The Upperworld Herd, Part II

[W Smack]

((OOC: All herd members post here, please. ))

[Spirit Dancer]

My tiara jerked up in surprise. That was the last thing I'd expected; but yet again, I hadn't really thought about what happened after I fled like a coward. Trying to grin sheepishly, I shook my small tiara.
"I'm sorry, I guess. I know she meant alot to you in your past," I replied, my teal gaze fixing onto him, relishing the brief moment in time where I wasn't thinking about my doomed pregnancy.

[sassaboo]

I gave a nod, looking at the ground with a slight frown on my face. "Indeed, but that's what it is now. The past. Somehow I managed to look past her arrogance, but I suppose over time it just kept getting more and more annoying. Don't think anyone had ever spoken to her the way I did." I finished with a smirk, remembering the look on Kayala's face when her jaw dropped and she stormed off. But I stayed, it seemed my visit was supposed to be only temporary, but I had grown to enjoy this herd and getting to know Kalliope and the others. Glancing towards Allegro, I decided to speak with him later about making my stay a permanent one.




Bright emerald eyes looked up to his, a soft smile on my muzzle at his honosty of his previous compliment. "Thanks..." I smirked as Chantz blinked away the tears in his eyes from laughing to hard, taking advantage of it to tease him again with a tone full of mock sympathy. "Awe, well there's no need to cry... I kept my smirk, waiting for his response.

[Mystery]

_{"Me cry?" He looked aghast at her with a smile upon his lips. Folding back his ears, he held his head high. "No stallion like me ever cries." Chantz stated proudly with a short laugh. Rolling his eyes, he felt the happy tear slide down his nose. Looking down, he sniffled. "She was quite rude to me, it hurt my feelings terribly...I ca-can't help bu-but to cry." In a fake, trembling voice he slowly looked up at Lacy. Hearing hooves thunder away, he turned his head. Heather was going away, forever or for a while? Not really caring, he was the slightest bit glad that her annoying self wasn't going to be present.}

[Spirit Dancer]

I exhaled softly, nodding my head numbly as he replied. At the very least, he now realized how Kayala was - maybe he would of seen it when they were together, if he hadn't looked past it. My gaze shifted to gaze out onto the herd, however small we were, as I thought about how much would change when my foal arrived. It was bad enough I would be a mother , the father's name unknown to the rest of the herd but myself - but, how would that affect my son or daughter?

Shifting my weight, I felt the life within me shift as I did so; protesting against the small movement by kicking against my side fiercely. I grimaced, audda pinned back into my platinum blond curls, as teal pools squinted. I wasn't far off. Soon, this would be over....But the thought of that brought more worries. Like, could I handle this alone? Would I make it through the birth? Since, after all, I was bigger and heavier than the average mare's pregnancy.

I chuckled weakly, my gaze turning back to him. "I wish I could of seen her face when you told her to leave; by the way you make it sound, it was something worth seeing," I replied with a faint smile.

[sassaboo]

I noticed her wince, assuming she just recieved a good kick from the foal she was carrying. I said nothing of it, pretended as though I hadn't noticed anything. But I was a bit worried for her, knowing she was nearing her time of labor. Nodding, I smiled back at her. "Oh it was, but you know she has to make a big deal of every-" I paused in mid-sentence, nares widening to sniff the air carefully. Something was wrong, something was most definately wrong. Looking around the horizons, I tried to see what was up. I flicked my ears back, becoming more worried than before. "Fire..." I muttered outloud, indeed, I knew the scent well. It was the original disaster that seperated Kayala from me in the first place. Glancing back to Kalliope, I knew we'd have to have Allegro move the herd soon. Fire spread quickly, especially over an open grassland like this. Looking back up to the horizon, my assumption was correct, light clouds of smoke were rising in the air some distance away, but they were steadily growing darker... Looking for Allegro, I cried out to the leader to alert him of the danger. "Allegro, fire!"




I rolled my eyes at his fake crying, but an eerie silence seemed to fall over the herd. Letting my slightly larger ears flick back and forth, I could hear something odd. I didn't know what the noise was, or where it was coming from. Soon, the scent of smoke could be smelled, and I glanced over to the rest of the herd. Criss seemed to have noticed it too, staring at some spot past me and Chantz. Following his gaze, I spotted the rising smoke, ears flicking back in a slight fit of panic. A wildfire had caught quickly, and already I could start to see the brightly coloured flames flicking away at the grass. Criss' cry reached my ears, and nervously I looked for some direction of what to do.

[Mystery]

_{She said nothing after he had finished up with a fake sniffle. The silence following made his ears ache. Slashing his tail into the air, every nerve in his body seemed to tense. There was danger nearby, very old instincts kicked in. Raising his head up and glancing around, he noticed where Lacy and Criss were staring. At the sight of rising smoke clouds, his ears instantly folded back. Flaring his nostrils, he took in the slightly unfamiliar smell. He hadn't really been near a big fire before, but he knew it caused harm in open land. Feeling a calm breeze, worry spread over his face. Snorting, Chantz shook his head and stared at Lacy. Uncomfortable, he looked around for Allegro. Hearing Criss shout for the herd leader, Chantz wanted the feeling of safety to come back. "What are we going to do now?" He mumbled in a general direction, eyes flickering from around them to Lacy. When he saw the nervous look in her eyes, he straightened himself out. This might be my last chance to prove myself. Chantz thought worriedly. Taking a protective step closer to Lacy, he looked around again for Allegro. "Do you think we should get moving with the others or wait for Allegro's word?" Taking a pause, his nose wrinkled at the stronger smell of smoke. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to you..." trailing his voice off, he glanced off into the distance before moving his eyes back to Lacy.}

[sassaboo]

I could hardly pay attention to any single thing at the moment, my gaze constantly looking back to the flames that were being pushed closer by the breeze. It wouldn't be long before we could feel the heat of the fire if we didn't move soon, and glancing back to Allegro, I knew we'd have to leave now, with or without his say. Looking back up to Chantz, I nodded, taking enough notice to catch his last words and to see that he had stepped closer to me. "We better move now, I'm sure Allegro won't really mind if we move before its too late." There was a slight problem though, where were we going to run too? It was acres and acres of grass and vegetation that the fire could follow us from...Looking up to Chantz, I hoped that he would know where to go, or at least guess where to go.

[Mystery]

_{"Fine by me," Chantz muttered glancing nervously toward the approaching fire. The wind felt like it had picked up a bit and scared him more. His tail flicked more irritatingly and hooves kneaded the grass. Before moving any where farther, Chantz twisted his head back and forth. He was trying to search for a place where it would be safe away from the fire. A little closer to where the fire was located, a slight shine caught his eye. A stream? Raising his head just a bit higher, he saw that there was a fairly wide stream. Though it was a little too close to the fire for comfort, he decided it their only chance. "Come on this way," he motioned with a nod of his head. Trotting toward the fire, he was glad he knew what he was doing for once. Making sure Lacy was following, he hoped she would trust him. His steps were very cautious before the fire was approaching to where they were heading....}

[sassaboo]

I raised my brow at him, standing there while watching him like he had completely lost his mind. Was he insane or just directionally challenged? "Are you nuts!? I called after him, and after a couple seconds I cantered after Chantz. Squinting, I started to see the stream up ahead where the flames were closing in. "Oh..." Coming up to his side, I glanced back at the rest of the herd, mostly towards Criss. I hoped my old friend would be okay. Looking ahead of us, I followed Chantz with as much trust as I could muster, fighting every instinct to run from the fire. Where would the others go? We'd be lucky if we reached the stream in time ourselves...

[Mystery]

_{"Yes Lacy, I am nuts," he muttered under his breathe. Rolling his eyes, he heard her canter up next to him. Glancing back at the other, he also hoped that the rest would be able to make it to safety. As he made his way through the grass, the stream became to look like a roaring river. In fact it was, the currents faster then what he had hoped them to be. Coughing, he tried to keep his head lower to the ground. Squinting his big eyes, the heat was creeping along his side. Trying to make his tail stop swishing, it was hard at a canter. Feeling his hairs getting scorched, he tried not to run the other way. He needed to get Lacy and himself away from the fire to safety. When the breeze pushed the fire too close, he felt the flames licking his side. Calling out in terror, he darted to the side and tried to not knock into Lacy. "Sorry!" He squealed, turning himself back around toward the river. Skittering down the riverbank, he stopped at the edge and looked back. The fire was right at their tails and there was no time to hesitate. I'm scared. He thought and made sure Lacy was following. The slight burn along his body hurt, making him wince harshly. Jumping into the ice cold water without a second thought, he dipped under the surface and felt his body tumbling over and over until he popped back up. Kicking with all his might, it would take all his strength to get across this mass of crashing water.}

[sassaboo]

As we came closer to the fire, I gazed wide-eyed at the river we had mistaken for a stream. Slowing to a halt, I looked back at the fire, squinting against the brightness and coughing through the smoke. Auds flicked towards a splash of the water, my other side now feeling the heat that Chantz had been blocking before he jumped. Watching him fight the current, every muscle in my body froze despite the burning along my coat. "Chantz!" The whites of my eyes could be seen in terror, but the fire had wrapped itself around me, and pushing me closer to the river's edge. Shutting my eyes tightly, I leapt into the water after Chantz, relief from the heat turning to panic as I struggled to find the surface. I didn't know how to swim, and the current was forcing me towards the bottom. Slamming against stone, I fought screaming in pain in order to hold my breath. Rolling over in the water, I found the large stone with my hooves and kicked off towards the surface. Just getting my crown above the water, I gasped for air and fought as much as could against the current. My short frame couldn't reach the bottom anymore, and I was growing more exhausted by the second.

[Mystery]

_{Hearing a faint voice when he ducked under again, he kicked harder. Looking around as Chantz tried staying a float, the river was taking him further down. Not seeing Lacy, he panicked. "LACY!" He tried yelling and tried with his might to kick back up the river to where Lacy jumped in. Seeing just the top of her head, he felt relief wash over him. Coming back to reality, panic came over him again. "Lacy!" Chantz screamed again as he kicked toward her. Feeling his body get heavy from being soaked in water, his strength was draining quickly. Moving himself, or it felt like it, to a spot in front of where Lacy was moving, he tried moving closer to her. Letting the water carry him a bit farther down the river, he looked for a calmer place to move to and rest. Looking up at the once clear sky, smoky clouds filled it. Glad that the river was a little deeper and the smoke couldn't get to them. His leg hit a large stump and he tumbled under, quickly trying to hold his breathe, he felt some water fill his lung. When he re-surfaced, his throat tightened and he coughed with water re-entering his mouth. Searching the water for Lacy, he tried to grab onto a rock sticking out of the water and wait for her to pass so he could grab her.}

[sassaboo]

I panted as I tried to keep fighting the current, but the water kept winning. My side was bleeding from where I hit the rock, tinting the water around me. Hearing my name, I realized my vision was distorted from the water, blurred from exhaustion. Weak, my slowed kicking hardly did anything anymore against the river, and I was dragged under again. My legs scraped at the bottom, causing me to react and kick myself to the surface again. Spitting out the water that threated to choke me, I tried to search again for Chantz. It seemed the more I tried to find him, the more difficult it became to focus...I wanted to give up so easily, what treachery did the herd do to deserve this? What sin had I done to deserve pain as soon as I found my happiness? Not this time... I was not going to give up and let myself suffer once more, letting everything I cared about leave. No, I was going to get through this, make it through alive and end up in happiness when its over. But my legs were sore, my muscles weak and tired, and the current was strong. Trying my best to keep my head above water, I spotted Chantz behind me as I spun in the water for a second...

[Mystery]

_{Resting his head against the rock, he tried to gather his breathe. Hearing a loud splashing, Chantz lifted his head up and looked around. Seeing Lacy kicking to stay above surface, he was glad she was some what alive. His whole body ached as he watched her body spin around. Worried he would lose her more, he kicked off the rock and let the water carry him toward her. Reaching out his muzzle, he gripped onto her mane, or at least tried to, so he could help her to shore. Hoping he had enough of her mane to help her, he kicked toward the side of the river. Closing his eyes shut, he kicked with whatever strength he had left and the some he had regained when he had rested against the rock. Please, please be alive. His burns hurt more and his ankle knocked against a sharper rock, feeling an intense pain shoot up his leg, he wanted to scream in pain. But he wasn't going to risk letting go of what part of Lacy he had so he clenched his jaw tighter, also hoping he didn't have skin or too much of it. Swimming somewhat closer to the edge, he felt the water get a little shallower. A hope swelled in his chest and somehow found a little bit more strength.}

[sassaboo]

I felt myself jerk to a stop against the current, but I wasn't doing anything. Tugging on my mane could be felt, but at this point, I didn't care of any pain. Wearily I looked towards what was going on, feeling Chantz by my side. Trying to help instead of holding him back, I kicked in the same direction he did. With my eyes half closed, I trusted him to guide me. My life was at stake, and I was trusting him, a big step in my life of fear and distrust. Soon the water level felt different, and eventually my own hooves could reach the bottom. The water was calmer, and taking a moment to stand up freely, I looked towards the riverbank. We had reached the other side...How, I had no idea, but I was thankful it was over. Smoke still clouded the skies, and I was coughing up water and choking at the smoke, but the fire was no longer a threat...I looked back to where Chantz still had a grip on my mane, stretching my neck to touch his shoulder with my muzzle. Dragging my hooves towards the shore, I shivered as the air brushed against my soaked skin.

[Mystery]

_{When he could stand, his knees shook and buckled together. Taking the last of his waking energy to stand, he let go of Lacy when she could walk too. Shaking his mane out, the burns still stung when the cold air brushed against him. Feeling the sting along his ankle, he smiled when Lacy touched his shoulder. Trying to walk forward, his back ankle made him stop a moment. Looking up at the smoky sky with a wince, he wanted to get up to the main land to see which side they were on. When he tried walking again, he started into a coughing fit. The water that had lodged into his throat earlier was being choked up and he stopped long enough to clear his throat. Shaking badly, he moved slowly behind Lacy. Climbing the moderately steep slope, he looked around for any sight of the other. None, they were miles away from the herd land and it seemed to be on the other side too. Frowning, he just hoped the others were ok. Turning to look at Lacy, he walked closer to her. "You ok?" Chantz whispered in a hoarse voice, his throat sore from their adventure.}

[sassaboo]

My side was still bleeding, scratches lined up along my striped legs from the rocks. Out of the water, I waited for Chantz, looking down at his ankle. When he asked if I was alright, I gave a single weak nod. I was freezing my tail off, and my legs were spread out to keep myself standing. "You?" I asked in return, knowing he was just as tired as I.

I didn't want to keep standing in the mud, so I crawled up a little further till I reached the grass. Letting gravity take over, I dropped onto the soft vegetation, curling up the best I could to keep warm. Taking a good look around the lands, my eyes teared up as I started to feel the pain from earlier and began to realize how far away everyone else was. Please...Please, let them be safe. Let them be alive... Through my tears, I looked back up to the chestnut stallion that had saved my life. "Thank you...

[Mystery]

<sub>"Horrible?" Chantz replied with a faint chuckle. Exhaustion trickled over his muscles, spreading out and over. How tired he was seemed to mute the pain on his side and ankle. Feeling relieved to be out of the water and away from the fire, there was still a lingering sorrow in his mind. The others. They were probably trapped behind the fire, it had probably circled them, enveloping them in its licking flames. Shuddering at the horrible thought, he flattened his ears and shivered. Being out of the frigid water made him realize how cold it had been in there and how hot it was near the fire. The wind would not stop blowing against his body.

When Lacy had disappeared from his sight, his head turned slowly. She had crawled onto the grass and collapsed. Worried, he rushed forward as fast as he dared. And that was at a slow walk. Limping to a stop, he looked down at Lacy. She seemed barely alive to him and that worried him a lot. "It's fine, I would have done anything to save your life." He whispered softly, lowering muzzle and running it over her neck softly trying to comfort her. Humming a soft tune, he caught her pair of eyes once in a while and let himself try to relax and ignore the horrid pain.</sub>

[sassaboo]

I smiled weakly at him, trying to ignore the pain and the fact that I was still worried about the others... His words were sweet, his touch and humming comforting. "And why is that?" I asked, taking a wild guess at why it was that he would risk his life for mine. But I wanted to hear him say it, heck I was gonna make him say it. He already knew I liked him, and I had told him that first. But that was the past, and obviously feelings had grown. This time, I wasn't going to be the first to say anything. It was his turn...