B.C. (before Celestia)

Three ponies gazed over the field. There was a slight mist in the air and it encouraged them to think they might escape notice. Hibben, Kennesaw, and Kissing Crane wanted to get home very badly. As they emerge from the thicket the silence increased. Home for them was the village of Ing, a quiet farming town in the far north one day’s trot further. They were armed to the teeth, in addition to their personal weapons, they also carried the burden of swords and axes for their village.

They feared the sky. For in the sky could be sky Vikings, Valkyries and cloud pirates, otherwise known as pegs.

For two days they had trotted from glade to forest avoiding the large open areas, but some places just had to be gambled. They knew they had a tail. They had tried to circle back and catch it, but the tail was tricky. They knew what it was and if it wasn’t in league with the pegs, they would not worry about it too much, but they still wanted to be rid of it.
Trotting through the fields and meadows was risky, but the time they were gaining made it a good gamble. ‘Hold’ said Hibben, puffing small clouds of steam out his nostrils. Kennesaw and Kissing Crane complied. They had been with Hibben many years, they trusted his instincts. The mist was increasing. There was a trace of something in the air. Some long forgotten scent. For long moments they remained ready. It was not the best place to be, but something was aloft, and reckless galloping would only attract attention. Eyes and ears scanned the sky, seeking any sign in the mist.

In the sky, the wing leader, Hungry Hank, signaled his crew. He, Dominate, and Shinwa would circle the target to draw their attention. While the Umbrella brothers, Turbo and Target, would hit their prey with a more vertical approach. The mist made judging the ground distance difficult and Turbo made his dive too early.

‘Here they come’ whispered Kennesaw. Kissing Crane jumped to his right as the first pegasus hit the earth. Turbo quickly returned to the air as Kennesaw’s spear swing missed.

‘Drop you weapons now and we might spare you’ chuckled Hungry Hank.

‘We know your mercy, pirate’ responded Hibben.

‘So its knife work, tell us your names, dirt ponies’

‘Our names mean nothing to you brutes, be gone crows’

The five pegs continued to circle the dirt ponies, dropping lower and lower to the ground. They touched the ground gingerly, mocking disgust to have to touch the earth. Hungry Hank knew these three by their look; tough veterans of many a battle. This would be a dark day. The earth ponies also knew their foes. Sky pirates who often preyed upon travelers.
The earth ponies secretly hoped that a determined show of resistance would discourage the pegs to seek other game.

‘What brings you dirts so far north?’ asked Hungry Hank

‘Griffins and dragons’ chuckled Kennesaw

‘Be quiet’ said Hibben

‘What, there’s enough treasure for all of us’ responded Kennesaw

‘Treasure?’ asked Hungry Hank

‘Kill us and you’ll never find it’ said Hibben

‘There is no treasure’ said Hungry Hank matter of flatly ‘this is just a rouse to buy more time, ATTACK!’

The knife work was not pretty, 5 pegs to 3 dirts don’t seem fair, but pound for pound it was an even match. When it was all over, only Shinwa and Dominate flew away. Hungry Hank was drowning in his own blood for a spear pierced his lungs. Hibben had a broken foreleg. Turbo had an axe buried into his head. Target’s wing was broken. Kennesaw had a nasty gash on his neck. Kissing Crane was missing an ear and blood caked his left eye and side of his face.

Target galloped after Shinwa, but Kennesaw would not suffer that. He gallop after him and struck him down, cutting his hind tendons, crippling him, and leaving him for the wolves. The sun turned red as it began to set.

‘We need to bind our wounds and make quick time, if we want to escape the wolves’ said Kissing Crane

‘Yes bind your wounds’ repeated Hibben

‘How bad is it?’ asked Kennesaw

‘The leg is broken’ said Hibben

‘We’ll splint it’ responded Kennesaw

‘I’m ruined fool’ said Hibben

Kennesaw felt a tear fall from his eye. It was obvious, even with a splint; Hibben would be a cripple for the rest of his life. Even if they could bind the leg, Hibben would lag behind and the wolves would eventually catch him.

‘Grant me mercy, Kennesaw’ said Hibben

‘I can’t’ whispered Kennesaw

They stared into each other’s eyes for a long moment. Hibben’s penetrating gaze forced Kennesaw to remain fixed to the spot staring back into his eyes. So concentrated were the two, that Kennesaw didn’t see Kissing Crane ease up to Hibben. With a quick flick, Hibben dropped to the ground. Kennesaw couldn’t rend his eyes away from the spark of life ebbing from Hibben’s eyes, till he was gone.

‘Let’s go’ said Kissing Crane

‘How could you?’ stammered Kennesaw

‘You were always the weak one’ responded Kissing Crane moving into a trot and then a gallop. Kennesaw followed after a moment.