In the Woods of Centaurworld…

Horse was still not adapting well to the sweet nature of this world as she forced herself to keep moving in this strange and unusual place.

Everything, the people, the place, the plants, even the air… It was pure, gentle, peaceful, too peaceful, too sweet and charming and-and… Horse does not belong here! She is a warhorse, an animal of battle, a creature who kills or will be killed. Death always followed her and her Rider, their friends, their mentors, people they didn't know, even their enemies. It was a looming dagger for everything that lived. It was known and everyone in her world accepted the fact that they may one day die a horrible agonizing death on the field of battle, it was expected but good for the cause.

But this place…

This place…

Where's the dagger?

This place was so happy… it-it's not natural! The danger was a constant variant of life, but now there was none like this here!

No, no, no, forget about danger, Horse. Keep your wits about you… Rider needs you and you need to get this key piece back to your world to save the General. He's not going to last much longer without a source of magic.

"Horse, look out!"

BANG!

"Ow!"

The four-legged creature gifted with the ability to talk rubbed her head with her hoof, looking into what she bumped into.

"Geeze, Horse, for someone who knows so much, you can't seem to watch where you are going." Chad mocked her.

Horse growled then looked up at the statue of an Elktaur with a strange-looking staff in his hands while holding a diary, the entire thing made of gold.

"Who's that?" Horse questioned.

"The greatest shaman of all shamans, the centaur who can command magic itself to his whim and shape the multiverse and a connoisseur of the best jellies and jams, the Chrono-Shaman!" Zulius declared a big fan of the elktaur.

"Woah, to see him in his prime…" Glendale swooned and then tried to steal the statue but was repelled by its magic.

"Glendale, be careful! These statues were very powerful and will defend themselves against anything that harms them!" Wammawink warned as she checked her baby for injuries.

"They say these statues can lead you to any shaman in the world! Or any centaur too~!" Durpleton squeaked with curiosity, "Watch! Watch!"

"Durpleton, be careful!"

"Oh, great Chrono-Shaman, show us too… a Cowtaur!"

The statue's eyes glowed as it came to life then jerking in its movements pointed to the Cowtaur grazing nearby, then blasted a rainbow! It did not hurt the Cowtaur but scared them off!

"Durpleton, you need to be careful! These statues are so old, there is no telling how much damage they can do!" Wammawink fretted.

"So… these statues can show you where any centaur in the world is, including the shamans?" Horse wondered, amazed by their technology.

"Well… yes but no one has used them in such a long time. There is no telling what could happen. Besides, we don't need the statues, we can find the shaman on our own."

Suddenly, the statue moved at the mention of the shaman by Wammawink's words, she did not realize that she was close enough for it to assume it was a request. The statue moved and shot an arch rainbow over the forest to somewhere far, far away.

"This way!" Horse proclaimed as she ran before Wammawink could get a word out!


Later after the fight…

Horse scoffed; the others didn't understand.

Why would they?

Wammawink thought she was being reckless and only thinking of herself. Well, guess what? She was thinking about others. She's not the only one with a family. Rider, Becky Apples, General Galdur, the groomsman, and the other horses. She might never see them ever again and worse… if she doesn't get back… they could die! That's why there must be no time to waste!

"Rider… I promised you I'd save your dad… save our kingdom. No matter what I have to do, I'll make sure I'll get there. We'll find each other again; we'll be home and your dad… your dad will finally be cured." Horse promised as she looked at the artifact.

Wammawink, in the shadows, listened, not fully realizing there was more to Horse than her plunging into danger.

"This artifact… I don't know how but if it has magic, then it can lead me back to you, and then… we can finally heal your dad, heal the General and our world will be happy again, like it was before." Horse promised then began to sing about her rider…

As Wammawink listened, her heart hurt a little.

She couldn't leave Horse, not when so many people were depending on her… an entire world even. It made her think… If she had the one thing that could save her home, her previous home, would go through the same lengths.

"You can't always hide inside a bubble, Cotton Candy. Sometimes getting hurt isn't the worst thing but doing nothing and hiding is."

That's right. Vixen, her former guardian, the one who- she was just like Horse.

Wammawink has made her decision.


The next morning…

Horse was awakened by gigglecakes, surprised that the others came back for her.

She tried to apologize but Wammawink wouldn't have it, her only wish was things to be done her way. Horse reluctantly agreed.

"We're sorry for eavesdropping but I heard you talking about your friend's father." Durpleton wondered, "What was that about?"

Horse frowned. Right, since they were going with her despite it being dangerous, the least she could do was tell them.

"The reason Rider and I went after the artifact… the reason I have to find her and get back to my world as soon as I can is because… because her father-the general and ruler of my world, he's dying. He needs magic soon or-or he won't make it." Horse admitted.

"Oh dear." Wammawink breathed as Glendale was hyperventilating.

"Woah, I heard about this type of thing but didn't think it could happen. Must be a nasty virus. Is it contagious?!"

Horse groaned, "No it's not a virus. There is more to the story than that. It's-."

She soon stopped and saw the shadow of a human.

"Rider?"