(Flashback) Follow the Horsie (Kendall)

[Ariel]

64 Spring, 506 AV Ariel was filled to the brim with excitement. She felt like a sponge, like she had absorbed every possible bit of information she could possibly glean from the books she was reading on auras in the University. Ariel simply felt like she had learned so much about the meaning of colors in one's aura- how dark red tends to do with anger, or passion. Bright red suggests energy, perhaps a more active or athletic side, although it could also mean passion, as could pink. Although pink also denotes compassion or love, and it is often associated with pregnant woman. Ariel's aura, if anyone could have seen it, must have been as bright a yellow as the sun, she was simply bubbling over with joy as she charged down the University's steps and out into the crisp spring air, which smelled of high tide. Ariel's bag was slung over her back, now that it was one of the few ways she could effectively carry it, having taken the form of a small horse the week before. She still shared a few features from her previous form- the same unblinking eyes, the same tone of skin. Although, this time, she appeared to be a miniature horse, with a long wavy mane, that seemed to sparkle a deep red in the sunlight, as opposed to some strange variation of the average human form. Her legs were thinner than usual, uncertain, like that of a newborn calf or foul. She was still getting used to them, and had to be careful not to go too too fast, otherwise she'd trip, and fall into them, crumpling over herself, and tumbling into the ground. But Ariel was too excited to pay attention to such things on a day like today. After all, the sun was high in the sky, there was a nice breeze, and the air was crisp and warm. Her brain had been filled to the brim with knowledge, and everything was wonderful, in fact, she was so excited, that she nearly tripped going down the last step of the University, the one right before you were able to step down onto the ground. However, Ariel managed to catch herself, but nearly stumbled into a girl who was skipping by. The girl was much taller than Ariel, although almost everything was, Ariel being only 3 inches high, and about 5 long, (tail to head), and 1.5 inches wide, (side to side). Her clay tail was long, coming to an end just above her hooves, and curling at the tips. It seemed as though it were crafted onto her clay body. But this girl, she was much taller than poor Ariel, although Ariel couldn't tell by how much. She was definitely older than Ariel as well- probably an adolescent if she had to guess. Ariel looked up at the girl as she skipped along, not seeming to notice Ariel, or much of anything for that matter. "Sorry," Ariel muttered, doubting the girl had heard her, or thinking much of it, as a tiny little candle lit up over her head. She had an idea. "Hey!" Ariel called up to the girl, pounding her little clay hooves on the ground as she looked up at her, "want to know what I learned today?" she asked, hoping the girl would say yes, but even if she didn't Ariel was sure to share her new-found knowledge anyway.

[Kendall Saarinen]

Class was over for the day and Kendall walked through the streets taking in the spring time sun. Today she donned a light blue dress decorated with lilies. She was in a better mood than usual that day. She was going to meet up with Kay'lan later but for now the day was hers. As she walked toward her home she felt a small bump against her heel. She would not have even noticed it but a small voice accompanied it. She looked around confused but there was no one near. "I guess it was nothing..." She shrugged and turned to leave again. The squeeky voice returned though! Once again Kendall looked around in confusion. "What in Laviku's name is going on...?" She looked down and at her feet there stood a little clay horse. What made it more interesting was that it talked! Kendall knelt down and looked at the little thing. "Is it a pycon? It has to be! I've never seen one!" She smiled at the small horse and giggled. "Hello little horse! I'm Kendall! Did you study at the University today? I study there as well." Kendall was trying hard not to just tell the little pycon how ardorable she thought it was. Kendall loved horses. She had one of her own, a Colorsplash named Dyakana. She was only a year old but Kendall loved her as if she was a lifelong friend. "What do you study? I am skilled in Literature and Poetry, much like my mother. The majority of my family are scholars in fact! My mom, my dad, and my sister." Kendall normally did not talk so much but she was so interested in the small horse in front of her. She had never seen a pycon let alone a horse pycon! She was a seeker of knowledge by nature and craved it like an addict. She would never turn down a chance to learn about something new and this horse in front of her was definately a sorce of new knowledge. Kay'lan often teased Kendall about this seemingly unquenchable thirst for knowledge. She could hear his voice in her mind, thick with his Avanthalian accent. "Kendy, I hope you know how hard it is to be the boyfriend of a little know-it-all like you." She smiled and sat down next to the pycon. "What is your name? Are you a Pycon? I've never met a Pycon before!" She wanted to learn all there was to know about the little clay creature. What did they eat? How did they reproduce? How long did they live? There was so much to learn! She wondered if the little clay creature wondered the same about her. She sat down next to the Pycon and smiled. "Of course I do not want to seem like I'm prying. I just love to learn. The University can only teach me so much. I can learn so much more from an actual Pycon!"

[Ariel]

"Hello little horse! I'm Kendall! Did you study at the University today? I study there as well," the girl said as she knelt down beside Ariel, as her light blue dress fanned out around her. "Do you?" Ariel asked as she peered into the girl's eyes, willing her to say more. She was happy to have finally met someone who also studied, and whom she could share new-found knowledge and ideas with. "What do you study? I am skilled in Literature and Poetry, much like my mother. The majority of my family are scholars in fact! My mom, my dad, and my sister," Kendall continued. Ariel nodded, "no one in my family were scholars, at least, as far as I know, but then again, we parted ways some time ago..." Ariel's voice trailed off for a moment, before she stomped her hooves and swished her tail, "I study auras," she said, as she looked up at Kendall, with wide eyes, and a horse's grin, that exposed her large, front clay horse's teeth. Surely such a grin wasn't too flattering. Ariel shut her mouth tight, swishing her clay tail back and forth a bit, as Kendall said, "of course I do not want to seem like I'm prying. I just love to learn. The University can only teach me so much. I can learn so much more from an actual Pycon!" Ariel laughed, "you're not prying," she said simply before adding, "we're the same way... sponges, always willing ourselves to absorb just a little more, you know?"

[Kendall Saarinen]

"You can read Auras? Read mine! I think auristics is such an interesting magic." She sat down next to the little horse and tried to think about what her aura would look like. She really did not know what auras looked like but she tried to think. Maybe it was like a shine around her in a color? "I wonder what color mine would be. Blue because I love the water? Maybe purple? I cannot even imagine." Kendall thought back to her family. Her father was not a big fan of magic. He did not allow anyone in the family to learn magic. She remembered when her brother tried to learn shielding he was grounded for a month. Ever since then none of the Saarinen children attempted to practice magic. Kendall always thought Auristics would be interesting though. There was a certain joy in knowing someone emotions before they let onto them. It made Kendall sad to hear that Ariel had left her family. She would not imagine ever being away from her family. "Do you miss your family? I know I would. I could not function without my family. They are everything to me!" The Saarinen family were a very close family. They were so close that they already considered Kendall's boyfriend Kay'lan as part of the family. It was a bit strange for people who did no know them but it worked for the family. Besides, they knew no different so why would they want a change?

[Ariel]

"You can read Auras? Read mine! I think auristics is such an interesting magic," Kendall exclaimed, her face instantly lighting up like a firework. Her eyes were shining brightly like the sun, her skin seeming to glow. "Ok!" Ariel replied, feeling elated now that she had found someone to share her studies with. Ariel swished her tail, and flipped her mane, before pounding on the ground with her hooves for good measure. Ariel closed her eyes, willing herself to enter a meditative state, clearing her mind. She took a few deep breaths in through her nose, before slowly letting them out through her mouth, allowing her breathing to slow, and her heartbeat to maintain a more normal, and rhythmic pattern than before. Ariel quieted all the thoughts and feelings that were buzzing around her brain- the image of the sun shining in the sky, how cool the breeze felt in her clay mane, the color of Kendall's eyes- a hazel color, how cold the ground felt beneath her hooves, how her stomach was rumbling softly; inaudibly. She cleared all of these thoughts and feelings from her mind, and many more, before she opened her eyes again, and looked up at Kendall, who seemed to be towering patiently over her. Ariel took another few deep, cleansing breaths before allowing herself to delve into Kendall's aura, the first thing she noticed was how bright it was, it was hard for her not to shield her eyes, or turn away; breaking the connection. Vibrant colors, like the reds, oranges, and yellows in the sun, swirled around Kendal's head. Almost a mirror image of the celestial body that hung in the sky behind her. The image contained all of these colors- but mainly a bright yellow, which suggested that the girl was happy or excited. Kendall's aura, sparked and crackled, little bits of color fluttering about her head. The little bits of yellow reminded Ariel of fireflies when they lit up the night. Ariel smiled happily, or as much as a clay horse could smile. Kendall's aura was positively radiant. Ariel broke the connection with Kendall, closing her eyes, and taking a few more deep breaths, in through the nose, out through the mouth, before she interpreted what she saw for Kendall. "Well your aura is a mixture of rather bright colors- red, yellow, and orange, like the sun. It suggests your being very happy, or excited... passionate about something... but it also sparked, which may mean you're stressed or sick, or will soon become sick." Ariel wasn't sure, but Kendall seemed to simply nod in response, before saying, "Do you miss your family? I know I would. I could not function without my family. They are everything to me!" Ariel looked up at her, had she not heard what she said after all? Or was she merely ignoring her, either way, Ariel was a little upset, being only one, and still rather immature, but she tried not to let it show. Ariel felt as though the red pigments in her clay skin shone a little brighter, but nothing more as she replied, simply, "sometimes, but with a heart for adventure as big as mine, you find you spend little time thinking of what you left behind."

[Kendall Saarinen]

A giggle bubbled from Kendall's lips as she watched the small horse try to read her aura. She was surprised to hear the answer though. She never saw herself as a fiery person. If anything she related more to water. She understood when Ariel explained what the colors meant. "Well I am quite happy! I have found a new friend!" She laughed and looked up at the sky. The second part of Ariel's reading worried her a bit. She did not feel to stressed or sick. She recalled Kay'lan sniffling a bit last time she was around him though. "That is what I get to making out with my sick boyfriend." She pouted a bit and looked at Ariel. "I hope I am not getting sick! My boyfriend has seemed a little under the weather lately though. That's what I get for kissing a sick Vantha I guess." Kendall loved to bring up the fact she was dating a Vantha. It made her feel special that her boyfriend was blessed by a God's gnosis as well. Being a Vantha he got one shortly after birth. To her happiness though he moved to Zeltiva with his family to go to the university. A wave of embarrassment washed over Kendall when Ariel had to repeat herself. "I am so sorry! I get so scatterbrained at times. One would think with all the time I spend at the university I would be a little more smart!" She laughed and tucked her long brown hair behind her ear. She could not help but think about the magic she had just seen. She wanted to learn as well. "Do you think you could teach me Auristics? If you can't I'll understand but I think it is so interesting!" She looked around to see if there was anywhere she could sit with the Pycon where they could talk in peace. "Would you like to head to my house? We could talk more there. We could have tea! Do Pycon drink tea?" She was sure her family would love Ariel. They were always interested in meeting new people.

[Ariel]

"Well I am quite happy! I have found a new friend!" Kendall laughed, before looking up at the sky. Ariel looked up at her, her head tilted to the side. A few moments later, Kendall looked back at Ariel. "I hope I am not getting sick! My boyfriend has seemed a little under the weather lately though. That's what I get for kissing a sick Vantha I guess," Kendal said. Ariel tried to laugh, instead, she emitted a low neighing sound, that may be taken for how a horse would laugh, embarrassed, the red pigmentation in Ariel's cheeks grew more and more noticeable. The next thing Ariel heard was, "Do you think you could teach me Auristics? If you can't I'll understand but I think it is so interesting!" Ariel looked up at Kendall, slightly saddened, "sorry, no, I'm still learning myself, so I don't think it'd be a good idea," she said, as she shuffled her hooves back and forth across the ground, making a low click-clacking noise. "Would you like to head to my house? We could talk more there. We could have tea! Do Pycon drink tea?" Kendall asked. "Sure, I'd love to go!" Ariel exclaimed happily, swishing her tail back and forth, and smiling to the best of her ability. It was kind of difficult, if not impossible, being a horse and all. "And no, pycons don't drink tea, or anything else for that matter really, we only eat clay. But if it'd make you feel better, maybe we could melt some, and make it into a sort of liquified clay drink." Ariel thought about it for a minute; not only would that be tough and messy, but she didn't want to impose on her new friend. "Wait... actually, that wouldn't work, clay tends to harden in heat, after a while, maybe I'll just munch on some clay, while you drink some tea, and whatever else you'd like." Ariel paused, still looking up into Kendall's eyes. Kendall towered over her, and those eyes, well, they seemed very far away. "But if it would make you feel better, I could pretend to drink something!" she said, as she skipped along to their right, finally realizing that she didn't know where she was going, she turned her head back to her friend, and said, "wait, what am I doing? You should lead, you actually know where to go," Ariel laughed, "if you want you can pick me up and carry me, I'm not too heavy, and it'd be much faster."

[Kendall Saarinen]

A little pout formed on Kendall's lips when she heard she was not going to learn auristics. She understood Ariel's reasoning though. It would be all for the best anyway. Her father would be quite upset if she began to read auras. "Well I'm sure it is all for the best I guess. My father would not be to happy about me doing magic." Kendall smiled and held a hand out to Ariel. "I'm glad you are coming to my house! My boyfriend should be there as well. I'm sure he will be excited to see you! He is also a student of the University and I do not think he has ever met a Pycon." Kendall allowed Ariel to climb up on her shoulder and then she began to walk toward her house. As she walked she began to gush about her boyfriend. She had begun to talk about him so Ariel would know what he was like when they met but then she just started to talk about all the things she loved about him. "His name is Kay'lan Snowsong. He is teaching me about the Vantha culture. In his homeland, Avanthal, girls my age are usually well on their way to getting married. Just think about it! Seventeen and married!" She tried to think about being married that young but all it did was scare her. She loved Kay'lan but she could not imagine being his wife yet. "My family is going to love you. We are all very welcoming as you can see from me." When the pair reached the Saarinen home they were faced with a large building within walking distance from the univeristy. "My family is... well off." Kendall smiled at Ariel and jogged up the steps. "Mom! Dad! I have found a new friend." Kendall called through the large house and looked around for her family. "Great! Just in time for lunch." Marie Saarinen, Kendall's mom was a fantastic cook aside from the fact that she was quite talented in literature as well. "I can't wait for you to meet my mom. She is so much like me. She is seriously one of my best friends." A short walk brought Kendall and Ariel to the kitchen. "Mom, this is my new friend Ariel! I brought her here for tea. That is okay right?" Marie turned around to see her daughter standing with what seemed to be a clay horse on her shoulder. "So you have met a Pycon I see. Well its not everyday us Saarinen's get to dine with a Pycon. I'll have to look around and see if we have any clay for you. It is nice to meet you Ariel. I am Marie Saarinen, Kendall's mom." With that Marie turned and walked feverishly through the house. "My mother is very kind but she does seem to get a bit flustered at times." Kendall giggled and sat down at the table in the kitchen. "I'm sure my father and brothers are around here somewhere. My brothers are... interesting."

[Ariel]

Ariel sat quietly on Kendall's shoulder as they travelled the short distance to her family's house. Ariel smiled pleasantly and nodded from time to time, (during the opportune moments), as Kendall blabbered on and on about her boyfriend. He seemed like a nice enough fellow, but Ariel wished her new friend would stop at least a few seconds so that each of them could breathe. Kendall certainly was the talkative type.

When they reached Kendall's home, Ariel was amazed to find something so spacious. But perhaps, that had to do more with the fact that she was only a few inches tall, and the ceilings in Kendall's home were several feet high, and several feet wide. Everything to Ariel seemed giant. "You have a very nice home," Ariel commented politely when the pair got through the door.

Ariel soon found herself being whisked into the family's kitchen, which smelled distinctly of nutmeg, as if someone had just been making pumpkin pie. Ariel breathed in deeply, enjoying the scent that lingered in the air before she was sucked into reality by another set of introductions. "Nice to meet you Mrs. Saarinennenen... Sarinemenene.. Sarinenemememe... Mrs. S," Ariel finished, slightly embarrassed that she still hadn't mastered the use of her giant horse's lips, and her speech was somewhat.... lacking. She smiled sweetly though, hoping to make up for her pronunciation errors, as Kendall whisked them away to a table.

Kendall's arm was resting on the table, and Ariel used it as a sort of bridge. She trotted down the length of Kendall's arm, landing on the wooden table with a low thud. She instantly turned to face her friend again, surely showing the girl her tail would be rather rude, especially after she had so graciously brought Ariel into her home.

Ariel smiled up at Kendall, her tail swishing, and her hooves clicking on the table. "Your mom seems really nice," Ariel began, "and it smells really nice in here. Does it always smell this good?" she asked, starting to realize that she should probably respond to the comment Kendall had made about brothers as well. "Well, aren't they always?" Ariel's voice trailed off. "I remember that one time, my brother took a bite out of my cousin's arm just to see if he tasted as good as regular clay." Ariel laughed. "My cousin sure was mad..." Ariel's voice trailed off.

OOCSorry this is an awful and terribly awkward post >.<

[Kendall Saarinen]

It was comforting to see the Pycon taking to the family so well. Kendall could not help but giggle at Ariel's mix up of her last name. "Don't worry about it. Saarinen is hard for some people. I guess it is the extra 'a' that throws them off." Kendall had never found it hard to pronounce her last name but then of course, she grew up hearing it all the time. There was a not of the "n" sound in it and the sounds were close togather. It was no matter though. It was simply just a name. She was proud of it. Her family was wealthy and the name came with prestige. It was an interesting idea to think of a Pycon eating another Pycon. Granted it was also a bit odd and questionably canibalistic. The comment sparked Kendall's interest though. "That must have been odd? Did your cousin taste good?" It was a bit of a strange question but she could not help but wonder what happened to Pycon who were eaten by other Pycons. "What happened to your cousin? Did his arm grow back? What happens to a Pycon when they eat another Pycon? Is that normal?" Kendall was so interested by this idea. She could not help but wonder if some of the other Pycon's mentality would go into the one that ate it. It was a whole new world that Kendall was just learning about. Soon Marie returned with a wad of clay and set it down in front of Ariel. "There you go honey. Eat as much as you like. It is not every day we get to meet a Pycon!" Kendall was a bit embarassed by her mother's over excitement but it was better than her kicking Ariel though. Next Marie got to making tea and Kendall smiled at Ariel. She found the little horse so interesting. "So do you have any questions for me? I keep asking you questions and I know I have a terrible habit of talking nonstop. Don't feel bad if you need to interupt me because I don't stop talking."