the Rift


[OPEN] Just beyond

Aithniel the Inquisitor Posts: 169
Outcast atk: 6.5 | def: 9.0 | dam: 4.0
Mare :: Tribrid :: 15.0hh :: 4 Years HP: 75 | Buff: NOVICE
Zerachiel :: Royal Griffin :: Molten Dagger tamme
#1
Feeding my flame

Aithniel had to see if she could do this on her own in case they did actually kick her out of the Aurora Basin. So, she snuck away under the blanket of night, holding her breath as she passed by the metal sentinels. Those two behemoths Rikyn's dad had made were scary, even when they weren't moving. The temperature dropped as she left the warm confines of the valley, sliding down the pathway to the open, snowy expanse below. She kept her wings tight to her body, hoping to keep warm as her breath turned to white clouds.

She couldn't help the fact that she was lonely. Being here without Rikyn or Erebos was regrettably humbling. No longer did she have two, muscular, handsome boys backing her every quip and snap. But, she had to figure out someway to deal with her feelings on her own, and she had to prove to Zikar that she could control herself, even if the other winged ones could not. Aithniel would not let her emotions take control of her, so she schooled her features and walked in a very lady-like manner in no particular direction.

Why did that feel so off to pretend to be lady-like? She was no princess. She would never be a queen. So why even bother with it? The filly groaned, wondering if she would ever fit in. Part of her asked herself why she wanted to fit in at all, but the answer was painfully obvious: she had nowhere else and no one else but Rikyn and Illynx. They were who she knew and the Basin was what she knew. Certainly there was nothing wrong with wanting to fit in with her fucked up, surrogate family?

The filly kicked snow with a flinty hoof before talking steps forward. Not paying attention to where her hooves were going, she stepped hard with a back foot into a deep spot, and she snorted as she lost her balance. One of her front hooves knocked into the other front hoof, and that was the moment when she discovered her power. By accident. Tripping. Over her own hooves.

As soon as the two hooves struck together, a powerful flame started between them, and it would have continued burning if it had anything to which to set fire. Aithniel looked down at her own feet in amazement, breath lost in her lungs somewhere. Maybe this would be how she stayed? If she could start fires? She grinned and tried it again, striking her hooves and hearing the rushing sound of the flame rise and then burn out.

Aithniel
THE FIRST FLAME BURNED GLORIOUSLY
BUT THE SECOND FLAME BURNS COLD.
Image Credit

But burn down our home
I won't leave alive


Please tag me in everything!

Cirrus Posts: 233
Outcast atk: 6.5 | def: 9.5 | dam: 6
Mare :: Pegasus :: 15.1 :: 8 HP: 69 | Buff: SWIFT
Whit
#2
"Whoa," a voice echoed across the icy tundra of the Steppe, its tone full of honest surprise mingled with a hint of admiration, and perhaps even a shadow of wistfulness. The voice was mine. It was ushered into existence by the genuine surprise that took me when I spied something that stirred a great many feelings within. Fire, I remembered fondly, though sadly, was your element. I spoke to Sitka still, not knowing if he heard me, or if I was simply speaking to myself. I never heard his deep, melodic voice, that reminded so much of my father's deep hymns, reply, though sometimes I felt like it stroked me during my sleep, wrapping around me like a mother's comforting embrace, or a father's protective stance.

Then my dreams became nightmares, as I awoke, to find that you were indeed, gone.

The surprise came from the sheer unexpectedness of the appearance of sparks, and flame, upon the permafrost, the land that never seemed to change no matter what season took flight across the sky above it. The admiration came from one who was born into a land of wonder and mystery, of magic and illusions - one who could appreciate without instantly fearing the unknown, the unexplored, the unlearned. One who, more than anything else, found these things worthy of admiration before hate. The wistfulness arose after the memory of your own flames ignited along your back, the many times they chased away the cold in those would-be-deadly snowstorms. And perhaps, the flames too reminded me of the pillar, the beacon, of my homeland, which, through its sheer familiar, permanent existence, managed to offer me something akin to comfort and solace.

"Hey there, little FireBringer," I greet, my tones friendly, my voice carried from my lofty perch in the skies, my broad wings carrying me with ease over the youthful belle, to land before her in a smooth transition from flight to standing upon the ground. "Pretty nifty trick you've got there," I comment, winking playfully at her.

I wondered what she was doing North, for it was not often one with wings was seen this far beyond the Arch. I had gleamed from my encounter with two unicorns that it was primarily the horned variety who resided North, in the Basin, still - that much had not changed in my absence. I noted the horns that curved atop her crown, and wondered if perhaps I was wrong, again, about the (so easy to make) assumption that every unicorn who lived North was a racist - was she the result of a love borne between a horned one and a pegasus?

There was something that made me want to consider her for longer, something familiar that tugged at my memories. But I wasn't one to simply stand before a new creature and stare her down just to satiate my own curiosity.

I usually just asked straight out for answers, but when my questions were unknown even to me, I opted for something simpler.

"I'm Cirrus."

@[Aithniel]
Cirrus
the Wind Dancer
x - x
as changing as unforgiving as the wind, as bitter and chilling as the cold, as warm and deadly as the heat


  • I enjoy being tagged.


  • please do not feel pressured into mirroring the length of any of my posts
    I write what I feel at the time
    and hope everyone else does the same c:


    Dsiox Posts: N/A
    Unregistered
    :: :: ::
    #3

    Dsiox
    ;





    Perfect white fluffy clouds of snow were presented before Dsiox. The dappled filly thought it must be the most majestic and lovely place she had ever seen. Mountains rimmed the untouched white expanse in front of her. Dark, almost black, contrasted the massive rocks. They dropped off into an impeccable and perfectly white slate.

    A fond smile spread across her dark grey lips. The chill bit at her body and her small egg tried to hide under her pitiful mane, in an effort to create some kind of warmth. Though it was unbearably cold and her limbs were beginning to fade away, she could still appreciate the place that she was in. It was amazing. Dsiox was nothing short of mesmerized with it. She was frozen in place, [pun intended] just staring at all of it. She was utterly speechless.She could gaze out at this view all day if her body would permit her to do so.

    As she turned around to take in all that was around her, she saw two bodies on the horizon. One was coming from the sky in front of the other. Intrigued, for there were no footprints to be seen around her, she wondered what the others were doing here. It didn't seem like a popular place to have a meeting, especially from the untouched, virgin snow underneath her hooves. She tried to soil a minimal amount of the godly creation underneath her hooves.

    She walked as if she were in a daze, head lilted to the side, eyes half closed and almost stumbling. She was just...in her own world. To the average equine this place would be wondorous and to Dsiox it was beautifully unbearable. The walk was long enough away that the others didn't seem to notice her...difficulty. By the time she had reached them she had regained most of her composure and could act as normal as she ever did.






    text text text  
    "blah blah blah."
    dsiox's hallucinations  



                

    Aithniel the Inquisitor Posts: 169
    Outcast atk: 6.5 | def: 9.0 | dam: 4.0
    Mare :: Tribrid :: 15.0hh :: 4 Years HP: 75 | Buff: NOVICE
    Zerachiel :: Royal Griffin :: Molten Dagger tamme
    #4
    New powers

    A voice of "whoa" caught Aithniel's attention, and she stiffened quickly, ears laying flat against her head. She looked all around her and saw nothing, but then she looked up. A pegasus whose coat mirror the sky flew over her, calling her a name, and then landed nearby. Aithniel struggled between fascination and irritation at the way the older girl treated her like a child, and she was quiet for some time, just listening and trying to gather all of her emotions and thoughts.

    Was this a violent pegasus? But she could fly... that was amazing! Aithniel wanted to fly, but she was afraid that if she took to the skies she would turn into an emotional monster. Then she winked. Was she making fun of her? Dark ears remained pinned against her head, not sure what to do now without Erebos and Rikyn here to back her up and speak first.

    The little firestarter didn't really know what to say without her backup, and she blinked her silver eyes, looking at this "Cirrus". Certainly giving her name wouldn't be a bad thing - it's not like anyone knew or cared who she was. "Aithniel," she replied shortly. "And it's not just a neat trick," she added quickly, the expression on her face rather sour. "I can start fires, so that means that I am very useful and powerful."

    Maybe she was exaggerating a little, but this pegasus had a blending coat. Another mare showed up, one without a horn, and that was just strange looking down. Aithniel nodded to her but wondered what she was doing all the way up here. The firestarter really had nothing more to say, so she glanced sideways at the others before jumping and kicking her heels together, hearing and feeling the heat of the sparks jump from her hooves.

    Nice...

    Aithniel
    THE FIRST FLAME BURNED GLORIOUSLY
    BUT THE SECOND FLAME BURNS COLD.
    Image Credit


    @[Dsiox]

    But burn down our home
    I won't leave alive


    Please tag me in everything!

    Cirrus Posts: 233
    Outcast atk: 6.5 | def: 9.5 | dam: 6
    Mare :: Pegasus :: 15.1 :: 8 HP: 69 | Buff: SWIFT
    Whit
    #5
    The girl's reactions reminded me so much of myself I had to silence the laughter that threatened to bubble up within my chest. So unsure, so puzzled, so fascinated and then immediately annoyed at her surroundings - it reminded me sorely of my sister, too, whose normal first reaction was to zap first and think later. Here now, this girl pinned her ears at me, as if we were entering into an argument or fight before anything else - it actually warmed my heart to witness it. I missed being so young, so curious and at the same time, so wary and unsure. Though weren't we all simultaneously curious and wary when it came to new things, no matter how learned we were? I was born into this land of strange and magnificent wonders, I was raised in a herd that accepted all and cherished those who were willing to use their gifts for the benefit of the greater good.. Though I was still able to be surprised and shocked by the powers and actions of some, I was swift to accept these things as 'normal' - for my definition of 'normal' was one that was in a state of constant flux.

    "Absolutely," I agreed easily with the girl's summation of her powers. Fire was a very powerful gift to have control of, but it was something to be handled with care, treated with great respect. I remember stories my father told of the great drought that plagued Helovia in her first year here, as well as the flames that danced along the back of my beloved Sitka. The pillar of fire that existed in the heart of the Throat - the very flames that decorated the wings and hair of the Sun God - they were all something I had a wary respect for, something I hoped any and every creature would hold respect for. "My mistake," I add, attempting to strike up further interest in conversation with this startlingly stunning filly. "It's definitely a powerful and useful ability." I concede, smiling kindly to the girl, hoping to mend whatever bridges had been burned through a combination of my inability to converse and her fire-cracker irritation.

    Another arrives, an equine whose coat reminds me of the pale snowy landscape we are standing upon. I had seen similar before, of the grey motley dapples, but none that had turned into speckles across the face. I offer her a small smile as well, but when she says nothing, and the girl, Aithniel, kicks up her heels in play, my attention soon drifts. The girl seems to more in play, but does not laugh or even smile, so I do it for her. I leapt in step with her, unafraid of the flames that dance skitteringly away from her hooves, used to the dangers that flames posed from my years of dancing with you by my side. "Wanna see a trick?" I ask the girl as I jump, filling my wings with wind of my own creation, making my leap longer and higher than any ground-dweller could ever achieve. I laugh as I land, tossing my tiara playfully, striking at the permafrost beneath my hooves almost in a challenge, inviting more sparks to come at me, inviting this timid yet determined girl to reveal more of herself to the world.

    @[Aithniel] @[Dsiox]
    Cirrus
    the Wind Dancer
    x - x
    as changing as unforgiving as the wind, as bitter and chilling as the cold, as warm and deadly as the heat


  • I enjoy being tagged.


  • please do not feel pressured into mirroring the length of any of my posts
    I write what I feel at the time
    and hope everyone else does the same c:


    Aithniel the Inquisitor Posts: 169
    Outcast atk: 6.5 | def: 9.0 | dam: 4.0
    Mare :: Tribrid :: 15.0hh :: 4 Years HP: 75 | Buff: NOVICE
    Zerachiel :: Royal Griffin :: Molten Dagger tamme
    #6
    You might be okay...

    Aithniel had half expected the older girl to chastise her for her powers, but instead, she agreed. The young filly blinked curiously, trying to keep her strong face on but failing. Compliments were not often given her way, and she was starved for affection without realizing her own hunger. Slowly, and as Cirrus continued to speak, she calmed down, taking a deep breath and watching as the snow swallowed the flames into the cold.

    The smile on her face was so strange and so foreign to Aithniel, that she almost didn't know how to react. She furrowed her brows, trying to align the words and the smile. Instead of seeing traces of disgust and condescension, she saw something genuine. It was hard to trust at first, but she decided to give this a chance. Aithniel slowly smiled back and shrugged, the fine and childish bones of her wings lifting up before lowering back down.

    She was still more interested in learning her new skill, so she jumped in the air, kicking her heels and was surprised when the older girl joined her. Cirrus. That was her name. Cirrus followed through the flames, joining her with laughter and melody that drew Aithniel in, and she smiled on her own, letting her wings stretch for the first time in forever. Cirrus lifted her own wings, and Aithniel watched in awe as the pegasus leapt forward, flying over the snow and landing with such grace.

    Aithniel's keen gaze took in how she lifted her wings, and she copied the movement, feeling the muscles stretch. She took a small leap, and much to her surprise, she felt air moving through the feathers enough to lift her up. Her heart hammered in her chest, adrenaline, fear and excitement gripping her limbs tightly. As she glided, she felt her body weight strain on her feathered appendages.

    Landing, she took a deep breath and stood, awestruck by the way the wind turned in her wings. She tilted them, able to feel the wind change. Was this what flying involved? "Cirrus...." she trailed. "Can you teach me how to fly?" The question was asked in a hushed away, as if she was asking to know how to perform some illegal task.

    Aithniel
    THE FIRST FLAME BURNED GLORIOUSLY
    BUT THE SECOND FLAME BURNS COLD.
    Image Credit

    But burn down our home
    I won't leave alive


    Please tag me in everything!

    Cirrus Posts: 233
    Outcast atk: 6.5 | def: 9.5 | dam: 6
    Mare :: Pegasus :: 15.1 :: 8 HP: 69 | Buff: SWIFT
    Whit
    #7
    The confusion, the puzzlement and tentative trust, was all familiar to me. Though I felt that she was too young to be feeling this way already - I had always been outgoing, rambunctious and unafraid, until you let me. This girl seemed haunted, lost and unsure, in a way that I hadn't experienced until I had lived several turns of the seasons. She could barely have seen her first season - why was she so scared already? And yet, there was a fire within her - literally and figuratively - one that I also recognised, one that, despite whatever fears and troubles assaulted her, I knew would carry her through it. She was resilient, and I admired her for it - this young, barely weaned filly who was still discovering how to walk in this world, held my admiration.

    Shy, tentative smiles finally began to curl her lips, and they only made my own more sincere, more determined to draw out something akin to trust and enjoyment. Our companion is seemingly forgotten, left behind as she holds no wings to carry her alongside our lively dance. I was surprised as the young girl took a short flight in the wake of my motion, gladly supplying a wind that would encourage such actions, glad witnessing what could be this girl's first ever experience taking all four feet off the ground. Some strange sense of maternal pride welled up within me, and I cheered with a gentle whinny at her, nodding my crown and pawing at the permafrost beneath to show my enthusiasm.

    "Well done!" I say excitedly, before the girl murmurs my name in such a conspiring way that I can't help but lower my tiara to her level as I close the distance to hear her query. "Of course," I reply without hesitation, with such an assured air that it is impossible to deny my sincerity. I nod, a kind grin upon my maw. I had to wonder who was raising her - was she in a situation similar to that of Aeolus and Levex, raised by a loving mother who did not hold wings of her own, and therefore no knowledge to draw upon to teach her? With the horns upon her crown and the wings upon her back, I knew she was a hybrid - perhaps she resided with the horned kind, who were grossly uneducated in the ways of flight.

    "Come on," I say, reaching out with my muzzle to bump it against the filly's small neck, an affectionate gesture I hope she takes the right way. Without waiting to see how she accepts the action, however, turn, bobbing my head to invite her along, before turning again abruptly, so that we stand face to face. My wings are stretched out to their full reaches by my sides, and I nod to Aithniel, hoping to prompt her to do the same. "Let's see them, then." I say with a grin, wanting to check the girl's appendages over to see just what I was working with before we did anything else.

    @[Aithniel]
    Cirrus
    the Wind Dancer
    sxc.hu | larfsalot
    as changing as unforgiving as the wind, as bitter and chilling as the cold, as warm and deadly as the heat


  • I enjoy being tagged.


  • please do not feel pressured into mirroring the length of any of my posts
    I write what I feel at the time
    and hope everyone else does the same c:


    Aithniel the Inquisitor Posts: 169
    Outcast atk: 6.5 | def: 9.0 | dam: 4.0
    Mare :: Tribrid :: 15.0hh :: 4 Years HP: 75 | Buff: NOVICE
    Zerachiel :: Royal Griffin :: Molten Dagger tamme
    #8
    What goes up...

    Never before had Aithniel experienced such positive reinforcement for her actions, and she felt as if a weight on her heart was slowly lifting. Who knew that such a simple "well done" would make her feel so complete on the inside and confident. Still, the filly was reserved, so the smile as partially hidden by her ever-present insecurities and fear of failure. She was not afraid of Illynx or what anyone else would think about her choices, but she could not throw herself so completely in this joy for it to only by crushed by even the wrong direction of a blowing wind.

    Aithniel had not expected Cirrus to agree to teaching her how to fly. Such a task would surely take time. Who would agree to offer so much of themselves to her? But here she was, looking into the lovingly open, radiant expression of this mare, and she craved more. The affirmative was almost shocking, and she was glad that Cirrus bumped her with her nose to get her attention. Excited, nervous and filled with anticipation, Aithniel followed watching as Cirrus turned to face her.

    With rapt attention, she watched as Cirrus expanded her massive and well-formed set of wings, and Aithniel followed suit at her urging. The hybrid's wings were small and slender, but then again, so was her body. She was a tiny child, just in the early stages of growth, and she took a deep breath, looking at the way the wind moved through her feathers. The muscles were not very strong since she had never really used them before, and just stretching them out felt good and new.

    "What do you think?" she asked, wondering if she was ready to learn how to fly or not.

    Aithniel
    THE FIRST FLAME BURNED GLORIOUSLY
    BUT THE SECOND FLAME BURNS COLD.
    Image Credit

    But burn down our home
    I won't leave alive


    Please tag me in everything!

    Cirrus Posts: 233
    Outcast atk: 6.5 | def: 9.5 | dam: 6
    Mare :: Pegasus :: 15.1 :: 8 HP: 69 | Buff: SWIFT
    Whit
    #9
    The girl is so unsure, almost scared of what I might do. Though I offer no harm or negativity, she hesitates to embrace it fully - but nor does she turn it away. I admire the strength she demonstrates to overcome her internal fear - such strength I wish I possessed in my times of weakness, where I either picked a fight to avoid the 'confrontation' of getting to know someone, or reveal too much about myself.. But here she was, offering herself to me. I would think her foolish had she been older, naïve perhaps, but she was still a filly - her experiences, however rich, were limited by the sheer fact that she was yet to spend a significant amount of time simply being alive. I was glad that it was me, and not someone more sinister, to accept her nervous, hesitant trust. I would do everything in my power to keep that trust safe.

    I watched carefully as she stretched her skinny little wings out, observing them closely, sniffing the dander that drifted from their feathery folds. There was very little muscle tone, it was obvious she rarely stretched them out, let alone knew how to approach flying with them. I nodded as I ran my whiskered muzzle down the length of one and up the length of the other, my gaze critical. "Hmmm," I murmur in response to her question, my brow furrowing as I consider how to reply.

    "You have the potential to soar as high and fast as you want," I begin, a shadow of a smile curving my dark lips as I imagined her grey and gold self cutting through the clouds of the heavens above. "It won't be easy.. " I allow my words to trail off, before quirking a single brow upwards as I considered Aithniel. "I think you'll be up for the challenge, though." My smile grows ever so slightly, as I turn my body away from her again, stretching my own wings out as wide as they can go, before bowing them out horizontal, then up again, slowly, with deliberate control. It was an activity that generated little wind movement, one that was mostly silent too - few could appreciate the intricacy of the simple motion, but I was my father's daughter, and had learned as many of his tricks as was physically possible before his untimely death.

    "The first thing I want you to do is stretch your wings, as often as possible. Feel your muscles expand and contract," I demonstrate, making space between us so that I can sweep my wings up and down without knocking her slight little frame over. "Flying isn't just about feeling the wind and letting it lift you up - though that sure is fun." As I mention the wind, I encourage a gentle breeze to stir up around us, relishing in its caress upon my feathered body. "Though I could rustle up a wind strong enough to put you in the air, you first need to build up your muscles. It'll hurt, especially in the beginning - you'll feel so tired that you'll want to die, but that's where you need to keep on pushing."

    "Having wings doesn't automatically give you the right to fly."
    I say, a little bit more serious then my previous words. But I soften my words with a smile as I reach out to bump my nose against her again. "You've got to be ready to earn it."

    @[Aithniel]
    Cirrus
    the Wind Dancer
    sxc.hu | larfsalot
    as changing as unforgiving as the wind, as bitter and chilling as the cold, as warm and deadly as the heat


  • I enjoy being tagged.


  • please do not feel pressured into mirroring the length of any of my posts
    I write what I feel at the time
    and hope everyone else does the same c:



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