Nothing made any sense.

A single moment and he'd felt something change. Something he could not name, a thing that had pushed him back into nothingness, caused his heart to quicken and his body to freeze. Bright light. Darkness.

The fog of sleep had touched him and he awoke slowly and without any knowledge of where he was or how long he'd been there, too frightened, at first, to move. Then, with effort, he had pulled himself upright, untwisting his body, his eyes staring at a puddle of not-quite-murky water near him. There, he had seen something odd which made him question himself--Was he not the same creature he'd been? Now, where once reflected were eyes of brown like a doe, there lay in the water a stranger's eyes, gold-ringed and shining with each ray of stray light. Too much... this was all too much... He struck the water as though dashing a dream and he shook himself. Standing, he felt his head throb, and he looked about him, wincing.

The forest that surrounded him was at first rather half-lit, the sun peeking through. It was not until a while of walking that he started to see the sun more and more. He was vaguely aware of the way the trees began to dissipate. His eyes began adjusting to the light, though he still kept them half-lidded in response to the pain of his head. When he finally reached a clearing, he paused, his lips reaching for the green earth. The mouthfuls of green gave him some comfort, his body easing, and his guard fell. That was when new worries creeped into his head. He began thinking of those he'd left behind, worry creasing his crown. Too early to think the worst, he ventured to tell himself, though it was also too early to think everyone he loved was safe...

His amber encircled pupils fell to their orange covers as he closed off the world. Change was heavy in the air, though the chestnut beast knew not what it brought. Perhaps it brought more emptiness. Perhaps it brought... everything.

Mine is a watery pit / Painless with immense distance...

It was daybreak when Evangeline slipped past the dilapidated glass wall that had once been the pride and joy of the World's Edge. It had been a magnificent thing, but now it only served as a reminder of the dark days that were spent cowering in fear, underground while the monsters stalked above. It still sent a chill down her spine and tendrils of fear and apprehension poked at her mind and made her wonder how long. How long until the next disaster shook the foundation of each and every herd? How long before there was a disaster large enough to drive them out of Helovia for good? 'Stop.' Tallis' voice interrupted Evangeline's thoughts and she glanced up at the orange dragon as he flew overhead. 'No think bad.' The orange mare sighed in response to the dragon's instructions. She knew what he was getting at, but it wasn't in her nature to be all sunshine and rainbows. Tallis chuckled and, in her mind, flashed an image of Kahlua. 'Silly queen sunshine and rainbows.' He purred. 'Eva grumpy. Think bad thoughts.' She rolled her eyes at the dragon. "Not everyone can live in a fairy tale, Tallis." She replied. How she wished she could see the world as Kahlua did. She wished she could see the good in everyone, but more often than not she saw their faults and she judged them on it. "Some of us live in reality." 'Reality stinks.' Came the dragon's dismissive reply. The atmosphere between the two shifted quite suddenly, causing Eva to look up at the dragon again. "What do you see?" She asked, realizing that they had already made it to the Threshold. 'Stallion.' "Is he alone?" 'Yes.' As he answered her question Tallis began to descend until he had landed upon the orange mare's back. He moved and took up his usual position on her neck, his head peeking out from between her ears where he knew he was sure to be noticed. Evangeline continued to walk toward the stallion, stopping when she was a few feet away from him. "Hello." She spoke softly, her head tilting minutely. "Welcome to Helovia." @[Far]

How quickly the beast had begun to gorge himself. How suddenly he’d felt the oncoming drowsiness of a meal well undertaken, his lids drooping over his amber-ringed pupils. He had begun to drift off where he stood, a single hind-foot tilted as he balanced and dozed. But suddenly, mouth still half-full, he blinked awake. A sound called his attentive ears--the only part of his body that had remained vigilant—and he snorted awake, his eyes blinking open. A voice...

There, but a few yards away, stood a mare of much the same hue as himself, save for the lightness of her tresses. Above her, lying on her head, another creature. At first, it appeared to simply be a lizard of some sort... but with closer inspection, he found it was one of the kind he hadn’t seen up close but had heard of. The sight frightened him. He gave a startled cry, the grass falling from his lips, his eyes whaling, showing their whites. He backed himself into a tree and got a decent bump for it. The pain of his head now transferred to his arse.

"G-GOOD GODS YOU’VE A—“ He couldn’t actually say it for some reason. The word wouldn’t come. In the meantime, the chestnut mare with the strange orange creature on her back had drifted closer and was but a few feet away in the time it had taken him to just wake up. He attempted to continue backing up until his body was almost parallel to the tree. "A—A THING! ON YOUR BACK! …A-ARE YOU QUITE SERIOUS, THEN?” His head bobbed once and his locks flew wildly. He shivered, rather visibly disturbed. Perhaps the thing was capable of controlling her… mind control? Was it possible? Did they… were they capable of--? Well, they were powerful... from everything he'd heard, anyway...

“I-I don’t mean to alarm you but I… I’m strong! I-I’m strong and I’m v-v-v-very d-dangerous and you certainly wouldn’t—I say, WOULD NOT--like me when I’m angry and… I-I-I can hurt you. I don’t want to, madame, but I will be forced to do so if you—f-f-force me t-to...” He tried in vain to seem a bit less terrified by puffing his chest out and pulling his head up to seem bigger and more er... powerful. It wasn’t quite working…

“Just d-don’t move! I might get that thing off if you don’t move!” He said, still not moving from his own spot. Bluffing like mad, the poor boy didn't even remotely have the upper hand against a creature that undoubtedly spat fire and/or any other element at him. But then, he was always willing to try for a pretty lady... the fool...

Evangeline

Some days the threshold was much busier than others but so far today there seemed to be quite a bit of activity. Lifting his feet carefully over a couple fallen branches he perked his ears to the sound of birds scattering from a nearby tree. Turning his head in time to see the couple of fledglings flutter away into adjacent foliage his first thought was that it was his companion that had caused the disturbance. Kiara... are you terrorizing birds again? Felines. He would never understand what was so amusing about chasing innocent animals around and scaring them half to death. Sighing he turned towards the tree that he had seen the birds fly out from to go see what his beloved companion had gotten into this time. Voices were the last thing he had expected to hear as he approached the area. Who could it be? Emerging from between the trees his silver gaze found a fae and another stallion (if he could be considered that). The mare had from what he heard only greeted the stranger yet somehow the boy stood with his butt pressed into the tree and shaking upon his hooves. Raising an eyebrow he glanced between the two of them with curiosity trying to figure out what was going on. Movement from the mare's back caught his attention as he focused on the magnificent little dragon perched there. A small smirk crossed his expression as the pieces slowly fell into place. So it was the dragon causing all the fear from the newcomer. "Hello Miss and greetings to you all." He commented with a friendly dip of his crown and a smile directed towards all three individuals. "My name is Ciceron." Turning his gaze back to the chestnut stallion cowering under the tree he softened his gaze slightly despite his internal amusement he dared not to show. "There is nothing to be afraid of here, you are safe." he commented gently. As he spoke the flash of white within the tree caught his attention drawing his eyes upwards into the branches. Kiara! To his disbelief Kiara sat perched about halfway up in the tree staring down at the moron who had disturbed her hunt. If the dragon was enough to scare the poor boy it was likely that Kiara wouldn't do much to help with that whole situation. Nothing like looking up to see a predator staring down at you now is there. Before he had the chance to say anything a low growl sounded as she voiced her displeasure aloud. What was he going to do about Kiara he thought shaking his head in horror and disbelief. Ciceron talks Ciceron thinks Kiara speaks •• TAGS: @[Far], @[Evangeline] •• NOTES: Hope you don't mind me dropping in. ••

_{Table by Moonstone Designs}

His response was wholly unexpected and startled Evangeline enough that she stepped back several paces, ears tilted back and emerald eyes narrowed as she watched the stallion. He began to stammer that she had a thing on her back her back before making threats that he was dangerous when he wanted to be. Tallis was unamused at being called a thing and lifted his head defiantly, a puff of smoke blowing from his nostrils. "He is not a thing." Evangeline spoke up. "His name is Tallis." It was the first time that anyone had reacted with so much fear at the sight of the dragon. She had seen curiosity, awe, had experienced an angry reaction for the first time in the very same forest she stood in now. Another stallion made his presence known causing Eva to turn her head away from the poor sod that stood pressed against a tree. "Hello." She said in response. "I am Evangeline the Pure, Emissary of the World's Edge." The stallion, who called himself Ciceron, looked back to the newcomer and she did the same, her gaze only rising to the branches above when she heard the growl. She still found it curious that others could bond to more than just dragons. Yet another reminder of just how different Helovia was from her homeland. "She's yours, then?" The mare directed her question to the unicorn, automatically assuming that his companion was female. "She's quite beautiful." Instantly she could feel Tallis probing at her mentally. How dare she compliment someone else's companion and not her own. "You're very handsome yourself, Tallis." A smile creased the corners of her mouth as she gave in and complimented the dragon. "Definitely." Eva chimed in as Ciceron told the other stallion that he was safe. "Tallis poses no threat to anyone who does not pose a threat to me. He is actually quite friendly to those who take the time to get to know him instead of making snap judgments." The dragon's head tilted as he stared at the stallion. 'Foals don't shake that much.' He commented, making Evangeline's smile grow more amused. "Who are you?" She prompted. @[Far] @[Ciceron]

The orange mess of a man stared out at the lady and her thing through those oddly gold-rimmed eyes, his nostrils flaring in distress. Sweat had built up a dark patch on his back, and it was astounding that, even after all that food, the poor bugger had managed to hold in his refuse. He listened anxiously as the lady spoke the name of the thing that he was no longer allowed to call a “thing.” The thi—“Tallis,” seemed offended by his word usage, or perhaps by his face, or perhaps simply by his mere existence, and gave out a puff of smoke. The terrified man read this as a warning.


He was nearly startled into loosing his… uh… control, however, by the sight of another... A stallion, it appeared. Oh, but no… not quite simply a stallion. A stallion with a bit of an added feature, you might say. Where he’d come from, the five year-old knew of the type of beast he was looking at, but he’d met only a few in his time, and they’d happened to be royal jerks, always going on about how many maidens they’d met. He was quite surprised to discover that this gentleman was not of that sort, at least upon first meeting. A pleasant ‘hello’ and a reassuring word was all the other stallion—“Ciceron,” as he called himself--gave to the lady and himself… and the lady’s… thi--Tallis, of course. The lady chimed in with a similarly kind affirmation to Ciceron’s, introducing herself as “Evangeline the Pure” and an “emissary.” He was about to comment…

But then, a growl overhead.

‘You’ve got to be kidding…’

The chestnut chicken—er… stallion--considered his options. Run? Scream? Piss himself? All of the above?

Surprisingly (again), it was none of the above. He managed to take some deep, soothing breaths and look up. Then, unmoving but for the occasional shiver, he listened to the chestnut lady compliment the white, killer beast hovering above his head in the tree. She was also very much under the indication that the dragon—THAT’S IT, THAT’S THE BLASTED WORD!—was entirely harmless as long as he posed no threat to the lady. “Friendly” even. She used the word friendly. She actually did. It says so right here.

“P-P-Pleasure,” He managed, though his vocal cords were having trouble emitting sound through his slowly closing windpipe. “F-Far Fetched… is m-my… n-name. Or j-just 'Far'... if you, p-please,” he finally said, still shaking enough to cause a minor earthquake. He took another deep, soothing breath and allowed himself to stare at a point on the ground, his head drooping a little. This was, in fact, partially a way to keep his neck as far away from the big white kitty above him as possible… But it was also a bit of an exercise in keeping himself from fainting.

When he’d recovered more air and his shaking had slowed, he glanced apologetically at those around him without moving his head and muttered a soft “Well hullo.”

Ciceron Evangeline

Glaring up at Kiara with mild annoyance it was hard to not see the humor in the whole thing but he refrained from laughing. The poor fellow that they had happened upon was actually scared of the creatures that many of them cherished dearly. When he had first come to Helovia it was a little strange to see creatures of all sorts choosing to bond to equines and their related species. Now it was so natural that it didn't even occur to him that there were places where no such relationship existed. He would never want to change it for the world. Kiara was as much a part of his life as his heart was to his body; there was no one without the other. Turning his silver gaze over to Evangeline as she spoke he nodded in response before turning back up to Kiara. "Yes this is my companion Kiara. She has yet to figure out how not to cause some sort of trouble or another." He commented lightly. Hearing her name finally introduced the tigress slowly made her way down onto the lower branches of the tree before leaping over the one who had disturbed her lunch landing and sauntering over to her bonded. She loved it when others complimented her and was never one to turn up the opportunity to greet others. Arching her black and white striped back ever so slightly she rubbed up against her grey's legs affectionately as if nothing had happened before turning her striking blue eyes to Evangeline and then to Far. Leave the stallion alone will you he is already afraid of the world. The only response he got from his silent comment was a twitch of the feline's tail. Sighing he turned back to Far. "Welcome to Helovia Far." He commented with a kind smile. It was a little strange to find someone so scared of the world but he guessed that everyone had their fears. It just so happened that for this fellow it included most things. He was sure going to have fun meeting others around here he thought with amusement. "Helovia is home to many different species that are not all that common to other areas of the world. Tallis is one of many dragons around along with many other creatures and species that choose to bond with us as companions. Kiara bonded with me and still exhibits all her natural abilities but would not hurt someone without cause. Magic also exists here within the lands so there are many strange and unusual occurances around." Attempting to explain a little bit of the wonders or fears that Far might experience he hoped to prepare him for whatever else might pop up unexpectedly. Looking to Evangeline in case she wanted to add in anything that may be of help he continued briefly. " I reside from one of the four herds here in Helovia called the Hidden Falls which you are more than welcome to come join if you wanted to. If you would like i'm sure we could show you around a little bit?" Ciceron talks Ciceron thinks Kiara speaks •• TAGS: @[Far], @[Evangeline] •• NOTES: <3 ••

_{Table by Moonstone Designs}

"Poor guy," Rei felt rude, she had been observing Far's welcome into the Threshold for a few moments and it was obvious that he was rather shaken up.

"I am Rei, from Dragon's Throat. Although I suppose it has to sound like a rather unappealing place judging by your reaction to Tallis." She chuckled warmly, hoping that her playful tone of voice would be noticed by the stallion who called himself Far. "Welcome to Helovia Far, I am sure that you will go far." Wincing she chastised herself. What would she do if the already nervous stallion thought she was picking on him? "I am sorry, I am sure that you haven't ever heard that one before. But honestly, you will love it here in Helovia. It is a lot to adjust to, that is for sure. Each day brings a new wonder. The opportunities that will find here are as countless as the stars."

"Hello there," Rei turned to the other stallion present. He was one that was impossible to be ignored. He had a charisma to him that demanded he be noticed. "Hidden Falls? Africa has told me that I should visit your home. I have been meaning to but haven't made it yet. Although I have tried to make my way there only to get lost a few times. Hidden Falls certainly is a suitable name.

Maybe you could tell me how to get there? I have the worst sense of direction. May have the wings of a bird, but the similarities end there. My sense of direction is terrible and my singing is even worse." She winked and flashed a face splitting grin.

"Your companions are lovely!" Rei crooned, more so saying the words for the dragon and the tiger than their bonded. "I simply cannot wait until I am able to have my own companion. It must be wonderful." Dreamily she allowed her words to trail off.

"Hello," she murmured to the only other mare as she came to stand beside her. "Your eyes are beautiful. I bet the stallions chase after you after getting a good glimpse into them. I always wanted blue eyes, but after seeing yours I think that I would be delighted to have a blue and a green." Laughing she tilted her head and once again smiled at Far. Although she was delighted to have came across two other Helovians her goal here was to help the nervous stallion become comfortable with at least one of those who had came to greet him. He simply did not seem like one that would function well as an outcast.

OOC: I hope it is okay that I drop in and that Rei was able to overhear some of the names and conversation. If it isn't I can edit it, I just could not resist this thread any longer.

x - x

You see her when you close your eyes Maybe one day you'll understand why Evangeline smiled as Ciceron introduced his companion. "I don't believe they ever grow out of the trouble-making phase." She admitted. In a sense companions were exactly like children. They had to be taught right from wrong, how to communicate, how to behave in social situations. But the similarities to children ended there, because a companion's very existence was tied into the soul of the bonded. No matter how much a mother or father could love their children their souls would not be torn apart with the death of a child. They would not be condemned to a life of absolute loneliness and total gut wrenching misery and remorse. As the shaking stallion began to introduce himself another individual made her way onto the scene, much to Tallis' dismay. He preferred one on one interactions where he could closely monitor the individual that was making conversation with his bonded. Having more than one horse to watch made the dragon grow wary, his black eyes trailing the winged mare as she moved, eventually coming to a rest beside his bonded. He was suspicious of her compliment to his bonded, but Evangeline brushed aside the dragon's suspicion even if she was a bit uncomfortable with the compliment. At least she was with the part about stallions chasing her. Stallions chasing her? The idea of it was laughable. "Thank you." She said instead before realizing that Ciceron was already inviting the newcomer to the Falls. "You're in, what Helovians call, The Threshold." She said as she took a step toward the newcomer. "Representatives from Helovia's different herds often frequent this forest in search of wanderers and offer them homes within the borders of their respective herds. I come from the World's Edge a land governed by Kaj the Stormbringer and Kahlua the Sunshower. Their ultimate goal is to bring peace to the herds of Helovia and so their borders are open to those with kind hearts..." She let her words linger to let the newcomer decide if the Edge would suit him and to also let the pegasus mare speak of her own herd to try and sway Far's decision. Part of her suspected that he would be overwhelmed and would run headlong into the life of an outcast. "."

After yet another arrived, this one with the flappy appendages of a bird, Far made himself stand straighter. It was almost as though her impressive appearance made Far feel rather small, and he battled this feeling with a change in posture. He allowed his natural fight-or-“flight” (ehehehurr) response to settle itself into a semblance of calm, and had watched the black and white tigress, Kiara, sail over him with a gulp but also without breaking off into a sprint. At the moment, that was a small victory. The fear was rather exhausting, after all, and he’d seen so much that at this point, he could feel the desire to rest taking the better of him. In fact, he was probably dreaming anyway, and as long as he kept his eyes peeled, he’d probably be fine… He had fought off pumas before while protecting his herd, after all. Granted, tigers are a bit bigger and don’t breathe fire like some things…

“I-I’m…” He broke off, trying to find the words. He took a deep breath and closed his wild eyes, bowing his head to those present by way of greeting. “I’m… pleased to meet you all.”

Then, he considered.

The most recent lady—Rei, the spotted, winged one--seemed pleasant. Her joke about his name was, well, certainly worth a smile, though Far felt too nervous to give her more than a half-hearted try. He appreciated her effort to make him feel welcome, and though he was rather perturbed by the largeness of her wingspan, he allowed himself to tolerate what he did not quite understand. She was certainly aware of the other two before him, though. Knew all about them. Just how long had she been sneaking about, anyway? Far looked sideways at the winged mare, a tad uncertain.

Next, his eyes fell to Ciceron, the grey horned stallion, and his “companion” as he’d called her, Kiara. The kindness of the grey’s eyes made the chestnut brute feel slightly more comfortable, though his awareness of so much also made Far feel a bit stupid and silly (not that it wasn’t a common feeling). Far was certain the stallion had much to teach him, and while he was very anxious to learn something, he also wasn’t quite sure if he was capable of learning it... The cat also freaked him out a bit, though certainly that wasn’t through any fault of her own… Except maybe because of the growling. Other than that, though--Oh, and the jumping over his head. But that was it… Wait, and the way she looked at him. And maybe—

Far looked at the first lady who had appeared before him, the equine emissary, Evangeline. Dragon girl. He eyed Tallis with uneasiness, gulping down his fear and considering further. Their meeting was not quite pleasant, though the lady was only being protective of her friend, which, in other circumstances, Far might have admired. And, perhaps in some ways, and even in this situation, Far did admire it. A little. But the dragon was terrifying. But small. But still terrifying. He should probably have given the lady a wide berth from then on, but her offer made him pause in a way that the other two had not. Maybe it was merely because she was a lot like him—even the same color, for goodness sake! She also lacked the bells and whistles that the other two had, save for Tallis the mighty over here. She was likely going to be difficult to win over, as he’d already offended her best friend, but then, Far was going to have a heck of a time getting along with anything that was covered in scales and apt to burp fire after mealtimes.

Carefully, he spoke, trying not to let his fear get the better of him again. His fatigue was helping him care less about the immediate danger he could potentially be in, but then, being tired enough to fall over after walking so long and meeting so many very unusual beings often had that impression on one…

“I-I’ve learned much about this land already, and I… thank you for that. It is all very--”He paused to stare at Tallis’ eyes and quickly blinked away in another direction, “--rather overwhelming.” His eyes fell on Ciceron and then on Rei and his tail gave a flick that caused his tresses to snap against his bruised buttocks. Far winced. “I’d like very much to learn what you each have to teach me, though I believe this lady—“ he nodded at Evangeline, ”—might have desired to show me around her home.” He gave a sheepish glance to Eva, his head bowing to her respectfully. He hoped that his following had been her intention, in any case. It was strange, but he found himself rather drawn to her, perhaps out of selfishness. They were almost twins, after all… The dragon still made him uncomfortable though. He was certain that fact wouldn’t bother the dragon at all.

Evangeline Ciceron Rei

[OOC: Ahhhh you guys are all so much fun and I love this site already and you guys are great writers and ahhhh just so much excitement (!!!!!). It was so hard to choose! I hope I get to play with all of yous guys again! <333 Also, I'm sorry Far's being a giant judgmental poop right now. I swear he'll mellow out later...]