Inside or Out?

[flick4eva]

Feuer surged back into his homeland, chest heaving, brething in deeply. Deep cuts encircled his daggers, bloody liquid caking itself dry on them. Criss crossing his pelt were tiny scratches, each paining the stallion like they were mighty swords stabbing into him. What had happened? During the heated summer, the blood stallion had been happy, plet shining raiantly and in love. Love. The mere thought of the word made him sick to the stomach. Pushing the word deepinto his mind, the stallion pushed himself harder and faster though his land. It was a frenzied gallop,and could only be compleeted by the completely insane. Like him.

A rock lay hidden in the dead grasses, and his hoof caught it. The stallion came tumbling down, his world reeling, plain peircing his skin. There, amongst the dead grss and white snow, lay a broken horse, on the inside, and out.

Feuer didn't bother to rise again. Instead, he began to weep, tears streaming like rapid rivers down his maw. The pain clicked together to greate a strong sheet, and wrapped itself around him. Hours, possibly even days passed while the stallion cried wholeheartedly. Perhaps this was the way he dealt with heartbreak? Gawd only knew.

Soon, he had cried himself to sleep, after many hours. The healing process began, but was it on the insde or out?

[flyff]

A little Paint filly came galloping at a surprisingly high speed. Her slender-framed body was a whir of jet black with a blotch of snow white on her rump... a very strange-looking horse indeed. It was not snowing at the moment, although there was a thin layer of snow, with much frost and ice, across the ground.

Yang galloped with the true skill and speed of a born racehorse, and yet the power was unhindered by a bridle and a saddle and a human on her back, and she tore through the snow, yipping with glee.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Paint was closely followed by her twin. Yin was the opposite of her sister if there ever was one... a body of white that blended so much with the snow you could hardly tell she was there, but for her jet black head that seemed to float eerily on nothing. Yin loved to run as much as her sister, but she knew the dangers of the ice and stepped carefully. Blue eyes so light they were nearly white raked the horizon, and then she saw a dot, which slowly became the form of a horse.

"Father!" she shrieked with joy, setting off at a gallop towards him. It was undoubtedly Feuer, she thought, now that she and her twin came closer. But as they came closer, they noticed something was terribly wrong...

[flick4eva]

Feuer awoke from an unwanted and troubled sleep, snow cradling him like a mother's gentle touch. Depression knotted at his mind, hoping to wear the stallion down until he did something drastic. And unwanted. A large sigh escaped his maw, turning back over to sleep once more. Sanity was within his reach now, all he had to do was grab it. But didn't

Instead, he began to cry once more. There was so much to cry about, sometimes all you had to do was let it all out. The world would be much better for it.

The stallion had been dealing with his problems silently, the world around him had grown quiet of it's natural noises when the blood horse had cried out in pain, which had been often.

He suddenly raised his head. Hoof beats thudded on his terra basin, the little hope he had suspected Oceana's return, but as usual, he was wrong.

An exausted cranium lay down again, wishing for the world to stop looking at the weeping, heartbroken stallion.

There it was, again. Hoofbeats. A voice shouted out from somewhere. "Father"

Impossible! It was none but his adopted fillies. And if they were here, then Ocean would most likely be there too!

He called out to them. "Yin? Yang?"

[flyff]

The little paint burst into tears at the sight of her father. Bloodied and terribly injured, he lay helplessly in the snow like a newborn colt, unable to stand... not a pleasant sight for such a young and gentle soul. Tears streaming from her nearly-white eyes, Yin came to her father at a gallop.

"F-father, are you all right?" she gasped through her tears, although it was clear that he wasn't. The filly gently touched her nose to her father's, and desperately gazed around her.

Where's Mother? she thought, scanning the terra. Oceana was nowhere.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The mainly black filly didn't realize, at first, that there was something wrong with her father. In fact, she merely bounded towards him with a shout of joy, expecting to be able to cajole him into a game like she usually did.

However, as her friend burst into tears, Yang realized that he wasn't in any condition to be playing games. In fact, he looked so desperate and hurt and miserable that a flame of anger licked through her heart... who would do this to him, their own gentle father? They couldn't have had any type of good reason to hurt their father so.

[flick4eva]

He held the filly close to him, pain and sadness stroking his enternal flame. Oceana was not here, and had just run of and left them to deal with it. She hadn't even said goodbye. His muzzle gently stroked her painted pelt, just making sure this was real. What was he going to tell them? Oh, nothing really. Your mother left me, leaving me in a pit of self hate and depression. Feuer shook his head, trying to think straight. He lay his cranium down once more, breathing in a deep breath. He was broken, and felt like he could never love again. But he had to, for the fillies' sake.

[flyff]

Yin sniffed miserably, cuddling up close to her father, who still didn't get up. She was unsure of what to do, but she did know one thing... she needed to find help. She needed another horse, big and grown-up like her father, to help take care of him, to heal him up. She had no idea how they would do it, but she just had a feeling that everything would be all right if she could just get help... if her mother would just appear, just come and save them.

The paint, however, saw no one. Not one other horse on the horizon. Where is Mother? Where has she gone?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blacker filly snuck up on her father's other side, scanning her surroundings with narrowed black eyes.

Mother should be somewhere around here, she told herself firmly, trying to keep calm. She has to be. Where else would she go, after all? Maybe Mare Lake? She doesn't usually leave Rainbow Ridge...

Neither she nor her sister could catch sight of Oceana, much to their frustration. Shouldn't a lead mare stay in the territory, or at least let her stallion know where she had gone? Perhaps Feuer knew, but didn't want to bother her for some reason?

"Father," she said quietly, her eyes wide and beseeching, hoping that he would know. "Father, where has Mother gone? Why isn't she home today?"

[flick4eva]

There it was again. that stroke of insanity leaping through the cherry bay stud. He was about to scream back at the filly "Mother hasn't been home for months! Why? She's never coming back, she's gone! And she's definitely not your mother." but decided against it. It wasn't the girl's fault that Oceana had taken off on them. No, he would have to be strong, for their sakes. Feuer sighed, rolling himself over onto his chest, wincing with pain. "Your mother isn't coming back. She- she" He took in a sharp breath, a lone tear rolling down his face. "She left us. I-I don't know where she has gone..." He hung his head in ashamedly. What sort of protector was he?

[flyff]

Yin gasped at her father's astonishing words. She'd never imagined that her mother would never be coming back... it had simply not occurred to her.

Now that she thought of it, Oceana hadn't been around for several months. She couldn't have possibly left us, she thought, beginning to panic now. Mother wouldn't do that. She wouldn't!

"It's okay, Father," she whimpered desperately, trying not to cry herself. "We can find someone to help you!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yang frowned intensely. "Mother wouldn't do that," she said stubbornly. "M-maybe she.. maybe she went out and then just got lost and can't find her way back? It's possible! It is!" Her sister shot her a miserable look, and both of them knew that she was grasping at straws. And yet, the lovely, kindly mother who had taken them in... how could she possibly abandon them, and their critically injured father, this way? It was impossible. It simply couldn't be.

[flick4eva]

He shook his head miserably. There was no bringing back Oceana. Or his ability to love another mare. Help? Who would help a pathetic stallion such as himself? He held Yin close to him, just to hear her tiny heart beat, to hear the pain he had shared. He gently stroked her pelt, just to let her know that everything would be ok. Doubt circled his mind, though. But is it going to be okay? What happens if another stallion tries to claim my terra? What will we do without a home? What will come once the twins are old enough to be claimed? I can't stop any stallion!... The bloody stallion collapsed into a heap of wails and crying once more.

He managed to sob out "It'll be ok, everything will pan out..."

His auds swiveled to find his other daughter standing rather stubbornly, protesting the situation.

"Not likely...she knew this area well." He turned his head, taking in a deep breath. Feuer continued. "We have to face the facts. She's gone. Nothing's gunna bring her back."

The poor stallion couldn't even bring himself to say "Oceana" once more.

[flyff]

[OOC: Lol, what happened to this guy, anyways? Did Feuer get in a fight or something?]

Yin sobbed along with her father, cuddling close to him although he was bloody, weak, and broken as he was. He felt like the only thing remotely strong or stable that she had ever known in her life... and yet, right now, he was weak and wobbly.

And yet, now that she thought back, that wasn't true... she had once known the tall wooden walls of a human's stable, and she suddenly longed for the sweet smell of hay, for the warmth of a human hand, particularly a very kind, young human girl...

However, she realized that, at this point, she could never leave the wild. She loved it too much. She loved the wind in her mane, she loved galloping over fields of rippling grass unmarred by human destruction, and she loved her father, and she loved Rainbow Ridge, ad she could never leave any of it. The very thought seemed to fortify her, and she snuggled more closely to her father, the tears slowly drying. She believed his words. Everything would be all right. Somehow it would.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blacker filly could only stand gaping at her father. What had happened to the playful, jolly-faced stallion that she had known before? Why was he so hurt? Why was he being so.. so...

Being a filly, she didn't know the word "pessimistic," and thus settled with, why was he being so down? If there was one thing that Yang herself couldn't stand for, it was when horses were miserable and there was no need to be.

"You're right!" Yang said brightly. "It'll be okay! Um, um... maybe another mare will come, maybe, maybe, um..." Yang, being young and still rather unworldly, still wasn't exactly sure was positive points to look for, only that she was definitely to look for them in order to cheer up her sister and father...

[Swede]

The panthress crouched among the trees, sense constantly at work as she read the body language of the little group- every twitch, every sound, every scent about them was analyzed. She missed nothing. Tsaara never did. She was a cougar queen-- hunting was her life. They were conversing. She could have understood them, if she really tried, but she wasn't here to chat. She was here to take meat for herself. For a moment, the image of another cougar, tinted with red, strong and handsome, surfaced in her mind, but she shoved it away. Argon... He was gone, dead or vanished. That revelation had nearly broken her heart when she finally realized. Who is to say that a predator is not capable of love?

Her whiskers twitched ever so slightly, and the glimmering amber eyes narrowed. She had three easy targets here, each with ups and downs. The adult, a stallion- normally she would not attack such a one, but he was down and apparently injured, and he scent of his blood made her heart flutter with anticipation. And then the foals- both would be easy takes, young animals always were. But which one? The fillies were old enough to take care of themselves, no doubt, and did not need the stallion; and if they grew to adulthood, they would no doubt produce many foals and keep the food supply active. But the stallion, males were less necessary for life. And he appeared to be on his deathbed anyhow. Tsaara longed for tender, young flesh, but she also knew that killing at random was stupid. She survived on meat. And if erroneous hunting methods reduced the population too much, she could find herself struggling for food in the future. The stallion it was, then.

Her muscles tensed, back arched, tail lifted slightly. She gave her targets one last glance, just to be sure of the angle. Then, with the force of a bullet exploding from a gun, she sprang from the underbrush, sprinting forward, covering the distance in mere seconds. Surprise and speed were her greatest weapons, alongside those razor claws and formidable teeth. The stupid animals didn't stand a chance.

[flick4eva]

The stallion rose to his feet unsteadily, sending out a low and gentle nicker to the fillies. They were the only thing he had left now, and he was the only thing they had. Through a patch of dark cloud poked the sun, sending warm rays down onto the trio. The bloody stallion knew deep down that there would be no other mare, and even if there was, he wouldn't bother for a very long time. He smiled down upon the more confident of the two, eyes searching her face. The filly had tried at least. "Now why would we need another mare, when there is just the three of us?" A gentle breeze circled him, bringing the lovely scent of spring, but something else. He knew it well. Cougar... He did not know where it was, until it crashed into him, with razor sharp teeth and slicing claws. He felt it tear at his neck, wating the blood. The stallion gave a kick, but it was useless. He was too weak. "GIRLS!" Feuer shouted. "Run-get out of here!"

[flyff]

Yin gave a bloodcurdling scream as, out of nowhere, something terrifying and golden-brown and impossibly powerful tore towards them. Her instincts and her emotions warred with each other... undoubtedly her father was going to die. She'd never seen a creature such as this before, but she knew, she just knew in her gut, that it was a killer, and that it would kill her father when he was so weak, no doubt. But the wilder part of her told her follow her father's orders, to run! To run like her life was the prize if she got first place at the end of the race. And then there was the racing instincts, bred into her by the humans, and overall those overpowered the rest, and the pinto tore off like a bullet, tears streaming from her eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The braver sister gasped and almost followed Yin, but at the last moment turned about. "Get away from my father!" she shouted desperately, tears springing to her eyes. She knew her sister wouldn't stay. Sensible little Yin always did what was best...

"Go away! We don't WANT you here!" You must be insane, you must be insane, you are insane, what are you doing, are you standing up to this thing? The questions pounded through her head, but a wild streak rushed through her young body, and all of a sudden her muscles tensed and she was standing her ground. She didn't know how to fight... she didn't know what to do. She could only scream.

"GO AWAY!" she roared in a voice much more powerful than a year-old filly's.

[Swede]

Had Tsaara been able to, she would have rolled her eyes. Stupid little filly. Of course you don't want me here. Doesn't mean I take orders from you. Be happy I'm not going after YOU. But she was too busy, trying to maintain a steady grip on the struggling stallion's neck. Her fangs sank in, aiming for his throat, claws gripping his back and shoulders tightly. The first filly did the intelligent thing, and fled. The second one was an idiot. At least she was smart enough to not try to attack, and fight the lioness. Tsaara's massive paws could snap the thing's neck like a twig. But this stallion was less delicate- biting would have to be her method of execution, rather than breaking.

[flick4eva]

He screamed pittifuly, feeling the razor sharp teeth sink into his broken body. He cried, tears screaming down his ashen face. Feuer tried to keep the fighting spirit within him alive, alive so he could live to see his daughter's faces again. But someone above him had chosen that it was the bloody stallion's time. He tried rolling to crush the animal, but it was useless, only resulting in him crashing to his knees and sinking once more. He felt a sharp pain, a pain like no other and began to slip. There was a bright light, and he felt like following it. The once loving eyes rolled, looking for the last time at his life.His pitiful and useless life. Perhaps things would be better this way...

[flyff]

"What are you doing?" Yin screamed at her sister, terrified, eyes bulging. She had gotten quite far away by the time she noticed that her sister wasn't with her, and had been horrified to witness her sister screaming like a fool at the vicious animal as it attacked her father. Tears blurred her vision almost until she couldn't see, and emotions of all kinds crowded into her... fear, terrible sadness, and most of all, the instinct that told her to go, and to keep running...

"What are you doing?" she shrieked again, digging her hooves into the hard ground and resisting the urge. "Yang!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The little filly's senses finally took over. With the dying cries of her father, the terrible snarling and ripping sounds, and the terrified screams of her sister ringing in her ears, she took off like a bullet. She knew that the monster might be after her next, or maybe her sister. But the thought about her sister was crowded out of her head. It was cowardly, and it was selfish, but as of now, her instincts, like those of any other horse, told her to save herself and to give up on everything else. Soon, all sound and sight faded away, and Yang was running, running, running, and she would never stop.

[Swede]

The panthress held on at the last, making sure of the kill. It would not do to be too self-assured and let go, only to have her victim spring to his feet and escape, or cause her injury. But as the life slipped from the stallion, Tsaara loosened her chokehold to stare after the fleeing fillies. Yes, she thought, licking her lips, Run, little ones. Run while I'm already satisfied. And if we ever meet again, and I am hungry, you will have to run like never before. And I will still kill you. The bloodlust hung over her like a blinding haze, and she dug her claws into the horse on the ground to prevent herself from taking off after the others. She did not kill for pleasure, but for survival; still, the sensation of sweet blood trickling between your canines from a struggling victim's throat was exhilirating. The lioness turned back to this stallion, twitching her tail. She had food to last some time now; no need to waste energy chasing after those foals. She thrust her head downward at the prey, jaws opening wide. She was starving.

[flyff]

[OOC: I'm assuming this thread is over now xD]