Kahlua awoke from her slumber in the Deep Forest suddenly. She had not meant to fall asleep, the darkness of the forest far from something she considered friendly. She had been gathering rubies from the pool in the center of the forest, pleased with herself for finding them at all. She had planned to find the best she could, then carry them back to the Edge. She did not know to what use they would be put, if any, but she had to try something. Her first meeting with Aaron had not gone entirely well and she needed to prove her use to him. She hoped that she had already gained some of Lace's trust, but proving continuously useful would not hurt matters on that front either.

As she awoke from her slumber, Kahlua could hardly believe what she saw. Shadows danced among the trees, but they were not caused by the pale moonlight. The sun was back. She couldn't help but scream to the heavens in reverie. Gathering up the pile of rubies she had made into her mouth, Kahlua whinnied for joy again then broke into a canter. She had not run so hard or with such intention in some time. The sun filled her with joy she could not subdue as she ran, the fear of monsters and darkness and evil completely lifted from her heart. If there was a word to describe the sheer delight of the moment, she could not think of it. All she knew was that she wanted to share this moment with her herd mates, those she had come to think of as both friend and family.

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Though she had wanted to run the whole way, Kahlua was no marathoner and had been forced to stop her running at some point along her travels. As she came across the borders of the Edge, her coat was damp but most of the frothy sweat had dried itself away. She still carried the rubies in her mouth as she entered the mists. For now, she could not think of where to store them safely and had no time to think about it. She moved with purpose across the edge, knowing exactly where she wanted to go. Her favorite place in the Edge, where the cliffs overlooked the sea. The grandeur of them, though something she would never stop to ponder on her own, drew her to them like moths to a flame. There was something about them that needed to explanation, no thinking, no wonder. She liked that- it was easy joy that even she could appreciate.

As she finally made it to the far north of the Edge, she closed her eyes and broke through the tree line. The sun on her mottled coat infiltrated every artery and vein of her body with warmth it had not felt in months upon months. She wanted to lay in the grass and never move again, never letting the sun leave her body. Kahlua loved Lady Moon for gifting her with the plum colored amulet she wore around her neck, but in this moment she loved Lord Sun and was infinitely grateful for his return. As she opened her blue eyes to the sight, she sighed in wonder before catching sight of two familiar faces. She had not seen them since the darkness had first started and she could not have been happier to see them now.

Trotting over to the pair, she came upon them in a moment of silence. Thor was looking at something unseen atop Lace's shoulders, Lace standing quietly nearby. Perhaps she was too boisterous for a meeting of two gentle, introspective souls; if she was, she did not notice. Kahlua was not meant for the land of Helovia. She was a child that would never outgrow her youth in a land of wearied souls and hardened warriors. She had ambitions, but no intelligence to prove her worth. If she had a place on this earth, perhaps it was not here, but she didn't know the difference. As she halted near them, she lowered her head to rid her mouth of her ruby collection, a pile of peppermint sized stones falling to the ground before she lifted her head again. “My king, my lord, my friends,” she said with a bow of her head, her voice dancing and gay as the sun continued to warm her. “How grand we can enjoy the sun in our homelands, still.” Her innocence was evident in her words and demeanor. She had no troubles on this earth. How could she ever understand the weight of the meeting she had stumbled in to.