the Rift


[PRIVATE] Medic! Medic! Save my crumbling bones.

d'Artagnan the Nightshade Posts: 364
Aurora Basin General atk: 6 | def: 9 | dam: 6.5
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 17hh :: 12 HP: 68.5 | Buff: ENDURE
Aramis :: Common Hellhound :: Hellfire & Superspeed imi
#1
@[Kou]

serviteur de l'enfer

Snow, Forest... Heaven. The Nightshade was relentless in his search, how dare they take his tiny white Queen, his subordinate turned lover. Yet, not matter how much anger he harbored he knew in essence he had failed her in many, many ways. Had he now any right to call her his Nurse?! They had not spent much time together before her impromptu departure, there was no need for endless meetings at least d'Artagnan always thought he knew what she was saying without the words. Her subtle movements and mischievous eyes, those he still could not read, however, but wasn't that the way it was meant to be? Her loyalty had been the purest and he had repaid her badly. A wild encounter with Lady Night, his inability to keep her safe... d'Artagnan had been aware all his life of the monster that lay within his heart, he had not chains strong enough to keep it at bay and age was making his mind more susceptible to the crushing truth that he had, for a very long time, ignored.

By the time he paused in his woeful brooding, nostrils had flared in exertion as the bloodied stallion finally found himself gazing out across the Heavenly Fields. A pretentious name, or so d'Artagnan thought, there was nothing quite heavenly about it. Not this close to the scheming sun that was finally beginning to set, taking the edge off the overbearing heat, but still it was far too warm for the Doctor's liking. Hooves followed paws and both horse and hell's servant made their way over to the nearby stream, relieving their parched throats and taking a moment to catch their breath. It was only just a whiff of Kou's scent that Aramis had caught, it had become fresher the closer they got to the fields, but as of yet neither soul had yet to lay eyes on the elusive pearl of the Nightshade's eye.

So the pair decided to wait, glancing about here and there looking for the silver mare, knowing that she would either appear or the scent would get colder. If the latter happened, Aramis would go out again and track her down. A sense of tranquility settled over d'Artagnan, he was still nervous as to how she was going to react, but he couldn't hide his pleasure of being so close to her. For a while, he closed his eyes, enjoying the briefest moments of total peace. The calm before the storm.

[throws sticks at icky opening]

image by aud

my heart’s an endless winter
              filled with rage

Use force at your own peril ;) please tag me!

Kou Posts: 93
Aurora Basin Mare
Mare :: Unicorn :: 15.0 :: 4
ali
#2
just put your feet up to the edge, put your face in the wind

As soon as she'd been able to leave the Edge she had with both of her sons in tow. Never before has she ever thought of the World's Edge as oppressing but being kept there against her will after her sons had both been stolen from her had changed her mind and now she felt that if she ever saw the Edge again she'd burn it to the ground and dance in the ashes. The Nurse had swiftly herded her boys to the safety of the Aurora Basin only to find that d'Artagnan was nowhere to be found. She told her sons to stay put and was off again to search for her bull-headed doctor. Kou had half a mind to go back toward the Edge, thinking that maybe he had gone there to finally play hero, but her instinct guided her elsewhere.

Slender legs carried the pale mare toward the heavens and she grimaced as she noticed the sun sinking lower and lower in the sky. She had no desire to be in the Heavenly Field with the moon hanging low over her head. On more than one occasion she'd had the nearly overwhelming desire to spit at the bitch that had forsaken the ones she had originally chosen to live in the Edge. But that wasn't the only thing that made Kou hate the Moon Goddess so much. The fact that the moon bitch had used d'Artagnan to father her son made her hatred even stronger, but that hatred did not extend to Mesec. The boy was only the product of the Moon's scheming.

Kou crested the path and found herself standing on level ground and looking out over the field. The wind carried d'Artagnan's scent and her blue eyes scanned the field as she began walking again. "d'Artagnan!" Where are you, you jerk.

"."
image by imi

d'Artagnan the Nightshade Posts: 364
Aurora Basin General atk: 6 | def: 9 | dam: 6.5
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 17hh :: 12 HP: 68.5 | Buff: ENDURE
Aramis :: Common Hellhound :: Hellfire & Superspeed imi
#3
serviteur de l'enfer

Sir! This way.

d'Artagnan swiveled and headed off after his hound, ears perched forwards catching a voice so very familiar on the warm wind of tallsun. He wondered what mood she'd be in, if his little Nurse had made it all the way back to the Basin to find out he'd gone... Well, one could say the shade was in for some tricky questions from a tiny mare who was much too clever for her own good. As pure as snow she appeared on his horizon, getting closer with each step until he hoped he could finally reach out his nose and touch the velvet pink of the belle that was Queen of his world. Mismatched eyes searching to find the beautiful blue pools he knew very well before a crooked smile formed on dark lips. Aramis sat back on his haunches next to his master, wagging his red tipped tail rapidly in happiness. Ever since the pup's days of playing with Kou's own snowy plume had he adored her gentle, strong presence.

The shade regarded Kou with an examining expression, his years as a healer may not have been to his preference, but he still retained the knowledge the role had taught him. However, it appeared his crown jewel was indeed unharmed and he sighed long in relief, allowing himself a moment to gather his thoughts. "Following me again I see." d'Artagnan knew very well that often it was the other way around. He smiled in tender, teasing greeting, his low gruff voice as soft and loving as he could possibly get it to go. How long had it been since a genuine smile? Too long. Kou... I'm sorry. Did they do anything to you?" On the outside it may have looked like nothing had happened, but d'Artagnan was a master of psychological pain, he knew sometimes the real pain was under the surface.

He shuffled on his feet then, remembering his two sons fondly before looking at their mother with a worried frown. "Sacre? Roux?" His boys. The shade would have been very surprised if the soft hearted Edge had even laid a scratch on them, but still when the smallest doubt remained, he had to ask.

image by aud

my heart’s an endless winter
              filled with rage

Use force at your own peril ;) please tag me!

Kou Posts: 93
Aurora Basin Mare
Mare :: Unicorn :: 15.0 :: 4
ali
#4
just put your feet up to the edge, put your face in the wind


"Following me again I see."

The look on Kou's face screamed that the pale mare was not amused by d'Artagnan's choice of words. They alone could lead her to believe that the stallion that she had given her heart to had not cared that she had been captured and held captive in the Edge with their sons. That coupled with the fact that he had not come charging in guns blazing to rescue his family had left a bitter taste in her mouth. "Well." She began, ears tilting back against her head and her tail flicking back and forth in a way that showed her agitation. "When I was finally free from the Edge, no thanks to you, I went to the Basin and you weren't there. What else was I supposed to do?" How else was she supposed to give him a piece of her mind if he was gone.

He apologized and she snorted then snorted again when he asked if they had done anything to her. "Oh, so now its time to show some concern?" She snapped. The muscles in her petite body tensed as she faced the Doctor whom she had never back-talked in such a way since they had started working together. There was a question in the back of her mind of how d'Artagnan would take to her tone, but there was also the thought that she didn't care. If he was offended then he deserved it for not being her night in shining armor. "I'm fine."

Kou's expression softened momentarily when he asked about their sons before it hardened again. "They're fine." She snapped, her eyes narrowing on the doctor. "Where were you? We waited for you." Did his family really mean so little to him that he wouldn't bother with rescuing them and feign concern when they were free?


image by imi

d'Artagnan the Nightshade Posts: 364
Aurora Basin General atk: 6 | def: 9 | dam: 6.5
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 17hh :: 12 HP: 68.5 | Buff: ENDURE
Aramis :: Common Hellhound :: Hellfire & Superspeed imi
#5
serviteur de l'enfer

d'Artagnan was not by any means prepared for Kou's reaction, conflicts were rare in their relationship and even then they were nothing large scale, even his dishonesty with the Moon Goddess was nothing quite compared to this. It seemed he was now passed the point of return as her ears slid back and her expression contorted into something that truly frightened the shade. He had always known he was a failure to her, for some reason, it was even worse when she confronted him. The more her voice became angered the more his blood boiled and the bile rose, a clever horse would now be on his knees begging for forgiveness, but d'Artagnan was never and could never be described as 'normal'. Bloodied ears mirrored his Nurse and fell back, his mismatched eyes becoming hard with the sound of his heart thundering loud in his mind. He hated fighting with her. The words she threw at him were like whip lashes, a once simmering fire now out of control, but he allowed himself a brief moment to take relief that both his sons were indeed alive and well.

"I had no idea you'd been captured, by the time I did Psyche was marching us the full breadth of Helovia to fight the Throat rats." He paused, choosing to skirt around the fact he had lost too a mere baby in combat, he didn't need another thing for her to throw at him. Swallowing, he finally got to the hard part "when we made it back to the Basin I renounced my rank and came looking for you... So here we are." His voice was hard, his lips pressed together now in a grim line, he had absolutely no idea how she was going to take the new information in. He was no longer Time Mender, he had no herd and the only title he had was the one he'd earned through notoriety. He could no longer protect them in the confines of a safe place, he was an outcast with no solid home. The reason for him leaving the Basin was of his own wishes too, he had never taken her or their children into consideration and for that, he was guilty.

"I also thought marching straight into the Worlds Edge would only worsen your situation. Don't think I didn't want to... I did after all kill one of their members" he added quietly, even the Nightshade knew he couldn't take on a whole herd by himself and if they used Kou or his sons against him, he'd of lost there and then. They'd have him as a prisoner too, though for d'Artagnan's crimes against them, he was more likely to be put down than be kept. It was a situation where for once he had thought about it, perhaps he had been wrong, maybe Kou would have preferred him to fight and die trying to get them back than wait like a coward.

Right now, nobody hated the former Time Mender as much as he did himself.

He watched her carefully, the expression across her face enough to strike him like a real physical blow. "When did you start looking at me like that?"

image by aud

my heart’s an endless winter
              filled with rage

Use force at your own peril ;) please tag me!

Kou Posts: 93
Aurora Basin Mare
Mare :: Unicorn :: 15.0 :: 4
ali
#6
just put your feet up to the edge, put your face in the wind
Kou had not been unaware that the Plague had been gearing up for war and apparently neither had the Edge, so she could not place the blame solely on d'Artagnan, she supposed. Psyche was also at fault for not not being more secretive with her plans. The nurse was also upset with herself for not keeping a closer eye on her sons, but the boys loved to wander and explore the world around them. She had just never suspected that the bastards that had stolen their home from them would stoop so low as to steal children. The pale mare's focus had barely been on d'Artagnan's words, but they slapped her in the face at once when he said that he renounced his position within the herd.

"You what?" She asked dumbfounded that he would make such a serious decision without her. Had he been convinced that she would never be free from the Edge? Had he thought her dead and figured he would finally be free from a life in a herd? Why did her heart feel like it was cracking into a thousand pieces? "Why?" She choked the question out and shook her head in disbelief. "What are we going to do? What are you going to do?" She amended herself seconds after she voiced the first question. She could not leave the herd. She could not throw her children into lives as outcasts. There was no stability and she wanted them desperately to have that because she had not when she was a child.

Kou was still reeling from d'Artagnan's choice of leaving the Basin, but she still heard his next words. Whether or not they registered in her shocked brain the doctor would be unable to tell. She needed to figure out if she would follow the doctor because she would forgive him, eventually. She loved him even if he didn't love her as much as she did him.

"When did you start looking at me like that?"

"When did you start loving me less?" The question flew from her lips before she could stop it. At that point there was nothing she could do but stand there and look at the doctor and will away the tears that were beginning to well in her eyes. She would rather be angry with him still than feel the sadness that was grasping at her heart and strangling it.

"."
image by imi

d'Artagnan the Nightshade Posts: 364
Aurora Basin General atk: 6 | def: 9 | dam: 6.5
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 17hh :: 12 HP: 68.5 | Buff: ENDURE
Aramis :: Common Hellhound :: Hellfire & Superspeed imi
#7



d'Artagnan the Nightshade</style>
                                                                                               Death will know your name.</style>
It didn't matter how prepared d'Artagnan had been for Kou's reaction it still stung when he watched her face turn to shock. How was he going to explain this without sounding like a complete selfish bastard? Which he was and he knew he was. His Nurse was cunning and beautiful, she deserved much better than a monster who was incapable of making a decent decision by himself. The shade was well aware of his inadequacy which is perhaps what made his face twist and his gaze downcast, for d'Artagnan did love his snowy assistant. When she spoke her words echoed the look upon her face and he swallowed hard, not matter what he said next he doubted he could mend what he'd inflicted now. It was almost wickedly funny, d'Artagnan the Nightshade, Time Mender. Yet, he couldn't even fix the tears in his own life. "Because..." She's going to kill me "It's changed, the herds different from what it once was. We made allies with hornless?! And still lost!" The shade sighed, he was not completely blameless for the loss, the reasons for their alliance was to help them capture the Edge, but in hindsight d'Artagnan would much rather of stayed in the Basin than lose alongside heathens.

"Find Mauja, see what he's up to. Find a different path, live freely without orders." He paused for a moment, remembering the major reason he'd left the herd with a grimace. "I also left because I thought you were still captured, that even though it would probably make it worse, I'd have to go to the Edge as a last resort. I'd rather not drag the herd down in that, there was a possibility I'd probably be killed in the attempt, I didn't want them feeling obliged to avenge me or anything." To storm the land that was once his own herd land by himself? Considering his reputation, the shade doubted he'd make it out alive, but in his arrogance and ignorance, he was sure he'd make it a fair way in before hell embraced him.

Her ending question really did sting like a slap and angered him a little, why on earth did she think that? After everything they'd been through together did she really think he didn't love her?! For a while he remained silent, struggling with his temper as he boiled, lids falling over his mismatched eyes. He focussed on his breathing, controlling himself and his inner demons before speaking once again. "My heart will always belong to you, I'm sorry it's a little battered and on the outside it seems as cold as ice. But it's all I've got to give." His gaze searched for her eyes, begged her to listen to the truth in his voice as for the first time d'Artagnan managed to string the words together to convey his true feelings.

image credits

my heart’s an endless winter
              filled with rage

Use force at your own peril ;) please tag me!

Kou Posts: 93
Aurora Basin Mare
Mare :: Unicorn :: 15.0 :: 4
ali
#8
just put your feet up to the edge, put your face in the wind


If there was one thing that d'Artagnan had said so far that Kou could agree with him on it was that the herd had changed. She was still unaware of the change in leadership, Psyche's denouncement and Deimos' ascension to the role of Lord of the Basin. "It hasn't been the same since Mauja disappeared." She finally said. "And it won't be the same until Mauja comes back. The only thing we can do is deal with it until that time comes." It was funny how she still had faith that the pale king would return when he'd spent a majority of his time missing since they'd been run from the Edge and found a home in the icy Basin.

Her face softened a bit when he told her of his goal to find Mauja, but hardened again when he explained why he had left the Basin and his desire not to drag them down. She shorted and flicked her tail again in irritation. "Let them be dragged down!" She said fiercely. "They're already fizzling out! What pride have they got left, anyway?" Siding with the hornless and then losing to them again, allowing their children to be stolen by their enemies. Part of the blame fell on her because she had not kept a closer eye on her wandering boys, but it was always easier to blame someone else for their shortfalls than view them as her own.

"My heart will always belong to you, I'm sorry it's a little battered and on the outside it seems as cold as ice. But it's all I've got to give."

And that was all it took to melt the icy look off of the little mare's face and make her deflate, her anger and sadness all but gone. The doctor had always said that she had a way with words, but he was unaware that he had a way with them, himself. "You're an ass." She said, her head lifting defiantly as she stepped closer to the doctor. When she was close enough she pressed the side of her face against his neck and sighed quietly as the tears she had been fighting back finally spilled over.

"."

@[d'Artagnan]
image by imi


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