!! In My Arms [Shady]

[Abba]

I'm not a stanger
No I am yours
with crippled anger and tears that still drip sore

Repla followed him, worry filling each of her limbs. Three days? What was he doing that was cause him to meet back up with Oser in three days. Nothing could come to her mind except for the idea of the war looming overhead. The war. Please not the war. Her body was cold. The wind was coming in. She didn't even know exactly what it was that she should be doing. Please. Just don't let it be the war. He couldn't be ripped away from her like that. But she guessed once you have the warrior blood in you it is nearly impossible to get rid of. Of course, unless you can't remember your past and you can't even remember who you were - are. She watched the ground, taking care to let her hooves fall right where his had - her hooves filling his perfectly so it looked like only one horse had been walking them. It was allowing her mind to try and stray off of the fact. "Repla..." he spoke and she looked at him her head slowly turning to the side so that it was cocked in confusion. He wasn't looking her in the eyes and it was causing her anxiety to mount even further. Something was dreadfully wrong. Dreadfully, drastically wrong. She couldn't watch him if he wouldn't look her in the eyes so she closed her own, feeling the wind float across her winter coat that was slowly beginning to disperse as the weather climbed towards a warmer medium. As she closed her eyes she felt his maw up against hers, tracing her face towards her forelock. She could feel him moving around her, trailing down the tip of her mane and then against her side. He was being so gentle, until then and she twitched a little taken as he began to bother her muscles with all the pressure. "Lao, what are you doing?" she whispered, opening her eyes and watching him as he finally reached her head again.

The sun was setting, he didn't dare to look her in the eyes as he spoke again - the sun already pretty much set upon the situation. She could feel her heart racing, tears threatening to fall from her eyes as she stood there. "Love, I joined him. He asked, and I didn't want to, Repla. But you will be safe this way." She backed up immediately, not caring what was around her. "You what?! LAO!" she screeched, her whole body trembling as the tears finally began to fall from her face. The sun had finally set and the world was completely black. He was leaving her. He was leaving her for the war. And she wondered if he even remembered the promise. Forever. Not Forever except for when I go and fight with my old Alpha and get myself killed. Her voice choked up in her throat and she wondered if she would even be able to speak to him anymore. Her ears flickered a few times between being completely perked to being pinned tightly against her neck. After a few changes her audits stayed pinned and she glared at him, standing a little taller as he spoke again. "He promised me land, Repla. He's giving us our home. Our own little paradise. You will be safe there while I fight. I'll come visit you, and at the end of it all we'll be together."

A low growl that was definitely not equine emerged from her throat as she looked at him. "One problem, my oh so smart warrior." she hissed, stepping forwards so that she was in his face - and even though she was smaller at the moment she had a demeanor that seemed to giver her a few more feet in height. "The land. Is controlled. By Rama. Have you thought about that?!" she said snapping at his face - but not gathering any flesh. She circled him, no longer caring to step perfectly where his hooves had been and then once she was at his side she kicked out at him - again not touching him but aiming at him. "'And what happened to FOREVER? Please. I'd like to understand that." She snorted, going back and giving him his space - giving herself her space as the tears slid from her eyes. "You are going to get yourself killed..." she choked out, her head dropped low to the ground as she closed her orbs and shook her cranium furiously. Forcing herself to snap out of this attitude she lifted her head, ears still pinned. "I guess I should have seen this coming. Warriors never stay - they always leave at the call of war. They live for the thrill - the rush of having to dodge the flying hooves." she hissed before striking out at him again while saying "Well dodge this you selfish brute!" she screeched before the tears took over again and she spun on her heels and out away from where the alphas were. She no longer cared if her hooves had grazed his skin or not. She no longer cared if he had blood on his pelt. He was tearing her heart apart. She thought she had him. She thought he was all hers. Each step into the forest she took she could feel her heart shattering more and more. What was she supposed to do now? She wasn't sure how she was supposed to go on about this whole thing.

The more she moved the more her mind began to clear though. She realized she couldn't leave him. And if he was still going to be with her for a few more days... Yes, maybe she could talk him into letting her come with. Forever was forever. And she wouldn't allow him to leave her - as long as she could think the same. She could... help with the wounded horses. She wouldn't be in the line of fire - and it was something she enjoyed doing anyways. Yes, if he came after her - after that fit she had just had - then she would try and talk him into letting her come. Even if he didn't let her come she would come. Rasta had to let her in - Rasta wanted horses to be safe, didn't she? There wasn't any other explanation for that whole thing. She continued on for what seemed like hours until her adrenaline ran out - her body falling weak. Her whole mind slowly shutting down until she tumbled forwards as her legs gave out. And then, her head hitting the ground right beside a tree - barely missing it. The last thing she remembered was the night owl hooting.

And then the world fell completely black...

[/blockquote]

==Into the Mind
. 1143 words
. Repla is hormonal and just realized she could just follow along. But she got pissed XD[/size]

[lady shady]

I know people change and these things happen

[/color]
But I remember how it was back then[/color]
Wrapped up in your arms and our friends were laughing[/color]
'Cause nothing like this ever happened to them[/right][/color]

He braced himself, but there was no way to prepare for what was coming. "You what?! LAO!" Repla cried furiously. The moon was beginning to rise, but it was not high enough, nor was its light strong enough yet for him to see her face. And for this, Lao was glad. He felt her begin to tremble against his side, shaking violently, before she jerked away. He wanted to hold her, to pull her close and love her; for all he knew, it could be his last chance. Before he could move towards her though, a low sound of rage stopped him. To his shock, it had come from Repla. "One problem, my oh so smart warrior. The land. Is controlled. By Rama. Have you thought about that?!" He wanted to tell her that it didn't matter; Rama wouldn't find them if the valley was hidden, and that in fighting, Oser would be reconquering their land. However, he didn't get the chance before she darted at him, teeth clicking dangerously near his face. She began to circle him, and the awful sobs that only her anger interrupted were terrible to hear. She struck out at him, and he felt the air whoosh past as her hooves came within a hair of his body. He said nothing, letting her react. He'd never seen her this angry, and it was alarming him greatly. Repla wasn't like this...

"'And what happened to FOREVER? Please. I'd like to understand that."

Lao sucked in a breath, feeling the wind forced from his lungs at her words. He wanted to reach out, to tell her that he was sorry, to tell her that he loved her, to tell her why he was doing this. But she had moved away again, and his heart caught in his throat. Was she leaving him? Distancing herself from him before he distanced himself from her? Hurting him before he could hurt her? But it was too late, he remembered. He had already hurt her. "Repla," he whispered. "Please, let me explain--"The red roan paid him no mind, except to raise her voice to speak over him as she continued, "I guess I should have seen this coming. Warriors never stay - they always leave at the call of war. They live for the thrill - the rush of having to dodge the flying hooves." No, it wasn't true! He hadn't left her! He didn't want to! Agony twisted its way into a knot in his soul . But as he opened his mouth to protest, Repla struck her final blow. She was screaming and sobbing at once now, and he could feel his heart torn open as if were him making the noise. "Well, dodge this you selfish brute!" In shock, Lao felt her hooves connect with his side, felt one of his ribs bend back dangerously...but she was rocketing away from him, away into the blackness, and he had no time to react if he was ever to see him again. She wouldn't leave him on these terms. He was no brute! Yes, he had hurt her, but his decision had been for what he thought was best. Lao knew what these wars were like. If this one was anything like the last, they would be swept up into it eventually. Like it or not, it was the fact of the matter. There would be no place to hide. Depending on how closely Rama watched the western border, there would be no way to get back to their valley safely. The entrance was inaccessible, being in the west, and a journey over the mountains was out of the question, and even more so in Repla's condition. He would not run from the war. He would not leave Oser abandoned by old warriors when he needed the assistance. His loyalty would not allow it. And, as much as he hated to admit it, he knew that he alone would not be able to protect Repla if they were surrounded by a group of Ramaskith's vicious recruits. This was the only way he knew. But he wasn't about to lose Repla. "Repla!" he thundered, swinging into a mad gallop after her swiftly retreating form. "Repla! Come back!" She did not slow, wich only propelled his legs faster. He needed to stop her. If she kept running like this, she would hurt both herself and the baby.
Thinking quickly, he slowed, making himself quieter. He cantered along behind her, following out of sight and out of earshot. Maybe once she thought she was alone, she would slow down. He would not leave her again to fend for herself.

To his dismay, she did not stop running long after he had begun to trail her. He could barely make out her form up ahead in the moonlight, a speck on the horizon. Repla had run for half of the night, trying to get away from him. His legs ached in tiredness, muscles begiining to protest his unceasing movement, his repeated strides. He wouldn't let her go. Lao glanced up ahead again, checking her progress. To his horror, he watched her tiny figure stumble, going down, down, down...

"Repla!" he screamed, his bugle piercing the night air. "Hold on!" A fresh burst of energy surged into him and he took off, hooves barely skimming the ground as he rushed to her side. A tear trickled from his eye, for he expected to find both mate and child gone in one feel swoop, ripped from his life as quickly as they had entered. He would never know their child's name, never wrap his neck around Repla again, never feel the tickle of her tail against his skin or see future children of theirs make their way into the world. He would never get to bring her home to the valley, to climb to the highest point and to look down on at all with her, whispering in her ear that she was queen of it all. Lao choked back a sob as he noticed her shallow breathing, not knowing whether to be grateful or fearful. Tentatively, he reached out with his muzzle, stroking her collapsed form gently. He might never do this while she was live again. "Repla," he cried wildly, emotion unchecked, almost hysterical now. "Repla, don't leave me! Please--" His voice broke --I'm here..."

--behind the post--
Lao flipped out and got hysterical, something that he;s quite possibly never done. I hope you're happy at having caused him to have a breakdown.

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[Abba]

Love of mine
someday you will die
but I'll be close behind. I'll follow you into the dark.

Repla felt a warm breath against her pelt - her mind taking in the world around her but her body not really wanting to accept it all and pull her back into reality. Her breathing in and out, in and out. She could have sworn that she had heard someone talking to her as she had been on her last limbs of movement. "Repla, don't leave me! Please-" she heard his voice break "-I'm here..."

Her body trembled as she felt him stroking her body and she could feel the little baby kicking away in her stomach - some of it even noticeable. She let out a tiny groan of protest as she tried to move into a slightly more comfortable position. Her stomach was so big now that she wasn't totally sure how she planned upon moving. Her audits pinned and unpinned as her dreams flooded in and out of her head. She didn't know what to think anymore - her whole world was turning around in her head and she no longer knew how to fix anything. She knew she needed Lao, she knew she couldn't lose him. She knew that she needed to be able to follow him and everything was just becoming difficult. Finally - an hour or so later her eyelids fluttered open and she lifted her head gently. "Lao..." she whispered, coughing a little bit as the night owl continued to hoot its sad song. "What-" she broke, tears beginning to fall back to her face again "-why-" she took in a short breath, "-how?" was all she managed to say before she placed her head back on the ground, closing her eyes. She tried to remember how exactly it was they had gotten there. It wasn't making sense. Bits and pieces were missing from what she could remember and nothing was making much sense at all. Tears slid down her cheeks silently as she didn't dare open her eyes. "What... what just happened, Lao..." she whispered - remembering a fight, but not remembering exactly what it was that was happening. "The war..." she broke, shaking her head quietly. "You can't leave me..." her body shuddered quietly as the foal kicked out again. "I'm coming with. If you are leaving me, I am coming with you." she said finally, her audits pinning a little bit at the warning sounds of the owls vibrating in her already sensitive ears. "I-I can't lose you Lao... You're all I have that makes any sense... please... just don't do this to me." tears finally broke through completely and they fell freely from her face, a few sobs emerging as she lay there.

If she didn't have him, she didn't have any basic grasp of who she even was...

[/blockquote]

==Into the Mind
.478 words
.Repla is making Lao go crazy XD[/size]

[lady shady]

Now I'm pacing down the hall, chasing down your street

[/color]
Flashback to the night when you said to me[/color]
"Nothing's gonna change, not for me and you,"[/color]
Not before I knew how much I had to lose[/right][/color]

She remained motionless, deaf to his cries. He laid his head along her side, an anguished expression upon his face. He was losing her. Repla was the first one in a long time who was leaving him, instead of vice versa. Panic had ceased to flow through his veins, now simple despair settled upon him. He had returned to himself, and the dry sobs no longer racked his body. Instead, he sat quietly, hopelessly, at a loss as to how to save her, if even possible. For Lao only knew how to fight to defend the body, not what to do after it already had been injured.

Suddenly, there was a flutter of life from beneath his muzzle, and he started back in surprise. Their baby was alive. He inhaled rapidly at this first sign of life from his child. Pressing his muzzle to the spot, he waited for the flutter to come again...and again...the little pulse of life reassured him as he lay next to Repla, hoping against hope that she would come to.

When she finally opened her eyes, he almost choked in relief. How close had he been to losing her? She tried to look around, but he gently laid her head back on the ground. The mare managed to stutter a few words as she regained herself. He watched the recognition and realization play across her face, and he touched his muzzle to hers in the darkness. The sun would be up soon. The dawn of the first day.

"You can't leave me...I'm coming with. If you are leaving me, I am coming with you. I-I can't lose you Lao... You're all I have that makes any sense... please... just don't do this to me."

"Shh, love, you're exhausted. We'll talk about it in the morning. Go to sleep, Repla..."

--behind the post--
ew. I'm posted out. you get the lao that you get.

[/size][/color]

[Abba]

Driving away from the wreck of the day
and the light's always red in the rearview -death's always close
to the coffin of hope, I cheat destiny just to be near you...

"Shh, love, you're exhausted. We'll talk about it in the morning. go to sleep, Repla..." she felt herself lose her breath completely. She didn't want to wait until the morning. She wanted to talk about this now! She swallowed her words though and curled up tightly against him. She shook a little, and waited a couple of seconds before she finally fell asleep completely. She stayed that way the whole night until the morning was filled with the chirping songs of the birds. Noticing that Lao was still asleep she attempted to figure out all that had happened. Her memory so torn up and broken apart. She didn't know exactly what it was that she wanted to do. How was she supposed to explain to him that she didn't remember when he was leaving -or what exactly had all been said with the two alpha's? How was she supposed to explain that she can't even remember how they got to the north - or why Lao was so worried about losing her? She couldn't, she didn't know how - and it was tearing her apart. A couple of tears slid down her cheek before she nudged at his shoulder to wake him up. "I'm coming with you. And this isn't a question." she announced, snorting in annoyance at knowing that he would attempt to tell her that she shouldn't be getting into some situation such as war. But if he was going- then she should be going with him. He was all she truly knew, and she wasn't about to lose that.

She would be with him until she died...

[/blockquote]

==Into the Mind
.272 words
.wasn't really much to put but Repla is going insane DX[/size]

[lady shady]

If you're out there, if you're somewhere, if you're moving on

[/color]
I've been waiting for you, wary since you've been gone [/color]
I just want it back the way it was before [/color]
And I just wanna see you back at my front door [/right][/color]

”I’m coming with you. And this isn’t a question.” He blinked sleepily, and opened his eyes to find Repla standing directly above him. In the early morning light, he could see a few tears rolling down her face. They plopped down neatly into the grass near his shoulder, joining the dew that adorned it. Oh, no. Not this.

”Repla, love,” he murmured, getting to his feet. ”Please understand that this is hard for me, too.” He bit back the bit of irritation that her stubbornness was causing. He didn’t want to leave her, for crying out loud, could she not see that? If she could, why was she being so difficult? ”And you’re right, this isn’t a question. There is no way that you are coming with me. The battlefield is no place for you, especially in your condition. Besides, I don’t want you seeing all of that,” Lao continued, his voice gentler. He needed to protect her, both body and mind. Shuddering slightly, he remembered some of the horses that he’d stumbled across that had gone insane from witnessing particularly gruesome battles. And if…if he died, he didn’t want to leave Repla with that scar on her mind. No. There was no way.

He saw from the look on her face that she wasn’t convinced; in fact, she hardly seemed to be listening to him. Since when had she been like this? Surely this was not the same mare who’d stepped into their valley only a few seasons ago. Fine time for her to suddenly get independent, he thought grumpily. ”Repla,” he repeated, voice firm, ”I know that this is hard, but you. are. not. going.”

--behind the post—
um, yeah. she’s not coming according to Lao XD

[/size][/color][/right]

[Abba]

Skies are crying
I am watching
Catching tear drops in my hands...

Repla shook her head fiercly. "I may not be coming to fight, but gosh darnnit I am coming to help the wounded! I have to do something! I can't just sit here. It keeps me off of the field - away from the battles. But I'm not leaving you-!" her voice broke off. She dropped her head lightly taking in a short breath. "Lao, when everything is fuzzy and I can't remember what's been going on I just need to see you and it makes sense. You are the only thing that makes any sense to me. Please, don't leave me - don't make me fall back where I was before I met you. I can't go back there, forgetting everything..." she broke completely the tears sliding down her cheeks like waterfalls. "Even if you think I am not going - Rasta wants nurses. I will ask, and she will let me. So either you let me go or I go and get permission from Rasta." she said, pinning her ears slightly as she pouted, swishing her tail lightly and looking at him, total sadness in her eyes. She needed him - more than he believed...

[/blockquote]

==Into the Mind
. 198 words
. Repla is going, according to herself XD[/size]

[lady shady]

Come back, come back, come back to me like

[/color]
But I remember how it was back then[/color]
Before the fight, before I locked you out [/color]
But I take it all back now [/right][/color]

”Repla…” It was tearing him apart to see her like this, to want to make it better, but all the while knowing that he couldn’t. ”Repla, love, sometimes it’s better not to remember…”

Bodies littered the emptying field, screams of terror and rage turned to groans of unbearable agony. Still, it was better to hear once-proud warriors plead for death than to hear
the
Silence.
The ground was slick with blood, and the sun was rising upon a gruesome sight. The groans were growing fainter and fainter, fading away slowly, and soon the Silence would reign. And for an instant, it did.
Then the morning was shattered by the screams of mares, of the sobs of anguish that flew wildly from mares’ desperate lips as they searched for—and found—familiar forms. A mate, a father, a brother, a son. Death did not discriminate. Lao turned away, fearing to look lest his heart be ripped apart by the horrifying sight, yet afraid not to look lest that same heart grow cold. What he would give, in that moment, to forget…

”…sometimes it’s better not to remember,” he repeated in a whisper, unable to look her in the eyes. He must protect her from his experiences at all costs. She must never see the bodies, must never feel warm forms grow cold, must never hear the Silence.

”Repla, think about what you’re saying. Rasta needs nurses? Rasta is a healer. Rasta is an Alpha. Rasta doesn’t need you. I need you. I need you, Repla.” Lao stepped closer, burying his face in her mane, the emotion apparent in his voice. ”I need you alive. I need you to be safe. I need you to keep our baby safe. I need to know that there’s someone waiting.” He nuzzled at her neck, willing her to understand. He couldn’t lose her like that. If he died, it would be his own fault. If she died…he wouldn’t let it happen.

—behind the post—
Lao’s having bad flashbacks.

[/size][/color]

[Abba]

Repla snorted and shook her head. "No. Never happening." she disagreed. "You don't know for sure that she is actually a healer. How do you know that it wasn't a random occurring. She said she couldn't promise it would happen. And she can't just heal every second of every day. She would need help to take care of those that she couldn't heal at the moment." A tiny snort escaped from her mouth. Gently, she nudged at his shoulder and titled her head. "I'm not leaving you. You made a promise Lao. And if you have to die out there - I am going to be out there with you. Please, don't fight me on this. I don't think you understand what staying behind and not knowing anything that is happening is really like. And I don't want to go through that." she explained swishing her tail before looking up to him and then pacing a little bit. She had to go with him. She had to. She didn't know what else to do. She would never know what else to do...

==into the mind
.189 words
.Repla is going XD

[lady shady]

And every sunset that we'll miss

[/color]
I'll wrap them all up in a kiss[/color]
And pick you up in all of this[/color]
When I sail away[/right][/color]

"Repla, she's a healer. We both saw what she did, and I know that that couldn't have been her first time doing something like that," Lao replied, wondering how he was ever going to manage to convince her to stay put. "Love, don't make me run off on my own to keep you from coming. It's just too dangerous, especially with the baby. I...I couldn't bear to lose both of you at once." Repla's set face stared back at him, and he knew her mind was made up. Was it worth arguing with her over? They only had these three days. Why shouldn't he just go along with her now and slip away later? He knew that he wouldn't be able to though; if hadn't been able to the first time, how would he manage to leave he now that she was his mate and carrying their unborn child?

But it was too dangerous! Then again, Repla would be without protection until they won back the west. "Fine."

"You can come as long as you stay with Rasta at all times. I don't want you out on the battlefield, and I certainly don't want you hiding in the brush. Rama's soldiers do horrible things, and I am not about to allow anything to happen to you. But because I know that you'll just find some way to follow me if you don't get your way on this, this is what we'll do."

Lao turned from her, sulking slightly. Notice it or not, he had fallen into the habit of getting his way, and this threw him off. He didn't know whether to be angry or glad or fearful at the fact that Repla had wormed her way into coming with him.

--behind the post--
Lao's a little sulky. A little flirting might do him some good ;)

[/size][/color]