Everything was shifting suddenly. No matter how she tried to fool herself or convince the days that she was still the same filly, the same girl that flounced about the Edge like some yuppie lost in love- she was changing. In spite of everything she was quickly learning to become everything that had formerly opposed her. Her speech was becoming fluent (when she decided to use it) and her coat was finally sloughing the thin layer of baby fuzz. She was growing up even if she didn’t want to. In fact, she was finally beginning to understand the small orb that still remained safely gripped between her teeth. It was something that her father had once called her “companion”. However, she’d never seen him with one and it wasn’t really fitting together why or how she had discovered the orb in the first place.

But that didn’t mean that she’d lost interest in the glowing ball of light, no, instead it had become her entire essence. It had been shifting lately too, becoming warm and pliable in her grasp. She wasn’t sure what it meant or why it seemed to be that way, but she was more than eager to find out.

Traveling through the Edge, as Essetia would normally do on any other day, finally had a purpose. When the sun had lifted above the horizon, there was a light stirring from her orb and she realized that today was the day that she would find out what was inside. Her heart was pounding as she lifted the thing from the small nest in which it often stayed at night and carried it out into the growing rays of sunlight.

Bending down to release the orb onto the ground once more, Essetia stepped back in order to watch as it moved about. It was certainly the most she had ever seen it move and while it was fascinating enough, it positively scared her. She was terrified to find out what was inside because she wasn’t sure what she would do with it once she knew. Her father had calmed her from time to time, reassuring her that it was nothing to fear, but how was one so small supposed to understand the ways of a world so large?

However, when the orb finally seemed to break apart, there was nothing Essetia could do to hold back the alarmed scream that broke free with it. Turning away from the tiny creature that had emerged from inside, the filly danced about trying to decide whether to hide or remain at its side. Its eyes would not open to look into her own but from what she could understand it looked much like a baby. Though she couldn’t imagine what kind of creature gave birth to such an abdominal looking thing. It looked nothing like a horse or any variation of her species, so she was left to assume that whatever it was, it was obviously different.

Stepping closer, the filly bent her velveteen muzzle to nudge the small creature and when she did it cried out. She jumped back and away, shocked by the strength of its vocals. She could not understand it and perhaps never would, but still she felt responsible for the little thing and so she returned, her muzzle once again dipped into its sightless face. It smelled of tangy goodness, which was very unfamiliar to the filly. She had never laid eyes, nose, ears, or muzzle for that matter on anything so alien. But there was still an urgency about it that made her want to stay. She felt as though this creature was her possession and vice versa…

Was that strange? Was this was her father had meant in calling it her companion? She still wasn’t sure, but she was certain that she would tend to the thing until she figured out what it was and what to call it. Perhaps her own father would be able to shed light on the newborn, but then again, she didn’t have much faith in his word because she was still feeling just as confused about it as before. Things were definitely changing for Essetia and she could only think to call this the beginning.