The Ride of His Life

by SilverRainbow223

Comanche has always been there for Stevie, even from her beginning years of riding, but now that he is sick with a fatal disease, what can she do?

Because of the recent reviews, I need to tell you guys something. Listen.

When I wrote this, I was a pre-teen. Naive, young, inexperienced writing and written on a wim. Don't tell me what I already know. If I felt like rewriting this, I would, but guess what, it was written FOUR YEARS (it was written in 2003 and I only put it up here once I got an account early the next year) ago and I don't really care to rewrite this. I don't even write on this account anymore, but I kept it up for your sake, since you have so little to read for Saddle Club. Oh, sorry I'm plaguing you with another story. Maybe I should just delete it. Things like this really bug me. It's here for your enjoyment. If you have a problem with it, don't read it, but if you do, then just give me something worth while to say, you know, criticism.

Also, I guess I haven't made this clear, but this is written to have a different take of the episode "The Ride of His Life." Maybe that explains the title and how some of the events coincide with the episode. I wasn't satisfied with the episode, so I changed it, because guess what this is: fanfiction! You can do that! So, if you actually read this, the events are different than the episode. Some of them are similar, because you do have to get to a point where you can take off from the episode, but seriously, why is that even an issue.

Other than this, the story is left as it was before my note. I hate to defile a story like this, but you all need to get it through your head. Thanks.

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As I was watching saddle club (the series on television is a spin off of the books), I just thought of continuing the episode The Ride of His Life and got this idea for a one-shot. It may not be great writing, because I was rushed, but I hope you enjoy! Oh and Happy Holidays Everyone!

"Talking"

Thinking, unless it's in a flashback

Flashback/End of Flashback

scene change

(A/N: me talking, but I doubt this will occur much unless I need to explain something)

Summary: REVISED/completely rewritten one-shot Even if you've never read the book before, R and R. Comanche has always been there for Stevie, even from her beginning years of riding, but now that he is sick with a fatal disease, what can she do? Stevie/Phil

Disclaimer: I don't own Saddle Club, the mastermind behind this book/show is Bonnie Bryant.

The Ride of His Life

"No, please, no," sobbed Stevie.

She shook her head in denial, "This can't be happening."

Flashback

That night, the three Saddle Club girls were watching the horses at Pine Hollow Stables. They agreed to have a sleepover in the barn to watch over the horses and make sure none of the horses were infected by the contagious, fatal illness that recently had been appearing at stables in the East Coast region.

Stevie thought she heard a cough come from one of the stalls.

It was her shift to watch the horses. She silently, but quickly, walked over to the area where the cough had originated from. Stevie went from stall to stall, checking each horse as she went, just to be certain it wasn't that particular horse.

She heard a cough again, this time it sound more painful and in a nearby stall.

Finally, she reached the stall she dreaded most.

To her horror, a cough came from the stall she so desperately wanted it not to be.

It came from Comanche.

"You're not sick, right boy?" Stevie asked fearfully.

Comanche neighed softly and coughed again.

End of Flashback

(A Few Minutes Before)

Stevie had been talking to Phil about her morning lesson with Dorothy. She had actually been deemed 'good' in Dorothy's words, which for her was big bragging rights. Stevie was having a field day telling her crush this. That is, until there was a cough from one of the horses. It was the cough that haunted Stevie the night before.

Stevie and Phil went over to the stalls and found Comanche lying on the ground of his stall. He was weak and tired, the disease had gotten to him already.

Stevie was about to collapse to her knees onto the cold ground but Phil grabbed her before she fell.

He held onto her comfortingly as she cried for her horse into his shoulder.

(Present Time)

"It's my fault," Stevie whispered after gaining some of her composure back.

"No, it's not," Phil replied immediately, not wanting her to blame this horse's disease on herself.

"Yes, it is. I should have known he was sick when I heard him coughing last night," Stevie said shakily.

"You couldn't have known," Phil reasoned.

Stevie looked up at him. Her cerulean eyes held disbelief and pain for Comanche. The guilt was too much for the young teen to handle. Tears spilled out of her eyes and pour down her face in a river. After a few futile attempts to wipe them way she gave up and just stood there in Phil's embrace.

Phil held the girl tightly fearing to lose her if he didn't. He tried to comfort her and stop the tears to no avail.

After a few minutes, Stevie looked up at Phil. She still had tears brimming her eyes, but it wasn't as uncontrollable as before.

"Thanks," she managed to whisper. A tinge of pink barely visible on her cheeks started to form, realizing their position.

"It's alright. You stay here and watch Comanche while I'll go get Max. Max can get Doctor Judy to look over Comanche. It could end up that he doesn't even have the disease," Phil said soothingly.

Stevie nodded as Phil took charge.

That's when Phil made a mistake. He had left Stevie, who was not thinking straight, with the horse she loved.

"It's not fair Comanche. You'll never be able to see the sky again, or go on the trails you love so much," Stevie choked slightly at the thought, "it's not fair."

She kept speaking softly to Comanche as she got his lead rope and halter and led him out to his favorite trail.

"You said something was wrong with Comanche, right?" Max asked.

Phil nodded.

"It would be helpful if Doctor Judy could come down to check on him," Phil offered.

Max looked into the stall Phil had led him to.

"Okay, I'll call her, but first, where's Comanche? Didn't you want me to check on him?" Max asked perplexed.

"Yes," Phil replied slowly from the hallway of the barn.

"You mean he's not in his stall? He was there a few minutes ago. Maybe Stevie knows…" Phil trailed off, "Oh no, Stevie!"

Max looked at the teenager run out of the barn into the entrance of one of the trails, Comanche's favorite.

He shook his head once he finally understood, "Foolish girl. Foolish boy too."

From Prancer's stall, Lisa and Carol heard the whole conversation. The two girls faced each other.

"I hope Phil can find her," Lisa said.

"Yeah, but if he can't we better help him," Carol said.

Lisa nodded her head solemnly.

Just as they finished tacking up their horses, Starlight and Prancer, it started to pour.

"You two are not taking those horses out in the rain. Do you want them to get sick as well?" Max asked, appearing behind them from out of thin air.

Both girls nodded their heads in shame.

Before heading back inside to untack their horses, Carol and Lisa looked out at the trail their friends ran off on, wishing them luck.

"Stevie? Stevie, where are you?" Phil yelled as he ran through the woods hastily. He came to an open field where Comanche's favorite trail branched out to collide with other trails.

All the sudden, ran pelted down on him. Quickly, he spotted a large willow tree at the edge of the field.

Phil leaned on the tree. He was out of breath due to his mad dash towards the tree. Above all the racket the rain was creating, Phil was amazed when he heard a muffled sniffle. Phil looked around the tree trunk. On the other side was whatever had made that noise, and Phil had a strong suspicion to who it was.

"Stevie?" Phil wondered out loud.

Stevie heard him and turned around.

Her blonde hair had fallen out of its usual ponytail and framed her tearstained face. She looked at him with shocked and immediately stopped crying out of surprise.

"How… how'd you… get here?" she asked after awhile with her voice cracking.

"I followed you," he stated simply.

Phil took his eyes off Stevie for a moment to look around. Comanche, he noticed, was not in sight.

Stevie's unshed tears started to fall once more once she noticed that Phil was searching for Comanche. Between violent sobs she was able to choke out that Comanche had run away from her.

"He… he ran to the stream… not far from here. And then… Comanche…he-" tears spilled out of her eyes worse then before. Stevie could barely talk. She was shaking violently and her breaths were coming out short and ragged.

Phil hugged her. He tried desperately to calm her down. Together, they sat on the damp ground under the willow tree to protect themselves from the storm.

"It's okay, Stevie," Phil said composed.

"No! No it's not okay! He… Comanche fell… into the stream," Stevie held in another sob.

She took a deep breath, "The water… it was ice cold. Comanche, he just laid there. He looked so sad and ready to accept… accept his death. And then, when I tried to help him out of the water… he closed his eyes. He felt so… cold," Stevie shivered at the memory.

Phil was traumatized. Sure, he cared for Comanche too, but Stevie loved that horse. In fact, Comanche could be deemed Stevie's horse rather than a Pine Hollow school horse.

Phil just sat there, thinking of what Stevie had gone through. Stevie sat next to him in silence, distressed at the death of her beloved horse. Neither knew what to do now.

Stevie closed her eyes and gradually leaned against the coarse tree. She had gone through so much in the past few hours. The rain falling and wind rustling the wet leaves that fell from the trees that day seemed like a sad melody to the young teens.

Phil felt something lean on his shoulder. He glanced down and saw Stevie sleeping peacefully against his shoulder. The tears had dried and left the girl in serenity. Maybe she could get through this pain of loss.

After the storm had died down, Carol and Lisa immediately went on a search for their missing friends. Carol and Lisa galloped their horses through the fields and trails, unsure of where their friends could have disappeared to during the rainstorm.

Prancer and Starlight were starting to give into fatigue. Carol and Lisa allowed them to walk through the last few fields due to the guilt of pushing the horses so hard.

Carol searched everywhere, her eyes like a hawk. Finally she found something worth looking into.

"Hey, Lisa! Over by the willow tree!" Carol exclaimed after a few doubtful moments of not truly believing they found their friends.

Lisa looked at the willow tree at the edge of the field. Under the soaked leaves she saw two figures sitting closely up against the tree trunk.

They rode speedily over to the tree to see Phil and Stevie.

Stevie was still asleep on Phil's shoulder. Phil had his head resting on the top of Stevie's head, half asleep. His eyes slowly opened as the girls approached. He smiled at them bashfully.

"Hi," Phil said quietly, still partially asleep.

The two girls grinned and looked at each other.

"Way to go Phil," Lisa said grinning.

"You found her," Carol added.

Carol mirrored Lisa's expression and nodded with agreement before they rode off.

"Oh, and don't forget to bring her back in a few minutes," Lisa called over her shoulder.

The two girls left Phil and Stevie alone and without a horse to ride back on.

"Poor Phil, Stevie's the type of person you wake up," Lisa said thoughtfully.

Carol just nodded her head in agreement. After the countless sleepovers they shared, they were experts at knowing when not to wake their friend up.

They laughed at the thought of Phil trying to wake up Stevie as they untacked the horses and put them into their stalls to rest.

Both friends hoped the walk back to the stables would be enjoyable for Phil and Stevie.

The next day, Max found Comanche frozen in the stream exactly where Stevie had left him. The sickness had caused the cold to spread more rapidly within the ill horse.

There was a funeral that afternoon, everyone had tears to spare, everyone that is, except Stevie. She was all out of tears.

THE END

Ren: Okay, I know, sad and a bad plot. I thought I had a good story, but not enough time to write it and my thoughts were all messed up, but I did edit this and try to make it presentable. This is my first one-shot and second story. Reviews and flames are welcome, you don't have to, and it would just be nice to know how people view my writing. And I revised it to make it better, which really did a lot, because I am now more experienced with three posted stories, one in the writing stage, and many more to come. Bye.

Ren