02-19-2021, 02:14 PM
The light that meets the dark
Cheri liked the way Targaryen said her name. She’d become so used to her family and the way they pronounced it, that the sudden arrival of a friend (a friend who’d grafted himself onto their little Taigan family tree, who was starting to feel more like a cousin or older brother) made the word sound fresh and fun again. She bumped his shoulder with her own, and for a moment the tension of another disturbing night’s sleep eased out of Cheri’s mind.
Being here with Targaryen was a great distraction. His presence kept the white-spotted filly from fixating on night terrors by fixating on him instead. Since the monster’s attack Cheri hadn’t been sleeping well, and it was easy to pretend that the encounter was nothing when she was awake. She only had a few remaining scars from the tussle, and in a few weeks time they might disappear as well. But night after night, every time Cheri’s eyelids felt heavy, she also felt afraid, knowing what would come as soon as she disconnected.
Lately, she was inseparable from her mother at night.
Targaryen smelled wonderful, though. His presence had the power to remind Cheri of hope and light in the darkness, and that here in Taiga she was surrounded by overprotective siblings at least. She smiled, blinking away sad thoughts as Targaryen’s enthusiasm for the dark day ahead swept Cheri up in a wave of contentment. She could focus on him and the here-and-now, surf its electric feel and just try to enjoy life for a little while. That would be easy.
“In brighter times, I’d be the first to advocate getting hopelessly lost.” The winged mare countered brightly. He assumed she’d make a good guide, but Cheri was of a firm belief that undiscovered, hidden locations were only found by venturing into the unknown. Whatever was undiscovered out there… That's what fascinated her. She might be kind, (hopelessly good) but boundaries had never been her ‘thing’. Those belonged to her father.
“These days though.” Cheri sucked in a breath. Her head moved in the dark; she lifted her cheek and glanced up, trying to meet Targaryen’s eye before he looked away. “Familiar places would bring me a lot of peace.” She sighed happily.
The Burnt Grove, The Garden, the open but small meadow with a quiet pond fed into the center. On a true night, one with stars and clear of mauve-colored clouds, it would grow calm and reflect the heavens. Now it only reflected the endless dark. Cheri could picture them all in a second, but she wondered which would enchant Targaryen the most and which (out of all the familiar places she loved in this forest) wouldn’t be so hard to enjoy with the end of the world so present.
This Eclipse, these monsters. Sometimes Cheri felt like the worst could be true.
“You choose.” The glowing horse challenged her friend with a smile. “We can stray out into the open, or stick to the shade.”
Being here with Targaryen was a great distraction. His presence kept the white-spotted filly from fixating on night terrors by fixating on him instead. Since the monster’s attack Cheri hadn’t been sleeping well, and it was easy to pretend that the encounter was nothing when she was awake. She only had a few remaining scars from the tussle, and in a few weeks time they might disappear as well. But night after night, every time Cheri’s eyelids felt heavy, she also felt afraid, knowing what would come as soon as she disconnected.
Lately, she was inseparable from her mother at night.
Targaryen smelled wonderful, though. His presence had the power to remind Cheri of hope and light in the darkness, and that here in Taiga she was surrounded by overprotective siblings at least. She smiled, blinking away sad thoughts as Targaryen’s enthusiasm for the dark day ahead swept Cheri up in a wave of contentment. She could focus on him and the here-and-now, surf its electric feel and just try to enjoy life for a little while. That would be easy.
“In brighter times, I’d be the first to advocate getting hopelessly lost.” The winged mare countered brightly. He assumed she’d make a good guide, but Cheri was of a firm belief that undiscovered, hidden locations were only found by venturing into the unknown. Whatever was undiscovered out there… That's what fascinated her. She might be kind, (hopelessly good) but boundaries had never been her ‘thing’. Those belonged to her father.
“These days though.” Cheri sucked in a breath. Her head moved in the dark; she lifted her cheek and glanced up, trying to meet Targaryen’s eye before he looked away. “Familiar places would bring me a lot of peace.” She sighed happily.
The Burnt Grove, The Garden, the open but small meadow with a quiet pond fed into the center. On a true night, one with stars and clear of mauve-colored clouds, it would grow calm and reflect the heavens. Now it only reflected the endless dark. Cheri could picture them all in a second, but she wondered which would enchant Targaryen the most and which (out of all the familiar places she loved in this forest) wouldn’t be so hard to enjoy with the end of the world so present.
This Eclipse, these monsters. Sometimes Cheri felt like the worst could be true.
“You choose.” The glowing horse challenged her friend with a smile. “We can stray out into the open, or stick to the shade.”
@[Targaryen]