By Saphron

Disclaimer: Well as you all know, none of these characters belong to me. Not Alanna, Jon, Raoul, Gary, or Moonlight. Nor for that matter, the stables, Lightning, or the sweltering hot day in Corus. The only thing that belongs to me is this crazy idea that I happen to have thought up. All credit what so ever goes to the wonderful and all-powerful, omnipotent Goddess Tamora Pierce. That's it for the disclaimer.

A/N (Author's Note) This is my VERY FIRST FIC EVER! Ever, do you hear? So I'm sorry if it's not very good. Any and all commentary is welcome. Yes, even flames (ironic, no?) PLEASE review! Even if it's just one little word. If nobody reviews, I will be very discouraged and probably never write another fic again. So I know you hear this a lot, but please, please, please r/r.

A/A/N (another or annoying author's note) This fic is set in "In the Hands of a Goddess." I'm not sure whether or not this is before or after Jon and Alanna became Jon and Alanna as in together. I dunno-you decide whatever you want it to be.

It was a sweltering hot day in Corus, and Alanna had just finished an exhausting workout with Lighting on a fake dummy when she heard a commotion nearby. She quickly ran towards the direction of chaos to investigate.

"What's going on here?" said Alanna as she reached the flaming stables, "Great Mother Goddess, the stables are on fire!" she swore, gazing at the blazing inferno.

Beside her stood Jon, grimly trying to retain his composure. Next to him was Raoul, a look of complete shock on his face. Gary was on the other side of her, staring blankly ahead.

The pages and squires had orders to stay behind so they wouldn't get in the way of the adults who were running around drenching nearby buildings and grabbing frenzied horses' reins.

When a mad neighing ripped through the air a sudden, horrible thought ran through Alanna's head. "Moonlight," she whispered, terrified, and then turned to Jon, "Jon, where's Moonlight? She's out of the stables, right?" When he only looked at her blankly, her voice trembled, "she's out, right? *Right* " she stressed further. He gave her look that stated all to clearly that her horse was still inside the conflagration.

Alanna didn't even take time to think; she pushed Jon back and starting running towards the fire.

But Jon and her friends were too quick, Gary grabbed her by the arms and hollered at her, "Alan, what are you doing?! You can't go in there! You'll be burnt to a crisp!"

Jon even did something he rarely did, give an official order, "Alan, I for*bid* you to go, you here me? As your prince and night-master I *forbid* you to stay right here."

But she paid him no heed; her beloved horse could be covered in flames as she spoke!

"Sorry, Jon," she whispered sadly, she didn't enjoy disobeying her prince, "but I'm NOT going to let Moonlight die," she used her gift to create a small explosion to knock Gary, Jon, and Raoul down. Not enough to really hurt them, but enough to stun them and give her enough time to reach the smoky wooden doors.

The last thing she heard as she entered the fiery incandescence was Jon yelling at her to stop, the next thing she knew smoke filled her lungs and stung her already-watering eyes, blinding and choking her in one. It was like drowning, only worse. The black air stung her nostrils as she struggled to breath, and the intense heat reminded her of when she had fallen into the iced lake back at Trebond, except it was shearing heat instead of freezing cold.

Up ahead she heard a frantic neighing, as she continued to struggle through the fallen timbers and scattered horse equipment. She finally reaching Moonlight's stall, but the door was locked! She tried reaching her hand over the door to undo the latch, only she couldn't see it and she was running out of time. The roof was already starting to collapse bit by bit.

Finally she just blasted the lock off with her magic and swung the door open. Using so much of her gift drained her of all her energy, but there was no time to blackout. Moonlight was going crazy, but upon seeing and hearing her mistress she calmed down enough for Alanna to jump on.

They quickly rode out of the gate towards the big double doors. Alanna gripped tightly to Moonlights bare back with her knees; there was no saddle or reins.

As they were nearing the ember filled doorway a huge puff of smoke rose into the air as the two double doors collapsed in front of the pair, creating a huge, fiery barrier and blocking our heroine and her steed.

Well now what? Screamed an irrational, panic-stricken part of her brain.

Either her horse was incredibly levelheaded; she was incredibly levelheaded, they were both incredibly lucky, or incredibly blessed by the gods, for the next thing she knew she was racing down the stable path towards the other end of the barn. There was no door in the rear, but there was, however, a very convenient and very *long* stretch of a dirt path, that would make the *ideal* runway.

She turned once again to face the flaming exit. *This is just a practice* she tried to calm herself, *just another practice. All we need to do is jump over the 'pole', like in practice…*

She kicked Moonlight hard with the heel of her boots and away she galloped. They were quickly gathering speed; embers and dust flew past them as they raced steadily towards the barrier, one thought in mind, to just get over. A fireproof spell that created a dim white-violet shield surrounded her and Moonlight, but she wasn't even sure if it was her who had worked it, for the next thing she knew she was…flying.

Soaring through the air, up, up, up, over the pile of dead timbers to land with a soft thump unto the springy grass below. Moonlight slowed down to a canter and trotted over to where Jon and the rest of Alanna's friends were standing speechless. They ran over to her, Jon in the lead. Alanna half-fell, and half-dismounted into Jon's waiting arms, he pulled her close and hugged her for all she was worth while Gary and Raoul ran up to them.

He whispered into her ear, "are you crazy?!" before he let her go. "Maybe," She answered right back, before she fell into a dead faint. Jon scooped her up as Gary said, "wow; that was the most amazing jump I have *ever* seen."

Jon carried her inside the castle and laid her on her bed. He stood there staring down at her pale figure, and whispered quietly, "May the gods keep you Alanna," before he silently left the room.

Well? You like? Please respond peeps if you liked, and please also respond if you didn't like. I need to know if this sucked or not. Thanx for reading.

~*Saphron*~