[prp] Alone in the Woods (Sun Kiss & Moon Kiss)

[rexcorvus]

The ermine scuttled along beside Sun Kiss as she made her way slowly through the copse of trees. Stringy rays of sunlight mostly trapped in the high branches of towering trees filtered across her back and left little dots here and there, barely any light allowing her to see where she was going. It was nearing night, and she was alone, which was unusual because she didn't like to be alone, and liked even less being away from Moon Kiss. But they had gotten separated on the way home from traveling and now she was here, alone, with only the little ermine to keep her company.

She hadn't yet named it. It was following her quite obediently, keeping up a quick pace, and every so often made a soft snuffling sound as though to remind Sun that she was there.

Behind them, an owl hooted. Something cracked.

[Beejoux]

They'd managed to get separated somehow, but Moon had been fairly confident she'd be able to find her twin again. Sun was a meek thing, she didn't like being alone and she wasn't known for being reckless or adventurous. Moon suspected her sister would be moving slowly, cautiously.

The appearance and determined tagging along of a a slinky, friendly little creature was a...mild complication to her plans to locate her twin. It kept circling her legs, bounding ahead in the path and rushing back. "What is it?" She asked impatiently. "Do you want me to follow?"

She didn't have time for games, and she frowned down at the ermine with annoyed disdain, but it was persistent, and when she almost tripped over the thing she finally sighed in resignation. "Fine! I'll follow you."

She didn't know this ermine knew the one that was currently keeping her twin company. How could she?

[rexcorvus]

Everything was worse at night. She didn't know how Moon Kiss did it, or anything, for that matter. Sun could hardly leave their little home without feeling as though everything was watching her, just waiting to open its jaws and swallow her up as soon as she set foot in the forest. Every nerve felt on edge, as though the eyes of the entire swamp were resting on her back.

She wanted her brothers. Maybe. Sometimes she wasn't sure if they were just placating her or not. No, she wanted Moon, because Moon was the one who never treated her any differently, because they were sisters and even more than that, they were twins and Moon Kiss would never mock her for being afraid. She was the protector, after all.

This just made Sun feel even more miserable.

There was a soft squeaking sound from up ahead. Beside her, the little ermine scuttled forward faster, through the rustling leaves, the crunch of branches underfoot feeling unbearably loud in the dark. Sun shrank down in on herself, following the creature, and thought she heard footsteps.

"...h...hello?" she called tentatively, and felt her heart beating rapidly against her chest. Another owl hooted, too close by, and she jumped.

"M-Moon? Are you t-there?"

[Beejoux]

Dark ears perked at the sound of a soft, familiar voice. "Sun, I'm here." The ermine was still running, still leading, and at this point Moon was willing to believe the little thing was leading in her the direction of her twin, though she didn't have a clue why. Nor could she speak the language.

Nor did she want to speak the language.

"I'm coming, can you hear me?" Moon Kiss hurried to keep on the little mammal's tail, weaving carefully through the trees, the underbrush. Squeaking and cursing as branches and brush snagged at long hair. "Surely there's a clearer path we could be taking!" She hissed down at the Ermine as one of her braids caught on a bramble and pulled sharply.

[rexcorvus]

The ermine, as unfamiliar as it was, felt a bit soothing, like it had been waiting for her to arrive so that it could make her feel less alone. It certainly wasn't one of the other many creatures that haunted the night, and nothing terrifying. In fact, if Sun squinted a little, it did look somewhat like her in coloring; she wondered if that was significant in some way.

Probably.

Sun scuttled after the ermine as it scampered through the underbrush, and for a few heart stopping seconds, she lost sight of it in the greenery. But just as she was about to panic, its little head poked up again, pushing through the leaves, and then it was off, and Sun was scrambling to keep up. Over the noise of her own hoofbeats, she heard a familiar - and wonderfully welcome - voice, barely audible, sounding not too far away.

"Moon?" she said frantically, and picked up the pace, nearly tripping over her own overlong hair. "Moon is that - "

A branch whipped at her cheek, painfully, and she winced. "Moon?"

[Beejoux]

The sound of running hoof beats was fast approaching, and Moon stopped on the path, turning to try to see her twin through the shadows and the trees. The dark saddled ermine that was leading her slowed with her, skittering back and forth before darting forward again to meet another ermine that looked remarkably similar, if a touch lighter. Moon blinked at the little creature, then up as the soft shape of Sun appeared through the gloom.

Moon tsked, clicking her tongue as she walked forward to meet her panicking twin. "There you are," she huffed out,tone familiarly exasperated but also relieved. She couldn't help but worry when they were separated, Sun was a soft doe, shy and cautious. Moon didn't want anything or anyone bad to happen to her.

"Are you alright?" Glowing eyes fell to a fresh looking scratch along one side of Sun's muzzle and the darker doe let out sound that was lost between concern and disapproval before laying her cheek against the new wound.

[rexcorvus]

At long last she caught sight of Moon's darker face and gold rimmed eyes; the mirror image to Sun's own, reflected back at her. She made a noise of relief that was more or less a sob, and flung herself towards her sister, tripping over branches and underbrush and vines until they she could nose her snout into Moon's hair. The scratch on her nose gave a painful throb, but she ignored it, snuffling.

"It was terrible," Sun wailed, then pulled back so that she didn't look quite as much like a pathetic crybaby as she felt. The ermine at her hooves scuttled around, making soft chirruping noises. "I didn't know where I was, I turned around and you were gone, and I just - "

She sniffed and tried to get herself under control. This really was very embarrassing; she wasn't good at this, no matter what she tried to convince herself of. "I'm all right. I think. I mean, I tripped. I don't know what over. I think a branch."

On the verge of being hysterical, Sun gave a mighty sigh and brought herself back down to reality, casting her gaze around in an effort to not show how flustered and upset she felt, and caught sight of a little creature at Moon's feet.

"Oh," she said, and then, "Is - is that yours?"

[Beejoux]

Dark ears perked at the sound Sun made when her twin saw her, a little pang of hurt for the fear the other doe must have been feeling, but her tone carried a familiar note of exasperation as she watched her sister rush carelessly forward. "Sun..."

Still, when they met, Moon tucked her head under Sun's chin, helped her steady herself as she caught her breath and composed herself. "You're alright, now. I'm here." It didn't matter how they'd gotten separated, just a bit of bad luck, but they'd found each other again, and now they could make their way home to the familiar territory of their large family.

"You've got to be careful," she chided gently. "What happens if you twist an ankle in your panic? I can't carry you home." It's mean leaving Sun there on her own to seek out help, and Moon knew that wouldn't go well.

She blinked at the question of the small ferret that was dancing around her hooves as she tended her sister, and Moon paused a moment before answering. "I'm not sure I have much choice in the matter, it's been following me since a little after we'd been separated. Gold eyes flicked down to the lighter animal with Sun. "And that one?"

[rexcorvus]

Moon had always been the braver of them; always the one that stepped forward first, always the one that made sure that Sun was safe, always the one that had taken care to make sure that her cowardly, shy little sister (only by a few minutes) was protected and watched. It made Sun both happy and sad; she wasn't sure that she could impose on Moon for the rest of her life. She couldn't expect to always be trailing after her, dragging her down with her ineptitudes.

"Sorry," Sun whispered, shrinking in on herself. She tried to gather the courage to not lean on her sister for the entire walk they needed to make back home. Her hooves dug into the dirt beneath her feet, grounding her in spite of her lingering fears. "I'll - I'll be more c-careful, I p-promise."

And she would, or at least she'd try, because she could no longer force Moon to live such a half life. The ermine scuttled at Sun's leg, tiny paws resting on one of her hooves, and looked up at her, dark eyes bright and curious. She felt a strange sort of affection for it, though she had never seen it before now.

"It's been following me, too," Sun admitted. "I th-think he...it...I think it l-led me b-back to you."

Which seemed a bit silly, but she couldn't shake the feeling it had shown up just for that. Just for her.

[Beejoux]

Moon watched the way her sisters posture shifted with the apology, the way she seemed to shrink, and the darker twin sighed softly, clicking her tongue before her expression softened and she bumped her nose to the pale curve of a gold kissed cheek. "That's all I ask. I would hate to see anything bad happen to you."

Moon wished Sun had been blessed with even a fraction of the surety she felt herself. She couldn't imagine going through life carrying the worries her poor twin did. It must be exhausting, she thought.

Pale eyes flicked back down to the matching ermine bounding around their legs and her expression. Flickered between a pinch of annoyance to endearment and back again, several times. She hadn't been looking for a pet, or companion, or whatever it was. But it had[/] been helpful, and she was grateful for it.

"This one too, it helped me find you again. Doesn't look like they have any intention of leaving us now, does it?"

[Beejoux]

Moon watched the way her sisters posture shifted with the apology, the way she seemed to shrink, and the darker twin sighed softly, clicking her tongue before her expression softened and she bumped her nose to the pale curve of a gold kissed cheek. "That's all I ask. I would hate to see anything bad happen to you."

Moon wished Sun had been blessed with even a fraction of the surety she felt herself. She couldn't imagine going through life carrying the worries her poor twin did. It must be exhausting, she thought.

Pale eyes flicked back down to the matching ermine bounding around their legs and her expression. Flickered between a pinch of annoyance to endearment and back again, several times. She hadn't been looking for a pet, or companion, or whatever it was. But it had[/] been helpful, and she was grateful for it.

"This one too, it helped me find you again. Doesn't look like they have any intention of leaving us now, does it?"