Whisteria
everywhere i will be with you
A soft ocean breeze blew over the lush green grasses that bordered the edge of the shoreline and the rest of the green laiden kingdom, and lightly rustled through the pearly locks of Whisteria's mane. She smiled softly, watching over her gathered family and laying within the soft cushion of meadowgrass. She never thought this would be her future, her family, her soul mate, a home that had a corner that resembled their old beach herdland. It was all so perfect. Lovely blue eyes gazed with love at the bay stallion poised at the waters edge as he watched her son's play amongst the crystaline azure waves. She felt so full yet, there was a tiredness that pulled at her soul...as if death was coercing her back beyond the gates of the afterlife. Knowing she had cheated the sands of time, stealing life beyond her years that she shouldn't have been allowed when those gates had been flung open. She had unfinished business and she knew she would never feel complete until she knew what happened to Clawfinger. She had searched and searched to no avail, and it broke her heart. She thought coming back had been a waste, that was until she found Fascade again. The first time she saw him shed his last feather and wither away she was distraught. Only to find him revived shortly after each feather regrew on his bare wings, and she was relieved beyond words. Since then she had seen him die once more only to return shortly after. He was eternal, and she feared the day she would finally slip away, never to meet him again.
Her lids felt heavy and she shut them, the sound of the crashing waves, gulls, and the laughter of children lulled her into a state of zen. At first she felt at peace, but as soon as she felt her own spirit slipping from her corporeal form she began to panic. She opened her eyes but found herself looking at her own body in the grass with a soft smile painted on her velveteen lips. "No, please no....I am not ready! I don't want to leave them!", she cried as she turned to face a black misty form of an equine that only surveyed her with expectant glowing eyes. The being spoke in multiple hushed tones that seemed to come from all around her rather from it's mouth, and she stepped back with her head lowered. "WHISTERIA. YOU HAVE HAD YOUR EXTENDED TIME ON THE MORTAL PLANE THAT WAS NOT INTENDED. IT IS TIME TO RETURN.", the voices said to her with finality. She shook her head, tossing her long forelock side to side with the motion as she sobbed, "NO! Please! I will do anything!!! Anything to stay with them, please!!", and dropped to her knees in front of the afterlife's wayfairer. She truly would do anything to stay, anything to remain with Fascade and live together for eternity if his eternity was here on this mortal plane. The mist looked thoughtfully at her and was silent for a moment before the voices rang out again. "IF YOU TRULY GIVE UP YOUR HEARTS DEEPEST DESIRE AND MOST TREASURED MEMORY, WE WILL ALLOW YOU THE GRACE OF ETERNITY HERE. CAN YOU TRULY DO THAT?", it said with sincerity. She looked away, a ragged sob leaving her throat as she bobbed her head. "Clawfinger...", she whispered with a heaviness that cleaved at her already wounded heart. She cast her gaze toward the waiting wayfairer and dipped her head low. Ready to release that desire to find her adopted son, the moments they had together, and the pain that continued to sear her heart centuries after his disappearance and time spent in the afterlife. The memories haunted her, but they were truly her most treasured. "I will. Please, take the memories, take the pained love and desire to reunite with him...I want to stay...", she said in a tone so serious and genuine that the being nodded its head. "SO BE IT.", the voices said with finality. It strode forward and pressed cool misty lips to her brow and she felt what she could only describe as a bolt of hot lightning that rendered her spirit prone and she shut her eyes tight.
When she gasped and her eyes flew open, she was there on the grass. Staring out at the ocean and her family. Her sides heaved and sweat drenched her coat as she stared out wide eyed. Though she was panicked she felt full of energy, more than she had felt in years. She felt the vitality of herself in her prime. Fascade had crested the slope from where he had been on the beach and trotted to her with concern painted on his face. "My heart? Are you ok?", he cooed to her softly, and she looked to him with misty eyes full of love. "I am fine, better than I have felt in a long time..." She had figured it must have all been just a strange dream until she realized something felt strange, a feeling almost like she was forgetting something. She tilted her head slightly, combing her memory for whatever it may be but there was nothing but the sound of many voices that said "IT IS DONE...", and as the words drifted away, so did that feeling of something lost. She shook her head and returned her gaze to Fascade, then turned it down to the shoreline to smile at Hrairoo and Chervil who were playing in the sand. She felt absolutely fulfilled, this was her beautiful life and her beautiful family. She thought back to her time on Paradise Beach with their old herd, birthing her son Whiskaway, and gossiping with her old herdmates. It was a peaceful life, one full of happiness and void of strife. No, nothing bad had ever happened there. Nothing at all, and now she was here on this slice of new paradise with her beloved for all of eternity to come.
She stood with a graceful ease that even had Fascade's eyes widen as he beheld her. Noticing her newfound vitality that he had not seen in many years. He whispered her name in question and she directed her smile to him, "I thought it was a dream, but I was given a chance to share eternity with you....and I took it.", she said with light in her soft blue eyes. He tilted his dished head, "But..how?", he said softly and she shrugged. "All I can remember is I had to give something up, but...I cant seem to remember what it was?", she said with a curious tone. She felt no sadness, no wanting, just peace and a new spark of life. Fascade frowned for a moment, but realized how absolutely at peace she looked and reached to stroke her ivory cheek with his dark muzzle. "Well, whatever it was, it must have been worth it to trade it for eternity.", he said with so much love in his voice. Her twin colts came bursting up the slope now, bickering back and forth about who had the best jump over the waves. Little nips and pushes were exchanged between them and Whisteria tutted, "Now now, boys! One at a time! Both of you jumped over those waves brilliantly! Remember to be kind to one another.", she cooed at them like a mother dove to her brood. Chervil's fluffy stump of a tail swished fervently with annoyance as he cut his blue eyes, his mother's eyes, at Hrairoo. Who in turn stuck his tongue out at Chervil with a gleam of mischief in his eyes. She knew Whiskaway was just as mischievous as a colt back on the old beach with the foals of the other mares and she let out a soft laugh. The two quickly forgot about that last argument and challenged one another to a race along the shoreline and Hrairoo charged off before Chervil finished the count to three. The monochromatic colt squeaked, "THAT'S NOT FAIR HRAIROO! YOU CHEATED!!", and leapt into a gallop to catch up to his brother. "My goodness those two...", Fascade said with exasperation, but Whisteria only laughed with a voice that chimed like sweet bells in the breeze. The two sidled closer to one another as they gazed out over the shoreline together, Fascade draping a feathered wing protectively over her back and nuzzled her. "I will never let you go.", he said with his muzzle in her mane, and she arched her neck to nuzzle his as she replied with absolute love, "And I will never, ever leave. Not even the beckoning of death can take me away from you."
The two stayed entwined as the colts rushed back and forth along the shoreline, the sun beginning to drift toward the horizon spilling rippling glitter across the waves in hues of pink and gold. Nothing would ever take this memory away from her.
Her lids felt heavy and she shut them, the sound of the crashing waves, gulls, and the laughter of children lulled her into a state of zen. At first she felt at peace, but as soon as she felt her own spirit slipping from her corporeal form she began to panic. She opened her eyes but found herself looking at her own body in the grass with a soft smile painted on her velveteen lips. "No, please no....I am not ready! I don't want to leave them!", she cried as she turned to face a black misty form of an equine that only surveyed her with expectant glowing eyes. The being spoke in multiple hushed tones that seemed to come from all around her rather from it's mouth, and she stepped back with her head lowered. "WHISTERIA. YOU HAVE HAD YOUR EXTENDED TIME ON THE MORTAL PLANE THAT WAS NOT INTENDED. IT IS TIME TO RETURN.", the voices said to her with finality. She shook her head, tossing her long forelock side to side with the motion as she sobbed, "NO! Please! I will do anything!!! Anything to stay with them, please!!", and dropped to her knees in front of the afterlife's wayfairer. She truly would do anything to stay, anything to remain with Fascade and live together for eternity if his eternity was here on this mortal plane. The mist looked thoughtfully at her and was silent for a moment before the voices rang out again. "IF YOU TRULY GIVE UP YOUR HEARTS DEEPEST DESIRE AND MOST TREASURED MEMORY, WE WILL ALLOW YOU THE GRACE OF ETERNITY HERE. CAN YOU TRULY DO THAT?", it said with sincerity. She looked away, a ragged sob leaving her throat as she bobbed her head. "Clawfinger...", she whispered with a heaviness that cleaved at her already wounded heart. She cast her gaze toward the waiting wayfairer and dipped her head low. Ready to release that desire to find her adopted son, the moments they had together, and the pain that continued to sear her heart centuries after his disappearance and time spent in the afterlife. The memories haunted her, but they were truly her most treasured. "I will. Please, take the memories, take the pained love and desire to reunite with him...I want to stay...", she said in a tone so serious and genuine that the being nodded its head. "SO BE IT.", the voices said with finality. It strode forward and pressed cool misty lips to her brow and she felt what she could only describe as a bolt of hot lightning that rendered her spirit prone and she shut her eyes tight.
When she gasped and her eyes flew open, she was there on the grass. Staring out at the ocean and her family. Her sides heaved and sweat drenched her coat as she stared out wide eyed. Though she was panicked she felt full of energy, more than she had felt in years. She felt the vitality of herself in her prime. Fascade had crested the slope from where he had been on the beach and trotted to her with concern painted on his face. "My heart? Are you ok?", he cooed to her softly, and she looked to him with misty eyes full of love. "I am fine, better than I have felt in a long time..." She had figured it must have all been just a strange dream until she realized something felt strange, a feeling almost like she was forgetting something. She tilted her head slightly, combing her memory for whatever it may be but there was nothing but the sound of many voices that said "IT IS DONE...", and as the words drifted away, so did that feeling of something lost. She shook her head and returned her gaze to Fascade, then turned it down to the shoreline to smile at Hrairoo and Chervil who were playing in the sand. She felt absolutely fulfilled, this was her beautiful life and her beautiful family. She thought back to her time on Paradise Beach with their old herd, birthing her son Whiskaway, and gossiping with her old herdmates. It was a peaceful life, one full of happiness and void of strife. No, nothing bad had ever happened there. Nothing at all, and now she was here on this slice of new paradise with her beloved for all of eternity to come.
She stood with a graceful ease that even had Fascade's eyes widen as he beheld her. Noticing her newfound vitality that he had not seen in many years. He whispered her name in question and she directed her smile to him, "I thought it was a dream, but I was given a chance to share eternity with you....and I took it.", she said with light in her soft blue eyes. He tilted his dished head, "But..how?", he said softly and she shrugged. "All I can remember is I had to give something up, but...I cant seem to remember what it was?", she said with a curious tone. She felt no sadness, no wanting, just peace and a new spark of life. Fascade frowned for a moment, but realized how absolutely at peace she looked and reached to stroke her ivory cheek with his dark muzzle. "Well, whatever it was, it must have been worth it to trade it for eternity.", he said with so much love in his voice. Her twin colts came bursting up the slope now, bickering back and forth about who had the best jump over the waves. Little nips and pushes were exchanged between them and Whisteria tutted, "Now now, boys! One at a time! Both of you jumped over those waves brilliantly! Remember to be kind to one another.", she cooed at them like a mother dove to her brood. Chervil's fluffy stump of a tail swished fervently with annoyance as he cut his blue eyes, his mother's eyes, at Hrairoo. Who in turn stuck his tongue out at Chervil with a gleam of mischief in his eyes. She knew Whiskaway was just as mischievous as a colt back on the old beach with the foals of the other mares and she let out a soft laugh. The two quickly forgot about that last argument and challenged one another to a race along the shoreline and Hrairoo charged off before Chervil finished the count to three. The monochromatic colt squeaked, "THAT'S NOT FAIR HRAIROO! YOU CHEATED!!", and leapt into a gallop to catch up to his brother. "My goodness those two...", Fascade said with exasperation, but Whisteria only laughed with a voice that chimed like sweet bells in the breeze. The two sidled closer to one another as they gazed out over the shoreline together, Fascade draping a feathered wing protectively over her back and nuzzled her. "I will never let you go.", he said with his muzzle in her mane, and she arched her neck to nuzzle his as she replied with absolute love, "And I will never, ever leave. Not even the beckoning of death can take me away from you."
The two stayed entwined as the colts rushed back and forth along the shoreline, the sun beginning to drift toward the horizon spilling rippling glitter across the waves in hues of pink and gold. Nothing would ever take this memory away from her.
Whisteria
Ooc: Whisteria chooses Immortality in exchange for her beloved bittersweet memories of her first, adopted son.
Word Count: 1,504