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Vivace did not stand alone. That was, he didn't think he was standing alone. When he had first come to the gathering he had come to stand by his siblings. At least...what remained of them.

Vivace's grey eyes stared blankly into the fire. No smile graced his face. No song filled is heart. No time passed. Everything had stopped being right the moment he had heard the news. His sister had died. His father had died. His great-grandfather and great-grandmother. Even his sister's stupid ferret had died.

And there was nothing that could ever change that.

Amitabha kept saying the same thing over and over again. Life is impermanent. Vivace could have told him that. Knowing it didn't make things any better though.

Deep lines formed around his mouth as Vivace frowned. He wanted to cry but no tears would fall. He wanted to yell but he could not find his voice. He wanted to do something, anything, that would lessen the blow even a little but there was absolutely nothing that could help. Vivace didn't feel like himself and by some cruel twist of fate the only thing that could help him reclaim what he was once was gone forever.

Maion took a deep breath, his chest was constricting with the grief he felt, but he tried to hold strong.... if for no one other than his mate Sengdroma. She was lovely and fierce as always, trying her hardest not to shed the tears he could see she was desperate to part with. He would comfort her later, allow her all the time she needed to mourn the passing of her parents and family.

Out of the group it would be Scythe that Maion missed the most, though he felt the loss of all four. He could still remember Scythe aiding him in his quest to find the perfect gift -a white rose- for Sengdroma when they were still courting, of course he had not know who the gift had been for... would that have changed things? Scythe had been an example for him to live up to, and in truth he wanted to equal the old mans strength in Sengdroma's eyes. A little selfish perhaps.... but it was the truth of things.

Maion was still new to his elder body, it ached and throbbed a little from the transformation and he couldn't help but feel very exposed among the group. He had been large before but now he was giant, and easily the largest of the group.... Scythe was the only one that would possible have stood close his size.... but he wasn't here... nor would he be ever again. The pain Maion felt shocked him, and he scrunched up his eyes and turned his head to the ground. This attack had cost everyone so much..... he was only thankful that the two injuried foals had not passed away with the four brave warriors. Maion would forever remember them.... but who could ever forget this pain?

Chandra felt as if time had stopped. First had come the news that her daughter lay unconsious after an attack.... next was the tradegy that had her doing little more than staring into space. Her grandparents were dead.....

As a foal her own parents had brought her up here to play and dance and sing and learn from the older herd. Chandra had always loved it, the different enviroment, the new information... it felt right, like she was connected here. She supposed that was true, she may be of the Miakoda herd but her heart was equally rooted here. This was where her lineage lead back to. A mutant and a regular. Tears stormed her eyes. Although she couldn't remember meeting the other two in life she recognised them... maybe they had shared the odd word when she was younger? She couldn't remember.... and with the grief biting into her she suspected she never would.

Tucked into her side was a timid Auva. Part of Chandra hadn't wanted to bring Auva back here... fearing that the memories would be too much and too soon for her fragile little mind. It was sometimes hard to figure out what Auva felt since she never spoke, but as her mother Chandra had learnt Auva's little tells and signals. She had been determined to come her.... although scared that more would happen. Perhaps that was why she found herself glued to her side?

Chandra looked to her father... he was... crying? Her heart ached, Chandra brought life into the world as a midwife... but this was the end. There was little happy about this occassion. Using her wing to coax Auva to follow her she moved towards her father's side. "It's ok Daddy." She said nuzzling her fathers large mane and kissing his cheek. It really was a testiment to her fathers pain that he was crying..... she had only ever seen him as a compassionate and strong leader.

Auva couldn't get rid of the images from her mind... nor could she tell anyone, who really cared? A kalona had attacked her, grabbed her ankle with its vicious teeth, tore into her skin as he used her a play thing. Then she had been knocked over by the stallion that had wanted to get the Kalona... he had been in a rage. After that she remembered nothing. That was probably a good thing.

After that Auva had woken with a slightly nervous mare looking over her, some strange mixture that smelt funny near her nose that caused her to try and wriggle away. Then she had cried... a silent sob, but the tears had been there none the less. All she had wanted to do was go home.... to be with her Mummy and Daddy.

It was a little clouded after that. But now snuggled into her mothers side she felt safe again. She followed her gladly and even peeked from under the protective safety of her mothers wing to see her grandfather.... he looked.... strange, with his tears. She understood his pain... but for her it was different, she had been positive that she was going to die but somehow had surived. Still.... it was sad that others hadn't been as lucky. She wished she could bring them back.

Auva braved looking around... everyone seemed so sad and it tugged at her heart strings. She suddenly felt like her mother.... wanting to heal everyone, even as her hoof ached and throbbed from the healing pain.

Hiashan Fai could do little more than hold his weeping mate.

Being a soldier he had seen death, those he had loved and fought side by side with.... this was the same, though strangely it hurt more. He simply couldn't show it. It went against his nature to do so. Taking a deep breath; he simply held Tuli.

He felt out of place. Felt bad. He should have been there! Should have done something! He was part of the herd due to his mate, but on the day these lives had been lost he had run an errand in the mountains, bring back healing herbs and flowers that could only be found there.... why hadn't he waited? Why hadn't he gone? He knew the answer... he didn't do well with large groups, felt uncomfortable.... so he had made an 'excuse' and did something of use for the herd. He supposed in a way it had helped, after all the herds had been used to heal the injuried.... but he couldn't help but feel as if you had let them down. Let his mate down.

Pain.... that was the only word to descibe what he could see on the faces of the herd he had grown to love.

Drashi had followed Maion to the neigbouring herd. His father had suggested that it would be a good idea, although Drashi had an emotional connection to this herd he would be clearer-minded should someone try to take advantage of the situation and attack. Not a nice thought he had to admit but he could see his fathers thinking. He only hoped that nothing else happened.... too much had happened already! Too much pain and sorrow to last a lifetime.

Drashi stood back from the group. Watching and ready should something happen. He had brought Crown with him for 'back up' just incase.

His eyes moved around the group wondering if there was anything he could do to help anyone here he would glady do so.... but Drashi wasn't exactly the best at social situations.... especially after everything that had happened in his love life lately.

Crown stood beside Drashi, feeling very uncomfortable. He had never been here before.... though he had heard stories of Scythe and the herd..... when he was a child he had looked up to Maion, Scythe and Drashi.... longing to be like them one day. It had been the drive.....

As he looked around the group he could tell that the four members who had been lost were well loved.... and although it was a morbid thought he wondered if this many people would one day mourn his passing.....

He scrunched his face up at that thought. Thinking that way wouldn't help things. Sighing he looked over at Drashi and smiled softly, "I will go to the other side." With a nod of acceptance Crown was off, he walked with a slow but purposeful grace to the opposite side of the group, wanting to ensure they would protected should something go amiss.

Like others in the herd, though the chaos had passed days ago physically, it still haunted them in their minds, their sleep, their bodies. Faer had been one of the lucky ones, her wounds had been small enough for the unicorns to heal easily and her family had made it out. She watched the fire, listened to the prayer. Her wings drooped slightly, and the cherry blossom petals that normally whirled around her body lay low to the ground, moving slowly about her feet. The mare looked to the faces of the ever growing mass. She deeply respected each and every one of them. Faer returned her gaze toward the fires, whispered a soft prayer of her own and bowed her head.


The day after the ambush, Arathorn had departed to seek his traveling son and bring him home to the herd once again. He should be here during the ceremony and be close to his family during this time. It was not easy, to track down the young male. Adahy had his mother's traveling spirit.
Arathorn had found him just in the nick of time, and they had both relentlessly traveled back toward the herd. They arrived just in time to hear the final prayer and the fires to be lit. Other soquili were arriving as well, to pay their respects. Arathorn spotted his love standing up front with her brother and turned for a moment to glance back at Adahy, who nodded. The two gently weaved their way through the sorrowed crowd, giving nods and words of condolences.
Arathorn stepped forward and sided by his mate, gently kissing her cheek and running his muzzle along her neck and shoulders. He tried his hardest to blink back tears, in memory of the four who lost their lives


Adahy was devastated by the news of the ambush, and the news that four members had lost their lives. He was inwardly relieved though, to see his mother and family. To know that they were okay. He knew though, that every member of the herd had lost someone. They were a family, even if not by blood. The blue stallion followed his father through the crowd, toward his mother. Adahy approached her, softly touching muzzles and whispering his condolences. He also whispered an apology, for not being there. With another quick muzzle, Adahy fell back into the growing group of soquili and watched at the funeral proceeded

Felinus circled until he spotted what he was looking for. More precisely whom he was looking for. He galloped to the side of Adagio. She was their by another stallion but he looked like a family member and the unsettled feeling trying to claim the blue stallion's heart was dispersed. Trotting closer he settled a wing over her silently to let her know her was there for her. The blue alicorn stallion's eyes roved here and there, keeping watch. He hadn't been there for the attack, but he'd be damned if he'd let it happen again without a fight.




Caoimhe hurt for her mate and the herd she had come to love as her own. Silently she followed Felinus until he disappeared to stand by one of the mares of the herd. She hadn't gotten a good look, but she was sure it had been Adagio. Landing quietly she stood on the outskirts, hoping to see Amitiel and stand with him as others stood with their mates. A tear slid down unnoticed and dripped off her nose as she mourned for those she cared for.

Mittrei attended the funeral of the soquili she had helped engineer the demise of. No one knew. They didn't know that she was bait sent by Samsara to lure them into the jaws of death. She had done her job so well that they didn't even suspect her now, long after the battle was over. She tried to look into the fire but the brightness of it hurt her photosensitive eyes. It was like the dead were rebuking her, keeping her from turning her traitorous eyes upon them as they ascended to the heavens.

She told herself that she should have split off from the Padmapani as soon as she could and rejoined Samsara and the Mahapadma. She wasn't sure why she hesitated to return and instead stayed among these soquili who would tear her limb from limb if they knew who she was. They welcomed her so warmly when it might as well have been her that murdered their friends and family.

Mittrei shivered. She stayed with the ones that would kill her instead of returning to the skinwalker who was death incarnate. All of her choices were cursed...