Fight the darkness,
it lives inside your heart.

Mesec certainly didn’t have any logical reason for continuing to visit the Steppe - especially this late in the year - but when he went out for a flight it was becoming more often he would come this way. Was he hoping to come across more friends? Or, perhaps, a particular friend? Lucius was certainly free with his opinion on the matter, chattering about the pretty pink mare as soon as he noticed they had started to travel north. Despite Mesec’s pleading for him to stop the zephyr wouldn’t have it - eager to flex his growing vocabulary now that it had stretched beyond the word ‘bitch’ that he reserved for a special friend of Mesec’s.

They were both thankful that the weather was cooperating enough that their matching shadowed bodies continued to soar toward the Steppe. Just a loop, Mesec thought through Lucius' chatter, and then they could head back south again. Only, that was the plan before the howl ripped through the air - far in the distance. Not a wolf, and not a normal howl, Mesec and Lucius were quick to agree something was wrong and they should investigate. They angled immediately toward the sound, scouting the ground below for anything.

~*~ Amp vs Hotaru fight happens ~*~

Mesec thought he could hear screams and shouts which only increased his worry. It took them a while to get close enough for Lucius’ keen eyes to spot the figure in the snow - a call of surprise and shock coming from the zephyr as he recognized the rose coat and was quick to report to Mesec. “Hotaru?” The demigod repeated the name out loud as dread made his wings feel heavy and his heart rate pick up to the point where it was pounding in his ears. He dropped a few feet as he forgot to flap his wings when his silver eyes found the figure, lying in the snow where she was. “RU!” Her name ripped from him as he plummeted to the ground purposefully now, landing so hard that it shook his legs but he barely noticed. The panic was rising as the gap between them was closed, as he saw the funny angle her leg was sitting at. He lowered his head toward her but was afraid to touch her in case he were to cause her any more pain. “What happened?!” But of course it didn’t matter, not really - it just mattered that she was injured. Very injured.

He lowered himself to the ground near her - wanting nothing more than to curl himself around her but feeling the same shyness that had caused her to recoil from him the last time they had met here. Wanting to avoid being presumptuous, and he wasn't entirely sure Alice would let him get that close. A groan of frustration escaped as Mesec was reminded of what he tended to forget - the healing magic he had was useless to help others. The shadows he called upon only swirled uselessly around himself and did nothing to help heal Hotaru.

‘Lucius, go to the Basin - find… find someone.’ Mesec wasn’t sure who was a healer in the Basin anymore, now that his father was gone. He tried to remember any faces he knew from there at all but he couldn't tear his eyes away from Hotaru, couldn't form any thoughts that were not filled with her. Anyone that Lucius could find would be able to help, surely, for at least they would know who the healers were. The zephyr took off once he received the direction he needed to go in.

But he couldn't give up hope. “Lucius is going to go find someone. Ru, it’s going to be okay. He’ll be right back soon and we...” What could he do? Aside from offer what little comforts he could. “You’re going to be alright.” He spoke the words with determination - for both Hotaru and her bonded.

It's not your fault my dear son,
it is simply your past.