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 Posted: Sat May 19, 2007 1:30 pm
 They'd been heading this way for a couple of days now. It was out of their way, it was true, but something had told them both to go and so they were going. Iona wasn't the sort to question an impulse.
In her long absence from the area, she'd forgotten how beautiful Shrilal could be. Perhaps they would get as far as her tree before they reached their destination: she wanted Diego to see it some day. It was a place she was proud to call her own. She'd often brought Libra to see it on special days - maybe she'd even find her again, if by chance the little Bae had decided to look for her at her tree -
Tree.
Oh, gods, tree.
Iona stopped dead in her tracks. She'd never been to this spot in her life, but she knew exactly what it was. This tree - the two trunks entwined and melded into one - it was hers. Hers and...and his.
And these two...three...fourfive...six fruits...
"...'An'some!" she called, still staring in wonder at her unborn children. "Come look, come see - they're bee-yoooo-tiful!"
Because they were. Every single one had familiar marks and colours, little echoes of one or both parents. She could see little tributes to her face-markings, to Diego's regal gold, to her rich purple, all complimenting one another perfectly - what a brood they were! And, what was better, they were theirs!
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Posted: Sun May 20, 2007 11:41 am
And then he saw what Iona had seen and there was no denying the resemblance the twining tree and growing fruits bore to the pair of Jala.
The blue-eyed stallion stared. "Oh my Gods." He and she and... Oh Gods. He was going to be a parent. Oh Gods. His father was going to flip, go nuts, mental, absolutely Ritshit.
Oh Gods.
They were stunning.
"Well this is unexpected," the golden Jala managed eventually, moving over to stand beside the purple-coated mare. "Considering their parents," he went on, shooting her a smirk, "did you really expect them to be anything but beautiful?" He gave her shoulder a nudge and his smirk became a grin. "A combination of you and myself? Nothing could have gone wrong." Six! They'd be the envy of other Nequus once the foals were all hatched. In the mean time however, Diego knew full well that the pair of them had their work cut out.
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Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 9:08 am
Iona giggled girlishly at his remarks. "Flatterer. I just 'ope they get your face an' not mine. Hah! ...I s'pose I'd better stay 'ere now, 'an't I? An' eat lots. Tha' I remember. Lee were talkin' about it, long time ago, sayin' 'ow it'd never 'appen to 'er."
A sudden thought came to her mind. Lee. What if she saw the fruits and thought she wasn't wanted any more? And what about Diego? What would happen to him if she met Lee again? Who would keep him smiling and remind him that he was good as well as handsome?
"...What's your father gonna say?"
It was an easier question to ask than "what if I leave you behind".
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Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 3:39 am
The golden Jala gave a short laugh and settled his wings more comfortably against his sides. "I expect he'll start with 'Diego you daft b*****d' and work from there. He's a sucker for foals though especially as he's got older. I don't think he'll be too angry with me..." Provided that he, Diego, was still 'single' and available to be paired off for political advantage. Great. He'd managed to forget about the fact that he still had to return to that life. Peace and boredom, plenty and sickening excess, popularity and idiot fawners. Yippie. He could hardly wait for the fun to begin.
"Still, I don't really give a damn if he is angry," the blue-eyed station went on, ears set back a touch. "It's my life," if only, "I'll damn well do what I like with it." Until he had to run the herd from behind his brother's shoulder in any case.
The feather-winged Nequus sighed and gave his companion a smile. "But yes, staying here is best for you. I'll be back and forth between here and the human lands to gather food... Ah..." To get to the human lands from here he would pass through his father's lands. "Hopefully I'll be able to avoid getting stopped to exchange pleasantries with anybody on the way," Diego concluded, looking up at the developing fruits once more. No bloody idiot was going to keep him from bringing the very best that the two-legs had to offer to their mother. If his family wanted a piece of his hide over this they’d have to wait until he was a little less busy.
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Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 4:31 pm
"...They ain't gonna like me, are they?"
It was a resigned tone for the most part, but it held a note of worry. Iona had never been as strong as Libra, never as kin to the rocks or the cold steel of human knives. She felt things, and they showed. She hated being hated. Most of the time she felt she deserved it, but nonetheless she hated it.
"I s'pose you could...I dunno...just not tell 'em or summat," she offered uneasily. "I never wanted t'be a burden t'you, 'ansome, you know tha'." And she'd never planned to embark on an adventure like this, either - something told her that love was usually a factor, and she loved Libra. She liked Diego, but...love? No. She couldn't.
"I dunno if Lee's gonna be too 'appy about this either," she mumbled. "She might fink I don' love 'er no more or summat... An' I don' like the idea she migh' no' like you, neither. She ain't good wi'boys, an' she won' see you're nice righ' away. ...If we ever find 'er."
Too many things to worry about.
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:43 am
Diego sighed and flicked one ear in an equine shrug. "I don't know. I think you might be liked as a person, but not for how... well how we're connected now. I'm supposed to mate with who I'm told to mate with you see. Being the high blooded chappie I am, second son of herd lord ya-die-ya-da, I am supposed to be partnered off to a mare from another herd who will bring lots of lovely political connections."
The golden Jala sighed again and gave Iona a wry smile. "Still, I doubt father will let this come between him and his plans for me, I won't hide from him. I'll not treat you and our children like a dirty little secret; you and they deserve better than that. I expect father will a way to make it look good in any case; say it proves I'm good at producing children or something. As to Lee... Well. She doesn't have to like me. I mean I'd like it if she did but... but as long as she doesn't try to drive me away from our children I can put up with scorn."
Now there was something he didn't think he'd ever say. Back in his days as the popular stallion with the acid tongue, anybody who had shown the slightest sign of not liking him had been ripped to shreds. Things were definitely changing and, once again, the blue-eyed stallion found himself wondering if it was a good thing or not.
Diego turned his eyes back up to the dangling fruits to distract himself from such wonderings. "I'm sure you'll be able to convince her you still do even if she doesn't believe it at first," he said with an almost smile as he turned his gaze back to Iona. "It would be very hard for anyone to miss how you feel for her when you talk about her. You've told me she's a sharp mind; I'm almost sure she'll know you love her."
If only he could be happy about that. Happy about the fact that, once they found this Libra, he wouldn't even be able to pretend that something permanent beyond friendship could happen between himself and Iona. No. The purple mare's heart was given irrevocably and there was no point moping over it. There were plenty more mares in the world after all and, in the end, one of them would be his mate. He'd either learn to love her, whoever she was, or he'd have lovers on the side.
That Iona went back to Libra was for the best.
Sadly.
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Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 2:39 pm
Diego's words were comforting in part. She hadn't realised quite how important he was, though, and the thought of having to live up to his rank was daunting. Iona swallowed hard. "...I 'ope you're right, 'ansome," she said quietly, moving closer to nudge his flank with her nose. "Abou' everyfin'. An' Lee, if she don't like you I'll 'splain to 'er. I'll tell 'er 'ow good you've bin t'me and 'ow you're a good person an' that. She knows I ain't too sharp, but if fings are like they were she'll listen t'me an' give you a chance."
Somehow it didn't seem like enough. She pressed on, attempting to articulate her thoughts and feelings. "...Lee, she's not 'ad it so good wi'boys. They've bin bad to 'er all 'er life, so...I fink she's a bit scared of 'em. That makes 'er angry an' rude, t'make 'em go away. Once she knows you ain't bad news like the rotters who made 'er life 'orrible, she'll be fine wiv ya. Ought t'be. I 'ope. An' when she sees th' babies - " ...the babies! Of course! "Oh, the liddle'uns! She'll adore 'em! Blimey, I plum forgot 'ow soft she is on scraps!" And now she was giggling. "Liddle foals always melt 'er 'eart! She'll love 'em...an' when she sees 'ow good an' lovin' a father you are, she'll 'ave t'like you!"
Perhaps things were looking up after all.
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Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 5:38 am
As the purple mare continued to speak a smile slowly crept back to Diego's countenance. "Well that sounds promising," he commented once she had concluded. "I'll make sure that she sees how special these little ones are to me." Already each one was perfect in his eyes, each as perfect as the last. He would be a good father them, he was determined of that. He'd teach them all he'd been taught by his own father but they would be free, free to live as they wanted and to take mates when they chose.
After a few moments of introspection on this score, the blue-eyed stallion turned back to Iona. "If you don't mind being left alone for a while I shall go and search out some food for you. I expect I'll be gone quite a bit while the fruits are developing but I'll be here as much as I can, I promise."
He wanted to see as much of their growth as he could; wanted to be there to protect them and their mother from any that might think to harm them. He was definitely going to have to work on his endurance if he was to both provide enough food for Iona and be around to watch and protect his family.
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Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 9:30 am
Time passed and the tree grew. Had the scene been painted second by second, each image of the tree laid over the last, a pattern would have emerged. Smeared purple would be all around the tree, more intense closer to the trunk; the mare standing guard. Through this solid colour would be streaks of gold, the stallion coming and going with food for her. In the centre of the pattern the smear of the tree growing fast and strong with its burden of growing fruits.
On and on this pattern of coming and goings and staying went on until it seemed that it had never been and would never be any other way.
One dawn however, when the stallion was staying a while after delivering food, the scene changed. The six fruits, very large by now, fell from their tree one by one over the course of the morning. By midday they were all down, all wriggling, all preparing to burst and allow their occupants their freedom.
It would not be long.
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Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 8:18 pm
Tiny hooves struck against the fruit. Purple legs struck air as they pushed through the sticky fruit. Out came a rump with an oddly golden tail. Wriggling its body the purple foal shook off the rest of the fruit and then fell plop onto his rump.
Sunlight blinded the colt and he had to adjust his eyes to the light by blinking rapidly. In a rush noises began to make themselves clear. The singing of a nearby bird, a snake slithering through the long grass nearby and the sound of running water off in the distance. A twig snapping drew his attention forward where he spied a purple female and a golden male. Instinct told him these were his parents.
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Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 4:47 am
Diego smiled broadly and trotted over to greet his newborn son. "Good afternoon little one," the golden Jala said, smiling again at the odd little gold tail his son possessed and dipping his head to give the foal a lick in order to smooth the child's mane down.
Turning back to Iona, he cracked a wide grin. "Well we were right so far; handsome little fellow isn't he? You think we should leave introductions and naming until they're all hatched or make a start right away?" Names! He hadn't really thought about that somehow. Oh he'd known he'd need them but he’d never really got around to coming up with anything. Oh well, he’d always been excellent at blagging on the spot, he’d come up with as many wonderful names as he needed to.
One of the three purple-gold fruits gave a particularly vigorous twitch at this point before stilling again. If a fruit could have worn an expression, this one would have looked thoughtful. It began to twitch again after a moment or two but, as yet, there was no urgency to its movements.
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Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 3:20 pm
(((OOC: What are we doing about post reservations and such for the fruit tree? (It's up now) )))
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Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 4:11 pm
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Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 6:27 pm
((I'm around to RP with my foal - are we hatching them in order? so I know when to jump in and post ))
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Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 8:53 pm
(OOC: there's an order? eek oops I dunno.. I just posted XD.. I think it'd be ok for you to do the same..
Oh and maybe for the Journal we each reserve ourselves two posts? We would want to know an order for that first.. that gives us each plenty of room for the basics I believe.. 1 introductory post and basic stuff and 1 for rp stuff? It kinda stinks since we each don't have seperate ones but oh well.)
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