"Daddy!"
Beth Timberlin greeted her father, William Timberlin, at the door as he came home from the castle. They lived on the planet Neptune, several years before the Negaverse attacked the Solar System. "Hey, kiddo! What's for dinner?" William picked his daughter up off the ground and put her on his shoulders.
"Mommy says we're having pasta and salad today!" Beth was only seven years of age, and in a week would turn eight.
"Mmmm, smells good!" William came into the kitchen with Beth on his shoulders. Beth squirmed and slid down her father's back and ran to the table. The food was already out, and the table set.
"Don't you have something to show your father, Elizabeth?" Beth's mother, Marie, said, sitting down at the table.
"Oh, yeah!" Beth ran out into the living room, and came back carrying an envelope. She handed it to her father with a big smile on her face.
"Let's see... Oh, wow!" William said as he opened the envelope and read the letter. "So, the King wants you to meet his daughter Michiru, and her friend Haruka, Princess Uranus, tomorrow when I go to work. You want to go?"
Beth hopped up and down with excitement. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" Marie laughed. "Ok, then, let's eat and get you into bed, missy, that way you'll be up early with your father."
"Yay!" Beth ate faster than she ever ate before, and raced upstairs to her attic bedroom. She threw off her clothes and got into her pj's, and was asleep before her parents got upstairs after dinner.
"Hmm, I'll bet she'll be up and dressed before I even wake up." William chuckled. "Wouldn't surprise me. She's never been to the castle. I know she'll have fun there."
***
William walked downstairs to find Beth already at the backdoor. She was chewing on a piece of taffy and struggling to put on her boots at the same time. William laughed and helped his daughter put her boots on. "Thanks!" Beth handed her father an orange as she opened the door to the stable. "Can I ride Deathdancer?" she asked.
William frowned. "I don't know, he's very spirited. Why not Lilly?"
"I wanna ride Dancer!"
"Ok." William led Beth out to the stable, where a small group of Pegasus' stood. One gray-brown male Pegasus lifted his head and trotted up to Beth in greeting. William sighed and saddled Dancer and forced a bit into his mouth.
"Ow!" Dancer said, mouthing the bit.
A blue male Pegasus trotted up to Deathdancer and said, "Well, next time open yor mouth when you needa wear a bit'n'bridle." (A/N: I dunno if you people have any idea how hard it is to write/type accents…)
"Hello Poseidon." William greeted the blue stallion.
"Hello, sir." Poseidon opened his mouth and accepted a bit from William, and stood still as he was saddled.
"Hmph." Deathdancer snorted and politely knelt down so Beth could climb on. He was only three years old, but very tall and muscular.
William finished saddling Poseidon and climbed on. When he saw that Dancer now stood straight, he pressed his heels into Poseidon's side and said, "Lets go, we're going to the castle." Poseidon started to walk at a fast pace towards Castle Neptune, which loomed in the distance. Dancer walked after Poseidon, saying nothing. Soon, the two Pegasus' jumped into the air, flapping their wings and soaring to the sky.