[PRP] Home (See Inside)

[Summer Raaven]

This is a private roleplay between Summer Raven & Huroggmeten. Do not post without permission.
The soquili involved will be posted here as they start to appear.
[x] - Summer Raven's Teepee ll [x] - Huroggmeten's Teepee

 

[Summer Raaven]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And so two souls walked side by side, their journey not quite at an end.

For you see, they had an eternity to spend together, after all those years.
But now; now was not the time to talk about eternity.

For now, they just wanted to go Home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Summer Raaven]

It had to have been a dream. Or rather, it was still a dream. None of this was real, was it? How could it be? One minute he was alone, waiting out his days alongside his beloved sister, and now...he had her. They were traveling back to the place he so happily called home, and were going to share it, together, as a family.

And they had talked about forever.

In all his wildest imagination, he never would have guessed she felt the same way. He wasn't good enough for her, was he? He was foolish, she was smart. He stumbled, she...glided? She took life seriously, he didn't know which way was up sometimes.

She was perfect, he had flaws. And yet, she saw past them all.

His sister once told him that those who do good in life, without really knowing it, are the ones who are rewarded. It's the ones who expect everything - they get nothing. Was he good, in his lifetime? Bliss tried to remember his past, and everything he had done, but he could only thing of bad memories. All those mares he flirted with, nothing came of any of them. Well, except for children, and...those children never quite turned out so great, did they? He knew having foals outside of a relationship was bad, and he had done it three times. So why did he deserve Evelyn, after all that? She had been the victim, all those years ago - he had been the one to get her pregnant. All she did was try to survive. He had pushed her too far, too fast. He had pushed the boys, too. So why was she here now, walking next to him? Could she see past all those flaws, and into his soul? The large stallion smiled at the thought of seeing Evelyn's soul, but didn't know how it was possible.

His soul felt something though; it did. Whatever it was, was unclear, but he felt something. Every time he looked at her his heart raced. And he wasn't tired - no, it was a different kind of feeling; a good feeling. In his younger years, he loved to run around so much that it made him fall over with exhaustion, and his heart pumped so fast he felt it might explode. But this, this was different. Much different. His heart was still going to explode, but he didn't seem to mind. He had a good feeling.

A feeling of love. Eternal love.

Bliss stole a glance over at Evelyn as the pair of them walked back to his, and now their, home. A smile was plastered all over his face as he was unable to control his emotions. If this was a dream, he hoped he'd never have to wake up. Sometimes dreams were awesome, but this dream...was far too good to not be real. If he had to wake up, he might die.

And so he needed to check, just to make sure. With a small nudge, the stallion pushed the mare's shoulder, and felt her body against his own. Wasn't it true that if one was dreaming, you couldn't feel something?

"Just making sure you're real." He grinned, and pushed her again.  

[Huroggmeten]

How many times had she wished she could just... disappear?
Over the years, amidst the ceaseless flow of time... mistakes, misdeeds, mishaps. Wishing she could just fade away, leaving this too-real world behind, nothing but a whisper of her left... and, in time, even that would fade. Vanish from all memory, erase all trace of her erstwhile existence.
Escape the pain, the torment... the torture.

And yet, she lingered on.

And, for the first time in ages, she felt... at peace, with that fact. It was a thrilling kind of peace, an effervescent prism of wondrous love that shimmered on everything and eased all aches.
Even the memories linked with her physical scars seemed less... potent.

I love you, Bliss.

A revelation, an utter truth, a statement of Always.

Lavender eyes gazed adoringly at her mate, as his antics brought a smile to her delicate features once more. "I'm real..." she flicked her tail so that it cascaded across his rump, letting the silvery strands fall teasingly back in place as twin souls moved forwards into their corporeal future.

There were many things she wished she could change, once upon a time, but now she understood that it was all leading her to this very spot. With him, finally, at last... would she have ever ended up back here, if not for the series of mistakes that followed their first act in this life?
Maybe and if didn't really matter, now that they had each other... but, there was one maybe left that unsettled her: maybe, just maybe... it was too late to make amends with their children.

She had never been a good mother. Was that bond something that one could just... adopt, when a child was long past the age of needing Mom?
She breathed gently, her lashes closing slowly over her lavender eyes.
Maybe... not.
 

[Summer Raaven]

Hmmppfh.

Did the phrase, 'not too long', mean anything to him?

She couldn't help but worry. And worry she did an excess of, until her eyes grew tired and she slept. With a start she'd wake, every morning, and continue her worry until the next time her eyes grew too tired to keep open. It was the same process, over and over again until she began to grow restless and annoyed. How could he do something like this to her, after they had been a part for so long? Did he not care? No - she didn't believe that for one minute; he was too caring of a stallion for his own good. So did he not know? How much she needed him there, with her? She had never grown accustomed to living on her own; those few months she spent searching for him after their mother died was the longest she ever spent alone, and she never really wanted to do that again...so why was he gone? Still?

When they found each other they promised never to leave each others sides again. They'd be brother and sister until the end of their days. He used to say that he was getting too old to do anything anyway, which made her laugh because well...she was the same age and she sure didn't feel old! The mare had yet to even start a family!

Not long after her arrival did he begin his life story, and she hers. He had met many mares in his youth, each one just as pretty as the next, and just as friendly, but it was all just for fun. He didn't know what love was, or what a crush was at that point in his life - he was just living. Until one of them got pregnant, and left him with a child of his own.

That child wasn't the most pleasant of mares, she was unhappy to announce. When Happiness first got there, Vanilla Swirl pounced on her for being a female, and wanted to know why she was with her father. It took hours of explaining before that mare warmed up to the idea of having an aunt, and even still she was a little wary. After her father left, the unpleasant little mare took off for a more enjoyable time, or so she called it, and so Happiness was completely alone.

And it frightened her. What if he wasn't coming back? She vaguely remembered him whispering about finding her, before he left, but that had been all he said. Her. Who was she? The mare tried to focus on everything her brother had told her about his life before she came along, and the only 'she' that stood out was the one who broke his heart.

The pretty one. Eve...something? Oh! Happiness tried her best to remember, but with her brother, it was never quite so specific and easy to decipher - he was always all over the place!

Anyway, the mare wondered if this 'she' he had whispered was the Eve mare who bore him children and then left him for another stallion. He had told her what took place, to the best of his ability, and from what she could gather, the mare...didn't love him. At all. He was too foolish and too irresponsible for anyone to take seriously, and so she left to be pursued by someone who deserved her. As did the boys, in the long run.

Whether or not any of that was true was another matter, Happiness knew. Once again, her brother had a different way with words than what she was used to, and so perhaps...he mistook her signs? She envisioned this young, happy mare who loved her brother for everything he was worth, and wanted him, but not being able to express those feelings because he wasn't aware of them. Perhaps...that was more explainable? Too many times she witnessed other mares in her old herd who loved another, but that stallion was too foolish to make a move, so the mare moved on to the next. Perhaps...that's what happened?

Happiness could see how that would cause heartbreak for anyone.

And then there was the matter of the last mare her brother ever had children with - the mare he never once mentioned. All he said was she gave him children, and left it at that. She assumed he never saw the children she gave him, or her, for that matter...

Why was he so unlucky in love, the same as she? Were the siblings destined to die alone, together?

If that was the case, she'd be alright with it, but first she needed him home...  

[Summer Raaven]

Her playfulness had both surprised and pleased him.

A time so long ago, the two of them were playful with one another, flirting the night away. Neither one of them had a care in the world of what was to come, and both of them probably wouldn't have let it happen if they knew. It was a much simpler time, back when he didn't know but now...there was no escaping the knowledge.

Of anything. Why did he have to 'grow up'? Being young and stupid was easier.

But as Evelyn flicked her tail over him, he was brought back to that night, and it made him smile. He was still the same guy, and she the same girl, they had just a few more years under their belt, was all.

"When we get there, Vanilla Swirl might be there too. She stays with me because she has no where else to go sometimes. Is that alright with you? I do not know how to be a good role-model to her, so I just let her do what she pleases, but sometimes...," he let his voice die off, staring at his beloved while his mind raced with thoughts of his first born daughter. He loved her the very best he could love someone like her, but for some reason, it wasn't enough. And he knew, that when Evelyn appeared, she'd lash out against her, and it wouldn't be fair...to either of them, would it? Vanilla Swirl selfishly hoarded Bliss for herself, and never quite cared how it affected him. "I wish she'd branch out. Ya know...I don't have any other children that stay with me that long...maybe she'd be happier if she left? She never had a Mom, but neither did I and I'm not clinging to my father, either..," the stallion's voice was soft and clear, and a strange solemn tone took control over the usual cheery, foal-like tone. Thinking about her made him sad no matter where he was, or who he was with, but it shouldn't have been like this...even from the start. Where did he go wrong? She was one of the best things to ever happen to him, of course...but why was she so hostile toward the mares in his life?

She was jealous, Happiness explained to him once, of all these mares not being her 'mother'. She wanted her mother back, and that's all it was. There was no other explanation needed.

But Evelyn deserved the best, and so he'd try his hardest to help her understand, and to fix whatever harsh feelings 'Nilla would develop toward his beloved.

"Why her?" He asked Evelyn honestly and seriously. "Why none of the other children? I've tried to fix what I've done, and I'm happy I've fixed it with you...but why does it have to be so hard? I had an easy life, before I knew any of this...any of it...and I don't really regret what happened, because it all lead me back to here, at this moment...but why does it have to be so difficult to get there?" Bliss wanted his boys back, more than anything, the way any father would want a son. In his younger years he'd be much more willing to admit happily that he related more toward mares, but now that he was older and more aware of the world, he wanted his boys back.

The connection between a mother and a daughter, and a father and a son was something that was unbreakable, or so he assumed. Happiness told him that their mother had been her best friend all throughout her entire life, and Bliss wished more than anything to have that kind of relationship with one of his sons.

Especially with the ones he had with Evelyn. Perhaps if they returned, they could all be a family again, and they'd never have to worry about pain of the heart again. He imagined giving them advice on mares, if they needed it. The thought was pleasant, although unlikely, seeing as his luck had always run dry before Evelyn had returned to him.

"I'm sorry I just got so serious!" He laughed, and proceeded to swing his body around to her other side. They could be playful together, even in their old age, and he was going to take advantage of that.  

[Huroggmeten]

Evelyn smiled, even as her beloved grew rather grim.
She felt an odd sort of peace within herself. Its oddity was attributed to its unfamiliarity, rather an any irregularity of emotion; she had not yet grown accustomed to them- together, again, at last- and she thought that perhaps she never would.
That thrill, those little jolts of pleasure and happiness just by being near him. Being around him. Being his.
It was a blessing, a rarity, a beloved miracle that she could never get "used to". They may develop a familiar rhythm, a daily cycle that was regular and predictable, but she knew this joy would never die- even if they still had challenges to face, hard times to come, times of tears and anxiety, they would face it together- and joy would return.

Perhaps, indeed, one of those challenges was... well. Meeting the Family.

She paused, peering at him thoughtfully, and blinked those lavender eyes.
"Of course it's alright; I shouldn't wish to impose upon bonds already formed, especially with your daughter. However..." she sighed a little ".... perhaps it is part of growing up, this moving on?"
She could understand it, being so possessive of this wonderful stallion- but, then, his heart so big, could they not share? Oh, not all the same role, of course, and she could never fathom another mare as his.... Lover... but a daughter- or daughters, sons, family- surely they could share?
She shed the last unpleasant tendrils of certain thoughts about nonexistant mares before the tears could form. She had matured- couldn't Bliss' daughter do the same?

"We may never know why.... perhaps, in the absence of Mother, she clings to Father ever tighter." She had never really had a relationship with another mare, at least one that was not built on quiet courtesy and friendly overtures but went no deeper than good intentions. "Maybe the hard times are to make us appreciate the good all the more.... maybe there is no reason, and it's just hard because it's HARD and we'll never know any different.... but don't you agree, my love? We would not be the same without our pasts, good and bad, and we can't regret nor fret overmuch over it. We are here, we are loved, and we are in love... can we not face the rest with a smile?"

She laughed with him, unable to help herself. It was a natural instinct, to share such a joyous sound.
Together, at last, forever.

Bring on the rest.
 

[Summer Raaven]

A deep breath could be heard in the silence of the old lovers; the stallion had no other pressing thoughts on the matter. His daughter was his daughter, however he looked at it. This was his life, he was her father, and everything in between was inevitable. He never asked for the life he was given; he, like most, just rolled with the punches, and from that came growth and experience. Heartbreak and sorrow. Happiness and adoration. So many emotions in such a strange period of time, and every decision he made, he made because he didn't know what else to do.

Except now, he had someone to make decisions with.

It had always been: if he wanted hay for dinner, he'd go find some hay in the two-legger village. If he and Vanilla Swirl wanted to go for a midnight walk, they'd embark on the adventure together (albeit not without a fight). And now, yet, he need not worry anymore. He need not ponder why his life was one way and not the other, because none of that mattered - he had Evelyn; they shared a bonding love. Whatever decision he made in regards to the lonely mare at home, he'd make with Evelyn.

And that was that. She knew more about proper parenting then he did anyway, right? He had always admired how confident in her abilities she was.

However wrong that may be.

"She needs to find her own life, isn't that how it goes? She needs something to help push her into her own skin. Maybe I could find her a nice stallion, or a friend, or something....I guess...I'm not good at this parenting thing..." Bliss liked the simplicity of the conversation, and how easily it came to both of them. So much time had passed, and so much hurt, but...none of that mattered anymore. He could say anything, anything at all, and she would be there to answer him. Oh how wonderful a thought that was.

A thought crossed the stallion's mind as the comfortable, warming silence washed over the pair once more. If conversing was really this...simple...why did so many, Soquili and creatures of the forest alike, spend so much time alone? His daughter, Blessita, was an advocate for companionship of any kind, and now he finally understood why. You could talk and talk and talk about anything you wanted, but unless you had company, was anyone really listening? Sure, he supposed, the sky was, as were the trees and the birds....but did they care? No. Probably not. Evelyn did, however. Evelyn cared. She would be there for him, and he her, no matter what life trust at them...and now he felt finally, at home.

"I do my best." Bliss put simply, not needing to explain himself further. It wasn't time to dwell on the past when the future held strong.

Listening to her talk was akin to listening to the birds sing. To listening for the voice of the angel you knew watched over you. She knew what to say, even if it didn't make much sense to the old stallion on a literal level, it spoke to him on a much deeper, spiritual level. He'd be okay - they'd all be okay, so long as they had each other. "I love you. You're everything I wish I could be and everything I hope our future children are." The statement was simple, and swift but oh~! He couldn't wait.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Time had seemed trivial as the pair walked on, heading in the direction of the placed they'd call their forever. There were moments of happy silence, others of cheery laughter, but mostly they just talked. Talked about how wonderful it would be, to finally be able to rest and start anew.

To go home.

Finally.

After all those years.

"Evelyn," Bliss whispered, nudging her side as his lavender eye's grew wide with excitement. "This is the place - it's hidden just beyond those bushes. Oh! Oh! C'mon, let's go!" And he left his mate's side to bounce over to the grove he'd called home.  

[Summer Raaven]

"This is the place - it's hidden just beyond those bushes. Oh! Oh! C'mon, let's go!"

It hit her like a brick wall, that voice. Having not heard it in quite some time, the very fact that all of a sudden it was there made it seem like a mirage. She was clearly, most definitely hallucinating, wasn't she? Her brother said he'd be right back, and then he wasn't and now...he was there? Just like that?

The mare tore herself out of her mildly-crazed day dream and stared off into the direction that his voice had come from. He seemed to be talking to someone...or something, or maybe he was talking to himself...she really couldn't tell with her brother. But he sounded so...well...

Happy? Ecstatic? Overjoyed? In love?

At peace.

He sounded, humbled.

Which, to her knowledge, was a rare thing for her 'twin' brother. He was always on the go, always happy-go-lucky, and always ready for a good laugh. And now he sounded his age for once in his life and that made her wonder...what had happened? After he left her to go off into the abyss, what had taken place? Did he get hurt? Did he find a long-lost member of their family? Did he find a foal to raise as his own, did he, did he...?

Find her?

Oh, yes. He found her. Didn't he? His life's goal was achieved, and this voice, this....humbled happiness, this was the result. Happiness smiled to herself, and braced herself for the entrance of her brother and 'her' into the grove that she resided. She wasn't quite sure what she'd see, but she knew that whatever it was had finally brought her brother back to her, with a new addition into their little family and now he'd stay.

"Hello Bliss," the mare cooed softly, an air of light girlishness springing in her voice. "Are you home again?"  

[Huroggmeten]

"I love you too."

Everything, pure... Bliss.

The stallion so aptly named took off, his excitement bubbling after that simple statement that made heart soar and her body seem young again. Oh, Bliss... He knew it, of course, and she would never tire of saying it or hearing those words from him. A confirmation of a truth they both knew with everything they were, and yet... it was nice, to hear those words.

Bunching her hind legs beneath her, she took off and cantered after the love of her life. The tired ache in her joints a distant memory, she moved with effortless and timeless grace into their forever home.

As she slowed, her eyes were drawn to the form of a... a snow-covered female Bliss. Pillowing puffs of white amidst that familiar shade that was all his own, topped with a pale mane and eyes so like... theirs.
Lavender eyes met lavender eyes met lavender eyes.

She smiled, certain of her welcome as Bliss' love and yet still caring enough about the mares' opinion of her for a slight worried tilt to come over her brows.
Not true concern, merely... waiting to see what would happen next.
That familiar twinge of self-doubt was quelled with a glance to the stallion at her side- the stallion who would always be at her side- and her smile grew.

She wouldn't answer for him, but she did not wish to wait. This mare, after all, seemed more like a... sister, than a daughter.
"Hello."
 

[Summer Raaven]

She was just as beautiful as he left her.

Lavender eyes stared directly into their twins, shining as bright as ever before. The mare before them, this beautiful, happy mare was just as important to him as anything else was, save for Evelyn. The mare at his side was his life in Soquili form, but the mare before him was everything he couldn't remember about who he was. And that made her important. She was family, literally. They were, according to Happiness, born of the same womb, at the same time. They shared a home even before being set into the world, and now again, many....many years later, they shared another home. They would always be together.

At least, that's what he had hoped. When Happiness had first come to him, he had no idea that he and Evelyn would be together forever. He had no idea he'd be given a second chance. All he had was the love that he shared with his sister, and that was enough. Now he had two forms of love, in the two mares he shared his life with and it couldn't have been any more perfect.

No matter how hard he tried, this was it. This was perfection. And he was beyond happy.

Looking from Happiness to Evelyn, he smiled at them both. "Evelyn, this is my sister, Happiness. She is from my past, I don't remember her, but she remembers me. She's been....filling me in on who I was before I disappeared as a foal. She's my everything." He nuzzled his mate softly, not leaving her side. There wasn't any sign of Vanilla Swirl in the area, and so it would just be the three of them, and for Bliss, that was the way it should be. Evelyn had just come back into his life, and he wanted her to feel as loved and as welcomed as possible. Happiness would know what to say, and what to do. It would....well, be perfect, he thought again.

Turning to Happiness, he smiled once more. "And Happiness, this is Evelyn, the one I told you about. She is....well, she's my everything too. I love her, with every inch of my body and my soul, I love her. And I will do anything for her, for the rest of my life, just to prove it to her. This is going to be her home now, too, Happiness. I hope that's okay." And with that, he let his mate's side to nuzzle his sister.

They were his girls. Forever and always.  

[Summer Raaven]

As the pair of them came into view, the older mare's heart began to warm up with every passing second. She could feel the love between them, radiating as one of the most powerful things in the world. It was, they were, invincible, she could tell, just by looking at them. Ah, her lovely brother, finally happy and loved by the one who deserved him, and he her. Yes, Happiness could feel nothing but respect and adoration for the sight before her.

"Hello, Evelyn." She giggled softly, watching as the other mare looked to Bliss for comfort. It was good to know that this mare spoke first, before her brother got a chance to speak, because it meant that Evelyn was willing to be friendly. To be, well, the mare that Bliss deserved. Happiness couldn't help but want to be protective, but she soon realized that there was no reason to feel that way....not around these two.

"I am glad, Bliss. That you have found her once again!" Happiness nuzzled him back as he approached her, and then turned to look at Evelyn who seemed to be feeling out the scene. "He's right - he's told me so much about you, dear sister." It had been customary in her old herd to call new family members 'brother' or 'sister' as both a sign of respect and acknowledgement, and Happiness didn't think she'd have a problem with it. "I am glad to see you, finally - he simply would not shut up! I thought maybe I'd have to go looking for you myself or something!" Another laugh, hoping that Evelyn would catch the friendliness and the love that Happiness wanted to share with her - to make her feel at home, like Bliss had suggested. They were after all, a family.

Lavender eyes studied the mare before her, quickly, before it went noticed. She was, much more beautiful then Bliss had described, and yet, she quite fit the bill. She was young, (at least, younger than she) Happiness could tell, but the experience that she had, had done a number on her youthful look. And, she supposed, so did having children. However, this mare seemed to be happy to be with Bliss, as she could tell by the way the two of them looked at each other. It was simply perfect.

If perfection could be personified, this was it.

Happiness stepped aside the little grove, making a clear path for Bliss and Evelyn to follow and make themselves comfortable. It would be a tiny bit more snug now, with three of them there, and Vanilla Swirl coming and going as she pleased, but it would be perfect. It would be love that radiated so beautifully in here, that the space wouldn't matter.

"Make yourselves at home, please!"  

[Huroggmeten]

Sister.

Evelyn smiled, warm and kind; His Everything, and his Everything Too, together at last. Gentle nuzzles.
This, all of this, felt Right.

Happiness giggled, and Evelyn's ears perked to catch the jubilant sound. Sister. She' never known family of her own, other than descendents and those she loved as such, and to be called such by one so... pure of spirit, was quite... pleasing.
She was touched.
Her family grew, as more of his was revealed.

"I am glad to have met you as well, Happiness." Bliss. Happiness. Together, Home. So true, were the names of these siblings.

Love shone through, at greatest intensity, as her gaze caressed Bliss' form. Passion still simmered as she smiled and glanced back towards ... their sister. No ownership in that word, mere sharing and appreciation- acceptance, unity.
"Thank you."

She might as well be thanking the air for being... oh, atmospheric, perhaps- and yet expressing heart-felt joy at being welcomed, being home would never be out of place.
No matter where it might be, this was their forever Home.

She would have been happy to be caught frozen in these perfect moments in time, but where was the fun in that? Life with Biss.
Now, that was worth living for.

Looking towards Him, one brow lifted playfully as a smile bloomed once more. Shall we?
 

[Summer Raaven]

The love that had radiated out of the three of them was overwhelming; Bliss could feel it surround him thicker and thicker with every moment that passed. He was happy, Happiness was happy, and Evelyn was happy, and that was all that really mattered. It was perfect! Absolutely perfect! But, there were matters that needed to be attended to, so the moment had passed, and Bliss took it upon himself to change the subject - he absolutely needed to know. "Happiness, when was the last time you saw Vanilla Swirl? Has she been around recently?" A quick glance around their home had told him no, it didn't look like anyone but Happiness had been sleeping here over the past few days. The only indent in the grass appeared to be big enough for just one body - hers. Vanilla had not come home. "I hope she hasn't gone looking for me, she's worse than I am with direction....." A small smile had found it's way to his mouth at the memory of long ago, as the pair of them traveled when she was just a young foal. It had been difficult to fake knowing what he was doing with her, but Vanilla didn't seem to notice. He liked that about her.

"Or maybe it's that she is good with direction but doesn't want to come home..." Bliss mumbled dreadfully, fear filling up within him as his thoughts wandered to his eldest daughter. Where...where could she be? Had she forgotten about him? It had been a little while since he had last been home...

No! No! Stop that thinking!

He absolutely, 100 percent could not allow the mood of the evening to get anywhere near less than perfectly happy. No! Absolutely not! Shifting gears almost immediately after having mumbled, he perked up - the two mares by his side could not - would not - see his frown! He glanced from Happines then to his mate, beaming a smile as big as he could manage. And then a thought occurred to him, as random as most of his thoughts tended to be - now what? They had arrived, she was his home and they had arrived at his physical home. Now..what? Do they go out again, searching for their boys? Or do they just...exist; waiting for the days to take them into the next world. Hmm. He pondered for a second, before barking, "Evelyn! I know you'd say we have the rest of our lives to do whatever, but what's next? The possibilities are endless, are they not?" A sudden feeling of exhaustion washed over him, knowing he was home and safe had caused his body to react in a way he wasn't expecting, "Oh! Let's go to sleep, I may be young still but I've got an old body..." He never let his aching 'old' body get in the way of his happiness, but every so often it did bother him. Psh, like he'd ever let Evelyn know. She'd worry, and he couldn't have that!

It didn't cross his mind that she may be feeling the same way.

"UGH, when did that happen....", he groaned as he plopped his large body onto the soft grass beneath their hooves. The impact made an echo through the trees, scattering a few birds into the sky and it caused him to chuckle. Since when did life become....so simple? Hadn't it, up to this point, been difficult? Oh! Who knew; all you needed was love.

Love, and family.  

[Summer Raaven]

His question struck her - something she had been expecting, but did not know exactly how to respond. A moment passed before she gave an answer, her heart sinking for her brother. "No Bliss, I am sorry. I have not seen her in a while. Actually, I don't even know when she left. I am sorry, but I had been gone for a few days myself and by the time I returned, she was missing," her voice grew quiet with the words as she spoke them, looking from Evelyn to Bliss for any sign.

"She'll come home. We all do, eventually." But Happiness hadn't. She had left, very shortly after her mother had passed. The pair of them left the herd when her mother had wanted to, and she never looked back. That had always been Happiness' home - first the herd, then her mother's side. Now, now she had a new home...but...when would it be time to leave this one as well? Surely Evelyn and Bliss did not want her there for the rest of their lives - surely eventually Happiness would have to go and live her own life.

Separate from the things she called home, yet again. Was that what Vanilla Swirl was doing?

The mood, Happiness could tell, had been something Bliss wanted to squash immediately, and so she obliged, and did not let the subject go any further. Was that what it was like, having children? The constant worrying, the never quite knowing? Was it worth it? Oh, but of course. Hadn't Bliss proved that, time and again? Wasn't Evelyn's presence here a direct cause of that?

As Bliss plopped his body to the ground, it sent shivers down the old mare's spine. Had it really been like that for them now? Getting grey hairs and tired while the day was still young? Oh! Dear! It caused her to let out a bit of a 'Hmpf!' in response, staring at her brother. "Oh, don't say that Bliss! We're the same age! Oh dear! If you're getting old, that means I'm getting old!" She laughed, shaking her body as if to show that it didn't bother her at all to put it to to the test. She was old, indeed, but, like her brother, had always felt very young. It took a lot for her to admit to herself that her age wasn't what it used to be, and had thus had to slow down. Oh! How time flies. Happiness winked at Evelyn before continuing, "plus, Evelyn over here probably doesn't want to admit to that either, do you sister?" A playful nudge in her direction, and the mood had gone back to what it was supposed to be - joyous and loving, and all together everything but somber! They had each other, and although Happiness hadn't a mate herself, this was her home and she'd make do with it!