and my Ember.
At the very least he could be a guide to her as she travels, though if sparks fly and they become something other than friends, I am also open to that. It make take a while ICly for her to get to that sort of point, given her fragile state of mind, but he seems like a strong, steady sort who could help ease her heartbreak.
Her story:
Quote:
Her father was an angeni - or so the mare was always told. Her fluttercorn mother spoke often of him and his virtue and of how the two of them had prayed and begged of the spirits to bless them with a foal and when they were finally so blessed it was with a single child - Ember. Named for the resemblance she bore to the soft glow of a dying fire. Unlike the gentle nature of a dying fire, Ember was more like an inferno, wild and destructive. She turned a deaf ear on her mother's stories of virtue and of her father's goodness and kindness. She had no interest in learning healing from her mother and cared only for running or flying free and doing what she wanted. She had a particular affinity to fire and would sometimes sneak away to start a fire to dance beside it in the night. She was mesmerized by the flickering flames and by the sheer power of the dangerous element. She always thought herself in control of it - but what a fool she was. Fire was its own mistress, wild and unforgiving. Ember lost control of one of her fires one night and it began to spread, slowly at first and then all at once the entire area was alight.
She panicked, trying desperately to stomp out the flames but it was much too late for such tactics. The grass and trees were dry from a drought and it burned like tinder. Gasping through the smoke Ember tried to make her way to her mother to warn her, to help the weaker flyer fly away from the flames, but her mother was lost to her. The smoke and the flames rose higher and higher, claiming everything in their path. Animals scattered in desperate flight from the flames. Ember somehow made it to her mother's side. She'd been looking for her daughter and had succumbed to the smoke. Ember cursed herself for not learning how to use her horn to heal as she helplessly watched her mother drift away.
The flames caressed her almost like a lover, biting at her feathers. Her once pure-orange wings had become tainted with the darkness she now felt in her heart. Prudence begged her to flee the burning woods, and tears streamed down her soot-ridden face as she took wing and left her now dead mother's side.
It took weeks for the flames to subside. Ember had watched from a safe distance, watched the flames eat away at the land and turn it all to ash. As it cooled she walked through the wreckage, regret and pain tearing at her heart. She had caused so much pain and destruction with her foolishness. Her wanton lack of sense and arrogance had lead to the death of her mother and countless others, had scorched the land and destroyed homes. She was humbled and ashamed. She collapsed in the burning embers - a fitting place for her to die she thought - and closed her eyes to the pain.
It happened slowly and at first she thought she was dreaming. There was a whisper in the air, a voice calling out to her. She opened her eyes slowly, but saw nothing. She stood, confused and afraid, but the voice became clearer and she realized it was within her. Was it the spirits? She couldn't quite make out what was being said. She felt a tingling, then a burning around her neck and at the tips of her wings. Alarmed, she twisted to look at her wings and saw their once-orange feathers turn black and smoky. Around her neck was a burning ember. She felt the heat of it burning her, though no mark showed on her flesh where it touched. The voice became clearer then. "You will bear this burden and feel this pain, but you will live on and repent. One day you will make up for your sins and will be released from this pain."
Shocked and cringing in the pain of the burning ember the mare could only stand there and stare at her wings. She finally was able to deal with her unending pain and sorted through her thoughts. As much as she wished to let her life end, she realized she could honor her mother in a much better way. She could learn to heal and travel, helping to fight fires and heal the wounded. She knew she needed to do something to help now. She felt resolute then and almost at peace. She set out to fulfill this promise solemnly, thinking on her mother's lost teachings. "I will honor you, mother. Please forgive me. I will heal the wounds I have caused in whatever way I may and try to move on."
She panicked, trying desperately to stomp out the flames but it was much too late for such tactics. The grass and trees were dry from a drought and it burned like tinder. Gasping through the smoke Ember tried to make her way to her mother to warn her, to help the weaker flyer fly away from the flames, but her mother was lost to her. The smoke and the flames rose higher and higher, claiming everything in their path. Animals scattered in desperate flight from the flames. Ember somehow made it to her mother's side. She'd been looking for her daughter and had succumbed to the smoke. Ember cursed herself for not learning how to use her horn to heal as she helplessly watched her mother drift away.
The flames caressed her almost like a lover, biting at her feathers. Her once pure-orange wings had become tainted with the darkness she now felt in her heart. Prudence begged her to flee the burning woods, and tears streamed down her soot-ridden face as she took wing and left her now dead mother's side.
It took weeks for the flames to subside. Ember had watched from a safe distance, watched the flames eat away at the land and turn it all to ash. As it cooled she walked through the wreckage, regret and pain tearing at her heart. She had caused so much pain and destruction with her foolishness. Her wanton lack of sense and arrogance had lead to the death of her mother and countless others, had scorched the land and destroyed homes. She was humbled and ashamed. She collapsed in the burning embers - a fitting place for her to die she thought - and closed her eyes to the pain.
It happened slowly and at first she thought she was dreaming. There was a whisper in the air, a voice calling out to her. She opened her eyes slowly, but saw nothing. She stood, confused and afraid, but the voice became clearer and she realized it was within her. Was it the spirits? She couldn't quite make out what was being said. She felt a tingling, then a burning around her neck and at the tips of her wings. Alarmed, she twisted to look at her wings and saw their once-orange feathers turn black and smoky. Around her neck was a burning ember. She felt the heat of it burning her, though no mark showed on her flesh where it touched. The voice became clearer then. "You will bear this burden and feel this pain, but you will live on and repent. One day you will make up for your sins and will be released from this pain."
Shocked and cringing in the pain of the burning ember the mare could only stand there and stare at her wings. She finally was able to deal with her unending pain and sorted through her thoughts. As much as she wished to let her life end, she realized she could honor her mother in a much better way. She could learn to heal and travel, helping to fight fires and heal the wounded. She knew she needed to do something to help now. She felt resolute then and almost at peace. She set out to fulfill this promise solemnly, thinking on her mother's lost teachings. "I will honor you, mother. Please forgive me. I will heal the wounds I have caused in whatever way I may and try to move on."
