"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
It’s odd to me that she’s aware I’m not her father. Jinju is stuck in an ever-present limbo, knowing and yet, not knowing at the same time. Every instant where her little black form pops into my sight, I’m taken aback by the idea that, had Jinju and I worked on our relationship for better, we might have produced a daughter not so unlike the one she seems to have transformed into.
It’s a saddening thought, one I choose to wipe clean from my face as soon as she appears. “Ander and I were talking about making Taiga our home again, now that the forest isn’t underwater.” I fill her in, quick to place a loving peck against her dark forehead as she sidles between the two of us.
“Ander made some valid points - a new start could be nice, but Taiga has always been your home.” I tell her, unaware if she’s privy to this information or not. Oh well, she knows now. I think, tilting my honey gaze up to where my son walks alongside his mother. “Other than that, our options are limitless. I’m decided on letting you two choose since my last pick fell through.”
The Field hadn’t been a very good idea. Much like my other ones.
I should’ve let them choose a long time ago.
All around these golden beacons, I see nothing but black
It is not hard to imagine himself standing in the very same spot as Jinju nestled herself. His mother had been her old self, and Ander had just been a colt. He’d loved to nestle himself a both his parent’s sides. Something he clearly hadn’t gotten from some stranger.
He watches his parents interact with a smile, though it’s a sad one, and he gives a slight shake of his head. Sappy, that is what he would’ve told them before his mother’s transformation, teasing them light-hearted. Ander doesn’t butt in yet, allowing Terran to answer Jinju’s question, but nodding from time to time.
Ander doesn’t give his mother a chance to notice and ask about Terran’s mention of the past. ”We could always check out Taiga first? And decide if we want to stay there?” he suggests, smoothly covering up the information she might stumble across. It would surprise him if she would decline, as she’d seem to always prefer to hangout in the forest. Taiga would just be a different kind of one.
”Will aunt Titanyia be joining us?” After meeting the black sabino mare he hadn’t seen her again, which actually was quite a pity. Ander had liked meeting her and it was a shame he hadn’t seen her again after. ”It would be nice if she would..”
A soft giggle escapes past her lips when Terran’s lips touch her poll. Her red eyes are focussed on the winged stallion as she playfully rears in favour of returning the kiss. Which, of course, doesn’t exactly go according to plan. ”Ohw..” she murmurs under her breath, realising that she’d only managed to rather clumsy bump her muzzle against Terran’s white jaw.
As to shake away the little mistake she shakes her dark head, to glance from one black and gold stallion to the other. Terran – Ander – Terran. Though she had explored some parts of Beqanna, she doesn’t know most of the other lands, never really felt the desire to either. The forest provided her enough, yet, the mention of Taiga makes her curious. ”What is Taiga like?” she asks, her ruby eyes moving from one to the other again, not sure of who she could expect an answer.
Something tells her the sound of it is familiar and that she should know of it, but she doesn’t. It is like the knowledge – the memories – are locked away in some far part of her mind, waiting till the right time to be remembered. Jinju doesn’t waste any more energy on those thoughts though, the right here and now in the present much more appealing. ”Do you both like Taiga?”
Kisses that had once been feverish are now playful and soft, but that fact alone could never suppress my (sometimes confusing) love for Jinju. Her father, Ruan, had once muttered something or the other under his breath about “sticking around and being a father” and ever since that day, there’d been this fierce attachment to my son and the fiery woman who’d created him. Young or old, ugly or beautiful, powerful or weak - Jinju was Jinju, the same mare I’d been struck by once and the same mare who had the capability to make me stay since then.
Her second childhood had only proven to produce a stronger sense of adoration in my mind and heart. Not even Ander’s bashful headshake could change that. “Taiga is like … a fairytale. But a dark one.” I chuckle softly, “Your brother is right, though, let’s check it out first - all of us together - and then go from there.”
A proud smile flickers over my lips; Ander was calculating and hadn’t forgotten about the newest member to our ragtag group. “I’m not sure. I hope so.” Is all I can muster, because it’s the truth and I can’t speak for my sister though we shared the same womb. “After we get settled in Taiga I’ll look around for her.” I tell Ander, the slight ruffle of my golden feathers given as an unspoken promise.
“For now we can just enjoy the idea of having a new home. Jinju,” I say, turning my attention back to where she walks alongside me, “Not only do I like Taiga, I love it. I know you will too.” Slips free, heavy with ripe promises.
Then I glance ahead to our new beginning, and my eyes never turn to look back.
All around these golden beacons, I see nothing but black
@[Ander] @[Jinju] ta-da! You don't have to reply if this is good enough for you.
You don't have to reply if this is good enough for you.