From the cliffs that jut high above the beach, Selune watches the birds take wing across the sea, and calls a cheerful farewell to each one.

“Bye Mr. Bluebird! Bye Momma Jay! Bye Cardinal and Robin and Sparrow and— and—” They’re all leaving so fast now that she can’t keep up, but the sable filly tries anyway, the syllables falling from her lips faster and faster until they tangle together into nonsense. “— ravenorcrowsorryIcan’ttell —andchickadeedeedeeanddoveandnoisywoodpecker—” She pauses to snatch a quick breath, stamping a hoof in frustration as more fly away before she can include them. “Wait! —andfinchnonotthemareandseagullwaitnoyou’rebackandswallowand—” There go more of them, a whole bunch of birds from a treetop so far away that she can’t tell which ones they are. Oh, well. At least she looks up in time to see her favorite one pass overhead before it disappears into the bright sun. “And Cuckoo! BYE CUCKOO!” The yearling decides to wait there for a while longer, moon-marked face still pointed towards the sky, to make sure that there aren’t any stragglers.

The sun climbs steadily higher as she watches, beating down on her dark chocolate coat. Two of the other young foals— Tigris and Euphrates, she thinks— splash and play in the waves below and it’s tempting, so tempting to join them. But Selune remembers her mother telling her that the birds that left won’t come back for a whole year, and she wants to make sure that they know she will miss them. That even though they’re not as colorful and bright as the birds that call this place home, she still wants to play with them again. Part of her is even tempted to go find mama-Faolain and ask if she’ll take her with next time she goes to the Crossing, so she can visit her friends in their home. But last time the black ‘Teke came back, her nose was all hurt and she went to talk to Rivaini alone. Neither of them said anything when they came back, but Selune could tell that both of them had been crying.

She doesn’t want them to be sad, so maybe she’ll stay. Maybe instead they can all play a game together, Faolain and Rivaini and Vesper and Siobhan and— oh.

Lips twisting in a brief frown, the silver filly remembers being told that the red mare doesn’t live here anymore. She doesn’t understand what that means until she looks around for more birds— then her little face screws up in thought, and that’s it! Siobhan has probably gone to live somewhere where she can see Momma Jay and her babies more often. Feeling a little happier about the maternal woman’s absence, Selune turns and begins to pick her way back down into the jungle. She hopes to find Vesper or Faolain so she can tell them all about which birds have left and what she wants to do tomorrow, but at this point she’s so excited that, really, anyone at all will do.

Letting out a shrill whinny, the young girl takes off at a run as soon as her hooves hit the soil. ”Vesperrrrr!“