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 Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 5:55 pm
 ‘I am going away for a while, I don’t know how long. I just wanted to let you know that... I will miss you.’
She always regretted not looking harder for him that day, the many seasons she had spent learning from the elders of Eden she felt like she had unfinished business of sorts. She never knew what became of her old flying buddy and today she seemed to have taken a trip down memory lane. She wondered into the field in which they used to play, her long hair resting on her shoulder as her eyes took in the familiar sights. Even though time had passed it still seemed like just yesterday the two were running around, those days where all so filled with laughter.
‘Come look for me here when you want to see me again.’
The voice of the colt she once knew and cared for rang in her ear; she had to admit she came here in the hope that maybe he would be waiting; however she seemed to be on her own. She sighed and wondered over to a flower bed. The petals stroked her belly as she lay down and got comfortable. It was such a nice change from the snow which blanketed the grounds of Eden. She smiled and closed her eyes, basking in the warm rays of the sun. Even if he was not here she was still glad she came.
As sad as it sounded a warm and fuzzy feeling came over her. Her mind was taken back. She remembered all the lessons he had taught her, even the song he used to sing. Friendships where like flowers, beautiful, however if not cared for they would wither and die. She just hoped that one day theirs would bloom again; If not in this life then maybe another.
"I pray to protect the bright world
Where everyone can smile
A song of hope of light to tomorrow
Giving my life to it
I sing vigorously
Let my voice float with the wind till I die..."
She closed her eyes and opened her mouth to sing, just as he taught her. It just seemed fitting.
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Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 6:22 pm
 It felt somewhat strange to be out in the field of his childhood again. It used to be that he spent practically every other day out in the field, most of those days had been with Essence. He'd slowly been growing annoyed with her and hid himself away for a few days so as to not be found.
Now he wondered how things would have turned out if he hadn't.
Coming to a stop he raised his head to the sky and shook hid forelocks out of his face to gaze into the deep blue. After getting enough time to himself he had returned to the field hoping to play again. To get more flying lessons or to give more singing lessons. He had never seen her again though. He had visited that field every day for weeks, no, months on end but it was no use. Essence was gone and there was nothing he could do about it.
A sadness drifted over Vivace's gray eyes as he stared into nothingness. As he had aged he had learned many things about the workings of the world and that had included a thing called 'death'. It had taken him a long time to come to accept that his friend, the pure heart that she was, was probably dead. It was the only thing that made sense to him having never seen anyone vanish so suddenly before.
A familiar sensation settled into the depths of his soul one that was sometimes pleasant but always powerful. This time it was a sad feeling that claimed his mind and urged him to sing. So he did.
"And I think of times we were together
As time went on it seemed forever
The times have changed,
Now things are be-...better..." At first it had come out naturally but he couldn't continue on. It made the feeling in him grow rather than releasing it and that was no good.
The winged stallion sighed. He missed the days when all his songs had been bright and hopeful. He could almost hear one of them now.
'A song of hope of light to tomorrow...' Wait a second. He didn't remember his voice ever sounding like a girl before. He strained his ears until he heard it again carried on the wind.
'Let my voice float with the wind till I die...'
Someone was singing his song. His eyes widened as he ran in the direction of the tune. It wasn't possible was it? He'd only taught one person those words and that tune. It wasn't possible...and yet... "Essence?" He called into the wind not sure he could trust his own ears anymore.
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Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 6:40 pm
Essence took in another deep breath when she heard it.
‘Essence?’
The word made her nap out of it, her eyes darting open at the sound of her voice. It had a familiar ring to it; however she was yet to make the connection. He would be so much older now; his voice would have changed so much. She jumped up from her resting place and looked around, feeling the need to call out herself. If could not be could it?
“Vivace!”
She called, turning. She had no idea where the voice had come from but she needed to go to it, she needed to know she was not going mad, even though it was faint she knew in her heart that someone was calling out to her. She knew in her heart that it was him. She called his name a second and then a third time, her pale blue eyes soon set on a direction and she ran also. She needed to find him, she just needed to!
She darted to the top of a nearby hill to give her a viewpoint, her eyes scanning over the field and soon set on a blue figure running, she could not make out any features but her heart skipped a beat! It must be! Please, spirits let it be him!
“VIVACE!”
She shouted as loud as she could to get his attention before starting her decent down the hill, as always her clumsy nature came through and she soon saw her rear come in front of her face. Hitting the ground and sliding down the hill on her backside. Coming to a holt at the bottom, she blew her fringe out of her eyes and pouted.
“Owie...”
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Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 9:07 am
At first he barely heard it and might have missed it all together had she not kept going. If he'd had doubts before they were gone now. Essence was not dead and more importantly she was in the field with him...somewhere. He needed to find her. He needed to say 'hello' at least one more time.
He grabbed the bit of braid that hung down around his feet and twisting his neck and flinging his head about he managed to toss it over his shoulders and around his neck. He repeated the process a couple more times until his hair was around his throat like a woven necklace and not dragging on the ground threatening to trip him. Once secure he took off like the wind racing towards his friend's voice.
His hooves tore at the earth but even at the speed he was going he didn't see her immediately. They must have been on practically the opposite sides of the field as far as he was concerned. When he heard his name ringing out far louder than before he came to a skidding stop and turned his gaze not to the side but up. There, coming down the crest of a hill, was a mare white as freshly fallen snow with traces of green spring to her coat. Others would have waited to be closer to determine if this was the correct person. Vivace knew instantly that this was her...who else was that clumsy?
He winced slightly as he made his way towards her in a slightly prancing gait. "You...haven't changed much have you, Essence?" He asked coming to a stop a few feet before her. It may have just been the biggest fib of the century. She looked almost nothing like she did as a colt the only things that had really remained the same were her colors.
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Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 3:02 pm
Essence looked up at him and then came to stand on her hooves once more, wondering closer to take a better look at her old friend; she could not believe her eyes! He had grown! As foals she and Vivace where round about the same size however her growth soon stopped because of her flutter genes. It seemed like he did not suffer from the same genetic make-up, a small smile came onto her lips and her cheeks turning a slightly rosy colour. She could not deny he was handsome however she had known that always, even when they were young.
”Haha, yea. I leave an impression. Very... elegant as always.”
She nodded, her words where all messed up in her head, she still could not believe it and a part of her was still in shock. With a small smile her eyes went to look at him once more. Was this really him? Ws her mind playing tricks on her or was this destiny playing its part. Either or all it did not matter to her, she was just happy to see him and it was easy in her manor.
”The years have treated you well, you have grown into a very handsome stallion Vivace and I would have not expected anything else. I am... so glad to see you again.”
She beamed, her voice quite calm, well at least for her. However most of that might be nerves, even though she would never feel nervous because of him, she just... could not express the joy in her heart; however mixed in with the rest of her emotions one that was lying low and strong was guilt. She was always sorry that she had not stayed longer, if she would have looked harder.
He was her best friend, and she had in a way abandoned him... not even saying goodbye.
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Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 3:24 pm
As she stood a tiny smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. It seemed one thing hadn't changed much, she was still quite small. He was no giant, in fact he was barely an inch taller than average, but it seemed she had stopped growing long before most mares did. "Yes," He quipped. "I have never encountered another who falls as gracefully as you."
Although he teased her the atmosphere felt almost suffocatingly serious. Both of them seemed to be contributing to the feeling but Essence was the first to say anything relating to it. He smiled gratefully at the compliment and bowed his head in thanks but any words he had were lost to some invisible void. She had expected him to grow into a handsome stallion. How was he supposed to tell her that all this time he'd thought her to be dead?
His head turned toward the ground guiltily. He felt like a terrible person and a bad friend. At the first sign of anything wrong he'd just assumed the worst and resigned himself to live with only her memory.
After a moment he lifted his head, this was meant to be a happy occasion. "I can't say I expected you to grow up quite this way." He chimed in finally. Again he teased though at the time it was mostly to bury his guilt away behind a veil of cheerfulness. "I mean, when were you going to tell me you were a real girl?"
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Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 3:48 pm
”Indeed it is an art form I have had much practise in.”
She gave a very nervous chuckle. GREAT! Thirty second into their reunion and she had already made a fool of herself! However he did not seem too bothered about it. Maybe it was good she had not changed, she knew she had... gone through certain transformations. The women in her family seemed to have a obsession with make over’s. She had talked about him and as soon as she mentioned her plan to go down to see him they of cause wanted to make her look pretty.
“You know me always full of surprises, however I am curious to know you definition of a real girl.”
She was joking around; however he seemed to be doing the same. She would have liked to point out the fact she was a teenager now; no longer a little girl but she would save that argument for another day. She did not want to seem like a physo... ha! Who was she kidding he already knew that. Maybe, this was as strange as him as it was for her. She smiled at the thought, maybe that also meant he was as happy as she was now. She hoped in her heart of hearts that things could go back to how they were.
”I have missed you, how have you been?”
She asked, she knew how her own life mapped out, however his was a mystery. She had just begun to realise how much she must have missed out on, she had been gone for so long, so many chapters that she was not even a part in. It saddened her a little, however she knew deep down she knew she had so many stories that he could share with her. It was true though, she had missed him.
However she also wondered, how did his hair grow so long? SO FAST!
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Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 9:10 am
"A real girl: a female creature that can actually pull off pretty." There had been a time when Vivace didn't know a single thing about flirting or flattery. That time had come and gone after a couple of winters. He had learned what it was one year and how it worked and the next he had learned how to do it. In many ways he was still a novice with it but he had discovered that the older he got the easier it became. Perhaps when he was truly a stallion and not still an aged colt in a grown up's body he'd be an irresistible charmer, but that was yet to be seen.
"I've been...well enough these past few years." He smiled at her but there was a trace of something sad in his eyes. "The first season was a bit rough but you know how it goes. You just sort of...move on." Well there went the plan of keeping the meeting somewhat cheerful. He just couldn't seem to keep his mouth completely shut but at least he hadn't mentioned her death. That would have killed the mood for good he was sure. No pun intended of course.
"And you? Were you happy wherever you went?" There was the underlying question of where had she gone in his words. It bothered him a little to be honest. He wasn't used to people just vanishing only to show up again years later. It was unusual.
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Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 10:20 am
Essence gave a small smile, her cheeks turning a rosy colour as she was called pretty, looking to the side a little before hearing his words. She felt horrible, she genuinely felt like some villain. The least she could do was explain herself; maybe he would understand. She just wished him to look at her in the same way he used to, if that was at all possible.
“I did not move on Vivace... I...”
She began before pausing and closing her eyes trying to think out what she was going to say. Her blue eyes slowly opened to look at him once more stepping closer to him by a little bit, her voice changing to become quite soft, softer than it usually was.
“I went to Eden, a herd land in the mountains which is run by my Auntie Neria, most of my family on my mother’s side live there. I have been training under my Grandmother Taharial to become a Midwife and even though it has been difficult and I have seen some... disturbing things it has been fun. I have enjoyed helping people and I am glad that my connection with my family has been made stronger.”
She had seen mares in quite desperate states, one she was even with a mare who’s foals did not make it. She had seen families at their most vulnerable and quite a few times she had wanted to give up. It had been a emotional journey however it had also been a very enlightening one. Even though socially she was the playful mare she had always been she now had a new found strength both from her ties with her family and though the experience her training had given her. She loved the mountains; the snow was beautiful however nothing has ever looked as wonderful as this place when all the flowers were in bloom.
“I knew I was going away and I did not want to tell you... I tried many times but the words did not want to come out. Then the morning I was set to go I went out to say my goodbye and I looked and looked and called for you but I could not find you anywhere. It was getting dark by the time I stopped and me and my mother had to make the trip by night.”
She had actually cried when she could not find him. At first she thought that he was dead or hurt and every bone in her body had told her to stay and look for him. However in the end she knew she had to go or the journey would have become too difficult with the winter weather. Her mother put it off for as long as she could because her daughter did not want to leave her best friend. So she had no choice and even though she was sorry she did not regret going. All she regretted was the fact she did not say goodbye. With it she would have started her new chapter on a much happier note – knowing one day she would return to him.
“I have always felt awful for it, I should not have gone without finding you but I had put it off for so long it was too late. From the bottom of my heart I am so sorry, I hope that despite these years we can carry on where we left off.”
She lowered her head slightly looking up with him with a small smile, hoping that he would understand and accept her. She never wanted to leave his side again. However at the same time the time apart had done her good. She was a lot more independent and she was not as clingy as she was as a foal. Looking back even she had to admit that she was over-dependant on him...
“I don’t ever want to lose you again, we have lost too much time already. I understand how you must have felt and not a day has gone past that I had not wished you where with me...”
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Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 10:48 am
The mood of their reunion seemed to be dead set on being a serious one. How could it not be though? They had parted in secrecy. In such cases it was hardly surprising that rather then joyous greetings and play there were questions and silence.
As Essence began to explain her journey Vivace listened on quietly. What she said put all the missing pieces of the puzzle together for him. She had been training with more extended family. Her mysterious disappearance had been settled. There was still one thing that needed to be said, though. It was not fair leaving her thinking that something had happened to him that kept him away. Not now that he understood that nothing had happened to her. Their sides of the tale were different but their beginning was the same. She must have gone through the same worries that he had.
He shook his head slowly letting out a small sigh. She was blaming herself for everything. "Essence...you..." He lifted a foot as if to step towards her but then reconsidered setting it down again. For a moment he was quiet as he collected his thoughts. "You shouldn't think that it was your fault you couldn't find me." He said finally sounding a bit harsher than he intended. He wasn't upset with her but at himself.
"There were...a few days...around that time..." He was mumbling and muttering to the point that his words were hard to understand. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Essence...I was trying..." He paused again feeling like a horrible friend. "I was trying to hide from you...the day you were looking for me. I was avoiding you..." It was times like these that he was thankful for his long forelocks. He could watch for her reaction without being seen.
"We had just spent so much time together...that I'd gotten sick of you!" He ended up with a crooked smile on his face. Something about the whole thing was darkly humorous to him now. He'd stolen himself away from the world only to later find out that he missed his seeker's company. It was ironic in a twisted sort of way and it was almost sickening to him how amusing the whole thing was.
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Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 11:04 am
“Y-you where...”
She sounded out to herself looking to the floor; she could not believe what he was saying. It saddened her that he would go to such extents to avoid her, for years she had felt like she was a bad friend for now seeking harder however he did not want to be found. It weighed on her heart that she must have been suffocating him but she wanted to see it from his point of view. He was her best friend, the one true friend she had ever known and she did not want this view tainted with resentment. They had both done a lot of growing so she wanted to draw a line in the ground and carry on from here. This could be a new start for the both of them and she would make sure not to repeat her mistakes from when she was a child.
“I see...”
She finally mumbled looking up at him with a small smile turning around and going to lay in a nearby flower bed. Her hair touched the ground and stroked down her shoulders. Her unicorn tail quite comfortable wrapped around her. The sun’s rays where still coming down strong, illuminating the pale skin of both horses.
“Well that is in the past, lets not dwell. I am glad to see you now, more than you could imagine. This time around I will try and not be so annoying.”
She gave a small chuckle shaking her head and nudging it as a indication for him to come and rest by her side like he once did when they were young. She would have never guessed that they would be together like this again and she wanted this meeting to be a happy one, one they she could look back with fond memories, as the butterflies stated to once again dance around the vibrant plants a idea came into her head; something that would nicely complement this wonderful scene.
“If you could do me a favour, I would really like to hear your voice again. Do you think you could sing to me like you used to?”
She had always loved his voice and she was looking forward to hearing how it had changed over time.
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Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 11:59 am
"I was..." He confirmed watching her steadily. It was evident that she was far from happy about his confession. Not that he particularly blamed her for it but they had been children at the time. Thankfully she seemed to realize this herself.
"And I will do my best to not go into hiding when you fail..." He joked tossing his head a little to shake his bangs out of his face finally. He didn't need to veil himself behind them anymore, the air was growing lighter, there was no need to hide. With his eyes almost in plain sight he watched her lying on the grass. She wanted him to join her but there was really no chance of that happening.
He liked grass and flowers, really he did, but he disliked spending hours pulling the stray bits out of his thick tail and mane should he leave the braid down. Instead he came about to stand next to her on her right side, it always seemed like the best place to be. "I think I could manage that." He said softly as he began to unwind his braid from his neck. It wasn't impossible to sing with it wrapped around him like a scarf it just wasn't particularly comfortable. Really his hair was just impossible.
"There..." He said after the last coil was unwound. He took in a deep breath and closed his eyes awaiting for the song to come to him. It did not take long for the lyrics and tune to swell up inside him like some great tide.
"As time passes by
I feel that my heart
Must be kept hidden
So that I may approach you.
I heave a sigh
Because around you
I feel far from myself.
In an ordinary feeling of love, my heart pounds
And I will set up my trap for you.
Even though I am eagerly after you
I won't leave any trace." It was clear that his voice had matured. It was lower than before and smoother. His songs also seemed to have taken an unusual turn from what they had once been. They clung more closely to love and relationships now unlike the feelings of hope and joy they had been about before. Perhaps that was all a part of aging as well.
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Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 12:24 pm
“Very funny.”
She rolled her eyes with a small smile; yea she could not imagine herself not being annoying either. However her profession did mean she could not spend as much time with him. There were many pregnant mares this time of year and each needed to be checked up on and more importantly when she got message that one had gone into labour she would need to stay with them, this could do on for days, one mare was giving birth for 26 hours, the first batch was always the more troublesome. Lucky now they were all healthy foals who ran free. She had noticed that when one became a parent there aura changed slightly, suddenly there was something you cared about more than yourself; something that came from your own blood. All she knew if that she would do all she could to not lose him again.
She smiled as he unwrapped his hair, her eyes widening more and more as the trail fell to the floor and did not seem to stop. This was impossible! Nothing grew that fast! Was she sure she has not gone for one hundred years? It was so thick and unbelievably long. Her jaw dropped slightly.
“Oh my, the spirits must have had fun crafting your hair. I have never seen anything like it, quite amazing actually.”
It suited him and it really did suit him, he looked very handsome however she could understand why he found it so impractical. Seeing it made her smile however to him, carrying it every day it must be a pain. She gave a small chuckle, going dead quiet as he stated to sing. The smile on her face growing as his song progressed, until she finally stood onto her feet leaning over and giving him a quick nuzzle and then backing away a little closing her eyes.
“Things are not this clear
My words seem all sincere
And you begin letting your guard down
There's something you should know
About this deep drug
You thought you could drink it down
Rusting from time
The chains fall apart
You run away
With no place to go
The seconds
Echo by
The more you try to fight.”
It was hard to think she had learned a song or two since she had been away, however whenever talking to a new person music seemed to be a topic most liked to talk about to take their mind off of what they were going through. This song was one of her favourites and she was in total surprise that it was the one he had chosen to sing. He sung the part so handsomely, his voice had improved by quite a bit and it was more magical than she could expect. It warmed her heart.
Her voice had become a lot more feminine, as odd as it might sound spending so much time with very well mannered graceful mares as they were in her family there way of talking had rubbed off on her. She had kept singing, it was her way or remembering him, whenever she was down and needed a friend to pick her back up she sang a song because it reminded her that someone out there would be very disappointed if she did not stick to her goals. More so she wanted him to know, if they ever where to meet, that she had not forgotten, and that she had kept on with her practicing so that all his lessons did not come and go in vein.
She smiled and opened her eyes once more, giving a very playful giggle.
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Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 1:57 pm
Vivace blinked as she nuzzled him not expecting it so suddenly and certainly not in the middle of a tune. Then he found himself smiling as she picked up the next verse. He honestly hadn't expected her to keep singing after so long especially not if she'd been training to do something else with herself. In his mind assisting in the birth of babies and singing did not exactly go together. What was more surprising, however, was that she seemed to know the song. It was not truly a popular tune and was not one a story teller might use to weave a tale for children. Where on earth had she learned it from?
He didn't let his mind linger on it or he might lose the timing. Instead he continued on, "Just let me say that
Inside of you, I see myself
Hiding in your memories.
To be linked with the scent of your fear
makes me quite unsure of my choices.
...In an ordinary feeling of love
My heart pounds
And I will set a trap for you.
Even though I am eagerly after you
I hear..." He let his voice drop away for a moment wondering just how well she knew the tune.
He enjoyed singing in such a way. Even in a family of singers it was rare that he got a chance to sing with another person. It was a different type of singing that required a different set of skills. One needed to ensure that both were at the same tempo and may need to adjust their notes and voice to make sure that no one was clashing.
With the natural ability he had Vivace felt that this was his responsibility but found he didn't need to adjust much to make their voices blend. She had a pretty voice that seemed much better suited for song now that her vocal cords had matured.
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Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 2:49 pm
"Please capture me...
Let me just say, inside of you, I see myself
Hiding in your memories
To be linked with the scent of your sweat
I might merely be affected.”
She caught on where he had left of, soon coming to the end of the song, her blue eyes looking over at him once more a large smile growing on her face as she leaned forward, battering her eyelashes, her voice regaining a quite playful tone as she spoke.
“Haha, I bet you where not expecting that.”
She added, wondering around him a little, his wings had grown and they looked quite strong. She still loved flying however at the moment she did it more out of necessity than fun, she needed to get around a lot and her wings where her vessel of choice for many reasons, mainly because of the speed in which they could get you get from place to place. She soon came to stand in front of him once more. She still could not get over what a handsome stallion he had become, who knew that her childhood friend would grow to be so prince like.
“You sound wonderful. I really would not have expected anything less from you, if you are still up to it I would love to continue my training with my old teacher – instead of going at it alone.”
In their youth he had given her quite a few lessons and she remembered most of the things he had told her however her voice had changed and she was sure there were many new things she had to work on. She tilted her head a little looking at him with quite pathetic puppy dog eyes. It was always a excuse to spend time with him and she knew, even though he might not admit it, he liked to sing and share his gift with others. She liked to think he saw her as a good pupil; she really did try and do what he said however it was not the easiest topic to learn.
“I have missed singing with someone, no one in my family is that interested, neither was I until you opened my eyes to what a wonderful thing it could be. If you ever stopped Vivace I am sure a little bit of sunlight would leave the world.”
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