The air was still in the midnight swamp, aside from the distant choir of small creatures that made this frozen environment their home. The only other sound was the gentle lapping of the water as the little barge smoothly glided on the water between the giant frost-encrusted trees.

Rarity marveled at their surroundings. Like its name suggested, the Frozen Marshes was a vast swampland locked in the grip an unnatural winter. The air was freezing, causing every exhale from the travelers to generate a white puff. The water around them was a stygian black punctuated by small sheets of pale blue ice that crumbled under the barge’s bow.

The trees that surrounded them were a strange species of cypress, so tall that their tops were lost in the darkness above. Their branches were covered in a ghostly pale hanging moss, one that resembled the long beard of some ancient scholar. Twilight had tried to gather samples to study, but was frustrated that all of her attempts resulted in the moss melting straight to liquid in her warm hands.

Kyria manned the barge, or “punt” as she called it, and propelled the small craft with a long pole at the stern. While it had seemed makeshift at first glance, it turned out the craft was of sound and sturdy build. It was rectangular in shape, with a squared bow and stern. By Lero’s rough guess, the boat was maybe thirty feet long and wide enough to allow three humanoid passengers to sit comfortably side by side. The stern had a small platform that allowed Kyria to stand squarely while she planted the pole on the swamp’s bottom and push the craft along. The punt had a shallow draft, making it very suitable for navigating the swamp’s shallow water, and seemed stable enough to accommodate the seven passengers and their collection of gear.

Kyria guided the boat expertly through the nocturnal swamp with the aid a peculiar lantern affixed to the bow. At moments, the lantern would shift its color, changing from a warm orange to green or red. Whenever it did so, Kyria would change the craft’s direction, going left or right according to the color until it returned to its usual orange.

Twilight was, of course, both fascinated and frustrated by the object. Kyria had tried to explain that it was something called a Wanderer’s Lantern, a tool she won off an overconfident goblin in a dice game a long time ago; of course the hob had been either too drunk or too stupid (or maybe a combination of both) to realize that the girl had been using a loaded die. If you whispered a location to the lamp and gave it a suitable amount of fuel, the lamp would eventually lead you to that location. Even some vague commands like, “someplace safe” were acceptable, though “safe” was usually very loosely debated.

“One time it nearly lead me through a swarmers’ nest to lead me home,” said Kyria with a dry laugh. “So yeah, it does lead you to where you want, just not always the way you expect. Goblin gadgets are funny like that.”

Twilight, from her seat in front of Lero, said, “But.. wait, how does it know what you are even talking about?”

“It just does,“ casually replied Kyria.

“That doesn’t make any sense!”

This was the fifth time Twilight had said that phrase in the past half-hour, which seemed one too many times for the horned girl. Kyria gave a frustrated stamp of her feet and shouted back, “Look, it’s magic, okay?! Just roll with it!”

This almost set Twilight off in a long rant of the properties of advanced thaumaturgy but Lero was able to diffuse the situation with a much-appreciated shoulder rub.

“So I take it you have experience in dealings with these creatures, Kyria?” Luna asked, while Twilight made soft contented noises. “These ‘hobs’?”

The change in subject seemed to calm the horned girl. “Yeah, hobs are a weird bunch,” said the horned girl as she punted the craft to the the right between two trees, ducking below their branches and ignoring the melting moss on her furs. “There’s no one type. Hob is really just a general term for things that live out here. Like that, right there.”

Kyria pointed to a large-eyed creature that was resting on a nearby branch. It was white furred and looked like a cross between a cat and a monkey. It eyed the punt as it lazily drifted by.

“That’s a hob,” said Kyria. “So were the vileshrieks yesterday. And those briarwolves you fought before that? They’re all hobs.”

“But not all are animal-like, yes?”

“Right. There are a bunch that are like people are called ‘hobgoblins’ or just ‘goblins’. Some of them are humanoid. But others are basically talking animals. I swear, first time I saw a raccoon ask me for directions, I nearly lost my shit.”

Rainbow perked up. “Talking animals?”

“Not surprising,” interjected Lero, who was now on the receiving end of a soothing shoulder rub from Twilight. “Earth’s full of tales and fables of talking animals. The Bremen Town Musicians, Puss In Boots, many of Aesop’s Fables… I’d be surprised if half of them didn’t originally come from here.”

“Or the other way around,” said Kyria, though she seemed to immediately regret saying it.

“What do you mean, darling?” asked Rarity innocently.

Kyria was quit a moment, taking a deep breath. “When I was… back there… some of the scrolls I read were marked by other… ‘assistants’. Of my old Keeper. They wrote their thoughts down in the margins sometimes. One had a theory that this place, the Hedge, was as much influenced by Earth as much as it influenced Earth. Even… even Arcadia might be tied to Earth on some greater level.”

“...Arcadia,” wondered Twilight. She stopped her ministrations and looked at Lero. “You mentioned that word before. I mean, the Lost did. What… what is…?”

“Their home,” said Lero as his eyes shifted to pale blue. “It is where they come from. Their ‘country,’ so to speak.”

“Wait a sec,” said Rainbow. “I thought this place is where the Fae came from?” She noted that both Kyria and the Lost stiffened at the word. “Oh gosh, I’m sorry, I-”

“It-It’s okay, Dash,” said Kyria, gripping the punt pole once more and looking ahead. “You, um, I know you didn’t mean it.” Dash couldn’t help but notice the slight tremble in her hands.

“This place is a barrier,” said the Lost, taking control of the conversation. “The Hedge is the space between our worlds — Equestria and Earth — and their lands.”

“So then, does that mean the girls would have been taken there? To Arcadia?” asked Rarity.

“How do we get there?” asked Rainbow Dash. “Which direction do we go?”

“Direction?” scoffed Kyria. “There is no direction. Arcadia doesn’t have a bearing or a distance. It is both infinite and limited, just like the Hedge.”

“Then how can we get there?” asked Twilight.

“We find someone that can get us there,” spoke up Lyra, causing all heads to turn to her, “and we persuade it to safely guide us. By any means.”

The Lost nodded his head. Hopefully the lead the Messenger gave them at the beginning of this venture would pan out. If this ‘Silken Harpist’ was indeed the one that took the Crusaders, then it probably meant the Harpist served some Gentry now holding them captive. And even if she was a privateer working on some contract, the Lost knew that he would be able to get a reliable lead from her.

‘By any means.’ The words echoed the recesses of the Lost’s mind.

It was times like that he was glad he didn’t share everything with Lero.

“And that is what we will find at this town,” said Luna, giving the Lost a look. “I know that Sir Lost is quite a talented… negotiator. He will help us get what we need.”

The Lost offered a small smile to the Night Princess and nodded his head. Luna gave her own smile and returned the nod.

“And hopefully some supplies too. I’m really hoping we can hawk most of this crap and maybe get you girls some decent gear,” said Kyria, looking at the lost-and-found clothing they were garbed in with a small trace of apology. They were all bundled in additional furs, giving them a very hodge-podge look. “But just… leave the business to me, okay? Gladerest may have a market truce it action, but really it’s the merchants you really have to watch out for. They’ll do their best to cheat you out of everything, so the only way you can make any headway is to cheat them right back.”

“That doesn’t sound very honest, darling,” said Rarity.

“That’s business,” quipped Kyria with a shrug of her slim shoulders. Suddenly, her eyes darted to the left and she smiled. “Look!” she pointed.

Several lights were approaching, darting between the dark shadows of the trees. They glowed an electric blue and swarmed together beneath the water’s surface. Rarity watched wide-eyed as the lights grew closer and revealed themselves to be a school of some sort of fish.

They reminded her of koi, if koi glowed bright blue and trailed long silky fins behind them. The school passed under their boat, uncaring of either the craft or its occupants. The light from their bodies lit up the surrounding area, dancing across the undersides of the branches in a beautiful display of light.

Luna’s eyes travelled upwards and remained fixed as the punt reached the edge of a lagoon. Above them was that primal sky, a heavenly canvas that portrayed all the wonders her night had ever dreamed of. The lagoon was perfectly still as the punt glided into it and she entertained the idea of ships that would traverse her starry domain as easily as they did the seas of Equis.

Lero had once showed of his own peoples’ advances towards this goal in his dream. She had marvelled how a race of beings had traversed the airless void to set foot on their own moon, not in the name of punishment, but in science.

“We come in peace for all mankind.”

She had also seen the artistic visions of starships exploring the vastness of the cosmos in film. Some of these were the creations of the more eccentric fantasists among her little ponies. But she secretly found the ones that Lero recalled in his dreams to be vastly more entertaining.

Luna stole a glance at the human with her new eyes. To think that a people with no magic could accomplish such extraordinary tasks. Humans were truly a marvelous race.

A moment later, she realized that the human did not partake in the wonder of their surroundings but was instead focusing his blue gaze on the water. The Lost’s eyes narrowed.

“Ah crap,” he muttered. Luna tracked his gaze and soon found what he was looking at. There, in the distance, was a shallow trail of ripples leading towards the boat. Something swam just below, something with small spines and leathery skin that just barely broke the water’s surface.

“Kyria,” said the Lost.

“I see it,” replied the girl, never letting go of her pole. She quickly turned to the group, her amber eyes flashing in the pale moons’ lights. “Lyra, that bag there,” she said, pointing, “get me the jar with white stones in it. Quick!” Lyra said nothing and went into motion, gracefully climbing across the punt to the bag in question and opening it.

The Lost didn’t let his attention waver as the swamp creature slowed down and silently broke the water’s surface. A flash of reflective red highlighted a trio of eyes that watched their craft with an appraising look. Though the creature was still too far away to discern any details, the Lost somehow knew that there was some sort of primordial intelligence behind those eyes.

“Kyria,” repeated the Lost, a gnawing sense of unweariness growing in the back of his mind that he couldn’t quite place.

“Give me a minute,” came an annoyed reply. Kyria had navigated the boat to a small cluster of trees, barking for the others to take the ropes and tie off on the branches. She then secured the punting pole to the craft and retrieved her gnarled wooden staff. Lyra handed her a glass mason jar that held several white crystals submerged in a viscous clear liquid.

Kyria kneeled and focused her attention on her staff. Her amber eyes lit up in the dark and a similar glow coursed down her arms through her veins and into the wood. The staff groaned and squealed as it shifted its shape, becoming long and smooth to the touch while both ends flowered into a taloned shape.

Twilight stared in disbelief but knew better than to ask questions. Not that she was going to have the chance to anyways, as she soon found herself being pushed upwards. “Go, climb!” urged Kyria.

“What?” said a bewildered Twilight.

“Into the tree!”

Twilight stared upwards. It took her a few seconds just to remember that, yes, her new upper limbs could allow her to pull herself up into the treetops… just like every single primate that nag Honeydew had ever compared Lero to.

That said, the lowest branch was well out of Twilight’s reach; and even if it wasn’t, this was still her very first day having hands, she was nowhere near experienced enough with her new body to make the climb.

“I can’t get up there! And what in Tartarus is going on? What is that thing out there and what are those rooo-aaaaaah!”

Twilight gave a high pitched shriek as she was lifted straight upwards into the air by her armpits, the sound of great flapping wings in her ears. “Twilight Sparkle,” came Luna’s voice, “I know that your inquisitiveness is a trait my sister finds greatly endearing, but you should really learn when you should not question and simply heed the advice of those around you!”

After she was deposited on a large branch, Twilight turned agape towards the Night Princess. Luna hovered in midair, her great wings flapping to keep her aloft and her starry hair flowing behind her. Her pale blue eyes blazed like twin dwarf stars as her new skirt parted to reveal her pale flesh. Twilight found herself struck dumb by the sight.

“Ack! Woah, okay, I-eeep!” From below came the strangled cries of Rainbow Dash as she tried to mimic Luna and use her new wings to climb into the air, albeit with far less grace than the princess. Her diaphanous wings fluttered furiously, though sometimes sporadically, as she made a meandering path through the air towards Twilight.

“Woah, okay, new wings, I can still doooo thiii-eep!” Rainbow scrambled with her hands and soon found purchase on the tree’s trunk. She gripped the side of the tree, her new fingernails digging into the soft bark. She glanced nervously back to the ripples in the water’s surface. The creature was drawing ever closer to their position, picking up speed.

“Dash!” called Twilight. The former unicorn, tapping some source of bravery, shakily laid down on her branch and held out a hand to her friend. “Take my hand!”

“I’m scared!” whimpered Rainbow. “My wings aren’t working.” She glanced downwards again and saw three glowing eyes approaching.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you!” said Twilight. “Just give me one good flap and you’ll be here with me!” Twilight stretched out her arm, her fingers splayed, desperately reaching to her herd sister.

Rainbow looked below again. The Lost had drawn his iron knife, but even Rainbow knew that it would be no help against such a huge monster like whatever was approaching them. There was a growing wake in the water as it picked up more speed, betraying the creature’s size, even as it remained hidden beneath the black water.

Luna had descended to the punt in order to help fly Rarity up to safety. She held the transformed unicorn around her waist, pulling her close, before lifting into the air.

‘At this rate, she’ll have to help me too,’ thought Rainbow, before her eyes narrowed. ‘No! I refuse to be a burden to anyone!’

Rainbow gulped down her fear. Coiling her new muscles, she pushed off the tree trunk, spun in the air and forced a single flap of her wings. It was enough and she was propelled upwards and tightly grasped Twilight’s reaching hand. With a secure hold, Rainbow gave a few more sporadic beats of her wings until she was safely on the branch with Twilight.

“You did it!” said Twilight as she pulled her friend into a hug.

Rainbow let go a shaky breath and returned the hug. “I did, didn’t I?”

“You’re nuts!” came a shout from below. Rainbow and Twilight looked down to see three arguing bipeds shout back and forth.

“And you’re an idiot!” retorted Kyria as she opened the jar, revealing about a dozen of the stones suspended in some sort of viscous oil. “Just what the hell do you expect to with that thing anyways? Pick its teeth?” She motioned to the knife the Lost held in his hands. “Now both of you, get your asses up into that tree before I kick them up there!”

“And what about you? You want to take on that thing alone?”

“‘Want to’? Fuck no. Still going to do it though. Lyra, do him a favor and get him out of here!”

“Come on, Blue Eyes,” said Lyra with her trademark smirk. “I think she’s got this.”

The Lost resisted only for a moment, then noted the look in Lyra’s eyes, before they both turned towards the tree. Lero was a little bit rusty; struggling to find fingerholds in the cold, wet bark, but even clumsily, he still managed to scramble up to a safe branch. Lyra, on the other hand, was so naturally, gracefully adept at tree climbing, that the others could only gape at her in awe.

One might’ve thought she’d originally been a squirrel instead of a pony.

Kyria turned her attention back to the water and noted that she had lost track of whatever was hunting them.

‘Amateurish,’ she scolded herself. A change came over the woman. Her body and eyes moved with keen deliberateness. Her eyes scanned the water’s surface, noting any sign of movement. She ignored Lero’s grunting as he made his way up the tree, the sounds of frantic breathing of the women in the branches, and pulsing sound of her blood flowing through her ears. All that mattered was listening to the water and using her nimble hands to fix the white stones to her staff.

Kyria dipped her hands into the viscous oil and retrieved two of the white stones. A flick of her hand and one dripping stone was affixed to the butt of her staff. The other was locked into the opposite end and Kyria took a second to wipe the remaining oil from its surface. Still there was no disturbance around here.

Then, to her left, the water suddenly broke and the creature in the black water tried to clamber onto the boat. It was easily twice her size. The monster resembled a strange blend of a reptile and a fish that someone decided to grant a pair of muscular arms but neglected to give it any legs. Its short face was dominated by a large maw that held rows of sharp teeth, giving it a profile that resembled and angler fish. The head held three glowing red eyes, two on either side and one on the very top, which focused on Kyria. The rest of the body was covered in glistening black scales. The creature’s arms where large, the size of a gorilla’s and ended in massive webbed appendages and black claws. The lower half of the monster was almost all tail, similar to that of a crocodile while a large spined fin ran down the monster’s back.

Rainbow Dash and Twilight each gave a small scream and clinged to each other at the sight of the beast, while Rarity covered her mouth to suppress her own; “Does this place have no end of monstrosities?”

The monster let loose a low, rumbling growl as it eyed Kyria’s crouching form, its red eyes assessing her with that primordial intelligence that all large reptiles seemed to possess. Kyria stared back at it with her amber eyes, her own growl escaping her throat. The monster growled again, opening up it bifurcated maw, and slowly, confidently moved forwards, each step causing the punt to list side to side.

Kyria snapped her staff against the tree trunk and the white stone ignited into a miniature sun, crackling and smoking like a brazier. The creature flinched and Lero nearly gasped at the sight.

‘Is that… WHITE PHOSPHOROUS?!’ he mentally screamed.

The thought that they had been traveling around in a wooden boat with such a volatile substance aboard nearly caused him to have a stroke. Back on Earth, he had seen videos of what the stuff could do; white phosphorous was capable of melting straight through anything, including heavy armor.

‘Wait, then why hasn’t the staff burst into flames?’ Lero looked up to see Twilight with a similar reaction plastered on her face.

Any further musing were halted when the monster let loose a warning growl and began to back off. It took a couple of intimidating snaps at the woman, who replied with a few jabs of the flaring staff. Each time the staff’s end approached, the lizard thing would cry out or snap again, but it always lost ground. It backed up a distance then used its powerful arms to launch itself forwards in howling attack.

Kyria responded by jumping straight into the air, up and over the attacking beast and raked the end of her staff across and monster’s back. The monster howled in agony and the air sizzled with the scent of burning flesh before it crashed into the swamp and disappeared in a flurry of splashes and churning water, its cries of pain echoing throughout the swamp.

The tension that had come over the group washed away as cheers erupted from the tree branches.

“Huzzah,” declared Luna. “A most excellent martial display!”

“Oh marvelous, darling,” clapped Rarity. “You showed that brute-”

Everyone stopped when they saw Kyria hold her palm up in the classic “stop” motion and the tension quickly returned. A low growl sounded nearby and a second creature launched itself out of the water and Kyria, its maw and claws wide and ready to eviscerate the woman. Kyria spun her staff and braced against the treetrunk.

There was a wet crunch as the staff’s end met the inside of the lizard thing’s maw and the creature collapsed into a flailing pile on boat. The small craft bobbed like a bath toy, threatening to capsize and take the woman into the black waters. But the horned girl kept her footing, her body swaying effortlessly in time with the punt’s motions, despite the lizard-things flailing. Kyria gave a feral cry as she heaved the thing towards the edge and yelled, “BURN!”

And the creature did just that. The white stone inside its head ignited and the monster gave an agonized howl as it immolated from the inside out. The head burst into white flames that consumed flesh and skull before separating from the body and dropping into the water, where the stone continued to burn and send up smoke and gas.

The light from below cast Kyria in a black silhouette, her white teeth shining in a feral grin as she planted a foot on the twitching, headless body and stilled it.

This time there was no cheering from above, just a mixed of shocked and awed looks that stared down at her.

“Woah,” said Lero, as he began his descent from the tree. “So… what was that thing?”

Kyria removed her bronze knife and and gave them all a sweet smile. “Dinner!”

As it turned out, lizard-fish-thing wasn’t too bad. Kyria quickly got a fire going with a beat-up Zippo lighter in an equally dented camp stove, and after thirty minutes of roasting, the two natural-born humans dug in with relish.

“Tastes a bit like tuna,” Lero commented, through a well-chewed mouthful of what had used to be a part of a tail.

“Mmm, save the bones,” mouthed Kyria around what may have been back strap, pulling the meat off of thick white bones. “We can use them for broth.”

“Oh, good call. Pass the sauce, please.” Lero lathered a piece of his meat in some dark, thick sauce Kyria had brought with her before popping the morsel into his waiting maw. He slowly chewed it, the taste causing his eyes to roll upwards.

The rest of the body had been skinned and segmented into usable pieces and stored in cloth sacks that would prevent any insects from contaminating the meat. The creature’s skin, under Kyria’s insistence, was strippped of its fat with her knife, salted, then rolled tightly. The claws and spines were also harvested, as well as several organs including the heart and liver.

“Hey, what do you think?” asked Kyria, holding up a string of four-inch claws to her neckline. “Too gauche?”

Lero laughed. “I think they’ll take Canterlot fashion by storm.”

The group had paused on a small island in the swamp for rest and food. It was open enough that they could safely pull the punt onto dry land and they set up a small camp for the time being. Kyria placed several of her odd trinkets around the perimeter, assuring the group that they would keep away unwanted attention for now.

Rainbow Dash and her fellow Equestrians sat in their own circle, watching the humans eat from a little distance away. She was having strangely conflicted feelings. On one hoo… hand, her herbivorous diet, not to mention her animal-caretaker instincts, rose up in protest. Although she could not hold it against the humans for acting on their carnivorous instincts, any more than she could despise the cats or dogs she kept in her cottage. It was common knowledge that humans regularly ate meat, just like gryphons. But to actually see it being done...

On the other hand… that meat they were cooking smelled bizarrely tempting to this new nose of hers. Even as Rainbow watched Lero bite into the red and dripping meat, she felt her own mouth beginning to water. And looking at some of her fellow Equestrians… she wasn’t the only one. Someone’s stomach made a loud gurgling noise and the others all quickly turned back to their rations, digging in and trying to put the humans’ meal out of their minds.

“Kyria?” Rainbow had to ask, watching the horned woman prod another piece of meat on the stove.

“Hmm?”

“Uh… have you, um, ever heard this tale about a human goddess named Persephone? It’s where…”

“Yeah, heard that one,” she cut in. “If you’re asking whether or not I’m afraid of being bound to this place because of food.” Kyria removed the cooked meat and eyed it. “Well, ‘starvation’ is such an ugly word, and I can’t exactly phone Pizza Hut and have them import an extra-large Meat Lover’s where I am, can I? At this point, either I’m immune or I’ve doomed myself a long time ago.”

Kyria took another bite, looking somberly at stove’s flames.

“Been meaning to test out whether I’m immune or not for ages, so I’ll stick with you guys and keep my fingers crossed that I’ll at least make it to the border.”

“Okay,” said Rainbow. “Er… what does crossing your fingers do?” The former pegasus tried doing it right now, interlocking her index finger with its neighbor. Nothing special resulted from it.

Lero gave a small chuckle. “It’s just a phrase, Dash,” he smiled. “It means, ‘hoping for the best’.”

Again, Rainbow looked between her crossed fingers and Lero, not quite making the connection.

“With humans,” Lero explained, “The hand is every bit as expressive as the face is. All humans have what are called ‘hand signals’ which are like a language!”

“Oh yes!” Twilight spoke up; an eager student, once more. “You use hand signals all the time, Lero! Like this...”

Here, Twilight tried lifting her thumb upwards, while curling the rest of her fingers into her palm.

“...Is a sign of approval, right?”

“That’s right!” said Lero.

“And this,” Twilight pointed her thumb down towards the ground, “Signals disapproval, right?”

“You got it!” Kyria said indulgently, and Twilight beamed at the praise.

“Ooh! Ooh! What does THIS mean?” asked Lyra, bending her fingers in a unique way.

“...I think if you were putting on a shadow puppet show, that’d be a dog.”

The group continued to chat idly as the night sky overhead turned.

“Should we get our tents out?” Rarity asked.

“No, this is just a short stop,” Kyria replied, licking her fingers clean of any remaining juices. “We’ll cook what we can, then head on to the real sleeping spot. Our host isn’t exactly a fan of fire.”

“Host?” asked Luna.

Kyria gave them a smile. “Old Mossbeard has one of the only safe spots out here. I’ve stayed there with him before, we can trust him.” She pointed towards the wards that surrounded them. “Those’ll be good for a little while longer, but they won’t last us through a full night’s sleep. Best if we found a safe spot.”

“But it’s already dark and we’ve been travelling for most of the night,” protested Twilight. “Shouldn’t we rest now and wait until morning?”

Kyria gave a small laugh before Lyra spoke up. “Haven’t you noticed, Twilight?” she asked. “Daybreak should have been hours ago.”

Kyria nodded her head. “It’s always night in the Frozen Marshes.”

“...Always?” repeated Luna, as Twilight Sparkle suppressed a groan. Luna looked up at the sky, taking in the swirling nebulae and twinkling stars.

“As far as I know,” said Kyria, who was oblivious to Luna’s wonderment as she doused the flames in the stove and packed the remaining gear back into the punt. “I guess that’s just how it works here.”

The others shared a look as they busied themselves with prepping the boat for launch. Soon enough, the boat slid into the water and they were off once more, following the shifting colors of the Wanderer’s Lantern through the nocturnal swamp. Princess Luna sat at the bow alone and while she tried to listen to the continued discussions of the rest of the group, her eyes continued to stray upwards towards that primeval, beautiful night sky.

“...an eternal night…” whispered Luna, as a ghost of a smile came across her lips.

The dock was not so much a dock as it was a rough pile of logs and planks that someone had thrown together and called “a dock”. At least that someone had the courtesy of putting out a glowing green lantern at the end to let travelers know that it was, in fact, meant for boats to dock at.

“This place is where your friend Mossbeard lives?” Twilight asked. The planks groaned noisily as she stepped onto them, one almost snapping under Lero’s weight. In spite of Kyria’s assurances of safety, she half-expected some new predator to attack them at the sound.

“That’s right,” said the horned woman, tying their boat to a post on the dock.

“What’s the best way to approach him?” Lyra asked Kyria, peering through the forested gloom. “I mean… if this guy’s anything like you, Kyria, I imagine he’d be suspicious of strangers.”

“Well, he knows me,” Kyria said, striding forward, and motioning for the others to follow behind her. “I’ll vouch for you.”

The others fell in line behind the horned woman, who led the way with another of her curious glowing jars. Because they were so tired and sleepy at this point, the walk of a few minutes felt much longer. The dry thudding of the rough hewn planks under their feet was enough to keep them awake for the time being, but even Luna was weary enough that she was struggling to keep her eyes open.

All around them were tall reeds and giant trees. The stars above were blocked out by the canopy, making their glow-jars their only source of light at the moment. They walked further and soon they found themselves under the giant canopy of a great oak tree.

It was massive, a titan whose trunk was as big around as most houses, stretching so far upwards that the top branches were lost in the icy mists. Its branches were illuminated in the warm light of thousands of tiny glowing seeds that floated in the still air, giving it the illusion of a new, artificial sky that seemed no less wondrous than the one above it.

“Woah,” breathed Lyra. “This… this is…”

“Yeah,” said Kyria, shaking her head in wonder. “Come on. Let’s see if we can-”

The sound of a cracking whip and Lero’s shout caught them all by surprise. They turned around just in time to see Lero disappear upwards towards the branches, his arm flailing wildly as he shouted in fear.

“Lero!” yelled Luna as she beat her powerful wings in an attempt to catch him.

Lero continued to thrash as he scrambled to grip whatever it was that had assailed him and wrapped around his legs. Up and up he went, past branches, through snapping twigs and clouds of frozen moss. The forces of his ascent put serious strain on his muscles as he desperately tried to bend towards his ankles. He suddenly stopped, his momentum carrying him just long enough for him to experience weightlessness before something new wrapped around his torso.

Lero looked down to a brown vine that snaked around him, pinning his arms to his side as another vine uncoiled from around his ankles. He tried to reach for his dagger, but a series of smaller vines captured his hands and pinned them to his body. Lero found himself moving forward at great speed through clouds of the glowing seeds and speeding towards the massive trunk.

He shut his eyes, not wanting to see the end coming, but suddenly found himself lurching to stop in front of a wall of bark. He tried to settle his stomach, to calm his breathing and struggle out of his bonds when-

“You~ Dare~ Come~ Here~, Ridire~?” came a booming, drawn out voice.

Lero stopped his struggles as the wall of bark in front of him opened into a mouth, splinters flying out like angry flecks of spittle as dozens of glowing green eyes opened up to stare accusingly at him.

“You~ Dare~ Come~ To~ Me~, Ridire~?” came the voice again and soon Lero found another vine tightening around his throat as the one around his chest began to tighten. “I~ Will~ Crush~ You~ And~ Spill~ Your~ Blood~ Upon~ My~ Roots~, Ridire~.”

“Lero!” Luna came bursting from below, one of her wing blades held awkwardly in her new hands. The transformed princess seemed undeterred as she swung upwards with a shout and cut deeply into the vines. A downward swing severed the vine encircling Lero’s throat, who gasped as he tried to force air into his lungs.

Luna shouted and slashed at more reaching vines that tried to ensnare her as well, but one came from behind and snagged her wing. The disruption was enough and soon other founds their mark and began to trap her the same as the human.

Lero cried out, his eyes going wide as they shifted to icy blue and the Lost assumed control. “Let her go!” he yelled, sacrificing some of his remaining air. Soon the vines had begun to tightened around Luna, ready to-

“MOSSBEARD, STOP!!” The vines loosened slightly and both Luna and the Lost looked down to see Kyria scrambling up the tree along a narrow staircase. The horned girl yelled, “Peace, Mossbeard, peace! These are my friends!”

“Little~ Ama~,” said the voice. The eyes in the trunk began to close, save for two. The area around those eyes bulged and popped as the wood struggled to take on a shape. Soon a new form began to appear, the torso of an ancient, bearded man composed of living wood slowly emerged from the trunk. Grey-green moss made up his sparse hair but heavy beard. His green eyes looked upon Kyria as one would a grandchild and the being reached out a gnarled wooden hand, which Kyria took with both of hers.

“Child~,” groaned the voice, which was no longer booming, but still a deep baritone. “You’ve~ grown~ since~ last~ you~ came~.” The face smiled under the beard and the gnarled hand stroked one of the girl’s locks of hair. The sound of pattering feet announced the arrival of the rest of the Equestrians, who halted in sudden fear and terror at the sight before them. Lyra immediately dropped into a stance, while Rarity grit her teeth and narrowed her sparking eyes, her dark hair rumbling and flashing like a thunderhead. Mossbeard turned towards them, his emerald eyes narrowing as the great trunk began to groan.

“So have you, old man,” said Kyria gently, reaching out with her hand and gently turning the being’s face towards her, bring his attention back to him. “But please, let them go. They are with me and we don’t want to hurt you or yours. We only want to rest here in safety. We will leave afterwards and not trouble you again, I promise.”

The face turned towards the Lost and Luna, the latter still struggling against the vines. Mossbeard’s face shifted from fondness to disappointment. “Do~ you~ know~ who~ he~ is~, child~?” He pointed a gnarled and accusing finger at the Lost. “Killer~.” Mossbeard’s torso extended upwards towards the Lost, the trunk once again groaning in anger. “Murderer~. Burner~ of~ my~ kin~!” Mossbeard’s gnarled hands shook with his fury as the vines tightened once more around the Lost’s chest. “Do~ you~ know~ what~ this~ one~ did~ to~ me~ and~ mine~?”

“He saved my life!” shouted Kyria, whose pleading voice was able to cut through the tree spirit’s anger. “Both of them! They saved me and they are my friends! All of them!” Kyria moved between the spirit and the Lost. “Please, Old Mossbeard. What we did… what we all did before… it was another life for all of us. One we all try to forget.” She looked back at the Lost. “He is not the same as before. I have had this man in my home, as my guest. I have traveled with him as my companion. He is a good man and he is no threat to you.”

The tree spirit slowly looked between the girl and the dangling man, as if trying to decide what to do with either.

“Look, here!” Kyria reached into a bloody cloth sack and retrieved something. The girls recoiled when they realized that it was the bloody heart of the lizard-thing they faced earlier. Mossbeard’s eyes widened with greed. “Look. Your toll. This for our safety and shelter, yes?” The tree spirit moved forward only for Kyria to pull back, the heart in hand. “All of us.”

Mossbeard frowned and seemed to consider the offer. He looked to the Lost and Luna, then to the other women, and finally back to Kyria. “Agreed~,” he said, “but~ the~ Ridire~ will~ not~ have~ my~ branches~ for~ shelter~. Let~ him~ sleep~ at~ the~ dock~.”

“With those monsters out there?!” shouted Rarity. Lightning flashed behind her eyes and cracked amongst her hair, her fury was tangibly radiating from her.

“They~ do~ not~ approach~ me~ or~ mine~, little~ Airtouched~,” said Mossbeard. “He~ will~ be~ safe~ though~ it~ is~ more~ than~ he~ deserves~.” With that, the Lost was promptly dropped to the floor, landing with a thud. Luna was released as well and all rushed to the Lost’s side as he wheezed and hacked, trying to draw breath into his aching ribs.

A wayward vine snatched the bloody heart from Kyria and Mossbeard brought it close, emitting pleased groans as he examined it in his hands. HIs fingers elongated and split as they wrapped and penetrated the heart and its valves. Soon the heart began to convulse before settling into a steady, thumping beat.

Mossbeard seemed satisfied.

“Stay~. Rest~. You~ are~ safe~ now~. You~ have~ my~ word~ as~ a~ Spriggan~,” he said. With that, the torso and the heart retreated into the trunk of the tree, leaving the group in silence.

The Lost clutched his aching ribs and affixed the trunk with a glare. “Prick,” he said under his breath. He accepted one of the red leaves from Kyria and began to breath easier.

“He’s… not so bad?” offered Kyria lamely. “Once you get to know him?”

“Yeah, well, speak for yourself,” said the Lost, who stood up and popped his vertebrae. He grumbled some more as he headed towards the stairway. “I’ll be at the boat.”

With that, the rest of the group hesitantly turned towards the stretching branches, following a path lit by the glowing spores.

“What did he mean?” Rainbow asked Lyra in a whisper as they ascended into the treetops; the former flying, the latter climbing. Six cozy-looking nests were forming in Mossbeard’s boughs; soft, warm, spacious, and inviting-looking. “Did he really… was Lero a-?”

“No,” said Lyra firmly. “Not Lero.” Lyra watched as the Lost disappeared from view.

Lero stared up at the night sky, arms behind his head, as he laid on down in the small boat under a pile of furs. He felt himself sway slightly with the motions of the waters beneath the barge’s hull. The hanging glow-jar at the end of the dock offered little comfort as he laid alone with his thoughts.

He had made it halfway down the path when the Lost had turned over control to stew in whatever recess of their mind he stayed in. His alter ego had been courteous enough to allow him to remember the incident with Mossbeard and make his way to the dock.

Lero scoffed to himself. Allowed him to remember. As if he were just along for the ride.

Just who the hell was this ‘Lost’ guy anyways? Not just a killer, but a full fledged murderer as well? What else was on Mr. ‘Ridire’s’ rap sheet? He certainly wasn’t capable of anything like that...

...was he?

“Hello?” came a voice. Lero was started out of his morose thoughts and sat up, the furs falling to reveal his bare chest. Through the mist, a figure appeared carrying a white glow-jar. The fog parted revealing the cloaked form of Rarity. The glow-jar made her glow in the dark, giving her a halo of white light that made Lero’s breath catch. She looked like an angel.

“Rarity,” he said with a genuine smile. Rarity returned the smile and approached the end of the dock. Lero looked back down the path.

“Just me,” said Rarity, anticipating his question. “Everyone else is asleep. Finally.”

“‘Finally?’ You all pretty much looked like you were going to fall asleep on your feet.”

“After you left, Luna made Kyria wake Mossbeard. The princess had some very choice words for the… Spriggan? Is that what he called himself? Anyways, between that and the others’ worrying, they were slow to fall asleep.”

Lero offered her his hand, which she accepted and gracefully stepped down into the boat with him. He allowed his hands to drift to her thin waist, savoring the smoothness of her skin under her cloak. “So what made you come all the way down here then?” He whispered, leaning close, his lips brushing against her ear.

Rarity smiled, her arms snaking around his broad shoulders. “Now what kind of… woman would I be if I left my lover all alone in the cold?” Her hand ran across his skin and she reveled in the new tactile sensation under her fingertips.

“Well then,” said Lero huskily. He nipped her ear, eliciting a small squeak from the woman. “Why waste any time then?”

He drew back and pressed his lips against hers in a warm and gentle kiss. It was strange, almost. After so many years of making love to Rainbow, Twilight, Lyra, and now Rarity, he had forgotten the sensation of kissing a human woman. It was so different from a pony, with their wider lips and tongue. This felt… well, “natural” wasn’t the right word to use… he didn’t want to demean the relationship he shared with his girls. Instead, he would say it felt…

Nostalgic.

He could scarcely remember the last woman he kissed, before the lost time he spent among the Thorns, or his new life in Equestria. To Lero, it felt like that man, the one he used to be on Earth, was someone else. That his life in Ponyville was the only one for him, at the core of his being.

That this woman in his arms, was the only one that mattered.

At length, the kiss broke. Rarity’s breath fluttered in her chest and her eyes remained shut. She bit her lower lip with her new teeth and savored the warmth spreading through her belly.

“Wow,” she whispered.

“Yeah,” replied Lero.

They wasted no more time. They came together again, mouths opening, tongues dancing, hands desperately undoing clothing, letting it fall to the floor as they sank to their knees on the punt’s deck. The chill air made Rarity’s nipples stand erect and Lero eagerly seized one between his lips.

“Ah!” moaned Rarity. She gripped her lover’s head and ran her fingers through his fiery hair. “Lero!”

Lero sucked and nipped her breast, taking the sensitive piece of flesh delicately between his teeth, flicking it with his tongue.

“Oh, oh, oh! Lero!” Rarity felt like her wonderful new body was on fire as she threw her head back and pushed Lero further into her chest. The storm in her hair renewed, not with fury this time, but with a new energy that was slowly building.

Lero switched to the other breast while his hand kneaded the first. Rarity had straddled one of his legs, and even through his pants, Lero could feel the fire burning between her legs. Soon Rarity began to impatiently grind herself against him, her pleas for release becoming more fevered.

“Please,” she panted, “please, please, Lero, please!”

The cold no longer seemed to affect the lovers. Their bodies steamed in the chilly night and their ragged breaths came out in white puffs of cloud. Lero reached up with his arms and lifted Rarity slightly, locking her with another passionate kiss as his hands roamed her entire body. She felt like lightning barely contained in a bottle, her skin crackled and sparked under his touch and he felt every bit of it run through him. It was one of the most erotic things he ever experienced.

Rarity wrapped her legs around him and began to grind her hips against his. She could feel the bulge his pants were barely containing and the sensation made her own fluids run.

“Lero,” she begged, “please! I want you. I need you, my prince.”

That was all he needed to hear.

With surprising gentleness, he laid her flat against the deck on top of some of the furs. The chill in the air had returned and both lovers worked to undo his pants. The cold air hit his throbbing and sensitive member, causing Lero to grit his teeth and give a small hiss. Rarity gave a small laugh, wrapping her arms around him again.

“Come, my prince,” she whispered. “let me keep you warm.”

“Oh Rarity,” whispered Lero. He lowered himself to her, kissing her once more, one hand absently reaching for the furs and tugging them across his back, insulating the pair against the eternal chill of the marshes.

Under the layers of fur, their passion became an inferno. The lovers’ tongues danced in each others mouths as their hips began to grind together with a burning need. One of Lero’s hand snuck downwards to Rarity’s puffy nethers and were soon slick with juices. The woman moaned into his mouth before Lero broke the kiss to leave a trail of smaller, butterfly kisses along her jawline, leading up to her ear. Lero took her earlobe between his teeth as his fingers continued their ministrations. He easily slipped in a finger, then another, and savored the sensation of her walls gripping his appendages. Lero allowed a rough thumb to barely brush Rarity’s sensitive nub.

Finally, Rarity grabbed Lero by the shoulders and pulled him close. “Please,” she breathed into his neck. “Oh goddesses, Lero, I need this!”

He obliged her. Lero slid himself into Rarity’s waiting pussy, the slick walls enveloping his member.

Rarity’s eye went wide as she saw nothing but white. She can’t remember the last time she orgasmed on entry alone. Honestly, she didn’t think she ever had before; it was one of her many romantic notions that she had always craved. But here she was, breath still in her throat as the world exploded in her ears. Her walls clenched and squirted and gripped Lero like a vice.

“Oooh… fuck,” said Lero, who shuddered at the sensation of his lover’s orgasm, nearly triggering his own release. “Rarity.” The word came out low, beastial and needy. Joined at the hip, both partners revelled in this new sensation.

It felt… it wholly felt like they were two pieces of the same puzzle, fitting together for the first time. It was a sensation that eclipsed all of Rarity’s previous trysts, every lover she had ever had before now was suddenly dropped from her conscious mind. All the stallions she had ever taken into her bed, every one that had come before Lero, the entire gallery was blasted away from her conscious mind as she felt another orgasm build within her.

And she wanted more.

Underneath the furs, Rarity interlocked her ankles behind Lero’s back. “Oh Lero, rut me!” she urged, moving her hips. “Rut me! RUT ME!”

Lero barely needed the prompting. He moved like a man possessed, pulling back only to bottom out on the first thrust. Every time their bodies met, there was a wet and obscene slapping noise but neither cared. The lightning arced openly in Rarity’s hair as she moaned and begged for her lover to go faster. Lero compiled, his own body going on autopilot as his felt the familiar sensation build in his balls.

“Oh fuck, Rarity,” he whispered. “I’m gonna… I’m-”

“Yes! Cum inside me, please! Please!” Rarity added a little swerving to her hips as she rose up to meet his thrusts. That little bit was enough to hit that one spot, that special place all women crave to have attended.

That one spot that sent them both crashing over the edge.

Rarity crushed Lero against her, her teeth sinking into his shoulder as her body spasmed in one of the most instense oragsms she ever experienced. Heat had nothing on this, not even the times Lero spent it with her. Her whole body shook as thought departed from her mind. Her fingernails dug deep into Lero’s back as she slowly raked them downwards, leaving trails of fresh welts on his flesh.

Lero shuddered as he emptied himself into Rarity, his seed mingling with her own juices, spilling out and onto the furs below them.

Finally, he collapsed to his side, mindful of the woman beneath him.

“Wow,” he said raggedly. “That… that was…”

“Unbelievable,” she finished.

A moment passed as they caught their breaths, Rarity’s perfect breasts heaving beneath the furs.

She truly was an angel. She made him feel so blessed. Being in love with a girl as sweet and good unconditionally loving as Rarity felt absolutely soul-cleansing. And that was no small matter in a hell like this.

Hell…

The voice now speaking in Lero’s head wasn’t that of the Lost, nor that of any telepathic ‘outsider.’ The voice was that of Lero’s own self-condemnation.

Hell is for sinners… like you...

But he wasn’t any such thing! He was an innocent victim in all this. His memories of this place might not all be there, but he still knew enough to know that whatever he might’ve done, it had been done under duress, it had only been necessary for survival...

Excuses…

No! He was a-

...Killer… Murderer… what else…? The Lost WAS you. Is STILL you.

Unwelcome grief and shame threatened to flood his heart.

On one hand, there is no denying this fact: when you escaped to Equestria, you did everything in your power to turn over a new leaf. But while your self-induced amnesia may have erased your memories, nothing can erase your deeds. Did a man such as you even DESERVE the luxury of a second chance to begin with?

Equestria was such a funny place. With all its many reversals, The Swap was practically just a drop in the bucket.

A world where magic was a legitimate science. A world where equines were not beasts of burden, but the dominant species. A world where unicorns, pegasi, minotaurs and dragons existed, but men didn’t, (or at least hadn’t for the longest while.)

And then was the matter of the girls acting as valiant bodyguards of the boys. How wholeheartedly his own girls had embraced that role, especially his sweet lead mare! First Rainbow Dash, and then Rarity… each proudly playing ‘knight’ to his ‘princess.’

But… pony or human, male or female… one thing could not be denied: his lead mare made for a far nobler, worthier ‘knight’ than HE ever had. Just ask Old Mossbeard.

Perhaps this is simply karma, finally catching up to you.

“What’s wrong, darling?” asked Rarity, who sensed the gnawing doubt in her lover.

Stung with his own unworthiness, Lero’s cupped Rarity’s breathtaking human face in his hand.

"Rarity, you're just so wonderful and loving to me all the time, and I love you so much!” His breath caught. “I really have tried to always be the best man I can be for you… a good, right-hearted person. I wanted to be proud of myself again, I wanted to be GOOD again, I wanted Equestria to be a clean slate for me…”

“You are a good man,” she assured him, pressing her forehead against his. “We are proud of you…”

He ran his hand under the furs, brushing Rarity along her cutie mark. The woman closed her eyes, lips parting at the aetherial sensation dancing along her skin.

“But I've also kept so much from you, all this time,” he told her. “Hidden so many secrets.” He looked around, at the swamp, at the docks, at the stars. “I’ve got a horrible feeling that here… it’s all going to catch up with me. All my darkest secrets laid bare.”

He hung his head. “I hope you'll find it in your heart to forgive me. You… and all the rest of the girls, too."

Rarity pushed Lero from his side to his back, pressing herself against his side and laying her head on his shoulder. They shared the warmth of their naked bodies beneath the soft furs. She snaked her hand along his arm until their palms met and gently, delicately, interlaced their fingers. Rarity marveled at the sight and the sensation.

A perfect fit.

“Who you were here doesn’t matter to me, she whispered. “And it won’t matter to any of the others either.” Rarity looked up at Lero, into his hazel eyes. “I love you, Bellerophon Michaelides. I always have. And I will never stop loving you, no matter what the past may hold.”

Rarity reached up with her other hand, stroking his smooth hair. “You ask for my forgiveness but, in truth, I have already forgiven you, Lero. When I first opened up my heart to you, I forgave you of everything you may or may not have done in the past. We were all different people in the past.” Her hand rested on his cheek. “This is the man I fell in love with. Now. And forever.”

Tears welled up in his eyes. His heart felt like bursting in his chest. “Rarity,” he whispered and gently pulled her into a kiss.

This time, when they made love, it was not desperate or fevered. It was slow and gentle.

But somehow twice as passionate.

“-so everyone give a big welcome to Nightjar! The newest member of Guys’ Night!”

The stallions gathered in the living room all gave warmhearted clops of their hooves and words of welcome and approval. The newest addition to their weekly gathering was a broad-chested white pegasus with a black mane, glasses, and an acoustic guitar for a cutie mark.

“Thank you, thank you, my friends,” said Nightjar in his thick Speighnish accent. “I would like to thank you all for your warm welcome to your group and to your wonderful town. My little Zippoorwill and I are so grateful for all of your kindness and generosity. I honestly don’t know how I can ever repay you.”

“You hear that, guys?” quipped Widescreen. “First round’s on the new guy!” All of the stallions laughed at the joke.

“Oh shucks,” said Magnum, giving the new pegasus a playful jab in the shoulder, “don’cha go worrin’ ‘bout that, eh? We here in Ponyville love new folks, ain’t that right, fellas?”

“Well I certainly wasn’t expecting such a nice party for us when we arrived,” said Nightjar. “Thank you again for that, Señor Spike.”

“Oh, don’t thank me,” said Spike modestly. “You should be thanking Fluttershy. She’s the resident party planner here in town.”

“Really? I do not recall meeting anypony by that name,” replied Nightjar, tapping his chin in thought.

“Oh, she’s an employee of mine,” said Carrot Cake. “She plans the parties, but still has... a little trouble while attending them. Drop by my shop tomorrow and you can thank her then.”

“Gracias, señor, I shall,” said the pegasus. “It is so nice to finally settle in a town filled with such kind ponies.”

“Hey, you guys in Herd Nightjar aren’t so bad yourselves,” said Caramel.

“Too right,” agreed Doctor Hooves.

“Eeyup,” said Big Mac. “Yew’s some mighty fine folks, alright. Why, Cheerilee told me las’ night that she was jus’ delighted to have that lil’ gal o’ yers in her class.”

“Oh, what’s this?” teased Widescreen. “Has our dear friend Mac fallen off the bachelor wagon and joined the illustrious ranks of the Hitched?”

“Well-”

“About time, if you ask me,” said Spike. “I know you’ve been pining after Cheerilee for ages now. Good on you for acting on it, dude.”

“Here here!” chimed in Caramel and Carrot Cake, who raised their cider mugs.

“Well, come on, lads,” said Doctor Hooves, motioning to the large snack-laden table. “Cards aren’t going to deal themselves now.”

As the stallions began to wander towards the table or to the bar Widescreen had built, Spike waddled alongside Big Mac.

“So, Mac,” he said awkwardly. “How’s, uh, how’s Pinkie doing these days?”

Mac’s smile dropped for a moment before returning, thought it was clearly strained a little. “Oh, uh, fine, jus’ fine, Spike. Thanks fer asking.” Macintosh set down his cider mug in favor of pouring a small measure of his Apple Moonshine.

“And… how are you holding up, man?” asked Spike.

Mac’s hoof hesitated for a moment, causing the clear booze to spill a little. “...’s been a month ‘n no word yet, Spike. Ah try to hang on, but…” This time Mac filled his glass with much more of the drink than before.

“Come on, buddy,” urged Spike. “You can’t give up hope yet. They’ll be back. They promised.”

“Ya know, Mac,” said Magnum, who approach from behind and put his hoof on Spike’s small shoulder. “Ya know ya can always come to us, eh? Pearl n’ I know whatcha goin’ through, big guy.” Magnum smiled and playfully ruffled Spike’s fins. “Lil’ Spike here’s been helping us through this whole time, and my family’s been so glad ta have him, eh?”

Spike pushed away the white hoof in faux embarrassment. “Ah, come on, Magnum,” he said.

“I’m serious, tiger! Between helpin’ out my lil’ AJ with her shop and being there fer Pearl when she gets too blue, why, you’re a regular ol’ gift from Celestia herself, an’ that’s the truth, doncha know.”

Spike sheepishly rubbed the back of his head at the praise.

“Thanks… Pop,” he smiled.

Magnum positively beamed at the words before turning back towards Macintosh. “So doncha worry none, Big Mac. You’ll see: our little girs’ll be back ‘fore ya know it, eh? Now come on, we got cards to play!”

Big Mac smiled. Turning back to the bar, he poured half of his drink into a new glass and offered it to Magnum. “Eeyup.”

The rest of the stallions had gathered around the table and were busy cracking jokes, eating greasy snacks they hid from their wives, and drinking beer or Mac’s shine. The night wore on as it usually did, with all of the stallions able to unwind from the week’s troubles with work and at home. Darts were tossed, pizza was scarfed, and lots of booze was drunk.

Eventually they gathered around the table for a game of poker. Seeing as how there were nine ponies in attendance, the game could only be played with four active players while the rest watched, an act that was its own sport.

“I keep telling you, we could sell tickets to this,” said Widescreen, who watched as Nightjar, Big Mac, Hooves, and Magnum squared off with each other.

“What? You mean, like… making poker a real sport?” asked Caramel incredulously.

“Totally! I mean look at this!” He motioned to the four players, imagining the invisible clash of will playing out in his minds eye.

“Raise,” said Big Mac, who shifted his customary grain stalk to the other side of his mouth.

“Call,” said Magnum, adding a small stack of chips.

“Fold,” said the Doctor, placing his cards on the table.

“Too rich for you, hombre?” quipped Nightjar. The newcomer was surrounded by an ever growing mountain of chips, an outcome that was not anticipated by the group. The pegasus moved a small pile of chips to the center of the table. “I will see your raise, Señor Manzana, and raise you fifty.”

Mac’s eyebrow raised ever so slightly but his voice was as steady as ever. “Yew sure ‘bout that, partner? Way Ah see it, ya ain’t got what it takes.”

“Then call my bluff, niño, and we shall see.” Nightjar’s smile began to resemble that of a timberwolf.

Mac pushed forward his remaining chips, his eyes narrowing. “Call.”

Magnum glanced back and forth between the two players. “Oh geeze, I’m out, boys,” he said, placing his cards on the table and standing up. “Eh, Doc, getcha anudder drink?”

“Right,” said the Doctor who stood up, leaving the two combatants to finish the match.

“So,” said Nightjar, “what you got, niño?”

Mac grinned triumphantly before turning over his cards. “Read ’em ‘n weep! Straight flush!”

“Mi diosa!” cried Nightjar, revealing a full house. “You have bested me this time, Señor Manzana, but I shall win back my chips! But first, another drink!” Nightjar’s reaction had caused the room to burst out into laughter and the tension quickly evaporated.

As the pegasus walked to the bar, he took note of the larger chair that had been placed at the table that evening. The table they were all sharing was large but it was slightly cramped with eight stallions and a young drake sitting around it, so it struck him as odd that they would leave an empty chair there, especially such a large one.

‘It looks very comfortable,’ Nightjar thought to himself. ‘But why would they have it here? Perhaps Widescreen simply forgot to move it.’ And so he took it upon himself to moved the chair to the room’s corner before returning to the game.

“Hey, wait!” Spike suddenly shouted. “Don’t touch that!”

Nightjar was so startled by the outburst that he nearly took to the air. He turned to see that everypony was looking at him, all conversation suddenly dying. The young drake scampered over to the chair and pushed it back into place.

“That’s Lero’s spot,” he said defiantly.

“Lero?” Nightjar repeated.

“Lero the human,” Caramel told him.

“The human?” Realization suddenly dawned on the pegasus. “Oh, si! Señor Bellerophon! El alienígeno! Oh, my little Zipporwill is so interested in him. She was so excited when she heard he lives here in Ponyville. She always says, ‘Papa, when can we see la humana?’” Nightjar laughed, oblivious of the uncomfortable looks being shared by the other stallions. “Why didn’t you tell me he was coming here tonight?”

Silence held the room as Nightjar looked anxiously from pony to pony. Most coughed awkwardly or scuffed the floor.

“He’s... not coming tonight, mate,” said the Doctor.

Nightjar furrowed his eyebrows. A moment later, the bit dropped.

“Oh,” he said, suddenly feeling mortified. “I… I am so sorry, mis amigos. I-I didn’t think-”

“S’alright, Nightjar,” said Widescreen, putting a reassuring hoof on the pegasus’ shoulder. “We should’ve told you about it when the night started.”

“Right!” quipped Caramel, who encouraged similar reactions from the other stallions. “Not your fault, man.”

“So… you leave him a spot?” asked Nightjar.

“Always,” nodded Widescreen.

This time, smiles spread throughout the room. “Lero is actually the one that started all of this,” said Carrot Cake. “Ah heck, most of us are here because of the guy.”

“He sounded like a good friend,” said Nightjar.

“One of the best!” cheered the Doctor.

“Eeyup!”

“He’s off with the rest of my family right now,” said Spike, who hopped up on the table. “They’re doing a really important mission to save a bunch of fillies and they’ll all be back soon!” Spike thumbed at the chair. “We always keep Lero’s chair ready. Ready for when he walks back through that door with stories about his adventure!”

The stallions cheered. Both Big Mac and Magnum shared a knowing look, Magnum beaming with pride at the young dragon’s words.

Spike reached and picked up his glass of soda. “Until then, we hold the fort him and the rest of the girls and keep things ready for their return!” Spike raised his glass high and puffed out his little chest.

“To friends and family gone!” he proposed.

“To friends and family gone!” cheered the stallions.

They all drank heartily.

Author's Notes:

Well, hi again folks! Some of you might have noticed the new tag to the story. That purple one next to "Mature". Well here you go, my first clop scene ever. Hope you enjoy it.

Special thanks go as usual to my friends Mike Teavee and Rikmach for their help editing this. Also, we have broken over 100 favs! That's a pretty big mile marker in my opinion so extra-special thanks go to you guys! You're all awesome.

Be sure to leave a comment with questions, concerns, and (of course) praise, for good karma and fuzzy feelings!

'Til next time!