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 Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2007 7:20 pm
And indeed, she could feel a new life tonight. She felt strange; full of energy for once. She even had a bounce in her step. She didn't know what was wrong with her, oddly enough. That never happened...
She peered to the east, watching the sun as it peeked over the horizon, splashing its warm colors across the entire western half of the sky as it did so. It then began its lazy ascent into the heavens. She turned her slender head back towards the group of trees, a smile on her muzzle. It would be good to visit her tree, she hadn't in a while. Plus, she felt an odd feeling -- no, a need -- to come to Shrilal again. And not just to Shrilal, to a certain place in it. The gilded mare had assumed it was to see her tree, or even to check on her mother's to see that it hadn't died. If it hadn't, her mother was still alive, or so she believed. She didn't really know if that was the case.
Her emerald eyes traveled over the other trees as her muscular tails twisted and curled into new positions, occasionally breaking the silence with a snap or two. Ah, there was that lovely orange and white tree there, and there was her mother's tree, still alive and well... A few more minutes in, there was her tree...
But it couldn't be. Her tree was further in, she thought with her brow furrowed. It wouldn't be here...
And then she saw it.
This tree was much shorter in comparison to hers. A lovely mix of gold and white bark curled around another color, another tree, until they bound and grew together as one. But this other color was brown.
"Oh, dear..."
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Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2007 7:42 pm
 It wasn't odd at all, the blood bay came to his conclusion after his whim of the wind heart and soul grasped him by the throat once more and led him away in some unknown direction. Though, he wasn't quite sure if he had traveled this far before, normally his need would be subsided after he spotted something to be of interest of him. Surely, he had passed at least one thing by now?
With a long sigh that came from his flaring nostrils, he just couldn't bring himself to stop just yet. It felt like he needed to keep his hooves from touching the ground for as long as possible, until his gait became a rather brisk jog of sorts. No no, it was just his body needing to get rid of some of its energy. So why not appease it for the time being? With a flick of his long midnight forelock out of his dull sparkless eyes, the blood bay kicked his gait up to a nice lope. Ah, that did it for him, as it seemed speed was the best way to subside the absolute nagging at the back of his mind.
It didn't quite occur to the stallion that he was heading straight for the fruitlands; a place he rarely ventured and hardly remembered from years past. For some reason, it held a bitter feeling that he couldn't quite stomache.
That is, until the Jala's hollow gaze scanned the upcoming horizon, and once more he laid eyes upon the trees that jarred and shook the very aspect of thoughts. With a shutter the stallion nearly balked to a halt at the fringe, why had his wanderings brought him here? It was odd, certainly, for he should have no concious desire to lay sights on such a place. Unless...
Naw. He knew he was as reckless as they came sometimes, but... that couldn't be it.
With a settling snort he allowed his gaze to shift to the fruitlands before him, as he realized he wasn't quite alone as he thought he was.
"Oh. Oooooh." his thoughts came silently, but he could not forget that coloring, no matter how brief their encounter had been. It... it can't be. Quite honestly, the whimsical stallion couldn't quite think of anything to do, much less say. Even the notion of 'Hello' slipped his mind at the moment.
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Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2007 7:58 pm
Cressida could hear the hoofbeats of the stallion behind her, she could hear them cease as he stopped his graceful lope, but she could not bring herself to turn from the single bud, already starting to grow into a fruit, that hung from one of the branches of their tree. The bark from his sapling was smooth and rich; hers was a milky mixture of white and gold, though sharp thorns protruded here and there to protect the tree. She also noted some thorns, or the start of some, on the fruit itself. She blinked, still staring at the thing on the tree.
Finally, finally, she managed to tear her gaze from the fruit long enough to turn her head to look at the bay stallion behind her. He was here, at least, but what could she say? What could he say? Did they really need to say anything at all? She heaved a sigh and looked back at the fruit. It was a mistake to be with this stallion, she had known it, but what was done was done, and this was the result. She did not want children yet, but obviously that wasn't going to happen. At least it was only one. She could handle one. She moved a step or two closer and studied the bud carefully. It would only grow and thrive if one of them, maybe both, was there for it. With another sigh, she looked back at the bay and studied him, too. "You know what this means, don't you?" She trusted him not to run off and abandon her and their unborn child. Because if he did, whether the fruit died or not, she would hunt him down and make him pay dearly. She didn't exactly want children yet, but she'd be damned if she wouldn't take care of this one.
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Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2007 8:57 pm
As simple as a single thought was to the blood bay, it seemed like the most difficult thing in the world at the moment. Bah, a fathom of his usual activity would have been better then this, certainly. With a small shake of his sleek head, sending his lengthy mane into an unruly wave of movement that caught what light was available, the stallion turned his attention to the ever-growing tree. His dull eyes found that only parts were vaguely familar to him, and even then he was more happy to find that those parts didn't hold the singed and burned bark of his own tree. Such a thing... he did not want to think about.
It was then, as he studied the small bud that most certainly carried his... their, child; that Aitumn stepped slowly forward to investigate a bit more. Though the voice to the silence startled a single ear of his into turning in that direction, attentive and museful in its movements. Now he had always been a stallion of very few words at most times, and percise in his answers, so he pondered over her question before he voiced his opinion. Of course, it was frightfully wonderful, but also unexpected and unknowing. He was a wandered by heart, he had to travel, lest he be driven to even more reckless acts then he cared to deal with. It was need the blood bay had, a desire he couldn't ignore; much like the need to come to the fruitlands.
Though, he had always mused over the fact he might one day have a family of his own. This may not have been the family he had expected, but he had a child. Plain and simple. And like his musing he didn't want to be left in the dark. With a small bob of his sleek head, he shifted his hollow gaze over to the golden mare. "I wouldn't mind", he spoke, flicking a midnight tail in an equine shrug. Really, he didn't mind either way, but he wasn't about skip out at the first chance.
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Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2007 9:09 pm
She watched him closely, one of her slender tails reaching up to swat a fly that decided to land on her back, though she didn't seem to notice it at all besides that one tail, which slithered back down to join its brethren. And then he spoke. With a nod she turned her gaze to the bud again, then without a word she settled herself carefully on the ground beside it, still staring up at the fruit, though she had to crane her neck to see it now.
"I don't mind either." She paused and blinked her emerald eyes, which she suddenly turned towards him. "What was your name again? I'm afraid if you'd told me last time, I don't exactly remember it. My name's Cressida, by the way." Wow, smart. Include yourself in risky behavior with some stallion whose name you don't even know. Oh well. That was in the past, and she couldn't change it now.
She heaved a sigh as she turned to look up at the fruit again, then back at the bay. "I think we'll both be getting to know each other a lot more before this is done. At least there's only one," she said, then looked from him to the bud and back. "Though, I wouldn't have minded all that much if there were more."
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Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2007 9:25 pm
The stallion, despite his heavy travels to get here, perfered to stay at a stationary stand with four hooves planted into the ground. He still needed to keep himself fairly active, lest his body ache with the desire to fathom over other destinations, like usual when he stayed in one place for too long. Would it be different now? He hoped so, for it would be horribly undiserable to stick around with that choke chain around his neck, pulling him away with every second that passed by.
At the sound of the other's voice once more he flicked both of ears in her direction, shifting slightly to accomidate his weight better. Movement and balance was never difficult, he found. "Aitumn," he responded as he mawled over such a name as her own. Though, he considered he knew her name before she spoke it, for such a thing hardly left him easily. With a flaring of his nostrils he came to the conclusion that he wasn't going anyway any time soon, and gave in to a nice sway of rolling his weight from hoof to hoof with every passing minute.
He did happen to give a small chuckle at that last part though, turning his sparkless gaze back towards her and to the fruit once more. "More? I'm not even sure how one is going to go." Though with some consideration he flicked his lengthy midnight tail once more. "Probably wouldn't mind either," he concluded. The fathom of muse and reality often clashed in his mind, and now was no different.
Though, a certain demeanor took him over as he decided, with finality, that he would not allow himself to lay down. One of them needed to be ready, to strike a furious terror into those who dare stray too close. Aitumn decided, much on his own, that he would be the one to do so. Though, he wouldn't quite voice such a thing.
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Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2007 9:35 pm
"Well you can't say one or two more wouldn't be welcome," she said with a wry smile on her muzzle, snapping her tails. "But just one is fine, too. One fruit pilfers less energy than two or three does," she said with a nod. Her mother had told her how that worked, though she didn't quite know how she remembered something her dam had told her so long ago.
She frowned, thinking on her mother again. When would she see her now? This would definitely impede her travels to search out her mother. Oh well, she would see her soon, she knew it. "I'll remember your name this time," she said with a nod. "I can't believe I'd forgotten it, I'm sorry. I knew it began with an 'a'... Does that count?" She was joking around! She hadn't done that in ages. Why did she feel so light-hearted? Either way, she had a fruit, a rather fetching stallion to help her with their child, and she would see her mother soon. It was still all right.
He didn't look like the type who would strike furious terror into the hearts of anyone who would dare to stray too close, nor did she know how he would do that, but she'd rather die than let herself be separated from her child like she had been separated from her mother. It had been heartbreak and heartache for both of them, and anyone who would even hint at such separation between her and her new child would be torn to shreds in an instant.
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Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2007 9:51 pm
"Certainly." Two or three fruits would just mean he'd get the chance to tell his tales of fantasy to even more young minds. It wasn't often he found an audience after all, and he had more then enough characters and story lines to last him a long while if he found a single deposit. Perhaps the stallion was a bit of an oddity, but it was his pastime that he couldn't quite go without. Then again, how big of a part would he play in their raising? Would he even get the chance? Best not to think about such things.
Not that he'd know what to do in the first place. His earliest memory had to do with him already walking the path of young adulthood, or at least he thought he was young, perhaps he was older then he thought? Augh, best not to think about that either; for the blood bay often got headaches while doing so.
He did happen let a the beginings of a grin pull at the corners of his muzzle as he responded, "I suppose that can count as half a point." For a stallion of few words, he was mostly light hearted to begin with. Heck, he didn't register the breeds of nequus he came across most of the time, unless something peculiar in coat or nequus caught his attention. A scarlet light, bathed in the golden fingertips of the sun's own grasp, wafted softly through the warmed summer time air; resting gently on the sprout of a tree and the fruit it held in its delicate hold. With such attention throughout its days of early growth, the young soul inside had been given the chance to develop into what it was now; a budding youth of sudden desire.
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Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 1:12 pm
He was content to stay in his fruit forever, living the rest of his days in a warm, comfortable cocoon of darkness. However, his tree had other intentions. With a sudden, near-silent snap, the stem of the fruit broke away from the tree, and the swollen fruit dropped to the ground, instantly relieving the tree's two companions of the constant drain of energy.
A huge, crushing weight suddenly lifted from the gilded mare as soon as the fruit was severed from the tree. Cressida's head shot up at the sound of the fruit dropping, and in an instant she was upright from her comfortable spot on the ground. There was no getting up or standing involved, she simply went from laying down to being upright. And now the fruit was bouncing around on the ground, struggling to be free. She stared at it, eyes wide, extremely nervous. Was it hatching? What if it was hatching too early? "Aitumn," she breathed, not daring to remove her eyes from the wiggling fruit, not even for a moment. Should she intervene? Help it out? Something tugged at the back of her mind at the thought. No, leave it be; its first battle must be won alone.
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Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 10:20 am
The stallion didn't know why, but for some reason he felt more on edge then he usually did. Something was up, he didn't know exactly what, but perhaps it was the time spand of simply being here. Yes that might be it. He wasn't sure how long fruit stayed on their trees, but he was certain with its size it had been long enough already. Either way, the blood bay Jala had taken to patrolling the area around the tree, never getting too far or out of sight of it, but always expanding his range enough to keep a good eye on the surrounding area. With his mood, he wasn't going to take in last minute chances, not after the time he and Cressida had both spend caring for it.
However, it wasn't the scent of a nearby the threat that had his muscles tensing, but rather the soft breath of his name. Ears pricked at the sound of it, and though he wasn't quite sure why it had been said, he had a prodding at the back of his mind. Quickly the stallion broke his patroling jog and broke off into a brisk lope back to the tree. He was, by no means, going to miss this.
Upon reaching his destination he came to a startled halt near the Reya mare, his own hollow gaze meeting the wriggling fruit at their hooves. No matter how much he expected the event to come it was still a shock to actually see it with one's own eyes. It did little to help his nerves though. As his hollow gaze never left the sight before him, his feathered wings ruffled against his sides, and alert ears swiveled from side to side. The stallion would not allow some sort of misfortune to swoop in and steal such a moment from them, not in this hightened sense of excitement and awe.
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Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 2:10 pm
Cressida hardly acknowledged the presence of the blood bay stallion, eyes and ears focused on the bundle before them. Finally, after so much waiting, it was going to hatch. All her worries, fears, questions vanished in an instant, replaced by a tense feeling, waiting for whatever it was to emerge from its sticky fruit.
What was this? He felt the stem separate from the tree, the comforting supply of energy cease, and a dull thud as his fruit hit the ground. What was going on? Well, he figured, it was probably time to find out.
The white fruit stretched and bulged wherever the small foal kicked or pushed, but it refused to give. The strained fruit went still for a few moments, then suddenly a golden horn pierced through the thick skin of the sticky cocoon and the foal toppled over onto his back, only his head and neck sticking out of the fruit. His dark eyes didn't seem to notice either figure nearby as he studied his predicament. His head was out, but the rest of him was stuck. Hmm, that could be problematic. So, with a hard kick from his hind leg, his gilded hoof collided with the other side of the fruit and...
Went straight through. Wonderful. His ears flicked back and he snorted, trying to wiggle his foot free, but to no avail. His other hindhoof extended and pressed against the fruit instead, and he managed to push himself out of it.
With a triumphant grin he turned, standing on both forehooves, lifting his hindleg from the fruit and taking a step, then--THUD. His other leg was still inside the fruit. He rolled over onto his side and glared at the offender, and began to kick his leg furiously to rid himself of the fruit. Finally after a few moments of thrashing about, the fruit was flung off and landed, deflated, on the grass a couple yards off.
It was then that he noticed the figures, though it was the blood bay ahead of him that he saw first and that held his attention. He stared up at the large Jala for a few moments, ears perked. "Papa?" His voice broke, not used to speaking at all yet, but it held an innocent tone to it as he stared up at his sire.
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Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 8:59 am
Oh my, the poor boy. Now Aitumn didn't quite remember his own hatching, and if he had that much trouble with his fruit, but he had to imagine it was quite a struggle for such a young creature. However, as he watched a golden horn strike through the fruit's outer layer, he gave a mental sigh of relief. He had been hoping for his child to get one from Cressida's side of the gene pool, and at least that hope had been answered.
Keeping his hallow gaze on the whole spectical as it went on, the blood bay couldn't help but feel at least the littlest bit of pride. That was his son right there, flinging his fruit away off a couple yards, and breathing the same air as himself. The color was quite shocking however, completely white? He knew Cress had a bit of the snow color on her underbelly and beneath the golden hue, but he had at least expected a coat coloring like himself or the foal's mother. It did little hinder his pride though, as the Jala figured it made him all the more special. With ears pricked however, he heard the little thing speak. And what a word too, Aitumn had hardly expected to hear it any time soon.
In return a grin had formed on the Jala's muzzle, bobbing his head in acceptance of the title once or twice as he spoke, "Hey there, son." Oh, hmm they'd have to come up with a name soon. He couldn't keep calling him 'Son', or 'Colt' all the time. Lowering his muzzle close to the ground, and snaking it out slightly to nearly reach the young colt, the stallion blew a short breath of warm air onto the colt's own face in a greeting. He wondered though, if the little thing would return it, for Aitumn would have loved to make a game out of it right on the spot.
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Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 9:16 am
The gilded mare watched with bated breath as the newborn foal struggled to free himself, heaving her own mental sigh of relief at the horn. That was a good thing for him to have, she figured, with creatures like the green brute running around. And feathered wings, half colored like the blood bay. But, white? She tilted her head, watching the white foal, and smiled widely at his young voice. He must have received his white coloring not from his dam, but from hers. "He's perfect," she murmured, a mix of emotions whirling through her.
The little colt snorted at the breath of warm air against his face, wrinkling his nose a bit, but then grinned up at the large Jala before him, and tried to copy his sire's actions. He jumped a bit at hearing a voice behind him, and turned his head to see who had interrupted him. He studied the gilded mare for a few moments before another grin broke through. "Mama?" He asked, ears perked. He struggled to stand once more, his spindly legs shaking, but managed a grin. Standing! He lifted one leg, intending to walk, but instead tipped over. This was unexpected.
He frowned, hoisting himself up onto all fours again. He managed to take one shaky step, then another, then another, and just when a grin broke through at his accomplishments, he toppled over. He snorted, ears flicking back, but then he looked from Aitumn to Cressida and back, and grinned at both. "Papa, mama!" He said, wiggling his short stub of a tail.
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Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 9:55 pm
The Jala stallion was, oh how to put it, giddy? No, no. Prideful? Certianly, but that hardly explained the stallion's joy in watching his son try again and again to stand. He wasn't too worried about that though, foals learned to stand on their own without much difficulty all the time. Heck, he was surprised the colt knew who they were right off the bat, did every foal know? It was a question certainly worth pondering, and the blood bay would have to ask around if he happened upon blissful parents at some point.
Though, he could not stop a grin from forming on his dark muzzle, as he lowered his muzzle to slightly nudge at the colt's sides, hopefully to encourage him a bit more. "Go on and try again, standing can be quite difficult." Man, was it just Aitumn, or did everyong want to just run around and buck like a yearling at moments like this? Eh, it was probably just him, because the stallion really wanted to play games right now, and restraining himself from suddenly creating a game tag was hard to do. However, he couldn't help but throw a glance at Cressida, a small grin still plastered in place.
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Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 10:15 pm
The little white colt stuck out his tongue as he managed to hoist himself into an uncertain standing position. His spindly legs were wobbly, but he beamed at his sire, wiggling his stubby tail. "Papa!" He said, ears perked and hazel eyes staring up at the blood bay. He focused down at his hooves, staring at them as if they could answer any question he asked, and he carefully picked one up and set it down a few inches away. Empowered by this tiny success, that hoof was followed by another, and another, and another as the foal took small steps, his tongue still sticking out in concentration.
He evolved to taking larger and larger steps, but succeeded in toppling over again. He carefully lifted himself up again, his legs becoming more steady as they adjusted to life outside of the cramped fruit, and he grinned over at the couple, wiggling his stubby tail, obviously proud of his accomplishments. "Papa, mama!" He said, beginning to chant the names as he walked around his sire in a circle.
The gilded mare couldn't help but laugh, snaking her head over to nudge the stallion's neck. "Looks like he's getting the hang of it, doesn't it? I think we're going to have our hooves full once he gets a hold of running," she said with a nod, watching the little foal as he continued chanting 'papa, mama' as he walked around Aitumn in circles.
She couldn't remember feeling so light; it felt like she was flying, but she was on the ground. She didn't quite know how to describe the feeling, but whatever it was, it felt wonderful. She smiled down at the foal, then frowned slightly in concentration. Her green eyes flicked to the bay, posing the question on her mind. "What should we name him?"
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