Her Eyes Reflect The Stars

by Lynwood

I Hide the Necklace Under My Wing

I hide the necklace under my wing, keeping it clamped against my body, and pray my Uncle doesn't notice.

"Where in tartarus have you been? You stupid colt!" He's red in the face. When he shouts, I can feel his spittle on my muzzle and I can't help but take a step back. "Your first day on the island and you just wander off?! What were you thinking! You had your mother worried sick!"

I watch my cousins land behind him. They look worried but I know it's just a farce. This is all because of them in the first place!

I glare at Braves. Infuriatingly, she just pretends to be confused back at me.

"Look at me when I'm speaking to you!" Uncle snaps my attention back. "Listen well, colt. I'm not letting you leave the cloud until you've earned it, and with the way you act, I doubt you ever will. Now come on. We're going home now. Your mother's waiting."

He takes off without another word. My cousins glance at me awkwardly and follow, so nopony sees me slip the necklace into my hoof. On the way, I fly up near Braves.

"Worst I'll get is an annoyed sigh, huh?" I snap at her. "Thanks a lot, cousin."

She puts on the perfect imitation of a thoroughly confused, slightly hurt face. "Shines, what are you talking about?"

Rrgh, I think, my cousins are the worst. I ignore her and focus on my flying.

When we get home, I get another talking to from my mother, albeit one less intense. It's true, I'm banned from leaving our cloud home for the foreseeable future. The rest of my day is spent cleaning the house, and by the time I flop into my bed, my legs are as sore as ever.

I am in a black void. I'm standing in some sort of water, though it barely wets the fur around my hooves, which are firmly on what feels like smooth stone.

I look around. There's nothing. My heart begins to race. How did I get here? Where is here? I decide to call out, to see if I am alone. "Hello?"

"Hello, Shines With the Wind." The voices come from right behind me. I yelp and spin around as fast as I can.

There's a pegasus mare standing far away. A mare, I think. Her legs are too long, so she's much taller than me, and her mane and tail hang down, limp. There are blotches of brownish-red in her coat. Why is she facing away from me?

I'm hit with a stench so horrid and foul that I gag and cough. It smells like fish left out in the sun for days. When I open my eyes again, she's much too close.

I take a step back. "W-who are you?"

"I am your friend, Shines." Her head begins to turn.

"Shines!"

I awake with a start. My legs ache terribly and my mother is sitting next to my bed. One of my hooves is in hers.

"Oh, honey, you're finally awake."

I take a shuddering breath. "M-mother," I manage, "I just had the most horrible dream."

"Aw, honey, did you have that terrible nightmare again?" she coos, stroking my mane. "It's okay, dear, it was just a dream."

What does she mean, 'again'?