New Beginnings [Talia!]

[Tigress]

((So I know we said we didn't want to juggle too many characters in one thread, and as such I decided to go with two. Others can make appearances if needed, just let me know ))

Chaos Flame was out in the fields again, as usual. It had become his go-to place to escape, he was much harder to pin down here than in Tigress' realm where the others could feel his aura. It wasn't necessarily that he wanted to be alone, he just didn't want anyone to be able to find him whenever they pleased. There had been a change in him over the years, and one that he wasn't sure he was exactly proud of. From the playful, feisty, best friend of SilverRain, to a bitter and melancholy lone wolf. He had been running from himself for a long time, and facing his flaws and acknowledging where they came from was even harder. Jealousy was an ugly thing, and he'd been swimming in it for years. He'd pushed the stallion that he called "brother" away; simply because he was envious of what the other had. The very gift he had given him: a part of him had wanted to take it back. The first mare he'd fallen for had been an elusive love, here and there, close and then distant, with him and then... with another.

He now walked with the product of his other greatest source of envy: Frostbite. The mare who waited for Vision and campaigned for his heart, even when he was about to settle down with another. Her unwavering devotion had drawn him to her, but he wasn't the one she wanted and he couldn't hold a flame to the blind stallion. Being a Warrior didn't seem to give him any leg up in life, he constantly felt that he wasn't good enough but he was too proud to show it. He felt he was expected to hide all signs of weakness, it was a character trope that had been painted on him because of his abilities and he didn't know how to break out of it.

Mistveil was more or less oblivious. They'd never really had a deep heart to heart, their friendship was very light and mostly out of duty. Chaos Flame protected her because she was Frostbite's daughter. Maybe in another life she could have been his. He was over that, he was slowly starting to let go of his grudges and in their place was a great guilt and loneliness. He wasn't sure what to say to SilverRain to explain his distance. Could he just make more of an effort with the other stallion and gloss over everything? Did he really have to explain it? He still had a lot of pride, and he wasn't sure how much he was ready to sacrifice. He didn't want to talk about his feelings, he just wanted to change them and move forward. The past was the past, he just wanted to embrace the now and the future and become stronger, better, kinder.

If Chaos Flame's gruff silences bothered her, Mistveil never showed it. She was balance and innocence, the kind who didn't dwell on things like envy, the kind who didn't hold grudges. Then again, she'd never been hurt. She didn't have a reason to expect that life could be anything but full of potential. He wanted to preserve that but he knew that someday the walls would come crashing down, it happened to everyone in time, in different ways.

"Chaos! Look, it's one of- it's... Lotus'... you know." The mare started off excited, whispering at the highest pitch she could manage, before stumbling over her words and gradually beginning to mumble. Lotus was a new addition to their realm, and she was different from the rest of them. She came from an Altar that he hadn't even heard about before, and she was so mysterious and hard to pin down that nobody had been able to get any answers from her about her kind and where she came from. She was almost... ethereal, sprite-like, and she definitely stood out. It was the big gossip going around, but no one wanted to be impolite or make her feel unwelcome so they were all trying to balance their curiosity with tact.

He looked down the hill they had just reached the top of, and noticed that surely enough, there was, indeed, more of her kind about. He stood dumbfounded for a moment, noting how Mistveil looked down the hill and then back at him again with an expectant look.

"Nothing tried, nothing gained. Just... act natural." He instructed the mare who was basically dancing in place with curious excitement. She smirked and winked before taking the lead again and heading down the hill. He watched her carefully as they descended, wondering when their presence would be noticed and what reaction they might receive.

[Talia]

((Well, as we discussed, I’ll be bringing in Silver for a few, so I’ll be starting with three unfortunately! I’m also going to work under the assumption that Silver has met Mistveil a few times in the past when she was younger, just for the sake of plot.))

SilverRain was escorting Lark around the meadow, ever the gallant stallion. She had been noticeably uneasy since she came to stay with them, so much so that Silver felt compelled to help her and make her feel welcome. It wasn’t that anyone in particular was deliberately making her feel unwanted. She just seemed so out of place and uncomfortable in her own skin. He glanced over at the demure mare that trotted easily at his side, and she smiled softly in response.

There was something about Lark that always gave him pause. Her voice was sweet and melodious, like the songbird she was named after. Her coat seemed to be spun from sunshine, ranging from bright golden hues to deep ambers, but their brightness seemed obscured, like sunlight filtering through mist. Nothing about her seemed overly threatening, but every once in a while, you’d catch a glimpse of something almost predatory, just the barest hint of something vicious. It was then that she most resembled a bird of prey, rather than her smaller gentler namesake. It seemed to only shine through when she was most irritable or distressed, and she had been quite irritable as of late. That was due, in part, to Spire.

Spire may as well have been the mare’s shadow, which was something she seemed equally confused and annoyed by. At first, Silver had just assumed it was some sort of odd Altar quirk- like was attracted to like, and all that. But he had come to realize that it wasn’t even remotely related to their Altar. This was solely Spire and Lark related. He didn’t want to speculate what the issue was, and he wasn’t one to pry, so instead he acted as a buffer for the mare, accompanying her most places in order to alleviate any discomfort she might feel as a result of Spire’s presence.

The stallion followed behind them, an intimidating force at his back. SilverRain had been around his fair share of warriors, and Spire’s demeanour rivalled even that of Threestrikes. Physically, he wasn’t any more imposing than most stallions he had met. Spire was equally as ethereal as Lark, but while she reminded him of the sunrise, the shadows lapped and clung to Spire like a second coat. He walked a fine line between the physical and spirit realms, even more so than Lark. The many hues of his coat seemed ghostly and icy in the mid afternoon sun, and his mane and tail flowed out behind him like blue smoke. Spire had never done anything outwardly threatening either; he often feigned disinterest, or sometimes played at being amiable if it suited him. While Silver trusted Talia implicitly, there was something about Spire that made him question her choice. Vision had said it best one evening: “A sense of dread follows him like a chill breeze, but he hides his intentions behind a mask of neutrality. I’m not sure I can trust him.” Silver tended to agree. He just seemed… dangerous.

He paused and sighed with contentment before stretching his wings out to warm them in the afternoon sun. Lark sidled up next to him and flexed her own translucent wings in response. Silver beamed at her and she timidly returned his smile.

“It’s beautiful here in this part of the meadow,” she said simply. Before he could respond, Spire slid smoothly to a halt at her side, almost too close for comfort. Lark instantly responded to Spire’s proximity and shifted imperceptibly towards Silver, taking comfort in his presence. She trembled ever so slightly; it was barely visible, and Silver almost missed it.

Spire regarded her for a moment , his expression unreadable, before he stared off into the distance. He turned to Silver, and tilted his head in the direction of the hilltop.

“Friends of yours?” he asked simply. His voice was all masculine; rich, resonant, and with a slight lilt that Silver couldn’t quite place. Spire had this way of making you feel like a simpleton just by speaking. It often agitated the others, but Silver seemed untroubled by it.

Silver glanced quickly at the horizon and visibly brightened. The two figures were familiar faces- Chaos Flame and Mistveil. It had been too long since he had seen his childhood friend. He felt terribly about it. Despite the fact that he had seen Tinsel many times as of late, Chaos had always seemed withdrawn. Sometimes he hadn’t even been present. He blamed himself for the divide- it was in his nature to wonder if he could have done more to bridge the gap and mend their dissolving friendship. He wasn’t quite sure what he had done, but they had been as close as brothers for so long that he had agonized over the situation for some time. None the less, he seemed unable to contain his excitement, and he grinned at his two companions before surging forward to greet his friends.

“Chaos! Mistveil!” he called happily.

Spire regarded the newcomers with a calculating stare. The one had the build of a warrior, strong and muscular. The second figure was petite and slender with a startling amethyst coat. He wasn’t the slightest bit threatened by the warrior’s presence. He had dealt enough with warriors as of late during his dealings with Galaxy that the larger stallion wasn’t daunting. The mare could be a fun distraction perhaps.

Lark watched Silver leave and seemed instantly distressed at having been left alone with Spire. She cantered forward to follow, and Spire instantly kept pace with her. His voice whispered inside her head like silk; it was so sudden and so intrusive that she stumbled slightly in surprise.

Are you so afraid to be left alone with me? He asked without even glancing in her direction.

She shook her head, as if to rid herself of him, and frowned. You know I dislike it when you invade my mind.

He smiled slightly before responding. If you dislike it so much, then why are your shields not up little songbird? Even now, you subconsciously let me in.

With that, he pulled ahead of her, a blur of sapphire, frost and aqua. She slowed, feeling confused and agitated by the exchange, but quickly collected herself and flowed into a smooth canter to catch up with SilverRain.

[Tigress]

A figure pulled up closer to the mysterious winged Serian they'd spotted, and another seemed to appear like a phantom from behind. As the sun shifted out of their sight, Chaos Flame was fairly certain he knew who the mare was sidling up against. He knew that stallion immediately, even from a distance. They were passing close enough now that he could distinctly make them all out. The one trailing behind made him inadvertently clench his teeth together, and he had absolutely no idea why. The mare, upon closer inspection, was stunning. His eyes followed the outline of her form and his momentary bedazzlement was shattered when he saw it pressed to Silver's larger frame. The way she clung to him... it didn't sit right with him. Would Tinsel be fine with all that?

The stallion called out and Mistveil took off like a shot. Chaos was caught off guard, he felt guilty running to his friend with these thoughts in his head. He was just looking for a way to even the score, he knew. He wanted Silver to be doing something bad so that he wouldn't feel so guilty about his jealousy making him distant. As the mare in front of him began to increase the gap between them, Chaos rushed forward to close it.

Mistveil used her wings to sweep her forward, her glittering hooves dancing along the ground like little galloping galaxies. They were the same color as her eyes, the eyes she'd inherited from her father. Nobody knew, because no one had seen Vision's eyes except her mother. She said they were exactly the same, and many said she cried when the filly had first opened her eyes. These eyes weren't supposed to see, but she'd inherited the gift of sight from her mother. Looking into them was often described as mesmerizing.

She could feel Chaos' presence only a breath's distance away as she practically collided with the feather-winged stallion, wrapping her head partially around his neck. Her eyes were closed for the chase embrace, but when she opened them, her starry orbs seemed to widen in surprise. She'd seen Lotus up close a few times before but she was rarely around, so it still took her by surprise to see the two practically next to her. They were like fairies, but also Serians still. One glittered in the light, like a lantern in the darkness or a firefly, even. Her eyes traveled across the golden meadow of the mare's coat until they were caught by tendrils of hair floating on the breeze, like... phantom limbs... made of silk...reaching, dancing, cold... but bright.

She realized she'd gotten thoroughly lost in a daze for a moment and quickly met his eyes with a startled look of guilt, darting her gaze then to Silver, who she was still standing immediately in front of. Before she could react, Chaos' significantly larger and battle scarred body came out of nowhere and bumped her out of the way, giving her a chance to step back while he greeted SilverRain.

He pressed his head to the other stallion's, eyes closed momentarily. He had a lot he wanted to say, but for now the best he could do was greet him the way he deserved to be greeted. Fondly, as if they'd only crossed paths just yesterday. He stood back after a moment, returning to Mistveil's side.

"So it's not just our realm then, these ones are popping up everywhere. I'd introduce you to our newcomer, Lotus, but I think I've only seen her once myself." He realized he was talking about the other stallion and mare like they weren't there, and turned his attention. "My name is Chaos Flame, SilverRain and I are childhood friends. This is The Commander's daughter, Mistveil, whom I'm charged to protect." It was a nickname he'd given to the mare who had somewhat risen to the position of matriarch of their herd. She definitely knew how to command respect, and making her mad wasn't an experience he ever really wanted to have.

The mare in question turned her eyes to look at him, giving him a fierce look of scrutiny. "Don't act like this is just part of your 'warrior duties', you like hanging out with me!" She protested the words at him, almost leaving him with no choice but to agree. However, when he failed to immediately do so, her entire look softened. "...Right?" Now she almost pleaded, and the sudden flip made Chaos Flame laugh aloud.

"No, I'm just scared of your mother." His tone was flat, but the smile and glimmer in his eye made sure to convey the humor. Mistveil seemed to relax, turning her attention back to the others. "It's nice to meet you." Her voice was lower in tone but airy, making her seem more matured than she was. She could practically feel Chaos monitoring her and made a pointed effort not to let her gaze linger too long.

[Talia]

((Bromance! ))

SilverRain laughed as Mistveil collided with him in a fierce hug; it was deep, genuine laughter that made his sides and face hurt. When she pulled back he beamed at her, his eyes filled with pride. Mistveil held a placed of fondness in most of their hearts. Vision and Frostbite were a most beloved couple, and the herd had been beyond thrilled at the birth of their first filly. Both Talia and Tigress' groups had jumped at the chance to dote on her; needless to say, she had many protectors and "adoptive" family.

He didn't have much time to gather his thoughts before Chaos had pushed his way into the fray and pressed his head to his. Silver sighed and smiled softly. He had half expected some sort of confrontation, or poorly concealed hostility. The distance between them had made him wary, but the sudden affection made the air rush out of him in relief. Chaos was the closest thing he'd ever had to a brother, and the strain on their relationship had affected him on a level he hadn't entirely been aware of.

As they withdrew, he tossed another playful and reassuring grin at Mistveil. He had caught a glimpse of her expression earlier, and knew all too well how hard it was to not be mesmerized by their newest additions.

Silver watched the exchange between Chaos and Mistveil with barely concealed mirth. Mistveil had so easily swooped into their hearts, and she had always had the ability to sway most of them with her innocence and sweet nature, however unintentional. Silver had never known her to be the type to deliberately manipulate, which is why she was so endearing. Chaos had always appeared to be a bit more unmovable when it came to her, but it wasn't because he wasn't fond of her. His affection often took a teasing tone, which was exactly what he was doing now, much to her chagrin.

"Frostbite is terrifying. I don't blame him," he told her with mock-seriousness. Honestly, he would hate to cross the mare, or Vision for that matter, especially if it involved their daughter.

"They most definitely are cropping up everywhere," he replied with a chuckle, glancing over each shoulder at both Lark and Spire in kind. The two had caught up to him with little to no effort, and yet he had barely noticed their approach. Their silence was a bit unnerving sometimes. They were too quiet by half.

"These two are-"

"Lark," the mare interrupted smoothly as she stepped closer to Silver's side. "My name is Lark. It's a pleasure," she said softly, her eyes flicking from Mistveil to alight on Chaos. There was something oddly comforting about the attractive warrior. She wasn't sure if that was as a result of her discomfort with Spire, or if it was something else she was picking up on. Her eyes roamed over his battle scars and the shock of his flame-coloured mane. She could see the play of muscles shift underneath his coat. It was only then that she realized she was staring, and she shifted awkwardly in embarrassment. She tore her eyes off the stallion and dipped her head in greeting. The gesture almost looked coy for a moment, one eye obscured by a sweep of sunlit mane.

Spire watched the exchange with the smallest of frowns, but he never let the emotion touch his eyes. As he had drawn closer to the party, he couldn't help but be drawn to the smaller mare. Her mane and tail seemed to be made of starlight, or kissed by frost. He supposed she probably got that from her mother, if her name was at all indicative of her looks. But it was her eyes that caught him by surprise. Much as he was loathe to admit it, their brilliance had him completely enthralled. They were a pale radiance, but you couldn't help but be immediately taken by them. There was also something about her that looked vaguely familiar. Who was her father?

He took a few paces forward at Silver's opposite side, closest to Mistveil, and regarded the mare with careful interest. Tendrils of his mane drifted across his face, and partially obscured the crest of spikes that trailed down his head and spine. Even though she had lowered her gaze, he watched her for a few moments, schooling his expression to show nothing more than what he wanted. His eyes flicked to Lark, gauging her reaction, and was even more surprised to see her still fixated on the warrior. He frowned again, but quickly returned his gaze to the smaller mare.

"Pleased to meet your acquaintance," he responded directly to Mistveil, with the briefest of smiles. "Spire."

Silver's frown deepened. If Spire was looking for trouble, he would surely find it if he persisted with Mistveil. While he hadn't done anything outwardly threatening, Silver had no doubt that both Frost and Vision would not take kindly to him. And yet, what could he tell them? That Spire had looked at her? That was hardly cause for complaint. Anything he was doing was harmless as of right now, but he couldn't help but feel uneasy.

[Tigress]

Frostbite was terrifying; that much was true. It played into why Chaos was a bit more gruff towards Mistveil, actually. As a single stallion, he didn't want there to be any misunderstanding. Frostbite knew of his attraction to her previously, and Mistveil was a miniature version of her with a few alterations, so he respectfully kept things distant. Hugs with SilverRain were fine; he'd had a mate for years. Mistveil didn't seem to notice how sheltered she was, or if she did; she didn't mind. It made his life a lot easier, honestly.

His attention was drawn by the mare when she spoke, if wind chimes could speak it would probably sound like her. It was interesting how demure she seemed, but how readily she pushed in to introduce herself. He found himself smirking accidentally. He was entirely shocked when she seemed to be looking him over, then he remembered that it was likely she hadn't seen many of their kind before. At least, that's what he was assuming since the reverse was true. They were quite magical looking though. When she pulled her head back up he realized he hadn't said anything in return yet.

"Lark." He said, glancing at the stallion who hadn't even looked at him to introduce himself, and then glancing immediately back. His gaze pointedly remained on her alone as he grinned and spoke again, "Likewise, what brings you out here today?" His eyes flickered to Silver but still excluded the blue stallion entirely. However, he was very strongly eavesdropping on the conversation beside him.

When he replied to her, her eyes carefully flicked up from his legs, where she'd been hiding her gaze to avoid staring. His hair still moved about on the barest breeze, as if it was moved by a force she couldn't see. It was the most bizarre combination of eerie and beautiful. She wondered idly if that was how others described her eyes. Was it strange among his kind? Did they treat him differently at all? She knew she was treated differently than others, almost like royalty, and it really made her uncomfortable sometimes.

"Spire... it suits you." She smiled slowly, as if testing out the expression and seeing if it was okay. She could feel a certain tension in the air, and she knew it would be like this. It was a little bit stifling, she could handle herself around a simple stallion. He wasn't doing anything at all to warrant the cold shoulder he'd received, at least not in her opinion. She shifted away from Chaos, stating with her body language that she was engaged in her own conversation and he wasn't part of it.

"How much of the fields have you seen? You haven't been here very long, correct?" Her tone was carefully gentle, she didn't know the history of his kind or why they had come, and she didn't want to dredge up any bad memories or feelings with her invasive questions. She was trying to make it so that he could be as vague or specific as he liked, while still carrying on the conversation.

[Talia]

Lark seemed unsure of herself for a few moments, hesitating as a result of Chaos' silence. She wasn't one that usually lacked in self confidence, but she also felt so confused as of late. After speaking with Orchidblush, there were only bits and pieces of her past that she recalled, and she was having some difficulty reconciling who she remembered herself as with who she was now. But when Chaos' interest returned, and he spoke, she felt a smile creep across her face that lit up her features beautifully. She couldn't help but notice the subtle glance in Spire's direction, but she gave it little credit. Spire didn't have to do much to be unnerving, and she assumed that Chaos had just picked up on that bit of his personality, especially since he seemed to have taken notice of Mistveil. Selfishly, she was glad that his attention was momentarily diverted, for her sake. She needed a brief respite from his unwanted attentions.

"SilverRain was kind enough to show us the meadows," she replied smoothly, her gaze catching his. She couldn't hide her interest, and why should she bother? His relationships with both Silver and Mistveil were intriguing, and, if she was willing to admit it, his small bit of attentiveness to her and his strength of presence called to her. She most definitely had a type, and she was interested in learning more about this one. "I needed some... air," she finally concluded while deliberately avoiding looking in Spire's direction.

Silver was not so subtle. His gaze flickered from Lark to Chaos, back to Lark, and then to the conversation unfolding between Spire and Mistveil. He frowned, despite himself. He had come here with Spire and Lark to alleviate issues, not to create more problems where there had previously been none. He disliked Spire's sudden interest in the young mare. Vision would surely have a conniption if he knew about this, and he did not want to be on the receiving end of the stallion's ire.

Silver fixed Chaos with a pointed stare.

"Chaos, a moment perhaps?" he asked, although the request was much more forceful than he had intended.

Lark looked momentarily confused, but quickly picked up on the fact that Silver seemed more perturbed by Spire than anything she had done. She pulled back from him, giving them some careful and polite distance so that they could converse alone.

Spire was the master of his own expressions, and he was as charming and courteous as one would expect in this situation, but his eyes held a certain depth of emotion to them that was less polite and more wolfish. He half wanted to goad the warrior, just to test his mettle, but the other half of him knew that there was no sense in pushing his luck too much. Better to bide his time.

He felt conflicted about the mare in front of him. Part of him wanted to poke and prod, as he was accustomed to doing, but he was baffled by how pure and innocent she really was. He had thought it a ruse at first perhaps, but both Silver and Chaos seemed to treat her with such reverence that he knew she wasn't playing him false. Her tentative smile inadvertently made him smile in kind with surprising sincerity.

He knew how to gauge his environment, and Silver was so plain with his emotions that he knew he was not fond of his choice to engage in conversation with MIstveil. And yet... he couldn't help but test the waters while both of them watched. As long as he was the perfect gentleman, what could they honestly say or do? He just had to know what this mare was about. No one could be so blissfully naive or so legitimately good.

"Thank you," he responded simply. His smile quickly became a grin, as her body language changed. It was an open invitation he could not refuse. "Likewise, Mistveil. I must admit, I've never seen a mare with eyes such as yours before. They're quite becoming."

He took a few paces forward, separating himself from Silver and Lark and drawing closer to Mistveil, his gaze entirely for her. "I'm relatively new here, I must admit. I haven't seen much. Lark is the most recent bonded, and I came only slightly before her."

He paused, regarding her again for a moment before continuing. "You seem familiar... although I've never met your mother. May I be so bold as to ask who your father is? Perhaps I could convince you to show me the sights? I could see any number of things with Silver and Lark. I have the rest of my days to wander the fields with them, but I'm sorely in need of a fresh face around here."