[PRP] Define a Parent (Azhar & Flower)

[Lilly_Foxx]

Spring was in full swing. The birds were singing, squirrels and other small rodents scurried about on the forest floor. It was the season of new life. Flower loved spring, with it's sudden burst of colours and fair weather. As two rabbits hopped after one another, a soft smile slipped across her face. "Twiterpaded." She said to herself with a light chuckle as she watched them hide in a bush. She continued down the moss covered path to give them their privacy.

The mare looked around as she entered a small clearing. She was sure this was where she had told the foal to meet her. It wasn't in too far and was a fairly safe area, especially at this time of day. The dappled light played on her coat as she walked a few paced toward a small fork of a stream to get a quick drink.

She loved, lazy days like this.

Only Azhar could make it perfect.  

[cyhorse]

Just as the black and white mare had told him, Azhar appeared in the small clearing. She did seem to worry about him a lot. The kind mare was the closest thing to a mother the odd little foal would get. She was a nice mare, Azhar liked her a lot, the perfect mother figure.

The tiny foal's blond mane and tail were pushed back by the wind as he ran through the little clearing. Where was she? His baby blue eyes scanned the clearing for any black and white figures. Azhar's little ears flicked foward from under his little top hat. Maybe he would be able to hear her and find her that way.

The sound quickly came to him. Her hooves pushing through the grass.

As fast as he could, the foal ran over to the mare, a large smile spread on his face.  

[Lilly_Foxx]

Flower raise her head from the trickling water, a soft and warm smile on her face. "Lo love." She said nuzzling the colt fondly. She often thought about his current living arrangement.

Her two-legger, while good company, couldn't compare to that of another equine. Sure an adult would be great for conversation, there was something about Azhar's sincerity and innocence that she couldn't get enough of.

But she assumed he was happy where he was and he seemed to be safe when he ventured away, so that was really all the mare cared about; selfish thoughts aside.

She wanted to introduce him to other Usdia foals but didn't know of any. The mare knew how intimidating the "giants" were to one so young. Perhaps, she could remedy that problem...someday.

"And what have you been up to as of late?" She asked.  

[cyhorse]

The tiny foal nickered fondly towards the mare. She seemed to be his friend and mother. Azhar let the mare nuzzle him then stepped up to the side of the water and dipped his head down to get a sip of water for himself.

"Hi!" He finally said once he was done with his fill of the water. His eyes followed the water. Today was a nice day to run through the water, but that would only make his tan colored coat brown with dirt.

His eyes looked up towards the sky as he thought about what all he had done. There wasn't much to talk about. "I walked around a lot." He hadn't met any other soquili other than his mother and his aunt. "What have you been up to?" Azhar asked, hoping for a more interesting answer. His tiny blond tail flicked back and fourth like a puppies tail would.  

[Lilly_Foxx]

She thought about his question for a moment. Should she even mention the golden stallion she had run into several times? Well, not until he was more than a mere acquaintance.

"I've met quite a few Soquili. One from the country I was born in." She said with a smile. "And, a Usdia stallion." She added.

The mare wasn't sure what to think about Snitch. After all, the last stallion she had even attempted to befriend had left, never to be seen again. Her heart ached slightly at the memory. She would often take to rehashing what was said and done, trying to figure out what it was she did. Perhaps it was all the raw emotion he drug out of her? Quite possibly.

Flower looked to Azhar. "So, want to go on a walk and see what we can find that's interesting?" She asked. "The forest ought to chock full of things if we look hard enough." She suggested.  

[cyhorse]

The colt's ears quickly flicked towards his mother's voice. His normal smile sat on his muzzle. When she spoke of the different characters she had met, Azhar made sure to note how each one sounded.

"Where were you from momma?" He asked first, then she talked about the stallion. "Whats a usdia stallion?" Azhar hadn't ever heard the words stallion and usdia ever before. After all, he wasn't taught too much.

When she offered to go on a walk, Azhar's head nodded quickly. A walk sounded really nice at the moment. His little white and black hooves dug at the dirt as he waited for his momma to begin.  

[Lilly_Foxx]

The mare smiled fondly as she began to walk at a leisurely pace. She decided to answer his questions in reverse order.

"You and I are called 'Usdia's. The larger horses are 'Soquili'." She began. "Young boys are called 'colts', little girl's 'fillies', adult females such as myself and your Auntie are 'mares', and adult males are called 'stallions'." She said. "But where I came from...you and I were called 'ponies'. 'Usdia' I guess is just the local word for 'pony'." She said, never having really thought about it.

She thought about his next question for a moment as the country's name would mean little to the foal. "My home country was called England." She told him. "I came across the ocean on a gigantic sailing ship along with some two-leggers and their families. They kept calling where we are now, 'The New World'.

My home was quite different than yours when I was a filly. I lived on a farm which is just a big wooden sort of tee-pee made of trees in which a family of two-leggers live. There were other ponies, mostly old females so there wasn't really anyone to play with. They also had ducks, sheep, goats, cows, and larger massive soquili to pull carts and such for them." She hoped that would satiate his curiosity about her home life and her parents wouldn't come up.

"It wasn't too different than here if you were wild like we are except there were more grassy hills than there are now and the summers weren't as hot." She tossed her mane.

Now it was her turn. "What's the first thing you remember?" She asked him, arching a brow in curiosity. She hoped she hadn't accidentally picked at some old wounds for the youth, but it was too late now.  

[cyhorse]

Azhar tilted his head at his mother and smiled. He made sure to stay right by her side, it would probably make her feel better if he stayed there.

The colt sounded out the words after his mother was done speaking. Usdias? What a strange name. He liked Azhar far better. His little blond tail flicked behind him as he walked, trying to remember all of this his mother was telling him, though he would hear it in the future many times.

When she spoke of her old home, he thought for a second. "Are you going to go back to England?" He hoped not. Azhar didn't want to lose his mother. The little colt's ears stuck out from under his hat, a worried look sat on his face for a moment.

His blue eyes closed for a second as he tried to imagine the place she spoke of. All he could think about was the teepee. He quickly grew bored with trying to imagine where she used to live and gave up altogether.

At her question, he gave a thoughtful look. What did he first remember? "Um..." he started off, "Lotsa stuff! The HUGE sky and tall grass... and trees, lotsa trees!" Also, he remembered being alone, but that part he didn't dwell on too much.  

[Lilly_Foxx]

Flower chucked. "No, I don't think I'll ever go back." She told him. "At least not without you." She added before nuzzling him. The grass was lush and quite springy underhoof. The massive redwood trees began to thin as a mountain loomed ever closer. The mare wasn't really sure where they were headed but at his last comment she was starting to think that perhaps the tall grass meadows would be a better place to look. "

I think I might know where you're talking about." If so it would make a good place to stop and get some lunch. But even in the best of times it was a good three hours' walk from where they were. But so long as they stopped whenever Azhar got tired, even though the colt's energy knew no bounds, they would make it slowly but surely.  

[cyhorse]

When she said she wouldn't go back without him, a smile grew on his face. He nuzzled her in return and smiled. "I'm glad you wouldn't leave without me." His little tail wagged like a puppies tail would. His blue eyes looked up to the black and white mare. He bounded off, around the mare in a big circle once then stopped right back by her side where he was at first.

"Really?!" He thought for a second about meeting his parents. Slowly, he became more worried, but his face didn't show it at all. Not a single part of him showed his worry. Though, he thought about it: What if they didn't like him... what if he didn't find them? Only one way to find out. His head lifted up towards the mare. "Which way?"  

[Lilly_Foxx]

Flower beamed. She jerked her head in an easterly direction. "Thisaway." She said. "I'll race you to that stream up there." She said, her eyes glinting with mischief. Yes, expend as much of his energy as possible so he'll sleep tonight. That was the idea at any rate. She drew a line in the grass with her hoof and made a show of getting behind it for him. "Think you can beat your ol' Mum?" She asked.  

[cyhorse]

Azhar quickly jumped up to the line his mother made. His tail flicked behind him like a puppies would. He let his eyes scan towards the stream his mother was talking about. "I'll beat you!" Azhar said, trotting in place a little. He wouldn't let his mum beat him! Even though his legs were smaller than hers. Azhar waited for his mom to start the race, he wiggled in anticipation.  

[Devil NightShade]

A small shape moved like a snake through the shadows of the trees, her large wings were folded down tight to her back, but she had a few features that stood out against the shadows. Her three horns and the bright white glowing eyes for example stood out perfectly against the shadows behind her. They were a bright silver, and blood stained, and those eyes .. they were stark white, ferocious and glowing with a hate so strong it seemed to light them all of it's own.

She was singing, as her voice was a beautiful voice .. far out of place in the dark little kalona body.


"Masquerade!
Paper faces on parade . . .
Masquerade!
Hide your face,
so the world will
never find you!
Masquerade!
Every face a different shade . . .
Masquerade!
Look around -
there's another
mask behind you!"  

[Lilly_Foxx]

Flower chuckled. "We'll just see about that." She told him, planning on him winning anyway. She glanced to him. "Ready...steady...GO!" She called before waiting a moment and taking off. It was only fair of course since she announced the start. The mare had no idea that danger was skulking around the forest. Soon they would probably be running for their lives.  

[cyhorse]

Azhar's tiny legs carried him as quickly as they could once his mother yelled out that one, short word. "You can be better than that!" He screamed back to his mother. His little blonde tail flicked like a puppy's would as he ran as quickly as he could to the stream his mother had pointed out earlier. His hat stayed perfectly on his head as he ran ahead of his mother.