Cajmera
Sometimes, things had a habit of sneaking up and surprising you. Even those that thought they had seen in all, that felt they could manage any situation, could very easily find themselves thrown a curveball from time to time.

Guilian still couldn't quite believe it; considering how many mares he'd known over the years without issue, he'd started to think that he might just be sterile. Granted, that was hardly a problem; he'd never been paternal nor desired a family, so sterility was hardly an issue. He'd just taken it for granted that he could love, then leave...

And then Izusa-Chica had come along with her stretched stomach and pointed accusations, identifying him as the father of her unborn children.

He didn't want to believe her; logically, the chance of him having children after this long seemed far-fetched. But he ALSO knew that she hadn't known any other stallions before him, and given how big she was and how long it'd been, she would have had to have had another rigth away AFTER him, something she flatly denied. And even though she was a kalona...he believed her.

However, that wasn't exactly a positive. Even after she'd worked through her anger with him their last meeting, the mare's behavior was far from reassuring. She had been slightly out of it, but in both lucid and clouded moments she had been clear about one thing: that he give up his other mares.

Which was, of course, ludicrous. He was not going to abandon her, nor his children; but he was also NOT going to tie himself down (or rather, deny himself, given Izusa's pregnancy) when one of the first things he ever let his paramours know was that they were not exclusive.

She was hormonal, that was all; as soon as she had calmed down some more, she'd realize how silly she was being. There was nothing wrong with him enjoying himself with others, as long as he was there when she needed him. End of story.

In fact, that was the reason he was STILL in this area; Izusa wanted him relatively close if she needed him, so he had managed to hang around in one place (one large place, but still one place!). Which was a major drag, actually, as the amount of females in this region was pitifully small. In fact, he hadn't so much as seen another since his reunion with Izusa...

Talencia
Luca was quite honestly out on a search. It had been quite some time since her meeting with the dashing red stallion, and she could never quite get him out of her mind. So now that sufficient time had passed for her to not appear too demanding (for some stallions might call her that, given her... appetite) she now had come looking for him.

He wasn't terribly hard to track. Very few soquili could avoid noticing his flashy red hide, his beguiling quick smile, and his amorous ways. It took very little asking around to hear where he was currently haunting. There were other, darker mutterings that often occured after she had turned away, but she was not one for gossip, and paid them no heed.

So it came to be that the purple mare was strolling through the area, wind blowing her curling mane back in a delicious way. She lifted her chin and closed her eyes, still taking slow, deliberate steps down the pathway. The breeze felt wonderful, brushing past her hide to tug teasingly on her mane. It almost made her feel like she had wings, but without the heavy, awkward feeling she imagined real wings would have. She much preferred these pseudo-wings the wind gave her. She could almost feel her hooves beginning to tread lighter on the path, as if she were being swept upwards...

And then the wind brought her the scent of her lover. Her eyes snapped open and she stopped in mid-step, ears pricked forwards. Yes, she definitely could smell Guilian! With an eager click of her teeth together, she resumed her walk, but with more of a sway to her hips. Her lashes lowered smokily and her chin tucked so that her neck arched prettily. He wasn't likely to be hard to convince, but she enjoyed his appreciation of her wiles.

Cajmera
Pursing his lips slightly, Guilian gave his reflection a final once over before he finally turned away from the small pond he'd been staring at; he'd been mulling about this ever since he'd found out a few days ago, and with that mulling came a rather mulish expression that, once he realized he was adopting, put him off a great deal. Frowns could be pouty and playful, but this one was only going to get him wrinkles.

However, a critical analyisis of his reflection had yielded no such thing, much to his relief. That would be all he needed, on top of everything else!

As he turned away from the water, first and foremost on his mind had been a ponderance about what to do with his afternoon...

A question that suddenly seemed to have an answer.

Raising his head, Guilian scented the air once, twice; then one ear flicked slightly, as though listening for something. Which indeed he was; footsteps. Light, graceful footsteps, to be exact; the footsteps of a mare.

Smiling in a VERY pleased fashion, Guilian turned to look in the direction the sounds indicated. Maybe this afternoon wouldn't be so long anyway...

Talencia
In prime saunter, Luca broke from the trees into a burst of brilliant sunshine, not far from a pond and... With a flutter of her lashes, Luca put a surprised, wide-eyed look on her face. "Why, Guilian! What a pleasant coincidence! I was just thinking about you." Her tone was low and lilting, soft as the touch of a petal, and suggesting much more than just having thought about him.

She picked her way daintily to him, swaying her hips and rotating her shoulders appealingly. She let the breeze play with her hair, tossing it to and fro into a violet froth. Deep in her chest she whickered welcomingly to him as she drew near and nuzzled from his shoulder up his neck, lightly nipping the underside of his jaw when she reached that point. "How nice to see you," she murmured.

Cajmera
It was even better than he could have hoped; like something out of a dream, Guilian got to witness Luca stepping forward from the trees, as lovely and arousing a vision as she'd been the first time he'd ever laid eyes on her. The difference between then and now, though, was that then he hadn't been in acute withdrawal as he was now, and he hadn't known how very accomodating she was.

And obviously the feeling was mutual, since the last time they'd met, she hadn't been anywhere near so bold. Lowering his eyelids slightly, Guilian smiled at the playful nuzzling, a pleased sound indicating what he thought of that. However, never one to leave all the moves to a mare, he returned the 'greeting', running his muzzle gently along the curve of her jaw and nipping at her throat before lifting his head to look her in the eyes.

"I could say the same, Luca-Chica; it has been far too long since I've enjoyed the pleasure of your company." The low, husky tone of his voice and the way he ran his gaze over her body as he spoke were indicators of what he meant, even if his rather blatant words were not. "Tis a pleasure to see you again, to be sure..."

Talencia
She shivered a thrill at his touch, her eye sliding closed as she tipped her head to the side to better allow herself to be caressed. Other stallions there might be, but this red cardinal was in a league all his own. His every move, every sound, even his very scent, drove her to distraction and a swiftly rising feeling of ecstacy. She was the center of his world when his eyes were upon her, and she reveled in it. It didn't much matter to her that the center of his world changed as often as the wind changed direction. No, just so long as she could enjoy that all-engulfing focus and let herself drown in his affection, at least once in a while.... she was content.

She sidled over closer to him, rumbling deep in her chest the clear invitation and interest. There was very little need for her to be wooed or convinced, considering she sought him out. Even less was needed, with his suave ways and enticing attributes. Ah yes, he was a little piece of heaven tossed down in the world for the likes of her to enjoy. And she took full advantage of it, and him.

Cajmera
Guilian had always prided himself on his finesse, prided himself on the way that he could make every one of 'his' mares respond and react to his very thoughts. However, with Luca he didn't even have to think them; she was right there with him, her desires and intentions every bit as evident as his own. How he loved this...not having to spend time on details when her very appearance had made him react so strongly.

And never let it be said that he EVER left a mare in need.

"How I missed you, Luca-Chica, how I missed you indeed..."


~~~Fade to black~~~

Sayuri_Nitta
There came a small noise, a soft uttering from the shadows...Out from the brush, the trees she emerged, her teeth flashing, bared as beheld the sight before her.
'Does she taste sweet!' Izusa roared at Guilian before turning her steely gaze on the female, the sudden loud noise uttered in a way to jump hearts and hurt ears.
'I'll have your blood you curled mare.' she snapped, wings spread wide as she circled, looking at them both, sides heaving with fury, the scent of them both heavy in her nostrils - the mares especially feeding the fire within.
'Your flesh to rip..your life is mine!' she reared, not high for the extra weight didnt allow it, and her hooves thudded hard into the ground as her tail whipped, scourging the air.

Cajmera
How very swiftly the pleasures of life could be dashed to dirt. Luca had been wonderful, her passion as intense as his own and that in turn feeding his to greater life; but there was no chance to bask in that pleasure, or even to so much as get himself collected again before the lnguidity of the situation was broken in the most unexpected way imaginable.

On the one hand, it was probably decent timing; had Izusa made her appearance a bit earlier, he would have been frustrated beyond all reasonable belief; instead, he was merely...

Actually, there was no 'merely' about it. She was furious, furious in a way he couldn't recall EVER seeing her. Given what he'd been up to, his desire at the moment was to simply relax and enjoy the feeling of satiation...but obviously that wasn't a possibility.

One thing was certain; he wasn't going to let Izusa get near Luca. As the kalona mare circled them, her rage and fury evident on her face, he did his best to placate her. "Chica, you are overreacting. Did I not tell you how hard what you asked of me is? How long it has been, how much I was in need? You have NO reason to be so affronted, and there is no reason to be upset!"

Talencia
Luca gave a deep sigh of contentment shortly after the kalona mare had burst upon them. She turned her half-lidded blue eyes towards the other mare in a rather mild expression. It was hard to stir the purple mare from her state of repletion, even for something so clearly dangerous. There was even still a quirk of her mouth that showed just how pleasurable the experience had been, not wiped from her face by the entrance of the other mare.

Quite mildly, she took in the snapping teeth, the pounding hooves, the lashing tails... and the very rounded belly. Ah.... hopped up on hormones, apparently. She gave the kalona a slow smile and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't really see how my life is forfiet because you can't get any, my dear," she drawled softly, the quirk of a smile growing more. Unfortunately, a satiated Luca was akin to a human on drugs. She honestly didn't care that danger stared her in the face, seeking her blood. Instead, she just watched the mare circle, amusement and that unshakable contentment clear in every slow and gentle movement of her purple body.

Sayuri_Nitta
'Enough!' she snapped out at Guilian.
'Do not bleat at me, pathetic worm that cannot control himself.' she came closer, a wing slicing through the air, the talons on it flashing close to his eyes.
Her gaze flashed towards the mare when she spoke;
'Your life is mine when you consort with the father of my children, putrid bag of flesh, poor excuse for a Soquili.'
She didnt care for the state of the mare, her anger would have been as great if they had not just joined.
'Move Guilian..' she hissed through gritted teeth, her tail hitting the ground hard enough to make the dirt fly.
'I will only ask you the once.' she ground the words out.
'You want to feel pain? Stand your guard...and I will give you it.'

Cajmera
Ah but Luca was a sensual dream...even in the face of danger, she maintained the self-same air of calm, cool collection. If it weren't for the fact that now was DEFINITELY not a time for that, Guilian could likely have enjoyed at LEAST a few more hours with her...but what was fine when they were alone was much less so when they weren't.

Lifting a wing, Guilian moved it to rest between Luca and Izusa, attempting to force Luca back farther. He'd never seen a truly angry kalona, but there was nothing about Izusa's current state that seemed ready to belie any of what he'd ever heard about kalonas.

Tilting his head back to glance at Luca, he whispered softly, "I don't think that you're helping the situation by provoking her, Chica. In fact..." Glancing quickly back at Izusa and her ultimatum, he was soon looking back at Luca again. "It might be best were you to simply run."

Then he was turning to look Isuza squarely in the eyes, his chin raised slightly and his voice level. "You I can't do that, Chica...and I'd hope that by now, you'd know why."

A womanizer he might be, but he wasn't a cad and there was no way he was going to simply step aside and let another suffer because of him; not if he could help it!

Talencia
Luca frowned as Guilian and this kalona mare spoke. She frowned more as the other mare accused the red stallion of being unable to control himself. As if she was a prime example of self control! Her ears tipped backwards and her nostrils flared in a snorting huff.

But then when it was announced to her that Guilian was the father of this wild thing's unborn spawn, she unexpectedly broke into a laugh, eyes dancing with sudden intense amusement. Her hooves even danced in place for a few steps before she stretched to n** Guilian smartly. "Finally caught up with you, did it? And in such a fashion!" She threw a laughing look at the furious mare. "Ah, you have caught him fair and square, sister. I wasn't aware he was taken."

She said this with a teasing smirk at Guilian, communicating that she knew he couldn't be caught by such flimsy ties as accidental offspring. But the imp in her couldn't help but be amused by the difficult situation the suave stallion had gotten himself into. "He's all yours, honey," she drawled, her smirk returned four-fold. "Though he's a handful, I can tell you. Good luck keeping him in check."

With a wink and a sultry shrug of her shoulder, she turned and began to saunter back towards the trees, her step light but deliberate, her tail swishing spiritedly behind her.

Sayuri_Nitta
'Taken and bound whether he likes it or not,' Izusa retorted with a sharp snap, her wings flashing across and near Guilian's face as he prevented her from getting to the mare. She ground her teeth as she watched the disgusting sight of the mare mincing away...she knew her sight and scent, she would get her later when Guilian was not around.
She turned abruptly, her tail lashing out as she moved, intent on catching the wretched, impulse driven stallion with a vicious biting whip across his chest.
'You want to cause me pain dont you? You like driving the blade and twisting it,' she hissed at him.

Cajmera
Used as he was to dodging attacks from angry males, Guilian was not completely able to avoid the stinging lash of Izusa's tail; thought it didn't catch his chest, it DID slash across one shoulder. Hissing slightly, he could almost feel the welt raising up and the pricks of blood where the skin had been broken.

Moving to cover the wounded shoulder with the opposite side's wing, Guilian returned the mares ferocious expression with a dark look of his own. Never mind that she was a kalona and very angry; HE was a somewhat sexually frustrated male, and that was hardly a pleasant state of mind to be in.

So his tone was much sharper than before when he replied to the mare, stepping away so that he'd have more time to react if she tried to attack him again. "I twist no knives, Chica; if you were hurt by what you came upon, then you have no one to blame but yourself for witnessing it! And what are you even DOING here, Chica?"

After all, he'd left her a decent two and a half hour's walk away! Close enough that he could get back to her easily, but definitely not a pleasure stroll for one in her condition.

Sayuri_Nitta
Izusa brought the tip of her tail to her mouth, tasting his blood as she looked at him through slitted eyes. Wounding him had caused a pang in her own heart and she slotted the visual image of catching him en flagrante in order to keep the fire burning and not to relent.
'No..you dont get to turn this on me! You want to make others the same as me, want to see whether you can plant more gardens.' she growled.
'And where does that leave me if you do! The one walking away..'
The one he had not saved, she would get her yet, the thought of the mares blood nourishing her foals gave her a shiver of pleasure and she was momentarily sidetracked.
'I was looking for you.' she said coldly.
'Our foals have not moved inside me at all today. But do not let me get between you and your pleasures when the little lives might be in trouble.' she snapped her wings against herself and slowly moved away, bristling with fury.

Cajmera
"It leaves you where you are, Chica. Regardless of how many foals I father, I will not abandon any of them."

Now he was just annoyed. He had NOT done anything wrong, he had no reason to be ashamed, and every reason to be upset. His one brief interlude with Luca would tide him over for a bit, but since Izusa's arrival had denied him anything beyond the bare minimum he knew he'd have to go hunting again before too many more days had passed; and the idea of Izusa interrupting him AGAIN with threats of bloodshed was far from pleasant.

"Besides that, I have known Luca Chica far longer than I have known you, Izusa Chica, and in case you couldn't tell, she has no foals. If anything, she should be the one mad at you, but she wasn't!"

And now she was walking away. First she interrupts him and threatens him, then she walks away? Oh no, not this time.

Scowling, he stalked after the mare, rapidly closing the distance and cutting her off. "Izusa-"

Then, sighing, he cut himself off. She was worried, with good reason; why SHOULDN'T she try to find him in this sort of situation? She had definitley reacted badly, but she WAS hormonal and on edge. That in mind, he managed to brighten both his face and tone before trying again.

"I am sorry I wasn't around when you were looking for me, Izusa-Chica, but I am confused about the problem. The foals are supposed to move?" He didn't know that. He thought they just...grew.

Sayuri_Nitta
'That is because she knew she was wrong, whereas you have not that understanding.'
Izusa looked up as Guilian cut before her and scowled.
'What? What do you want now? Have you not hurt me enough for the night? Roses pricks at me with his thorns..wants me to bleed, bleed it all.'

She stared at him as if he had asked if the trees were meant to be the way up they were or if blue was the right colour for the sky!
'Yes..' she hissed through extremely gritted teeth, her tail lashing like a cat. She held it down, trying to refrain from striking him again.
'They have been moving for days on end. Every day since they started making themselves known. But they stopped - and I am worried. This is my first time. Yzma, my familiar, she looks after me. She said I should relax and try not to get upset about anything.' she looked away from Guilian.

Cajmera
Not get upset about things. Right. And while she was at it, she should metamorphosize into a cute bunny rabbit. Not get upset indeed; whoever that Yzma was, it was a foolish individual.

Still, the news that something was wrong was disconcerting to the stallion, and could plausibly justify his new testiness as he replied to the mare. "Well, if it's your first time it's also mine, Chica, and I can't say I'm exactly familiar with how things are supposed to be." As he spoke, he had moved to rest his cheek against Izusa's stomach, frowning a bit in concentration as he tried to feel movement. Had their been movement LAST time?

Sayuri_Nitta
Izusa stepped to the side when he rested his head on her belly. It was too much, too tender an expression after what she had seen, how he had acted after she had caught him.
'They should move.' she reinforced in an icy tone.
'If you dont give a damn about my feelings, at least about your children. You hurt me, you affect them.'
She stepped away again. What she was; the anger came naturally. What he was...she had compared him to a Kalona once, and once more she felt the comparison wasnt far off the mark. She needed to leave - she felt exposed, and scared.

Cajmera
So much for him trying to be nice. A brief look of offense flashed past Guilian's eyes, then he was sighing and once again moving past the mare. "You assume too much, Chica; just because I fail to embrace your idealized path doesn't mean I don't care. I care about both you AND my foals, which is why I devoutly wish you'd stop trying to assume otherwise!"

Children were a headache, alright; and some people actually WANTED them! That was what most baffled Guilian, at least lately. "I am concerned. I want you all to be healthy. That doesn't mean I know what's right for them, or for you at this point, or that I do anything for the sole purpose of spiting you. Just the opposite, in fact."

It was quick simple, honestly. When he was denied his pleasure, he got increasingly short-tempered and unpleasant, to say nothing of tense and frustrated. Not a good state to be in, especially not for one as (usually) good natured as he!

Sayuri_Nitta
'What you express towards me even now doesnt invoke feelings of compassion. In any way.' Izusa bared her teeth. If he stopped her from leaving again..well she wasnt sure she could restrain herself from attacking him.
'Then stop. I've told you what hurts me. I've told you again and again. I am carrying your children for Kalona's sake. Concede, for at least little while for my health, as much as theirs..' she was frustrated that she'd pleaded to him but she needed to leave and he wasnt letting her.

Cajmera
There was just no reasoning with a pregnant mare! No matter HOW logically you explained yourself, you always were made out to be the problem. If THAT wasn't a frustrating state of affairs, then he frankly had no idea what one would be.

"To say such things are a trial is an understatement indeed, Chica." And as he spoke, his voice all but dripped with sarcasm. "However, I will do what I can."

And coming from him, that was really saying something. However, he wasn't in any mood now to quibble about what he meant specifically, so rather than push it any more he gave Izusa a slight bow. "And now I shall take my leave, Chica; if it is rest you need, I doubt my continued presence would be any help."

With that, he bowed once more, then stalked off.