She does not care that another approaches, barely even hears their graceful steps, their cloven hooves fall upon stone, gentle as the wind that used to roll over the misty mountains of the Basin. As soft as snow, the voice rings, deep yet sensitive, understanding to her even if it is only a name. Ebony auds perk, emerald eyes widening as the familiar lyrics befall her ears. A pleased yet solemn smile falls upon dark lips, pleasantries dancing through her mind of a moonlit night, silver lake shimmering beside them, flowers budding beneath their hooves, and the aroma of love spreading all throughout.

For one who's visions are so faded, this seemed to be the best of them all, the one that looked so real. For a moment she thought maybe it was real, this moment seeing the grullo dancer before her, features illuminated by her sparkling stars, shimmering before him. She lets out a squeak, voice refusing to work with her as she gazes into those earthen eyes, those understanding, wise eyes that can uncoil her, take apart all that she is, skin her down to bare bone.

The surprise and shock that was in his voice makes her want to cry more, did he expect her to be dead? Did he think she had become one of them, one of those demons that lurk above their heads? More tears fall from her eyes, staining her cheeks, falling to her vessel's fur. She tries to walk to him, legs unsteady as she makes her way towards the grullo, still sobbing profusely.

Broken lyrics fall unsteadily from her lips as she gazes at him, her emotions falling everywhere, a shooting star flickering within her universe. "C-Carnesîr?" She stutters, eyes widening as she stares at him, bottom lip trembling. The fear fades, replaced by a sudden burst of anger, brows narrowing. "You scared me so much! I thought you were dead! I thought— I thought you were one of them!" She cries, falling forward towards him, desiring his gentle touch. She wanted to make sure this wasn't one of her silly fantasies, the ones that always make her long for him and cry for endless hours.

She talks again, still in pain from the scare he had given her. "Y-you left me alone. I was alone, Carnesîr, alone and afraid." She swallows the knot that wriggles within her throat, choking on her own tears and emotions. She wants to show him her pain, how she felt through the time he left her, he scared her. "I was so afraid... I didn't know what to do..." She falls before him, if he stood where he had when he called her name.

In that moment she begins to weep, tears pooling below her upon the stone ground, reflecting the pain in her heart. It also reflects the many stars that glow around her, orbiting her bodice as though she is the center of the universe, her own star system to admire. Deeply inhaling, the girl finds herself telling her Knight things she wasn't going to tell, things that she kept under lock and key. "I— I care for you, Carnesîr, and I don't want you getting hurt. Besides, I need someone to love at the end of the day." Her laugh is gentle, awkward, hesitant, yet beautiful. Angels laugh with her, a chorus of harmonious laughter as she lays before her Knight. Without him she is a damsel forever trapped in the dragon guarded castle, doomed to die there.

And what good is she then?

"Talk talk talk."

The emotions were far too much for her, heart beginning to crack, fragile and fresh.

She wanted her mother, her blue-maned dam, her bay-bodied sire, her family. She also wanted Tolio, the pearl-horned man who had recently become colder. She wanted the old Tolio back, the one who actually cared, who was sweet, who played with her when she was just a lanky-legged klutz. She begins to cry harder, diamonds falling from her eyes, overflowing from her pools.

He says her name again, and she hicks, gazing up at him as she grasps for air, choking on her crystalline tears. He begins to ask her why she cries, but she cuts him off with her angered words, her complaints of her fears. He seems stunned, but she pays no heed to that, she simply cries, vision blurred by her tears. Her vessel hangs back at the entrance to the cave, watching the couple carefully, pale orbs flickering to the familiar grullo stallion. She sees through his eyes, watching her weep and Carnesîr lean over her, preening her ebony covered withers. She can feel the pain in her companion's heart, the want to tell her it's okay, yet she also finds an envy that this man is able to touch her like this. Slowly, this image fades.

Back into her own mind, she feels the pain hit her all at once, continuing to sob profusely. She can barely breathe, but it does not matter, breathing's overrated anyway. His broken speech makes her smile, despite the pain in her breast. In truth, she had no friends. She had no one but Altair and her Knight, who seemed uncertain about being this close to her. Had those silly little games they played in the steaming spring been all a dream? Had she simply been imagining the whole thing? Even if so, she offers a silly smile, giving him (somewhat) reassuring words. "I have no one else—" She murmurs, pain in her lyrics as she sings a solemn song, one of heartbreak, of denial, of rejection.

She frowns at him as he says the first bit of her name, a moan escaping his lips before he says the rest of her name. She wasn't prepared for what came.

Her jaw drops, and the world simply— stops. There is nothing beyond them, they are trapped together in a room of black, his bodice seeming to glow with the truth in his words, and her body begins to tremble, her mind whirling, her world thrown upside down. She chokes on her feelings, unable to breathe as she stares deeply into the deep, earthly eyes of her Knight— no.

He was no longer her Knight.

She turns away from him, from the world. She tries to stand, knees weak as she stumbles away from Carnesîr, ebony ears flattened against her skull. She does not understand how to handle this, if she should reject him, if she should scold him, if she should— she shakes her head at the mere thought of going down just as her mother had, burning up like a star.

With a plain, solemn tone, she speaks simply. "A son?" Her dark lips tremble uncontrollably as she stumbles closer to the wall, leaning to the left, using the wall for support while staring into the corner of the room. She breathes in deeply before coughing, her tears running freely yet again. Her leonine tail lashes furiously as she hears his words repeated over and over again.

"Why did you never tell me?" She turns around, facing him, pain and fear taking over her lyrics. Her melody is no longer soft and understanding, but broken, off-rhythm. "Did you think I wouldn't love you— or care for you once I found out?" Suddenly she feels anger, why he had never bothered to tell her about this? Did he think it was unimportant, he had a son. A goddamned son! Nostrils flaring, pain in her eyes, she screams out, stomping her cloven hoof. "I thought maybe... just maybe, we could be something." She inhales deeply, turning away from him yet again, stars shimmering as she does. She begins to walk towards the entrance, unable to sing the last verse of her song— of their song. It was over now, unable to be sung again, for it was all in her head. She had been a fool not to notice it all this time. "I'm sorry Carnesîr, I suppose we just.. cannot be." Her final words are whispered, a mere breeze in the wind, a change of direction of that which blows above their crowns. "I- I loved you." She begins to walk, back turned to the grullo. Little ashen vessel follows solemnly, head lowered, ears laid back.
"Talk talk talk"
[; A ; i'msosorryomgfrostkindajustwroteherself]