Child of the West Wind *royal family/open*

[<3Kodi]

..::Fantom::..
<3Merci<3

Powerful legs propelled the Neutral King toward his home, harks perked and elegant head raised for any signs of trouble that might had come into the downs during his absence during his mate's birthing. He moved like a royal stag through his forest, steps purposeful and measured so his queen and princess could keep up because the filly was young and still a bit clumsy on her long stilt-like legs. Garnet orbs scanned the gently rolling slopes for any sign of Squalin or her twin foals, Papercut and Knives. Seeing no sign of them for now, Fantom came to a halt at the top of a slope and looked back toward his Irish-born beloved and newborn heiress.

Behind his strong hind legs now that Fantom had come to a stop stood the long-legged Western heiress. She snorted as she bumped into her father's legs, stumbling backward slightly before catching herself. Peering curiously around her father's tall figure, the crimson-eyed gem looked out at the open fields with shy amazement in her young eyes. She let out a high-pitched whiny before turning her back on her ebony-coated father and looked back toward her mother, letting out another neigh.

Still moving a bit clumsily but gaining elegance all the while, Merci made her way back toward her mother at a gait somewhere between a trot and a canter. Her little hooves made light thudding sounds on the grass, the wind tugging at her short flaxen mane as she circled her mother, lifting her legs high in a prance. She nosed her mother's belly and whinnied before turning and cantering back toward Fantom.

Fantom looked over at the Western princess and couldn't help but smile. She had an air of shy innocence about her but he had no doubt she would grow more bold. Most newborns were very shy but at least she didn't mind him. Fantom had known some foals to be fearful of their sires and for good reason but Fantom knew he could never harm Merci. Standing on the rise, Fantom watched Merci as the filly looked up at him before turning and heading toward Banshee, determined to pester her dam.

[$*CrazyHick*$]

The sun was dipping behind the clouds and returning to the day of dusk. So full of life the land was and this place was her home and they added a new life to these precious lands as the queen and king looked upon the place. The days since she had concieved her little bundle of joy were nothing compared to sharing those nights with her love letting him nuzzle her bulging belly and feeling the soft kick which he recieved in response. However everything was different the little kicks now were what popped out was a little blessing a filly just about the spit image of her father and the barest of image of her which made Banshee smile if anything happened to her her daughter would be there to keep Fantom happy and well.

Banshee kept back some not in no big hurry after all she just popped out a large foal and her body was slightly sore never having experienced such joy of producing a babe. When she saw Fatom turn around to wait on her Banshee pulled into a faster walk almost like a power walk. She snorted lightly watching their daughter bound and play and then come right back to her. Adoubly she was trying to get under Banshees skin which she wasnt she was too cute to. She nickered lightly to Fatom a smile spreading across her features as she finally came to his side. She pulled lightly on his tresses before lipping his harks and looking at him lovingly. Seeing Merci Banshee smiled maybe she would give her daughter a run for her money she maybe sore but she couldnt help but have fun with her daught. Banshee took off in a very paced canter and nickered to Fantom and Merci playfully her tassles billowing out behind her.

[<3Kodi]

Fantom was mildly surprised when Banshee came up beside him, tugging lightly on his mane, lipping at his ears. He flicked his harks and cast her a curious garnet gaze. He had heard mares that had recently birthed were usually tired and sore. He had no doubt it was true, from what he had seen during and before Merci's birthing, it was a painful process. Strangely it seemed Banshee was sore but still willing to entertain their young daughter. He watched as his queen cantered forward, her ebony mane and tail flaring out around her. Of course he kept his own pace.

Seeing her mother moving away, Merci's little black ears flicked up. She looked up, very high for her, at Fantom and let out a high-pitched whiny. Receiving no reply from her sire, Merci decided to investigate Banshee herself. Picking up her little hooves, the neutral heiress set off after her dam. She seemed to be fairly good at running though she still stumbled every now and then on her long legs. Overall she had a Rocky Mountain gait, smooth and fluid but she had the power of her Irish roots. She would be an eye-catcher when she grew up.

Cantering toward her mother, Merci nickered curiously, poking her mother's side with her velvet-soft nose. She whinnied and set off away from her mother, looking amazingly cute as she ran on her too-long legs. Several yards from Banshee, Merci stopped and whirled to face her mother. Shaking her fluffy flaxen mane, the filly reared back onto her hind legs. The only problem was she wasn't the best at balance quite yet. With a surprised squeal the filly toppled over backwards, landing on her back, legs in the air, crimson eyes surprised at the sudden change of perspective.

Fantom stopped and watched his mate and foal, letting out a soft snort of affectionate laughter as he watched Merci overbalance when she reared and fall backward.

[$*CrazyHick*$]

Banshee was sore and feeling every little bump she hit and feeling the effects. She was a very happy mother who liked to entertain her young and not let her health get to her but she was tired and she had the will of a heroine so she was happy and content. Blood red eyes landed on the little filly as she was coming up to her side. Banshee nickered to her as the little filly nickered and nuzzled her still large belly. Banshee stopped slightly watched the wild side of her little girl as she took off and seemed to whirl about like a mad dog and rear only to fall over. Banshee heard the snort laughter from Fatom and she laughed softly rearing a bit of her own as she cantered to her daughter. She lowered her dial slowing a bit before nuzzling her daughter lightly before snorting. She nickered to her softly and lifted her head to look at Fantom and nickered to him to come join them after all he needed to play as well.

[<3Kodi]

Tossing his head, Fantom let out a low nicker, his voice deeper then his mate's. Setting off at a brisk trot, the ebony king thudded his way toward his tried mate and lively young offspring. The wind tugged on his flaxen mane, pulling it back from his lightly arched neck as he fluidly strode toward his new family. Circling Banshee and Merci, Fantom came to a halt, looming over Merci whom was still laying on her back and looking contently up at her parents. Fantom was glad to see she wasn't startled by him anymore. Lowering his head the stallion bumped his muzzle lightly against Merci's side making the filly roll onto her side.

Huffing, Merci let her father push her over onto her side and looked up at him before bumping her muzzle against his and climbing back onto all fours. Little bits of grass clung to her dark pelt as she pranced over to stand beside her mother, nuzzling her mother's still slightly swollen belly in an affectionate gesture.

Sidling closer to Banshee and Merci, Fantom met his mate's gaze and touched her muzzle lovingly with his own. "You should rest" he pointed out, not missing the fact his mate was probably tired. He glanced over at Merci. She wouldn't be sleepy for a little while but Fantom could keep an eye on her. How much trouble could a filly be? Especially since newborns tended to stick close to their mother, Fantom didn't doubt Merci would linger around wherever Banshee chose to rest and he could simply stand guard for them both.

To the lead's surprise, as he spoke, Merci ambled away from Banshee toward a growth of taller grasses. Sniffing them curiously the little black filly laid down, tucking her stilt-like legs under her little body and resting her head on a pillow of springy grass. Taking this as a sign of victory for his cause, Fantom looked back over at Banshee with a look that clearly said "See? You need to rest."

[$*CrazyHick*$]

The lithe female stood there watching her love and bairn so softly with a motherly gaze. She knew what went around and how it went around and right now she was seriously feeling the effects of the afterbirth. Her haunches hurt something fierce and her belly did as well it was fine though it should be eased off by later tomorrow.She watched her loved nudge Merci over and then lowered her dark head to swivel her ears and lick her daughters little mini satellite dishes. She was exhausted and then as Mercia tottered off to do whatever little curious fillies did she heard her mate speak. "Yes my love I am going to do that" she said nudging the side of his facade and heading down to her daughter folding her own legs beneath her and looking at her baby. She nickered softly and laid out with a slight snort so she could be something to reassure her. Laying down in this soft grass Banshee closed her eyes and rejoiced in the feeling of the suns rays which were warm and delightful. She slowly drifted off into a sleep with the smells of honeysuckles and blossoms in the air.

[<3Kodi]

Watching with a satisfied garnet gaze, Fantom waited for his mate to settle herself. From nearby he heard Merci give a satisfied snuffle in her sleep and couldn't help but be touched by her pure innocence. Studying the ebony forms of his beloved and daughter he couldn't help but think he would be quite busy in the seasons when Merci became independent and vocal. Something about his young daughter told the Rocky Mountain stag that his daughter would keep him busy attracting the eyes of any colt for miles. Snorting softly at the various images his imagination provided to prove his point, Fantom stationed himself near his resting mate and filly.

A playful summertime breeze tugged at his flaxen mane and tail making the grass bend around his weathered hooves. Contented with the silence surrounding the downs, Fantom lowered his head to graze quietly while his herd rested. He hoped Squalin had been able to keep her young twins out of trouble but also made a mental note to make sure Merci crossed their paths. Another young foal would do the pair good. Something told him that their mother's fearful nature had kept them apart from other equines even during the reign of Twilight Darkness and Mozart.

As the afternoon wore on, Merci roused herself from her sleep. Standing up steadily on her stilt-like limbs the filly pranced toward her father. She would be able to get away with murder around Fantom, that much was obvious despite her young age. The fact he let her tug on his ears and headbutt his hip was testament to that because he would have moved away if any other had done it. Instead the father let his filly do as she pleased. Merci for her part grew bored of pestering her father and stood instead beside him, huffing silently that he wouldn't give in to her playful nudges. She eyed her sleeping mother, mischief in her crimson orbs. She was bored and ready to play. Fantom remained grazing and mother was asleep...perhaps she should wake mother?

Fantom glanced at his daughter out of the corner of his eye as he grazed. Noticing her gaze fixed on Banshee he raised his head a little. Moving his head closer to his filly, Fantom let out a loud snort and stomped his hooves. Merci let out a surprised squeal and nearly leapt out of her skin in surprise. Whirling around the filly boxed at her father's nose with her smaller hooves but Fantom neatly dodged, prancing away from his daughter whipping his flaxen tail. Merci took off in hot pursuit, thoughts of bothering mother awake were forgotten as she chased her father.

[$*CrazyHick*$]

Banshee was roused of her sleep by the high squeal. The motherly head whipped up and she couldnt help but look up in a worried manner her dried blood gaze searching for her little one. She had slept enough though she was content laying there watching father and daughter play. She lowered her dial lightly to nibble on the tender sweet blades of grasses. The with an added graceful ease of her breed carefully pulled herself to her height and shook her peltage. She snorted lightly and went on about grazing her eyes steadily on father and foal. However it seemed practically fine and she came closer and closer just to watch them it was rather amusing Mercis little stilts so long and lanky made her body seem smaller than what it really was. However Banshee knew once she grew into them she would be quick and most of all very elegant. Dried red eyes looked on over their lands and wondered secretly where Sequin Ruin and her two little foals papercut and knives were which kind of made her smile. They would be something together three foals running around be more than three adults could handle on their own. She shook her head and came down letting out a nicker to love and little princess.

[<3Kodi]

Merci stopped chasing her father when she heard the grass rustle. Looking around the ebony princess whinnied happily when she saw her mother rising. Her slightly mismatched eyes lit up happily, auds flicking as she heard Fantom let out a low neigh to reply to Banshee's call. Letting out a high-pitched foal sqeal, Merci tossed her bedecked head and stomped her front hooves, fluffy flaxen tail flicking. Abandoning her game with Fantom, Merci cantered toward her tall mother and circled her, coming up to her head and tugging her mother's mane insistently, nuzzling her neck and pulling her mane in a most pestering way.

A little ways off Fantom watched with mild amusement as his daughter went after Banshee as her next victim of playtime. Raising his dial, the neutral king looked around the Cutberry Downs, curious as to where Squalin and her young ones had chosen to hide. He made a mental note to check up on them before dark fell once he was sure Banshee and Merci would be alright. With that thought settled, Fantom trotted back toward his beloved queen and young heiress.

Merci turned toward Fantom and pranced up to him, lifting her legs high and flicking her ears in an adorable manner. Roughly the height of her father's chest, Merci looked very much like his miniature, sharing his low withers and slightly high hips but having her mother's strong neck and well carved head. Merci batted her eyes at Fantom in a way any daughter would be able to win their father. Butting her head against his chest, Merci snorted softly before prancing back to her mother, obliviously content with just her little family, unaware of others.

(let me PM halo and see if she'll bring in the twins)

[Halo]

Oh, the commotion had attracted the attention of the two older foals, who are peeking out from behind their grazing mother (who is pretending to be disinterested except for the curious flicks of her gaze in the direction of the returning family). The two pass secretive glances at each other and then slowly begin to sneak around their mother’s hinds, thinking themselves invisible and completely silent as they try to move outside their mother’s peripheral vision. But the coal gray mare snorts, sounding kind of like a subdued chuckle, as she lifts her head to turn her graceful neck so that she is looking directly at the two culprits. “Where do you think you’re off to?”

The two scuffle their hooves, shamefaced, looking at the ground like two kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar readying themselves for a scolding. Papercut opens her mouth to speak, but for once Knives beats her to the punch. “We were just going to see what was going on, mama, that’s all.” Paper glares at her brother for stealing her limelight, but then thinks better of it because it just means that he gets all the blame for the idea and not her. She grins smugly and lifts her head in a snobbish manner.

“Go ahead, then,” comes the surprising answer and both foals look at their mother as if she had just grown a second head. She grins at them and slowly picks her hooves up into a slow walk in the direction of the leader’s, and by the smell of it a new baby. That sparks life back into her stricken children who squeal with giggles, kicking up grass and dirt as they dart past her. Sequin keeps at her pace, will get there eventually but is in no big hurry to make it any sooner. It’s not like the group is going to be going anywhere anytime soon, not while those two handfuls are prancing about and making trouble.

The dark green colt makes it first, chased by his sister as they wheel in a large circle around Fantom and Banshee, giggling and bouncing about. Knives stops suddenly and grunts as Papercut runs into his haunches, who ‘oof’s and squint out of one eye at him with a glare. “Baby,” is the colt’s explanation, slowly slinking forward to peer around Banshee at the filly, eyes wide and fascinated as he pokes his head as far forward as he can to inquire silently.
~Sequin Ruins/Papercut/Knives

(OOC: Sorry it stinks. I was rushed.)