We sat together by a small black stone font set in the centre of one of the empty buildings rooms. It was a place with a peculiar sense of calm. Niggling at the back of my mind, I sensed a subtle background thrum of magic, similar to that on the plateau, but here it was more…personal somehow.

Ember, the most eloquent of Shadow’s sisters was so quiet I had almost forgotten she was with us. She silently passed around a woven basket full of the plump crystal berries. What caused me some consternation, however, was that the once talkative Thestral female now avoided eye contact with me, turning her head away if I even glanced in her direction. “Eat”, said Star Beard to Shadow and I, taking a particularly juicy one for himself. I’d already ‘eaten’ earlier of course, but I could still feel the warm tingle of magic from the berries lifting my reserves.

A sudden worry popped into my mind, “Star Beard, Thorn told me he believed we’d been betrayed. The ambush had certainly been well prepared long before we got here. We’re fortunate to be alive..”, I put a hoof on Shadows and smiled at her, “..all of us.”

Star Beard smiled at us both and nodded in his usual knowing manner, “Sometimes, ties of family can make us do the strangest things, make the worst of choices.”, I saw him looking at Ember who turned her head away in embarrassment, or was it shame ? “Love, even if unrequited, is a powerful force.”

Shadow nuzzled her sister’s neck and they spoke in low voices to each other for a moment before Ember gingerly moved closer to snuggle into shadows side.

Star Beard watched them quietly and smiled, “She loves you, you know.” I watched them for a while before answering, “I know”.

We sat in silenced for a while longer before Star Beard stood and walked to the font. He began to mumble words in a language I had never heard before, standing on his hind legs and holding his hooves out across its surface. A silver fog gradually began to rise from it as he lifted his fore legs high as if in prayer. Even with my magical translation device, I couldn’t understand his words. Listening to them, they were
something different to what I would even describe as ‘language’, this was more like magic, raw magic….given voice. My horn tingled and itched, a sure sign of a large magic field building up nearby. The font suddenly threw out a beam of red light, blue and yellow spirals of energy travelling up the outside of it, illuminating the room.

Star Beard spoke into the light and nodded. He continued to do this for several minutes before bowing to the light as it winked out of existence in complete silence. Shadow and Ember were fast asleep, oblivious of the peculiar spectacle before them.

The mysterious old Thestral sat back down before me and smiled a sad smile.

“Colonel ?” I asked quietly, trying not to wake the sleeping mares.

He fiddled with his satchel for moment before speaking, “The preparations are complete my boy. You leave here tonight.”

I sat up on my haunches, eyes wide. So, this was it, I was to say finally say goodbye to this world, to leave for my own. Back to the land of mortals, Equestria. I was suddenly filled with excitement and fear in equal measure.

“What of Shadow ?”
“She will meet you there.”, he replied simply, looking down at the floor contemplatively.

“We aren’t going together ?” I asked.

My question unanswered, the old Thestral clambered to his hooves while fidgeting with his hat. “Come Fairlight, There’s some pony here who’s waiting to speak to you.” Without another word, he walked out of the room in a tinkle of little bells. I felt a strange resistance as I stood up, like something was anchoring me to the floor, but a good push and I was trotting after Star Beard.

“In here my boy”, he gestured to a side chamber which glowed with a slight golden warm glow, it was….inviting. I felt a hot need to enter the light, it was so….warm. In a moment’s hesitation, I opened my mouth to speak but Star Beard, had already gone back to the room with the font. Shaking my mane and gathering myself, I entered cautiously. Inside….By the Goddess ! I looked around myself in complete astonishment, this couldn’t be real, I’d have to have been eating something. Agh ! Those damned berries, the old goat had probably sent me on some tribal drug induced ‘spirit journey’ like those zebra shamen I’d heard of. But by Celestia, this was so real ! The tall field of wheat, heavy and ready for harvest, trees laden with lush red apples. I was in heaven, this was it, the Eternal Herd, only….. When I looked back, there in the dark room was Star Beard, Shadow and Ember, lying by the font as I expected yet also with them, a very….’Fairlight’ looking body.

My heart felt like it was in my throat. I’d moved on, at last I was here where I’d been so desperate to reach, but I could still feel a…bond, a faint tugging, pulling my gaze towards….Shadow. The beautiful ethereal creature, the Thestral who had stayed by
my side throughout my trials in the Withers, did I really want to leave her ? Did I even have a choice ? Goddesses I was so confused.

“She really is quite beautiful isn’t she ? Once you get past the initial impulse to run away screaming in terror.”

I knew that voice, soft and delicate, strong yet feminine. “Meadow !” I cried and flung my forelegs around my beloved wife, “Oh Goddesses I’ve missed you so much, but I’m here now. Its all okay ! We’re with the Eternal Herd and no pony will ever tear us apart. You, me, Sparrow, it going to be….” She planted a hoof in my mouth with her

slender green fore leg. “Love, please, we haven’t got a great deal of time. The Goddess has intervened on your behalf to allow us to be here, together, before you….”, she choked back a sob and pulled her face into mine, kissing me deeply on the mouth.

It ended all too quickly. “Its alright love, I don’t want to go back, I’m meant to be with you, I always was.”

She shook her head sadly, “You don’t understand Fairlight, my darling stallion.” She stroked my chest slowly, “Your life is still tied to the mortal world, even now, it calls you back. You cannot resist its call, it is….the way of world. We will see each other again, but you must fulfil your destiny first.”

“To Hades with destiny, I want to be with you. I’ve already been through death and the hell of the Wither World, I’ve fulfilled my bloody destiny.”

Meadow shook her head and spoke quietly, “Wait here, there’s something I must do.”

She trotted off into the next room and up to Shadow. I watched spellbound as, incredibly, another Shadow, rose from her body, blinking and looking around her in as much shock as I was in. The two spoke briefly and the Thestral mare nodded in agreement then, together, trotted into the corn field to face me. “Oh bollocks…..” I muttered.

“Fairlight ! You promised me about that swearing !”, Meadow laughed and nudged Shadow playfully. “Sorry love…” I answered.

“She doesn’t speak much does she ?” Meadow said to me while eyeing Shadow. “Meadow, whose being rude now ?” I said in mock indignation. Meadow clicked her tongue, “Oh shush you. Shadow and I are going for a chat now. You stay here and no eaves dropping either.”

I sat in the wheat and plucked a stalk, holding the thing in my mouth the way I’d seen farm ponies do in Ponyville. I couldn’t see the appeal. A childish giggle made me turn round, no pony there ? “You look funny !”, I looked down to see where the little voice was coming from and saw a tiny grey Pegasus foal smiling up at me, “Hello Daddy. Are you coming home with us today ?”. Damn it, I was tearing up again. I picked her up in my hooves and swept her into the air, “Maybe if I had wings and could….FLY !” I shouted and Sparrow squealed in delight as she flapped her tiny wings, “I can fly daddy ! Wheeee !”. She shrieked, giggled and whooped as she ‘flew’ atop the wheat. I laughed with her and gave a cuddle before putting her down.

“Whose that scary lady with mummy ? She looks like a skellington”. Sparrow stood on her back legs, her front hooves either side of her mouth with an intent stare adding to the spectacle, “Look at me, I’m a big scary black monster thing, look at my big pointy teeth…..arrrrrrrr”.

I couldn’t help but laugh out loud and Sparrow, encouraged by my reaction, continued to stomp around me making growling sounds. “Sparrow ! come now, you’re being rude, Shadow isn’t a pony, she’s a Thestral”.

“Fes..trul”, she attempted.
“No…Thes….trull…Thhhhhh”.
“Ffffff….”, the look of exaggerated concentration was adorable.

“Oh forget it !”, I laughed and lay down on my back amongst the golden stalks of wheat. Sparrow laughed and jumped about me, her tiny wings buzzing like a bee’s on a summers day. Finally, jumping on my chest, she snuggled down into my fur, “You are coming home though daddy ?”

“Yes love”, I said mussing her mane, “I wont be too long. Will you be a good girl until I see you next ?” She just stuck her tongue out and I tapped her on the head with my hoof, “Naughty !”. We both giggled and waited for the chatting mares to come back.

I must have been dozing for a while because when I opened my eyes, two pairs of eyes filled my vision. “Wha…!”, I squeaked and nearly choked on the stalk in my mouth.

Meadow smiled and turned to Shadow, “He’s so cute when he’s surprised. You’ll have to try it some time.” I lay there unsure as to just what was happening, “Sparrow !” I said suddenly. “….is back with my parents playing house. You on the other hoof are going to stay there mister and listen to us girls for a minute.”

I sighed as she put a hoof on my chest pushing me back down with a broad smile.
“Yes miss”, I sighed.
“Good boy !” Meadow said playfully, chuckling.

“Shadow and I have been talking, she does become quite chatty when she gets going you know. And, she’s told me all about your ‘adventures’ together…”, Oh Goddesses, “…and what adventures they were !”. I cringed. “Well, who can blame you for losing control in that cell when you thought you were going to be executed ? Tut,Tut, Fairlight !”.

I could feel my face burning, “Meadow, I’m sorry, oh Goddesses….I’m so...so…”. “Pity I wasn’t there with you two….”, she pondered, her eyes searching mine, “could have made things a little more….’interesting’. I liked the part with the berries too, maybe we can try that out some time.”

“Meadow, please, I don’t know what’s going on”, I blurted, “…I’m dreaming or having a nightmare, oh Goddesses !” I was in a panic and struggled to get away but shadow held me down on one side and Meadow on the other. “The Goddess knows what you’ve been up to Fairlight and now, I do too. We both do.” The mares nodded to each other in perfect harmony. “I want you to show me….” Meadow purred seductively and deftly produced a red berry from the wicker basket that they’d pilfered from the other room. Straddling me, the green mare placed it in her mouth

and moved toward mine, her lantern yellow eyes left me in no doubt as to what this pony expected from me. As a dutiful sort of fellow, I was more than happy to oblige.