The gently sloping rays of the after-noon sun let the trees and bushes lining the path cast ever changing patterns on the grass-flecked dirt.

Radiance and Lure were at horseplay, seeming younger than their years as they tousled together. Starfall was watching them with a disapproval self-evident on his noble face. He seemed distant and apparently unwilling to acknowledge to anyone his growing concerns about not having found a Bondmate yet. He'd even taken to hovering at the gates when new intakes were arriving, hoping to find among them one of noble standing that he might recognise as his future Bonded. But he spoke of this to no one.

{ I heard that Starfall beat you on the obstacle course this morning. } Lure's mindvoice was leaning toward tormenting.

Radiance laid one ear back in mock annoyance.

{ So what? } The brown stallion snorted. { It was just because I slipped. }

Lure laughed.

{ Yeah, sure! } The stallion tossed his gold-streaked mane and lashed out with a hoof - teasingly, not close enough to hit.

{ You don't believe me?} Radiance's tone was edged to provoke the white stallion. { At least I can take on such a flea as you anytime a day.}

Lure grinned an equine grin, soft lips pulled back to display long teeth. { I'm so scared. I shiver all the way to the tip of my tail. } Half-rearing, he added. { Come and get me then! } Mock-fighting the stallions tumbled just off the path out of the way of the others.

Skydancer and Jester were accepting samples of a new recipe that some students had been working on, making polite noises of encouragement to the humans and wry faces at each other when the two-legs weren't looking.

{By the Light - what *did* they put in this?} Skydancer's eyes bulged slightly at a particularly sharp flavour and oddly gritty texture.

{I really have no idea,} Jester responded resignedly. {But they do seem so eager to please and who know....perhaps it might be one of them....} He half met Skydancer's eye, almost as though afraid that to speak of the Bond might stop it from happening.

Skydancer put aside the vague suspician he'd been harbouring that the other stallion might have had something to do with the odd recipe - he wouldn't have put it past him. But he was sobered by the thought of the Bond that had happened so close to him nearly a ten-day before - Crossfire's Bonding to the silver-eyed girl. The Light had come so close to him, but had chosen another. He saw something of the same feelings that beset him in Jester's face, even though the light-hearted 'corn did his best to conceal such things behind laughter. 'Dancer gave the other 'corn a reassuring nod. {A pity you can't get rid of items as well as bring them,} he noted drily.

Jester snorted, spraying bits of the food as he did so in amusement.

The twins stood debating together not far away in typical fashion, Player's mindvoice and body-gestures inviting all about them to take part in his denouncements and Shadow as usual keeping his mindtones soft, the shadows around him less than inviting to others.

{{Well, there are more ways to consider it aren't there?}} Shadow put forward. {{I'm not sure that you aren't being a little too hasty in making up your mind on the subject...}}

{{Hasty! When there are already crop shortages in central Uen! You heard the visitors when they came to the Graduation of the Lightnings. Prices rising out of the range of the common folk day by day! No no no brother! Something must be done - and soon!}} He cavotted in his earnestness and added with deep sincerity and a noble look, {{I only hope the Light will see me Bonded soon so that I can take my place in the Roug Forces and do more to aid the oppressed!}}

Shadow sighed inwardly as he regarded his enfired brother. Player was so keen to be Bonded and away on duty that he wasn't sure if he'd even considered what it would mean to them both to be parted from one another. ::Light don't let him Bond without me:: he thought to himself with a quiet but heartfelt plea, lifting his head as he noticed Player distracted by something else worth his notice. From the sudden glint in his eyes it could only be some of the fillies. Shadow glanced over his shoulder and saw that he was right. Three mares were approaching, and some human fillies - girls - following on behind.

He normally began to draw shadows around himself and withdraw as soon as Player's attention strayed to the fillies. He often watched unnoticed from a place hidden in the bushes or shadows as others passed. Fillies in particular. It was amazing to him how Player managed to exude such confidence around others. He never could himself.

Player was already unconsciously arching his proud neck, lifting his feathered feet high to turn to welcome the new arrivals. His mindvoice was sweet and yet altogether masculine in nature as he sent his greeting to the lovely mares. {{Greetings ladies! Ah....don't move.....let my eyes soak in this lovely sight....such magnificient flowers in bloom....I feel so sorry for the merrygolds and daisies there beside you....how can they compete with such rare and natural beauty as yours? Impossible I say! They are nothing more than weeds in comparison to such as you!}} His eyes sparkled as he spoke.

The fillies arched their necks in return but trotted off to the side of the path. Not very far off though. They stood conversing together, but flicking long glances over toward Player.

Shadow winced slightly, wishing there was some way of getting out of being an unwilling audience to this flirtation. He shifted his attention back to the path, seeking distraction. No one else seemed to listen to him except Player, with Player he could speak his mind without fear but around others he was only....shadow.

As he gazed forward beyond the mares however, he froze, his body going into a sudden shock. A tremendous heat had enveloped him! Wild thumping began in his heart, sending an answering drumming to his ears. His eyes had met two still pools of gray sprinkled with blue and he was instantly mesmerized. Shadows began to spin and dance around the young black stallion. The wild, joyful abandon in the madly dancing shadows, made the scene seem like a world gone crazy!

Shadow wanted to pull back, that was his way...he fought the pull on him. Surely this must be for Player! Not him....but the force was gaining strength and he felt himself sweating, the more he fought the more it felt as if his blood would turn to ice! How could he have been so blind? Shadows needed light to move and have their being, just as HE needed HER! With that thought the black stallion gave in to the mental whirlwind.

Player was at first too wrapped up in his gallantry toward the lovely fillies to notice what was going on with his twin but the link that had always been so strong between himself and his twin brother irrevocably
dragged his mind to the same miraculous state as Shadow's was. Bemused at the sudden change in his brother, he felt his own stomach flip and his heart leap high into his chest as shadow's began to dance around their feet. Unable to do anything other than respond to the irresistable urge that was taking over them both, Player's eyes tracked the path of Shadow's locked gaze.

There were two female two-leggers there on the path. He barely saw the dark haired girl who had so thoroughly captured his brothers attention, instead his own gaze fixed and locked on the other face, one framed with long flowing blonde hair. It was a face that had an expression that matched his own - a determination to succeed, to fight injustice, to forge the future, to right wrongs. She met his gaze, unable to do otherwise as forces stronger than them both laid claim to them. At once she was as locked in the path between their eyes as he was.

Player felt a sudden shift in his perception. The locking of the two gazes, equine and human seemed to trigger a complete change of view. It was as though he suddenly saw the world made plain, as if from a great height. It was as though all the disparate wrongs he had seen in the world, all the complications involved with putting those wrongs right was suddenly smoothed and made easy. *She* was the answer he had been seeking! She was the partner in his endeavours! He knew it as well as he knew his own self! Eagerly he rode the tide of the coming Bond, recognising it and welcoming it, rejoicing in the Light that it had chosen so well for him. {Shalendra!} He cried, his mindvoice bursting directly into her thoughts as he reached out with his whole heart for her essense.

His eagerness was irresistable as his spirit fearlessly reached out to entwine with hers. His passion for right, for justice and for life struck the young woman's soul and shook it from it's confines. The needs of Uen and its people surrounded him and this girl in their spirit form and he knew that his love for her would crown his every endeavour and be the centre of all he strived for from this one, most perfect, moment in time.

***

Unicorns were looking up all over the pathway, alerted telepathically to the sparking magics. {{The twins!}} trumpeted Skydancer. {{They're Bonding!}} His mindtone was filled with wonder at the joint Bonding that
was taking place right in front of them all.

{{Together?}} responded Parade in amazement from the side of the path. Lure and Radiance stopped their sparring. Starfall held his head high and spoke not a word. Unicorns exchanged glances and each one of them stood staring at the unique Bonding taking place between the two brothers who had been linked to one another so perfectly since birth and the two human friends they had just now First Bonded with.