Much to Sohalia's surprise and chagrin, the little ghost girl seemed only to grow more distressed at her greeting. Her body paled, fading almost into the background, and a sudden, maternal need to comfort the child rose unbidden in her mind. Unless Tae could control her magic - and it didn't appear that she could, though Sohalia had been wrong many times before - it was probable that some strong emotion influenced her transparency. Or maybe it was just random, and the hormones that had run rampant since the beginning of the dove's pregnancy were still muddling her mind.

In any case, she watched her daughter's eager acceptance of the spirit child with pride. Vinati did not shy away or ask inappropriate questions about the state of the girl - she merely accepted it as it was, continuing on with her business as though an almost-ghost joining one's conversation was the most natural thing in the world. Of course, she was about to find out that it was normal, at least for Vinati. "I am Sohalia," she managed to introduce herself properly just before Vinati took over the conversation.

At the girl's descriptions, Sohalia's brow furrowed, her mind ticking quickly through the possibilities. The figures that Vinati saw... suddenly the mare's brows rose with wonder. They were her parents and her deceased children. The dove was almost sure of it. Allowing the children a moment to themselves, the mare closed her eyes and did the mental trick that allowed her to step into the spirit world. When she opened her eyes, it was to a black and white replica of the Dragon's Throat, where, as expected, she was surrounded by the figures of her parents and firstborn children. With a quick, apologetic smile (she would stay longer if she could), Sohalia blinked back into the living.

"A ghost is a remnant of someone who is gone, a fragment of their soul that cannot leave this world because it is tied to the loved ones of the deceased," she explained to the best of her ability. Many thought that ghosts only existed if they had unfinished business, or that they were mischievous pranksters, left on earth without meaning. They were wrong. Ghosts and spirits were synonymous, and they only existed because of those they left behind.

"What you see when you look at me - and, I would wager, anyone else - is the spirit of their lost loved ones. For me, that would be my parents - the chestnut and the older champagne mare - and my firstborn children, Diniel and Skysong." Her voice dropped at that, old sadness creeping into her eyes at the memories. The wounds that the children had left behind were mostly healed, but every now and then there was a moment that pulled the scabs off all over again. "What about others in the herd? Do you see ghosts around them, too?"

"talk talk talk"

Brighter than the northern lights
Want to live to feel the daylight