Much time had passed since the Transcended had returned to Helovia.  She had hidden first in the Falls, afraid to return to her homeland lest she be rejected by her ex lover.  She had returned to the Dragon's Throat only to have her sins blow up in her face.  She had moped about the oasis until she had found a home once more among the crafters of the desert.  And now, finally, she had come to feel that perhaps she was more than just her mate, more than just her children, more than just that mare that disappeared time and again, only to come crawling back with her tail between her legs.  Who was going to forgive her transgressions when she had never tried to forgive herself?

On this day, she had decided to pursue a long-dead dream:  the Academy.  Once upon a time, the ivory dove had dreamed of a school nestled among the golden dunes, a safe haven for the young and impressionable from the harsh world outside.  She had been a Sultana at the time, determined to make her mark on her herd and on the world outside their unfinished metal wall.  It would be glorious, she was sure of it:  they could teach children the ways of combat, the ways of magic, the ways of wisdom.  They could shelter their own young while simultaneously gaining leverage over the other herds who might send their own to study.  At the time, the atmosphere of Helovia had been chaotic, and such precautions had made sense, even if they left a bitter taste in the gentle leader's mouth.

Now, though, there had been naught but peace for quite a while.  She had not been present for the Rifts' appearance, nor had she been around for the aftermath.  Still, it had been several moons since she had heard of even the faintest stirrings of trouble.  Though she doubted that it would last, she found herself thinking that she would be much more likely to send her own children into the world when it was calm, like this.  Otherwise she feared she would merely clutch them to her breast in a futile attempt to protect them from the world.  A soft snort escaped her nostrils:  what a joke.  As though she could do anything to save anyone from the perils of truly living.

She set out across the sands, finding individuals and small groups scattered here and there, pausing to chat for a moment, to pass along her message.  By the time she had returned to her favorite spot in the oasis, a particularly large palm with long, shady fronds, the sun was beginning to set.  She had chosen this time of day so that perhaps they could evade the heat - she and any of the herd who wished to answer her summons.  As she passed among family, friends, acquaintances, and even strangers, she had hoped that perhaps she was not the only one who could see the benefit to having an Academy in their herd land.

As she sun sank ever-lower in the sky, Sohalia cleared her throat, gently requesting the attention of any who had gathered.  Speaking before a crowd had never bothered the Transcended, and it was obvious in the kind smile that she cast out across the assembled individuals.  "Good evening," she began, her calm soprano tones flowing across the desert sands.  "If you don't know me, my name is Sohalia.  As you are aware, I have asked you all here because I would like to start an academy - a school, here in the Dragon's Throat, that is open to all of Helovia, young and old.  It is my opinion that our land could benefit greatly from training in combat, magic, and wisdom, as well as the camaraderie that a school would help to build.  I have invited you all here to discuss ideas and plans for this school.  Please, feel free to speak."  And so she waited.

"talk talk talk"

Brighter than the northern lights
Want to live to feel the daylight

To say that she was pleased would have been an understatement. When Sohalia had spread the word of her attempt at gathering interested parties, she had been somewhat nervous. How would her idea be received? Would anyone even want to participate in such an odd new venture? Sure, she had mentioned it to others in the past, had gotten the approval to use the Dragon's Throat as the "home base" for her plans - but she had been gone a long time, and as far as she knew, her plans for the Academy had disappeared with her.

As she looked over the group that had assembled, she noted the familiar faces, the ones she had expected to find here. To Maren (their Diviner, a crafter, and a scholar in all but name), the pale dove offered a genuine smile of welcome; so, too, did she greet Isopia, the mare that she had met outside the borders of the Throat on a day not too long ago. Ampere's arrival was both surprising and not, and despite whatever history they shared, Sohalia was pleased by the show of support. The lone stranger to appear thus far was an ice-queen named Elsa. The presence of not one, but two equines from outside the Dragon's Throat brought a great deal of joy to the Transcended. She had been afraid that her invitation to all would bring nothing, that the Throat would never be able to share what began here today.

"Welcome to all of you," she added before the meeting could begin. "I am so pleased that you've come!" She didn't want to single Elsa out - she was the only outsider present, and Sohalia didn't want her to feel uncomfortable - but she nodded her head respectfully to the stranger all the same. And with that, their meeting began.

Ampere was the first to speak, and the dove listened carefully to her suggestion. To combine the church with the Academy had its pros and cons. On the one hoof, it would make the space useful all the time rather than just for religious purposes. On the other, it could open the sacred building to desecration. Her sentiments were voiced by Maren.

When the voices among the group quieted, Sohalia shared her thoughts on the matter. Her voice was soft and melodious, thoughtful as she considered all that had been said. "The church is a sacred building, and that should remain its primary function. However, perhaps there would be a way to modify the plans for its construction - the addition of a multipurpose room off the main sanctuary? A short hallway to distance the room from the holy area would make it separate, but still connected. It could be used for meetings of various kinds - herd meetings, for one, but also for our Academy. I do think that only wisdom should be offered within the confines of the church, regardless of whether or not such a room is added." The mare paused, allowing them time to discuss her idea. It may be that there would be no intention to add more to the church; that decision, she would leave to Maren. Still, having a separate room may help to ease the minds of the Sun's followers.

"Now, it is my opinion - and please, this is all open for discussion, so do not hesitate to critique - that there are three main areas of focus for any of our pupils. First: wisdom. History, religion, culture - it's something that I feel is particularly lacking in Helovia. Many of us have a limited understanding, at best, of our land and our gods, and I think it would be beneficial to all if we could remedy that. Second: magic. It is all around us, all the time, and many of us have been blessed with tremendous abilities. I wonder if a dedicated training ground might help us uncover new abilities - or, rather, new ways to use our existing ones. Additionally, the collaboration of those with different magics - for example, crafters - could yield interesting results. Third: combat. It is, unfortunately, a fact of life here that we should be able to defend ourselves. There have been a multitude of threats against Helovia in my years here. Imagine if we were all united against them, rather than fighting amongst each other? It has been peaceful recently, but I fear that unrest may again find us one day." Again, she paused, allowing discussion.

There was so much more to say, so much more to reveal. She wanted to designate leaders, to send them all away to spread the word, to hunt down teachers, to invite pupils. The mare was almost giddy with excitement. But she could not rush it, not when she had invited these core individuals to have their say. No - their Academy would be the better for their planning now, and she would be patient until this meeting was done.

"talk talk talk"

Brighter than the northern lights
Want to live to feel the daylight

The dove waited as the voices continued, swirling here and there around her. A soft smile lingered upon her lips, for this was precisely what she had wanted in creating the Academy: a gathering of very different equines engaging in discussion that never became inflamed or derogatory. Their voices all remained level, ideas were exchanged, and surely, were there disagreements, compromises would be made. Who would have thought that Ampere would attend such a meeting, much less carry herself with such grace and dignity? That is not to say that Sohalia thought poorly of the mare - quite the opposite, in fact - but she would have thought that the blue's explosive nature would get the better of her even here. The behaviors of Maren and Isopia (or at least that which the Transcended had seen) would have, in theory, been a much better fit for the blossoming organization.

And yet, here they all were. Her chest swelled with pride.

"Let us not make any rash decisions," she told Maren with a respectful nod. "There may be no need for an additional space. I just wanted to mention the idea, in case you or others would prefer the sacred space to be protected." In truth, such protection may not be needed, even against outsiders. Any who attended the Academy would be well-chaperoned; even a mare as trusting as she was not content to allow just anyone to wander through her herdlands. Besides, the church was Maren's project, and had been planned since even before Sohalia had returned. It was not her place to suggest any changes. If they needed a different space later, they could always construct a schoolhouse.

Of fighting, the pale mare waited for Isopia to finish, then added, "Or consider the fighter who has no mind for tactics; consider a tactician who hasn't the strength to fight. True, the fighting itself might be better taught by the warriors of the herd, and certainly the teachers at the Academy must be experienced in this regard, but I do think that there is a great deal of theoretical and even practical information that could be presented in just the environment that we would build. Besides," she added then, "there is so much more that the Academy can offer than just basic learning. Imagine the ability to exchange ideas, to build off of one another just as we are doing here! To discuss one's talents and skills and discover new ways to combine them..." She trailed off, allowing the others to make up their own minds about her thoughts.

Returning her roaming gaze to Maren, she nodded. "As you say, Maren. We cannot possibly teach every little thing, but we can certainly choose several main topics and branch from there. There is nowhere in Helovia that I know of to teach 'wisdom' - in any of its aspects - or even magic, which, in my experience, has been learned through a great deal of instinct, trial, and error. Fighting, as discussed, can be taught, but perhaps the more theoretical knowledge in particular would be worth offering to our students. The gathering and sharing of information, the combination of great minds to address new ideas - it would be unlike anything our land has ever seen."

"talk talk talk"

Brighter than the northern lights
Want to live to feel the daylight

The Transcended watched with interest and listened with an obviously eager gaze. Their conversation was sparking many and more ideas within her churning mind, and she found herself growing more and more excited to get started. Still, before they could host anything upon the sands of the Dragon’s Throat, she would need to discuss the Academy with the leaders of the herd – a difficult task, considering her current relationship – or lack thereof – with the WildFire.*

”Ethics, then, should be an area of focus – perhaps it is from this perspective that we would approach any training in the area of fighting, hmm? Discussions of when it is appropriate, the morality of it, and the life?” She smiled at Ampere and the Mountain, pleased that despite their terse exchange, the two still seemed to be on the same side.

Ampere’s next commentary on companions made the pale lady raise a brow. This was clearly a subject on which the blue had strong feelings, and yet Sohalia had never noticed any particularly special treatment of the mare’s conure. Still, she could not argue with the logic behind Ampere’s suggestion, and so she merely nodded. Formal lesson plans could be put into effect after she got the support she needed from the herd leaders.

”Well, I think we’ve got some wonderful plans. It is important for me to present these ideas to our herd leaders, as I am proposing to hold the Academy here, in our herdland. I hope to meet with you all again soon to prepare to move forward. In the meantime, please start thinking about lesson plans or other suggestions. Thank you all so much for joining me!” The mare grinned at them all, waiting for them to depart before turning her own path towards the oasis.

"talk talk talk"

Brighter than the northern lights
Want to live to feel the daylight