Together, they strengthened opposing forces. Like two poles of a magnet, opposite in orientation, they created an inseparable force. Fire, water, light and wind, they were each other’s antithesis and yet each other’s strength. Against the odds of nature, she and Cirrus bonded in a way that was growing, dynamic. They were not stuck in the awkward throes of mentor and student, and though heavily guarded and wary, Aithniel might, under the right circumstances, even refer to Cirrus as a friend. Even so, she felt free to express herself, unafraid of Cirrus’ smiling face. That expression was not one of taunting adults or too-eager teachers waiting to scold. Instead, she knew that her friend’s(?) smile was something genuine, deeper than just that superficial face paint that everyone seemed to wear atop their pity and amusement.

Cirrus was real, not hiding her flaws beneath the kindly, fake bullshit. Aithniel appreciated that very much, even has her hooves barely grazed across her back as she jumped in the air. The impact from her attack was almost negligible because the cloudy mare was fast, easily dodging away from the sun child’s clever approach. Aithniel chalked up her poor attack to a beginner’s inexperience and the differences in their stature, and she was not at all put out by this fact. Aware of her novice status and unafraid to fail, she was thus invincible. Pride would not stand in the way of learning, not for one as stony and stoic as this strange, abused hybrid.

Perhaps, she was young and naïve. Perhaps not. Darkness lay in her past and clouded her future, some shadows deeper and more difficult to bear. But, the two did not need to compare struggles to find comradery in their mutual, unspoken understanding, and Aithniel landed softly on the ground, running away with that grin on her face. Unsurprisingly, Cirrus responded in kind, the larger mare chasing her down beneath the heat of the midday sun. At this velocity, the warmth rising from the sand was wicked away by the wind hissing through her gold tipped feathers, and she jumped forward, narrowly missing the snapping, white jaws of Cirrus close at her heel. One ear tilted back, listening to the heavy steps of her blue friend coming up on her left side, and she tilted her gaze so that a stony, iron eye could watch as Cirrus’ large, lion’s tail came swinging by.

Aithniel gathered her strength and shoved down with her wings, gliding over the attack and landing steadily on the soft sand, watching as Cirrus bounded upward, the strength of her wings sending a cloud of sand rushing in her direction. Closing black, thick lashes to guard her eyes, she missed that her friend was aiming to copy her earlier technique, only this time, she was far more successful than Aithniel had been just moments before. Not able to tell where she was originally aiming, the fire child ducked her head as she opened her eyes, watching Cirrus’ hooves lash out and collide with the muscles on the left side of her neck, just above her wing. Fortunately, the feathery appendage was not damaged. However, the white hairs had been ripped from a semi-circular indent on her neck, a bruise fast-forming beneath her skin, and Aithniel ground her teeth at the painful sensation. She blew a frustrated breath through her nostrils, trying to make the burn go away with the force of her mind – needless to say, it did not.

Unsure of what she was feeling beneath the fires of rage that constantly warmed her belly, she looked up, not hesitating as second to follow Cirrus into the sky. Two, gull-shaped wings shoved downward as she gathered her strength behind her, feeling the wind rush over her feathers and lift her into the sky. She felt her heart drop as she shook in the sky, unsteady for the first few seconds until she got her bearings. Agile and fast, Aithniel inhaled a deep breath, ignoring the burn in her neck as she craned to find Cirrus in the now 360 degree battle field. She set her iron sights on the cloud mare, finding her difficult to spot at first; her opponent blended almost seamlessly into the environment.

Unwilling to let her focus waver, she tucked her legs to her chest in a steady, spiraling dive. Aithniel tilted her wings again, making a wide, sweeping upward motion with her body to potentially gain altitude above her opponent, lashing out her hind hooves, hopefully when she was closest to Cirrus. The two, flinty back hooves kicked out, clashing together at first to create a small burst of flame. Perhaps, even if she failed to physically kick Cirrus, the flames would linger.