An Unexpected Turn of Events

It soon became a daily thing. Versailles came over nearly every day, and almost always brought friends with him. It was gradually getting colder, as winter was imminent.

Today, Azriel, Gabe, and Rex came with him. Angelus had invited Karabe Yu over, despite Fairy’s protests (because she always didn’t like mares), but soon came to like her. She was too kind to resist, and made it clear she wasn’t going to take her love.

Mer and Sunshine, who lived in the stables, were also invited by Angelus to join. Azriel took an instant liking to Mer, while Fairy was quite wary of her. (She wasn’t going to forget that Mer wanted to have a foal with Angelus.) Sunshine was a bundle of energy and impossible to dislike, just like Karabe. The two mares attracted instantly, with Karabe Yu’s quiet demeanor perfect for Sunshine’s.

Azriel, like Fairy, was lab produced. He was a starter ballator, and despite his history, was quite humble and selfless, unlike others who stuck their noses in the air because they felt superior.

Then there was Rex and Gabe. Both poecilia mountain stallions, they got along super duper well. They were almost reverse of each other. Gabe had a bright red mane with blondish body markings, while Rex had a blond mane and a red body coloration with black markings. Both didn’t have spots in their manes like Ver did.

It was during this time of introducing and such that a large snowstorm struck without warning. The horses (all nine of them) were grazing in the fields, nipping at the last of the grass when a heavy gust of wind blew in. All of them raised their heads quickly. Then a loud crash came from the stables. Josie had thrown the stable doors open, and was hollering at the horses to get inside quickly. Angelus turned and galloped for the stables and made it in first, while the others more slowly followed him in. The stable doors slammed shut and all forty-some horses (who lived and visited the stables) were crammed in.

“Three to a stall!” Josie shouted. The stalls at the stables were large and roomy, and three horses could easily fit. She led Angelus, Ver, and Mer into the first open stall. Fairy’s face fell immediately, and Azriel was obviously disappointed as well. Rex and Gabe were put with Fairy instead in the stall directly across from Angelus’s. Then Sunshine, Azriel, and Karabe were put into another. Josie clapped her hands together.

“I think that’s all of you!” Fairy poked her head out of her stall and gazed longingly at the stall where Angelus was. Mer was talking with Angelus while Ver coolly looked on. Fairy wasn’t so happy. She despised the smug look Mer was wearing and the close quarters she was with the other two. Sighing, she turned back around. Gabe was staring at her, with Rex almost dying in the far corner. She frowned.

“What?” Fairy snapped, clearly irritated. She eyed Gabe warily. Rex let out another chortling laugh as Gabe shook his chest, fluffing his mane, lifted his front let unnaturally high, winked, and stepped directly in front of her.

“Hello, my princess.” He kissed her face flirtatiously. Rex laughed again.

Angelus, in the other stall, noticed Gabe hitting on Fairy. He lunged at the stable doors. A loud thud rang out. Gabe appeared unfazed, and Mer quickly pressed her neck to Angelus’s and gently led him to the corner.

“Shh, shh, it’s alright.” She soothed. Fairy tried to turn and see the commotion, but her large horns were stuck in the door opening. Gabe laughed when he saw the rage on Angelus’s face, and pressed his side to Fairy’s.

“Get off!” She squealed, widening her jaws to show her teeth. “You’re as bad as Prince!”

“Alright Gabe, call it off. Let the poor thing get unstuck.” Rex cut in. He leaned over and helped Fairy free her horns. Harrumphing, she glared at both stallions and pouted in a corner.

A few stalls down, Azriel, Karabe, and Sunshine were oblivious to the arguments. The three horses were making small talk. Or, at least, trying to anyways.

“So! How long do you think we’ll be here?” Sunshine turned in circles in the stall, her energy not fading.

“Can you stand still for a minute darling?” Karabe nudged the mare gently.

“Until the storm clears and the snow is gone, I guess.” Azriel muttered. Sunshine stopped spinning.

“I’m bored!” she complained. Azriel chuckled.

“How about you stick your head out there and see what everyone else is doing then?” he suggested. Karabe nodded her head. Sunshine grinned happily and poked her head out.

“What do you see and hear?” Karabe prompted.

“Hm...there seems to be an argument. Probably that Fairy mare. Pfft, I hate her. That stupid look she wears whenever Mer and I try and talk to Angelus. He’s not entirely hers, you know. I’m surprised he hasn’t gotten rid of her yet.” She finally said. Karabe frowned.

“Now, Sunshine, you know it isn’t kind to talk of others like that.”

“Oh I know. But ughh, she’s such a snot!” she said loudly. Fairy perked her ears and shoved her head out.

“Shhh!” Azriel hissed. “Voice down!”

“Who’s talking about me?” Fairy demanded.

“Too late,” Karabe murmured.

“Oh really?” Azriel muttered back.

Sunshine stuck her head out. “Me, of course.”

Fairy narrowed her eyes. “Oh? And what are you saying?”

Sunshine fluffed her mane. “That you’re a jerk and don’t let anyone talk to Angelus and that he’s all yours and that I can’t talk to him at all.”

“Yeah,” Fairy shot back. “Because I know you’re going to try and have a foal with him! That’s all you care about. Even when I wasn’t here I know you never cast a glance at him and now I have him in my grips and you try and take him now. You probably don’t even care about Angelus. You and Mer, both of you.” She glared at Mer in the stall across. Mer looked up, stung.

“Feisty,” Gabe muttered.

Sunshine looked up indignantly. “I barely got here before you! And then you start hogging him! Why can’t you SHARE?”

“Sunshine…” came a murmur from Karabe. Rex stepped up, shouldering Fairy away.

“I don’t know what the heck this is about besides that you are arguing over a stallion. Just cut it out- we’re in the middle of a large snowstorm and here we are trying to make friends and all you two are doing is argue about a stallion! I have better things to do that sit here all day and listen!”

Ver stuck his head out of the stall. “Rex is right, both of you. Fairy, Angelus is not yours and yours alone. I understand you can get jealous, but you need to understand this fact. You are hogging him. There are others in this stable who would like to get to know Angelus, but they can’t, because you are constantly taking him. Why are you letting me talk to him and not Sunshine or Mer?”

“Because you’re a stallion, of course. You can’t mate with Angelus.” She sputtered.

Ver cocked an eyebrow. “So the only reason you want him is so you can have a bunch of foals?”

Angelus turned his face into the corner of the stall, stung. Mer glared at Fairy and pressed closer to him, murmuring comforting words.

“It’s alright, Angelus. I’m sure she doesn’t mean it…”

“This can’t be. Everything I’ve done for her and THIS is why she chose me?” he muttered angrily.

“Shhh…”

“I...I...I didn’t mean it like that!” she cried.

“Fairy, for all you know, Angelus and I could both be gay and love each other.”

“That’s not true, is it?” she asked cautiously.

“Of course it isn’t!” Gabe and Rex said simultaneously.

Ver shot them a quirky glance. “Prove it.”

“This is really getting out of hand…” Azriel muttered. Karabe nodded sadly.

Fairy looked at the ground, embarrassed. “I guess I’ve been selfish.” she muttered sheepishly.

“Yes, you have.” Gabe cut in. She whirled around.

“Not your conversation!” she hissed.

“Relax, Princess.” Gabe teased.

“Not now Gabe.” Rex nudged his friend gently.

Mer turned around. “This is everyone’s conversation. We all can learn from this.” She turned back to Angelus. He pushed her away and turned around. Fairy looked at him pleadingly. Azriel, Karabe, and Sunshine craned their necks around the stall door to listen in.

“This is ridiculous. Do I seriously have mares fighting over me? Do you know how this makes me feel? Stupid, that’s what. And I’m ashamed that you,” he pointed at Fairy with his horn, “are so selfish that you won’t let any other mares even LOOK at me! I’m not an object, an item used solely to produce young ones. I’m a living horse who has a brain and decisions on what I can and cannot do! And here are you three, coming in, and acting like it’s your place to tell others what to do! Where is your respect? Your integrity? I have an HONORED spot in these stables, as an honored horse, an elite ballator, connected with highlord Aether and lowlord Hannibal, and Regale, and this is how I’m treated? Like an object with good looks! You all know better than this! And Fairy,” he whipped around menacingly, his internum glowing bright as Fairy shrank back in fear, “this. Ends. Here. I don’t even want to look at you now!” Baring his teeth, he turned around and sat on the ground.

“Sweet Aether what a preach,” Rex muttered from behind Fairy. Gabe cast a cautious glance at her. She was crumpling to the ground, heart broken. Ver looked at her without pity and bent down and stroked Angelus with his tail. Mer stood, motionless, still digesting the words Angelus threw. Sunshine sadly pulled her head back from the window and sat down.

“It’s okay Sunshine, he’s not that mad at you.” Karabe reassured. Azriel nodded quickly. “She’s right.”

The stables were eerily silent.

“I...I’m sorry, Angelus.” Mer finally said.

“Taking one for the team, yeah.” Rex muttered under his breath.

“Shut up bro!” Gabe hissed. “Drama time!”

“What are you apologizing for? You didn’t do anything. I actually like you, and you’re a good hunting partner. I...I wish I chose more wisely. At least I can hang onto the fact that you like me for who I am.” Angelus growled.

Fairy let out a quiet sob. His words hurt more than anything. Sunshine strained to hear every word. Azriel had enough. He slid the stall door open and stepped out. Karabe followed him. Sunshine remained on the cold floor, her usual energy completely wiped out.

“I know you’re all sorry,” he began. “But we all need to learn respect. Fairy, from what I’ve heard, you have almost no respect for Angelus, treating him like an object.”

“I know you actually, truly love him.” Karabe added.

“Undoubtedly,” Angelus muttered sarcastically.

Karabe Yu ignored it. “But sometimes we must share the things we love.” she continued. “I know how hard it is to share when we want all for ourselves. I used to be like that. But I learned. And I know you can too. Soon, we become selfless and ignore ourselves and focus on the needs of others.”

“Our eyes are opened up and we see the world differently. We begin to devote time to those who truly need it. We give things out to those who seek it. In this case, it seems Sunshine and Mer would like to just socialize with Angelus. I know Angelus is a handsome and likeable fellow. Don’t you all love likeable creatures?” Azriel added.

“Yes,” everyone answered.

“Exactly.” Karabe Yu resumed speaking. “By hogging Angelus all to yourself, you are taking away another companion from others. There is no horse like Angelus. There will never be a horse like Angelus. If you continued to hog him, no one would experience the impact of knowing a horse like Angelus. Fairy, you like making others happy, yes?”

“Sometimes.” Fairy muttered bitterly. This ‘pep talk’ wasn’t making her feel much better.

“Think of sharing Angelus as giving happiness to others.” Azriel suggested.

“The lessons I’m learning,” Gabe murmured to Rex.

“You give out something, but at the end of the day, you always get it back. If you shared Angelus he will always come back to you.”

“And about the whole ‘i want a foal from Angelus thing,’” Mer butted in. “You’re being hypocritical about it. So Angelus can’t breed to other mares but you can have a foal with stallions? Isn’t that a little strange to you?”

“Don’t be selfish,” Azriel said kindly. “Everything turns out better when you give.” Fairy stood up.

“I understand now.” her voice cracked slightly. She opened the stall door and walked to a different one. She needed thinking time.

“I swear on Aether’s soul that was the deepest thing I’ve heard.” Rex said.

“You’ve said that already,” Gabe snorted.

“So have you,” Rex pointed out.

“True, true. I sorta feel bad for her.”

“You think? She just got her heart ripped out!”

“You know, I never imagined me tagging along with you to come here would ever turn out like this. Now, has the storm passed?”

“Who knows. Let’s just wait until that handler girl comes and opens the door. Then we’ll see.”

Ver stood stiffly. “That was interesting.”

Azriel stood still for a moment before trailing back to his stall, Karabe after him.

“Good job,” Sunshine murmured. “That was great.”

Both horses blushed and looked at each other. Azriel felt a tingle in his bones.

Angelus remained on the floor. Mer kneeled down.

“I know...it isn’t the best time to say this…” she muttered, heart pounding. Ver perked his ears as subtly as he could. “But, um...I love you. I don’t need you to love me back or anything, but I just wanted to let you know that I enjoy hunting with you and talking and stuff… and no matter what road you take, I’ll support you.”

Fairy rolled her eyes. “Mushy gushy goodness. I still don’t like her.”

Angelus didn’t move, but kept his eyes trained on the ground. Heat flushed his cheeks. He never imagined Mer would ever love him. Mer? Pfft. Nonsense!

Just then, Josie came running back, hurriedly opening doors.

“Storm’s passed! Time to return the whole lot of you!” She gathered Azriel, Karabe Yu, Rex, Gabe, and Versailles. “That’s everyone! Let’s go!”

“Goodbye!” the horses all chorused. “Hope you all feel better!”

They left. Angelus stood up and stepped outside. Snow covered everything. He stepped outside. The air smelled crisp. He was ready to face the world again.