In my minds eye, I’d pictured the fortress as a towering, elegant structure with delicately soaring golden towers connected by slim sky bridges, walls sparkling like the surface of a lake in the bright sunlight. Atop the walls and towers, deep blue and silver embroidered banners and flags lazily waved and snapped in the breeze, the overall scene one of subdued strength and beauty combined.

What I saw now, with my own two eyes could not have been farther from my mental imagery. Maroc’s memories hadn’t prepared me for anything like this…

Of the numerous tall towers the fortress had once sported, now only three remained. Weathered by war and nature, they stood proud and defiant above the smashed and crumbled walls beneath. The war, Celestia and time had slighted the once proud citadel to little more than a pile of rubble, snow and ice. Some of the exposed stonework even after a thousand years still showed evidence of the intense heat generated by the princess’s magic as she had assaulted the fortress, attempting to erase even the memory of her vanquished foe. Considering the evident ferocity of the attack, it was suprising that the towers remained, but even they had massive damage upon closer inspection.

I don’t know what I’d expected to find here, answers to questions maybe, books, scrolls…who knows. Now, I wasn’t so sure…my imagination had conjured up something different to…to this. The spirit cried out in dismay, why had they done this? This was a cruelty, a punishment beyond anything that could possibly be justified…those accursed Celestians, the foul, evil creatures…they had done this!

Shaking my mane, I pushed the furiously bubbling thoughts from my mind and nudged tingles with my muzzle making her jump in surprise.

“Well, we’re here then…” she said quietly, eyeing the remains of the fortress, “What now?”

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

“You know I don’t.”

Her tone of voice was heavy, tinged with something I couldn’t quite place, “Tingles, whats gotten into you? You’ve been acting strangely since we entered the mountains. I know you’re tired love and went through a nightmare back there, but please…don’t shut me out.”

She stared at me, eyes wide before turning away drooping her ears, “Fairlight…I…”

“You wanted to tell me something before?”

“I…No, no its okay, really. Forget it.”

“No secrets remember?”

“Fairlight…please…I don’t want to…”

“Okay, okay, its fine…forget I said anything. If you want to tell me, you can when you’re ready. I’m here when you need me.”

“Yeah…”

I shook out my large leathery wings. I was still a little low on strength, but should still be good for the flight back as well as across to the fortress; I didn’t trust the path, not after the pass.

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

“Sure”

She didn’t even question me, that wasn’t like her. Goddesses, I don’t know what was going on here but it was starting to get to me. So much for ‘no more secrets’ then, but I suppose that she would open up to me in her own time. If I’d done something wrong, had hurt her in some way, I had no idea what it was or how. Mare’s were so bloody confusing !

My wings stretching out in the fresh breeze, I took to the air with Tingles not far behind. We swept up and around the towers, searching for a way inside as the majority of the fortress was buried far below us beneath tonnes of ice, rock and snow. I opened myself to Maroc’s memories and they flooded into me willingly, more clear and vibrant than ever, probably due to the proximity to his old home.

A view of a tall tower with a thin connecting bridge overlayed the ruined structure before me now. This was the tower down to the mid levels, from here…the family chambers and servants quarters…below them the armoury, kitchen…inauguration chamber. At the final memory, the spirits awareness uncoiled like a snake and I felt its excitement, its anticipation awakening. That was it! We had to get there as quickly as possible, its waiting had finally come to an end. The promise would be fulfilled.

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

Not surprisingly the room was empty, completely devoid of anything except snow, ice and memories. The walls here had once held magnificent tapestries, long since rotted to nothing. Of the beautiful deep rugs that had been so beloved of Arathea, there wasn’t even a fragment left. I felt a twinge of sadness inside me at the clash between memory and reality. The long winding stairs however, were still there and apparently usable. Interestingly, the interior of the tower was quite well lit by the sheer number of holes and cracks, allowing Tingles and I to navigate our way down into the fortresses interior.

Decending further, the natural light diminished and we had to resort to lanterns, my eyes helping me to pick out details in the dark hallways. In some ways I began to wish I couldn’t see as well as I could either, the long since dessicated remains of dead ponies, now mostly bone, lay scattered throughout the fortress along with discarded and broken weapons, shields and armour. The scene was both fascinating and terrifying in equal measure, the spirit inside me silently weeping for the dead around me, its grief almost tangible. I stopped and lifted a hoof to my eye as a frozen tear dropped to the floor.

“Fairlight?” Tingles asked walking up beside me.

“Its nothing…memories of my ancestors I suppose. It’s hard to block them out when we’re walking through the bones of his children.”

She made a little whimpering noise but said no more, I hadnt meant to frighten her, but the spirits presence was becoming almost forceful being so close to its goal. But…what was its goal? To become one with me or, something I hadn’t seen, a danger I wasn’t aware of? Suddenly a feeling of dread passed through me and I stopped dead. I wanted to go back…

“Whats up? Why are you stopping?”

Why was I stopping? After all this time, we were so close to becoming one. This was what I wanted wasn’t it? To become a blend of spirit and pony, a wendigo warrior, as I was meant to be…a child of the lord of the tribe of the four winds, my inheritance. The tribe was my real family, my home, where I belonged. The sounds of children playing rang through the halls…Vela?

“VELA!”

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

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

He squeaked in delight and glanced back to make sure I was following before turning down another corridor. I ran after him as fast as my hooves would take me. Goddess he was fast!

Along one corridor and down the next, past the beautiful tapestries and banners of victories from ages past and even my own more youthful days, we raced. Arathea had been at work with the rugs again, I could never understand her obsession with them. We’d had them imported from across the globe but it was worth it just to see her delighted smile when the merchants arrived laden down with the things.

Our foal, Vela, had been a gift from the goddess, blessing us with such a beautiful little creature. His fur was the wonderful silver-grey of the tribe, his bright yellow eyes like little fires, and that tiny horn…so cute! One day, when he entered the chamber, when it was his time, he would emerge one of the greatest ever warriors of the goddess, a true wendigo.

Keeping up this pace was telling. I was tiring but around one more corner, there he was…the little…

“GOT YOU!” I bellowed in triumph to his delighted squeals. He’d ended up here all on his own, despite my deliberately avoiding coming here with him until he was ready. The tribe’s bond with the spirits of the Wither world was strong within Vela, he would be a fine lord one day when I passed from this plane.

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

Cracked walls and empty halls, lamplight from a lantern held by…Tingles? What?

I shook myself and leaned a hoof on the wall catching my breath. Bloody hell, I’d run here following memories…ghosts. But, yes…I was here, this was it. A large wooden door, inscribed in an ancient language, inlaid silver letters still gleaming after a millennia. Magic thrummed through this place and my horn was tingling non stop, behind this door was the answers to all the riddles…I hoped.

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

“Don’t mention her name here…please. Not here.”

“You’re frightening me Fairlight, I don’t like this, I want to go home…please, let’s just go before…”

“No! This is it! Don’t you see? I’ve come so far, we’ve come this far, together…for this!”

I paused furrowing my brow, even to my ears my voice had sounded almost hysterical.

Tingles took a step back, the look she gave me was one of doubt and concern, “This, this is it? What’s behind that door? I can’t read that language.”

I traced the runes with my hoof, they were so old and yet to clear. A language I’d never known but could read and write with ease,

I read aloud, “There can be no sun without shadow, no light without darkness, no day without night. All come together as one in the passing of the veil.”

“What does that mean? The veil?” Tingles asked staring at the door.

“It’s the barrier between the worlds, what keeps the mortal realm from the Wither world and the eternal herd. When we die, we pass from one to the other. I didn’t know I had a return ticket at the time and ended up back here. It’s a strange life alright.”

I pushed my hoof against the door, the runes emanating a bright light of their own at my touch before it swung open effortlessly. Inside, a circular room was laid out before us, patiently awaiting its visitors after such a very, very long time. We entered cautiously, the door swinging closed silently behind us.

The chambers walls were solid crystal, their multi-faceted surfaces providing the room with an eerie ethereal light. In the centre of the chamber sat a raised platform with several steps leading up to an altar of some kind, a strange swirling design inscribed along its sides. Decaying rugs lay scattered around the edges of the room next to cushions with long rotted designs, adding to the feeling of abandonment as well as the all-pervading smell of decay.

Within me, the spirit stirred, its senses slowly beginning to merge with my own. It scented my surroundings, taking in every detail. Rumbling in satisfaction, it knew this was where it belonged…where I, we, belonged. Beneath it all, I could sense a building desire from the spirit, a drive I hadn’t felt before, not even in the heat of battle. No, this was something different, something that quickly filled me with a cold dread I couldn’t explain.

Without any conscious input from myself, my hooves carried me up the well worn steps to the altar. It was smooth like marble, cold to the touch yet hummed with an energy that reminded me of the gigantic platform in the Wither world’s empty city. All the roads I had trod lead here, to this point, vivid memories and images bringing it to life around me. The ghosts of ponies long dead, wendigo’s and spirits…they all converged here. The worlds converged here.

Behind me I could hear Tingles saying something , but in my now almost dreamlike state, her words were nothing more substantial than a breath in the wind.

My body climbed the smaller steps at the back of the altar and lay down, my head placed upon the stone pillow while otherworldly music from a long dead age surrounded me, lulling me into sleep. I could feel the spirit taking my consciousness, my body; this was how it was meant to be, the time had come at last…at long last.

The hunger needed to be sated.

Ponies walked up to me, hooded and cloaked, chanting in a language I couldn’t understand and yet on some level did. Memories of flying, of battles, triumphant victories and a fortress vibrant with life, filled my mind as the chanting continued. Warmth flooded my being from my nose to my tail, slowly passing and leaving in its wake the bitter tingling of cold, raw magical power. I was drowning, blissfully, in its strength. It called to me, sang to me, soon we would be as one, as we should have been from the beginning.

The chanting rose and fell, ever growing in its intensity. I could feel my teeth beginning to lengthen, my eyesight becoming tinged with the blue fire of the spirit. It had me in its hooves, it caressed and stroked me, promising many great and wonderful sights…how much we could see and do together! This was the way of the tribe…there only need be the sacrifice of the joyful willing to complete the joining and all would be well once more.

Securely in its thrall, the wendigo rose, and with the lightest of movements, gracefully landed on the platform. It hissed its defiance to the world, drinking in the smell, sight and feel of the living plane.

Shaking its mane, the spirit released a blast of cold mist which billowed across the floor, swirling around the shadowy ponies and the legs of the tangerine coated pegasus mare. Satisfaction emanated from the spirits mind, permeating my own, this was a fine choice. Healthy, lean and full of life energy. This one had willingly given of herself to the tribe, to the spirit and would make an excellent offering to it.

The spirit advanced on the mare who backed away slowly. The wendigo looked on, its surprise tangible in the swirl of emotions pulsing through me. This female was not willing? Had she not come here of her own volition to take her part in the joining ritual? No matter, she had no choice in the desires of the spirit; its will was, after all, absolute.

I struggled against the wendigo’s embrace, watching through its eyes as it drew closer to the frightened mare. Tingles backed up against the wall, fear reflected in her eyes, a sight that even in this confused condition, called out to me.
The spirit halted, addressing me, “Why do you resist me? This makes no sense.”

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

“Yes,” it hissed, “she is special to you. She is special to us. We have tasted her life force. Did she not come here willing with you?”

“She did, but she’s frightened, look at her.”

The spirit quietly watched Tingles like a cat watches a mouse, before hissing out a breath of mist that built up around her, coalescing into the cold white forms of ponies. Ponies with soulless, glowing blue eyes. Tingles cried out in fright and desperately tried to get away from the things, her legs moving like they were wading through tar. The fog ponies reached out and took her limbs one by one, inexorably carrying her to the ground. I could see her struggles gradually weakening with their touch, her chest heaving and eyes tight shut. Dear goddesses, this was wrong, so very, very wrong.

Once more, the spirit moved forward until its maw was inches from Tingle’s nethers. It let out a rumbling laugh, delighted with its perceived gift.

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

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

“No, don’t do this! There is another way”

“There is no other way, now…be silent.”

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

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

“Please spirit! I’ll give you whatever you want, do whatever you want to me, just don’t do this!” I railed against the thing but I may as well have been shouting into a hurricane. An invisible wall cut me off from the wendigo, whether it was ignoring me or couldn’t hear me anymore, made no difference now. The being had a single purpose and goddess help us, I could feel, see and hear everything it did with my body as if it were myself doing this.

The spirits tongue snaked out and ran up the length of Tingle’s marehood, slowly tasting her and enjoying her scent. It could feel her fear, smell it in the air, and it drew the thing on excitedly. I screamed and shouted as loud as I could…all soundlessly. If I could have ended my life right there, somehow stopped everything, I would have done so willingly. Luna help us, I had promised to protect her, to be there by her side, and now…she saw me for who I was…a true monster; a terrifying, dread creature who hungered for the lives of others and the damnable thing had her at its mercy.

Horrifyingly, I knew all too well, just how little mercy this thing had.

Goddesses forgive me…I couldn’t look away. My eyes were the spirits eyes, my body the spirits body and with my body, the vile being pulled itself onto my tangerine mare and entered her.

Every move, every feeling, every touch, I felt and saw. The look on her face froze my soul, the way her eyes were clamped shut, her hooves held fast by the ghostly ponies beside us, the music playing a cruel accompaniment to what was unfolding before…and beneath me.

With a cry a triumph, the spirit released itself…myself…into Tingles’ body and stepped away from her, pleased with itself.

“The pact is complete. I give to you my power and my strength. Live your life to the fullest, fulfil your desires and create you own destiny, wendigo warrior.”

My emotions were in the darkest of all places. What it had done, had been done with me, by me. I could not undo what had happened, I didn’t know what to do…what the hell could I say? What could possibly make this right?

“I don’t want your power, you damned thing…what have you done…”

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

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

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

The distant, ghostly voice of the spirit faded into nothing. With its disappearance, I felt a background sense of melding, joining. The now familiar feeling of being disjointed was gone, I felt now as I had so long ago, before…Meadow.

What those monsters had done to her, I had now done to Tingles. The violence was less, but it was still there, the power, the control. It was the tangerine pegasus who had suffered and I had brought her here to inflict it upon her.

The strength, the power, the inherited memories…they meant nothing.

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

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

“Tingles?”

“No…no, you’ve done what you wanted. I should never have come here with you…why did I listen? WHY?” she was shouting in absolute fury. Tears streamed from her eyes as she picked herself up, slapping my hoof away when I tried help her up.

“I’m sorry” I whispered.

“You’re SORRY?!” Tingles screamed, “Its too fucking late for sorry, you…you bastard!” Her voice trailed off into sobs.

I sat back on my haunches, utterly devastated, my life crashing down around me like shattered glass and it was all my fault. I was losing her, my beloved mare…Tingles…

Closing my eyes, I took a deep shuddering breath, wishing it could be my last. The chasm opened up before me and I walked willingly into it. I barely noticed the PDW pointing at me in her shaking hooves. Tingles stared at me, tears in her eyes and breathing hard.

I looked into her beautiful green eyes, “Do it…”, I whispered pleadingly, “…please Tingles. Do it.”

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

“I’m sorry my love…” I whispered.

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

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

She wanted me to leave with her?

“No”

“Fairlight…theres no time for this…let’s just go, you’re hurt too, you can’t stay here.”

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

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

I released the power and felt the anger, the hatred I felt towards myself building up, higher and higher until the magic was crackling around me like a thunderhead,

“I SAID, ‘GO!’”

The tangerine mare’s eyes widened in fright at the sight of the vile thing that had overpowered her, raped her. She turned and ran, out through the now open door and off into the fortress and home. Back to the facility, back to a place of ponies who were like her, friends. Friends who wouldn’t attack their own, ones that they...

I walked over to one of the rotten rugs, Arathea had loved these. I gently traced a hoof over the ancient thing, remembering the feel of it when the merchant had first presented it to the lady of the fortress. Her smiling face was like the sunshine on a cold day, she’d been so happy. I leaned back, taking out my pistol. It would be nice to bring the story to a close here, to end the miserable saga of a poor pony who did nothing but bring suffering to others in his life. So much death, so much suffering, what the hell had it all been for ?

“And what of the foals? What of the ones you saved? Do you think they would be enjoying the freedom you gave them, if not for your efforts?”

Maroc stood before, looking down questioningly.

“Somepony else would have saved them, I’m not unique”

“Everypony is unique, Fairlight, even you.”

“Ha! Even me…”

“Yes, and as my descendant, I thought more of you. You are stronger than this.”

“And what do you call raping my marefriend, eh Maroc? I suppose that was me being stronger was it? WAS IT?”

“That was…‘unfortunate’, but necessary”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, “’Unfortunate’? ‘necessary’? Goddesses in their fucking heaven, have you any idea what just happened Maroc? I just raped Tingles!”

He looked down sadly, “Before…Mares would enter the chamber with their stallions, like Arathea did with me. The couple would join here, and from their union they would conceive their foal, a parting gift from the spirit before it melded with the stallion. The female would then bear a powerful foal from the joining and the three would be as one, as I was with my Arathea and Vela.

“Tingles wasn’t willing Maroc, she wasn’t willing at all.”

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

I laughed, “Do you know how many times I’ve heard those vacuous words? They mean nothing…NOTHING! Now go…leave me be.”

For hours, days, maybe weeks, I sat there on Aratheas old rug. Maroc would return occasionally to try and reason with me, but it was useless. I’d given up. I was just so tired I just wanted to sleep, the one thing I needed but was denied. Several times I’d held the pistol to my head and tried to pull the trigger, failing in my cowardice to finish myself. Tingles should have shot me the first time, but why blame her? Why soil her hooves with my foul blood. There was only one killer in this room now.