Chapter 4: The Chosen One

Sweetroot’s eyes widened at Star’s declaration. Had Star really made a choice this quickly? It was to good to be true.

“You’ve made your choice?” She asked. Star nodded, Morningleaf positioning herself beside her mate, draping an aqua wing over his shoulder. Star sighed, trying to collect his thoughts, a cool breeze lifting his forelock slightly. The young stallion looked at the Medicine Mare, his brown eyes holding determination.

“I’ve decided to accept the post of Over-Stallion.” He said calmly. Sweetroot’s face brightens in excitement.

“Thank you, Starrr…wing.” She said, quickly adding the Over-Stallion’s name to his, making him wince slightly. “We should tell River Herd,” She said calmly, looking at the group of gathered pegasai.

Star nods calmly, taking flight and gliding towards the herd. Sweetroot joined the main herd, but Star remained in the air, hovering over the large gathering of pegasai that was his herd. He let out a loud whinny, the call of an Over-Stallion, causing the herd to look up in confusion and curiosity. Star descended, the herd making a small circle around a large flat topped rock that Star landed on to get a better view of the pegasai. With a flare of his large black wings, Star stamped a hoof, getting their attention.

“Sweetroot, would you explain?” He asked the Medicine Mare, slightly nervous. She nods, trotting over to step up onto the flat rock.

“The council and I have decided,” She started, “That we need an Over-Stallion and Lead Mare, and we have chosen Star to...” Murmurs broke out within the group, most were just curious and innocent, others, however, were outraged at the thought of an Over-Stallion leading them, mostly the older stallions and mares, who remembered freshly the horror of Nightwing’s reign. Others believed that Star was to young, to inexperienced to lead a whole herd on his own.

“Why do we need an Over-Stallion!?” Challenged Stripestorm, his mate, Flamesky, was beside him, her eyes wide with pain, a wing draped over their son, Redstar. “Nightwing’s reign was terrifying, why would we want to…”

Clawfire stamped a hoof, Shadepebble beside him, looking equally as offended.

“Star is NOT, Nightwing, he asserted.” He snorted in anger, “In FACT, he was the one to RESCUE us from Nightwing’s tyranny!”

“Yes,” Spoke up Morningleaf, “If it weren’t for him, we’d all still be under Nightwing’s rule.”

“But what about before that?” Inserted a young Jungle Herd Stallion named Vinebreeze, “You know, the rule of the four herds?”

“That was an unfortunate side effect of having multiple herds,” Said Sweetroot calmly, raising her wings to call the meeting back to order, “It was by no means the product of having Over-Stallions.”

“She’s right!” Called out an old stallion, “It wasn’t MOST of the Over-Stallion’s fault that the herds were enemies.” He stopped, considering something, “I say we accept him!”

“As do I!” Called out Clawfire.

“I do too,” Called out Shadepebble.

“Hail, Starwing!” Called out a young filly, “Hail, Morningcloud!” The chant grew louder as more pegasai lent their voices to the crescendo, only a few pegasai exchanged a few shocked and angered glances, remaining silent as if in protest.

“Starwing, Morningcloud, Starwing, Morningcloud!” Chanted the herd, stamping their hooves excitedly. Sweetroot nodded as she leapt off the rock, allowing Star, now Starwing, to climb on top. He raised his wings for silence.

“Thank you for accepting me as Over-Stallion,” He started, “I promise that I…”

His head snapped up, his nostrils flaring and his ears swiveling. He thought he heard…THERE, a Pegasus whinny, somewhere in the distance…but…who was it? And what did they want?