Misty veils shrouded the thick, rocky cliffs that rose up overhead and they careened between jutted boulders and island knolls. At times the humid draft would pull the heady scent of seawater and putrid fish toward the shoals, whereupon Atlas would turn and duck to avoid the growing stench. The heat of TallSun did little to encourage one’s sense of smell when visiting the Isles, but once he’d managed to reach the expanse of beach and sand, a cooler breeze wiped the shores clean. Instead, the lighter aroma of salt and seaweed was the preferred perfume after trudging over errant rock banks and craggy swells. The sands were a curious flaxen gold, unlike the beach of the Endless Blue, but somehow more beguiling as Atlas drifted along the half-moon shaped seaboard. He hadn’t come in search of anything in particular, but more so to enjoy the sights and the sounds of this side of the ocean. Thus far he’d managed to delight in the Flats and the Labyrinth, both new and foreign landscapes, and now he was verging on adding another bit of heaven to his list of names.

However, this time around felt somewhat stunted, considering Lena had been there to accompany him all those times before, and Atlas almost wished his luck would grant him one last favor. When last they met, Lean and Atlas had certainly left things unresolved, or at least unbearably tense. The gentleman didn’t think it was quite out of character for them, considering their many trials, but it had surely escalated beyond their trivial banter— Lena’s cracks were finally giving way to a raw and splintered core.

As Atlas listened the soft strumming of the sea, he dug his hooves into the velvety sands, planting himself in the moment instead of trying to run from it. He could not yet convince himself to emerge his sultry stars into the white foam break of the ocean’s tide and, as an alternative, tried to find a rhythm in its tune. The notes were deep and unassuming, slightly monotonous, but from afar it was broken apart by a faint, high pitched warbling. When he turned in search of the disturbance, one eye an ember orange and the other an electric blue, he noticed a somber figure down the beach. She was picturesque in her brooding, a trait that Atlas had come to agree with even on their darkest days, but nonetheless iridescent and beautiful.

He chuckled to himself at the sight and thanked his lucky stars for an answer to his desire for their reunion. Perhaps it would allow him the chance to apologize, or at least come to terms with their differences— agree to disagree. But instead of hunting her down, Atlas spared her the remaining moments before she was forced to face what they’d inevitably left behind. Theirs was an unusual relationship, he thought, and it was only amplified by the fact that Atlas had connected to her in ways that he’d never experienced before. Maybe it was just the thrill of the chase that kept him coming back for more, but in some small way, Atlas knew that Lena was different than the others he’d admired in the past.

When the stallion had finally gathered the courage to descend down the beach to confront the Songbird, he attempted to whistle a little tune. Judging by the apparent trance Lena had succumbed to, he wasn’t even sure she would notice his approach and those deductions were only solidified as he grew close enough to hear her own jaded song just above the braying of a quiet sea. Imogen and her nine tails were blowing about in the fragrant breeze nearby, but Atlas didn’t try to reach out to the Kitsune for fear of giving away his ascent. For a while longer he wanted to understand Lena’s pains… even if he had been the one to cause them.

“Fate has a funny way of bringing us together, no?” he questioned when he’d finally gathered the pluck enough to greet the Mender and her bonded. There was little space left between them now as Atlas hadn’t wanted Lena to find a way to avoid his advance. But instead of facing her head on, he gave her the reprieve of searching the shimmering face of the ocean as she bustled in along the shore. As he inhaled the pungent scent of salt and sand, he finally glanced once at the dove he’d come to adore. He wasn’t sure what he’d find in those dark citrine eyes, but he hoped he would find some form of caring as well. It truly was fate that he’d been brought to her side again and Atlas didn’t want to let her forget it.

I surrender who I’ve been for who you are
For nothing makes me stronger than your fragile heart