(PRP) When the Light Is Gone

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

Epitaph saw his mother's smile falter. He was not sure what he had said to make it falter, but he knew that it had been something. But quick has as it came, it was gone. Her eyes shone in the starlight, glowing brighter than the fireflies around them. "Tell us the one about the flower, the swamp flower." He nestled closer to his sister. Witness is going to love it." It was, in fact, his favorite story though it had no pirates or faeries or major battles.

There was something about it that made his heart soar in his chest and made him believe that this story was perhaps the truest of them all, though they were all true to him.  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

"The Swamp Flower?" Witness tilted her head as Shiloh nestled against her. The cool, scaly skin of her friend was comforting. "What's a swamp flower?" She looked up into the radiance of her mother's eyes, intrigued to hear her first bed time story. It must be a good one if Epitaph loved it so well.

The sounds of teh swamp soothed her and she felt lulled into a peaceful bliss as she listened to the thrumming of the hearts of those she loved nearby. The crickets chirped and the sounds of summer drifted across her like a warm blanket.  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

Aella let the sounds of the night carry her away, let the thoughts of love and loss fall away from her until she was encased in the warmth of the night.

"There was a swamp, much like this one..."  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

That was the way the story always began. It was easy to wonder if it was actually this swamp. Maybe it was? And maybe the very story had happened here? Maybe that's why his mother loved to tell it. Maybe she'd been a part of the story? Or maybe she'd seen it happen? He didn't know, but he knew that it was his favorite and he hoped it would be Witness' too.

He felt the warmth of the summer night pulling him down into slumber, but he resisted. He needed to hear the story, he didn't want to miss it at all. Epitaph forced his eyes to stay open as his mothers voice drifted to him as soft and sweet as a lullaby. Witness shifted next to him, her ears pricked forward listening.  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

Beside her, her brother seemed almost to be dozing. But Witness was wide-eyed and awake, intent on the story as though her life depended on it. She listened in rapt attention as her mother told the story. The flower, really, wasn't a flower after all. The flower wasn't even another someone, the flower was yourself.

You see, everyone was searching for something in life or someone to bring them happiness. And though the stallion in the story searched long and hard with his faithful friend at his side, he was too blind to see the truth of it all. That he could not find happiness by needing it from someone else. And the thing that would make him happiest, was the mare that had traveled beside him all this time. Because he was the swamp flower and so was she, the thing one searched for when there was no need of it. One had to find one's self before they could find someone else.

Her mother smiled at her, soft as benediction and her heavy eyes closed tightly to dream.