The morning sun shone brightly in the florescent sky over the small horse farm that lay nestled near the great forest. A rooster crowed from its perch in the henhouse, and the farm slowly came to life. A few hens, along with their chicks pecked the ground near a white farmhouse, looking for yesterdays left over scratch grain, and whatever other goodies they could find that the farmer had left them.

The house was small, one storied, and had large porch sprawled out to the front of it, with an opening on the side so that the farm dogs could get underneath it whenever they needed protection from the weather. Worn and cozy, it sat in amidst the few buildings of the farm. Barns. One of which was a large red horse stable located just behind the house. Big, and structural, it housed several Thoroughbreds, and Morgan horses. A wooden chorale, more or less a fairly good-sized field, stretched from behind the building, to the edge of the forest. This was the place for the horses, to be trained in or to be turned into for good relaxing graze. Well, for most of them anyhow.

A pair of dark brown ears slowly emerged from a tall patch of clover located between the fence rails and the woods, followed by the head of curious cottontail. The rabbit twitched his ears, and whiskers, while looking intently at the field before him. His large brown eyes watched the three horses grazing together in the fenced area, each cropping the sweet grass..

Two of these were no ordinary horses. For they were of the winged kind, or what we call Pegasus. One was a giant black horse. A devil, and was the meanest animal on the farm. Strong, and beautiful, his eyes blazed red with fire through a dainty, elegant head. The neck swelled into his massive, sleek black body, and his long mane fell over his eyes, as he ate. He looked as if he were a horse built for speed with deep-barreled chest, and powerful fore and hind limbs that tore up the ground when he was in motion. The stallion snorted, shook his head to free his eyes from his hair, and flicked his long tail in irritation to scare off the flies from biting his back legs.

The second of the two was a small brown colt, of about six months of age. The youngster had a short black mane and tail. Half Morgan horse, the rest of his body was a dark brown. While his legs faded off into black just below the knees, to match his mane and tail. He nervously grazed next to his mother, making sure to put her between himself, and the black Pegasus stallion he was penned with. The large black horse was in fact his father, and hated the colt with a passion. He didn't know why. He was too young to have done anything wrong to him. All he knew was that when he charged you, you had better run fast. And sprint away he would, for his life. The stallion was mean spirited, and would chase the poor helpless winged colt around the field, till his mother would interfere. As always, his chaser would back off, rather than fight an over protective mare defending her young.

A brown Morgan mare, the colt's mother, and his exact color, grazed next to her baby, doing her best to keep a wary eye on the black one put in the enclosure with them. Even though she had foaled by him, she hated him, and would do what it took to protect her son from him. The mare always cursed under her breath at her master for turning them out with him, after the man had left. He was no prize in her book either. Mean, and just as bad tempered as the stallion they were kept with. She snorted in frustration at the thought of both, as she hungrily cropped at the grass.

The black Pegasus lifted his head to give both horses an evil stare as he had finished with his share of the eating. His mind was calculating on how to get to the young foal without the mother stopping him. He turned his head to look at the other end of the chorale just behind him, an idea formulating in his brain. With a swift motion, the horse turned his entire body around, and smoothly trotted to the end of the field, making it look as if he wasn't interested in his companions at the moment. Once he reached the fence, he pretended to be looking at something on the opposite side of the rail. Glancing back at the unlikely pair, he smiled to himself. It looked as if neither one had cared that he had left them alone. That meant that it was the right time to strike. Turning around once more, he stood there for a brief second, watching them with intense eyes. Then suddenly without warning, the black horse sprang into action, and proceeded to bear down on his victim, intending to have a full surprise effect. The earth shook beneath his hooves as he started to run down on them with tremendous speed, sending spurts of dirt and grass flying into the air as he went.

The rabbit, which was still munching on the clover, saw what the evil creature was up to. He rapidly thumped a warning to the young colt and his mother with a strong hind foot, immediately getting their attention. The buck looked about cleverly trying to think of a way to help them, but coming up with nothing at the moment.

Snorting in alarm, the brown colt raised his head, fixing fearful eyes on a rapidly oncoming Stallion. He heard mother shout something at the black horse, but couldn't really hear what had been said. Reacting rather quickly, the young Pegasus gathered his muscles beneath him, and bolted as fast as he could for the other end of the field. Somehow he had a deep sick feeling that this time the giant horse may not give into her.

Suddenly the mother horse swung her body in front of the black Pegasus stallion in a desperate attempt to protect her son. Both horses rose up onto their hind legs, as they lunged and bit at each other with bared teeth, kicking violently with flailing forelegs. The Stallion, being the larger, and taller of the two when forced onto his haunches, struck her down with his sharp hooves. He dealt her a crushing blow to the skull, sending her lifeless body plummeting to the ground. Standing over the mare, he looked down at her with blazing red eyes. Then lifted his head, and swiftly moved past her as if nothing had happened.

Making it to the other side of the chorale, the younger horse stopped, and swung himself around to see where his chaser had gone. Only he had turned just in time to see his mother fall to the earth under the blows of the black horse. Tears began to streak down his eyes, as he screamed at the sight of his mother dying. Then backed his rear end up against the wooden railing as he could see a furious horse advancing on him at an ever- quickening pace.

In the meantime, the cottontail had witnessed the whole thing, sitting there completely stupidified, yet the wheels in his head still turned as he watched. It was then he spied a brown and white hound dog sniffing around near the corner of the barn, on the opposite side of the field. Thinking quickly, and formulating a plan in his mind, he sped out of the clover and through the horse area. Once he made it to the other side, he ducked under the rail, and covered the distance to the sniffing dog with great speed.

Yelling in delight at the scent of the rabbit that had just run right under his nose, the four-legged animal gave chase. The rabbit sharply wheeled around, making sure to kick dirt and grass up into its face to get it angry with him, and keep it focused on him. Then he ran for his life towards the black Pegasus stallion, the dog baying at his heels.

Picking up speed, and ignoring the bawling dog for the moment, the colt's father broke into a hard gallop towards his son. Tail flowing breathlessly behind him, as his muscles worked, and rippled beneath his black hide, as he went. He thrust his head foreword, breathing deeply, and leveling out as his strides lengthened. Knowing full well that he could finish the young horse this time, he tossed his head up and down a bit at the thought, and shear pleasure of that. This caused his mane to fall up and down on his thick neck like a wave in the wind.

Then a small furry creature bolted out in front of him, just avoiding being stepped on by his fore hooves. He came to an abrupt halt as a dog appeared right in front of him, chasing the smaller animal. Baring his teeth, and rearing high into the air, the mighty horse turned his wrath upon the hound. Screaming with fury he plunged at the dog with all his might, bringing his sharp hooves down on the ground, close to him. Dodging the attack, the brown and white hunting dog was having none of this. He snarled menacingly at the half crazed horse, showing his white fangs, and snapping at him, bringing his jaws close the others forelimbs with a metallic clip.

It had worked! The little rabbit glanced over his shoulders at the fighting pair, with a slight smirk on his face, as he lollopped along. Turning his head back to focus on the hurting colt, he slowed his pace down a bit, and approached him.

"Why?" The winged horse cried as he gazed over at his mother's lifeless body. He dared not go closer to her for fear of the black horse attacking him again, "why did you have to die?" he adverted his gaze to the ground with a heavy heart.

"Uh, young colt?" The rabbit found his voice as he softly spoke to him. He knew what it was like to lose a loved one in such a manner, and felt for him. But, no one deserved to watch them murdered before their very eyes like that.

"Huh?" he sniffled as he lifted his head slightly to get a look at who was speaking to him. Tears of heartfelt grief still streaked down his face as he moved foreword to sniff the brown animal over with his soft muzzle, "who are you?"

"Peter," the rabbit replied as he shiftily moved about. He flicked his ears backwards, listening to the fighting dog and Stallion, "listen," he continued talking, "we don't have much time before that brute comes after you again. I know of a place where you will be treated well, not abused like you are here. A safe haven if you will," he looked up at him with expectant eyes, "so what do you say?"

"My names Justin," the sad brown colt said to the rabbit. He nodded his head in the mare's direction, crying evermore, "I don't want to leave her."

"You can't stay here," Peter quietly reminded him, "you'd be killed for sure."

Justin looked from the wild rabbit to the farm about him. Life here was not fun for him, and he knew that his new friend was right. He had to get away from this terrible place. Though he'd always keep the memory of his mother alive in his heart.

"Alright," he sobbed as he gave in, "I'll go."

"Can you fly?" Peter was nervous about heights, and knew that rabbits were not designed to ride on horseback. Still, his energy had been pretty much spent from his bout with the dog, and Justin would need to know the way there.

"Yes. A little."

They could hear the black Pegasus stallion screaming from behind them. The thundering sounds of hoof beats reached their ears, and both knew that he had jumped past the dog, to continue his attack.

"Get on!" Justin screamed, and he kneeled down to allow Peter to scramble onto him.

Rabbits weren't made for climbing either, but that didn't stop him. With a good kick of his hindquarters, and an accurate leap, he was on his back in seconds. Feeling Justin's weight shift beneath him as he climbed to his feet, the rabbit grasped part of the horse's mane with his teeth to prevent him from slipping off. Once he balanced himself, he let go.

Justin broke into a swift gallop, the rabbit bouncing up and down on his back, doing what he could to stay on, as he ran. He dodged the oncoming stallion, heading the opposite direction from where he had stood.

"Which way!" he called back to the buck.

"Just get over the rail!" Peter shouted back at him.

The colt picked up more speed as he rapidly neared the fence. Peter had to shut his eyes as Justin leapt high into the air, clearing the wooden obstacle that kept the horses in. Seconds later, the ride smoothened for the poor buck, and he could hear the steady beating of wings falling up and down on each side of him. The stallion had been at their heels, and the two of them heard him scream in frustration, as he had been left behind on the ground.

Justin kicked the open air with his legs, and cleared the trees of the forest. He soared high into the sky, getting a spectacular view of the woods just below.