Post by S u N f r O s T ~ on Aug 17, 2012 11:21:45 GMT -5
PEGASUS WINGS AND HENNA TURATH
ASUS'S FINAL PREP FOR THE WIRE FINISH CUP SPRINT
The mighty black stallion was pure greatness. He strode with the magnificence of champions and from him shone the light of monstrous talent. Though tiny, at fifteen hands high, Pegasus Wings was the horse some people said was the best sprinter they had ever seen in their lives. He had been considered better than Flying Colours and Speed Demon by some, and that for Henna had been the highest praise she had ever received. To her, Asus was more than a horse. He was her horse, and they made a frightening combination that few could hope to hold a candle to. Yes, Henna had a high opinion of her horse, but who wouldn't? They had easily won over half of their career races and their win total was nearly thirty. Indeed, it was hoped that this would be win thirty, and they would finally have hit the milestone she had been hoping to hit since the beginning of the season.
Finishing second to Biohazard had taught Henna humility. She nurtured it now as she looked to Popcorn Blitz, their only competition in the Wire Finish Cup Sprint. On paper, the stallion honestly had nothing on them. His accomplishments didn't come close to matching theirs, and in theory this race would be an easy win. But Henna knew better. Biohazard had humbled her in this respect. She would treat Popcorn Blitz as though he was a seasoned grade one multiple Breeders Cup Sprint winner that stood every chance of defeating them. She would not underestimate her competition. Blitzen was a competitive front runner and Henna knew that the race would likely become a speed duel to the death. They would just have to run the competition off of his feet or die trying.
She wanted this race to be an exhibition of Asus's greatness. This was his last chance, his final race. They had to show off their greatness once and for all. Henna wanted the win margin to be a mile or more, in a six furlong race. She wanted to wipe out their competition, obliterate their competition, embarrass their competition, kill them off of the face of the planet, erase every sign of their existence. She wanted them gone and she knew that Asus wanted this too. They wanted to taste victory. She wanted to feel the greatness that was her horse taking flight, and she wanted it more badly than she ever had. The tears that pricked her eyes reminded her - this was the final time. This was their last chance. This was her final race ever aboard the horse that had taught her so much and brought her so much fame. He was hers. She was his. This was their destiny.
The fierce expression on her face could not be questioned. The unwavering determination in her every movement could not be swayed. The longing, the hunger for the win, for the victory that glared from her eyes could not be denied. They would not be defeated. She swung herself into the saddle of her six year old stallion, who danced sideways as though he was still two years old, and off they went with calmness and purpose to the track. The lightest of touches was enough to get this great horse moving. His eyes roamed about. Before his last race, there had been a lack of focus there. But now there was just so much that it could not be denied. The young horse had grown up in that respect and he was all business now as he worked into a trot and begged for more by the constant pressure on the reins. He was heavy on Henna's hands and his rider didn't care one bit that he was.
Her muscles flexed with his as she let him out slowly, so slowly. The wind seemed to pick up as though heralding their arrival. It greeted them as old friends, as though they ran with the wind whenever it blew. It encouraged Henna to continue letting out the majestic thoroughbred. They were beginning to edge towards flying now, and it took everything Henna had to keep Asus going slowly so they could warm up first. They both just wanted to go, but they had to stick to the essentials to avoid injury. Such a stupid thing as injury would not be acceptable for this huge event. It just would not do for the champion to be crippled. Henna frowned at the thought and actually briefly prayed that such a thing could be avoided.
This was their final time. This was their final workout time, being recorded for the Finish Cup Sprint. A crowd had shown up to enjoy the greatness of Pegasus Wings one last time. This crowd eyed the small black. The ones that had seen him in action before looked excited, while those that hadn't looked doubtful. How could such a small horse be such an amazing champion? How was such a thing possible? Henna thanked the ones that didn't doubt and glared at the ones that did. She would give them one final show that would demonstrate the prowess of her mount. This would be something nobody would ever forget. They were just coming around the first turn now and Henna knew what she would do.
She leaned forward and let Asus begin to gallop at the top of the backstretch. The crowd ooed and leaned forward, excitement on their faces. Henna smirked and just continued to feed Asus rein as time went on. The half mile pole flickered past and Henna let Asus go completely. This was their final workout, and she wanted to break the track record in half. The wind whipped to hurricane intensity. The monstrous feeling of horse and speed and the flight of wings took away everything for Henna. All she knew was the speed of her horse and the height of their desires. They wanted to run. They wanted to sprint. They wanted to go. Their legs blurred into motion and nothing could keep up with them.
The turn was easy to curve around. The familiar stretch greeted them and fed their intensity. The longing to go faster intensified. Henna just let him go. Asus just let himself go. All inhibitions fell away as they galloped before the suddenly silent crowd. There was nothing but mute greatness here. They crossed the line and the crowd exploded as though Asus had just won the race. They applauded quietly, eyes alight with excitement. Henna was barely paying attention as she cooled Asus down and Amber magically appeared beside her aboard a random horse she couldn't remember the name of at the time. She didn't hear what their time was for the half - it was forty one and four fifths, as fast as fast could get, and each furlong had been run faster than the last.
It was all about just her and her horse during this final hour. They had run and nothing else mattered. They floated off the track and awaited the race that was to come.
