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 Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 2:50 am
Quote: Moonglade sat up on the shore, his tail submerged into the water that the rest of his bulk simply sat beside. He looked up at the night sky with a heavy feeling in his heart. He would need to feed soon. He was part of the natural order, and it was his right to survive, however he did try not to cause undue harm. this left him with a very limited selection for his pallet however. Deer or fish. Deer or fish. Fish didn't have blood, exactly, but they had something close enough. He generally chose deer, however, since he needed to sup from fewer then them. But how often could one have the same taste again and again. A nest of vines grew around him, thorns out to protect him from attackers as he thought. Deer or fish? Quote: Azshara fluttered about overhead, a wicked grin on her lips as she spied her brother in his natural form. Life was clearly too easy for her precious big brother. He needed a challenge, she decided. For his own good, of course. But what could it be? Ah, well she could always pull him from his comfort zone. It would not last long, but really he needed to learn to be better on his guard against attacks. She flew until she was behind him and well overhead, where he would not see her. Then she focused her power. The shelf of land he sat on, once a gently sloping shore into a small pond grew to a cliff face, leaving the water further and further behind. Quote: Moonglade felt the shift of the earth under him a moment before it began to ascend. “AZSHARA!” he roared. It could only be her. This, he knew, was no natural phenomena. That he would have felt coming well before. Wings sprouted on his back, helping him keep his balance. He could simply fly away, or even take the form of a hunting bird and go after his sister. It might get him fed for the night, and get her to go away, but it would not help his poor shoreline. He needed to fix what she had wrought. HE closed his eyes and sent the vines around him tighter to his skin, their far ends questing, root like tendrils digging deep into the earth. Quote: She frowned as she watched her brother fail to react. Oh sure, he had grown wings to keep his balance, and he clearly knew who to thank for the challenge that would help his powers grow. Since then, however, all he had done was close his eyes. Was he just going to go to sleep? That was no fun. Clearly she would have to do something about it. Quote: The land had to be displaced from somewhere. The challenge was to find out from where. He couldn't just sink the land back down. If he displaced more, there was no telling the kind of trouble he could cause. The destruction would be on his hooves as well as hers. But where had she found the extra landmass? Until he knew he dare not do anything. But he had to find out fast, before an ecosystem took rot in the new topography. If that happened, he would be honor bound to both protect the new and restore the old. As those were pretty well mutually exclusive, he simply had to figure out how to fix things properly, and fast. Nature was not as slow a force as some chose to beleive. Quote: Bored, she made her move. With a grin she shoved half the land he was on higher. What would he do now? Quote: Pain ripped through him as the roots he had connected to were torn asunder. The land moved again. His own pain he could forgive, but the land's? A vine ripped free and shot out. It smashed his sister across the face. Quote: Azshara cried out in pain. The vine had come, seemingly, from no where! She hadn't had time to react, hadn't even seen it. Forget dodging or fighting back. She felt a vine rip into her face, Felt her limbs deaden. Oh. Yeah. Moonglade liked natural poisons Odd the thoughts one thinks as their wings stop beating. She felt herself begin to plummet. Quote: Before she could fall more then a few feet, the vine whipped out around her, wrapping her like a snake preparing to sup. Moonglade spared her only enough thought to feel through the vine that she was secure and that she was sleeping soundly with no ill effects. Oh he could tell from her heart-rate as it slowed that she had probably felt a moment of terror. To his mind, that was all to the good. She deserved it. He let her fall, the vine acting as a safety cord, so that she would not hit the ground, or given her positioning, the water. Out cold and from that height, if the fall didn't kill her, she would surly drown. He was in no mood to spend his magic bringing her back today. Especially as this might take all that he had. He focused on the more recent shift. The vines breaking had hurt, both him and the plant, but they had also provided insight. HE had been able to track down the source of the land in her second attempt It was a reasonable assumption that her first had used the same maneuver. Azhara didn't really know how she did what she did, unlike Moonglade, and her brother knew this. It meant that her attempts were rarely devious. Actually that summed her up entirely. She was exactly as she seemed. Annoying. He found the second location, from the first separation It was where he suspected. He focused and finally eased the land back to where it belonged. As the cliff became a shore line again, the vine around his sister reeled her in. She got dunked first, but he wasn't in the mood to feel guilty over it. Quote: She felt a cold splash that stirred her slightly from her sleep. Sleep? She wasn't dead? She tried to open an eye but it was too heavy. Something was coiled tightly around her. She gave a small groan. It felt like some one had trussed her up in a race track, that inflexible and oddly shaped
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Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 2:51 am
Quote: He heard her groan as the vine pulled her closer to him. He looked down on her sleeping form, but it was hard to see her bright pink skin and think sister. Hard, in fact, to see it and think of much of anything besides that hot sweet blood pumping so close that he could hear it, could feel it through his connection to the vine. His tongue darted out, licked his lips, his fangs. No deer or fish this one. Hot fresh blood. He drank in the scent a moment, leaning over her. Quote: Azshera finally managed to open one pink eye. She was rewarded with an extreme close up view of her brother's long golden locks. Confusion filled what little of her mind she could rouse. Why was he leaned over her like that? What had happened? She remembered a vine, maybe. She remembered, with a flash, why this was entirely the wrong sibling to have messed with. But by then it was too late. Quote: He felt her heart speed up as she stirred. The final straw. His head darted forward and no longer was it scent he was drinking. The very elixir of life flowed from her veins, into his mouth, warming him, filling him, feeding him. No fish to be tolerated with it's oily feel. No same old deer day after day. This was different, so different. This was the reason so many went bad, he knew. He knew how dangerous it was to drink from his own kind. How hard it was to stop. This wasn't the first time, just the first time since he had become an adult. As he drank, he tried to pull his mind back from the joy. Feeding should never be a joy, just a necessary action needed to sustain life. He could not, would not allow himself to enjoy it. Just as he would not allow himself to cross the final line. To kill. Would not. He pulled his mind from the sweet taste and filled his thoughts with himself who he was, who he was determined to be. Guardian to the land and sea. Protector from within. One with the world. He was Moonglade. He was a Druid, a healer, a guide and guardian. And... This was his sister. As carefully as he could, he retracted his fangs. He shuddered at his own enjoyment, in guilt at that enjoyment as he gt that last taste. HE could not undo what he did, and he would not apologize for being what he was, but there was one thing he could do. Focusing, a green glow encircled his sister. Quote: She shuddered as her blood was forced from her body, pulled from her neck like she was a strawberry malted with two straws. She was helpless in the grasp of his vines, still in the throws of whatever had knocked her out, and under his fangs. She tried to remind herself that he was her brother, that he loved her, he would never intentionally kill her. But she was also remembering how she had wound up in those vines, and how badly her face still smarted. Had she finally crossed the line? Gone too far? She hastily vowed never to do so again, if only he would stop before she died, if only she could survive this. She didn't know what gods she was preying to, but she wasn't overly picky. Any without a sense of humor would do. Really. Then she felt him slide his fangs out of her neck. She shuddered. Some one had heard her. Her eyes closed as a warmth surrounded her. Maybe she had been hasty in her relief Maybe this was how dying felt. It wasn't so bad, really. Warm. Quote: He watched her close her eyes as he healed her. Had he taken too much? Fear filled him, but he pushed it firmly aside. No, he could still bring her back. He tried a higher level spell, watching as the wound faded from her face. That much was a relief, at least. Females could be quite vain. Well, so could some males. Perhaps it was just a failing in ponies in general. Quote: Warm. The warm felt good, comforting. She found her awareness slipping away as she fell asleep. Quote: He felt her heart rate even out, and knew when she had drifted into REM sleep. Her body was replenishing the blood he had taken, her face was repaired, and the sleep venom from his vines was cleared from her system. He set her beside the lake gently. He arranged her wings so she would not injure her feathers as she slept, then he dived under water, trying to make peace with what had happened. He had fed in anger. Never before had he done such a thing. He was ashamed at himself, horrified even. Yes, he had been tired from repairing the damage, and yes it was the damage she had wrought upon the innocent earth, but his actions were still inexcusable. If the choice had been to feed without permission or perish, he should have perished. To have taken her by force like that... reprehensible! Lights danced before him, shaking him from his self loathing. He squinted in confusion. What in the seas...? Moonglade knew of course that some creatures had a natural bio-luminescence, but he knew of nothing of the sort that dwelled in small freshwater lakes like this one. Quote: Hoshino saw the dark shadowy shape approach him. He paused, his dancing lights floating about him as he waited for whatever it was to come and meet him. A new friend, perhaps? He hoped so. It was ever so lonely here. Quote: Moonglade stopped short, seeing the small seapony ahead. He calmed himself, and, believing that he had not yet been seen, transformed. He took the shape of another seapony, still in black and gold, so as to appear less threatening. With the other surrounded in lights, Moonglade had a fair expectation that he had been able to see well before he was seen. “Ho, stranger!” he called out. Quote: “Ho, yourself,” Hoshino called back as the newcomer swam into his ring of lights. He could have sworn whoever it was had been much larger a moment before, but clearly this was a pony his own size after all. Who was it, though? Hoshino was fairly certain that he would have recalled some one that stood out quite so much. The pond was not large.
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Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 5:08 pm
Quote: Moonglade forced himself to smile, to push out of his head all thoughts of what had happened moments before with his sister, of what he had almost done. “I saw lights, and had to investigate.” Quote: “Well, you found the source,” Hoshino said, eyeing the other. Were those fangs? Nah, he had to be imagining things. “I'm Hoshino,” he offered, in an attempt to be polite. Quote: “I am Moonglade. I hope I have not disturbed your home in any way?” he asked. He was bound to preserve nature and life. Ponies were part of that as well, even if most seemed to steadfastly refuse to admit as much. Quote: “Disturbed my...” Hoshino repeated. What an odd pony. What a peculiar way to speak. What a weird question. Well, the best way to handle an odd question was to reply with one as equally puzzling. “You're not from around here, are you?” he asked. Okay, so he wasn't as good at matching wits as he might have hoped... Quote: “Ah, no,” Moonglade said, apologetically “Just visiting.” Quote: “Just... Visiting?” Hoshino echoed, dumbfounded. The other was a seapony like himself, there was no river or stream to this lake. His shell had been dropped here when he still relied upon it by a dragon who had mistaken him for dinner. As far as he knew, he was the only seapony in the area. Visiting? How did a Seapony visit a pond that was cut off from all other water? Quote: “Yes, just passing through, I assure you,” Moonglade said hastily. Quote: “How can you pass through?” Hoshino asked. Quote: It was easy, and Moonglade was about to say as much, when he realized that easy for him was not easy for others. He hesitated to let ponies outside of his family know what he was. If every soul knew he could heal their hurts, soon he would be so flooded with stubbed hooves and sore fins that he would never find the ones who truly needed him. He could not turn away from a cry of distress or pain, no matter how minor. No matter how major either. Healing came first, he came later. And if he died healing some one or something, well, then his last act would have been a good one, and, almost more importantly, he could rest. The dead were not called upon as healers. They were simply dead. Still, he had to say something to this seapony. Finally he came to something that was the truth, yet implied something that was not the case. “My father has wings, he can fly me places, when I wish to travel.”Which was true, but there was no need. He was the best flyer in his family. So his father could easily fly him around, especially if he took the size of a small insect, but there was truly no need. He could just as easily cross the ocean carrying his father. Quote: “Oh, okay,” Hoshino said. That made sense. “Did you want to come see the bottom, that's about all we have for sights around here, is the bottom.” Well, we in this case meant just Hoshino, but we sounded better, he thought. He was terribly lonely, maybe he could convince this Moonglade to stay, even if he was a bit odd and made Hoshino feel very unintelligent indeed.
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Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 6:33 pm
Quote: “Ah, that is quire alright,” Moonglade hastened to assure him. So far the other hadn't noticed the fangs that followed Moonglade through every form, and he would rather not push his luck. He had chosen this lake originally as a place to rest for a week or so simply because it seemed too small to hold another sentient being. Clearly it did, however, and he really did not want to spend the daylight hours plagued by some one who would try to drag him from the shade simply to be friendly. Nor did he want to gamble by explaining his need to one who might attack him out of fear. Fear was one thing, one sentiment that united all thinking beings, sentient or not. Stupid or intelligent. Ponies knew fear. So too did chickens and deer, and fish. Some creatures reacted by fleeing, others by fighting. And Sentient ones? Were completely unpredictable as a group unless they were actively in a group. For individuals, unless you knew him or her, you could not predict their reaction. We would not make that wager. There were still hours of darkness left to him, he needed only to be rid of this one, and then he could fly off in search of a better place to spend the time. To make himself a vacation. “Actually, would you be so kind as to find me something to drink, I am a bit parched.” Quote: “Sure!” Hoshino said, beaming brightly, and happy to be of help. He got a good bit away, relatively speaking, before it occurred to him... they were under water. What did one need to drink, how could he be parched...under water? And more, what could you bring someone to drink who was already under water? And what would he bring it in? He considered going back to ask Moonglade what he wanted, but he was afraid to look even more stupid. He'd figure it out, right? Quote: Shaking his head, Moonglade waited until he was sure that the other was faced away and would not be turning back. He shifted to give himself water resistant wings and burst from the water. He found a spot that could not be seen from the water and changed forms again, one for better night flying. Eyes like an owl and ears to match, good strong wings, almost dragon like, but with feathers. He filled out the form bit by bit until he was satisfied. Checking on his sister with his magic, he took off, launching himself into the night. Quote: He gave up, he had no choice. He doubled back to ask the other seapony what he wanted to drink, and how to etch it, but no matter how hard he looked, there was no sign of black or gold. After a very confusing hour, he gave up on that as well. Perhaps he had been dreaming. That made sense. And anyway If he dreamt up some one smart enough to make him feel stupid, then he had had to be as smart as the figment he had dreamt, which meant he was actually quite smart! Satisfied with that, Hoshino settled down to go to sleep. Or... was it back to sleep? Quote: Kukoru was resting on a rock perfectly positioned to bathe in the sunlight. Her eyes were closed and her head tilted back as she enjoyed the peace and quiet. It wouldn't be long before someone would be foolish enough to seek her out in hopes of having a wish granted. Then she would have to teach them the lesson of looking to others for the things they could get themselves, or trusting another's interpretation But for now... rest. Quote: He flew over her, a dark shadow blotting out the sun. He saw her and twirled on a wing tip to spin back and see her again. He was stunned almost to stillness. He had never seen anyone quite like her. She was... fascinating. Quote: The darkness that passed over her brought a frown to her face. She peeked open an eye just long enough to confirm that it was, in fact, just a bird. Nothing to be concerned about. Quote: He flew over her, a dark shadow blotting out the sun. He saw her and twirled on a wing tip to spin back and see her again. He was stunned almost to stillness. He had never seen anyone quite like her. She was... fascinating. Quote: The darkness that passed over her brought a frown to her face. She peeked open an eye just long enough to confirm that it was, in fact, just a bird. Nothing to be concerned about. Quote: He landed on a nearby tree. His plan had been to inquire as to what she was, but once his talons hit the tree he felt the darkness there. He formed an actual mouth so that he could frown. Wood rot. All thoughts of the pretty and intriguing young lady fled as his form shifted into a large black and gold snake so he could wrap around the branch, embracing it. He fluttered closed his eyes and focused on the wood rot, trying to heal the tree that sheltered him
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Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 6:34 pm
Quote: Kukoru was oblivious to what he was doing, not noticing, seeing or caring. Quote: Finally he finished. Shaking he opened his eyes. Yes, he had just fed, but it wasn't enough. He had fixed the earth itself twice, controlled the vines, healed his sister, changed shapes multiple times, and now healed a decade worth of wood rot. He felt his coils loosening, and he had no more strength to hold on. He fell, almost too tired to care. He needed sleep, or to feed again, preferably both. But so long as he roused himself before the sun, any damage he took from the fall he could heal once he had rested. Hopefully. Maybe. What he hadn't counted on... was the fact that he was falling right towards the pretty girl he had noticed earlier. Quote: She yelped when something landed on top of her. Quote: He hit her horn and stuck, a moment, before the momentum of his fall ripped him free and sent him tumbling to the ground, a gouge in his side. That... wasn't great. He started wondering if he needed to heal that before or after he slept, then he realized that he had landed on something living. Was it hurt? Perhaps his healing wasn't the one he needed to attend to now. Exhausted, his serpentine head rose to look at what, or as it turned out, who he had fallen upon. Quote: She scowled at the snake. "You bled on me," she grumbled. Quote: "I am sorry," he said through the serpentine mouth, a hissing wheeze accompanying the words. "Are you in need of immediate healing?" Quote: "No, but you seem to be." Quote: "Then accept this," he said, lifting the end of his tail to gesture. A soft aura would envelope her in violet and green, then seem to vanish. It was a healing spell that did very small trace amounts of healing over a long period of time. Hopefully he'd be able to trace his magic back and find her again. He had no clue if that would work or not, but he wanted to meet her again. He was tired enough to realize that it was almost as much a part of his motivation as checking on her. Quote: She arched a brow. "You did not spell me, because if you did I would have to kill you now." Quote: "A simple healing spell. I can cancel it, if you prefer."
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Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 6:36 pm
Quote: "Why bother healing me? I am unhurt." Quote: "Oh," he said weakly. "Thank Arthas." Having said that, his eyes rolled back, and he passed out Quote: "....." she sighed and squirmed and shifted until she could get him completely off her. Quote: Which would have been fairly easy Quote: And she'd leave him since he didn't make a wish and she had no real reason to be concerned about him. Quote: It would take until the next evening, when a pair of dark shapes would fly overhead of where she was. Kelypso nodded at her grandson. "That is who you wished to find?" she inquired. Quote: "Yes, gran. Thank you," Moonglade replied. Quote: With a nod, Kel flew off, eager to find a place to wet down her tail. Quote: Moonglade looked for a place near the pretty pony that he could land. He currently looked like a dragon. Quote: Kukoru would have seen them and would be frowning as she waited for him to approach Time to work.
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Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 6:37 pm
Quote: He landed beside her. "Hello," he said softly feeling something odd, something new. He knew the word shy, but as he had never felt it, he didn't know to put the word to the feeling. Quote: "Greetings," she nodded at him once. "What do you seek?" Quote: "Are you really uninjured?" he asked, concerned for her and yeah, more of that odd sensation. Quote: She arched a brow. "What?" Quote: "I was... worried about you," he said softly. Quote: "And who exactly are you?" Quote: "Oh, I...I apologize," he all but stammered. "I am Moonglade. What is your name?" he asked, feeling even more shy. Would she answer? Quote: She frowned a bit, not understanding what he wanted from her. How could he not know who she was? "Kukoru." Quote: "That.... that's a pretty name," He told her.
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Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 9:40 pm
Quote: She waited for a moment then, "Well?" Quote: "Well....what?" he asked, confused. He was just happy to be in her presence. Quote: "I was hoping to maybe... get to know you some. Talk to you, maybe?" Quote: "I saw you when I was flying before. I never saw anyone quite like you before." Quote: "Is that the word for what you are?" he asked, a bit awed. "Clearly a pony of some sort, very clearly sentient. Seryph..." Quote: "Yes... that is the name for my race."
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Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 9:41 pm
Quote: "Mine does not actually have a name," he confessed with a nervous chuckle. Then he remembered the form he now wore. Oh, he could kick himself. He considered altering his joints to do just that. Next she would ask if he was a dragon, or what he was, and he would have to either lie, or leave or....tell the truth. But he had kept the answer to just himself and his family for so long. And of course, there was the other half of himself. One side drew more then he wanted, the other side would like as not send her running. Quote: She didn't ask, merely arched a brow, wondering why he was striking up conversation. Others just asked for what they wanted, cursed at her when it wasn't as they wanted, then left. Quote: He blinked, started at that. Ironically, the fact that she hadn't asked made him almost want to tell her. Instead, he decided to learn more about her. "What differentiates your race from others, besides appearance?" he inquired. He needed to know for healing, among other reasons. And he was curious. Quote: She didn't say anything else. Quote: "Were your parents Seryphs?" Quote: "So are all twins Seryphs, then?" Quote: "Then I admit to being confused. What other traits are there?" he asked, perhaps that could clear up the mystery. He wasn't too concerned that she was different then her parents. Arthas knew he was. Quote: "Other than physical appearances?"
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Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 9:44 pm
Quote: She considered then shrugged again. "There are few of us." Quote: "so you're kind is somewhat rare, then?" Quote: "So...." his normally scientific mind went somewhat blank. What more could he ask her about her race? He wouldn't come right out and ask about blood, though the smell of her was somewhat intoxicating. "what do you like to do for fun?" he finally asked. That was about her race, sort of. Right? Quote: "....Fun?" she gave him an odd look, wondering what he was going on about. Quote: "Yeah, you know. When you want a rest? Something to do that isn't difficult or stressful?" Come to think of it, when was the last time HE had had any fun? Well, that was what this trip was supposed to be about, right? Quote: Before he could stop himself he actually shuddered in horror and revulsion. A look of pure terror stole over his face. He swallowed, as though she herself had just become terrifying. "Wh....why?" he sputtered out. Quote: "Because I enjoy it. I need a reason to find something pleasant?"
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