As dusk had fallen, Hotaru had grown restless. Used to being alone with her thoughts, her own mind had turned against her and driven her into meekness that was born into her personality as if to stunt her growth. So she had waited quietly for the sun to go down and for ebony ribbons to start trecking their path across the wide expanse of the sky. When she opened her eyes to survey that her family had fallen asleep or had gone off to their duties, the quiet lass gathered her thin legs beneath her and slipped off into the twilight without a sound. They would likely not miss her, for she and her twin often disappeared for hours and even days on end without returning. Having known nothing else, Hotaru was not worried by this blatant disregard for her whereabouts. Auntie Kota and Apollo were often the two that kept the best eyes on her, but with their duties they could not keep the strawberry femme from slipping free of the borders. Once she had passed said invisible lines, she breathed a soft sigh of relief. Though the Foothills was beautiful to live in, her thoughts sometimes led to her feeling claustrophobic. In the end she simply had to escape, go to a place where it was only here and the stars.

All throughout the night she walked, youthfulness granting her energy that she slowly burnt throughout her travels. Farther than she had ever gone, Ru could not summon the energy to worry over knowing the path back home. Instead she let the softly glowing lights above her light her way, dropping their color into locks of moonshine spun with a kiss of the sun in every few strands. It danced on the pearly color of her horn, lifted the shades of the coral along her back and the cream that coated her legs. Despite having been up the entire day before, and traveling instead of sleeping, Hotaru didn't actually feel tired. Instead she merely watched as her frost painted hooves flashed idly in the moonlight with every step, trailing to and fro with no real care where she ended up. Her thoughts would figure themselves out.

Scent of the ocean drew her in, strawberry audits flickering up curiously. Muzzle twitched softly at the salty smell and a small smile drifted upon her lips as she recalled her first memory of the massive body of water. She had met Torasin that afternoon, and the scent that she had memorized from his coat seemed to be awfully similar to the lands she was approaching. Unveiled seafoam iris blinked nervously, excitedly. Did Torasin live here? Would he be happy to see her if she ran into him? Thrilled at the idea of seeing him again or making new friends, the princess quickened her pace to a jaunty trot, locks flowing behind her in a display that was beautiful to everyone but her. As she approached what was clearly the border she paused, hesitating. Ru didn't know the proper procedure for crossing into other lands, and was afraid to do something wrong or get in trouble. Inside, her mind yelled at her for being such a wimp, the voice that always seemed to sound like Raeden. Taking a deep breath she continued on, wide eyes taking in the exotically different scenery. Unlike the Foothills it was colder with the breeze coming off the ocean, but it smelled far sharper and more beautiful than anything else that had touched her nose. Entranced she found herself following a bubbling sound that almost seemed to be joyously laughing.

What she found was a small natural spring, the water springing up as if it were alive. Imagining fairies and mystical magics, she giggled and took a small sip before moving on. There was so much to see and explore, and awe filled her face as she stared up at the massive trees, decades old, that far surpassed those in her own herdland. When they separated for her into a small pasture of silver moon-frosted grass, Hotaru giggled very softly to herself and lowered herself down right in the middle of it, rolling in the sweetly perfumed blades that cushioned her softly. When she stood again she shook herself out like a dog, readjusting her forelock to hide the silvery color of her left eye, as if the moon had kissed her iris and left her unhappy with her opposite, the sun. Ru liked imagining this story more than simply accepting that her left eye was not in the best condition, because it made her feel far less lonely. Flicking her tail idly against her ankles she stared up at the bright glow of the celestial queen. Before she realized what she was doing, she began speaking. "Why can't I be normal, Miss Moon? Did you really bless my eye, or am I just imagining that you exist?" Hotaru knew vaguely of the Gods, but had never met them and her mother often didn't speak of the Moon Goddess because of the curse she had set on her. Sighing once more, she watched the tiny cloud that formed around her snowy muzzle. It was growing colder. "I'm really lonely sometimes...so I wait for night to come, and then I talk to you. Is that normal? I wish I could be as pretty as you...I always imagined you would be really pretty." Another sigh, this one full of sadness and longing. Raeden was the beautiful one, not Hotaru, and she knew it was a foolish wish to want that to change. A single diamond tear slipped from her hidden iris, dropping soundlessly to the ground at her hooves