The wretched, blessed days and nights were all I had to look forward to now. I had long since given up hope that the scattering and reassembling of teleportation, I believe that is what it had been called, that I had once known was gone forever now. It was both a wondrous thought and a depressing one. I had never, quite, gotten used to the gift, to losing myself atom by atom and floating in the air to reassemble elsewhere, granted appearing within the confines of an oak tree certainly had not helped matters. Or within a willow, or the Birch that one time oh or the pine, and the spruce!.... I think I have a problem with trees or they have the problem with me. It seems almost all of my memories of using that little talent resulted in me stand half inside a tree and half out among the world... Hm... interesting.

Alas! it had been long enough and I had been without it for all this time before it and after it that I should not mourn the loss, yet nary a day went by where I did not grieve if only for a moment or two. It had been but a temporary mistress and it was gone just like that, before I even had the chance to say goodbye. I did miss it. It had been quite an amusing talent. If ever there could be a place I could once again find myself in possession of it... the apocalypse could crash to the earth and I would refuse to leave if I had that gift again!

Och! Noct, what are you thinking? Get your head together, we are in strange territory!



I sighed, shaking my long mane out as the sun dappled my black back into glowing rings. It was an illusion of the light, unlike the motes of dust swirling in the rays about me, but it was a lovely illusion none the less and I found myself admiring it more than I had enjoyed thinking to myself in the different tones I had once used for peformances. At least I had not lost my accents, or my dialects. My troupe would be proud of me... I am not crazy, I do swear to you I am not. It is just I have spent long years on the road traveling and even when there was the troupe, my adoptive family, there was loneliness. There was also a series of lines to memorize and recite. And then when that had been gone I had been truly alone and left to entertain myself. I blame the troupe. It's the only reason my mind would leak the dribble I once knew.

Or perhaps I just am and that is as it should be and always would be. I stopped, trying to shake an itch off of my brow. Curse my luck! My lion tail whipped back and forth with annoyance as I stretched to press my brow to a nearby tree and rub the itch away. There was a pressure, resistance and then a thunk as my skull hit the trunk of the tree. "My word, what is this?" I jerked back, and did not move. "Oh... oh no! My horn!" Slap me silly, I forgot all about that stupid, stupid horn!.... again.

Now you've gone and done it!

I laughed at myself when I could stop being furious that I had forgotten such an important part of my body. Even if it had no nerve endings, no pain, no blood vessels. It was still part of me. I braced one hoof against the tree, thoughtful and not at all lost of the irony of my situation when just moments before I had been reminescing about being trapped in trees, and attempted to pull myself loose. There wasn't even a rattle in the great trunk of the tree, no leaves or branches shook, nothing trembled. I made no difference to the tree and it made every difference to me. Oh, brilliant, Noct. Going and getting stuck again!

"Can I be of assistance?"

I would have jerked around to look at the mare that had so easily crept up on me had I not been trapped. I did, however, attempt to spin. The attempt was a token effort, it would seem. The tree held firm and the best I could do was turn an ear and my eye, swinging my body around to a strange angle that really was unpleasant. "I would greatly appreciate it, if you would." I confessed to her.

On the bright side my itch was gone. Because that's the most important problem, not your horn trapped in a tree or the fact that predators could kill you right now. Of course the itch was the most important problem! If it had still been there I would have been in agony, and likely caught myself again trying to scratch it. I only hoped she wouldn't ask how I had ended up like this. I couldn't very well tell her the truth and it was unlikely she would help if I lied with bravado and said I was chasing some vagabond off. I was the vagabond and I still had no idea where I was.

Be still my wild heart! She was a lovely creature, delicate, poised and- round? Well, Noct, you haven't a thing to worry from her now. She's quite pregnant, which means she's quite taken. It didn't stop me from admiring her appearance, as much as I could from where I stood, however, but it was the Dragon that had been doing a double take when i started to look away and focus on the tree again.

Dragon? Indeed it was a dragon! So there were companions here, as well? Did that mean there was magic? It would be possible to gain back what I had lost? My heart rose up before I could remind myself that hope was a foolish and cruel mistress. I cleared my throat, trying to calm myself. "It must seem silly of me, but I have forgotten to introduce myself, I am Nocturne and whom might you be?" I wanted to ask about the dragon. I wanted to know more. The vivid red against the serene forest and her creamy coat was striking and kept drawing my pale gaze back to it. Just what was that clicking sound it was making? I tugged, trying to free myself and ground my teeth against the ache in my neck. At least I had not stood here for hours waiting for help. That would have been exhausting, and probably more embarrassing...

"My apologies, madam, I will hold still." just as soon as I straighten back out. Carefully I moved back to relax my neck and turned an ear to listen to her. Resplendence, that was certainly an excellent name for her. I had no clue what a Moon Doctor was or what the Worlds Edge was though I supposed that could just be where the world ended. It made sense. There was a herd there? Why would anyone want to live at the edge of the world. Wasn't the world round though? How could it have an edge? The weight of the dragons tail on my neck pressed down on me, surprising me as he settled onto my crown. I rolled my eyes up to try and look at the little red creature, amazed. "Oh, thank you kindly Valiance; may I call you that?" It would be most unpleasant to find out the dragon did not want me calling them by name! I smiled to Resplendence.

"He is a most valiant companion indeed, and it is a pleasure to meet the both of you." tiny bits of wood and bark flicked out and ticked against my face and the base of my white horn. I closed my eyes and turned my ears to keep the dust and tree bits from irritating anything. She spoke again as the dragon lifted up and away. I stepped back, careful to follow her request to the letter to not fret the kind lady. For a moment my horn resisted deeper inside the tree and then, with a soft audible 'pop' it slid free as I stepped back and away from it. "Ah-hah!" I cried with triumph, shaking the bark and dust off of my head and hair. "My sincerest thanks, truly! I do not know what I would have done alone." and the itch was gone! I bounced back further from the tree, twisting to rub sap off of my horn against my hip.

My tail lashed slowly back and forth behind me, tangling the silken hairs against the grassy, leaf covered earth. I turned, certain my horn was as clean again as I could make it just then and dipped in a polite bow to Resplendence. "And now I might speak with you direct, lady Resplendence. I am grateful you came by when you did. It there is aught I can do for you or your kindly companion do let me know." That was a debt I feared I wouldn't cover again. It was likely I would ahve killed myself, or been left to be killed, stuck like that. How often would a kind soul come by and how many kind souls were available to do so, really, in this world?

Now that I could face the lady I found myself amazed. There was a settling of maroon... glitter? All about her hair. Where had that come from? I stepped towards her, lowering my head to the level of the end of her mane to stare. "Just where have I wandered too?" I whispered, more to myself than to miss Resplendence. I could not stop staring at that dark red dust shining in the dappled sunlight. A dust that helped bring the red of the dragon into a whole new blend of 'perfect for her'. The colors all tying together around me to accent her. Much more thrilling than black and white.

"Then i shall," I dipped in a half bow to Valiance with a smile. There was nothing of mock in my gestures, I meant everything in sincerity. Honesty and honor was very dear to me and I would not part with it now. Regardless of how unknown and new I was! "Valiance. If it is no trouble I hope I might be able to qualify as a friend to you as well." Oh I could not hope to part the crimson critter from her and I would be most horrified if anyone tried, I had met a few in the lands before here who had companions and who had suffered their loss. It was a most horrifying idea, to see any suffer through that and I was not so sure surviving was better than following the lost. I did, however, hope I could be friends none the less.

In a perfect world meeting miss Resplendence would have gone much smoother. It would have happened without my horn being trapped in a tree. The world was not, however, perfect and it did have an obscure sense of humor. I had to admit that the stage it set for me and my performance this time have been perfect, though. The world had handed me a beautiful, clean slate and it was telling me, whispering- no! Singing to me!- to go forth and write my life as I desire it to be now! And here, here and now it was giving me that chance with a new friend and a- "Pardon?" had she just said what I thought she had? I stared at her, half dazed as my mind wrapped around the offer. I did not mind escorting her, that I would do for any lady in her condition. I'd have offered but... welcome me home?

A home... She had offered to me a home. Helovia. I had never heard of this land before and I was not sure I would ever know how I had found my way here, but if every land was as lovely as this threshhold forest I was certain I could be quite happy here. "I'd be honored to accompany you, but do you not need to rest first? A few days journey to here in your state- surely you need the rest?" There was no way she had been comfortable traveling in her state and alone! Who ever would want to bring harm to her, though? That would be- unthinkable! "Though I sincerely hope a fight does not occur I will gladly defend you." I offered, hoping it would be reassurance enough for her.

"If they will have me I am sure I will be happy to join you and yours, Resplendence. Peace and knowledge sounds like a wonderful focus." And like just the type I would get along with the best. Not enough would be happy to listen to me in my longer tirades and few will raise their children to enjoy a good, humorous and non-harm inducing jest and I do miss entertaining others. Jesters are few and far between and thespians fewer and farther these days. It was almost a depressing thought, that one. I offered her another warm smile, trying to not stare at the collecting crimson dust around her. "If you would please point the way I will join you." Oh, Noct. What are you getting yourself into? Hopefully a home, a safe place, somewhere happy that I could finally settle down. Maybe even grow roots.