Cera thought he might find peace, here. Where the magnolia tree's barren branches stretched into the sky, familiar and comforting. Instead he stood and surveyed the scuffled ground by the base of the tree and could only hear a wailing cry from the caverns of his heart. He had stopped sleeping here, when Ranjiri had left. It had stopped feeling like home, after that. It had stopped feeling like home a long time ago, but Ranjiri had always been most important. 

Ilaria cooed softly at him, her mind gently reaching out to try and touch his, not sure how to help him after all the events that had transpired. Cera jerked like he'd touched a live wire, slamming his mind shut against her and turning away from the long shadow of the tree beneath the winter sunlight budding on the horizon. Ilaria whined softly, the only way he could really hear her now that he'd shut himself against her. Trailed after him tentatively as the Prince trudged listlessly towards the oasis, needing to be away from the landmark of his past. Happier times he could never get back, now. 

The water was too frigid to waltz in as he foolishly wanted to. Drown away his sorrows in a way that really mattered. He had no tears left to shed, though. There was no reason to be so petty and dramatic when he felt so hollow and burned out on the inside. His spirit had died beneath the onslaught of his own bitterness, the break in his soul that had dimmed the light and let the darkness bleed through. If Ampere could be loved by the Sun with all her emotion, her rage, her passion, then why couldn't Cera? Why couldn't he challenge those who had wronged him, shout and scream injustice to the stoic heavens? There had never been a rulebook for that. And he was just so fucking tired.

One hoof lashed out and kicked the water angrily, face twisted into a snarl that didn't fit his normally happily smiling face. But he had not smiled in far too long, anyways, so what did it matter anymore if he did or not? 

"Cera?"

The Prince flinched and went still, one hoof still in the water, feeling as if ice had suddenly filled his veins. Without Ilaria being allowed into his thoughts, she could not warn him of Megaera's approach - if she even would have, with her thoughts on all that had transpired between the pair of them. He remained frozen for long, drawn out moments. Scarcely breathing as he tried to sort through the sudden onslaught of emotions that arose with her appearance; anger, despair, bitter triumph, hatred, unfair hope.

"Sunspear," he finally greeted, tone perfectly level if a bit icy. He slowly withdrew his hoof from the water, never turning his gaze from his rippling reflection. "So I suppose you're staying?" A harsher bite to the words this time, frozen veins warming and shuddering back to life, already heating up towards adrenaline and anger. Cera, Ilaria whispered through the gaps in his shields against her, trying to calm him. Cera took a shuddering breath through his nostrils and turned to face her with his one good eye. Unashamed of his appearance, the blood all down his neck, his badly burned hindquarters. 

"What do you want Megaera." And it had been so long since he'd called her by her full name that it made the chasm between them seem so much larger by comparison. But at least he was listening. At least he was here and not screaming or turning and walking away from her. At least she had a chance.