We Had To Get Away (Any)

[Siba]

The land was cold... desolate... crying out for help... but that was nothing compared to the empty feeling that had gripped Siba's heart. The young horse, now a full-grown mare, still couldn't believe the audacity of her sire. He'd said he had cared for Nitika, but when that blue mare had returned, he seemed to shut the medicine hat mare out completely. Siba saw her mother still trying to get attention from the stallion, if only just to say hi, since they were more friends than former lovers now. But every time he had offered no response, Siba saw the light in her dam's eyes grow darker... it pained her too much to be there.

So Siba had encouraged her to leave their life behind, leave Nymphetamine and the land they had once been a part of. It seemed to help a little; Nitika was slightly more alert of things in the world, wanting to engage in conversation with Siba whereas before, she might have shut her daughter out. But still, Siba could see the pain in her dam's eyes, a dark shadow behind the light that was now visible to any that didn't know her as well as her daughter did.

The two of them had been wandering for a while, searching out a new place to live since leaving their previous home. They had stayed in the Meadow for some time, ignoring any requests to join new homes, and fighting off stallions that tried to take one or both of the mares away. Nitika was the most upset whenever a stallion came, the memories of Nymphetamine's hurt still fresh in her mind. It was thanks to that rage that Siba was even still by her side.

Siba didn't know why she'd chosen to come to this far corner of the land, with its desolate appearance and cold demeanor. However, Nitika didn't seem too opposed to it, so Siba decided to chance it and see how her dam might adapt to this place. Siba was a hardy mare, not phased by much when it came to living situations, but her dam might be a different story since she was still hurting.

The blood-red paint mare's eye scanned the land in front of her. It was desolate, cold, and void of a lot of color. The landscape had probably once been thick with vegetation, something Siba guessed due to the old roots crumbling beneath her hoof with each step she took. Off to her left was the remains of a riverbed, small amounts of liquid rushing down in a river barely wider than Siba was in body length. At least there was water...

Siba gave her dam a light nudge, pushing Nitika toward the water so she could drink. They'd been walking for quite some time, so Siba knew her dam had to get something in her stomach. A light wind blew over the two mares, sending a shiver through Siba's body. Nitika didn't seem to be affected by it though, which was somewhat of a good sign; she might adapt to this place, if not grow to enjoy it.

While Siba waited for her dam to finish, she took a couple steps away, observing the land around them. She didn't know how she felt about this place, but if her dam would be okay here, then she'd stick around for her sake.

Siba turned to look back at her dam, "Come on mom. We've got to see if there's anybody here," she explained, taking a step toward her dam to encourage her.

[Kellyn]

I wish I could feel it all for you, I wish I could do it all for you

She’s not sure what exactly she’s supposed to be doing here, in her two years of service, because it seems pretty dead. Kellyn hasn’t even met the stallion she’d sworn to serve when she sold herself to Pangea for two years so that the magician would restore her powers – though she has come across a few scents that she supposes might be his. The rest of the place is a wasteland, and it hasn’t grown on her at all since Harmonia brought her here. If anything, she has grown more disgusted it as time goes by.

Water is scarce, though not non-existent, and she finds herself thirsty now, probably from all the dirt she ends up eating when she’s scrounging for food. The strawberry roan mare sincerely hopes that something will begin to grow here soon, or else what use is the Kingdom? Why would anyone come here? Though, from what she knows of her grandfather who created it, it would be just the sort of place that would perversely please him. The fae strip everyone’s powers and make new, fantastic lands for them to live? Let’s create a wasteland. Yes, just like Carnage.

But she is thirsty, so she heads absently for the trickle of water that runs in the once-great riverbed, and is surprised to find herself not alone. Blinking at the two strangers, Kellyn pauses in her approach, hazel eyes confused for a long moment as she listens, but then shakes off the apathy and walks forward to meet them.

“There are people here,” she says, looking at the one who had spoken. (She chokes back the ‘unfortunately’ that she wants to add, because she is quite sure driving away newcomers isn’t part of serving Pollock and Pangea.) She wasn’t much bigger than Kellyn, though of course she was; almost everyone was. Except her mother – Kellyn had at least outgrown her mother, though it is that woman’s fault that she had grown only to pony-sized and then stopped. Or, rather, her grandmother’s fault, because Elke was rumored to have been even shorter than Elite.

“I’m Kellyn. Welcome to Pangea, I suppose. Or what’s left of it.” Despite her best efforts, she can’t hide the flash of distaste in her eyes as she surveys the dust and dead vegetation that surround them. Thankfully, the more they walk on it, the more it crumbles into dust. Dust is better than withered, dying green things. At least once the dead plants are gone, it will be less obvious that this had once been something better. Even lands have ghosts, and Kellyn is tired of seeing this one.

Kellyn

the girl who walks in time and talks to ghosts
daughter of cagney and elite

[Siba]

Long before the mare spoke, Siba heard her coming. If there was one thing the young mare had learned about surviving in the wild, it was to always be on alert for anything happening around you. Granted, she wasn't as paranoid as some, like her dam's old friend, Neoma, but Siba knew she had to be careful. Whether it was a hungry predator or a stallion searching for new mares to add to his herd, the young paint was alert, not wanting to be taken from her dam's side in her current state.

Her ears picked up the sound of approaching hooves, and Siba turned her head, seeing a strawberry roan mare around Siba's height. She was unsure of how old the mare was, but given that Nitika wasn't that old herself, Siba would've placed the roan between her own age and that of her dam's if not slightly younger.

The painted duo watched carefully as the roan approached. She didn't seem to be exhibiting any ill traits towards the strangers, but one could never be too careful. Siba's ears went forward as the roan mare continued on until she had reached the painted duo before introducing herself as Kellyn, followed by introducing the kingdom as that of Pangea, a fact Siba already knew.

"Hello," Siba replied. "My name is Siba; this is my dam, Nitika," she motioned to the older painted mare. "We appreciate your welcome. I apologize for being brash, but we are looking for a place to stay; is there a horse in charge that we need to speak to about seeking refuge here?"