The filly did have a few distinct impressions of the world.  First, it was cold.  While it wasn’t a particularly cold day in the Throat since the air already hinted at the coming Tallsun, the filly still shivered as her baby-skin met air for the first time.  It was a strange sensation to become accustomed to in no time at all.  Her second impression is that the world was bright. Alarmingly so.  The girl’s eyes snapped open, and she closed them just as quickly as it seemed like the whole world tried to push its way in all at once.  The girl let out a tiny sound of displeasure before she attempted the maneuver again, this time opening her eyes slowly - giving them time to adjust to everything around her.  And what she saw was amazing.

How do you explain seeing colors for the very first time, or the sensation of finally bringing images into focus.  There are certain things that simply escape explanation, and this was certainly one of them.  The little orange filly was content to sit and observe for a moment, paralyzed by the wonders of this new world though thoroughly overwhelmed by all her new senses. It’s only then that she realizes how alone she is.  She panics for a moment.  She’s never been alone before.  Not ever. She can never remember a moment she was alone.  It is that impulse that finally inspires her to move and relief washes over her like the distant waves wash over the sands.  She breathed the tiniest of sighs of pure relief when there, so obviously, where who she knew to be her sister and her mother.  In the back of her mind she registered words - names - spoken but instead she was too focused in memorizing all the details of their faces with these new eyes of hers as the sun trickled down happily upon the little family.

But then, something changed. Sister - Melita - managed to do something incredible.  She managed to unfold her spindly legs and was able to command them to do her bidding and after what looked like an incredible amount of work she stood there victorious.  The orange filly let out a sound of pure happiness at her sister’s victory before staring at her own tangled legs, wondering if hers, too, were capable of such a thing.  She followed Melita’s lead, forcing her legs out before her before promptly falling to the ground. Once.  A second time.  On her third attempt she nearly got her legs beneath her, but the shifting sands proved too unstable and sent her somersaulting to the ground.  Clementine thought all of this was great fun, and couldn’t suppress the giggle as she righted herself.  Finally, she was able to get her legs beneath her and stood, unsteadily, though she ultimately realized she was facing the wrong direction.  She craned her neck around so she could see Melita and Mother and offered them both a sheepish smile.  Before she had the opportunity to try to correct her mistake, the sand that had accumulated on her baby-nose began to tickle. Her nose twitched and itched until finally she unleashed a baby sneeze that sent her back to the sandy earth below, twisting as she fell.  Clementine looked up at her sister and was lost in a fit of giggles.  

At least now she was facing the right direction.

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