Alastor was not sure how long they had been swimming. All he knew was that he could not give up; he had to get Sybil to safety. If he didn't he would be the worst big brother on the entire planet. He could still feel her bobbing along at his hip and took comfort from her continued presence. His leg muscles screamed with each stroke and he wanted, more than anything, to be done with swimming.

Finally, finally, he could sight land ahead. It was nothing like the home they had left behind, but it was something other than the endless ocean. Gleefully he tried to tell Sybil about it, but it was hard to talk over the waves. They buffeted his tiny body and it was all he could do to keep close to her while trying to steer them toward the island. The ocean grew angry as they got closer, and he almost couldn't keep his head above water. The sky above was dark, making it even harder to orient up from down and he cried out for help. He didn't know who, if anyone, lived on this island, but he wasn't sure he could make it, let alone his tiny sister.

When at last his pale hooves found solid surface, the colt immediately looked for his sister. Her head lay over his back, but her eyes remained closed and the breaths she took were shallow. Her feet paddled below the surface but it was in the same absent-minded fashion that he had assured his mother they would stay safe while playing. "Sib? Sibby! Wake up, we made it Sibby, we made it."

She gave him no response. The worry he had harbored for the entire journey compounded in his chest and he raced for the shore. Exhaustion made his legs wobbly against the receding pull of the ocean but he managed to drag them onto shore. Sibyl collapsed to the ground and lay unresponsive to his nudging. Only the flare of her pink nostrils and the shallow way her breath forced the rise of her chest gave any sign she was still alive.

Alastor couldn't leave her there like that, but he also could not get her to rise. Terrified he nudged at her neck and called her name with no response and horror rose in his heart. Had he killed his sister?

"Help! Someone? Anyone? Please?" My sister needs help!" The colt folded his forelegs to bring his face down to hers, his words a soft whisper. "Sibby please, we just made it."

He stands back up and turns to the jungle ahead, his gaze hopeful that rescue might be found there. It had been days since he had last tasted a mother's milk and he was afraid it might be too late for his sister.