StarFire

Star had been gone a long time. She knew this, but she felt justified in her absence. She came to a stop near the waterfall, the sorrow deep within her heart still tearing at her very being.

Rearing high into the air, slashing the heavans with her forlimbs in some attempt to rid her suffering, a long, loud, haunting neigh filled the terra.

She needed the company of others, but she was afraid of her mate's reaction to her news.

What would he do? Would he cast her out?

Banish her?

Only time would tell...

Comet

Comet was still with Ruffienne and Princess, his daughter, when a sharp snort escaped vocals. He could smell StarFire's scent and this troubled him dearly. He thought the mare already gone, and now he found out she wasn't. He glanced to Ruffienne, the love of his life, with axious orbs. The dark queen was pregnant with his foal, and he didn't want her to fight a full healthy mare. Surely she would get hurt doing this, but he knew they couldn't put this off. "Dear we have.....company,"he said while flicking his tail asking her to follow him. As well as Princess.

Snow crunched under his hooves as he trotted through the terra hopefully followed by his daughter and Ruffienne. So it seemed Princess's mother has returned after all whether for the best or worst. Ears against his head he moved to where the neigh came from that soon filled the air with a haunting call.

"Greetings......StarFire,"was all that was said as he waited for his daughter and mate to catch up.

Princess had just finished feeding when her father started heading away. She folloed closely beside Ruffienne who she figured her mother was. After all she was a newborn, and her face was the one she saw the longest. So when she came up to where Comet stood with Ruffienne she didn't go to StarFire. She recognized the mare infront of her barely, but she still thought Ruffienne as her mother.

No one else came at the moment.........

StarFire

Star stared at the mare following comet, and knew that he had taken another as his...mate. A sad look crossed her elegant facade.

"So it has come to this, then? Do you abandon me so easily?"

She stood with her crania held high and proud in lead position. She would fight the mare, but if Comet had so easily moved on and found another to love...

Comet

Comet looked to Starfire as she spoke. "I fell in love Starfire. I felt desire for you, but i always loved Ruffienne....and now i found she loves me back. However for some stubborn reason she wishes to fight you for the title, and i will not stand in her way of that. I will watch you too fight due to make sure there is no....cheating,"he said softly not thinking either would really cheat, but he needed a reason to watch. For he feared for Ruffienne's safety. Indeed if StarFire wished she could stay here if she losed, but would she demand the foal back? After it believes its mother to be the dark queen?

Princess stood to the side by her father. She waited wondering what was going on. Not speaking she leaned against Comet for support as her eyes watched the two mares.

StarFire

Star shook her crania in dismay, her heart sinking.

"I have fought for my rank before, and I will do it again. What if I win, Comet? Will you shun me then?"

A hardened look had befallen her features as she awaited the other horse to speak or react in someway.

Her orbs didnt even look at her daughter, the sickly creature she had produced. She didn't care for her.

Comet

Comet watched StarFire through black orbs. "If you win, Stafire. I will give you children and treat you like a lead, but my heart will always belong to the only mare i loved, Ruffienne. If you lose, you can reside here as a member and find a new mate. And raise you daughter if you so wish..,"he said refering to Princess.

Princess upon hearing her name looked up with pricked ears. Her gaze went to her father, mother, and "mother" Ruffienne.

Ruffienne

Ruffienne looked at StarFire, snorting with a cold breath. "Win or loose, I am the Dark Queen," Ruffienne muttered to herself, flicking her ears and focusing on StarFire. Ruffienne arched her neck, brushing Princess's withers. Ruffienne then riveted her attention to StarFire, looking at the Quarter Horse mare with a calm, pacifist look. "Shall we begin?" Ruffienne questioned, her voice taunting and frigid. Ruffienne trotted several yards out into the snow, away from Comet and Princess. Ruffienne pivoted, looking at StarFire loftily. "I'll let you charge first."

StarFire

StarFire did not charge, instead, her crania shook in a negative manner.

"It is not worth the energy spent, nor the blood spilt, to fight you. There is nothing here for me now. My mate does not love me, my daughter is sick and does not know me. Dark queen or not, I suppose you win by default."

Her heart heavy within her chest, she set a slow, even pace towards the outskirts of the terra that she had come to know so well, to call home.

But it was home no longer.

Ruffienne

Ruffienne pinned her ears back, watchin StarFire retreat. She went back towards Comet, breathing heavily. "I won by default. That is no way to become lead mare..." Ruffienne murmured, looking down at Princess. "Poor mare..."

Comet

Comet watched as his old lead mare left. When Ruffienne came up he smiled at her. "At least your safe, my love. Come lets go see our child,"he said for this would be the first time he saw his and Ruffienne's child. He didn't even know that they're was two foals...

Jasmine was at the falls with the leads foals. She hadn't told anyone what had happened yet, but she would tell the two leads as soon as they appeared. If word got out before the leads knew this might cause trouble. At least they hadn't got the leads children...

Ruffienne

Ruffienne snorted, sniffing the air. She cupped her ears, listening tentively. "Somethings not right." Ruffienne pinned her ears back galloping towards the falls. She could already see the hoof prints leading out of the territory. "They have Shattered Seraph! They have others too! They have my daughter." Ruffienne panicked, looking around. She saw Jasmine and called to her. "What happened, Jasmine?"

Comet

Comet was staying close to Ruffienne as he followed her. However at her words he picked up his speed tail flying out behind him. The black stallion hurled through the trees toward the falls right behind his devil pelted mate. Anxious what was going on he hurried like Ruffienne.

Upon his mates words though he stopped short with shock. "Who's They,"he asked wondering what was going on. As soon as he found out he himself would lead a rescue party.

"Tyrror and his group! They took Shattered Seraph, Keegan, Coral, Lady's Magic, and Neyra. I hurried back to get you guys, and I couldn't find you. So i went looking for you guys and Dawn who was on border patrol. When i couldn't find Dawn I figured she might of come across the others, and was taken too. So I knew you two had to return to the foals sooner or later so I came here to wait," she said rushing her words trying to explain everything in two breaths. Worry tinged through as she didn't know what to do for her loved ones and herdmates.

Comet turned to Ruffienne. "Rescue party, and i think there should be two groups. One to go first, and another to come rushing in about after 20 minutes from the first group. Who do you want to bring,"he said asking who she wanted to go in which group. He would lead the first or second while she led the other. His brain was too disfocues to think of who had come with her group. He knew Vintage and Shadow would go, but who from Ruffienne's old group.