Miykael

Miykael is so thoroughly focused on trying to heal December that he doesn't notice when the foals begin to move. He doesn't notice when his son approaches the fallen mare or when his daughter presses herself as close to his side as she can. He pulls so hard on the magic that his vision begins to darken around the edges and blood begins to drip from his nose. This attempt, though, is futile. His magic isn't strong enough but he can't admit that to himself and so he pushes harder than he's ever pushed before. He pushes until his skull feels like it's breaking and then he pushes more.

He pushes until December's voice breaks the spell and he loses all concentration. He is exhausted, practically panting through the pain he'd just caused himself. When his eyes, vision blurry from the near constant flow of tears, finally refocus as much as they possibly can on the grey mare his heart sinks when he discovers the blood still flooding the ground behind her. It hadn't worked. Or, if it had, it hadn't been enough. Which one is worse, he'll never know. But there is no masking the despair coursing throughout his entire body - flooding his heart with a coolness that nearly sends a shiver down his spine. It takes a moment to really hear her, the words registering in his mind several moments after they've left her soft lips. Vynter. The boy is Vynter. As Miykael's own blue eyes drift to the boy, a tear-laden smile graces his features - brief though it may be. His youngest son is a handsome grullo and white, he notices, with eyes of vibrant blue to match his own. On some small level, he resembles Miykael's first son but his gaze doesn't linger long on the colt - certainly not long enough to notice anything strange about his wings.

December calls to him sweetly, a gesture that normally wouldn't have made it feel like his heart was shattering inside his chest. Regardless of the gut-wrenching pain he feels inside, his smile is meek as he meets her gaze. Her attention shifts again - too soon - and his soul instantly longs for it back, seemingly fighting within the shell of his existence to bring her steely gaze back to him. Instead the mare pulls the filly in, both physically and verbally. The young girl goes forth willingly, if not a bit confused and anxious. Fenyx. And for the briefest of moments he is glad she got to name them before she... before she leaves them all. Frankly, they hadn't exactly discussed any names. As much as they'd wanted to get excited it was almost as if they couldn't let go of what happened to Merialeth. They didn't want to face it (or maybe she knew that he didn't want to face it). The names she picked were perfect, of course, but as each moment ticked by he couldn't help but to fear that soon she'd be gone.

Soon, he'd be left to take care of them alone.
Newborn foals that have yet to be fed, and somehow he has to raise them.

Miykael cannot possibly fathom where he is supposed to take them. Indeed, when was the last time he had a friend that wasn't December? But he simply cannot think about that now. He can't focus. As December falls quiet again, his insides lurch until he realizes why she is quiet (and it isn't exactly the same as the dark place his mind instantly ran off to). December coughs and now blood stains her lips, splattering the ground in front of her in some strange attempt to even out what has spilled already. His blue gaze remains locked on December as Carl shifts between the grey mare and each foal. He is fully aware of the llama moving about. Fully aware when the creature huffs at him before returning to December. Fully aware but it doesn't really register. He does nothing except stand there, wishing he simply couldn't feel anymore. It is too much, far too much and every ounce of his being almost hopes that this is all some sort of sick dream. Pinch me he practically pleads, pinch me because I must be dreaming. He doesn't say it outright, no, but there is a hint of the disbelief written cleanly in the lines of his tired face.

Once her tearful, steely eyes meet his, the golden angel comes undone. He crumbles into the sobbing mess that would mark the rest of his existence. In an instant he closes the gap between them. In an instant, his nose meets hers, pressing against her and breathing her in (but her scent is nearly masked by the metallic tang of her blood and his nostrils crinkle in protest). As she shifts to press her face against his chest, his nose presses into the mess of her mane (it may, indeed, be messy and tangled but it is his and to him it is delightful). Soon, the mare is speaking again and her words form a lump in his throat, so easily restarting the flow of tears which only furthers the incessant ache in his skull. It doesn't take him long to figure out the intent of her speech. Every bit of it is as clear as day and it makes him want to recoil, to fight and deny that she isn't going to make it. He wants to scream, to tell her not to be silly, to tell her that she is fine and she just needs rest. But he knows it's illogical. The healer in him sees the pool of blood behind her and he knows, he knows that amount of blood loss is too great to bounce back from. He knows this is the end of her but he doesn't want it to be. They aren't done yet.

They're only just getting started.

He lays himself down before her while she talks and he wordlessly drapes his head over her neck, gently pulling her into a hug. "I will love you forever.." he murmurs against the flesh of her neck as she says goodbye. Then, all too soon, he feels her go limp. Her breath no longer comes and her heart stills in her chest. He embraces her for as long as he can before the weight of her limp body pulls her away and her head flops unceremoniously onto the hard ground. Tallsun's light and heat suddenly feels so bland and cold with her gone. All he can do for the moment is press his face into her shoulder and cry. He has to get up, he has to move on. He knows, not for his sake but for the sake of their children. What he can't figure out right now is how.

I wanna live with you, even when we're ghosts
'cause you were always there for me when I needed you most
            just say you won't let go