<sub>The sun beat down hard on the sandy shore, a soft lapping of dreamy blue and white waves rolled up onto the land. Bright rays bounced off a calm sea, creating a spectacle of magnificent colours. Something small and wet rolled behind a gold lobe and trailed past a cheek eventually meeting a point at the chin. The drop fell to the grainy surface, quickly being swallowed by the harsh heat. Worn, cracked hooves sank graciously into the sand. It was warm. Too warm.

Torasin opened his eyes.

He hadn't ventured here for a long time. The stallion rather liked the beach, it was always so calm and serene. It worried him for it to be so warm this early in the morning. Being an early riser he liked to watch the sun wake up and as he did the place had quickly become humid and sticky. Eyes turned upwards to watch Kiba who was playing about in the sand. Torasin found joy in watching the young dragon discover sand and sea, it reminded him of when he too was a young colt. Feeling his companions gaze Kiba took to the sky and returned to the paints side, emitting feelings of excitement. Tor narrowed his eyes mischievously at him and then turned towards the sea. I think we need to cool off he thought to Kiba.

Those same worn hooves twisted into the sand and with a great surge of power Torasin galloped off to the sea, Kiba flying alongside him. Soon they reached the shoreline and Tor plunged into the bright blue water. The stallion felt relief tingle through every bit of his hot body as cool liquid splashed onto his gold and ivory fur. He slowed into a prance and began to flick the water at Kiba. The dragon responded by thrashing his tail over the surface, thoroughly drenching Tor's surprised face. Torasin narrowed his eyes and flicked his hoof through the water, Kiba's agile flight dodged the barage of water the stallion sent his way.

And so, a playful water fight ensued. A once calm shoreline now rattled with the sounds of splashing by both equine and dragon.</sub>

The salt ridden water seeped into both scale and fur, pale mane was plastered to the sides of his neck and a tail hung heavy between the butter like legs. Familiar air drifted around the pair, Torasin turned to see Akaith joining Kiba and Mirage splashing her way in. He closed his eyes as a wave of water sent by the mare splashed onto him, his features lighting up in laughter. "I've been here before and always meant to come back" it was just after he'd fled the invasion and found Evangeline here. It had not been so warm that day.

Kiba cried out in joy as he played with Akaith as Tor watched them fondly before turning back to Mirage. His hoof glazed the top of the now foamy sea surface and flicked it in Mirage's direction. "How are you ma'am on this harsh fiery day?" A simple enough question yet Torasin hadn't seen her since the meeting with Brooke and it made him wonder if she was mad at him. It was always hard to tell with Mirage and Torasin was beginning to struggle to look at her properly. His confession to Brooke that day had made him place the feelings he had for this mare aside, yet his heart could not help but berate him for some form of betrayal. The paint silently scolded himself for being such a pushover and not a real stallion. Only Mirage could release him from this torture.

Liquid flew into one of his golden lobes causing him to shake his head violently. Forlock now plastered over one ear, Torasin turned to Kiba with narrowed eyes.

The water was beginning to loose its cooling effect, but whether it was the suns blistering rays or the internal struggle bearing down on the salt soaked stallion was not known. Too kind of heart for his own good. Too indecisive to help anybody else. Fool. It was something he'd been telling himself over and over recently, his late incompetence to speak honestly of his heart was driving him to regret opening himself up to Mirage when he knew he loved another. At the time it was done out of the thought he'd never see Brooke again and the paint did truly care for the mare. If the other had not returned, Torasin was sure he would have fallen, in spectacular style, for the alluring black mare. The other worry that plagued him now was if Brooke disappeared again. His late fathers words crept up from a long memory...

"Sometimes, Torasin, fate is not kind to all. Even to those who shine brighter than the great stars of the blackened sky"

A colt he had been that day, upset from being bullied by the other young foals of his herd. With a start he realized Mirage had shifted to meet his gaze her soft muzzle touching his, mossy eyes met the tawny ones of hers. He obliged the unasked request and smiled at her reply, widening it at her return inquiry and admittance of not understanding his feelings. To which he himself found ironic, all the while he was wondering what she was feeling, maybe Mirage had been doing the same. His gaze lingered a while whilst he turned over the words she spoke "dear friend". He thought back to the arrival of Rishima, Mirage and Vikram's inside joke. The pieces inside his mind fell into places and Torasin finally came to the conclusion that he was always going to play the 'dear friend'.

And you will be the greatest and most loyal friend to her.

The thought moulded itself into a promise, a sense of relief flooded over him. It was combined with feelings of encouragement sent by Kiba in short intervals during the paints revelation. "I could not lie to you even if I tried. So you should know I will always be a troubled horse, as I know you understand..." A similarity Tor had picked up on when they had first met, the need to disguise histories scars behind an intricate facade. His own one of ignorant bliss and jolly disposition. "But I too am well and do not worry yourself over my feelings. Not even I understand them but... Thank you for being such a kind friend to me, Mirage. I feel that my recent plagued thoughts have put some distance between us, but I promise to be the most loyal friend you will ever have!" His sincere promise was rather out of the blue, he didn't know if she wanted to talk about the past events. So instead, by careful choice of words, he took it upon himself to let Mirage know he understood he was only to be her friend. The typical, beaming Torasin returned.

His eyes zoomed in on a never before seen marking on the side of her neck as she flicked her head, drinking in the gold dragon shape. Brows furrowed as she spoke again, a dragon? His gaze softened again as he shifted his muzzle to gentle graze it, "who can ever really understand the gods. The ones here seem to like doing the extremes..." He chuckled a little at the end. "It is a beautiful mark. You do seem to attract the dragon kind." Even an equine dragon, Vikram's imposing presence made Torasin look like a pony. And the paint wasn't that small. "Kiba too enjoys your visits." It was only natural, Torasin's keen love for the mare and her golden companion had rubbed off on the brown dragon.

It just wasn't meant to be. The obsidian femme and he. There was an unseen barrier that had cemented itself between the two hearts, each taken by lovers yet both longed for one another. It was pain and bliss all at once. Maybe in the alternate world Torasin and Mirage would live out their lives happily together, with their own children running around their feet. Driving each other insane as mates seemed to do. Maybe fate had something else for them to do which kept them apart. The paint could not deny his love for Brooke, an odd pairing but she had without question captured his princely heart. Even if the relationship was rocky at the best of times. His devious lover was capable of upping sticks and leaving him in the dust, yet Torasin remained by her side. Idiotic or not time would only tell. He would soon have a new responsibility with the imminent birth soon to pass, little did he know he would have 2 responsibilities as Brooke seemed to have been blessed with.

He embraced her touch happily, taking a much needed comfort from it. Mirage would always be very important to him and the stallion was glad they could have genuine days like this. His heart betrayed him and quickened a touch as she blessed his mane with her breath. Torasin sighed rather guiltily, he was not allowed his touch and was rather glad when she pulled away. If it truly was Vikram whom she had chosen, he did not want to step onto his territory. Torasin was rather weak in the muscle department in comparison and he did consider the dragon horse a dear friend. Ears swivelled and his body rippled as he shook himself from time to time when Kiba and Akaith continued their water fight. After a little while, Kiba had decided to sit on his bonded's rump, seemingly tired of flicking water at anyone who came near. Tor twitched his pale tail up to whack him playfully in the side. Kiba frowned at him in mock outrage.

Torasin inclined his head as she spoke once more, grinning at the two dragons. How did I get by without him... Amused thoughts wondered. Slowly, an intense surge of laughter came over him and Tor looked towards Kiba. What's so funny hmm? Mind speech was beyond them at such a young age, but the brown easily effected the paints moods. Still, he was curious to know what his bonded found so funny. Rolling his eyes, Tor turned back to Mirage.

A beaming smile broke out across his sun kissed face, part of his forelock had been flattened by the sea water with his 'happiness' marker gleaming brilliantly on his thigh. "Hmmm, I promised to look after him but sometimes I think its the other way round" it was true. Whilst Torasin did look after him, Kiba also looked after Tor. It was one of those things he was learning about dragons. Thoughts turned back to Mirage's marking and this time to the Moon Goddess. Torasin knew about the gods, each land seemed to have their own and worshiped them accordingly. The paint never really got to grips with the gods, he honoured each he came by but never worshipped one particular. He's already come to the conclusion that if he was born in Helovia it would be the Sun God who would earn his worship. Thank the lord I wasn't born here then it troubled him that a god would go to the extent of marring the land in such a way. It made him angry but confused. It was also the first time Torasin had decided he should pay attention to the religion of a land. Maybe he should pick a side, instead of sitting on the fence like he normally did. But how do I do that? Puzzled as always, if Torasin ever went down in legend it wouldn't be for his brains.

Mirage seemed to be puzzling over the gods as well. Or maybe one in particular. It was hard to know exactly what she was thinking, "What do you think about them... the Gods of this land? They puzzle me greatly ma'am" his honesty was prominent in his gentleman vocals. He knew Mirage may know more of them than he did, plus she was older and wiser than him.