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Description
A little part of Asteria's and Aine's backstory that I wanted to clarify for myself has always been the way they constantly disagree, yet Aine always clings to Asteria despite it. Thus: backstory. This happened before they met Garnet when Aine was only a little over a year old.

Also - animation! A whole scene! I've never animated more than an eye blink before !!

Word Count: 878
Aine wanders off to escape Asteria's overbearing tendencies. She
only makes it a short distance, during which she is spooked by
both a bachelor stallion and a pack of coyotes. As she runs away,
Aine runs straight into her mother. She is safe.

The grass is tall, healthy from the summer sun. It all but bounces beneath my hooves. I tear a few strands with my teeth.
    I can’t help but smile on a day like today. The sun bakes my spine, the sky is clear and a sweet, sweet summer breeze carries the smell of a valley full of life. My ribcage feels full to the bursting point with liquid gold.

    The sound of another horse catches my attention. I pause for a moment, worried that my mother might have already realized my disappearance. The horse grows closer, but their hoofbeat does not match Asteria. I look around nervously. My eyes land on a stand of thicker brush - hefty grass and thick bushes promising some concealment. I jump in, stooping to try and hide my bright chestnut coat. Just as I settle out of sight, a dark colored stallion rounds the hill. He pauses for a moment just as I had. His silvery tail lashes a buzzing fly, landing bright against the deep brown of his coat. My tail twitches of its own accord, mirroring. Showing my nerves. Asteria had worried her worries into becoming my worries, encouraging me to fear the lone stallion. I watch him like a hawk. He flexes his neck, leaning down to wuffle at the grass. A few soft green stands find themselves between his teeth as he chews. Still chewing, the silver roan raises his head and takes one last look around. He begins to wander away, head still drooped to graze. The stallion appears to bore of his snacking. Soon his steps fade in the distance.
    Shaken, I step out from the scratchy brush. I nip at my flank, trying to itch a spot I already know I cannot reach. Satisfied, I shake myself out. I can still see the stallion as he nears the flat beneath the hill. His bay coat stands out from the green. Without another thought, I tuck tail and trot the opposite direction. My thin legs carry me down the opposite side of the hill quickly. A clump of grass catches one of my forehooves, nearly tripping me. I slow down, choosing once again to enjoy my peaceful walk. Mother could be so loud, so overbearing. Always worrying about our safety. She acted as if the other animals in this valley, especially bachelors, were made of something different. They were still horses. Just horses.
    A sparse forest grows into sight on the horizon.
    “Perfect! I’ll only walk as far as the trees and THEN mother can have me back to hover over.” I laugh to myself.
    Summer grass turns to bushes and thicker brush as I near the trees. A rustling, much like squirrels playing in the leftover leaves of last fall, encourages me to perk my ears. To my surprise, it grows louder. I stop. Something else - another horse? Some creature quite larger than a squirrel walks mindless of their own noise through the leaf strewn forest floor.
    A howl sounds. I grow stock still, my ears straining forward to catch another noise. A second howl joins the first, then a third. Coyotes! Once again, my eyes dart around in search of cover. I shiver. These dogs definitely had a better sense of smell than a stallion, so no bush would protect me. Trying to remain silent, I slowly turn - prepped to make a run for it. I wait a moment more. The coyotes have grown silent, not a rustle nor a howl guiding me to their location. I wait for one, two - three second. As quickly as I can, I spring into a gallop. My hooves scrape at the grass, throwing up clods of it as I speed through the brush. Just as suddenly as I had started, I fall - having misstepped and tripped on a thick grouping of grass. My knees burrow. They take the brunt of my willowy weight.
    It’s hard to fight the panicked yelp that climbs through my throat. I desperately wish to call for my mother, to call for Asteria. The terrain around me is unfamiliar. This is not the way that I came.
     I climb back to my hooves.
    Shakily, I pick up speed again. My vision is blurry with fear, made even worse as I continuously look behind myself. I focus more on the distance behind me than the ground in front of my hooves. As I’m looking back, I slam into something solid. Warm. Another horse.
    Fearful that I have accidentally rediscovered the bay stallion, I lurch back. My voice refuses to be contained, burning as it leaves my throat.
    “No! Get back - go away!” I get at the larger horse, my hooves meeting skin. Chestnut skin.
    “Aine. Aine! AINE! Calm down! Aine look at me! Aine? What’s wrong Aine?” Asteria’s voice quickly calms me down. I crumple beneath her, sobbing as she soothes.
    “Mom! Mom, I was scared,” I hiccup between my tears, ”There was a stallion and I had to hide in the bushes and then - and then. And then coyotes - coyotes were chasing me. So scared, momma, so scared.”
    She rubs my back, grooming me. I lean into her. For all that she might be overbearing, annoying even, my mom would always keep me safe.

Stallion:#12

In Response To: encounter - coyote + encounter - stallion 96 + lost

Art Features: Aine
Lit Features: Aine, Asteria, Bachelor 96

Words: 878

Companions: Toast (p)

Rolls: Normal

Other: All mares are on preg prevention <3

Description
A little part of Asteria's and Aine's backstory that I wanted to clarify for myself has always been the way they constantly disagree, yet Aine always clings to Asteria despite it. Thus: backstory. This happened before they met Garnet when Aine was only a little over a year old.

Also - animation! A whole scene! I've never animated more than an eye blink before !!

Word Count: 878
Aine wanders off to escape Asteria's overbearing tendencies. She
only makes it a short distance, during which she is spooked by
both a bachelor stallion and a pack of coyotes. As she runs away,
Aine runs straight into her mother. She is safe.

The grass is tall, healthy from the summer sun. It all but bounces beneath my hooves. I tear a few strands with my teeth.
    I can’t help but smile on a day like today. The sun bakes my spine, the sky is clear and a sweet, sweet summer breeze carries the smell of a valley full of life. My ribcage feels full to the bursting point with liquid gold.

    The sound of another horse catches my attention. I pause for a moment, worried that my mother might have already realized my disappearance. The horse grows closer, but their hoofbeat does not match Asteria. I look around nervously. My eyes land on a stand of thicker brush - hefty grass and thick bushes promising some concealment. I jump in, stooping to try and hide my bright chestnut coat. Just as I settle out of sight, a dark colored stallion rounds the hill. He pauses for a moment just as I had. His silvery tail lashes a buzzing fly, landing bright against the deep brown of his coat. My tail twitches of its own accord, mirroring. Showing my nerves. Asteria had worried her worries into becoming my worries, encouraging me to fear the lone stallion. I watch him like a hawk. He flexes his neck, leaning down to wuffle at the grass. A few soft green stands find themselves between his teeth as he chews. Still chewing, the silver roan raises his head and takes one last look around. He begins to wander away, head still drooped to graze. The stallion appears to bore of his snacking. Soon his steps fade in the distance.
    Shaken, I step out from the scratchy brush. I nip at my flank, trying to itch a spot I already know I cannot reach. Satisfied, I shake myself out. I can still see the stallion as he nears the flat beneath the hill. His bay coat stands out from the green. Without another thought, I tuck tail and trot the opposite direction. My thin legs carry me down the opposite side of the hill quickly. A clump of grass catches one of my forehooves, nearly tripping me. I slow down, choosing once again to enjoy my peaceful walk. Mother could be so loud, so overbearing. Always worrying about our safety. She acted as if the other animals in this valley, especially bachelors, were made of something different. They were still horses. Just horses.
    A sparse forest grows into sight on the horizon.
    “Perfect! I’ll only walk as far as the trees and THEN mother can have me back to hover over.” I laugh to myself.
    Summer grass turns to bushes and thicker brush as I near the trees. A rustling, much like squirrels playing in the leftover leaves of last fall, encourages me to perk my ears. To my surprise, it grows louder. I stop. Something else - another horse? Some creature quite larger than a squirrel walks mindless of their own noise through the leaf strewn forest floor.
    A howl sounds. I grow stock still, my ears straining forward to catch another noise. A second howl joins the first, then a third. Coyotes! Once again, my eyes dart around in search of cover. I shiver. These dogs definitely had a better sense of smell than a stallion, so no bush would protect me. Trying to remain silent, I slowly turn - prepped to make a run for it. I wait a moment more. The coyotes have grown silent, not a rustle nor a howl guiding me to their location. I wait for one, two - three second. As quickly as I can, I spring into a gallop. My hooves scrape at the grass, throwing up clods of it as I speed through the brush. Just as suddenly as I had started, I fall - having misstepped and tripped on a thick grouping of grass. My knees burrow. They take the brunt of my willowy weight.
    It’s hard to fight the panicked yelp that climbs through my throat. I desperately wish to call for my mother, to call for Asteria. The terrain around me is unfamiliar. This is not the way that I came.
     I climb back to my hooves.
    Shakily, I pick up speed again. My vision is blurry with fear, made even worse as I continuously look behind myself. I focus more on the distance behind me than the ground in front of my hooves. As I’m looking back, I slam into something solid. Warm. Another horse.
    Fearful that I have accidentally rediscovered the bay stallion, I lurch back. My voice refuses to be contained, burning as it leaves my throat.
    “No! Get back - go away!” I get at the larger horse, my hooves meeting skin. Chestnut skin.
    “Aine. Aine! AINE! Calm down! Aine look at me! Aine? What’s wrong Aine?” Asteria’s voice quickly calms me down. I crumple beneath her, sobbing as she soothes.
    “Mom! Mom, I was scared,” I hiccup between my tears, ”There was a stallion and I had to hide in the bushes and then - and then. And then coyotes - coyotes were chasing me. So scared, momma, so scared.”
    She rubs my back, grooming me. I lean into her. For all that she might be overbearing, annoying even, my mom would always keep me safe.

Stallion:#12

In Response To: encounter - coyote + encounter - stallion 96 + lost

Art Features: Aine
Lit Features: Aine, Asteria, Bachelor 96

Words: 878

Companions: Toast (p)

Rolls: Normal

Other: All mares are on preg prevention <3