you're gone and
i gotta stay high
— all the time

rarely ever does she step outside of the boundaries of her home, past the remnants of the glass wall. on this occasion she just needed to metaphorically breathe, leaving behind the misty pines for a fresh, new scape. now she wanders along in the land with no one but her dark avian to keep her company. but even now he was high above her, soaring with wings spread and head pointed forward.

gentle, hesitant and graceful steps were laid out in a neat, even beat of two. she dare not quicken it, not even slightly for fear that she may just shatter a fragile crystalline pillar and go stumbling onto the solid earth and break into a million pieces of sharp glass scattered out across the ground. although desiring the end of this second chance she did not deserve, she instead found herself trying to maintain it, instead of cracking open this glass frame to let her soul free she lets it remain bound. surely the gods who had gifted her this body would not save her here, but she did not see reason to waste this beautiful gift they had given her.

quietly she wanders, weaving through trees that tower above her, making her shrink away with such fear as shadows are cast down upon her, jumping as a small hued bird chirps and leaps out from a gnarled branch, heart racing as it flutters away. moments later a feather of the same crimson hue falls to her hooves, and she looks up to witness her bonded wrestling with the innocent little bird. a frown befalls her features, as she need not witness anymore death. she had no desire to but here she was, watching as the being that is tied to her soul perch upon a branch and pick apart the red corpse.

with no awareness of the grullo stud, she dances ever so lightly towards the rushing waters, delicate hooves teetering on the edge of the bank, looking down upon the swift water that rushes along, her reflection barely visible. with her frown softened upon her clear canvas, she breezes past the silken lilac curtains that drape over the entry way to the structure of steel and stone. from the ceiling glass of many various colors reflect down upon her, and she looks at them, twirling about the round stone floor of this rotunda. she sees but a faint flicker of her past, hooves skidding along the stone in a most ungraceful manner as her body trembles. she sees three structures similar to this, set ablaze with hungry red flames lapping up the flowers and vines that crawl up the spiraling marble pillars, devouring the satin curtains that hung at the doorways.

stepping back, she turns around and runs out through the curtains, panicked and afraid. a dark shadow swoops down to perch upon her withers, sweet words of comfort whispered to her through their telepathic connection. they were simple, basic words but in the tone they were spoken were quite calming. serene now, she slips slyly away from the structure and instead returns to the edge of the water, glancing over to admire the various flora scattered about this rotunda.