okay, finally! chapter 3! woo hoo! thank you last assassn's shadow for your review. i will try to make my chapters longer. i just can't type that much at a time cuz my mind works faster than i can type an it drives me nuts. enjoy!


Over the next few days, Star, Thunder, and Lightning grew to be great friends. They did everything together. They ran together, they grazed together, they played together. The three of them were nearly inseparable. One night they even slept together. And all the while, most of the herd, including Lightning and Star's family, sensed something more than the close bond friendship that had, so quickly, formed between the three young foals beginning to form solely between Star and Thunder.

The pair themselves, though, didn't have the slightest hint of their growing feelings for one another, even if everyone else did. To them they were very close friends, not realizing that the fluttering dance that their hearts did whenever they were close, or saw each other was from love.

So they all went about their business as usual for a while, unaware of the danger that was just around the corner.


It was nighttime in the herd. All was very quiet, as usual. One week had passed since Dust and her 2 children had entered the herd, and everyone was happy. But this night was to be different. Tonight, the wranglers were coming.

Star wandered between the sleeping horses to where her father was standing, searching the stars. She greeted her father the way they normally did, rubbing each other's heads and whickering softly to one another. Star hadn't shadowed her father nearly as much now that she had her new friends, and saw a chance for some alone time with him in this moment.

"I haven't been seeing much of you up here lately." Spirit said softly. "Well, I've never really had friends that I can play around with like I am before now," Star replied "and I'm sorry if you feel left out." Spirit smiled gently at her. "No, I don't feel left out in the least bit. But remember, your life won't be like this forever, always prancing around without a care in the world. Unless this next foal is a boy, you are going to lead this herd when I die. That's a lot of responsibility. You will be solely responsible for the entire herd's safety and well-being."

The full force of what he said hit her like a battering ram and she took step backwards. "The entire herd…." She murmured softly to herself.

Spirit nodded. "I know. It's a lot of horses to care for." He paused, then started talking again. "Do you know how you were named?" Star looked confused. "Of course I know how I was named. I have a black star on my forehead and you got the idea for my name from the star."

Spirit shook his head slowly. "Not totally, Star. When I got captured by two-legs 3 years ago, I would always look up at the bright, shining North Star and imagine what it was like back home and that gav4 me hope that I would see my family again. And I did get back home to my family, and I know that I will always get back home if the star is in the sky. When you were born, Star, you were born at night, under the same star, and with the star upon your forehead. I knew that it was a sign that you would always return to me, and so I named you Star, after the one that had given me so much hope when I was captured. Look at the sky, Star."

Star did as she was told and looked at the sky. "See that bright, shining star right there? If you are ever separated from the herd, look for that star in the night sky and know that where ever you are, no matter how far away, I will find you and bring you back home, no matter what."

Star sighed and laid her head contentedly on her father's neck for a few seconds, thinking over what her father had just said, and then her head shot up when something occurred to her. "Dad, what did you mean by this next foal?"

Her father winced, flicking his ears back and lifting up one foot as if he was going to take a step backwards. "Weeellll…" Star looked unimpressed. "Dad, is Mom pregnant?" Spirit looked uncomfortable "Well….. Yes, Sweetheart, she's going to have a foal soon."

Star nodded. "I thought so. Why wouldn't you tell me?" Spirit still looked uncomfortable "We wanted to surprise you, and I didn't want you to get all worked up about the possibility that you might not lead the herd. But I've decided that if this next foal is not a colt, then you will become the next leader of the herd no matter what."

Star smiled and leaned back up against her father as she had before and together they lifted their heads into the wind and smelled the surrounding area, one of the practice methods for sensing danger that her father had taught her. Grass, pine, old mountain lion, the familiar scents of the herd… and something else, something that had not visited here for 3 years. Something that Spirit had never hoped to smell again.

Spirit shoved Star away with his head shouting "Run, Star, run!" Star was extremely confused, but did as she was told and galloped back to the herd. Spirit whirled around, searching for the wranglers, and then spotted them, thundering towards his herd on their bay horses. "Two-legs! Everybody wake up! Two-legs are approaching the herd!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. Then, all at once, they were at the herd, swirling around the hill he stood on with lassos swirling around their heads.

It was mass confusion as the wranglers began to capture the horses of the herd. Horses were everywhere trying to escape the lasso and looking for loved ones. It seemed to drag on and on. It seemed like it would never end. Then, as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. The wranglers left. The running horses slowed down, then some stopped, while others walked around calling out for their loved ones. It was going to be a long night.


Spirit stood on his hill, searching the frightened horses below for his girls, his family. Cloud stood close to him, extremely frightened, but in the confusion she'd gotten separated from Sweetie. Rain, Esperanza, and Star were missing as well, which had Spirit worried. He had no idea how many horses, or which horses, had been captured, and he hated not knowing about the safety of any one member of his herd. He knew the name, face, and smell of every horse in his herd for a reason. He was the leader of the herd and it was his responsibility to keep everyone in his herd safe no matter what.

Just then, Rain, Thunder and a very scared looking Sweetie trotted on to the hill. Sweetie let out a small squeak and went to go cower next to her sister.

At first Spirit was relieved at the sight of his daughter and Rain, as well as the new colt, but the looks on the older two's faces got him worried. Spirit trotted over to where Rain and Thunder were standing and nuzzled Rain. "What's the matter?" he asked softly. Rain drew a shaky breath and attempted to reply "Oh, it's just so horrible! We-we… Oh it's so horrible!" and she burst into tears.

Spirit tried to comfort her s little bit and looked to Thunder to explain. Thunder sighed. "We can't find my mother. Or the little filly named Speed. Or Lightning, or Esperanza. Or… or" he dropped his head down sadly. "We can't find Star." He finished softly.

Spirit's eyes widened with disbelief then went up to the stars, like he'd told his daughter to do that very same night. No, not Star. Please not my bright, shining little Star. Oh, my little Star, wherever you are, no matter how far away, no matter what happens, I promise I will bring you and the others home. I swear by the North Star, I will not spend another night here and I will not rest until you are safe with the rest of the herd. I swear.

"I swear it, my little Star." He whispered to himself. "I swear it!"


Meanwhile, a group of wranglers dragged 5 freshly-caught horses across the open plains in the dead of night. There were 10 in the group, each holding on to a horse. 2 were holding on to a particularly wild black filly who looked like she had forked lightning on her chest. 3 were holding onto three other horses, and it took all the other 5's strength to hold on to the last extremely wild filly. As she reared up, Star looked at the staras her father had told her to, and thought: I promise you, father, I will bring the horses back home. And I will make it back to you!


ooooh! dramatic ending! haoped ya liked it! i think have at least one more chapter before i have caught up to my head. ugh. gotta go do more typing. at least i'm on summer break. plz favorite and leave me reviews! it encourages me to continue. bye!