Sunshine pours down from the sky, and the damsel revels in it, soaking up every stray bit of warmth, though they are not hard to seek out. The Sun Lord has returned with a vengeance, and made up for his absence with the scorching temper he was renowned for, spreading it physically over the expanse of the Helovian territories with little favoritism. Luckily she was of lighter paint than those with darker canvases, and she wore her colors proudly as finally, at long last, they could be seen. Pale roseate bodice glowed light in the slowly fading summer colors overhead, healthy emerald blooms shuddering and dancing in reverence of the return of their supporting patrons, sending shadows dancing in varying shades of dark jade across her frame. Aureate ribboned legs stretch out leisurely ahead of her, brilliant fuchsia hooves shocking against the sunny patches that play in the fading light of the afternoon. Quad wings flutter gently, the sound resonating as a dove's in the quiet forest, accompanied only by the sound of her breathing and light passage, and various creatures prancing and darting about. Songbirds relay her passage in sweet, harmonious notes to their fellows, swooping down around her as if they somehow know she is kin.

The day is waning, but it is still summer and so the process is slow, and the jaded princess closes her eyes and lets her pace slow to a standstill. Concentrating, she feels every nuance of the wind, every shift of the world around her, and it's exhilarating. For so long, since foalhood, she'd been chasing hopelessly after Leliel. How much had she missed, transfixed as she was by that moody, mysterious colt? How much of Janet had she failed to experience because of her all-consuming love for him? She regretted not taking her youth more seriously, not discovering more of life all because Leliel had capture her heart; a butterfly fresh from her cocoon, one that spread gossamer wings in a cage built from her memories of him.

Everything is silent. And then...the most curious of sounds. It's a cacophony of sound, disastrous and piercing in her ears. Crashing, banging, shuffling and thudding. Her peace is shattered like a vase thrown in anger at a wall, and worry and fear shudder simultaneously down her spine. After all she's on her own now, and when did she ever grow out of her naive, innocent heart? Now, she doesn't have guardians to cry for to save her. Now, nobody would miss her if she were killed. But even so she cannot ignore a soul in distress, it's against her nature, and even if she's scared she steels her nerves and turns to follow the trail of destruction to the source of the horrible sounds.

She doesn't recognize who lies before her when she happens across them, crumpled and broken like a stranded sparrow, blood covering the electric azure markings she'd know anywhere. The blood makes her feel sick, the prone form pulling at her heartstrings like a child with the strings of a violin. Quivering pathetically, they're a sight to behold, and she can't control the gasp that rips from her throat like a dagger. Muriel almost cries out to ask them if they're alright, dark coral hooves striking out to run for them and help, when vocals she hasn't heard in seemingly forever smash her in the face with recognition. It's her name.

"Muriel."

And all at once she realizes- that's not some random aggrieved stranger. That is her beloved- or was he, anymore?- sprawled bleeding on the ground like a crumpled doll, and suddenly she feels sick. "Leliel," she whimpers, as if he has beckoned her from across the world in an instant merely by uttering her name. When had she last heard him speak it without annoyance or anger in his tone? She can't recall, and it only increases the bitterness inside of her, filed neatly under a tab just for him. But she remembers that distrusting, angsty colt from her childhood, recalls the staggering emotions she felt for him, and cannot leave him. "Oh Lele...it's going to be okay, I'm here, you're safe," she crooned, shamelessly dirtying her skin by kneeling beside him, choking and giving a soft whimper as tears began to flow easily down her cheeks upon seeing the state of his face. "Oh Leliel...what have they done to you..." she chokes, because god she loves him but he hurt her so badly...

"It's going to be alright, love, I know a healer, you remember her don't you? Her name is Onni, we met her once," despite the shake in her voice she drapes two of her wings across his back slowly, gently, pressing to his wounds with her flesh as she lays at his side to try and slow the bleeding. Her words are meant to calm and distract, bring his mind away from the pain, and all the while her heart rages on in a tempest of epic proportions. "I'm here, Leliel, everything is going to be okay...I'll make this better, I'll take care of you, trust me." Gods give her the strength to keep that silent promise.

Like a blind kitten he calls out, a beacon for her to focus on as she plunges through the forestry to find the prone figure of her once beloved Leliel. Had Muriel ever been able to walk away from a person in need? She didn't recall ever doing so. Even if someone else had kicked around her heart carelessly, without having been born in the pale golden mists of Janet at her side, she never would have held a grudge strong enough to have ever left them to suffer. The gold edged up her leggings were ribbons wrapped around her heart, gold and pure despite the tarnishing of pain it had gone through. With love and tender care, those smudges could easily be erased, but the one who had helped put those marks there was lying bleeding against her side and truthfully...she didn't know what to do. Muriel was no healer, had done little to injure herself in any sever form aside from accidental stumbles and the one odd fall through the treetops. How could she save him, help him, when she could barely even help herself? Oh how the roseate princess despised her own helplessness, uselessness. What could she really do aside from offer a lovely, glowing smile? She was no fighter, healer, or spy. Useless. But she could not be useless, not now. Muriel was the only living soul around to help Leliel, and she couldn't afford to panic.

Mauled face was all her eyes could see, shredded flesh around his once beautiful sapphire orbs drawing her attention like some sick payment. For not looking hard enough, not staying beside him always. Whatever it was...Muriel likely deserved it. Even still she could not place the blame on his shoulders. Call it habit. There is nothing but the shuddering, wet breath against her neck, the warmth of his lifeblood against her gown, the whimper of his voice. Apologizing. What she intends to come out as a gentle laugh to try and comfort him instead wrings from her throat as a half-sob. Leliel never apologized, not for a single thing, and especially never to her. "Don't be sorry, Leliel. You have nothing to be sorry for..." and she presses close to him, drawing her chin against the curve of his neck carefully, keeping the male's obsidian form close to her breast. If she could share the strength of the organ beating in her chest, she would give as much as possible to him.

Wracking against her he coughs, blood seeping onto her coral coat, but she could care less about appearances. All she can worry over is how much he is losing, and presses firmly to him to try and slow it. It is all she knows how to do, and her mind is scrabbling for an answer, a solution. Quietly, meekly, he whimpers how he is sorry. Sorrow rakes across her insides like a sick, smug demon with nails of doubt and teeth of self-deprecation. "It is in the past. Hush now, please, you must rest. I...I have to figure this out..." Mulberry diamonds flicker across the landscape, heart pounding faster than the stroke of wingbeats of a sparrow trying to outfly a hawk.

Tilting her head high she calls out in her vocals, constructing a song of peril and need for aid, urgent and dire. She can maybe do this alone, but the thought is terrifying, and she doubts her own abilities. Her own strength. For years she has undermined herself, focusing more on making her life as happy as possible. It had worked, but now she had to rely on the substance of her soul, not the paths it had walked in her time. "If...if nobody else is around, love, you're...you're going to have to stand. I am here to help you, we'll get out of this okay? But I need to know, do you think you can walk at all, if we must? Lyrics are kept soft as she presses her muzzle to his matted hair, trying to stifle her worry, and tries to breathe.

Breath is sucked in as his face contorts in frustration, and a part of her, the one that has blossomed since that night she fell to her knees blinded by the darkness of the world, wants to yell at him. She does not, however, because she knows he's in pain, that there are mental scars she can't see hidden away in that locked room inside his mind, the one she'd always wanted to be trusted enough to be allowed into. Instead she keeps silent, not knowing what to say when even his lips don't part to shed his thoughts on the topic. Muriel is tired of filling the space of loneliness with empty, cheerful words. Her heart couldn't handle the lies she told herself with a smile. He was lost in thought anyways, it's not like he would care what she had to say. As if he ever had. Movement, however, did catch her attention. His muscles were tensing almost violently as he began to rise up from the ground, face set in a silent snarl. She rises on her knees to accompany him, fearing for his well-being, knowing his sightless state would only hinder him more and bring infinitely more injuries to him should he try to flee. Which was odd since Leliel was always a fighter, not a runner.

Whatever it is she says, though, it has him sinking back down like a broken puppet to the ground. Lavender eyes are sad as they gaze down at him, not knowing what to say for once. So she remains silent, and so does he, until they are enveloped in their thoughts. Muriel doesn't even know how to react. Leliel had disappeared for seasons, her heart breaking more with every fortnight that passed, and suddenly he reappeared? Broken, bleeding, and blinded? How was she supposed to feel? Finally she had learned to stand on her own, to face each day with a seriousness that she had avoided for so long in favor of acting the fool. She had finally started to forget her midnight painted love. And now here he was, plopped right into her arms, and her mind was in turmoil. She couldn't yell at him and show him how much she'd grown, how strong she'd gotten, like she'd always intended to do when imagining his return. He was hurt and broken now, in more ways than one, and suddenly Muriel was floundering.

Their somewhat awkward silence was broken by the thundering of hooves. Muriel stands, positions herself to be as close to Leliel as possible, just in case it is not help coming like she had called for. But when Onni bursts from the trees, Muriel's breath hitches almost violently, and her eyes are moist with relief and need. She needs Onni now, more than ever, and she just wants to bury her face in the kindly medic's golden tresses and cry her heart out. Hadn't their roles been reversed the last time they'd met? Perhaps it's ironic somehow.

Her name is murmured softly by the painted woman, followed by Leliel's, and the sunset girl is choked up by the simple three-syllable name she holds echoing from her best friend's mouth. Onni moves forward, eyes on Leliel, and Muriel obediently moves away to give the Shaman some room. Above anyone else, she trusts Onni, not only with her own life, but with Leliel's. Listens as Lyhty sings, crooning softly, as Onni murmurs comfortingly to the crumpled man upon the ground. Words that aren't meant for her, but spoken in a tone that makes her feel like maybe she really can make it through this ordeal.

Sunlight pours down like dancing images with no shape, and Muriel watches solemnly as the skin knits together, as the blood becomes stale and lacking a source upon his hide. No words are spoken to her, and quietly the tears fall, hiccuping softly to herself as Leliel's sightless eyes begin to drift shut. Was she supposed to keep him awake? This wasn't her area of expertise after all. So instead she remained silent and hunched apart from the two, wishing she wasn't so useless.