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 Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2014 5:30 am
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It had been the longest of times that Caleigh had returned to the source of her home, the great tree. She left many times ago in due to a spiritual journey; at times during her post, she felt lost and confused about her purpose here in the world. And she loved Belvah, her bestest friend in all the world, but how could she loved a lost faun? No! she had decided it was time for her to make the journey, even if it means risking her title as Matron of the Fauns.
The closer the faun with the apples hanging gracefully from her antlers, the more of a re-connection she had with the great tree. Its spirit was soaring through her, welcoming her home. The faun had never thought she would feel so connected, not like before. She misses Belvah and would certainly be looking for her once she arrives; however, she is nervous about Belvah's husband and his perspective on her leaving suddenly so long ago.
"No, I have to do it," Caleigh murmured, shaking her head as she trudged on. She smoothed her red bodice and made sure her hoofs were clean and in good shape before approaching the tree. "The Great Tree..." the faun whispered, smiling widely, feeling that flutter deep in her heart. |
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Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2014 5:38 am
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Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2014 2:07 pm
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For a few minutes, an uneasy feeling had disrupted his work. His concentration shaken by the feeling of dread, Rais had just set aside the piece of armor he'd been inspecting when the shock wave rippled through the Tree, into his hooves. More than that, the blast hit him like a searing pain in his chest, prompting him to double over for a moment, hand over his heart. What...?
The armory muffled some of the sound, but the explosion was still deafening. Enough so that Rais' ears were left ringing after the blast. Pain...burning...loss...the surge of overwhelming sensations nearly sent him to his knees. He slapped a hand to the wall in the struggle not to succumb...and nearly did so as a result. The ringing in his ears became a cry, a scream of agony in his mind. The pain surged through his hand, into his form, Her pain becoming his. Laisidhiel...burning...we're under attack! With a shudder, he forced himself upright, eyes blazing in defiance of the sickness he felt welling within.
Any who hadn't been deafened by the explosion would have heard an echoing roar rippling through Laisidhiel...
*****
Blowing out the stick of incense nearly spent, Vanya finished cleaning up her sanctuary a bit slower than necessary. The routine was reassuring, but still she was reluctant to leave. There was peace here. But, outside...there was never any peace for her there anymore. Still...she couldn't stay here forever, no matter how she tried. Someone was always looking for her. Passing by the small sapling, her ear flicked towards the sound of dew dropping into the collecting pool below. Her sanctuary...yes, she would return soon...to rest and meditate...for now, she must return to her duties...
No sooner had the Seer slipped from the secret door, closing it behind her, than she froze, like a deer sensing a predator nearby. She couldn't pinpoint the source of her fear, and she had mere seconds to puzzle over the anxiety that washed over her before the explosion sent everything into noise and chaos.
The shock wave from the blast tossed her against the wall like a child's rag doll and she sank limply to the floor as burning debris fell around her. Her ears were ringing, her heightened hearing particularly susceptible to the blast. She weakly lifted her head, seeming dazed at first, but aside from pain and heat from the falling fire, she was lost in nothingness. Panic crept in... Fire...burning...pain...death...her nightmares, her memories...coming to life. She felt paralyzed by the fear taking hold, unable to move, only lay there helplessly as chaos surely descended around her. All while she remained blind and now deaf too.
She may have continued to lie there if not spurred to action by an outside force. A strong, firm grip on her shoulder, a large form hovering over her...she let out an involuntary shriek and attempted to scramble back and away from her assailant. No, not again! They won't take me again!
With the ringing in his ears, Rais couldn't hear the shriek, but he could see the panic and fear plain upon the Seer's face as she tried to escape his grasp. With barely a moment's thought to process the situation, he caught one of her hands with his before she could scratch his face with a desperate swipe. She wouldn't hear him any more than he could hear her...but he could at least see. She was lost. Catching a faint red glow growing in the palm of her hand that he noted with some concern, he moved quickly to catch her other hand and interlace their fingers. Friend. Calm. He focused the basic thoughts on her as he pulled her other wrist closer, wrapping her hand around the amber pendant that hung at his chest. After giving her a moment to process the action, he lifted her fingertips to his face...then dipped his head so that she could reach his ornate antlers.
Heart hammering in her chest, Vanya was struggling to reign in her panic. The fight or flight instinct was strong and when trapped in the other's grip, 'fight' had started to take precedence. If she'd been thinking clearly, her Sight may have aided her, but she was far from the correct mindset at the moment. When the stranger linked hands with her, then placed her hand around an object...smooth, warm...a pendant? The touch of a face...then raising her hand towards antlers...a Faun...no, not just any Faun...
"...Rais..." she breathed, relief washing over her. Immediately she began reforming the seals that bound her abilities, though her form relaxed noticeably. "What...?"
The Chieftain also seemed to relax as she recognized him. A relief...they didn't need to be hurting one another in panic, with as many as could already be hurt. He'd not had time to access the situation fully yet, driven here by pain and adrenaline. He'd nearly stumbled over the Seer in the hazy cloud that still rolled through the main floor. Only when she started to struggle to sit up, did he speak, "Careful. You're bleeding." The words echoed strangely in his head as a reminder and he silently chastised himself for forgetting so quickly. He wasn't thinking clearly. He needed to access the damage to the Tree...other Faun could be hurt as well...but he couldn't leave her here. Releasing one of her hands, he placed it around her shoulders, the other squeezing her hand lightly in reassurance.
Shifting his arm just under hers, he lifted her easily from the floor, waiting to see if she could get her hooves under her. When she managed to do so, if somewhat shaky, he shifted slightly as if to say to lean on him...which she did...and the pair moved towards the source of the blast, burning debris and dust falling all around them. |
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Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2014 2:56 pm
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It had been a long, gradual return to normalcy since the princess had been declared fit to leave the healers after that day so many moons ago. She had become open with her relationship with Faroth, discovered Rochadhiel with her sister and niece, spoken with the demi-goddess Portia, and become something much more. Looking down to the little one wriggling beside her as she and her special somepony held him up, she couldn't help but smile. After all this time, even if just by adoption, she was a mother.
If the healers' predictions were true all those seasons ago were true, she might soon be one in the proper sense of the word as well. It was something that had been told to her in private, something that she'd kept to herself, but there were signs that seemed to suggest their validity. Momentary waves of sickness or heat, aching hooves, strange cravings...
"Mommy... Papa... I'm thirsty..." a small voice called, bringing her out of her thoughts.
As a feature of being related to the naiad, little Wellspring nearly always seemed to be thirsty. It was no trouble, however. Giving the sprite's hand a small squeeze, she looked up to Faroth. "Shall we continue..." her voice cut off as a shiver crawled up her spine and she came to a stop. It quickened her pulse as she looked over her shoulder, to the back of the tree where they were coming from. She opened her mouth to speak further when a bright light blinded her, her body instinctively moving to crouch down beside the sprite and pull him close to her, her wings covering them both as a deafening blast produced enough of a shockwave to send them tumbling forward.
As they came to a stop, her arms shook as her grip tightened on the boy. Visions that had been repressed reverberated to the forefront of her mind, of the blood pae'il coming for them, setting fire to everything. There was an excruciating pain in her chest and a suffocating panic that blocked all rational thought from her mind.
They were coming for them. They were coming for them. They were coming for them.
...they would kill them all...
Wellspring's hands gripped to his mother as he looked about frantically, unable to comprehend what was going on. He couldn't hear anything, but he could feel the shaking around him. Pushing back, he tried to get her attention. "Mom..? Mom?! Mom are you all right?!" When he didn't get a response from her he looked up and away, trying to find Faroth. "Papaaaaaaaaa?!"
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Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2014 3:15 pm
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When Caleigh finally looked up from the ground, her eyes widened, her jaw became slacken with shock. The Great Tree was.... in pain. She could feel it, deep in her heart. It was screaming in pain from being massively hurt. "Oh no! she cried out, moving to get up and winces at the bum leg. But the pain coming from the Great Tree was too much to ignore. And so, she took that step and tried to ignore her own pain before moving on, picking up speed as she did so.
"Belvah?! Belvah?!" the faun shouted, in hopes of hearing voices and such. However, since it been a while, she just might not recognize her best friend, nor would her best friend would recognize her. The mere thought brought tears to her eyes.
Caleigh moved on, the pain coming from her leg persisted, until she arrived at the tree. "Belvah?" the apple faun once yelled, frowning at the no response. Maybe... she isn't here today; that thought however gave her a bit of hope. "Anyone inside?! she then called out, moving to enter the tree and looked around. "Is anyone hurt?! |
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Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2014 4:34 pm
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Vine had gotten away from him, unusual for the clingy monkey but something must have gotten her attention higher in the tree. Had they been outside of the Tree he would have let her go. Animals should be free as far as he was concerned. Inside was a different matter as he worried she'd fall or possibly harm someone. Never by malice certainly but accidents happen and that was something he wanted to avoid.
With it decided that he couldn't let her run off on her own, the only thing to do was take off after her. Running would be slower and while walking was the normal preference, there simply didn't seem to be the time. Opening his large green wings, the stallion flapped them a few times before starting to take off. The ascent was slow and controlled as he started to build up power.
In an instant the world exploded around him, there was no sense of being able to keep his balance as the force of the blast sent the alicorn flying in a painful corkscrew before the disruption of the air pressure caused by the blast distortion and the sheer power of it sent him crash landing with a shower of feathers.
In a contorted heap on the ground, Everfree lay motionless. Between the blast and the knock to the head, there was no sound. He could see the flames and debris but at the moment, none of it was sinking in. Pain was about all he could feel. It was in every part of his being right down to his soul. He felt it so strongly that he he was jarred into the fight of fight or flight. Unable to get his balance enough to even try to get up, all he could do was kick his legs and fight to find some sort of prop to get up. If it didn't hurt it burned wildly. His brain hadn't even gotten caught up and the only thing he could think of, the only thing that existed in those moments was the Tree.
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Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2014 10:53 pm
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The world had gone black for some time for Midnight Strike. Her ears were ringing as she slowly came to. Her dwellings seemed so much darker, or was it just in her haze? It was like the world was spinning. Nothing made sense anymore. The pain, the scream. She took in a deep breath and felt her lungs almost catch fire. She curled up slightly as she coughed. Smoke, this was smoke. Midnight Strike coughed again as she started to connect some of the dots. Fire. There was fire. The twins. She needed to get them out of here.
She rolled onto her stomach as she raised herself from her knees and elbows, squinting as she looked around. She still couldn't hear anything from the ringing in her ears, but she spotted them. She didn't need her ears to know they were screaming their heads off. She needed to get them out of here. She struggled to her feet and wobbled over to them both. "Shhh...It's ok..I've got you." She tried to coo to them through her coughs, not like it would help much. She took one of the scream tots in each arm before moving to the door. The world was getting fuzzy again as she nearly forgot how to use the door. Her mind was numb. She just to get the twins out of there.
After fiddling with the door in her haze she managed to get it open, nearly falling on the ground as she stumbled out of her nook. She took two wobbly steps forward and looked down to the ground. As a pegasuse, she had chosen a living place on one of the upper levels. At this moment she had regret that choice. She needed to get down and fast. The fast way was to fly after all. She flapped her wings a few times before moving off the edge and into the air. She was less flying and more gliding down. She and the twins were getting down. About ten feet from the ground Midnight Strike's eyes rolled back in her head and the world went black again. Her body twisted slightly in her free fall and she hit the ground shoulder first with a loud crack. The two tots were still in her arms, still cry, as Midnight Strike laid on the the grown, barely moving.
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Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 10:35 am
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Wild Moon had been enjoying spending some time with Sweetie Belle as they took a trip down to the new Apple Acres to see Rarity and the lot. They were now on their way back to the tree, laughing and talking about whatever it was that came to mind. He had begun sharing with her all his joys, hopes and wishes at starting a family with her, mulling over what they would possibly name their kids, that he couldn't tell if he wanted a boy or a girl. The usual excited babble of a man who was hopeful that his dream of starting a family with the mare he loved would soon come true. They had just made it across the bridge and he had glanced down to see her smiling face.....
And then it had happened.
Before he could register anything at all, a blinding white hot flash blazed across his field of vision. A loud deafening sound destroyed his hearing. A deep rumble vibrated his entire being to the core, and then suddenly pain. Pain like he couldn't imagine.
It took several moments for Wild Moon's body to react to the commands his brain was screaming at him. It took even longer to realize he had been thrown to the floor from the sheer force of whatever had just happened. "Sweetie Belle!" he shouted, or at least he thought he shouted. His mouth moved but he couldn't hear anything still, not even his own voice. "Sweetie Belle!!" he screamed even harder, hoping the force of the yell this time would be audible, but still nothing.
Panicked and flipping himself over, wiggling around until he found Sweetie Belle's figure next to him on the ground. He reached out, doing his best to scoop her up into his arms though he was still dizzy. "Sweetie Belle..." he said more softly, brushing strands of her mane from her face, relieved to find that she was still breathing. A soft sigh escaped his lips at finding her alive and for the most part, alright, but now that his ears had begun to ring and his vision was settling, he blinked up towards the tree, now realizing what had happened.
Flames, smoke, splinters and shards. It was almost as if something had just attempted to blast apart the entire tree. Chaos ensued, faun were running too and fro if not lying motionless on the ground. The dark Prince's golden gaze flickered over several bodies until they came to rest on the figure of a little fox covered in splinters and chunks of wood, tossed up against the base of a tree.....not moving...
"TWINKLETOES!" he screamed in horror after recognizing that little body, hoisting Sweetie Belle into his arms and stumbling to his feet. He made as best of a mad dash as he could towards the little motionless fox, doing his best to also support his beloved in his arms, afraid to let her walk on her own till he could inspect her proper.
But this was his sister. He had to get to her also..
When he finally got to his limp sister's body, he set Sweetie Belle down gently to rest against the tree before moving to place his hand over the tiny fox's body, nearly buried beneath rubble.
She was still breathing. Faint...but breathing.
"Twinkletoes...wake up. Twinkle!" he fretted softly, gently brushing away the shrapnel, feeling her limbs and sides for any signs of broken bones. He ran his hand soothingly over her ears, feeling down her neck and her spine, all the way to her tail. Only when he was satisfied that nothing felt broken, did he draw the little fox into his arms, cradling her as gently as he would a precious delicate child.
Shock now starting to sink in, he could only will himself to flop ungracefully on his backside next to Sweetie Belle, eyes staring in horror at the tree, cradling his baby sister in his arms and pressing his side tight against Sweetie Belle.
"Great Moon.....help us."
Strawberri Stardust I figured, this was the best way he could get to both of them XD
Seruta Because he sure as hell wouldn't leave either the two alone right meow. |
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Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 12:00 pm
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One moment, he had nothing on his mind except enjoying the peace and joy of spending time with one's loved ones...
And the next, it was all blown away.
Some instinct of Celestia's that he didn't possess must have given her the hint. Faroth was simply puzzled when she pulled Wellspring's hand from his, and turned in confusion to see the pair crouched near the floor. He didn't have long to puzzle over this, however, as the following moments erupted in chaos. The flash of light was blinding, but the concussive wave that followed sent the sturdy Faun tumbling to the floor. Ears ringing from the explosion, Faroth tumbled hooves over tail several yards before coming to a rest. The wall of dust and debris followed the flaming shrapnel, laying over the area like a smothering cloud.
Dazed, Faroth lay still for a moment until he was wracked by a sudden coughing fit. Curling up on his side, he coughed and tried to catch his breath, despite the intense pain in his chest. The air was thick and heavy, laden with dirt and ash. What...just happened?
Where's Tia?
Panic gripping his chest, Faroth pushed off the ground, still coughing. Celestia! Wellspring! His eyes darted around, looking for some sign of either of them. He'd seen her crouch, then...everything went to hell. "-Tia!' His voice was raspy, broken by another coughing fit before he could call out again. "Tia! Spring!" Something didn't sound right...no...there was no sound. Just a ringing in his ears, but nothing more.
A white shape, slowly being covered by falling debris. The grey Faun scrambled towards the fallen form. "Tia!" Desperate to know if she was okay, he was torn as to what action to take, in case she were hurt. Instead, he crouched over her, reaching out to lay his hand on her shoulder. "Tia, please...please be okay..." She was curled protectively around the little one in her arms, to whom he reached out to next. "Hang on, little guy. Everything's going to be alright."
Hopefully.
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Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 12:32 pm
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Just like every day in his life, Kaiden was outside, working hard on gathering more meat for a new day of cooking. He managed to catch three rabbits in his traps today, and had the carcasses slung over his shoulder as he made his way back home. Nothing was different or out of place that day. Nothing out of the ordinary. He lightly smiled to himself, wondering if today he should drop by to Fi's. She'd probably like the company...
A deafening blast sounded in front of him, the shock wave fanning out to blow the loose leaves and sticks past him an a powerful blast of air. For a brief moment, a half a second, he wondered what happened. But that bliss ignorance was too quick to end. The male dropped to his knees as he let out a howl, the rabbits falling to the side. He gripped his head and continued to scream as a piece of his soul felt ripped from his body.
Who had done this terrible thing? WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE?! He wanted to cry and wait for the pain to subside. The ache inside of his heart was unbearable. But one thought broke free out of all others. The other faun. He had to go and lend what ever strength he had to them. The male struggled to his feet, numb to everything around him, and ran towards his bleeding home full speed.
Holy Spirits. Fi. Lira. I'm coming.
Seruta If you want to bring Lira into it
Dementia Requiem Asumi If you want to bring Fi into it |
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Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 12:51 pm
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Deafened from the blast, the princess made no reaction to her love's calls as the dust settled around her. The only action her body seemed capable of doing was clenching onto her little one, keeping him safe. For what might have caused many to sustain a number of injuries, hers were relatively minor and limited to heavy bruising and a few minor scrapes. She'd been lucky, or perhaps a lingering amount of paranoia from her visions had been enough to warn her.
Despite all of this, breathing felt to difficult, the pain and burning within her chest creating a pressure that threatened to suffocate her. If any breath escaped her lungs, she didn't notice. It wasn't until Faroth touched her shoulder that a loud gasp came from her lips.
They were here; they were going to take her, hurt her family, hurt her child. She had to protect her child. Eyes darting to Faroth in a manner not unlike they had been when they were trapped in the faerie's palace, she brought Wellspring closer to her chest as she flinched away from him.
The boy was nearly crying as he caught gaze of his father, his hands reaching out for him. "Papa!" He yelled as he approached, his hands reaching out to take hold of his, only to be pulled out of reach by his mother. Why was she acting like this; why was she afraid of papa? What was wrong?
He didn't understand.
Unlike his parents and the other faun around him, there was no pain in his chest, no connection to the wounds of the tree. Only some disorientation, a scrape of the elbow, and a light bump to the head. With this perspective, he had no idea why everyfaun was acting as they were. Looking to his mother, he pressed against her chest again, trying to get her to recognize him. "Mom... It's just papa..." If she was so afraid, what was he supposed to do? Her fear translated into confused fear of his own.
Her eyes locked onto Faroth's for what seemed to be moments lasting an eternity before they softened with recognition. "Far...oth...?" she nearly whispered as the calm came to her and her eyes looked around. Everywhere there were faun falling and injured, before her the scent of ash and smoke. Yet, whereas a leader should be helping others before herself, here she was cowered below in her relative peace and safety.
That wasn't right.
Only through action could she be of use. Taking a deep breath, she forced back those thought she'd thought had disappeared long ago and looked to the little one in her arms. "Wellspring...?"
Looking to his mother, the sprite lifted an arm to wipe his tearing eyes, his lips trembling. "Yes mom?"
"Everything is okay. I am okay; your papa is okay." this was a lie and she knew it, but the tone of her voice said otherwise. Looking to Faroth, she forced a smile that to all but him might have appeared perfectly natural despite the situation. "Right?" First, they needed to quiet their son and move him to a safer location; they could check on the status of everyone else next.
If her special somepony was with her, even she could handle such triggering tragedy.
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Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 1:44 pm
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Celestia flinched away from him and Faroth froze, seeing the look in her eyes. Fear. Not of what was going on around them, but of him. He'd seen that look before, if briefly. He didn't make any sudden moves, but looked towards Wellspring instead. He wanted to say something, but as it were, he could hear nothing but ringing and silence. The screams and shouts of the other Faun were like murmurs in the background; not unlike when someone is talking on the other side of a wall...you can hear something, but not what's being said. As it were, he was trying to watch their faces, hoping to provide reassurance through expression and gesture when words weren't available.
Only when Tia's expression softened with recognition did he allow himself to move towards her again. He wasn't entirely sure what she was saying, but he tried to answer out of habit. "We're all alright, right? I don't know what's going on, but let's try to get out of the way first." He was trying to shield his face with his arm, but still the dust was making him cough.
He shifted to plant a hoof to stand, planning to help Celestia to her hooves next. As soon as he tried to plant his weight, however, a burning, throbbing pain shot down his leg and upwards towards his hip. He flinched, immediately falling back with a grunt of pain. He'd not noticed with the intensity of the pain before, writing it off as shock from the blast, but a look down told a different story. A large, jagged gash gaped open on his outer thigh, a charred 'splinter' of Laisidhiel lodged in the wound. Snarling a curse that luckily none of them could actually hear, he sneered at the wound like a troublesome inconvenience.
Experimentally, he shifted legs, putting his weight heavily on his uninjured leg to stand. It wasn't graceful, but he did manage to get himself upright, though he was obviously favoring his injured side. Glancing down, he braced himself and held out his hand. "Come on...let's get somewhere safe."
But, we're in Laisidhiel...if this isn't safe...where is?
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Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 8:38 pm
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Pain had begun to register in his entire body, more than he had realized at first in his mad dash to get to the figure of his unconscious sister. He felt as feeling the pain from being knocked off his feet coupled with the pain the tree itself was feeling completely from head to toe, no inch left without a burning sensation. There was pain in parts of his body he never even knew he had and attempting to stand was getting him no where right now. Eventually, defeated, he gave up, opting to try and catch his breath some more.
Grimacing, he glanced over at Sweetie Belle, reaching out to gently put his hand on her's, squeezing his fingers tight with her own. He leaned over to gently press a kiss to her forehead, eyes darting over her figure for any signs of cuts or trickling blood. "Sweetie Belle, can you hear me?" he blinked, his ears still ringing from the after math of the explosion. He could only just hear the faint squeaks from his sister's figure as she seemed to stir and curl into him. Defensive instinct caused him to shift to tuck the little fox figure closer to him and out of further harm's way. His body was now her shield.
He leaned down to nuzzle his nose into his sister's fur, inhaling a share painful breath of relief that she was still alive. "Ssh, don't speak Twinkle. We'll find mom, dad and the healers." he cooed softly, though he was unsure if she could even hear him. He did his best to shift her with his one arm, reaching up with his fingers to gently stroke her ears as he let his head fall gently on Sweetie Belle's shoulder.
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