Username: SpartanAmethyst
Name: Mitaya, though Shadow calls her "Mattie".
Gender: Mare
Age: 4 years
Height: 13.2 hh
Colour: Sooty Buckskin Tovero
Extra: [[suggested soundtrack:
Escape by Megan Nicole]]
Please... someone notice...This had been a very, very bad idea.
Wincing as she was painfully jostled between two other equids, Mitaya desperately tried to find a way out of the crowded meadow. She had come hoping to find a herd to keep her safe or a mate to lay beside her at night, maybe even find
him. But right now, she'd be happy just to find a friend to help her not get trampled, but she felt invisible. Vibrant irises passed right over her, a myriad of haunting colors that made her heart sink ever further in her chest. The tawny mare stumbled as a particularly aggressive stallion shoved passed, snapping at her rudely before beelining for a very pretty cherry bay filly. Ears flicking back, she watched them flirt for a moment, comparing herself to the other mare. In comparison to her bright coat and shining green eyes, Mitaya was so drab and plain. Her coat was dark, despite the uniqueness of her markings, and no one gave her a second glance.
Don't ignore me... I know I exist... I'm not invisible...Finally a path to freedom opened in the ever-shifting see of equids, and she bolted for freedom. She wouldn't come here again; her heart was racing in fear and her head spun with confusion and sadness. She felt tears prick her eyes, and the buckskin mare tried in vain to blink away the blurriness. Suddenly a grey form blocked her path, and she skid to a sharp stop, shaking her head to clear away the liquid obscuring her vision. "Well well, what do we have here? I don't know where you think you're going, but I
know that you're coming with me now," the stallion said, his voice laced with malice. Mitaya's blood ran cold; she was so close to freedom. And it was the mare's choice, wasn't it? He couldn't just... The look in his hateful eyes made Mitaya's mind grind to a halt, and she immediately feared for her life. "You'll make a fine lead mare until I can find someone prettier. Just a temporary fix to my problem," he snorted, and began to approach her.
...please...Flight instinct kicked in and Mitaya charged passed him, just managing to dodge a last-second attack as she bolted out of the meadow and into the surrounding forest. For a moment she thought she'd get away easily, but the increasing sound of hoofbeats behind her proved her wrong. Tears once again threatened her vision, and she ran faster with each stride, hoping to lose him among the trees- wait, forget that plan. The shade of the woods was short lived; in minutes she found herself on the rolling plains. She had to find cover, something,
anything to get away. Why, when everyone else had ignored her, was this metaphorical demon set on getting her?! Glancing back, she saw the grey bachelor gaining on her; her lithe body and agility had given her the edge, but now her lack of power meant that he was free to quite literally overtake her.
A sudden glimpse of a dark shadow caused the mare to spook, her hooves tangling up and causing her to pitch forward, slamming into the unforgiving ground. A loud thud sounded into the otherwise empty plains, and Mitaya scrambled to her hooves and prepared to flee again, but the sound of a familiar voice rooted her to the spot. "GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU PSYCHOTIC FOOL!" The new stallion squealed, face to face with the grey as they fought. Hooves flailed and teeth flashed, each male trying to intimidate and even hurt the other; with each passing second the battle grew more vicious, crimson drops of blood scattering among the emerald grass.
It seemed like forever before the tall grey stumbled, forced to the ground by the only slightly smaller ebony stallion. Said equid still bit and kicked at the grey until he scrambled up and ran off, pride and body both bruised and hurt. They both watched until the forest shadows swallowed him, and Mitaya's frightened eyes flicked to the remaining stallion.
"Are you alright?" He asked, turning back to look at her. There was something bothering her about this stallion; he seemed so.... so familiar. Her ears flicked back, though she didn't answer. She flinched as he took a step forward, and his expression became worried. "It's alright, just want to make sure you're not hurt." She allowed him to check her legs and neck for wounds, and he didn't even test her trust. A brief silence ensued after he stepped back again. Suddenly he smirked, and something in the expression made the buckskin's heart flutter. "You don't remember me, do you, Mattie?"
Mattie? She hadn't heard that name in years, ever since.... since...."Y-you," she finally whispered, and when his smile widened she leapt forward, rubbing her head all along his cheek and neck desperately. "Oh Shadow, I-I've missed you so much a-and I don't... I-I can't..." She felt the same salty tears gather in her eyes; he'd changed so much since he'd left as a young bachelor. His base coat had faded slightly, letting the quip stand out more, but those eyes, those gorgeous blue eyes were just as soft and welcoming as she remembered them. And he was looking at her the same exact way he used to, in a way that made her feel like she was the center of the universe, and that anyone who didn't notice her didn't exist themselves.
She'd always been ignored; even in her natal herd none of the other foals played with her, only Shadow. With his rich onyx coat and darker quips, he'd always been popular with the other fillies, but he'd only ever had time for Mitaya. And that had made her smile. But when he left at three and she was still only two, the young filly had gone back to being lonely, and left the day she turned three in the hopes of finding him. She still remembered the promise he'd made to her that day:
"I will never forget you, Mitaya. You know that. And one day we'll come back to this tree. Together. I promise." "I went back last year to find you," Shadow's voice suddenly said, cutting through her reminiscing. She almost melted when he nuzzled her back, holding her head close with his own. "I didn't know you'd left; I was actually on my way to the meadow just to see if I saw you."
Mitaya glanced back at where the grey had disappeared, and she gave a soft gulp. "It's a good thing you did."
Suddenly Shadow laughed, and she looked up at him quizzically. "You haven't changed a bit, you know that?" He teased lightly. "You still can't speak above a whisper, and you're still the fluffy adorable filly I said goodbye to almost three years ago. Only now," he paused. "You're taller, your coat is sleek, and I can't call you cute anymore." Pulling away, she cocked her head slightly. What did he mean? Did he think she was ugly too? Mitaya was taken by surprise, though, when the dark stallion nuzzled her face, his warm breath tickling her whiskers. "Because now you're beautiful, not just cute." At his words, the mare's heart beat into overdrive, and she eagerly nuzzled him back. "I'm going to assume you still lack a herd or a mate, and that's good. Because I'd like you to follow me. I want to make my home yours as well."
"Wait," Mitaya said softly, amber eyes widening even more. "D-do you mean...?"
"Yes," Shadow smiled. "I want you to be my mate."
It all happened too fast, like riding a rollercoaster called the "Emotionkiller Express" in the midst of a category five hurricane. Despite the shock, though, she found the frame of mind to nod happily, about to cry from pure happiness. It only worsened when Shadow took place beside her, entwining their tails softly as they began to walk forward, away from the meadow and farther into the long grasses of the plains.
The long journey lasted for almost two weeks; Shadow really had traveled far just to find her. The entire walk they caught up; Shadow told her about all of his adventures, about almost being captured by humans and meeting Arivin and helping him to protect the herd. He told her about his time in the snowy mountain peaks and days trotting through the sagebrush in the arid desert, and all of the other equids and animals he'd met along the way. He loved the way his stories mystified her, a wondering sparkle gracing her bright amber eyes as each word settled in. In turn she told him about her fewer and much less exciting adventures, about how she'd also barely escaped capture and spent many nights fleeing from wolves and other predators, sleeping alone in cold, dark caves in the hopes nothing would find her. By the time they'd reached the herd's home territory, and her legs almost buckled when she saw it.
It was a beautiful plateau, covered in the brightest grasses she'd ever seen. It was surrounded by trees, a thick barrier cutting it off from the rest of the surrounding trees. From the red clay cliff at one end a waterfall dumped cold mountain water into a crystal clear lake. It lapped easily at a sandy bank, but all of this paled in comparison to what took her by surprise. In the middle of the grassland there was a small hill, and right at the peak grew a massive oak tree. Its branches were thick and knotted, splayed in every which way to give the leaves access to the sun, making the canopy spectacularly huge and under it very shady. It made the equids gazing nearby look like toys.
"Welcome home," Shadow said softly, leaning over to rub his face against hers before leading her out to meet her new family.