It was finally time.  Past time, really.   She had been delaying this trip for years now, but it had come to a point where there was nothing holding her back anymore.  Her children were grown and gone - her mate…partner…whatever Meph had been to her had been called away to a realm she could not possibly follow by virtue of her mortal blood.  She was okay with that - if Iona was anything she was rational…most of the time, anyway.  However, even when her family departed, she lingered.  For over a year she lingered - busying herself with menial tasks for the remaining resistance members but her heart just wasn't in it anymore.  She was only operating out of habit - automatically - until it was finally time to go to the place where her heart was telling her to go.  

The hollow ache in her chest told her that she had put off this particular journey for too long.  So Iona decided to put her faith in the winds and set off in search of her true other half - her twin sister.  With the decision made, she unfurled her wings and leapt into the skies - following the general direction that her sister had gone when she last departed.

All Iona had was a name.   Well, two names really.  She was looking for a place called Helovia - and a particular land within this Helovia. The name of the place that Aly had spoken so fondly about when she had last come to visit years ago Iona kept repeating over and over in her head like a mantra.  World's Edge.

Prior to getting separated from Aly in that storm, the longest they had ever been apart was a matter of weeks - not years.  But circumstances had kept the sisters apart for far longer. It was clear when Aly had returned home to visit that she had found a place for herself in this Helovia - she was more than just the other half of a set of twins.  She was so much more than just the sweet sister or the kind sister.  And in Aly's absence Iona had found her place as well.  Maybe they needed the separation from each other, in a strange way.  For so long all they had in the world had been each other.  Where one was weak, the other was strong.  Now they had each discovered their own strengths independently of the other.   Iona wondered if Alysanne felt the emptiness inside too.

The journey was not a quick one - and Iona could feel the ache in her bones.  The landscape below was not familiar, but was beginning to mold itself in a way that matched Aly's descriptions.  Knowing she was close, she made her way towards the ground.  She assumed she couldn't just swoop right into the heart of this place and expect a warm welcome. 

Iona, of course, had no way of knowing that this particular moment may not have been the most opportune moment to arrive in Helovia. 

The painted pegasus' discomfort was clearly evident.  As soon as her hooves found the earth, she found it difficult to repress the urge to pace even though she know doing so would be rude. She didn't like the feeling of being a stranger in a strange land.  She didn't really like anything about this particular place but she knew that this was the only way she was going to find Aly - and she certainly wasn't expecting Aly just to drop out of the sky.  From what her twin had described - this was a big place, not just a cozy retreat by the sea.  However the anxiety of being so close to her twin, but still so far was maddening.  

She let out a huff of a breath - trying to calm the tension that had her coiled like a spring on the inside.  However, she knew that such an effort was fruitless so instead she thought it best to explore what she could.  She pulled her wings tightly against her sides, drew herself up to her full height and craned her head around - her green eyes scanning the forest. 

Little did Naerys know she was staring at the wanderer of the family. 

Alysanne had always wanted a home - a place to ground her, to build relationships, to grow a family.   Iona had always wanted to soar the open skies, to see new places, to conquer this world at her fingertips.  Maybe that was what kept Iona so distant from relationships when the twins had arrived in Nocturne.  It is something that had settled, by degree, over time.  It hadn't abated completely.  Now it was a matter of finding purpose.  Without purpose the urge to wander was almost overwhelming.  Right now Iona did have a purpose: find her family.  

She could feel the feathers tucked away under her right wing.  Three pegasus feathers - two from her sons, one from their father - all bound together and hanging somewhere in the region of her heart.  She wasn't the type for jewelry or baubles, but this reminder of her family was a treasure that she would always keep within reach.  

Movement caught Iona's attention only a few moments before the filly called out in greeting.  It took Iona a few moments to process what it was she was seeing.  And why did this child she had never seen before look so damn familiar.  She couldn't make the pieces of the puzzle fit, but it was certainly unsettling.  It also seemed to inspire a strange ringing in the depth of her ears. 

With her ears pricked and her bright green gaze focused on the child - Iona felt that she could hardly blink as the child (who was accompanied by a small bird who sat dutifully on her shoulder). It couldn't be…could it? Could she be an extension of her family she hadn't yet met - this filly…this girl who looked so much like her sister.  Or was it only wishful thinking?  Was it her tired mind simply plain tricks on her?

But then the girl speaks, and there are more pieces to the puzzle.  World's Edge.  It echoes in her head as if the child had spoken it directly into her mind.  She studied the girl more carefully, taking an involuntary step closer, and then she saw them.  The flowers.  The beautiful flowers blooming around the girl's feet. 

This child - this child from the very place that Alysanne had described so many times who could have been a carbon-copy of her sister in their childhood - had flowers blooming around her feet.  If this was a coincidence, Iona would become a believer of whatever Gods existed in this strange place right this very moment.  

"World's Edge," Iona echoed, as if in a trance.  Her mind was still working to put together all the pieces.   "You wouldn't by chance know Alysanne then, would you?"  Emotion slowly leaked into her voice as she spoke.

She blinked then, finally, and shook her head. "I'm sorry, little one, where are my manners," she finally smiled, though the tension lingered in her body. "My name is Iona.  And I just so happen to be looking for someone who lives in the World's Edge."

The pieces came together all at once.  Her ears rang.  Her skin crawled.  The world seemed to tilt beneath her hooves - shifting on its very axis as the pieces found their way to their rightful places.  She was completely caught off guard, but a rush of warmth tore through her like an incendiary explosion - breathing new life into one that had long since grown stale.  

She smiled as recognition flickered in the girl's eyes.  So, Aly hadn't forgotten her after all.  It made the black and white pegasus miss her sister all the more.  But what an adventurous little one Alysanne had raised!  Aly had been overprotective since the moment that she knew she was pregnant with Arty, so she couldn't imagine that her twin knew that this little one was wandering on her own. 

"Don't apologize!" Iona laughed, "I came here looking for my family and look who managed to find me as soon as I got here.  You're really quite something, Naerys," she added, with a wink and a gentle nudge with a large black wing.  

She had her theories about who the girl's father may be.  Aly hadn't visited alone last time Iona had seen her.  It did not take much for Iona to put two and two together.  She did have eyes, after all. 

He had been the one Iona had approached in the aftermath of their attack.  She had known then that the stallion harbored feelings for her sister.  Perhaps Iona had exploited him in a way in order to help Aly.  Perhaps she just knew he was another that loved her enough to help her when she didn't recognize she needed help.  She knew now how invasive it had been, but she couldn't bring herself to regret it.  Iona would walk through fire for Alysanne.  If she had to guess, Miykael would too. She'd begrudgingly give him some credit.  

She still couldn't believe after months - years really - all she had been seeking had been right here all along.  Waiting to find her, not vice versa.  She didn't want to linger.  She didn't want to waste any more time.  Not now.  Especially not now that she had her family.  "Please.  Please take me home, little one."