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 Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 7:23 pm
Ashia trotted along in the thick snow, her decorations and cargo tinkling and jingling with each movement. Her large, red feather, which she took special care of, like the rest of her important tools and decorations, shook in a light wind. Snow started to gather a bit, as it began to fall once more, and push the feather down. Had she been working, she would have been worried about the feather, but as she had yet to find a foal in need, the smushed feather was not so much a worry. However, her ears were pricked for any sound of a distressed soul. Her bright green eyes moved around, looking for any form in the white wonderland. She smiled lightly. She loved this time of year. While it held many sad memories for her, it filled her with many joyous ones as well. And it kept her busy! A thing she always found important. If she was not busy, her mind wandered, and that could be dangerous. After all, if she was busy day dreaming, or letting her mind drift back to those days, and a foal was calling for help, she might not hear them. Or she would be sitting alone, not even looking! And that was not good, not at all. She shuttered to think what her savior would think if she left her duties. He would be so disappointed.
Her attention went back to the day before her. It was a cold day, that was for sure. The snow was thick on the ground, and was coming down lightly once more, though she hoped it wouldn't last long. She lifted her short legs high in an attempt to make walking easier. Sometimes, being so short really was a burden. Then again, she thought, he had not been that tall. But his powerful body moved through the horrible snow easily. She was a bit to slender to manage what he did. The little trail she did leave, however, did provide a path for the foals, when she had one in her care. She smiled lightly. But she didn't have one in her care at the moment. Ah, but surely some animal would make use of the path to find food, or shelter. The thought warmed her heart as she continued onward, in search of a lone and needy foal.
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Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 4:15 pm
 Thanos made his way through the snow in a sour mood. He didn't like this white crap that kept falling from the sky. It was cold, wet and the crunching sound it made under his hooves was utterly distracting while trying to think. Oh all the things to happen during the winter this was by far the most frustrating. The cold and wetness of it didn't bother him one bit, he barely even noticed it. But oh the sound it made was just...wait what was he thinking about. He snorted and stamped his foot in the snow. Wretched white stuff. "How long must this stuff be around for?" He asked his rats."Well usually the snow lasts several months. It will be gone come spring." Peace told him then went back to removing the snow that had gathered in the gaping hole in the stallions side."It is quite bothersome." War said bitterly as she helped Peace clear out the snow. Nothing worse than your home being clogged up with snow."A few months. Well how long is that?" He asked but then got distracted but something up ahead. Upon closer inspection it was a horse, a bit on the small side but a horse none the less. What was all that stuff on it? It looked just silly.
"You'll know when the damn snow stops falling." War replied, mumbling something about a stupid stallion."Don't get snippy with me." He said as he watched the other horse at a distance. Why any horse would want to be out in this white crap was beyond his understanding. He certainly didn't want to be here, but he had no choice it was either here or Hell. And he most definitely didn't want to go back to Hell. Well at least Hell didn't have snow, he thought. That was really the only upside he could see to going back. Could he go back. No, that wasn't what he wanted to think about right now. What was it he wanted to think of. He took another step forward, the snow crunching under his hooves instantly distracting him from his thoughts. "Damnit!" He yelled out, this was so maddening.
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2009 6:16 pm
The loud shout brought the little mare to a halt. Her sudden stop send her feather, and the snow it had gathered, into her face, blinding her for a moment. She shook her head, tossing it aside, before she smiled happily. That smile fell, however, when she caught sight of who...or what rather, made the noise. A stallion, larger then herself, all black... And seemed to be suffering from the worst wounds she had ever seen! The tiny mare, in a panic, bolted forward, jumping several times to cover more distance in less time. She hurried towards the other, her poor heart pounding in absolute terror! Was he ok? She didn't see a bloody trail, but her mind didn't pick up on that right away.
She skidded to a halt, snow flying up around her in a white powdery cloud. She huffed and snorted a bit, shaking her head before she stilled, looking up. "Are you ok!?" She blurted out in a panicky voice. Now now, Ashia, her mind tried to calm her. Panic only brews more panic. Calm... Calm... She took a deep breathe, stepping back a fraction of a step. "Sir, are you ok?" She said, her voice taking on its normal, calming tone. She spoke slowly, carefully, as she would to a panicked or injured foal. "Everything will be alright so long as you stay calm..." She winced at the... less then pretty hole. How was he still walking?!
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2009 7:00 pm
Thanos watched as the small mare ran towards him then suddenly asked him if he was okay. Why did everyone he run into ask him that? It was getting highly annoying. Yes he had big gaping holes in his body but come on now, clearly he was okay if he was walking around. Right? He stared at the mare for a long time before answering. "Of course I'm okay. Why does everyone keep asking me that?"
"What a stupid little mare. We should kill her." War chirped as she stuck her head out from the hole in Thanos side.
"Yes that would be exactly what to do. How original of an idea." Peace retorted in a sarcastic tone, climbing up onto the stallions back to get a better look at the other horse.
Thanos snorted at the rats. Well at least they got all that blasted snow out of his side. The snow didn't bother his as much as the rats complaining about the snow in their home did. This should hopefully shut them up until the next time it became filled up, which would be soon if this damn white stuff kept falling as often as it did.
Remembering that he was not alone he turned his attention back to the mare. She seemed to be...concerned about his injuries. Silly mare. Although he had to admit he was distracted by all the stuff she had on her. Why did she had those things? And what could they possibly be used for? They made her look...funny. Okay so that wasn't the right word for it but he was having a hard time thinking right now and just couldn't form the right words in his mind "What?" He asked her as she inspected him.
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2009 8:03 pm
"Sir, you have a large hole in your side and... well.. you don't look like you should be-" She was cut off at the sudden sight of the rats. She jumped. "Sir there are rats in you! Oh this is not good at all! Lets see, lets see..." She shook her body and the pouch fell. Normally it contained food, but with the winter, she had stored a bit of herbs that were suppose to help with wounds and infection. She didn't have nearly enough for that though, she worried. "Sir I'm going to put something in the wound to help it. It may sting a little." She kept up her calming tone. Had she been any other mare she would have gotten the hint that he didn't need help, but Ashia being Ashia, that fact couldn't be grasped. She figured he was in shock or something. That had to be it.
She moved a bit closer, watching him carefully. No heavy bleeding... What did he run into, a bear? Bear... Her mind drifted for a moment to the white prince who had been her mentor, her guide, her dream stallion. Snap outta it! She shook her head. No time to be thinking about him. She had work to do!
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2009 9:36 pm
Thanos looked at the mare as if she was crazy. "Of course I have a hole in my side." He said in an angered tone. Did she honestly think he hadn't noticed that? He'd have to be pretty stupid not to. Even though he couldn't remember what he did earlier that day he was not unaware of his gaping holes. They had been there for quite some time. Plus well everyone kept pointing it out, so it was hard to ignore.
"What do you mean that's not good?" War yelled as she too crawled up onto Thanos' back. "You will not be removing us!"
"Well we are pests. At least that's what the two legged called us." Peace replied calmly.
"Quiet." Thanos snapped at his rats then shifted his red eyes back to the mare. "They are fine." He told her in regards to the rats. What else could he say? That he needed them around. Surely she wouldn't believe that. And if she did, well then she would be crazier than he was. Perhaps she was. That could be why she carried all that stuff with her. Did any of his herd members do things like that? Well not that he could recall but that wasn't really saying much. Although come to think of it one did have some things on him. What was his name again? Something that started with an R. But no he didn't collect them...not that Thanso could remember at least.
Movement brought him back to reality as the mare moved closer saying something about sting. "What are you doing? Get away from me." He took a few steps away from the mare. Did she think she could fix him up? How would she even attempt to fill in his large hole. And even if she could succeed in that it would only upset the rats. The last thing he needed was to listen to War and Peace complain about how the stupid mare took their home away.
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Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2010 6:56 pm
She sighed softly. They worst cases were always the hardest to deal with. "Sir please, I beg you, let me place some of these herbs in that wound. It will fight off infection." He seemed so calm about it, and this confused her greatly. The only thing she could think of was shock, but... well... That was still a possibility, but she would assume he would at least be concerned about the little things crawling in him. She mentally shuttered. She had nothing against rats. They were as important at any other animals. However, to have them inside you, crawling around... It made her sick just thinking about it.
"Please, I beg of you. Rats, while nice, and helpful, I am sure, can have sickness on their coats. They don't mean to, of course, but they still do and, well, that is no good. When did this happen, sir?" She asked, regarding the wounds. She lifted her gaze a bit higher so she was looking at his face. His eyes struck her, finally. "Your eyes!" Ashia exclaimed. They were...well were they really eyes? Her body grew cold, and she knew it wasn't from the snow. What was this stallion? Things started to add up in her head and she shook lightly. She hoped he would not notice, or simply think it was the cold. Terror set in, but boy was it a diffrent kind of terror.
He was a nightmare. A snow induced delusion. Had to be, her mind tried to reason. Was he... dead? That might make sense, what with the fatal wounds, exposed bone, and rats. But... Then why did he move, and speak? And his eyes... those were not natural at all. A monster? A demon? Did such horrors exist? She knew foals had been told such stories, as she often heard them from abandoned or lost foals she found, but never believed them herself. Perhaps it was time she did...
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Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2010 7:47 pm
"I don't need any damn herbs." He said while continuing to step away form the little mare. She must be delusional he thought. Why else would she want to help him and insist on sticking herds in him. Infection? What the hell was that? He could guess it was something bad by the way she went on about it. Although he doubted it was something he needed to concern himself with. At least he didn't think he could get a so called infection being undead. And even if he did get one, what was the worse that could happen? Well death was probably the end result. Been there, done that.
His head turned for a moment, glancing back at the rats sitting on his back. "You don't have disease's right?" He asked them sarcastically. What would he do even if they did? He needed them after all and he wasn't about to give them up just because they carried diseases. His eyes moved back to the mare. "When did this happen?" He repeated the question. "Oh I don't know. Maybe a few years ago." It could have been, he wasn't sure. All that time spent in Hell, it was hard to tell exactly how long ago he had started to fall apart. He really couldn't remember the last time he was whole.
"We do not carry disease's you nasty little mare." War said, running to perch on the tip of Thanos' exposed skull, squeaking wildly at the mare.
"Maybe we do." Peace said softly.
Shaking his mane Thanos watched the mare closely. He caught the sudden rigidness of her body and the look of terror. Oh yes he knew that look well. He had seen it in so many horses eyes since he came back to this land. It was a look of fear that often turned into a scream of panic and the horse galloping away. At least that's what he thought they did anyways. It was hard to remember the exact details of each encounter, but he could vaguely remember several horses running away at the sight of him.
His mind wandered off for a few moments. Even with all his broken thoughts he often found himself staring off into nothing deep in thought. However this time instead of having random thoughts and images pop into his mind he thought of a particular horse. A thin mare he met recently. Regret. She had been plaguing his thoughts ever since he met her. No plaguing wasn't the right way to put it. But she certainly was on his mind alot. "Regret." He said softly, his own voice breaking his thoughts, bringing him back to reality. Then in the corner of his vision he caught site of the small mare. Was she still here?
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Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2010 8:13 pm
Ashia didn't really hear his reply. Her mind was to busy soaking up him. She took a deep breathe to swallow the scream that would have loved to tear out of her throat. No, screaming would not help, and it would be rude. She bowed her head before quickly placing the pouch back on her back. "I... apologize for staring..." She said softly. "Ah... What are you?" Her voice shook lightly, but she tried to keep it minimal. "You..." She paused as he spoke softly. "Regret? Is that your name? Do you regret something?" She asked.
"Ah! How rude of me! Sir, My name is Ashia. I'm a search mare. I search for foals, lost, sick, or abandoned, and take them to a safe place. I apologize if I seemed pushy, I'm to used to deal with hurt and scared foals who deny their injuries because they are so frightened!" Her voice rose a bit in embarrassment and excitement. She'd really messed up big time, didn't she? Well he couldn't really blame her, she thought. After all she was only trying to help. Was she the only one who stopped him to offer assistance? She had a hard time believing that she was. After all there had to be plenty of friendly mares and stallions who would be worried upon seeing the stallions... terrifying look. She shook a bit. The thought that she might be in big trouble crossed her mind but she tried not to listen to it to much. He hadn't attacked her yet. She took that as a good sign.
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Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2010 8:35 pm
"What am I?" He questioned as he gave the mare a weird look, then glanced at his body and then back to the mare. "I'm a horse! Isn't that obvious." He shook his head at her next question. Why was she bringing up Regret. Had she previously met the mare? No if that was the care Regret would have mentioned this crazy mare, right? Wait does she think his name is Regret. Well that's just a bad name for a stallion. Isn't it. Wouldn't it be odd if his name was Regret? Stop, you're getting off track, he told himself. "My name is not Regret. It is Thanos." He said with a stamp of his hoof. The sound of the snow crunching under it infuriated him.
"Why help the sick? Death is unavoidable. You are only putting off the inevitable." The idea of helping other confused him. This mare could prove troublesome down the road for his herd. She would try to help those who escaped their rain of terror. Oh that sounded good, rain of terror.
"We should crush her now." War chirped in that oddly happy tone she got when talking about killing things.
"Crush, maim, kill. Pick a new subject already."
"Shut up you!" She cried out as she launched herself off of Thanos' head to land on her brother, starting yet another all out scrap.
Thanos snorted slightly as the rats began another fight. It was a miracle they hadn't killed each other by now. But he supposed that proved the point that those who returned to this land from Hell cold not be killed. Oh that could work to their advantage. For no horse could stop them if they could not die. This also meant that he would not return to Hell. That was an almost relief. Hell was well hell. And although he was sure he had deserved to have been sent there when he died, he would not want to go back if he could avoid it.
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 3:07 pm
"Ah...well yes...you look like a horse but...well... I mean are you really? No horse could walk around with those kinds of wounds." She spoke carefully, not wanting to anger the large, black, and rather frightening thing in front of her. "And your eyes..." She trailed off. Ashia blinked softly at his body language and the look he gave her. He really was odd, wasn't he? No, that was a mean thing to say. He was diffrent. Yes. Very diffrent. "I'm sorry, you said regret so... Its nice to meet you Thanos. That is a vary interesting name. Are you in charge of something? It sounds like a powerful name." She said, rambling a bit in an attempt to make pleasant chit chat with him. She wasn't sure why... After all he didn't seem to happy about her company, but she was curious, and she hated to just walk off. A part of her wouldn't let her walk off anyway. Not until she knew what this stallion was, and how he could move with such wounds.
His next comment brought her chills. Had she been any other mare, she would have snapped back at that comment about how that was a horrible way to look at things. But Ashia did not snap. The thought never even crossed her mind. She smiled a bit sadly. "Yes, I know. But its all I can do. I was taught this way by the stallion who saved me from the cold and hunger after my mother died, and my herd left me. He's gone now... At least, gone from what was once his home. And I hope to find him one day, I hope he is not truly gone. The little foals... They don't deserve to die so young. There is so much for them to do. Some will become good, and protect, have children, grow. Others will become bad, and destroy, and hurt. It...isn't a nice thought but, by saving all of them...the world can stay balanced. Everything can keep moving forward." She smiled. "I'm sure you...and many others, don't understand why I do what I do. But it is all I can do in this world." Ashia glanced down a bit. She knew it was a bit... odd to save the foals. Others had told her this. Why save them? But she knew the world needed those foals, or else she would never find them. "If they were meant to die young..." She started after a moment. "Then Mother Nature would claim them before I ever found them." She had found plenty of foals already gone by the time she reached them. It saddened her, but she knew they were ok where they were now, and that they were not meant to be saved by her.
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 8:04 pm
"Of course I am really a horse. What else could I be?" This little mare was beginning to irritate him. Why did she question if he was a horse or not. He had four leg, ears, and a mane and tail didn't he? Was that not proof enough for her. What did she want him to do, trot around whinnying like an idea just to prove it to him. Well, if she did he would not give her the satisfaction of watching him do such things. "What about my eyes?" He asked her. They weren't normal like hers but what part of him was normal.
"Of course it's a powerful name!" War chirped at the mare. "That is why he leads!"
"Yes, because having a name like Buttercup would just scream underling." Peace retorted with a roll of his eyes.
"Buttercup? What are you talking about?" The stallion questions Peace before shaking his head as the little mare spoke again. He didn't pay full attention to what she was saying. Blah blah blah, something about saving foals. He snorted, foals that was the only thing on the mind of most of those who were in his herd. Wait had she asked him a question earlier? Something about being in charge. "I lead a herd, if that's what you mean." Answering her earlier question then switching the conversation back to what she was currently talking about. "Bad ones huh? How interesting." Maybe he could....find these bad ones....and bring them to his herd. Yes, then they could show those lazy excuses for herd members a thing or two.
He stamped his foot, he must find out more about these bad ones. But for the moment he spoke of something the mare had said earlier. "These are not wounds." What exactly they were he wasn't sure. It had all happened in Hell as far as he could remember.
"It's called decay." Peace told the stallion.
Ah yes decay, that's what it was. "It's decay." He told the little mare firmly with a bob of his head. Whatever that meant. He could only imagine it meant to fall apart or something. It didn't matter, he wouldn't remember it later so why spend energy thinking about it.
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Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2010 12:59 pm
The mare blinked as she tried to follow his train of thought. It seemed as if he was bouncing around, mentally. She got the distinct impression that he wasn't really listening. It was confuseing! She tried to seem as if she was getting his few words. "Ah, well, your eyes are so diffrent, and you just seem as if you can't be a normal horse. No normal horse is..." she paused. "well decaying, unless they are dead. And dead things can't walk around so that is where I am a bit alarmed and confused at your appearence." she tried to explain.
Ah... Yes she was getting bad vibes from this stallion. Powerful, and... evil? She blinked softly at this thought. Was he evil? He hadn't tried to kill her, which meant he couldn't be that evil, she thought. "Yes, there is bad ones all over the land. There are bad, and there are good... it is how nature is." She said softly. "It is sad... to me. But I know that everything happens as it should and trying to mess with it only unbalances it." She paused, debating on asking the question her mind had just shoved forward. She could assume the answer, and she was slightly afraid of hearing the answer, but she didn't like to assume things. She took a deep breathe "Do you lead a herd of bad ones?" She asked, her voice softy.
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Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 7:17 pm
Thanos bobbed his head in agreement with the mare. No, normal horses weren't decayed. But then he wasn't a normal horse. At one time he had been, but that was a long time ago and he didn't dwell on that long. "Of course a normal horse isn't decayed. I'm not normal." He shook his head a bit perhaps to clear his mind or maybe it was to disagree with her. "Who said I was dead?" He asked her, though it really wasn't meant to be a question.
"Of course he leads bad ones!" War chirped angrily at the mare. "Stupid thing, you should just kill her already and get this over with."
"I wouldn't quite call them bad ones. Have then done anything bad lately?"
"I lead bad ones, yes. Do you think one who looks like me would do othewise?" Thanos told the mare. Surely no normal horse in their right mind would follow a horse like Thanos. Well perhaps that one stallion, with the bones, but other than that he doubted it. His eyes turned a bit dull for a second as he was lost in thought. His head tipped to the sky and after a long moment of silence he spoke again, only it was about something the mare had mentioned earlier.
"Hell does things to you. It changes your mind and your body. I didn't always look like this you know. At one time I was normal. That was a long time ago. So no, I am neither dead nor alive. That is the curse that I carry, as does my herd." His gaze returned to the mare, his eyes now their normal dark red. He stared at her as if he didn't even know what he just said. Already having forgotten his momentary spill into a more literate beast.
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Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 8:16 pm
"Looks can be deciving, Thanos." She said softly. Oh could they! "For one, you look like you are dead, or close to, but your not. You also look evil, but you've yet to kill me." She smiled softly. Her ears perked as she listened to him. Hell? He had been to...hell? Oh no, he was most certainly not a normal horse! And he had a whole herd like him? The poor things. Her heart was saddened by this thought. "I am so sorry." She said softly. "No one deserves to go though the awfulness of Hell, and being stuck, neither dead or alive." She shook herself softly.
So he did lead a bad herd. And she had no doubt her was far from a heavenly saint of a being. But she felt nothing bad towards him. In her eyes, this dangerous and terrifying looking stallion was a victim, like so many foals she had cared for. She longed to show that, that sadness she felt, to this stallion, but... well she wasn't sure how and she wasn't sure he'd be so keen on accepting a show of pity and sadness by a mare who seemed to get in the way of his normal thought process. Ashia sighed.
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