Morning brought warm smells of cooking from the back of my room. Tingles had brought a set of cooking utensils and a small gas stove to the modest abode before I’d woken up.

Sizzling and popping sounds filled the room, whatever the tangerine mare was making smelt really good. The finished article was soon deposited into a plastic tub and the lid clicked down. I wandered over for a sniff only to be bopped on the nose with a spoon,

“Stop it! That’s for our trip, not for breakfast” she admonished.

I hooked my forelegs around her neck, kissing her ear, “I know what I’d rather have for breakfast…”

Tingles giggled and pushed me off, “We don’t have time silly, but, you know, it’s a nice place Ponyville…and theres always time on the way back if we need to…you, know…stop off?”

I nuzzled her neck and stepped back to look at her, “You’ve put a spell on me, Miss Tingles, I don’t know how you do it.”

“Ha! Says the super magical stallion with the horn! Its nearly mended too, come here, lets have a look…”

She took my head in her hooves and looked closely at my broken horn. I felt a bit awkward really, I didn’t like to be reminded of it and it still twinged from time to time, like a bad tooth. There was a unicorn pride thing at play here which was on an almost instinctual level with me.

“Will you keep still, you’re like a wriggly worm! Hmmm, yeah, it looks almost fully healed, that’s good news. Maybe my ‘magic’ helped it along a little eh?”

She stuck her tongue out and danced out of my reach when I tried to catch her. Ooh! That mare! I could hear her chuckling to herself while she packed our saddle bags and I leaned toward the small mirror in the kitchenette. Lets see, yes, it was definitely a lot better, I wasn’t sure if it ever would be back to the way it was though. I couldn’t see it very well anyway unless I angled mirrors just so, and as a unicorn, you just kind of got used to it being there and were careful to duck. Mine had never been that long, and yes, I know theres a joke there too, but seriously, if you had something as long as an alicorn, you’d be banging into things all the time.

No, mine was just the right size, after all, it’s what you do with it that counts. Apparently.

Fully geared for the flight, we arrived at the guest accommodation. Most of the ‘guests’ had already had memory alteration and been sent on their way by the time we got there. The young agent on the reception desk led us to a side room with the waiting Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo duo.

The orange foal looked up at me curiously, “Who are you? Are we going home now?”

The ivory unicorn stuck close to her friend and looked from me to Tingles and back again, “Do I know you?” she squeaked.

“I don’t think so miss, but I’m agent Nox, and this is agent Tingles…” my companion gave a little wave, “…Its time to take you home.”

Scootaloo looked at us without any trepidation at all, she really was a brave little thing, “Whats happened to us? We were playing by the river and the next thing, ‘Poof!’ were here in this place!”

And here we go with the lies…”You were affected by marsh gas. Our agents found you there and brought you to our hospital for care. Now that you’re all better, we’re going to take you back home to Carousel Boutique.”

Tingles leaned down full of smiles, “Bet you cant wait to get back to your sister! I bet she’ll want to treat you to something from Sugarcube Corner too!”

Sweetie smiled nervously and circled a hoof, “I want to go home, but, can mister Nox carry me on his back? I…I don’t know why, it just seems…right somehow”

Scootaloo laughed hysterically, “Sweeties got a crush on you! Ha, ha, ha!”. I blushed as red as Sweetie, putting her on my back where she hung on as she had done when we’d raced through the facility.

Tingles hid her grin behind a hoof, turning away when I fixed her with a disapproving glare, “Don’t worry Nox, i’m not the jealous type.”

In barely a mutter, “Bit young for you though…”

“What was that!?” I squeaked.

“NOTHING! Nothing at all!”, she trotted off with Scootaloo, the two of them killing themselves laughing. A snort and mane shake later, I trotted off after them…bloody mares…

The sky chariot park was almost empty, no doubt the rest were off delivering mares and foals affected by ‘marsh gas’. For fucks sake, who came up with that one? Well, at least the girls believed it. Suprisingly, actually, I thought they’d be a bit more resistant to the idea, but they seemed to accept this sort of explanation quite happily. I had the feeling these two weren’t strangers to getting themselves in trouble somehow.

Tingles helped me to load the girls and our packs into the carriage. They each had a bag of sweets which magically appeared from one of the doctors, he certainly didn’t get them from the canteen where flavourless and bland was considered haute cuisine. I was nearly salivating watching them being devoured, so I determined I’d have to buy some for Tingles and myself from the treat shop in Ponyville. Suddenly, I was actually looking forward to getting there.

However, things never seem to quite go according to my plans, and our trip turned into a torturous journey with hours of bored foals asking questions and singing the worst songs I’d ever heard. I swear, if I heard ‘are we nearly there yet’, once more, somepony was walking home.

My ears and head were aching when I felt the carriage alter course slightly. Scootaloo noticed too, “Hey mister Nox?”

“Whaaaat…?”

“Are we ne…”

“Yes! Yes we bloody well are! Please, Scootaloo, sit down and keep quiet, for the love of Celestia!”

She sat back and stared at me with a hurt expression. Fantastic, now I felt guilty as well as angry. Sweetie Belle leaned across and tapped my knee with her tiny hoof, “Mister Nox?”

“Yes, Sweetie…”

“Thanks for helping us, really.”

I looked at her and patted her hoof, “You’re welcome miss, and you too Scootaloo. Look, I’m sorry I got snappy, I’m not good with foals.”

Scootaloo harrumphed and looked away her forelegs crossed, but I still noticed the little smirk on her face, the little bugger.

“Do you have foals, mister Nox?”

I was waiting for that question, “Yes, she’s called Sparrow Song, she’s a bit younger than you two.”

Sweetie smiled, “Does she have a cutie mark?”

I shook my head laughing, “No, not yet. I guess she hasn’t found her talent yet, theres plenty of time” All the time in the world…

The little orange Pegasus turned to me and shouted excitedly, “Hey! Maybe I can be a secret agent like agent Tingles?!”

“You know Scootaloo, you probably could be, you probably could.”

Speaking of Tingles, the mare called back on the TED, “Fillies and Gentlecolts, this is your captain speaking. We will be arriving in Ponyville in approximately five minutes, our approach vector will bring us in from the east at a cruising altitude of around five hundred feet. Please check your seatbelts are fastened, luggage secured and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for flying with Air Tingles today.”

“Smart arse”, I called back.

“Watch it ‘my lord’, or the you’ll get it later”

“I sincerely hope so, agent Tingles, I really do”

I heard a loud whinny and down we went, the girls whooping with delight as the countryside of Ponyville rushed past. In the distance I could see the mountains, everfree forest, with heavily laden apple orchards as far as the eye could see. Such a change from the brick, concrete and stone of Manehattan was hard to comprehend. This was how a pony should live, boring it may be for a watch pony, but this…I missed it.

It was a real treat to see the trees below us and the sky so pure and blue overhead, the pegasi did a good job keeping the clouds away here. Not sure why Manehattan was always so bloody wet, but Ponyville, it was like a picture perfect postcard of the ‘Equestrian Way’, or something like that anyway.

It was our smoothest landing yet. Tingles’ precision flying skills displayed to their fullest, Scootaloo gave the orange mare a big ‘Oooo!’ of appreciation.

“I didn’t feel us land at all!”, Sweetie Belle shouted jumping from the carriage.

“I know! I hope I can fly as well as you one day Miss Tingles” Scootaloo called back.

Tingles whinnied and unhooked herself from the carriage, “You will Scootaloo, just keep practicing to get your wings nice and strong, okay?”

Scootaloo nodded and the four of us set off across the cobbled street for Carousel Boutique. The shop itself was immaculately clean, tastefully painted and even the flower boxes smart and colour co-ordinated. Outside, a poster of Sweetie and her Pegasus friend offered a reward for information on their whereabouts and safe return. The two girls raced about laughing and trying to pull faces like the ones in the poster, so much for keeping this low key.

The door opened to the boutique and a perfectly coiffed purple tail backed out into the sunshine, the mare following it leaning up to lock the door. “SIS!”, Sweetie Belle yelled in a high pitched squeaking voice and barrelled into her older sister at full tilt. Scootaloo, ran after her jumping about, her tiny wings buzzing like a bee’s.

“Wha…whats this? Sweetie Belle!? Where…what…Oh my, oh Celestia!”

The mare, Rarity? grabbed hold of her sister and hugged her for all she was worth, crying into her mane, mascara running down her cheeks, “Oh you silly, silly foal, where have you been? Mother and Father have been beside themselves, we even had the royal guard out looking for you! And Scootaloo too of course!”

She turned to Tingles and I, looking relieved yet a little worried, “And who may I ask, are you two fine ponies? Do I have you to thank for bringing these two miscreants home?”

Tingles stepped forward, “Miss Rarity? Agent Tingles, agent Nox, Celestian Bureau of Investigation.”

“Oh!”

“The girls stumbled into an area of poisonous marsh gas near the river, fortunately our agents found them and took them in for immediate treatment. Sadly, its taken a couple of days for them to recover enough for us to find out where they lived. My apologies, I know we could have tried harder, but I hope you’re happy to have these two back home again”

“I am! Oh agent Tingles, I’m so happy I think…I think I’m going to…”

She blew her nose on a silk hanky and wiped her tear and mascara stained face.

“Look at me! I’m a mess! But never mind that, come in, please…I have to thank you properly.”

“I’m sorry Miss” I apologised, “we really need to get going…”

“Nonsense! I wont take no for an answer, and neither will Sweetie, so come on in. A cup of tea is the very least I can offer, I’m sure it was a long journey for you after all.”

Tingles and I exchanged a glance and I shrugged, hell, why not? Sweetie and Scootaloo raced in ahead of us, helping the designer arrange little cakes and tea for everypony. I had to say, this was all very civilised and certainly a cut above salt licks and wheat beers, but you know, I was never really cut out for this sort of life. I’d probably be happier working the land with an old chipped mug of hot tea than fancy china. Still, this was nice and to see the smile on Tingles’ face was worth putting up with a little ‘stuffiness’.

“Are you certain the girls will be alright, agent Tingles?”

“Oh yes, ma’am, they’re fit as fiddles. Our doctors gave them a full check before we brought them home”

“I’m so grateful to you, both of you. I simply must inform Twilight as soon as possible, she’s out helping co-ordinate the search but I’d imagine she’ll be back soon.”

“I see”, Tingles said taking a bite of one of the petit fours on the cake stand, “can we leave you to inform the search parties that the girls are home, ma’am? I imagine with your connections, you’ll be able to contact all the right ponies and let them know.”

“Yes indeed! I’ll be on with that as soon as we’ve had our tea. I’m going to contact the girls and give them the good news as soon as I can, and this young madam certainly won’t be going anywhere for a while.”

“Awww! Sis…”

“Never mind that, my heart and nerves couldn’t take it. We’ll call round to see Apple Jack and Apple Bloom this afternoon, I know they’ll be overjoyed to see you two safe and sound.”

We all chuckled, watching the foals race back and forth excitedly. The thought of anypony, any human, touching them…hurting them…What if that had been my Sparrow? I wouldn’t have stopped at killing them, that was for sure, I’d…

“Mister Nox?” Rarity was giving me a concerned look, “Are you alright? You looked a little…distracted”

“I’m sorry ma’am, it’s been a long day and a long journey from Manehattan.”

“In which case, you’ll be staying here tonight as my guests.”

“But…”

“It’s a long flight back to Manehattan agent Nox and although I’m not a Pegasus, even I can see your friend is weary from her flight. Now then, when we’re finished, you two go and explore Ponyville, I strongly recommend cakes at Sugarcube Corner and the rare art exhibit at the town hall, its going to stupendous!”

“Rare art exhibit?”, Tingles asked.

“Why yes, the starswirl exhibit. This year, they’ve sent several artifacts to the town hall.”

“I thought there was a travelling museum for those?” I asked curiously.

“Why yes dear, there is. However, what they have are cleverly crafted copies, you understand. You couldn’t have the real thing being damaged or…”, she gasped, “stolen!”

Tingles shook her head, “I think I’d like to take a look later, if that’s okay with you agent Nox?”

“Of course, it would be quite enlightening”, in fact…I think it actually might be.

Rarity waved a hoof, “Darling, why wait! If that interests you so much, I have something here that might just tantalise your curiosity.”

Without further ado, the pristine mare trotted across to a cupboard and took out a small chest which she deftly unlocked with a key from her purse. Inside, on a small velvet cushion, sat something I knew all too well. The small clear crystal on a long gold chain seemed to stare at me, I felt myself reaching out to it, my mouth hanging open.

“I know! Isn’t it simply divine?” Rarity gushed, “I’ve had it here for polishing and was taking it back when you arrived here with our missing duo.”

Rarity placed the chain around my neck and held it up with her hoof. Turning around in a circle, a pale glow emanated from the crystal, brightening in intensity when I faced a certain direction. Tingles stared at it, “Fai…Nox, that’s it isn’t it? What you told me about”. It was…

Rarity looked confused, “I’ve never seen it do that before, how in Equestria did you make it do that?”

I shook my head, “I have no idea”.

“Curious”, she said replacing the pendant back in the box.

I couldn’t stop staring at the box…by the goddesses, starswirls beacon. It was here, in Ponyville, but…how?

Rarity cleared away the crockery and helped Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle into sun hats and saddle bags, “Swish, stylish and practical”, she announced to nopony in particular.

We bid our farewell’s and agreed to meet back at the boutique around six. In the meantime, Tingles and I wandered the streets looking very much out of place in our black agency suits. We were drawing far too much attention for my liking, even if it was the sort of attention which meant ponies avoided you like the plague. First up though was the massive gingerbread house shop owned by the cake family, ‘Sugarcube Corner’.

Tingles rushed in and whinnied like a little filly, darting from one shelf to another, picking up colourful boxes of cakes, chocolates and goodness knows what else. Before I knew it, she was loading a basket with more treats than I thought possible.

I shook my head and looked up at the amazing selection of sweets, I could feel my heart accelerating just looking at the artery hardening goodies.

From out of a back room, a yellow stallion with a jaw that looked like he could chew nails, walked up next to me and placed a box of chocolates on the shelf with a ‘50%’ off sticker. Tingles was there in an instant, squeeing in delight and the box swiftly disappeared into the bottomless basket.

“Anything you fancy sir?” The yellow pony asked me politely.

“No…I love treats, but…they’re all a little sweet for me, you know?”

“Hmmm, yes, yes I do sir. Mares tend to have quite the sweet tooth in my humble opinion,” he glanced about conspiratorially, “but I’ve been trying something lately specifically for our male customers. Follow me…”

I walked after the stallion into the back room where a large locked cabinet sat. The yellow fellow produced a key and clicked the lock open, looking at me with a knowing grin, “A land of adventure awaits, my good sir, if you would only take that first step.”

I didn’t know whether to be excited or terrified, this chap was obviously dedicated to his craft and his sales pitch really did grab you, but…oh…oh wow! The smell of rich chocolate and, was that salt? It was…chocolate, and salt, surely not?

“Are they…?”

He nodded, grinning, “Try one, go ahead…they’re nothing like anything I’ve ever made before. These have genuine Saddle Arabian pink salt, hearthside caramel and a blend of chocolate from the zebra isles. A choice of dark of milk, taste one…”

The chocolate melted warmly in my mouth, the salt hitting my palate like a freight train. Small pieces of caramel added their own sweet background to the symphony of flavour singing on my tongue, “Oh Sweet Celestia!” I groaned nearly fainting with the experience.

“Good aren’t they?” he nodded knowingly, “My wife can’t stand them and won’t have them on display. However, I think you can see for yourself how incredible these are. I think I’m going to market them as something mysterious, something you ‘shouldn’t have’. Mystery sells things, I just hope I can convince Mrs C.”

Good goddesses, if these were all it took to make me feel this good, who the hell needed drugs?

“How much?”, I enquired fishing in my pocket.

“Well, these aren’t for sale yet you see, they’re samples for distribution to…”

“How much! Please, you don’t know what the canteen’s food’s like in the agency, its like a desert and I’ve finally found the oasis. For the love of all that’s holy, sir, I need more!”

Mr Cake smiled and nodded, clopping me on the shoulder, “Alright my friend, you’ve convinced me, I can always make more of them can’t I?”

Oh thank Luna, I thought for a minute I was going to lose out. And here they were, box upon box, plain and dark, my delicious pretties…I looked down to see my hooves shaking in anticipation.

“Try one of the dark one’s while I package them up for you.”

The dark chocolate was a different experience to the milk, but oh…just as good! A slightly bitter journey of sweetness and salty goodness, I was in heaven.

“How many would you like sir?” Mr Cake asked politely,

“Oh, you see that chariot out there? The big yellow one…?”

He nodded and sighed, “I’ll get a bigger box…”

Kindly and very trustingly, Rarity had left us a copy of the key to the shop which meant, thankfully for me, that we could leave Tingles’ large selection of cakes and chocolates in there for safe keeping. I couldn’t help but smile when she flew around me in a circle, laughing and looping through the air. Ah, chocolate…are there any problems your deliciousness cannot solve?

The happy mare swept down and gave me a big chocolaty kiss, she really did taste amazing.

“Tingles, please! Ponies will see us”

“Who cares? Ho boy! This stuff’s great! It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside”, she flew down until she was hovering by my ear, “really warm, if you get my drift agent Nox”.

I did, and now, with the afterglow of the chocolate and the warm taste of her mouth on mine, I was getting a stirring that threatened to embarrass me a hell of a lot more than a kiss in the street.

“Come on, theres a place I know”

Tingles and I walked up to the small wood overlooking the river. From here I could see for miles, the green fields ponies used for picnics, the big tree I’d met Meadow under. Oh…oh no…

Tingles cocked her head to one side, “Fairlight? Are you alright love…?”

I nodded, but couldn’t move my eyes away from the tree. I could still see her, wearing her sun hat and smiling at me with those big lantern eyes.

“Sorry Tingles, it’s this place, memories you know? Don’t worry about it. Can I just hold you…for now…please?”

She smiled and nuzzled me gently, “Of course you can, you don’t need to ask.”

I lay there next to Tingles, my excitement ebbing away, replaced with a heavy melancholy that pulled my heart and mood into an abyss I wanted to keep well away from.”

The tangerine mare snuggled into me, “I’ve done something terrible haven’t I?”

“Hmmm?” I waited for her to go on.

“You love Meadow, and Shadow too. And yet here I am, the new girl, wanting to spend time with you, wanting you all to myself. I’m a greedy mare Fairlight, I want you to be with me, but at the same time, I’m happy to share you with the others…if they’ll let me. And now, now I’ve hurt you, I’ve broken your…your heart”

She began to shake and I caught her up in my forelegs, “No! Stop that right now Miss Tingles, do you hear me? It’s me who said yes, it’s me who will have to answer to Meadow and Shadow. If they hate me, if they reject me after this, then it’s my fault, not yours. Goddess damn it all, Tingles, I can’t help how I feel. I love you and that’s that, what more can I say? What more needs to be said?”

She reached her forelegs round me and kissed my cheek, “Fairlight, I wish I could make everything better, to solve all your problems and live a long happy life together with you. Do you think, somehow, we could? That we could escape our fates and be together forever?”

“I don’t know love, I hope so. One thing that’s true for certain is that I will protect you and do what I can to give you the life you deserve, you’ve brought me so much happiness…”

A hoof reached out and stroked my mane, “No…I don’t want you to give me anything Fairlight, you’ve already given me much more than I could ever dream of, your love.”

We kissed and held each other, feeling the warmth of our bodies and rolling in the sunlight that shone through the trees. I looked into those deep green eyes and kissed her on the nose, “I love you Tingles, I really do.”

She started to cry, putting her hooves over her mouth while I brushed the tears away.

“Tingles? Have I said something wrong?”

“No!…no you bloody idiot. It took you long enough!”

Together we hugged and kissed, lying in the cool shade of the forest, watching the day go by.

The evening was fast approaching when I realised I’d nodded off. Tingles was still asleep and moaning softly, her chest rising and falling hypnotically. I nuzzled her neck, “Tingles? Come on love, we need to go, Rarity’s expecting us.”

She groaned and looked up at me, “Fairlight? I just had the oddest dream…it was so…so real.”

“Oh?”, I asked helping her up.

“Yeah, you were there with Meadow, a small grey Pegasus foal and an odd dragon like pony with eyes like little red bonfires.”

I listened intently, was she recalling stories I’d told her?

“Meadow and Shadow were calling to me, telling me to go somewhere, I couldn’t see it though…it was all fog and ice, but…there were towers…I think it was Canterlot, but I’m not sure”

I stopped and looked her straight in the eyes, “Tingles, can you remember anything else, what they said? Please, it’s important!”

She frowned, holding her head down as she walked, “You…were you, but not you, a pony and a wendigo. It’s hard to explain, all of us were together as one, a new life, breathing life where there was none. Celestia, Fairlight, it’s so hard to remember dreams! It…it was just a dream wasn’t it? I mean, come on, who’s called Maroc?”

I stopped her with an outstretched, hoof, “Maroc? Did you say Maroc?”

“Yeah, or rather, you did. You were telling me to go to that Canterlot like place with ‘you’ and everypony else. Crazy, I mean Meadows…you know…”

I neighed, stomping a hoof, damn what the hell was this? Where these prophetic dreams or more? They could be just dreams, but the castle…

“Fairlight? You’re scaring me, please, whats going on?”

I nuzzled her reassuringly, “I don’t know love, honestly. I think you may have somehow picked up on memories of the spirit, or it spoke to you, I’m not sure. Maroc…he’s my ancestor, apparently…the lord of the fortress of the four winds.”

“My goddesses…it wasn’t Canterlot then, it was this ‘fortress’?”

I nodded.

“But, why would they want me to go there? I don’t understand and it’s all really creepy too.”

“I wish I had answers for you Tingles, but I just don’t. Maybe being around me is affecting you. Damn it, I was afraid something like…”

“…this may happen?” she cut in, “Yeah, probably, but I’ve made my choice and spending my time with mystical fantasy ponies is my choice and nopony elses. Are we clear on that mister?”

“Yes ma’am”

“Good! Let’s shift tail then my sexy grey stallion, cakes and other things bad for you await.”

We rushed off down the hill back into Ponyville, my heart and spirits lifting as the sun began to set.

Rarity’s home was a hive of activity, jubilant ponies from all over the town had come to celebrate the safe return of the foals. Tingles and I joined in and even danced a couple of times, enjoying the simple pleasures of good food, music and company.

Before long though, the evening began to draw to a close and the party goers gradually left for their own homes, happy and contented. The missing girls were home and safe; normality, Ponyville style, had been restored. I was really starting to relax and forget about having to go back to the agency facility tomorrow. Oh crap! I still had that bloody debriefing to give to Brandy, in all the excitement I’d never gotten around to it. Ah well, theres always tomorrow…

“Excuse me, are you agent Nox?”

A little lavender unicorn mare stood next me examining me with her big purple eyes. I didn’t pay her much attention, I was still in a muzzy state of punch fuelled happiness, leaning my head back against the walls, “I am Miss, and you are…?”

“Twilight Sparkle sir, a pleasure to meet you.”

My eyes shot open and I looked closer at her, damn it all, it was her. I should have guessed something like this would happen, she was one of the bunch of mares that went everywere together in Ponyville when I was stationed here. They were the elements of harmony, Celestia’s personally chosen ponies, or so I’d heard. I’d have to box clever with this one.

“The pleasures mine Miss Sparkle, is there something I can help you with tonight?”

“Yes, there is. I’d like to speak to you in private if that’s okay?”

“Sorry miss, I don’t go anywhere without my partner and it was a long flight over here, I hope you’ll forgive me”

“I see…so, your partner is the orange mare asleep in the corner next to the empty punch bowl, correct?”

I looked behind her and saw, without any doubt, a very inebriated Tingles.

“I’m afraid so…still, I don’t think it’s appropriate to…”

“Marsh gas…”

“I’m sorry?”

“Marsh gas…theres no marshes around here agent Nox, your story doesn’t hold water, not one jot. Now, if you wish, we may continue to debate this fascinating point ad infinitum before the rest of the ponies here tonight, or…?”

“I’ll get my hat”

Twilight made her excuses and explained that we were going to examine her books on dangerous gasses in the local area, which for some reason, the rest of the ponies just nodded and agreed with. Perhaps Miss Sparkle trotting off at night with strange stallions was more common than I thought; suddenly I was starting to worry about my safety.

She never said another word, until we reached the library, which, as it turned out, was also her house. Guess she liked books then…

Inside, the little unicorn magicked over a pile of books, biscuits and a large pitcher of lemonade before inviting me to sit on the rug near the fire. This was a little strange, more than a little strange actually and I felt myself eyeing the door for a quick escape.

“It’s magically sealed”, she said without looking up.

“Wha…?”

“I want answers mister ‘Nox’, if that’s even your real name. So lets hear what really happened, oh, and a word of warning, if I hear the words ‘marsh’ and ‘gas’ in the same sentence without it being in a denial of such, then the princess shall be hearing from me faster than you can say…’Nox’.”

I sat and nodded silently.

“Take off your sunglasses please”

“No”

“Take them off, it’s rude to wear them when talking and we’re inside too”

“I’m sorry miss Sparkle, I have sensitive eyes and…”

A blast of magical energy pulled the glasses from my face and launched them across the room. The unicorn stared at me, eyes as wide as dinner plates,

“Show me you cutie mark…”

“I don’t think…”

“Show me!” she stomped a hoof in irritation.

“Very well, if this will get you to leave me alone Miss”, I removed my overcoat and put it, my hat and my retrieved sunglass, next to me in a pile.

“By Starswirls beard!”, she exclaimed. Cute, I suppose, she was a neat little thing and had an adorable mane. I imagined Tingles would look nice with that style, once I got myself away from this control freak, I might mention it.

Twilight examined me, placing a pair of glasses on her nose and pulling out book after book from the pile, “No…no…no, not that one, ‘myths and legends’…here! Page thirty four…here!” She turned the book to face me and tapped the picture on the yellowed page with her hoof. It was my cutie mark, a single white lightning flash.

“So?”

“You’ve been to the Wither world, haven’t you?”

I said nothing but watched her, watching me.

“You’re not a pony…are you? You’re one of the lost tribe, the mountain tribe, the tribe of…nightmare moon…”

I half expected a dramatic drum roll but decided to remain silent, if I didn’t say anything then she’d blow herself out, I hoped.

“But, that tribe died out, the histories show they fought Celestia in the rebellion and tried to destroy Equestria, that they were,” she fixed me with a wide eyed look, “…evil”.

“Miss Sparkle, I may be many things, but ‘evil’ is not one of them”, I blurted out on impulse.

Ignoring my remark she ploughed on, “If you were evil, then why would you bring back the two missing foals? And, if you were really from that tribe, you would have the power to…oh…oh my Celestia! Can you…can you do it? Can you?”

“Do what?”

“You know...” she prodded me with a lavender hoof, “…change”

“No”

“A pity, I’d have loved to have seen that. I may have even been able to help you find out about your people too.”

“Miss Sparkle, I don’t appreciate being blackmailed. Whatever else you may think I am, I’m still an officer of the law and a servant of the princesses.”

She nodded, closing her eyes, “You’re right sir, and I’m sorry, truly. But if my hypothesis is correct, then you may be one of the last, perhaps even a unique specimen, of a bygone age, a time I have studied and have a particular interest in.”

Twilight slid closer, picking up a biscuit, “What I propose is this, I believe that you seek answers, like I do, mine however are from a purely academic standpoint. I swear to you, that what is discussed in this room stays in this room”

“Miss Sparkle…do you know what happened to the tribe you speak of?”

“Yes…they were defeated during the last battle with Celestia’s forces, around a thousand years ago.”

“Do you know what your precious princess did to them?”

“I…no…the histories just say that they were defeated.”

“Yes…they were ‘defeated’…” I could feel a little well of anger bubbling up in my chest, “Celestia, your mentor, cut them down like they were nothing…young, old, the sick, the wounded, it didn’t matter to her. She turned them into ash, her troops baying at them like hounds as they tried to run…I saw…I…”

I took a deep breath and wiped my face with a foreleg, “I’m sorry Miss, I really don’t want to talk about this anymore”.

For a moment, she looked stricken. I supposed the revelation your beloved deity isn’t quite the all loving and forgiving being you thought they were could cause you to question your beliefs. The inquisitive academic in her however, quickly overrode any emotional response.

Twilight flicked though the pages in the book, muttering to herself, “Here! This passage refers to the tribe and how their warriors would travel to the Wither world, it refers to it as the ‘spirit realm’ here, and would commune with the entities there. If one was deemed worthy, the two would enter into a ‘contract of the soul’ and share the rest of their lives as one ‘true being’. The warriors were known as ‘Wendigo’s”
I stared into the fire, some of this was news, some not. I just wanted to get out of there, the spirit inside was getting fired up with the young mare conjuring up images of the past and places I’d travelled to in my dream-memory.

Twilight continued quoting from the book, “’The fortress of the four winds’, was the regional home of the ‘Lord of the four winds’. The last of these was Maroc and his wife, the lady Arathea, both of whom died during the fighting.”

I stood up, “Miss Sparkle, this is all very interesting but are you going somewhere with this?”

“You’re a Wendigo, aren’t you?”

Oh fuck me with a twelve hoof barge pole, she damned well knew didn’t she. If this got back to Celestia I was done for, the only chance I had now was the re-writer and I tried rummaging stealthily in my overcoat pocket for it. Of course, now that I needed the bloody thing it wasn’t there…shit! We hadn’t thought to bring all our kit except the PDW’s and ID. This was supposed to be a pleasant trip out to drop off the foals, how the fuck did it end up like this?

I hung my head, “Miss Sparkle…”

“Twilight please…and your name is?”

Oh well, in for a bit, “Fairlight, former Captain of the Manehattan Watch, now working with the Celestian Bureau of Investigation.”

“So, are you a Wendigo then?”

I hesitated and she dismissed my concerns with a wave of her hoof, “Oh don’t fret mister Fairlight, I already set up a barrier and wards around my house. Nopony will hear us or be able to enter unless I let them. A little trick of my own invention.”

She smiled and tapped her chest proudly.

I sighed, there was not getting out of this one, was there ? “In answer to your question, yes, I am a wendigo, though not through choice. If you can answer questions about this, ‘condition’ of mine, I would be very grateful for your assistance”

Twilight nodded sagely, “I thought so, and the marsh gas?”

“A story…Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were kidnapped, we got them back. That’s all I’m going to say on that subject so please don’t ask any more.”

“Very well, the important thing is that they’re home, and I thank you sir for your honesty”

I sighed, this was going to be a long night “I suppose you want my full story then?”

She clopped her hooves together, “Oh yes!”

Tapping a hoof on one of the books, I gave her a serious look, “No notes…nopony can know about this, Miss…Twilight…it would endanger many of us, my loved ones and yours…I will tell you what you want to know, in exchange for your knowledge and silence. Do you accept my terms?”

Twilight nodded, “I do, thank you for trusting me…Fairlight”.

I don’t know how many hours went by, but I felt like I’d been interrogated, my mind examined, taken apart, reconstructed and then stuffed back in. Not a nice feeling at all. Eventually, Twilight fetched a book down from a high alcove. It was old…very, very old. The pages were yellowed and fragile, on the front cover was a picture of a pony with a strange hat and long beard.

“That’s him! I exclaimed pointing to the picture, that’s the fellow I saw on the hillside with Meadow!”

“That’s Starswirl the bearded, you actually met him!?”

“Well, he appeared, lectured me, left me with bugger all help and then buggered off back to wherever he came from. If that constitutes ‘meeting’ him, then yes, I suppose I did.”

“I can’t believe it! You actually met Starswirl the Bearded? If you did, and this wasn’t some sort of hallucination brought on by an oxygen starved hallucinatory response, then…”

“The worlds are thinnest where the berries grow” I cut in.

“Yes! In areas of particularly high background natural magical radiation. Amazing!”

She pulled out a book on ‘Mythical plants and places’, tapping to a picture of the crystal berries, “These exist?”

“Yes, and they’re quite sweet too. I would recommend buying the treats from Sugarcube corner instead though, it’s a lot less dangerous”

Twilight tittered and stretched her forelegs, “You know your thestrals are extinct in Equestria don’t you?”

“I guessed as much, but I have to help Shadow somehow, she’s in trouble and I have to help her.”

“But, you said princess Luna’s looking for her, what can you do that she cant?”

“I don’t know, it’s hard to explain, but part of me keeps saying that somethings wrong, yet I can’t put my hoof on it…I want to find her, rescue her.”

Twilight nodded and closed the book, “That’s so romantic!”

“More terrifying really, the Wither world is not a place to travel. Starswirl did, but how he got from here to there and back again, I’m not sure. The empty city had a massive portal, intended for armies, but it obviously hasn’t worked or Shadow would be here now. Star Beard had to ‘kill’ me to send me back here and something tells me thats not going to work with thestrals. He’d better not bloody try either!”

Twilight pulled out another stack of books, rummaging through them until she found what she was looking for, “Did it look like this?” She showed me a picture of an enormous city, shining like white marble, the massive raised dais in the centre was unmistakable.

“Yes, that’s it, that’s the city, but the portals I’ve seen are smaller, not much bigger than a pony”.

She turned a page, “Like this one then?”

I looked down at the image, “Yes, that’s it”.

Twilight read on for a while in silence. Enjoying the peaceful moment, I helped myself to some lemonade and biscuits, they were delicious and I found myself licking the chocolate off my hooves. There was no mistaking the cake’s work.

“I thought so. Starswirl built a portal to help him explore the Wither world, although this appears to have been accidental, he was actually trying to enter the land of the eternal herd.”

I nodded, “Star Beard explained as much to me”.

“The crystal you were given was one of several he had made it seems, and they were intended to be able to locate the nearest portal in case he got lost. The book says that this was particularly relevant in the Wither world due to the lack of any day and night cycle.”

“Theres more than one…” I said around another biscuit, “Rarity has one, the one from the Starswirl exhibit at the Town Hall.”

She looked at me, gauging my body language, “I see. Well, I may be able to help you with that, but not tonight. I will contact you when I can Fairlight, but first, will you…please?”

I rose to my hooves, “Twilight, you cannot tell Celestia about this, and please, be assured that I swore to protect Equestria and the princesses…even if it is from the shadows”

She nodded, pushed her glasses up her nose.

I took a deep breath, calming my body, gently trickling a little flow of the life energy into my body, the cold and warmth tingling along my muscles and back. There too, the familiar sharp pain as wings burst from my back and flexed in the library’s warm lamp light.

Twilight gasped in awe, her eyes wide, “Oh, how I wish I could take a picture of you! You’re like a story book come to life, but no…somethings different. She walked around me, poking and prodding, touching my wings and finally my horn.

“Twilight, can I…?”

“Here, this makes sense now…there were several tribes across the world, not just in Equestria. Your tribe, the ‘four winds’ was one which was exclusively made up of unicorns. Well, as warriors, that is of course. Others were brought into the tribe and acted as helpers, eventually adopting the characteristic traits of the tribe. That is, the grey coat, yellow eyes and horn. What seems to have made the four winds tribe stand out is the particularly strong ability for magic which manifested itself in this!”

She tapped my horn with her pencil and sighed, “No notes eh?”

“No notes…”

“I’d love to study you more Fairlight, but we’d best get back to the girls or they’ll wonder where we are.”

Somehow, I guessed they already were.

“Twilight?”

“Yes?”

“Do you know where the fortress was? I know it was near the Everfree in the mountains, but I can be more certain than that. Theres supposed to be a cave system that the tribe tried to reach, to escape.”

“Hmmm, I’m not sure…I suspect that would be the spire mountains, past the Everfree forest. They’re notable for being constantly covered in cloud, dangerous for flying, even for you I suspect. The caves are probably…here.”

She tapped a picture on a map of Equestria that was pinned to the wall above the fireplace, “These aren’t named in the book, but if you look closely they’re marked on the map near the swamp. They don’t have any name as far as I know. I’ll need to look that up, although I suspect nopony ever goes there now anyway…or has any reason to.”

“Why, is the area dangerous?”

“Have you ever seen a Hydra, Fairlight?”

I hadnt, but had heard of them. I doubted even a Wendigo would willingly take one on.

We left the library and headed across town to the boutique. Twilight shook her mane, “You’re going there aren’t you?”

I nodded, “I think so, there’s answers there to questions i’m not even sure about myself.”

“That sounds…different.”

“It’s hard to explain, but inside, the other…me…needs to go there, even if it is just frozen rubble.”

“I wish I could come with you, but I can’t go against my mentor, Fairlight. I promise I’ll keep your secret, but if you find anything, will you tell me? And…if you see Starswirl again…can you tell him ‘Twilight Sparkle is his number one fan!””

I rolled my eyes, “Yes, Twilight, I’ll tell him for you.”

She whooped for joy and jumped about for a few moments before settling down, a rosey blush appearing on her face. Good grief !

Back inside the boutique, the girls were sat around in a circle, Tingles among them looking up at us with an odd look on her face, “Why welcome back agent Nox, have fun researching your ‘marsh gas’?”

She had an exaggerated look of innocence on her face, but I suspected she thought I may have been up to no good ‘fiddling with the filly’. I nodded and took a cushion next to her, I murmured so only she could hear me, “Whatever your mucky mind is cooking up, you can forget it, I didn’t do anything”.

“I know”, she whispered picking up another cake, “I couldn’t resist it”.

I nudged her with my shoulder and stretched my forelegs.

A big orange mare with three red apples on her flank trotted over and shook my hooves vigorously, damn it she was strong!

“Thankya kindly for saving our girls there, agent Nox. Y’all are okay in ma book and welcome ter Sweet apple acres any time yer want some good old fashioned home cookin’”.

“I wondered where all the squirrels had disappeared to”, I heard Rarity mutter.

“What was that?” the yellow mare replied, her mane bristling.

“I said I wonder where Scootaloo’s disappeared to.”

The big earth mare, tutted, “Y’all gone in the head Rarity? Yer put the kiddies ter bed hours ago.”

“Oh my, I must be getting tired Apple Jack, forgive me”

I caught Rarity’s sidelong wink to me and let out a snort, Tingles tapping my hind leg and making a ‘shushing’ motion.

Trying to stifle a yawn, I wondered how long the wind down for the party was going to take, I was so tired. Unfortunately, just when it looked like the girls were finally about to make their way out, the pink lunatic appeared from behind the chocolate fountain in a shower of broken pieces of frozen confection.

“Woweee! The light really does go off when you shut the door! Brrrrr!”

“Pinkie! That’s really dangerous!”

“Yeah, but chilled chocolate tastes soooo much better!”

She proceded to jump about and catch the broken pieces that dropped off her fur. Goddesses that one wasn’t right in the head, she kinda reminded me of somepony too…that nurse at the hospital, whats her name…

“Its YOU!”

“Wha…?”

The pink bouncing creature cartwheeled across the room and plopped right in front of me staring me in the face before pulling off my sunglasses, “OOOH! Creepy!”

Twilight shouted at her friend, “Pinkie Pie! That’s rude, give him them back, they’re our guests remember”.

Pinkie balanced my sunglasses on my horn and looked to Tingles, then back to me.

“You’re different, but you’re the same, I never forget a face…not Pinkie Pie! You’re the watch pony who had the green marefriend aren’t you? You’re the two we saw doing ‘naughty’ things to each other by the river. Poor Twilight didn’t know what to do with herself !”

“Oh goddesses!”, I squeaked.

Tingles burst out laughing and Pinkie rushed off waving a long balloon over her head, “It was thiiiisss biiiiiigggg”. Fuck me! Couldn’t somepony control her, what the hell was she on?

“Twilight!”, I hissed. She gave me an apologetic look and caught hold of Pinkie Pie in her telekinesis, taking her out the door, “Sorry everypony, sorry…! Goodnight ponies, and thanks again agents Nox and Tingles.”

We waved them goodnight, watching the floating Pinkie Pie disappearing backwards through the door, several feet in the air and doing things with the balloon I don’t remember having done with…oh hell, we did…That bloody pink menace!