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Fast, faster, fastest- it was simply all the little colt could think of over and over again! With the wind caressing and sweeping up his striking crimson mane and tail, Rue darted from side to side and in unusual patterns as his legs kept on running and his mind couldn't help but be unaware of the yelling of both his father and uncle as he spoke to himself.

"Fast, fast, fast! Rue fast- Rue very fast is. Rue lightening, speeeeeeed deeeeeemon!" The colt spoke outloud, nodding his head as he plowed forwards.

But as he spoke to himself, another voice seemed to ring out. It was unfamiliar but sweet which instantly caught the young foals attention as his ears perked upwards and his void-less orbs darted around to see another older soquili running towards an very large tree up ahead that was dotted with red in its leaves and eve scattered red things on the ground. Hmm- that was weird. But as the rather unknown big-thing seemed to want to play a game, Rue gave a lopsided grin and darted forwards as fast as his little legs could will him. "RUE won't be laaaast," he giggled, running forward and a length or two away from the three.

Yet due to his obivious and rather focused nature at the moment Rue hadn't seen a medium sized stone that had been embedded within the ground and as a front hoof collided with ith the small colt was sent into a tumble, rolling forwards as dirt was stirred up into a cloud in the air an a long squeal was sounded.

"AIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!"

As the tumbling and sliding motion stopped, the colts nose gently pressed against the tree as he laid there motionless with his body sprawled out in front of the tree. To himself, Rue giggled and rested his forehead against the tree. "Rue thanks tree- Rue dun like being hurt-ed..." he commented, pulling his head away as one of the strange, circular red things from the tree seemed to suddenly fall down right at the trees base and begin to roll slightly.

Those void-less orbs found themselves staring in awe at the one red thing from the tree as he glanced around, nearly gasping as there were several other red things scattered around the tree. Ezriel, Dante and even the other big-thing was forgotten as he stumbled and pivoted the other way and began to slowly scoot himself forwards to the closest strange red thing which the tree had dropped. "Rue thinks tree dropped sumthin'- sumthin' shiny..." he mumbled, tapping it withi his nose with an amused expression as the strange thing moved slightly.

In glee, Rue looked around as he clopped his hooves on the ground.

"TREE GAVE RUE TOY!"

"I know- I know!" Ezriel shouted, glancing back towards Dante as he too plowed forwards. But from out of the corner of his eye he saw someone very, very- oh no. No, no, no! His teeth clenched together as he could feel himself wince slightly, ears flattening against his head. It couldn't be- no, there had to be more than one completely black mare within these lands right? Even though his mind tried to reassure him and soothe that worry, that comfort seemed to shatter as she spoke.

It was without a doubt his mother, Lady Korrine.

The stallion slowed slightly, somewhat unconciously staring towards his mother while his son tumbled out of control, skidding towards a tree. As Ezriel missed his sons aerobatics and skillful traits most certainly inherited from his mothers side, the inexperienced father couldn't help but feel sorrow. He knew- damnit, he knew that he should have told her sooner but with being distressed and still so broken inside from the loss of Nimue the stallion hadn't been put back together in working order. If there was anyone that could help sort this whole mess out it was his mother but sadly there were fears of what she would think or whom she might compare himself to that kept him trying to sort it out on his own. But deep down inside he knew the whole time that such a problem couldn't be sorted out on his own and even he knew he needed help.

It seemed that it was meant to be knowing that on his own Ezriel never would have come until things would have escalated into a grim fashion but with Dante with him and his support and undoubtedly the love of his mother (even though he was a bit unsure about his situation and her reaction) Ezriel had to come clean- he just..Ezriel needed help.

Willing himself to walk forward closer towards the tree, Ezriel moved towards the colt and leaned down to nudge him but before he could, the colt shifted and stumbled forwards, bouncing up and down as he neared closer towards his unknown grandmother. Somehow he was happy that Rue would be able to meet hi Grandmother but, on the other hoof, he was somewhat uncertain how she would take to learning how it happened and the mess he had created.

For now he remained silent as his eyes were unable to look up into her eyes.

"Rue won! Rue won!" The colt exclaimed, wiggling and bouncing almost in place. "Does Rue win something?" He tilted his head, staring towards the mare. Again his mind tried to comprehend many things at once and, in doing so, a lopsided grin slipped across his maw as he stared towards the mare.

"Oooooh- Rue dun know you....." the colt blinked once, then twice and giggled. "HYUUUUUUUU BIG-THING!"

Her heart had skipped a beat when she saw the foal fall but thankfully as with most young colts, he didn't let it show. If he was hurt at all, he hid it well and she found herself smiling at the excitement he showed. He reminded her of her own sons when they were younger, only they held such burdens that they didn't quite enjoy themselves as much as this little one did. She was thankful that he did not share those burdens.

She walked over and nuzzled Dante and then Ezriel, "Hello darlings," she whispered to them before turning her attention back to the little foal. "And hello to you. Rue, is it? Well, let me get a good look at you," she commented before taking him all in. "I see so much of your daddy in you. Did you know that I'm the mommy of your daddy and Uncle Dante? That makes me your grandmother. Maybe I could be your prize?"

Meera would absolutely adore him, she thought. Though she was all grown up, she still had a childish streak to her. She could see Meera and Rue playing as if they were both foals.

She turned her attention back at her sons, a smile on her face. Any previous doubts or insecurities she had vanished the moment she had spoken to the young colt. "It's good to see you two again," she stated honestly. "Have you been well?"

They both looked well but the last time both her sons had visited her, they were burdened with problems. She hoped their situations had improved since their last visit.

It was so noisy today.

Well at first it had been a little too cold, and then the snow had been too high, and, to make it a trifecta of a terrible morning, the winds didn't sound right. It was just such a dull day. But, the most terrible part of the morning totally had to be that was it was too noisy. All those were thrown into a mental pot, and simmered well in the back of the strange soquili's mind as she trudged through the wintery forest land, looking for the source of such a ruckus.

Narrowing her eyes, all of them, in an effort to keep the battledrums in her mind from pounding any of them from straight out of her face, she glowered at the snowy land, the white, colourless landscape only aiding in the head aches and pangs. Shaking it once to try and jumble around whatever was warring in there, she lifted her head again to make heads and tails of where she was. Well she was in a forest - not far off from where she had taken up some sort of sanctity since her last run in with The Brothers. Having made a pact with Dante, she kept to her word about staying in the area, close enough for him to find her, atleast. But the nomad's soul still burned within her, and once again she found herself straying around the land - never too far, but far enough that she had to stay for nights rests here and there.

She wandered too much.

At the finish of that statement filtering through her tired mind, her sensitive ears perked at the sound of familiarity - voices. It took her a few moments to guess a location, the drums in her mind and the dull hum that flowed on the ill begotten wind. Turning her body towards the general area, she trotted forward through the snow - something she usually blessed as a miracle of life, the fluffy white snow normally made her feel better. But not today.

Taking towards the break in the forest, her eyes widened as words started to form on the voices she had been following, the familiar tones of two of them making her mood sharpen greatly, as her trot sped up, the jingling of glass on metal suddenly ringing into the air once more, but as she got to the break, and her eyes withheld the view of the little clearing, her voice finally erupted out, singing only one word, the first word of her day.

"Oh." It was sharp, and almost confused, a question in a statement as her eyes widened in both happiness and curiousity. There they both were, Dante, the ashen one and Ez, the white pelted one - he was amusingly blending so well into the snow. But beside them, two forms she was unaware of. She, the mare with them, was beautiful with her dark graces and dainty look - who was she? Another friend? She had an air of motherhood and years behind her, it made the young mare fidget a bit. But the other one, the foal, confused her greatly. He looked like Ez, if Ez had suddenly decided to shed his horns, the voidless eyes filled with joy and childish exuberance. It had been awhile since she saw that mirrored in the other's eyes. But.. who. Who's was it?

Jerking her head back, she raised an eyebrow and curved her muzzle in a confused fashion for a moment, watching the foal, before turning to the other adults once more, and lowering her head respectfully. ".. H-Hey!" Was all she could muster up, feeling suddenly silly about barging in so unexpectantly.

[ AKA ² Tal joins. XD]

Korrine laughed. She laughed loud and strong and it was both at the adorableness of her grandson and the foolishness of her son. She laughed, and laughed, barely able to contain all the emotion she felt.

"Compare you to Reaper?" she started, between bursts of laughter, "Oh darling. Look around you. Take it all in. Here and now, us all together. Your son playing happily. The love we have. I see a family. How could I ever compare you to Reaper?" The mare turned and nipped at her son playfully and lovingly, "Don't you fret none. I do want to hear all about it later, but I can promise you, that nothing you could have done could get me to ever compare you to him. Rue, I do believe you have a silly daddy. Silly."

The mare turned and started making playful faces to Rue as she repeated the word 'silly' a few more times. Then she lowered her head and nuzzled the little stallion right good. While it was true that she was a little disappointed, it wasn't because he had a foal. Her only regret was not knowing about it sooner and having the chance to be there when they first stumbled out of their baskets. But there would be other chances, surely, with both her sons and daughter. She needn't be so selfish.

Just then, another voice came from the distance and Korrine raised her head to see a mare approaching. She was rather strange looking but she had learned long ago and the hard way that you shouldn't judge someone based on appearance. It seemed like it took a long time for most to accept Meera, Dante and especially Ezriel. "Hello," she called back in greeting, not really knowing what else to say. Did the mare know her sons?

Dante's response confirmed that at least he knew the mare so she felt a little more at ease. Was that the mare Dante had once mentioned to her? She searched her brain for a name but none came to mind, so she remained unsure. She did however, smile in greeting. It made her happy to know Dante had a friend. Was things looking up for her sons? She was unsure with Ezriel since he seemed a little put off but surely, Rue could be nothing short of a miracle.

It was remarkably refreshing to see the brothers react to her presence as normally as usual. They'd give her a pained, but comforting look, something that said "I've done something silly", like when a foal cut it's leg on a brush or shoved it's sister into the high snows. Big eyes and almost apologetic features.

As Dante finally realized her being in the snow-littered clearing, she turned to him with almost pleading and question filled eyes, trying to read his features for answers as to who the other two were. He seemed calm, normal Dante with his worried eyes and pensive aura around him - so he knew atleast one of the soquili well, no one would be this calm around a group of strangers. "Dante..." came out of her strange muzzle when he finally said hello, almost wanting to ask the questions, but as he kept talking, he answered some of them already for her.

"M-Mother." She repeated, looking towards the dark-graced mare again, her eyes lightening up slightly so in dawning. "O-oh, Your mother. I see!" Deep inside she breathed a deep sigh in relief, how strange it would have been if she were anything else, a mare situated with one of the brothers, and she, a strange mare barging in to take limelight away. A spry little flip of a creature. Anyways, that was beyond her, and with a sweet smile she bowed her head carefully towards the mare - with respect and awe, a strong lady this was. "A greeting to you too, fair one." She answered, acting more like her father meeting another mare, than Talullah, the strange little energy ball. Turning her head towards the ashen brother once more, she raised her eyebrows as if physically asking for more information. The last answer hit a rough and very odd key with her.

It was as if time stopped for a moment or two as she just stared kind of bluntly at her friend, her eyes boring into him and her eyebrows raised high in both uncertainty and amazement. Upon hearing the very creature in question rush up to her, she snapped out of her reverie, and looked down to him, her eyes all wide and regarding him with stricken awe. Something clicked inside of her as she heard him exclaim about her size and her genetic graces, and she let out a slightly nasally laugh, sometting a kin to a 'snrk' before stretching her maw into a wide and long smile, both at Ez' predictament, and the little foal. Both in amusement, no offences she hoped were taken.

"Well, I spy a little fuzzball at my hooves, and I think I've successfully lured it to me by my tail. It's a good thing I'm not a lore creature, come to eat the young of Stallions and Mares, or I'd have a wonderful meal!" she exclaimed to him, deep inside holding her confusion and wonderment, all would be explained. An ear twitched as the different voice hit the air, one she was familiar with, Ezriel, her most valued patient. If she had charged him, he would have made her rich. Smiling once more to Rue before lifting her head again, metal on glass ringing true again before she cantered her head, regarding him loosely.

"I think it's a prime example right now, of a good time for a session, my dear little patients - but I don't seek payment, what kind of shoulder to lay on would I be if I forced you of your material goods for a piece of mind?" she answered to him lightly, amusement laced within. "I'm just surprised you didn't seek me out earlier. It's actually kind of funny when you've finally swallowed the jist of it. I'm all ears. And eyes, apparently."

"A friend of my sons is a friend of mine," Korrine stated genuinely. She was very curious about the mare and her possible relationship with her sons but she never liked to pry. Her sons always came to her when they had something to say and though it took time for them to find the words at times, it always came.

It seemed that no matter what would happen in their lives, her sons were destined to carry big burdens though she was sure they brought some of it upon themselves unnecessarily. It also seemed like this friend of theirs had helped one or both of her sons before in the past and she was thankful for that, though perhaps, she was a little jealous. But she knew some things were easier to tell to a friend than a mother. A mothers love was often biased, forgiving, loving, and if Korrine failed at one thing, it was being stern. She could not bring herself to cause harm to her sons or daughter. She'd sooner wish that pain upon herself.

Though she had only known the colt for a few minutes, she was so smitten with him. Her grandson had such charisma and energy. It certainly made her feel younger than she was.

"Rue, would you like to play with me? I think perhaps we should let your daddy and uncle spend time with their friend. Besides, I think you owe me a rematch on that race. As for you two," she paused to look at Dante and then to Ezriel, "I would like to spend some time with you before you leave. I hope you'll at least stay until morning?"