Pegasus

Chapter 1: Head in the Clouds, Feet Firmly on the Ground

Annika, twirling and gliding, was a sight to behold, as she leapt in the air and made swirling patterns on the ice, through the thin layer of frost which covered it, making it not quite smooth but not too rough-- especially not for this beautiful, blond ice skating princess.

Her movements were elegant and flowing, as she vaulted over... a small, furry thing? Annika decelerated and turned. Eyes, blue like Annika's, stared up to meet the princess. The two pairs of eyes, one pair cute and innocent, surrounded by white fur, the other set with determination like always.

They connected for a while, still and silent, until the ones belonging to the kind princess turned upwards in a smile, and the princess broke the silence. "Why, hello! Sorry, I didn't see you there." She laughed lightly. "I suppose I got carried away with skating again and brushed off my surroundings."

The girl became a bit dazed, a spacey look in her eyes, and her voice became wistful. "Nothing but ice and the feeling of the wind, whipping your face as you sail through the air, like--"

Annika cut off and glanced back at the polar bear. It blinked at Annika, who sighed regretfully. She knew what other people would think if they'd seen. That princess, reflecting and telling her musings to animals again. But Annika didn't care-- not really. She always had been-- and always would be-- that strange but quirky princess, who had her head a bit up in the clouds.

But even if her head was partially up there, Annika also had a sense of being there, on the ground. The princess had that ability to capture everyone's attention. The atmosphere of a room would change if she walked in, and people would never fail to notice. But she would still be daydreaming, contemplating.

Her steady eyes but thoughtful expression baffled everyone. She could be so absorbed in her ponderings, in one way barely there, but in another, far from it-- her feet still planted firmly in the ground, her presence powerful and resonant in others' minds. She was an enigma that would not be solved.