the two trotted through the woods, silence hanging between them like a lantern off a hook. they'd both found each other, on their own seperate ways. augury had explained he was going to out to get books that the prince of magic, stardust, was to lend him. though, it was rather peculiar that he'd meet with him so late at night. though when asked, smokey couldn't really fully explain himself. he himself was,,, going to meet up with some friends.

neither of them had real reason to interrogate the other, so they'd the subject alone.

with the buzz of the insects in the undergrowth adding the only ambiance to fill the space, the cousins had been walking together for a while now. rarely had the two ever interacted really. the weighed of the tension crushing, but smokey felt he had to say something.

"hey, so. uh. things been going okay for you, between aunty aj and aunt lightning?" suddenly the post spoken word aftermath hit smokey like a knife, shit. of all things to say? fuck, fuck, fuck, he just messed up—

"they're fine. why to you ask?" augury's tone was sharp, aggitated, hostile. and then all the defensiveness rose in the dark olive colored stallion. "because i wanted to know what's going on with you, i'm your cousin. is there something wrong with asking you that?"

the paler unicorn rose his head higher. "no. i'm just not used to you caring, especially about your family."

"well you hardly seem apart of this family yourself, augury. haven't seen you be too active around the farm."

"probably because you haven't been around the farm."

smokey bit back a retort, he knew he was right. what was his right to fight back? but the shame warmed his body, it sunk in like needles. smokey could feel feathers rise from his wings, his shoulders bunched.

they walk in silence a moment more, but the bitterness swelled in smokey's throat, and quickly he forced out the words.

"they care about you, you know." he speaks, evading eye contact. his head lowered, the hot fury burning his body's edges. "aunt lightning may act cold to you, but you barely give her a chance. it's like you've given up. why don't you act like you care about them for a change?"

augury stops, his body stilling. smokey only gazes at the frozen frame of augury, perhaps he'd struck a chord with him at last? had he finally put him in his proper place? a weight dropped in his belly, but at least augury had known better than to mouth off to him again.

the unicorn turns his gaze to smokey, his muzzle scrunching down as he glowered at his hardly older cousin.

"smokey." augury's tone laces with ice cold anger. "who exactly are you to try and lecture me on these matters? who are you to tell me such things? do you know how hard, macintosh tries for you? you have a kind, caring father, and siblings who reach out. try for you. care for you. at every step of the way. yet you spend every moment tearing apart your life. complaining, destroying, every time you get another chance. you throw it away with little to no care in the world." he steps forward, looming over him, eyes darkening. "at least when someone asks me why i'm so fucked up, they'll understand why. when they ask you, who will you blame?"

augury glares down. "the father who left you before you knew him? the caring dad who looked after you despite everything you've done? the siblings who look after their older brother?" smokey shrivels down, wincing at every word, an unseen pain jabbing him from his chest, to shoulders, into his mind. ignore him. ignore him. ignore him. he's wrong. smokey's thoughts roared out at him. "from my persective, dear cousin. you have no one else to blame. but yourself."

ignore him. shoot back. beat him down before he finish."well—"

"—go ahead, go meet your friends. i really don't care." he pads along further, the dark pegasus standing behind. "but your family does. they care. so do what you want, be as selfish as you'd like. i'm sure they'd give you another hundredth chance. but don't go expecting it from me, smokey."