|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 2:01 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 2:22 pm
 |
|
|
|
Yellow-orange eyes gleamed in the darkness, standing in brilliant relief against a backdrop of shadows. Down near the earth, smoke rose and swirled around the night dark form of a stallion who seemed to be made of the stuff of dreams... of nightmares. His hooves were engulfed in flames that gave just enough light to shape his features, and hair. In the light of the fires that hell spawned, that his anger birthed, he seemed almost statuesque, standing perfectly still and tall. Brimstone stalked the night once more, forsaking the day for a time. It was, after all, where he belonged. Now, if only he could find his brother to share it with him. They had once spent so many hours together, traveling about these plains, and through the forests. Before that, they had lived in another place entirely, and that had been enough for him. But their new explorations had brought them here, and now he had somehow lost track of his closest of partners.
Where was his twin? Had Reaper gotten to him in the end? He was convinced that that was not possible. He felt sure that he would've known, would have sensed it. As foals together, they had always known when the other was in trouble, or hurt. It was a part of their twin bond. Glancing about, he became unfrozen, and began to wander through the night. There was the faint scent of nightmare along the path ahead of him, but it didn't quite smell right. Not like Hellfire. Still, that other might know where his sibling had gotten off to. After all, their race seemed to very sparsely populate this place. He twisted his lips into a grim smile. It was a place of rainbows and sappy, heartfelt declarations. Pledges of love, and devotion. Could one of his kind ever be that way, he wondered. He doubted it. There was too much fire to them to be so weak. Yet... he could be wrong about the others. It was possible, just barely possible, that they had found similar ties in this land.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 1:13 pm
|
|
|
 |
The sun had set over the horizon far too quickly for Kindle's tastes. She'd spent the last few hours exploring the depths of the forest, on the endless search for the young adult that seemed to have disappeared into thin air.
Was it only yesterday that she had returned to her family's cave to find her father grieving inconsolably? Since the discovery of her youngest brother having gone missing, Kindle had begun the hunt for him in the forest area he was last seen around with his other brother Pyre. The mare had never seen her father so upset before, and it distressed her. How a young stallion could have disappeared so quickly was beyond her, and she prayed silently to the spirits above that he could be returned safely to the cave. Although his physique had grown with age and he could now be seen as an adult himself in the physical sense, Kindle knew of his fear of the darkness and the creatures that resided within it. It hadn't been a secret, his terror of the supposed skinwalker that had attacked him one fateful evening, so it didn't make sense that Smolder would have run off to begin with. Pyre hadn't seemed to have a clue of his whereabouts, and her other sisters at the cave had stayed behind to console her father and mother.
This were looking grim indeed, but Kindle knew of nothing else she could do. What else did one do but search?
Deep in thought, her ears and eyes missed the arrival of a newcomer in her territory, her own fire sparking at her feet as her emotions strained over her fretting.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 11:05 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 6:10 pm
|
|
|
|
Her head quickly shot up from it's tilted peering as she heard her own name said aloud from within the darkness. She had paid no mind towards anything to the side or directly behind her, but had remained steadfast in her search forward, in hopes of seeing another blaze of fire in the distance.
Nearly jerking around at the deep sound of the male's voice, Kindle saw the fire before she saw the stallion. The voice wasn't totally unrecognizable, but it was a voice long from her past that she could never forget. A voice that had caused her many nights of laying beneath the stars in wonderment, as to her own alignment in life.
"Mister Brimstone!"
Color immediately flushed to her cheeks. What was she, some kind of foal? She was young when she met him, surely she shouldn't be so formal, much less skittish like an unexperienced mare.
But I AM unexperienced, her thoughts betrayed her, the silhouette of the stallion giving way to finally expose the dark male she'd met as a child.
He had barely changed, from the brief memory she held of him, the one other Nightmare she'd ever met aside from her mother. The Nightmare she'd admired for what he was, as her own kind had taken a path that was...rather unorthodox for the breed. And yet, he'd still accepted her for what she was, the mixed blood of both Nightmare and non.
"I..."
What was she to say? She'd given deep thought into the question he posed, ever since she and he had first discussed the idea of what a Nightmare was, all those months ago. Had she strayed from the path? Had she even been on the path to begin with?
"I... have yet to discover who I am," she admitted truthfully. Nights and days had spent debating on the difference of good and evil, of light and darkness. Her motives and instincts conflicted with one another, and yet the fear deep within her remained. Was she doomed to never find out?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 10:18 pm
|
|
|
|
Ahhh, there was the Kindle he knew and loved. Well, not loved, because he did not truly know the mare, but had fond memories of. That blush was quite charming. Did she know that? Someone should tell her. "That flush is rather becoming, young Kindle." No, he had no bones about such things. He'd added in the 'young' to tease her just a little, but he didn't truly think of her as so very young. He, of course, had not been a particularly old stallion when he'd met her, and still didn't feel old. Besides which, he'd never met her mother, so he couldn't really place her in perspective with her family. His anger had quite melted away... which was a good thing. Anger tended to make things around him burn more than they really needed to. He liked to be in control of himself and his surroundings, and pure rage got in the way of that. "Well, don't worry too much about that. You'll discover who and what you are in time." She'd not lived for so long that her indecision had shaped her. The tall stallion circled in closer, and decided to discover what he could of his young friend. "Is there anything I can do for you?" he inquired, an eyebrow raised jauntily.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 3:39 pm
|
|
|
|
Her cheeks darkened even more with his comment, but she did well to keep her head poised and high. Daring to give off a grin herself, thoughts of her missing brother were beginning to quickly dissipate as the stallion's presence took precedence in her mind.
"I'm not that young anymore, you know." she quickly returned, flipping her shorter mane back from falling across her vision. "I may not know my place in the world yet, but I'm certainly ready to take on whatever the world might be ready to throw at me!"
And, just like that, she settled into a feeling of comfort, replacing the nervous anxiousness she'd first experienced at seeing the stallion she'd always looked up to as a child, regardless of his lack of presence in her life. The young mare had always imagined and reenacted in her mind what it would be like to run into him again, always fearful she'd stammer and make a fool of herself due to her high regards and respect. But she was proud of herself.. there was no bumbling; in fact, she had a feeling she would enjoy impressing Brimstone with the talents she'd grown to have over the year since they first met.
But their timing, however, was far from perfect. As he offered assistance, her mind jolted back to the situation at hand, towards her lost brother among the woods.
"Smolder, my brother..." she started, glancing back towards the forest, slightly ashamed with herself for having so quickly forgotten her own brethren. "I...he's lost out there. We haven't been able to find him for days. I'm not sure what to do at this point, to be honest, but I promised my family I would at least search for him. Are you good at finding missing things, Mister Brimstone?" she asked, unable to hide her growing smile.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 3:41 pm
|
|
|
|
"I'm afraid that I have no idea where your brother might be. Of course, given that he is a nightmare as well, it may not be very difficult to find news of him. How many nightmare foals are there, really? I haven't seen a one of them since first meeting you. You are quite singular, after all... but you say that you have siblings now, hmm?" Cute little Nightmares that he would naturally love to meet. They took the rough, hard edge off of him, and he couldn't stop them from doing so. It was simply in his nature. He was, to be perfectly honest, incapable of being overly harsh with his own kind. There was an exception to that, however, and that exception was Kindle's mother. Or rather, the mare he supposed to be Kindle's mother. "How have you been, darling? You look well, aside from the obvious worry. I'll help you. It's no skin off of my back, of course." And even if it had been, he would have helped her regardless. He was a terrible sucker for a mare in need. Especially a mare that he was already fond of. With a slightly rakish quirk of an eyebrow, he tilted his head to look at her more directly. "If you are so ready to take on the world, Miss Kindle, then why are you blushing?" He smirked, unable to keep back that particular response to her rather adorable behavior. She was exceptionally cute when she was flustered, try as she might to hide it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 3:41 pm
|
|
|
|
Her heart sank momentarily as he mentioned not having spotted her brother, not that she should have expected Brimstone to have randomly encountered him to begin with, of course! She took silent pride at his compliment, giving a gracious headnod towards him. "I have two sisters and one brother who, unfortunately, take after my father, and bear no flames of their own. Well.. at least, Smolder bore no flames as a foal, though I've heard rumor there's a chance he grew into some with age? Aside from that, I do have one sister and one brother who were born with flames... though I dare say any of them show any semblance of pride for their heritage."
With that, she let out a snort, her disgust for her own family evident. Kindle had never understood how her siblings could simply ignore what they were, disregarding a wonderful gift they'd been given inadvertently, thanks to their mother. Only she had seemed to care for what she was, and it disappointed her greatly that the rest did not, which was very much so one of the main reasons why she no longer remained at home with her family. Instead, she'd chosen to explore the world, to discover the wonders it held while attempting to figure out what wonders were hidden within herself at the same time. Only out of loyalty and kinship towards her bloodline had she returned home, in search of a lost and wandering young adult whom she herself had barely known.
"I've been... suprisingly well, for one who has no path in life." she let out a small laugh, hiding her frustration. She was healthy, and for the most part happy, so... that could be considered well, right? Aside from the fact that no, she had no place in the world that suited her fancy, and the lack of others for company, she was content, so to speak.
Her ears perked at his offer, and she smiled with a nod. "It would be greatly appreciated, but I would hate to keep you from any task you were on before our encounter. And how have you fared, since our last meeting, Mister Brimstone?"
Her face betrayed her as he gently teased her for her cheek's coloring, and they reddened yet again. Hiding her embarrassment, she quickly turned around and began a trot, expecting, or rather, hoping, he'd follow after. "I don't know what you're talking about!" She called out as she refused to turn to look back, mentally attempting to will away her reddened cheeks, "I'm sure it's just the weather; after all, the summer air can be so humid!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 3:43 pm
|
|
|
|
"Uh huh. Of course it's the weather. Why ever else would it be anything else?" Brimstone teased gently, very amused by Kindle's response. So, he could get to her. That was amusing. He was pretty sure he'd seen her cheeks redden again, before she turned away. "To be honest, and it is always better to be honest, I am on no great mission, or running any menial errand as of now. I would be happy to help you." Happier still to keep the company of an appealing, engaging young mare who had no expectations of him that he knew of. It was possible, probable even that she had some ideas about him that were false, or unformed, but if she did she had not voiced them just yet. "I've been well. I had a couple of rough spots, mostly involving the usual ruffians who feel it is their right, and even their duty to push unattached mares about. I've never held with that." And he never would. He was a lover of mares, in general, though not in the physical sense. Brimstone had never gotten that lucky. Certainly not in living memory. "Not a single flame? That's a true shame. You are quite lucky to have taken after your mother's side of things, m'dear. It suits you." Undoubtedly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 3:44 pm
|
|
|
|
"I am lucky, indeed." she practically boasted, slowing her trot down to a walk now that her face felt physically cooler, as she ignored his continued teasing. "I pity those who have never experienced the wonder of what it is to bear a flame for themselves. I was born very fortunate, as odds seem to be against half of my own siblings."
She finally turned her head back around to meet his gaze with her own reddened eyes, focusing on his words, though was slightly troubled with what he had to say. "Pushing... mares? Why... why that's horrible! Just despicable! I'd stomp the b*****d out myself, if I ever came across him!"
Her walk had stopped, her anger evident at the mere idea. "I surely hope you took care of such a monster, though I have no doubt, from the way you phrased it, that you did indeed! Just... just ughhhhh! HORRIBLE!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 3:44 pm
|
|
|
|
"Not to worry. I set him on fire. He had a lot of spikes, and things, but they didn't make him any less flammable. The ladies got away, fortunately." He had taken a beating himself in the process, but it had been entirely worth it, and in the end he had gotten away anyway. "I don't look kindly on stallions who seem to think that their desire for a mare means that she must automatically surrender to them. Foolish creatures." And Brimstone really didn't have to put up with that kind of behavior. Being a Nightmare, he had the ability to put them firmly in their place. It might take a good deal of effort on his part, but it was completely and entirely worth it. "You are lucky, and so am I. So is my brother, honestly. I hear he found himself a lovely Nightmare of his own. A beautiful creature much like yourself." Only, most likely without her patterns.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 3:44 pm
|
|
|
|
Her anger was soothed over by his words. "Spikes, you say?" she echoed, seemingly more than impressed at the idea. Although she'd wandered the land for a great length of time, she'd never had the fortune (nor the misfortune, she should probably say), of running into a creature as formidable as the one Brimstone spoke of. Part of her was relieved by this, while yet another part of her was saddened by the lack of adventure in her life that she was eager to take part in. "Well, I'm glad the mares were able to escape and you could show this... monster up, though I admit I'm far more glad that you made it out of that situation as well as you seemingly fared."
Well, that was definitely an awkward statement to make, despite the truth that lay behind it. Sure, they had not seen each other in quite a while, but Kindle knew in her heart she'd be distraught at finding out any news that the older stallion had met his demise, especially in a fight. Ignoring her own embarrassing words, she motioned her head forward, in the direction of the trees. "Smolder is a rather dark skinned being, darker like yourself, with a slight red pattern on him. His hair is light, like fire, though it lacks the flame of one."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 3:46 pm
|
|
|
|
"It may have escaped your notice Miss Kindle, but you are a rather dark skinned being as well," Brimstone said with a sly grin. "Although just a bit paler than me, I think. A smokey grey." A lovely color, that was almost black. Why exactly was he paying so much attention to her appearance? Really, it was very silly of him. Honestly, what was he thinking? He had met her once as a foal, and suddenly she was so fascinating to him that he was almost faltering in his steps as he followed her, paying far too much attention to her than was strictly speaking polite? Silently, he berated himself, reminding himself that she had been a foal, and it was completely inappropriate for him to think of her in such terms, even if she was a fully grown mare now. She was still young, and younger than he. A good deal younger. Besides which, he was likely to confuse the poor creature, and possibly overwhelm her if he exerted himself. He really, truly did not want that. "Yes... the stallion had spikes all over him, and a pointed tail. He was definitely one of the more interesting looking folks that I've met."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 3:46 pm
|
|
|
|
"I see myself as far more grey than the beautiful black that you and my brother possess," she admitted, always blaming her father on her lighter toned complexion. "So in all fairness, he would take much more after you, than myself." She turned around in a circle to show off what she meant, ignoring the fact that neither could probably notice the slight difference in the darkened night sky. The sun having set and the moon barely sneaking its way between the tall branches of the trees overhead, Kindle was only able to tell her way around thanks to the duo's flames, which cast shadows against the neighboring trees with each step they took. Aside from her rather charcoal coloring, she was pleased with the patterns that danced across her body, that hinted of a darker black and light whisper of exoticness with their design. She paused in her twirl, shaming herself. Why in the world was she trying so hard to show off? She was more than sure Brimstone had better things to do with his time than to put up with her nonsense. He was being more than kind, as it was, in offering to assist in searching for Smolder, who, Kindle was reluctant to admit, hadn't been on her mind practically at all since she'd run into the other Nightmare. No doubt was she being a silly little foal in attempting to impress him... after all, what was she trying to gain, out of showing off? Her eyes searched across his face, as if hoping to see some sort of response. They were quick to look away, however, as her mind chastised her continuously for acting so utterly silly. "I'm sorry," she said softly, shaking her head as she gave a nervous laugh. "I don't seem to have grown up at all, have I?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
