|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 3:11 pm
 They were not the only ones of their kind in the world.
True, Rapture was apparently a unique creature, and her heritage was unknown to all of them, including Rapture herself - but Flip had a mother, a father, siblings. A family.
Ampheres had never met them. But his sire was certainly acceptable, a worthy protector and mate for his mother (if a bit passive, to Ampheres' mind). Flip's family was large, and it might be that among them might be others of similar mind.
A black unicorn, carrying a green glow, decked in fripperies, with a face like ours. That strange curl of the lip and set of the jaw that the three stallions shared; not something from Rapture's side of the family. Ampheres knew what to look for.
Now he just had to find it.
Him.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 3:55 pm
He was living a full life.
It hadn't been long since he was told by his son that he would become a grandfather himself, another step down the biological stairwell that his family was becoming. Wasn't it just yesterday that the same son had been telling him that he was to be a father? Or that same son taking his few first steps? Precious memories kept in the fold of time.
Jack was starting to feel old.
Ultimately, Jack decided that it was an over all good feeling to have spawned children and become one in the ranks of fatherhood - original frets about his cursed fate folding away into the abyss of his thoughts. As he thought about this, he wandered further and further down a beaten path, his head lower to the ground as he watched the grasses flow past him, burnt coloured leaves fallen under his bright hooves.
Another fall was floating onto his life; what would this winter's snow bring the Wintermute? As he lifted his head to regard his location, Jack breathed in a new scent - one that seemed both familiar, and sparked and crackled with new life. taking to his steps, he followed it carefully, wondering what it would bring him too, the sound of his jewelry constantly betraying his location.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 4:17 pm
Ampheres heard the stallion before he saw him; the sound made his ears flick back for a moment. He squared his shoulders and walked towards the jingling noise, aware that the constant buzz of plasmid energy that he possessed made him just as bad at sneaking around as the grandfather he sought.
Then the last barrier of thinning bushes between himself and the older stallion was gone. Ampheres stood in the shadow of a tree for a moment and watched him, the green glow, strange face, black hide just as had been promised. He doubted for a moment until he caught sight of his grandfather's eyes.
Yes. There lies the Blood.
Ampheres swished his tail and stepped forward. "You are... Jack-B-Nimble?" he called, the odd name feeling strange in his mouth. It didn't seem to fit the vision he had of the stallion.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 4:27 pm
Unfortune for the older stallion, he was not as accustomed to hearing things over his own jewelry, and did not catch wind of the other until he was standing close to him. Only then did he hear the hum of the electrical currents that danced around the younger stallion.
Upon hearing his own named spoken over the now less quiet clearing, he stood in his tracks for a moment, almost as if he stood set in stone, his maw set in a light frown, before turning towards he, who had spoken his name. It had been a few days since he had made contact with any other Soquili, family other wise, as conversation always seemed foreign for the first few minutes.
After the small pause in time, he opened his maw to speak, as if his face were jaggedly split in half - his genetic call sign. "That isss who I am, yess." He started, eyes burning with the afternoon light, dancing around his fur. "Whom are you, calling me today in thisss warm clearing?" He ventured, looking the other over to the shadowed one - unable to get a full look at the stallion - only the light glow of the energy that the other held allowed for some visual recognization.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 4:34 pm
Ampheres bobbed his head. "I am Ampheres. Flip, your son, is my sire." He raised his head to look the other stallion firmly in the eyes, red glow meeting green. "You... are my grandsire, then. I wanted to meet you."
The urge to pace around Jack-B and examine him from all angles as one would an unusual specimen was very great, but as tempting as it was that would be disrespectful. "I see the resemblance," he added, after a moment. They had the same face, the same strange maw, passed down from father to son to grandson.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 4:55 pm
Hearing those words made the older stallion's pose loosen greatly, and is strange maw took a more glad appearance, as it stretched long and wide, to show a calm grin, glowing ever so lightly as it hung open. Family followed him even into the furthest reaches of the forests, it appeared. How it comforted him.
"Ampheressss..." he murmured, echoing the younger stallion's introduction, almost as if he were testing the words on his own maw, before nodding once, the sound of jingling singing into the clearing once again, as he lifted his head. "I was aware of you and your brother, faintly," he admitted, "I had been told when you were near born by your father, my ssson, that he was to be a father. It'sss good to finally meet a grandchild." he finished, lowering his head once more, before cantering it slightly.
"Your voice holdssss uncertainty, though, isss there a deeper meaning to your vissit, my dear grandssson?" He posed, staring back at the red orbs that glowed faintly from the face of his brood. It was good to know they were out on the world, experiencing life.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 5:00 pm
"You..." Ampheres paused, then swished his tail. "You have a large family, do you not? I... I, too, wish to create a great dynasty. For people to see us and say 'there, those are the new Children, the future of the race'. Can you... teach me?" His tail swished again. He was a little bit nervous, even if he didn't want to admit that to himself.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 5:07 pm
"I am blessssed, yes, with a large family. Nine children, a lot of hard work and time pooled into sssuccession. I did not do it alone, I had asssistance, first with Peryton for the first batch of children, then your auntss and uncless for those that came thereafter." He answered truthfully, bobbing his head again in agreement, his maw softening up into a soft frown, his normal emotional reaction. Looking away from his grandson, he almost gave it as a welcome to come closer, before continuing his thought process.
"It iss a very high expectation you have sset for yoursself. A Dynassty takes time, responsibility, and a good leader. You sseem to have an interessssting theory - you wish to bring together those of us in the blood line, or are you talking about all Soquili whom are considered unique in thisss domain?" he questioned lightly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 5:11 pm
"Those who are... unique, yes," Ampheres said, after a moment. "Touched by lightning and fire and metal and everything else - those who are different from fur and feather. Bloodline and unrelated, all."
He paused. "My Mother, harbinger of change - she cannot lead, though I believe that as those of like mind gather she will become more lucid, as she is around my sire, and me, and my brother. Father is a guardian, duty-bound, but he lacks the ambition required. It is up to me to do this thing," Ampheres said, stomping one hoof for emphasis.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 5:22 pm
The dark one's pose warmed up considerably as he looked at his grandson from the corner of his eye, the green fire burning brightly as he listened on, nodding every time he agreed with Ampheres' words, his long tail flickering slowly behind him.
"I think it would be a good idea to bring thossse together whom are consssidered the oddities of society, yess." He finally admitted, faintly. "It would help many who consssider themselves social outcasts, and possibly renew some inner-warmth to thosssee who feel left out. But would you do it alone, or would you call upon another to ssstand by your side, to work with? It may be more overwhelming than you exsspect, my dear grandssson." He prosed.
It was nice to watch the reactions of one so young - he had the right ideas and the right background to hold such a candle high, but would he be able to keep it up there, he wondered.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 5:25 pm
"My brother might help, but... I do not know. Perhaps I should gather my own children around me? Begin with family? But... how to find a worthy mate..." Ampheres frowned. This wasn't going to be as easy as he had hoped, but it was good to understand the whole picture. "Grand-dam... Peryton." From what Flip had told him, their leg-plates had come from her. "How did you find her? Did she aid you?" Perhaps the family was what he needed. Build power within their bloodline before reaching out to others... but there was that issue again.
Who would be worthy to carry on the lineage?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 5:37 pm
A deep chortle erupted from far within his throat, with it, a great smile dragged his maw out, as he did a little hair flick. This conversation was very enjoyable to the elder stallion, he thanked his blessings for such a vibrant family tree. "Peryton and I were merely acquaintances when we firsssst crossed paths. We considered each other good company, you can sssay our firsst batch of children were a pleasant accident." he admitted, no waver in his voice. "We never found children asss a neccessity, my dear one, but more or lesss, a blessing of life, I wouldn't go back to being a ssssingleton again."
He turned to regard Ampheres, before nodding, "But, to answer your query, it can happen that you'll jusss pass along a lady that'ss strong willed and just asss bold as you are. I understand your brother is currently due for children, maybe he can answer your question, alssso. Keep your eyes out and your head high, and I'm sure you'd attract a lady asss bold as you are. But don't rush it." He warned softly, caringly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 5:56 pm
"No, never - she must be worthy, strong in mind as well as body..." Ampheres grew quiet, imagining.
Then he shook his head, and laughed at himself. "But now is not the time to daydream. What of leadership, grandsire? How do you call others to your banner, and create a home for them?" That was the other thing he had no idea how to do. His father and mother lived alone out of necessity; Rapture's shifting mind was much more focused and lucid when only those meeting her view of reality were present. But the protector of a herd could do no such thing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 8:16 pm
"That's a good note to keep in mind, I'm ssssure she'll show up for you one day. It alwaysss happens when you least expect it, I know thisss very well." he finished that train of thought with, feeling as if the emotions in this little meeting of the minds had turned to comfortable recognition, instead of the uncertainty that they had started with.
Pondering about the second question that he was posed, Jack looked at the route before him. "If you wouldn't mind, I wish to continue my walk, we can talk assss we walk," he stated, as he started on his little venture forward again, expecting his grandson to follow him. "Calling otherssss to one banner is easy, I believe. Finding a ssscout would be proper, a soquili who's voice can travel for hoursss, singing the praissses of such a place. They infect the common converssation, and rumours and noticesss follow them. That's one way. A home isss the harder part, a home is where you feel the mossst like yourself."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 8:20 pm
Ampheres followed his grandsire immediately, eager to absorb more of his wisdom. "A scout... someone who can spread the word..." He mulled that over. That was something that never would have occurred to him. He filed the idea away quickly, with a nod. "A home, though? We dwell in the deep woods, because it suits us, but I do not know if it would suit everyone. Would I have to claim a place with all types of terrain, or....?" That seemed like a daunting task, even an impossible one. His tail swished with worry.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
