To the Lovers left behind (Magnus, any)

[magnus]

Magnus listens attentively to the stallion who speaks with such earnest all the while rooting through his thoughts and memories. Becca, he remembered. She was difficult to forget—and he was pretty sure that he could remember her once bringing a colt back to the Gates. They had not interacted terribly much, but Magnus had watched over him as he had watched over all those who had called Heaven home.

He gave the other stallion a kind smile and reached over to nudge his neck gently. “Ah, yes. I remember you now, Johnathen.” He didn’t correct him when he called him father, although it was difficult to conjure such familial emotions for a stallion he had not seen for so many years. The truth was this wasn’t about Magnus—not really. This was about Johnathen, and if he saw Magnus as a father, then he’d do his best.

“You are more than welcome to stay in Tephra. Of course you are.” He glanced away to look at the land folding out around them, the small crowds and families settling in. It did his heart good to see that so many were beginning to come to Tephra in search of peace and home; they were not a bustling kingdom, but they did not suffer for activity. “Would you like to see around your new home?”

out of the blue out into the loneliest place that you'll ever know
I carried the world just as far as I could but the damage had taken its toll