The sun dropped low in the sky, and the ponies turned around and headed back, anticipating the rise of the three moons and the time when the changes would take place again. One of them was lagging behind, the pony that Alyssa was riding. He strayed close to the edge of the desert.
That pony’s name was Steven when he was a boy, and he was fearless and courageous, as brave as Alexander. He looked up at the dying sun, then turned his gaze toward the distant forest. It’s getting dark, pony-Steven thought to himself. And it’s a much shorter distance to the forest from here. If I run, just before the sun sets, maybe Guaryntis won’t notice me until it’s too late for him to stop me.
He looked around at the others, who had moved off up the beach. Seated in the saddle, Alyssa was growing impatient. “Hurry up,” she said. “Everyone is leaving us behind.” She tapped Steven’s flanks with her heels.
Steven reared up, as if about to run off after the others. But instead he wheeled around and plunged into the desert, the yellow sand flying from his four pounding hooves. He lowered his head and poured all his strength into a headlong gallop to freedom.
The ground flashed by beneath them, and Alyssa screamed in panic. She was terribly afraid of the dragon’s huge wings and long, sharp claws. She pulled on the reins, desperately trying to make the pony turn around, and Steven faltered and stumbled.
But Alyssa also knew that if they reached the forest of Paximus, everyone would be free. She decided to take the risk. She let go of the reins and grasped the saddle and hung on tightly. Steven recovered his balance, seized the bit in his mouth, and flew off across the sand of the desert, hoping that Guaryntis wouldn’t see them in time to stop them.
Mile after mile flew by beneath Steven’s flashing hooves, and Alyssa dared to hope that they would succeed. But they had left it too late. The blood-red sun was already too far in the west, and she watched in dismay as it slid behind the mountain peaks until just the barest sliver of light clung to the crest. Then that too slipped out of sight.
The pony stumbled once more, his legs suddenly too weak to hold them both up. He crashed to earth, throwing Alyssa onto the ground as his body began to change. The saddle vanished, and a few seconds later, a golden bronze tunic appeared in the air above him and floated down about his shoulders. When at last he pulled himself to his feet, he was a boy again.
He and Alyssa were stranded in the middle of the desert, too far from Paximus to have any hope of reaching it on foot. And as they stood there in despair, the great dark cloud-dragon rose up from the horizon and swept over them. He gathered them up in one gigantic wing and hurled them out of the desert all the way back to the meadow.