"But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura
Just as the dawn began to stretch the sun across the island once more, they began to stir restlessly. Eyelids fluttered to flush the sleep from their eyes. Looking to each other from their resting place in the tropical flora. Exchanging nips against earthy colored hide and bright locks. Karat flips her head high as Krom presses his baby teeth against her crest, instigating his sister to fight back. She doesn't bend to his wants but stands with a complaint, "Quit it Krom! Mother, he keeps pestering me!" Her crisp voice rings against the morning mists as her head swivels to seek their mother. The search comes up empty for the moment, so with a swift kick of her left hoof, she nails him on the rump. He squeals and leaps to his own feet, causing a satisfied grin to befall his sisters amethyst tinted maw.
"Owwwch... Whachya do that for?" His emerald duster of a tail whips wildly at his sides. The dulling ache of Karats hoof on his bum caused him to snort in irritation. After a shake of his head, he directs his eyes to her in slight worry, "Where'd mother go?"
Karat looks to him with a slight eye roll, "What do I look like...her fricken keeper?" Straightening her head and posture she begins to walk forwards, "If you're so worried, why don't you go look for her?!" With a final huff of air, she turns to walk off through the tropical forest.
Krom grins with a sly look to his eyes, "Why would I do that when I could pick on you!" Lunging forwards at her, his teeth bare down on her rump playfully. Anticipating another kick coming his way, he darts sideways then past her. Emerald dipped limbs dirtied from a recent rain littering the forest floor with puddles. Bounding from one to the next, he splashes mud every which way. Sending a spray towards Karat and landing it right on her chest.
"Ewwww... Krom!! You're getting me all dirty!" The disgust in her tone, matching the furrow of her brows, "Stupid boys," she grumbles. Silver-hazel eyes search the canopies for any break in the forest. Mother had wings and she often took to the skies, so common sense was Karat would probably find her soaring up above. Neither her, nor her brother possessed such features. The only thing they held in common was the russet of their coat. Krom being the only one to be dipped in the same emerald green. She, of all colors, sported lavender highlights. Unknowing who they came from. They had yet to meet their father and their mother did well to keep it that way.
The forest was beginning the thin slightly as the made their way to a well known spring. Their mother took them there often but only recently had they started utilizing it on their own. Independence was growing stronger with each day but the pair could often be found together. Each poking fun at the other to the point it may seem as though they despised the others very existence, but that was far from reality...
"Finally! Clean water. I need a bath now cuz of you." She hurries into the flowing spring. Cool water wrapping itself around her and removing the debris from the forest. Lowering her lips to the clean upstream, she drinks away her thirst. Just before another set of limbs are joining her. Lifting her face, she looks to her brother, "Wanna help a girl out... Get this mud you splattered on me off please."
His emerald eyes search her body to spot the tainted flesh. Dipping his muzzle into the waters, then bringing it up to buff the dirt from Karats prestige coat, "There...got it!" He smirks with satisfaction, "Anything else you need, your highness," he chuckles in self-entertainment at his label for her.
"Ha Ha... You're soooo funny!" She scrunches her nose up at him, before looking to the rushing waters at their hooves. "Now what?..." She questions him on what they do next. Lavender ears swivel atop her crown as a breeze blows up from the north. It is salty to the taste buds as always but something strange lingers. Eyes and ears follow her nose, "Krom, you smell that?"
Motherhood and queenhood were much of the same. It took patience, time, and skill to be able to run a kingdom, as well as raise children. The Keeper finds that she is good at both (one she had trained her whole life for, the other had been thrust upon her), and while she tries her best to watch the children, she is keen to let them explore on their own. She found in her own childhood, a sense of independence helped her to grow. But, instead of dismissing her children once they exited the womb (as her own parents had done to her), she nurtured and advised them.
Each looks like her in the brown of their skin. Karat sported her father's lavender, but Krone never really cared (so many of the same hues wandered Ischia, the twins' conception was an afterthought). Kromium, a replica of her. Each had their own unique personalities, and as they grew, she saw that they were similar to her in more than just looks. Krom sported her adventurous, kind side, while Karat seemed to hold her mother's diplomatic, mature side. She loves them the same, but for different reasons.
Her duties cause her to lose a good amount of sleep. If it isn't something with the children, it is something happening within the kingdom (most notably, the monsoon that threatened to wash away her home altogether). Krone finds herself perpetually tired, and today as the sun crests over the horizon, she is still sound asleep. So sound, that she doesn't hear her children wander away to play (something she isn't opposed to, as long as she knows where they are going).
She wakes when she finds the two warm bodies of her children are not beneath her protective wings. Eyes shoot open as her heart races, two hazel hues searching the earth around her.
"Kromium? Karat?" She calls, voice audibly shaken. Klaudius has got them... The first place her mind wanders. The island was only so big, after-all, and now he had taken her jewels. Emerald legs find their way through the forest, mind focused on finding them.
Krone finally spots them in a nearby spring, playing together. She sighs with relief, nickering to them. "There you two are," She walks up, dipping her head into the spring to splash the pair with water. She lets out a gentle chuckle. "You frightened me! At least tell me where you're going next time, hmm?"
Krone
you could be the King (but watch the Queen conquer)
Briefly Krom looks to his sister and then in the direction she had questioned him. Suspicion squints his eyes but he cannot see anything of an oddity. He simply shrugs his shoulders as he turns his face to her once again. Neither foal thinks of it a moment more.
Hurried hoofbeats draw the attention of Karats lavender ears. Her neck cranes to bring her face in the direction of the sound. Silver-hazel eyes finding the source to be of familiarity. A warmness in her tone comes to light, "Good Morning mother!" It is a stark opposite of the tone she gives her brother most moments. He to swirls around and chimes in, "Mother! We were just looking for you." His bright emerald eyes matching that of his fuzzy forelock.
A spray of water douses the twins as their parent joins them at the stream. Both squealing in shock at the droplets of cool liquid hitting their still warmed flesh. "Hhheeyyyyy..." they screech simultaneously. Both begin giggling as they hop from the waters. Karat, being the more mature child, nods to her mother, "I didn't see you and we thought you maybe had a duty to attend to. We are fine. The island is safe... Isn't it Mother?" The fears of the world are lost to the children. So far, they hadn't needed to worry about much of anything. Though they knew their mother often held reservations about the issue...
Her children are give her a sense of great pride. All she knows, she plans to teach them. Knowledge was the only thing that would ever keep them safe from harms way. She has yet to tell them of her plans to deliver them to Sabra on the eve of their second birthday for training, but she figures that is best left for when they’re older and can comprehend it more.
She laughs as they squeal in unison, then pauses briefly to catch her breath. Karat inquires about the safety of the island, anxiety quivering in her voice.
”The monsoon...a great storm...has caused our island a good deal of damage, little ones,” She informs, sighing. ”You must be careful in the forest, by the hills, as there have been landslides. The beaches are still waterlogged, and any more rain will flood them again. While I understand you want to explore, it could be dangerous if you aren’t watching out. Understand?” Her voice is stern as she looks between the two. Her point came across loud and clear, in both her tone and the way she meets their gaze.
A smile creeps across the once harsh line of her lips, and she dips her hoof into the spring to splash them once more.
Krone
you could be the King (but watch the Queen conquer)
Karat was the older of the twins(by mere minutes), but she felt a sense of duty over her brother's safety. He was much less concerned about it than she. Carelessly running about the jungle.
When their mother made known her worries, she listened. The monsoon had come very near the day they were born. They remembered little, but the debris scattered about was a constant reminder. So Karat took the warnings to heart. Kroms' thoughts wandering to a beautifully decorated butterfly that had just landed upon a waxy, broad leaf. His emerald eyes, then muzzle, following it's flight path to it's chosen perch. Her face scrunches in distaste at her brother for a brief moment, before softening upon the bright insect. Her face swivels to meet her mother's gaze, "We will be more careful, mother." She leans to her right and nudges Krom to agree as well. He stammers as his brain plays catch up, "Oh..umm...yes, more careful." A smile forms on his emerald maw before his attention averts again to the butterfly. It doesn't stay long, as more droplets of water are kicked airborne, "Mom!" They cry in unison, their noses dip to the stream as they intake a mouthful of water. Expelling it in a thin stream and aiming at the bulk of her body.
As the water hits their mother, they turn tail and rush to the thicket where they had spent the night. Dodging puddles and leaping over fallen trees, they giggle. Karat reaches her muzzle to nip at Kroms' emerald tail. His heels kicking up to detour her advancement. Bolting to his left, he knocks into her shoulder with his. Pushing her deeper into the brush. The rough bark of a palm tree scraped against her hide. She cries out, "OUCH, Krom! Don't push me. Look what you did!" Stopping abruptly, her neck cranes to view the source of pain along her hip. Krom stops beside her and comes around her rump to look at the injury. His eyes saddened by his sister's pain and anger. Regretfully he nuzzles her, "Sorry Karat... I didn't mean to hurt you." He hadn't listened to mother in the least apparently. He turns his head to view where he is sure mother was following right behind them. Ears falling flat as he prepares for a scolding...
The following stream of water bursting from her children's lips makes her let out a loud chuckle. She turns sideways, allowing the cool liquid to hit her barrel, before she turns her attention back to Krom and Karat, who are now running away from her.
She sighs. A mother's work is never over, is it?
She canters behind them, wings pressed firmly to her sides as she ducks beneath trees and jumps of the monsoon's debris. "OUCH, Krom!" The high-pitched voice of Karat echoes through the trees, and Krone finds herself moving into a quicker gate to see the damage that had been done.
She sees Kromium apologizing, and watches his face fall as she approaches. Scoldings never seemed to get easier for them to take. Krone moves over to Karat, examining the cut in her russet skin. Tiny drops of blood stain her coat dark brown.
"Only a scratch," She mutters reassuringly into the girl's ear. "You'll be fine, I promise." She smiles. "As for you, Krom," She turns her head to look sternly at her son. "Did I not just tell you to be more careful? Silly boy. That could've been much worse."
She gestures for them to follow her, and she passes Karat to walk some feet away from them. "Look," She tells them, pointing her nose down to an expanse of broken trees and mud. The monsoon had caused one hell of a landslide. "A few feet more, and it would've been worse than a scrape. You must mind your surroundings, both of you."
Krone
you could be the King (but watch the Queen conquer)
It was funny how each of the women in his life loathed his very existence. Krone he could understand but Sabra, what the hell did she care. She wanted this. Wanted him to fuck her then leave her. How unfortunate their fates will ever be intertwined with a linked bloodline, for her...
When he had returned to the sands of Ischia the monsoon had just been nearing. Nyxa and him had seeked shelter quickly but he couldn't help but wonder where Krone had found safety. He had known her to be with child, his child, and his concern reached for both of them. Unknowing that there were actually three to worry for.
When the cave entrance collapsed, trapping him and Nyxa inside, they had waited for storm to pass before he cleared a passage for their escape. Scrapes littered their bodies but otherwise they were fine.
Shortly upon exiting, the extent of the damage was made known and he quickly took to the skies. Vast expanse of lavender feather gripped the wind currents and lifted him high above the battered island. He had searched the cliffs first, then the beaches. Calling out for her even though he knew she would not answer. Most likely she had hid away in some fox hole so he'd never find her and their children. But he was determined and she hated him for that, he was positive...
A light racket was heard by his lavender ears deep within the isles jungles. Treacherous mudslides from the spring storm had cleared paths in the dense foilage. He flew towards the sound of child-like voices, not knowing there to be any others born recently. Instinct draws him down from the skies. Landing along the muddy path of fallen trees. Small plant species were just beginning to take hold of the rich soils. He stands at the base of an incline to listen again... Look... It was a voice he knew well.
Silver-hazel eyes look up to find the earth and emerald mare just breaching the crest of the hill. Engaged in conversation enough that she hadn't noticed him. Not yet. "Krone!" He calls up to her to make himself known. "Krone... I've been looking everywhere for you. Ar...Are you ok?" His wings ruffle at his sides as he makes his way up the hill. Only when he nears the top does he see not one, but two small faces peering down at him as well. Taken by surprise he stops with a jerk of his head. Nostrils flare as his ears perk forwards, then twist back in uncertainty. What he sees can't be denied, even with a fluttered blink of his eyes. Yep, still two. One much like mom and one a hint of him. His lips curl into a grin, "Well this is a pleasant surprise."
Klaudius
I was lightning, before the thunder
@[Krone] I had this all evil diabolical entrance and then... He went all mooshy on me wth XD
As she peers over the incline, her hazel eyes meet that of the purple devil’s. She does not gasp, her face does not waver. She simply stares down at him, every part of her screaming elegance and queen hood. To fight in front of her children would be a grave disservice to them, so instead, she moves herself in front of them so Klaudius cannot stare any longer.
Had she been wrong to allow him to stay? Should she have banished him as Sabra had suggested?
”Wait here,” She whispers to the twins. With a great heave of her wings, she flies over the landslide and finds a place in front of Klaudius. Memories of the encounter in which she was impregnated flood her mind -but she hushes the voices and instead stares blankly at him. ”Brother.” The monotony of her voice says everything. ”I haven’t seen you about. Clearly we have some...” She looks up to Krom and Karat, who are staring down curiously at them, still. ”...things to discuss.”
Krone
you could be the King (but watch the Queen conquer)
She is every bit poised. From her unwavering glare to her sudden advancement. He stills in the muddy tracks he has created. Watching intensely as she lands, his gaze following her every movement. She seemed different.
Her acknowledge of him is cold, and even though he outmatches her in stature, there are some things you just learn with time. There is no fury like a woman scorned. His ears twist back in guilt of his crimes he had committed upon the mare. His sister, the mother of his children, his Queen. She speaks of his absence and he is quick to interject, "The Storm came and Nyxa and I went to a cave to wait it out..." He forgets to add fast enough that the cave collapsed, before she is continuing. Her eyes cast upwards to where she had left the twins and his gaze follows. Finding the two young faces staring inquisitively at them. Her trailed sentence finishes and he is following it up with, "Seems so."
Silver eyes do not stray from their faces until he is questioning her, "Were you hiding them from me, Krone?" His brows furrowed at this thought. He couldn't blame her if she was. Not after what he had done to her. Lavender wings ruffle at his sides as he shifts his weight nervously. Awaiting confirmation of an answer he was sure he knew.
She watches him. From the way his ears turn back in guilt, from the way his face falls when he looks up to see the children she had kept hidden. She would say she feels guilt for this, but that would be a bold-faced lie. She didn’t feel any remorse - after what he had done to her, she figured it was fair game. What would she tell Krom and Karat, that their father was a rapist and they were the product of one, that she hadn’t wanted them in the first place?
What she felt in the beginning didn’t matter now. She loved the twins and their safety was of the utmost importance to her. Klaudius has broken her trust, and while she wasn’t sure if he had even had it in the first place, she knew that he probably would never receive it now.
He speaks of Nyxa and she turns her head slightly, worried. She remembers nearly being in the cave when she heard a crack, how she had to thrust her body backwards to avoid the falling rocks from crushing her body, how she didn’t have time to even try to get Nyxa out before the forest began to collapse around her.
”Is she okay?” Krone finally looks back into the stallion’s eyes. She searches them for any other signs of guilt.
”Did you hide them from me, Krone?” he asks, and Krone remains emotionless. A sigh escapes her lips as she glances back to her...their children. She gives a solemn nod.
“Can you blame me, Klaudius?” She doesnt hide the sharpness of her words. ”You assault a queen, then expect to see the resulting children. You want to raise them to be like Kirin, but I don’t. I want them to be compassionate, yet strong-willed leaders. I don’t want them to be ruthless.” She turns away from him, hiding the tears that begin to form. She looks to Krom, and then to Karat. Her babies, her sweet children. “Look how far that got Kirin. You tried to convince me that you were him upon coming to the island. Well...you’re just like him, brother.”
Krone
you could be the King (but watch the Queen conquer)
