02-19-2021, 03:17 PM
It was a strange feeling, being a wanderer. As someone who had always had a home, who had always had a family waiting for her with open arms, being without a place to settle down in comfort for the night was something the gold champagne had never experienced before. Not that it was a bad thing, but it was different to what Ori had experienced. It was new, and in newness there can often be discomfort in letting go of what one always knew.
However, Ori had wanted this. She had wanted to see the world, wanted to experience whatever it had to offer, to step outside the secluded land that was her home, that would always be her home. She remembered the tug, the yearning to go beyond the borders of Paradise, wishing to run as far as her legs would take her.
But she always hesitated.
Her family was right there, in that verdant land. Those who she loved, who cherished her as much as she did them. Why would she ever want to leave? She would shake her head and let her rusty mane tussle as she trotted back from the border to start a game with her nephew or half-sister. She had everything she ever could have wanted.
That didn’t change the feelings, though. The desire within her to reach beyond what she knew, to race far into the distance, into the magical lands of stories she had been told as a filly, of places and people she could only dream of. Although she quieted it at first, eventually, that voice within her grew louder, and she, Ori, who put on the bravest of smiles for everyone, was afraid of it.
What would happen to her mother, who was often woken by regret and terror, of things that could no longer physically hurt her? Who would be there, by her side to comfort her and tell her everything was alright?
What about Marcelo? Who would bump his nose and tell him to focus on the now instead of what might be? Who would laugh along with him and remind him that he was still young, that he had every right to loosen up?
And Brighid, Emily, James, Uncle Val, and… the list just stretched on too far. What would they do without her? What would she do without them? It was something unthinkable, something that couldn’t come to pass. She was happy here, with her family, and would live her whole life in peace within the valley caressed by the mountains, held safely within a special magic.
Of course, she couldn’t hide from herself forever, and eventually, it was intuition from others who saved her. She remembered the evening when her body was too charged to rest, too awake to even think about sleeping. She had walked the many trails through the forest until she was eventually in front of the thundering falls, and climbed the paths that led above it. Her mother had been there, pacing and speaking to the heavens. It didn’t take long for the sunset peg to notice the champagne girl’s presence, and inquire into it.
It didn’t take much longer for Ori’s emotions to overtake the lie she tried to tell herself. Surprisingly, though, instead of some kind of scolding for wanting more than she had, she found herself under a wing, as her mother’s eyes softened further, and she gave one of those shy, gentle smiles.
“Ori, my love, if wandering to the very edges of this world will bring you happiness, that is all I could ever wish for. See it all, experience it all, if that is your want. But, if you ever should need to come home, we will always be waiting for you.”
Her mother’s voice was warm, and there was love in it, but also a quiet pain, a reservation, and knowing that she was in pain made Ori hurt too.
“But what about everyone else?”
“We’ll all be fine,” her mother paused a moment to think before continuing, “In honesty, it would probably hurt everyone more to know that you wanted to leave but were keeping yourself here for our sakes. You are loved, and sometimes that means being willing to let someone go.” Her attention was fully-focused on Ori, but the girl got the feeling that her mother was also referring to a lesson that she had learned on her own.
“Okay… but only if you’re sure.” Ori felt her dual-toned eyes welling up as the realization hit her. She would be leaving, and that would mean that she wouldn’t see them, but she wanted it, and she couldn’t escape that wanting.
“Of course I am.” Before long, the pair were crying together, embracing one another with everything they were worth. Within the next few days, Ori had said her farewells and left the ancient valley. Perhaps someday she’d return. Maybe she’d never see it again in her lifetime. No matter what, though, it would always be her home, the place her heart could return to if she was ever bogged down by the pains of life.
The weeks had passed as Ori had traveled through many new places that expanded her horizons as she chased the real one down. She saw many beautiful things, stunning landscapes and met other travelers like herself before she came across a true oddity.
It was the middle of the day, yet the sky was dark. Only a small crescent of light in the sky remained as she wandered ever further into the darkness. She shivered, partially from the cold, but partially because something felt so deeply wrong here. It wasn’t like she was trying to venture towards the darkness, but it seemed to overtake her all the same as the trees blended together and she got more and more hopelessly lost.
Where exactly was the way out? The champagne took a moment to stop and look around her. In a way, it was all beautiful too. The darkened trees that only found small glimpses of light, yet stood proud in spite of it. Spooky and mysterious, yet new, interesting, and, to Ori, worthy of being called beautiful.
In spite of that small moment of calm, there was also a sense that something could be watching her. Like in those old stories, there may well be something lurking in the darkness, just out of sight. Her heart thrummed as she thought of each and every one - Stop it! You’re just scaring yourself. Just breathe. It will be okay.
Wind ruffled through her fiery mane, over her golden body, and with it, a reminder of family. It was familiar and kind. A sense of calm eased the tightness within her. She wasn’t sure how, but it really would be alright. It was like home, like a time before Paraiso had returned, the burbling brooks that would sing in her ears, and the hours she spent chasing her brother and cousins before they’d collapse in a heap of laughter.
“Ori?” The voice catches her ears, and she turns towards it, to be met with the copper form and azure pools of-
“Lilli!” She exclaimed, as a smile filled her face. Her cousin was here, and she was thrilled to see her. She took a few cantering steps forwards before sliding to a stop, lurching her head with the sudden stop to stay a respectful distance (she would have closed the distance fully, but a sudden memory of Marcelo scolding her that not everyone wants to be nearly tackled as a greeting), though she looked towards Lilli with the silent question if it was okay to close the gap. It felt like it had been such a long time since she’d seen Lilli, and she seemed like she’d grown a lot! (Or… maybe it was just Ori’s imagination? Something seemed different than her memory, for sure, but right now wasn’t the time for that)
“Lilli!” She gasped, dual eyes solely focused on her and seeming to forget everything else she was just worried about. “It’s been so long, I- How have you been? It’s so good to see you!” Ori chirped, stumbling a little over her words as she corrected her mouth as her brain thought of them.
For that moment, everything was just like it had been, like no time had passed at all since they were playing together when they were young. However, she knew deep down that of course things had changed. Something in Lilli’s face told her that things had happened to her cousin, things that Ori didn’t know about. But, as many heavy and tired faces as had been in Paraiso, there had been just as many smiles from Ori to cheer them up. No matter what had happened, she would be there for her family, as she always had been.
@[Lilliana]
However, Ori had wanted this. She had wanted to see the world, wanted to experience whatever it had to offer, to step outside the secluded land that was her home, that would always be her home. She remembered the tug, the yearning to go beyond the borders of Paradise, wishing to run as far as her legs would take her.
But she always hesitated.
Her family was right there, in that verdant land. Those who she loved, who cherished her as much as she did them. Why would she ever want to leave? She would shake her head and let her rusty mane tussle as she trotted back from the border to start a game with her nephew or half-sister. She had everything she ever could have wanted.
That didn’t change the feelings, though. The desire within her to reach beyond what she knew, to race far into the distance, into the magical lands of stories she had been told as a filly, of places and people she could only dream of. Although she quieted it at first, eventually, that voice within her grew louder, and she, Ori, who put on the bravest of smiles for everyone, was afraid of it.
What would happen to her mother, who was often woken by regret and terror, of things that could no longer physically hurt her? Who would be there, by her side to comfort her and tell her everything was alright?
What about Marcelo? Who would bump his nose and tell him to focus on the now instead of what might be? Who would laugh along with him and remind him that he was still young, that he had every right to loosen up?
And Brighid, Emily, James, Uncle Val, and… the list just stretched on too far. What would they do without her? What would she do without them? It was something unthinkable, something that couldn’t come to pass. She was happy here, with her family, and would live her whole life in peace within the valley caressed by the mountains, held safely within a special magic.
Of course, she couldn’t hide from herself forever, and eventually, it was intuition from others who saved her. She remembered the evening when her body was too charged to rest, too awake to even think about sleeping. She had walked the many trails through the forest until she was eventually in front of the thundering falls, and climbed the paths that led above it. Her mother had been there, pacing and speaking to the heavens. It didn’t take long for the sunset peg to notice the champagne girl’s presence, and inquire into it.
It didn’t take much longer for Ori’s emotions to overtake the lie she tried to tell herself. Surprisingly, though, instead of some kind of scolding for wanting more than she had, she found herself under a wing, as her mother’s eyes softened further, and she gave one of those shy, gentle smiles.
“Ori, my love, if wandering to the very edges of this world will bring you happiness, that is all I could ever wish for. See it all, experience it all, if that is your want. But, if you ever should need to come home, we will always be waiting for you.”
Her mother’s voice was warm, and there was love in it, but also a quiet pain, a reservation, and knowing that she was in pain made Ori hurt too.
“But what about everyone else?”
“We’ll all be fine,” her mother paused a moment to think before continuing, “In honesty, it would probably hurt everyone more to know that you wanted to leave but were keeping yourself here for our sakes. You are loved, and sometimes that means being willing to let someone go.” Her attention was fully-focused on Ori, but the girl got the feeling that her mother was also referring to a lesson that she had learned on her own.
“Okay… but only if you’re sure.” Ori felt her dual-toned eyes welling up as the realization hit her. She would be leaving, and that would mean that she wouldn’t see them, but she wanted it, and she couldn’t escape that wanting.
“Of course I am.” Before long, the pair were crying together, embracing one another with everything they were worth. Within the next few days, Ori had said her farewells and left the ancient valley. Perhaps someday she’d return. Maybe she’d never see it again in her lifetime. No matter what, though, it would always be her home, the place her heart could return to if she was ever bogged down by the pains of life.
The weeks had passed as Ori had traveled through many new places that expanded her horizons as she chased the real one down. She saw many beautiful things, stunning landscapes and met other travelers like herself before she came across a true oddity.
It was the middle of the day, yet the sky was dark. Only a small crescent of light in the sky remained as she wandered ever further into the darkness. She shivered, partially from the cold, but partially because something felt so deeply wrong here. It wasn’t like she was trying to venture towards the darkness, but it seemed to overtake her all the same as the trees blended together and she got more and more hopelessly lost.
Where exactly was the way out? The champagne took a moment to stop and look around her. In a way, it was all beautiful too. The darkened trees that only found small glimpses of light, yet stood proud in spite of it. Spooky and mysterious, yet new, interesting, and, to Ori, worthy of being called beautiful.
In spite of that small moment of calm, there was also a sense that something could be watching her. Like in those old stories, there may well be something lurking in the darkness, just out of sight. Her heart thrummed as she thought of each and every one - Stop it! You’re just scaring yourself. Just breathe. It will be okay.
Wind ruffled through her fiery mane, over her golden body, and with it, a reminder of family. It was familiar and kind. A sense of calm eased the tightness within her. She wasn’t sure how, but it really would be alright. It was like home, like a time before Paraiso had returned, the burbling brooks that would sing in her ears, and the hours she spent chasing her brother and cousins before they’d collapse in a heap of laughter.
“Ori?” The voice catches her ears, and she turns towards it, to be met with the copper form and azure pools of-
“Lilli!” She exclaimed, as a smile filled her face. Her cousin was here, and she was thrilled to see her. She took a few cantering steps forwards before sliding to a stop, lurching her head with the sudden stop to stay a respectful distance (she would have closed the distance fully, but a sudden memory of Marcelo scolding her that not everyone wants to be nearly tackled as a greeting), though she looked towards Lilli with the silent question if it was okay to close the gap. It felt like it had been such a long time since she’d seen Lilli, and she seemed like she’d grown a lot! (Or… maybe it was just Ori’s imagination? Something seemed different than her memory, for sure, but right now wasn’t the time for that)
“Lilli!” She gasped, dual eyes solely focused on her and seeming to forget everything else she was just worried about. “It’s been so long, I- How have you been? It’s so good to see you!” Ori chirped, stumbling a little over her words as she corrected her mouth as her brain thought of them.
For that moment, everything was just like it had been, like no time had passed at all since they were playing together when they were young. However, she knew deep down that of course things had changed. Something in Lilli’s face told her that things had happened to her cousin, things that Ori didn’t know about. But, as many heavy and tired faces as had been in Paraiso, there had been just as many smiles from Ori to cheer them up. No matter what had happened, she would be there for her family, as she always had been.
@[Lilliana]