This week I was introduced to A Tale of Two Horses for the first time, and of course I had to try making designs for the horses!
Rainbow Basher:
Breed: Friesian Horse
Height: 18 hands
Coat: Sooty rainbow?
“The Horse”
Breed: Who knows. Mule ancestry?
Height: 15 hands
Coat: Blue Roan/Dapple Grey
I tried to research what horse breeds were used in battle (a ton were listed for carrying artillery) and turns out the Friesian Horses were used to carry knights in battle, because they were incredibly agile despite their size (and their strength helped with carrying heavy armor) And considering that today Friesians are viewed as one of (if not the) prettiest horse breeds, I figured it was perfect for Rainbow Basher! Also I made the blaze on her head resemble a shooting star, she originally belonged to Mabel after all.
For “The Horse” I aimed to make it much more ambiguous, like it had been bought from some farmer for its low price. I like to think it has some sort of mule ancestry, because mules are cool and it has the attitude for it. It’s on the smaller side, and the emaciation doesn’t help. Since the Car is blue, I gave the Horse a coat kind of like a Blue Roan’s, but at one point I accidentally inverted it and liked the Dappled Grey look I ended up with. It also has a white face bc it’s olddddd.
"I find it funny, that to protect, is in itself, a selfish desire", he whispered with the softness of a gentle breeze, and yet it rang so loudly in their ears.
...
He hummed, "Please. I know you want to rest, so take it", he pleaded, "This moment of respite might not ever return".
For the first time, she remembered him. For the last time, she'll agree.
"I'm sorry for what I did", she apologised quietly in that moment of clarity as her body finally began to fade.
"And I forgive you"
"I had already forgiven you"
An honorary member of Iridisto. I wonder if he ever found peace with the deaths he witnessed.
Notes:
So I FINALLY GOT HIS WHISPERER DESIGN RIGHT
Yes, Lin is the whisperer
Yeah ik but also he's literally the only one from the main cast that survives into post atoth sooooo
I'm so in love with this version of him I made a silly AU where Aqyiva and Xesoityr did not die but still managed to make him and now have to raise him.
Alas, this form is NOT canon because canonically he was born in the same trailblazer was; a newborn in the body of an adult lmao. At least he matured...sort of...later on...
He stared blankly at the pair, the one of pristine white lockes and stark blue eyes stared back. The other, a redhead, his hair looping into tight curls he'd only seen on one other person before. He stood behind her, glancing anxiously in the direction they had staggered away from. In the woman's arms, was a child — small, wrapped in cloth — they both looked disheveled but the little one seemed relatively untouched, at peace even, despite the obvious chaos their parents had likely run away from.
He stayed as still as a statue, waiting for the pair to do something. The white haired lady opened her mouth to speak — only to be interrupted by a fierce roar nearby, guttural and enraged — she held the child closer as both man and woman turned around, scanning the area for the threat. He tilted his head as he watched their nervous reaction before closing his eyes, "Follow." The pair turned to him.
"...H...uh..?", they both blinked as he gestured to them, slithering away with little hesitation. Rustling snapped them out of their stupor, footsteps made haste to follow the creature of foam green and white. The beast seemed to tail them, out of sight but always close, if the maddened rustling following them was any indication. The trio eventually hit a dead end, facing the cliff wall.
"Why would you lead us here?!", came the man's panicked voice, as the rustling following them only grew closer — he turned to them, eyes narrowed, "Behind me", he instructed. The parents glanced at each other before shuffling behind the half-snake being, the mother seemed to glance at the tall creature for a moment. He coiled himself around them, leaving some space but barring their form from its sight.
They sat in anxious silence as a hungry growl drew from its maw, stepping towards the half-snake creature and out from the foliage that obscured it. "They are not here", he hummed casually, arms crossed as he remained coiled. It huffed at it, its many eyes scanning the area before grumbling loudly, "I know not of what you mean. I was simply passing and decided to rest here under shade", the creature seemed to pout at it. The pair sat as tension slowly became mixed with confusion as they tried to make sense of this exchange.
"If it's of any help, I saw a pack of Deincarps scuttle off in that direction", the creature pointed it away, it scoffed, its razor sharp beating at the ground in anticipation, marking it with deep slits. "Uncoil?", the pair froze as they heard the humanoid one hum, "If you insist..."
It whined as he revealed an emptiness where he has coiled, "I told you. Now shoo, your dinner is waiting for you elsewhere", he huffed at it, prompting it to run off into the direction he had previously pointed at. He stood there for a moment, letting the calm atmosphere return. He swiped his finger up and opened a glowing, swirling rift, slithering through.
"Were you trying to get us killed?!", that was the first thing the man had asked as he stood up and glared at the creature. A chuckle left his slit mouth, "I wanted to see how you'd react, it was...underwhelming to say the least", the redhead fumed at his response, "Why you—", "Honey, please. Not now.", the man paused as he turned to his wife, sitting on the ground, cradling the child. The father hurried over to check over the mother and baby, "...I must inquire though", the pair glanced up at the half-snake being, "Why would you aggravate an Iainu?", they blinked at him, "A what?", the man questioned. The creature's eyes widened slightly, "I'm assuming you're new to this...world then?", they looked at each other.
"...How did you know we're not from this world?", the lady asked quietly as she rocked the child, the man crouched next to her as he eyed the creature with growing suspicion, "I do not originate from this land, as you could probably tell.", he paused as he gauged for their reactions, "We didn't exactly get much time to notice that", the woman raised a countered that statement.
The creature stared at her, "Well, aside from the clear mistake that was aggravating the beast, you also dress in fashion that is not known in this realm", the man grumbled at the creature, "Whatever. Fine. You saved us. Yadi-yada.", he finally sat down and turned to his wife and child.
The anomaly coiled up comfortably as the pair muttered assurances and checked up on each other. The field was vast, with highs and lows of grass expanding for miles. They happened to be teleported below the bow of a golden tree. "Are you...going to just stay here?", the lady asked as the duo rested against the tree. He remained curled up near the edge of the shade, "Why not? It's calm, breezy", he shrugged at her as he nestled further into his own coil. "You're weird.", the man uttered, resulting in a soft side jab from his partner, "Be nicer, he saved us", "We're calling it a he now?", "Well I—", "It's alright.", the creature interrupted, "I'm not familiar with it. But I prefer he/him", he cleared his throat, feeling the awkwardness as they stared at him, "If that's...relevant, of course", the man sighed, the woman smiled.
What an interesting day...
"Are you going to just stand there or—", the creature snorted as he watched the redhead struggle in his restraints, upside down, hanging from the vines he got tangled in, "I'm not sure why I decided to stick around but you are quite the hilarious one...", he laughed when the tangled one complained about his antics.
The creature had followed them back to their pack, their little ragtag group of travellers, nomads. He never trailed them outright, often wandering off to see new sights himself but he always found himself drawn to these nomads.
It had been a few years since he met the husband and wife, having kept his presence known only to them — much to the dismay of their family who couldn't help but feel watched. The half-snake creature hummed as he shook his head, his wings fluttering with amusement, "I'll cut you down, I guess.", he huffed, slashing the vines with his claw.
The man groaned, stretching as he regained his footing, "You're a miserable presence", he jabbed at the creature, "And you're a skillful airhead", he retorted, "Now, back to—", he jolted, swiveling his head towards the end of his tail — there she was, the baby, now a toddler — casually pulling at his scales. "Zara, sweetie! We don't do that—", the man shuffled over to her, attempting to coax her away, "Bu- da! Shiny!", the toddler pointed out, his white scales did appear quite shiny in the light...
"Pulling at the big guy's scales will hurt him, honey", Zara frowned as her dad picked her up, the creature curled away, silently inspecting his tail — slowly and carefully, "There you are!", came the mother's ragged voice, "Zara, ough, I asked you not to touch the charm...", she tried to catch her breath. "Ah. Already a troublemaker? You're four!", the father playfully teased his daughter — earning him a soft smack to face — her hand was so tiny. "Heikha, she doesn't like your teasing", "It's nothing, Miora", Heikha defended himself while Zara decided she wanted to be in mommy's arms. "There we go, let's not disappear again, yes?", the toddler giggled as Miora lightly poked her nose.
Heikha smiled before turning to the creature, "You alright? She didn't pull at it too hard, did she?", he asked the anomaly, "It's...alright. Mildly misplaced, I did bleed a little bit it's fine", he hummed as Heikha walked over to inspect his tail too. The man cringed slightly, "Eugh, I'll ask her to not pull on your scales again", the redheaded man patted the creature's arm. The scale was definitely pulled, the area stained in blue, it seemed to have stopped bleeding though.
"Whatever the case, where do you keep those charms?", he narrowed his eyes at Heikha who paused, "The fact that a toddler found it makes me think you kept it out in the open instead of somewhere secret", the man sheepishly looked away. The creature sighed, "You forgot. Of course you did", "Hey! I got distracted", the redhead defended himself.
"If it's of any help, I too am at fault. I noticed the charm was out in the open and did not hide it away", Miora chimed in as she walked up to the pair, Zara was preoccupied with playing with her mother's hair.
"Ugh, both of you. I'm sure parents aren't meant to be this irresponsible", Heikha frowned at him, "You don't have to rub it into our faces y'kno", the creature rolled his eyes, wings flapping with a huff. Miora shook her head, this was a common occurrence — he and Heikha would bicker over many things — it became inconvenient at times. She found herself in thought as the two men continued arguing in the dull, mildly amusing way they would. "Hey", she called, waving at the creature, "Hm?", "I feel a little embarrassed but I never asked"
"What is your name?"
He struggled against the trap, this barbed spell of divine blessing. He could feel the spiked vines tighten ever so slightly as the woman approached him, glaring at him as the three children sat nearby, bleeding and stunned — huddled together.
"It would be—", he didn't know what to do, he couldn't move, not without the barbs jabbing into him, and sure as void not when one of his arms were firmly skewered through, "—appreciated! If you let me go", the woman glared as she quickly stood in between him and the children, "You did not answer me.", he did not want to answer, for once he did not want to know what would happen otherwise. "Just let me go! Let me go, I didn't do anything—", he pleaded, glancing at the blood that seeped from his arm, unable to move, a feeling he hadn't known before crawling up his spine in shivers, "Like I would listen to y—", "Rei!"
The woman and the creature turned to the voice's direction, "Let him go Rei", Miora stood there, eyes wide as she processed the scene before her. Rei stared at her sister before frowning at her, "Why should I? I know it's been stalking us, Miora. There's no reason to believe it won't hurt any of us", her sister answered, steeled and firm. He wanted to wiggle out, he wanted to get out, he needed to get out, it hurt. The barbs hurt, it hurt, it hurt, it hurt, it hurt— his thoughts spiraled, the sisters' argument fading into the background. Fear gripped his heart as he realised.
This was the first time he had bled for this long.
It happened quickly then, abruptly, even — disspelling of the trap himself, his arm, skewered, torn through as he ripped it out in a frenzy and falling through a rift he opened in a panic — it left the pair stunned.
"...Lin...", was all Miora could call out as she stared at the spot he was in just now, stained in blue.
He woke up in a disheveled state, dazed and unsure of what had happened. His mind drew blank, blinking in an attempt to clear his eyes. He found himself lying under a veil of stars covering the sky, he stared at the view before glancing at his surroundings. A nearly burnt out campfire, several bedrolls with people sleeping in them, a tent or two, a half asleep Heikha, a...wait. Wait—
He sprung up in panic before yelping and curling up from pain, snapping Heikha awake. The redhead shuffled over to Lin in worry, "Woah, hey— are you alright?—", the creature curled up into a tighter ball in response. "Oh, oh. It's alright! You're safe, no one will attack you", he tried to calm the anomaly having realised the panic likely stemmed from fear but it did not reach his ears, "...Hey.", Heikha called softly, a hand gently placed on his tail, he was coiled so tight, "Miora made sure no one would attack you.", he started quietly, taking note of how shaky the other was, "And I'm here to make sure no one gets any funny ideas", Heikha added, hoping it would ease Lin's nerves.
The whole night went by with Heikha calming him down, gently. He was successful, to an extent — the creature wasn't terrified, but he sure as void did not want to be perceived — spending the day coiling up defensively, hidden away in the shadows. "Dad told me you're spooked right now", Lin quietly out from behind his tail from the shadows, "I got you...fruits...", Zara shuffled on the spot, there was no adult nearby. Why was she...?
"How's...", she perked up, her messy hair falling over the bandages that covered her eye, "...your eye...?", Lin asked slowly. Her remaining eye lit up, "Well!—", "Zara!", he froze up, retreating into himself again. "Wh— Aunty Rei!", the redheaded child frowned, "Why are you out here? You should be resting", he could hear the woman chide at Zara, "I wanted to give him some company...", Rei sighed. Of course she sighed. He found himself annoyed with the woman, not like he would express right now. There was no one else around, Heikha was probably catching up on sleep and Miora...
It took a while for him to feel comfortable enough to interact with others. The rest of the group did not welcome him as openly as Heikha, Miora, Zara and her friends did... "So you're the creature friend...guy Zara kept blabbering about when no one else was around", the winged, horned child hummed curiously, pulling at his own bandages as he inspected Lin, "...I suppose. Yes.", very formal. Too formal.
"Uh, forget Pomar, you were really cool back there, swooshing around through your portal thingies and grabbing us out of there", the blonde one interrupted, "Harp, I was talking", "Hush, like you were awesome! Can you teach me too?", he stared at the children, letting a sheepish smile form, "Hey, he's gonna teach me first", Zara pouted at Harp, "What about me? I wanna have a turn too!", Pomar huffed at both the girls, feeling left out.
"Alright! Ok, let's not talk over each other...", the trio looked at him with a glimmer in their eyes, "...With permission from your parents—", and the glee turned into a collective of whines.
He chuckled at their dismay. It was endearing...if he ignored the suspicious glares from their fellow travellers. Those three eventually managed to wrangle the other kids into meeting and playing with him, Lin appreciated it since the children seemed more forgiving than the adults. Speaking of adults...
They sat in awkward silence, tension filled the air as Rei peeled off the old bandages that wrapped around his once skewered arm. It hadn't taken him long to understand that he passed out from blood loss back then, and only really got help because he had teleported right to Heikha's location. The stern lady silently inspected the wound she had created, "Looks un-infected, which is good.", Rei commented blankly as she moved to replace the bandages, "You're not...completely at fault", she paused, "Excuse me...?", Lin stiffened as her gaze landed on him again, "I...", wings covered his face on instinct, Void, he wished Miora or Heikha were here instead—
"I'm sorry", Lin blinked, "Huh?", she pulled out a fresh roll of bandages as she spoke, "I shouldn't have assumed you were the cause", he stared at her, "Zara and her friends explained the situation from their side and I...", the pause weighed heavy on them, "She defended you. Did you know?", "...Oh...?", Rei sighed, "We decided to help you because she pleaded. She and her friends.", Lin glanced away, "...Thank you for saving them", he hummed, "I'm not...used to it", she glanced at him, "Bleeding. I mean. It's not...usual for me", that caught her attention, "I heal fast, within the blink of an eye most of the time so...", Rei stared at him as she gripped the bandage, "I see...", he breathed in.
Opening his eyes, he smiled at the trio playing around and casting harmless spells at each other for fun. "They seem jolly", Miora laughed as she watched her daughter and her best friends live the moment to its fullest, "I'm happy for you, I was almost certain you'd leave", Lin turned to her, "Such little faith in me, I may have been scared but I'm not going to abandon something when I'm this deep into it", he huffed at her, Miora smiled, "I just hope the others warm up to you too", the anomaly hummed. "Perhaps? Who knows...", they enjoyed the moment, the glee and laughter that rang out a perfect melody to chime into the breeze.
"Can I ask something of you?", Miora started, glancing at the creature. His wings twitched as he looked at her, "Is this a promise? It sounds like a promise", Lin hummed, the woman snickered, "Will you protect them for me?", he smiled back at his friend—
Tears slipped from his eyes in that moment as he remembered those words.
Falling. Falling he was, as laughter in all its deranged glory rang out in the windless sky.
He closed his eyes, letting the pain silence his mind. Letting it shush his regrets, an apology that never left his mouth at the tip of his tongue.
He was sorry.
He was sorry. And he didn't have the strength to say it.
Kingdom Hearts was my first fandom, and I'll always return to it. I've been on a years-long journey to write my KH OC's story, a personal rendition of the KH story thus far! I'll be posting art, snippets of my fic probably, and reblogging all things KH related. Relevant tags below with more to be added as I add to this blog
Stories Thus Far
✦A Tale of Two Hearts (completed!) | Fanfiction | AO3
✦A Tale of Lost Souls (in progress) | Fanfiction | AO3
