A N D R E A S

The land was certainly spectacular, even under the dim moonlight the black dame was able to admire it's beauty. The trek from the Threshold had been a difficult one, tripping and tumbling. However in the end she had made it, in one piece to the land which held a promise. The Foothills. This promise was one thing that had kept her moving, she did not want to waste anytime in reaching these lands. A certain flirtatious mare had found her, promising her that within these lands, her brother lived. How long had she now been searching for him? Was this journey truly going to end tonight? In her chest she felt doubt bubbling under the hope, so many times before she had experienced false alarms, been lured into traps and lies. Was this time going to be different, would this time be the moment where she could finally lay her eyes upon his form and hold him?

She found the border by the scent, here it was stronger and very fresh. Quite a few horses lived here, the very last thing she wanted to do was anger her brother's family. So her slow, exhausted and broken gait finally come to a stop and her honey eyes looked out for a member. Someone would have to invite her into their home, give her permission to search the lands for her brother. She had no idea how large these lands were, she had no idea about who ran them. So she waited, silent as the sleeping creatures, too exhausted to even announce her arrival. No doubt they knew though, surely there was someone looking over the herd. Making sure they were resting safety. Or perhaps it was actually a day hour and they were busy. Working or sleeping, someone was sure to find her soon.

She honestly had no idea what to say, the swirl of emotions was becoming too much. So many times she had experienced this, each time she had something to say, only time time she didn't. The black and white doe was literally at a loss for words.

" "

@[Apollo] @[Ktulu]

I am a fighter
I ain't gonna stop

With the eternal darkness that lurked around them, Apollo could not sleep. His mind twisted and turned during his slumber, ridding any peace of mind that he once had... His mind had begun to grow unsteady, even though the moon had returned along with the stars, heralding a new light, and a new hope... But for the stallion with so much to fear, it was hard to ignore the dancing shadows that seemed to curl and chatter behind his very back.

During the unconsciousness of sleep, he would see these shadows mock and tease him, taking the forms of the ones that he loved and casting them to their demise in the most gruesome of ways. Their voices would cry out, scream at him, but he would be paralyzed and forbidden to help. Apollo had seen the shadows of the creatures that he had encountered since coming to Helovia; the water beast that had almost slain he and Phaedra, the mysterious stag that he had met with Midas... So many memories had kindled in the darkness like flames, waiting for the right moment to strike, to burst and devour him.

It was these very nightmares that had driven him awake, and onward at another late-night patrol. Or was it day? It was so hard to tell, anymore...

Lifting his head to the darkened skies, Apollo released a weary sigh. He yearned for the warmth of the sun, and the light to chase away the shadows. Hopefully it wouldn't be too much longer until the sun did return, much like the moon had. The monochromatic stallion moved lightly through the land and along the Foothills borders, his hooves sinking in through melting snow. Although the darkness reigned supreme, the Medic's internal clock could tell that Birdsong was just around the corner.

"It won't be long now." He murmured to himself, allowing the first smile of the day to spread across his lips. With the arrival of Birdsong would mean the end of the snows, and hopefully the cold. The trees would awaken from their season-long slumber, and the nature-loving stallion would have a constant companion once more.

A breeze cut through the air, carrying a scent that caused Apollo to stop in his tracks. He froze, but not because of the chilly wind. Head snapping upwards, the stallion's ears perked forward, honey-brown eyes searching across the dark plains of the Foothills. That smell... He could recognize that scent anywhere. Andreas. A nicker left his lips, a sound of yearning and full of hope. How many times had he thought of her since his departure from his old home? Since his arrival into Helovia? Since the darkness had swallowed their world?

"Andreas?" He called out, stepping forward through the darkness. It had to be her. Apollo moved along, his nostrils flaring to try and intake more of his precious sister's scent. What if it had been a trick from the shadows? No, no... They could never be so thorough. "Andreas?" His question came again, this time full of desperation.

Please, Gods... Let it be her!

Along the borders he went, his walk turning into a high-knee'd trot, and his wide eyes took in the sight of a dark figure materializing in the brief light. His gait faltered and he stood, motionless, for a few moments as his eyes roamed every feature. A dark coat of ebony, just like his, marred with the occasional splotch of white... Eyes that were warm like honey, inviting, fierce, and a horn that sat upon the newcomer's brow. Apollo felt fear, confusion, hope, and amazement as he recognized the mare who stood upon the borders.

"... Sister? Is it... Really you?"

A N D R E A S

Someone calling her name, nostrils flaring and head turning to the direction that the sound had come from, Andreas waited. Silence fell again, causing the mare panic. Someone had just called her...however they had fallen silent and she could not see them. But it was more than that, that voice...that voice. Her name was called again in a tone of desperation. It wasn't just the fact that this stranger knew who she was, it was so much more than that. That voice had haunted her dreams, the one voice that she had been chasing for so long now. "Apollo?" Her voice was quiet, broken and exhausted. She couldn't help herself, the border was no longer anything that mattered to her. No, just her brother did. Her body was exhausted though, slow steps...slow painful steps. Why was it so dark?! She couldn't see a damned thing! Where was that voice again, why had her fallen silent? For a moment fear pounded through her, was it just her mind playing tricks again?

NO. She would not give up. Seeing her brother meant the world to her.
"Apollo." This time her voice was sure. Soon, oh so soon she would feel his embrace again.

Under the weak moonlight, finally a figure emerged. Her honey eyes studied him just as he studied her. It was as if her joints had locked together, frozen by the very sight of her baby brother. Tears sprung to her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Being weepy would just make this reunion so much harder. An indivisible force pushed her closer, she stumbled a few steps towards her brother who was frozen in front of her. Oh how he had grown, a watery smile lit up her face as she looked over the stallion that stood before. Once he had left he had been so much younger, now she could see the training, the muscle growth, his height had also gotten slightly greater. He know stood slightly above her. But there, in his eyes. Andreas knew that his old kindness was still present. His lips uttered a few unsure words causing Andreas to chuckle. The distance between them was too much, she could not do this anymore.

Being careful not to spook him, Anreas took a few more timid steps towards him. "Brother." Doing her best to hide the tiredness from her voice, the black and white doe finally stopped before her brother and looked him up and down. "Apollo." How many times had she said his name now? None if it mattered though, because it was the first time that she had spoken to him directly. No longer would she had night terrors and wake up screaming his name. Now every time his name left her lips it would be to him. The shock still hovered in her system however. "Apollo...It's me...Andreas." Finally she answered his question.

She would not be able to last one more minute without touching him. Andreas finally closed the last of the gap, placing her head against his chest and moving closer, Andreas waited for her brother to embrace her again. "I've missed you so much." The tears rang down her checks, she could no longer prevent them.

"I love you."

546 words.
Change designs and table half way through. YEAH WHAT!? xD

Everyday's another chance to ignite
Cause I'm addicted
To this universal feelin called life

A P O L L O

And how can you say that your truth is better than ours?
Shoulder to shoulder, now brother, we carry no arms

Her eyes. They were the same... The very same. Those were the eyes that haunted his dreams, that plagued his nightmares and sent guilt boiling into his body like a painful torrent of acid. He had left her behind... She had wanted him to, yes, for his own safety from the ravaged remains of their old home, but he had still left her. Their plans to meet up again had fell through, and Gods... How long had it been since he had stared at the face of his beloved sister?

Too damn long.

Her words were uttered nearly just as uncertainly as his had been, but it was her voice that shook him from his guilt-filled, shocked reverie. He could see the mixed emotion shining within her tear-stained gaze, those honeyed orbs that shone so much like his... A force bubbled within his chest, causing him to move forward, one hoof making the first move.

"Apollo... Apollo..." His name poured from Andreas' lips like a prayer, but they were music to his ears. Finally. Finally! He could hear her voice again, and no longer would it be restricted to his memories. As she moved forward, Apollo did the same, nostrils flaring as he took in his sister's familiar scent. It warmed him, dancing around him and making him feel safe, almost like a mother's hug to her child.

"It's me... Andreas." That was all it took. Just like that, Apollo had come undone. A gasping, wheezing, rather pathetic noise escaped his lips and Apollo stepped forward, welcoming the embrace that his sister drew him into.

"Andreas... Andreas, my dear, dear sister..." His words were choked with emotion, the sting of tears threatening his eyes, but the overo was past the point of caring. This was all that mattered; the two wayward siblings had finally returned to one another. "I missed you too. I was so scared that I would never see you again!" His words were spoken with a heart-broken sense of urgency, as if he had to get them out then and there, that if he didn't speak fast enough, Andreas might just disappear from him forever. Like in his nightmares.

He could feel the touch of Andreas' head against his chest, and gingerly Apollo brushed his cheek against the dark mare's neck, where her neck met her shoulder, repeatedly. Her soft coat brushed against his cheek, and he swallowed, allowing the tears to fall. "I missed you... I missed you so much. I'm so sorry." For leaving you behind, for abandoning you, for not waiting... "Please forgive me. I love you, too."

Playing with colors on the table. All the feels! <3