Chapter 76 - Unspoken Dream
“Plan?” PRHL asks, seemingly unamused by the current situation.
“I have to slow my descent. Bail PRHL.”
“Are you sure you’re making the right decision?”
“Bail bail bail!”
“Very well. See you at the bottom.” My horns glow a light green as PRHL slips out my back.
I swing at the nearest rock wall, sparks flying like fireflies in July as my jagged claws scrap against the wall. “GO IN DAMNIT!” I scream only to have my claws shatter at the base. My pylons barely make it into the wall before ripping out of my right arm and leaving a gaping hole instead. “Tail! Do whatever you did back at the castle!” The fusion of Fade’s, Friend’s, and my own power pulses through Tail’s artery as his new jets spew forth a mighty torrent of blue-black flames. The amount of power Tail is converting into thrust is phenomenal; if he keeps this up I actually might land unscathed. “Keep it up Tai-.” I collide side first into a rock jutting from the wall, sending me spiraling out of control. I fall down the rest of the shaft, hitting the walls like a ragdoll down a staircase. Tail desperately tries to regain control, but it’s all for naught. I slam into a mining cart on it’s side with a meaty, wet thud.
- - -
“Crap, crap crap crap. How am I going to explain to Fade that 27 is dead? Hell, how do I break it to Cloud?” Colt worries as he enters the house. “Welp, if I’m going to die, might as well do it on a full stomach,” Colt says, already eating a banana.
“Heya Colt! What’cha doin’?” Pinkie seemingly appears out of nowhere.
“Food, eat. Food good.”
“Okie dokie! Hey, where’s 27?”
“Hmm... Yeah... He fell in a hole, probably dead. Trying to figure out how to break the news to Fade... Any idea where she is?”
“Fade? I don’t know,” she shrugs, “Cloud’s still sleeping. Can you believe that? It’s like one o'clock and she’s still out!”
“27 and Cloud must’ve rutted all night.”
“Maybe.”
“Crap... I can’t stall any longer... Might as well get this over with...” Colt gets up and makes his way towards my room. The door is wide open so he walks in and sits down next to a sleeping Cloud. “Cloud wake up,” he says, slightly shaking her and in return, she merely rolls over. “Cloud, seriously, wake up!” he says a bit louder, this time actually shaking her. She begins to stir, but falls right back asleep. “Damn it Cloud, WAKE UP!” he shouts, actually shaking her now; her whole body moving. After a minute of this, he gives up.
“Colt, you’re back earlier than expected.” Colt’s attention pulled towards the doorway to see Fade standing there.
“Well at least I can break it to one of you; take a seat,” he suggests, patting the cot next to him.
“Break what?” She takes a seat next to him, close enough where her arm barely rubs up against his.
“Well... There was an accident, 27 was involved.”
“Go on...” Her tone quickly turns to ice.
“There’s a pit down there. We crossed it once fine, besides me having a small panic attack nothing bad happened when he threw me over. On the way back, he threw me over just like earlier, but that time he didn’t make the jump.”
Fade quietly sits there, undoing her hair from its tight bun, letting it fall freely down. Colt sits there awkwardly, not saying a word until she does; unfortunately, the silence that has befallen on this conversation feels like an eternity. “Fade? You okay?”
“Colt,” she whispers.
“Please don’t kill me...”
“If I wanted you dead, I would’ve saw to it back in the facility.”
“Oh.. T-Then what is it?”
“This is what I want you to do. I want you to sit here and wait.”
“Why? Don’t you want to go get his body?”
“Why? There’s nobody to be found. He’s alive, I can feel it.”
“H-How?! He fell down a mineshaft that was like three hundred feet deep!”
“Our souls are intertwined, I can feel him; he’s in pain, but still alive.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me?! Get on a better fitting shirt and let’s go!” He stands up and tries to walk away but Fade grabs his arm and pulls him back down to the cot.
“Patience is a virtue; a virtue I urge you to partake in.”
“Okay then... But could you at least put on a different shirt?” He says, looking down at her loose fitting shirt.
“Does my apparel bother you, Colt?”
“The shirt is a bit... How do I put it... Revealing. I have to go out of my way to avoid seeing anything.”
“If it bothers you, then I shall put on something less, revealing.” Fade slowly gets up from the cot, making her way to the closet and pulls her light blue shirt off. Seemingly at random, Fade picks out and puts on a tight fitting red v-neck shirt. “Better?” she asks, retaking her seat.
“I think unless I pick it, it won’t get any better. So how are you sure that he’s alright? He fell down a mine shaft!”
“Sorry, just practicing the memories I’ve obtain from 27 about birth.” Fade turns to Colt with a soft smile before taking his hand and placing it on her shoulder. “That pulse, can you feel it?”
“Yes, I know you’re pregnant, and loose clothes are a good thing, but they don’t have to be so revealing,” he states.
“Not that pulse. Close your eyes and feel with your soul.”
“What?”
“You’re not attuned with your own soul, Colt. Close your eyes, clear your mind, and feel.” Colt does as he’s told, closing his eyes and tries his damnedest to find some sort of clairvoyance. “Now, feel with your soul Colt.” Fade lays her forehead on his, closing her eyes she moves his hand to the source of my ‘pulse’; which lies in her heart. “Did you feel it that time?”
“Y-Yeah...” he says, quickly removing his hand. He opens his eyes to see Fade with her’s still closed.
“That was 27’s pulse; when he’s happy, the pulse is warm and soft; when he’s angry, it’s more chaotic; when he’s hurt, it’s slow and powerful; like the one you just felt.” She sighs before pulling away.
“Alright then, he’s alive, now let’s never speak of this again. Now, how about some lunch? You’re eating for two after all,” Colt asks, already leading Fade to the door and down to the kitchen. Where everyone is already eating a late lunch, they chat amongst themselves as Fade happily watches them all.
Everyone agrees that it would be a splendid idea to take an adventure down to the lake for a dip. “Would it be alright if I rode in one of you girls? The journey would be much faster that way.”
“You can ride shotgun in me Fade. Daimon promises to behave.”
“Colt, I appreciate the offer, but no.”
“Why?”
“It’s been exhausting to maintain the little control I have over my pregnancy-induced mood swings; the slightest thing would put me over the edge. I’d prefer if that didn’t happen, for your health and mine.”
“Fair enough.”
“What do we have to do?” Trixie asks.
“Who will be my host?” Fade asks with a gentle smile, and once again is met with unsecured looks.
“I will, j-just don’t do anything weird.” Belle nervously steps forward.
“I appreciate this Belle; this won’t hurt at all.” Fade kneels down in front of Belle, resting her forehead against hers. “First time might be discomforting,” She adds before vanishing into Belle.
“Egh... Is this what it feels like to have Daimon and Rage in your head?” she asks, shuddering at the odd sensation of Fade entering her mind.
“Yeah, you get used to it. Except Rage heats up, she might be a bit cold.”
“A bit? I feel like I’m freezing!” she quickly adds as her body shutters.
“Maybe this’ll help.” Colt quickly picks her up and embraces her in a hug.
“A little, I feel like an ice cube on the inside.”
“Alright Fade, er, Belle, where do we go?”
“I’m sorry for the discomfort; one moment.” Belle’s voice mimics Fade’s almost perfectly. A brief moment later, Belle’s body temp quickly recovers to almost normal levels. “H-How’s that?” she asks, struggling with the awkward reversing of her power.
“Better, still feels weird though,” Belle replies, shifting around in Colt’s arms.
“G-Good. If it’s allright, may I take control?”
“Just don’t do anything weird.”
“Yes, because God forbid if Belle did anything normal.” She sticks her tongue out at him.
“Please, follow me.” Belle hops out of Colt’s arms and begins to lead everyone outside.
- - -
“Hello?” Belle calls out, walking around in what seems to be a never ending castle hallways; the walls heavily damaged, spiderwebs adorning the ceiling fixtures, plants overgrown all over; a poorly kept castle.
“Belle, you have a very intriguing mindscape,” she jumps, suddenly realising she’s not alone.
“F-Fade?”
“Yes sweetie. Don’t fret, I’m only observing.” Fade appears next to Belle as a badly beaten, bloody changeling; left wing missing, other mangled, horn broken at the base, large lacerations litter her body, front left leg deformed, back right severely crippled.
“Eep!” Belle squeals as she averts her eyes.
“Belle, sweetie,” Fade says, already inspecting her new form. “Forgive me for prying, but who was this changeling?”
“S-Somepony who isn’t around anymore...” she replies, not looking at Fade’s general direction at all.
“This is your truest desire; why must you avert your gaze?”
“T-That’s the only thing I can remember from then.”
“I see...” she bleakly states.
“Can y-you change into something else?”
“Your desires change my appearance, sweetie; this form is the only true one I saw. What would you like me to be?”
“Anything else!” Fade shifts into a more appealing form to Belle, in a blink of an eye she turns into Cloud.
“Better?”
“Much, t-thank you. Now what is this hallway?” Belle asks, looking around the never ending hallway with doors on both sides.
“This hallway represents your life, each door contains some of your memories.” Fade opens the nearest door, both Belle and her taken back to yesterday’s event in the closet.
“Wait, this is...” Belle looks in the corner of the closet, her face immediately turns crimson. “Don’t look!” she shouts, covering Fade’s eyes.
“Sweetie, please. I’ve experienced things that would make your innocent head spin.”
“Not helping! Take us back, take us back!” Belle shouts, pushing Fade back.
“I’m only observing, you’re the one who’s keeping us here.” Fade silently giggles to herself.
“N-No I’m not!”
“Oh sweetie, taking it in all at once on your first go wasn’t the brightest idea.”
“S-Shut up!”
“You’re still a little sore from this, I can feel it; here, let me help.” Fade’s cooling touch quickly numbs Belle’s nether regions.
“Stop doing things! How do I get out of here?!”
“I told you, you’re the one who’s in control, not I.”
“Then how do I get out of here?!”
“Simply think of a different memory in the hallway.” Belle heeds her words, closes her eyes, and a moment later they’re back in the hallway.
“We are never going to speak of this again!”
“They’re your memories.” Fade stares down the long hallway for a brief moment. “Sweetie, if you don’t mind me asking, how young are you?” Belle flinches at the surprise question.
“What do you mean? I-I’m only twenty...”
“If that was the case, this hallway would be half the length.”
“N-No it wouldn’t! I-I’ve just been through a lot is all.” Fade touches Belle’s horn with her hoof; the hallway suddenly changes into something completely different; both of them stand in a white library on a catwalk over a bottomless pit; each floor houses countless shelves filled with books.
“This is my memory lane Belle. I’m 1,123 years young. It would take you many lifetimes to reach the bottom of my library.”
“Whaaaaat if I just hit fast-forward?”
“You may in your own memory lane, but I brought you here because your hallway tells a different story about your age; you’re a lot older than you lead on.”
“N-No I’m not!” Belle adamantly refuses.
“Sweetie, who are you trying to fool?”
“Nopony, I’m not lying!”
“Belle, I’m old enough to be your ancestor. Age is just a number, you are as young as you feel.”
“But Colt is so much younger; so are the others.”
“So what if they are? Hmm? They need not know your age. To them, you’re the same as they.”
“Then why are you asking? They don’t have to know, why do you?”
“I’m terribly sorry. 27 seems to be rubbing off on me more than I expected him too; I’ve picked up his unending curiosity.”
“Well you should know it’s not polite to ask a mare’s age.”
“How about tit for tat? A secret for a secret?”
“What could you have that I want?
“Oh, I think I have a few things you might want to know about a certain Friend, no?”
“Why would I want to know about him? All I know is he’s a jerk.”
“Leverage sweetie. I know a few things that would make him squirm, everyone has their skeletons to hide; even demons.”
“What, is he a coltcuddler?”
“Actually, that I do not know.”
“Then what could you have on that maniac?”
“Tit for tat, tit for tat.”
“Is any of it even useful?”
“I would believe so, yes. If he ever tries to go back on a deal or do something that you do not care for; you could threaten him with said secret.”
“Fine... I’m fiffiv...” Belle mumbles.
“Come again?” Fade purrs.
“Fifyfiv...” She mumbles again.
“I didn’t quite catch it that time.”
“Fifty five!” She shouts with anger in her words.
“Fifty five? I was off by a few by a few years; oh well.” Belle just silently sits there, looking at the ground.
“I’m over three times his age...”
“So?”
“Won’t that bother him? Not to mention I’ll outlive him.”
“I doubt that age really matters to him. And the only thing that does matter is if you girls make great memories with him.” Fade places a comforting hand on Belle’s shoulder as she kneels down in front of her.
“Those things in his head won’t let him stop. Daimon’s up to something, I know it!”
“Confront him about it then.”
“Are you kidding?! This is Daimon we’re talking about! Even you fear him! What if he took control?”
“Fear? There’s a greater evil that I fear worse than him, but that’s beside the point. Stop living by ‘what ifs’, what if he does take control? What then? Hmm? If Colt losses control, then he obviously doesn’t want to have it in the first place.”
“You were in his head, how does Daimon work? How could we stop him if he did?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then I won’t confront him about it, problem solved.”
“If you turn a blind eye, the problem won’t go away.”
“It doesn’t make it happen any faster though. Everyday it seems something bad happens, can’t we just put it off for a week and be normal?”
“The longer you put something off, the worse it will become. But it can wait, Daimon will not try anything as 27 is still around.” Belle merely smiles before Fade takes them back to the castle.
“I hope so.”
“D-Don’t open it, please.”
“Sweetie, you’re shaking. I’m sure whatever lies behind this door can’t be that terrifying.”
“L-Let’s just go back, I’m sure we’re at the lake by now.”
“Belle, you’re the one who’s keeping us here; it’s obvious that you want me me here; but for what?”
“Because you asked!”
“You could’ve ended this, deny me access to everything at any moment; but you didn’t, why?”
“Who makes a pregnant mare-woman walk everywhere?!”
“Sweetie, don’t try to change the subject.”
“And what were you going to tell me about Friend?” Belle asks quickly.
“He likes cute, tiny things; just ask him about Stella.”
“Okay, let’s go now!” Belle turns to leave, but Fade stops her with a gentle hoof on her shoulder.
“Belle, you’re obviously hurting, why not let me help?”
“I don’t need help, I’m fine!”
“Why do you run?”
“I’m not running, we’re walking, to the lake,” Belle says, uneasy.
“Sweetie, I’ve been taking detours on our adventure. And yes, you are Belle, you’re running from your past; why?”
“Why does it concern you? Can’t you just let things be?”
“It doesn’t but...” Fade sways, her form phases in and out before rematerializing back into the former changeling form. “I’m sorry, mood swing, they still throw me off when they occur. But I want to help you, you can’t let the past keep hunting you so.”
“Nothing is hunting me! Nothing’s wrong! Everything will be fine!”
“Belle, you can’t even look at me in this form.” Belle closes her eyes and turns away.
“Thats not the point, nothing’s wrong here, everything will be fine!”
“Will be? Or is?” Belle’s eye dart back and forth.
“T-They are!” Fade sways again. This time, her phase lasts longer before she comes back into focus.
“S-Sorry... Baby’s hungry.” Fade braces herself up against the barred door.
“You sure you’re okay?” She leans there, breathing heavily before phasing again.
“I used to go without food for years; now I can’t even manage a few hours,” she says weakly. “Need not to worry, I’ll be fine.”
“O-Okay, are we there yet?”
“We’ll get there when I see fit.” Fade pushes herself off the door, accidentally brushing against the lock in the process; it begins to rapidly rust. Belle’s eyes widen as she rushes to the door, frantically messing with the lock as it falls apart, all the while she keeps repeating, “No, not this.”
“Sweetie, everything will be okay. I’m here.” Belle doesn’t seem to hear her as she desperately tries to hold the lock together even as parts continue to rust and fall off. After a long minute of failed attempts, the lock turns to dust and blows away in a sudden gust of wind as the door opens.
“N-No..” She says, falling back on her haunches, staring at the door as it swings open. A blinding light fills the hallway. When it clears, Belle and Fade are in a dungeon. Belle looks on in horror as the memory plays on, the door to the cell opens, a young changeling is thrown in.
“W-Wheres Shadow?” the filly asks, fearful of the figure filling the doorway.
“Why don’t you turn around dear? Look at what has become...” The figure says, her horn lighting up with a sickly green; it was Chrysalis. The glow of her horn blanketed everything in the cell with a sickly green, the filly looked around until her gaze fell upon the broken and beaten changeling in the corner.
“Shadow?! W-What happened!?” the filly screams, running over to her friend’s body, only to be kicked away by Chrysalis.
“He was pathetic. Softening you up. I had to show him how tough things can be when you’re weak,” she says, kicking his body, he doesn’t move.
“B-But why?!”
“The Queen of the changelings can’t afford to have such frivolous things as friends; they only weigh you down. Let alone common trash such as him. He serves you. Thats how things are!” The filly stands up shakily from where she landed, tears pouring down her face. “Now, unless you wish to stay down here, you will obey your Queen. End this pitiful excuse of a changeling’s life, won’t you deary?” she asked as if it were common conversation, a mischievous grin forming on her face as she pushes the filly towards her soon to be victim.
“No!” The filly screams in defiance, only to have Chrysalis knock her into a wall with a forehoof to the head.
“What was that?” she asks angrily.
“I-I said n-no!” the filly screams once more in defiance.
“I’ll tell you one last time, kill him or you’ll be down here for the new six months!”
“No!” This time Chrysalis picks her up, a bright green aura enveloping the filly before slamming her into the stone wall; a cracking sound fills the air.
“Final warning child, do it or die with him!” she orders, the filly sobbing her heart out as she shakily stands up and limps over to her friend.
“I-I’m sorry...” Her horn lights up the same green as her mother’s as the charge builds up.
“Sweetie, stop.” Everything freezes, with tears streaking down her face Belle looks up to see Fade in her original form leaning in front of her. “No more, sweetie.” Fade embraces Belle in a tight hug, she instantly reciprocates it with an even tighter hug as buries her head into Fade’s chest; crying her eyes out. “The wounds can finally begin to heal,” she softly whispers as Belle just sits there, letting it all out.
“T-Thank you...” Belle slowly pulls her head away and looks up to Fade with puffy red eyes.
Fade gives a heartfelt smiles as she brushes away the bits of mane clinging to Belle’s face. “Without the possibility of pain, there can be no joy, no love; we all have our burdens, our fair share of bad memories. If you need anything, please, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“O-Okay, c-can this stay between u-us?” Belle pleads, rubbing her eyes.
“Yes, this will be our little memory.” Belle lightly hugs her.
“Can we go back now?” Fade merely smiles, the hallway fades away and the both of them rejoin the others.
- - -
“Hey Belle, you back?” Colt asks, having arrived at the lake a minute ago. He wonders why she’s just standing there staring off into space as the others head for the water.
“Huh, wha-Oh! Sorry,” she apologises, shaking her head before looking at him.
“You okay? Fade break anything in there?”
“No, no, she didn’t do anything. I’m fine, really Colt,” she replies with a smile.
“Alright, but where’s Fade? Did she sneak out?” A shadowy figure seeps out of Belle’s horn and materializes into Fade, wearing a two piece swimming suit. “Huh, thought you’d wear a one-piece,” he says, a little confused.
“Oh? Why’s that?”
“No idea, it’s just that whenever you see a woman with child, they always have a one-piece; almost like an unspoken rule. I don’t know.”
“I prefer skinny-dipping!” Pinkie Pie shouts, doing a cannonball into the lake.
“How do you even know that term?!”
“27!” She shouts right before she hits the water, making a bigger splash than expected.
“I knew not of this ‘unspoken’ rule; I could always just go skinny dipping like Pinkie.”
“Yeah... If you do that I’m just going to go sit over there,” he points to a faraway tree.
“Pffffft!” Pinkie spits out a stream of water, pretending to be a fountain. “Why? We’re just swimming in a lake!”
“Y-Yeah Colt, you should really take a bath, or at least wash your face,” Fluttershy quietly suggests.
“Nope. If Fade takes off that swimsuit, I’m gone.”
“Why so concerned about her?”
“I just don’t want to see her wit-.”
“But we don’t have clothes!” Trixie stands up out of the shallow end to prove a point.
“You weren’t here for the social taboo discussion. Long story short, nudity in public for humans is bad, and a bit awkward.”
“Taboo where you grew up, yes. But I’m not a human Colt. I may appear as one, but a wolf in sheep’s clothing does not make a sheep.”
“Yeah, b-.”
“Also, if memory does serve, not all of earth was so up tight and prude about the beauty of the body.”
“Well I’m not as prude as others but I have my boundaries.”
“But we don’t wear clothes,” Fluttershy points out.
“True, but you have coats and tails to cover things up, so it’s not awkward, to me anyways.”
“So if Rarity wears clothes, then takes them off?” Pinkie Pie asks.
“Nothing.”
“But if Fade does?”
“I’m going to that tree.” The girls facehoof.
“I’ll never understand this,” Trixie says in frustration.
“Sorry, so Fade, should I just leave?”
“With someone of your age, they would jump at this opportunity. But, I do not wish to make you feel uncomfortable.”
“Well now that I know to get here I can come back later and wash up if you were to do that.” Fade walks past Colt, who in returns takes a quick peek at her backside as she does; her hair traveling all the way down and stops at her lower back; just leaving her rump. She slowly wades herself into waist deep water before sitting down and relaxing. Colt decides to follow her in, but notices that Belle is staying shoreside.
“Belle, you coming in?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want to, okay?” she says defensively.
“Okay. Fade? You have fun. Looks like Belle isn’t telling me something.” he says just loud enough for Fade to hear him.
“Sweetie, is everything alright?” Fade asks in a concern tone.
“Yes, I just don’t like swimming in deep water.” She shows a large hole in her hoof, “These make it hard to swim. If it’s too deep I might go under.”
“Then why not just stay in the shallow end? Me and Fade can keep you company.” She mulls it over for a moment before slowly walking into the water, stopping when it’s up to the base of her neck and sits.
“This is as far as I’ll go,” she states.
“I won’t make you go any further, we can relax here.” After everyone has their fill of fun in the water, they all wash up and begin to leave. “Fade, need help out of the water?” he offers with a helping hand.
“If you wouldn’t mind.” Colt reaches out with a hand and she takes it. Ice steps form under her as she climbs out of the lake.
“No problem, need another ride back?”
“If Belle wouldn’t mind.” Belle shakes her head.
“I don’t, hop in.” And Fade does just that, this time not needing to touch foreheads.
“You in there Fade?”
“Yes, need me to lead the way back?” Colt stands there, looking befuddled as he scratches the back of his head.
“Yeah... I am terrible with directions.”
“Very well.” Colt and the girls follow Belle/Fade back to the house. Oddly enough, this time it only takes half the time. I wonder why? Everyone piles into the house and Fade pops out of Belle wearing a t-shirt and shorts.
“Thanks Fade, everyone clean enough for the day?” He gets nods all around. “Well now, that’s that, where’s 27?”
“Yeah, shouldn’t he be back by now?” Pinkie Pie asks.
“He should, I’m starting to get a little worried now,” Fade states. “His pulse has strengthened; he’s hurting bad...” Fade sighs as she makes her way to the couch to rest. “Colt, I hate to impose, but could you go back in and find 27?”
“Hmmm,” he stammers, looking a bit worried. “Yeah... I hate the dark... And I don’t know how to make a torch, soooo. I guess I can’t go in looking for him.”
“Didn’t you turn on the power?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“Crap... Forgot... Belle, wanna come with?”
“Meh, might as well, got nothing better to do.”
“Splendid. But please, do be careful in there. I don’t want anyone else getting hurt in there.” The both of them nod before taking their leave and venturing forth into the cave.
“Argh... I’m soooo bad at directions... Wish I knew where this hole was again...”
“How did you two find the power source in the first place?”
“We followed the power... cables...”
“You mean the ones above us?”
“Yeah...”
“What would you do without me?” Belle says with her tongue sticking out.
“Get lost.”
“Probably.” Idle chit-chat fills the air around them as they explore. Eventually they find the hole that took me. “Here we are... Or at least I hope this is the hole he fell down.” Colt cranes his head over the hole, trying to peer into the darkness below.
“How are we-.” As Colt continues to stare down into the hole, the unstable ledge that fell me also gives way, claiming Colt as well. “COLT!” Belle screams as she watches in horror. Belle’s heart jumps in her throat as her stomach twists into a knot. Like watching a train wreck happening before your very eyes, there’s nothing that you can do to stop it. “Colt!” She screams again as the shell shock wears off. She jumps in after him, her wings beating furiously; pushing her far past her normal speeds. “COLT!” Belle cries out again, chasing after a ghost.
- - -
A soft breeze carries the scent of water on a warm summer’s day. The sun hides behind a cloud as it passes; casting it’s shadow upon me. I stare up at the clouds while they lazily float on by in the sky, some take on familiar shapes as others simply look like clouds. Everything is right in the world, no more worries for me to bare, just peace and relaxation.
“Push me higher daddy!’ Morrigan pleads. I quickly look down to see the smile on her face as she looks back. “Higher!” I grab the back of the swing and bring it well over my head.
“Hang on Morrigan! This is going to be a big one!” I run under the swing as I push her, the swing is sent flying with Morrigan squealing in pure joy.
“Another one! Another one!” Tail grabs the swing this time and pulls her back even further. He gives it one mighty swing that earns even louder squeals from Morrigan.
“Hey dad Hey dad! Look what I caught!” I turn around to see Ull, my son, holding two large mouth bass in front of him. “What’cha think? Pretty huge right?!”
“Looks like you’ve finally surpassed your old man’s fishing record!” Ull grins from ear to ear as I pat him on the head. “Maybe mom will fry them up for dinner tonight, how does that sound?”
“Will she?! That would be awesome!”
“Kids! Lunch is ready!” Fade yells from the front porch of the house.
“You hear that dad? Lunch!”
“Yay! Come on, let’s go!” Morrigan jumps off the swing and grabs my hand. Tail helps Ull climb up on top of my shoulders, leaving me to carry the fish back. Morrigan swings our hands back in fourth as our tails mimic us. Ull is happily kicking his feet back and forth.
“Kids! Lunch is getting cold!” Fade calls out again.
“Daddy! Let’s hurry!”
“I don’t want a cold lunch dad!”
“Then we better step on it then.” I drop to all fours, letting Morrigan get on and I take off running. The kids giggles in delight while I ran us back to the house for lunch.
Lunch was splendid as usual, idle chit-chat crossed the table between all of us. Cloud cracking jokes for Ull’s enjoyment. PRHL sharing his lunch with Morrigan; who has her mother’s hollow leg. I sat there joyously, watching everyone having a good time. “Dad! What do you want to do after lunch? Can we go play hide n’ seek?”
“I wanna play tea party!”
“You can play both of those, but your father looks a bit tired. Maybe you should let him take a nap before hand?” Fade suggest with a sly smile.
“Yeah, your old man ain’t as young as he use to be. I’m pooped. After dinner we’ll play some more, okay?”
“Okay/Awesome!” A summer filled breeze wafted in through the window as I lay on my bed, slowly falling asleep to the sounds of the kids and Cloud playing in the living room. Life, couldn’t get any better right now.
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Editors
frieD195 - Tsujin Rilauco