"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
He can sense a shift within his sister, even as she follows him playfully. There is an inner struggle that is unfamiliar to him. She had always been the adventurous one and he wonders silently what it is that troubles her mind...
Dawn was fast approaching as they finally arrive at the rocky overhang where they had left their parents. Unsure of what awaited them, he slows to a leisurely walk just before he could be seen. His sister slows only when she is ahead of him, clearly trying to best him in the race. He smiles and nudges her playfully.
His glowing orbs for eyes look up only for a moment to place where their escort had gone...
Jack wakes at the break of dawn to find the twins not in the cave and Amenadiel gone. His ears pin flat against his head, nostrils flare as he walks outside, allowing Aurora to sleep.
He notices Amenadiel perched on a nearby peak of a rock and Eviction’s red eyes in the distance, he can place those anywhere. One of the things he inherited from his father. He walks over to the twins, body tense. “Where were you?! You could have gotten hurt! Or worse!” he stomps over. He looks up to Amenadiel, “Did you find them?!” he calls out to the winged stallion. Amenadiel nods in the distance. He turns his attention back to the twins, “You need to stay close to home until you’re weaned!” he snarls
Even though Escence passes him in their race to the shelter, it is he who steps forward and into the wrath that is waiting for them.
Jack is the first to reprimand them in a fury of accusations. Not that they weren't true...
He can feel the warmth of his sisters' flames intensifying as they stand before the large bay stallion who's been a part of their lives since day one. He has never seen Jack this enraged but he doesn't feel it is out of anything other than concern for their safety. Hanging his head a bit lower than before, he doesn't rebut what the stallion says.
Escence though is much quicker to anger than he is, and he can feel the heat that is about to spill from her clenched jaw. Still in front of her, he leans into her, hoping to simmer the boilover he is sure is to come.
It causes her to pause only for a moment before she is shouting back, You're NOT my father! You can't tell ME what to do! A defiant snort follows as the flames that scatter across her body whisp higher. They begin to concentrate at her shoulders, stretching outwards in a fiery vortex on each side.
When he looks to her, she is an inferno of flames. The heat between them strengthens so much that he has to move away before he is scorched. He is unsure what to do since he's never seen her this mad before…
//Fire Mimicry-Healing\\
Fire Mimicry- Glowing, Small Flames, Fire Aura
**His fire mimicry trait colors are now black instead of orange**
Perched high above, Amenadiel watches intently as a stallion with scales approaches the twins. There's something different about this stallion; he seems to have gained scales that weren't there before. Amenadiel suspects that the fairies must be infuriated with him, just as he is with the twins. Suddenly, the stallion uncurls his wings and takes flight, landing himself right between the two parties. "Jack," Amenadiel says sternly, addressing the stallion. Jack seems to be in a rage, as if he could breathe fire. But Amenadiel remains calm, trying to get him to back off before something bad happens to the twins. Suddenly, Amenadiel turns around and sees Escence engulfed in a ball of flames. He quickly rushes to the three of them and pushes them away from the cave to safety, while also trying to ensure that Aurora gets some much-needed rest.
Jack now with dark scales that shimmer under the moonlight, making him look even more imposing. With his ears pinned back and tail swishing stiffly between his hindquarters, he confronts Escence, his voice heavy with frustration and disappointment.
"You're right. I'm not your father," he growls. "But your father never tried to be there for you! I have been with both of you since before you two were born. Your dad was nowhere to be seen, out there destroying everything he could lay his eyes on. I gave my life for your mother and brother. Yes, your dad did come after you were born and told us that your mother and brother were going to die after she gave birth to you. So instead, I gave my life to protect the three of you! I may not be your blood, but I love you like my own. When I found out your mother was pregnant with you two, I was overjoyed!"
Jack takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. "Escence, you were such a fireball that you burned your mother internally," he continues. "I'm sorry, but your mother would be devastated if something were to happen to you. Your father is not a good horse. He destroys everything in his path, and for what? Nothing good will ever come from him. If you act like him, nothing good will ever come from you either. Will you ever learn?!"
With his point made, Jack turns around and walks back to his cave, his mane shaking with anger and his tail angrily swishing behind him.
Peaceful dreams come to her thru the night as she lay amongst the patchy greenery that lived under the stone shelter. Whether it was from pure exhaustion from the trip, or a satisfactory slumber she wasn't sure. What awakened her though was anything but peaceful.
Her caramel ears flicker to a sudden uproar just beyond the cavern walls. Jolted awake, she rises quickly, her gown sweeping behind her as she rushes to the entrance.
It takes her eyes a minute to focus, but she can see a large dark figure walking quickly, and agitatedly towards her. As the sleep clears and her vision sharpens, she sees that it is Jack nearing with an anger she has never seen before. Her view shifts to the others a short distance off before shifting again to Jack as she says in confusion, "Jack..." She can't help but notice the physical change in his hide as he brushes past her, "What happened to your skin Jack? Did you get burned??"
Again, she looks to the others, her daughter engulfed in flames, before she can comprehend Jack's potential answer she is moving towards the twins and Amen. Her hardened expression looks to the fiery girl who is shouting back angrily at Jack while Amen and Eviction prevent her from moving forwards, You don't know ANYTHING about my father! We were with him ALL night and he stayed with me to help make sure Vic was ok after he passed out!
She looks sternly to Escence and in a demanding tone says, "For heaven's sake what is going on here! Where did you two go last night? Why did Vic pass out?!" Her eyes shift between all of them and come to rest on the winged stallion, "What is your part in all of this?" The irritation on her face is apparent as she demands an explanation...
Everything escalates so quickly and he is left in the middle. On one hand he wants to protect his sister but on the other hand he knows Jack is right...
If things couldn't get any worse, suddenly their mother is there prying for answers. His glowing eyes look to where Jack had gone, to where his sister stands shouting back and to his mother's hovering form. Under immense pressure he cracks, confessions spilling from him like molten lava, "Escence woke me up and wanted to go play in the river, so I went with her and then she hurt herself on the rocks and then I went to help her. Then our father showed up and some light surrounded us and I guess I healed her, then everything went black and when I woke up her and dad were there still and then I told her we needed to go home and so we headed back and Amen found us and... and," he pauses to draw in a deep breath before adding, "now they are fighting..."
He feels an immense weight lift from his shoulders as he bares all that had happened. His gaze shifts to his sister who still stands fuming, knowing she will be mad at him for telling on them. Looking now to his mother with a sheepish smile he says, "sorry mom."
He hears his sisters disapproving sigh and then watches as she stomps off with angered words. The inferno surrounding her begins to transform as she starts to canter and the fiery appendages at her sides lift her low in the air. His eyes widen as he looks to his mother, "She can fly!?" He questions before taking a few steps in the direction in which she went. Anxiety stirs within him as he strains to see where she had disappeared to...
//Fire Mimicry-Healing\\
Fire Mimicry- Glowing, Small Flames, Fire Aura
**His fire mimicry trait colors are now black instead of orange**
As Aurora approached, Amenadiel stepped back, folding his wings and respectfully bowing toward her. He explained that he had ensured that the twins remained safe at home while he went out for his nightly flight. That was when he saw Vic's red eyes in the distance and flew over to investigate. Upon his arrival, he found out the twins had left, leaving the house unguarded. Upon returning home, he ensured the twins stayed put and safe. As they walked back, Jack woke to find the twins gone.
He looks to see Escence flying, one tool that this fiery filly did not need in her arsenal. He sighs softly and shakes his head, "She's a hoof-full. Do you want me to go after her?"
Jack walks down to the lake, far away from the group, consumed by an intense and uncontrolled anger. His entire being is seething with rage. His ears pinned flat against his crest, and his tail swishing angrily, he can barely contain his emotions.
Aurora tries to talk to him but Jack ignores her. He doesn't want to lash out at her, even though he is furious with Zain. Jack knows that it's not Aurora's fault that Zain is their father, especially since he found her on the beach back when they first met.
Despite his anger towards Zain, Jack can't help but feel surprised when he sees Escence flying in the air with wings. He wonders how she grew wings and shakes with rage, knowing that she probably led Zain back to them with their encounter last night. She's a stubborn and fiery filly, and she will do whatever she can to defy her mother and him. He's hopeful about Eviction, but he's more wary of strangers and doesn't want to upset his big sister.
When he reaches the water, he sees his reflection and notices what Aurora had said earlier. He's covered in shiny scales, and his once gorgeous black coat is nowhere to be seen. He angrily splashes through the water, causing the water to ripple outward from him. Even the water seems to be scared of him.
Finally, Jack lets out an angry whinny, snorting, and causing the water to ripple even more. Tears begin to run down his face as he lowers himself into the water and lies there with his scaled face looking back at him. He is overwhelmed with emotions, and he doesn't know how to cope with all the changes happening around him.
It doesn't take much and the scene warps before her. Vic's confessions paint a collaboration of images that tell the events of their late night romp. Even though her expression remains soured by the twins' antics, she is at the very least thankful they are ok.
Amen explanation of events align with Evictions so she assumes it must hold merit. “Thank you for ensuring they returned home,” she says to the feathered stallion.
Her attention then shifts to the girl whose blazing inferno is burning brighter than the morning sun barely peeking over the mountain tops. “What do you have to say for yourself young lady??” Her tone is partially anger, but mostly disappointment.
An answer never comes as the filly turns and runs off towards the sun. The blinding rays make it hard for her to see the fire wings that begin to carry the filly farther, and faster, from them. She looks at Vic as he questions the ability and releases a loud sigh with a gentle shake of her head.
Turning, she can see Jack off in the distance splashing angrily in the lake before sinking into its cool waters. Amenadiel chimes in about Escence and she considers for a moment doing nothing but letting them both cool off. With the girls track record though it was better to find her before trouble did.
Her feathered gown shifts along her back as she turns towards her son while speaking, “You stay here with Jack while we go look for your sister. You understand.” Her voice is stern and it wasn't a question that required more than a nod of his masked face.
It was times like these she wished her wings functioned as most did. So she settles for a quickened walking pace in the direction Escence had disappeared to. Her navy eyes looked to the scaled stallion that accompanied her before saying, “Kids sure know how to push buttons… Especially independent fiery girls.” She chuckles softly before asking, “Do you have any children Amen?” She thinks of her own grown offspring and wonders what may have become of them…
Eviction
