.Terran.

Flight was a freedom I had never known before. I hardly spent any more time earthbound, now that my wings were grown and my back was strong. From one corner of Beqanna to another things that had been previously hidden from the others were now privy to me and it felt so damn good. For strength and lift my two fore-wings could serve no better purpose; the golden appendages had grown thick and wide. My hind-wings were more rounded, with the primaries elongated for tight turns with greater speed. Black, gold, and white I was a blend of stone and jem and the sky soon felt more like home than the ground.
 
To think of what I’d been missing!
 
Still, all the glory of aerial prowess couldn’t overshadow the fiery girl I’d met some time ago. Jinju, with eyes like glinting rubies and a wit that still caught my attention. Had I … missed her? I barely knew the girl, had only really exchanged pleasantries, but even as I dipped lower to the earth I had the urge to seek her out. Where was she, what had she been up to? Was she taken with someone else, did she even remember me? I had promised to find her again, sooner rather than later.
 
I’d be loathe to break a promise. So I descend again to feel the unyielding strength of the world and tuck my wings close behind me while I search for her the old-fashioned way. Here, in the tangle of limbs and leaves, I can’t possibly hope to get high enough or far enough to seek her out quickly. The one question that lingers is how different the two of us will be. At nearly eight years old, I was more fit than I’d ever been before - my shoulders curling with new growth while my belly grew hard and my neck stiff. What of her, though?
 
What of the red-eyed, fire-wielding mare?

I want to live, I want to give, I'm a miner for a heart of gold

.Terran.

Still red-eyed, but not as fiery as I recall, the satin black mare finds me closer to the heart of the wood. Out here the tranquility of Nature sweeps over me, coupled with her gentle mood and forthcoming greeting, easing my terse shoulders and bringing a warm smile out to compliment my pale mouth. “I’ve been terrible and you know it.” I tease lightly, though the truth of my statement jabs at my ribs. I’ve hurt her, I know. I wasn’t there like I should’ve been afterwards. Jinju had been nervous then and though I hadn’t told her, I’d been nervous too. This was all as fresh and unknown as the first day.

“Can you forgive me?” I murmur, the depth in my tone displaying feeling that my body can’t yet show. I’m trying, though, allowing my lips to press very firmly to the shape of her shoulder, moving forward to brace against her gently while I groom her topline, letting my mouth travel the length of her side where beneath something flutters with life. Shocked, I back up with a start and pin her with a molten look somewhere between amazement and fear. “Are you … was that?” I ask, finding that the words simply won’t come. All of this time I’d been up there, in the blue expanse, carefree and light while below she’d been dealing with so much all on her own.

Made me feel like an ass. "I'm surprised you didn't light me on fire when you saw me." I offer, sheepish now that the cat was out of the bag. Then again, I'd always known that Jinju was ... different.

I want to live, I want to give, I'm a miner for a heart of gold

.Terran.

I often forget that Jinju is still young. She reminds me with that quiet, hopeful patience in her eyes and in her voice, though. It shames me into pausing for a moment, long enough to pull back and really look at her. I can see now what I’d missed before: the soft curve to her belly, the determined air about her. It makes me feel … idiotic. I should have known better than to take her down this path, but hindsight is twenty-twenty and there’s no going back from here. “I’ve got my faults. We all do.” I attempt, even though it rings hollow in my ears. I sigh, turn my bald head to the side in slight frustration, and ruffle my feathers while I shift to a more comfortable position. This was more difficult than I had expected.

“What would you like, Jinju?” I ask instead, my bronze gaze flashing in interest as I redirect my attention to her. I was curious to take a peek inside her brain, get a feel for what she truly envisioned for this happy little accident. The idea that I was a father still hadn’t sunk in as of yet, so it was easy to offer a gentle smile and move back to her side where I felt most comfortable. Later, the shock would wane and I’d be left to try and make sense of it all, but for now it was simple - she just needed someone to be there.

I could do that, at least. “Tell me and I’ll do what I can to see that you … and our child,” I add, nose bumping softly against her midnight side, “are truly happy. That’s all that I want.” I finish, a warm smile spreading across my cheeks with depth that settles hotly in my stomach. I wanted her now as badly as I had wanted her then, perhaps even more so now that I knew what she was carrying, and I took that as a good sign. I … we could make this work. Jinju was worth that.

I want to live, I want to give, I'm a miner for a heart of gold

.Terran.

Her plea could make any stone heart melt. It melts mine, and I’m not even that hard-hearted. Only a little selfish. But that look in her eye and the quirk to her voice are more than enough to draw me closer until my wing stretches to accommodate her chest. Even then I feel I can’t get close enough to hold together the pieces of her that are clearly beginning to crack. Perhaps she doesn’t know it, but her fingers are strumming against my strings and she’s playing me perfectly, hitting every note and sending tremors of electricity through my skin. “How can I say no?” I tease lightly, my lips trailing feverish kisses along her neck as if to soothe her discomfort.

“You have me, Jinju. Don’t be afraid. Please.” I tell her, sensing the apprehension mingled with excitement all because she simply wanted a father-figure for her -(our, it’s mine too)- our child. Inspiration strikes, sending my ears upwards and causing my head to tilt back so that I might speak to her directly. “Why don’t you take me home?” I suggest, an impish grin twisting my lips, “While you deliver the baby, at least. I can get a sense for your likes, get to know you better, see your family…” I trail off, amber eyes glimmering mischievously as I feel the ripple of movement from her side.

“... maybe even make another one in the process, hmm?” I chuckle, the rumble of pleasure from my own chest genuine and deep.

I want to live, I want to give, I'm a miner for a heart of gold

.Terran.

Would I like to go now? “No time like the present.” I chuckle, appreciating the robust touch of her rounded nose as it worked the tension from between my shoulders. I sigh, visibly, eyes closing to half-lid while I relax in her presence. There were certainly pro’s to this ordeal, one of them being Jinju’s undivided attention (which, quite frankly, I still couldn’t fathom) and the other was the excitement of seeing my first child. It made me think of my own family, so far apart yet still so close in our hearts to each other. Jinju had mentioned her father, a meeting I wasn’t particularly excited to attend, but important nonetheless.

If I had a home and family to take her to, I would. My own lips find idle work with her mane, teeth picking softly at the thick tendrils of black rope that curtained her neck. I was lost then, in my own thoughts, wondering if the child inside of her was boy or girl, if it would be black as sin or touched with gold. My warm eyes find her fire-filled ones as I step back reluctantly from her embrace, knowing that her pregnancy wouldn’t wait for a lovers reunion. “Lead the way, sexy mama.” I joke, turning myself about so that one golden wing will drape comfortably across her distended back and belly.

We’ll go, the both of us, make our own way and raise our own child how we see fit. In the Jungle or in the Woods, it doesn’t matter. Surrounded by her loved ones and myself, Jinju and our child would be more than happy.

I want to live, I want to give, I'm a miner for a heart of gold