Squish's Storybook

The Heart of a Racer

As I rode down the beaten path, keeping myself close to my horse as it galloped past the trees, I felt the wind beating against my face. My heart pounded as we approached the creek. Majesty had never been able to bring herself to jump it before, but she's been training.

I gripped tight on her reins and called out, bringing her to pick up speed a little more. She didn't stutter as we approached the bank, but instead she picked up speed and lifted from the ground, soaring as though she had wings over the running water. I tugged the reins and Majesty began to slow as we started up the hill on the opposite side of the creek.

"That's a good girl," I praised. As we slowed, eventually coming to a slight trot, I ran my hand over her neck and mane. "You did brilliantly, you're my first horse to have made the jump." Majesty whinnies and picks up into a slightly faster trot toward home. "Ready to go, are ya, Majesty? Alright, I guess you've earned it today."

I held loosely to the reins as Majesty trotted toward our home where she's been since she was born. As we went I looked up at the sky, the blue edges peeking out from behind the leaves of the trees. I could see the clouds and the birds above.

I could see the pegasi and hippogryphs soaring, galloping across the clouds and through the sky. Majesty was bred by a pegasi breeder, but was left when it was found she hadn't taken the gene. I rescued her as a foal and trained her to be the best jumping horse in the world.

She had the heart and strength of a pegasus, but she didn't have the wings to show it. She won show after show against the regular horses that had been bred for the contests.

Majesty stalled and came to a stop as the sound of beating wings could be heard all around us. She whinnied and reared back as a large shadow that swayed upon the ground startled her. I fell off the back of her and she took off, running with all her speed away from the beating sounds.

I called for her and began to run after her, but was soon stopped as a beautiful, sheer white pegasus landed in front of me. It folded in its wings and looked down at me. I jumped as I felt a peck at my hair. Turning around proved that it was a 'gryph that had come down.

I looked between the two creatures and ducked down, slowly approaching the pegasus. The hippogryph followed, continuously pecking at me, just enough to pinch, but not enough to hurt. The pegasus whinnied and reared up, kicking out at the hippogryph and I. 

I felt a hard smack against my forehead and the world went dark.

After what felt like minutes I opened my eyes to near darkness, but something caught me before I could quite see. Majesty was standing in front of me, looking down at me, black wings stretched out from her roaned hair. She bent down and brought her head close to mine.

The white pegasus from before and the hippogryph had vanished, presumably into the sky or off into the woods. Still, Majesty was standing before me.

I was stunned, she had wings. Full, long-feathered, dark wings that now folded in against her sides. "That's my girl. My Majesty with the heart of a racer and the mind of one who soars. I knew there was something special about you." I brought my hand up, sitting up from the ground, and petted her blue-grey face, the little white patch on her nose practically glowing under the moonlight.

I stood up and petted her, her new wings spreading out to the sides. I went around them climbed onto her back, avoiding the dark feathers. I gripped the reins and praised her. "Let's go home, my Majesty."