The first time staying out all night [Any]

[The Tin Man]

Hearts will never be practical,
until they can be unbreakable.
(But I still want one.)

Beqanna was turning out a lot more normal than the Tin Man expected. It actually seemed like the various herds kept to themselves more than normal horses did, seeing as some of the natives were immortal and others had wings. And still other horses had that lurking "magic" smell despite looking perfectly normal, which meant they could probably shoot fireballs or some shit.

Although the lack of fighting might have also been because some Beqanna horses made vague references to the land being different a while back. Not just "different leaders are in charge," but the actual LAND used to be different. The hills weren't always there, and the islands weren't always settled, and the common areas like the river are the only things that are still the same...

It was lucky most of them didn't want to talk too much--nobody ever explains WHY things changed, but it's often said with the quiet, shameful tone of "mom got really, really mad at us," and the Tin Man gets a liiiiittle freaked out. He's not at the point where he can ask WHO made the land different, at least not yet.

So now the snowflake Appaloosa is wandering around the river, trying to get the creepy-crawlies away from the back of his head, when he spots a blessedly normal bay stallion and heads over.

"Hi!"

Crap, Normal Bay Stallion has the magic smell on him, so he's not actually normal! Also, he has a crapton of fight-scars and the Tin Man shakes his mane a little to fend off the creepy-crawly feeling yet again. Most horses had a few fight scars, the Tin Man included, but not enough to cover them like a blanket. Fuck, he has to say something before--

"You look like a mess."

...Someone kill him now.

"Okay, I really shouldn't have said that, but... you do."

The Tin Man