Storm

Sometimes I think that the whole world is out to kill us. Well...most of it, anyway. You see, I am a meagle, which happens to be one of the most ignored species of the planet. I admit, it does have some upsides: having nothing in this Starlands forsaken land means that we have nothing to lose. Well, that’s most of the time. Then there is me. 

I’m what the meagles call a betrayer. Simply because I refused to go on migration for this year, I was abandoned by my own tribe. Heck, the only family that I have left—my brothers and my sister—abandoned me as well. So here I was, left in our ‘winter’ home. You see, Loftia used to be a land of the four seasons before the Magiod, the very thing that created sentience on our planet through its release of magical energy, but now...there are no seasons. Only cold climate year-round or hot climate year-round, all depending on where you find yourself on the map in relation to the north and south poles. 

My tribe is allowed land to live for each half-year on Sunkano and Crystallos. Both countries, just our luck, are on opposite sides of the world. So, we were on Crystallos when they all left me. I thought the crystal dragons would let me stay—I’m fairly independent, after all—but when I tried to stay behind, the meagles led on the migration to Sunkano by King Pegasa, the crystal dragons came to me. One simple word was uttered that night: “leave”. So, that is what I did; I simply picked a random direction and flew away, like the coward I am. I have no home, no family, and no food. With all of those amazing thoughts in my mind, I continued my lonely flight across the ocean. 

“Coward,” I thought once again. “That is what you are, what all of the meagles are.” I looked down at the crystal clear ocean that churned beneath me and let out a long sigh. I then turned my feathered head to the sky, taking note of the sun’s position above me. The sky was another endless ocean of blue, and for the first time ever, I came to enjoy the never-ending silence. No leader giving me commands, no screams of children...no one whatsoever. I frowned again and turned my eyes to face forward, taking in a lung full of fresh oceanic air. I could feel the moisture on my feathers and long forgotten and ignored instincts began to hit me. There was a storm coming.

“I hate storms...” I thought bitterly, catching my first glimpse of the mighty storm clouds before me. “All storms want to do is kill,” I continued, recalling all of those lost in storms, “kill without any mercy and without any reason.” I huffed as the rain began to pelt my feathered coat. 

When was the last time I had stopped to rest? I did not know. There were hardly any landmasses in the open sea, and with a shudder, I recalled those who had died from their wings giving out. No one bothers to help those fallen meagles; it would be a death sentence to any who dared. So the fallen were left to freeze to death in the open waters and to drown. That’s how things were. That’s just how life was as a meagle. If I had been born as any other creature, raised with the ignorance that they all got to hold onto, I could see why they called us such awful names. We had no honor. All we cared about was survival at any cost. 

Then why am I so dang unhappy? Why did I refuse to go on the migration? The truth was simple: I did not know. Perhaps it was cowardice or idiocy. Perhaps something different altogether. 

The first burst of wind hit me full force and I let out a screech of alarm. On migrations, we found safety in numbers, rather than in isolation. It is hard to find safety all alone. My ears fell back against my head. “This is going to be the end of me...” I thought. “This storm will kill me, just like how many this vile place has killed in the past.” With those thoughts, I entered the heart of the storm. 

The wind surged around me and rain pelted down in an endless barrage. I shut my eyes at last, my ears holding the only reassurance that I was still alive, even if all I could hear was the pounding storm. Then, a very out of place sound reached my feathered ears. 

A scream pierced the air, and I found myself at odds. What should I do? Should I just continue on? It was every creature for themselves after all. Yet...something stirred deep within my soul, something urging me to do something no meagle would ever do: save another. Honor. Honor was something meagles did not have; it would kill off the species all together...but what did I have to lose? I have no tribe now. I have no home. With a screech, another bust of wind hit me under my left wing, sending me plowing down towards the hungry waves below.

“No!,” I spat, my first word spoken aloud in days. I could hear the scream again, this time closer. I knew what I was going to do, even if it would kill me. I needed to save the creature in danger. I had to, for my own sake. 

I followed the sound of the screaming for many minutes, before finally seeing a small, torn up shape in the water. I flew closer to the waves, knowing if one was big enough it could send me flinging into the water. I carefully grabbed the poor little creature in my mouth by its scruff, my claws barely licking the surface of the raging water before forcefully flapping my wings harder than ever before. This little creature was going to survive. It had to. Even if I did not. The extra weight burdening my wings reawoke the pain that had been building up from the many days flying and I let out another cry of alarm. I held the creature in my feathered arms, desperately trying to warm it up.

“I-it’s okay, little one,” I whispered, hoping it could hear my words. “We will find land. I just know we will.” At that, the wind pounded even harder down on me, and with a curse, I realized that my previous words might yield false hope. 

I flew. I flapped. Through the burning of my wings, through the constant pain in my lungs. I had to keep moving. If I didn’t, this little creature would die. This creature had a life ahead of it. I might not, but it did. So I continued on. Through hunger and through thirst… “Until the end,” I muttered. 

The flight was never-ending. Even meagles had to rest along the way to Sunkano. It was a long flight. Then I felt the pelting rain slightly begin to let up. As I flew, carried by my numb wings, the shadowy clouds began to turn from dark gray to a light welcoming white. 

“Maybe...” I thought, my heart thumping in my chest. “Just maybe...This storm is finally over...” My haze flicked down to the still shivering figure I held to my chest, and with a sigh, said, “It is alive.” A newfound joy filled my heart as I gazed down at the creature, the sunlight revealing the creature’s true identity for the first time. 

It was a young unicorn with a pale blue mane and tail. Its thin fur coat was the color of the pure white clouds that now hung in the sky, welcoming and calming. I felt something within me that I had never felt before: pride. I saved the unicorn. I actually saved someone. Then, turning my gaze upward, I saw something else in the distance. 

“Land….” My voice was but a whisper, but my very surroundings seemed to light up at that single word. The coastline was covered in bright emerald green, trees towered over the long stretch of beaches and I saw the looming mountains covered in thick fog in the far distance. It was Sorceria, home of the unicorns. I knew what I needed to do. 

Looking down at the whimpering, cold unicorn that I held tightly in my claws, I flew toward the land. I knew I was not welcome here. I knew that if the unicorns saw me, they would likely want me gone, or do much worse to me. Yet...Sorceria was this little creature’s home, it was the home of all of the unicorns, and I was going to bring it back. 

After a few more hours of flying, I reached a secluded golden sand beach of which I decided to land on. I gently set the young filly down on the ground and began to examine it. It did not seem to be injured too badly; it was cold, but the sun had already started to warm it up. I decided to wait until I knew the unicorn would be alright on its own. Curling around the young filly to warm it up, I found myself, for the first time in days, asleep.

...

“I could’ve sworn I saw something land down yonder,” a dark-coated unicorn said while levitating a compass. His companion, a golden-colored pony, gazed down at his beach below. 

“Yeah, I’m sure you did, Jawew,” the other neighed, scrunching his green eyes and his muzzle to gaze down the steep cliff that led to the secluded beachside. After humming to himself for a long moment, his eyes widened. “Well ’all be,” he muttered.

“What is’t, Crane?” Jawew grumbled, still gazing at his compass. 

“It looks like a meagle,” Crane muttered. 

Jawew’s eyes flicked off of the compass for the first time and he gazed towards the shore. “What the...it is a meagle! I thought the meagles didn’t come to Sorceria, Jawew?”

The other stallion did not respond, instead continuing to gaze at the bird-like creature’s shadow in the distance. He stared for a long moment, then noticed something else that lay right next to the meagle. “Oh, my Starlands...” 

“What’ist? What’s wrong?” 

“That dang bird has a little unicorn with him! We gotta help it!” Jawew turned to the other unicorn and with a nod, Crane lit up his horn in yellow light and the pair burst out of existence, teleporting down to the seaside.  

...

I awoke to the sound of hoof steps approaching me. With a groan, I rose to my claws and glanced down to the small unicorn below me. I smiled gently as I watched the steady rise and fall of its chest. Then, I heard the hoof steps again. Someone was approaching. My gaze flicked to face two unicorn stallions who stood next to the ocean both were glaring daggers at me. I glanced down at the creature below me one last time, and with a small sigh, I knew it was time for me to leave. I was no longer welcome here. With a groan, I spread my wings, and with slight horror, I realized that I could barely move them. One of the stallions before me spoke.

“Hey, you! What the heck are you doing with that filly?” I winced and stood tall before them. My poor appearance did not help to intimidate them at all. 

“I...” I coughed, “I didn’t hurt her...I-I swear!” 

The dark-coated stallion snorted. “An’ why should we believe you?” The pair began to inch closer, I began to back up. The yellow-coated buck neighed as he stepped forward. I stared at them fearfully for a long time. I knew this was going to end badly for me, and yet...Just then, a cough sounded behind me. The little filly...it was waking up. I gave a small smile as I glanced behind me. I tried to stretch my wings out again, but this time I was unable to pull them from my sides. I was simply too sore. I winced again, turning to face the creatures before me. 

“I-It will be safe with you.” I smiled. “I know it will.” The two bucks were frozen to the spot as I began to limp away from them, heading towards the forest. Then, I heard the hoof steps again. One of them was racing towards me. I suddenly felt a searing pain in my wing and I cried out and doubled over, tripping over my front claws. My tear-filled eyes glanced towards the dark-colored stallion that towered over me.

“You little freak! You take this filly from her family and then you act like you saved her? You think that hurt! I will show you true pain, you monster!” The blade was torn out of my wing and levitated high in the air. I shut my eyes and let my head flop down to the ground. Then, I heard a thump as the unicorn was thrown off of me. The pain in my wing was excruciating, but I could still hear what was going on, albeit distant.

“Back off, Jawew!” the yellow stallion shouted. “The meagle is hurt already! There isn’t any reason to go and make it worse!” The dark-colored buck neighed in pain. I still could not see the fight. I was only trying to stay conscious. 

“Have you gone mad, Crane?” Jawew shouted back. “This little idiot kidnapped this filly!” 

“We don’t know that for sure!” the other spat back. I heard a howl of pain as the dark-colored buck was dropped to the ground. Then all was silent. After a long moment, I heard hoof steps approaching me once again. I was too scared to look up to see who it was. “It’s alright...” I recognized the yellow buck’s voice. “You're going to be fine...I’m sorry for all that trouble caused by Jawew. He is always the first one to jump into trouble.” I opened my eyes to see the yellow unicorn, Crane, looking down on me with pity and sympathy. I turned my eyes down to his hooves. They were spattered with blood. Tears filled my eyes now, but not only from the pain anymore. 

“W-why did you save me?” I asked him. 

Crane gave me a sad smile. “What Jawew would have done to you was unacceptable. I...couldn’t let you be hurt for no good reason. It isn’t who I am. Apparently, it was who he was.” 

I grunted as I stood up. The pain in my legs and at the base of my wing made me stagger and I began to fall, only to be caught by Crane. 

“You okay?” 

I nodded sheepishly, tears still in my eyes. “Thank you. Thank you so much.” He gave me another nod before helping me walk back to the beach. 

“So how’d you end up here with that little filly?” I gave a small chuckle, looking down at the little filly that I rescued from the storm. I gently picked her up and placed her between my shoulder blades. It hurt a little when I set her down, but I could manage. I had been through much worse.

“Well, you see, sometimes I think that the whole world is out to kill us...” I began to recap my story as we both walked along the beach into the sunset.