Riding Lucifer

[will]

((Me only))

Will slammed the Pepsi can down on the counter, smashing it in his rage. No one was here to yell at him this time. Will looked down and saw that he had gained a small cut from the aluminum. He sucked the cut gingerly until it ceased all bleeding. The orphanage was so quiet it was hard to believe people were still in it. Will wasn't sure where they had all went but they had to be around here somewhere. They would leave without him! He scowled and threw the can against the wall, enjoying the sound it created. It left a small scratch on the paint which wasn't what Mrs. James, the owner, would like to see. He stood up, sliding the stool away from him and sending it crashing to the floor. He was sick and tired of this place; he would never be able to call it home. His mind reeled as he lifted himself away from the fallen down chair and out to the door. It was like a tremendous wind was blowing through his brain, causing him less thinking room. Where was everyone? Not a breath stirred the air of the Cosswell Orphanage. It was so quiet that Will's footsteps echoed heavily even though he was stepping lightly. He focused his eyes on the note that lay on his bed. His feet had happened to take him there on their own accord. Will was surprised he hadn't seen the note before but picked it up quickly, causing the part of it that was taped to his sheet to rip from the other part. Will cursed loudly and untapped it from his bed. Putting the two pieces together, Will glanced over the note. So, they had gone to the concert without him. He had known something fishy had been going on. He slammed his hand on the counter before dancing up and down from the pain that had burst into his hand. He hated this place. Rubbing his hand ruefully, Will stepped away from his room. He glared at his face in the mirror, which snarled back just as horridly. Will was in a terrible rage and wasn't about to stop. He walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him so hard he thought he heard it crack. He didn't look back to see.

Sunlight dazzled his eyes for the few seconds that Will had stepped out of the heavy oak front doors. It was so brilliant that it made Will stop his frenzy and look around. The wood had always calmed his senses and that was where he was going now. He wasn't about to just let Mrs. James get away with what she did. Will had been looking forward to the concert for a year now and all of the sudden they decide he couldn't go?! Maybe it was the fact that Will had tripped a few students on accident. Yes, that must be why they were angry at him. He sighed and strutted out to the forest, wanting to think about his options in peace. Not that there was anyone to bother him anyway. A blue jay chirped its welcome over his head as he entered the darkness. The trees were so thick in the wood that no sunlight even began to creep through. Here, you could find all sorts of strange animals. Will could have sworn he had seen a monkey in the trees but had never gotten close enough to justify this thought. A squirrel tagged along by Will as the young boy scrambled through the thick underbrush that was in his path. Will loved the forest almost as much as the animals inside it did. This was where he belonged. This was his real home. His favorite place in it was the pasture where they kept the young stallions that the orphanage breded. They were Will's faithful companions and he loved them dearly. Now, he stepped up to the gate and whistled a tune that would only call one particular horse. Luce, the wildest of the stallions galloped up to the fence and snorted his hello. This was the place where the orphanage kept all the unteachable horses and it was where Will secretly tamed them. Each had their own whistle. Lucifer whinnied his hello once more.

"Hey there, Luce. You wanna go for a ride, don't you?" the stallion shook his magnificent head and pranced a few steps. Will had picked this horse because he matched his mood perfectly. The totally black horse leaned against the fence, allowing Will to hop on. He had never once rode with a saddle before; bare back came naturally to Will. He patted the stallions' head before hopping the fence and landing on Luce's broad back. The young stallion reared instantaneously, causing Will to clutch the flowing black mane. He was used to this; it was Luce's way of playing with someone. He galloped full speed and right toward the fence. Will now started to panic; Luce had never done this before. "Slow boy. Easy!" but the stallion kept moving, it's powerful hindquarters bouncing Will about. The fence drew nearer causing Will to clutch the main even harder in alarm. Luce was going to jump it but could he make it? Will closed his eyes and waited for it to come. He felt the feet below him lift from the ground....an odd sliding sensation...Will opened his eyes to see if they had made it and saw green before everything went black.

[will]

Will was sure he hadn't been out for long. The green grass that pressed against his face hurt somewhat but he didn't feel very sore. He slowly braced his arms and pushed himself up wearily. His head throbbed horribly and his legs hurt underneath him. What had happened? Will struggled to remember as he rolled over in the grass. Neighs met his sudden movement. He looked up to see Charles and Trevor standing there, watching him curiously. Charles was a pure white stallion with electric blue eyes and Trevor was a paint horse with brown and white colors. The blinked at him a few times before turning and running off to their other buddies. Will smiled softly in their direction before grabbing a hold of the fence. It creaked under his weight as Will used it to push himself back up off the ground. His left ankle could hold no weight. It was probably sprained for that was the foot Will had crumbled underneath. He gasped as he shifted his weight and collapsed back on the ground. Now he was in for it. A broken ankle all because of Luce....Will's head shot up quickly as he looked at his surroundings. There was no black horse in the clearing he was in....

"Luce!" Will screamed, terror filling his heart. Where could that devil horse have gone? He felt his heart pounding in his chest so hard he had to hold his palm to it. Luce was gone in the vast forest, running loose. Will shook his head, wondering what had made the horses behavior change so drastically. He had never done that before, not that Will usually rode him. He sighed and leaned against the fence as a brace. Tears were starting to swim in his eyes as he thought about the current situation. Luce was not a people-horse. He hated any person alive, including Will. Not as much as everyone else, but Will could feel it pulsing through the horses veins whenever he rode him. Maybe that was why the horse had gone ballistic and charged the fence - he could feel Will's rage and it scared him. The young male shook his head and refused to let his tears stream down his cheeks. It wasn't right for him to cry; Will never cries. But he had just lost something dear to him. Luce was a special horse because of a legend about him that filtered through the orphanage. It was not true about him so Will had never listened to the rumors. He swallowed hard and tried to stand up again only to fall back down. He needed to go looking for the wild stallion or who knew what could happen. Hunters went in the forest, what if they thought Luce a deer and...and...Wil stood up and gritted his teeth, ignoring the blasting pain through his ankle. He couldn't go around hopping on one foot so it would have to hold some weight. He wobbled forward, his eyes trying to stream through his closed eyelids. They threatened to engulf him with his pain and fury but Will held steady. Just barely.

"Lucifer!" he called once again before whistling to call the black horse. He waited, leaning on a nearby tree for support but didn't hear any hooves pounding toward him. No brilliant midnight horse was coming through the green. He cursed before wobbling forward once again. He wasn't sure how far he walked, how long he called, or how much he whistled. He lost track of time all together. It grew darker and darker in the forest, the threatening trees looked down at him in disgust. Will shivered noticeably and continued on his way through the wood. No horse to be found. "Curse the blasted devil that the horse was named after!" he mumbled as he ran into a nearby tree. He blinked away the pain that had become more overwhelming each step he took. Will wasn't sure how long he could last anymore. A clearing was coming up and he was determined to reach it. Pausing only to gasp for air, Will managed to make it into the strange meadow. Sunlight blasted into the clearing, causing Will to cover his eyes with his hand. There was no horse waiting for him, munching on grass. Instead it was completely empty except for the wind that made the grass whistle. Will blinked many times but couldn't stop his eyes from watering over. He was lost in the forest and had no horse and a broken left ankle, maybe. He swallowed and tried to control his body before loosing everything and falling into the lush grass once more, which didn't greet him warmly.

[will]

((Um...Pandora I'm going to ask you to delete your post because this on is just for me as described at the very beginning. Sorry if I confused you.))

This time, Will didn't pass out. He just lay there, twitching in agony, upset at his failure. The grass had hit him hard in the head this time and he felt dizzy. What was he going to do now? Will took a deep breath to calm his mind but instead it made it reel even more. He wasn't sure what was going to happen to him and he refused to let himself think about it. He would be lost and starved. All the food here was practically berries and Will couldn't tell them apart. He regretted not taking his lessons with care about the wild-life around him. He sighed, knowing that he would next time. If there was a next time. Blinking back the grass that threatened to enter his eyes, Will rolled over to his back. It felt better to see the treetops and not the grass beneath him. But even so, he felt as if he was trapped. Trapped in his own misery. Will closed his eyes to rest but he happened to fall asleep instead.

"Class, listen up now! This is an important lesson!" Mrs. Creneam called out. "Nature is an important thing of life. Especially when you live here at the orphanage. Not that you'll be here much longer." she sent them a glittering smile. Will cringed in his seat. Being ten wasn't fun, mostly with the teachers always bugging them about Nature. "That forest out there is dangerous. We forbid all of you to go in there. You're probably wondering why, I suppose. One thing is that Hunters travel around these parts. They hunt deer and they might just hit you instead. It would end with death. But the most dangerous thing that lives in the woods is the Devil itself." Several students gasped and one cried out, "that's just superstition ma'am!" Mrs. Creneam shook her head sadly at the student. One, a girl with long red pigtails, raised her hand. "Yes dear?"
"Is it the horses there, ma'am? I heard a rumor that wild horses are there and they eat people if they come close!" Several people smiled and shook there heads disbelievingly. Only Will remained silent.
"Yes, honey, it is the horses. I don't know where you heard that from, however, but you do get a point for answering the question right. Now, the horse in question is the one called Lucifer. He's a perfectly black horse and it is the one the Devil has decided to take control of. You must stay away from this horse at all times. All the riders who have ridden him have suffered terrible deaths. You don't want to be the next one to suffer, do you?" the class nodded but Will remained still. The teacher glared at him pointedly before going on. "I must say it is a legend and it is very - "
"It is not true!" Will said suddenly, glaring at Mrs. Creneam.
"Dear, you would think I would know what is true and what is not." she replied with narrowed eyes. Most of the people at the orphanage suspected that Will went into the forest but it was never actually proved before.
"He is the Devil! Why do you think we called him Lucifer? He must be treated with great caution. Or else the Fate that has befallen everyone else will befall you! Do you understand Class?" the class nodded it's head and then the girl with red hair raised her hand.
"Ma'am, I've heard that at night, the horse jumps the fence and destroys everything in sight. I heard it has red eyes and big teeth to chew you!" her voice wavered slightly as she gazed at her teacher for confirmation.
"Ah, yes. It's true. It is all true...."

Something nudged Will gently. The boy didn't move but let his eyes flutter open. There was a soft velvety nose nudging him again and again, causing Will to laugh. The dream he had been having had been the legend he had been thinking about ever since Luce had jumped the fence. He smirked as he looked up at Luce himself. "They're wrong about you. You're not evil, they are." Will crooned as he grabbed Luce's mane to pull himself up. Luce didn't like this much; he snorted and stomped a foot but never-the-less, Will managed to stand up. Leaning on Luce for support, he grabbed the mane once more and jumped up on his back, causing more splitting pain to erupt from his foot. Luce neighed suddenly and abruptly as though he could sense Will's pain. "It okay boy. Okay." he muttered to the horse as he started back with a brisk trot. It was lucky that he had Luce for he wouldn't have been able to make it back to the orphanage. The horse then began to canter, causing Will even more pain but he gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, wishing that Luce wouldn't be so bumpy. The ride didn't seem long; the fence soon came into view. Luce stopped at the gate. Will, however, didn't get off. He tapped the right foot to make Luce turn left and then squeezed, making Luce trot away from the fence. He had to make Luce go right up to the orphanage. Once his foot was healed, he would take Lucifer back to the fence. Smiling at his idea, Will clutched on and waited for the huge mansion to come into view.

[will]

"You're wrapping it too tight!" Will moaned loudly as the Nurse wrapped a cast over his ankle, which turned out to be snapped.

"It has to be tight, William. Otherwise it won't heal proper." she replied while making it even tighter. Will grimaced and glared at the small children standing by to watch their heroine in pain. Not that Will was a hero. Just someone they respected and feared at the same time. He watched them scamper away when they noticed him glaring. Everyone else was gathered outside looking at Lucifer, who Will had tied to the bike rack. He was anxious to get back to his horse, who was probably getting quite frightened by all the different people that had come to see him. Since Luce was a legend of fear, the brought out more curiosity and caused the whole orphanage to file out and see it. Will smirked, knowing that the teachers wouldn't approve either. The sooner he got out there the better. Will gasped as the nurse unwrapped it and started again making it so tight that Will knew he wouldn't be able to feel it the next day. It would be numb. He was about to ask if that was the point when there was a scream outside. The Nurse looked around at Will before gazing questioningly at the door.

"I wonder...." she started before she gasped. "Oh no! Oh no, oh no, oh no!" she scurried out of the room.

"What about my ankle?" Will called after her but he didn't really care. He was just as nervous as the Nurse was. Once she had disappeared, Will unraveled the bandage and cast it aside on the floor; there was no need for it now. Pulling himself up to a sitting position, he slid off the table that he had been laying on and stumbled out of the room. He wasn't wobbling as bad as before but it was still very painful. Holding his breath as he walked, he paused at a distant window to look outside. This one was facing the bike rack. What Will saw made his eyes widen in horror. A boy, about twelve, was clutching his arm. His hand was barely visible through the gushing blood that was seeping down his arm. The bike rack was no where to be found. There was drag markings on the ground that signaled enough information for Will to know. Luce had bitten this boy and then galloped away, dragging the bike rack that he was tied to with him.

The crisp fresh air made Will gasp in distress as he struggled to breath. He looked over his shoulder and down the hall just as the teachers clothes whipped out of site. They had been carrying the boy. The Headmistress was still outside talking to the students with a sad voice. There was also a small tint of 'I told you so,' coming out too. Although she didn't say it, Will knew it would have pleased her to speak it. Will stumped over to her and put his hands on his hips, his pale face shinning with sweat.

"William! Why, you shouldn't be out here!" she chastised when she saw Will standing there. "Look at how sweaty you are. You must be in pain. Go back to the Nurse and she'll fix you up." With that, the Headmistress turned and began addressing the students again.
"You see, that is the horse Lucifer and you could tell now that the Devil does indeed reside in his soul. The way he bite that boy without mercy..."

"Where's he? Where'd he go?" Will asked through gritted teeth. She pointed to the forest and nodded. Will understood. He had made a horrible mistake. "I thought the bike rack was nailed down?" he said angrily, deciding to blame it all on the people who had put it there.

"Oh, no, silly dear. It was just there for use and we never nailed it down. We didn't need to." she sighed and fluttered her eyes. Will noticed that she had dark bags under the usual light brown eyes. He wrinkled his nose and leaned against the brick wall. Sticking a finger out at her, Will glared. Several students stepped back but the Headmistress, being years older then him, stood her ground.

"What did the boy do? What made Luce bite him?" Will asked quietly, his voice cracking ever so slightly. She raised an eyebrow before placing her hands on her hips in exact mockery of Will.

"He did nothing. The horse is Evil. The Devil - "

"Enough lies!" Will screamed. "John did something! I know it!" With that he turned and walked in, slamming the door as hard as he could behind him. Will stormed down the hallway, ignoring the pain that was shocking his leg. Stopping at the Nurse's door, he paused for breath. The door was open a crack and that let the voices filter out of the room and into Will's ears.

"- he'll have to be put down, naturally. After this there is no way to keep him. He will be shot or brought to the vet to be put down. Probably the first though, considering he hates people." the voice of the Science teacher said as though they were talking about how plants grow. All was quiet and then the Nurse spoke softly.

"We should have known. He surely has the Devil in him but we never had a reason to rid ourselves of him. Now that we do, he'll be gone like that." she snapped her fingers before laughing with the Science teacher. Will tensed up and covered his ears to block out the laughing. How could these people be so cruel?! He blinked back the tears that were hidden under his eyelids before marching into the room, causing both women to jump horribly.

"Oh, hello, William. We still have to finish your ankle." Will nodded and sat up at the table, going quietly. He knew that what they had spoken was true; Luce would be gone in the week, if not, sooner. He swallowed hard before closing his eyes and breathing in, willing the tears not to fall. They burned his eyes but Will would not cry in front of these merciless people.

Shannon ran up to Will two hours later when he had emerged from the Nurses room. Her face was pink and her hair a mess. Will looked at her listlessly before walking past her. She grabbed at his sleeve and tugged. Will spun on the spot to face the young girl, a look in his eyes that could be mistaken for anger. Shannon trembled and swallowed fearfully.

"I just wanted to tell you that John did something to the horse. It was a dare; he reached out and pinched the horses shoulder. He then went berserk and lashed out at John!" she then ran off to her friends for protection to escape Will's fury.

[will]

"I'm not leaving you, Luce. Not for long. I promise to come back as soon as possible. You'll see. We'll be champion material yet!" That day had seemed so long ago. William remembered clearly Luce's expression and how his eyes had roved. He could probably sense the distress coming off of Will. That day had been the day he had left for Hogwarts. Now, William was bent on keeping his promises and making better ones yet. He could only wonder if they would be champion material. "Of course we will be," William murmured out loud. He had no doubt that Lucifer was up for the challenge, but Will? Would he even be able to sit right in the saddle, let alone handle the reigns well enough? He looked out the window at the passing scenery. Tall grass waved like arms and hands as the train rumbled by. Puffy clouds zoomed across the sky, riding on a soft breeze that would be chilling outside the train. William hated cold weather. He had hoped it would warm up a bit so he could train freely with Lucifer, but no, it had to turn all cold and ugly on him.

William sighed and watched as the tall grass was replaced with the city life. A grin took away the frown as he realized he was very close to his destination. He knew this city like the back of his hand, so he picked at the holes in his worn jeans instead or looking out at the sights. When the train slowed down, he moved into a ready position. His right hand, which was still in a splint from the Quidditch game with Dawn, grabbed on to the seat in front of him. His other hand clutched his luggage, which was only a trunk and a small suitcase. He could carry both in one hand. His legs were out in the aisle, ready to sprint forward as soon as they stopped. He jumped up and got out first, the fresh air cutting his throat as he breathed it in deeply. Ah. The sweet bitter coldness. How wonderful. William smiled and walked into the center of the city where he caught a bus that would go to Randall Road. He rode on it for a while, a happy grin splayed across his face the whole way. He didn't even take notice of the strange people around him as they stopped around the city. The window was misted over from the cold so Will was deprived of looking out the glass. He really wanted to watch the orphanage come into view. His excitement was so great, he was surprised the people beside him couldn't feel the vibrations. Finally, after what seemed a century, they stopped at the gloomy building of the Orphanage and William lunged out the door, a random 'thank you' directed at the driver.

The Cosswell Orphanage was a large building but had no real splendor. It was gray and had black shutters, almost like a dungeon. The windows looked moldy at the wood part and the grass was dead in front. William looked toward the forest. He thought he had heard a whinny, but it had probably been his imagination playing tricks on him. He rolled the trunk forward slowly up the beat up drive way and stopped at the door. What should he do? Knock or...or... He shrugged and knocked with his left hand, lifting the knocker five times just for the fun of it. It echoed through the orphanage and fell silent before someone opened the door. Will found himself face to face with the Owner, or Mrs. James. The elderly lady who looked terribly angry at the moment, let a lop-sided smile cross her wide mouth. Wrinkles appeared on his slick face and gray hair was pinned up severely on top of her head. She resembled an over-sized walrus. It was apparent she put anti-wrinkle cream all over, but it didn't help her. It was unavoidable. Age. "Mr. Senetta," she said, spitting it out like something bitter. "What a pleasant surprise." She raised an eyebrow at his luggage but beckoned him in anyway. The snow at the bottom of his shoes was tracked in from being careless. Mrs. James pursed her lips in disapproval. William smiled at her and continued forward, the wheels of his trunk sliding on the wet floor.

"Go ahead and make yourself at home," she said when they reached Will's old bedroom. Or dorm. Whatever it was, it was much smaller than his room space at Hogwarts. He entered and Mrs. James left. He piled his stuff on top of his bed and threw the suitcase in the corner, not bothering to unpack it. He turned back toward the door, hesitated, and then walked resolutely toward it. He would get his coat later. He just needed to see the black stallion once before he did anything else. Or get warm, for that matter. He walked back through the halls of Cosswell before reaching the entryway and pushing open the doors. "Mr. Senetta!" A teacher called down the hall. William didn't recognize her. She must be a newbie. "Yes, ma'am?" William replied coolly, leaning against the open door. The woman shivered. She looked younger and didn't have a strand of gray in her blond hair yet. She actually looked about twenty-one. "Where are you going?" She asked. "Outside. I'll be back soon, no worries." William winked and walked out the door, shutting it behind the baffled lady. The chill in the air made him shiver as well. He rubbed his arms vigorously, creating as much heat as he could while he jogged into the forest. He grinned and breathed heavily at the same time, his breath fogging in the air. "Lucifer. I'm coming back. I'm coming." William called through the forest, his feet shifting through the thin layer of snow as fast as possible. He couldn't wait to get back to his horse once more. To see the arrogant, prancing, proud, wonderful, black stallion once again. Lucifer. I'm coming back, Lucifer. Just you wait.

[will]

"Why, hullo there." John McCartney said. William looked around, still in awe. It had been five days since the welcome wagon had arrived and he had ridden Luce again. The snow had let up and was slowly melting, but there was still a good half-inch or so on the ground. The stable that Will stood in was immense. About fifty horses stood in there stalls, twenty-five on each side. They all pranced and snorted, showing off the whites of their eyes to the intruders. William held on to the leather reigns precariously as Luce looked around in fear but also with... importance. Did he feel the superior here? William almost laughed. This was the main barn out of five barns. This was the one where all the champions were made in and where they relaxed. William couldn't believe John had brought him here. Had he bragged about Luce too much? An arena was on the other side of the large horse farm. William knew that was where they would try out eventually. He fidgeted with excitement just thinking about it.

John McCartney was about thirty. He had a muscular build and a tall figure, with so tan of a complexion he didn't look Caucasian. He looked more like African American. His green eyes showed through brilliantly under a mop of dark brown hair that nearly matched his skin tone. His hands were rough with calluses and blisters as well. William looked down at his hands, which had softened during his time at Hogwarts. Not good. John had apparently left school in the middle of high school, taking on his dream of training horses. He became a professional and was now sought after by most of the horse riding people in Wales. He looked over Luce with an expert's eye, commenting here and there. "A very nice build... You say he's a stallion, eh?" William patted Luce's neck. "Yes. He's about three years old, I believe. We don't really have a record of him." William was never fond of the orphanage, but now he felt a burning rage grow inside him.

"I see..." He scrutinized Lucifer some more before patting his neck. "A fine horse. He's been approved to try for a place in my stables, but even though he looks up to it, you have to be up to it as well. Looks ain't everything, eh? Eh?" He said with a crocked smile. William nodded, his stomach clenching into a fist. This was where the test came in. He had to prove he was a good rider. He had no fear for Luce, who could fly through the arena like a Pegasus, but Will... how did he look in a saddle? No one had ever watched him before. Would he mess up? William smiled at John. He seemed to be an understanding guy. Thank you, Lordie. "Well?" John asked when William didn't move. "Oh... oh." Will pulled on the reigns and directed a proud Lucifer toward the other barn which served as an arena.

It was full of the sand-like material that the horses ran through. William was surprised to see it was there; he had never ridden in that before. He looked around curiously. A small room was in the corner for watches when it was cold outside. Someone was inside at the moment. The T.V. flashed through the window. William tried to swallow but his throat was too tight. Poles were in the middle all lined up and prepared for a rider and horse to go over them. William stood near Luce in awe, not ready for this. Was he? Was he ready? John was telling him to get on already. William did so, talking gibberish under his breath to Luce, who's ears were perked backward to listen. He loved Lucifer at times like this. As soon as Will's weight hit the saddle, however, Lucifer jumped forward quickly. Maybe he wasn't used to a saddle, or maybe it was something else, but he didn't want to listen. As Will pulled the reigns back to his chest, Lucifer snorted angrily and pranced forward, finally stopping when feeling the bit pull back as well.

"Okay, boy. We're going to do this, kay? You just listen. To me. Listen." William chanted under his breath until Lucifer relaxed. He smiled and patted his neck. "Looks a little wild out there." John called in, looking impressed and surprised. William swallowed. Did he mean that as a good thing? "We're gonna start off with the basics. First, I want ya to do a walk around the arena once, then a sitting trot, then a posting trot, then a standing trot. Then I want ya to do a sitting canter, a posting canter, and standing canter. Ya change every time ya go around the arena, got it?" William nodded feverishly, feeling Lucifer pull against the bit. He was ready. "Walk 'em then." William nudged Luce with his heels and the black stallion picked up a slow walk. A few times he pranced forward, expecting a gallop, but Will held him at bay. After a round around the arena, William then nudged Luce again, except harder to go into a trot. He picked up his feet like the King of all the horses and was better. The way he pranced was fun for a while, but he wasn't supposed to do that. William quickly shook him out of it and they jogged on until they reached the end of their circle. What could go wrong now? William was starting to feel confident of his skills. Everything would get well now, right?

[will]

Will breathed in slowly the smell of Luce and the very horsey arena. Finally, they were here. Doing it all. Being perfect. Will stood up in the stirrups, wobbled uncertainly for a moment, but soon steadied himself. He hadn't practiced standing a lot during the short time he had at the orphanage with Luce. He had only started riding in a saddle at the end of summer, gosh! Will smiled in success as Luce only snorted, but continued to trot at normal pace around. He seemed to know that soon he could get his all out. Soon. Will nodded happily and was about to turn into a post when he heard a screech behind him. With a small turn of his head so not to knock Lucifer off course, Will looked back at the distraction. A girl about a year younger then him was on top of a gleaming bay horse. Will watched with fear and anger as the girl put her horse in a trot and went right up to them.

"Hey there," she said in that cowgirl voice. Will didn't even give her a smile. "Hey." Lucifer was a much more attention grabbing matter. He appeared happy to have a friend next to him, and quickly put on his prance, although Will could see something different in Luce's eyes. "Lovely horse you got there," she said sweetly, nodding at Luce. Will nodded briefly, straining to look at the girl and his black stallion under him at the same time. William had almost forgot. Post. He went up and down, matching the beat of Luce. Together they seemed as smooth as silk. One. Not two, not two different species, but one. Will sighed with relief, ignoring the girl next to him who was chatting about who she was and the horse she was riding. They went around once, and William smiled confidently, finally turning his attention back to the annoying girl who couldn't keep her mouth shut.

"- and so I got Star here." She finished, fondly rubbing her horses neck. Will smiled. "Oh. I have to canter now so..." He made a small shrugging movement. The girl nodded and Will gave Luce a small kick in the side. The horse instantly picked up a rather rough canter. Will brought him out of it with a small snap of the reigns. Luce slowed down to a reasonable pace and Will sat down on the saddle. It was a little bumpy, but not too bad, thank you. A movement to his right caught his attention and Will glowered. That pest was still beside him, cantering as well! What did he have to do to shake her off? "Star loves cantering," she said sweetly, as though they were in a car and not on a horse's back. Will, however, didn't get a chance to reply. Star was going a little faster then Luce and the girl was saying something about how fast Star could go and how she would show him.

Luce suddenly perked up, saw the horse in front of him, and that stallion energy was awoken and boiled inside his hot-blooded veins. The canter was forgotten and Will suddenly found that Luce was galloping full speed. Soon Star was behind, but the girl, probably thinking this was some sort of race (the idiot!) kicked her little bay horse and made him go faster. Luce, now breathing heavily, sped forward. It was amazing. Will found that he had trouble getting out of shock and fear. Soon he was pulling on the reigns, but that dang horse didn't listen. Like a wild beast, Luce unleashed his full power. He surged ahead of the horse, his hooves hitting the ground so hard Will found himself being slowly tilted off the saddle. It was bumpy in the worse way possible; his butt hit the hard leather without mercy. Will gritted his teeth and pulled harder on the reigns. Luce was probably frothing at the mouth by now from the bit, but did Will care? Yes. He stopped pulling, and taking that as a leave, Luce pulled forward even farther. Soon, he lapped Star without thought. The poor horse looked like it wasn't moving next to Luce. Amazed, Will nearly forgot about the whole thing until his mind registered John's voice.

"Reign 'em in! Pull back, boy! Stop! Stop!" Mr. McCartney screamed. Will pulled back with all his might, but pulled too much to his left and fell off the saddle. His knees hit the ground first, then his hands, which he thrust outward crumbled under him, and his face, not as hard as his knees, hit the soft sand like material of the arena. Will was later amazed he didn't pass out from the fall. Luce continued to run around the arena, looking like a rabid animal, foaming at the mouth from the sharp tugging of the bit a few moments ago, his eyes wide. His blue orbs of eyes shimmered with delight at over-running his horse and knocking off that pestering rider off his back. Free, Luce continued to run. By this time, the girl had pulled in to where John was standing in the middle of it all, dismounted, and jogged over to Will. She dragged him over to the middle of the arena after Luce pounded by. John was attempting to catch Lucifer. "Are you okay?" She asked worriedly. Will half-heartedly lifted his shoulders.

They were done. Done. Done! No more champions, no more anything. Luce had ruined it all. No, it was Will, it had to have been him. Will sighed and let the girl coo over him and look at his bruised knees. Her voice tuned out until Will heard a different tone. A man's. Lifting his head slightly, John bent down by Will. Luce's hooves were still pounding. John must've not been able to catch him. "Ya okay, eh?" The man asked. Will nodded, but that only made his head hurt. "I guess." John knelt down farther. "Well, stan' up then! Stop layin' round if ya are okay!" Will grabbed someone's shoulder and heaved upward. His knees wobbled uncertainly, but held and he managed to stand. "I'm sorry." He whispered to no one in particular. Everything seemed so embarrassing. No one heard him. "Well," John said after three minutes of just Luce's frenzy. He slapped his knee. "Lookies like we 'ave ourselves a racin' horse!"

[will]

"A racing horse?" Will asked skeptically as he held two ice-packs to his battered, bandaged knees. His elbows were also bruised and slightly bloodied, but he couldn't help those at the same time. Will leaned back, propping his feet up on the chair a few feet away from him. "Yah, racin' horse. Didn't ya see 'em go?" John McCartney said, looking very proud. "I was on him," Will said sourly. "For a little while anyway. Then I..." He looked down at his knees and that seemed to say enough for the time being. Other words seemed too painful. After a small pause of silence, John seemed to gather his wits back together. "But ya handled it well, that ya did. Tha' means ya 'ave experience, that. I woulda fell off too, bet." It was a nice attempt to make William feel better, but it didn't work. "I could've stayed on." William muttered under his breath. "How can I be a - a jockey if I..." He fell short and again looked down, swallowing back his words. Horses could be so amazing, but honestly very breath-taking in both ways. Will sighed heavily and looked up. "Is he... still out there?" The idea of Luce still going wild seemed remotely terrifying.

"Nah. 'E was brought in 'ere a while back." John nodded his head enthusiastically. "Calmed 'em down af'er lettin' 'em run 'round a little." Will sighed in relief and leaned back in the stiff backed chair. "'E's a good horse, Will." John said gently as Will closed his eyes. "I know." "Do ya wanna lie down fer a bit?" Will half-heartedly shrugged but didn't open his eyes. "There's a cot in the back there if ya do." Will heard him leave, closing the door behind him with a snap. The whole thing seemed like a dream. The steady throb of his knees, elbow, and head seemed like music, a horrible dance. Will stood up, grabbing the chair for support, and walked over to the back of the room. There was a cot waiting for him. Will tumbled into it without giving it a glance, letting the pillow attempt to welcome him to sleep. It didn't work, and Will laid there for what seemed hours before his tired emotions began to take their toll. Will dozed off just as he heard a car bumping along the gravel drive outside.

William woke up just as the sun was setting behind the horizon. The sky looked like a beautiful portrait; tints of blue, purple, and pink criss-crossed the sky, making it look very beguiling. Will's laid there for a while, just thinking over what had happened in the past few hours... Hours! Oh no! He shot up out of bed, hitting his elbow on the side-board. It rang and throbbed and Will clenched it, moaning under his breath, and folded back into the sheets. When the pain passed Will again sat up, but more carefully. His clothes were bed-ridden as well as his hair, but he didn't care. The whole thing seemed amazing. He must have slept for nearly four hours. He wobbled out the door, feeling that somewhat familiar invalid emotion. He had felt it on the Quidditch field after Dawn's play and he felt it now, as he hobbled about. Maybe he would need a cane? Ha, funny. William found John in the stables. "Did Mrs. James come for me?" Will asked quickly. "Oh, yah, they did. I told 'em that ya were sleepin' and ya would stay 'ere fer the res' of the year." Will's eyes widened in surprise, but was delighted at the prospect. Staying at a horse stable... what could he want more? This had been his wish for Christmas, and here it was, unfolding right in front of him even though the year ended in four days.

"Hey Lucifer. I'm gonna stay here for a little while with you. For break, I mean. And then I have to go back to school but... we can have fun here." Will fondly patted Luce's neck in the stable a while after talking to John and agreeing to stay here. Lucifer appeared perfectly stable at the moment, and was munching on his oats peacefully. He didn't even appear tired. He snorted abruptly and shook his head. "I know boy, but we can train. And then when summer comes around... we can train some more until we're the best. Then we can go in races. John thinks you'll be good at that. I... You got me pretty beat up, boy. I don't think I'll be able to ride tomorrow, and if I do the day after that, I'll be hurting. So don't get angry at me; it's your fault." William smiled and wrapped his arms around Luce's neck. "Good night." He stepped back, watched Luce go back to his oats, and then turned and stumbled down the hallway. Tomorrow was a whole new day, a whole new opportunity, just waiting for that sun to rise on the horizon. And Will would be ready. He would be ready.