Welcome to Gaia! ::

“Just a little bit more aaaaand…” Tsukiyo cocked his head to the side, eyeing his work. Mud covered his left paw, dripping from his claws and filling the space between his toes. His tongue poked from between his lips as he stood deep in thought. His imagination had been running rampant ever since he’d left from visiting the sister herd of his own. The items he’d brought back with her were some of the best mediums for crafting, but he hadn’t wanted to break into those. Those items were to be shared with the rest of the herd. It wouldn’t do if he used any of them beforehand. Which, of course, made it all the more torturous for him. To have an idea of what he wanted to create but not have anything to create it was a travesty. So, when he stumbled upon the tiny clearing he now occupied, it’d been a godsend. It wasn’t a large clearing, really just big enough for maybe three travelers to sleep comfortably in if needed. Most of the ground was covered in leaves and twigs, with few empty spots to be seen. Recent rains had also softened the ground. One section in particular was basically nothing but mud. Mud, leaves, and twigs…This is something I can go with! Tsukiyo made quick work of stowing his gear and goodies in the protection of nearby bushes before getting to business.
Less than an hour later, he stood huddled behind his creation, rump sticking out just enough to be noticed if he moved. He was so caught up in his art that he wouldn’t have noticed anyone or anything approaching. A bad habit that his elder brother constantly reminded him of. “There,” he declared with a flick of his wrist, the last bits of mud splashing onto the mound he’d put together. His tail wagged back and forth. Delight glistened in his magenta eyes. “Mud knight has awakened!” He intoned gleefully to the wind since there was presumably no one else around to hear him. Tsukiyo snickered at his work- essentially a pile of debris with a vague shape of a two-legged being. “Absolutely terrifying. All shall tremble before you.” He walked around the mound and took a combat-style stance before jumping about, making playful little jabs here and there but not actually making contact. All the while he remained oblivious to potential onlookers.

WC: 399

Oblivious to the world around him, Tsukiyo continued his imaginary sparring with the mud knight. He danced all around the little clearing, dodging what might have been a kick or a slash were his foe actually alive. “Oh ho, I see you are well-trained,” he crooned as he parried with a half-hearted strike of his own. “But not well enough!” He lifted his paw and made ready to slash at the middle of the heap. It was as he brought his paw to bear that he realized he was no longer alone. Surprised, Tsukiyo tried to whirl around at the same instant he struck out with his leg. The momentum caused him to spin about until his back was to his creation while also scurrying backwards. The end result was that he sat on his haunches next to his creation, front legs pressed firmly to the ground in front of himself. He stared wide-eyed at the mare, gaze following her wherever she stepped in silent observation. Who was she? Where had she come from? How long had she been watching him play his little game? Should he be worried? Was that electricity he saw sparking from her wings? Each question flitted across his mind. One right after the other in rapid succession. Tsukiyo did not know which question to ask first. Fortunately, it was the mare herself who offered a starting point. Ah, so that answered who she was. Audra- a unique name he had never heard before. It had a rather pleasant sound, if he did say so. And...wait...did she say SQUIRRELS were chasing her? His brow arched. The image conjured in his mind caused a chortle to well up in his throat which he struggled to suppress. “Forgive me,” he said at last, realizing he was being quite rude. A blush crept onto his cheeks. “I seem to have forgotten my manners.” Tsukiyo arose to stand at full height. “My name is Tsukiyo. It is a pleasure to meet you, Audra. Pray tell,” he motioned towards the forest, a faint hint of amused curiosity lighting his tone, “Why were you being chased by a squirrel?”

WC: 357

Tsukiyo listened raptly to Audra’s explanation, brow arching upon hearing of her ancestral gift. He crept a tad closer as she began to demonstrate her talent. “Oh my,” the stallion breathed, staring with wide eyes, intrigued by the sight and sound of static coursing throughout her fur. “That is a rather...striking gift.” He chortled as he raised his gaze to meet her once more. His brother might have chided him for making such a terrible pun at expense of the mare, but Miakoda was not here and Tsukiyo suspected she might appreciate the humor. “I dare say it shocked the squirrel in more ways than the one,” he added before belting out a hearty laugh. If he had to guess, the squirrel Audra had encountered was the one in same he had encountered as a foal. The little guy did not take kindly to interaction of any sort, especially the kind which interfered directly with his day to day activities. It had taken a long time for the squirrel to accept his apology. Sometimes he wondered if he actually had. “Please don’t take it to heart. I’m certain he’ll come to his senses in time and accept you meant him no harm. Although, he may be a bit more wary of electricity after today.” Tsukiyo winked. They shared in the amusement for a few seconds. It was Audra who broke the silence, taking the opportunity to ask a question of her own.

“Ah,” he began, chuckling sheepishly. “That is the mud knight. You see, I was returning to my herd with some supplies...some of which are for crafting. I’m an artist by nature so the temptation to use those particular supplies before I arrived was becoming quite troublesome. Thankfully, there was enough mud and debris here for me to use to assuage my creative mind; thus, this brave warrior was born.” Tsukiyo proudly patted the side of his creation. Its head tilted forward as if bowing in greeting to the mare. “The sparring...well...I guess you caught me a tad silly there.” He blushed again. Despite being inherently somewhat of a goof, he was typically more reserved around strangers. To say he was caught unawares by Audra would be an understatement.

WC: 370

The purple-toned stallion’s eyes danced with glee. He didn’t know why at the moment, but to see her laugh so heartily gave him a sense of satisfaction and happiness. “There are certainly worse reasons to ache though…yes?” He asked, his tone light and playful. It had been quite some time since he’d encountered another so willing to go along with his antics; at least, another who wasn’t a foal. His eldest brother was always so serious and tended to shy away from such teasing and carefreeness. Tsukiyo couldn’t fault him too much, of course. His was a heavy burden to be leader. As for their other brothers, well, some were up for the challenge while the others held similar stances as Miakoda. Yes, they were also older now, so there were duties and positions to consider as well. Still, he had to admit that he longed for those more fun-filled days at times. He hadn’t known how much he’d missed them until meeting Audra. The way she simply went along with him… It is nice to have this again.

Grinning, he padded behind the mud knight. “‘Tis no worry at all, My Lady. An honor indeed,” Tsukiyo said in a deep, gravelly voice. He was about to say something about a rematch for the knight when the flapping of wings reached their ears. The stallion cocked his head, eyeing the raven with interest as it relayed the news. “That is wondrous news! Congratulations, Audra!” He resisted the urge to rush to her and give a hug. They had only just met, after all. It would be too forward of him. Yet, he’d be lying if he said the urge had faded. It would be equally false to state that he was eager to see her leave; in fact, a pang of sadness struck as the thought occurred to him. However, before he could fully process the emotion, Audra spoke, throwing a most intriguing proposition at him. Tsukiyo stared at the mare for a moment. The idea of her staying was brilliant! If he had been less well-mannered, he’d shout out as much. Instead, with great effort to keep his elation from spilling over too terribly, he gave a few quick nods. “Not forward of you in the least! I think it is a brilliant idea. It has been a long time since I have had a traveling companion, and the task gets lonely at times. Thus, it would be both a pleasure and an honor to have you with me.”

Tsukiyo couldn’t hide the way his features had lit up. Not only would he have someone to journey with, she was someone whom he felt could match him in many ways. A feeling had stirred. One that he’d never felt before, yet one he was eager to explore. He needed, wanted, to get to know her more, had hoped for the opportunity, and now it had presented itself. Who was he to deny it’s call? “You are welcome for as long as you wish to be…from now until forever.”

FIN

WC: 509