Stumbling (Open to plot) [Prp, so many babies!!]

[Granny-in-Heat]

Dune staggered under his own weight, staring wistfully at the swamp. He could see the lush green, hear birdsong, and almost feel the cool sensation of water sliding down his parched throat. The young buck took a few more wobbling steps towards the edge of the lush oasis. Oh why did I ever go out here? He thought. It seemed to call to me, I could not help myself. And now look at me, sweating and shaking like a newborn, half dead from lack of water.

Dune blinked hard and gathered his will. Gracelessly, he clomped the last few yards and promptly collapsed. His head rested in a puddle of cool, but murky, water. He panted hard and drank greedily. After he had his fill he turned and looked at the dry, barren flatlands, and again heard their siren calls. Damned temptress. He glared accusingly at the flatlands, he tried to muster up some real ire and failed. If only I could find another, someone to explain to me why this dead earth calls to me. Dust seeped into Dune's delicate and childlike nose, and began a sneezing fit. Eyes rolling in annoyance Dune convulsed with every sneeze, all the while scanning the surrounding area to make sure no animal found him in such a defenseless state.

 

[Darkmoon Dancer]

Midnight's Shadow had been wandering about the edges of Mother Swamp for hours now. Slipping from tree to tree, the foal slinked under and over the mangrove roots. The mud was drier here than the rest of the swamp, being so close to the edge, dry enough not to get the pitch-black kimeti all dirty. He had never been out this far from the heart of the swamp. There were still birds singing and beetles scuttling along the ground, but the trees were spaced out more, and all sounds started to echo more than he was used to. These differences riled up excitement in the young kimeti and drove him onwards.

A slight ruffle sounded up ahead of Midnight's Shadow, pausing him in his step to lower his head and perk up his ears to listen. There it was again. What's that sound? He crept forward as quietly as he could, head close to the ground, eyes focused in the direction of the sound. He approached the very last tree before Mother Marsh merged into the flatlands and peeked around it. There was a young buck, not unlike himself in size, but light in color, on the other side. Sneezing. He's sneezing. Hahaha. Without a second's thought, Midnight's Shadow trotted out from behind the tree, gently headbutted the other foal's shoulder as he passed, "What's got ya sneezing? All the dryness out here? What're you doing out here, anyway?" He stopped at the edge of the water and bent his head down to drink , dipping almost his entire muzzle into the puddle.

 

[Granny-in-Heat]

Dune was panting, chest heaving. Maybe the sneezes have ended..? Suddenly there was a colt the colour of the darkest winter night right beside him. Dune jumped almost a full two feet in the air, and the shock set off another round of sneezing fits, his nose running.

"What's got ya sneezing? All the dryness out here? What're you doing out here, anyway?"
Dune's ears perked up as the colt spoke. Trying desperately to stop sneezing he thrust his muzzle into the puddle and drank as fast as he could. He blinked and lifted his head from the puddle. His ears were ringing and in the background, behind the wail, he could hear the comforting noises of Mother Swamp. Calmed by the sun and wind the foal remembered the stranger was still there. He glared suspiciously at the newcomer, realizing he had asked a question. "Er... dust. Dust got in my nose and it made me sneeze, then you supr.... they umm.. got worse. I think I am OK now." Dune casted his gaze up and down the stranger, he was pure black, darker then staring into the deepest still water, and with scarily glowing eyes. Dune had never seen another Kimeti, and he hoped they didn't all look like this one, it was unnerving. "I was out there because, well, it sounds funny, but the flatlands call to me. It's like I feel someone out there, someone who knows me. It feels like if I can only go far enough out I would feel at home. But every time I go out I find nothing, and end up tired and hungry." Dune stood up, hoping to put himself closer to eye-level with the other Kimeti, he did not like being smaller than this one. "This time I went too far, I almost didn't make it back...." Dune trailed off, gazing wistfully back at the dusty expanse of empty space.
 

[Darkmoon Dancer]

Midnight's Shadow sat down, next to the puddle and watched the little foal quench his thirst with a smile sprouting on his features. He spoke of dust and then of something much more interesting. The flatlands. Midnight had never been this close to the open expanse that seemed to go on forever. He turned his head to look at it and take in its enormity. What's out there? Does anyone live out there? The curious colt glanced back over at the little one, spotted him looking out at the flatlands wistfully, as if he wanted or needed to go back out there.

"It must be really hot out there... the sun seems to be boiling the dirt. And it's so big..." Midnight returned to gazing at the large expanse, tilted his head and continued, "I'm Midnight's Shadow, what's yours?"

 

[The Silver Falcon]

Nest Egg heard voices, two of them. He wondered what they were saying. It surely had to be more interesting than sitting here, waiting to grow older so he could do something more interesting. He did have a nice view, though. The dust over the flatlands sparkled, and made pretty patterns in his head. It was beautiful to see, much better than when he was younger and in darkness. But his eyes now turned towards to other foals.

Unsteadily rising, he made his way over to them just in time to hear Midnights Shadow's introduction. Popping out from behind a tree, he answered "Oh, I'm Nest Egg." and sat down in front of them looking expectantly at Dune for his introduction.  

[Granny-in-Heat]

Dune was surprised to see another kimeti, he had never seen even one in his short lifetime, and here, in one day, he found two. The newcomer, Nest Egg was his name, was less frightening in appearance than Midnight, but no less strange. Dune looked down at his own sand coloured coat, and then at Nest's colourful fur. Is everyone colourful and odd but me? Puzzled he sat once more, no longer even trying to pretend he was the same height as Midnight. He began staring suspiciously at them both, wondering why now everyone decided to bother him. He shook his head lightly and tried to banish his scepticism, he should accept these newcomers, some friends would do him good. "My name is Dune, I was called here by the Flatlands and my friend here seems to be intrigued by them too, so what brought you here?"
Dune sneezed one last time and as his head tilted he wondered if he should propose they all go out together. I've never been on an adventure, it might be fun.  

[Darkmoon Dancer]

Just as Midnight finished speaking another colt came bounding in from the swamp, introduced himself and plopped himself down in front of them. Midnight cocked his head to the side to inspect this new one, intrigued by the colorfulness. Nest Egg. Hmm... he's so vibrant I can't look at him for too long.

The sand-colored kimeti introduced himself as Dune. That makes sense. I bet he'd blend in with the dirt out in the flatlands. Midnight looked back out at the expanse, and then turned back over to look at the newcomer and see why he was out here. While waiting for a reply Midnight stood up and stretched out his legs, tail swishing back and forth, eager to head out into the sandy flatlands, with or without the other two.  

[The Silver Falcon]

What brought him here? He had never really thought about it before. It was pretty here, what other reason did he need? Deeper in the swamp was boring. And so he wasn't there anymore, he had come here.

Dune and Midnightshadow seemed like they knew what they were doing, though. They looked older than him, and were certainly bigger. Plus they had better camouflage. Dune would probably blend right in to the dust of the flatlands, and Midnights shadow could duck under something and be unseen. Nest couldn't think of where he could blend in, unless he was muddy. Then he would blend in with mud.

He didn't want the two to think he was useless, though. Then they might not include him in whatever they were doing. He didn't really have an answer to Dune's question that didn't sound dumb, though. So he just repeated the reason Dune had given. "Uh... I was called here, too. By the flatlands." How were you called by a bunch of dirt? He just thought it was pretty. And mezmerising.  

[Granny-in-Heat]

Dune nodded sagely when he heard Nest-Egg's answer. So The Outside doesn't just call to me, it is common. Dune was relieved that he was not some sort of oddity, but also a little bit sad. He thought of the flatlands as a part of who he was, and if everyone loved them, he was not special. Banishing these thoughts he turned and looked at the others.
"Well boys, seems high time we had an adventure. We all want to go into the flatlands, and we shall go. Unless.. any of you are scared?"
Dune chuckled inwardly, being scared of the flatlands was ridiculous. It was obviously home, a difficult one, but home nonetheless.
"Well..?"

 

[Darkmoon Dancer]

The newest one, Nest Egg, seemed somewhat unsure of himself but courageous enough for Midnight to accept his company, so he didn't say anything to his fake-sounding reason as to why he was here. Didn't really matter when it came down to it, did it? The three of them were out here now, and now is what matters. Dune suggested that they go out into the Flatlands. Excellent! Finally some action! I am so ready to head out there! But... the colt took a second to think.

Turning back to face the others, Midnight's Shadow spoke in a serious voice, "Of course we're going out there. Nothing I see to fear. But isn't it hot out there? Aren't we going to fry out there? Shouldn't we bring some stuff with us? Like water or food or something?" Midnight thought to himself, The others should be fine... but I know I'll boil out there. Glancing over the wide expanse, he saw very few things that offered shade or cover. The occasional tree or couple of bushes, but that was about it. I should probably find something... like a really big leaf or something... that I can wear all day to keep my coat cool...  

[[.Lady of Shalott.]]

Sticks had lost her mother in the world-turning (what else could it be?) and had been wondering through the swamp ever since. Some nights she would call out for her, and some nights she would keep going on. She didn't know where she was going; she just meanered through the swamp. Twice alligators had nearly gotten her, but she was bigger now, and stronger.


Presently she heard voices talking; voices of the young. They might not be her mother, but they were kimeti at last! Bravely, and a little stupidly, she bounded into the edge-land to see who was there.


And who else did she find but her brother and two other colts.  

[The Silver Falcon]

"I'm not scared." Nest Egg stated. And he wasn't. What was to fear out there? But supplies? "We can't carry water! But we could probably carry fruit. That quenches thirst and hunger at the same time! It can't be that much hotter, anyway, right?" he recomended, (he certainly wasn't hot!) before turning to find the fruit he had seen before.

But his turn brought him face to face with a female. "Oh!" he exclaimed, a bit startled. He had never met a female before. (Actually he had never really met anyone before today. This was an eventful day!) She looked like someone else he had seen, but different. "Hi, I'm Nest Egg. You're pretty."  

[Granny-in-Heat]

Dune nodded as Nest Egg spoke, what he said made sense, and fruit was easier to carry then plain water. He tried to keep thinking along those lines but something in his mind was niggling at him, some never felt instinct dragging his attention away.
He shook his head back and forth to clear the strange feeling, and as he did, he spotted her. So small, delicate, and familiar, but a complete stranger, his sister! He did not know how he was so sure they were related, it was almost like the swamp told him, but he didn't care. Someone he knew! Someone he instinctively loved!!
"SISTER!" Dune immediately ran over to her and nuzzled his face against her side. "Do you know anyone else? Have you seen Mother? Father? Do the flatlands call to you too??" In his excitement he had forgotten the other Kimeti. Bashful now, he tramped down his feelings and turned to see what they were doing. Nest Egg was looking at her with.. reverence? Awe? He did not know, and when the other colt spoke he felt himself bristle. Irrational, but he was already so protective of her. Who is he to even say that! They have just met, he does not even know her name! Dune stood a little taller beside his sibling and began to stare Nest Egg down.