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 Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 9:48 am
Raguel was tired, but the exhaustion was soothing since it was a feeling that the stallion had missed over the years. His body was oddly relaxed, and his mind was beginning to feel clear and free. He was back to being with the mare he adored, and although he still had some resolutions to fix within the family, he felt joy in knowing that everything would be handled one step at a time. Rather then rushing into the many problems that seemed to surround him, he knew it was alright to relax, since it kept Angel just as comforted when he was calm and strong.
The stallion awoke before Angel, and he watched her for a moment as she slept. It was nice to see her relaxing so nicely, and Raguel smiled before moving himself into the distance. They had rested under a large oak, and the tree's size helped block a lot of the wind that plagued the land the night before. Despite the weather, the stallion was well rested, and for now he decided to graze while watching the sleeping beauty, since there was no reason to wake her so early. He was just glad that he could watch her from a distance and enjoy some of the grass that the land was peacefully offering him.
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 10:42 am
Dante was pacing, since he was finally off and by himself. So much had happened in the span of a few days, and the reality that he was facing from his family was too much to handle. Left and right he was running into random family members, and it bothered Dante that his gene pool was randomly expanding. Where were all of these people coming from? And why did his father.. why were there MORE children? They were perfect, and Dante was following them and the mother once for a split second just so he could see the result of his father's perfection.
It only reminded Dante of his failure once again, and the same anxieties drifted into the stallions head. Dante had been so happy for the past month of winter, but now he was back to feeling as crummy as he used to...
With a sigh, he kept himself glancing forward until the most unlikely of figures was grazing before him. By first glance, Dante thought it was his father! The absence of spikes changed the stallion's initial reaction, but now his confusion lied in the scars and traits of the stallion. He also felt familiar, as if carrying a connection with Dante. The stallion was careful as he approached, and he watched the white and black stallion with sheer curiosity. "Hello there.." he then said, rather awkwardly. His body was shaking since he was so nervous, but his eyes were loyal to his cause.
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 10:50 am
As Raguel lifted his nose off of the ground, his black eyes noticed the stallion that had approached him. How strange.. he carried some traits of the Angeni, and yet... there were spikes... SPIKES?! It couldn't be... Angel had told him about the pregnancy that Reaper had forced upon a young mare, but he was unsure of the connection between this gray stallion to his own son. "Hello to you." he then added, with a composed voice. Despite his internal reaction, he was rather comfortable with the circumstances. But could this really be? One of Gabriel's offspring?
The gray stallion was actually quite handsome, and Raguel wondered where such a face came from. When a shocking feeling melted in the stallion's stomach, he realized that the gray stallion looked just like Gabriel did many years ago...
"Are you Gabriel's son?" he then said, while hiding the sheer bluntness. He needed to know, since his thought's couldn't be wrong on this one. The genes were so similar that Raguel could even see himself in the stallion's presence! He then added, since he felt bad for his quickness, "Forgive me, but I must know." Something inside of Raguel felt the connection to Gabriel, and he couldn't contain his emotions any longer. He swished his tail back and for to try and distract his mind for the second, since this was big news if he really was right!
This sighting was also bringing Raguel one step closer to seeing the monster that became Reaper, since it had been far too long. Oh Gabriel..what had he done?
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 10:58 am
The stallion was nicer then he first expected, and Dante could easily sense the kindness that flowed out of the stallion's body. But still.. his questions threw Dante a hard realization, and here he was once again, finding someone else it seemed who knew his father. Should he lie? No.. that wouldn't get him anywhere, and Dante wasn't a liar. He was far too kind and emotional to fake anything. Instead, he would be honest and hope that good things would come out of the truth he would tell.
"I um, am Gabriel's son. His name isn't Gabriel now, its Reaper I'm afraid." His nose winced a bit as he restated the name out loud, and his body felt exhausted from remembering the truth to his upbringing. After recovering slightly from his crazy emotions, he decided to ask this stallion his own questions, and figure out how he knew his father! "Who are you? And how do you know my father? It seems he is a celebrity with everyone I meet.." Though, his favorite encounter was with his grandmother, since she worked hard to tell Dante about a different side of his father and of their pasts. That was initially how he learned about the whole 'Gabriel' thing. Angel spoke about his grandfather too, which left the stallion dreaming at night about a chivalrous stallion who was the complete opposite of his father..
"I'm afraid I can't be of much use in questions, since my father doesn't speak to me. Our relationship doesn't exist." Unless it was about Dante and potentially being killed..
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 11:26 am
Rather then being shocked, Raguel was actually quite pleased with himself, since he had identified one of Gabriel's children easily. The stallion only smiled warmly, before moving around the gray figure to get a better look at him. "Ah, I knew it." he then said, while replacing himself in front of the stallion. "Tell me, what is your name?" It was almost exciting now, to be meeting a.. grandchild! Even if the circumstances were hard, this stallion he was staring at was a sign of offspring, and it was amazing to put the genes and traits together.
"I suppose I should introduce myself. I don't know if you have met my mate, Angel. But, I am your grandfather." Expanding his smile a bit more, Raguel bowed his head slowly, before bringing it up in a regal manner. "I am Raguel, and I am most honored and excited to meet you."
It felt strange, to be meeting one of Gabriel's sons. From what the stallion said before, his situation did not seem like a good one. "Please, tell me about yourself. Why is your relationship awful with my son?" If anything, he was concerned, since he was slowly learning things about this 'Reaper' character..
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 11:34 am
Dante didn't know what to say. Was this guy.. serious?! "Raguel.... RAGUEL IS DEAD!" he then yelled, while backing his step up tremendously. "How could you do this, how terrible.. dishonoring Angel.." His grandmother.. she was so in love with him, and now this scraggly stallion was making things up?! "I don't care how you know about me, my father.. but why are you lying like this!"
Dante felt even more broken now, and something was not convincing him of the truth. Although this 'Raguel' was incredibly kind, Dante was not convinced. He was so confused, that he couldn't even look at the white and black figure anymore. "I don't know what to believe anymore.. Everything is always so messed up!" And he just couldn't get a break, could he?!
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 11:44 am
Raguel was a bit taken aback by the gray stallion's reaction, but if anything, how could he not understand the complexity behind the child's existence? This child, now stallion, had definitely experienced a life that Raguel could never understand. It wasn't his place to judge him for that, or to expect anything different. It was his place to make him feel better, and make things right.
But there was one thing that this stallion said that made him puff up with sheer happiness. "Thank you for caring about Angel this much, if she heard you, I am sure she would be overjoyed! You are truly her grandson!" Raguel then moved himself to show the sleep Angel in the distance, and he winked quickly before moving himself in front of the stallion again. "She is sleeping, we cannot wake her up you know. She is finally resting after days of realizing that I am truly here. That's why I can't wander far!" Nor would he ever want to of course.
He hoped that that was enough to prove to this stallion that he was truly here, but really, he was so taken aback by the child's passion for Angel. Angel must have talked to him, and Raguel could already pick that up from the gray stallion's emotional response. And how amazing was that? He wasn't surprised, Angel was always that wonderful to everyone she talked to. "Now, would you like to tell me about yourself? I'd love to listen!"
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 11:55 am
Dante's outburst made him feel shameful, and he lowered his ears as he noticed the bright spectacle that was snoozing the distance. That was, without a doubt, Angel. And this stallion? There was no denying the truth.. and Dante felt like an idiot. "Forgive me, I.. I just never know what to believe anymore. But I'm Dante, and it is nice to meet you." So this was Raguel. Despite his obvious injuries, the stallion was strong looking, and his age was not noticeable just as Angel's. But still.. how was he back? Things continued to get crazy as the facts piled up, but Dante knew it was a good thing that Raguel was back. Angel was most likely thrilled beyond belief, and now he had someone else who actually cared about him, and that was good!
"I was just so surprised, were you just never dead? Does Gabriel even know you are back, or alive?" Hm.. Dante sensed problems also arising from this! "My father well, its complicated to get into, but you know I was a mistake and all, and I've accepted that nowadays. He has a new batch of perfect kids to keep him happy." Dante's voice trailed off angerly, and he was disgusted with the new reality that he faced the other day. "I don't really know what else to say about myself, I'm just.. me I suppose."
He was being strangely distant, and Dante couldn't figure out why he felt so weird in front of his own grandfather. Could he ever warm up like he did with Angel? Or was he always going to be this strange in front of anyone important? It was definitely frustrating, and Dante couldn't decide on how to change himself.
"Oh, and I have a sister, Meera, and a brother, Ezriel. Ezriel is kinda on dad's good side, but Meera and I are the weak ones, even though Meera looks the most like him." Poor Meera, she was such a sweet girl, and Dante always worried about her. "Our mother is wonderful, she really helped us grow and learn. You would like her I am sure." His voice got a bit less shaky, and he tried to smile at Raguel before lowering his head again.
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 12:44 pm
Dante.. what an interesting name! And his siblings also carried names that were of equal individuality. Though the stories Dante told did not charm Raguel, since they were incredibly sad. Poor fellow.. it appeared Raguel had missed more history then he could understand! "I was never dead, I was only punished for something I did long ago.. but do not worry about me. Everything is great now!" Besides, Raguel was worried about his grandson, and he didn't need to talk about himself anymore!
"You are you, and that is great. Dante is great. What Gabriel err." he paused, since he was not used to the name change. "What Reaper says should never break your spirit. Does your mother think you were a mistake? I don't even believe Reaper would say that himself!" With a sympathetic grin, Raguel knew that Dante's existence was wonderful, and that it just took time to see past all of the history behind himself. "Your siblings sound so interesting! I will venture out and make sure to meet them as well. Are you all close?" Raguel hoped so.. he always imagined that a sibling bond was the closest one possible.
"Gabriel does not know anything at the moment. I haven't seen him yet, and I am still deciding when the best time is." And, it did concern Raguel that new children were born. And by the sound of Dante's voice, it was not a pleasant breeding at all. "You are a very interesting stallion, Dante. You must have so many friends and comrades, you would fit well amongst other Angeni." All Dante needed to learn was how to have some pride in himself, and Raguel knew with time that he could become something even greater!
"But what pains you? I can see it all over you, and in your eyes. What stops you from being happy?" It was a complex question, but Raguel was happy to drift into a complicated realm.
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 1:13 pm
Raguel was quiet about himself, and that surprised Dante. But if he wanted him to talk, Dante realized that he was sort of grumpy to oblige, since he really hated talking about himself. There was nothing to say, really. So why was Raguel so insistent? Dante knew it was because he was worried, but.. it was sort of uncomfortable to answer such specific questions. And if things couldn't get worse, Raguel even tossed him the most complex question that Dante could handle! With a noticeable sigh, Dante crinkled his nose before frowning in silence. A moment passed before Dante could say anything, since he was only focused on Raguel's last question compared to the rest.
"Its not that I am in pain, I just have a hard time dealing with anything. Its just the way I am, I've accepted it. I am a strange individual, and I just have to deal with it."
His response was tense, and he felt bad for excluding all of Raguel's other comments. "I'm really not interesting at all, I don't know where you get that from. I know you are trying to be nice, but I gave up on everything awhile ago." Despite all of the good advice he always got from those closest to him, he just couldn't change, could he? He really was pathetic. He needed to stop bitching all of the time.
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 1:21 pm
Dante was much more broken then Raguel could have ever imagined. But, there was one aspect of Dante that itched at Raguel's mind. Despite his childhood, his life had been good and happy. He was free, and he was free to do whatever he wished. Despite the pain that Raguel's son brought him, Dante HAD the ability to revamp himself, or at least, shape himself better. No one was holding him back, and that bothered Raguel.
"I'm afraid I can't be as supportive as Angel on this one." he then said, while raising his neck naturally in a dominant sense. "It looks to me like you refuse to see your full potential. You shut everything and everyone away, and assume that they will want to be shut away. That's all on you, Dante." Raguel felt bad for taking such a hard stance with the boy, but why sympathizes with him if that's what everyone else did? "Realities are made by those who care enough to work on them. What have you done for yourself? I can tell you work on others as much as you can, but what about you? Why have you given up?"
Raguel was sure that Dante couldn't answer his last question, and that was the stallion's point. Life was complicating, and Dante's approach to shutting himself out was not that easy, and Raguel would prove that to him since it was necessary!
"What do you want to happen? Don't you ever hope or dream?"
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 1:34 pm
Raguel's response irked Dante, but he was surprised and left more uncomfortable then before. Was Raguel seriously doubting him? Dante was waiting for a praised advice or something, but Raguel just wouldn't have that. He was being much tougher then Dante could have imagined, and he was once again left speechless for a manner of minutes.
"I probably don't have a justifiable answer." Dante then said, while shaking his head back and forth. "Or at least, I don't have an answer that you will enjoy. I don't dream or hope, I just do. Sometimes I feel like I have given up, but other times I know I am just being depressed I guess." Did he really shut others out? He never thought of his actions in that sense, and it was bothering his mind as he thought about it. Although Dante cared so much for those around him, sometimes he assumed too much about their personal opinions. He always assumed the worst, since that was easier.. and that was something he never even realized..
"Ok fine, that is a good point." Dante then admitted, while slanting his ears suddenly. "But change is really hard, it can't just happen when I want it to. It only happens when I don't want it to happen!" Life was awesome until he saw the new batch of kids, and Dante was now left in the same whole as before.
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 1:47 pm
Apparently his words were affecting Dante, and Raguel was happy to see that he was so confused. "I think you should think about things more, and realize that everything is always more complicated then it seems." With a calm nod, Raguel walked a few steps away from Dante, before stretching himself in a lazy manner. "This is something only you can figure out, I don't rest in your mind, nor can I save you from anything. Its just a matter of patience and harmony, and I think your brain needs some more happiness and harmony. Try and find out what makes you comfortable, and go from there. We all just want you to be happy, Dante. I think you would benefit from that too."
He was sure Angel would have agreed with him there, and Raguel sighed quietly while lifting his legs and turning to look at the sleeping mare. "I suppose I should wake her up soon.." he then said, while looking at the sky for some kind of answer or something. "But it seems you are still distressed, and that worries me. How can I know you are going to be alright? I understand that your father is a harsh anxiety, but you can't let it control everything."
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 1:55 pm
Dante had to confess to Raguel for his poor behavior, and he scrunched his nostrils before replying again. "I am sorry for my horrible attitude, I have been negative lately. But I do appreciate everything you said, there are some things that I never think about, and you definitely enlightened me. So thanks so much, Raguel." If there was one thing Dante could agree on with Angel, it was that Raguel was incredibly impressive. Not only was his advice smart and quick, but his appearance and expressions were memorable. He really was the perfect blend to fit in with Angel. How cool was that!?
"She has been sleeping for awhile, hasn't she?" He moved his own eyes on Angel, and he smiled slightly before shaking his mane out in a huff. "Well, I have quite a lot to think about now, and I can thank you for that. I do hope that next time we meet I will be over this whole 'next generation of children' thing." With a light shrug, Dante chuckled for some reason, and then stretched his own legs as if mimicking Raguel's first move. "But seriously, thanks for talking with me."
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 2:00 pm
Raguel sort of guessed that Dante was flustered internally, so in a sense he forgave him for his grumpy attitude. He would have naturally forgave him anyways, but it was sort of fun to act all tough towards the younger stallion! It made him feel wise, even though he was rather goofy when others weren't looking. "It was no problem. I am so glad I was able to meet you, Dante. I expect nothing but good things from you." Raguel had a great respect for the gray stallion, since he was the complete opposite of his son. He could have followed Reaper, but he didn't. And, whether Dante wanted to admit it or not, that made him incredibly strong. If only he knew..
"But for now, I need to go tend to Angel. But I bid you well, Dante! Please come visit us again." And hopefully next time, things would be more open and honest for the both of them. There were so many distractions at the moment, that their exchange was enough to handle.
After saying his goodbye, Raguel walked back towards the same oak tree, and grinned at Dante before nosing his way over to Angel and figuring what they were going to do for the day. He would definitely insight her on his conversation with Dante, but until then he would enjoy her sleepiness, since he was always happy to comfort her while she tried to wake up!
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