It was ridiculous, in her mind, to let a single injury make you view the world differently. Hotaru did not believe in fate. Either you changed your path, or you let yourself sink into the despair that you would never make it. So although she cried for help, both through sound and through the shaky words she could manage, Hotaru never actually feared that she wouldn't get up. Courage bloomed like a flower in this child's breast, and fear would slip away from her personality the older she grew. Stutter she may, and shy away from dangers and situations that seemed miniscule to others, this barrier would not remain long past her youth. Why should she sob recklessly and wail over the fact death would soon claim her when such dramatics would never prove true? Logic aided this young one, and so she cried only because the pain forced crystalline drops to her orbs. Deep inside she knew that if she called out in such a way, she would be met with rescue. It was odd not to feel fear, but she did not want for it. It would do her no good in this situation.

So once her pretty eyes had been wasted on tears, and her muzzle stopped quivering with the aching of her throat, she fell quiet. Why scream herself bloody when she could settle for hoarse? The panic had not kept her under for long, though she could be brave enough to admit that she had been in that stage at all. Intelligent or not, she was still just a filly. With how she was positioned, the stallion that appeared at the top of the hill was directly within her line of sight. Too tired to call out to him, knowing he must have already heard her, she managed a weak nicker as he approached. How long had she lay there, cold and shivering, ankle on fire? Was it broken? It felt so, but Hotaru had never been injured in such a way before.

Instinct took hold before her mind could then, and when he bent low to her alerts went firing through her brain. Danger! Danger! After all, horses may evolve through magic, but they were still derived from animals that had long been prey to many. A helpless, hurt foal? Alone, with no mother or protector in sight? With a fully capable stallion of unknown name and personality standing above them? Struggle lasted for only a brief spurt, energy long since spent, but tiny whines and whinnies of distress left her small snowy muzzle. Only as he shushed her did she quiet, and in her fighting to stand after slipping the first time, revealed both eyes to him. It was not something Hotaru did, it simply did not happen. Soft mercury silver eye was pale as if she was blind, nearly snowy white. Though sensitive to light it was still fully functional, though it gave her pains on bright days. However in comparison to her other iris, which glowed a cool sea-blue, Ru found herself disgusted by this mutation that set her apart- yet again- from her beautiful perfect family.

Every family must have an ugly duckling after all, right?

Voice like honey dribbled over her ears, and like a fawn in shock she blinked big eyes at him slowly. The ringing in her ears faded and she could at last concentrate on helping him, in order to help herself. Asking where she hurt, she finally had the sense of mind to flick her forelock back over her atrocity and turn to point with a crowned face towards her injured ankle. Quivering voice strengthened as she drew in a deep, calming breath. Panic did not suit her, and she refused to let this be the first impression this stag had of her. "I was coming out of the water and twisted it, but I'm not sure if it's broken..." Despite her valiant attempt at coherency for this helpful soul, her tone was still breathless and shook slightly. If it was broken, could he heal her? Were there even any healers in a herd such as this, surrounded by killers and spies?

It seemed there was, for after her gaze turned trustingly to him he gave her his title. Perhaps hope was not lost for her after all. This Apollo fellow was entirely too easy to trust, with a voice sweeter than a summer breeze and smile the perfect warm of a temperate Birdsong evening. In a way he reminded her of Torasin, but with a gentleness that she associated with what was clearly his status as an Earth Medic. Was it strange that she only seemed to befriend those that were already into adulthood, and held the gender opposite of herself? That would be a query to solve in the future, however, for she needed to answer lest she be seen as rude and without manners. "I...I'm Hotaru. It's nice to meet you," she whispered, voice dropping shyly at the end. Where Raeden played up innocence for attention, Hotaru was truly sincere in her enjoyment of the company of others. Love her as she may, Ru still disapproved of a lot of the tricks and lies her twin pulled on others. Swallowing nervously she extended her neck out to Apollo, desiring some sort of touch or comforting sentence to soothe her fears. "C-Can you...is it broken?" She couldn't finish the first inquiry, fearing it indeed could not be fixed, and switched her question almost directly after realizing this. Heaven help her if her family ever found out about this...she'd never live it down.