Half the Power

Plans of Action

I tried to push aside all of my questions and focus. I had taken one major step in my mission: finding who was still awake. But now... What can we do? We have nowhere to go, and no idea about what just happened. We needed help.

Only then did I remember: the feather.

"Mary!" I exclaimed, making her jump. "Oh, sorry... I just remembered something else about my talk with the pegasus!" (Wow, that must've sounded weird to anyone having a normal day.) "He said that when we need him again, I should burn this feather of his." I gently pulled the feather out of my jean pocket.

Her eyes lit up, and I knew we had struck a stroke of luck. She pulled an identical feather out of the pocket on her jacket.

"I think this is a good time to burn one," I said, in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I think so," she agreed, matching my voice.

"Got any matches?"

"I think a few in here..." She began rummaging in the bottom of a drawer in her dresser.

She pulled back hold a box of matches, holding them dramatically in the air.

I let out a small laugh, and took the matches. "Here, hold this." I handed her my feather. Quickly, I slid open the part with the matches, and pulled one out. I struck it against the box, and it erupted in a flame.

"Here we go," I sighed, a little upset to use half of our knowledge source already.

I lit the tip of the feather, and we waited. Anywhere it was burned, the feathers seemed to melt to the ground. When it was about half burned, the shadows on the wall next to me began to ripple, like black water.

The pegasus walked through the wall like it was made of fog.

You called?

"Yes," Mary said, dropping the remains of the feather into the pitcher of water. Water collected from the drops all over the side, so it was enough to put out the flame.

"We have no idea what to do now," I said. "We found each other. But where do we go? What can we do? And why can I suddenly control air?"

The pegasus seemed to be thinking about his answer for a moment, rubbing his hoof against the floor.

I don't know how much I can say, he said hesitantly. As for your powers... You will learn to control them. They may be your greatest strength.

"But I don't even know where they came from!" I protested.

You don't know where I came from either, I'm sure. Yet I am helpful to you. Relate that to your new powers.

I huffed in annoyance. "Okay well... Can you at least tell us where to go?"

The rest of the pegasi... they're of to the north. Go for about twenty miles. You two should be able to see them.

"And then?"

The largest horse will help you. He is the leader. Once you can meet him, tell him that I visited you. That shall help.

"Wait! Don't we need your name to tell him that.?" Mary asked.

Alas, I was abandoned. This is common among pegasi, but I was left unnamed. Tell him this.

Now, I best be off, if that is all.

I didn't want him to leave, but I also couldn't think of another excuse to ask him to stay. The truth was, I didn't want to start out on Mary's and my journey until the latest time possible.

With that, the pegasus melted back into the shadows. It occurred to me that this time, unlike the end of our last meeting, he gave me a chance to stop him from leaving. Now, if that is all...

At that, my heart sunk. He didn't have any specific place he needed to be, or anyone to meet this time. Last time, he was preparing to visit Mary. Could everyone, even outside the town, be asleep? I guessed so. Otherwise, he would be rushing.

Mary turned to me with a small sigh. "Ready?"

I sprang to my feet. Despite my exhaustion, I tried to appear energized for Mary's sake. Perhaps that would give us more energy, by pretending? I haven't been completely sure of anything since everyone feel asleep, but I beamed at her.

"A simple 'yes' would've been fine," Mary muttered.

And so we set out.