The Colonel may have been old in years but was a remarkable story teller. He told me of battles with dragons, manticores and, somewhat troubling for an Equestrian, alicorns. I Smiled at his explanations of divisional manoeuvres and combat tactics, wondering if I could ever use them in the watch. I doubted it though, usually we preferred out targets alive to stand trial. The Colonels foes usually ended up fit for pie filling.

He finally seemed to tire of stories and gave a huge yawn, not bothering to cover his mouth, treating me to a view of his huge teeth. I smiled at him and went to ask my next question but the old soldier beat me to it, “May I trouble you for a light please ?

Thank you. Wondrous thing unicorn magic you know, nothing like the full battle magic of alicorns of course, but an amazing thing in itself.”

“Colonel, please. Can you help me ?”, I blurted out , “I need to know whats going on so I can get out of here with Lady Shadow.”

Star Beard waved a hoof at me and tutted. “Getting a bit ahead of ourselves there my boy. Slow and steady eh ? Don’t want me to pull rank on you, do you ?”

“No Colonel.”

“No Colonel”, he mimicked chuckling to himself again. Suddenly the old man act dropped like a stone and an army officer was staring right back at me. My back went rigid.

“Right then Captain, let us discuss the situation…….and our strategy.”

By the time we had finished discussing matters, the old Colonel had smoked several more pipe fulls of the peculiar tobacco. It was quite smooth and earthy, although one bowl was definitely enough for this pony. It wasn’t a habit encouraged in Equestria, with most of the harvest coming from Saddle Arabia as much as anywhere. ‘Dromedary’ was my brand of choice but Meadow had put a stop to that pungent little pastime and my pipes had been cleaned and put away in the trophy cabinet. A victory for the little green mare.

The cloak wearing assistant, sensing that her mentor’s visit was drawing to a close helped pack some items back into the satchel. My guest held a hoof out when it came to the berries, “I think I’ll leave these for you my boy.”, the officers voice had disappeared and the ancient Thestral, Star Beard was back in play, “I think you’ll find them, lets say…’beneficial’.”

“But Colonel….as I explained, I don’t think I actually need to eat. I’ve barely had anything at all since coming here.” I pointed out.

Star Beard rose to his hooves and stretched, joints creaking as he did so. He rustled his wings and scratched at something on his coat with a hoof.

“You did eat though, didn’t you ?”, He stated, smiling at his assistant before turning back to me, “The lake demon ?”

“What ? I….”, what had I done ? I remembered the feeling of warmth entering me, the joyful, almost ecstatic feeling of being re-energised, of being filled, with….life.

Watching my reaction with those flaring yellow Thestral eyes, Star Beard spoke, “I believe you when you say you don’t understand the changes you have undergone since coming here Fairlight. Please, believe me when I say that I know very little myself and would have told you if I could.”

He reached out and petted the cloaked pony on the head, uttering a low clacking noise to which the figure nodded.

He continued, “I have met others. Like you. A long time ago, even by my standards ! Yes, they existed, allies of ours in our war with the Equestrians. There weren’t many of them I have to say, but their strength in battle was a legend amongst our people. Ice and Fire, a true wonder to behold Fairlight. I suspect you have never seen magical combat before of that scale ?”

“I have seen death in battle before Colonel”, I replied grimly, “Not of the sort that should be present in the mortal world either.”

Star Beard looked at me, his head on one side quizzically, “Really ? Interesting. Should we be able to speak again, I would like to hear more of this. No matter..no matter. Anyway, I’m wandering off topic again.”, he shrugged his shoulder which cracked ominously but seemed to give him some relief, “Your power is fed by absorbing the life energy present in your defeated foes. Dependant upon the amount of energy you take in, it can last you quite a long time.”

He stuck his hoof in his ear and waggled it around, “I’d say that its best thought of as more of a, ‘magical energy reserve’ that you need to top up when it gets low. In the mortal world, you would still need to eat normal food to keep your physical body working of course. The ponies I knew certainly did….I think they did anyway….”. Star Beard removed his hoof and stared at whatever it was he had extracted from his ear.

“WHAT !” I cried, rearing up momentarily, “You’re saying I’m a….a vampire pony ? You cant be serious !”

Star Beard tutted at me, adjusting his satchel, “I never said you were a ‘vampire’ did I ? Look Fairlight, I haven’t got an infallible memory and I would rather not tell you
something that I’m not certain about, rather than make wild guesses. As a Captain in the Watch, I expect you understand what I’m saying yes ?”

“Yes. Yes, I understand”. I replied.

“Good. My boy, things happen which no Thestral, or in your case, no pony, can make mane nor tail of. Your power is not something you should fear, no matter how you came by it, it’s a part of you. I know that ‘Clerk’ Aethel, “, he emphasised the word ‘clerk’ in way I didn’t think possible, “..said you could not cross over because of it, but I think that its more a case of their fear of what you are, rather than ‘physically’ being unable to enter their realm.”

“The best advice I can give you is to learn to master it Captain Fairlight. Remember your training and train yourself again,”, he thumped his chest, “ become the master of your own emotions. That, that is what gives you your strength.”

“Colonel”, I asked, my heart racing as his words hit home, “what ….am I ?”.

He paused and rubbed his bony chin in thought.

“Why my dear Captain, didn’t you already guess ?”

“No sir.”

He chuckled and patted a hoof on my shoulder, “Why…you’re a Wendigo of course !”

He grinned expansively and turned knocking on the cell door. The guard opened it in his now customary manner and I saw what looked like…money ?...being surreptitiously put in the guards hoof and vanishing into a tunic pocket. In my dazed state, I barely noticed the assistant was still in the room as the door began to close, “Star Beard ! Your....”, I began but the Thestrals face popped back in to the room with a toothy grin, did he…did he just ‘wink’ at me !? My goddesses he did ! “Enjoy the berries Watch Captain Fairlight.”, he laughed, and the door slammed shut.

His croaking laughter echoed down the corridor and out of earshot. I was…I didn’t know. I couldn’t be what he said, what…a Wendigo ? A bloody ancient, thing, a monster from Equestrian legend, from the time of the wars of the three kingdoms ? Bollocks, the silly old foal must have bats in his belfry. It suddenly hit me with crystal clarity. Wendigo must be the name for a group of magic users from the time of, whatever war it was, that he was involved in. Rather like the name ‘Equestrian Watch’, or those blasted ‘Agency’ spooks. I’d have to learn more about these when I got back home. Home….I wasn’t even sure if that’s where I wanted to go any more. What was there to go back to ? I was dead to everyone there wasn’t I ? What was going to happen when I tried to go back, my body was a mass of dust now surely ? Goddesses, I was so confused. I felt my emotions roaring through me in a turmoil of

worry and despair….”Oh Meadow, what am I going to do ?”, I groaned covering my head with my hooves, “Shadow…….”.

A foreleg reached out and placed a delicate hoof on my hind leg to comfort me. Unbidden, tears rolled down my face and plopped into the dust on the floor. I must have looked a state, so much for ‘mastering my emotions eh ?’, shit.

The cloaked figure scooched over and pressed into me without a word, the occupants head leaning against my shoulder. A light chirrup emanated from the hoods depths, soothing and calm. A chirrup I recognised.

I turned to face the figure and stretched out both my forelegs, gently lowering the hood to reveal a black coated Thestral.

“Shadow !” I exclaimed, “What in Luna’s name are you doing in here ? Why…”, she pushed a hoof to my mouth and motioned towards the door. I understood her gesture, the guard was likely outside, paid off by Star Beard or not, he would still be close by.

Quietly, she leaned into me and made a light rattling purr, rather like an enormous household cat, but distinctly Thestral, exquisitely feminine. I leaned down to nuzzle
her gently. Luna knows what was going to happen when the door next opened. For now though, nothing else mattered but her.

Shadow and I stayed snuggled together for how long, I couldn’t say. I wondered if she were asleep and I watched her chest rise and fall. I gently stroked her cheek, pleased to see no sign of the blow the Duchess had delivered her. Shadow pushed into me more, a small moaning sound escaping from her lips.

Warmth spread throughout my body from ear tip to tail making me shudder, was it wrong to feel this…happy ? Yes, I suppose it was, but feeling the little Thestral warm against my body, I just didn’t care. A red eye slowly half opened and looked up into my face, the heat in her gaze was intoxicating. Shadow slid her head up my chest and brought her muzzle close to mine. The smell of warm spice from her breath made my heart begin to race. I remembered our first…

A warm tongue snaked out and gave my muzzle a tentative lick. Softly, sensually, her tongue followed the line of my lips before disappearing back into her mouth. I half expected the guard to burst in wondering what the noise was, my heart was hammering so loudly. Whisps of steam wreathed Shadows nose as she rubbed her face along the side of mine. Her teeth felt strange against my face but the unusual sensation was having an effect on me I would never have expected.

Shadow however, did, and she had plans for that evening.

A quick blur of slick black legs and she was facing me, both of us upright on our haunches. It was a position I was used to, but not so….close, to another pony. Here, rather than a pony, sat a Thestral, a being of nightmares, a creature from the darkest recesses of a foals nightmares. Eyes burning like the pits of Tartarus, smoke curling from wicked flesh rending teeth. A beautiful midnight blue mane flowing over a slim

bony frame. In the world of ponies, bony, terrifying and beautiful did not work. It simply couldn’t.

Shadow watched me carefully, taking in every inch like she was committing my entire being to memory. For a moment I wondered if this was because it would be the last time I would see her, perhaps tomorrow, would be my last day in this life. Whatever it was going to be, I would share my time with her now. I owed her so much, I wanted to be with her, my heart ached to be with her.

The Thestral leaned forward, her fore hooves resting on her hind legs while leaning forward, her mouth barely a hairs breadth from mine. Her eyes half closed, I felt mine close involuntarily as her long tongue licked my lips, probing softly. I let her in. Slowly, she moved her mouth against mine, her tongue sliding along my own, moist and gentle yet with a barely restrained excited feel which resonated with my entire body.

She broke the kiss before I lost control and plucked a crystal berry from the bowl with a hoof, carefully placing it between her lips. Her eyes closed and I moved forward to meet her. Carefully, I took the berry with my lips and tongue, squashing it against the roof of my mouth. The cool sugary sweet juice flowed out, a taste I had never experienced before. Shadows mouth closed over mine, her tongue roving freely, lapping at the juice and sharing the flavour with me. Mingling her spicy breath with my own and the sweetness of the fruit.

It was all too much, I could sense a roaring deep inside me, a feeling of uncontrollable lust ready to break free of its bonds and…Goddesses, I wanted it to.

The Thestral unclipped her cloak letting it drop to the floor, her chest heaving and eyes glowing with an intense light which seemed to brighten the room, reflecting a myriad of colours from the crystal walls.

I reached out and threw my forelegs around her, pulling her into another kiss. Long and deep, I tasted her breath, ran my tongue along her teeth, feeling their sharp points and almost longed to feel their bite.

My hooves ran up and down her spine, following its pronounced contours. Shadows folded wings shivered and she pushed away from me, her eyes flaring a deep crimson. Steam rolled out of her mouth and she huffed a blast up into the air from her nostrils before lunging forward, carrying me to the ground.

“Shadow….” I moaned, looking up into her eyes. I was hers now, her bonded mate. She could do what she wanted with me and by the searching hungry look in her eyes, she knew. Her fore hoof ran up and down my chest as she climbed astride me. I moved my legs to accommodate her and she purred in anticipation as her haunches pushed into me, sliding forward and back, looking for something she knew was there.

Stopping suddenly, Shadow lifted her hauches slightly and ran a hoof down my chest to my crotch and found her prize. With a little clicking moan, she briefly lifted off me and pushed herself back and down, slowly, inch by exquisite inch. Her eyes flew open

then she shut them tightly a stifled cry escaping her lips mingled with the now billowing steam. With a final push, Shadows chest heaved and she fell forward,
clamping her mouth over mine, kissing me with an insatiable hunger that I answered with my own.

I grabbed her hips and began to move with her, slowly to begin with, her whimpers driving my excitement to new levels. My heart was soaring in a torrent of joy, pleasure and desire, all mixing into an inexorable flood of primal need.

I let out a guttural cry, white smoke pouring from my mouth, mixing and blending with the steam from my Thestrals. Reflected in the crystal walls, the blazing blue of my eyes with the flare of red from my mates, became a kaleidoscope of glittering colours. My white coat in stark relief against her silken black one, her soft mane hanging down on my chest, our tails swished back and forth, tickling and teasing each other, adding to the mounting crescendo of passion.

Any thoughts of discretion thrown to the winds, Shadow pushed herself down, increasing in tempo, her gasps and moans filling the room. The two of us now encased in the fog, her eyes burning fires in an ethereal ghostly form upon me, feeding, drawing my life into her body. I gave her everything I had, let her take my all
and thrilled in her joy. Shining silver motes of energy lifted from my muzzle, flowing between my sharp teeth and into the hungry mouth of my beloved Thestral mare.

She moved into a kiss as her passion rose to the edge, thrusting her tongue deep into my mouth, taking in the silvery life energy to her body, sharing herself in kind. We were one being, one entity, the world was us and we were the world, the Withers, the Mortal world, even the Heavens themselves. We could take it all.

My whole body was burning, my coat, a white hot coal of radiance as fog and colour rolled and ebbed with our movements. We were flying, rising in animal screams and cries to the white crest on the wave of our love.

Shadows breathing took on a desperate urgency and grabbed me with her fore hooves and thighs as she took a long deep inhalation. Her voice blasted into my mind with a force of utter ecstatic release, “FAIRLIGHT !...”, the crystal walls resounding with her screaming roar mingling with my own cry. The world around me swirled away in a fog of sparkling white fog and intense blue fire.