Welcome to Gaia! ::

He slipped through the shadows like he was born from them, a child of darkness despite his pure unicorn heritage. Healing powers had forsaken him long ago; he’d never once been strong enough to wield them, though he’d tried. He’d tried to find his place in this big, wide world and he’d always fallen short. Never enough--not good enough, not smart enough, not fast enough--and the list went on and on. He wasn’t a bad person. Sure, everyone had their little sins of choice and in Van’s case, his was a touch of greed. That was hardly bad enough to warrant a lifetime alone in solitude, right?

He told himself he was alone because there was something better waiting for him, right around the corner. But he’d run and run, trying to uncover the lady of his dreams, and every single one had left him in the dust. It made a stallion bitter, even a stallion as trusting and loyal as this one. It made him clingy, being alone, and he didn’t fancy it. Maybe that’s why, when he found someone, someone he truly believed was “the one”, he pursued her.

Truth was? He was probably annoying. Anansi had told him so, though he’d always brushed it off. And now look--she was happily mated in a weird little polygamous relationship and he was…not. He didn’t want two or three mares--he just needed one. A partner. Someone who had his back. Someone to show him that the world wasn’t such a crap shoot. He wasn’t picky. She didn’t have to be glamorous. She could have a past that preceeded her and he’d still want her.

Maybe it was him. Maybe he was the problem in this equation. Life shouldn’t be so damn hard and love shouldn’t be so hard to pin down. He’d followed his Fate around, trusting in it whole-heartedly, his entire life. He lived the life of a gypsy, just like his mother and his father, though he’d never met his sire. He’d been long gone before Van and his sister Rue were ever born. Wanderlust sung heavy in his heart; he didn’t stay in one place for too long. His life was a journey, from beginning to end.

That was the way he liked it. He just wished he had a friendly face at his side, a confidant and companion twisted into one beautiful package. Van sighed softly, almost a hiss in the near silence of the night. One day. One day he would find her, his princess. Until then… Life went on.

In the moonlight at the edge of the forest, was a small fire circle that natives had set up; a teepee stood tall nearby, quiet, and it seemed everyone had turned in for the night. What caught his eye, however, was the thing glittering in the sliver of moonlight. A trinket of sorts, shiny and beautiful and…he needed it. To add to his ever-growing collection. With a half-smirk, he slinked forwards, careful not to trample anything. What he found was a tiny lantern, the silver metal twisted and the glass etched, hanging from the nearest tree. It swung lightly in the breeze, glowing a deep red as the flame inside of it flickered and swayed as if dancing.

His heart pounded in his chest, excitement and nerves--he always got this way on a hunt. They wouldn’t miss it, he told himself, unhooking it from the tree. It squeaked softly even as he bent his neck and looped the hook around the thin blue cording that laced around his neck. It hung like a large pendant at the center of his chest and he gazed down at it, entranced by the flicker of the flames. It was so beautiful…

“Hey!” a voice barked, jerking him out of his reverie. He stiffened, tail flicking back and forth as he glanced down the path, but saw only shadows. Time to skedaddle! With a low snort, he backed away until he was secluded in the woods, then took off at a quick lope, careful not to extinguish the flames set in his new lantern. Sorry, buddy, but I need it more than you do! He thought with a laugh.

Hoofbeats behind him, however, told him he was being followed.

Crap, crap, crap! His teeth clenched around the metal handle of the lantern as he ran as fast as his cloven hooves would carry him, slender leonine tail lashing back and forth to keep his balance as he careened over fallen logs and underbrush in an attempt to lose his pursuer. The lantern squeaked and swayed, the flame flickering, threatening to go out. No, that was part of it’s stellar beauty, the way it glowed! He tucked it to his chest and danced to the side, then froze amidst the shadows that the forest provided. He gently placed the lantern in the hollow of a tree turned around backward, hoping the flame was sealed safely behind the glass for fear of the woods catching afire, then he darted off several feet.

He gave a low snort as he watched a darkened shadow slip through the woods, completely fluid in her movement--and it was a mare, that he was sure of--as if she was a dancer in the night and he was a bumbling oaf. He winced at the thought. Wait… He hadn’t seen anyone in the village. He’d thought it was a sure shot… Glancing towards the hiding spot of the precious treasure, he had a moment filled with second thoughts.

For a moment, the woods were quiet and nearly still. He stood, every muscle tensed, his ears keen for the sounds of her approach because suddenly he wanted to meet the beauty behind the lantern. What if this was his stroke of luck? What if Fate had been waiting for this moment for a long time? His heart skittered in his chest, nerves and anticipation--and then a stinging pain lashed into his hip. “What the hell?” he barked, kicking out with a back hoof out of impulse, though his kick never landed.

He spun around, flat teeth bared as if he was an oversized guard dog, and he came face to face with…the most beautiful (and yet threatening-looking) mare he’d ever laid eyes upon and his anger slowly melted away, replaced by a hopefully charming smile. “Oh, well. ‘Lo there, milady.” In the darkness he could make out the dull hint of a rainbow…as well as curved ram’s horns. Kalona? Well he wasn’t one to judge, but her dark eyes swirled with temper. “You look a little ticked off, if you don’t mind me saying…” Damn.