The next morning was bright and sunny. Summer was in a good mood, and trotted down the hill to see her old friend, Black Magic.
Black Magic was nowhere to be seen.
"Where's Black Magic, mum?" Summer asked Rain.
Rain stayed silent for a moment.
"Oh mum, don't tell me she's dead!" Summer said worriedly.
"No, but you'd better come with me." Rain replied, leading her daughter down the hill, and in to the meadow.
"Say hello to Melody." Rain whispered to Summer, pointing out a pretty bay mare.
"Hello Melody." Summer smiled weakly.
"Where is Black Magic?" Summer whispered to Rain, "she was my best friend!"
"This is Black Magic, she only stayed black as a foal, but her coat got lighter as she got older, and she couldn't stay with the name Black Magic if she was bay, could she?" Rain laughed.
"Melody, you're Black Magic?" Summer asked, feeling confused.
Melody nodded.
"Summer, I can't believe how much you've grown!" Melody smiled, nuzzling her friend's withers.
"I found myself a stallion, and so have you by the looks of things!" Melody continued.
Summer nodded.
"It's funny, dad has let an awful lot of stallions in to our herd, but Mustangs like us usually only have one stallion per herd!" Summer commented, as she glanced in Lightning's direction. Lightning looked up and gave her a cheeky grin.
Spirit approached them, and whispered something to Summer.
"I'll be back in a minute, Melody. Dad needs to talk to me!" Summer told her friend.
Summer trotted away with her father, and they met up with Rain behind some fir trees.
"Do you feel ready to take over as the leader, Summer?" Spirit asked.
Summer stared blankly ahead of her, thinking hard.
"Summer?" Rain said.
Summer snapped back to life.
"No." She replied, eventually. "I know I'd mess it up, and besides, I'm a mare."
Esperanza cantered over to join them.
"You know Summer, I was leader of the herd for a while when Strider had been taken by the humans." Esperanza explained.
"It was quite easy actually, and you get to tell everyone what to do!" She finished, winking.
Summer laughed.
"Cool! Do you really think I have what it takes?" She questioned.
Spirit, Rain and Esperanza looked at each other.
"You're ready." Rain answered, simply.
Summer grinned.
"Well then, I'll go and arrange a ceremony." Spirit whinnied, as he reared up and galloped down the hill to join his herdmates and tell them the good news!