I flew hard, my wings beating even though a continuous throb of pain surged through my muscles with every stroke. It had been only days since I had joined the Dragon's Throat as a soldier, and only hours since Kri had called upon us all to help with the invasion of our herd's allies. I did not know much about Kri, but my heart told me to trust her, and I did. She had called me sister before she even knew my name, and something spoke within me and reassured me that the chocolate mare actually meant it. The destruction of my family had left me reeling, and Kri welcoming me into the herd with open wings fit the pieces together to start the mending of my heart. Upon her decision of calling us into battle, I decided to stay back. I knew that my muscles, stamina, and wings were not fit for a fight just yet. I was still healing from the unicorn attack, and for me to run headlong into a new battle, no matter how much I wanted to, was not wise. I needed time to rest, to heal, to relax.

Instead, I explored.

The sun was setting, the sky vibrating in brilliantly painted, warm hues. My seafoam eyes could not soak up the beauty fast enough to me to be satisfied, and so I flew directly towards the horizon. I had to keep my eyes narrowed, for even the sunset in the desert was glaringly bright. Sweat pooled at my joints and crevices, but the temperature was dropping with each inch the sun receded. I flew as vigorously as I could, but my body soon screamed with exhaustion, and I tucked my chin to search for a perfect spot to land. Tipping my right wing down, I made large, swinging circles until finally I slowed enough to land at a trot on the red earth. Slowing my gait to a walk, I stretched and shook out my wings before gently folding them against my sides. I could not imagine a life without flight, for it was my driving force. Everything about me was summed up in the fact that I was, perfectly, a pegasus.

Walking towards the ocean, I remembered the eyes of my caretaker. She was a brilliant, old pegaus, but could strike down even the strongest of foe when they threatened her family. Ain, with a body the color of rust and eyes the color of the sea after a storm. Everything she was I wanted to be, and my heart was destroyed as her life was ripped from her chest. She had fought valiantly against the unicorns, but her age had caught up with her. She died by my side--and that was when I fled. Ain was the last of our band to die, and I was the only survivor. My thoughts consumed me, and before I realized it I was chest deep in the ocean, the water a bloody red underneath me as the sun set in the distance. In this moment, I found comfort only in the waves as they crashed against my form, wetting my hair and feathers.