“Um, so, okay, how come you’re so sure?” Lunarstar asked while trying to keep up with Jowy.
“I… I just am. Just follow me.” Jowy lied.
He had no intention of telling Lunarstar of the strange old guy. Somehow, he felt, it would do more bad than good. He didn’t even believe it himself, but what other lead did he have? At least now that he seemed to be sure where to go, the journey didn’t seem as hopeless as before.

Still, as they went on, Jowy recognized things. He noticed a strangely shaped rock, the remains of a fallen tree… He had seen this. The night before, in the vision the old man had given him, he had seen this. And if he recognized this, he guessed the gate he had seen, and the white forest, might also be real. Still, the gate had just looked like a normal gate, something old, something ponies had made long ago but didn’t seem to hold any real powers. Well, they would see. It was the only chance they had.

All day they walked through the snow, further and further north. The trees had all but disappeared and the only variation in the landscape was an occasional rock. The road was barely visible. No ponies had been here in recent days, Jowy was sure, and as such there were no hoof marks in the snow, nor anything else that distinguished the road from the rest of the world. The only reason he was sure they were still on the road was a rare sign he had seen earlier and his memory of the vision.

When night came, Jowy began to panic. There was still no sign of the forest, or the gate, and he could see nowhere where they could stay for the night.
“It’s getting cold.” Lunarstar said, “And dark.”
“I know. I thought we would make it before night falls. I’m sorry, Lunarstar, I…”
“What’s that?” Lunarstar interrupted him.
Jowy looked up and saw, far north, a bright white light shining on the horizon.

“It can’t be…” Jowy said, thinking it was a village, or a house.
“Let’s go!” Lunarstar exclaimed.
They rushed towards the light, hoping for a warm house, a bed, hot chocolate… But as they got closer, they saw it was not a house, nor a village.
“What… is this?” Lunarstar gasped. Jowy, however, knew perfectly well what it was.
“The white forest…” He whispered.

As they got closer, the outlines of the trees grew stronger. A forest full with evergreens with white needles…

Now that he was here, he could see the trees were not covered in snow… they were actually white. Only their trunks were a greyish brown colour. The branches, the needles… they were perfectly white. They were so white, in fact, that they gave off a glow of the purest white light Jowy had ever seen.
“Is this… a fairy tale?” Lunarstar gasped.
“Most likely.” Jowy agreed, remembering the reason why they had come here.

“It’s in here… the gate. I know it is… let’s go, Lunarstar.” Jowy whispered. He stepped forward, and he heard Lunarstar following him. The road led them into the forest, where it was much clearer where the road was and where it was not. The borders of the road were decorated with a long line of white stones, and neither of them dared to cross them. The forest was so pure, so white, with snow covering the earth that they felt guilty leaving prints in the snow where they walked.

The road led them on and on, but Jowy had no idea how long they had been walking. He had forgotten all about time, cold, or any of the other things that had bothered him before. He was enchanted by the beauty of the place, and he was sure, so sure, that this place was too beautiful to actually exist.

In the end, the forest gave way to an open space. The ground was white here as well, but in the centre stood a large, purple arched gate. In the stone of the arch Jowy saw ancient runes that he could not read. The gate was miraculously free of snow.
“This is it...” Lunarstar whispered.
“Does it look like the gate you know?” Jowy asked.
“Well… a little, I guess. It is different… but it is a gate. If there is anything like it in this world, this is it.”

“Let’s try it then!” Jowy said. “Come on, walk through it!” He encouraged her.
Lunarstar nodded, and trotted towards the gate. She ran through it… but nothing happened. She ran through it once more, this time coming from the other side, but once again, nothing happened. Disappointment filled Jowy. Was this not the gate after all? Would they not be able to go to whatever world Lunarstar called home?

“Maybe we were wrong.” Jowy said.
“Yea, maybe…” Lunarstar whispered.
“I guess this gate needs magic to work. Or maybe it’s not real after all.” Jowy said, staring at the gate.
“Magic?” Lunarstar said, looking at him.
“Yea, I know, that makes no sense. There is no such thing as magic.” Jowy said, feeling stupid for saying such a thing.
“No, no, it makes perfect sense.” Lunarstar said.

“I’m sorry?” Jowy asked, not understanding Lunarstar.
“I was not supposed to show you this…” Lunarstar whispered, “In fact, I thought it would be wisest to keep this a secret for everyone in this world, but I guess I have little choice now. It’s the only hope we have left.”
Jowy had no idea what the white pony was talking about, but he soon gasped when he saw a light coming from Lunarstar’s body.

She closed her eyes, and her purple mane and tail slowly began to change into silver. What was more, a horn was appearing on her forehead and her back was now carrying a pair of snow white wings.
“You… you are…”
 A princess from a fairy tale. It was the only way Jowy could describe Lunarstar.
 “A Pegasus… and a unicorn.” Lunarstar finished for him.

“But that…”
 “Doesn’t exist in this world. I know. That’s why.” Lunarstar said. “I will try it this way. Maybe the gate will recognize that I do not belong here… so that I can get home.”
Jowy was still amazed by Lunarstar’s transformation, but he could see what she meant. Maybe… maybe it worked.
“Take me with you.” He said.
“What?” Lunarstar whispered, obviously unsure if she heard him correct.
“Take me with you… to the other side of the gate.” He said again.

“Jowy… I can not do that. This is your world. Not mine. I have to go… I have work to do.” She whispered.
“Please, Lunarstar, please! Take me with you. This world has been nothing but painful for me. Please!” He begged.
“I… okay. Hold on to me.”
“Thank you!” Jowy exclaimed, suppressing the urge to hug her, to hold her, to…
Lunarstar smiled. “Okay. Let’s go.”

Jowy quickly grabbed hold of her tail.
“Okay. I’m going to run fast, so keep up.” Lunarstar warned, and she started to run.
Jowy ran after her, as fast as he could. They neared the gate, and as they went through, a flash of light blinded Jowy. This is it! He thought. He tripped, fell down, and for a moment or two, he did not dare to move or open his eyes. I’m in a new world!

“Lunarstar?” he whispered, realizing he was no longer holding her tail. He slowly opened his eyes, and he saw the white of the snow, of the trees, and in the corner of his eye, the purple gate.
“No…” He whispered, quickly getting up.
“Lunarstar!” He yelled, but she was nowhere to be seen.
“Lunarstar!” He yelled again as he walked through the gate. “You’d take me with you!” He cried, tears swelling up in his eyes. “We didn’t even say goodbye!”

“Your friend is home.” A voice said. Jowy looked up, and between the white trees, he saw the grey, old pony, grinning as he had before.
“Where is she?” Jowy yelled. “Why am I not with her? She promised to take me with her!”
“She may have… but you said you would pay the price. Not even another world could take you away from that promise.” The price… Jowy had all but forgotten. He hadn’t even asked what it was.

“Yes… you will pay the price.” The old man said again, grinning.
“What price?” Jowy asked.
“To dwell here for two hundred and fifty years, until the next gatekeeper will accept to pay the price, and you will be allowed to rest. That is how I came here, all those years ago… looking for the place out of the legend, trying to find it so that fortune would be mine. Yes, my reasons were less noble than yours, but it matters not. You accepted. Can you not feel it? Or rather, can you not not feel it? The change?”

Jowy gasped as he realized, he did not feel it. The cold of the snow he had just laid down in, the ground under his hoofs, the cold wind against his face.
“Thank you, gatekeeper… for allowing me to pass on to the next world.” The old man said, and Jowy saw his body began to fade.
“Wait!” Jowy yelled.
“You cannot do this to me!” But it was too late. The old man had faded into the night, his smile lingering on his face.
“You cannot… do this…” Jowy sobbed.

He looked back at the gate, and gasped when he saw the change. The gate radiated a strange purple light, and in between, he saw a golden curtain slowly moving in the wind.
“The gate…” He whispered. He ran towards it, sure that he could pass it this time… but he only ended up on the other side.
“The gatekeeper can not pass the gate until it is his time.” A voice in his head said. “You made your sacrifice. Your friend is home. Now, you will dwell the icy north until your time comes.”

“No…” Jowy said.
He walked, walked away from the gate. He began to run, run, run. But he did not notice that his hooves did not leave any prints in the snow. He did not notice that he never seemed to be out of breath. He did not notice that no matter how far he ran, he could not escape the snow plains. Slowly but surely, as he ran, the only thing he noticed was the gate he would now protect from harm, until he was allowed to pass on to the other world he so longed for.