of exposure to all that nature had to offer, had slighted the once proud citadel until it was little more than a pile of rubble, snow and ice. Some of the exposed stonework, even after so many years, still showed evidence of the intense heat generated by the princess’s magic as she had assaulted the fortress, attempting to erase even very the memory of her vanquished foe. Considering the evident ferocity of the attack, it was surprising that any of the towers remained at all, but even they sported massive damage and would be unlikely to survive for much longer. Soon, they too would fall, the last witnesses of a war long since fallen from memory.

I don’t know what I’d expected to find here. Answers to questions maybe? Books, scrolls, ancient parchments of forgotten lore… who knows. Now that I could see what little remained of the fortress, I wasn’t so sure coming here had been such a good idea in the first place. Enormous blocks of masonry weighing countless tonnes were half buried in thick flows of ice and snow, utterly impossible to move even with the magic of the wendigo. It would take dozens, if not hundreds of ponies to clear away such debris. What lay beneath was, in all likelihood, long since rotted away to nothing. What had I been thinking?! Tingles had nearly been killed because of my damned obsession with coming here, and for what? My imagination had conjured up something different to… to this. The spirit cried out in dismay, echoing my heavy heart. Why had they done this? This was a cruelty, a punishment far beyond anything that could possibly be justified! Those accursed celestian animals, those foul, evil creatures… they had done this! Shaking my mane, I pushed the furiously bubbling thoughts from my mind and nudged Tingles with my muzzle making her jump in surprise.

“Thoughts?”

“Well, we’re here,” she said quietly, eyeing the remains of the fortress. “There’s, er, a lot less of than I’d expected.”

I sighed. “I know what you mean. Expectation versus reality, eh?”

“So what now?” Tingles asked.

I stared down at the blasted snow covered ruins. “We go in. Unless you want to stay here?”

“You know I don’t.” Her tone of voice was heavy, tinged with something I couldn’t quite place. This wasn’t like her at all.

“Tingles, what’s gotten into you?” I asked gently. “You’ve been acting strangely since we entered the mountains. I know you’re tired and went through a nightmare back there, but please, don’t shut me out.”

She stared at me, her beautiful green eyes catching the bright rays of the sun as it peaked through the clouds. “Fairlight, I…” She turned away, the words fading into the chill breeze.

I lifted my hoof encouragingly. “You wanted to tell me something before?”

“I… No. No, it’s okay, really.” Tingles shook her head, perhaps a little more forcefully than she needed to. “Forget it.”

“No secrets remember?”

“Fairlight, please…” Her ears drooped as she hung her head. “I don’t want to talk right now.”

“Okay, okay, its fine…” I shrugged, feeling a little irritated by her reticence. “Forget I said anything. If you want to tell me, you can when you’re ready, love. I’m here when you need me.”

“Yeah…”

I shook out my large leathery wings. I was still a little low on life energy, but should still be good for the flight back to Smiling Borders as well as across to the fortress, so long as I didn’t have to start perform any more crazy magic tricks. Personally I would have preferred to walk, but going by the amount of damage from landslides and the flows of slick ice, I didn’t trust the path at all. Especially not after the incident in the pass. If Celestia had booby-trapped that place, then the meandering path down the mountainside to the fortress itself was a likely candidate for more mayhem.

“You up for a quick flight to the tower?” I asked trying to lighten the mood.

“Sure.”

One word answers now, was it? She didn’t even question me. Now that definitely wasn’t like her at all. Goddesses, I don’t know what was going on here but it was starting to really get to me. So much for ‘no more secrets’, but then I suppose she’d open up to me in her own good time. I just wish I knew what was troubling her now. If I’d done something wrong, if I’d hurt her in some way, I had no idea what it was. Well, other than the obvious near death incident in the pass of course, but then she’d been acting odd even before that. Gods! Mares were so bloody confusing! My wings stretching out in the fresh breeze, and I took to the air with Tingles not far behind. We swept up and headed straight for the ruins, banking around the towers, searching for a way inside. The majority of the fortress was nearly unrecognisable, with so much rubble and debris, if it hadn’t have been for the remaining towers and the path leading down here, you could have been forgive for thinking it was just a naturally occurring pile of boulders. I opened myself to Maroc’s memories and they flooded into me willingly, more clear and vibrant than ever before, probably due to the proximity of his old home. The effect was one that was just as breathtaking as it was unnerving. A view of a tall tower with a thin connecting bridge overlaid the ruined structure before me. This had been the tower down to the mid-levels. From here could be reached the family chambers, the servants quarters, and below them the armoury, kitchen, and finally… the inauguration chamber. At the final fragment of memory the spirit’s awareness uncoiled like a snake, flooding me with its intoxicating excitement, its... anticipation. It was awakening. This was it! This was what we had been seeking all this time! We had to get there as quickly as possible. There was no more waiting now. Its patience had been stretched to the limits of endurance, but now… now it had finally come to an end. The promise would be fulfilled. The joining would make us truly one, as we were meant to be. As it had always been.

“In here!” I shouted to Tingles and swept in through the ragged remains of the outer doorway into the tower’s interior.

Not surprisingly the room was empty, completely devoid of anything except snow, ice, and memories. The walls here had once held magnificent tapestries of scenes from across the whole world. Forests, lakes, mountains, waterfalls and river scenes, all of them crafted in the most exquisite needlework. Now, they were gone, long since rotted to nothing. Of the beautiful deep pile rugs that had been so beloved by Arathea, there was not so much as a single fragment left. Even the lanterns that had lit the interior adding a sensual warmth during the dark days of winter, lay on the floor in a corroded mass of dark brown rust. I stared at it in silence. All the colour, all the joy, the life and the vibrancy of this once proud home of the wendigo, was now no more than an empty, dark shell of what it once was. I felt a twinge of sadness inside me at the clash between the wonderful memories, and the stark bitterness of reality. At least the long winding stairs were still there, and apparently usable. Interestingly the interior of the tower was quite well lit by the sheer number of holes and cracks in its walls, allowing Tingles and I to navigate our way down into the fortress’s interior. There was no turning back now. Descending further, the natural light slowly began to diminish and we had to resort to lanterns, my eyes helping me to pick out details in the dark hallways. In some ways I began to wish I couldn’t see as well as I could either, the long since dessicated remains of dead ponies, now mostly bone, lay scattered throughout the fortress along with discarded and broken weapons, shields and armour. The scene was both fascinating and terrifying in equal measure, the spirit inside me silently weeping for the dead around me, its grief almost tangible. I stopped and lifted a hoof to my eye as a frozen tear dropped to the floor.

“Fairlight?” Tingles asked walking up beside me. “What is it?”

“It’s nothing…” I took a deep breath, shaking my mane. “Memories of my ancestors I suppose. It’s hard to block them out when we’re walking through the bones of their children.”

She made a little whimpering noise but said no more. Oh, damn me for a fool! I hadn’t meant to frighten her, but the spirits presence was becoming almost forceful being so close to its goal. But…what was its goal? Was it to become one with me, or something I hadn’t seen - a danger I wasn’t aware of? Suddenly a feeling of dread passed through me and I stopped dead in my tracks. I wanted to go back. This wasn’t right. This wasn’t wasn’t right at all!

“What’s up? Why are you stopping?”

Tingles’ voice was distant, as though coming from another room, another corridor even. What did she say? It was so echoing and faint I could barely make it out. I stared down at my hooves in confusion. Why was I stopping? After all this time, we were so close to becoming one, and I was hesitating? This was what I wanted wasn’t it? To become a blend of spirit and pony, a wendigo warrior as I was meant to be. I was a child of the lord of the tribe of the four winds. This was my inheritance. It was my birthright. Everything else had been an illusion, a transient collage of faces, voices, and well meaning ponies that were as fleeting as the life of a mayfly. They could never understand. The tribe was my real family, and I was home, home where I truly belonged. I closed my eyes and smiled. The torches added a delicate warm light to the blue walls, adding a gentle ambience to the glow from the setting sun. Arathea certainly knew how to make a pony feel comfortable, didn’t she? Her latest tapestries had cost a few bits from that roguish llamalian trader, but they really brought a splash of colour to where it was needed. She always seemed to know exactly what was required, where to put it, and how to arrange it just so. Not too much, and not too little. It was just right. I bent to smell the flowers in the vase. They had been brought in fresh from the beds beside our orchards, adding their wonderfully delicate fragrance to the well lit halls. Wonderful! My ears pricked up at the sounds of children playing rang through the halls. Vela? Where was he now? That little scamp was always up to something!

“VELA!”

The small unicorn foal was running ahead of me, whooping and laughing with his youthful exuberance. I chuckled; the little beggar was wanting his old father to chase him was he? Right then!

“Come here you little pest, I’m going to get you!”

He squeaked in delight and glanced back to make sure I was following before turning down another corridor. I ran after him as fast as my hooves would take me. Goddess he was fast! Along one corridor and down the next, past more of the beautiful tapestries, paintings, banners of victories from ages past and even my own more youthful days, we raced. Arathea had been at work with the rugs again I noticed. Long runs of the well made things, colour co-ordinating with the wall hangings and general décor, lined the corridors muffling our steps. Unfortunately for my purse it took a small army of staff to keep them clean, but it made her happy even if I could never personally understand her obsession with such things. We’d had them imported from across the globe, particularly from the Llamlian Empire where the best quality wool and dyes were produced. They had cost, I confess, an absolute fortune, yet it was worth it just to see her delighted smile when the merchants arrived laden down with the things. She wasn’t the only one either, the merchants always left with a smile on their faces too. I kept my own thoughts on that to myself! Still, it was good to find people willing to trade with us at all these days, even if they did deplete the treasury in the process. Some, particularly the followers of Celestia, had been increasingly hostile towards us of late, which in turn had frightened some of our oldest trading partners into avoiding working with us completely. It was nothing new of course, there’d always been some tension between our peoples, but to threaten our standard of living was becoming a very real problem that was affecting the harmony of the fortress. Rumours, mutterings, and even angry outbursts had become commonplace amongst our warriors of late, and that was something I could not ignore. In fact it was one of the reasons I’d been seeking alliances with other powers to offer mutual aid in the event of any more… direct aggression. Naturally we’d sent emissaries to the palace to try to improve matters, hoping that they would be willing to set aside their historical dislike of us so that we could move forward towards a more cordial future together. Our efforts had upon fallen upon deaf ears. Celestia was weak, an idealistic and naive alicorn who was little more than a puppet ruler. Her ruling council were the ones who truly ran the country, and her. The saddest part of it all is that I don’t think she even realised it. Oh, she said all the right things, made promises of closer working relationships and how we were ‘all one people beneath the sun’ or some such tripe, but did anything actually change? No. No, of course not. Anything she tried to do had to run the gauntlet of lords, ladies, advisors, chancellors, treasurers, merchants guilds and who knew what else before the end result, changed out of all recognition, was spewed out the other end. My true hope lay in the younger sister, Luna. Many worshipped her as the goddess of the moon, the hope for a new era. She had a strong heart that one, and may truly have what it took to wrest control of Equestria from the corruption that had seized it. As always, time would tell.

Our foal, Vela, had been a gift from the goddess. She had blessed us with a beautiful little creature whose mere presence made my heart sing with such joy I felt like a child again myself. His fur was the wonderful silver-grey of the tribe, his bright yellow eyes like little campfires, and that tiny horn – it was so cute! One day, when he entered the chamber, when it was his time, he would emerge one of the greatest ever warriors of the goddess. He would be a true wendigo, as well as the future ruler of the fortress when I was my time to hang up my sword for the last time. Mind you, I think that would be a little while yet! By the goddess, he had some legs on him though. He shot around a corner just as I thought I had him. Blast it! I could barely keep up, and maintaining this pace was beginning to tell. I wasn’t as young as I once was, but for goodness sake, he could outpace a Derian! I beginning to tire, rounding one more corner. If I didn’t catch him this time I’d give up and let him go off and play with his friends. I’d just have to- AHA!

“GOT YOU!” I bellowed in triumph to his delighted squeals.

Goddess above, I don’t think I had much to worry about him getting into trouble if he could run like that! I flopped onto my haunches, subjected the little thing to a full on tickling assault, laughing as he shrieked and kicked joyfully. Eventually the giggles subsided and held him to my chest for a hug. He’d ended up here all on his own, had he? And despite my deliberately avoiding coming here with him until he was ready too. I should have suspected something like this would happen one day. The tribe’s bond with the spirits of the Wither World was particularly strong within Vela; he would be a fine lord one day when I passed from this plane.

“Fairlight! Oh goddesses, Fairlight… Why’d you run off like that? What’s going on, and who’s Vela?”

Cracked walls and empty halls, the warm light spilling from a lantern held by… Who was this? I was sure I recognised the face, but… What was her name again? I couldn’t quite put my hoof on it, although whoever she was, she seemed to be in quite a state of agitation for some reason. Perhaps she was one of Arathea’s new maids who she’d… No. No, damn it! This wasn’t me. It wasn’t!I shook myself hard, leaning a hoof against the wall as I caught my breath. Bloody hell, it had happened again, hadn’t it? I’d lost myself, running here following memories – ghosts of the past, the last echoes of the lives that had once filled this dark place. Was it a reaction to my wendigo self perhaps? If what I knew about the fortress was accurate, and I’d take that with a big pinch of salt, I was most likely the first wendigo to step hoof in here for a millennia. With all the residual magic lurking around, a plethora of ancient spells and the outpouring of intense emotions that had occurred here during the final days of the war, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if I’d inadvertently triggered something. With the emphasis on the word ‘something’. We all knew that spells degraded over time, and the more complex they were the more likely it was for parts of the spell matrix to break down and ‘go wrong’, so to speak. As a rule magic tended to be a one-shot deal; use it once and that was that. All quick and easy. Now that was fine for the majority of unicorns, but then you always had those innovative types who had to go that little bit further, didn’t you. Sure enough, before you knew it a whole new industry was born. Magic started to be used in physical devices more than ever, utilising naturally charged crystals such as the ones used in the PDW’s or the portable heaters to name but two. Others began to embed spell matrices themselves directly into larger, more complex machinery, although this had generally been met with a variety of notable successes and, in some cases, catastrophic failure. I think it was the Neighander Ridge hotel where they had that incident with the lift mechanism some years ago. The poor sods would have been in orbit now if those off-duty weather ponies hadn’t seen them when they did. After that we moved onto steam power for the more ‘industrial’ machinery, but magic has still has its place all the same. One of the more troubling aspects of magic though, is the way that it can linger. It has no smell, it’s invisible to the naked eye, but you can feel it if you know how to read the signs. Or have a horn like mine of course. The Everfree is one of the more notable areas for this natural and also not-so-natural phenomena. Unicorns know to keep clear of them, but not everypony can tell when they’re walking into a field of dangerously high magical radiation, and stories abound regarding ‘what came out the other side’. Some species were allegedly born of this curious magic. Hippogriffs for example, maybe even the minotaurs, I’m not sure. What I do know is that during the war, and conflicts prior to that, magical weaponry had been utilised on a spectacular scale that would boggle the mind by today’s more sober standards. In one war the Yakistanis had been, quite literally, ‘bombed back to the stone age’. By who, or whom, was something that has been lost in time however. The results, sadly for them but probably fortunately for us, are still felt to this day. Good gods, have you ever met one? Think bull in a china shop meets carpet factory, dress it up in the armour of your choice, throw in some testosterone, and you’re getting close. And so, with all that in mind it was extraordinary to find magic from so long ago working the way it should here in the fortress. Celestia’s magic was on a completely different level to us plebs of course, which explained the active traps in the pass, but standing here in the corridor, I could feel the life of this fortress thrumming through the walls. Magic could warp and change over time, morphing into something the originating creator never intended, but this… this was different. It felt as though the fortress was breathing, that it was alive. I don’t mean it in the same sense that Tingles and myself were alive, but rather that it was ‘sentient’ somehow. It was hard describe, although I didn’t feel afraid of it despite finding myself in a dark corridor when I had no idea how I’d even gotten here. I know it sounds crazy, but I felt… welcome. I closed my eyes and let go of the spirit’s power, letting my body change back to the more familiar me. If there was magic reacting to my wendigo form, I’d rather it not do that when Tingles was here. She’d seen enough weirdness to last several lifetimes.

I looked up at what the ‘ghost’ of Vela had been running towards. It was a door, a very large wooden door that was as black as midnight. Words in some ancient language were inlaid into the dark wood in silver letters that were still gleaming even after a millennia of total darkness. Whatever lay on the other side was definitely magical in nature, and was seeping slowly out into the corridor making my horn itch constantly. Somehow, standing there staring at this foreboding door in the depths of the ancient home of the wendigo, I knew that behind it lay the answers to all the riddles…

“Fairlight? For Celestia’s sake, will you talk to me?” Tingles pleaded.

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the door. “Don’t mention her name here…please,” I breathed. “Not here.”

“You’re frightening me, Fairlight!” Tingles snorted. She danced back and forth, her eyes catching the light of the lantern. “I don’t like this, I want to go home! Please, let’s just go before-”

“No!” I snapped. “This is it! Don’t you see? I’ve come so far, we’ve come this far, together… For this!” I paused, furrowing my brow in confusion. Even to my ears my voice had sounded almost hysterical.

Tingles took a step back, the look she gave me one of doubt and concern. “This is it? This is what? What’s behind that door?” She backed away, staring at the inscription. “I can’t read that language at all!”

I traced the runes with my hoof. They were so old and yet so clear too. It was a language I’d never known, but could read and write with ease. I read aloud, “There can be no sun without shadow. No light without darkness. No day without night. All come together as one in the passing of the veil.”

“What does that mean, ‘The veil’?” Tingles asked staring at the door. “And how can you even read that?”

“I… I don’t know,” I confessed. “Maybe it’s the spirit, Maroc’s memories, or the magic of this place, I can’t be sure. But I do know it’s referring to the barrier between the worlds - that which separates the mortal realm from the Wither World and the Eternal Herd. When we die, we pass from one to the other through the veil. Hell, I’m no Star Swirl the ‘Magnificent’, but even I can see it acts as a way to stop travellers just popping across from one to the other whenever they fancy. Most of the time anyway. Mind you, when I ended up in the withers I didn’t know I had a return ticket at the time.” I shook my head. “I dunno, it’s a bloody strange life alright.”

I pushed my hoof against the door, and almost immediately the curious runes began emanating a bright white light of their own. Now this, I didn’t expect. Both of us stepped back and I drew my sword in an instant. What a time to let go of my wendigo magic! My breath curled up around my muzzle in the chill stale air and I could hear my heart beating in my ears. Tingles had her PDW out, staring intently as, with a faint ‘click’, the great door swung open effortlessly. Pale blue light spilled out into the corridor, sending our shadows stretching off into the distant darkness as though seeking shelter from whatever mysteries lay beyond the threshold. I swallowed. Well, we’d come this far. I cast a glance at Tingles who looked back at me with a single nod. It was time to see this foray to its conclusion, whatever that may be. Carefully, keeping my hoofsteps as quiet as I could, I moved into the light, letting my eyes adjust. Inside was a circular room, not cold, not warm, and surprisingly plain. It was here that the magic I’d detected earlier seemed to be emanating from, although why was yet another question I had no answer to. I can tell you one thing though, it knew we were there. Tingles was oblivious to it of course, but I picked up on it immediately. Have you ever had the feeling somepony’s watching you? Maybe felt somepony was standing behind you? This room had that sensation in spades. I couldn’t see anything causing the magic field, but it was there, patiently awaiting its visitors. And it had waited, for such a very, very long time. We entered cautiously, not even noticing the door swinging closed silently behind us.

The room, or chamber as it would have been called in ‘ye olde’ times, was like a time capsule. And what a time capsule! The walls were solid crystal, their multi-faceted surfaces providing the room with an eerie ethereal light that was probably some form of naturally occurring magical luminescence. At least I’m pretty sure it was. Had I read that somewhere? I shrugged it off and continued my investigation. In the centre of the chamber sat a raised platform with several steps leading up to an altar of some kind that sported a strange swirling design inscribed along its sides. I couldn’t see any signs of scoring or stains, so that was a relief. I’d heard all sorts about what the ancients got up to with sacrifices and the like, but this looked to be something far more mundane. A brass pot with holes in the top for incense sat nearby, along with a tinder box, a golden pitcher and several goblets. The fact that they were still here and hadn’t been pinched by treasure hunters suggested we may well have been the first ones in here for quite some time. I know some explorers live by the mantra ‘Take only memories, leave nothing but hoofprints’, but come on – gold? Nopony’s that honest! I huffed quietly under my breath; had always been so cynical? Yes… Yes, I think I had been. Snorting, I walked down to where Tingles was examining something near the wall. It was a rug, and had been a very expensive one too judging by the amount of gold and silver thread that was surprisingly still visible. I lifted my head, taking in the chamber as a whole. Decaying rugs lay scattered liberally around the edges of the room next to equally elaborate cushions with long rotted stuffing, adding to the general feeling of abandonment as well as the all-pervading smell of decay.

“What do you think this place was?” Tingles asked, frowning at one of the cushions.

I rubbed my chin in thought. “A ceremonial chamber of some sort,” I said thoughtfully. “There’s a lot of magic in here, although there’s no specific source so far as I can tell. It’s just sort of… in the air.”

“Well I don’t know about that, but your magic brought us here,” Tingles said in her matter-of-fact manner. “So what do we do now?”

“I have no idea,” I replied honestly. “Let’s keep looking a while longer. If we don’t find anything, I’d suggest leaving and getting back before we lose the light.”

“All hail the god of common sense!” Tingles sniffed. “The sooner the better, as far I’m concerned. Exploring ancient locations in one thing, but this place is starting to freak me out.”

I couldn’t disagree. As interesting as this place was, musty, rotten old soft furnishings and a fancy wine set weren’t a good enough reason to risk our lives. Magic was thick in the air, and pervaded absolutely everything. My horn began to itch again, defying my attempts at blocking it out. Within me, the spirit slowly stirred, its senses beginning to merge with my own. It scented my surroundings curiously, taking in every detail no matter how small. Rumbling in satisfaction, it knew this was where it belonged… where I, we, belonged. Beneath it all I could sense a building desire from the spirit, a drive I hadn’t felt before, not even in the heat of battle. No, this was something different, something that quickly filling me with a cold dread I couldn’t explain. I turned to Tingles, opening my mouth to speak. I wanted to leave. There was something strange with… with… My jaw snapped closed. What?! Goddess damn it, what was going on?! Panic began to grab at me, but I may aswell have been railing against the mountain itself. Without any conscious input from myself, my hooves carried me back up the well worn steps to the altar. It was smooth, like marble, cold to the touch yet hummed with an energy that reminded me of the gigantic platform in the Wither World’s empty city. Somehow, on some inexplicable level... I knew. I understood. All the roads I had trod in my life lead here, here to this point. It was inevitable. It was fated to be so. Suddenly light, unfathomably beautiful light, burst all around me, flooding me with vivid memories and images as the chamber came to life. It had awoken. The fortress itself, asleep for so many years, was finally awake. It could see me, it knew who I was and why I was there. The ghosts of ponies long dead, wendigo and spirits alike… they all converged here. The worlds converged here. Behind me I could hear Tingles saying something, but in my now almost dreamlike state her words were nothing more substantial than a breath in the wind.

My body climbed the smaller steps at the back of the altar and lay down, my head placed upon the stone pillow while otherworldly music from a long dead age surrounded me, lulling me into a dreamlike state. Distantly I could feel the spirit taking my consciousness away from me, little by little filling my body with its own being. This was how it was meant to be. The time had come at last… at long last.

The hunger needed to be sated.

Shadowed ponies walked up to me, hooded and cloaked, chanting in a language I couldn’t understand and yet on some level did. Memories of flying, of battles, triumphant victories and a fortress vibrant with the joy of life, filled my mind as the ethereal sound resonated within my very soul. Warmth flooded my being from my nose to my tail, slowly passing and leaving in its wake the bitter tingling of cold, raw, magical power. I was drowning, blissfully, in its intoxicating strength. It called to me, sang to me - soon we would be as one, as we should have been from the very beginning. I had been alone, all the long years, but no longer. Now, I would be remade, reborn as one. I would never be alone again. Around me the chanting rose and fell, ever growing in its intensity. I could feel my teeth beginning to lengthen, my eyesight becoming tinged with the blue fire of the spirit. It had me in its hooves, it caressed and stroked me, promising many great and wonderful sights. Oh, how much we could see and do together! There were such sights to see! This was the way of the tribe. There only need be the sacrifice of the joyful willing to complete the joining, and all would be well once more.

Securely in its thrall, the wendigo rose, and with the lightest of movements gracefully landed on the platform. It hissed its defiance to the world, drinking in the smell, sight, and feel of the living plane. Shaking its mane, the spirit released a blast of cold mist which billowed across the floor, swirling around the shadowy ponies and the legs of the tangerine coated pegasus mare. Satisfaction emanated from the spirit’s mind, permeating my own. This was a fine choice. She was healthy, lean, and full of life energy. This one had willingly given of herself to the tribe, to the spirit, and would make an excellent offering to it. The spirit advanced on the mare who backed away slowly. The wendigo looked on, its surprise tangible in the swirl of emotions pulsing through me. This female was not willing? Had she not come here of her own volition to take her part in the joining ritual? No matter, she had no choice in the desires of the spirit. Its will was, after all, absolute. I struggled against the wendigo’s embrace, watching through its eyes as it drew closer to the frightened mare. Tingles backed up against the wall, fear reflected in her eyes. It was a sight that even in this confused condition, called out to me.
The spirit halted, addressing me. “Why do you resist me? This makes no sense.”

“Don’t hurt her,” I pleaded, “she is special to me.”

“Yes,” it hissed, “she is special to you. She is special to us. We have already tasted of her life essence. She gave of that willingly to sate our hunger. Did she not also come here willingly with you?”

“She did,” I agreed. “but she’s frightened. Look at her!”

The spirit complied, quietly watching Tingles like a cat watches a mouse before hissing out a breath of mist that built up around her, coalescing into the cold white forms of... ponies - ponies with soulless, glowing blue eyes. Tingles cried out in fright and desperately tried to get away from the things, her legs moving like they were wading through tar. The fog ponies reached out and took her limbs one by one, inexorably, silently, carrying her to the ground. I could see her struggles gradually weakening with their touch, her chest heaving and her eyes tight shut. Dear goddesses, this was wrong! So very, very wrong! Once more, the spirit moved forward until its maw was inches from Tingles’ nethers. Suddenly it let out a rumbling laugh, delighted with its perceived gift.

“I said don’t hurt her, damn you!” I threw at the thing.

It shook its mane and addressed me forcefully. “I will not hurt the female, as you would not, but this is the sacrifice, correct? This female has given herself to you willingly and now I will join with her also. Then, and only then, will the cycle be complete, and we shall become one.”

“No!” I howled. “Don’t do this! There is has to be another way!”

“There is no other way,” the spirit rumbled. “Now… be silent.”

I was helpless, raging and impotent in my own body which now had a new master - one whose intent was all too terrifyingly apparent both to myself, and Tingles.

“Fairlight?” the trembling mare whispered, “Please… I don’t want this. Don’t…”

“Please, spirit!” I yelled helplessly. “I’ll give you whatever you want, you can do whatever you want to me, just... for the love of the gods, don’t do this!”

I railed against the thing with all my might, but I may as well have been shouting into a hurricane. An invisible wall had cut me off from the wendigo completely. Whether it was ignoring me or simply couldn’t hear me any more, made no difference now. The spectral being had a singular purpose. It new what it wanted, what it needed, and goddess help us I could see, hear, and feel everything it did with my body as if it was I myself doing this despicable act.

The spirit’s tongue snaked out and ran up the length of Tingles body, slowly tasting her and enjoying her scent. It could sense her fear, smell it in the air, and it drew the thing on excitedly. I screamed and shouted as loud as I could… all soundlessly. If I could have ended my life right there, somehow stopping everything, I would have done so willingly. Luna help us, I had promised to protect her, to be there by her side, and now… now she saw me for who I truly was - a monster, a terrifying, dread creature who hungered for the lives of others. And the damnable thing had her at its mercy. Horrifyingly, I knew all too well just how little mercy this thing had. Goddesses forgive me, I couldn’t even look away. My eyes were the spirit’s eyes, my body the spirits body, and with my body the vile being pulled itself onto my tangerine mare and... mated with her. Every move, every feeling, every touch, I felt and saw. The look on her face froze my soul, the way her eyes were clamped shut, her hooves held fast by the ghostly ponies beside us, and all the while the alien music playing a cruel accompaniment to what was unfolding before, and beneath, me.

With a cry a triumph, the spirit finally released itself. Slowly, wearily, it stepped away from the mare, pleased with what it had done. “The pact is complete,” It said loftily. “I give to you my power and my strength, mortal. Live your life to the fullest. Fulfil your desires and create you own destiny, wendigo warrior.”

My emotions were in the darkest of all places. What it had done, had been done with me, by me. I could not undo what had happened. Nothing could fix this now. Nothing! I didn’t know what to do! What the hell could I say? What could possibly make this right? “I don’t want your power,” I snarled at the spirit. “You… You damned animal!What have you done…?”

It laughed. It actually, bucking laughed! “I have completed the pact,” It replied simply. “The female has been a part of that. You should have known this. Are you not one of the tribe? I have honoured her, and you.”

I looked down at the panting mare, the ghost-ponies holding her dissipating like the morning dew before the warmth of the sun. “Damn you spirit…”

“You are a strange one,” the spirit replied, “but no matter. I am a part of you now as you are of me. We are one, wendigo warrior. You shall not hear my voice again…”

The distant, ghostly voice of the spirit faded away into the nothingness from whence it came. And with its disappearance, I felt a background sense of melding, of joining. The now familiar feeling of being disjointed was finally gone. I felt as I had so long ago, before… Oh, goddess, Meadow. What those monsters had done to her, I had now done to Tingles. The violence was less, but it was still there: the power, the control. It was the tangerine pegasus who had suffered, and I had brought her here to inflict this monstrous act upon her. The strength, the power, the inherited memories… they meant nothing.

I leant down by her side. “Tingles… it’s me, Fairlight. I… I’m so sorry love, I-”

She flinched back, her eyes narrowed. “Keep away from me! You… you monster! You demon!”

“Tingles?”

“No! No, you’ve done what you wanted.” She pulled her flight suit across herself, covering her body from my sight. “I should never have come here with you! Why did I listen? WHY?!” She was shouting in an absolute fury. Tears streamed from her eyes as she picked herself up, slapping my hoof away when I tried help her up.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

“You’re SORRY?!” Tingles screamed. “It’s a bit too bucking late for ‘sorry’, isn’t it, you… you bastard!” Her voice trailed off into sobs.

I sat back on my haunches, utterly devastated with my life crashing down around me like shattered glass. And it was all my fault. I was losing her, my beloved mare… Tingles… Closing my eyes, I took a deep shuddering breath, wishing it could be my last. The chasm opened up before me and I walked willingly into it. I barely noticed the PDW pointing at me in her shaking hooves. Tingles stared at me, tears in her eyes and breathing hard.

I looked into those beautiful green orbs. “Do it,” I whispered pleadingly, “Please Tingles. Do it.”

She pulled the trigger. A burning bolt of energy seared down my shoulder and flank, spraying blood and fur across the crystal floor. I couldn’t feel the pain. Not now. I kept looking at her and reached up a hoof to help steady the pistol, placing my forehead against the muzzle. Taking a final breath, I waited for the end.

“I’m sorry my love…” I whispered.

Moments passed as I waited to move on. I wanted nothing more than oblivion. No Wither World, no eternal herd - nowhere would want me now, not after what I’d done. I just wanted to disappear into the void, into nothingness, to be... nothing.

The pressure of the pistol on my forehead lessened. “No. No, Fairlight, I know what happened to you. I know... what happened to me. But, I can’t…” She swallowed. “I can’t forgive you. I’m sorry. Come on, let’s get out of here.”

She wanted me to leave with her? I took a breath. “No.”

“Fairlight, theres no time for this…” Tingles holstered her pistol. “Let’s just go. Please. You’re hurt too, you can’t stay here.”

I shook my head. “Tingles, I’m not coming with you. I can’t. You know what I am. You know what I’ve done. I’m a monster, a danger to ponies and everything around me. Please, go home and…forget about me. Tell the agency I died fighting the wolves in the forest.”

The tangerine pegasus looked at me for a moment and shook her head. “You bloody fool, come on!”

I released the power and felt the anger, the hatred I felt towards myself building up, higher and higher until the magic was crackling around me like a thunderhead. “I SAID, ‘GO!’”

The tangerine mare’s eyes widened in fright at the sight of the vile thing that had overpowered her, that had… raped her. She turned and ran, out through the now open door and off into the fortress and the long journey home. She would go back to the facility now, back to a place of ponies who were like her - friends. Friends who wouldn’t attack their own. I walked over to one of the rotten rugs and stared at it. Arathea had loved these. I gently traced a hoof over the ancient thing, remembering the feel of it when the merchant had first presented it to the lady of the fortress. Her smiling face had been like sunshine on a cold, grey day. She’d been so happy too, her joy spreading effortlessly throughout the fortress to all who met her. I leaned back, taking out my pistol. It would be good to bring the story to a close here, to end the miserable saga of a poor pony who did nothing but bring suffering to others in his life. There’d been so much death, so much suffering - what the hell had it all been for?

“And what of the foals? What of the ones you saved from the humans? Do you think they would be enjoying the freedom you gave them, if not for your efforts?” Maroc stood before me, looking down questioningly.

“Somepony else would have saved them,” I said. I gave an ironic laugh. “I’m not unique”

“Everypony is unique, Fairlight, even you.”

“Ha! Even me…” Ah, what it is to be talking to imaginary voices in your head! Perhaps going mad wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

Maroc shook his head sadly. “Yes, and as my descendant I thought more of you. You are stronger than this.”

I’d had enough of this bollocks. “And what do you call raping my marefriend, eh, Maroc?” I glowered up at him. “I suppose that was me being stronger was it? WAS IT?”

“That was…‘unfortunate’,” he replied calmly. “But necessary.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “‘Unfortunate’? ‘Necessary’?” I could feel my muscles flexing. If he wasn’t a figment of my imagination I’d take the supercilious prick apart. “Goddesses in their bucking heaven, have you any idea what just happened? I just raped Tingles! I raped the mare I love and you stand there like it’s about as notable as hanging out the bastard washing!”

He looked down at me sadly. “Before the end, Fairlight, mares would enter this very chamber with their stallions, just like Arathea did with me.” He held his hoof up, motioning towards the altar. “The couples would join here, and from that union they would conceive their foal - a parting gift from the spirit before it melded with the stallion. The female would then bear a powerful foal from the joining and the three would be as one, as I was with my Arathea and Vela.”

Well that made about as much sense as a tapdancing penguin, didn’t it? “Tingles wasn’t willing, Maroc. She wasn’t willing at all.”

“I know, but there is still hope, Fairlight.”

I suddenly found myself laughing. Dear Luna, I really was cracking up. “Do you know how many times I’ve heard those vacuous words? ‘There’s always hope, Fairlight’. What a load of shit! There’s no hope. No hope at all! Don’t come here spouting such tripe at me expecting me to swallow it like some naive foal. Hope? It means nothing. NOTHING! Now, for love of all the gods, leave me be.”

“Fairlight, will you listen to reason?” The grey stallion frowned at me, his yellow eyes searching mine. “You will achieve nothing by-”

I hung my head and sighed. “Maroc, just piss off will you?”

*********************

Days turned into weeks, perhaps even months. All the while I sat there on Arathea’s old rug, a wreck of a stallion. Maroc would return occasionally to try and reason with me, but it was pointless. I’d given up, both in body and in mind. I was just so tired all I wanted now was to sleep, to let go of this terrible existence and become one with the void. I wanted no more than nothingness. No thought, no sensation, no self. It was the one thing I needed, and the one thing I was constantly denied. Several times I’d held the pistol to my head and tried to pull the trigger only to put it down. In my cowardice I’d even failed to finish myself. Tingles should have killed me outright the first time, she’d had every right to, but why should I blame her for not sending me into the dark embrace of death? Why should she have to soil her hooves with my foul blood? There was only one killer in this room now, and soon, goddess willing or not, there would be none at all. The fortress was a graveyard, filled with the bones of a people long since forgotten. What would one more mouldering skeleton be to this remote, isolated tomb?

I should never have come here.

I sat there with my pistol by my side, feeling myself slowly slipping away. I hadn’t eaten or drunk anything in I don’t know how long. I had very little spirit energy left now, in fact it was probably the only thing keeping me alive. Still, even that couldn’t last forever and I’d finally be able to let go…

A noise. Rats, maybe? I caught the glimpse of a long white leg flashing past my vision, kicking the pistol away. It clattered noisily as the useless thing skittered across the floor. I’d never had the courage to use it anyway. Bloody coward that I am. A blue eyed white face loomed in front of mine, a harsh blow smashing me across my head and sending me sprawling to the floor. I made no effort to move. What was the point? The stallion grabbed my shoulders and shook me before brutally kicking me in the stomach. I probably would have retched if I’d had anything in there to bring up, but my stomach was distended from the lack of food and I merely jerked helplessly with the impact like a rag doll. Whoever they were, the pony who’d introduced himself through the medium of sudden brutality was having a conversation with another which I could neither hear nor cared to. They could do what they bloody well wanted with me so far as I was concerned. Buck them anyway, but I hoped at least they’d enjoy themselves - it could be my parting gift to this shitty world. Years of loyal service in the watch, dedication to my work, endless late nights, fighting for my life against drunken thugs, and I end up like this. Gods, what a joke! My captors didn’t seem to see the funny side of my predicament however. They wasted no time making sure my forelegs and hindlegs were shackled and a horn-lock clamped onto my horn to prevent any attempts at magic. I could have laughed! In fact, I think I did. The ponies, all dressed in shiny armour and fancy helmets, hoisted me up, and between them they carried me from the chamber like a sack of grain. At least I didn’t have to walk. Maybe they would help me off the tower? Good view up there boys! I thought madly to myself. My sanity was finally beginning to crack too it seemed. Or had ever really been there in its entirety? Ha! Who knew? Who cared! Eventually though, I was hauled out into the bright sunlight and cold icy air of the mountain range. I could see them in all their resplendent glory now; royal guards, around ten of them, all standing around on the rubble next to several sky chariots and carriages. Every single of them was staring at the curious grey unicorn who was currently chained and bound, bouncing along and giggling like a lunatic. Their officer didn’t seem too impressed either, strangely enough.

“Is that him? You’ve got to be kidding me,” he sneered.

One of my guards looked at me askance. “He was the only one in there, sir, and he fits the description.”

The officer huffed expansively. “Yes, he does doesn’t he. Looks like he’s at death’s door.”

“He was lying next to this sir.” The guard passed the officer my PDW.

“Hmm, agency issue. The rest of his gear is too.” The officer lifted a clip board, staring from it, to me, then back again. “It’s him alright. Come on boys, let’s get him loaded and back to the barracks. I don’t like this place, it stinks of evil if you ask me.” I started to laugh. “And will somepony muzzle him? I don’t want to listen that lunatic all the way back to Canterlot!”

The ‘sack of grain’ was duly flung into the back of one of the enclosed carriages, the doors slamming shut with a deafening finality that would have rattled a fellow’s fillings loose. Hoofsteps crunched over the rough gravel outside, and moments later we rocketed into the sky, with said grey pony bouncing around in the back like the contents of a giant’s maracas. Rather thoughtfully I was kept in place with the odd kick from the carriage guard’s hoof. Well, I did so hate to be a bother, didn’t I! Poor bugger could have done himself an injury, and I know how much time they spend polishing their hooves in the princess’s personal arse licking team. The way they were going though I’d likely never make it to my destination alive, and perhaps it was all for best - I was knackered anyway. Still, it was interesting to note that these guys had been able to fly in and out of here without the kind of bother Tingles and I had faced. Being pals with the bitch who’d set the traps in the first place probably had something to do with it of course, but it would have been so deliciously ironic if we’d flown right into something and BOOM! Can you imagine the look on Celestia’s face then? “Where’s my prisoner?!” Whoops! Ah, but no such luck.

All too soon, battered, bruised, dehydrated, and near starved to death, I arrived at wherever the bloody hell this was, and flung bodily into a cell. Thankfully I didn’t recall much of the journey to be honest, just the floor of the carriage and the occasional hoof to the jaw. My guard hadn’t been the talkative type apparently. Top comfort and safety features in royal guard conveyances these days it seemed! And so I lay there, too weak to move, my stomach empty, and utterly alone. I had no idea where I was, or why, or even cared for that matter. It was almost the event of the year when a small flap at the bottom of the door opened and a tray of porridge along with a bowl of water was pushed inside. Nopony bothered to see I was able to move of course. If they had they may have noticed that I was so weak there was no way in the goddess’s world I was ever going to be able to reach it. My body was failing me… It was as it should be. It wouldn’t be long now, thank the gods. I chuckled slightly; I’d probably not live long enough to meet my host. What a shame! Oh dear, whatever was I going to do now?

I don’t know how much time passed. Drifting in and out of consciousness has a way of distorting your perceptions when it comes to things like that. But whether it was day or night was impossible to say in that cell anyway. There was no real light, nor darkness to speak of. A single lantern flickered in the corner of the miserable, dank hole reminding me that I was at the very bottom of the rung when it came to my status in life. Not that it had been very high to begin with, but even so, what a place to die. Still, it seemed appropriate somehow. Hoofsteps outside caught my attention, keys rattling in the door before it opened to admit a flood of light from the brightly lit hallway. I blinked against the glare as a dark coated mare entered, throwing back her hood and looking at me with deep azure eyes. Why did she look so sad?

“Thank you guard, you may leave us now.”

“Yes, your highness.”

‘Your highness’…Pfff! The mare ran her hooves over me and clicked her tongue, probably realising I was a gone and unhappy about the prospect of returning to her masters to report the prisoner was about to snuff it. I was a disappointment on so many levels, wasn’t I? Ah, but then perhaps she’d come to scoff at me? I’d heard the nobility had a fondness for such sick things like that, yet frankly, I was too far gone to care anymore.

“Oh Fairlight, how did it come to this…” The mare took a deep breath, lifting my muzzle. “Why did you go to that accursed place? I warned you, I pleaded with you. If only you had listened. The letter told you of the dangers there, and now… now you are…” She caught herself and shook her mane. “It matters not now, what is done is done. Come, my warrior, lift your head for me.”

The midnight mare lifted my head in her hooves, a small gasp escaping her lips when she saw how weak and frail I had become. Why couldn’t she just let me go? Bloody females, they always had to interfere with you, didn’t they? Oh, they always knew best of course - mum had made sure to hammer that little ‘fact’ into me as a foal. Gods above, from the cradle to the bloody grave, eh? Why couldn’t they leave me the buck alone?! I pushed away, or tried to. I may as well have been trying to push against a solid wall I was so devoid of strength. Gently, the mare lifted the cup of water, rubbing a little across my dry, cracked lips. At first it burned and I pulled my face away, only to have it moved back again and the process repeated. I hated this! I didn’t… I didn’t want… Oh, goddesses, what was the point? Why fight it? Why fight her? The water, shocking at first, sapped the last fragment of my will power. It was cool and soothing, so wonderful… No! No, I didn’t want this!

“Leave… Leave me, princess…” I croaked, “Just… let me go. Please...”

Luna clucked her tongue, brushing the mane from my eyes, “No. Why would you say that? How could I let you die and not try to save you?”

“I’m a monster,” I rattled, my throat dry like parchment. “Tingles, I… I raped her. You see, now? For the love of the gods, please, princess… let me die.”

Luna paused for a moment. Good, that would do it. Not even royalty would forgive such a crime against one of their subjects, and rightly so. I let out a rattling breath, smiling faintly. Any moment now, the end would come, and the sad, twisted story of Fairlight, the poor bastard from- The sudden shock of cold water dribbling down my throat made my body lurch. Luna had taken a mouthful and was slowly dribbling it into my mouth. What the hell was she thinking? Was she insane?! She held me fast, forcing me to take more and more of the water whether I wanted it or not. Lips clamped around mine as my bloody traitorous body reacted of its own accord despite my weak flailing protests. Drop by drop, each glistening pearl carrying her scent tinged with the unmistakable tang of magic, entered me. I began to instinctively lap at the water, feeling its life giving strength hissing through my ravaged, dessicated body. Satisfied, Luna levitated up the bowl and made me drink the rest, which I did - hungrily. I could feel life and strength running into me once more, re-invigorating me from muzzle to tail. What had she…? The water! I peered into the cup and saw the faint silvery drops of life energy mixed within. I thought I’d tasted magic! I closed my eyes. Why? Oh Luna, why? What have you done?

The princess watched me with her customarily serene gaze. “You will need your strength now, my warrior. I fear that there is little good I can do you other than this small trifle, but I will try. I promise you, I will try.”

“But why?” I breathed. I put down the cup, staring up at her with my dry eyes. “Luna… why bring me this?”

“Why?” Luna let out a soft sigh, smiling sadly. “Because I have no desire to see you die, Fairlight. I refuse to see another pony pass from this world because of me.”

“Because of you?”

Luna nodded. “I should have made you see sense, or at the very least spoken to you before you left. Instead, I was afraid you would be angry and so, I sent you the letter instead. Forgive me… It was wrong of me. And now, my foolishness has caused you and your mare unimaginable pain. My only wish was-”

“I never read it.”

“-for you to…” Luna gasped, her head snapping up. “What? You didn’t read it? Why not?!”

“I...” I swallowed. “I just didn’t. I was distracted, and by the time I remembered, it was too late.” I closed my eyes. “Far too late.”

“Oh, Fairlight, it’s all my fault!” The princess began to tremble, her ears drooping as she a wracking sob escaped her lips.

“No!” I reached up and caught her hoof in mine. “Don’t cry for me, Princess. Don’t you dare cry for me! Please! There’s been too many tears on my account already.”

She reached down and kissed me, actually kissed me, right on the forehead. “I know what happened to you at the fortress, Fairlight,” Luna said quietly. I stared down at her hoof held in mine. It was so delicate, so exquisitely feminine, I could see now why warriors would happily throw themselves onto the blades of their enemies in her name. My ancestors had done just that, and who could blame them? She was the goddess of the moon, and the deity my people had worshipped. Their love for her was not misplaced, but it had brought them in on the losing side of the war nonetheless. Would they have still fought for her if they’d known what the outcome would be? I think I knew. I closed my eyes, hanging off her every word as she continued.“There are books here at the palace which pre-date the last war; everything from reports to studies, analyses, even poetry and simple musings, all written by the many scholars, philosophers and mages who had once been welcomed as honoured guests of the tribe of the four winds. Now, those ancient writings are locked away in the forbidden library lest the more inquisitive of our people, such as yourself and Tingles, give in to their equine taste for adventure and risk travelling into the mountains to see the ruins for themselves.” Luna smiled wistfully. “They were better times than those that claimed the lives of your forefathers, Fairlight. The fortress had once been a home for those who were lovers of music, art and literature, regardless of their warlike nature. In some ways they were the physical embodiment of light and dark - a fusion of pony and spirit that none had ever foreseen when they first left the heart of Equestria during the strife between the three tribes. Many saw them as a race of beings that were as close to the gods as a mortal could be, and that, if nothing else, caused many more to fear them. Fear lead to jealousy, superstition, and ultimately a rift between the tribe and the rest of Equestria. When the war began, the wendigo sided with...” She closed her eyes and sighed. “I think you the rest.” Luna took her hoof away and brushed a tear from her eye. “Gods forgive me, I should have stopped you, Fairlight. As fate would have it, my duties here at the castle called me away that very morning, leading me to slip the letter under your door when I should have made the time to speak to you face to face. When I found you had already gone, it was too late. I honestly thought you would have read my warning to avoid the fortress and that would be that. The whole mountain is a death-trap. That you survived is nothing short of a miracle.”

That damned letter! If only I’d opened it, if I’d remembered to read the thing, I may not have gone. Tingles may have been… I wouldn’t have… “What of Tingles and Shadow?” I asked. “Are they safe?”

The princess nodded, lifting the bowl of porridge to my hooves. “Eat. Eat and we will talk.”

I did my best to comply. I was still as weak as a kitten, but my life’s flame had been rekindled, and I was slowly beginning to feel my body react to the food as well as the life energy the princess had brought me.

“Good, that’s better.” Luna smiled, her azure eyes watching me eat every spoonful. “Tingles, the agency mare, she is safe. I have not been able to speak to her since she returned, however Brandy has assured me she is completely unharmed. Forgive me.”

I shook my head. “There’s nothing to forgive, your majesty. What I did is a crime I alone must bear. At least she’s safe now, and I can take some comfort in that. Thank you for telling me, but… what of Shadow?”

She shook her head. “My sister… she knows. She discovered I have been travelling to the Wither World to seek your mate. Celestia has powers that even I had never realised she had possessed, and even in the dream world, she knew what I had been doing.” To my surprise Luna buried her muzzle into my neck. “I’m so sorry, Fairlight! I promised you I would re-unite you with Shadow, and I failed! I failed you, like I failed you at the fortress. Like I failed… him.” Tears began to fall, one after the other, dropping onto the dusty floor of the cold cell like warm rain.

My hooves shaking, I put the bowl down before I dropped it. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. She had ‘failed’ me? Shadow, my thestral mare…. lost in the Wither World? Oh, gods, no... Even the princess with all her experience and alicorn magic hadn’t been able to help her. My heart sank. If Princess Luna herself couldn’t succeed, then what chance did Shadow have? But wait - could I not do something to help her myself? After all, I had magic didn’t I? The power of the wendigo had to be good for something, gods damn it! I put that thought to one side. I would think more on it later, if I could. A cold flush of despair seared through me, and yet for some reason the spark of hope remained. Forlorn it may be, but it was there alright. I took a deep breath and tried to clear my mind. The princess said she had failed ‘him’? I knew who she meant of course. Luna, the princess of the night, the nightmare of the moon; in her eyes, when she looked at me she saw her long lost love - Maroc, the lord of the four winds. My heart cried out to her. All these long centuries of loneliness she had carried a torch for a long dead stallion. I couldn’t imagine how much pain that had caused her, and worse, I could do nothing to give her what she wanted. There was no balm for broken dreams. Or a broken heart.

Taking a deep breath I looked her in the eyes. “My princess, I found him. I found Maroc.”

“Wha- you did?” She blinked in surprise. “What do you mean?” Luna lifted her head, expectation written across her features. He’d been dead for over a thousand years, and yet somehow there was still that tiniest flicker of hope. Even now.

I shook my head. “I found his remains… in the pass. He had something with him.” I was surprised I still had it to be honest. The guards had searched me, but they’d only really checked my bandoleers, equipment and pockets. The tiny chain with its heart pendant was so small they must have missed it, or not thought it of any importance. I fished it out of the remains of my battered flight suit with my hooves, fiddly though it was. Being a unicorn I relied so much on magic, having it blocked was a serious handicap; hooves weren’t exactly designed for handling such small objects. Even so, I managed well enough. “Here,” I said passing it to the midnight mare, “you should have this. It was his.”

Luna levitated the pendant from my outstretched hoof and stared at it in stunned silence. Floating there before her eyes, held in the glow of her magic, it sparkled like a thing alive. I could see the red of the heart clearly now, the red as deep as blood, and in my minds eye it as if it were beating, pulsing with energy. Luna covered her mouth with both hooves, her eyes filling with tears. “Oh!” She held the tiny thing to her chest and kissed it, whispering, “Maroc, my lord, I miss you so much… I loved you, and yet I never told you. Gods above… I never told you…”

Her tears fell like rain, wetting my coat. Once more, I had made a mare cry. Was there anything I did that wouldn’t end in causing tears to flow? The feeling of self loathing was resurfacing, little bubbles of bitterness floating into my consciousness - until Luna surprised me once again. I felt the chain and pendant float down around my neck, settling onto my chest.

“No.” She closed here eyes and huffed softly. “This belongs to you now, Fairlight. Maroc was gone a long time ago. I know that… of course I do.” She shook her mane, countless constellations shimmering in the stellar winds. “You are one of his children, and this was a gift to Arathea, not to me. As their descendant, it passes to you now.”

Tentatively, I reached over and gently hugged her. I had no right to really, and half expected her to push away the impulsive stallion before her. “Thank you, Princess,” I said respectfully. “I know you tried everything you could for Shadow, and for me. Alas, I fear I have only brought more trouble to your door with your sister. Is there anything I can do for you?”

“No,” she sighed. “I wish I could say otherwise, but I fear the worst, my faithful stallion. My sister’s mercy has its limits, and her wrath is the stuff of legends. Such sentiments are not unfounded either. I think you know that all too well.” Luna took a sip of water, topping up my cup. “Most times she is a kind and benevolent ruler, but now, although we share the throne, there are matters I still have no say in. This is one of them.” Suddenly she slammed a hoof down, making me look up in surprise. “But by the gods, we will make her listen!” Luna nodded to herself then quickly rose to her hooves, mussing my mane with a smile. “Finish the meal and the water, my lord of the four winds. Whether you like it or not, that is who you are now. What you do with that title however, is up to you, and you alone. Soon enough, I fear my sister will call for you and you will know your fate. I will do what I can, but be assured I will not stand idly by and be silent witness to any more suffering on my account.”

The beautiful princess of the night rose to her hooves and knocked for the guard. As she left the cell, Luna looked back over her shoulder and gave me a subtle wink. Well, that was unexpected! The door slammed shut with the kind of finality that would normally have been the harbinger of the kind of end that involved a liberal application of axe. It still might of course, but hey, so what? There was bugger all I could do about it, and besides, I’d been here before hadn’t I? Crazy thestral matriarchs and now a genocidal alicorn. Same shit, different day – different world too for that matter. Ha! Bring it on! I let out a raucous laugh, flopping back onto the pile of straw that passed as a bed in these parts. I’d have to have a word with the management about the accommodation here, it could definitely do with a bit of improvement. Some curtains, lick of paint and a pot plant could make all the difference in the world. Hell, they could even rent it out! I chuckled to myself, closing my eyes with a sigh. Despite my predicament I was actually feeling a lot more like me. Still, the horror of what had happened in the fortress was weighing heavily on my heart, my potential fate with the princess too I suppose. I had been so eager to die, but now… Now, I wasn’t so convinced. Luna was an alicorn I wanted to protect, the goddess of the night, and one whom Maroc had served. Was it something in my genetics? Whatever, it didn’t matter anyway. Right now, I just wanted to sleep and give my body a chance to recover. I had to look good for judge, jury and potential executioner, right?

I must have nodded off at some point, because the next thing I knew was that I was being rather rudely awakened by a bunch of Celestia’s gorillas dragging me bodily down the endless corridors of the palace, suspended, once again, like a grey coated hunting trophy. Bloody hell, weak I may be but I could still walk for goodness sake. I mean, it would be nice to have been given the chance to at least try. Come to think of it, it would have saved their backs too, gods bless ‘em. Royal guards had always had something of a shitty reputation in watch circles. ‘Nancy boys’, we used to call them. ‘Posers’ was another of the nicer, and more ‘repeatable’ epithets used to describe what we thought of them too. Unlike the scruffy, practical garb of the watch, these guys all wore matching armour, polished until they shone like mirrors. Their helmets, complete with fancy crests, carried some sort of spell matrix that changed the wearer’s coat and eye colour so they all looked the same, like chocolate box soldiers. Only the very best for her nibs, eh? The general opinion however, was that they’d be like chocolate soldiers in a fight – melting in the heat of battle. Whether the miserable sods who’d nabbed me had got the same message thhough, was a little in doubt right now. Unlike some the ones I’d met over the years, this lot apparently worked out. Oof! Yes… Yes, they definitely did! They kicked me roughly to the floor as they stood before a huge set of ornate double doors that lead, I guessed by their demeanour, to the throne room. Loud muffled voices beyond said portal were raised in anger. Luna’s I recognised, but there was another, one much more commanding in tone. Celestia, it had to be. One of my guards readjusted his armour and knocked respectfully on the door. A moment later it glowed briefly with a golden light. Well, here we go!

Silently, the huge portal swung open and I was pulled through past yet another set of guards. Being upside down was making my head spin as all the blood rushed into my tortured brain. It didn’t last long though, as my thoughtful captors had another little treat in store for me. Rather than presenting me to the princesses in such an ungainly manner, they decided to unhook from from their carry pole and dump me on the floor like a bag of dirty laundry.

“Get up!” One of them snarled under his breath. “Show some respect!”

“I’d… Hnngh, I’d love to...” I gasped, trying to make my legs support me.

I was still hopelessly weak, my hobbled legs making walking nearly impossible even if the damned things had been working properly in the first place. The horn-lock blocked any magical ability too, so I was, for all intents and purposes, completely at their mercy. And right now, that was in very short supply. Down the long gallery they dragged me, along the thick red carpet, past huge stained glass windows depicting scenes that would probably have been something I’d have liked to have seen in different circumstances, until finally I was stood before the two alicorns. The guards shoved me to the floor and placed spears to my neck - as if I was in any fit state to pose a risk to their beloved royalty! Regardless of what I thought personally of the princess though, she was still the one I had sworn an oath to when I joined the watch. Whether that meant anything to her remained to be seen, but I doubted it would make a jot of difference to the overall outcome. ‘Off with his head!’ came to mind.

The two of them stood below the steps to the thrones in heated discussion:

“…have already told you, Luna. I will not continue to discuss this further.”

“You have ‘told’ me?” Luna, considerably smaller than her elder sibling, stood her ground admirably. “Big sister, you have not listened to anything I have said on the matter. The Wither World is my domain and my responsibility. You are not to interfere in-”

“The Wither World is not your sole dominion sister!” Celestia retorted, cutting her off. “Do you not remember what happened the last time you travelled there? We were plunged into civil war! Years of suffering and death at the hooves of those ‘things’ you found in that place, and all because of that vile spirit you ‘contracted’ when you were there. They are attracted to you because of who you are and so you are especially at risk. I will not allow that to happen again!”

Now that was interesting. Had Luna been inhabited by one of the spirits just as I had? Perhaps the way unicorns of the tribe used the spirits power to morph into wendigo, maybe Luna used hers to change into Nightmare Moon? It was an interesting theory.

“I do not need a history lesson ,Tia,” Luna snapped. “I know all too well what happened, and what you did to me afterwards!

“How many times, Luna, how many times?!” Celestia paced back and forth, tossing her her mane irritably. “We have been over this, again and again. You gave me no choice! Would you have had me kill my own sister? Banishment was the only option.”

Luna took a deep breath, steadying herself. “I have a responsibility to those creatures, Tia. Whether you approve of them or not, does not matter. They may not be ponies, but they are still living things, and they need my help, our help.”

Celestia ruffled her wings in irritation, “Living things? Those ‘things’ Luna, are beings of unadulterated evil, full of malice and cruelty. There was a reason they were put there in the Wither world by father - they cause nothing but fear and suffering wherever they go, and I will NOT have them here in Equestria!”

I had to open my big mouth, didn’t I? “Is that why you butchered them your highness?” I asked coldly. “Cut them down like you did the wendigo? Foals, the weak, the sick - slaughtered them to the last pony?”

Celestia slowly turned to face me, her alabaster coat shining in the filtered sunlight from the high stained glass windows. She was, even I would have to admit, a most magnificent creature - terrible and beautiful to behold, and all in one impossibly elegant being. Her deep purple eyes opened wide in surprise momentarily, then narrowed, her wings ruffling by her sides.

“Guards… leave us.” The royal guards bowed and left, leaving me alone with the princesses. Celestia walked towards me slowly, deliberately. “And here he is,” she said quietly, “the cause of all our problems. The source of all the suffering and misery that has befallen us. Here, I have you, at last.”

Luna tried to stand between us. “Sister! You cannot lay the blame for all our woes at this stallion’s hooves! He has proven his loyalty to us time and time again. He has saved ponies, foals too. He-”

“Be quiet Luna!” The white one’s voice rolled out through the throne room like a tidal wave, making my fur stand on end with its raw power.

Luna stopped in her tracks, her mouth still hanging open while her sister whipped around to face me. “So… You know a little of your peoples past, do you?” Celestia nodded slowly, her eyes staring deep into mine. There was no love here. No kindness to found. All I saw was death - the death brought by the white witch in the frozen wastes of the mountain pass. “There was was a reason I did what I did all those years ago, ‘wendigo’,” the alicorn continued. “Oh, yes, I know who you are... and what you are. Yet perhaps... you do not? Or at least, you do not know the depths of the depravity from which your kind spilled out to infect our land.” She shook her mane, the rainbow of magic light shimmering as though a living thing all of its own. “Allow me to elucidate for you. Your race, your ‘tribe’ as they called themselves, was a cancer within Equestria, a source of cruelty and evil which revelled in killing, and in war. Do you know how many of our children lost parents because of those… those things?”

“They were living creatures, Celestia,” I replied. “They had thoughts and feelings of their own, just you, just like me. They lived, they loved, they died, just like any other pony. They were not the only ones involved in the war, they were only a part of it.”

The princess lifted her head, then nodded slowly. “Yes, they were. But one part of a whole does not negate its impact, ‘Fairlight’. You may have done good things here in service to the royal family and Equestria, but your hooves have been drenched in blood ever since the spirit of the netherworld took you. Even from here, I can smell it on you.” She peered down at me, wrinkling her nose, “You stink of death.”

I held my head up. I wasn’t going to show weakness before her, not now. “Your majesty, I have only ever served you. As my father before me, and his father before him, my loyalty to you and to Equestria has never been in question. If what I have done was wrong, then I beg for your forgiveness. But I have always done what I believed was right for our people, and Equestria.”

Luna placed a hoof on my shoulder. “Sister, listen to him! He is loyal to you, he swore an oath to serve you. Please, Tia, just let him go. Let me find his marefriend and re-unite them, it is all I ask. Please, sis.”

I looked up into the big purple eyes of the princess of the sun, willing her to allow me to leave, to find Shadow and to go… to leave Equestria if I had to. But not like this, to be branded a criminal…it was too much.

Celestia closed her eyes. “You think I’m a fool, don’t you…”

Luna cocked her head in confusion. “Tia?”

Celestia rounded on her sister. “You think I don’t know what you’ve been doing, Luna? The sneaking, the manipulation…”

Luna took a step back, clearly rattled by her sisters forcefulness. “I don’t understand…”

“Don’t lie to me, Luna!” Celestia thundered. “I know all about this so-called ‘Equus’, your secret little toy which you had your pet work for. Do you seriously believe I would not have anticipated such a thing from you? I created the agency to keep our people safe, to act quietly, out of the public eye so that our citizens could live their lives in peace and harmony, just as our mother intended. But no, no you simply could not leave such things alone could you? You had to interfere, thinking that you knew best, just like you always do! And look what happened the last time!” Celestia tossed her mane, fixing her sister with a hard stare. “I knew about what you were doing, and I allowed it. I let you keep your little toy, so that you may have a hoof in keeping our land free of the sickness that forever waits in the shadows. But like last time you took a step too far, didn’t you? Now see! Here he lies before you, broken, damaged beyond repair. ‘Lord of the four winds’? Pah! Foalish nonsense! A leopardnever changes its spots.” Celestia moved her mouth close to Luna’s ear and spoke in a dangerously low tone. “Oh, and I know all about the ‘other things’ you’ve been doing with your pet, Luna. Your coat, your aura… You stink of that… that thing!”

Luna’s eyes went wide in shock. She took a step forward, stomping her hoof in anger. “Whomsoever I choose to lay with is my concern sister, and not yours! How dare you suppose to lecture me in who-”

“ENOUGH!” Celestia’s horn glowed as bright as the sun, her eyes shining like supernovas. Luna stepped back in fright as her sister’s wings snapped out and she floated up into the air suspended by a massive magical build up. The alicorn’s voice boomed through the halls. “I will not allow another of these creatures to step foot upon Equestrian soil. To think of them breeding, to have more of their kind infesting our most sacred home… I say NO!” This was it then - judgement time. Maelstrom had ordered me put to death, now Celestia was going do it too. It was becoming quite a habit this. “Wendigo, your kind were cleansed from our lands a millennia ago. Yours are a forgotten people, one who should have remained that way. You are an aberration, a mistake. A mistake that must be corrected.” She held her gold shod hooves up to the ceiling, throwing her voice until it filled the room. “Fairlight, you are to be taken from this place, from Canterlot and Equestria, to be exiled to the wastes beyond the north, never to return on pain of death. Sentence is to be carried out immediately. The prisoner is to have no contact with anypony before he leaves.”

Luna cried out in alarm, putting herself once more between herself and me. “NO! Tia, for mother’s sake, please don’t do this! How can you be so cruel?”

Celestia landed gracefully on the carpet and folded her wings, the pure white mare smiling down at the tearful Luna. “But I am merciful, Luna. If I was not, I would have had him executed.”

Luna wiped her eyes, her voice trembling with emotion. “Times were different then, Tia, we were at war! The land has been at peace for a thousand years since then. You have to let go of the past and your ancient hatred. Don’t let such a time of darkness taint your view of those who have done only good in their lives. Fairlight has sacrificed everything for our people, and for us! Please! Please, Tia, let him go.”

Celestia blinked slowly, her expression as cold as the ice that entombed the dead home of my people. “Is that all you have to say?”

Luna balked. “I-”

“My judgement has been made.” The princess announced. “The decision is final. Guards!”

I bowed to the princesses as the doors to the thrown room opened. “Princess Celestia, your majesty. Before you banish me from Equestria, I will say this, ‘There can be no sun without shadow. No light without darkness. No day without night. All come together as one in the passing of the veil.’”

She stared at me, her ear twitching and raised a hoof. “Where… Where did you learn that?”

“Fairlight…” Luna whispered.

“From the home of my ancestors,” I said calmly. “I was led there by the ghost of a little foal, the son of Maroc, the one whose bones you left to bleach in the sun on a forsaken mountainside, abandoned and alone.”

“Oh!” Luna cried out, looking away as tears streamed down her face.

The guards drew up alongside me, but I wasn’t quite finished yet. “You say I have the blood of ponies on my hooves Celestia, and I do.” I took a deep breath, looking her right in the eyes. “But I am not the only one who can smell blood, and even after a thousand years, the smell never quite goes away.”

Celestia glowered at me but was noticeably shaken. She motioned to the guards. “Take him away”.

Comments

[Lord Legion]

Well that made about as much sense as a tapdancing penguin, didn’t it?

Yes Happy Feet!