• • • Moonlight Sonata • • •

Chapter 1~


Prince stood quietly next to his paddock fence at RisingHill Stables. He flicked his silver-white tail at the flies that swarmed around him.

“What a beautifully boring day . . .” he sighed, snorting as dust went up his nostrils. Prince’s owners were elderly, and can no longer ride him, or take him on trails, or anything.
Prince sighed again, his crystal blue eyes drooping, and looked over his fence. Mountains surrounded the desert in which RisingHill Stables was located, and in the sunset, they were a bright fire color . . . which Prince usually enjoyed looking at. He looked back down at the dusty ground. Today, he was too bored and frustrated with his life to even gaze at the mountains.

A small brown foal trotted up to him. “Whatcha doin’?” he asked Prince, stopping to rub his ear on the fence.

“Nothing, Muddy.” he replied.

“Nothing? Why not?” Muddy queried.

“Because there’s nothing to do out here.” the dapple-gray colt replied, flicking his tail at flies again.

Muddy cocked his small head to the side, “What do you mean?”

“I mean . . . there’s nothing fun . . . no adventure . . . I’m just cooped up in this small paddock all day.” he explained.

Muddy looked out at the fiery red mountains, “You wish you were one of them, huh?” he stated, quietly.

“One of who?” Prince inquired, curiously.

“Haven’t you heard the stories?” asked the foal, wide-eyed.

“No . . .”

Muddy stomped his small hoof on the ground, “Oh, man, you gotta hear about the stories!!!” he exclaimed.

“Okay.” Prince replied, laying down on the dirt.

The brown foal also lay down. With an important look in his eyes, Muddy began the tale: “Legends say, that beyond those mountains . . . there are three herds . . .”

Prince cut him off, “Wait . . . ‘Beyond the mountains’? Muddy . . . there’s nothing beyond those mountains! There’s just this wretched desert! You should know that . . .”

The small foal shook his head, “No Prince . . . I believe with all my heart that there is something beyond the mountains. There’s no way that this desert is all there is . . .” he was lost in thought for moment. “Anyway, can I continue?”

Prince nodded.

“Alright . . . as I was saying . . . there are three herds, wild herds. However, these herds are unique . . . they don’t behave like the ones we see in the distance.” he said, pointing his muzzle to a cloud of moving dust yonder.
“They supposedly fight battles against each other, fighting for their kingdom. They also believe in a Creator . . . that has a mighty, and powerful stallion that leads his own pack. The pack is made up of the long-gone ancestors of those three herds.”

Muddy pointed his nose up at the sky. “The stars we see at night, those are the ancestors.” he said, and turned his attention back to Prince.

“And which star is the mighty stallion?” asked Prince, showing interest in Muddy’s legend.

“He isn’t a star.” replied the brown foal, “He’s the “Darkness in the flame” . . .”

Prince blinked, unsure of what Muddy was talking about.

“You know . . . Horsehead Nebula?”

“Oh! Yes, of course . . . that makes sense.” Prince said, nodding, even though he still didn't know what Muddy was talking about. The brown foal stood up and trotted off.

“Wait, aren’t you going to tell me more about the three herds?” Prince called out.

“That’s all I know!” he called back.


Chapter 2~


Prince awoke the following morning, at about 4:00 a.m. He didn’t know what woke him, but he did know that it was something out of the usual. He plodded out of his stall and into the dark paddock. In the dim light, he made out the outline of a struggling small figure. He walked over to it, and became aware that the small figure was Muddy.

“Muddy? What are you doing?” Prince asked.

“I’m . . . stuck . . .” replied the foal, who’s head was between two fence railings.

“Twist your head to the side and pull backwards.” instructed Prince.

Muddy did as he was told, and was soon free from the wooden fence. “Thanks.” he nickered quietly.

“Muddy . . . why are you out so early?” inquired the dapple grey colt.

“I . . . I was trying to escape . . . I wanted to go beyond the mountains . . .” he answered, lowering his head, shamefully.

Prince laid his ears back, and snorted, “Muddy! For the goodness’ sake, there is nothing beyond those mountains! It’s just us, little RisingHill stables and the desert. That’s the world. And that’s all.”

Muddy didn’t reply, he simply stared at the ground.

Prince slowly moved his ears back forward, “You believe in those wild herd tales, don’t you?”

The brown foal nodded.

Prince turned his head and gazed out at the mountains, which now looked like black lumps in the dimness of morning. What if there is was a possibility that Muddy is right? What if there really is another world? If there is . . . than there are so many things for him to learn . . .
He was lost in his thoughts for over ten minutes. After he was done thinking, with determination glinting in his eyes, he told Muddy:

“Muddy . . . I’m going to find out for you what really is behind those mountains . . .” and with that, he leaped over the fence and galloped off into the cool, dark, desert.


At 6:00 a.m. light began to creep over the mountains. Prince was trotting on trail that led up the mount. As he journeyed, he wondered, “What if this is a joke . . . what if I look over the peak and all I see is blue sky?” Then another thought hit, “If all I see is the end of the world, what am I gonna tell Muddy? All his hopes and dreams will be shattered . . .”
He shook this thought away and continued to jog over the mountain range. When he had reached the crest, he had to blink a couple of times as the sun flared in his eyes. He then gasped and took a few steps back in shock.

Green. Green everywhere! Lush trees spread for miles and miles . . . lakes and rivers speckled the land like patches on a pinto. The sun glimmered against the foliage, making the forest-tops appear to be a golden color. How could it, that behind him a parched, dry desert lay, and in front of him, the most beautiful place he had ever seen, just be?

Prince hastened down the mountain, the thud of his hooves echoing all the way down to the base of the mount, and then being absorbed by the trees. The slight breeze rustled through his mane. When he had reached the ground, he let out a whinny, and began chewing gratefully on the sweet grass that was slightly covered in morning dew. A sound of gurgling water coming from behind him greeted his ears from. He looked up, swallowed the rest of the grass, and turned around . . .
. . . only to come face-to-face with a big, fiery, mustang.

Reserved----------------

Reserved---------------

Wow, this sounds cool!

Thanks, Littletoes! I'll post chapter 2 soon . . .

Oh, I like horses! They're so pretty x3 Do continue with this story. It looks like it could become pretty interesting.

Thanks, Newms! ( can I call you Newms? ) Yes, I'm really enjoying writing this story, I'll definitely continue it.

I love the new chapter!

Thanks!!! Sorry it took so long to post . . . >.> I've been a little busy.