You're the only North Star I would follow this far...
"I can talk the talk"
And walk the walk
But I'm always in deep thought.

The grullo did not know why he had come to these meadows. Something inside him, unknown, yet trustworthy, kept dragging him along, like a light in the distance that he felt he should follow. He paused, his legs lost in fog that wrapped around his legs and billowed up into a wall of clouds. He had a feeling he should enter them, but he did not like the way fog obstructed his vision, and instead he stayed were he stood, on the brink of the thick mist. He glanced around him, almost as though making sure he was alone, and then looked up at the stars twinkling with a cold fire. He wondered if they were sentient beings, if they were the souls of his ancestors watching over him as his mother had taught.

He wondered if Gallos, Snap, and Lust were up there, or if they were alive somewhere. He snorted, sighing as his eyes closed and with a shudder he realized that his heart was aching. He missed them- missed them all, and as he thought of their faces, he thought again of the day his world had crashed down around his ears... He allowed himself to be immersed in memory.

Wind whipped his tail to the side fiercer than he had ever felt it, tugging at him chest and trying to toss him off his hooves with a vengeance. He lowered his head, fighting it and squinting through the storm towards where the overo mare had gone. His heart ached with a hollow pain at the thought of all she had done for him. Lust had taken him to find his mother and they had found her dead. Rage clawed at his gut once more as he thought of how she had died- in childbirth... alone. Tio had abandoned her when she needed him most.

Of course, he had not been able to confront his sire, as Lust had needed him. The bastard child that she had been forced to bear had been born and he had touched noses with his little brother once or twice. He had never realized foal raising was such a tiring job, but he had learned differently in the short time he'd been here. Now, however, they needed a shelter. He wondered if Lust could conjure one with her ability over metal.

"Luuust!" He whinnied loudly over the roar of the gale. As he stood there, rain began to splatter his pelt, soaking him to the bone within seconds. He snorted and tried to shake his sopping forelock out of his eyes as he squinted through the mist of water that poured down on them in bucket-sized drops. He saw a flicker of white near the stunted tree and fought his way towards her, the ash sand beneath his hooves clinging to his feathers in tangles. His muscles strained against the wind. he called again and saw her turn, the small chestnut tovero cowering beneath her belly.

"We need a shelter!" He shouted over the din, water splashing into his mouth as rain fell onto his face and splattered on his tongue when his mouth was open. Spluttering, he tried to speak again. "Can you make a shelter?" At her head shake, Tharos sighed and fought his way to her side. "We'll have to sit here then and wait for it.... to..."

He remembered everything. How his voice had faltered as he noticed the horizon change, the look of fear gathering over lust's face as the mare saw it too... A wall of water was rising- higher and higher. So tall that one would have to be airborn to see over it, was curving inwards to crash down upon them. As if in slow motion, the three horses, stallion, mare and foal, craned their heads back to watch helplessly as the wave crashed down with a deafening boom.

Lightning crackled behind it, lighting it turquoise for a split second, the outline of froth shadowing the face of the water. Tharos doubted he would ever feel that much fear in his life as he had at that moment, watching the wave curve and tumble, wiping out everything in it's path. He wasn't entirely sure what saved him. The burning lake was filled with water and snuffed out, surging them in darkness, unable to see the water as it came towards them, filling the basin within a matter of seconds. He didn't know if Lust was willing to leave her foal behind or if either of them knew how to swim, but the current separated him from her.

Shivering lightly, the stallion opened his eyes to realize a gold line had lightened the horizon. Ears flicked forwards in shock, he scarcely believed it until the warmth of the sun reached into his body. He had not realized how much he had missed the light. Letting out a joyous whinny, the stallion broke into a canter, bucking out his heels in celebration. Eventually, another voice came to him as he cantered through the mist and Tharos had not thought it possible that anything could make him feel greater than he did now. No matter his past, he realized- the horse that voice belonged to had given him a reason to live again.

He whinnied to her, answering her and slowed when she came into view. He laughed as she raced passed him and he wheeled about to gallop after her. Thoroughly exhilarated by the sun and by her appearance, he whinnied after her, digging his heels into the earth to spur his thick body to catch up with her.

"Missy, wait! There's somethin' I wanna say!" He snorted, and when he caught up to her enough, he continued. "I can't believe it took this long fer me ter get around ter sayin' it, but anyways... i love ya, Missy! you don' even have ter love me back. but i jus' wanted ya to know... you know?" He tried to keep pace with her as long as he could, but soon he was tiring, and he slowed to a trot and then a walk.

When he finally stopped, he lowered his head to the ground and panted into the dewy grass. "Whew... haven't... run like that.... in.... a while... hah..."

1044
@[Artemis], played by sei
dunno if you wanted Tharos in this one, since I've basically gatecrashed all the Artemis threads, but... there ya go. xD