He had stayed in the forest for some time, hiding from the rest of the world in the twisting shadows before finally finding the courage to venture from his wooded home. There was no way to tell if anyone was even searching for him; who would be? Apollo wasn't the same stallion that he had been as 'Chief of the Foothills', or even as a Medic. He was a wanderer now, shamed of himself and his inability to help those most precious to him. What would Andreas think of him now, so low and having fallen so far?

A mournful scoff left the Merciful's dark lips at that, honey-brown orbs downcast and bitter. His sister... She had been missing for so long, and honestly, Apollo was losing faith that he'd even see her again. Was this the fate of all that he loved? To have them so close within his grasp, only for them to slip free and be lost to him forever?

Each step that he took was with careful precision, stepping over anything in his path, hooves practically dragging in the sodden earth. Birdsong was among them, and normally the overo would find such tenderhearted solace in the arrival of his favorite season... But this time, he could take no joy in the returning life of vegetation around him. Joy, it seemed, had become a foreign concept to the wayward unicorn.

The stallion's ears flicked forward, listening to the sounds of the Grove. Whatever had brought him here of all places, in the Lan of Lovers, he didn't know. The evening sun shone brightly through the canopy of trees and willows, the skies already turning pink and orange to signal that nightfall wasn't too far away... But the ebonite stallion was numb to it all.

While his body moved, searching for a place of respite, Apollo's mind was elsewhere. He was lost in his memories, lost in nightmares... A bloody battleground in the fury of a storm, a gentle laugh and a loving caress, those heart-stopping, crimson eyes staring into his... Those memories had happened so long ago, and it almost felt like another life. In a way, perhaps it was.

Apollo's head tilted upwards as he stopped, standing stationary beneath the bowing branches of a thick willow tree, nestled next to the crystal clear grove. A breeze danced through the air, rippling the long, cascading branches and causing the soft leaves to brush against his back and sides. The Merciful sucked in a long, tired breath, then allowed himself to slump to the ground, legs folded messily beneath his monochromatic bodice. This would be a good place to rest.

Allowing his eyes to fall closed, Apollo nuzzled the grass beneath him, taking comfort in the hidden embrace of the majestic willow tree. Oh, how far he had fallen...

[ooc: For @[Ktulu] :D Sorry for the kind've shoddy post, Ali. <3 Gotta get back in the groove of things.]

For a long time there was silence, and Apollo drowned in it. Not complete silence, for even though is mind was slow and sluggish, lazy and lame, the world around him continued to spin. The day continued to progress, and the trees continued to dance as the breeze brushed past them. Miniscule waves lapped at the shores of the grove, and bugs and butterflies flitted through the air like flying charms... But it was all lost to the monochromatic stallion, as he had shut his eyes against the beauty of the world.

'Apollo?'

A dream... It had to be a dream.

Yes, a dream... A beautiful dream where he belonged again. The stallion's muzzle dug further into the blades of grass that pillowed him, a soft breath of an exhale leaving his quivering nostrils and buffeting the strands of greenery. A wonderful dream with his dark mistress played in his half-conscious mind, of how they were together again, smitten and playing in the moonlit hills of the Heavenly Field, dancing and flirting like lovesick yearlings... What a wonderful, beautiful, heartbreaking dream, so real that he could hear her voice.

... And yet, he had never told her how he felt, because like a fool he had realized it too late.

'Apollo!'

The Merciful's name came from elegant lips, spoken in that lovely, smooth voice, and it was simple real-ness of it that caused the stallion's honey-brown orbs to snap open, wide and unseeing for the shortest of moments before they focused on the beautiful goddess standing in front of him. Apollo's breath hitched, his lungs stuttering, and his heart faltered... No. He didn't need religion, not now, not when he had finally found the dark goddess that for so long had eluded him. With her, he found salvation. With her, he found nirvana.

"... K... Ktulu?" He asked, head lifting, the crystalline form of his horn catching the last few rays of sunlight that filtered down through the thick canopy of treetops. Slowly, as though his body ached to simply do so, the overo pushed himself upwards and to his feet, his hooves finding trembling purchase in the grass. His neck outstretched, searching for her, yearning for her, as though to realize that this was real and not a dream, not a figment of his cruel imagination. "Is it... Is it really you?"

One hoof took a step closer, his neck stretching further, muzzle seeking her familiar scent and touch... And upon brushing his muzzle against hers, ever so faintly as though she may vanish at connection, his eyes slipped shut and overflowed with tears, heart aching in such a beautiful way that he couldn't hope to find the words to explain it. "Ktu... It's you. You're here, you're here... Oh Gods, you're here."

@[Ktulu]

Before Ktulu herself embraced him, Apollo was surrounded and cloaked by the familiar scent of his dark lady as the distance between them became miniscule. The earth-like, woodsy scent overtook him and filled his nostriles, tinted with sweat and the distinct smell of bear. The smell of Eytan. Briefly he wondered where the brown grizzly had gone off to, for it wasn't very often that Ktulu was without her companion... Save those times, way in the past when he had led the Foothills alone, where Eytan would occasionally venture to his side. Letting him know that Ktulu was always watching, always there, even when she physically was not.

Slowly the stallion's honey-brown eyes opened, feeling Ktulu's elegant, beautiful neck lay over his and gently pull him closer to her breast, like one might do to soothe and comfort a frightened weanling. Her accented vocals reached his ears, and the ebony digits swiveled forward of their own accord, listening, his entire being completely and entirely focused on her.

Oh, he could die happy if only she would speak to him forever.

"I would never want to be rid of you," Apollo found himself whispering out on a breath, the tears on his cheeks beginning to dry because finally, finally he wasn't alone. Because he had finally found Ktulu. Carefully the Merciful shifted his stance, putting only minimal distance between them so that Apollo could rub his cheek against the side of Ktulu's neck, before stretching his neck further and ever so gently begin to nibble and lip at the golden markings that accented the Constrictor's shoulders and back. "Ever, for as long as I draw breath in my body, I... I want to be by your side, Ktu. With you, oh Gods, I feel complete in ways that I haven't for a long, long time."

It was the closest he could go to admitting his feelings for the ebony mistress in front of him, because honestly, Apollo wasn't that brave. He had been many a things in his life; a brother, a spy, a healer and a medic, a Chief, and now a wanderer... But never had he been brave. Sucking in a deep, quivering breath, Apollo pulled back, but not too far, simply so that he could stare within the beautiful depths of Ktulu's eyes.

"Where... Where have you been? What have you been doing? You... You mentioned Kota earlier. You've seen her then? And she's okay?" Because the last time that Apollo had seen the Poisoner, she had been a messy sight, injured because... Because...

Almost immediately the thought ripped itself from Apollo's mind. He didn't want to see Ktulu like that again, not ever again... The only version he ever wanted to see was the one right in front of him; beautiful, ethereal, and worldly.

@[Ktulu]

He was pleased that she didn't mind his gentle nibbles and other such ministrations, releasing a breath of tension against the contours of her back. If she had showed any such expressions of anger or discomfort, the Merciful had planned to pull away, but Ktulu remained firmly rooted in place, much to his eternal relief. Did she enjoy his touches? His playful nibbles? Honey-brown orbs flicked back towards the Constrictor's face and he pulled away only slightly, so that he could easily look upon her beautiful face.

Dark ears swiveled forward at her deep, familiar accented voice and he listened, remembering the caves that had served as homes for many of Helovia during that terrible time of darkness and uncertainty. Sucking in a deep, long breath through his nostrils, Apollo held onto that air before releasing it slowly.

"The Edge?" Apollo asked, recalling the land of mists, ableit briefly. He had stepped foot within that herdland only once before, to guide the mare Antheia to their borders, but that had been that. The invasion that the Grey took place in still riddled his heart with guilty holes, but that was a different time. Things were... They were different, and perhaps Ktulu was right. Perhaps going to the World's Edge was a good idea, to make amends, to make something better of themselves and their futures.

The Merciful could never follow Ktulu's example and become a warrior, but perhaps there could be different ways to help? He had been a medic during multiple durations of his life, and still held onto his healing magic from the mystical earth-stag... Making up his mind, Apollo tilted his head and moved to brush his muzzle against Ktulu's own, but froze at the sound of something approaching. For a moment the overo stallion froze until the lovingly familiar form of Eytan came bumbling through the trees and brush, and seeing the brown grizzly caused warmth and adoration to flood into Apollo's honeyed eyes.

When Eytan brushed against his leg, Apollo chuckled warmly within his throat and lowered his head to briefly nuzzle the bear's smooth fur before he had moved away. "I'm sorry, Eytan," he murumured apologetically, feeling guilt grip his heart once more before sliding away, "I'm glad to see you, though." He was never certain if Eytan could even understand the words that he said, but the grizzly always seemed to know. Perhaps it was just a companion-thing... Maybe one day, Apollo would know the feeling.

"Ktulu...? Could I... Could I perhaps accompany you and Lakota to the Edge?" The stallion's words came out uncertain and hesitant, and he glanced upwards towards the Constrictor through his lashes. "I... Have nowhere to return to now that the Foothills have fallen, and I don't want to leave your side again. I... I want to be with you, from here on out." He was tired of living alone...

Here, he swallowed thickly, suddenly compelled to speak by an unknown beast that demanded he tell the Constrictor how he felt. What if something happened and he never got the chance? Wasn't now the perfect opportunity? "I... I love you, Ktu. I have for... For a long time. You mean the world to me, and... I just wanted to let you know. That I... That I love you. That I have loved you."

@[Ktulu]

He wasn't one for words. At least... Not when it came to expressing his emotions. Especially when it came to expressing emotions that he knew so little about.

Once before he had felt love, but it had been a fickle, foolish thing spurred by beauty and desire. That was in the past, and his heart was healed from such painful memories. It was healed, and now it was dedicated to the sweet, dark mistress who stood before him now... But even though he knew his feelings, Apollo was terrified out of his mind. The words that had poured from her mouth were trembling and full of stutters, his fear of rejection palpable...

Oh, Gods, had he ruined everything? Had his relationship, so wonderful and blissful with Ktulu been ruined because he couldn't keep his stupid mouth shut? Because he couldn't put a snare on his wayward emotions? Surely she didn't even feel for him how he felt for her... Ktulu could have anyone that she wanted, with her smarts, her quick-wit, her beauty, strength, and cunning... Not someone like him. Clumsy, uncertain, goofy... And he was hardly anything spectacular to look at. The thought was disheartening, even more so when the Constrictor's startled, 'What?' reached his ears.

Stupid, stupid... So, so stupid. Good going, idiot, his mind whispered bitterly, ears tilting back in shame and his gentle eyes turning downcast, Now you've done it. You've ruined everything...

It was in the midst of his mental chagrin and self-insults at his own incompetence that Ktulu's next words, uttered softly and embarrassed-like, filtered through his reverie and to his ears... And that had Apollo's head snapping upwards in surprise. She did? 'Me, too.' Did that... Did that mean that she felt the same?

For the longest of moments Apollo stood, stock-still and frozen in place, his mouth partially open with his surprise and his eyes, so impossibly wide with wonder and adoration, locked only upon his dark mistress. It was then that he truly stared at her, realizing that this was probably just as difficult for her as it was for him. Love was a fickle thing, and one couldn't push it...

But knowing that he had a chance...!

"I..." Apollo's hooves shuffled nervously in the grass beneath where they stood. A goofy, boyish grin marred his features at last, and he exhaled a breath that he had been unaware of holding, feeling his peaceful soul settle once more within his dark breast. "I'm glad... I... I was afraid..." Not that Ktulu didn't feel the same, but that she would be disgusted and turn him away. That their close relationship had been tarnished and ruined, yet that, thankfully, wasn't the case. "I was afraid I'd lose you, if I told you, but... I... I'm glad that wasn't the case."

The Merciful chuckled warmly, eyes darting to the familiar bloody crimson of Ktulu's orbs, and he boldly stretched his muzzle out to brush against hers once again. If this was the promise of something new, something exciting and wonderful where he could be loved for who he was... Apollo was fine with how everything turned out, his failures and past transgressions. He was fine with fate.

"Let's go... To the Edge. Together."

@[Ktulu]