Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Hello little flower," Orion said, watching the delicate thing in the same manner Niobe had, in many ways Orion had liked Niobe, she hadn't cared that he had kalona blood in his viens, and in many way she had treated him just like any of her flutter family. Maybe he was more flutter in appearance than he realised? His mother after all was a delicate dragonfly like being, her wings as fragile as those of a flutter and probably decended from them somewhere in her family line.

Orion was proud of his mother, and although his sister inherited more of the Kalona looking wing than he did he loved her just as dearly, Lior had saved him many a time, in no way a Kalona trait.... for their father, a mutant kalona of some description according to their mother, left her after getting her pregnant. It was around the season of love, so their arrival was joined with many others providing more support for their mother. Lior and Orion had popped out of their baskets as healthy foals, healthy foals who had buds instead of wings... no way to fly, too big to shrink... they felt like freaks, or at least Orion always had. Lior was probably far to confident and selfassured to have such a reaction. A reaction he was sure his mother wouldn't approve of.

It was clear that although his mother loved him dearly she was confused, Orion was taller and stronger than his half sibling but was in no way an honourable knight like he was, no Orion was quite the opposite. He was easily distracted, enjoyed being alone because no one picked on him or called him a freak... he liked being able to relax, around others he couldn't do that.

Maybe that was the real reason why he was alone?

"Shhhh little flower," he said, placing his own feelings upon the inanimate object that neither cared or could feel what he was experiencing. Typical, someone who would listen but could never reply. He was about to find another spot when a voice drifted to him, he looked around but through the thick trees he couldn't see anything or anyone that had made the sound. Looking at the flower he curiously examined it, the voice had sounded far away... maybe there was a little creature living on it and by the time they had shouted their message to reach his ears it had become the distant sound he had heard? Curious he replied, "Hello? Is that you little flower? Do not fear I am Orion!" Perhaps it was simply the joy that someone wanted to talk to him that had Orion answering so readily to what he would usually expect no reply from... but Orion was desperate.

"Not a flower?" He repeated staring at the delicate folds of the flower before him. Where there people living on it? Maybe it was a flutter? He had heard rumors that some could shrink really really small, he had seen his mother do it once or twice before, but although she was much smaller she had been about the same size of this flower... could they truely go smaller?

He was just about to ask when he heard the voice speak again... too big? But he couldn't see the creature, there was only the flower before him! He pondered it a moment about to comment again when a realisation struck him. If the creature, and from its voice he predicted female, was not the flower nor a small creature upon the flower.... then.... someone had advanced towards him without his notice. He supposed it was't that rare an occassion, but for reason today it felt... wrong! The hairs on his pelt stood on edge as he turned to look for the true source. Although he wore a blindfold it was made of a material that allowed him to see through it, but due to his dark pelt ensured others couldn't see his eyes. It was a symbol he wore, but unlike his mother and half brother he wore it to hide... most assumed him blind and avoided him, that and the fact he was a freak. His teeth ground together as he continued to scan, frustration building.... until he saw her. An elegant Angeni! He had never met one of their breed before, but he had heard the stories of them. Purer than the snow, able to fly higher than any other creature and faster than the wind itself. The where the purest of all creatures, with true hearts of gold.

That, and this particular one was stunning!

It took Orion a moment to compose himself, and he was sure his jaw had been slack while he had been doing so. In fact, Orion simply stared and watched until the creature spoke again.

Celandine.... the word rolled and slid around his mind gently and softly, a whisper so smooth it was sure it would roll off his tongue with little effort should he decide to use it. "A type of poppy..." he blurted out, unsure where the knowlegde had even come from. Perhaps his encounter with Niobe had not been a complete waste, it seemed he now knew much more about plants and flowers than he did before.

Then she asked him for his name, his heard pounded and beat in his chest as his nerves began to build. Most inhis foalhood had not asked for his name, but simply poked and prodded his none exsistant bud wings. Yet, this creature had asked despite what she saw. Instinctively he folded his wings together and sat them on his back, despite the fact he suddenly felt better about them... an Angeni, a beautiful Angeni at that, had not judged him for his appearances... maybe there was hope for him?

Finally he said, "O-o-orion!" He hadn't meant for it to come out stammered and pathetic but it did. Trying to be more confident about it he repeated it, heart pounding deep within his chest, "My name is Orion...!"

Then he saw a butterfly, it flew in front of him and then sat on his nose. He chuckled softly and watched curiously as the creature beat its wings effortlessly. He laughed softly, trying his best not to move his muzzle too much in case he sacred it off. In all his life... the butterflies had never judged him.

Orion watched the Angeni curiously, he had never met one before this elegant creature but already he could see that many of the traits and rumours he had heard where indeed true. One, she appeared utterly graceful despite the fact that something seemed slight 'off' about her, something that Orion couldn't quite put his hoof on. Two, beautiful beyond compare. Three, delicate yet with a hidden power that seemed to radiated from her like a moon dust and silver sparkles.

Interesting beyond compare.

"And you...", it was the truth, for simply meeting this creature who did not reject him simply on his looks had made his day... no his lifetime. But then, Orion started to look closer, watched her almost cautious and careful movements his own eyes shot to hers. They where light blue grey and unlike anything he had ever seen, blank and although Orion wouldn't go as far as to claim them to be expressionless it was clear they where unseeing. Blind.

"You're blind?" He blurted out without any tact, the question was more for confirmation for his theory and for a moment his heart sunk.... was she simply staying in his presence because she could not see the deformed beast he truely was?

In a desperate attempt to change the subject he decided to answer her last question, his eyes already looking to the ground, fearful of rejection from such a mighty creature, "Interupting..." he looked at the flower, no she was not interupting and he hadn't missed the way she had said 'talking to something' rather than 'talking to someone', perhaps this creature saw more than he realised? no, you are not interupting me... eh..." Orion had gone to use her name only to realise he had forgotten it. Risking to look at her he tilted his head softly, she had just told him it... think Orion, think... then the mention of poppies breached his thoughts, her name had been a type of poppy, as bright and beautiful as the sun. A shining testiment to the light on earth, yes, it was a name that suited her well. Proud of himself he said it outloud, it flowed so naturally off his tongue that he couldn't believe he had forgotten it. "Celandine."

Orion did feel sad that this elegant creature was blind, unable to see anything as beautiful as a butterfly or a rainbow or even the sun setting, all things he had taken for advantage before today. He would have to consider each with new wonder, even if it was to honour this creature for not screaming at her and cursing him... after all, was it Orions fault that he had been born of a Kalona father who knew nothing of him or the curse his genes had produced?

Then she asked her question and Orion froze. Torn, utterly torn... he had heard rumours of blind people using touch to aid their association and imagination about their enviroment but he was no fool, he knew that by allowing her touch he would be allowing her to discover the truth of him. A truth he desperatly wanted to conceal from her... would she flee from him if she suspected he was part kalona? Part evil?

Panic called to him, his heart thundered within his chest so hard that he was certain she would be able to hear it, and although all of this happened in about a fraction of a second for Orion it felt like an eternity, an eternity filled with his screams and suffering.

At long last he replied, he had been watching her... and although it pained him that she may learn of him, he could see how much it meant to her. It was written on her delicate features, a fire that reached deep within her. To her touch was much more than getting to understand the world... it was a connection, a connection that she longed to have those living around her, and although he was afraid he found he could not deny her. Perhaps it was true what they said, you did not deny an Angeni if they asked something of you -however it was not his soul he was fearful of, but her reaction of hatred that was likely to follow her touch.

Taking in a deep breath he said, "You may...." His eyes where glued to the delicate feathers of her wings. They where thin and as delicate looking as the mare that donned them.

There was a slight hesitation in his voice, he was aware of it even as he pulled his wings as tightly as he could, each panel closed over the other in the same manner as a dragonfly. Perhaps she wouldn't even be able to tell he was part kalona?

Orion stood perfectly still as she approached him, he knew himself, and if he allowed his fear to take over he would bolt from the area so fast that she would be able to feel the vibrations disturbed peace echo all around her. No, he had said she could, he knew it meant a lot to her... and which each of her words he began to understand why.

Before her touch, he had been nothing more than a distant voice, an echo in the eternal darkness that was her life, and for some reason that idea disturbed him. He didn't want to just be a whisper, a ghost in the sunny world that was this blind mares life. No.... that said, he didn't actually know what he wanted.

When she commented that he was soft he felt his cheeks glow with warm, no one had even described him as soft, not as their first word at least. Freak, Demon, b*****d, yes, but soft... never. It was... nice?

He held his breath, hoping desperatly that she couldn't notice his wings as she inched closer and closer to him. Yet the strange delight that was present in her voice as he spoke had him questioning himself, perhaps she hadn't noticed his kalona feel... unlike his sister after all the only notable feature on them was the claws, other than that they reminded him of his mothers dragonfly wings. "Yes," he said, finally letting out his held breath. Although he knew she didn't need his conformation it made him feel slightly more comfortable in giving it. Yes, he had wings, he was not very good at flight... never truely having the opportunity to practise considering as a foal they had been useless buds that would no more have lifted from the ground as they would have spoke to him.

He was shocked when she said they felt like flutterwings, he was proud of his mother and so there was no hesitation in his voice when he spoke this time; "Yes, my mother is a dragonfly. My wings are..." now came the hesitation, it seemed to haunt him around this ethereal creature of dreams and make believe, yet the fact that she had not mocked him for his words allowed him to continue to attempt to talk with her, "...similar to her own." Dragonfly wings where said to be the most delicate of all the wings of the world, so thin that some didn't believe there was truely anything there if not for the bold patterns and colours that often made them up. Orions where dark blue, life midnight and darkness. To her question about how delicate his wings were Orion simply said, "Yes." He saw no need to elaborate on the matter for this mare was anything but stupid.

Apparantly she had finished her inspection as she tapped his rump playfully, no one other than his sister had ever had the courage to play with him. Not that Orion was in any ways threatening or mean to others, they simply judged him before they spoke, using lies from rumours that drifted on the wind. Sometimes Orion wondered what they would think of him if they knew the truth... Orion was not strong or brave like his half-brother, was not spunky and couragous like his sister Lior.... no, Orion was timid and wistful, losing himself so easily in the beauty and simplicity of nature around him, for there no one judged him or looked at him with blatant disgust or hatred. No, there he was free to be himself.

Feeling rude but not having answered her question already he blurted out, "I suppose, did you like what you... saw?" Saw? Great, now it would appear he was making fun of the blind woman who could see nothing but empty darkness, yet Orion had meant no offence, he imagined that Celandine formed images from her inspections, determining what he looked like to the best of her ability. And then there was the fact he had asked this particular question at all, yes, for some reason it was important to him to have someone who did not simply see him as a monster but as a person... and yes, it was important for a creature such as her to run in hatred... but to ask? He was truely a fool. Quickly he added, "Sorry, please ignore me. I shall leave you in peace if you wish." Orion had no desire to embarrass himself futher, and should she ask it he would leave her alone.