She had to find them.

Too much time had passed since the end had been announced and she had last seen her cousin. Too much time always seemed to pass between them, and then when they did see each other, so much always seemed to happen without the other being aware, without the other knowing, realising, until it was too late.

This reunion would be no different.

Amaris, having travelled across the land in varying states of mind-foggedness, arrived at the Veins of the Gods with some clarity, which was a change (an improvement?) to the previous interactions she had had. Anger seemed to rise up within her much more swiftly than before, though it usually vanished just as suddenly. For the most part, she was still numb, unfeeling, except for the undercurrent of must-find-Tandavi and we-must-survive-this.

It was dawn, another day, and the dragonmare watched as the sunrise painted the realm in defiant tones of rose gold and amber, watched as the sunlight fought against the darkness that seemed to swallow up half (if not more) of the realm, watched as life carried on despite it all, and tried to pull her inspiration for stubbornly enduring this from it.

Flames of a magic Amaris knew all too well caught her attention, as her wings tilted and she neared the gathering, she slowly absorbed all that was going on.

Tandavi had twins. Newborn twins - that she had birthed.

Mesec was there.

Sacre and Mortimer weren't.

And now Amaris was there too.

The dragonmare approached, her steps slow but deliberate, her mind whirling. More nieces - no, they were second-cousins, but Tandavi was as much a sister to her as anything, so niece suited her just fine - to add to her family tree, more children who carried the bloodline of the DragonHeart, of the mighty Voraer and Anei, and now..

Of Gods too.

Golden eyes looked between the stallion and the mare, as she walked into the scene, and though she was puzzled, she was more hurt than anything else. She didn't know why, she couldn't define it, and she was angry that somehow, amidst it all, she had the gall to even get her own feelings hurt.

What must they be going through? What does it matter when my heart hurts? What do they feel for one another? Why should I care about them when they clearly don't care about me? Was this a union of love, of passion and devotion? Why do I feel that for them, but none ever feel that for me?

Hush, the ever present Dramyrth purred from his usual spot atop her withers, washing away the thoughts that warred within his bondmate with his fiery presence, filling her mind with thoughts of him and him alone, reassuring her that she was loved, she was wanted, she was needed, by him, and by them, if only in different ways than that which they had seemingly sought out in each other.

"Tavi," she murmured softly as she approached, moving swiftly to her side, daring her to push her away, defying her if she tried. Her golden hide smoothly lined up with her copper cousin's, her nearest wing slinging over the girl as her maw pressed against the Fire Dancer's hot nape.

"They are beautiful," she spoke with a smile she did not feel but knew she should bear, looking between the children, looking to their father as well, hiding the hurt the confusion, behind a mask of happiness and false I'm-dealing-with-the-world-ending-ness all at once.

She watched as the sunrise played upon one child's pelt, all rosy golds and bright hues, watched as it streaked across the others, watched as the children bonded and awoke in this dying realm known as Helovia.

"And gifted too," she supplied, as if the parents wouldn't have already noticed, as if they couldn't have seen already the magnificence that was their glorious children. And suddenly it was easy to accept all of this, because here were her nieces, her blood, born into this life and she was here to see it, to be a part of it, and whether Helovia ended or not - she would see them live.

@Tandavi @Mesec .

Amaris