The pile of straw felt wonders on Zek's tired back. His eye-lids felt far to heavy to keep open. After a long day of hiking, his body was worn and sleep overtook him in seconds. His dream came as quick as sleep came.

It was morning and Zek found himself at a small dark table with an egg and some bread in front of him. There were three others at the table. He didn't recognize them but it felt as if he loved each one greatly. Especially the beautiful woman who sat across from him. She smiled at him, an innocent but seductive smile. He blushed like an awkward boy who was trying to talk to his crush. He stood up from the table and started for the door. He didn't want to walk away, just sit at the table and stare at the woman who captured his interest with only a smile.

"Good-bye, Sweetheart. It's going to be a long day for me. I have many pieces to fix." Those words forced themselves out of his mouth as if they weren't his own. However, they felt natural as if he said them daily. Everything felt natural, yet so foreign to him. As if he was living a life that wasn't his own. Was he dreaming, was someone playing a trick on him? He tried to think what happened before he found himself at the table and could only remembering cuddling with the woman who had sat across from him.

A worn callused hand reached for the door when two high pitched voices behind him spoke an unfamiliar word. "Daddy!" They were almost in unison, but he turned around and saw a boy and a girl running towards him. Instinctively he bent down and caught them both in a hug. Once again words forced through his mouth, "Be mindful of your Mother. Remember to do your chores and stay out of trouble. "I love you."

Zek left the house this time. The street and surroundings reminded him of his childhood home. The one he had left a month or two ago, but they were new to him at the same time. People he had never seen before greeted him with a name that didn't sound familiar. "Good morning Zack!" One woman called out as he passed her. "We are drinking tonight at the tavern, come with us Zack!" a group of other grown men called out. He greeted each of them respectfully as if he knew exactly who they are; but he didn't recognize any of them. It happened over and over again until he reached a small building with a forge and furnace connected to it.

Without hesitation he started working, his thoughts transferred from the unfamiliar to the familiar. His hands pounded at metal, what he was making was unknown to him. It looked like a pitchfork head, a farmer would need this. At the back of his mind he felt something was wrong, but working with his hands soothed his instincts.

Zek was confused about everything. His body was moving and talking, but they weren't by his command. It seemed as if he was a marionette in a play.

Paradox curled up on the ground, the barn was warm and the ground was soft. She sighed and closed her eyes, letting sleep overtake her. 

Her eyes flipped open and suddenly she was in a house. There was a young man with bright silver hair that she immediately felt attached to and two small children that ran through the hallway to sit at the table. She stared at them, an unnatural smile on her face. They weren't hers, they didn't carry any of the equine genes at all. She didn't catch a scent from anything around her, and realized she was in a dream. She reached over and patted the heads of the boy and the girl, before taking her place at the table. 

She folded up her legs so she could fit decently and ate the bread and eggs the man seemed to prepare for them. He spoke to her from across the table, his voice thick with love and affection. She wanted to give him a confused look, ask him what on earth he was talking about. Instead a gentle, "I will miss you, My Love," escaped her mouth. She couldn't believe herself, what was going on? After breakfast, she stood and started gathering up the dirty plates and brought them over to the wash basin.

The two children chased after the man and they hugged him. She watched this, a large smile on her face that felt both normal and yet alien to her. So he was their father, and after speaking to the children, it was implied that she was their mother. "I love you," she called after him as he left the house. The two children ran towards her and wrapped their little arms around her legs. She bent over and nuzzled first her daughter and then her son. "Good morning little ones," she said affectionately. "Good morning Momma," the children said.

She showered them in licks and kisses, making them giggle in delight. "Who wants to pick blackberries today?" she asked eagerly. The children jumped up and down with large smiles on their faces, feeding off their mother's excitement. "Okay, go get your baskets," she said, tapping their rumps playfully. They ran off and brought back three wicker baskets in their hands. She opened the door and the three walked outside. She closed the door and looked down at the children fondly. "It's a long way to the berry patch," she said slowly. "Would you little ones like a ride?"

The question wasn't forced, its sounded like something she said more often than not. In her mind, she knew it was crazy and preposterous. Centaurs didn't give anyone rides unless it was an emergency, and going to a berry patch did not count as such. Against her will she bent down and picked each of them up in turn. Her daughter held tight to her son, who had his arms wrapped securely around her waist. It was then she realized that instead of her usual shirt, she had on a light cloak and an apron. She looked at it oddly before being forced by an unknown force into a gentle trot down the lane, the children on her back bouncing lightly and giggling in her ear.

She flicked her ears back and smiled. For fun she would periodically stop, or speed up, or slow down, or go in a tight circle. The children seemed to enjoy this and she made sure to be very careful with them. They seemed to be able to handle themselves well, as if they rode horses often. Or she took them riding often. At last they reached the berry patch, the dark green bushes almost taller than her and she lifted the children off her back. They dispersed happily in the leaves on the hunt for the dark berries.

An iron hammer struck the soft metal the pitchfork was made out of. Zek was on the last prong in his attempt to align all of them. It took a couple of minutes to get it right, but he did finish the simple task. The next task was to put it onto the handle, a task that required quite a bit of force and strength, then he could go on to the next task. There were many tasks for him to do throughout the day, it wasn't until the sun was at its apex in the sky before Zek took a break.

His calloused hand wiped away the soot and sweat from his forehead. Even with a comfortable temperature outside, the forge he owned always made him sweat furiously. After all, it was one of the few forges in the town that could make steel. With half of his tasks to be done today finished, he thought he would surprise his family for lunch. After he took a few moments to clean up his workplace, he left to head back to their home.

Zek had stopped thinking why he was in this town, with a wife and kids, and working as a blacksmith. He attempted to fight the routine he seemed to be acting out. It was heartwarming to think about it, a family, a job with a purpose, and it seemed like many friends. His thoughts wandered more about his family, and remembered his majestic wife talked about picking berries.

Instead of heading back to the house he headed towards the place they had always picked berries. It was a small forest a short walk from the town. It was the place he and his wife had courted each other for many weeks before they decided it was time for them to get married, at least that's what was significant about the forest. It didn't take him long to get there, and it was easy to find them with the giggles and familiar voices of his loved ones. He leaned against one of the oak trees with his arms cross, his topaz eyes gazed upon his two children, Samuel and Para. Para was his daughter, eight years old, red hair, green eyes and loved animals and plants. His son Samuel was six years old, blond hair, blue eyes and loved playing hide and seek.

Neither of them looked anything like their parents, with their mother being a centaur and him having silvery hair and topaz eyes, traits unheard of in humans. It was because they weren't their birth parents. Zek wasn't even sure if he could have children with how unnatural he was. Not to mention two perfectly human children with a mother who was half equestrian would be improbable. None of that really mattered to him, because he loved all of them and was happy.

Zek spent a few seconds staring at his wife, his majestic, four-legged wife. There was much to her besides he outward appearance, it was those qualities that he loved. One of his kids noticed him standing there and yelled, "Daddy!" Para ran to him and held out a basket half full with blueberries. "Look what I found! Try one!" She side with her beautiful smile on her face. Zek smiled bent over and pick one up and put it in his mouth.

"It's delicious, sweetie." Zek said after swallowing it, "You always had a knack for picking berries." He looked up and his wife. "Honey, I decided to come have lunch with you all, would you like to take a break from picking berries?"

Paradox watched her children run through the bushes, and soon they all had baskets filled with the sweet dark fruit. She laughed and talked with them, enjoying the warm morning. More than once she had to stop to help either her daughter or herself untangle their hair from the prickly thorn bushes. The sun felt warm on her fur and she didn't seem to notice the small scratches on her legs from the bushes. They didn't bother her, and they'd heal fast enough. 

She noticed there were several dark red smears on her arms from the berries and smiled to herself. She picked a berry and held it loosely in her hand. "Samuel," she said, the name of her son escaping her mouth before she could stop it. It just felt so natural to her. The little boy's head popped up amongst the bushes and looked at her curiously. "Yes Momma?" He asked. "Come over here, I want to show you something." She saw his little blonde head disappear and slip over to her. "What did you want to show me?" He said. At once she squeezed the berry in her hand and smeared it on his cheek. 

He gasped partially in shock and surprise and then started laughing. He rushed over to the bush and started pulling berries off the plant. She put her basket down and jumped back, feeling like she was a little kid again. Samuel rushed over to her and she kept just out of reach as he chased her around. After a little while, she let him catch her and she felt him put a sticky red handprint on her hip. She looked at it then turned towards him, her hand filled with berries again. He screamed in delight and raced off. She loped after him easily and circled around him. It wasn't long before both of them were covered in the berry juice. Her daughter looked up at them and rolled her eyes. She didn't want to get dirty.

Paradox smiled and started tickling her son after she caught up to him. He giggled and folded himself in half. She sunk to her knees pinning the squirming little body to the ground, but not hurting him. She nuzzled him with her face and kissed him on the forehead. She perked her ears forward as her daughter called out. She looked up and saw her husband leaning against a tree. She stood and allowed her son to get up and run to his father, giving him in a hug around his legs. She shook her mane and attempted to flick off some of the berry seeds before reaching him. 

She smiled. "You're welcome to have lunch with us, dear." She walked up and embraced him. Ducking down so she could rest her head against his shoulders. "I missed you. How was work? Did you get what you wanted done?" She asked him, before pulling away and looking at his stunning eyes. She smirked to herself, before staining his nose with berry juice from the tip of her finger.