"The sun should be up by now! What's going
on, Lady?"
Along a narrow path in the woods, Ldyssecret
and a tired but chatty herd of Simmers make their way to the ancient
Flame monument at the foot of Mt. Olympus.
Erno continues, "It's been a tough mile's hike
and we seem to be going nowhere."
"And the stars are still out too. I'm tired
of the dark," Bigbaba adds.
"Brrrr..," Bullfrogmb grumbles.
"Didn't expect it to be so chilly."
"And the air's so thin even here at the foot of
the mountain," Yochem notes.
"Ha! Too creepy," Socalslew mumbles.
"Ha! Where's the sun?"
"We've blundered our way into bizarro
land," Lordpye chuckles. "Did we take a wrong turn back
there?"
"Maybe we should've taken a northern path instead
of this one that comes in from the west," Revelation ponders.
"I'm hungry," Rharfo says.
"Couldn't we have just lit this thing back in
Vermont? No one woulda known," Bullfrog asks eyeing the torch in his
hand.
"I can't see a darn thing," Roys stumbles as she
carefully trails the group down the path.
"Take care, Roys!" Barndog
winces. "And sshhh! Quit your chatty grumbling
everyone. We've got a job to do." And in hushed voice, he
continues, "But you're right. There's something spooky about this
place. Something very strange. I thought this place was a happy
place. Ya know, "eternal light of peace" and all that sort of stuff.
Something's just not right here. Don't you think so, Lady.......
Lady?!!!?"
Up ahead, Ldyssecret has stopped in her
tracks. As the Simmers catch up to her, a large
clearing of ankle-deep grass opens up before them. The
surrounding woods frame the clearing on three sides till it smacks into the
eastern rocky cliffs. A wide majestic stair is cut into the rock
and leads up to a plain precipice where pillars and a stone altar
stand. All is dimly lit in the strange starlight.
"Only shadow and
stars," Lady whispers, but her gaze worriedly rests on a ghostly shape at
the foot of the stair. "This has never happened
before."
_____________
All stand mystified at what they see waiting for them. It is
a massive ghostly apparition, a cut-out
transparent husk of some animal. As the group approaches
quietly, they barely make out a wire-like bridle and rusty
bit in its mouth. The creature's hide resembles dust, without
color. It is like the outline of some machine, all black and white
schematics. The spirit pitifully tries to nuzzle the ground, but
it cannot tear away the rich dew-filled grass. It faces towards them,
oblivious of their presence till the last moment. When it finally lifts
its head, all can see eyes of empty black
stone.
"Holy Casper!
Let's get out of here!" Pye jokes.
"A horse spirit?" Yochem
asks.
"This is kind
of heavy," Barndog notes.
"Or kind of silly!" Rharfo and
Bullfrogmb blare out in unison.
"No sunrise,
deathly cold, little air to breathe, ghost horses,
hmmm...." Socalslew says. "Ha! We've gone down to
Hades."
"Knew we made a wrong turn back there, "
Revelation grumbles.
"Quiet down you wisecrackers," Roys says.
"I've never seen something so wretched in my
life."
Ldyssecret's heart goes out to the spirit:
"The poor thing ..... how can this be? How can something so empty
live here of all places?" Standing
before the ghost, she mutters, "I wonder who you
were?"
"I am History." The spirit startles
everyone with its melancholy voice. "I am what once
was."
"Whoa!"
"Intense."
"Cool!"
"Kooo-HooOO!
"And what is your name, sir?" Yochem
asks.
"Name? Name? Ah yes, I had a
name. Alexander. No, that was my old king's name.
Machine. No, that was my function. War. No, that was my
purpose. Bucephalus. Yes, Bucephalus. I was Bucephalus, the
old king's machine for war."
"The old king?" Bullfrogmb
whispers.
"Ha! What's he talking
about?" Socalslew says.
"The old king.... Alexander The Great.
Three thousand years ago, Bucephalus was his war horse. Together they
conquered the known world. When Bucephalus died, Alexander honored
his beloved horse by building a city over his tomb," Roys says
proudly.
"Somewhere in Persia or Turkey..." Yochem nodds
in agreement.
"Bucephalus of Greece....." Bigbaba says in
reverance.
"He's come home," Lady says. "Are you
looking for your home, Bucephalus, or are you looking for your old
king?"
But Bucephalus does not hear her and continues to
wail. "I am Reality. I am Program or Numbers. I am the Machine
and Tool to do man's Work." Bucephalus looks at the stars in the northern
sky. He recalls, "I am the long marches, the great Deeds of conquest,
the heat of battle, the hate of my old master's enemies. I am the sting of
defeat, the honor of victory parades. And I am still the fleeting
sense of glory, the whisper in my old master's ear. Yet I am forever
the Apprentice and Student. I am Lamentation. I am
War."
Bucephalus looks longingly at the stars.
"Where is he? When will he come?" He suddenly grows
frightened. "But no, I cannot meet him."
"Who are you waiting for?" Lady
asks, worried over his fear.
"He was the Stars in my old king's
Time."
__________________
"The Stars," everyone murmurs under their
breath. Their gazes draw upward and to the east. The sun is rising
at last, slowly peaking over the mountain.
"Where is the eternal Teacher?"
Bucephalus stamps nervously. Deep down, the Simmers' hearts go out to the
spirit. They feel helpless and confused and they do not know what to say.
Minutes tick silently by as the sun continues to rise. The spirit
grows more and more afraid. He stamps about, still facing
the west. His shadow grows before
him.
"Roys," Yochem whispers, "Do you know the
full story of Alexander the Gr--"
Suddenly, everyone gasps. Out of the
eastern sky, a blinding light appears. Full sunrise is at
hand and just as the final stars linger, the light transforms
into a winged horse. In awe, the Simmers recognize him
immediately. The white
winged stallion lands upon the precipice and, before the altar,
bellows:
"I am Legend. I am what can still
be."
"Gosh, this is heavy."
"My brain hurts!"
"Pegasus! Your name is Pegasus!"
Yochem yells.
"You go, Yochem!" Socalslew
grins.
Pegasus continues, "I am Fantasy come down from
Zeus' Olympus stables. I am Poetry and Story, from the stars above.
I am great Deeds in Fiction. I am man's Creation to lift their spirits and
enable them to Dream. I am the Inspiration to give
them wings of Imagination. I am forever the Master and Teacher
to remind them of the World and of Themselves. I am Wishes
and Hope. I am Peace."
"Woo! I'm spinning!"
"Yoicks!"
"Heady stuff."
"Ha!" Socal says.
"Why are you saying 'Ha' all of the time,
Socal?" Roys asks.
"I dunno." Socal
says.
"Yee-haw! This is the best Flame ceremony
ever, Lady!" Revelation cheers.
Lady addresses Pegasus, "Sir, could you help our
friend here? We believe he awaits you. Could you help him in
some way?"
"If you desire so, I will do my part. But
you must also do yours."
The Simmers look at each other puzzlingly.
But Yochem steps forward, winking at Roys, "We ask so, sir, and we shall do
our part."
__________________
With that, Pegasus descends the
stair. With every step, the Simmers are torn between watching
the magnificent winged horse and the astonishing change in Bucephalus'
appearance. The ghostly form fills out in color, outline, and
definition. Bucephalus suddenly has a shaggy mane and mighty black
hide, glistening in the sun. They see his dark, wild eyes and recognize
the look of eagles.
A beautiful golden bridle takes the place of the wire
on his head. A shiny silver bit eases from his mouth. He is alive in
full majestic glory.... but he still faces the west, fixed on the long shadow
before him. He still is restless and afraid.
Pegasus stops short just a few steps from the
bottom of the stair. Yochem then approaches Bucephalus, followed
by Roys and the rest of the wary Simmers. With careful
movements, Roys quietly talks to the black stallion. Encouraged by
her actions, Bullfrogmb pats the great horse gently on the neck.
Lady starts to tickle his ears and Barndog rubs his nose, while Socalslew
and the others take turns feeding him some tall grass. Yochem,
however, delicately takes hold of Bucephalus' bridle.
Before they move, Bucephalus asks, "But I
am afraid of the Light and Stars. It is more than I. Could I be
more than I can be? And, if so, will you stand by me?"
The Simmers answer by steadily turning
Bucephalus around toward the eastern rising sun. Bucephalus grows
bold upon seeing Pegasus' splendor. He raises his head high.
Complete, he grows still and confident, ready to take on the world with his new
friends.
"There's no need to fear your shadow anymore
Bucephalus," Yochem says.
"You're free from the dark!" Rharfo
exclaims.
"We will stand by you," Roys says and
Barndog nodds in agreement.
"You betcha Big B!" Bigbaba kisses
Bucephalus' nose.
"Lots of wide open fields to wander and springs
to drink from," Revelation says with a pat.
"And green grass to munch on!" Pye
adds.
"You're finally home," Lady says with
a hug.
Finally Pegasus joins the group and, side by side and nose to nose with Bucephalus,
they face the rising sun. The glory of the sunrise over the mountain
carries them all awestruck. Bullfrogmb steps forward with the torch
and both horses touch it with their noses. In a flash, it is set
ablaze in Zeus' white light. Bullfrogmb then climbs the monument's
stairs. Once he reaches the top, he turns around, holding the torch
high and it bursts into a controlled flame.
Overjoyed, Lady tries to hug Pegasus, but the
white stallion recoils: "You cannot touch me. I am forever now
beyond mortals, even though I am your Creation. I am Inspiration
now. I am what you Dream of in your mind's eye." Seeing the long
faces amongst the group, he gently adds, "But have Hope, for you have
touched Reality and History in Bucephalus. It is through Machine or Tools
that is built man's Work. Have Hope, for they can only transcend and have
meaning with Fantasy's help and since I am Fantasy, you shall always need
me."
Pegasus descends his wings then and leaps
mightily into the air. Above their heads, he looks back, "It is through
YOU that great deeds can once again be realized in both History and
Legend. Call upon me when you may!"
They watch as he departs for the
heavens. And in a wave of silver light, he dissolves into the fading
stars of his northern constellation, soon replaced by the glorious azure of
the warm morning sky.
"Good-bye Pegasus!" Socalslew calls out after
him.
"What a nice fellow," Revelation
ponders.
"Who would've thought these horses could talk and
why so enigmatic?" Roys asks.
"It's nowhere in the stories," Yochem
says.
"Oh, have a little sunshine, you two!
Snowchief's writing this darn story after all!" Socal says with an
immediate puzzling look.
And Roys, turning to Socal, mimics,
"Ha!"
But Lady is quiet. Bucephalus turns to
her, "Here I am.... green grass, pleasant springs, and the wide open earth
before me......" He nuzzles up to Lady. "But I stay with you, my new
friends, to help you accomplish your important quest!" Lady brightens
and gives him a hug.
"All right! What journeys we shall
have! It's all about courage," Socalslew says.
"What people we shall meet! And it's all
about friendship," Roys adds.
"There's a long way to go before Sim Equinics
raceday and that's about competition!" Rharfo says.
"And lots to still do and, with teamwork, we'll
do it!" Bullfrogmb adds, holding the torch high.
And all cheer, "Go, go, GO!"
"Then let's go together," Bucephalus says.
"Are you ready, Lady?"
With a grin, Lady exclaims, "You
bet!"
Written by: Snowchief
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