Chapter 5

     Shadow and Diablo flew again for another few hours. The sun was starting to set in the sky. Shadow looked over her shoulder at Diablo. "What are we going to do at nightfall?" she asked.

     Diablo was deep in thought, not even hearing Shadow as a huge tree that reached up to the clouds started to come in front of him.

     "Diablo look out!" Shadow screamed as he flew right towards it.

     Diablo snapped out of his thoughts, closing his wings as he drew his body up so his hooves landed perfectly along the tree, jumping off to the side as he flew again. "WOW THAT WAS CLOSE!"

     "What on Earth were you thinking!? You could have died just then!" Shadow snapped. She was angry because she was concerned for her friend's life.

     Diablo sighed, lowering his head. "I'm sorry..." he said, frowning a bit.

     Shadow felt a pang of guilt when Diablo lowered his head at her tone. "No I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at you. You just scared the crap out of me, I thought you were going to crash into that tree and break a wing or something," Shadow spoke gently and nudged his cheek. "Did you even here my question before your near accident?"

     He smiled softly "No, I didn't but, thank god you screamed, I would've broke my leg." He blushed as she nudged him, lowering his head even more. "I was thinking about some adventures."

     "I asked if we should land for the night," she said to him.

     He smiled, lifting his head up as he then looked around, thinking deep. "Let’s fly for the night and rest at morning, we are not seen in midnight." He thought that camouflage would be the best for them.

     "If we do that then you're taking the lead. I can't see a thing at night," Shadow told him and slowed her pace until she was slightly behind him.

     He laughed, flapping his wings as he goes faster, nodding his head. "Okay, I can deal with that."

     They flew in silence until the moon had reached its highest point in the sky. "Diablo?" Shadow called her mind still adrift with her thoughts.

     He looked over his shoulder; a flashback of a sudden soldier appeared in his mind when he saw Shadow but, shook it off. "Yes?"

     "Will you tell me about some of the other adventures that you've been on?" Shadow asked and gave him a pleading look. She looked as curious as a foal that has just learned to walk.

     He smiled, slowing down so his flank is at least at her stomach. "Sure, I would love to." He said, giggling as he watched her.

     "What's so funny?" she asked. "I didn't think that stories were supposed to be funny, especially ones about adventures."

     He shook his head, looking forward. "Nothing it’s just a funny memory I had." He lied, thinking about adventures he had. "So, name a place and I'll think if an adventure I had there."

     "Hmm....." Shadow thought for a moment. "Have you ever flown to the heavens?"

     Diablo nodded, looking up. "The clouds, are always white, the creatures there have wings too. They are always white, even they're skin was pale. They walked on two legs and were dressed with robes. Me and another Pegasus were sent there. The Pegasus I was with was Choco, a brown Clydesdale with a white stripe going down his face as his wings were quite big. Ah, the heavens." He continued looking quite dreamy as his mane flew in the wind gently. "We were assigned to the leaders of war, the next day we were taken out for a nice stroll in the heavens. Death must be so great, to live up in there. We strolled through the sun’s rays, and through pastures of sweet clouds."

     Shadow closed her eyes and tried to imagine it. "Please go on," she urged.

     He smiled softly, taking a deep breath as he continued. "It was lovely, the sun never set, and the clouds were so soft under my hooves that I felt nothing. Me and Choco could walk for hours along the clouds, even with the small and mighty angels on our backs. One time, we were let out into the pastures of endless skies. There were mares, dressed in golden armor that made their eyes sparkle. I think my heart melted, I was sure it was warm. Choco was the first to walk up to them and also the first to get rejected!" He laughed, his head flying high in the air. "The mare flew off as fast as an eagle hunting its prey! He trotted over to me and sighed; we flew together in the skies and pulled each other’s mane. He was the first I knew of, as a Pegasus besides my mother..." He then frowned, looking down.

     Shadow sensed the distress in Diablo's voice and looked at him. "What happened to Choco?" she asked her mind already guessing what did happen.

     Diablo lifted his head, looking like he is going to cry. "It was our first war. We were rushed out of our sleep and in seconds heavy gear was on us. I wore silver armor that covered my legs, flank, neck, and even head. I had a saddle on my back, it was horrible! Although Choco didn't mind it at all, he could suck up anything, any pain and just keep on running. We were kicked along the sides and rushed into the clouds. We flew through them but, going deeper everything grew darker. The clouds, the air got thicker, and the darkness was mind tingling. He assured me that we would be alright, until an army of creatures started to attack us..."

     Shadow flew closer to her friend and rubbed her head up and down his neck. "If it hurts you to continue then you don't have to," she said to him.

     He shook his head, a smile on his face. "No, I'm sure Choco would live to hear that this adventure is being told. As we fought them, I could see Choco fighting the evil creatures with his teeth and hooves, killing them. I saw his bravery, his spirit fighting them back. We fought, not to live, but to see the light. If we lost, we knew the darkness would take over. At the moment, we thought we won. The light was cracking through the darkness until...A long branch, a sharp object was at the tip that went right through my best friend. He was beside me, his wings motionless and eyes wide open. Blood, I could see, dropped down his elegant coat. I couldn't help but fly to him, until the angel on me tugged on my mane to make me fly away. I abandoned my friend, but he was still alive, even after the branch hit him he warned off the creatures as a great light shined down on them and destroyed them."

     Shadow's eyes softened with sympathy. "I'm sorry. It seems like everybody that you know and care about id dying...." she trailed off not wanting to imagine what that must feel like.

     "I always thought that, everyone I cared for, would die...even the angels who rode me always died in war. So, I ran off into the wild." He sighs, looking up as he closed his eyes and smiled while taking a deep breath of the fresh air. "Until I found you."

     Shadow nudged him playfully. "Well I'll try not to die okay?" she teased and flew in circles around him.

     He laughed, catching Shadow by her mane as he flies above her and giggles. "Yeah, try to!"

     Shadow laughed and flipped so that she was flying on her back. Neither Pegasus’s were aware of eyes that were watching them below.