Dancing Bears, Painted Wings... [Closed! Songhue & Sunblind]

((just as a note, Songhue made hint at something to take notice of! Some people are putting a bit too much knowledge of Shatteredsky's introspect into the replies ^^;. She hasn't said anything about bonding, or having even the slightest interest nor intention. She has only spoken of other abandons who hate outsiders, and losing her brother. :3))

Indigosun watched from his position with wary eyes... this was what he was hoping for, but it was getting messier than he'd thought it would. Seeing their sister was something he thought would never happen... and also, so many bondeds had come together in such a short period of time. He wasn't sure how well the timid mare would cope with it; she was probably feeling cornered a bit. The stallion knew enough to know that she'd be difficult to get into the right situation to let her defenses down... but he also knew she was so painfully lonely. Guilt ate him away from the inside.

The sound of movement made him flick an ear, not altogether surprised that he had been found out. While Shattered's stress was keeping her from being particularly keen with her senses (and he was good at staying downwind), there were others who would have abilities beyond their own. A feline's perceptiveness was hard to elude, and when he looked up into the tree after the furred figure, he quirked a phantom smile with little feeling behind it. He was weary these days.

"A habit? Hmm... I think 'duty' is more appropriate in this sense." He turned his full attention back to Shatteredsky, not entirely sure what he planned to do if things got out of hand... coming out to meet her would destroy his entire plan. He needed her to take that leap of faith with one of the creatures before he could see her again.

---

Shatteredsky had a posture that spoke volumes; she didn't like that it seemed she had become so easy to read. She was receeding farther into herself, getting lost in her fears and emotional turmoil. Somehow it had seemed like nothing could be worse than the feelings she'd been living with lately... but all this confusion and mixed emotion was throwing her for a loop. Her eyes rose to her sister with a hopeful glimmer, mentally chewing over Elegance's advice. It was so horribly fortunate to meet her own flesh and blood once more... so why was she trying to blame the other mare for what had happened? She was tired of feeling like it was her against the world.

Nodding solemly, she was about to speak when SilverFlash delivered a blow that left her shaken. Their mother was... alive? And she was living with her now? Her chest rose and fell a little harder, eyes flicking around the circle of unfamiliar faces. "I... she's... mother..." It was hard to breathe, part of her was so happy that words just couldn't describe it... and yet, she'd convinced herself long ago that her mother had died. Her sister spoke of this bonding like it had saved her life... if it was so great, why had no one come for her?! Her sister, even her own mother... no one had come to tell her. Did they forget their own homelands so quickly that they couldn't find her?

"Why not me?..." Out of fear that she'd over-speak her sorrows, she turned and bolted over a hill and down farther into the fields. She just had to think, had to breathe... had to swallow the thoughts that everyone had been living some better life without her, leaving her behind all alone...

((I'm sorry, I didn't know we had extended the dates for this thread and was trying not to get left behind with the on-again-off-againness >.< won't happen again, I promise.))

Fancy was still a few steps behind the dark green mare, and Vineda a ways off behind that. Both watched the reaction of the emotion-wrought mare, and her retreat. It reminded them of a valuable lesson; that it simply didn't do to push too much, or at the wrong time. The purple mare turned back to her bonded and gave a nudge. "That's so hard." She remembered how torn she had been, how torn a part of her would probably always be. "I just wanted her to consider that we might not be bad guys." When Fancy had spoken to Shatter, she'd been lost in her own memories of abandonment, her own struggle over the choice to rebond or not. She'd spoken from her own experiences about her worst fear, and her own reflection on the outcome.


Vineda traced a finger along the edge of Fancy's wing with a sigh. "Oh, I know lovely." Her emotions had gone for their own loop along with the mare's, and she had just been just watching. It was painful to see the hurt. She wished she could follow the mare, but it seemed out of place. Privacy was something she valued highly, she'd not intrude on someone else's. Perhaps she should leave well enough alone; the mare's own sister was here after all. "Perhaps it is a family affair and we should leave well enough alone... I'm assuming I am allowed to return to my own domain now?"

Tsk, tsk, tsk. "Yes, yes, don't be so impatient. Everybody's there at home and we'll get there all in good time." Craning her neck, she tried to see over the hill. The hoofbeats of Shatteredsky as she retreated had gone a ways, but she wondered how the poor dear was coping. "I hate to leave though, without seeing if she's alright." Her tone said it all. She really wanted to stay. Just to make sure...

Nodding and biting her lip in thought, Vineda agreed completely. She wanted to stay too. She was concerned, and this was an open wound that she so wished to see closed. A wound at least given a chance to heal, whether or not through bonding. But really, she could not allow herself to see the mare cornered again. That was not how it worked. She'd run away to give herself distance. Vineda was inclined to stay her ground, give the mare her space. Fancy had said her piece, given her own words for the mare to think over. If she wanted or needed anything more, or was perhaps curious, or even wanted to debate, they would be here.

She glanced around, following Songhue with her eyes. Songhue had known they were pushing, she always knew. Her eyes crinkled at the sides as she smiled in thought. She wondered about these unknowns named SunBlind and Elegance. Would they pursue the mare perhaps? Speak to her gently and more privately? She glanced at Kyra, itching to ask her what was news... She knew without a doubt that it was Kyra, but she couldn't remember ever seeing her in that form before... But perhaps the sister and her bonded would follow after Shatter.

((The edit was to make the colored font lighter, so it's readable ))

The feline paused at the word duty, her interest spiking drastically. Shifting her weight, she turned to look where this stallion was so intently gazing; and was not all that surprised to see the mare first surrounded and then fleeing.

"It seems the charge of your duty is in need of pursuing if you're to keep your guard over her," she noted, and hopped back down into the snow. She was curious now, wanting to know how such a stallion as this could hold himself as guardian over one such as Shatteredsky. "Shall we run?"

She grinned that feline grin, a hint of a challenge sparking in her eye for a moment or more; she could keep pace with him for short distances, at the least, in this form. Besides, she had it in her head to take a detour if they gave chase, cutting away from the blue one long enough to wind herself between Vineda's and Fancy's legs and perhaps nip at Kyra's tail a bit. They had been engaged earlier, but now that her absence could be noticed she would need to give that much for a quick parting. If she knew SunBlind or the green mare better she might do more than grin at them; as it was, she didn't, and strangers didn't warrant the same kindness.

She was fairly sure the blue would follow; what she wasn't sure of was rather or not he would reveal himself when he did. This might be fun to watch, or just provide further intrigue. Either way her curiosity was captured for the moment.

And in all honesty, she might be a cat for the moment, but she did still cherish her own bonded. It lent her an affection towards many others of their kind, simply because she could see bits and pieces of the few she knew so well that resided within her homeland while with these others. She did want to see what became of the mare, and for more reason than seeing her get an attitude adjustment. And she was already beginning to decide to follow this blue one even as he had followed the other - in a sense of duty, if not companionship.

But that, of course, lay under everything. No cat would openly admit to that. They would be being generous if they simply admitted that their interest had been captured.

"I can blend with the snow," she mewed, flicking her tail as she bounced forward a few steps to stand level with his front legs, "so it wouldn't be difficult for me to scout ahead and keep your cover. Though I would want a warm seat afterwards; your shoulder would do quite nicely."

She smiled again, a low, rumbling purr rising from her chest. She was testing him, searching for a feel of who and how he was, and with all the subtlety of any feline that could feign disinterest while watching the smooth waters of a pond. Songhue thought she could perhaps grow to like this one; as a creature, for who he was, if in no other aspect. The way he held himself was... Familiar. And comfortingly appealing, when combined with his declaration of dutifully standing guard.

He must have a very strong heart.

And a very warm rump for her to perch on to keep guard over his own backside. The snow was quite cold on her paws!

OOC: I hope it didn't come off as if SunBlind were psychic but I was going on the comment where she was clearly more comfortable around the equines, something that would have been visible based on her body language, plus SunBlind's experiences with so many other abandonned Serians in her Realm (I almost have more of those than the traditionally bonded). And of course the story about the loss of her family, Elegance only brought up being bonded because she had been bonded and then abandoned herself *g*

SunBlind was so intent on the events going on before her, she had almost forgotten there was another in the woods. But she was soon reminded when she heard voices behind her, two of them. One was the feline Songhue, the other was male and unknown to her. Leaving Elegance to encourage the mare to open up to her sister (hopefully) SunBlind slipped quietly into the woods, this time making sure she didn't get her cloak caught on any branches. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but SunBlind wasn't a cat so felt she would be safe in indulging.

Turns out the first heartbeat and the second voice belonged to a stallion who was watching with great interest, not noticing the shapeshifter until she stepped into his peripheral vision.

"I didn't meant to startle you. My name is SunBlind." She paused to look in the direction of the stallion was looking to try to guess what had his attention. "A duty? Towards whom? Perhaps we could help?" He could be a bonded of any of the non-Serians out there, or a friend to whom he owed a favour. Or, it was entirely possible it was a duty to harm someone out there and SunBlind hoped to get him to confess such a nefarious scheme before he could act on it. Revenge was a heavy duty indeed. He didn't seem angry, but perhaps he was merely hollow and unfeeling, so resigned was he to what needed to be done. SunBlind didn't want this precarious family reunion to fall to pieces! The mare might never get another chance.

Suddenly there was a commotion out on the fields and SunBlind turned to see the mare had bolted! Clearly it had been too much all at once for her. Elegance was looking about for her bonded, unsure if she should pursue or not. She was there to help the mare, but wasn't supposed to run her down and force her family reunion down her throat. SunBlind wasn't sure herself. Sometimes people run because they want to be chased (whether they admit it to themselves or not) but sometimes they honestly need to be by themselves. But she wasn't about to let the stallion pursue (at least not without her tagging along) until she was sure of his intentions.

The stallion hadn't had a chance to answer her first question, so she asked it again. "Perhaps I could help with your duty as well?" With those words she took one of her other forms, a dark black unicorn with a streak of silver in her mane. Tossing her head she prepared to keep up with the others should they give chase. She was glad that Songhue had suggested going with him as well. SunBlind's black form would be quite visible in the snowy fields, a scout would come in handy.

SilverFlash watched in sadness, fear and more emotions all connected to how she felt finding the new out herself, but also to watch her sister in so much pain. She knew it would hurt, and with so many the bolt was what she thought could happen but hoped not. She knew it was a shock to the core, plus the fact that Shatteredsky was alone, when SilverFlash got the news she got it from Kyra and had her and her bonded family.

She knew maybe following was not course however no way she leave the mare alone, even if she did not talk with her, being there waiting may help, at this moment it was the only thing she could think of. She moved into a slow gallop, following the mare's tracks.

SilverFlash a few meet away, "I am sorry sister..." she said in a quiet voice, almost sure sounded pathetic, but she did not know what to say to help.


Kyra was a bit surprised when the mare bolted, but understood the confusion and hurt from the info she had just found out and the fact so many there watching her. She understood that feeling more than ever, very few seen her in this form, but she had SilverFlash, which gave her the strength she needed to be herself best she could at current. The tug on her tail made her snort in surprise and jump in her skin, she not heard the feline come up behind her and her senses in this form where not great when nerves were rampaging.


She tossed her head, "Thanks Songhue, you know how to start someone don't you?" she said teasingly. She followed the feline, and SilverFlash but when she got close, she stopped a few feet back from the silver mare, in case her sister moved to her. She nickered encouraging to her bonded which was still odd to hear come from her, but she was in her horse form after all.

Silverflash heard her bonded and it gave her courage she needed. She never looked away from her sister. A few moments later she walked a few paces closer. "I did look for you, but after a time I thought... I thought you got caught in the flood and were gone. You and our brother. As for mom, well she not said what happened all these years, she still working it all out sorting through it all. As much as you are now and I did and am still doing."

As everyone departed, or perhaps thought about departing, Vineda and Fancy began a slow mosey around the clearing. Talking quietly about their bond family and the holidays, little things here and there, sharing small secrets and jokes... As time ticked they rounded off the end of the circle and started up the slope. It wasn't the highest vantage point around, but it was nice how the land seemed to drop away just a little in all directions.

It was a peaceful moment, and the beauty of their surroundings did not fade or seem any less potent. So far she'd heard no fireworks from the departed serians' direction. Curiosity tickled the back of her brain, but she held it at bay.

"I've an idea! Come on!" With a playful grin, Fancy suddenly went quiet, plopping down in the snow. It was juuuuuust deep enough for this. Laying on her side, she spread her wings over her back and let her legs stretch out in the snow. Vineda grinned back, and lay down as well, on her back with arms spread out to her sides. Snow angels!!

((Another edit to lighten the colored font... sorries >.< ))