The mare and her dragon waited.

And waited.

And waited.

It felt like a lifetime had stretched out since her arrival, though it had been nothing more than a few seconds. Such was the tension wrought about her body, the anxiety that sparked through her like lightning, striking unforgivingly at her core, and her bond. The dragon began to purr quietly, trying to soothe her beloved's tension, for Akaith held faith within her that Mirage did not, she knew how much her beloved was loved by others, how much she had meant to the lands and the people within them. That her bonded could not see it was something she had lived with since their bond ever blossomed; Mirage's own self-doubt was her greatest flaw, a weakness that she had battled all her life, one that she had overcome time and again, and would continue to for the rest of her years.

The seconds dripped by, excruciatingly slow, comparable to the torture she suffered from, the torture that left her with scars tracing along the underside of her barrel. Stop being so dramatic, Akaith hummed through her purrs, the thoughts ringing with tinkling laughter. It softened the posture of the mare, who had unknowingly clenched her muscles, though the guarded expression of indifference remained upon her visage. She breathed again, letting the familiar (and yet foreign) air traverse her lungs, her body, her system, willing her to remain rooted upon this spot until something happened, whether that be by someone coming or not coming, she could only wait to find out. She was a patient mare, one of her age had to be - how else would she had gotten so old?

She became aware of the noises then. So long had she been isolated, locked away in a dimension where she couldn't sense or feel, it took her a moment to discern what those familiar foreign sounds were, what they meant - who they meant. Ears pricked as her attention tilted towards the sounds of one travelling at speed, a strange glow was what she saw before anything else, and then, the pale, mist-painted belle, the strawberry bands up her legs, the single ear atop her poll, and now, the dragon flying above her… It took all the mare's strength to halt the tears of joy from spilling over her eyes, such was the emotion that swelled within her. But she swallowed them down, ignoring her companion's smugness at the back of her mind, blinking away the shine her golden eyes had suddenly taken on.

A low nicker grew from her throat, shaping the mare's name, "Resplendence," even as the other mare embraced her. Akaith leapt to the skies as the dun's tiara invaded her space, but it was not with offence, she merely wished to allow the greeting to take place unencumbered by her presence. A light, laugh-like sound arose from her throat, as the little queen then flew to approach and greet Valiance, the red who was clearly devoted to their old friend. He is strong, if young. Good bond for her, she surmised succinctly to Mirage, who merely kept the knowledge tucked away within as she returned the embrace. Was it love she felt now? Or merely affection, a deep liking for one she had led so long ago, one she felt insurmountable relief in knowing she was not only alive, but well too? Could she, who had sworn against all emotions, be so easily lulled into their tantalising embrace so easily again? The mare breathed out again, deciding that as long as she controlled them, and not they her, she could feel…

"I am well," her accented lyrics intone softly, as the other steps back and begins a long tirade of lots of words. The former queen saved her breath as she detected the presence of another, a dark titan, how could she ever forget? From the Threshold to sharing her throne with her, the GentleHeart had been a monument throughout her life, a stallion of nobility and solidarity when she needed him. The little mare took a step towards him to greet with a gentle caress, allowing a soft breath to blow from her nostrils in greeting of the new, small hatchling that scurried upon his back. There was the shadow of a smile upon her lips, it had rarely ever stretched into a full one before her departure, it would be no different now. It was her eyes that showed her true emotions, the happiness and relief she felt at seeing them, knowing they were alive and still here, at their home, the Edge.

"Thor," she replied softly, leaning into him with her slight, aged frame. The old queen had full intentions of divulging the circumstances of her return, but it was not the time, for yet another was to arrive. Wingbeats she recognised (as each second passed she recognised more and more of her old home, the sounds and smells of it, everything that was foreign became less so and she began to feel normal again) pounded on the air, and as she lifted her golden gaze she saw the burly outline of the stallion. The tension of the gathering seemed to rocket to new levels, and it was with some hurt that the little mare did not receive a touch of greeting from the steed, though she clung to the words he spoke. Remaining indifferent, are we? the golden one chirped in her mind, and Mirage used the reminder to harden herself against any further thoughts or expectations.. This was why she had to guard herself against the emotions, this was why she had to detach and be indifferent. She felt so strongly about everything.. She always had, and when she had ruled, her love for her herd had been her defining feature. But it had been her ultimate weakness, one that had set her into a pit of hell for months on end, truly, if the mare had any sense of self-preservation, she would not have returned.

"Kaj," she greeted, tilting her tiara into a rough nod, feeling rather than knowing that he held something secret within his breast - was he the keeper of the Edge now? He had been a Protector, she remembered, one who did his duty well, one who had the potential to rise to glory no matter the path he chose. Had he chosen the path of leadership? A curious question sounded behind her eyes as she regarded him carefully, not unkindly. If her hunch was true, she felt far more settled about the future of the Edge, despite the Moon Goddess' words to her of the herd's loss of direction.

"I owe you all an apology," she began again, her voice a low hum, her accents curling the words in that unique way only she could. "My siblings and I travelled to the Shadowlands, wanting to learn about what was infecting the lands.. What was causing those changes, the destruction.. We were foolish. We thought we could vanquish the dark, the evil that was spreading like a virus, incurable and savage. It took a hold of my brothers, I watched, helpless, as they tore each other to shreds." Her eyes looked to each individual as they stood, imploring them to understand. Akaith cooed softly from her perch in the skies, abandoning the playful greetings of new friends to return to her bonded's back and began massaging along the base of her base with her dextrous claws.

"I do not know the fate of my sister.. But as I felt the darkness crawl up my legs and across my flanks, as I felt Akaith's flames attempt to sear them away, I was suddenly pulled, plucked from this world and thrust into another." There was no other way she could describe it, the sensation of being torn away from everything you knew to be real and thrust into a new, foreign and terrifying reality. "I was not healed, but simply.. existing. Akaith was with me, and then there was pain, blindness, and I didn't know.. I didn't where I was. I almost forgot who I was. Akaith was all that anchored me to myself, my memories, my will to live on." As she spoke of her beloved companion, she turned her crown towards the golden one, accepting the touch of muzzle-to-muzzle contact as they both relived the memories that would haunt them for the rest of their days.

"The Moon Goddess was responsible for my 'preservation', she raised me from the depths of her dimension, but only after enough time had passed that the sickness of the Shadowlands had been purged completely from my body. I will carry their marks for the rest of my days." Here she stretched her body so that the glow from Resplendence's misty extrusions illuminated the crisscrossed, slightly indented scars that tracked along her flanks and belly. "I have wanted nothing more than to return here.. I humbly ask that I am allowed to walk its misty corridors once more, to serve its leaders in whatever way I can."

As she stated her request, she looked to each one again, drinking in the changes that time had ravaged upon them. The bonds they had created, the scars they had gained, the way time had aged the faces she remembered. How must they look upon her now? No longer a queen, no longer young nor in the prime of her life, but instead old, aged and weak?

Never weak, her bonded reassured her, in the way that only a companion can. The mare breathed, her voice needing rest after so many months spent not in use, and then suddenly being urged to tell a story so that they might understand - she never wanted to leave them, she wanted to save them.



ooc :: ALL THE WORDS.. don't feel like you have to match me lol. Mirage has a case of the rambles, as usual.. Abba, I know you're on absent, so don't feel like you -have- to reply any time soon <3. Sevin, you're welcome to jump in still whenever you like, and have Kahlua hear all Mirage's words. I'm happy to go with a flex posting order for this thread - post as you want :)