It's a beautiful morning.. [Dead]

[Sirel]

  Tapping, pattering rain slid down the glossy panes and trickled its way in underneath the slightly cracked-open glass, its soppy, reflective puddles finding refuge in the tiny fissures of the worn, wooden windowsill and floor beneath. A brave raindrop fell from an unpatched opening in the shambled roof above and splashed, light and cold, on Sirel's cheek. It wasn't enough to stir her from dreaming until a slightly larger spash landed in her ear. The young pony grumbled slightly and turned on her side to face the open window. Still dark. Her light green eyes, the colors of budding spring leaves, gazed longingly out the window, a gentle smile tugging up her muzzle. The overcast sky behind the weeping willow guarding her cottage was a color similar to her mane, a deep, dark violet; nearly indiscernible from black in some lights, but much more beautiful.  She shuffled herself to the edge of her bed and ambled sleepily to the window, dragging her blanket (still wrapped about her waist) with her. The rain had calmed, but the morning's thick fog still hung low, the damp clinging to Sirel's lengthy, unbrushed mane and tail. She guessed it to be an early hour, perhaps earlier than three or four. Dawn was a while off, still.

  Sirel skipped the morning routine to instead revel in the early hours. After securely wedging the cottage door shut behind her, the chill seeped through her fur like an ice bath, and she busted back through it. The lawn was green and dotted with tiny white daisies, but it was apparent that autumn was on its way. She breathed out a sigh and quickly donned a warm, fur lined saddle bag while tiny crystal lights of her blue magic twisted a tacky white leopard print scarf about her neck. 

  The grass, the mud, and the puddles of rainwater that flooded it squished and spattered beneath the pony's four hooves as she set out towards the city streets of Canterlot. Her cottage was set on the far outskirts of the city, almost to where it was no longer considered in Canterlot. It tangled in slightly with a tiny patch of forest dotted along the cliff edge of the mountain. It was a bit of a walk, but nature was much more relaxing than stuffy city folk all the time. Besides, Sirel traveled all the time; in fact, she traveled everywhere. She was hardly in one place longer than a month. Sirel was not afraid of living rough, and she rather enjoyed it. 

  The sparse fields and tree dotted landscape of outer Canterlot faded into a mass of buildings. Tall, towering buildings that seemed to meet the sky, although today their tops were swathed in looming clouds and fog. The glassy water that coated the pavement reflected their images and the misty yellow light of the lamp-posts. The only sounds of the city at this time of morning seemed to be the rain that continued its drizzle and pour, and the wind sometimes sweeping with it. It was deserted. Even the shops seemed abandoned and lonely, save a few of them with a far off glow of a lamp inside. Small droplets of water hung like reflective gems on her eyelashes as she gazed contentedly at the world. Her wet mane clung to the sides of her face and neck while her tail dragged helplessly behind her. This morning is perfect, she smiled.

[TigerWolf]

TigerWolf stepped into the streets. Since it was morning there weren't as many ponies in the street as there could be. Good. He could hardly stand many of the ponies on this side of Canterlot where his parents live. He had left TigerLilly, his beloved younger sister, with his parents for a few hours while he went around and looked for someplace to swim or run. He'd spent two days away from training and need to get back at it. His Ocean eyes scammed the streets as he quickly escaped the higher part of Canterlot and to the main parts of the city. TigerWolf pushes his wet main away from his face. An unexpected taxi had ran passed him splashing a puddle in his face. But he didn't mind.

"Maybe there's pond near the outside of Canterlot." he says trotting down the street. TigerWolf's Ocean eyes constantly scan the area around and were often tricked by strands of his Wave patterned mane.

"They must have a pond around here somewhere. Or a public pool I'm forgetting about?" TigerWolf asks himself aloud. It'd been years since he wolf-like stallion had been back to Canterlot and the first time he'd brought his sister to see their parents since they were left in Ponyville years back.

Now in the outskirts of Canterlot TigerWolf surveyed the area. It was very green and alive with plant life. Where some ponies wouldn't notice, but fall was coming and was clear from the temperature and the slight red dotted around. "So there's literally nothing?" he asks nopony. He sighs and closes his eyes just imagining the west feel of water surrounding his body. His vision changed by the blue hue of the water. Just mere thoughts now for right now.

His gazes shifts until it lands on a dark mare with a dark mane. Usually he wouldn't have thought anything about it but there something about her. Hw figured it was brighter colored eyes with her dark pelt and mane color. She has a mane similar to his own. Very wild looking and long. She seemed to be enjoying the morning. She wore a grin on her face as a breeze slowly went by. "At least she doesn't seem to be in a bad mood." he says watching the mare.

[Sirel]

Hearing a set of hooves clop and splash on the cobblestones behind her, Sirel turned, her eyes landing on a young stallion. Her ears twitched when she thought she heard a faint whisper coming from his direction. Is he calling me? Why would anypony else be out at this time? she wondered. She then decided that a pony that was out this morning, must be interesting enough to at least say hello to. They were at the very entrance of the city, which was less populated and had more open lots and parks. She glanced at one of these vast parks near them, seeing no other ponies in the gloom of the fog, then back at the stallion on the street. Oh what the hay, and she slowly started walking towards him, slowly speeding up to a relaxed trot, small streams of water splashing up behind her.

She slowed again to a walk as she approached him, then stopped, "Hey," she took a breath, "you lost?" the mare asked in a wispy, friendly voice. She wasn't always so easy to walk up and say hello to other ponies, especially not in crowds, but wanderers at this ungodly hour of morning seemed to be okay so far. 

[TigerWolf]

She had started to approach him splashing slightly as she did so. She sped up to a nice trot and stopped in front of him. After being asked is was lost TigerWolf shakes his head no. "No, not particularly." he responds in a lower tone. With normal ponies he used this voice. Especially with a random fan. But she seemed to not know of him which was good for this particular situation.

"You know where any ponds or lakes or pools are? Anything that can be swam in?" he asks. Normally he would attempt to make friends right away but TigerWolf was out here for practice first. And he was also a but bored not having the friends in the city he had before. It's always been a bonus that swimming could pass time. So unless it was an emergency or anything making new friends could come second for now.

TigerWolf carefully but quickly studied the mare in front of him. Trying not to look desperate or like he was a creeper he also surveyed the area once again. Maybe there's a pool or pond he'd missed. He could now see some blue in her mane. It also appeared to be much longer than he had thought. 'I thought my mane was a long one. Her's is amazing.' "My name's TigerWolf if you wondering or anything. It's a weird one I know." TigerWolf says now out of instinct. Of course his name has an explanation but he'd just have to wait a response before he just explained his wild name.

[Sirel]

How odd.. looking for a pool or lake at this hour.. Although she wasn't exactly normal herself. Sirel's eyes flicked up at the sky that still drizzled light drops of rain, wispy layers of clouds moving visibly beneath a thicker layer of darker clouds above them. She always admired the sky's beauty, regardless of its mannerisms. "Mm.." her mouth twisted to the side as she paused as if in thought, "yeah, I know where some are," her answer drifted calmly into the air before her eyes moved back to the silver stallion's face. Her expression seemed unchanged from neutral and indifferent, but she did wonder what his story was.

His name was TigerWolf. That was even stranger, but her name was a little strange too. "Ah, no matter, I'm sure you get questions regarding your name a lot. I know I do. Name's Sirel. Sirel Devotchka," her last name slipped out without regard of whether she wanted to include it or not. She pondered that perhaps it was because she wasn't the only one possessing an out of place name for once.. "So, lake sound alright to you?" she slowly started walking towards the nearby park, desolate and foggy, the lake likely to be the same. Her eyes glanced back to TigerWolf, gesturing him to follow. The body of water held within the park would have to suffice, as no public pools would be accessible at this hour of morning. Not many ponies knew about it around Canterlot, but of course not many ponies native to this bustling city had the time of day for exploring. Sirel was usually in the know, however, when it came to nature and its features. 

[TigerWolf]

'Sirel. I like that name. It's so Mysterious. Makes me think like my own name.' he thinks listening to the Mare. She had looked up to the sky as a light rain had started to fall. TigerWolf slightly turned his head getting a view of the land and sky. He always wondered why a few streaks on his coat were colored oddly like a rainy day sky.

TigerWolf shook he dreamer side out of his head and began to follow the mare. She asks about a lake being Okay. "Lake is better than a pond. Larger and deeper." he says most likely making himself sound stranger than his name, his wave illusion mane, and his random day dreaming. Looking for a lake early on a chilly morning doesn't help. 'She probably thinks I'm crazy. Good.' he thinks chuckling lightly to himself. She starts leading him in the direction of a place that felt familiar. Maybe his years in Canterlot before his family moved? 'We'll see.' he thinks.

TigerWolf trots catching up with this mare. Maybe he could get to know somepony new. He just had to try to start a conversation. They both have awesome different names. "Sirel doesn't sound so questionable. Not that it really means anything I like that name." TigerWolf says in an attempt.

[Sirel]

She smiled, seeing that she must have encouraged him somehow to look at the sky too. She did that to other ponies sometimes. As she was trotting and slowing for him to catch up, a brisk breeze blew threw her mane. Luckily she hadn't forgotten to dress warmly, although that couldn't really be said for her new companion. One of her ears flicked and she turned her head curiously without missing a hoofbeat in her advance towards the park, "Hm?" she thought she heard a small noise from the stallion's throat as he chuckled, but she couldn't be sure. Without really questioning it besides that, she looked back to her objective, seeing him trot up beside her in the corner of her eye.

She turned her muzzle, a new smile gracing it as she heard him speak, "Oh? What does your name mean?" she asked curiously, trying not to grimace as she recalled what her name meant; it really was very bland, at least in the land it came from.. odd as it may sound in Equestria. Her brows raised as she remembered the chill of the morning air, "Hey, would you like a scarf or anything?" She probably had an extra in her fur-lined saddle bags, but if not, there was always the one hanging about her neck. 

[TigerWolf]

She had asked what his name means. He didn't really hear that question. It was normally "why" is he named that. "Oh well the earliest members of my family were talented with animals. My Earliest Grandfather studied and trained tigers. So he named one his children Tiger Rose. My great, great, great, great Grandmother loved the sounds of wolves howling so my great great Grandfather was named Wolf Song. Then after a two generations of animal free names my dad was named strangely Wild Wolf and my Uncle Tiger Dance. So I was a combination of their names. Instead of Wild Dance ir was TigerWolf." he explains. TigerWolf had actually felt a little proud that he was able to remember it completely. But enough about him. She had then asked if he needed a scarf.

"Nah don't worry about it. My pelt is thicker than it looks." TigerWolf says. It also helped that he was athletic and large. But adding those would definitely be boasting which he despises. TigerWolf watched his mane patterns flow as the breeze blew it across his face.

"Wolfos wouldn't last two seconds out here." he mutters scanning around. "So where do your name come from? If you don't wanna share I totally respect that." TigerWolf asks turning back to the mare in full attention. TigerWolf watches her mane slightly being blown in the breeze.

'I love wild manes.' he thinks. 'I probably look like a creeper but her mane is so different from the rest.' he thinks before escaping his trance. "No wonder Star calls me a dreamer." he chuckles to himself.

[Sirel]

"Ohh, neat," she smiled, listening to the long list of his family's names. That was a lot more than she remembered.. She really only knew her mother and father. The pleasant smile on her muzzle nearly faded at this thought until the stallion responded to her scarf question. The stallion did have a lot of muscle, all lean and fit. Many mares would find him very handsome. "TigerWolf is a good name. Lot of good meaning there too," her voice drifted off as she drifted in thought for a moment. "And good. About the pelt," she added, "just let me know if you change your mind."

As she said this, their hooves met drowned grass, shallow puddles of water nearly meeting its green tips. The entrance of the park. It was a larger plot of land, but most of the tourist attractions and 'tended to' areas were centralized around the front of it, which was where they were. The lake was farther in, where the trees got thicker and the grasses grew wilder. The stallion muttered something to himself under his breath before speaking up and asking her what her name meant.

"Oh, my name?" most ponies only recognized it being foreign, never bothering to ask its meaning, which she was glad for, but the ocean-maned stallion had shared the story behind his, so it felt right to share as well. "Well.." she paused, turning her bright eyes towards the trees, "Sirel.. I'm not too sure what that means, or if it means anything really. I never knew my extended family, just my mother and father, and they never told me either. Devotchka is a word from the native tongue of the land I was born. Stalliongrad. It means 'little girl', although, I guess I'm not exactly little anymore," she shrugged. Her ears swiveled as she heard him say something about being a dreamer and a soft laugh, and she turned to face him, catching his eyes quickly moving off of her. She smiled as if she didn't notice as her thoughts returned to her parents.. Sirel hadn't seen them in years.. What does my name really mean?

[TigerWolf]

Their hooves start to Sino a little to the change in turf. They approach a newer area. Someplace very fuzzy in TigerWolf's old memories of living in the city. Sirel kinda stops for a second. 'Did I mess up?' he asks himself in his head. She then proceed to explain her past name.

"Wow Stalliongrad. I want to make a trip over there or near there. Test out their water. Could be better, could be worse, could be better. Won't know till I try it." he says. TigerWolf then chuckles. "Little girl. You seem taller than alot of mares. And stallions too." TigerWolf says taking another look at the dark mare. He dark color made her eyes seem like a bright yellow color in a crayon box with all of her darker colors. Well in this case bright green. TigerWolf found himself staring at her for a few seconds. He shook his head and look forward again.

'I hope that wasn't creepy. Jeez I got lost in my head thinking about crayons. What the heck man.' TigerWolf thinks to himself.

"Hey is the lake in this park, Sirel?" he asks. Now thinking about why he's out here again.

[Sirel]

She proceeded to accelerate into their trotting pace once more, heading deeper into the park's woods. She listened as he commented on her past and his athletic interests, "Haha, well, I'm not an expert at water quality, but in Stalliongrad things are much more frigid, to say the least," one could get frostbite if submerged too long, unless the said pony was a professional. Maybe he was. She paused, listening to his input on her name and height, "You can say that again," she chuckled softly, "I suppose I am pretty tall. Sometimes I forget," she trailed off as the conversation dwindled into a comfortable silence, albeit the falling rain and whispering of autumn leaves.

"Yes, the lake isn't far now, it's just up ahead," she glanced back at him and then nodded towards the inner forest they were heading into. "There's a small meadow. It's quite beautiful in the spring, you should come back to visit sometime," she smiled, figuring he wasn't native to Canterlot. He didn't seem so snobbish like the locals. Neither did he know where to find a good place to swim (not like the locals paid attention to things like that, anyway).

[TigerWolf]

"It's sad that I forgot where everything is. I grew up here believe it or not. But we moved to ponyville when my sister was born and I've been there for like eight years. Almost nine." he says. It had seemed like forever since he had a normal conversation. Well one that didn't involve so many jokes or argument or other stuff like that. 'I could get used to Sirel. She's so different than my other friends.' he thinks.

Sirel then points something out to him. Well something he can't really see. She nods towards the forest and tells him about a meadow. "I could come back in spring. My little sister lives it here so yeah." he says. Then a question comes up. She isn't snobby why? "Hey Sirel if you don't mind me asking," he starts "Did you spend your whole life in Canterlot? You live here and don't act like the uptown, and wanna be uptown ponies." he says. "And everypony seems to be uptown or wanna be uptown. In other words over confident and snobby." TigerWolf of course had met ponies from here that weren't like that but it seed like seventy percent or more of the population was like that.

[Sirel]

"Wow.. That's a really long time," she dwindled into the thoughts of her own fillyhood. She didn't have a lot of things to reminisce about, especially concerning Stalliongrad. She had no memories of it, but she did aspire to visit one day. Maybe find some sort of long lost family. She smiled as he confirmed he could indeed come back, "Well, we should meet up when you do," she invited, pleased to have hopefully made a new friend. "Oh, no I haven't spent my whole life here, really. I mean, I live here, but I travel almost constantly," a small giggle slipped from her muzzle, "I guess I get a lot of weird attention for that sort of thing. Most natives to Canterlot find it odd that I dont act like they do. You know, all wanting to be uptown and such," He made a good point. Most ponies here were snobs.

The crisp leaves mashed between their hooves, grinding into the squelching mud beneath the canopy of the towering trees' canopy. Thick, dark green moss clung to the rough bark of their bodies, large roots curving up through the soil in places and making small arches above the leaf-littered forest floor. Some of these roots sticking up were hidden in the underbrush, making navigation more difficult at times. She could tell they were close now. The mare opened her mouth, "Hey, be caref-" she spluttered as her own hoof caught on one of these camouflaged protruding roots, her body catapulting forward and nearly faceplanting her into the soil before she caught herself with one hoof in front of the other. "Uhh, yeah, that," she laughed, blushing.

[TigerWolf]

She explains some more. Being a traveler is something he easily understands. Being the diver he is, TigerWolf is never at home for more than a month at a time. Doesn't seem like much to other ponies but it adds up overtime. TigerWolf continues to listen.

'Oh yeah, SHE'S the weird one. Ponies don't make. And here of all places.' TigerWolf thinks. "The ponies are crazy sometimes." he says in response. He sighs at his own comment. "But I guess they feel like this is the way to keep their home's good name." he says.

This is quickly followed by a partial warning. It's swiftly interrupted by Sirel slipping. TigerWolf presses his hooves into the ground. Sirel catches herself and laughs it off. With dark fur color her blush wasn't noticed until it was already faded completely.

"I'll try to stay on my feet." TigerWolf ears perk. The sounds of a wave enters his head.

[Sirel]

"Makes sense," she nodded, still smiling after her slipping. Ponies around here did have a strong unity in polishing their city, that was never doubted. Of course, that was what made Caterlot Canterlot. The biggest, most envied, sparkling jewel of Equestria. Many ponies would find her a fool for not being more involved in the posh, frenzied lifestyle, and more a fool for avoiding it all together. None of this much concerned Sirel.

The time seemed to have flown by. The birds were more willing to wander from their warm nests into the chill morning, taking wing to the white glow of the overcast sky veiled beneath the nearly dawning sun. Their chatter filled the air with melodic tunes. Sirel's smile seemed a permanent one for now, her hooves tramping light-stepped through shallow puddles towards the sound of lapping waves. The trees thinned into a meadow clearing spotted with tiny white flowers and long stalks of unkept grass. There was a small lake gaping in the center; deep waters reflected the smooth white sky and its surface rippled with the wind, slapping against the muddy bank. In some places its borders formed small streams across the grasses. "Hope you don't mind if it's a bit flooded,"