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 Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 9:02 am
 His spirits were up again. He had gotten over his brief bout as a hermit by speaking with a charming green mare and it had inspired him. It was time to go out and do things... Time to, perhaps, go out and do some Good!
He started by standing guard over a pond as some ducklings swam about. They would be flying off soon enough with fall nearing but, for now, he could see to it that no one disturbed their swim. They quacked and dunked and dipped and preened... All in all, it was a rather amusing scene. It made him laugh and it made him feel good.
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Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 9:21 am
 Mmmm, apples! They had to be Rakhs's favourite food. He had been standing underneath an apple tree for quite a long time, plucking apples out of the tree carefully with his teeth and munching on them happily. After finishing off the last one, he sighed and smiled as he decided he had had enough. Time now for some water to wash it all down.
Tossing his long mane aside, he looked around. He still didn't know these lands too well, and he wasn't sure if there was any water nearby. Closing his eyes, he raised his head, sniffing the scent that was carried on the breeze. He caught the tiniest hint of the smell of fresh water coming from the east. Opening his eyes, he turned and headed eastward, hoping that his nose hadn't let him down.
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Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 9:32 am
His eyes closed for a moment as he listened to the almost soothing sound of the splashes in the lake, trying desperately to recall when he'd last been this relaxed. It had to have been... Back in the Garden. Goodness, had it truly been that long ago?
He opened his eyes once more, thinking on things that he shouldn't have. Exactly why had they moved up into the mountain? Was it really all that much better up there? Was it truly necissary to put that divide....
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of something rustling through the brush behind him. He turned slowly, muscles tense and ears tilted as he listened. He had vowed to protect these ducks and protect them he would!
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Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 9:52 am
As he passed through a patch of trees, he was sure he could hear the sounds of splashing water ahead. He paused for a moment, sniffing the air again, and listening to the sounds. It didn't sound like anything dangerous was going on, or anything that he should stay away from, so he continued forward, and emerged from the small patch of trees.
To his surprise, there was another stallion standing before him. It was rare that he was caught off guard like that, so he was quite surprised to see the stallion. He had completely escaped his notice, and that was a bit unnerving.
Though the other stallion didn't seem to have it out for him, he did look a bit defensive, so it was best to approach calmly.
"Hello there. I'm sorry to have stumbled upon you unannounced, and if I startled you, I hope you accept my apologies. My name is Rakhsh, and I was only searching for a bit of water so that I might have a drink."
He kept his place, and watched the other stallion carefully. He still didn't know what the other was thinking, and wanted to be prepared for anything.
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Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:29 am
When the intruder proved himself to be a rather polite stallion he stood down, bowing his head. "It is, most certainly, my pleasure to meet you, Raksh. My name is Aziraphale and you are more than welcome to have a drink from this here pond as long as you have no intentions of harming the ducks... You see, I told them that they would be safe here under my care today and I intend to keep that vow."
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Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 6:51 am
Rakhsh smiled warmly. Now that he was sure-well, pretty sure-that this stallion meant no harm, he could relax. Though he still didn't know his full intentions, so he didn't let his guard down completely. Bowing his head, he returned the friendly greeting.
"Thank you very much for your kindness, Aziraphale. And I promise that I will do no harm at all to your charge, today or any other day. I just hope they don't mind me drinking from their temporary home."
He chuckled and looked at the family of ducks as they swam around. They looked so happy, and for a moment, he wished he could join them. But the shock of a rather large stallion jumping into the water with them would most likely scare them off. So instead, he walked up to the edge of the pond and, lowering his head, took a long drink of the cool water.
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Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 8:47 am
"I truly doubt that they'll mind as long as you are polite about it. They seem to be paying me such little mind and I thought it would be distasteful to disturb them." He nodded slowly as he followed the other stallion's gaze, watching the family swim around for a bit.
After a moment he looked towards the other male once more. "If you do not mind me asking, what brings you to this peaceful pond this afternoon? Was it the prospect of watching ducks swim... Or just the idea of a cool drink?"
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Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2007 7:19 am
As he finished up his drink, Rakhsh raised his head and looked back at Aziraphale. He seemed to be quite protective of these ducks and that made Rakhsh smile a bit. It was nice to see that others cared about the other creatures that they shared this land with.
"At the time, I was just looking for a cool drink, but it seems that I have been fortunate enough to find quite a peaceful place, and come into the company of a friendly stranger."
He nodded a bit and looked back at the ducks.
"What was it that brought you here today?"
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Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 10:09 am
"I too came, at first, for a cool drink... But, with that drink, the idea came that I should do a little Good today. I am terribly afraid I've been lacking in my Good deeds as of late; not that I've done anything Bad. Heavens no." He shook his head slowly. He would never do anything Bad. It simply wasn't in him.
"It is a beautiful day. All sorts of Good should happen on days like today."
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Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 6:09 am
Rakhsh smiled broadly. What a kind and delightful stallion he had happened to meet today! He looked back at the ducks swimming peacefully in the calm pond beside them.
"Indeed, it is a wonderful day. We've been blessed with great weather lately. And I believe that any day is a great day to do good. Though, wonderful days like this do make it quite a bit easier to get in the mood to do good, yes?"
He chuckled a little bit, and tossed his heavy mane to the side.
"Has there been much to protect this small family from today, or are they having as peaceful a time as we are?"
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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 9:26 am
"Yes, yes. Wonderful days like today serve as a reminder that Good is about in the world and, from there, it is only a matter of keeping that opinion even on dreary days." And the dreary days would be coming soon. Fall was lovely, of course... But then came winter and winter was so cold; a bit too much like the mountain he'd come from.
"They seem blissfully oblivious to the world around them and I can attribute that to the lack of danger. Safe and sound and enjoying the company they've found."
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Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 6:52 am
He smiled. This stallion was quite pleasant to be around! So kind and with such a great outlook. It seemed that nothing could break his good feeling. But perhaps that was just the initial impression he gave off. But Rakhsh would come to learn Aziraphale and his ways, he was sure.
"Well, it is very lucky for them, then, to have such a great protector that they can let the rest of the world pass along without them noticing. I sometimes wish for that freedom."
And indeed, it was a freedom. With the tasks that he had been set, he actually didn't have a lot of freedom at all. The Gods were watching him. And though they protected him, they expected him to uphold his duties in return.
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Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 9:38 am
"Ah, but we do have that freedom. The Spirits watch over us from above and the Great Spirit guides us all according to his plan." He nodded slowly as he repeated things aloud that he told himself often in silence. "They protect us so that we may protect others."
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Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2007 7:22 am
Rakhsh smiled lightly. Obviously, Aziraphale had some connection to his own gods. They seemed very similar to his own. They provided protection for them, so that they could watch over and protect others. He smiled. He had never met anybody else in his situation before.
"Well, though our gods go by different names, it seems they have much in common. My gods have set me with a task to protect all innocent from evil on this planet. And that is what I meant by my comment. Though I have protection myself, it is not complete protection. I am granted long life and great strength, but I still have a lot to face."
He decided not to go into his story, as it was very long, and he didn't want to talk Aziraphale's ears off. He merely smiled and watched the happy family of ducks.
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Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 10:12 am
"That is a very Good task to have." He nodded slowly, pondering for a moment his own tasks and just how well he'd been doing them. He wouldn't really be able to stand up all that well against evil. Goodness, he could barely stand up against horribly mischievous.
"There is much amiss with the world today... But there seem to me quite a few doing their best to stand against it. That is Good too." Hearing this stallion's story was also Good, he was convinced. It had given him another tale to commit to memory for the future. He did so like collecting stories.
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