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// Prologue ~ The Next Beginning 
// Story: Blind Innocence 
// by Feather Note 
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A soft yellow light stretched far across the horizon, its warm glow a marker for the early beginnings of the summer season — a perfect symbol and yet an emblem of his leader of the country, a stallion thought, slowly trudging along the soft sandy beach.

The waves drifting up the shoreline and receding back into the vast ocean, coupled with the cawing of seagulls in the distance, were a peaceful accompaniment to the paradise-like beach. He stopped and looked out into the open expanse of water, taking a deep breath in, the salty water of the sea clinging to the insides of his mouth, before he exhaled, smiling as he watched the water move back and forth. That calming rumble of the gentle sea-spray stirred the memories from time's past.

There were plenty of beautiful days like this. He slowly blinked, the wrinkles underneath his eyes shifting with the movements. It was lucky, he thought, that at least he was able to retire from his service in the Royal Guard. The life he had lived during those days of action and service had never been too dull. But with all that excitement in his former career, he figured he could use a little less of it.

Now he spent his days watching the sunset; walking across the beach, he felt at peace and awed at the beautiful display nature provided him.

Even if the days he lived now were not as exciting as his youthful escapades alongside his fellow guardsponies, he appreciated where his life had brought him and the service he had given for all those years.

A little excitement was at least good to keep his old bones from getting too sore. He blinked once more, stretching his wings before continuing his walk across the sun-drenched sands. It did wonders for his hooves. He took another step before something moved in the corner of his eye. He glanced at the water again and blinked; a small slab of cut and sanded wood was floating up the shoreline.

Curious, he thought. He turned towards the piece of wood and walked towards the rising water. The warmth he had felt in his hooves vanished, chilled by the ocean water — it, however, was a comfortable sensation.

He stopped and waited for the rectangular slab of wood to float up to him. When it was in reach, he scooped it up in his right hoof, slowly scanning over the drenched wooden slab. For the life of himself, he could not understand why a nicely-coated piece of wood was doing out here floating in the water. The only reasonable explanation was that somepony or somebody lost it to the ocean current. Another, less desirable echo fluttered through his thoughts. Shaking his head, he pushed the memory aside.

With a glance upward, he looked to see if there was anything else. His eyes widened.

There only fifteen feet away was a unicorn filly. Her eyes were closed, forelegs wrapped around a broken slab of wood just like the one he had found. He quickly jumped moved further into the water.

Reaching with his right hoof, he wrapped it around the filly’s barrel and dragged her onto the shoreline. Her fur was soaking wet, but he did not feel a single twitch. Turning up on her back, he pressed his right ear to her chest. There was a slow and slightly unsteady pulse.

Thank Celestia she was alive, he thought. With a quick lookover, she appeared to be fine, but he couldn't be too certain from this analysis. Still though, it was unnerving that a filly, barely into her teenage years, could have possibly been drifting in the unforgiving sea. And as he noted, the filly herself was obviously not in good shape. He pressed a hoof against her shoulder and gently shook her. The filly’s eyes moved, and it wasn’t long before she opened them. She coughed a dry and raspy cough. "Are you alright, little one?" Her ears flicked a little, but even as he stood above her, she did not once look at him. Maybe she was confused?

How long had she been floating out in the middle of the ocean? As obvious as it was, she did not look well. He pressed his hoof against her forelegs, doing the same to her chest and then her back legs. Nothing felt like it was broken, and she certainly hadn't been out long enough to be starved too bad. She still required immediate medical attention. If she had been out there floating for a while, there was a good chance she was dehydrated.

Her eyes grew heavy, and he watched her close them. This wasn’t a good sign at all. He opened his wings and flapped them until his hooves left the ground. He reached with his forelegs and scooped her up, holding her tightly against his chest before he took off.

Quickly as his wings would allow him, he sped further inland. He had to get this filly to safety before it was too late. He had to get her to Canterlot.