"But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura
She clung to her Khari the whole way down the Mountain, Dad taking the lead and picking the easiest path for them to make the long, arduous journey. Khari could have flown, and if she’d thought of it she could’ve too, but Daddy would’ve had to make his way down by himself the slow way. So they walked, slow and steady, and it distracted her enough that she wasn’t quite so shaky, wasn’t quite so locked away deep in her head.
She tucked herself up against his side, hiding in the shadow of his wing, her face pressed against his shoulder, so familiar and warm and lovely. And for the first time since disaster, she whispered a so-soft hi with a shy glance up at his face. It rippled through her like a shock, scratched out rough and gravelly like her voice had after days of disuse. Rough-edged and ragged, like she’d screamed so loud and so long inside her head that she’d burned it out.
Could you burn out a mind-voice? She didn’t think it worked that way, but somehow...the second he’d found her, the screaming had stopped, and numb silence had smothered her mind, engulfed everything inside her and swallowed her back down into horror. Just silent horror and clinging to her Khari.
Are you okay, Khari? she asked softly, her thought voice still breaking even though it shouldn’t be able to. She wasn’t the one of them who did the work, whose mind was so special, who could reach in and curl up and be close in a way nobody else she’d ever known could. She leaned into him, borrowing his steady strength to help balance when the way got precarious.
And it had gotten so very precarious.
She let out a heavy sigh and rubbed her cheek against him again, relaxing into him and letting him wrap around her and cradle her close. Breathing in his love and letting him help her feel like maybe she could be safe again. My Khari. His out loud voice helped too, soothing and gentle, so sweet and melodic, washing over her and helping ground her in the moment instead of flashing back.
They walked together down the mountain and onto the water, straight out onto the sea and then home to Ischia to find Mom and Kylie, and Reilly and Baddie too. Dad offered to carry her, but she needed to be pressed up against her Khari and free to run if she had to. They had to stop a few times, to let her rest, to let her shake and curl up in between them while they held her close and tried to convince her she was safe and everything was going to be okay. But eventually, they made it back to their island home, to its serene beauty, to where they belonged.
His eyes lifted to the sky every now and then. He didn't really feel the urge to fly, though. He hadn't found a love of flying, had only ever done it with Amber. Umbra.
And he never sees her around anymore.
So his eyes would fall right back down again. Straight ahead. Or to Kali tucked under his wing, nosing her gently, if a little absently. Just wanted to keep her comfortable, loved, cared for. Until they could get home again and see Mom and Kylin, Reilly. Baddie. The family. It felt like it'd been forever, though it'd only been a few days. A long damn few days.
hi, she brushed across his thoughts, her voice a little rough, a little small. His head turned and he looked down at her, softened his grey eyes for her with a smile. Hi, Kali.
Are you okay, Khari?
Hm. He didn't answer that right away, looking ahead again. Then he nodded, only because there were no strangers nearby to see him nodding himself. Just miss Kylin. And everyone. It had always been him and Kylin though. It was damn hard to be away from your twin, even when he had been trying to put distance between them. Since getting caught... Well. This wasn't the distance he'd been working for.
Either way, it sucked, though.
He turned another smile to her, another sweet nudge to her cheek. We'll be home soon though. I bet Mom misses you.
But the closer they got, the deeper he frowned. There was no Reilly, no baby Baddie, no Mom. And the nearer and nearer they got... his feet grew heavier, heart grew heavier. Until he came to a slow stop.
Dad? ...Something isn't right. We're home but... Nobody's here. But there's a bunch of strangers. And he was getting more worried, more tense, as he continued. His wing tightened around Kali, shielding her up tight against his side, eyes watchful.
They knew what strangers meant. They'd had strangers before.
He should take Kali away.
There’s not much about the ocean that’s changed in the week we’ve been gone, and why should there be? She can be a temperamental bitch, but she’s steady, her ebb and flow pretty constant aside from the occasional raging storm, and who doesn’t have a temper tantrum now and again? So I don’t notice right away that something’s off.
Kharon catches it first, though of course he would. Got that magic mind of his, reaching out and touching others’ even from here. Or noticing when others’ are missing. When he stops, coaxing Kali closer to his side and wrapping his wing a little tighter around her, I stop too. Give him a long, searching look while he fills me in on what he’s hearing, and who he’s not hearing.
I nod, seeing the way Kali presses herself nervously against his side, eyes wide and ears flicking back and breath coming shaky. Okay. Okay. Wary grey eyes watch the coastline, and I can guess what he’s thinking. I know what strangers mean too. You take Kali back out. Stay close enough you can hear me, yeah? I’ll go see what’s going on. I press a kiss to each of their foreheads, hold them close for a moment.
“Kali, baby, you stay with Kharon, okay? I’m just gonna go make sure everything’s okay before you guys follow me in.” She watches me with her mom’s angel eyes all dark with worry, the tiniest tremble to her lower lip as she nods and clings tighter to her safety, her Khari. “It’s alright, baby girl, everything’s gonna be okay.” One more little reassuring (I hope) nuzzle, and I turn to go scope out our home and see what the hell’s going on.
Kharon’s right. Something looks off as I get closer, though I can’t quite tell what. Something in the shape of the trees, the curve of the beach, I don’t know. As I step onto the beach, the smell hits me, and it’s wrong. Not the background scent of the island itself, that’s normal enough, but the rest. The people. The traces of horse in the air should be familiar, all attached to names and faces in the back of my head, but they’re all blanks.
I walk past the beach, step into the trees and the undergrowth, make my way through familiar territory that looks just a little off, still listening, still keeping a nose out for anyone familiar. And when I’m deep enough that the beach is out of sight and I won’t draw attention to my kids out on the water, I give a shout.
It has been years since the Brotherhood had shown up, and challenged Krone for the crown. Following their arrival, Kylin had moved from the main island, to the smaller left island. Not because Brennen, or his Brotherhood, wanted her to leave, but simply because her place is not among them. They asked for her loyalty, something the lavender woman is not willing to give. Her loyalty lies with the land, and its memories, not with whoever might occupy it. For that, Ischia has known too many shifts in leadership.
Queen Ea, then Father and uncle Reilly, and then Father had asked Ea again to take reign, all in favour of leaving Ischia to go looking for Kharon, Kali, and Mother. He had left her behind, sure, Ea and Caw were asked to watch over her, but they too disappeared. Perhaps, if they hadn’t, Kylin’s life would’ve been very different.
One would perhaps argue that it could have been happier, but under Ivar’s influence it is impossible for Kylin to be unhappy. The sapphire and gold kelpie makes sure to wipe any and all unhappy feelings from her system. And, bottom line, he still knows how to charm her.
But, Ivar too, at one point had abandoned her. However, he had been quicker to find his way back to her side quicker than her family has.
A loud scream, followed by the squeaking noises of the disturbed colourful birds, is what makes her lift her head. A bit uncertain, her lavender ears turn and twist, and a frown finds its way to her forehead. Hazel eyes move to the main island, but other than the flock of bird, nothing seems out of the ordinary. But still. That voice… It can’t be..” she tells herself, with a shake of her lightly dished head. It has been years, I must be hallucinating again.
Yet, her curiosity – or hope – is stronger than the little voice in her head that tells her she is crazy. Kylin is afraid to hope, afraid what she might discover, and also how her hope might be crushed once again. They’d left so many years ago, there’d be no logical reason for them to come back now. Nothing is stopping her. Ivar is elsewhere, and both her girls are old enough of venture off by themselves.
Her first steps onto the sea’s surface are hesitant, her pastel colored fins trembling at her sides, but soon her pace is steady. She crosses the sea separating the different islands that together form Ischia. It has been a while since she had last visited the main land, and even longer since she has last spoken till a member of the Brotherhood. Kylin knows she is welcome, and that nobody would deny her entrance, but she still halts on the beach. Continuing further almost feels like trespassing.
She is skipping along behind her mother, leaping over waves, and when Kylin stops at the edge of the beach Kypria leaps farther ahead. The pale filly flares her glittering fins as she lands - splayed legged - in the white sand. She tumbles to her side and rolls for a moment, her white feet kicking up at the brilliantly blue. Distracted by her own amusement, Kypria has missed the stress in her mother's face, but from where she lays on the sand she can see it all too clearly.
The long legged filly scrambles to her feet, making no attempt to shake the sand from her white hide before she presses her muzzle to her mother's lavender cheek. Kypria had passed her mother in height a few moons ago, but she tucks the bridge of her nose beneath Kylin's chin as affectionately as a young child might.
Standing beside her mother, the two year old can see something moving between the palms, and she steps forward with her father's boldness and calls: "Hey! Who's over there?" A warm breeze catches at her lavender mane, tugging away the salty strands and lifting them just long enough to show the patch of sapphire blue along the right side of her crest. "Come out!"
Her voice comes from behind me, from the beach. I shouldn’t be surprised. All my kids are drawn to the water, and Kylin is no exception. Relief washes over me, and I turn to make my way back toward the shore. I didn’t smell her, figured it’d be a hell of a lot harder to find her. I left her with friends, so I don’t think much of the voice that joins hers, sassy and adorable and demanding my attention. Too cute.
First things first, though. My baby girl is close, and it’s been too damn long. Barely a week, but it still feels like ages, especially with everything we’ve been through. Everything Kali’s been through. “Kylin?” I ask, needing the confirmation even as I step through the treeline and into sight, and my grey eyes settle on her--
Wait.
What?
I stop in my tracks, frowning and tilting my head to study her, ‘cause she’s damn sure not the leggy little girl I left behind with friends to watch over her, barely coming up two, soft eyes and sweet smiles. “...Kylin?” I ask again, stepping closer, looking her over. She looks...older. Grown. There are hints of her mother in the lines of her body, in the grace of her neck, the shape of her face, and I search her eyes, trying to wrap my head around how it’s possible.
“I don’t--I don’t understand. We’ve been gone a week, baby, what happened?” Did the destruction that raged through Taiga lash out all the way to here? No, but...it was fine when I left, the magic contained to Taiga’s former borders. So how…? God, she’s definitely my Kylin though, right down to her hazel eyes, the lavender that splashes across her skin, broken by lovely lines of white. Just...all grown up.
And then my eyes land on the girl. Soft lavender hair just like Kylin’s, her body almost snow white but for a little bit of deep blue peeking out on her neck. My eyes go wide and I glance between Kylin and the girl, perplexed. “Kylin?” I ask, ‘cause the girl who looks a hell of a lot like my daughter is ‘round about how old I expected Kylin to look. Kharon? Are you seeing this?
And then I belatedly do my best to answer the girl’s question. “Hi, little darlin’. I’m Kerberos. I’m this one’s daddy,” I add, with a nod my daughter’s way. “Who are you?”
Bold, like her father, and easily encouraged to venture out further and farther. Over the sea, jumping the waves, and determined that this time she can round the whole main island.
Or maybe the mainland could also be a good place to go?
In the middle of that thought, in the middle of the sea, she stands to the northeastern side of the largest Ischian island, tempted by the luring Tephran volcano that she can see from here. It sure would be too dry a climate for her, especially for her fins, but the amethyst and lavender ombre filly can’t help but want to explore. She’s two years old now. And the older sister. Surely she doesn’t need to be watched all the time. Surely they’ll agree with her when she says she is an adult now.
But there’s movement. Not from Tephra, but on the water. The distance is way too long to see anything than a vague greyish form moving from the mainland towards the island group, so it could be seals, maybe? Dolphins? Still - she’s never seen seals and dolphins, not up close, and so the bolts toward the movement. They may not have seen her when she stood still - but when the adult stallion is shouting intonthe trees and meets with her mother, the glittering purple girl has another target in mind, racing towards the purple horses.
Of course her mother had always claimed that anyone purple or lavender is family. It’s like when she met Kove, her cousin, and these even look more like family than her, to be honest. She had been only a little purple. These two are purple all over.
She doesn’t know she doesn’t need to shout, and so her voice carries loudly across the waves. ”HELLO! I’M KYVI!” She jumps a few more waves when she’s nearer, practically still jumping up and down when she reaches the colt and filly who seem to be about her age. ”Who are you? Are you family? MOM! COME LOOK!” The last part directed at the two figures on the mainland, and she’s turned away from the lavender pair in favour of trying to get her mother to look her way.
I only wanted to one time see you laughing
in the purple rain
Kali was almost feeling okay as Ischia came into sight. She was mostly safe out on the water, moreso with her Khari holding her close and Daddy nearby, and anyway they were going home to Momma who would hold her and fuss over her and love her and probably huff angrily at Daddy for taking her baby away for a little while and it’d make her feel safe and warm and good inside and the world could pretend to be alright for a few hours.
Until night came and sleep overtook her and dreams twisted into darkness and fire and screaming.
But it was bright outside and she was wrapped up in love and maybe everything could be okay for a little bit. Maybe she could catch her breath. But Khari pulled her closer, slowed them down and stood on the surface of the water, wariness putting tension in the muscles of his shoulder, his side, everywhere her body pressed against his. And fear spiked inside her again, her heart racing, her body trembling as she clung tighter to him.
She did not like the idea of Daddy leaving them to go investigate. But she liked the idea of her and Khari going with him even less. So she stayed tucked up safe(ish) against her Khari while Daddy went to make sure their island home wasn’t as dangerous as Taiga had become. At least they were still safe out on the water, where no one but Daddy and Kylie could reach them.
Except.
Someone else found them, someone new and not her Kylie, and Kali started shaking harder the second a strange voice reached her ears. Too close, too close, and charging closer, and Kali panicked, simultaneously scrambling up onto Khari and shifting into something that could, getting a little tangled in the process. Her heart tried to race straight out of her chest, beating so hard and fast it sounded like buzzing in her ears as she got so, so small, limbs frantically shifting into something that could grasp at Khari’s hair instead of pounding uselessly against him in the attempt (omg sorryyyy D: her poor Khari!).
Teeny, tiny small, even smaller than her little grey fox shape, was the tiny little grey finger monkey that clambered up into his mane and clung tight, shaking and making little chittery panic sounds in the back of her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut so tight and held on, tiny body rocking back and forth as terror drowned her all over again, flooding down her throat making breathing so hard, shallow and desperate and gasping. Please don’t hurt me.
((D: D: D: she is tiny trauma victim and insta-panicked at stranger danger))
10-07-2018, 03:09 PM (This post was last modified: 10-07-2018, 08:27 PM by Kharon.)
**Okay, bare with me. I'm notoriously the absolute worst at group threads, I'm so sorry!
kharon
"Um." Um.
He both says and thinks it in response to Dad, his brows knit together in confused anxiety. No, he wasn't really seeing it as Dad had asked. They were too far out for a clear view, but he was listening. He was always listening.
For such a brief moment, he could hear his twin's thoughts again before they altered into someone he didn't recognize. For such a brief moment, he felt warm relief and yearning wash over him, flood through him, surge into his veins and push him forward a few involuntary steps. Like a siren's song. Like he could come home to her. Even though it'd only been a few days, but damn, he missed her. He just wanted to be home with her.
But this wasn't her.
And there was someone else with her. Someone close to their age. His age. And she thought of his sister as her mom, deepening Kharon's frown, expounding his confusion. His fluffy wing pulled Kali tighter against him, comforting himself more than it was meant to comfort her as a tremor swept through his lavender-and-white body. Kali couldn't hear what he was hearing. His eyes had that faraway look, the focused blank stare as he listened intently.
He woke from it suddenly though as Kali lurched into his side, climbing up him to shrink and cling and hide as he turned to face this purple menace charging them. His face was set firmly, a so-rare scowl and a challenge in his stormy grey eyes. The sun reflected off his metallic necklace with a sharp glint, a solid medallion hanging over his teenage chest from a delicate chain. He threw his wings up aggressively, further obscuring Kali from view and making it clear that he was a threat.
First of all, purple was bad. The only time it was okay was when it was one of them: Dad, Kylin, Kali. The rest of the family could mean danger. Often meant danger. The moment their grandfather had stepped foot on their precious island, Dad had immediately gathered them all up and took them away to safety. Before he could whore them out, keep them for himself to fill the world with more purple babies, or trade them for political alliances.
Purple was not okay. And charging right at them wasn't either, even though he could hear excitement in her thoughts, but he was already pushed into being pissed off by how she made little Kali tuck away and hide for safety, tremble in fear. She'd been through so damn much in such a short time, and now they come back to this??
It almost didn't even matter that this chick was totally fucking hot.
He really wasn't noticing that part.
No, really. He wasn't.
You're okay, baby, he thought to Kali silently in reassurance, I got you. We're okay. He arched his wings more, hard eyes glittering in warning for the stranger to stay back. And he followed with a rough roar of command that echoed that message, his young voice growly and gruff.
"Stay BACK!"
He knew by this moment that she was Kylin's daughter - knew it, but didn't understand it - but his first priority was Kali and bringing her back from the terror before she went catatonic and silent again, before she was so shocked and broken again. Don't leave me again, he thinks, but only to himself.
