[SOLO] Branching out... (Twinkletoes x Mona)

[Seruta]

Twinkletoes sighed and tipped her head back to rest upon the trunk of the tree. The sun was nearly to the point of setting and the clouds faintly drifted among the higher branches. It had been just a few days since Faroth's sentence to the roots... all because she couldn't keep her big mouth shut. And now all she could hear were the whispers of others talking of the traitor down below and how sad the little ones had become.

Twinkle blamed herself for their sadness. She blamed herself for their confusion. They were too young to see such a thing happen! And she was the one responsible for turning him in...

The idea alone bore a hole into her heart and she sobbed silently over it for hours.

Looking up between the branches, she could see the soft twinkles of the first few stars of the night starting to shine. She found it mildly odd that her father had yet to come and visit. He seemed to have been making a habit to talk with her daily since the whole Faroth ordeal. A part of her was glad though. She didn't want to have to deal with his "just get over it" speech again. He was starting to sound like a broken mocking bird at this point.

Almost as if on cue, she heard rustling below her. A sign that someone was climbing up the branches. She could hear the hooves falling on the branches and the subtle slipping of flesh as hands grasped from one branch to the next to climb further up to meet her. She didn't pay it much mind. It just meant her father was coming to visit today, afterall.

With a soft sigh and an inward groan, she tucked her knees closer to her chest. She willed herself to ignore the approaching faun and forced herself to tune into the growing sounds of night far below.  

[Seruta]

Mona had finished milling about the tree long enough. She had been on the hunt for her twin, but he seemed to have jumped tree for the day. No one had seen him since the night before, but apparently this sort of thing happened regularly? Or at least, when the Chief had also been noticed as missing as well. The guards tended to believe they were on some super secret Faun business, anyways. What did they know, though?

Giving up hope that she'd actually gather some bonding time with her identical-but-male counterpart, she resulted into finding some of his family. She had heard of the future mate of his... This... Princess Luna? Granny seemed to talk a bit about her from her homeland, Equestria. But not nearly enough to get a good idea as to who she really was. A Princess, she gathered, was much like a Chief. Only of the female variety, obviously, and she apparently shared the title with her sister, Princess.... Celeste? Celes Tia? Meh. Shaking her head, Mona thought it best to avoid them for the moment. There was enough drama going on with that side of the family. Her jumping in to "get to know her family better" would probably just make her more of a nuisance for the time being.

Still, there was the prospect of Mo's children.

After assuring one of the guards that she wasn't her brother playing some kind of gender-bending trick again (she also made a note to ask him of this personally. The idea was a bit bazaar to hear about, but it did explain all the weird looks she kept getting) she managed to gather small bits of the kids' whereabouts.

Wild Moon was spending his time with his new family and doing what he can about the tree. He seemed to have his hands full at the moment and it was probably best to leave him be for the moment. Moonlight Shadow was still recovering over something that had happened some time ago. Though the infirmary wasn't too far, the healers there tended to frown upon strange visitors without speaking to the direct families first. Even though she was a direct family member, she still didn't quite believe she was known to be one. Her presence in the tree was still rather new and the healers might be a little weary of her presence for the time being.

That left Twinkletoes. The only one that everyone seemed to cast a worried eye over. The one in the branches above. She'd heard whispers and rumors that this child was something special. One of the very few allowed to stay outdoors past curfew because of a... "condition"...

This got Mona curious. Was she allergic to something? Was she deformed?

One thing was for certain, she knew that being out on the branches by yourself day in and day out could get rather lonely. She'd spent many a night in her own tree-home wishing for someone to talk to. Or at least someone to just talk to her. Granny Smith was a blessing in disguise. She may have been chatty and sometimes a little wild and crazy, but she at least made the nights fun and bearable.

It was settled. Mona head towards the top and slipped out onto the upper branches. She popped out not too far from a young faun... fox...? Mona shook her head. The glittering hair was enough of a giveaway at this point. This had to be Twinkletoes. She'd caught glimpses of Princess Luna and her hair was amazing and shimmery. This had to be a child of hers. The wild dog spotting like hers was another dead giveaway.

Steeling herself, and reminding herself to not look down, Mona began climbing to close the gap. She had some practice back home. She defied logic in becoming an expert tree climber with hooves. Something about trees.... Just climbing them made her giddy inside.

As nimble as she could, she stopped a branch away from the apparently sad looking faun and tilted her head.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked softly, hoping she wouldn't startle her niece.  

[Seruta]

Twinkletoes nearly jumped. The voice she had expected was not that feminine! Though oddly, held the same inflection and gesture in wanting to sit down with her that she had expected.

With her features skewed, she turned her head, analyzing everything about the female beside her a moment.

At first, she wanted to make a comment about this not being funny. However, there was something off about this one. Nothing bad, just... she smelled oddly familiar, yet strange all the same. This was definitely not her father. So then.... was it...?

Her father had mentioned that he discovered he had a twin. He even made a small joke that everyone believed she was him for a short while. Sadly, that short while was while the explosion was happening so no one was laughing.

There was some slight and obvious hesitation, but she eventually gave in. She scooted over slightly and nodded, returning her attention back to her kneecaps.

Content enough with that answer, and even more so happy to let go of the branch and actually sit which is safer than hanging half off a branch hundreds of feet above ground, she moved in, slumping down beside Twinkletoes with a satisfied sigh.

There was a moment's pause as Mona settled against the tree and looked around. It wasn't much. But it was beautiful none the less.

"So! I don't think we've-" she was cut short by Twinkle clasping her hands over her ears quite suddenly. "... officially met...? Are you ok?"

Though it was an odd reaction, to say the least, Mona truly hoped she hadn't said something wrong or even intruded on the younger's privacy. Perhaps she really did want to be left alone? Why else would she react like that?

"Please...." Twinkletoes whispered. "Not so loud..."

Well..... That... was certainly not what she was expecting.... Not so loud? But she barely talked above casual banter!

She eyed the girl a moment and tilted her head. She watched as Twinkletoes seemed to exhale and release her ears, then watched further as they began twitching to literally every sound around them... and possibly more. Mona couldn't hear them, but it at least registered the dim bulb in Mona's skull to brighten with understanding. So she wasn't deformed or allergic.

Ok. Well, maybe there was such a thing as an allergy to sound... but this was more so a super sensitivity! That explained why she preferred to be outside the tree than in. So many faun moving around in a hollowed out space. Sound was bound to echo and travel faster and louder than it would out here. The outdoors was her sanctuary. Now it all made sense!

"My apologies..." she whispered finally and offered a faint pat to her arm. "I didn't know."  

[Seruta]

It was here that Twinkle gave the faintest of smiles. "It's alright." she managed and looked up at the stars again. "You're new to the tree, right? You couldn't have known."

Mona chuckled faintly. "Right." she continued to whisper. "That doesn't stop all the weird looks though."

"Let me start over." She shifted a bit and offered a hand in gesture to shake. "Hi. I'm Mona."

She allowed a faint giggle to escape from that. Clearly, Mona didn't know the full reason behind all those odd looks. In either case, at least she was remaining mindful and continuing to whisper. More often than not, others tended to forget as conversations continued and ended up talking normally again. Or in Twinkle's case: loudly. "Twinkletoes" she whispered back and shook the offered hand softly. "Father mentioned you earlier."

It was here that Mona's ears perked. So her twin was already talking about her, huh? Interesting. Especially considering she hadn't seen hide nor hair of him all day. And almost just as much since she got here.

"Earlier?" she then asked, tilting her head softly. "Have you seen him today?"

Twinkle just softly shook her head. "I had actually thought you were him a moment ago. He's been making a habit of seeing me daily now, but I had yet to see him today." There was a moment where both relief and worry slipped over her. "He can be a bit overbearing sometimes, but I do like that he takes time out of his day to visit each of us."

Mona smiled softly at that. At least her twin was a good man. She used to spend hours thinking on the possibility of having a sibling elsewhere on the island. But for some reason, she always pictured them to be her evil twin or something. It could be worse! She was elated to discover it wasn't.

"Seems to me like you're lucky to have him around." she offered with a smile. "He takes good care of you."

She looked around a moment. "Do your siblings ever come and visit? Or your mom?" she asked curiously. Not that she was questioning their love and affection for the 'misfit' she was conversing with, just ... curious.

Twinkle nodded. "Wild Moon has - thankfully - been keeping his little ones at bay for the time being. They're too young to understand my... my condition." She paused a moment then continued after a small shiver. She loved her niece and nephew, but still.... "And Moony... well. The healers have been watching her like a hawk and won't let her leave the infirmary yet. I sometimes sneak in there late at night though. Visit when the moon is high and when Mom is elsewhere. Otherwise, Mom visits me late at night. She and I watch the moon move across the sky sometimes. She says she misses the old days sometimes when we do."

"Old days?"

Twinkle nodded and perked up a little. "Mom isn't from Telrunya." she started, then paused when she saw Mona nodding.

"She's from that Equestria place, right?" Mona asked. "Granny Smith told me all about it. So your mom was one of the Princesses, right? But why would watching the moon make her miss the old days?"

"Mom used to raise and set the moon each night."

Mona blinked a moment. "Wait. What?" she shook her head and nearly forgot to whisper anymore. But she managed. "How does that even work? The moon's always moved on its own." Her mind was officially blown.  

[Seruta]

Twinkletoes couldn't help but giggle at that. It did seem a bit outlandish. Even for her! But the way her mother spoke of it, you knew it had to be true.

"Apparently the magic in Equestria differed from the magic here. Mother would raise and lower the moon at night and her sister would raise and lower the sun at day." Her eyes looked up. "Together they ruled the Kingdom of Equestria and kept bad things at bay..." She sighed then. "Until something far beyond their comprehension drove them out of Equestria... That's how they came to be on Telrunya."

Mona nodded, listening quietly as Twinkle spoke of the horror that drove the faunies from their homes. Or at least, that's how Granny used to call it.

"Granny told me of that." she then voiced, looking up at the moon as well. "She told me it was an uncontrollable and unseen nightmare. Everyone was terrified of it and those that were taken by it were gone forever." She shivered softly and rubbed her arms. That was something Mona couldn't even fathom happening. Much less witness it.

"Of course," she then started with a faint chuckle. "Granny is known to exaggerate things a little."

She nodded softly. She had overheard a few within the tree adding extremeties to the matter. Mother rather talked of it much, so she had little to base the truth of them on.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the shiver and tilted her head. "If you're cold, I won't be offended if you need to go back inside."

It took all she had to not burst out in laughter. "Oh, no, dear." she assured her with a big smile. "I got me some hot blood pumping through these veins. It takes a lot to get me cold." She chuckled a bit before sighing. "I just can't imagine such a thing happening. If something like that were to happen on Telrunya, I'd-..."

She paused here a moment, her brow furrowing in deep thought. "Honestly... I don't know what I'd do..."

Twinkle just studied Mona for a moment. She could see the uncertainty wash over her and she could also smell the slight twinge of fear.

"My father once said that it was the tree that called them here..." she then continued. She paused a brief moment before continuing further. "He said the Faunies were lost acorns of the tree. She could sense their dangers and called them home. He believes that's why the Faunies came here."

She took a moment to shift her position. Her wings being pinned behind her was starting to pinch and cramp. "I believe Laisidhiel called them here for another purpose."

Mona tilted her head, listening intently at this point. "Care to elaborate?" she then asked. "Don't leave me in suspense!" she half giggled. Twinkletoes seemed more of a serious individual and less of a conspiracy theorist to Mona. If she had an idea of what might really be going on, Mona wanted to hear about it!

Twinkletoes was quiet for a moment or two, looking out into the branches as she collected her words carefully.

"I've heard many whispers. Many thoughts and ideas spoken amongst others... There are things happening all around us on Telrunya. Pae are being hurt, kidnapped, hunted... They're being told things - lies and truths alike - that alter their judgments and make them react in ways we can't understand."

She paused as she heard a scuffle within the tree and judged it to be late at night. The Faun living closest to her perch was heading to bed. She calmed and ignored it to continue.

"The day the tree was attacked, I was out in the trees. I was practicing my shift and stumbled across a strange looking man. I don't remember much, but I remember he had leathery wings. Blue eyes.... I remember he was the color silver and... something else..." She shook her head, her features scrunched as she tried her best to remember all the details. "And I remember he was surrounded by shadows. But the part I remember most was that he was dressed oddly. He wore metal on his feet and sticks on his head. It was almost as if he was trying to disguise himself as one of us..."

"Did you tell your father about this? About what he looked like?"

Twinkle nodded softly. "I have. But there's little he could do about it. All I know is that it was definitely a blood pae who was trying to look like us. And It got me thinking... why try to hide what you are when attacking someone or something?"

"So it would be harder for him to be caught?" Mona asked practically. I mean, what other reason could there be in this case.

"Besides that." Twinkle retaliated. "He was dressed as a Faun - well, tried to, anyways - and made an attack upon us at the same time. It makes me wonder if he was told whispers and such about us like we do about the blood pae. I've heard the wants to go out and attack the city. What's to say he didn't feel the same...?"

Mona blinked a moment. "Did you happen to tell your dad about this theory of yours?"

Twinkle shook her head. "The more I think of it, the more outlandish it sounds to me. Still can't help but wonder about it, though. Besides... the last thing I want is to be labeled as a blood pae sympathizer... especially after... recent events..."

Mona nodded in understanding. "Still. With the right words, I'm sure your father won't take it as such." She hoped. Yet, Mona still felt a little confused. "I still don't see what this has to do with the tree having any part in summoning the Faunies..."

"I believe Laisidhiel knows there's bigger threats coming..." she started with a small shrug of her shoulders. "She called all her children back to prepare us for something bigger and the explosion was just the beginning."