.Heaven.

[silverhoof]

After a short while of walking through the canyon, Artemis began to feel the earth change beneath her hooves, rock giving way to soil, and finally very short grass. She exited the little tunnel then, going maybe a little faster than a normal horse, desperate to escape the smallness of the place.
The long grass licked her slender legs, and the mare breathed a sigh of contentment. She gazed over the open plains with satisfied eyes before looking back at Symphony and his band again. "See?" She allowed a crooked smile to cross over her face. She looked up at Symphony with her bright, green-grey eyes. (and I say 'up' because he's a head taller than she is) "You wouldn't mind if I joined your band, would you?" she blushed slightly. "I mean... because I haven't asked yet, and I wasn't quite sure if you wanted me here or not... or if- I mean, if I'd be a bother to have trailing around after you or..." She allowed her voice to trail off and almost ran back into the canyon to be away from his gaze. It was stressful, to be under the eye of a Lead Stallion that you'd only met a few hours before. "uh... yeah..." She seemed to shrink. Strange, how she managed to be perky and happy one second and completely embarrassed the next.

Are you locked up in you counting the days?
Oh, how long until you have your freedom?
Just shake because you love,
Cry because you care,
Feel 'cause you're alive,
Sleep because you're tired.
Shake because you love,
Bleed 'cause you got hurt,
Die because you lived.

OOC:// Poor Emi. Her personality changes so fast. xD Emi is my nickname for her. -cuddles her- It will get important in relationships later on.

[~Symphony~]

Symphony felt the grass on his legs, and it tickled. He lowered his head and smelled the grass. He looked up at Artemis as she spoke, with his head still lowered. Symphony could hear the awkwardness in her voice. He was about to answer, but Izzi beat him to it. "I think you were part of the band when you first stood up to Demon!" She said with a smile. Apollo nodded in agreement. Symphony raised his head and walked toward Artemis. "I agree. Welcome to the Forgotten Band."

Canon smiled. "I think you will like it here. My brother will take care of us. He took care of me when I was just a little foal, and he looks after Apollo and Izzi. He is our leader, but he will also feel like family." Symphony turned and was standing next to Artemis. "When did you become such a chatter box?" Canon lowered his head in embarrassment, but kept the smile on his face. "I don't think they think your a bother. I'm glad your here." Symphony replied with a cheesy smile to the mare.

OOC:// Good to know about the nickname. Mine don't have any...so yeah...

[silverhoof]

Artemis smiled at the other horses' kind words. She agreed with Canon. She did think she'd like it being a member of the band.
The sandy mare blushed slightly and ducked her head as Symphony said, 'I don't think they think your a bother. I'm glad you're here.'
...I'm glad you're here...
"I'm glad I'm here, too."
She stood there awkwardly for a moment, before a flickering star caught the corner of her eye. She raised her head and allowed her gaze to sweep over the night sky. She hadn't even noticed the sun setting. It was a dark, blue-black. There were no clouds to hide anything, and on the edge of it all sat a giant full moon that had a blue glow to it. 'once in a blue moon'... her mother had said that. Did this mean that it was only once in a blue moon that anyone ever found a place so perfect? So very like heaven?
The mare wasn't quite sure, but she knew that it probably was only once in a blue moon that anyone could ever find a band like this one.

She was glad she had found it.

I'll hold tight to what I know
You're here and I'm never alone.

[~Symphony~]

Symphony smiled as Artemis said these words. Feeling more comfortable with the mare, he decided to tell her about them. "So, as for me. I was born in the desert, as was my brother. My father forced my mother to abandon us, and we haven't seen them since. Izzi and Apollo got banned from there herd because of Izzi's bright coat. They thought she stood out too well to predators. Those are just summaries, so if you want to know more, just ask." He stood there watching her eyes and he told her the jist of what happened to them. "So how about you. Were you in a herd or have you always been a rouge?" His red eyes looked at her kindly, so she would know that whatever she told them, they would still accept her.

[silverhoof]

Artemis gazed at Symphony for a moment, shocked at their stories. 'Why would anyone do that?' she mentally asked herself.
"I've always been a rogue. I never knew my father, and my mother died last spring."
Her ears flicked at the sound of a buffalo call. It was faint. Came from a long way off.


OOC:// Not really much more to say, is there? xD

[~Symphony~]

"I'm sorry for your loss." Symphony replied. There was an awkward silence. "We should get a good night sleep. Tomorrow we will continue on." Canon plopped himself down in the grass, and went to sleep immediately. Izzi and Apollo walked a little farther and lowered there heads and went into a slumber. Symphony turned to Artemis and said good night. He walked toward Canon, stood behind him, and closed his eyes. A gentle wind let his mane gently flow away from his neck. He got a little chill. His ears pointed straight up. If anything was going to come, he would hear it.

OOC:// something interesting needs to happen....giggles

[silverhoof]

Artemis hesitated slightly as Apollo and Izzi went a few yards away from where Canon plopped down and Symphony stood. She walked cautiously over to the lead stallion.
The sandy mare couldn't help but notice how the moonlight bounced off his grey-blanketed muscles, highlighting him in silver. "Um... Excuse me? Symphony... sir?" Her voice was quiet and shy. It was different when they were alone... well... not technically, because there were others there... but they were sleeping, so it wasn't like they could hear. "If you wanted to go to sleep, I could stand watch... I don't get tired very easily, and I'm wide awake, so..."
She blushed slightly under her sandy coat. That was a lie, of course. An outright lie. The horse could feel the exhaustion making her bones ache. She didn't want them to think she just stood around doing nothing. She didn't want them to think she was a burden.
The part of her that had always longed for the company of others felt the warmth radiating from him, and she inched closer to the stallion, stumbling away slightly when her side brushed his. She glanced away, frightened of what his gaze would tell her.

OOC:// >:] Being evil is so fun.

[~Symphony~]

Symphony got another chill when Artemis brushed up against his side. He snapped his head up and looked at the mare. She looked into his eyes, waiting for what he would do. He was suddenly very interested to what the mare was up to. "Was her leading them there gotten to her head, or is she just watching out." Symphony thought. "I am not feeling all that tired either, I will watch with you." He was telling the truth. He did feel awake, he usually was up all night anyway, watching out for the others. "If you get tired, you can always rest." He wasn't too fond of the idea of the mare watching his band, but he didn't want to be rude to her either. A uneasy horse is not such a great idea to have watch overnight, he could tell from the way she spoke. Of course he did not want to tell her that.

[silverhoof]

Artemis could hear it in his voice, no matter how hard he tried to mask it. The protective air that every Lead Stallion must have. "You don't want me here, do you?"
She glanced up at him. "You can tell me something outright any time you want to. You don't have to hide anything. I don't care how kind or mean it is. Just please don't hide it if it's about me."
She paused for a moment. And her next words came quieter. "I'm sorry for touching you... it was an accident. It won't happen again." She glanced at the three sleeping horses, before stating, "I'm going to watch over there. By Izzi."
Her hooves made barely any noise as she moved over to Izzi and Apollo. She stayed a few feet away from them, so as not to disturb them. She was still about ten yards away from Symphony, though.
She closed her eyes and flicked her ears high up, as Symphony had done before she disturbed him.
Light footfalls opened her eyes. She saw the faintest bit of motion in the grass that she wouldn't have noticed if she didn't know where to look. A small breeze blew over the moving grass and into her nose.

Cougar.

It leapt from the grass the same instant that Artemis dove forwards and mashed into it with her hooves. It jumped up and twisted out of her line of vision immediately She turned her head, searching for it. It was still there. She could smell it.
Claws raked down her side, and she bucked. It flew off, and ran into the night, fleeing far away so that it wouldn't be attacked again.

[~Symphony~]

As soon at the cougar jumped at Artemis, Symphony gave a forceful yell to wake the others. Izzi jumped to her hooves as Artemis slammed her hooves into the big cat. Apollo ran with Izzi toward Canon who still managed to sleep. Symphony started running toward Artemis, to help her, but the cougar was running off as he ran to her side.

"Are you ok? Are you hurt? If you need to lay down, you can." Symphony asked with greatest concern. His mane clung to his neck by all the sweat. He was breathing heavily as he waited for her to speak. He couldn't help but think about what she said before. How could she think we don't want her here? Something must have happened in her past to make her not trust others, no matter what they say.

Izzi ran up to the other side of Artemis. "You ok?" she said quietly, showing the kindness in her voice. Apollo stayed backed and tapped Canon with his hoove. Canon jumped a little. "You might want to get up. There was a Cougar attack." Canon scrambled to get to his feet as he whipped his head looking for his brother.

[silverhoof]

She glanced at Izzi as she and Symphony asked if she was alright. "Y-yeah. I'm fine. Just a little shaken." It took a moment before she remembered (and registered) the pain of the cougar's claws down her side. She turned her head to see the damage, and blinked as what she saw. The wounds were deep. Not bone-deep, but deep. Thin lines of blood trickled down before they dripped onto the long, green grass.
Artemis blinked again. She felt numb.
"Oh. I'm bleeding."
Slightly amused, she remembered that this was the part where she was supposed to fall down and faint. She didn't. Simply stood there, confused about why she couldn't feel any pain when there were three gouges just behind her forequarter.

The mare glanced at Izzi and Symphony in turn again. "I'm alright, really. Thank you for your concern, though." She forced a small smile for them.

The slightest twinge of feeling was beginning to return, and she knew that in a while she would be able to feel the full force of what the cougar had left as a departing gift.

Now I've lost my fear
So I pray that you come near
With a million sparkly lights
And help me, help me through the night

OOC:// Sorry I took a while to reply. Was out of muse. && those lyrics are so random. xD

[~Symphony~]

Symphony sided up next to Artemis, for he didn't know if she was going to faint from shock or not. He looked at her wound and the blood trickling down to the grass. "Your bleeding, you should lay down." He replied to her. He looked at her with those kind red eyes to show he cared he and he would be there for here if anything happened.

Canon came rushing over, almost pushing Symphony into Artemis. "What happened?!" he yelled. "Calm down, brother, its over now." He replied calmly. But it wasn't. Apollo came over to Izzi who was standing in front of Artemis. "I smell something, Zi." Izzi looked at Apollo nervously. Apollo perked his ears up. "I think it is coming back!"

Canon gave a whimper. He was standing frozen looking at something in the grass. Symphony left Artemis's side, and slowly walked toward Canon. He could see in the distance the wounded cougar limping back toward them. "Wow, its pretty persistent." He glanced back at the wounded mare to see her reaction. "Its wounded, so it should be easy to scare it off again." Symphony moved in the direction of the cougar waiting for the cougars next move.

[silverhoof]

Artemis glanced at Symphony at his words, and almost didn't reply. "I'm not a foal. I don't need to lie down."
She glanced at Apollo. As he spoke, her ears flicked up. She heard it before they even said it was there. The mare watched the cougar as it slunk toward them, one of its forelegs almost immobile. Her breath caught in her throat as it turned its cold, predatory gaze towards her.

As not to portray ay fear, she gave it her best cold, predatory gaze right back. The cougar's lips coiled back to reveal a set of yellowed, slightly dulled (but still sharp) teeth.
Its claws unsheathed and tore at the earth as it stood, surveying the mustangs.


OOC:// My muse crawled into a dark hole and died, I beleive. x-x

[~Symphony~]

Symphony fixed his eyes on the cougar. "I was just making sure you were alright." He said to Artemis, without turning his head toward her. The cougar continued to come toward them at a steady pace, limping from the blow of Artemis's hoof. Symphony reared and raced toward the cougar. It jumped up and tried to dig is claws in Symphony's rump, but he twisted around just in time. The cougar gave a quick turn and dug its teeth into Symphony's back leg. Symphony cringed, but did not yell. Symphony whipped his head around a bit him back.

"Symphony!" He could hear his brother call his name out of fear. He noticed Apollo running in circles around him, trying to get a piece of the action. The cougar let go of his leg and went behind Symphony and jumped again at his behind. Symphony looked back and with one powerful kick with his two back legs, he hit the cougar in its chest and it went flying. Symphony limped to where it landed, and saw it was dead. Its legs were in a awkward position. "You OK?" He heard Apollo ask. "I'll be fine."

Canon was at his side, yet again, scared out of his mind. Symphony looked around at the horses. "Lets get back to sleep." He said quietly. He limped off to the side and looked up at the stars. Canon allowed sleep to come to him easily after what just happened. Apollo gave a quick nuzzle to Izzi, and both said good night to Artemis.

OOC://Bad post alert! BEEP!BEEP!BEEP!