I found myself standing in almost complete darkness. The only sources of light, were gently glowing lamps of silver fire spaced evenly through the area. They provided illumination enough to see, but barely. Whenever the light landed however, I could make out plants of exquisite beauty, well tended to and healthy. There were flowers, with white petals that seemed to glow softly from within, bushes with leaves that were a shape I had never seen, hedges loomed out of the darkness, elegantly decorating and separating differing plots.

It was a garden.

"Hello?" I called out.

"It's been some time hasn't it?" replied a voice that rang like a bell.

The lights on ether side of me gently flared, illuminating a path laid with white stone.

Ahead, sat a silver mare at a wrought iron table. Her eyes were covered with a shawl, and her dress looked like she had been attending an important Pony's funeral. On the table, was a tea set, laid for two.

An empty wrought iron chair was pulled out slightly, expecting its occupant.

"Come, take a seat young Luna, we have much to discuss." the mare called out, gesturing to the chair.

I said nothing as I approached, calmly sitting in the offered chair.

The silver mare picked up the tea pot and began to fill the cups.

"You have questions Luna." the mare stated matter-of-factly.

"Has the day come?" I asked, not bothering with the pretense.

"It has." the silver mare nodded, picking up her own cup and taking a sip.

I made no move to take the remaining cup.

"Then ask your question."

The mare's mouth pressed itself into a line, as if she had taken a bite of something sour, but she took another sip of the tea.

"In good time." she responded.

"In good time?" I asked, rolling my eyes. "You called for me. And I'm a bit busy right now and-"

"Which, ironically, proves that it is time." The mare gestured with her cup. "Tell me, do you know what the Windegos are? I mean what they really are?"

"Spirits of Hate." I shrugged.

"While technically true;" the mare sighed. "It isn't... The whole truth."

"You're going to have to explain this to me." I responded, sitting back in the chair.

"Very well." the mare took another sip. "In the beginning, the first Alicorn forged us, that is my siblings, my cousins, and myself. She made many of us, so many that you could count all the grains of sand in a mine and still be no closer to the real number. " she paused. "This is going to take a small while so feel free to accept the tea."

I gingerly reached forward and picked up the teacup, but I did not drink.

"Not a single one of us was truly alike, similar yes, but never the same. We were the first things she created." the mare took a sip of her tea. "But then, she made three beings, beings like herself. To the Brightest she said 'You will steward all light. You will fight to keep the fires in my great garden alive.' she then turned to the Darkest. 'You will steward the dark. You will fight to extinguish the fires in my great garden. Both of you shall fight each other until your last.' the first Alicorn then turned to the third, and final being. 'You shall be the great judge. Your task is to ensure that both of your siblings fight until they can fight no more.' then to all three of them, she continued. 'To aid you in your quest, I grant each of you the gift of creativity. To imagine, plot, and build anything to your heart's content."

Well... This was certainly was a tale I had never heard of.

And I suspected, if I were to go around sharing it, I'd be cast out of all three tribes before I could say 'Don't mind me, I'm moon marked.'

"The siblings then went their own way, to begin planning and building for their war. The Brightest found the stars, and with them began to forge mortal creatures from the light. The Darkest, found the cold solitude between, and watched the Bright sibling. They concluded, that anything that the light cast, held its own shadow to be taken. The third sibling, wandered, for they did not know what to do. 'What could I possibly do?' the third sibling asked. 'I have neither the light nor dark to mold to my purpose.' And so they thought and thought, all while the Brightest and Darkest siblings played with their things." the silver mare took a sip.

"How does this-" I began.

"Don't interrupt! I'm getting there!" the mare chastised. "Anyway; But then the third noticed something. One of the Brightest's first creations had ended one of its comrades. 'Of course!' the third exclaimed. 'I know what I must do!' the third sibling then took the slain being of light; 'You shall be known as Death! You will haunt all of us from now until the end of time!' the third then turned to the one who had slain 'Death' and said 'You shall be known as 'Treachery!' You will stalk amongst your siblings and cousins, and you will persuade any whom you desire to change sides in my siblings conflict!'. The third sibling then set Death and Treachery loose in the first Alicorn's garden. 'Siblings!' the third then called out, summoning the Brightest and the Darkest. 'I have decided on the rules of your conflict! No more shall you play amongst your own, safe and secure, but now you must run from Death and Treachery! From now on you both must watch your subordinates as well as your enemies! For they will try to kill you, and take your place.'"

The mare then paused, her head turning towards me, as if she could see through her black shawl.

"I'm still listening." I preemptively replied.

"Good, because I'm getting to the relevant part." the mare nodded, taking another sip of her tea. "The Brightest was furious. The idea of Death and Treachery being turned from two of their own into the third sibling's creatures outraged the Brightest. 'Mother!' they exclaimed as the Darkest cackled. 'Your judge is unfair!' 'How so?' the first Alicorn asked. 'Death and Treachery will prey on both of you.' While the Brightest fumed, the Darkest saw their first inspiration. 'With Death and Treachery, I will make something that will drive my sibling's forces against each other. You will be Winter, the cold that forces my sibling's creations to war with themselves in an effort to stay in my sibling's warm light.' And the beings that you would come to know as 'Windegos' came into being."

The silver mare refilled her tea with the pot and took another sip before continuing.

"The Windegos swept over the forces of the Brightest like a storm, once peaceful lands of plenty became little more than frigid wastelands under their hooves."

"Ok... So what is it that makes Windegos special?" I asked.

"The Windegos were the first creatures born from the Darkness. They were made specifically to divide the Brightest's forces with cold and conflict on a massive scale. As such, they are empowered by Treachery." The silver mare then gestured towards me. "When you attacked and slew the beasts, there was no such weakness in your mind. You attacked them for the good of everypony. Even those who had attacked your village only a few moons ago."

"I'm... Not so certain about that..." I admitted.

It honestly hadn't crossed my mind. Had I considered Platinum when I started speaking about unity to those Ponies who were on the windbreak with me? I didn't remember... I was fairly busy at the time with other things.

"Trust me little Pony, if you hadn't, you wouldn't have slain even one, much less all four." the Mare lifted her cup in salute.

"Oh..." I sighed thoughtfully. "So how does this relate to what your question?"

"Oh don't you see?" the mare asked with a slight giggle. "When you were a filly, I told you the story of the Stallion who stole me away in the name of the Primal Darkness. What if I told you the Darkest and the Primal Darkness are one and the same?"

I didn't understand at first.

But then it clicked like an unlocked chest.

"You think I can free you since I've demonstrated I can fight against him!" I accused, pointing.

"Indeed." The silver mare smiled, taking a sip.

I could only let my jaw hang open.

The silver mare finished her sip, and set the tea cup down on its saucer.

"Before I ask my question Luna, know that you do not need to answer tonight, or even within the year."

"I- I understand." I nodded.

"So, my question is thus Luna..." she said as she folded her hooves in her lap. "Would you do me the honor of freeing me from my prison and claiming me for yourself?"