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Another year is soon coming to a close. Yori has been reflecting on her life lately, there is a grand bonfire gathering to welcome the autumn season in. The change of seasons always brings back memories both good and bad for Yori, but she has accepted it all now as who she is. She travels frequently as of late, visiting her daughter near the mountains but she has left early from her visit to head back to her father's lands ahead of her daughter to help set up for the bonfire in her homelands.
As she walks the path, she has now traveled many moons over the years now she remembers her past from her foal hood, her 'teenage' years, to her now adult hood. She smiles fondly and gladly and looks to the sky wondering how life could have been so different if certain events hadn't happened.... if not for her father.
Her thoughts drift to her mother, whom she admittedly doesn't think about very often at all. She made most of her foal hood a living hell, but she remembers there were some tender moments. She loved her in her own way, however misguided it may have been. Bella still taught her some lessons, lessons on how not be over-bearing and controlling and that was enough. She hoped her mother was living well and was healthy. That was all she could do after all.
Her father, she had so much to give thanks for when it came to her father. He not only helped bring her into this world, but he fought for her. He fought to free her, to save her. He helped to heal her even when he still was healing himself. He had been through so much even before her own mother got her hooves into him and he still found the strength to find her and fight to bring her home.
A tear came to her eye as she remembered him coming in the dead of night and whisking her away, how he later taught her how to stand on her own again and to defend herself and then how to defend others. He even taught her to fly since her mother forbid her to fly, yet another way she controlled her and kept her 'locked'. Yori remembered one time she had managed to sneak out and found a clearing with a large boulder. She tried to teach herself to fly by jumping off it but never was able to take flight.
She finally got close to her homeland where her father and his mate stayed. They had already started to get the bonfire supplies together. She greeted them and asked what she could do to help. They showed they had all the wood gathered for the bonfire they were just arranging it to get it ready for that night. There were still several hours before the sun started to set. Yori went to work and flew back and forth carrying logs that were small enough to carry in her mouth. She helped her father pull larger ones with vine ropes the familiars of neighboring soquili that were to join in the festivities had put together.
Seeing all the soquili of different families and herd come together really warmed the heart. It made her look forward to the bonfire even more, made her think of how thankful she was for all her family even more. As dusk came, the sun set the sky a blaze with brilliant colors Yori's daughter arrived at last. It hadn't been long since she had seen her daughter, but she always loved seeing and spending time with her, she figured this is how her own father felt. Shortly after her daughter arrived it was time to light the bonfire. Since she and her dad were the hosts her dad offered for her to light the bonfire but she suggested they both light it together.
Yori and her dad walked with a torch on each side of the large bonfire and carefully laid the torch down, the flames crawled up and soon it was all alight! it was an amazing sight. Yori moved to her dad and smiled, she leaned into him. "You know what I'm most thankful for?", she asked. Her dad, Te gave her a questioning look, Yori looked down for a second and then back up to him, a stray tear leaving her eye. "You dad, thank you...for everything. I love you".
Te was too stunned to say a word, after a moment of silence her wrapped his wings around her, tears rolling down his own cheeks as they hugged one another. Yori couldn't express how thankful she truly was, but she offered up silent blessings and thanks to the heavens for her dad and her daughter. She hopes the smoke and flames would lift them high into the heaven to bless them into the next year to come.

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