K A H L U A

For a moment Kahlua had time to herself, if only for a moment, but her mind did not work. She did not think very often when she was not tired, but today she did not think at all. She heard the winds whisper through the trees, she saw the mists dance and play along the ground, she heard the crashing of ocean waves against the base of the cliff, but she did not think of any of these things. Her mind was empty as her lids began to trickle down to close her eyes. She was so very close to sleep, the darkness of her surroundings lulling her like a babe in a cradle, when the sound of galloping hooves shook her back awake.

For a moment Kahlua was frightened- was it more invaders come to attack? But no. Given a moment to awaken and take note of her surroundings, Kahlua found that it was the fallen angel she counted as friend and savior. Kahlua? You Alright? Kahlua smiled. The sound of Resplendence's voice made her happy. As the mare dropped her head and began her medical exam, Kahlua laughed and spoke. “Resplendence,” was her only response to the questions, her voice warm and kindly despite her weariness.

What brings you here? The question caused Kahlua to shift. She was so excited to give her gift to her friend but she needed rest too. She tried for a moment to stand, but the protest in her legs kept her settled onto the ground. Instead, she contented herself to stay there and look up to her pink friend. The view was not an altogether unpleasant one. Looking up into the mare and her excess hair was akin to sitting under a waterfall and watching the droplets splash down upon you, though Kahlua did not think the words so eloquently.

“I was promoted to Glazier,” she smiled again, wondering if the fallen angel would remember their conversation after the invasion. She was quite pleased with herself about it, both for the selfish reason of wanting to have power over others and for the more personal reason of loving her trade. The way a tired mind often does, her thoughts flitted to a different train and she started again. “I made my home near yours, I hope you don't mind,” she said with a toss of her head off towards the copse that she called her own. In the moonlight, the glass statues were becoming harder to see, but every so often the moon glinted off them in a way that made them shine. Kahlua thought them as perfect as anything.

“But I have something more exciting to tell you,” she started again after looking for confirmation that the fallen angel was content with the location of her own little slice of heaven. This time she shifted her body and after a few moments she forced herself to rise. Although her rest on the ground had been short, she found that her excitement gave her energy to stand up. Besides, she wanted to be at eye level with the pink girl to watch her response to the next thing she would reveal. Without saying anything for the time being, Kahlua simply walked to the head of the garden, careful to avoid the growing plants.

“Do you love it?” she asked as she reached the box, lowering her head to lift the lid. It stopped just past 90 degrees, as she had designed it to, held in place by the glass chain that stopped it from falling back. Inside, it was divided into several compartments that could house various herbs. Eagerly, she looked back to the fallen angel, waiting to see her response. Her blue eyes seemed to sparkle in the moonlight and if she had been able to find the energy she probably would have been bouncing about like a child. There was no way this repaid the fallen angel for saving her life, but it was a slow beginning.