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 Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 9:45 am
 It was strange to be so far from the ocean. Adulthood had not taken away her love of her families home along the ocean side beach and even now she disliked leaving it for long. But Aquitaine knew that she could not spend her entire life at her home, if she was to truly see the world then it would mean conquering her fears and leaving her parents behind to go explore and learn. It had not been easy, she missed her parents each night but kept telling herself that soon she would return home to them. This was not the first trip she had taken away from her home but hoped it would be less eventful, and safer, than some of her previous adventures. Just the thought of those unpleasant experiences had made her shudder. No, it would be different this time, she told herself.
Bringing her hooves to a stop Aquitaine surveyed her surroundings. No matter she went it felt odd. There was nothing familiar this far from home. The ocean had been replaced by seas of grass, large swaths of forest and now, in the not too far distance, a mountain loomed. Her eyes widened at the sight. She had known the mountain would be large, but seeing it with her own two eyes took her breath away. She supposed it was a similar reaction to those who saw the ocean for the first time. Why she had come out this way she wasn't certain, but the quest for knowledge was a funny thing and so when she had set out many days ago she had picked a direction and stuck to it until the mountains came into view. What was on the other side she did not know. Could one even get to the other side? It was a question she did not wish to answer herself, that would take her too far away from home and add many more days to her already long journey.
On her back the dragon head nestled in her hair let out a rumble. He was unhappy about something, but Aquitaine had a hard time understanding his moods even after adjusting to his presence. One thing she knew for certain, it was rare that he wasn't mad about something. "Do you not like the mountains?" She asked, the only answer being another rumble from the dragon. With a sigh Aquitaine took to walking again, she would reach the base of the mountain soon, after that she was unsure what to do. Likely she would turn around and return home. It was a shame Gaul wasn't with her, surely her goat companion would have loved to run about on the mountain side. She dearly missed her friend and looked forward to seeing him again.
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 4:05 pm
 "It's strange to be back here...." Miki breathed, the mountain air becoming fragrant with the smells of nature and flora as she reached the base with each delicate and calculated step. It had been a long time, since she was only half her size since the romped these lands. She remembered the vast meadows of lush tall grass; the abundance of life playing amongst the forests and rivers...the calling of gulls along side the beautiful sea.
The sea....it had been so long since she'd seen Hadrian, the colt she left in search of that elusive fairytale. The one they called Lord of Nightmares. When things had become scary and dangerous she had fled from that Princely colt; and although from time to time she found herself thinking of him and her family alike...she knew she could not burden anyone else with that Pandora's box she'd opened when she discovered his tale. It would be one she would take to the grave on her own if need be, and Miki could only imagine the beautiful mare her dear beloved sisters had become. She too had aged, long and silky black locks just like her mother cascaded along her shoulders; her pelt a soft purple and wearing flowers father used to fetch her from the desert in her childhood.
It was funny how time has the ability to slip through one's hooves as if it had been nothing but a dream.
Finally coming off the slope and onto flatter land she shook out her pelt and looked back to the mountain path she'd been following. Realizing one part of her adventure was coming to a close and the next chapter had opened in front of her back in the pain soquili lands. One step closer to the sea, and one step closer to the next clue in her never ending riddle. Who knew the next one would lead her all the back to old tromping grounds?
With that she began to walk inland, the breeze playing with her hair as she walked with no real hurry in her steps. While she was always one to wander there was never much need to be in a hurry; she would get there eventually and best save her strength in case she ran into unfavorable company. It was best to stay alive after all. While she hadn't seen them in years, she still had a family who might be upset if she lost to a skinwalker; and once more found herself fantasizing what her dear family was up to now.
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 4:51 pm
Another rumble from the dragon pulled her attention. The beast was clearly upset about something. She hoped it wasn't her, she couldn't handle him turning on her again. "Easy." She told him in hushed tones. The dragon ignored her and continued on, turning to gaze at something in the distance. Just what had gotten into him today. Turning her head Aquitaine looked to see what had pulled his attention. There in the distance was another Soquili. At first she thought to perhaps return to the cover of the trees, worried about whether an encounter with the other would be safe. But then as she let her eyes study the other more closely she noticed something. That coat color, long mane, unicorn blood. It couldn't be! Why it looked like her mother! But that was impossible, mother was at home with father on the beach. Wasn't she?
Aquitaine took a few steps towards the other, still a fair distance stood between them. No, it wasn't. Now that she was closer she could see the mares mane was black, unlike her mothers which was blue. Yet the resemblance was uncanny. Again she moved forward, closing the gap more between herself and the mare. If it were not for the mane color Aquitaine would swear she was looking at her mother. And even now she could see the subtle marking on the pelt which her mother had as well. Aquitaine closed her eyes tight. Could she be so homesick that she was dreaming of her mother? It's just a dream, she told herself, then slowly, hesitantly she opened her eyes. The mare was still there! "I can't be seeing this." She whispered to herself in a shocked tone, the only reply coming from her dragon who let out quiet rumble.
This mare was no dream, nor a hallucination. Aquitaine saw her clear as day, and so did her dragon. And she was certain if Gaul were here with her that he too would see the mare. Bringing her hooves to a stop, almost afraid to get closer yet still oddly curious Aquitaine stared at the mare, eyes narrowed, mouth agape slightly. She knew that she should not stare but at the moment she couldn't help it. This had to be a dream or some sort of trickery!
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 6:09 pm
The mare hadn't been expecting company as she moved along, truthfully it was the last thing on her mind. The life of Gypsy wasn't for everyone, and often or not turned to be a lonely one for that matter; so while others looked for companionship...gypsies merely watched from the sidelines unless a friend of familiar wanderlust joined ranks.
While she was not as graceful as her dear sister Zara with hooves which could move like angeni's themselves, the mare held her own as she glided along the grass; only to have her ears flick up at the sound of a very faint growl. Halting in her strides she turned her head left than right; until she saw another figure not too far off staring quite openly at her. From what she could see the figure was female, but there was some kind of lump on her back; was it hair? Instinct told her she should run, she was not much of a fighter and not often did those approach her unless they desired something...and usually not something in a good nature.
Yet there was something, something strange which planted her feet stern against the ground and refused her to take a step.
As her nostrils flared slightly when the breeze wafted by, she could smell a familiar scent...something calming and rather familiar. Miki said not a word, years of experience gave her assurance she could outrun this female if she needed to...but her heart ached at the sight of the mare. Narrowing her eyes in scrutiny she was only left to wonder: Why? Why was she not moving on? Why was she locked in this stare down with a mare she'd never seen before?
Yet it hit her, as soon as she lowered her eyes to look over the mare when she saw the markings on her shoulder and her detailed mind's eye showed only one picture and one picture alone.
"Zara....." Miki said quite loudly, easily audible to the fellow mare as she looked up in shock. Why did this mare have her sister's markings? Her beautiful sister's leg markings which captured one's eyes when watching her amazing dancing. Now Miki was confused, wondering if she should make the first move to say something otherwise; but found as her own feet took a few slow steps towards the mare....now able to see the hair was not just hair. Was something in it?
No matter, all she could focus on was in fact this strange mare...and why she held some of her family's markings. It couldn't be that....she was indeed of relation?
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 6:44 pm
She found herself locked into a sort of staring match with the strange yet oddly familiar looking mare. Neither of them moved nor said anything for what seemed like an eternity. Aquitaine was almost afraid to say anything for fear that this mare would disappear as if she was an illusion and the merest of words might break the spell. Was the mare, real or not, a sign from...someone or something? If so, what? No, no this mare was real. But what did this all mean. As she stared at the mare, though now she had at least moved from a direct stare to a more casual glance over her. Yes, once again she could see the uncanny resemblance to her mother. And from what she could tell, the mare was studying her as well, taking in her markings and looks as well. Suddenly she was more than aware of her different appearance. Nervous she took a step back and then two. The dragon rumbled again and now Aquitaine cringed, why did she need to have this cursed creature at a time like this. The mare was likely going to shriek in terror any moment once she realized what she was looking at.
As she lifted her hoof to take another step back Aquitaine heard the mare speak a single word. Ears perked forward. Did she just say...her mothers name? Aquitaine froze, mid-step and gaped at the mare anew. She opened her mouth to speak but found she had no words. Giving her head a shake Aquitaine forced herself to focus. "Did you..." She bit her lip, taking a single step forward. "Did you say Zara?" There was no doubt the mare had uttered that name. Yet she had to ask, just to be sure. "My...mother's name is Zara." Again her eyes swept over the familiar markings, similar pelt color, long flowing hair that was so much like her mothers.
Aquitaine contained her fear of everything outside of the home she knew and took another step closer to the mare. "You look so much like her. I thought...when I first saw you." She gave her head another shake. "Well, I thought I was looking at her." It even gave her the chills now to think of how she had thought it was her mother coming down from the mountain, so far from home.
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Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2012 3:13 pm
"I did dear..." Miki breathed, having taken step by step till she was only a meter or so away from the mare and her...hair creature. She was taken away by the fact that...she was family. Not only some distant relative...if what she had just said was true than she was her dear sister's own daughter....Her Neice!
The most brilliant of smiles crossed her maw, if one was looking close enough they may have seen how watery her eyes had become and the tears which threatened to fall down her pelt.
"I cannot believe my eyes..." She began, tossing her hair back and blinking back her joyous tears. "Zara is my sister, i've been looking for her...what luck I have to run into her lovely daughter. Forgive me, I wasn't aware my sister had met her prince charming, let alone had a family." Perhaps it may have chased and frightened many, many others...but not Miki. For the mare could see past her hair...creature and see the mare for what she was. Her blood, her neice.
Besides, once she had begun to dabble in the treachery which was the Lord of Nightmares...nothing really scared her anymore.
"My name is Miki...perhaps she hasn't mentioned me before...but you have your mother's beautiful features about you, such blues I could never have like our father. Well, your grandfather I suppose." She smiled, feeling her heart swell with pride for her sister.
"Tell me...who is your father? The prince who must have swept Zara off her hooves?" Miki inquired, wondering what they had spoke of as fillies all the times about knights, princes and all the fairy tale sorts swimming constantly in Miki's mind.
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Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2012 7:27 pm
This all still felt like a dream and Aquitaine was waiting for the happiness to fade and for her to wake up and realize she was back at home on the beach. But no, it couldn't be. She remembered distinctly leaving home to venture out in the world, to conquer her fears and to see this very beautiful land that lay well beyond her familiar home. It wasn't until the mare said the words she was waiting for, to say that Zara was her sister, that Aquitaine knew without a doubt that this was reality and not some conjured up dream. Even so it took her a few moments to finally find her voice again, and in that time the mare had said even more and Aquitaine was forced to focus her mind so she could keep up with what was being said.
"You are my aunt." She finally said, her voice filled with lingering awe and love. Never did she think to meet anyone from her mothers side of the family and that thought caused the corners of her mouth to tug down into a frown and her head dropped a bit. "I...never thought I'd be able to meet anyone from mothers side of the family. Not after what she told me about grandfather." There was a sudden sadness in her eyes and tone. She still remembered the day when her mother had told Aquitaine and her brothers about Baldev and his purest ways and that because of the...differences that the three of them had they would never be accepted by the family and would likely be driven off. And so this moment suddenly felt like a dream once more, once that would surely turn into a nightmare with Baldev coming crashing through the trees to cleanse the land of her tainted blood. Yet after a moment and that not happening Aquitaine gave her head a slight shake. No, the aunt before her was accepting and it brought the smile back.
"Oh Aunt Miki it's so good to meet you!" Tears suddenly began to flow freely down Aquitaine's cheeks. "I am Aquitaine." She said with a growing smile. "My father is Hadrian. And I have two brothers, Aurelian and Arcadius, who are....different like I am." Though it was clear the Miki was not put off by Aquitaine's off appearance she needed to inform her new found aunt that she wasn't the only one in the family affected by such things.
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Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2013 10:50 am
It was hard for the mare not to stare, and she wasn't even looking at the monster residing on the neck of her neice. She instead was picking out every feature that reminded her of her sister, dear Zara, and the resemblance to the rest of her family. It was so hard to imagine her sister was a mother, to such a wonderful Daughter. Of course she wasn't blind, she also wondered whom the father was, to possibly gain such unique features. However, the mare adored her sister to the ends of the earth and beyond. She was sure she would love her nieces and nephew's even if they were skeletons, which she'd seen too.
Upon mention of her father, she gave a short laugh and nodded. "Yes, Zara's and my's father would definitely not approve of you. However that would be his burden and his alone, if he wishes not to know his grandkids, then so be it." It wasn't that she didn't love her parents, of course she did. But after seeing the world and all its splendor, why was it so important to keep pure lines? She didn't see why, and perhaps that is why she hadn't gone back for reserve of butting heads with her new worldly opinions.
"Dear, dear...don't cry." She fussed, leaning in swiftly to brush a few tears with her nose before leaning back to an appropriate distance. "Aquitaine...how beautiful." She said dreamily, before well...that dream popped. Hadrian? The prince of the sea? Could it really be one in the same? Slowly the pieces unfolded, of where exactly all of the markings came from. It had to be, Zara's prince charming, was indeed the same prince charming of her past. Her gaze faltered for only a moment in her thought, perhaps a small moment of heartbreak, but it lasted only momentarily.
She'd left him.
She left him for fear of dragging him into the spiral of the Lord of Nightmares, so who was she to really expect he'd wait? Yet then, looking back and focusing on the mare in front of her, her smile came back as warm as could be. A true prince and princess, creating such a royal family the likes of this before her, and that made her oh so happy. "Well my dear, I look forward to one day meeting the rest of your family!" She did ponder, what the brothers looked like. Perhaps more like Hadrian?
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Posted: Sat Jun 22, 2013 3:24 pm
Aquitaine couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief as Miki confirmed that Baldev's prejudice was not shared with his daughter. At leat that applied to both her mother and now her Aunt Miki, but there was another Aunt out there that Aquitaine had not yet met, would she share those ideals or would she be opened minded? Well that question likely wouldn't be answered today and she wasn't about to dwell on those thoughts, not while she was getting to know her aunt. But even so, Baldev's prejudice was keeping her from knowing more of her family, was it something she would convince him to change? Others had changed in the past, and there was bound to be others who change in the future, but could she get her grandfather to forget his ways and accept her and her brothers? Possibly, but that would go against her mother's warnings to stay away from Baldev. It was a dilemma. "It is a shame he feels so strongly in those ways. I do with I could see him and the rest of my family. But I'm happy to know the few members of it that I do." She finished with a smile, not wanting to ruin this moment. She was up one Aunt today and that was pretty good in her mind.
A rumbled sounded from her hair dragon when Miki came in and wiped her tears away. Her closeness was bound to agitate him but Aquitaine was surprised how overly well-behaved he was. Perhaps he could tell that Miki was no threat or see how much her being here meant to her. "They are tears of happiness Aunt Miki."
A smile grew on her lips as Miki spoke of one day meeting her brother. "I think Arcadius and Aurelian would be thrilled to meet you. And of course mother would be so happy to see you again. You would get to mee father as well. We live near the ocean, the beach has always been my home, I feel so welcome there. Oh Aunt Miki you must make time to come and visit us sometime soon." It would be so wonderful to get the family together and perhaps with time more members would join in and meet each other. "Do you live around here?" She questioned wondering if she would be able to return here to see Miki again. "You must tell me all about you, I want to learn all I can able my newly found Aunt." Think of how amazed her mother would be when she returned home and told her that she had meet Miki way out here.
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