[PRP] The Ache Awakens [First to Strike/Never Misses]

[Amorpheous]

Never Misses went from sleeping to awake almost immediately. It was impossible not to because in sleeping she felt herself. In waking, she Ached. It was unexpected and fierce and she had no one to blame except herself and First to Strike for its presence.

She had felt it before, of course. She had tried once to travel past the Borderlands, where most kin begin to feel and succumb to the Ache. She had been curious and a little dubious that setting hoof in the Swamp meant that the Plains were then beyond her reach. At first she had thought it a trick of her mind, but it had become clear that she had to turn back. Now though--now it was a different matter entirely. They were in the middle of the Plains, days away, at a brisk pace, from the Borderlands. The only reason why they were still alive was probably some residual immunity granted by the MotherFather.

They should have left with the other traveling kin, touched the strange smooth Obelisk instead of laying down to sleep, thinking that, perhaps, they had found their way home. Perhaps it was still an option. Pulling herself onto her hooves, she, proud that she was, took measured steps towards the Obelisk until she could press her nose against its sun-warmed side.

Nothing happened.

thyPOPE

 

[thyPOPE]

It seemed almost like her partner was awake. He was certainly twitching, his legs scrabbling uselessly even as he mumbled useless bits of sentences.

Of course, even First to Strike, with his foolish obliviousness, could not sleep for long when his limbs were Aching. He blinked himself awake and was immediately able to feel exactly where each of his extremities were, and see Grumble, curled on the ground before him, and turn back, and - ah, why were there so few kin here now?

"Never Misses?" he asked, scuffing at the dirt - dirt, yes, because they'd pulled up all the grass. Oh, but it hurt to move, and it hurt to turn to face her, nose against the Obelisk...

Oh, yes, that was how everyone had headed back. But they'd wanted to talk, and after talking they'd decided to sleep...

Shouldn't she be disappearing around now? Why did he hurt this much? It wasn't like, well, he'd - augh. It felt almost like the Ache. But that was impossible. They were protected, weren't they? Where was that mare?

"Do you think - " Maybe they had to go together? He mustered within himself the strength to stumble toward her, and mash his own nose against the obelisk.

It wasn't even glowing anymore, he thought.

Amorpheous