He craned his head back to take in the starry sky above him, in all of its entirety. He memorized the stars and their placement within the black void. The night sky never ceased to make him feel small and insignificant as a result of its vastness. None-the-less, he always felt a connection to the cosmos- Rogue blood ran strong in his veins, and he came out every night, ritualistically, to gaze upon the twinkling lights.

 

Having not seen his sire or dam in years, he felt as if this spot, posed so perfectly to view the universe above, tied him inexorably to his parents. He knew, in his head, that it was a ridiculous sentiment. After all, his parents likely had never even been to this exact location, so the place held no real meaning in his memory. But it was special to him, and he knew that they would appreciate it for its beauty.

 

A short distance away, an older Rogue observed the younger stallion with interest. Galaxy had taken Realm under his wing the moment that he appeared with the Lady. He felt a certain connection to him, in much the same manner as he had with Shimmer-something that only Rogues, or at least those with the blood connection, would understand. 

 

While most young stallions (or mares) at his age would be impetuous and brassy, Realm was a dreamer, enigmatic and an observer. He was soft spoken in the company of others, and would never shirk a conversation out of pure politeness, although he did prefer to be on his own or in like company at the very least. However, when he got it in his head that something needed to be done, Realm was pure determination, and no amount of convincing could deter him from the tasks he set upon himself. That drive was something that Galaxy admired in him-his whims were much more fluid and changeable.

 

After awhile, he noticed that the stallion would trot off nightly. Curiosity won over, and he followed him to the very spot that they shared now. Realm hadn't even seemed perturbed that he had interrupted his solitude- it wasn't in him to be rude, or snappish. 

 

Realm could feel familiar eyes, and knew that Galaxy had ceased to contemplate their surroundings and was instead taking measure of him. The thought didn't trouble him. He respected the stallion, and considered him the closest thing to family that he had, short of his own flesh and blood. 

 

His golden tipped ears flicked forward to catch the final few echos of an owl's hoot in the distance. Bird song began softly, almost tremulously, signalling the end of night and the birth of the morning. That was his cue. Although the sun had not yet begun to show, the stars would soon begin to fade, and the loss of the night always held some sort of faint disappointment for the stallion. He stood quickly and shook out his sapphire mane. His legs ached for a good trot- he had been lying on the hilltop for what seemed like hours, and his muscles had stiffened. 

 

Galaxy followed suit. This had been their ritual now for the last few months. They came to see the night out, and then galloped back in silence to their home in the last few quiet moments of the evening.

 

They were the heralds of the dawn.