Against all odds, even in the midst of chaos and ruin as fugitives and refugees alike trickled into Helovia, Tallsun arrived. As Lady of the Time God’s domain, she’d never doubted that it would come around. Time did not stop for the workings of the world, after all. Still, it came almost as a surprise. A belated realization that the air was warmer, the rains fewer, the ground dry. Even the Basin lands seemed to rejoice beneath the weather change, one of their most prosperous seasons yet as grass shot high on the tundras and warm winds melted away the harshest of the chill. There was still much to do, to consider. The tasks of a Lady never really ceased, but she’d slowly grown into her skin as time went on. For a mare that always perpetuated arrogance and vanity, Hotaru was unsure whether she was worthy of the spot at times. She longed to speak with Ophelia, who had evaded her at every turn, a white wraith that she chased as often in her dreams as on the recent battlefields. Her mentor had left her stranded with no footing to speak of, and yet somehow Hotaru was managing. She wanted to know the reasoning, however. Why her? What had Ophelia seen in her that made her ask Deimos to promote Hotaru in particular? What had Hotaru ever done to finally garner that coveted spot of respect in her mentor’s eyes, only to have the Forsaken turn and walk answerless away from her?
 
Where answers were not forthcoming in her personal life, she instead sought them out on a professional basis. Hotaru knew of Ashamin’s meetings, was proud that he showed effort in hosting them where others failed to do so. Her heart was still mangled with pain and indecision after facing her Goddess, and she didn’t know where she should turn except to her one confidant. The lady was reluctant to call him friend, not that he did not deserve such a title with his valor and quiet, unassuming, understanding nature, but because she felt as if she’d taint his purity with the easy sickness of her nature. She’d lost herself somewhere along the line, and didn’t know where else to find any answers, a route to take to understand who she was and what she was meant to be doing. The Basin had always resounded in her heart, but she could not ignore the constant indecision in her breast. It needed to end.
 
So though she was no scholar, she appeared at the meeting with Alice by her side, ever faithful and billowing little curls of insidious black-tinged purple smoke. She was there to listen and participate as much as she was there to provide a regal face to draw more interest in the subject, to support her friend Haruspex in his endeavors. And perhaps because of a little curiosity on her own end as well.
 
“Hello, Ashamin,” she greeted warmly, tongue curling delightfully around the syllables, standing elegantly not far from his side. Hotaru watched as the other two approached, sharing greetings of their own, and kept her tongue still for lack of words to say to them. Instead a brief nod was awarded, one hind leg cocking comfortably as she awaited Ashamin’s wisdom and guidance.

The pair stood regal and refined beneath the blushing sky that bled attractively down onto her slim figure, bicolored eyes peering at the women before her as hooves idly toed at the snow. The shadows were lengthening towards twilight, she noted to herself, but Ashamin would have a good deal of light left for his meeting. His voice drew her from her thoughts, watching the yawning darkness at the base of the mountains, and she did not let her frown appear on her pretty face. Nevertheless her eyes cut towards the Haruspex, feeling quite...odd with the detached greeting he had given her in the face of her own warm salutations. Almost...snubbed. Hotaru did not have friends, but Ashamin was as steady as a rock with a quiet voice that reminded her of old ghosts like Irrydae and Lakota. She snorted very quietly to herself at that. As if Auntie was ever quiet. To Hotaru, perhaps, but not very often. Trying to find an answer in Ashamin's face, the Lady wondered if he could read her as he always seemed to, especially with how she was being more obvious than her generally furtive movements. Valiantly attempting to understand why he kept himself blocked from her. Was it the company surrounding them?

Speaking of, the Lady turned as Ki'irha bowed, elegant and swift. Hotaru smiled demurely, chest warm to see such respect even at a time of learning and humility. "Evening, Corporal," was responded warmly, far warmer than normal at least in her private exhilaration. Her coronation had been a relative disaster, nobody had really called her 'Lady' except Ashamin, and while it was not an overtly different greeting it was notable to her. Important. Eden followed suite, and Hotaru turned to the femme, the name of the creature unknown to her. Ki'irha at least she knew, but titles were exchanged for titles, and it respected the starry lady more to call her by Corporal than her name, Hotaru found. 

She dug in her head for what Ashamin had called her, and Alice piped up. 'Den. Well, close enough. "Eden, was it? Pleasure to see another scholar." It certainly wasn't a popular undertaking, considering there was only one godly-chosen Haruspex. At least someone was interested, and Hotaru could give props to Eden for that at least. 

The meeting fell into swing, Alice settling on her haunches, obedient in public like she never was in private. The information poured hesitantly from the lips of the other mares, and Hotaru felt her lips twitch in an attempt to grin. Did we once know so little, as well? Then again, Phaedra had emphatically taught them about the Goddess, and Hotaru had sought them out repeatedly on her own as well. 

"They are indeed related. They rule over different elemental realms, like light and fire and shadow and water. The God of the Spark rules over the Basin, the Goddess of the Moon rules the Edge, the God of the Sun rules the Throat, and the God of the Earth rules the Falls." In fact, she remembered blindly trespassing as a foal into the Edge, hoping and praying for a glimpse of the Goddess back when she was too young to understand that they did not simply walk about in mortal form in their patron lands. "They used to be bid to the earth at the Veins of the Gods, but now magic is handed out rarely, and even more rarely in the presence of the Gods themselves." Most of Hotaru's magic had simply manifested in her someday, and was always a peculiar but prideful mix of dark and spark. Her two best qualities, she thought to herself in amusement. Gaucho's question echoed strangely in her head. "Why did you not follow Ophelia to the Edge if the Goddess is your patron?" Of course, not nearly as eloquently put, she thought with a sniff of petty disdain that tried to cover her internal discomfort over that particular question. 

"The Goddess was briefly banished for killing Helovians, but was clearly brought back to the celestial fold if the battles were anything to go by." With a delicate shrug she punctuated the end of her awareness. She wouldn't share her involvement with those murders, nor how she reaped the benefits in the end. She'd never betray her Goddess, not when she'd already faltered in her faith once before. Hotaru had learned her lesson, and nobody else frankly needed to know.