Prologue. Infighting among the Windigo's causes a terrible winter and the ponies cry out to them for mercy. To console them the Sky Father sent Pegasus, who is brought to the world in the form of a winged stallion. Pegasus is spotted by a farmer, who directs him to the city of Aethon, where Skydancer intends to show him the beauties of mortal life.
The Sky Father went about, but he could bring no end to the squabbles of his kin, till the coming winter. But the ponies of Aethon huddled by their fires and muttered among themselves,'Why do the gods punish us? The lakes have become frozen, and their is no light to warm the fields and beckon the wheat. No foal has not felt the biting wind, for even the warmth of their mothers milk is not enough to keep the frost from taking them; yet the gods should be a sheperd to their faithful.'
The gods heard their lament, they cried out to the Lord of Aethon, to the Sky Father god of the heavens: 'They have made a winter that brings ruin to your city, none can withstand its bitter cold. No mare is left with their foals, for the frost takes them all; and do they consider their misery, those who wage war in your skies. They stomp their hooves and howl at one another, and make thunder and hail that split the land and freeze the waters.' When the Sky Father heard their lamentations he called out to his favored son, Pegasus, 'They cry for our mercies, now we must answer them; become as like them, as their own reflection. Bring warmth to their homes and water to their fields and leave Aethon in peace.'
So Pegasus conceived an image in his mind, and he struck his hoof to the earth. A spring burst forth, and he dipped his body in the water and drank from it, so he might speak in their tongue. His wings burst forth and he emerged into the sky a stallion. His body was rough, he had a lush pearl coat, and a long mane like a mare's; it was the color of threshed wheat. His wings were firm, like his father's. He was innocent of ponykind; he knew nothing of the mortal world.
Pegasus ate grass when he became hungry, and lurked with wild beast at their water-holes; and when the winter impeded him, he struck the clouds and rays of sunlight warmed the lands he wandered. But there was a farmer who met him one day face to face at the field, for Pegasus had wandered into his land, and frightened his cattle. On three days he met him face to face and the farmer was frightened. He went back to his house, and he was benumbed by what he saw. With awe in his heart he sought Pegasus and asked him: 'What are you stranger? You come from the hills and split the heavens open; and now you wander here and frighten my cattle, who only now can graze the fields and not be taken by the frost.'
Pegasus opened his mouth and said to the farmer, 'Friend, in the heavens my father called upon me that I might aid you. He is strong as a star but he cannot walk among mortals. I cannot stop the winter, but I can move the clouds, beckon rain, and open the light of the sun to your fields and offer reprieve till the gods at last end their squabbles.'
The farmer listened, and his heart became lighter. He welcomed the winged stallion to his home, and offered him hay, salt and water. The farmer asked Pegasus to watch over his cattle, and set out on a journey to Aethon and addressed himself to Skydancer, Queen of Aethon, saying: 'A pony unlike any other has come to your realm; he is strong as an ox, and can break and mold the heavens to his liking. He has saved my cattle from the frost; he brought rain to my fields and opened the clouds to welcome the warm sunlight.' Skydancer said, 'Farmer, go back, take with you this bull, that you might have stronger cattle still. Beseech this stallion to come to Aethon, that he might brings the gods mercy to my subjects.'
Now the farmer returned, taking the bull with him. After a long journey he came to his house, and there he sat down facing Pegasus. For the first day and for the second day the two said little, but on the third day they were watching the cattle; they came to the water-hole, and were joined by small wild creatures from the hills. They were glad for the water, and the farmer saw that Pegasus was happy too. The farmer spoke to him: 'There is a city along the path, and its ponies suffer from the frost. The Queen ask that you go there and grant them the Sky Father's mercy. I fear that if you leave the frost will return, but if I try and keep you here she will send her guard and I will surely be punished.'
He was not upset by the farmers selfishness, he placed his wing around him and gave a promise that he would return to him; as the farmer bade him goodbye he saw the clouds shifting towards him, and knew Pegasus would not find him again. For six days and seven nights Pegasus flew to the city of Aethon. There the freezing winds were stronger, and he was forced to walk; but when he sought food, he found mostly ice and dirt. Then when few ponies saw him, they fled in terror; when he asked for food they spurned him. Pegasus would have continued, but his stomach growled and his legs ached; his hooves cracked when he started to gallop, his strength was gone. And now he was forced to the ground, shivering against the freezing winds, for the spring had made him mortal.
A guard found the stallion and was shocked. He wore no fabrics and was covered in frost and ice, and he possessed wings like the eagles now gone. The guard called to his stallions and lifted Pegasus from the ground and brought him into the city. He was brought to Skydancer, Queen of Aethon, and sat down beside the mare, under wool blankets, and listened intently to what she said. 'You are kind, Pegasus, to brave the winter. Why do you come to our aid alone, when the gods could simply end this winter themselves? Stay here with me. I will show you Aethon, and the blessed temples of the Sky Father. There you may witness the beauties of ponykind, who are very strong, and have endured this terrible winter."
When she had spoken Pegasus was pleased; he longed to put an end to the winter, for he now understood their suffering, and would welcome the joy he had brought to the farmer. 'Take me to that holy temple, to the house of my father, and to meet with the ponies in this city. I will cut open the heavens and bring warmth and light back to the city, I will cry out aloud in Aethon, "I am the son of the Sky Father, I have come to end the long winter, I am he who made himself a mortal to walk among you, I am he who commands the sky."
She said, 'Let us go, and let them see your face. I know very well that my subjects pray for the gods mercy. O Pegasus, there all the ponies dress warm but shiver, every day is tragedy, the young stallions and mares are feverish from the cold, and mothers weep for their foals that had been taken by the frost. How happy they will be to see you. All will come out from their warm homes to meet you. O Pegasus, you will love life, I will show you Aethon, a city of many virtues. I tell you, even though we are mortals, you will not want to leave us, for there exist things so precious here that even gods cannot abandon them.'
Now Skydancer got up to speak to her mother Starflower. 'Mother, I am full of joy, this god turned mortal has come to save us from the long winter. I want this feeling to remain, but I am also afraid that he might leave us, and the gods anger might again bring misery to the city. All the ponies of Aethon will come round to see him, the common folk will cheer, and the nobles will throng to kiss his hooves; and to me, to have a stallion who could bring such hope, I cannot allow him to leave.'
Then Starflower, who is well beloved and wise, said to Skydancer, 'This stallion which graces our city; which you seek to bind here, is only now learning of mortal life. He turns to you, like a colt seeking a mothers guidance. Here he will understand us, and when he sees you he will be glad; you will love him as a mare, and he will never forsake you."
Skydancer said, 'Mother, I cannot come to love him. He is the son of the Sky Father, and though I would want him to remain, I could never defy the gods.'
Starflower answered, 'Then he will return, and with time, the gods fury will again cause woe for us. But there exist things more sacred than even the gods. I tell you, you will love him because he is strong and without malice, and he will love you because you will have shown him the beauties of the world. And when the Sky Father ask what has become of his son, he will see him with you and will grant you his blessing.'
So Skydancer returned to Pegasus. He listened to her words with care. It was good advice that she gave. Like a colt, she led him to the kitchens. There all the slaves crowded round to see him, they offered him bread, and asked that he might listen to their prayers. He fumbled and gaped, at a loss what to do. Then the queen said, 'Pegasus, eat bread, it will keep your belly full; drink the wine, it will help you get warm.' So he ate till he was full and drank the wine offered to him. He heart became lighter and his face shone. He laughed with the slaves, and the kitchen became merry. He was then bathed and anointed with oil. Clothed in cotton and fine wool, he was shown across Aethon, gave offerings in the temple of his father, and the ponies were in high spirits; for Pegasus was with them, that winged stallion who commanded the sky.
