.:|Kinu's Naming Dreams|:.

[Kinu]

The Totoma lived a harsh life. One of strength, will, power, and glory. To earn a name you must shine. But when no-one took you seriously that task, earning a name before you died, was a hard battle. Such was his case. He wasn't a stranger to snickers and laughs. Jokes at his expense. When your pelt was as cream as his and your horns were the colors of the bridge that appeared sometimes after rainfall, you were hard pressed to earn any respect from your peers.. even if they hardly knew you. But, as fate would have it, his luck all changed one day. Though it was under the gravest of circumstances, in a way it couldn't have been more perfect or needed. It happened so suddenly on a grey, muggy day when the sun was trying to shine but the clouds were stubborn and unmoving. There came a great cry from the tribe and he ran from the berry patch to see what the commotion was. Usually when he entered the area he was quickly spotted and singled out, but this day no eyes were on him. Instead all eyes were on a soon to be mother Totoma in the throes of labor. She was struggling to birth her newest lamb and it was evident that she was in great agony. The faces of those wise in the knowledge of such matters was grim, their expressions furrowing in worry and their hushed tones not helping ease the mothers tension. The stress, the negativity, the looming, no wonder this mother was struggling! Without a second thought he pushed through the crowd and took up beside her, kneeling down he offered her a warm gaze and began to sing. His voice was like no other, the tones and pitch were beautiful and soothing and his bright colors lit up the dark grey of the afternoon. Everyone took a step back, gave them room, but he kept his gaze on her. As the song continued she began to relax more and more, his voice putting her mind at ease and therefore her body. No sooner had he begun than the bleating of a small lamb could be heard. Fuzzy and soft and blind he came into their world. There rose a rowdy cheer through the tribe like thunder and the brightly colored Totoma smiled at her. "Well done." He chuckled. The Female Toto sighed and looked him firmly in the eyes. "You are a blessing from the motherfather. You and your Song That Soothes, you have done us all a great service. Thank you." Getting up he returned to the crowd, only from that day on he never heard another unkind word. Instead many mothers often seek him out when it is time to bring new life into the world and those who are to journey into the next life seek the comfort of his voice or those left behind request he sing to the glories of those departed. His purpose. His worth. Finally he felt at peace.

[Kinu]

The birds chirped happily in the bright sunlight. They flooded the trees like a rainbow and sang like the most beautiful choir nature could produce into the sky. The epitome of happiness. On one branch sat a rainbow Kiokote, chirping happily along with his bird brethren. Kin from far and wide would wander beneath the tree to enjoy the beautiful birdsong only to see a Kio, perched on a bowing branch, singing along to the tune. "HEY! You know tree's are For the Birds, right?" Silence. All the birds glared down at the intruder, the Kio blinked, startled by the exclamation, gazing down he blinked his big eyes and cocked his head. "But, I am a bird!" The birdsong resumed once again. The heinous comment soon forgotten.

[Kinu]

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☽Below the crashing waves he found himself. The sky, angry, hostile, with rolling clouds and roaring thunder seemed oppressive in its might.
He found no respite here, where the muggy wind whipped his pelt and battered his face.
Squinting into the distance he felt himself begin to move, as though his soul knew the way before his mind.
As he stepped into the sea he inhaled deep the stormy air and slowly descended Beneath the Waves.
The world became silent in an instant. As he opened his eyes the beauty he beheld filled his heart.
Solace.
In this glorious hidden kingdom he found his peace. It was here he knew himself, his heart, to be full at last. To be whole.☾

[Kinu]

Into the raging battle she charged. A hellion on hooves. Blood singing in her ears. The heat of the fires that consumed all roaring all around her. This was the way of the warrior. To live and die in battle. She would die here this day and she would Die Well.

[Kinu]

The darkness surrounded him, inky black and deep. He opened his eyes softly and a path shot out like a green root from his hooves. Winding into the distance. As he stepped forward another path snaked out to his right, with his next step a path to the left followed suit. Every step created a new path into the void. Bright green and glowing. He was the keeper of all these paths and he would know them all by heart. Path Keeper was his purpose. Every one a journey. Every one as precious as those that came before it.

[Kinu]

Tree's as far as the eye could see. Giants. Massive behemoths that had been growing since before time and memory could recall. There, in the thick of them, a Little Tree. The other trees towered over it, almost obscuring it from reality itself. And yet the little tree persisted. It grew and grew as best it could and yet never got any taller. Taking what it needed only while the other trees took more than their share. Soon the other trees could no longer sustain themselves. They withered and died. Shriveling up into nothingness. When they died the mushrooms came. Turning them back into the earth, replenishing the nutrients in the soil. When the began to encroach upon the only tree left they stopped. "Why did you not die with your brethren?" The mushrooms asked. The little tree, still healthy, replied "I only take what I need." The mushrooms, respecting this choice, left the little tree to flourish. And happily it did.

[Kinu]

'Skitter Skitter Skitter' The tiny fox skittered around the field, running and jumping and yipping beneath a golden sun. The world was his oyster and he knew it. The sun warmed his pelt and lifted his soul. Bushy tail poofed in pure bliss, sharp little canines flashing as he snapped at a passing leaf. 'Skitter Skitter Skitter'

[Kinu]

Each life passes, etched in memory. All the ones before, so long ago, before any kin can remember. Who will remember our stories? Forgotten in time. Lost in the mist of memory. Gazing up, the sky fleas, shimmering like diamonds. His breath plumes in the cold winter night. "Only the Stars Remember us.. long after we are gone." The tiny lights twinkle in their dark velvety bed. Like guardians of time and remembrance. Old souls. Never faulting in their duty to watch over and guide. To hold all memory of us like a great record until the very last Kin breathes their last and we return.

[Kinu]

"I love you.." She whispered, her eyes welling with tears as she faced the buck. Watching his face soften and crumble in relief. He loved her too. With all his heart. "But you're heart is so soft I'm afraid it will break should the world tear us apart someday." He shook his head, eyes welling with tears.

"Never." He breathed, afraid she was slipping away. "My heart is only soft for you."

The Doe chuckled and nuzzled him with her nose. "Your heart is soft for all the world, not just me."

[Kinu]

His hooves beat across sunbeams as he raced over the fiery summer horizon. The streaks of orange, red, yellow, gold painting an endless blue sky. He charged down from the sun, spreading all colors in his wake as he did. Tossing his head back his laughter boomed and the sun exploded in radiance. He Ruled the Sun and to it he belonged. Bringing its light and beauty to the world which thrived beneath its rays. The wind tousled his mane and pelt, the clouds shied from him, the plants rejoiced below. Reaching lovingly for his warmth. And off he dashed, back to the embrace of the golden orb above.

[Kinu]

All was darkness. Lost in depths so deep that any who sank this far below the surface was engulfed in perpetual night. No sound, yet if you listened close eerie noises drifted low from far off in the distance. Tiny bubbles rolled against the skin, escaping to the surface. Just as despair began to settle, nesting within the soul, a tiny light began to flicker. Hard to see at first, yet steadily growing. The Faintest Glow. Its radiance strengthened, soon no longer able to be mistaken as a trick of the eye. It floated closer, enveloping the lost. Leading them upwards. Freeing them from the darkness.

[Kinu]

Her dreams were better than the world she lived in. She found herself lost in them. Wishing she could live within them instead of within the world she was born into. The colors, the characters, the triumphs, the loves. Everything was perfect here. No hardship, no strife, no harm. She felt the nudge of her family, a whisper in her ear. "You cannot Forget to Live. Dreams are lovely, but life is rich. You can find your dreams in this world as well.. you simply have to take a risk." Waking abruptly she felt, for once, as if she'd taken the first real breath of her life. The lesson ringing in her ears she felt herself determined to live life as fully as she was able.

[Kinu]

Across the desert sands she ran, hard, fast, free. Giggling to herself as her hooves skated over the dunes and into the golden sunlit expanse. In her wake a trail of beetles, carried by the warm desert winds, fluttering and humming in mass. Searching she found beetles of all shapes, sizes, colors, and types. They joined her as she roamed. Her army massive. As she crested a hill she spotted a circle of stones jutting out from the sand. Curious, she slid down the dune and into the center of them. The ground gave way below her and she fell into a chamber. The beetles hovered over the entrance briefly before they began to circle, a tornado almost, and descended to follow after. They sealed the top, too numerous to all fit at once. Below the swarm she gazed up, blinking at the wriggling mass of bodies blocking the only way out. The hole felt like a tomb. Suddenly, she saw a streak of color and noticed the chamber was full of beetles she'd never seen before. Elated she laughed. This may be a grave but she was happy to spend eternity here. A Grave of Beetles wasn't so bad.

[Kinu]

A single sun rose over mountains draped in heavy shadow. The light so blinding none of the features of the landscape could be seen. Only the sun, the light it cast, and the shadows that lengthened and grew beneath it. The First Sun. The first sunrise in all of Matope. Bathing the world in shimmering, wondrous light. Coaxing seedlings to grow into what would become trees. As it ascended in the sky the shadows lessened and the landscape blossomed, full of life.

[Kinu]

The doe's bell-like laughter rang out across the open field as she giggled and dodged her pursuer. Her steps light and nimble, leaping over logs and slipping through the tall grasses. She was wild and free, happy. Her demeanor suggesting such a care-free nature. A shadowy Kin approached from the tree line, demeanor dark and foreboding, causing her to pause and size him up. With a determined look in her eye she smirked. "Catch Me If You Can!" And darted off, quick as lightning, across the field.