Safara
Legacy Name: Safara

"I'm telling you: one day I ate so many buffalo wings that I just bursted into flames."

"I don't think that's how it happened, Safara," Patricia adjusted her sunglasses and let out a sigh. "You should really start being more honest with people. Especially me."

Safara rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to walk away. All she wanted was a day out with her best friend, and of all places, Patricia chose the beach. The last time Safara was on a beach, it happened. She shuddered at the thought, digging her hooves into the sand next to her beach towel.

"Are you ever going to tell me? I mean, you didn't always look like this, did you?"

"No," Safara glanced at Patricia and smirked. "I used to be boo-hoo-blue. Now I am hot - like fire!"

Patricia groaned loudly. "You need to stop with the jokes when I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you."

"How am I supposed to take you seriously when you wear a party hat 24/7?" Safara snapped. "I don't want to talk about dying, is that so hard to understand?"

Patricia pawed her party hat, a pout smearing onto her face. "You died?"

---

"My human and I were on a quest. It was a typical Monday night. We weren't expecting anything out of the ordinary, just gather the items and report back.

The Wizard wanted some stuff we could get at the Carnival, so my human thought we could make a fun night out of it, you know? Play some games, get some snacks, finish up the quest, and head back. But I wanted to go to the beach. My human said we could go the next day and bring along everyone, but I wouldn't listen. She was playing with the vending machine, so I ran off by myself when she wasn't looking.

It was dark outside and the beach wasn't lit by the Carnival lights. I kicked sand up with my hooves, ran around in circles, it was the most fun I'd ever had in my entire life. And then I stared out into the ocean, watching the waves come and go. I'd never been swimming before, but how hard could it be?

One hoof in. Two hooves in. Then three, then four. The water splashed up my legs, wetting my fur. So I stepped further and further in until the water was up to my neck. Wave after wave headed towards me and before I could realize what was happening, I was under water.

The waves don't look very menacing from far away. But once you are engulfed, being flipped upside down underneath the water, the terror of the ocean is clear.

I don't remember dying. I remember opening my eyes and staring up at an old man holding a bottle, still pouring its contents into my mouth.

'Just a little bit more. You'll be okay. You're already waking up. Come on.' His voice was calm yet shaky, but incredibly familiar. My skin began to burn and I let out a cry. 'It won't hurt for much longer. You will get used to it.'

I saw my human running up behind him, screaming. He assured her that I would be fine and that sometimes rebirth is exactly what we need. She was crying in his arms. He told her not to worry about the quest. Realizing it was the Old Wizard, my eyes closed and I was unconscious again.

When I finally woke up again, I was home. My human sat next to me, eyes still puffy and red from tears. I stood up, looked down at myself, and realized I was on fire.

She explained what had happened to me. I died. The Wizard was searching for us to let us know he'd asked for the wrong items on our quest. He saw me washed up on shore, dead. He had a Reborn Potion on hand and poured it into my mouth. She said a lot of fancy metaphors about rising from the ashes, but I couldn't listen anymore.

I had nightmares about the ocean for a long time after that and I don't think my human has been to the Carnival since. But it's much easier to just tell people that I ate so many buffalo wings that I just bursted into flames, because then they laugh, I laugh, and I don't need to relive death again, and again, and again."

Story by @traitorousclod
Profile by @FallenSamurai
with edits by @traitorousclod
Background by Carl Black