Chasing Butterflies

(for now, just for Lumi and I but we can open it up later if there is interest)


Chaser's favorite pastime was chasing butterflies. Sometimes that got him into trouble. It was more than once when SunBlind was forced to send out search parties to find the silly stallion, who half the time hadn't even noticed that he was lost yet.

This time the butterflies brought him to the Fields, where the grasses grew tall and the scent of the flowers blow on the winds. He stopped a moment to look around. It did pass through his mind that he hadn't the foggiest idea where he was, but that thought was quickly replaced by "Oh! How beautiful!"

And off he went again, weaving about in the wake of the butterfly's erratic path.

Like all things butterflies need to stop for a drink. Sometimes they stop at any ole place where there was a small collection of moisture for them to slurp up with their proboscus. Other times they head for a spot in particular, a safe sheltered place with a very shallow rock pool of fresh sweet water, surrounded by their favorite necter swollen flowers.

Such tiny paradises for the winged insects were rarely natural, they had to be created and cared for by someone. Guarded even against little things like algea and slugs, or big creatures that could stumble through it without knowing what they've wrecked.

Nestled by the butterfly pool, is a baby-blue mare of lavendar ribbons. Perched in her navy dark mane, and on her curved horns a few flying rainbows preen. Pewter gray eyes lovingly watch the comings and goings, while keeping her ears on a sharp lookout for intruders.

Now she certainly couldn't stay there all the time, the mare had other interests, but she made a point of being around during the busiest times of the day. In the early mornings she often had to set things to rights after some nightly creature romped through the place and of course she had to replace the water.

The butterfly Chaser is following made it's random way nearer the pool and Banjo perked her ears at the sound of hooved feet coming closer. Lifting her head up high she tried to see who was coming. The grass was too tall however and so she carefully got up onto her feet.

The verdant green serian she saw coming is quite oblivious to anything, but the beautiful butterfly he was chasing. Though he might of stopped anyways she didn't take any chances.

"Wait, please watch where you step, if you wish to come closer." Banjo indicates the sheltered oasis in the grass with a small nod of her head. Acouple of the butterflies in her mane took flight and fluttered away.

Chaser was quite oblivious to the mare hidden in the grasses. Even had he not been completely focused on his quary he probably wouldn't have noticed her for being entralled with the clouds, or the bugs on the ground.

So he continued to make his meandering way closer to where her head had just risen above the grasses. He walked in drunken circles, head titled upwards, his nose almost touching the buttefly. An occasional puff of breath caused the butterfly to be buffeted about a bit, and it would head off in another direction. The green stallion would spin quickly on his hooves and trot after it.

The young stallion heard the voice just as the butterfly landed to rest upon a tall stalk of grass. He stared at it a moment, his mouth agape. It spoke?!? The thought in his mind was obvious to any who could see his face. He knew that people called him a dreamer and other silly stuff, but even he knew that butteflies didn't speak...did they?

He blinked his eyes a couple of times and then looked up to see the sky-blue face of a Serian mare peering at him through the grass not more than a couple of feet away. Chaser immediately blushed, realizing that it was her voice and not that of the butterfly. He now felt as silly as most people thought he was.

"Umm...Hi!" he said, trying to regain his confidence. His eye caught sight of one of the butterflies still slowing movings its wings on her mane. "You like butteflies too?" he grinned, his embarassement already forgotten.

Not giving her a chance to respond, he asked, "What was it I wasn't supposed to step on?" as he moved closer to the secret garden. He dropped his head to get a closer look. "Ooooh, the butterflies must like this place! No wonder the one I was following brought me here. Did you make this for them?"