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 Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 11:10 am
A week or so had passed since the birth of their three children and Hienna was up and about again, taking turns with her mate to watch the three baskets that contained the little lives that they were guardians of. At the moment, she was taking a nap right beside them, head resting on one of the baskets - the one containing the filly - and being quite content in her sleep.
Unfortunately, the foal inside was having different thoughts about her mother's sleep and had decided it was time to grace the world with her presence. The basket wriggled beneath the unicorn's head, twitching just a bit. Not quite enough to make Hie jolt, yet, but enough to make her open her eyes. After a few moments, her cloudy brain figured out what was going on and her eyes swept across the baskets, noticing them all moving just a tiny bit.
"Zaphiro!"
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Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2007 4:39 pm
Late in the day as it was, Zaphiro wasn't really up to that much, merely grazing a bit on the fresh grass outside the cave entrance. Consequently, he was right there and able to hear Hienna's excited call.
"What is it? The foals?" Without even waiting for an answer, Zaph was ducking into the cave to join his mate, anxious to hear what the actual circumstances were. Granted, Hienna's voice had been happy, not anxious, but in a way that made him even more excited to hear what was up. And how could it be anything BUT the foals?
As if in response to his father's voice, the blue colt at the end shifted, wriggling his shoulders a bit against the cramped confines of the basket. He really didn't like it in there that much any more; it had used to be nice and snug, but now it just felt...restrictive. He wanted out!
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Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2007 4:44 pm
The purplest basket shifted slightly as the colt inside it stretched lazily, blinking his eyes in the darkness of his little nest. He felt his siblings moving in their baskets beside him, and tried to stretch his skinny legs out, only to find he hadn't enough room. Snuffling curiously, he poked at the lid of his basket with his small golden horn, attempting to push it open.
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Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2007 4:49 pm
"Yes!" she called, scooting back just slightly as all three baskets began to move. Apparently, they all wanted out! Her head leaned down and nosed the top of the basket off the one containing the filly, watching in awe as the tiny thing lifted her head out of the basket and blinked owlishly around with bright golden eyes.
Gemma's little face lifted toward her mother, then to her father, and back to the movements of the other two baskets. Everything was so new and bright - such a contrast to the darkness of the basket she'd been in, and the warmth of her mother. Slowly, unsteady legs tensed to bring her up into a standing position though it didn't last long and she rolled out of the basket with a flop, shaking her head with an surprised expression on her face. Huh.
Hienna laughed and nosed at the filly lovingly, "It's all right, little girl, you'll get your legs soon enough," she murmured before scooting toward the dark blue basket and knocking the basket lid off lightly. The middle one was left for Zaphiro to help.
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Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2007 4:55 pm
As his daughter timdily poked her way out of the basket, Zaphiro felt his heart leap with indescribable pride. This was it...the moment that they'd been waiting for for all this time. His children, THEIR children, were finally joining them in the world!
But before he allowed himself to bask in the moment too much, there was something else to do. Lowering his muzzle to the purple basket, Zaphiro gently tugged the lid aside, then smiled at the foal within. "Hello, little one; you've been expected."
Blinking owlishly in even the dim light of the cave, Raphael lifted his head slightly and, resting his chin on the edge of the basket, looked around at the sights of the cave. Though they were unfamiliar to his eyes, the purple mare and the blue stallion both FELT like something familiar, smelled like something familiar...his parents.
However, as he leaned on the edge of the basket the weight was too much for the edge, and suddenly the foal tore right through and tumbled out onto the cave floor, a tangled heap of blue and gold. "Owwie..."
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Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2007 4:59 pm
Aedelstan peered out at his father with wide-eyed confusion for a moment, then gingerly leaned his head and neck out of the basket to look around. Apparently deciding that it was safe to come out, he extended one spindly leg, then another, shaking a bit as he put his weight on them and attempted to step over the sides of his basket.
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Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2007 5:05 pm
Hienna's heart was just bursting as the children came out of their baskets, her golden eyes springing to life with tears - ah, she was such a girl that was for certain. "Zaph..." she said softly as Raphael made his way into the world and toppled out just like his sister did. Two little clumsy creatures, indeed.
Gemma's head turned to look at her siblings which were so bright, just like her parents. One looked like the blue thing, the other the purple. Crossing her eyes, the filly tried to look at herself to see which of the two she resembled. It didn't work.
Golden gaze went to Aedelstan and Hienna laughed, "We have one careful, cautious foal, it seems, Zaphiro. I think we'll have to watch the other two!" So much emotion was choking, though. Hienna fully stood and moved herself to Raphael to lip at his horn gently, "Raphael. You're Raphael. Be careful, my little gem."
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Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2007 5:13 pm
"So it would seem, love, but one can never be certain." Stepping aside to allow Ae ample room to test out his legs, Zaphiro nevertheless remained close enough to intervene if it looked like he was going to go the way of his siblings. Balancing was tough work as a foal, after all...
But for now, it seemed, Ae was doing fine. So Zaphiro turned his attenion to his somewhat cross-eyed daughter, tenderly stroking her short mane with one of his wings. "Hello Gemma, my little jewel; just born, and already you're shining with individuality." For she, unlike her brothers, didn't take after Hienna OR himself. Instead, she was entirely her own Soquili, and he was enchanted.
Though he was trying to sort himself out, Raphael was still more than a little bit put out at his current situation. One wing was tangled, caught beneath his legs, and he couldn't quite manage to extricate said wing. And it HURT!
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Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:41 pm
It was probably good that Aedel didn't have as many limbs as his sibling to sort out, because it seemed that his legs were giving him enough trouble as it was. Shaking with the effort of staying up, he slowly lifted a hind leg out of the basket, placing it gingerly behind his forelegs. The last leg was easiest, and soon the tiny unicorn was standing next to his basket, looking proud of himself, and confused as to what he was meant to do next.
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Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 4:58 pm
Gemma's head tilted backward to look at her father, eyes still crosseyed and fixated on her nose and a look of pure confusion on her face. Why couldn't she see the blue thi--Oh! Eyes uncrossed and rolled upward to look at the stallion before she sent a smile his way and once more tried to step onto her legs, though they were shaky and she was having a difficult time balancing. The extra appendages she had on her sides flared out and helped her just a wee bit, though, and now Gemma seemed enthralled with the new things that she hadn't seen before, the tips glimmering. Oooh...pretty. It didn't seem like the blue thing held much interest to these new things that she found she could move if she tried. Like a third set of legs!
Hienna was just trying not to laugh - that was, until she noticed Raphael's discomfort. Frowning, the mare leaned her head down and gently nosed at him in an attempt to help him become untangled with his own limbs. "Your wings do not go beneath your legs, gemling," she murmured soothingly. Hopefully, everything got all sorted out! If it did, the mare would trot over to her third child, her second son, and gently nose at his throat and close her eyes, "Hello, little one. No name for you yet..." eyes cast to father and daughter and her heart swelled, "What do you think, Zaphiro? Can you tear yourself away from your princess a moment?" she grinned.
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Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 8:26 pm
Frowning intently, Raphael made what felt to him like a Herculanean effort to unwind himself. Leaning on his mother's horn like he would any pro-offered form of support, Raph carefully, carefully rolled over to one side, flopping the squished wing in an effort to extricate it. The end result more than made up for the discomfort, however, as he was finally able to attempt to stand up.
Giving Gemma a final pat on the head, Zaphiro made his way over to their third child, the purple unicorn. As he looked over his younger son, Zaphiro couldn't help but beam fondly; from his golden horn to his purple coat, he was the literal image of his mother. Well, mostly.
Looking at the purple foal reminded Zaphiro that they had yet to truly decide on a name for this their middle child. Names had been discussed, but none had seemed to 'fit', at least not as far as the basket itself was concerned. Name after name had been tried, tested, and rejected, but it was time to fix that.
Stepping up beside his mate, Zaphiro smiled and tucked back the foal's messy forelock, his golden eyes on those of his son. "Well, little one, I think it's time to name you, don't you agree? It's been a hard task so far, but perhaps now that you are here with us we can finally see the light."
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