*“I’m here, La-La.”*
As drawn as her face was, Laila’s mind gave a quiet, joyous smile as she sensed her brother’s presence at her side; she felt him touch her, and responded by returning his touch, this time on his brow, if he welcomed it. Luken—here was someone she knew she could trust. The bonds of siblinghood were no mere season; they didn’t falter or weaken overtime. They were forever. They would endure.
“La-La… It’ll be okay, I know it will. Do you miss Mother?”
The words were soothing to the boiling, blinding discontent within Laila’s bosom, though the timbre of his voice betrayed the unspoken concern and empathy she was feeling from him. The frogs of her feet began to cool, and soon the dewy roots of the tall grasses began to be refreshing against the long feathers of her cornets. Laila gave a great sigh, pondering his words for mere moments before finding the words to properly describe her state of mind with. “I don’t like feeling like this,” she said, her voice ever strong in the still morning air, even though the ebony filly wished only to speak with her brother and not with the sleeping song-birds in the tall-oak branches.
“I don’t like thinking of our mother this way. I miss her, Lu-Lu. I really do. I want to love her like we used to and forget that all of this ever happened—but I can’t.” Her voice faltered a moment; she looked on to the dawning sunlight, seeking inspiration and the right words. “I can’t trust her. She left us—it was the only thing I expected from her, the only promise I ever wanted her to keep—and she left to who knows where.” Laila snorted suddenly, an angry reaction to the offending memories of the recent herd meeting. “Then she had the gall to pop out of nowhere, expecting our forgiveness? As though nothing had gone amiss? Like we didn’t even notice she was gone or something. It…was insulting.” Her limbs trembled ever so slightly from the force of her indignation; taking a shaky breath, Laila forced herself to calm herself and cool her boiling blood. She didn’t want to rage at Luken. ”And all the while I’m not even sure if…if this is right.” She lowered her head. “If I should even be feeling these things about our own mother.”
Laila turned her head to look at her brother, seeking his counsel. She felt defeated—the right way was obvious and obscure at the same time. She recalled the sheer anger she felt upon her mother’s touch, how she was simplyannoyed by her—no. No, Laila couldn’t think like this. Her hooves were growing warm again; the ebony filly had noticed that, as her passions erupted, she began feeling intensly uncomfortable in her feet. She…might seek a healer about that little anomaly. In the meantime, Laila figured out that the best way to deal with the fire-pains was to think about happy things…and she had plenty of those to think about.
“So…You’re going to be a Protector, then?” Her gaze shifted—it was no longer the self-doubting, scared filly filled with uncontrollable angst. There was a playful, almost teasing, yet wholly proud glow in her pupils as she studied her brother. “I always knew you had it in you…you’ll be great, Lu-Lu, just watch.” She made to head-butt him in his chest, that affectionate gesture of hers. “Just think of it,” she said, the excitement mounting in her voice, “you and I, fighting alongside father, the Twin Protectors of the Edge!…It’s awesome, isn’t it?
LAILA
One Day, I Shall Live by the Code of Honor
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