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Hcb0602:
Florian had just gotten use to her legs. She was now able to prance and trot out in joy without falling more than fives times face-first in the snow. Ugh! The snow. She made a face at the white, cold stuff that blanketed the earth. Florian didn't much like the snow. In fact, she could do without it. It was cold. And when it melted it became wet--very chilling! She breathed deeply as she lay stood underneath a tree who's ground at the base was clear of any snow, but it felt awfully wet underneath her hooves. She licked her lips as a couple drops of water dripped down onto the end of her snout. She sneezed and tossed her mane. "I'm so sick and tired of being wet," she groaned with a snort. "I want to be some place dry," she kicked at the spongy ground.

Lysia:
Bri was happily pouncing the snow a few feet from where her sister was. Sure the snow was wet and cold, but it was fun. "Common! it's fun just try not to think about it being so cold." She giggled as she ran around, prancing with her head held high. "Think we should go explore! just you and me!" She trotted over to her sister and put her nose to Florian's. " Common! we can go find something special and surprise mom and dad with it!"

Hcb0602:
Florian blinked as Bri's nose pressed up against her's. She quickly eyed their parents and snorted as she shook her head and then held it high. "Will you stop it? You're not acting very respectable," she said as she stepped out to Bri's side. She flicked her tail with her nose pointed upwards and eyes closed as she walked ahead. "Of course I'll go with you dear sister," she opened her eyes, glancing over her shoulder at Bri with a sweet smile. "And we shall bring--!" suddenly she lunged forwards face-first into a pile of snow! "OOF!" she gasped out, trying to pull her head back as it was stuck in the snow. "Bri! Would you please be of some assistance!" she cried out trying to get free.

Lysia:
She had arched a brow at her sister in her attempt to seem so superior to her. Her fawn like tail gave an irritated twitch flagging for a small moment. Her annoyance didn't last long though. After all, Florian was her sister. As she began to follow her, she saw her sister fall face first into the snow. "Oh my.. you alright?" She rushed forward at her sister's call and with her nose began to push the snow to the side in an attempt to help her free herself. "Can you get up now?" Her ears perked as she gently nudged her sister's neck with her nose.

Hcb0602:
Three. Two. One! Florian pulled her head back quickly and stuttered backwards into another pile. She snorted as she moved her jaw a couple times. But instead of being furious with anger, laughter escaped from her vocals. She giggled as she stood up and shook her body to kept the soft snow off her coat. "My, my" she said softly and tossed her mane to fix it. She quickly glanced to make sure her parents weren't watching before kicking some snow at Bri. Laughter filled her vocals as she ran off into the sparse woodlands. "Come on Bri!" she called out to her sister, happily gazing at the young filly.

Lysia:
She was off like a shot, though she wobbled a bit from the start. Ziging and zaging, she rand after Florian before finally catching up to her. "Where should we look? What shall we get them?" She giggled and bounced merrily beside her sister as she went. "Maybe some more flowers?"

Hcb0602:
Florian laughed as she looked at Bri. "I think that Mother has quite enough flowers. Don't you think? And besides. I do believe that everything has snow on it," she said. "We should get her..." she paused, looking around. "Oh, I know! Let's get her something from the pond," Florian said as she looked brightly at Bri. "Like a smooth rock or something. Not sure what we'll find at the pond. But since we've never been there before, it'll be quite the adventure! What do you say?" Florian said excitedly.

Lysia:
She dropped back thinking some. They'd been told not to go near that pond. Their hidden area that their den resided around had two entrances and exits and the pond didn't sound like much of a bright idea. "W-we're not supposed to go near the pond though... Mother told us not to. Besides.. the ice may be too thin and we might fall in.." Still she followed her sister. She had a bad feeling about this but she didn't want to be left behind when they found something to bring back to their parents as a present.

Hcb0602:
"Now you decide to be reasonable?" Florian glanced over her shoulder at her sister with a grimace. "Oh come on now. We're going to be real quick. Mother won't even notice we're gone and it's not like we're going to rush to tell her where we've been," Florian said. She breathed in deeply and felt something odd stir at the bottom of her gut--a feeling that knew that this was wrong. She shook her head and continued nonetheless. "Real quick, Bri. We won't go on the ice. We'll just look around near the shore," she said with a smile. Florian paused for a brief moment and looked around. "Now which way was it again? Do you remember?" she asked, looking to Bri. "Don't worry. We'll be alright," she tried to reassure her sister.

Lysia:
She walked a bit ahead of her sister as she thought. "It's not too far away..." Shoshana had found the place her first spring in the Kiawani lands. The place had only two entrances to it that were little more than game trails. it was her secret hide away from even the herd they had yet to meet; though the herd members all knew where to find her. Still the pond wasn't too far from the den it's self only a bit a ways and not yet past the barrier of brush and other things that kept their thicket hidden. "How will we know we've found it if everything's covered in snow?" She asked as she walked a little further looking around. the sound of something different beneath her hooves caused her to stop her tail flagging in warning to her sister. "I.. I.. I think I found it..."

Hcb0602:
Florian kept looking in awe at the different vegetation and wildlife that were around them. She took notice of the birds chirping brightly underneath the sunlight and the snow that fell in clumps from the trees. "Hm? What's that? I don't remember it being this close," Florian said as if she had been to the pond before. She stopped walking and noticed that Bri looked even more scared. The young foal dipped her head down and blew the flaky snow from the surface. She gasped out, jaw dropping as she could see that they were now standing on top of the pond! Her ears flattened as she wasn't sure what to do. She looked to her sister in hopes she had an answer.

Lysia:
Looking around, she shifted her weight carefully. "Uh.. Flo... We have to be careful... but we need to get off the ice...Remember what mother said.." She tried to turn, listening intently for anything really even for their parents. "Go back slowly... careful where you step please... I don't want you to fall in." Her voice was gentle and calm though the panic she felt was written on her face. Why hadn't she paid more attention to things?

Hcb0602:
"Right," Florian nodded her head as she listened to her sister. She breathed deeply as she began to back-up in hopes that land was closer behind her than she thought it was. Her heart beated quickly inside her chest as she feared for both her and Bri. She glanced down, looking at the ice as she could feel and hear it underneath her. Why did they have to come here? She glanced to Bri and frowned, her eyebrows furrowing. She had placed her sister's life at risk and her own.

Lysia:
Luckily enough for both of them, the shore wasn't too far off. Still she backed up till her foot broke through the ice. She began to scream till her hoof hit something firm, familiar, rocky. "Oh... it doesn't seem so deep here. " She gave a nervous giggle and pulled her hoof out of the hole it had made. She got the rest of the way off the ice and nosed the snow away from the ground some to look for some stones. "Good thing we weren't too far out.." She wagged her tail some and went to looking for a smooth stone. "You alright, Flo?"

Hcb0602:
Florian breathed deeply in relief of finally feeling earth underneath her hooves. "HA!" she leaped up and pranced in place. "Did'ya see that Bri? We can do anything we want! 'Ain't no pond gonna stop us!" she stuck her tongue out at the frozen surface of the water. She then turned around and kicked some snow onto the ice. "Take that!" she stuck her nose upwards and flicked her tail as she walked up to her sister's side. She grimaced as she lowered her head and tried to help find a stone--or anything to bring back.

Lysia:
She sighed softly at her sister's bragging and shook her head. They'd been lucky and she knew it. "It could have easily gone the other way you know... we could have fallen in and... " She broke off, she knew what would have happened. They could have drowned and if they'd been lucky enough for their parents to find them before they'd drowned they would have been in deep trouble. "Let's just hurry up and fins something to take back ok?"

Hcb0602:
Florian giggled as she looked at her sister. "Oh come on! I don't think the water is that deep anyways. And even with both of us on the ice it didn't break, so it's pretty thick." Florian paused as she blew some snow away. "Much more thicker than you thought it to be," she added in quietly. "Hm," Florian went back to looking around. "I cannot find anything! Can you?" she asked, quickly glancing to Bri.

Lysia:
She sighed at her sister's chiding. It would only start a fight to attempt to correct her. "No, I can't find anything... Why don't we try something else?" She looked at the wall of bushes that separated them from their little birth place but any and all thoughts of seeking the way through it were lost as she looked at how tall the brush had grown. "Where should we look now?"

Hcb0602:
Florian raised her head and looked around. "Well," she started and then paused as she noticed something hanging from a nearby pine tree. "THAT!" she brightly called out, galloping to the tree with her snout pointed at a pinecone. "Let's bring that back to Mother!" she said. "It's such a perfect little gift! Look at it!" she quickly glanced to Bri. "Come on! Come help me get it!" she said. She kicked back onto her hind legs with her forelegs against the tree's truck. She stretched out her neck as far as it could go, but it wasn't enough. "Bri! Come help me!" she called out, glancing to her sister with a bright cheerful smile.

Lysia:
She followed her sister's gaze and soon followed after her. " Alright, I'm coming, I'm coming.." She trotted after her sister, snow clinging to her still wet leg that had broken through the ice. shaking her leg and stamping it some, she knocked the snow off and looked up at the pine cone. "How do I help? I mean I can't fly or anything..." She lept at the cone but missed it.

Hcb0602:
Florian glanced to Bri and then up at the pinecone with a bright smile. "Give me a push up! C'mon," she said as she nudged Bri to help her up. "Or let me crawl onto your back and then I'll stand up and get it down!" she nodded her head, speaking in her matter-of-fact tone. Florian lowered her head and looked to the leg that had fallen through the ice. "Bri. Are you hurt?" she asked, glancing up to her sister and then to her leg

Lysia:
"I'm fine.. My leg just got wet is all.." She smiled and closed the gap between herself and her sister. "Here, Let me try to give you a boost.." She nudged her neck under her sister and tried to get her higher. Her leg was cold but she ignored it as best as she could. "Can you reach it??" She tried to held herself steady.

Hcb0602:
Florian had her tongue sticking out a tad bit as she attempted to reach up and snatch the pinecone down. "Ugh! Almost had it," she groaned. "Can't you push me up higher?" she asked, glancing down at Bri quickly. "I'm not that heavy!" she giggled. Florian lifted her head and tried again, stretching out her neck, and trying to reach the pinecone. "Come on, come on" she muttered to herself. "A bit higher..." she breathed heavily. "That's it...GOT IT!' she cheered out as she plucked the pinecone!

Lysia:
She'd streached to push her sister even higher like she'd asked. "I'm trying..." She giggled some and just as she heard her sister's cheer, she snezed and lost her ballence. "I'm so sorry!" She looked about to see if her sister had gotten hurt. "Are you alright, Flo?" Her ears perked as she waited for a reply.

Hcb0602:
Florian fell onto the ground beside her sister with a loud 'thud' sound. She giggled, nodding her head as she released the pinecone. "I'm fine," she said. She stood up and shook her coat to get the snow off. She then nudged the pinecone closer to Bri. "It's for you," she told her sister. "I want you to have it. Not Mother," she confessed. "We'll find something for Mother later. But I just thought you'd like the pinecone," her tail swayed as she looked to Bri brightly.

Lysia:
"Awe, Thanks!" She sniffed the pine cone. "What is it?" Her ears perked as she looked at it closely, her tail wagging. "Well, What ever it it, I love it. "She smiled brightly at her sister before picking the pine cone up in her mouth. "Waw ahh eee goaning ow?" (where are we going now?) She spoke around her new little treasure.

Hcb0602 :
Florian giggled as she listened to her sister speak. "It's called a pinecone," she said. "Apparently it's the seed of the tree it came from. I guess. If I remember correctly," her eyebrows furrowed. "Either way. It's yours now," she smiled. "We should probably head home now before Mother and Father come out to find us. Not to mention, I'm getting rather cold out here." Florian smiled as she looked away. "LAST ONE TO MOM AND DAD IS A STINKY SKUNK!" she hollared out, hurrying back to the den!

Hcb0602:
"We're not going to get in trouble!" Florian said as she looked at Bri and nudged her playfully. "Mother will never find out," she grimaced. She then looked ahead and could hear the faint sound of someone...singing. How very odd. Her ears flickered the sound and her tail tossed in curiosity. "Can you hear that?" Florian looked to her sister in hopes that she had heard the singing voices. "Come on," she smiled. Florian tried to hurry to the sounds, but her legs were still stiff and it still hurt to walk. She breathed in deeply as she tried desperately to see who was singing and why.

Lysia :
Her ears flicked. She could just now see the opening to their den and her sister was making her way now in an opposite direction. "I heard it.. but we should probably get back to the den.." She mumbled but turned to follow Florian. She wanted to get out of the cold and go home but she couldn't very well let her sister go wandering off on her own.

Hcb0602:
"Oh Bri. Stop worrying. We're close to the den anyways. We'll be safe. It's now like we're trying to get off of the pond," she giggled lightly. The voices could be heard more clearly now and what a bunch there were, but it was hard to see anything because of the low branches of the trees. Florian kept stretching her neck left, right, and dipping it down but she still couldn't see anything. She snorted and quickened her pace a bit. Hiding behind a tree, she looked over the side and could see a bunch of small rabbits singing merry with one another. They had what looked to be a shiny rope that they were wrapping around a small bush. They sang louder with rosy cheeks as they hopped here and there. Florian watched in delight.

Lysia:
She grumbled a bit more. "We just better hope Magic doesn't come out to get us...." There mother's familiar a black bear with silver markings she knew that regardless of being watched by their parents or not Magic was sure to be around some where.. Still, she followed and even was shocked to see the bunnies singing. "What're they doing with the bush?"

Hcb0602:
"I don't know," Florian whispered. "Very odd. I've never seen anything like it. And why do that to a bush? It's likely to get trampled or something," Florian made a face. Suddenly the bunnies stopped singing and the air was silent. "Snooty fillies!" a bunny hopped to the two sisters. "Don't yet know better than to snoop? Crazy fillies!" he spat. "We are not crazy!" Florian defended, stepping out from around the tree. "We were just passing by when we heard you singing!" she said. The little plump bunny tsk-tsk'ed as he looked at her. "Ye were snooping!" he pointed at both Florian and Bri. "We were not!" Florian growled, tossing her mane in annoyance. "Tell 'em Bri! Tell them we weren't snooping!" she glanced back at her sibling.

Lysia:
Giving a soft sigh she shook her head some. "We really didn't mean to offend you. But we heard the pretty singing and were just trying to find out who it was. I'm sorry if we've disrupted anything. But we really were just curious as to who it could be in our mother's herd lands not to mention what the purpose of tieing up a shrub was..." Her voice was sweet, soft, gentle as she spoke her own honest feelings and sincere apologies to the little bunny.

Hcb0602:
"We were decorating it, Miss." The littlest of the group hopped forwards and bowed her pink bow-topped head as she looked at Bri. "It's almost Christmas in these lands! It's time for joy and wonderous things!" she smiled brightly with rosey cheeks. "Christmas?" Florian pulled her head back, cocking it to the side a bit. "Yes, Christmas! Sheesh. Didn't yer Mother tell ye anything?" the male who called Florian out snorted. "She's never mentioned Christmas before," Florian said as she stepped back and glanced to Bri. "Has she?" she asked Bri in hopes that maybe her sister knew something she didn't.

Lysia:
She looked to her sister in a bit of shock. "N-no.. not to me at least.. Maybe she doesn't know about Christmas? Magic said she use to travel most of her life till she came to these lands.. or maybe she's just waiting to surprise us?" She gave a small shrug but smiled to the little bunnies. "What exactly is Christmas?" She tilted her head to the side some.

Hcb0602:
"It's when we get presents!" the little one leaped up for joy. "I-I mean...it's a day of giving and feeling all the merry when you don't receive. It's a day to spend time with your family," she smiled to her Mother. "So where does all the singing come in place?" Florian asked. "And that bush," she nodded her head to the garland that hung from the branches. "It's a tradition. Duh," the little male snapped. Florian snorted and pulled her head back. "Would you like to join us?" the Mother of the little bunnies hopped forwards, smiling brightly as she looked to Bri and Florian.

Lysia:
"I see.. sounds like a nice tradition.." She smiled at the little bunnies, ignoring the male's obvious bluntness. "N-no.. Thank you for your offer though madam bunny but we should be getting back to our mother, she may be worrying about us now." She nudged her sister's shoulder. "Come one Flo."

Hcb0602:
"Are ye chicken?" the little male grimaced. Florian turned away from her sister as she lowered her head to the male's height. "I am no chicken! Whatever that might be," she retorted. "Then come with us. It'll help you better understand of this holiday," he said. Florian snorted as she raised her head and looked to Bri. "He does have a point. We'll only be a little while. Besides. I don't hear Mother calling for us," she said. "Come on," she nodded her head to the follow the family of bunnies.

Lysia:
Sighing once more, she nodded her head some. "I guess... Just um.. A little while I guess..." Offering the little male a small smile, she followed after her sister and the little bunnies hoping she wouldn't forget the way back. How dreadful it would be to become lost during winter.

Hcb0602:
"Great! It's settled then. If you'll just follow us this way," the Mother bunny said brightly and began to hop away with her family. The children stayed back a bit, hopping behind their parents as they amused over the two fillies. Laughter carried ouf of their vocals as they moved in between Bri and Florian's legs. "What are you so worried about?" Florian whispered to Bri. "Do you really want to get home?" she asked her quietly.

Lysia:
"I just don't want us to get into trouble, that's all." She sighed. "It's ok though.. the sun hasn't yet begun to set so I guess we'll be ok." She offered a small smile. Watching the little bunnies some, she couldn't help but to chuckle. They really seemed quite happy as they hopped around her and her sister's legs.

Hcb0602:
"And besides. We're still not that far from the den. If Mother notices we're gone I'm sure she'll call out for us. We should be able to hear her," Florian smiled. She was glad that her sister was now starting to take interest in the festivites. "This way! This way," the bunnies chanted out. "We're going to decorate some more!" the little female smiled. "With that shiny stuffs?" Florian asked. "Yes! Of course!" the children leaped up for joy. Florian chuckled and followed, careful not to step on anyone.

Lysia:
"What else do you do for Christmas, besides the decorating and the singing and the gifts?" She was curious at least of what this holiday was about and had going for it. "Does everyone do it?" Her little tail fliked and waggled some.

Hcb0602:
"Not everyone celebrates Christmas. Some have their own special holidays and their own traditions," the Mother bunny said as she looked back at Bri. "We have a grand feast!" the little female chirped out. "We've gathered a lot of food! And on Christmas Eve we have a grand feast and another on Christmas Day!" she smiled brightly. Her brothers and sisters nodded in agreement. Florian wondered why her Mother never mentioned Christmas before because it sounded so wonderful!

Lysia:
"How does one find so much food during the winter time? I heard father say food was more scarce during this time... I wonder if maybe it's just too much of a hassle to gather so much food for soquili at winter time...." She mulled this over some. there had to be a logical reason that they hadn't been told about such grandeur and festivities just yet.

Hcb0602:
"We've stored it," the Mother bunny said sweetly. "We've saved most of our food to use this time of year," she added. "Yuppers! All those delicious nuts and still fresh berries!" the children drooled. Even Florian found herself drooling over the foods that were being described. Florian's face brightened and her smile blossomed. "We should tell Mother about Christmas. Do you think she'll let us celebrate it?" Florian asked, looking at Bri.

Lysia:
Bri nodded some as she thought a bit. "I can't see why she wouldn't.. I know mother said she'd stored most of that grass in the den for the winter.. but then again she wasn't expecting Happy accidents like up to come about at the time so now the food store is starting to get eaten up..." Smiling at her sister's excitement she thought. "Maybe we could help mother and father find some more food to feast on when we get back... if it isn't dark by then."

Hcb0602:
"WAIT! BETTER YET!" Florian stopped in her tracks. Her face brightly shinning with excitement as she looked at Bri. "What if we got them presents! We'll go out and find presents for our own family! We'll bring Christmas to them!" Florian's tail swayed as she leaped up with her brilliant idea. "Come on! It'll be fun!" she happily said. The bunnies at their feet nodded. "We can help," they all said in sync. "Come on Bri," Florian nudged her sister in hopes she would agree to.

Lysia:
Her eyes brightened. "That sounds like a good idea! but what are we going to get them?" She thought for a moment. " hmmm....." She really was at a loss of what to get the family for presents.

Hcb0602:
"We'll just look around. And then we'll get some of that garland stuff to put around a bush," Florian said as she giddly trotted ahead. "We'll go get some!" two bunnies hopped away to get some garland. "Maybe I'll get Mom a pine cone. Like the one I got you," Florian thought out loud. "Not sure what to get Father or brother," she sighed as she pouted out her lips looking around.

Lysia:
"Hmm.... I guess I can get father and winter some of those nice smelling berries off the tree by the den... what did mother call them? Juniper berries..." She wondered what to get her mother though. Her small cheeks puffed out and her bottom lip extended in a pout as she thought of what to get their mother. "Where do we find the garland any how?"

Hcb0602:
The bunnies that hopped away had returned with garland hanging from their mouths. "Here, here!" they said. "Thank you. Could we borrow it?" Florian asked. They nodded as they tried to reach it up to her. Florian bent down and picked it up in her mouth. She then dropped it down beside her. "We can hang it by the den somewhere. There's enough to decorate a bush too!" she cheered in delight. "We couldn't tell all the secrets of Christmas to you. You need to figure some stuffs out," the littlest bunny said shyly to Bri.

Lysia:
She blinked a few times. "Oh.. I guess you're right.." She smiled to the little shy bunny. "Thank you for letting us borrow the garland though." She nudged her sister and looked at the garland then back up to flo. "What else are we going to do?" She blinked slightly lost now. sure they knew now what christmas was or rather the jest of it but other than that, nothing else.

Hcb0602:
"Well," Florian moved closer to her sister and stood beside her. "They said that this holiday is made up of traditions. And everyone has their own set of traditions. So maybe...we just make our own traditions!" Florian smiled brightly. "We have the garland. And we're still working on presents. What else would we need?" she asked. Florian pouted out her lips again as she thought. "What about songs?" she asked, cocking her head to the side as she looked at Bri.

Lysia:
"I guess.. but I don't know any songs..." She looked rather sheepish. as she looked at her sister. "And.. I can't sing...." She shrugged. no use crying over kicked up dirt. she couldn't sing but it was alright she didn't need to sing to be happy. "I guess we can just wing it as we go, find out what fits in with our family and what doesn't."

Hcb0602:
"How do you know you can't sing?" Florian asked as she looked at Bri. "Have you ever actually tried? I've never heard you. Sing me something Bri!" she giggled, smiling as she looked at her sister. "Go on. I'm sure you're not bad at it," she said softly. Florian stepped forwards, face bright as she gently nudged Bri to sing her a song or at the very most a small note.

Lysia:
Her rosy cheeks flushed brighter, scarlet leaking all over her face. "Um... n-no.. that's all right.. I-I don't need to sing anything..." She shuffled her little hooves some but the look her sister had told her she wasn't going to get away without actually singing something. Giving a nervous look, she took a deep breath and opened her mouth to sing something she heard Magic sing the night before. "Blow blow thou winter wind, blow blow thou winter wind, thou art not so unkind as man's ingratitude, as man's in gratitude..." Giving a small squeak with her little soprano voice, she flushed even brighter and attempted to hide her face in the snow.

Hcb0602:
Florian's jaw dropped as she looked at Bri. She then closed her mouth after a brief moment. The air became silent after her sister was done with her song. Suddenly the corners of Florian's mouth began to twitch and soon the young filly bursted out in laughter! "That was great!" she giggled, plopping onto the ground and rolling onto her back in laughter. She rolled onto her stomach and smiled as she looked at Bri. "No. Really. It was. The first--well..second time I heard someone sing," she smiled. "Do it again Bri," she complimented brightly.

Lysia:
Hearing her sister's laughter, her brow furrowed and her jaw set in a stubborn line. " No! you laughed.. Obviously you think I sounded silly so why should I Bother?" She was often so gentle but some times gentle nature can give way when one's pride's been hurt. Flagging her tail, she turned and stalked off mumbling as she fumed in her obvious anger with being laughed at after she'd set aside her own shyness of singing aside and actually sang.

Hcb0602:
Florian's ears pulled back and the smile quickly faded from her lips. Even the brightness of her expression seemed to dim as her sister walked off. The young filly lowered her head and breathed deeply. She pouted out her lips as she stood up and shook the snow off her coat. "Sorry," she whispered even though she knew that Bri couldn't hear her. The bunnies too became quiet and had stopped hopping. Florian walked away towards the opposite direction with her head hung low.

Lysia:
She didn't see her sister walk off the opposite direction as she continued to walk a ways, hiding herself under a bushy juniper tree and snuggling down in the snow so that she'd blend in. Sniffling, a small tear rolled down her face. Why did she laugh? Huffing a small sigh, she rested her head on the snow and stared out beyond the limbs of the tree.

Finished