His chest was gnarled, his heartbeat rising as the seconds slid by, amplified by the annoyance he felt when she answered his question regardless of his taking it back. A companion? Dad had two, she had one, and he had none. That's not fair. He added this to his list of reasons to be mad at her (which was, in fact, horribly short and pathetically underwhelming - though he hadn't realized that yet; he hadn't realized the irrationality behind his hateful, erratic thoughts). He scoffed at the creature, ignored it's strange squeaking. Normally, he would have been intrigued by its unfamiliarity, by its dainty claws and vocals, but his mind wasn't normal.

His gaze held hers unwaveringly, his brow furrowing further, trying to communicate his annoyance with a burning blue look rather than trying to play his hand with any vicious words (the words he thought about saying became strangulated in his throat - the good ones and the bad).

"Magic? You found your magic?"

His thoughts were interrupted, the mention of his magic making his blood run cold. The sparks sizzling off the blood matted to his coat grew larger, hungrier as she smiled. Did she know he had had magic all along? She tossed the words out so casually, as if she had known it was there and all he had to do was coax it out.

He didn't say anything, his glare darkening as if to say duh I found it. He found it after the first creature he ran into, a snake. It was the first he'd ever come across. He thought it was scary, even scarier when it lunged for his pastern. He wasn't as scared when his blood electrocuted it. That was when he found his chest grow hollow for the first time. He didn't feel any remorse for the creature as it withered and struggled, it's muscles spasming for a moment till it was limp. He had watched it with intrigue, not noting the fact he had killed it and instead focusing on how.

Then he had moved on to other creatures, eager to learn more about his electrified blood. He started with ones that were easy to catch, like beetles and butterflies. He would slice his canon open with a rock (he cried the first couple times, but it he eventually grew used to the pain) then charge it, and fling it at the creature. Not all of them died, especially the larger ones.

He grew eager to test it, to get better at killing them with the least amount of blood he could use. And so he sliced himself open more and more, but knowing little of how to stop the blood flow, he haphazardly left a crimson trail. Naturally, larger creatures followed.

The worst was the bear. It was a young beast, barely past its infancy. It scared him nonetheless, especially when it bared its teeth and bounded closer. That was when he learned of his other trick.

He let his silence separate them, turning his head away as she asked if it hurt, partially closing his eyes when she said son and his heart whispered mommy. He wanted his chest to stop hurting for her, to stop yearning for her, to stop simultaneously being angry and full of longing.

But he couldn't understand how to make it stop.

It was frustrating enough to channel into his blood, to call forth more of it, more to stain the waters and construct a sword. It happened quickly, faster than he was capable of understanding, but when it was over he understood it very well. His blood sizzled and cracked and found its way to her. He hadn't meant for that. He gripped his sword tightly in his jaws, blinking as he realized he had drawn it to aim for her throat.

That wasn't what he wanted. He wanted to end it all, but not end her. He didn't want to lose her - not at any cost. His inability to end her made him realize, at last how foolish really it was to be angry at her.

He dropped the sword, the bloody weapon dissipating as it hit the water with a gentle splash, the two liquids quietly melding. His face fell, the anger he hid away simmering, dulling, making way for the waves of remorse and love he had quelled for so long. He moved without thinking, burying his nose into her cream and golden fur, tightly pressing his eyes together as he breathed in her familiar smell and cried softly because it felt like home.

"I-I'm so-sorry, I'm so sor-ry," He choked out amidst her two toned mane. "This girl she-she bit me and I let her do it, I told her to, I dunno, she was hungry! And I thought - I thought you would be mad and then I got angry and I dunno - it was stupid. And then I ran away and I g-got bit by a snake and my blood killed it, Mommy, I killed it," He words were choppy and full of remorse, smothered by her mane and his tears. The guilt of killing the creature finally set in, finally resonated with him. His gifts were evil by definition, capable of bringing only death and pain. He knew that now.

"I-I killed so many..." He whispered, his eyes growing wide and features growing guilty. He felt dirty, covered in their blood, covered in innocent blood. He brought this death, this pain. He made her hurt, which was worst of all in his mind.

What have I done?

"I'm so sorry."