[Kallile]

Idalani Falls had been the last place Zeake had expected to bring Kaitori after Deadpool had helped them make their daring escape from the Disillusioned Estates. He had planned to bring her to the Rainforest she had always talked about so adoringly...but this just seemed more appropriate. And when they arrived to fine the first snow of the winter season, he was even gladder he had selected this place.

The grass was lightly dusted with white snow and completely untouched—perfectly pristine. The main waterfall still clung defiantly to life, filling the air with icy rainbows and that thundering drumbeat of nature. The lesser falls around it had a few icicles clinging to life amongst the more sluggish waters—amplifying the rainbows around them. The stars shone brightly in the light of the full moon as a few of the last autumn leaves blew through the sky. Yes, this place would do just fine.

He landed as gently as he could so not to disturb the snow before looking back to the love of his life.

She was wrapped in the thick blanket to protect her from the harsh high altitude temperatures, blindfolded to keep their current location a surprise. He could feel her quivering on his back in both reminiscent chill and impending excitement.

"May I look yet?" She asked eagerly. Zeake chuckled, his rumbling voice much deeper than hers but still lighter and friendlier than the average Paragon pitch. "Not quite, I have to make sure I have one last thing..."

Reaching up carefully, so that Kaitori could barely feel the shift in his body weight, Zeake unwound a small silver chain from his mane and horns. On the end of it was a thick silver ring with small sapphire stones set to look like little hearts. It was larger than an average ring, however. Smiling to himself, he replaced the precious piece into it's hiding spot. "Alright, you can look now."

[Kallile]

Kaitori carefully pulled away her blindfold and blinked out into the dark and snowy world. It was nothing short of breathtaking. Look there...how amazing...the moon shone brightly enough to cast rainbows. Nature was truly amazing in the capabilities it held.

Zeake looked over his shoulder to his love and smiled. "Do you like it?"He asked a little nervously. It was a silly question on his part—Kaitori was prone to love anything that had to do with natural beauty. She looked at him whimsically. "Oh Zeake...it's gorgeous! How did you know I loved snow?" In truth, Zeake had not known that Kaitori's favorite season was winter. But he only smiled at her. "Lucky guess."

Lowering his body to the ground, Zeake allowed Kaitori to leap gracefully off his back. She was so lovely in everything she did—Zeake could not even fathom how lucky he was to have her by his side. Soon, he hoped she would be there always.

"Shall we go explore? I'm sure the Falls are much more impressive up close."

[Kallile]

The proposal was a good one—one which made Kaitori glow. "I would love nothing more—maybe we could go to the top of the falls and watch it snow for a while?" Her light eyes sparkled as she thought of this. Zeake only chuckled at her. "Of course, Tori."

It was the lithe lucain who took off across the snow first, leaping through it and making the powder explode into the air with every step. It settled back slowly, leaving her lightly dusted in cold, sparkling snow. She tucked and rolled through it, coming to a stop on her side. Laughter filled the air. "Come on, Zeake! You know you want to try!"

Zeake grinned, letting the blanket slide, discarded, onto the snowy ground. He would come get it later, of course. He would have to in order to get Kaitori safely home—whenever he figured out where their new home would be. He couldn't go back and face his father after the escape. Not yet. Sliding forward he allowed his body to go into a roll; stopping just before he would have hit Kaitori. He shivered with the snow that now coated his body—it felt like tiny, freezing creatures were biting him all over. He looked over to Kaitori.

"It feels...I'm not sure. Biting?" He said as his mind whirled with this first time sensation. Tori laughed, rolling closer to him and nuzzling against his huge muzzle. "Welcome to winter."

[Kallile]

Zeake stretched and stood back up after nuzzling his love in return, shaking off the snow. "I didn't know it was such an embracing and clingy season." He joked as some of his mane fell down into his face and revealed the snow still hanging boldly against the black fluff. He felt the silver chain slip down as well and he froze.

It was too late, Kaitori had noticed. "What's that?"She asked brightly—never assuming it could be something so life changing. She got up and moved to take a closer look. Zeake promptly tossed his head upwards. "It's a surprise!"He said suddenly, making Kaitori eye him a little more nervously. "That is, it's not the right time for you to see it yet. We haven't even looked around yet, right?" His nervous smile gave away that it was something very special.

"Alright...I'll bite. So, are we taking the long way to the top?"

[Kallile]

Zeake had not put much thought into this. The Falls were tall, sure, but he had never assumed they would go to the top of them. Perhaps he had landed in the wrong spot...

However, he hid these emotions from his mate as best he could. "We'll take my way." He said confidently, puffing up his chest. For a paragon male, he was rather lithe and stringy looking—not the type to become more impressive by puffing himself up. Kaitori giggled at him, shaking the last bits of snow from her fur.

"And what way would that be?"

Leaning over to her, Zeake gave her a wily grin before he leapt over (or rather, on) her and clasped both of his massive paws under her belly. Letting her hang below him he spread his wings and took flight—careful to keep a good hold of his beloved.

Kaitori took in the sight of the swirling snow and misty rainbows below her—her wingblades gently clicking together as the breeze rushed by them. She closed her eyes and lightly inhaled the cold winter air the night had brought them. When she opened them again she could see the top of the main waterfall coming at them steadily. She felt Zeake's grip loosen as they got closer—eventually letting her go a few inches from the ground.

Stumbling at first, Kaitori slowed her run to a jog and then a joyful prance as she followed Zeake. He was easy to spot with the snow he was kicking up as his flight came to a halt. Together they walked to the edge and looked down upon the glistening world.

"It's so perfect..." Kaitori whispered, barely audible over the rush of the falls. Zeake only smiled at her, trying to find the right timing. "Not as perfect as the beauty beside me."

[Kallile]

Kaitori looked at her love with rather skeptical eyes before grinning and nudging him with her shoulder. As she figured, she did nothing to move his much larger form. “Oh you, aren’t we a little past all that extra-sweet talk?” There was a joking tone in her voice, but the rather curious look remained in her gaze. “And if not, why bring it back all of a sudden?”

Zeake fidgeted in place—he was giving off way too many signs, he had to play this cool. That was, obviously, not what he was doing right now. Grinning down at her, he shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know. We just broke out of our own house and are probably never welcomed back…shouldn’t I be a little extra mushy this evening?”

Kaitori only shook her head. “Your dad will forgive you. Maybe not me for helping to plan the whole thing, but he’ll forgive you.”

“If he doesn’t forgive you as well, he might as well withhold his forgiveness altogether.”

Sighing was the only thing Kaitori could do. She knew this relationship had caused a lot of family tension, and she hated that. But she wasn’t about to stop feeling emotions towards Zeake just because his father wished for him to take a paragon mate. That was beyond ridiculous—especially when Zeake so obviously returned her affection. Love was almost a law of nature—there is no stopping it come heck or high water.

~*~

The air had calmed a little, allowing the snowflakes to fall straight down. This new calm went unnoticed by the young lovers, which worked to the favor of those hovering—eyes watching from high in the clouds…

[Kallile]

“Are you sure they reeeeally want this?”

A childlike voice boomed from inside a cloud formation, sounding both unsure and excited. Slowly bright purple butterfly wings shone into the night lit sky, attached to the body of a rather snowy looking Frost Paragon.

She was young from the glossy sheen on her scales—splattered with shades of cool blue and decorated with Ancient markings in royal purple that matched the color of her wings. Her otherwise pristine body reminded hidden in the clouds as she craned her neck to look down at Kaitori and Zeake. For a moment, it looked as if the tip of her tail may be wagging.

“What better way to make this special night more memorable?”

This voice was new—deep and sultry but with a defined air of mischief. The paragon spread her black voidwings, gliding to meet the younger female. She was harshly colored in shades of bloody red, abyss black and hollowed white.



Held in one of her massive paws like a caged rat was a tiny Myuu Reaper kit—long passed out from lack of oxygen and the severe cold found in such high altitudes. In her dreams, the little Myuu could only heard the last words she had been told before passing out. “I would not look to hard into deaths sense, least you find your own end there.” She shivered from cold and Deadpool’s echoing voice.

The Frost, even airborne, towered above the Voidbringer female. She craned her neck down, inspecting the little Reaper with heightened curiosity. “And what’s she here for?~”

“You could call her…a wedding gift.” The voidbringer replied with a wicked smirk. “Now, you do want your dear cousin to have a nice engagement night, don’t you Lucrecia?”

The Frost used her powerful wings to make her bounce in midair. “Oh, yes Aunt Deadpool, yes I do!” The excitement was almost overwhelming. Her tail gave a few great, sweeping wags in the fashion of pure bliss and innocence. “You’re positive they will really like it?”

The older, darker female chuckled, raising her clenched claw and looking as if she may toss the Myuu found inside around idly like a coin. Cold silver eyes watched the sleeping creature, just inches away from the ends of her dagger-sharp claws and she flexed just slightly--pricking the little beast so that four tiny blood droplets soon appeared. “I know they will, it will make the perfect wrapping for their gift…”

Deadpool [1] Mika [1] Lucrecia [1]

[Kallile]

“Alright then…” Lucrecia chimed, not noticing the tiny beads of blood forming on the Myuu’s pelt. Her mind seemed rather preoccupied—this was made very clear when the scales along her brow line all crunched together and her breathing began to slow and more deliberate that before. Her pale pink eyes seemed to turn a few shades lighter so they looked nearly white. On the sidelines, Deadpool’s fangs gleamed in a Cheshire smirk against the moonlight.

The clouds around them seemed to writhe angrily as darker shades crawled through them like poison. Smaller black clouds began to form until the entire sky was coated with an inky haze.

Lucrecia’s chest rose and sank more quickly as the mental labor began to set in. Deadpool had taken the fact that the young fledgling had never used her powers over ice and snow to this extent, and was already preparing for the breakdown.

“Just get it started—no need to coax it through the entire way.”

Lucrecia hadn’t noticed before, but Deadpool was now looming right over her shoulder— her statement whispered out in motherly tones to her ear. The young Frost almost jumped and giggled, but found she wasn’t able to do both that and control the storm that she had started brewing. With a disgruntled sound she refocused on the clouds and icy, invisible crystals forming within them.

“Good, child, just let it stew for a moment now. Nature will take over shortly.” Deadpool felt a trickle of blood from the Myuu slither down her scales and her smirked. Things were going perfectly, now all that needed to happen was in the making…

~*~
Mika felt cold. And dry…and a million other things all at once even though she was positive she was not feeling anything. What was this weird sensation taking over her? Deadpools words still coursed through her mind “…lest you see your own fate…”

The physical body shivered along with her internal thoughts. She could see them…the ghosts of all those she had ever lingered around, clinging to their physical bodies. Hugging their bodies, latched on like leeches. Then others…they had slipped down and were clinging to fistfuls of knees and ankles. And others just…let go and their bodies crumpled to the ground. Then came the most horrifying vision yet…

~*~

Shaken from her previous delve into the meaning of love, Kaitori turned a rather alarmed eye to the skies. “Oh, Zeake…” She said suddenly, nudging the larger beast. “Maybe we’d better find somewhere else for the night, this doesn’t look like it’s going to be a very calm night to be out in the open."

The mossy Paragon lifted his attention to the skies as well, nodding. “You’re right, we’d better get away from the Falls before your fur gets too damp too…”

Zeake [7] Kaitori [7] Deadpool [2] Mika [2] Lucrecia [2]

[Kallile]

Lucrecia’s legs began to twitch violently as the clouds drew to a point of matching the night sky. Not realizing that she had been holding her breathe, the youngster let out a loud gasp and felt her wings fall a little. Then she felt a the air shift upwards right before a strong claw grabbed her chest at the base of her neck.

“Don’t overdo it—I can’t lug you home.” Came a rather warning tone as Deadpool heaved the larger female back up. “Now, as they say in such charming little songs, let it snow.”

Lucrecia nodded, her eyes turning back to their original state. The instant she released her hold on the clouds, the snow began to pour down onto the Falls. Deadpool raised back scaled lips in something of a dementedly pleased snicker.

“You are going to make your cousins very happy, my dear. Just hover here while I go and give them their gift…"

~*~

Mika saw only black….slowly drops of red began to clutter the blank image in her mind. It dropped again and again…faster, faster faster until the only black was the outline of…was that her?

Yes…yes it was her. There was her body…and behind it, clinging to the tail feebly, was her spirit drowning in the red pool. Her body just stood there, statuesque and unfeeling, as her spirit sputtered and tugged at the tail—trying to grain her grip.

Then she saw them—drawn by a herd of Horror Frightmares that were loosing their flesh with every step. The Gods of death—every one ever spoken of in all of time. The Reapers—even some of the very ancient Myuu’s she had been told of. All in a chariot, but only one darkly hooded figure held the scythe. The scythe which was aimed at her bodies throat.

Drip, drip, drip. Faster, faster, faster…

Deadpool [3] Mika [3] Lucrecia [3]

[Kallile]

Deadpool pulled her wings in close and shot like a bullet down towards the earth. She had taken care to note where Zeake and Kaitori were before the snow began and knew that her step-son would know better than risk flight in such a storm. She, luckily, had not handled any of his upbringing.

When the ground drew close she flared her wings and released her claws which contained the reaper. Mika went skidding across the snow, landing in a bruised and bloodied heap. There were trickles of blood soaked into the snow she had been made to travel through.

Deadpool prepared to make her exit when she found Lucrecia peeking over her shoulder. “Aunt Deadpool, don’t do that to her!” She shrilled in a mock panic. Deadpool clamped a claw around the youngers’ muzzle.

“Shush, Lucrecia. There is only one more thing that needs done—then this child will have her happy ending. Like your story books, correct? The one your mother often read—there has to be a little bit of worry before there is a happily ever after, doesn’t there.”

Lucrecia rolled her eyes to the side in obvious deep though before Deadpool could feel the scales under her palm tighten in a childish grin. Violently, Lucrecia nodded her spiked head, dying to comment. Deadpool entertained the silent request and released her pseudo neices’ muzzle.

"Then we’re like the Fairy Godmothers?” She asked wishfully, her pale pink eyes all aglitter. Deadpool smirked and snorted slightly. “We are, in a twisted way. Now then…let’s end this chapter…”

Inhaling deeply, Deadpool let out the most frightful sound Lucrecia had ever heard or imagined. Cold and heartless—the noise was quickly followed by a feeble yelp from Lucrecia as Deadpool stepped deliberately on her tail. Guiding her back into the air, Deadpool gave a few extra flaps of her wings to cover their tracks in the snow. Now, they waited to see that the bait was taken.

~*~

As she felt suddenly jarred, the scythe decapitated her dream-body cleanly. Her spirit clung to the lifeless lower hanf as it crumpled to the floor, her own blood pouring out and threatening to be the last drops that would drown her. She felt her grasp slipping as her spirit slowly sank into the pool of red, staring up into the eyes of Frightmares and Death Gods alike. Cold…everything was so cold…

~*~

Kaitori and Zeake had opted to work their way down the side of the falls as the snow had started to pour down on them unexpectedly. They had nearly made it to the end when a fearsome roar and child-like squall pierces the air. Kaitori looked to Zeake, her ears pinned back. He already knew what was being asked. “Let’s go take a look.”

Kaitori [8] Zeake [8] Deadpool [4] Mika [4] Lucrecia [4]

[Kallile]

As they made their way through the blizzard that had so suddenly hit, Zeake looked to Kaitori. She was hiding as best as possible under a wing he had extended for her—being their eyes in the storm. Her coat looked rather puffy today—he could only guess that she was fluffed up to ward off the cold. He was wishing he could pull off the same trick right about this moment, but something else was nagging him.

Here they were—miles from home with only each other. What if that noise was something ill-tempered that he could not defeat? What if it meant this was their last day together. Shaking his head, he displayed the necklace with the ring.

“Kaitori…there’s something I need to ask you before we find this…noise.” He knew she was looking at him from the corner of her eye, so he stopped and cloaked them as best he could with his wings. “Will you marry me?”

Kaitori looked to the object he was presenting her, and teared up. She began to nod, but then she only looked at him. “Zeake—you know I love you and want only to be with you. I don’t need gifts like this…and I can’t say yes right this minute. Right now there could be something out there that is taking their last breathe…we need to go help others before we talk about this…ok?”

Zeake nodded, not entirely broken hearted. He knew she was right, that his timing was horrid. They picked up the pace.

~*~
Over here!

The voice sounded so far away—her spirit had slipped from the body and now Mika could only watch the horrible eyes of Beyond watch her…and wait.

Hurry, Zeake! It needs help!

That voice was closer…and then…

Mika opened her large golden eyes weakly, looking upon the faces of a worried Kaitori and a massive paragon. Paragon? That was…

Her eyes closed, she slipped from consciousness again.

~*~

Deadpool and Lucrecia watched from in the blackness of the haze above, Deadpool was cackling heartily. “Happy lives, my two jailbreakers…” She called down, though not loudly enough to be heard. Lucrecia smiled.

“I can’t wait to tell that baby that we’re her fairy godmothers!” Deadpool’s expression became instantly less jovial. “My dearest neice…don’t you know that telling a child that would ruin her life? We may make her never believe in fairy tales again.”

Lucrecia gasped.

“It would be best we keep this our little secret, agreed?”

Smiling and turning with Deadpool towards home, Lucrecia nodded excitedly. “Oh boy, a secret fairy godmother---this is great! Sure I’ll keep it a secret, Aunt Deadpool~”


Kaitori [9] Zeake [9] Deadpool [5][exiting] Mika [5] Lucrecia [5][exiting]

[Kallile]

Kaitori hovered over the little beast surrounded by bloody snow. It did not look badly injured, but her fears that there may be something worse were confirmed when the Reaper’s eyes rolled back into her head again. “Zeake…”

The big male was at her side, necklace still wrapped around his horn as a display. There was no time to worry about it now. His paw was the only thing around large enough to scoop up the small creature without jostling it too much. With the onset of snow, there was no time to search for anything else. Sliding his hand into the freezing dust, he lifted the limp creature from it and breathed warm air over her to melt away the excess. Cold was something this youngling did not need to be.

“We’ll find shelter somewhere—hopefully some food or something to keep her going until this storm lets up.” His wing was already lowered to his mate and she was scrambling up onto his back, looking over his shoulder nervously. “Just anywhere that’s out of this blizzard, Zeake. We can’t waste time searching.”

Both nodded to each other, knowing how grave this situation could become.

Mika felt the eyes of death close and everything in her mind went blank. She couldn’t see the spirits of the voices she knew she could hear. She didn’t know if they were fully alive or slowly slipping as she had been…or was she still? She couldn’t see anything in her sixth sense state—just a blank slate.

Kaitori [10] Zeake [10] Mika [6]

[Kallile]

Mika suddenly felt warmth. Yes, yes warmth rushed over her skin and left a tingly feeling all over her body like ants were crawling through her fur. She shivered, blinking her eyes open. Everything was fuzzy—she wasn’t sure if it was still night or early morning. Or even if an entire day had passed. From what she could make out there was still a massive amount of snow blowing around outside. Wait…snow? The last she had really remembered she was in that nice shop waiting for a home…why was she in snow?

“She’s awake!” Came an excited whisper—a deeper voice. A higher pitch answered. “Oh, let me see her, let me see!”

Mika blinked again. She didn’t remember these voices…or did she? Slowly the world took on a more solid state in her eyes. A massive moss green paragon was looming over her and there was a silver fire with…a tail in it? The fire was nestled so close to her—yet her fur didn’t feel like it was being singed. Then there was an umber female with light, pretty patterns on her. A dog-like creature…oh, what had the shop keeper called them? Lycan? Lucan? Something like that. She closed her eyes and turned her head away from them as her head began to throb.

Zeake looked to Kaitori—the two smaller creatures nestled again his side to make use of the flames that engulfed his tail. He would have to remember to thank his father for this trait—should they ever be on speaking terms again.

Kaitori drew the small Myuu close to her, nuzzling the little baby. She looked up to Zeake, giving a weak smile. They were in the midst of a small forest grove with Zeake’s wings warding off most of the snow. The big male gave off shivering shudders every now and then; his scaled body and species were not meant for the cold for this long. Tropics were where he belongs. But he remained—the snow was still to heavy and swift to make in safely above with storm without risking loosing Kaitori or the new creature.

“So…what happens now?”

Zeake [11] Kaitori [11] Mika [7]

[Kallile]

The storm had long since past, and yet Zeake and Kaitori still remained in the forest, now enjoying the bright sunlight rather than the frigid winter. Maybe this would be their new homestead—maybe their lives were destine to be out in the open and let the family they had left behind.
       
~*~

“Oh Mika…” Kaitori called softly as she slunk around a brightly flowering bush. Her bright eyes danced playfully, darting around to catch a glimpse of the little Myuu reaper wherever she could be hiding. This was often how they passed the time while Zeake was hunting—playing and laughing.

There was a soft rustle followed by a squeaky giggle that came from a nearby bush, making Kaitori grin. No matter how many times they played this game, Mika never learned how to keep quiet. Prancing over by the bush, Kaitori looked around her, ignoring the giggling bush as best she could.

“Wow…Mika’s getting really good at this game. Maybe she went back towards camp…” Kaitori mused, staring off behind the bush. She stopped, however, right behind the bush and stilled all other motions other than to march in place at a quickly softening pace. The bush wiggled, and a set of large black ears appeared. The little Myuu kit crept out, giggling madly as she started looking for a new place to hide.

Kaitori slunk around the bush, scooping up the kit in her paws before tossing her in the air and flopping onto her back. With a shrill giggle, Mika soared upwards and was quickly caught again—perched atop all of her ‘mother’s’ paws. “You little scamp.” Kaitori teased playfully, letting Mika slide down her front legs and curl up on her stomach.

There was some crashing as the trees groaned and parted to make way for Zeake—a few fish dangling from pike in his mouth. He grinned at the girls, seeming to beam with pride at them. “I see I just missed another rousing game of hide and seek.” He said cheerfully around his mouthful as he searched for a rock to place their dinner on.

Rolling over (and thus letting Mika tumble gently onto the soft grass in front of her, Kaitori beamed. “Oh, you did. Our little giggle-monster still can’t outwit her mother yet.”

Zeake continued to beam, having found his needed rock, and cleanly removed the scales from his catches in one swipe of his talons. “She’ll get it sometime. She’s only a yearling.” He grinned, placing the fired portion of his tail on the rock to get the cooking process underway.

Zeake[12] Kaitori[12] Mika[8]

[Kallile]

Mika watched as the fish sizzled on the rock, seeming to just up at her. With joyful squeaks she would leap away only to come hopping back towards them with fur raised  and back arched. All the while batting a paw at them in a mock-battle.

Zeake smiled deeply at his little ‘daughter’, carefully taking a clawed hand and nudging her over only her side to tickle her belly. “Dinner will be done soon, love. Don’t play with your food.”

Kaitori watched the two from a separate rock, half asleep. She hadn’t even birthed this little ball of fluff and she was still as exhausted as most of the real mother’s at the Estates! Sighing happily, she noticed the engagement necklace still string around Zeake’s horns. She gave a few wags of her tail. She finally knew what her answer would be—all he needed to do was ask her again.

[13][13][9]