After Stormfrost came back from the Golden Meadow, nothing was ever the same. She retained her position as over mare, at least until Flamefire came to take his rightful position as Flamewing. Stormfrost kept her name, and the Sun Herd pegasi respected her. The other herds remained peaceful for the time being, and sometimes Lightwing would come to say hello. Flamefire was always with him. Raincloud kept her duties as lead mare because there was no one else to fill the spot. Sun Herd was a peaceful place, and the pegasi were happy. Grassfeather and Stormfrost rarely talked anymore, but Stormfrost never felt alone. Sometimes pegasi would ask her what the Golden Meadow was like, and she would always say, “It is paradise.” After a few moons, Ashroot got sick and flew to the Golden Meadow. Stormfrost was sad, but she knew that Ashroot would be happy there. Life would continue on, in an endless cycle, forever and ever, and the pegasi that finish their cycle have a place to go, a path to take, one that could never end.

The Golden Meadow was pure perfection. There was no other way to say it. The grass was the most vibrant shade of green, the air was cool, with a warm breeze, ruffling Stormfrost’s crystal blue feathers. The sky was the same color as Stormfrost’s wings, with sunlight the color of Flamefire’s wings. There was just one thing missing. “Where are the Ancestors?” Stormfrost wondered aloud. “Right here,” a stallion’s voice said. Stormfrost turned around, and right in front of her was Clearwing, leading an army of the deceased. Stormfrost bowed her head. “I’m so sorry,” Stormfrost said and started to cry. Clearwing smiled. “Don’t be,” he said. “It was Deathwing who did it, not you.” “But I channel it!” “You are here, so you can get it out of you. You are aligned against it. That is what matters. As for you,” Clearwing said, now speaking to Flamefire, “You are worthy of my daughter. But treat her well. She is only a two year old..” “What are you talking about?” Stormfrost asked. “For one thing, I’m a yearling.” “Yesterday was your birthday,” Clearwing said. “But let’s not dawdle. Crystalcloud, will you do the honors?” A strong, white mare with bright green wings, the color of fresh grass, stepped forward. Stormfrost knew her at once to be her dam. Crystalcloud smiled at her. “Raise your wings and open your heart,” she said. Stormfrost raised her wings and thought of all her strife and all her honors. She thought of Raincloud, who had nursed her since birth. She thought of Ashroot, who had given her advice. But most of all, she thought of Flamefire, who risked his life for her. Crystalcloud smiled at her, and a roiling, black, dark thing came out of her chest, screaming with a horrible sound. Crystalcloud wrapped it in some gleaming light, and its screaming stopped, and the dread that was always in Stormfrost disappeared. She knew at once she was free. She flew a little bit, enjoying her freedom that had never been total before. Flamefire joined her above. “Will you be my mate when we’re older?” he asked with a weanling’s shyness. “Of course,” Stormfrost said coolly. Clearwing and Crystalcloud flew up next to them. “We will take you home,” Clearwing said. And just like that, Stormfrost was in Sun Herd. Alone. She was worried that Clearwing, Crystalcloud, and Flamefire had abandoned her, but soon they appeared beside her, the Ancestors looking ethereal. She knew it was time to say goodbye. She gave a hug with her wings to all three of them. And then they were gone, even Flamefire. But she knew they would come back. She wasn’t alone. She would remember that forever.

Stormfrost and Flamefire kept flying up. They didn’t talk, because they needed to conserve air, but soon, Stormfrost’s lungs started to burn. She wanted to open her mouth and take a deep breath, but she knew that there was no air to breathe. And just then, she felt the familiar tickle in her mind. Deathwing reared its sharpened hooves inside her. This time, it made her body lose its air, and she fell unconscious, plummeting down to the ground. Stormfrost woke to a navy blue sky on its way to turning black. Flamefire was exchanging breath with her, using the last of his breath. His ears were pale, and his face tinged blue, but still, he flew, carrying her past where he needed to, past where the blue sky turns black. He continued until there was a sudden lightness around her, and the dark sky brightened to a golden sky, and green grass sprouted beneath them. They took a deep breath together. They had arrived in the Golden Meadow.