When Ember and the others returned to Desert Herd, Cobrawing and Dustcloud greeted them with a tiny foal frolicking at their side. As Ember landed, flaring his wings, the tiny colt inhaled sand and sneezed, the look on his tiny face comical. Ember grinned, arching his neck. “Who is this?” he inquired.

Dustcloud looked at the colt with joy in her eyes as Spark flew up. “This is Tumbleweed, our foal.” She pressed against Cobrawing. “And I owe my life to Spark.”

Ember tipped his head toward his brother, who looked embarrassed. “Really?”

Cobrawing put his wing around Dustcloud. “Dustcloud was about to die after birthing Tumbleweed and Spark arrived just in time.”

Spark shuffled his hooves. “It was nothing,” he mumbled. Cobrawing shook his head.

“No. She could’ve died. We are sincerely grateful.” Spark looked even more uncomfortable until Ember noticed him look past him and see Starpebble, who was smiling. Instantly he relaxed. Ember seethed.

Summersong stepped up beside him and touched him with her wing. “Be nice,” she whispered. He glanced at her, and she winked at him.

Cobrawing beamed at Tumbleweed, who bounced up and fell in a heap at his sire’s hooves. “Papa!” he bleated, staring sadly at his skinned front knees. Dustcloud helped him up and gave him a hug, and he grinned and bounded away toward a group of nursing foals.

Spark swooped in a wide circle around Starpebble, who stood on the sand watching him. He landed and trotted up to her, grinning, and pressed his forehead against hers. “I missed you.”

She laughed, clapping her wings and stepping away. “It was only about a month, Spark! It would’ve been sooner, but I’m not confident enough in the jet streams.”

Wingbeats distracted him and he looked up, seeing Ember winging his way east toward them from the Red Rock Mountains. Spark frowned. Couldn’t he leave them alone with each other for five minutes?

Ember landed, grinning. “Hey! What are you doing?”

Spark shrugged. “Nothing much.”

Ember tagged Starpebble on the shoulder with his wing, said, “You’re it!” and leaped into the sky. Starpebble nickered with joy and tagged Spark, racing away across the sand before smoothly lifting into the air.

Spark sighed and flapped his wings, rising and flying toward a puffy cloud into which Ember had disappeared. As he reached it, the white mist obscured his vision. He coasted into an open pocket and saw Ember, hovering in the middle. He darted forward and tagged his brother on the shoulder, shooting upward. Ember neighed playfully at him and turned to tag Starpebble, who had flown above them and descended.

Spark flew too high and the cloud filled his vision once more. When he dropped lower again Ember was rolling under Starpebble to tag her. As he did, she flipped upside down and his hoof accidentally hit her head. Too hard. She went limp and fell past Ember, hurtling through the cloud and toward the ground.

Hope you all enjoyed! PLEASE inform me of ANY MISTAKES OR INCONSISTANCIES be they a missing period or a plot hole or a weird travel time or ANYTHING! Thank you!

Mountain Herd:

Cedarwing~ (over-stallion) agile light bay stallion with blue feathers, black mane and tail, thin white blaze

Sprucefeather~ (widowed mare) bay mare with green feathers, black mane and tail

Stormrain~ (yearling) dark gray filly with dark green feathers, black mane and tail

Hoperiver~ (single/widowed mare) pure white mare with sparkling blue feathers flecked with amber, silky white mane and tail

Stormsun~ (single mare) chestnut mare with turquoise feathers, curly black mane and tail fading to light brown, four white socks, blaze

Rockroot~ (medicine stallion) smoky-gray stallion with deep pink feathers, black mane and tail, white snip on nose

Snow Herd:

Mistwing~ (over-stallion) white stallion with misty blue and white feathers, silver mane and tail

Ashcloud~ (lead mare) smoky gray mare with smoky purple feathers, black mane and tail, large diamond-shaped star on forehead

Frostroot~ (medicine mare) light gray appaloosa mare with pale yellow feathers, light gray mane and tail

Echoflower~ (single/widowed mare, elder) white mare with pink feathers, white mane and tail

Rainshine~ (yearling) dark silver dapple filly with silver feathers, black mane and tail

Desert Herd:

Cobrawing~ (over-stallion) bay pinto stallion with green feathers, mixed brown-and-white mane and tail

Dustcloud~ (lead mare) palomino mare with pale green feathers, white mane and tail, wide white blaze

Sunfire~ (captain) gold dun stallion with violet feathers, gold mane and tail, thin white blaze

Starpebble~ (yearling) silver filly with pale blue feathers, white mane and tail, deep blue eyes

Ember~ (black foal, yearling) solid black colt with black feathers, black mane and tail

Spark~ (black foal, yearling) solid black colt with black feathers, black mane and tail, four white socks

Brightsky~ (mated mare) bright palomino mare with mixed blue and purple feathers, white mane and tail

Summersong~ (yearling) brownish-gold filly with pale pink feathers, light brown mane and tail

Palmroot~ (medicine mare) gold dun mare with amethyst feathers, black mane and tail, black points

Tumbleweed~ (nursing foal) buttermilk buckskin with turquoise feathers, black mane and tail, uneven blaze