Finding Cora

Cora sat up, blinking in the bright sun that flooded the cave. A small hill of uneaten berries sat beside her. The sun was so hot you could almost see them shriveling. Cora looked around at the empty cave. She had never woken up alone before.

Happy memories trickled back into her head, making her smile. She remembered how, when she was about five, Lea had knocked Cora out of bed on her birthday.  She remembered a game of Finders-Hiders, when Lea hid in a tree, and she walked all around trying to find her, and then Lea dropped on top of her. She remembered the thrill she had felt when Evin said she could learn the magic of unicorns. But first and foremost, Cora remembered the way tears stung her eyes, when Lea said she wouldn't come on Cora's travels.

Lea's words flooded back to Cora.

“No. I'm not coming.”

“Lea, please. You're my only family left. I'm your only family left. We'll stay together. We promised!”

“Cora, you aren't my only family anymore. The whole tribe is my family. But soon I'll have one of my own.”

Those had been Lea's last words to her, besides a halfhearted 'goodbye, Cora'.

Cora's eyes were as wet as the ground outside. Sullenly she packed her bag with the berries, blanket, mask, and journal. She slid it over her neck and ventured out onto the muddy trail. Cora stared up the mountain. She had a long journey and steep climb ahead of her.

Starting out wasn't so bad. The incline was fairly small, and rocky steps were many. As she ventured farther up, however,  the trees became thicker, as did the underbrush. The trees were thick oaks, much unlike the smooth barked jungle trees she was used to.

What she could see of the sky was dark and gray. It was probably going to rain again. Back in the village she loved rain. Now she didn't enjoy it at all, simply because it made traveling harder.

Cora heard a soft whooshing from above. It sounded a bit like a bird taking off, and a bit like the wind in the trees. She looked up, staring at the sky with all her might for a glimpse of the noisemaker.

Suddenly, dipping to just brush the topmost branches of the trees, she saw a flash of blue. A pegasus! As the blue pegasus came to rest on a cloud, Cora got a clearer view. The pegasus was not at all like she had envisioned. What sat on the cloud was not a zebra with grand wings like a giant bird, but a stripeless one with small, apparently unfeathered wings. Her mane and tail were streaked with all the many colors of tropical flowers, and  across her flank was emblazoned a storm cloud and a rainbow lightning bolt.

Cora stared, transfixed. She had seen a first glimpse of what the other land was like.