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 Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 10:41 pm
 Jack stood on the icy cliff that over looked the grisp, green valley below. Many creatures lived down there. All warm and happy. All with friends.
It had taken him days to travel over the mountains, and now here he stood, at the brink between cold and warmth. He looked down at the last few ledges at the ground below. Soon he would step foot on the green grass.
He stretched out his wings, the frost glittering in the warm sun, and took flight. He didn't really fly, he just sort of glided down to the ground. A shimmering blur on the horizon to any who looked to the mountain this fine day.
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Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 10:54 am
 Hotaru stood admist the newly sprung greenery of the morning. It was, indeed, an odd time of year, she thought, to see the ground so vibrant. Maybe it was summers one last attack on the coming winter. "Oh well." she thought to herself as she shook her fluffy mane in the sun. Early mornings were her favorite time. She loved to watch the sun rise; but now that it was over, she had to find something else to do to bide her time.
As with most days, she could return to look for her children. Though they were still yet small, they had grown into maturity beyond the need for her continual care. Besides, they seemed to like it on their own; just like their mother.
Standing ever so proudly, as she often did, she pushed forward as if parading for unseen onlookers. Her pride, often mistaken for vainity, was at its peak when the sun was at its height. Of course, this was the best time for others to observe her radiance.
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Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 12:50 pm
As his hooves touched the grass, the area under and around them became covered in a light frost, that quickly melted away as he moved on under the suns warming rays.
He stopped a moment to nibble at the greenery, finding it sweet and crisp. As he wondered, he stopped to nibble upon bushes, flowers, leaves on low hanigng tree branches, and fruit. All things he'd never tasted before, as he had grown in a world of pine trees and winter berries.
It was while he was nibbling upon a berry bush he caught sight, and scent, of the brightly colored mare. He lifted his head and watched her curiously, his head tilted to one side.
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Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 1:42 pm
Hotaru (y)
Wisping her tail to and fro like a pendulum set afire, she gave her wings a stretch and puffed her mane yet again. Her ear shot to the side. She turned her head proud and swiftly to the rustling she heard behind her. It was a silvery phoenix!
She had heard of them before but only seen the few that were in her so-called herd; but those were crossbred with butterflies. She had never seen a full-bred phoenix before, nor encountered one. As rumor had it, they, for whatever reason, did not get along well. So, in knowing this, she often avoided them, anticipating an unfriendly meeting.
She stood solemn, like a deer listening in the wild, with her large blue eyes pointed to the crystally stallion.
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Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 1:51 pm
His nostrils flared as he breathed. He'd never seen anything like her before with such bright colors. Cautiously, he took a step forward thru the brush, leaving hoar frost along the delicate branches and barries.
He took one step after another, slowly, his wings pinned to his ribs, yet ready to take flight should the need arize. He was unsure how to approach this stranger. Or was he the stranger?
"Hello," he said softly, his breath coming thru his mouth and nose was like puffy little clouds, such as one would see on a cold winter morning when breathing out of doors.
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Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 2:15 pm
Hotaru (y)
"Hello." she said back in a stern tone. Such was her way. Although not unkind, she is a yuma who demonstrates her authority readily. As the frosty yuma moved closer, she stood ever still with every muscle tensed and ready to bolt away if need be.
Keen was her vision and she watched every move this new stranger made. She found it strange that on such a warm day one could see their breath in the air; and even stranger was the frosty hoofprints he left, that quickly melted back to lukewarm blades of grass.
She nickered as he continued to draw near. He didn't appear to be a threat to her, but she kept her stance. She had a few quarks about personal boundries, as most of her days were spent on her own. She was usually a quiet type of yuma and though, not unwilling to meet new creatures, she hardly did. "That's far enough young stranger." she said, again using her stern and dominating tone of voice. "Who are you?"
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Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 10:46 pm
He stopped about three or four feet from her when she expressed her desire for him to keep his distance. Mother had always told him to respect a mares wishes.
The muscles in his flanks quivered slightly. "I'm called Jack. How about you? What is this place?" He looked around him once again at all the colors, an dhis ears twiched at the musical sounds in the air from unseen players.
He was curious by nature, which he had learned was not always a good thing to be. Like the time he got stuck in that stream because it froze about his ankles.
"I've never seen anything like it."
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Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 9:32 am
Hotaru (y)
"Jack." she repeated. "I am Hotaru. And this place...it is the Mystical Realm, or so I am told." She stood with her head high and perched like a cat awaiting a photograph. She took a single step toward to new-found creature and stopped again.
"Jack." she began. "You are a phoenix, right?" she asked with her betwixed eyes awaiting his response, though she half-knew the answer already.
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Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 7:58 am
"I am," he said simply. He lifted his head higher, regally, and tilted it to the side slightly. "What are you? I've never seen anyone like you before."
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Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 12:44 pm
Hotaru (y)
She let out a winnie in disbelief. "Never seen anyone like me?!" she shook her bright, fluffy mane. Rearing up on her hindfeet, she pronounced, "I am a gryphon!" in a booming voice. Lowering herself again, she bobbed her head and dug a hoof in the ground.
Stepping yet closer, she spoke again. "I have seen others like you but they had butterfly wings." She leaned her head to one side and sarcastically remarked, "Are all of your kind as puffed-up and self-centered as the ones I have met?" She gave a look of digust as she pondered the self-righteous creatures; then chuckled as she thought about them most likely thinking the exact same thing about herself!
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Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:47 pm
Now it was his turn to feel insulted. What was a butterfly and why would a pheonix have their wings?
"I know nothing of the one's you speak of. Everyone knows a phoenix looks simliar to I, with differences as to element." He lifted his head high and ruffled his wings, and tossed his mane which glittered in the sun light like so many tiny crystals set afire.
"And I for one think you are puffed-up and self-centered. I try to be friendly and you cavort about as though you were the grand ruler of all things in this sunny, green land."
He turned to circle her, his head still held high as only a stallion could. "And other than your bright colors and generally fluffiness, I do not see much for you to be so proud over. Just another filly thinking she is all that, and a bundle of sunshine. Different package, same attitude. Now I know for sure that the females of my land aren't any different than females of any other land."
He stopped before her momentarily, only inches from her now, and despite that one would think an ice elemental should be cold, heat actually radiated from him. "So, princess, do you still wish to think that I feel I am the superior?"
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Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 6:44 am
Hotaru (y)
Her jaw dropped in utter amazement at his response. And though her first instinct was to become angered at his downcasting, she pondered for a moment with a ruffled brow.
"I think you have mistaken my comment little phoenix." she said in a solemn voice and maintained proud stance. "The 'other' creatures to which I was referring are the ones that I mentioned; the butterfly pheonix. They belong to my herd and up until today, you are the only other phoenix I have met. How could I be pointing a statement such as that at one I have just met?" She folded her wings gently on her back and though her tail was flicking occassionally in annoyance at having to explain herself, she maintained a calm composure.
"I don't know about the females in the 'other lands' you speak of, but I dare say that you are any more friendly than the ones I have met in this land." Fluffing her mane again with her motherly expression. "I have met some fine yuma in this land and some grand gentlemen at that. And regarding my statement about the general phenoix population, I only meant in a playful sense, hoping that you might be different than the others that have nearly ruined the opinion of phoenix for me."
Her mind was realing but she still held her tongue for fear of saying yet another thing which might be misunderstood. She glanced again quickly at the frosty yuma, humbly bowed and said, "Nice to have met you Jack. And thank you for proving those other haughty phoenix creatures right."
She turned slowly, half wanting him to stop her. She never seemed to have much luck with meeting new creatures, but that was partially her fault for excluding herself. Gryphons were known to be very proud yuma and, though she was, it was often mistaken for arrogance and vainity. It was for this reason that she secluded herself.
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Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 7:13 am
"Well," he began and moved to walk along side her, "I have never heard of a butterfly pheonix. They must be from another part of the world. And it seems we have misunderstood each other. You mistook my simple curiosity for impotence. You seem to find it disbelievable that there are those out there who have a smaller view of the world, and have never met a creature such as yourself or of these butterfly pheonix's you speak of."
He dropped his head to pluck up some grass and continued to walk along side her, chewing the sweet, juicy morsel. After a few moments, he swallowed. "So, I suppose you will have to forgive me my temper, and I shall forgive you yours. I also think I shall have to show you that not all who carry the title of pheonix are, as you put it, puffed-up and self-centered."
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Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 8:40 am
Hotaru (y)
As her slow pace was matched by the humble yuma, she continued her walk with him beside her. The warmish wind blew through her mane as her eyes squinted in the sun.
"No. I agree that there are some that have a quite small view of the world, indeed." she said in a very agreeable tone. "And I forgive your temper and thank you for showing me the same forgiveness. I should not let the opinions of others guide my own. I have only heard rumor that the race of phoenix and gryphon do not take well to one another. They say we are proud. We say they are self-centered. Perhaps the two are so much alike they cannot understand their similarities."
From the corner of her eye, she watched Jack as he walked beside her, admiring his persistance and almost bravery at her correction. It was the mother in her. She briefly grinned, but not enough for him to see.
She raised her head and spoke aloud in her common voice, "As for the butterfly pheonix, they are a crossbreed between full butterfly and full pheonix yuma, of course. They are, indeed, a lovely sight and quite intriguing to look at. But the ones in my herd spend too much of their time looking at their own reflections." She chuckled at the thought of such a silly yuma, although from time to time, it too fancied her to do such things.
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Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 10:55 pm
He nodded at this as he listend. "We all like to admire ourselves from time to time. Perhaps because something has changed physically, or just because we are lonely and wish to see a familiar face. But, I agree. Too many are vain. I do not find myself so pleasing to look upon that I feel the need to do so at every refelctive surface I come to. I look much like any other pheonix back home. What is to admire in me that is so different?"
He mummbled a bit from there, as though talking to himself, a terrible habit he picked up in childhood, having been the only son his mother and father had. Five sisters, he had. And all as silly as one would imagine girls could be when pampered as they were.
"Have you lived in this valley all your life?" He asked, changing the subject to something less.... well, to something nicer.
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