Death. She had seen it- Hototo giving his life for the good of Helovia, saving the murder sleuths that had found the perpetrator in this all. Gaucho, an innocent, life ruined at the whims of the goddess who ruled her land. So who was more to blame- the Wildfire or the Lady Moon? Or, at that, perhaps the Sunshower herself was to blame, for letting her herd live under the guidance and protection of a conniving woman. Of course, the queen had never found the Lady Moon’s advice to be bad until this moment. Hadn’t the Lady Moon guided Kahlua out of her depression, brought her into the light through her shadowy words, helped pick her head up when the Sunshower only wanted to bury it in the sand?

But, at the same time… hadn’t Kahlua only ever wanted peace for Helovia? No death, no mysteries, no murders, no fear around every corner? She had wanted friendship and happiness. Under the reign of the Lady Moon, it seemed that they could never have that. For not the first time in her life, the queen wanted to run away from the Edge, run south to the Throat where goodness and light prevailed, where warm sands would rise up around her hooves and calm her, leeching the sadness out of her.

She could not. She had to head home. She had to tell Resplendence. She did not want to break her friend’s heart, but the Edge had to know. They had to keep themselves safe, for Kahlua had seen the shadowy woman be banished to the corners of the Edge. She had to keep her herd safe, even though she was afraid.

Slowly, her hooves took her in the direction of her homeland.

Outside of her homeland, the queen stopped, shifting and swaying back and forth, the shattered glass of the wall many yards ahead, the queen not daring to get nearer. Did walking the woods, knowing what the Lady Moon had done, mean that she endorsed such activity? And what… what if the Lady Moon appeared to her? How would the queen respond? She did not want to know the answers to these questions. “Resplendence!” she called out, hoping the pretty woman would hear her. She had many, many friends in the woods, but in times such as these, Kahlua really wanted and needed family- her sister. Dear Resplendence, whom she had befriended so easily and loved so deeply. Perhaps she would know what to do when Kahlua did not. And if not, at least they could mourn together.

There must be something she was missing… The darkness in this lands, the evil the Lady Moon had caused- was there a reason?

@[Resplendence]

As Res arrived with her dragon, Khan descended from the tree branches and settled upon the queen’s back, talons digging into her flesh on her shoulders, making her wince. She often wished he wouldn’t grab her so harshly, but then… Could she really stop him? Shaking her body slightly, the queen looking up just in time to see the blush-hued woman bowing her head. The Sunshower was taken aback. Furrowing her brow, she was struck into silence as her sister’s harsh words hung in the air. Madam Kahlua. She’d never been called anything so formal by Res before in her life. Why now?

If she stopped to think about, and surely she did try, she might have remembered the distant way that Res had been acting. Yes, they had been working together to solve the mysterious murders that were showing up around Helovia, but had the queen ever bothered to actually pull Res aside and speak with her? No… their meetings had been short, business, the queen always rushing off to attend to one thing or another. There was so much to do, and so little time for her to do it in… Of course, if even she had really realized these details, she wouldn’t have any excuses. Family was family, no matter the obligations. The queen needed to remember that more often.

“Res,” she said gently, sadly even, stepping forward, trying to extend her nose towards her sister’s. Would Res accept, or push her away? Raise her nose in greeting, or remain stoically still? The queen trembled, waiting, hoping, not knowing what the answer would be. Whatever she had done to make her sister upset, she hoped it was not too much. “I’m sorry,” she babbled, withdrawing her nose as she apologized for something… she wasn’t even certain what it was.

“I had some things I needed to tell you… in private,” she said, eyes shifting warily towards the borders that lingered in the distance. She could hardly see the glass wall’s skeleton now, but she knew it was there. She knew every crack and crevice, every turn and angle in the wall’s path. “But they can wait,” she said, eyes returning to her sister’s face, searching there, looking for something that would clue her in as to what was going on. “What… what’s wrong?”

On her back, Khan twitched and shifted, eyeing Valiance, almost tremoring in desire to jump up and chase after the little red in a sort of game. However, for the moment, he was able to contain himself. Something in his bonded’s demeanor restrained him. Was this him… growing up?

It was like a dagger to the queen’s heart as Res pulled her head away, creating distance where Kahlua had tried to reduce it. The queen was not sure what had caused such a rift in their relationship, but she prayed to the gods (except, perhaps not the Lady Moon) that it could be fixed. The Sunshower had many friends, many good friends even, but few that she thought of with as high regard as she did Resplendence. Right from the moment they had met, Kahlua had known they would be good friends. The pink woman had been gentle and patient, even as the queen had fumbled through the underbrush trying to pick the (apparently) wrong plants from the ground. Whatever this was, the queen was not willing to let it ruin the bond they had forged.

And whatever it was, it was clear she was about to find out-

As Resplendence’s words bite through the air, Kahlua withdrew sharply and her eyes widened. There had only been one other occasion when she had heard Res sound like this. That was when… Aurelia. It didn’t matter, the queen’s ears turned sideways in confusion, but her blue eyes never left the pink princess as she went on her tirade. Of course, the queen was not content to just sit there and listen. Reactionary as she was, she felt her heart begin to beat faster and her eyes begin to moisten with tears. She hated fighting, but she also didn’t want to stand and let Res berate her for reasons that she found to be unjust.

“Well just hold on a minute,” she started when Res had finally finished, her tone taking on a hurt and snappish quality. “Who ever said we weren’t friends?” She had done her best to keep her work and personal lives separate, but clearly in this moment they had melded together. “It wasn’t must me that demoted you, and I looked for you. I couldn’t find you anywhere! And you know what? Things got a little busy.” Resplendence had stepped backwards, but Kahlua moved forwards towards her, not willing to let this little fight tear them apart.

“You’re not the only one with problems, you know. Have you bothered to ask me how I’m doing? Have you thought that maybe I’m having a bad time too? Helovia is plagued by some murderer running around and killing everybody. I’ve got to keep them safe. Everybody looks to me, everybody wants me to make sure that nothing happens to them. That’s a lot of stress on my shoulders.” Snorting, she narrowed her eyes slightly. “And then! You know what then? Then I find out the murderer was being controlled by the MOON goddess herself. Our goddess, Res. And they banished her to our forest. And I’m just supposed to deal with that? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?”

As she worked herself into a frenzy, tears began to fall from her eyes. She hated fighting. She hated being mad at Resplendence, and that Res was mad at her. “We wanted you to be Moon Doctor again,” she started, her sniffling voice all but a whisper this time. “I was coming to find you, to ask you.” Slowly, she reached forward again, her hoof lingering in the air as she tried to decide if she should move closer again. “I don’t want to fight Res,” she said, almost defeated. “Don’t hate me. I’m sorry. I can’t change what happened, but I’m here now. Talk to me… tell me how you’ve been feeling.”

Fluffing his feathers upon her back, Khan waited with bated breath, his body still as a statue. Would the pink woman accept the apology? For his bonded’s sake, he hoped so.

Res’ words on the Moon Goddess were the truest that Kahlua had ever known, and the feeling that she had been trying to find words for since she had found out about the Lady Moon. Can’t protect ourselves. Kahlua knew that. She knew it so much that it hurt her- all she wanted to do was keep the little herd she had left safe and happy. Could she lie to them and tell them everything would be alright, when the Moon Goddess would be wandering their lands? The Edge was big, but not that big… they couldn’t avoid her forever.

But, in the moment that Res rushed forward, nothing mattered to the queen anymore. Her friend was there, pressing against her, and the Sunshower pressed her nose and neck and everything else that she had back against her sister. And though Kahlua had yelled at Res, in some ways she knew that Res was right as well. The painted woman could have gone in search of her, could have tried to find her in the shadows or ask her what was wrong when they had been trying to solve the murder mystery. She hadn’t- and in that respect, she had failed in her duties.

Perhaps she had just assumed that Res was strong enough to handle it. As for Quilyan… the queen didn’t even know what to say. Why had he gone? It was a question for the ages, a question that the queen could not answer. Kaj had known the specter better than she had, and if he had given the Stormbringer a reason for his absence, it had not been shared with Kahlua. Res’ tears ran on as she spoke, but Kahlua did not try to stop them. Tears were the best way to express emotion, to get out stress and relieve the pain that built up within. She understood, and she let Res cry and talk, and ask questions that Kahlua would never be able to answer.

In the end, with so many questions presented to her, the queen wasn’t even sure where to start, but she had to start somewhere. So she just said what was in her heart… it was a lot. “I don’t know why he left, Res. I don’t know why he would want to be apart from you. You’re so smart, and I’ve never met someone more loyal to their family. Maybe… Maybe we could talk to Reeni. She might know.” A frown crossed the mare’s lips- another friend that she had been apart from too long.

“I’m sorry Res, I never wanted to let you down like that either. I love you. You’re amazing, and whenever I have problems I know I can come to you for answers.” Managing to laugh just a little bit, she turned her head back towards the scar that remained across her left hip. “Remember when we fixed that?” she asked, knowing of course that Res would. That was the first time they had met, and the last time they had ever called each other stranger. “You haven’t failed anyone. We all just got a little lost along the way. Be our Moon Doctor again… please?” The queen’s blue eyes went back to her friend, begging her to say yes.

“And I don’t know what to do about her, Res. I’ve been thinking about it since I found out. She’s always been so kind to us- She promoted me and Kaj, she gives all of us our powers, she’s given me and the herd more advice than I ever would have thought possible… But then she does this…” She sighed. There was too much here to sort out, and she didn’t even know where to begin. “But you’re right, we have to tell them…”

Thank you. Kahlua wasn’t even sure what Resplendence should be thankful for. The queen was all but useless, had said nothing, had no answers, had no words of wisdom or advice. She knew plenty about broken hearts, but not because her love was too far away. Her love was suffocating her, here too much, too close, too… everywhere. Too full of feelings that she didn’t know what to do with, too full of ideas about the future that she couldn’t be a part of. Too much- and she couldn’t do anything to stop it. How could she help Resplendence, when her own problems were so very different?

“Oh,” she stuttered out uselessly to Resplendence, a frown crossing her lips. How had she not known about Nasreen and Resplendence? She supposed it had just been so long since she had seen either of them… But two of her best friends, and they were at odds with one another? The queen… she just couldn’t have it. It hurt her very heart to think of it. Still, it wasn’t to be fixed now. Another time, perhaps. “I’m sorry Res. It’s not your fault. I’m sure Nasreen is just upset too, she didn’t mean it.” She tried to soothe with her gentle coo, not knowing whether the words she spoke were true or false.

“But I’m glad to have you back, Doctor.” A gentle smile widened her lips, although it would not stay there long. Resplendence was so much more insightful about the Lady Moon, thoughts that Kahlua would not have dared to think on her own. And then there was the story of Res’ quest. Leave the Edge? Why would the Moon ask her to do such a thing? It just didn’t make sense… What had been a smile became a frown. “I’m glad you didn’t leave. I can’t believe she asked you to do that.

Everything is just so… Your quest, poor Gaucho, the darkness and the insincerity… Res. What are we going to do? If we don’t stay here… where would we go?” Her mind whirls and thinks, but there is nowhere. Her herd, her people… She cannot take them to another herd for Asylum. There are too many who have worked too hard for their ranks. She cannot ask them to give them up. If they went to the Throat or the Falls, they would all have to start again under the rule of another. The Basin was not an option. And the wilds? No protection, no homes, no magic… no ranks. The Edge was the only place they could go, and the only place they needed to escape from.

Still, perhaps Res had an answer that Kahlua did not. Where would they go? She waited.