A Miracle... or Two [Bluemoon]

[Arctic Fang]

~`~Metallic Dream~`~

Happily the tall meadow grasses leapt at the mare's legs. Metallic giggled a little at least every other step because it tickled her so. She had never seen anything quite as lovely as this. Many shade trees were available for lounging under as well as a fresh water lake to quench the taste buds whenever she was thirsty. What a beautiful place to be found.

The watering hole was what she longed to see. It was just as she had heard it rumored to be. The sparkles that radiated from it seemed to come up from the bottom as well as from above as the light jumped off of each little wave. Thoughtfully the mare drank and drank, her lips puckered in a circle and her eyes slightly squinted due to the sun's reflection off of the liquid.

Once she was finished she stood back up, rather tall, but she had to admit that these days she felt much fatter then usual. Surely it couldn't be that she wasn't getting enough exercise. She was free now and many days she found herself running along side of her mate. Dream even felt stronger but at the same time... so very different.

Her meditation grew until she caught sight of her bulging shadow dancing on the ground along side of her. She began to wonder how Moon could love such a fat horse but then all of a sudden she felt something kick. The mare jumped thinking that someone had just kicked her from the side. But no... She was all alone. Then it happened again... and again. The jolts were coming from the inside. Curiously Dreamed eyed her belly until it happened again!

It wasn't until now that she knew...

Gleefully the mare started to prance about as her large head swayed back and forth. She wondered where Moon was. Her desire to tell him was great. But wait! What if he didn't want to be a father just yet?

[<3Kodi]

Blue Moon

The thunder of horse hooves was like nothing else in the world, easily identifiable from a great distance but always unique, or at least it was to the black ears of Blue Moon. Some horses had a heavier stride making their hoofbeats lower and slower, others were lighter with a more clipped sort of sound. If you were accustomed enough, sometimes you could hear if it was more then one horse and how many. In all honesty, Blue Moon had never particularly mastered the skill but he knew enough to keep him ahead of any potential trouble and these days that skill had been in more use then usual. Why? Because the blue roan stag no longer ran alone as he had for years.

Nope, nowadays, Moon kept the company of a metallic violet mare with mismatched eyes and a personality that plainly told Moon he didn't deserve as much affection as she gave him. That was his feeling anyway. He would run off at dawn, appear at dusk but all that seemed important to Metallic was that he did come back. It was true, he always returned, sometimes earlier then normal but he always came back. With most mares Moon had known, he would hang around for a while before his restless soul took him on the road again and his hooves never turned back.

With Metallic however, Moon was sure he'd never get tired of her company. She was a pleasure to look at, unique in every sense of the word and so forgiving of his restless soul it made him almost ashamed of it. Moon had become like a trained pet to her, going back when she called and constantly guarding her from undesirable attention he knew she got. She was a rare gem and he had to keep her safe, especially since something was telling him something in her was changing. Her scent was a bit off and her habits had shifted. He didn't run with her, but let her set her own pace while he moved about close by to keep her safe.

Pondering the change in his mate, the fleet-footed stallion cantered out of the forest around the Lake of Glass Diamonds. The lake seemed to take sunlight and reflect it ten fold making Moon blink and swerve a bit in surprise. Then again it was the height of the afternoon and the sun was strong on the water and crystals in the bottom. Straightening his course, the blue roan slowed his canter to a brisk trot as he made his way toward the lake shore, black banner whipping behind him. Black-stockinged legs danced over the ground with great grace as Moon made his way toward Metallic. The wind whispered in his black ears and combed through his dark mane, caressing his neck much more pleasantly then any human touch.

A few feet from his mate, Moon let out a nicker and tossed his head to get his forelock out of his eyes and halted, arching his neck and nickering again, his expression both lightly playful and deeply affectionate. He was powerful and lithe in his build, the best of a crossbreed and simply content with the sunlight and wind, Metallic's company and no one else around. His gaze caught hers and Moon frowned a little, seeing a phantom of unease in her expression.

"Metallic? Are you ok?"

[Arctic Fang]

~`~Metallic Dream~`~

Something rumbled beneath her feet. The vibration was powerful and possessed a stride, a rhythm, that could only belong to one horse. It was his trade-mark and something that Dream had come to love most about him. The mare listened to it intently as she ran daily next to him, even though as of late her speed had gotten considerably slower.

Eagerly her head jerked up, just in time to see him quickly approach. She must have appeared like a young foal getting caught for doing something mischievous because quickly her mate asked if she was ok. Dream simply nodded with a rather silly grin plastered all over her face. Now she was glowing. The full realization of her knowing that within her womb she carried a foal that belonged to them both caused her mind, body and spirit to become one. Even her violet colored pelt was a bit brighter than usual.

Metallic pranced up along side of him, her fat belly bouncing away happily. "Yes! I am fine! How was your run today my love? Did you see anything new? Did you meet any new creatures today? Were the birds singing more then usual?" Dream was 'unusually' happy! Her mood was just singing about her, hang upon her neck like a bright beautiful ring of freshly cut flowers, and smelling just as fragrant.

[<3Kodi]

Surprised by Metallic's strangely bubbly attitude, Blue Moon swished his tail and gave her a curious look. He flicked his ears but found neither excitedly twittering birds nor anything that made this day any different then any other day. Whatever was on Metallic's mind was obviously something happy but Blue Moon was at a loss as to what that happy thing was. Moon wracked his brains trying to think of what could make Metallic so peppy when usually she was more relaxed then this. Thinking through the last few weeks, Moon nearly had a stroke when he remembered only one thing that could make Metallic act the way she was. His heartbeat picked up and he blushed, glad to be a horse and not a human that could plainly show they were blushing.

Everything clicked into place in Moon's mind. It seemed that their...recent courtship...had taken hold. His onyx orbs slowly ranged over Metallic's violet form. He knew she was a quarter horse, horses naturally made to be strong and a bit stocky rather then thin as a twig like some Arabians that Moon had met. Today however, that didn't seem to be the case with Metallic. She was still unusually beautiful but her belly was...

Moon's heart rate picked up pace faster then his gallop.

"Metallic, have you been...feeling alright?" Moon asked carefully. "You seem bubblier then usual."

His eyes betrayed him, once again wandering to Metallic's swelling belly. How had he not noticed? Metallic was pregnant. She hadn't been running with him, she got tired, her belly was getting big but...was it just him or did she seem slightly bigger then just a normal pregnant mare? He didn't want to even think about what that would mean. If he did, Moon would keel over dead right then and there.

[Arctic Fang]

~`~Metallic Dream~`~

"Metallic, have you been...feeling alright?" Moon asked carefully. "You seem bubblier then usual." Dream of course smiled and swaggered over toward her love. Indeed she was 'very' happy, especially now that she knew that she wasn't going to die of a bloated stomach or something. Softly she nuzzled his neck, sniffing in his scent as she did so. Metallic could smell the scent of the wind in his fur, the essence of nature that he collected as he ran. Dream loved that smell.

She nickered and then nodded her head up and then down happily, her man flowing with the action, adding a little more beauty to her face. "I'm fine. In fact I am more then fine. I'm wonderful! I'm happy!" Dream laughed. The cheer could be seen in her eyes as she walked in front of her stud so that she could face him as she told him to news. "I just felt our foal moving inside of me." She watched his face intently for a reaction. It was the best way to tell him.

[<3Kodi]

Surprisingly when Metallic actually vocalized her pregnancy and thus confirmed Moon's notions, he wasn't frightened nor did he keel over and die from surprise. A deep sense of contentment filled his belly making him feel like he was about to float away with the clouds. A smile formed on his black maw and his ebony banner flicked back and forth. Leaning forward, Moon brushed his muzzle against Metallic's violet neck, breathing in the scent that could be nothing except her. The scent of humans had long ago faded from her pelt and instead she had taken on the scent of grass and dust, the scents of the wild. Her ivory and gold mane tickled his dark nose as he stroked her neck with his muzzle, silently convaying his happiness with the news since more often then not Moon wasn't that much of a charmer with words.

Stepping forward, Moon moved his dark muzzle from Metallic's neck to her belly, searching for the signs of life Metallic had felt. It was a soft caress, surprisingly gentle for such a wild stallion. Around the middle of Metallic's bloated belly, Moon felt a distinctive kick against his muzzle and leaned back, almost worried at what that meant. Was he meant to be kicked in the nose by his own kid or had it just been an accident?

In any case, Moon pushed the thought from his mind and looked once more to Metallic. "We should find you some place to rest for a while" Moon neighed, knowing well enough when a mare should stop roaming and start resting when she was pregnant.

From the bloatedness of her belly and roughly the number of days from their mating, Moon could roughly guess that Metallic's due date wasn't far off. The last thing he wanted was for mother or foal to be hurt because he was too restless to stand still for longer then five minutes at a time.

[Arctic Fang]

~`~Metallic Dream~`~

Dream chuckled when Moon put his nose to her belly and the foal gave him a small kick. She was happy that the male had taken it so well. The thought of being parents was exciting but Dream was especially concerned about what being a father would mean for Moon. The mare didn't want to make him feel as though he were tied down or restricted in any manner.

The mare nodded and agreed with what Moon had just purposed. Indeed she was very tired on this day. Oddly tired as a matter of fact and she wouldn't argue with him. It would feel good to lay down and rest for a while. "A rest sounds nice." Dream stepped forward, her tail never failing to wave behind her as she swatted away some bugs. "Until today I just thought that I was getting fat." Indeed it was good to know that she wasn't just unhealthy but pregnant.