Hespera sees the ebony body gilded with electric blue sail over her skull, and even when she attempts to toss her head back up for a stab with her horn, a hind hoof clips her just before the ear, narrowly missing her eye. After that and vivid images of a missing eye, Hespera decides it might be best if she keeps her head down, and so pulls her chin in close to her chest, her long whiskers tickling the soft shagginess of her shabby, dark-gray winter coat.

A thud, one loud enough the unicorn can almost imagine it resonating in her bones, announces the fall of Ampere, a faint crackle whispering of a fractured bone. Blood roars in Hespera's ears as she stares down at the fallen soldier, images flashing through her head at an alarming rate, of places far different from the rocky ground by a volcano where the gods once lived.

Fallen. Delicate legs splayed. Neck battered and bruised. Wolves howling. Hoofprints written on haunches.

Revulsion rises in Hespera's throat, bile bitter in her mouth, as beyond the vile memories she sees her companion diving in with a shriek of triumph, honing in on the staggering mare, razor talons extended and mouth wide. The moment before the large griffon hits her is one filled with sudden compassion and a burning need to stop now, pity and a vicious hate for Hespera surging through their bond with electric passion. Still, his claws savage the black mare, and with the damage done, he rises. With a start, the unicorn realizes something terrible. How she... how... she doesn't understand. Was it the act of the mare turning her head, allowing the blow to land without a cry, that created such rage inside his young, unknowing heart?

For now, Otienu screams with hate, his screech nearly obliterating every other sound, and flies at Hespera in a flurry of wings, even as Ampere bellows out with a cry to shake the heavens.

Betrayed.

Wings, silver and black, block out the stars, and terror burns in Hespera's heart, made stronger by the fear of the talons of her own heart of hearts turned against her.

Claws sink deep into her face, ripping and tearing, shredding her right ear. He lands, wings buffeting her face, vision obscured by flying feathers of gray and iron, and the unicorn shakes her head, pain pouring through her face. She is on fire, dying, breaking, shattering, a statue of glass falling, just waiting to hit the ground, and be obliterated from this cruel, twisted world. Hespera rears, shaking her head, harder and harder, off-balance and ready to fall, and then she does. From her jerky movement as she tried to dislodge her companion, the wing-slap misses her entirely, but Ampere's chest knocks her in her left shoulder and chest area. She tumbles down onto her right side, exposing her left side to the stars, a tower with nothing to support it, and hooves are everywhere and Otienu's screaming in her ear. From the harsh fall onto stone, her right side is cut up, strips of skin hanging from her side, the red wine of the body running over the stone, creeping along slyly.

She is a damaged good.

Otienu has clawed her eyes into darkness, flesh from her face and eyes hanging off his talons.

Hooves run across her left side, from shoulder to hip, muddy prints leaving deep bruises. In a vain attempt the mare tries to get up, hooves flailing, staggering to her feet. Though she can not see it, blood runs down from her eyes in streaks of crimson, fresh and wet. Otienu wheels off from her, landing at Ampere's feet, reaching out tentatively to try and rub his beak affectionately against her left front fetlock, pleading her to forgive him. He will stay with her now, if she permits.

Hespera chokes, rage consuming her at Otienu's sorrow and hate. How did he turn so quickly? Was she doing it wrong the whole time? She loved him!

"FUCK YOU!" She screams, tears running from her ruined eyes.

She steps back, broken and bruised.

Empty, she turns, head hanging nearly to the ground, and stumbles away, hooves catching on the uneven ground, as Otienu watches her, sadness in his eyes. But for him, he has no regret.

He purrs, a soft rumbling churning in his chest.

Then she spins around, charging forward over the uneven ground, furious, damaged, too broken to just leave. She flies at Ampere with no intention, no reason, but to hurt her, to bow Ampere's head and let her feel the pain she has dealt to Hespera. All the ache is still there, but Hespera does not care.

Her teeth snap wildly, and she hopes to throw Ampere to the ground herself.