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 Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 7:16 am
 Bright Dusk was the sort of colt who had to be forcibly reminded that there was a dark cloud to go with every silver lining. To him, violent storms were wonderfully refreshing, vicious wolf-packs were comprised of happy puppies, and stallions who went through mares like they were straw bedding obviously had only the kindest and most chivalric intentions at heart.
Bright was not a fool. Nor was he particularly sheltered. But he wore his optimism like armor, letting it shield him from all that was murky and unpleasant in the world.
That was why the foal was perfectly able to tumble carelessly through the air, grinning and chasing sparrows, while his mother fretted herself thin over the mare she thought was Dad's girlfriend. Bright knew that his parents weren't in love. He refused to let it worry him. It was a good thing, wasn't it? It meant that they still got to have all the fun falling for each other.
Bright twisted his torso to catch an updraft and tag one of his feathered friends. Then he felt a curious strain in his pinions. The colt had miscalculated his angle of ascent. His wings promptly folded against his back, his body rejected all pretensions of being aerodynamic, and he flailed and scrambled for purchase in the air.
"Haha- hey!" Bright laughed, even as he plummeted down towards the lake below. "No fair, guys! I was winning!"
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Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 7:38 am
He hadn't been favoured as of late, he had severely underestimated his son and as a consequence he had been 'subdued'. His son of course, had been too 'honorable' to take his life but had attempted to banish him from the lands he called his own. To the mutant this was both comical and while he loathed to admit it, impressive too.
He had been of the opinion that his son was weak, he wasn't worth his salt and simple words could destroy any strength he might have. Unfortunately for Kiyoshi it had been these words (and the words of others) that had led to his ultimate downfall. His opposition in the form of two winds and his own traitorous son had declared that it was love, honor, justice and a string of other trivial concepts that Kiyoshi did not believe in. However, as he flicked his glowing eyes across the horizon he had to admit that perhaps it was these 'concepts' regardless of how inaccurate they might have been, that gave these pitiful creatures strength.
Faith - was that what they called it?
He released a bemused snort at the entire state of affairs. Here he was, resting on the shores of the lake as he mulled over a variety of methods in which to regain his lost ground. Yes, it was true that once he had regained his composure he could lay a direct seige upon his son and his son's friends but a more creative approach would quite possibly turn out to be more effective?
Regardless of whatever he chose to do, his success was guaranteed...he knew this. After all, he was a true success story when it came to nature and the manner in which it created life. He had the glorious figure, the impressive wing span, the strength and fortitude - really, he had absolutely everything that these pathetic creatures lacked. Perhaps that was why he intended to possess such a land, to wheedle out the weak and to 'instruct' those with potential.
Ultimately, those with any form of potential (though he doubted their existence) would become his pawns but they did not need to know that. They would feel appreciated, wanted and believed in...ah, he had always been so very good at mind games, it was just a shame about that hiccup involving his son.
Alas, it would only be a matter of time before Kiyoshi regained what was rightfully his, for now he would simply have to be patient. The fates always did find a way of letting the tools he required 'fall on to his lap' when it was his time to strike...
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Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 7:52 am
At that moment, as if on cue, one hundred and twenty-five pounds of juvenile alicorn fell into the lake with a resounding crash. His squirming and splashing was loud enough to wake a sleeping kelpie, let alone the skittish wildlife that took refuge from Kalona in the remote mountain peaks. Several alarmed ducks paddled off to shore with their young in tow, a pair of otters fled into the reeds, and even a nearby coyote ambled off to seek carrion in less unpredictable parts. Soquili foals were not exactly quiet and inconspicuous. Especially ones with loud voices and electric pink manes.
For a moment, Bright was thrilled - cold water felt amazing on his overheated body! - until he realized that sodden wings were much too heavy for him to move properly, and all his laughing had caused him to swallow a mouthful of algae. The colt hacked and heaved and began furiously trying to paddle towards the shore. His chest ached as though he'd been slapped there. This was not much fun at all!
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Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 8:19 am
His ebony fur was all but drenched as the lake seemed to erupt and send droplets of water in every direction. Thankfully the mutant's monstrous height permitted him to miss the small wave that now lapped against his knees. It was undeniable that his head and neck had become all but soaked by the cascade of water that had fallen upon him in a similar fashion to rain. Not that he cared, he looked perfect no matter how he portrayed himself.
Most would have been incredibly annoyed at this event.
Some might have shouted.
However in the case of Kiyoshi he did nothing more than raise a brow and lift his gaze upwards towards the sky. He had been aware that the spirits would present him with his tools eventually but he hadn't anticipated that it would be immediately. He did have to congratulate them on providing him with his tools in such a dramatic fashion though.
Lowering his head once again the mutant shook the droplets of water from his otherwise gleaming mane and turned his ethereal gaze upon the midget now dragging himself to shore. Now, Kiyoshi could take this poorly or he could see it as an opportunity that few received but to him...the coughing and spluttering thing didn't hold much potential at the moment.
Was that a rat or a child?
It was a child.
Kiyoshi once again raised his eyes heavenwards and gave his translucent wings another flex. It wasn't long before he returned to observing the child as it made its attempts to come ashore. Over all, Kiyoshi's assessment of his 'tool' was one of disappointment. It was loud, lacked grace and didn't appear to have any strength whatsoever.
However it did have wings and its youth in its favour - after all, children were like a blank canvas...
With this thought in mind it was unsurprising that the mutant remained on the shoreline. His pose traditionally regal and his eyebrow still raised, it would be a wonder to onlookers why the dark creature hadn't yet plunged his horns into the child for soaking him.
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Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 6:41 pm
Few creatures could have been more ill-suited to the water than an ungainly young Alicorn. The instinctive flicking of his prehensile tail kept threatening to knock him off-course, his wings dragged in the grimy algae, and slimy tendrils that Bright could only hope were weeds kept trying to wrap themselves around his cloven hooves. He was a child of the wind and the stars. Deep waters run against his nature.
Even so, Bright successfully reached the shoreline after a valiant battle with the nearly non-existent current. The young colt dragged himself shakily up through the reeds and onto dry land.
Ugh. Bright had not liked that at all! His left wing felt funny. It hung at an odd, unnatural angle, as though something had wrenched it slightly out of its socket. It wouldn't stretch to its full length when he tried to flick the moisture out.
Another foal might have panicked, but Bright was clumsy enough that he knew exactly what to do. He'd never been trained to use the healing power that ran in his veins. Not exactly. Yet he'd endured so many scrapes and bruises since he'd begun his flight lessons that he'd learned to knit minor wounds together by instinct.
Bright closed his eyes and let the magic rush through him, warm and painful and soothing all at once, until the wing felt right again. Tender, but serviceable.
Then he noticed that someone was watching him, and he looked up to see a very imposing stallion looking over the whole proceeding.
"Oh." Bright blinked. He was exhausted from the fall and the healing, but determined not to show it. Today was still a beautiful day! And wow, that guy looked pretty neat. Bright had never seen anyone so shiny before.
"Oh! Hi, mister! Sorry. I bet that cooled you off, hunh?"
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Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 11:14 am
Shiny was an understatement, he glowed even brighter during the evening but in the most eerie of manners. During the night, when the skies grew dark all that could be seen would be the ethereal eyes and the strange snake like tendrils weaving through the air as though they had a life of their own. He was his own light show!
Nevertheless he remained silent as the foal struggled to shore, closed his eyes and seemed to perform a skill that was only remotely familiar to the mutant. It did not take a genius to work out that the midget had performed an art to correct his battered wing though and this in itself was interesting. Kiyoshi had the power of rapid regeneration but to have the ability to heal a wound in seconds was intriguing.
Maybe this baby had potential after all.
"I cannot say it was appreciated," Kiyoshi replied at last, his deepened voice rumbling from his chest as he pushed his way passed the reids towards the tiny creature. It was not the most difficult of feats for a beast of his size but in comparison to the petite foal he was positively monstrous up close.
"I was not warm," he pointed out coolly as he extended the ethereal tendrils towards the colt. They would be ticklish at most if they touched his fur but for the most part they simply spiralled round the colt's tiny form. It was Kiyoshi's method of 'measuring' a creature up - Kiyoshi deemed him to be a runt in terms of size. However, the wings and the healing properties of that form saved him.
"I would advise washing the taste of the algae from your mouth."
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Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 10:44 am
In truth, Bright's healing ability was nowhere near that of a full-blooded unicorn. Surface scrapes and injuries were probably all he would ever be able to handle. Even the effort of fixing his pulled ligament had left him feeling drained and unfocussed.
Wet chunks of mane tickled at the corners of his eyes. He tossed his head to clear his hair away, with little success.
"But, um, if I drink from the lake, won't it just taste like more algae? Maybe my breath would be better if I ate some flowers..."
Bright shifted his weight back and forth on his hooves, and ruffled his still-tender pinions. It wasn't like him to be nervous, but wow, Mister Shiny was really big, and Bright had never seen anything like those tendrils before. If he batted at one with his tail, would it disappear? And what was that strange tickling feeling? They looked like they could be fun to mess around with, but this stallion didn't seem like a very playful soquili.
The colt was used to high spaces and open skies. Being surrounded like this made him feel very uncomfortable. This fellow had a very funny way of being friendly!
"Anyway, I'm sorry you got wet, Mister!" Bright smiled. The expression was a little too sharp to be entirely genuine. "My name's Bright Dusk, but everyone calls me Bright, so you can call me that too. Is there anything I can do to help?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:40 am
[[Sorry for delay, busy week >.<]]
Kiyoshi did not often grasp the 'need' for the healing properties of a horn. Until recently he hadn't required the assistance of such a creature. As a mutant and given the blood that coursed through his veins he had the bizarre ability to 'regenerate' when injured at a much more rapid rate. Miner scrapes vanished in minutes, deeper wounds took hours. However, if a creature broke a limb or gouged him too deep then he had discovered that regeneration took significantly longer.
It was a pain.
Regardless, he shook his head and dismissed this thought process as the tiny foal continued to speak. Given the manner in which the foal fidgeted it was clear he was unaccustomed to the ethereal tendrils that coiled and twisted round him. It was the reaction the stallion had hoped for, it indicated that the foal had some instinct. Thus it wasn't long before he withdrew them and they vanished back into the strange striangular jewels that lay nearby his shoulders.
"Eating flowers to alter one's breath is a myth, child." Kiyoshi was at least patient enough this afternoon to permit the foal to act his age. The ridiculous questions and assumptions served to irritate him but Kiyoshi reminded himself that it was a child. "Selecting an appropriate place to drink from prevents the taste of algae from persisting - landing in the middle of algae was not the most ideal way to select a location."
Nevertheless he found it difficult not to raise a brow as the colt continued to remain optimistic despite the creature that stood before him. Instincts the colt may have hate but he certainly wasn't attuned to them. Alas, this was a reasonably good sign for the stallion who could use this to his advantage.
"I will dry off in time," he responded somewhat dismissively, tossing his black forelock away from his eyes. The strands were undoubtably much heavier than normal but the sun in its unrelenting gaze would soon deal with the problem. "They call me Kiyoshi and while I commend you for offering your aid to one such as I you should not be so willing to do so..."
"Not everyone in the world deserves your assistance simply because you exist."
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Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 12:40 pm
[[Dude, don't worry about it. It's only been a couple days. XD]]
Bright was glad that those tendrils weren't waving around him any more, since they were awfully twisty, and standing too close to Mister Shiny made him feel very small. The colt didn't like feeling tiny. While his brother had been born strong and stolid, Bright was gifted with a unicorn's willow build and delicate hooves. Sometimes it felt as though a still wind would snap his twiggy legs right in half.
"But, Mister, you're really nice!" Bright blinked, uncomprehending. "You weren't mad about getting wet, and you gave me a great tip! Dad says smelling good is important if I want to impress lots of mares. I don't know why he cares about that, but I definitely want people to like me."
Bright gestured with his wings about in what he hoped was an encouraging manner. Unfortunately for him, it looked more like flailing than anything else.
"If you think no one would offer to help a stallion like you, then you must have met some really rude people. Don't be down about it. I'm happy to do what I can! I mean- I don't really know why anyone wouldn't deserve help. It's a gentleman's job to assist everyone, no matter what!"
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Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 7:28 am
"You honestly believe that someone your kind must 'impress' mares?" Kiyoshi seemed bemused by the words of the colt. There was no doubt in his mind that his upbringing had been one of 'fairness' and respect for all those around you - even if they were pitiful. In a way, Kiyoshi found the entire concept to be somewhat sickening given that the weak were nothing but a useless weight upon society's back.
"One of your kind should expect mares to come to him, you by no means should need to do anything," ruffling his feathers against his sides, he shot them a disgruntled look and sighed. They were still stiff and while they had returned to their translucent state he could still hear them crack on occasions. However he had long since chosen to endure this trial in return for a bone and the fates had kept their word. "Mares come to me when I tell them to, not because I ask them..."
Really, his words would have sent warning bells through an adult but for this child, perhaps it would be too complex to grasp.
"Allow me to put it to you then, child..." He at last moved towards the words regarding his willingness to give aid. "There are many evils in this world, and many wretches. If you should aid one and then they attack you seconds later would you consider that aid worth your time?" He raised a brow at this. He knew of many soquili (both skinwalker and normal) that would spin round and assault the creature that had given them aid within seconds.
Sometimes, it was important to see yourself above the rest. Or in the case of Kiyoshi - it was always.
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Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 12:56 pm
Bright was quiet for a long moment, and the silence stretched taut between the colt and the stallion. He wasn't entirely sure what Kiyoshi was trying to tell him. He could see why mares might find the Kiyoshi's shinyness interesting enough to follow him places, but he didn't have any glowing parts.
Then he remembered the funny feeling that had twisted in his gut when he played with Lyssa down in the lowlands. He hadn't understood it, then, but he thought he might grasp it now. She'd been so happy when he showed off for her by flying. And Bright had pitied her.
That wasn't very nice! Ugh. Bright was so ashamed. It had been uncomfortable, knowing that she'd never feel the wind rush beneath her pinions, and yet he'd liked being watched. Never before had he thoguht of flapping his wings and something amazing.
"I guess that's true." Bright murmured. What was true, he didn't say. His blue eyes shone as well as ever, but something intangible had dulled within him. "Why would someone do that, sir?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 7:48 am
There were somethings that needed to be removed from a soquili in the cruelest of ways. Truth needed to be instilled within them and while most would consider Kiyoshi's teachings unspeakably evil in relation to a child - he deemed to necessary. Those without wings, without horns and without any sign of power were utterly worthless. They were too large to provide any form of significant espionage and often too stupid to gain information through other means.
Thus, as something dulled within Bright's eyes it was simply deemed the 'first step' of many that Kiyoshi could encourage him to take. He had been introduced to what made him superior to other races, he could heal and he could fly. Granted he could not fly particularly high but his confidence and sense of self (which would need to be developed) would be enough to make those who could fly higher...feel worthless.
Ah yes, tiny steps of course.
There was no need to rush.
"Allow me to inform you that this world is cruel," he wasn't lying and any mother who declared he was, was setting her child up for a very painful life. The encounters many had already had with Kalona, Skinwalker and mutant alike had long since defied all optimistic teachings of hope, purity and kindness. "Some creatures are born malicious and violent..." he shook his head, shifting his expression to one of weariness and 'pity' for those who had succumbed to the attacks.
"They do not need a reason to attack, they simply use situations to their advantage." He drew himself to his full height once more and gave his head a shake, tossing the heavy black mane from his eyes. "If another has done their duty and wounded them so they cannot attack, then why would you waste their time and risk injuring yourself when they see you as their next victim?"
"Some even attack out of jealousy," now he would begin the next brutal lesson. "If you have wings, they will shatter them..." he warned softly, extending his own ethereal wings which were beyond the touch of 'mortals' unless his secret was uncovered. "If you have a horn they will snap it and if you have a vibrant coat..." He glanced round at his own sleek coat and smirked. "They will scar it."
"If they cannot have it, no one can. They too understand they are worthless and try to destroy their superiors simply because we deserve more. Do you understand?"
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 1:45 pm
Mister Kiyoshi had to be just about the strangest-looking Soquili that Bright had ever met. His coat was darkly pristine, his tendrils didn't look like they were torn or damaged, and there was nary a broken feather on the huge wings on his back, but Bright still had to wonder if someone had been very mean to him. Why else would anyone say such things? It almost made the colt feel almost queasy. His family wasn't, um, together, but he still came from a world where the skies were always blue and the sun would ever live to shine on every day.
Bright had a unicorn's horn, didn't he? He should be able to fix things. But he was only a foal, and he didn't know what to say or do.
"If bad Soquili do bad things... isn't there a way to fix them? There has to be! Doesn't there? I can do lots of things. Maybe not as many as you, but if I could change it then..."
Then there wouldn't be a problem. Right? If he could fix things with his mother had father, he could have a family, too. But Bright was still too small and clumsy. He wasn't strong or powerful like MIster Kiyoshi was.
He forced a smile, and perked his ears up, and waved his leonine tail.
"If there are bad things happening, then I'm still going to be happy anyway. If I act happy, then I am happy. And if I'm happy no matter, then no one can strike me down."
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Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 1:16 pm
Kiyoshi's life had surprisingly been a good one, there had been no deaths in his family and no violence. On the contrary he had been born and raised with a great deal of love and pride - it had been that pride that had been his downfall. Unfortunately, it was simply one of those situations where discussing ones past resulted in an incredibly complex conversation with little to no conclusion. To discuss it with a foal would simply result in a headache and quite possibly the child's death given the likelihood of pathetic questions.
Alas, there was no tragedy in Kiyoshi's past unless he considered the failure that was his son and his slight 'mistake' in underestimating him. Thus, the tiny foals assumptions were largely inaccurate and at a later date would be further proof that some things simply couldn't be fixed. No, some things were made that way.
"Can you make a creature love another?" It was a loaded question. Kiyoshi's eyes glinted dangerously, aware that such questions seemed to be somewhat abrasive in this territory. Through his travels he had noted that few were 'mated' and as such the children were parentless. Granted he wasn't entirely certain of Bright's up bringing but surely he had friends who had a shattered family.
"Would you force a creature to feel the way it does not want to?" He arched a brow in a rather imperial manner and shook his head slowly. Releasing an idle sigh he lowered his head, his nose so very close to that of the foal's. There were life's lessons that simply could not be avoided and perhaps in the future this midget would thank him.
Not everything was nice.
"Think of it this way..." He thought carefully for a few moments. "A lion is required to eat meet to survive, as are some soquili...grass makes them ill." Flicking his tail the stallion moved around to the other side of the colt and lifted his head once more. "Would you make that soquili or lion sick by telling them to stop eating meat? Would that not make you as bad as them because you are hurting them?"
"Not everything in this world is black and white child...things are never as easy as they first seem."
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Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 9:39 pm
"But what if I could make them want to love each other?"
The colt was no longer smiling. There was a rawness, a realness there that hadn't existed moments before.
"I'm a good son! I'm- I'm practically perfect!" He snapped. "I practice flying and healing every day, I help my mother whenever she needs it, I'm polite and behaved, and I listen to everything Dad says about impressing mares! If I can make my parents see that they created something good, then they'll want to love each other so that they can have more foals like me. They'll want to be a family. I know it!"
The stallion was too close. This was too much. Bright wasn't sure what to make of this connection between them, eye-to-eye. And so he backed away from Kiyoshi, flaring his wings to keep from wobbling on his too-skinny legs.
"If you can convince someone to want something, to want you, then can't you do anything at all? I don't care if things aren't easy. I'll never succeed if I give up!"
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