THE CEREMONY
Spiritstar woke up early in the morning. Her foals were asleep, so she woke Lakeray up. “It’s almost time for your ceremony, Lakeray,” she said to her mate. Lakeray woke up and yawned, stretching each leg individually as well as his wings. He stood up and the two galloped around playfully. The two galloped toward the coast and skidded to a halt. They sat down, and soon the sun rose above the sea.
Spiritstar smiled, her eyes shimmering. Lakeray nuzzled her as they watched the sunrise. The sun slowly rose over the water, turning the water a gold-orange color. Pegasi started waking up.
Spiritstar and Lakeray walked to their foals. Sagewind was awake and so was Silversoul. “Good morning, Mom!” neighed Sagewind. He smiled and trotted up to his mother. He extended his wings and hugged her. Spiritstar hugged him and looked at Silversoul. She moved her wing in a “come here” motion. Silversoul trotted to her and hugged both of them. Fernheart walked to them. “Good morning, you guys!” she said, yawning.
Spiritstar smiled. “Good morning! How are you feeling, Lakeray?”
“Pretty good,” the stallion said. He lifted off and flew a quick loop, then flew to Death Rock.
After the ceremony ended, Lavastar started throwing boulders at Lakeray. One boulder hit his chest, causing him to fall over. Spiritstar sighed, tired of all the battling. “Enough, Lavastar!” she yelled out, her voice amplified by her magic. Lavastar pinned her ears and rammed Lakeray.
Spiritstar groaned and reared, her magic flowing through her hooves. She stamped her hooves down on the rock, sealing Lavastar in vines. Spiritstar cantered to her mate and picked him up. “Are you alright?” she asked. Lakeray nodded. The white mare walked back to her foals.
Silversoul pounced on her brother, then saw her limp father. “Mama, is he alright?” she asked, a clear look of worry on her face. Spiritstar didn’t answer right away. “I believe so, but if he doesn’t wake up soon, we’ll need to . . .” she answered, but trailed off. She didn’t want to think of what would happen if her mate died.
Sagewind scoffed and kicked the grass. "What's got you all angry?" Spiritstar asked her son. Sagewind said nothing and ate some grass. A mare named Willowsong walked to them and bowed. “Is Lakeray alright?” she asked. Spiritstar looked sad. “No, he’s not. He’s severely injured, and he’s not waking up,” she whinnied, afraid. Willowsong looked down. “I think I know a mare that can help. I’ll be right back!” she said, cantering away. Spiritstar sighed and walked to a random group of mares and stallions, her eyes seeming blank. Sandshadow, one of the smartest stallions in the herd, saw the mare. “Are you alright?” he asked her. Spiritstar looked at him. “Not really, no, but don’t worry about me.”
Lavastar trotted onto Death Rock. The captains surrounded her quickly. “What are you doing here?” Blizzardfire asked the mare. Lavastar rolled her eyes. “Tell me where your over-mare is!” she snarled, eyes glowing.
“I am right here!” roared Spiritstar from above. She was found with the sun shining on her white feathers. She soared fast and pinned the mare to the ground. “Tell me why you’re here,” she demanded. Lavastar blasted her and stood up. The captains grabbed Lavastar’s wings. “Tell me what you want!” Spiritstar growled.
She waited a few moments. When Lavastar didn’t answer, she looked at her captains. “Throw her off the cliff,” she nickered, not wanting to put up with her nonsense any longer. The captains nodded and all let go, except for Stormfire. The stallion dragged her closer to the edge. “Say your goodbyes, Lavastar,” he said, before breaking her wings.
He shoved her off the cliff without a care in the world. Stormfire winced and looked at his leg. The mare had sliced him! He growled and limped to his fellow captains. Spiritstar sighed and sat down. Lakeray, who was now awake, flew to her. “Lakeray!” she exclaimed, shocked and happy. She threw her wings around the stallion, hugging him. “I thought you were dead!” she neighed, about to cry. She buried her muzzle into his mane.
“I’m sorry, I let you get hurt,” she said.
“Settle down, Spiritstar. It’ll take much more than a rock to take me out,” said Lakeray.
Spiritstar wiped her eyes. Her head was thrown back and into a vision.
The mare was flying over the Crimson Sea. She was flying beside a pure white stallion. “Hello, Spiritstorm, nice to meet you,” he said.
“Who are you?” Spiritstar asked.
“I am Riverlight, founder of Spring Herd and son of Ashbreeze and Dusktail. Former lead-stallion of Drakonia,”
“As in the first white foal?!”
“Yes.”
“What do you want with me, then?”
“I am coming to take over your herd, foal. Look ahead.”
Spiritstar looked ahead, and the coast of Drakonia soon became clear. “You . . . want to take over my herd?”
“Yes. And Spring Herd, as well as Lone Herd. I will take back what is rightfully mine!”
“No, you will not! Drakonia will never belong to you! It belongs to the herds! You are a fool to believe that I will stand by and let you take my home! I don’t know who woke you, but I will put you to rest for eternity!”
Riverlight growled. “I have been in hibernation for two hundred years! You woke me, foal! You will not be spared! Neither will Autumnberry or your mother!”
Spiritstar and Riverlight reached the coast and zipped past it. “Never talk about my mother or sister, you two-muzzled psycho!”
It seemed like this offended Riverlight. He threw back his hoof into the mare’s muzzle, knocking her off course and into the roaring sea below.
Spiritstar woke with a start. She was breathing heavily. “I had a vision. Something is coming from across the Crimson Sea, or rather, someone,” she nickered, nervous. Icefire, the youngest but smartest captain, walked up to them. “Spiritstar, may I speak with you and Lakeray alone?” he asked.
“Yes, you can,” said the mare.
The three leaders trotted off Death Rock and into the bushes. They each sat down. “So, what did you want to speak with us about?” asked Lakeray.
The captain looked nervous. “I saw a white stallion flying this way. He looked like he was coming from the Crimson Sea,” he said, a look of worry on his face. Spiritstar had a grim look on her face. “Get our defenses ready. War is coming, whether we like it or not.” the mare said. Icefire nodded, stood up, lifted off, and flew away to warn the other captains. Spiritstar stood up. “I’m going to patrol the area. Stay here and tell the herd that they are not to go past our borders.”
Lakeray nodded. “Alright. Be safe,” he neighed softly. Spiritstar nodded and flew away. She flew higher, just above the highest clouds. She soared at that altitude for about two minutes. Spiritstar saw a pure white stallion. This was him. This was Riverlight.