Welcome to Gaia! ::

Odile shivered as she moved through the predawn light. It was early enough that Rothbart was not around to torture her, and she took advantage of it, moving as quickly as she could across the ground, reveling in the small moment of freedom she had. The world was so quiet, and still, and with the morning mist, it reminded her of the skies she had once moved through. She let her eyes drift closed, and she was no longer standing on the hard ground, tail and mane a matted, loose mess. She instead was standing on a soft cloud, tail not quite to her ankles; her mane a gentle wave, gleaming a natural glossy black. Like it had once been, before… She could see her father, a handsome black stallion, looking down at her mother with such warm eyes. Looking at her too, eyes so very loving. So very gentle. But she had killed that too...

Her voice was shaky, trembling as she started singing softly. “When I was just a little girl, I asked my mother ‘what will I be...’” Angeni were creatures of music, light, happiness... Even though she was now counted among the fallen, she still held to some of the things that made her what she was. She clung to the tune like a dying creature, letting the lilting song carry her further along, further from the pain that haunted her. Her mother had always frowned when she had seen how attached Odile was to music. As for her father, he had looked at Odile indulgently, letting her do almost anything. Odile had spent her time learning things about the mortal world, and learning about song. Spent time flying through the skies, as high as she could towards the sun. “Whatever will be, will be... the future’s not ours to see...”

Her little sister had been beautiful. Odette was like their mother, brilliant white with just a touch of their father’s gold. Odile looked like their father, dark and imposing with silver markings. Next to their parents, they really had made a striking pair. And Odette was so warm and gentle. Odile at times could feel the bitterness creeping up in her, when people would talk about how beautiful, how sweet her sister was. Until that brilliant smile had been turned on her, and Odile knew that her little sister adored her. Then the day came that it all fell apart. A slow digression, but solid, that would destroy their family. Odile wanted to go flying that day, through a storm that was growing below them. As gray and dark as Odile herself felt, her own darkness was given realization; And Odette, of course, had wanted to go with her. Her parents had said no, but the two had struck out anyway, diving into the deep clouds so that they could fight the winds, and feel the chill waters beating down on them.

Nothing like this could compare. Odile had loved the storm, racing through it like the lightning that jumped between them. It had been a game for Odile, who was secure in her own skills. Odette had been terrified, and wanted to return. Taunting, taunting, and more, until Odette had agreed to stay, if only to earn her older sister’s respect back. The wind had battered the two, spinning them around as they shot through the clouds. Odile thought it was wonderful, laughing, but Odette…

Now, Odile screamed, falling to her knees, barely recognizing the feel of dirt under her body. Screamed her sister’s name aloud into the fog, hearing in the back of her mind Odette’s own helpless screams of Odile’s own name as she fell. Wings not strong enough, body too heavy.