He had come, torn away from his responsibilities by the lingering feelings of regret and accountability. That the Earth God should ask for their help - for his help, was not a request that he could turn down. Not after everything that had happened.

Still, the dun felt a pang of guilt and loneliness as he watched all those around him find partners to complete their task. A shiver ran through Gaucho's core as he watched Ampere and Zekle march off - even his son, Rhoa, had found a partner. Looking around the field, he saw a plethora of faces, but none that he recognized until-

Soh ? There, midst the flurry of bodies that seemed to swell and rise like the sea, she stood. The light seemed to sparkle off of her, as if she was silhouetted just to catch his attention. It was not only his eyes that were caught, but his breath in his chest as well. He had sent Meg to the herds to see what information they could glean about her whereabouts, but as of yet she had not returned. The voices of those around him were muted, his ears deaf to them. Their bodies faded away, blending into the background and causing her to stand out even more. She looked so beautiful in the afternoon light, her bi-coloured gaze shimmering. Perhaps it was merely a trick of the light, or his heart forcing his eyes to see her as he would, but never the less, she looked like the day she had when the two had first met.

A fallen angel.

Striding forward, ignorant of the bodies he hurriedly shoved out of his way in an effort to bridge the gap between the two, he raced to her side. "Jalan atthirari anni-" He whispered breathlessly, although almost tentatively. His mindset that Sohalia had simply left them had been shattered when their son had returned to the Throat, correcting Gaucho's assumptions about the Transcended's disappearance. Without waiting, his mammoth form descended upon hers - his flaming wings spreading out and around her silken and svelte shoulders.

"Don't go..." He whispered into her mane, shutting his blue gaze. Perhaps it was merely the aftermath of the revelation that he was the murderer - or the energy it took to explode the Throat. More than likely it was the lingering effects of what might be labeled his break-up with Ampere ... whatever the cause, holding the Transcended firmly against him filled a void that had slowly been worn away the entire time she had been gone. If his time with Ampere had taught him anything, it was that love could be fleeting, however precious.

He would not let Sohalia go again.