BUT YOU CAN LAY WITH ME SO IT DOESN'T HURT

The words from the one with the fire magic reach my ears, but they don't make sense. She's trying to pretend that she is innocent when she is so far from it. She did this. She did this all. Why can't she just understand!? Why can't she stop it?

So, as the mare crumbled to the ground, the painted female also lurched forward. Bodice pressing up against the dun's frame as she shook, golden orbs squeezing shut. She can't stop shaking. She can't stop this panic from enveloping her mind. And, as Aly's wing wraps around her she winces. "P-please... don't hurt me..." Tears. Panic. The wings held sharp objects - they were going to hurt her.

And Aly's telling Res that Destrier-but-not-really-Destrier had not killed Rowan. She shook her head. "Rowan is dead! No one can bring her back! Just like no one can bring back... bring back.... back my twins..." She ducked her head, burying it in the other doctor's shoulder, refusing to look up at those around her - refusing to take them in. But something is going towards my face, another dragon. Valiance crawling at its side in an attempt to make sure I do not snap at it. Comforting vibes being sent through our bond that I just couldn't comprehend.

And then he speaks, he says his name. The images meld and the horns on his head disappear from her vision as she forces her head up, forcing herself to look at the world. "Make it stop... please make it stop..." she blubbers, limbs trembling as she presses in closer and closer to the other doctor, to feel her heartbeat and force herself to believe that she isn't dead.

But she cannot count, she cannot calm her mind down enough to force the panic away. She needs to breathe, her mind needs to level out. And it seems that it is coming to her. The air seeming to wrap around her, to embrace her just long enough for her to start to count again. One. Deep breath in. Two. Three. Four. Hold it. Ear twitching towards his voice. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Let the air out. Tears still falling, but without the hysterics. Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve. He says it is time to wake up. Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen. Panicked limbs have her shooting up but they are just barely able to hold her. Sixteen. Seventeen. Eighteen. And Valiance snatches her hair again as she bolts to Quil's side, trying to nose her way back under the wing she had run away from mere moments earlier. Nineteen. Twenty. Twenty-one. "You were dead... you were dead..." Twenty-two. Twenty-three. Twenty-four.Twenty-five. She's poking and prodding. Stopping just long enough to press her maw against where his heart is and to feel his heartbeat.

Twenty-six. Twenty-seven. Twenty-eight. She's looking to Destrier as Valiance attempts to snatch the marmoset. If so allowed, he attempts to place her on Res's withers, to give the little one room to braid without fear of being kicked. Twenty-nine. Thirty. Thirty-one. Valiance chirps at Destrier, trying to pull the Friesian closer to his bonded by tugging on his hair. Thirty-two. Thirty-three. Thirty-four. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..." That's all she can say.

Would they forgive her? She's still crying, but the world is at least right again. Nothing is burning, no one is broken. Thirty-five. Thirty-six. Thirty-seven. And then Valiance moves to Aly, trying to tug her towards Res as well. Thirty-eight. Thirty-nine. Forty. He wants them all there. He wants everyone except this fire horse to wrap his bonded in love. Chirps are pleading those around them to give her love - to accept his bonded who is so far broken. Forty-one. Forty-two. She keeps repeating the phrase. She keeps saying she's sorry. Forty-three. Forty-four. Forty-five. She feels like she cannot apologize enough...