Zahra, Ilham, and Hanna

It was pride that turned angels into devils

Of course Zahra knew next to nothing about bonds, companions, or the complexities intertwining any other relationship forged on the planet. She had a handsome two seasons – almost – notched into her girth, and even then, many of the most trying experiences endured had been smothered altogether from her short-term memory. As it were, the young, fussy filly was about as naive and uninformed as she had been the first few months of her life. Nevertheless, she was altogether delighted when the horned mare announced her understanding (albeit a little softly), and the strange creature she called company reappeared between yielding ears – it was perhaps the first time any aside from her parents had actually followed her meaning.

That was an achievement in itself, and a brief glance was passed by the dimming heavens as though her fond, faraway family stood as witness.

So too did Zahra listen all the more intently as the grown-up continued the conversation. Slim ears pricked perfectly atop the scruffy monochrome poll, and they absorbed every single word issued, regardless of her own struggling comprehension. The creature hissed loudly where he perched, and the filly’s focus wavered off course suddenly as the gleaming, scaled-tail behind snatched her vulnerable eye – he was quite fascinating. She was nodding, appreciating (though vaguely) all mention of his wicked intentions, and returned at last to find a rather stunning smile spread across the other horse’s mouth.

It compelled another through the babe’s white expression, but Bird crouched uncomfortably below, still so wary of the winged serpent’s existence. There was a brooding pause afterwards, a moment long enough for Zahra’s nose to dip and nuzzle the soft ears of the unsettled puppy.

“Lost?”

Small skull shook lightly and she giggled, “No Sia…” But she hesitated suddenly and let her gaze wander back north – towards the grim scene she’d so unfortunately stumbled upon maybe an hour now, ago. “I…” Zahra thought hard, pressing her mind for any logical explanation, any reason she might be here. “Um, they sleeping ‘neath the mountain, next to Grampa Earth’s heart…” and she giggled again softly, entirely oblivious to the truth of each death – the concept, the destruction, the level of her own isolation.

Amid the airing of names, the hobbaglobbin performed ceremoniously and innocently enough, the filly fed his blatant ambition. Her bright eyes set upon his display with such intrigue pooling in their midst that it took the mention of hatching to draw her back away – she swiveled slightly on the spot, shoulders bunched enthusiastically and grinned widely.

“Bird hatched!” She announced keenly, realizing quickly that Ze-ro had been quite right all along – chicks were not the only babies to be born in that way. She might have liked right then to produce the fragments of shell to show, but alas Zahra had departed (that morning long ago) with such haste that both the remains of Bird’s birth and the poor colt who had kept her safe had been promptly left behind. But that was not the reason for the question, and the foal’s features soon sobered. “Bird’s ‘ungry,” she explained carefully, determined to find the same success that she’d had when the pink and spotty stallion had plucked from the trees a nest filled with more eggs.

It dawned then, that there was not another tree anywhere here, as far as her eye could see! Again she descended into thought and behind, the downy tail she carried twitched bewilderedly.

“Forest!” she chimed at last, hooves shuffling through the freezing substrate until a full circle had been spun – in the same motion, the kitsune leapt clear of her sister’s legs… Not only was that murky forest the source of Bird’s food, it had within it a hole, and inside that, was something happier about time. Zahra couldn’t remember exactly what her mother had described, much time had passed by after all, but she knew that it was for those times she had been… “I know!” the filly cried out, unable to contain her excitement. “Lookin’ for times in the forest…” That must have been it, she was certain – not that it occurred to her how great a distance had grown between said woodland and this position held now.

The issue of logistics was completely irrelevant.