Pegasi, those not-quite-a-bird-and-not-quite-a-horse creatures, aren’t easy to come by, but once you find one, you’ve got a friend for life. Just ask Reyna Ramírez-Arellano. We can’t think of any demigod more qualified to teach us the ins and outs of pegasus care. After all, her pal Scipio, aka Skippy, is a pillar of Camp Jupiter.
Study the Family Tree
Pegasus isn’t just the name of the mythological species Skippy belongs to. It’s also the name of Poseidon and Medusa’s child, the first winged horse ever to grace the skies. All other pegasi you see flying around are the direct descendants of the original Pegasus himself.
Reyna had this to say about Scipio’s noble heritage:
REYNA: It’s annoying, because whenever Pegasus gets injured, all his offspring experience the pain. Skippy would whine for days after his dad stubbed his hoof or stepped on a LEGO or something. I can’t imagine what that would be like. If I ever felt what my dad was going through . . . oof. Actually, let’s change the subject before I say something I’ll regret.
Build a Community
Pegasi can get lonely when they aren’t surrounded by other members of their species. As the only Roman pegasus, no one understands this better than Scipio.
REYNA: Skippy was never particularly close with the unicorns at Camp Jupiter. They seemed jealous of his wings. And I think Skippy looked down on them because they weren’t warrior horses. Then again, Skippy looked down on everyone. That was kind of his thing.
Beware of Other Flying Animals
Just because two animals share the same sky, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll get along. For example, pegasi and gryphons are notorious for getting into some nasty fights.
REYNA: All I can say is, if you’re heading into battle with your pegasus, be sure to reinforce its armor. I can’t help but think that if I’d given him the proper shielding, Skippy wouldn’t have been poisoned by that gryphon above the Argo II.
RR.COM: Wait, Skippy was poisoned?
REYNA: Yes. I had to put him down to spare him any misery. It was one of the hardest decisions of my life.
RR.COM: Then who’s that standing next to you?
PEGASUS: Name’s Guido! Nice to meet you!
Know When to Move On
Okay, so maybe Reyna isn’t the best person to talk to if you want your pegasus to live a long and fulfilling life. But after seeing the kindness and strength she lent to Skippy, the original Pegasus bestowed Reyna with the title of Horse Friend and allowed her to be adopted by another one of his offspring: Guido.
RR.COM: Sorry about the mix-up.
GUIDO: No worries. Despite my natural good looks, people get me and Scipio confused all the time.
REYNA: Skippy may be gone, but I carry his memory with me every day, in every battle.
GUIDO: What happened to Scipio wasn’t Reyna’s fault. He knew what he was getting into. The truth is, we pegasi can usually take care of ourselves. Just give us a tasty apple every once in a while and brush the knots out of our mane. That’s all we ask for. Taking care of a demigod, on the other hand . . .
REYNA: One more word out of you and you’ll sleeping with the unicorns tonight.
GUIDO: But they’re so judgy!