The Heart Caves.

He had not been often, mostly because they were super boring holes in the ground, no matter what his mother claimed had happened there before he was born. The boy-man was the sort of impudent being who cared very little for the past, anyway, unless it could serve him, such as making him appear superior to another, or to earn the adoration of a pretty girl. As far as he could tell, anyway, the rest of Helovia had forgotten what had happened here, too, because nearly every time he had come, there had been no one else here to give reverence to the unity that had been born here.

The thought makes him smile, in a cruel way, as it had made his mother smile when she told of it, mocking the very being that had spared her whatever fate had come to those who had not been returned to their proper forms in time. As a child, Rikyn had understood that she was simply calloused, but as an adult, he had forgotten the truthful voice of an innocent heart. Now, he too mocked the unity that had saved so many from darkness, a darkness which had forever changed the land to the far southwest (a darkness so powerful that it was foolish to mock it, but he did it regardless). He mocked all these things because his heart had been burned, and was calloused now, too.

Perhaps that is why his eyes are drawn to the wall of fire, and the dark figure that is highlighted by the illumination of the cascading magma.

"Erebos!" he blurts without thinking, not hesitating to use his companion’s true name as he probably should, knowing that his heart brother is keen on keeping false identities, as he is. His hooves follow the forward nature of his outburst, clinking with a golden ring on the hard stone of the strange cavern of fire, lips curved in a smile of delight as he leaps and messily canters to his best friend, his fellow Prince and adventuring companion, as it always is, and always will be when he meets with the Reaper’s son…

The heart does not forget the place it met another, and Rikyn’s heart doesn’t feel guilt for disappearing for periods of time on people he loves, so long as he’s done nothing to betray that love in the time being; that Erebos might be miffed at him for running off again isn’t something that even registers to the elated unicorn foolishly clattering across the cavern. He throws on the brakes in proximity to the dark unicorn and his mischievous little fox, sliding in a childish and almost comical manor to a debris clattering stop as close to Erebos as he can manage, without slamming into him (or so Rikyn hopes, anyway).

"What are the odds of meeting up with you in a hole, huh?" he breathlessly expels, his heart thud thudding against his ribs in excitement, his hooves playing beneath him with the abandon he doesn’t allow the rest of himself as he attempts to gather control of his excitement, grin so wide it makes his face hurt (even wider when he actually remembers the kitsune’s name when he tries to), "how have you and Orsino been?"

[ OOC: super-spastic-unicorn-assault-ftw ]