The God of the Sun had lied. He said there was going to be no bloodshed today, but oh was he wrong. We ended up fighting a huge crocodile and the entire time we were fighting them, I noticed that I indeed did get sick. Black sludge began to slide from my nose and corners of my lips, more sludge sliding down my nose from my eyes - hidden by the black markings I had been born with. If only the rest of it was hidden. My face was now gashed up, bruises were beginning to swell around the bridge of my nose just under my horn where the delicate pieces of gold from Tembovu had sat, now stained partially with blood. Sure to wash off with the next rain.

I walked to the edge with Tembovu, a rattling feeling over my head and body as well as a ringing in my ears. My face stinging every second or so as the wind picked up pieces of the sand that surrounded us and barricaded it's way into my wounds. Shaking my head slightly to avoid it the best i could, I looked over at Tembovu, eyes squinting ever so slightly in the light. God how I wished this feeling would go away, but I knew it would be awhile before I healed from my wounds. Glancing around for a healer, I wondered if the feeling I felt was from my face being pelted by armored skin.

That would make sense, wouldnt it?

As I looked up to Temb, I watched the crocodile mask move with the light and I heaved a gentle sigh. I ended up catching that terrible slime wave everyone else had. Unsure of its side affects, I only wished it would go away as quickly and easily as it came.

"Talk?"

rexanna

And from the minute that the line got drawn,
I couldn't see straight to you for nothing.

I listened as he spoke, but the tension in his voice was something that caught me rather off guard. I wasn’t expecting him to be so harsh and perhaps he wasn’t really all that harsh to begin with. Perhaps the throbbing pain in my head caused me to think he was being something darker than he typically was? I hoped that was the case, I didn’t want him to be upset with me. I didn’t need him to be upset with me over something I could so easily be upset with him about as well.

I noticed the little gashes on his knees from colliding with the sand and just nodded to him, offering him a smile. “Of course you would be… Not to worry you or anything, but I do love my fair share of adrenaline rushes.” I paused for a moment, ears flickering back and forth with the pressure of speaking that caused my head to pound with pain. Then he spoke again and the tone stayed the same, asking me about if I felt anything else other than the cough. Yeah, I did feel other things. I felt the slight tickle as the sludge slipped from my nose and lips, I felt the trickle of blood that began to seep from my ivory ears, I felt the pressure behind my eyes and the pressure that lined my lungs and just how uncomfortable that array of things seemed to be. I just shrugged to him, unsure of what to say. I didn’t need to worry him more but I did feel more things than just a simple ‘cough’. “Just the cough and this headache.” I said softly. The smile fading from my lips as he snorted to me.

‘if you had just joined me at the Edge, Rexanna, you could have avoided one of these sicknesses.’ I heard him say before shaking my head slightly. Frustration flaring in my chest but I did my best to keep calm. The worst thing for this headache and lung slime was to speak too much and run out of breath with a chance of being unable to get the air back. Shaking my head to him, I smiled to him – genuinely. “Tembovu, my love, I have avoided one of these sicknesses.” I turned my head to glance around to the crowd that surrounded the crocodile still. Taking note that some of these creatures still had the boils that I had encountered at the beginning of the Labyrinth fight. I remembered seeing that pale child with them, looking painfully intense as she stepped. I had encountered many with that disease that Erthe had told me came from the Blood Falls, a place I had not seen yet. And alas, I hadn’t succumbed to them. I figured that was due to my land, like the Labyrinth being Temb’s protection.

“I encountered many with boils, Temb, and I never contracted it. I’m sure the results are the same from the Goddess at the Labyrinth. I remember Mauja speaking of the Moon when we met you. About how she’s the goddess of the Edge? The God for the Basin is the God of Spark, right? I wasn’t at the Blood Falls fight, but I want to assume that the God of Spark was there – otherwise my theories are entirely off.” I said softly to him with a bit of a shrug, sure that he would answer me when he felt like he needed to. My huge speech had been broken and dragged out over a few minutes as I paused to catch my breath from the full feeling of phlegm like mucus that blocked my throat every so often.

"Talk?"

rexanna

And from the minute that the line got drawn,
I couldn't see straight to you for nothing.

I just smiled to him as he acknowledged noticing my love for adrenaline. I coughed gently to myself in between his words, but I knew it would bother him. I did my best to pretend that I wasn’t hurt. I had held a mask hiding my pain and history for so long that despite the outward aesthetics to the pain I was truly feeling, I could still hide it in my personality. Eyes squinting for a brief moment from the ringing pain in my head and ears before I looked away. The more I thought about it, the more I felt as though if he weren’t at these fights at all, perhaps I wouldn’t ever see him hardly. Especially being ill. Though that would have probably been a bad thing. He probably would’ve thought that I died or something, disappearing so suddenly.

I turned my eyes back to him gently, calmly, as he spoke my name. His voice cutting off for a moment before the vision before me shifted. Eyes widening a little bit. Tembovu had begun turning slightly redder, a darker crimson coloring with his black markings moving over to other places. His horn disappearing and wings sprouting. I turned away from him hoping that what I saw was just an illusion. I didn’t need to know that everything I had just been working for had been a delusion into thinking that I never made it to Helovia. A delusion to where I had been captured long ago but they allowed me to believe that I was safe and content and happy. Was it really a lie? I sighed to myself, swaying my head back over to him and in my now hazy vision, seeing a creature I hadn’t seen in a long time.

And one I hoped I never saw again.

Ears flattened to my skull as I backed away from him. The darkened chestnut Pegasus that stood just where Tembovu had stood. Calstron. The creature that had caused all my pain in the past. The one I ran away from for so long. The one I carried a foal for.  I backed away for a good amount, eyes glued to him to see every inch of his movement. “NO.” I exclaimed, ears twitching and eyes straining to close with the pain that racked my brain. I braced myself into the ground, willing to fight if necessary. Jaw clenching slightly even though it caused a tremendous amount of pain. My chest hurt, my legs hurt, everything was hurting but I couldn’t stop looking at him. “If you think I'm still carrying our child, you're sorely mistaken. I don't even have him anymore because of YOU.”

Hate vibrated in my voice in a way I hadn’t felt it before. Glaring at the beast who caused me to miscarry the only child I ever bore. My mind and body were exhausted, but I refused to be taken back against my will. I had come so far to fall to him because I was vulnerable. I would fight to my death if I had to. In all honesty, I’d rather die than return to him. And here he was, standing right in front of me. My eyes bore into his green ones, where he seemed worried, I saw lies.

"Talk?"

rexanna

And from the minute that the line got drawn,
I couldn't see straight to you for nothing.

Ears let up for a few moments, my gaze never leaving the crimson beast. Heat radiating from my pelt that seemed to heat up the sludge that escaped my lungs, causing it to drip from my face. Blood trickling down from my ears as they flattened once more. ‘Alright, Rex. Calm dow—What are you…” I heard him say and I just shook my head, the movement causing pain to slide through my head on each side of my temples with each shake. “No.” I hissed. Stepping back again.

Then I noticed he was approaching me and I stepped back again. Hooves landing with the water that lined the orange turf beneath with a splash of colors. ‘Rexanna, my love, come back to me,’ What did he think I was? Stupid? He never loved me. The voice of the creature was entirely Calstron and I began to believe it was due to his magic that caused me to believe I was leading a gentle life. Perhaps he cast a great curtain over it all, knowing that Helovia would be my refuge and he would find me there. I shook my head to him again. “No. You think that you can walk in here and take me back? You didn’t even want me to begin with. I found happiness here in Helovia. I found someone I love and that loves me back. I’ve worked SO HARD to escape you and I’m not going down without a fight.” I grumbled from my chest.

Eyes watching him with a fierce fire that lit up the blue eyes. I watched him for a moment before glancing around to see if there were others near me that might attempt to take me out when he had my attention. Seeing nothing, I turned to see him again as he moved more toward me, maw reached out and I shrunk mine into my chest, pointing my horn straight at him. ‘Please, do not speak of a child of ours like this.’ I could have laughed at him. “You’re JOKING right? You didn’t even want him. He was beautiful, Cal. And you made me lose him. I hope you’re happy with that.”

"Talk?"

rexanna

And from the minute that the line got drawn,
I couldn't see straight to you for nothing.

Cal hadn’t made any more advancements toward me, which held a glimmer of hope in my chest. I pulled my chin from my chest, eyes straining through a throbbing headache to make certain that he wouldn’t try to get near me. I heard him speak my name and I shook my head once more, not nearly as harshly as I had done before since the pain in my head was getting worse. And as the pain in my head got worse, my breathing grew harder with the black slime that slipped past my throat and seemed to choke my throat.

And there we stood, I wasn’t going to leave. I couldn’t just leave and turn my back on him – there was absolutely no way I’d open up myself that way. I learned better than that. So I stood there, hooves planted into the earth that shimmered and sparkled the reflection of my ashen ankles. Blue eyes glued to the crimson Peg before me, wings stretching out and back into his back. Those eyes staring back at me before pulling away in what seemed to be pain. I wasn’t going to let it affect me. I knew better.

Then, suddenly, a creature appeared I had never met before. Another winged one, perhaps someone that Cal had brought with him from the lands of my home? Though, his wings were folded and appeared to be non-threatening which was a bit of a relief as well, but I didn’t change my stance any. I just stood, watching the male approach me and yet say nothing. He stayed within a good amount to where I felt like if I needed to run, I could. Then he seemed to concentrate on something, but that something was invisible to me.

But I felt it.

I felt it begin in my chest, a warmth like a blanket just beginning to envelop me. At first I began to fight it, thinking perhaps it was to be a trick to bring me back, but after a few moments I accepted it. The warmth and gentle feeling that seemed to expand in my entire body was enough to feel friendly enough to where perhaps it wasn’t from Cal. It was such a different feeling from the last time I felt magic take over my body and I couldn’t help but to exhale with relief as it began to dissipate. My eyes had closed during the process unknowingly, but when I opened them, the same winged creature stood before me next to Tembovu where Cal had just stood.

Then, the unfamiliar creature spoke, asking me how I felt. I took a second or more to gather my thoughts, no longer feeling that choking feeling that seemed to grasp my throat in its fist. I watched a small smile curl around his lips and I offered him a small smile back. “I feel… Wonderful.” I paused briefly, exhaling and beginning to feel the pang of the headache taking over my mind once more. “What is your name, friend?” I questioned softly, knowing deep down that if there was someone I owed something to, it was this winged beast before me.

Though I nearly forgot about Tembovu in my happiness of feeling better, that I turned to look at him offering him a small apologetic smile. I didn’t know what happened – I didn’t know I had mistaken him for Cal. “I – I don’t know what happened, Temb. I’m sorry for whatever I said or did.” I said softly. I remembered every word of what I said, but in my memory, my elephant had become my worst nightmare.

"Talk?"

rexanna

And from the minute that the line got drawn,
I couldn't see straight to you for nothing.

I shivered lightly with the wind that travelled across the gleaming Flats, waiting momentarily for the creature that had healed me to say his name. But alas, he had not. A simple movement of my blue hued eyes shift to Tembovu as he says his name and the healer moves on. And then he was gone. I wanted to repay him, but I was unsure of how. But at least knowing his name was a step in the right direction for me. Turning my crowned head to Tembovu once again, I stepped forward. Closing the gap between us that I had created. But before I made the movements, his rumbling voice grew again. He seemed dull in the words that he said.

“who is this ‘love’ you’ve found in Helovia? The one that loves you back.”

I followed through with my movements, reaching out to him with my muzzle even as he looked away. Pain streaking his face. Who did he think I meant? Did he think that I meant Caleb? Because I hadn’t seen Caleb in a very long time and the only person I was even remotely thinking loved me back was the beast standing in front of me. Did he not see that? I turned my head to try and glimpse at what he was looking at. “Temb. I meant you.” I said softly, head lowering slightly. Eyes growing a bit bashful as I peeked up to him from under my thick black eyelashes. “At least I hope you lvoe me back.” My voice grew hushed.

I, too, looked back out over the Flats. “I’m sorry for everything I said to you. It wasn’t directed at you, Temb. C – Cal, he was the Peg that banished me from my home.” I said softly, explaining best I could. The elephant knew my history, he knew of the Prince that had done what he had done to me. I didn’t need to go into depth with it. But at least attaching a name to him was enough – or so I hoped.

"Talk?"

rexanna

And from the minute that the line got drawn,
I couldn't see straight to you for nothing.

He turned to stone, and my heart froze. My skin brushed his gently, my velvet maw wanting to cling to his – now – granite pelt. I sighed to myself gently, but he didn’t seem to even change his composure. He still seemed just as strong and unfazed by the words I had said. I told him that I chose him. Multiple times. How many more times would be enough for him? Or perhaps he would just brush me away and choose someone less dramatic. I could understand that, but the chemistry between the two of us was something that I wasn’t willing to give up. I would fight as hard as I could for it unless he told me he didn’t want me. Whether it be by vocals or by action.

It was a sight of which I hoped I never had to face.

His voice hit my ears and my eyes lowered. Shaking my head slightly as he turned to face me. He stretched out to reach my neck, to touch it ever so gently and I didn’t back away. I stayed. Silent. Eyes watching his own, pleading to him. Wishing that he knew that I had no control over such acts. To be fair, my eyes were nearly blinded by the blackness that had engulfed it. I couldn’t see anything let alone see clearly to him. He moved his head back into where it sat before he reached for me and all I could do was try and figure out what to even say back to him.

“Temb, by that time I could barely see anything. And sometimes even the best of dreams can turn into your nightmares.” My voice waivered, as if from experience. “I couldn’t control it. If I could have, I definitely wouldn’t have chosen it to be you that I saw to be Cal.” Pausing, weight shifting. “Please – Please, Temb. I swear to all of the Gods that I didn’t mean anything I had said. I didn’t want it to happen.” My face lowered, spiraled horn pointing more towards the ground by this time. His gift for me sliding with the movement gently over my bruised face. I could only imagine what it was like to see me in that trance and the feeling made me cringe.

Lifting my head slightly abruptly, I reached for him, wishing to brush my striped cheek against his neck and his chest, hovering nearby in the hopes of hearing a heartbeat. “Don’t you understand? I love you.” And with that, my heart froze with the idea that he would just leave me there, a hopeless romantic like I had always been. Or maybe he would be the one able to fix the broken pieces and see beneath my shattered surface.

"Talk?"

rexanna

And from the minute that the line got drawn,
I couldn't see straight to you for nothing.

His stonelike appearance melted when my face touched him. My heart was yearning for him, longing for his touch and warmth. I wanted him to tell me he loved me too and not to worry. I wanted him to tell me he would be there for me through everything. But the answer I got wasn’t entirely away from what I was thinking too. I felt him reach for me, his large muzzle gently grazing the skin of my neck and play with my mane before touching my withers. I melted into him and he melted in turn to me. I rubbed my cheek gently against his broad chest, lips grazing his shoulders as far as I could reach. The connection I felt between us felt like nothing else. It was mesmerizing, distracting. But would it be permanent? For that I was terrified.

His voice rumbled, the familiarity in the warmth that lined the words caused my heart to thaw. But there was an intensity to it that I knew he was right. We couldn’t keep harming each other. I wanted to do my best to not do it, but it seemed as though I was the culprit time and time again. I felt his teeth graze my withers and I flicked my tail to him in a playful way, tips of it reaching my barrel. “I agree, Temb.” I admitted to him, purely honest. I felt him lip down my spine and I kept my face pressed to him, running along those ever so familiar stripes on his hide. I nipped at his hip gently before turning my head back to him gently, blue eyes watching him gently. “We are each others, love. And while I agree that we need to slow things down, I’m amazed at how fast this has gone. I mean, we know each other so briefly in our histories and yet somehow everything feels so right when I’m by your side.” I smiled to him before turning my head back and stepping in toward him. Pressing my body against his gently, air flowing through my nose in a warm heat that grazed along his knee and hip.

"Talk?"

rexanna

And from the minute that the line got drawn,
I couldn't see straight to you for nothing.

He grew silent and I smiled as I pushed into him further, feeling his head hovering over my spine in a warm blanket of comfort. He waited for a few moments and his once lengthy phrases grew into short words. I didn’t plan on having him turn all stallion on me, but if he wanted to go that route I definitely wouldn’t object to it. I never did, especially when it came to him. So instead, I just stayed silent, a smile glued to my face. I felt his head move from my spine over my back and press me into him. I nearly stumbled with the rough movement, but never wanted to pull away from him. Instead I melted into him further until his words reached my creamy ears and I pressed myself to him more.

“Rexanna, are you trying to seduce me instead of have this talk? – Because it’s working.”

I could feel his heavy breath drawing in, enlarging his stomach slightly before he exhaled and I just let a small laugh out to him. “It wasn’t exactly my plan, but if you’re in that mood for it I wouldn’t complain.” I nipped his hip lightly, swishing my tail in a bit of a romantic flurry, hoping the tips of it would reach his face in a bit of a sharp bit of playful pain. I breathing grew slightly heavier and with that, I lowered my head slowly against his hide before brushing the edge of my golden spiraled horn against the tan striped fur. Playful, but tasteful all the same. With every movement from him, a shiver ran down my spine in absolute pleasure and nearly pain. It had felt so long since I had done anything like this, when in reality it wasn’t a terribly long time. But longer than I would have liked. And I couldn’t have picked a better creature to have this adventure with. “Temb, my dear. If you feel the need, you could be a bit rougher if that suits you?” I turned my head back to him at this point, offering him a playful wink before turning my head back to his side and proceeding to attempt to bite at his knee. The height difference was a bit of a hazard when it came to trying to reach different parts of him, so I reached for what I could. I didn’t want to draw blood, but perhaps a couple of bruises would suit the stone-like creature. Bruises that had a good significance to them other than the ones succumbed from the Rift fights.

"Talk?"

rexanna

And from the minute that the line got drawn,
I couldn't see straight to you for nothing.

I did my best to flicker my ears back and forth to him. Curious of his reactions of the proposition I just gave him. Where I was playful with him, he took a more aggressive turn. A side of him that I really hadn’t seen before. At this point, it just made things even more of a hot mess that seemed to envelope our whole relationship. Firey, hot, explosive. Everything seemed to just fit. But then it got more intense. My legs shook slightly as he bit down onto my shoulders hard. I could feel the bruises growing beneath my porcelain skin. I wasn’t complaining in the slightest, but I wasn’t even sure how he felt about this. Before, there wasn’t a sign we had done anything. Now what would he think when he saw me with those kind of bruises and such? Would he be proud? Or ashamed?

It didn’t take long before I found out. His aggression pouring out of him in a way that seemed almost frightening if it weren’t for the acts we were engaging in. When he stopped and returned to my side, he looked away from me. Embarrassed maybe? Upset? Throughout the whole time, my shoulders and place of bighting had grown red and slightly puffy, small teeth marks from my Elephant lined along it. I flicked my ear to him, curiously but also worried. What had happened and what had gone wrong? I thought everything seemed to be going fairly well, just rougher and tougher than normal. Did he think he needed to treat me like I was frail? I was stronger than I seemed and I did like to be treated rougher than normal. Did he not realize this?

‘Rexanna… I- I’m sorry… That’s never- I’ve never…’

Instantly, in that moment. My damp muzzle reached out for him, pressing my nose into his neck softly. Caressing touches, lipping his neck affectionately before I turned my head slightly and pressed the side of my face into his neck harder. Wishing him to look at me, willing him to look at his decorated princess at his side. “Temb, love, what are you sorry for?” I spoke gently, pulling my delicately dished face away from him – lining my blue eyes on his, searching for his sapphire ones. Urging him to look at me, nearly pleading. “You did what I asked for…” Gently, offering him a smile, hopeful. I was here for him in the good and the bad. That’s what relationships were for. Being honest with one another. And I was learning exactly how to do that now.

"Talk?"

rexanna

And from the minute that the line got drawn,
I couldn't see straight to you for nothing.