Notes- One-Shot Spirit fanfic. The horses do not talk in this, as they didn't in the movie. And it focuses on my favorite character, Esperanza! All characters owned by Dreamworks. And Esperanza means "Hope" in Spanish! I thought that was interesting.
Hoping
Under cover of a midnight sky sprinkled with stars, a herd of mustangs were scattered across a knoll within the Cimarron Valley. All were dozing peacefully, except the lead mare. A pale golden palomino, she looked up at the heavens, looking, searching, hoping. She had tried to warn him. But he had gone anyways, off to the fire on the horizon, off to the strange sounds and the strange smells, to the strange two-legged creatures. Humans. He had come back, to the joy of the herd, but they were after him. And they took him. Away from her, away from the herd. They took him away from his homeland.
An eagle's cry broke the silence of night, and Esperanza looked up to see the eagle soaring back from the land that they had taken him to. Her cry was lonely, empty, forlorn. It was sad. A sad cry that broke through the horses' hearts and brought all heads up simultaneously. Her son, the stallion, always ran with the eagle. The eagle was freedom. Now he was without freedom. They had taken him away.
A light breeze lifted her flaxen mane as she thought over these things. She would keep the herd safe. She had to. But how she missed him! How she wished he was still here, how she wished, how she hoped! But they had taken him, and he was gone. If only her heart could gallop across the stars, to tell him it was alright. If only…
The other mares looked up with her. They all wished the same thing, she could sense it. The palomino looked them over. All members of the Cimarron Herd were safe, but how safe could she keep them? How safe would they be, until he returned, if he returned?
Two pairs of shining eyes looked up at her. They belonged to two colts, brown in color and adorned with a diamond on their foreheads. They were twins, young twins, and vulnerable. Just days ago, he, her son, the stallion, had rescued them from a cougar. They stared up at the lead mare, anxiety and worry in their bright eyes. It was then that she made up her decision. She would keep them safe. She would keep them all safe, until he returned. He would return, he would never forget this place. Until then, it was her job. It was her job to run with them, to keep their hopes up, and to remember- it was here that he would always return.