With every step, Ash's hooves kicked up soot and dust that drifted around and choked his parched throat. High above him, a deep-red sun seared down onto his scorched hide, blistering his skin and leaving it raw. His swollen tongue rasped the inside of his mouth as he tried futilely to work moisture into it. His hooves were chipped, and his legs bled from numerous scrapes and cuts that stained them red.

He didn't know how long he'd been wandering through the desolated land. Scattered around, scorched trees lay blackened like charred bones in every direction. The life in this land was gone. All that remained was death. Coming to a mountain, Ash felt a strange need to climb to the top. His exhausted legs hurt, and the ground would shift under him as he climbed, causing him to nearly fall numerous times. Reaching the crest of one of the ridges, Ash paused to catch his breath.

Looking out, he saw the desolated landscape stretched off to the horizon. Massive, dust-filled cyclones stretched high up into the arid sky, carving paths across the lifeless, dust-filled land. Mountains, with lava slowly oozing down their sides, spewed endless clouds of ash, blackening the horizon while flashes of lightning cracked through the columns of soot.

Ahead, the peak of the mountain loomed high over him. He felt something drawing him to go on. Despite his exhaustion, Ash forced himself onward as he followed the pull. Ascending higher, Ash found a large, ominous opening in the rock face.

Unable to resist the pull, he entered the mountain. Large, glowing crystals jutted out from the ceiling and floor, casting a soft light along the long passageway. Following the passageway deep into the mountain, it eventually opened up into a large chamber that was lit by more crystals that grew down from the ceiling.

Walking deeper into the chamber, Ash noticed something sitting in the center. Approaching, he saw that it was a stallion made of what appeared to be stone. The stallion's eyes were closed and its powerfully built body was easily taller than any pony Ash had ever seen. Sitting perched on its forehead was a long horn that spiraled all the way to a sharp tip, and tucked up along its sides, were two massive, feathered wings. Embedded in the stallion's forehead, just below his long horn, was a deep blue gem that glowed with a darkness that seemed to eat at the light around it.

Stopping just before the stone figure, Ash looked up and studied it. Why was he drawn to it? Reaching out, he touched the figure with his hoof. Instead of the hardness of stone, Ash's hoof sank into soft fur. It wasn't a stone figure! It was real! Stumbling back in shock, Ash looked up at the stallion as he saw his eyes crack open, revealing a green glow that emanated from within.

Flakes of dust broke away as the stallion turned his head to look down at him. "Why are you here?" The stallion's strong voice resonated powerfully throughout the chamber.

"I'm sorry," Ash apologized, backing away. "I didn't mean to disturb you."

Untold ages of dust and ash broke away from his muddy-grey coat and rained down to the ground as the stallion stood up and slowly unfurled his great, vulture-like wings. His ruddy-slate mane and tail crackled as they moved stiffly across his body.

"Please, can you tell me where I am?" Ash asked hopefully. "I've been traveling for so long."

The stallion didn't seem to hear him. Turning his head, he looked down at him. "It was foolish of you to come here."

Ash backed away as the stallion began to walk toward him. "Please. I just want to find my family."

"It would have been better for you if you had died out there," the stallion said with a wry shake of his head.

Frightened, Ash turned and ran toward the tunnel. Just as he reached it, a wall of blackness appeared, blocking his way. Too late to stop, Ash ran into it. Pain, beyond anything Ash had ever experienced, coursed through his body. The chamber echoed with his screams.

Falling back, Ash collapsed to the ground and panted for breath.

"Little fool," the stallion said, his horn glowing with power. "It's too late for you to run."

Gathering himself, Ash climbed back onto his shaky hooves. "Why are you doing this!?"

"Why?" the stallion asked, looking confused. "Did you come here not knowing who I am?" The stallion came to a stop and the green glow in his eyes faded to reveal deep green eyes that looked very much like his own. "No, I suppose you don't know who I am. Why would you?"

Ash felt a tingle surround his body as the stallion's magic lifted him up. Walking past, the stallion carried him along as he traveled up the passageway to the opening. Stepping out, the stallion walked over to the ledge and looked out over the blasted landscape. "It broke my heart to do this to the world. I can still hear the ponies’ screams as I obliterated them. So many lives. So much pain. All gone. Nothing remains of them now, but dust and ash."

"You did this!?" Ash asked in horror, looking out at the desolation. "Why!? How could you do something so horrible!?" Ash felt like retching.

The stallion blinked his eyes and looked over at him, seeming to be surprised at his remark. "Why? Why because I am Ruin, the Alicorn of Destruction, of course. I did it for the same reason you'll do it."

"Me!?" Ash asked in surprise and shock. What was he talking about? He would never do something this monstrous!

Ruin sadly shook his head. "It's your fate. There is no avoiding it now. You felt the power calling to you."

Ash shook his head. "No! I just want to go home! Please, just let me go!"

Ignoring his pleas, Ruin turned and carried Ash around. Standing behind them, Ash was shocked to see the corrupted Spider Queen waiting for them with the Element of Guardianship held in her grasp. The wound Dark had inflicted into her still oozed black ichor, where it dripped down onto the ground with a hiss. Ash struggled futilely as he was carried to her. On Ruin's flank, Ash noticed something he failed to see before: a cutie mark. Looking at it, Ash recognized it. It was his own cutie mark! It was then, that he realized that Ruin looked very much like him. The same colors, the same cutie mark, even the same eyes.

"It is no use to struggle," Ruin advised. "As soon as the Great Emptiness’ essence flows into you, you will understand what your task must be."

Ash's thoughts were jumbled with confusion. Before him, the Corrupted Spider Queen held out the Element. Looking at the gem she held, Ash saw that it appeared different. Darker, somehow. Looking closer, Ash saw, deep within the gem, a rolling vortex of madness! Ash felt his heart quail in terror when he recognized it. It was the Great Enemy that he had been warned about by Bountiful. It was inside the gem, corrupting it!

"No!" Ash kicked and flailed his legs as he furiously fought to escape, yet he was brought inexorably closer to the corrupted Spider Queen. She held the gem up to place into his forehead. Somehow, Ash knew that once the gem was set into place, he would become Ruin, the Alicorn of Destruction.

Suddenly, a bright yellow butterfly fluttered past, passing right between Ash and the corrupted Spider Queen. Giggling happily to herself, Luna scampered along as she chased after it. Skidding to a stop, Luna curiously looked up at the corrupted Spider Queen as she, in turn, blinked down at the filly in apparent befuddlement.

Ash didn't know how Luna had gotten there, or even where she had come from. "Luna! Get away from her! She's dangerous!"

Luna’s eyebrows furled as she scowled up at the corrupted Spider Queen. Reaching her hoof up, Luna booped the spot between the Queen's eyes and giggled. The corrupted Queen clicked angrily and lifted her leg to strike at the lone filly before her, but before she could do so, a bright-blue rose suddenly blossomed on her face. Swiping it off in irritation, the corrupted Queen lifted her leg again, but then another bright-blue rose appeared on her leg. Stumbling back, the Queen began furiously swiping at more roses as they appeared across her body. Some of her legs began to take root into the soil as leaves started to branch out. In moments, all that remained of the corrupted Spider Queen was a beautiful rosebush full of large bright-blue blossoms.

Ruin gazed down at the chortling filly in open shock as she joyfully clopped her hooves together. His face hardened and he lowered his glowing horn.

"No!" Ash screamed, seeing what was about to happen.

There was a binding flash and a roar as Ruin released a blast of magic onto Luna. Dirt and ash erupted as his power smashed down onto the hapless filly. Ash stared in horror as the dust slowly settled. To his amazement, Luna trotted out of the cloud, completely unharmed. Seeing Ash hanging in the air, she let out a happy squeal and waved her hoof up at him.

"Impossible!" Ruin raged as he stormed past Ash to stand before the filly. "What kind of creature are you!?"

Luna's muzzle suddenly scrunched up as she took a deep breath. Ruin bent his head down to look closely at the filly as he wondered what she was doing. Suddenly, she let out a powerful sneeze right into his face. Rearing back, Ruin suddenly burst into a vast host of colorful butterflies that fluttered off into the wind.

Sitting up, Ash watched in amazement as Luna sniffled and rubbed at her nose. Did little Luna just defeat the Alicorn of Destruction with a sneeze!?

Below him, the ground he was laying on was now soft, new-growth grass with tiny, white flowers speckled throughout. Gazing around in wonder, Ash watched as the land around them came to life. The volcanos quieted and their lava cooled. Forests and fields of long grass blanketed the lands with rivers cutting their long sinuous courses through them.

Luna scampered across the grass with a happy giggle. Pausing, Luna's cheeks puffed out as her face took on a look of intense concentration. On her back, two deep-blue little butterfly wings appeared. Lifting off the ground, she flew across to him and wrapped her little hooves around his neck. To his amazement, Ash felt himself float up into the sky as Luna pulled him along. Letting him go, Luna fluttered ahead.

Tumbling in the air, Ash struggled to control his wild flight. Kicking his legs and twisting himself, he felt something stretching out and he suddenly found himself soaring smoothly after Luna. Looking back over his shoulder, Ash saw two feathered wings outstretched to catch the wind. A surge of fear shot through him, but after seeing that his wings looked normal, and not like the vulture wings of Ruin, he let out a breath of relief.

Flapping his wings, Ash managed to catch up with Luna as she climbed onto a rainbow. Squealing with laughter, she slid down it to a small patch of clouds hanging over a waterfall, and bounced to a soft landing. Laughing to himself, Ash slid after her.

Celestia brushed back Ash's mane from his face as he slept. The nightmare he was having seemed to have passed. Laying curled up against Ash's side, Luna let out a loud snore and snuggled herself further into him as she slept.

It had been a moon; or a month, as the unicorns told time, since they returned back home, and Ash was still recovering from his ordeal. At first, he had been listless and unresponsive, showing little interests in anything. Even eating was something he needed help with, but over time, more of his old self started to return.

Lately, he'd been having nightmares. Ash never remembered them in the morning. Celestia was growing concerned at how frequently they were occurring. Nestling herself into Ash's back, Celestia took a long time falling asleep.

Starless watched in wonder as the ponies worked. Using carved tools with flattened ends, they dug at the ground, pulling out radishes and placing them into large bins. When the bins were full, ponies would insert two long poles through the top of the bin and a pair of ponies would lift it together and carry it off.

Bin after filled bin was carried away. Starless had never seen so much food before and this was just one of the fields. Walking on, she came to the second field. It was filled with the earth ponies’ greatest prize: oats. They had gathered every wild oat they could find during the late spring and planted them here for one last grow for the year. Now that it was late fall, the oats were fully grown and ready to be harvested. Beyond the oat field, Starless could see the neat rows of raspberry and boysenberry bushes that had been painstakingly transplanted to their new place along the fields. There were also plans to plant fruit trees, like apples and pears, along the hills to the south, with some ponies wanting to try moving whole trees there the next year.

"Quite the sight, isn't it?" Dark asked, stepping up to her.

"To grow your own food. Simply Amazing," Starless said. "Nopony back home would believe me if I told them what you Earth Ponies were doing here."

"I'm sure they wouldn't, with us being lowly dirt ponies with no magic, after all," Dark said with a wry face.

"I would try to defend against such a statement," Starless said, "but much to my regret, it is all too true." Reaching out, she swept her hoof through the golden-colored oats, and watched them sway under her touch. "I was always hungry. There was never enough for us to eat. The low bloods and some of the common bloods would subsist off of grass, but the use of magic requires richer foods. In our carelessness and need, we've stripped our lands bare, and now we are subjugating others to bring us food. Our pride is destroying us."

Dark watched her in interest as she spoke. "Would you like to change that?"

Starless glanced back at him. "You might as well ask me to carry the moon on my back."

Dark smiled at her. "Don't be so quick to discount what a pony can do. Especially when that pony has friends willing to help."

Starless got the sense that Dark was alluding to something. "What are you up to?"

Dark's smile deepened. "My decision to take you as a prisoner wasn't because I thought you were pretty, you know. The reason I did so was because at that moment when you were standing before me, I had a vision."

"A vision!?" Starless exclaimed. She had heard of this kind of incredibly rare and strange magic before. There were many unicorns who scoffed at whether it was even real. "What did you see?"

Dark stepped closer and met her gaze directly. "I saw an Earth Pony, a Unicorn, and a Pegasus coming together in fellowship and creating a new magic, never before seen on this world."

"You plan to unite the three races!?" Starless gasped.

"It won't be easy, but I saw that it could be done," Dark said, looking down at her. "We've started already. With time and hard work, we can make it grow further. A new future can be born from this."

"Matriarch Astral and many of the high bloods will not like this. In fact, they will most certainly be openly hostile about it," Starless pointed out. Looking out across the golden field to the settlement, Starless saw Ground Pound with a group of colts and fillies as he taught them how to handle a spear. Just like always, when she saw him, her heart quickened. “I would like to see this happen.”

"Herd Father?" a voice called out. Walking over to them was a mare with a basket on her back.

"Yes, Milkweed?" Dark answered, turning to the mare as she stopped before them.

Reaching over her shoulder to the basket on her back, Milkweed took a stick out of it and offered it to Dark. "Here, eat this."

At the end of the stick, something round and light brown had been stabbed onto its tip. Frowning curiously at it, Dark sniffed at it before he took a bite out of the offering and chewed. A look of surprise crossed over Dark's face. "What is it?"

"One of my foraging teams didn't know what these were and brought back baskets of them anyways," Milkweed explained. "It's called a potato."

Dark's head came up. "A potato!? I've heard of those. I was taught that they taste bad and will upset your stomach if you eat it. The leaves are even worse!"

"Normally, yes," Milkweed agreed. "When they arrived, and I saw that they had spent all day gathering a useless and dangerous tuber, I got... a little upset and I kicked a basket of these near the fire. I then... ah lectured them at length about the importance of knowing what things are good to gather and what are not. While I was doing so, some of the potatoes I had kicked by the fire started putting out a rather pleasant and enticing smell. When we investigated them, we found that the potatoes near the fire had changed, becoming soft. My sister, Greenhoof, being braver than I when it comes to eating strange things, tried one of them and didn't suffer any ill effects from it. Somehow, heating it by the fire makes it edible."

Curious, Starless stepped over and took a bite out of the potato. It was warm, and it tasted rather good. "Curious. I wonder what else can be heated this way to be made to eat."

"Yes, indeed," Dark added, sounding pleased. "This is a rather impressive discovery. There is so much about fire we still don't know." He took another bite of the potato. "How many of these can you gather?"

"The team that found them said that the patch was rather extensive," Milkweed answered. "I've already sent them back to gather as much as they can find."

"Very good. Please keep up the good work," Dark praised her. Watching her leave, Dark smiled and spoke to Starless next to him. "You want to help make the future happen? There are a few things I want you to do."

Casting her horn's light into the dark forest around them, Radiant Sunset followed along behind Starburst. Scattered out, other Casters were also moving along with them, each of them wearily scanning the forest with their illuminated horns. The day before, a returning foraging team had been attacked by some unknown creature while they were passing through, and one of the Casters had been taken. With the need to travel out ever further everyday for food, such attacks had been occurring more frequently than ever, and the low bloods were growing increasingly reluctant at venturing out.

A heavy autumn wind blew through the branches above, rocking the trees around them and casting their golden leaves off to rain down onto the forest floor. Radiant felt her heart hammering in her chest as she stepped carefully through the undergrowth. This was the first time she had been taken out into the wild to help hunt down a dangerous creature and she was terrified. Every rustle and creak of the trees around her made her jump in fright as she fully expected something to be charging right at her.

Suddenly, she felt something touch her rump. Letting out a terrified scream, Radiant leapt around and shot out a blast of magic. Panting in fright, Radiant gazed around for what had touched her. Nearby, she heard a snickering laugh. Looking over, she saw Nova Slash hiding her smile behind her upraised hoof as she looked around a tree at her. Radiant felt her face heat up when she realized that Nova had used her magic to tickle her rump.

"What is it!?" Starburst asked in alarm, hurrying back to her.

"It was nothing," Radiant assured her, feeling stupid.

"The little foal was probably frightened by a falling leaf," Nova Slash said snidely.

Radiant felt her face heat up even more in shame and anger as she glared at Nova Slash. She had done this to her on purpose! Nova was just a year older than her and she was always mocking her in everything. A few times, Radiant had to hold herself back from blasting her with a shock spell to teach her a lesson, but every time she got close, she remembered the time her mother had used it on her and her anger would vanish, leaving her trembling.

"Radiant," Starburst said in reproval. "A caster needs to be in control themselves, or they'll be a danger to everypony around them. If you can't handle something as simple as a beast hunt, then maybe I should have Nova escort you back."
"No!" Radiant said, quickly shaking her head. "I'll do better, I promise."

"Good," Starburst said. "I'd hate to have to go to your mother about this."

Continuing on, Radiant saw Nova smirk at her as she moved off to join the others. Radiant thought about using a little spell she had come up with that would make Nova’s hooves itch incessantly, but decided to wait until later tonight. Lets see how she likes staying up all night trying to scratch her hooves.

Crossing a small stream, they passed through a clearing and climbed over a wooded hill, where they then dropped down into a hollow. There, they came to a small, stagnant pond choked with rotten logs and vegetation that stank of mold and decay. On the far side, they could see the opening to a cave.

Circling around the foul-smelling pond, they carefully approached the cave's opening. Starburst's horn flashed and an orb of light drifted off into the cave’s dark opening, descending down a long tunnel until it vanished. Radiant felt like her fur was standing on end as she looked into the cave's dark depth.

"We're not really going to go down there, are we?" Nova asked nervously, her voice quivering.

"It's possible that this could be the beast's lair," Starburst answered evenly, looking in. "We'd be remiss if we didn't look."

Nova shifted apprehensively until her eyes fell onto Radiant and she suddenly smiled. "I know. How about Radiant goes in first and leads the way," she said. "To prove that she can control herself, of course."

Radiant felt her heart leap in sudden terror at the idea of being first to go in. Starburst shook her head. "No. I will go in first, followed by Night Jewel, Dazzle Snap, and Shady Trick," she said, naming the other three Casters. "Nova Slash and Radiant Sunset. You both will follow behind us."

Radiant felt a slight sense of relief as she followed behind Starburst and the others. Descending into the cave, the air grew cold around them, and soon, Radiant was able to see her breath. Every pony had their horn lit with an aura spell, casting their light along the tunnel as they cautiously worked their way down.

Radiant shivered as she looked around, the sounds of their hoofsteps echoing alarmingly throughout the cave. Occasionally, as they made their way, they would have to duck under a low stalactite that hung down from the ceiling. After a time, the tunnel opened out into a massive chamber.

Starburst sent a light orb floating up to the ceiling high above them to cast its soft light across the chamber. "We'll split into pairs and search the chamber. Shady Trick and Dazzle Snap, I want you two to follow the wall around to the left. Night Jewel, take Nova Slash and head around to the right. Radiant Sunset, you will come with me down the center."

Radiant followed closely on Starburst's hooves, keeping an alert eye out for any movement. Approaching the center of the large chamber, Starburst paused as she looked around a stalagmite. Radiant heard her take a sharp breath.

Looking around the other side, Radiant saw a pool with a strange looking stone, covered in some kind of coarse moss, sitting near it with sticks arranged under it. The pool was only a few spans across and its mirrored surface perfectly reflected the light of Starburst's glow orb. "What is it?"

Starburst jerked back and hissed at her. "Quiet, you fool!"

Snapping her mouth shut, Radiant looked more carefully at the strange stone and realized to her horror that it wasn't a stone, but instead, a gigantic spider. A Gigas Arachne! Radiant had heard of them, but never dreamed in her worst nightmare of ever seeing one.

For a long while, Starburst remained still as she gazed around at the pool. When the others rejoined them, Starburst sent them around to encircle the creature. Lifting a small stone with her magic Starburst tossed it out, clattering it across the ground next to the prone Gigas Arachne. Nothing happened.

Moving cautiously, Starburst and the other Casters approached the creature, their horns crackled with readied power as they prepared to strike. Radiant slowly followed, keeping herself behind Starburst as they drew nearer. With a flash, Starburst sent a shock bolt into the Gigas Arachne, with no reaction. It appeared to be dead.

Moving around to its front, they were shocked to find a mare lying on the ground just before it. "This must be Flicker Shine," Starburst said. "The Caster that had been taken yesterday."

Checking her, they found Flicker Shine to still be alive. She was unconscious with various scrapes and bruises across her body. Night Jewel lifted the Gigas Arachne with her magic and rolled it over. When she did, they were able to see a large wound in its underside. "Look. She managed to kill it! Amazing."

Looking down at Gigas Arachne's body with disgust, Radiant noticed something glittering in it's front claw. Curious, Radiant forced it open and found a deep-blue gem hidden inside. What was it doing with that? Lifting it up in her magic, she set it down onto her upturned hoof. The moment it settled onto her hoof, it suddenly flashed, flooding the room with a bright, bluish light. A moment later, it faded back down to a slow pulse.

"What did you do!?" Starburst asked her in surprise.

"I found this gem. The Gigas Arachne was holding it," Radiant quickly answered, holding up the gem for her to see. "It flashed when I picked it up."

"Let me see," Nova said, snatching the gem away in her magic. The moment it left her hoof, the slow pulsing within the gem vanished. Holding it up to her eye, Nova looked closely into it. "I don't see anything." Lowering it back down, Nova scowled at her. "You cast a glow charm into it, didn't you?"

Starbursts took the gem in her magic and examined it. "I don't sense anything," she said, casting several detection spells on it. "Lift up your hoof again," she told Radiant, holding it out to her.

Setting the gem back down onto her upraised hoof, it flickered and softly pulsed with light. It felt warm to Radiant, and each time it pulsed, it felt like a heartbeat.

"Interesting," Starburst said, looking closely at the gem on her hoof. "It's probably just an unusual gem that is reacting to Radiant for some reason. Much like how the light crystals glow when you infuse magic into them. The Gigas Arachne probably thought that it was pretty and kept it." Turning, she nodded down at Flicker Shine. "Okay, I believe we are done here. Pick her up and let's head back."

Looking back down at the gem on her hoof, Radiant wondered if Starburst was right and it really was just a gem that glowed. Perhaps there was more to it than just that. Casting a sticky charm onto it, Radiant tucked it under her mane and stuck it to the side of her neck so it would be out of sight and followed along as they all headed back out.

It was getting late by the time they returned to the mountain. Flicker Shine was still unconscious, so Starburst had her taken to the Casters’ sleeping chambers to rest. Not wanting to lose her chance, Radiant rushed out and ascended a long, well-worn pathway that wound up the side of the volcano to a old landslide that broke off a part of the crater's rim.

Crossing through the gap created by the landslide, Radiant passed by some Keepers who waved at her as she walked past. Like the high bloods, Casters and those training to become a Caster, were allowed into this area, though none of the Casters dared to make use of any of the High Blood stallions here unless for a sanctioned breeding. They had to make use of the lower Common Stables below to relieve their itch.

Pausing, Radiant looked out across the crater. In the center was a small lake surrounded by grassy fields and small patches of trees that extended up to the rocky walls of the rim. Scattered about the crater, she could see stallions out enjoying their remaining time in the late day sun before they were ushered back inside for the night.

Moving down into the crater, Radiant began searching for the one she came to see. Coming into a small clearing, Radiant came across a couple of Keepers with two older mares as they watched a younger mare being mounted by a stallion.

Radiant felt her face flush hot as she paused. The mare frisked in place at the stallion positioned himself atop of her back, his aroused stallionhood dripping with his ready need. Once he was in place, the stallion began thrusting himself as he probed for the young mare's entrance. Radiant bit her lip as her heart began to race. Someday, this was going to be her.

After a few moments, he found what he was searching for, and the stallion surged into the mare with a powerful thrust that caused the mare to squeal in pain at his forced insertion, She attempted to shy out from under him, but the stallion gripped her side and clamped his teeth onto her mane to hold her still as he began repeatedly thrusting himself into her. Feeling her mane being yanked back in the stallion's teeth, the mare obeyed and held herself still as the stallion atop of her eagerly slammed himself forcefully into her.

Radiant hoped that her first stallion would be more gentle with her than this one. The stallion's thrusts grew more urgent and frantic as his breath huffed out in great pants. Suddenly, the mare let out a squeal as the stallion plunged himself into her as deeply as he could and held himself there, his tail flagging with each powerful surge that pulsed through his stallionhood as he filled the mare's womb with his virile seed. The stallion's hips pushed up into the mare's rump with each surge, until at last he deposited the last of his needed essence deeply into her.

Panting for breath, the stallion released the mare's mane and climbed down off of her back. Slipping free, his stallionhood dropped down, freeing a cascade of fluids to pour out after it. The stallion went to sniff at the mare, but one of the Keepers went forward and shooed him off, telling him that his task was done and to rejoin the others. The mare, her breeding now complete, had a dazed look on her face as she went to join the two older mares who were waiting for her. It was common for the mother of both the mare and stallion to witness the mating to be assured the bloodline of the resulting foal.

Noticing her, one of the Keepers, Glitter Sparks, turned and walked over to her. "Ruby Blush came into heat late in the season,” she said with a sigh. “Negotiations can sometimes be such a headache, but luckily the stallion’s matriarch was amidable to the pairing. I’m glad the season’s about done so I can get some rest until next spring. Still, I’m glad to see another successful breeding,” she added with a smile. “So, have you come to visit him again?" she asked.

Radiant quickly nodded. "Ah, yes," she answered. "Do you know where he is?"

"A new colt arrived today and apparently he was having trouble coping," she explained. "He's with the colt right now trying to console him." She pointed off toward the east end of the lake.

Heading off, Radiant found the pony she was seeking by the lake's shore. He was speaking to a white-coated colt with silvery-blue mane that looked about a year younger than her. The colt kept sniffing and wiping at his eyes as he listened to the older stallion. After a bit, the two began walking together back to their stables. Noticing her, the stallion said something to the colt before breaking away to trot over to her.

Rushing forward, Radiant flung her hooves around the stallion's neck. "Brother. I missed you!" with a firm smack, she kissed his cheek.

Rising Dusk chuckled and hugged her back. "Radiant, my dear, sweet sister. My heart is always filled with joy when you come to visit."

Rising Dusk was Brilliant Dawn’s younger twin brother. After the incident with Brilliant’s death and the loss of their sister’s newborn foal, Radiant had grown closer to Rising Dusk, and had been visiting him every chance she could. "Who's the new colt?" Radiant asked, looking back at the colt.

"His name is Frost Conjure," Rising Dusk answered. "Mother arranged to have him come here from one of the tribes in the north. I believe he’s meant for you when your time comes.”

Hearing hoofsteps approaching, she turned and found Frost Conjure standing next to her. With a goofy grin, he held out his hoof out to her. Sitting atop of it was a large green frog that croaked at her.

Squealing in disgust, Radiant flailed her hoof at the offending creature, causing it to hop off his hoof right into her mane. Letting out a shriek, Radiant bolted away as fast as her hooves would carry her.

Rising Dusk grinned and looked down at the confused colt. “I think she likes you.”