XOLANI

The sea crashed against the sands, sparkling in the morning sun.  A few gulls flew into the wind overhead, either too stubborn or too stupid to migrate to warmer shores for the winter.  The lone mare wandering the beach watched them with amusement dancing in her eyes, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter.  Why, she wondered, would they willingly make their own lives any harder than necessary?  Wasn't it enough to be a seagull in the first place without trying to survive a brutal winter on northern shores?  Of course, it was not a particularly harsh morning, and she could almost understand why the birds would be drifting on the winter breezes today.  It was, truth be told, quite pleasant:  the sand was warming up beneath her hooves, the sun was lazing idly along her back, and the wind was dancing excitedly in her mane.

It had been mere days since she had braved this new land and its inhabitants, and her thoughts turned frequently to the stallion who had greeted her with such kindness and affection.  At the mere thought of Ilios, yellow-green flickers blossomed on her coat, turning into apple blossoms and roses.  She noticed the changing colors out of the corner of her eye and craned her neck to better see, entranced by this new magic that Helovia had imbued her with.  As she realized what images were appearing on her pelt and what they represented, she found that she was glad to be alone.  Teal embarrassment filled in the images before they dispersed.

She wasn't quite sure how to feel about the magic that painted itself onto her coat with each thought and emotion.  Even now, green apprehension and blue anxiety made themselves visible, tracing a half-circle of silhouettes that were clearly laughing at the lonely creature in the center.  She huffed, and pink-red irritation crept in, scattering the silhouettes and becoming a snarling wolf.  The mare turned away, blue distress creeping back into the pictures as they whirled ever-onward.  She had never had to care what she thought; she could not speak, and so her feelings had always been her own.  Now they were on display for the whole world to see.

She didn't really like it.

It was, however, quite useful when it came to communication.  She had found that whatever she concentrated on the most was what became the primary image, and this knowledge had opened many doors that had been closed to her previously.  Now, if only there was a way to turn it off...

Another figure, pale tipped with pink and red hues, caught her attention.  A part of her sighed enviously - was there any in this land who did not have such brilliant coloration?  Was she destined to be the outcast here, as she had been at home?  She might have found a herd, and they might be quite kind to her, but they couldn't possibly accept her as equal.  She couldn't hope to hold any sort of status, nor find a mate.  Again, Ilios crept into her mind, and those stupid blossoms crept onto her coat.  She banished them with a flick of her tail and a roll of her eyes.  Not.  Now.

In any case, the unicorn had grown closer now, and her interest flared with orange.  The mare's ears pricked forward, excitement in her eyes as she tossed her head in greeting.  Her hooves shuffled in the sand as she pranced toward him, all irritation forgotten, pleased to be able to meet someone new.

XOLANI

Her tail swished against her legs as she came to a halt at a polite distance from the unicorn. A small creature that appeared to be half bird and half dog wriggled at his poll, and the mare found herself leaning her head slightly to one side, as though to get a better look. She had never seen the likes of such a creature, and had had very few encounters with Helovian companions; her curiosity brought a slight hint of yellow to the orange that had previously decorated her pelt. When the bird-dog trilled a greeting, her nose crinkled with a grin.

The stallion, too, offered a word of welcome, and she found herself surprised by his flamboyant nature. In her homeland, most of the equines she encountered had been solemn and polite, valuing manners and tradition above all. They spoke softly and with great thought, putting their words into pre-planned strings and calling it politics. Despite his brilliant colorations, this unicorn was nothing quite like anyone from her home, and she quickly turned her inquisitive gaze to him. Johnny and Jellybean. What odd names! She smiled in return to his greeting, tossing her head again and reaching to offer her muzzle. Should he return the gesture, she would blow gently towards him, offering to exchange her scent with his.

Her ears were pricked eagerly forward as she arched her neck, her body language portraying a cheerful mare who was pleased to meet someone new. No sound escaped her save the soft shuffle of her hooves in the sand, but a painting was appearing on her sides. Silhouettes appeared, depicting a unicorn and an equine, then showing them walking along what appeared to be a short beach together with a little bird-dog in tow. There was something questioning about the lines of her face as she offered what she hoped would be a clear invitation. Orange and blue made the image come alive, depicting anticipation and anxiety in equal measure: she was pleased to have met him, but could not help but fear his reaction to her.

XOLANI

The scent of peppermints invades her flared nostrils as she exchanges her scent for his; she grins and bobs her head up and down, prancing in place, delight written across her features. She isn't quite sure why the stallion smells of such a delicious treat, but who would she be to question the strange magics present in this land? After all, her own coat had a mind of its own, so who was she to say that this stallion wasn't influenced by such a strange power himself?

As the colors shift on her pelt and the stallion's eyes go wide, the silent mare turns to gaze at her side, intrigued and amused to find that her body has somehow created a perfect replica of the unicorn and his bird-dog. As the steed comments on the colors and images that flare up on her hide, the mare smiles shyly, ducking her head in what can only be described as a bashful sort of way. For a moment, it appears that Johnny might actually try to touch her side, and she instinctively sucks her gut in before she realizes that she's done it (dark teal splatters her insecurity across her side). She hopes that the gesture didn't offend the stallion, particularly since she didn't have a chance to think before reacting (a blue embarrassment follows, chasing away the apprehension).

In any case, he has backed away and has gestured for her to take the lead, so she falls into a comfortable step and leads the way down the beach. The darker, morose colors that had invaded her pelt have disappeared, leaving room for the brilliant yellow of joy to appear. It is a lovely day, and Johnny is a lovely stallion; the little mare is content, pleased to have found herself a new friend on her expedition from the Dragon's Throat.

The girl shook her head in response to Johnny's query, her smile turning wry. She thought of her entrance to Helovia, how challenging it was to communicate with Ilios. In response, her coat shows an image of the Threshold in orange anticipation and green apprehension; within the image, an outline of a white equine appears, followed by a pegasus. As the two images "walk" through the Threshold forest, which gives way to sand and palms, colors begin to grow on the equine's hide. Without realizing it, the mare's memories have brought her story to life on her coat for all the world to see, even if the pictures do not divulge the identities of those involved (again, she thinks of Ilios, and the pegasus on her hide turns the bright yellow-green of love).