A/N I know I haven't finished the stories that I already have posted but I've come across a little writers block and I keep on getting emotional on the other one so I figured I'd write a little something else to look for inspiration please enjoy.

Forgotten Secrets of the Centaurs

Summary:

I always wondered to myself, why are there no female centaurs shown in Harry Potter? So I decided to make a story showing my thoughts on the subject. In this story Firenze grows up motherless, and wonders why. As things begin to happen, and the Forbidden Forest herd kicks him out, what will happen when he is ambushed while praying in a secred place, and shipped to a place far away from everything that he ever knew. Will he be able to find his way back home, and take back his rightful place in the herd. Read to find out.

Rated M for later chaptersChapter 1 Bedtime Stories

For as many years as any in the Forbidden Forest Centaur herd could remember the female population of not only their herd but all Centaur herds in Great Brittan , was dwindling. Half of this was due to the fact that the females simply didn't like the males attitudes, and simply left to seek something that was lacking, leaving the wild males to their own devices. But for those few that remained beside their mates, the stress of life in general, and being shared with all of the males of the herds eventually saw them dying in child birth.

Though Ronan had refused to share his life mate Blossom, with the herd, he still lost her while she brought their only son into the world. Before she died in his arms, she had held her foal and caressed his silky golden coat lovingly, before naming him Firenze. For five years, Ronan raised his son, alone and led the Forbidden Forest herd as they lived their lives. He spent his days dealing with the needs of his son and the herd, and his nights after putting his son to bed deep in prayer and meditating thought in a place known to all in his herd as the sacred pool. This was a place protected on three sides by mountains of large grey boulders, weeping willow trees and aromatic plants that were good for healing and bringing clarity to visions. In the center of this place was a cold crystal blue pool that was long believed to possess mystical powers.

Nobody knew exactly what was so special about this pool, since the stories of its powers had been distorted and lost through the generations. The last known among the centaur herd who knew of the legendary properties of the pool, died the night that Young Firenze was born. Ronan sighed and a tear trickled down his cheek and landed in the pool sending shimmering ripples floating across the shimmering surface. Ronan gazed into the water and smiled as the ghostly image of his long departed wife smiled up at him. He gasped when the reflection of his five year old son suddenly appeared just behind the ghostly image of his mother and he jumped clear out of his skin and rolled head first into the water when a tiny hand touched his arm to get his attention.

"Aaaarrrggg," he screamed in fright before hitting the cold water and coming up coughing and sputtering. He popped his head out of the cold water and glared at his son who should have been in bed at that moment, before slowly getting to his feet and stepping out of the water shaking with the cold as he wordlessly reached down for his sons hand. As Firenze took his father's hand he gazed at the pool in wonder. Just beyond the reflection of his father and himself, was a beautiful red haired and red bodied Centaur filly. She was sitting at what seemed to be a similar pool, and was playing with a water lily that floated in front of her. As Firenze felt his father's gentle tug on his hand to lead him back to their hut, his blue eyes met the soft brown eyes of the young centaur girl and she smiled at him before getting to her feet and taking a large hand and walking away from the pool alongside of a large bay colored male centaur who looked as if he was her father.

Firenze whispered a farewell over his shoulder as he obediently walked away with his father.

"Who were you saying good bye to, Firenze? You and I were the only ones at the sacred pool," said Ronan in a soft tone as they walked.

"Father, there was a girl centaur reflected in the pool. I was saying good bye to her." said Firenze as he tried unsuccessfully to look back at the pool over his shoulder.

"A girl Centaur, you say? That is interesting. Your mother is the only girl centaur that I ever see in the pool. Tell me my son, was she see through like a spirit, or was she colorful like she was as real as you and I," asked Ronan curiously?

"She looked like we do, father. It was almost like I could just reach into the water and take her hand, she looked so real and solid." said Firenze as he trotted to keep up with his father's long stride.

"Hummm! This is very interesting, indeed! To think that I used to think that your mother was just pulling my tail about that." said Ronan in a thoughtful tone as he pushed open the door of their hut and gently guided his son inside with one large hand. "Why are you out of your bed, my son? You have to be up early for school in the morning," grumbled Ronan in a tired voice as he ripped a large towel off of a hook on the wall, and started to dry off?

"I had the nightmare again, father. Can I sleep in your room with you tonight," asked Firenze as he shook as a memory of the dream flashed before his eyes again.

"I guess you can, but you really need to start sleeping in your own room. You are getting too big to sleep in my bed," said Ronan tiredly as he stepped through the door of Firenze's room to close a window that his son had opened as white fluffy snowflakes began to fall outside.

"I guess, I can try to sleep in my room, father, but will you sleep in here with me and tell me a bedtime story until I fall asleep, please," begged Firenze with large pleading eyes as he lowered himself onto his bed and reached for his blankets?

Ronan sighed as he lowered himself to the floor beside his son's bed and tenderly tucked the blankets snugly around his son before ruffling his hair . "Alright, what would you like to hear a story about tonight," asked Ronan as he leaned over and placed a soft kiss upon his son's forehead?

"Can you, tell me the legend of the Sacred pool again, and how you met my mother?" asked Firenze eagerly.

"I must have told you that one about a million times. Don't you want to hear something else," asked Ronan smiling as his wife's voice popped into his head in a memory from before their son was born, making him chuckle to himself.

"That's my favorite story, please father, tell it to me again," begged Firenze again as he cuddled into his father's strong arms instead of his pillow.

"Very well, let's see, where should I begin," asked Ronan in a teasing tone.

"From the beginning, father! Master Magorian, always says that, 'to gleam truth, and wisdom from within, story's, that you must always start at the beginning and go through every detail until the end. Only then will you truly understand the truth behind the legend that is spoken," said Firenze matching his teachers wise words exactly.

"Truer words were never spoken my son. Alright, are you comfortable," asked Ronan as he placed a hand over Firenze's shoulder and smiled down at him.

"Yes, father," replied the young centaur as he attempted not to yawn.

"It all started many centuries ago, when the first tribes of centaurs roamed the world. Long before the humans magical and none magical started to take up more and more of lands that once belonged to only the children of the forests, and the plains. In those days Centaurs had more magic then even the strongest of magical humans. The Archer's powers flowed through the veins of every creature of the forest and planes. Women of our kind were always the strongest magically. Since it is the females of all species that carry within them the power to bring forth the precious gift of life, they were held in the highest respect, by all creatures."

"It is through the females of our race that the knowledge is passed down. In the old days the knowledge and the magical teachings would passed from mother to daughter and son. The Power to heal rapidly even if at the stoop of death's door, and the power to change shape and agility unlike anything that has ever been seen in these days that we live in. It is said that the pools are openings into the magical pool that runs throughout the world through lay lines. Through these sacred pools it is said that Centaurs gain clarity when meditating upon visions of the future, and it was once believed that it used to be a portal between places, and that if a centaur male or female were to gaze into the pool, they would see not only visions of the future, but would also seethe one that is meant to be their soul bonded."

"Many of these properties of the sacred pools have been long forgotten and gleamed from child's eyes as not more than simple stories, but the truth is that there is more to the legends than most Centaurs of this day are aware of. It was at the sacred pool where I met your mother. She had haunted my dreams ever since I was young and every time that I looked into the pool while thinking about her, I'd be able to see her wherever she was. One day I dreamt that she arose up from the depths of the pool, and there was a flash of light and she was just standing there before me."

"To this day, I can still hear her voice as she taught me to harness the magic of mother earth and harness the power of the Archer and take my strength from him. Perhaps if you cling to the lessons in this story and all stories, that you learn, you too, shall be brought face to face with the one female who will make you melt and make your magical core react . I pray that the day that it happens that I am still alive to greet her," said Ronan in a soft voice thinking that his son was completely asleep.

"Father, why are there no girl centaurs anywhere in our lands," came Firenze's sleepy reply?

"Because, Females while being very powerful creatures magically, are very gentle sorts. They dislike any barbarism, or cruelty of any sort. When I was a child, things started going downhill. The females did not like the cruel ways of the males of my father's days, so many of them simply went to the sacred pools and never returned. The few that chose to stay were then further abused by being shared by several centaur males, and paid for their loyalty to their mates with their lives."

"No female foals, have been morn since just before I was born, and your mother was the last to live within these woods. Perhaps when things change, the females will return to us, but it will be a long time, and all I can do, is attempt to remain in complete control of the manners of the herd until that day arrives. I would love to see these woods populated with the joy of tiny hooves once more. But I am not the one who will bring that about. It is not in the stars for me or any other among our tribe at this time. The stars have foretold, of a great rift that shall bring brother against brother, and betrayal, then loss, rebirth, unity, followed by a blood war between brothers and death before the natural balance is restored," said Ronan as he gently moved his son back onto his pillow, and left the room giving the tiny sleeping child a worried look. "It is not time, for your star to shine, my son. Sleep well, and may the Archer protect you in your dreams." whispered Ronan as he left the door open a crack and retired to his own bed.