When she first awoke, the girl was lost, breathing heavy, surrounded by glowing blues and greens, trees and brush falling from the ceiling and growing from the floor, the sounds of the others in the cavern eerie and muted. She saw none of it, mind still whirling from where she had been, lunging at Resplendence, mouth open, ready to bite her, to maul her, to make her bleed and fall to the floor, crying and begging for mercy. Kahlua shuddered. She wasn't a monster on the outside, but it seemed that inside she still had some healing to do.

Still, the girl breathed heavily, unable to fully calm herself, unable to convince herself that she was not going to turn back at any moment. She had drank from the waters, had her fill, stayed in that room of the caves for several days in case she needed more, but she did not trust them. No matter what Kaj said, no matter how Resplendence tried to tell her... She didn't believe that she was safe to be around. No, somewhere deep inside she knew that she was still a monster. And, perhaps... perhaps she deserved this suffering for what she had done, attacking her friends, family and strangers alike.

Kahlua was hungry, starving even, body growing thin from lack of food. And she was exhausted, eyelids heavy and hard to hold open, but even with all the greenery around her, she couldn't bring up the nerve to eat, to force herself to swallow down what was before her. All she did was stare, and try to calm her breathing, and try to stay awake. She couldn't go back to sleep. Not when there were so many nightmares waiting to grab her, take her, pull her under. She needed to stay awake. And besides.... she had a companion.

As a head poked through the bushes before her, Kahlua started backwards and eyed the face with fear- but not fear of the mare, fear of what she could do to that mare. But inside, she did not feel the urge to lunge that she had felt when she was a monster, she did not feel glee at the idea of mauling the girl, and so Kahlua relaxed, with a heavy sigh, and tried to smile, though it was difficult. And, unsurprisingly, as Kahlua always wore her feelings on her face, the new mare seemed to know exactly what was wrong.

Kahlua extended her nose forward, returning the greeting, and was just beginning to blabber something about how the unicorns and pegasi weren't actually bad, when Mauja spoke her name. Kahlua. And because she was weak, the girl moved towards him, relief washing over her, her heart aflutter with so many important things to tell him but none that really seemed important right now. “Oh Mauja,” she said as she tried to reach out, to touch her nose to her shoulder, though he didn't seem the regal beast that she had cowered before just a short time ago. Really, all she wanted to do was fall against him, to soak up what strength she knew was in his mind and soul, but she restrained herself, if only by the slimmest degree of self control. “Gods Mauja, I was a monster... Lena saved me,” she bleated out, sighing softly before turning back to Mermaid, whose original comment she had likely confirmed.

“I'm Kahlua,” she provided, then found her smile again. “I'm happy to meet you. I like this room, it's rather pretty,” and she rambled on pleasantly enough. But honestly, selfish as she was, and having found a friend she knew and trusted, she wanted alone time with Mauja. But she would have it in time, she was sure. It seemed like there would be so much more time here in the caverns. “Any news from... from above?”