onni.</style>

I am still somewhat afraid of the dark.

This is no childhood born malady, but rather one developed during my adult years. Lyhty would never understand, though he might have caught a glimpse or two of the creatures which haunt my mind. It is in the dark hours of the night, when the moon shines dull light on the world, that I begin to pray for the sun to hurry its pace back to my home. Every shadow seems to be a monster, awaiting me with glowing red eyes and vengeance. It was strange to consider, for even Perpetua had been illuminated by the pale light of the moon on that night, but it seemed the dark nature of night could not be shaken by the silver glow. Even though the thought of the cloud kingdom brought a frown to fall upon my lips, I am reminded of another pain, another face to mourn. Moth. He had been my companion there, when I had first encountered the dark spirits of the night. In fact, even when the Dreamscape had produced such a phantom in the broad daylight, Moth had been at my side.

Now, I found myself wishing in the dark for his same presence. What does it mean to be in love? I certainly don't know, but if I had to be in love with anyone in this world, I would guess his name would be Moonfeather Moth.

There was a brief time when he had been within the Throat with me, and now I do not know where he has gone off to. I was relieved to see him well, so I am not entirely saddened by his disappearance. He had never been a fan of the heat, despite choosing to live on the Islands with me. Much like Lyhty, there were few times when Moth was not accompanying me. It is no wonder that I feel the weight of his absence heavily now, even if it makes Lyhty somewhat sour when I consider it. I think the small bird prefers to be the center of my attention, but his soul is still kind. We are ultimately here to aid others in healing. Through the light of the sun, my current shield against the dark nights, we are able to heal others.

I have found myself wishing for the sun's protection at night, and I am not entirely certain when it happened. One night, I found light being reflected in gold instead of silver. It was then that Lyhty mentioned to me in broken words in my mind, Onni glow. Looking to the waters of the Oasis, I found myself staring into my own golden face, radiating a light in the middle of the dark abyss of night. I had smiled then, looking at myself, but thinking of a distant face. The God of the Sun pretends not to care for the wishes of the mortals, but he is rather quick to answer the prayers from their heart. To quell the fears in my heart, the Sun had embued me with his light, which I can now carry even after the sunsets below the horizon. A gentle, kind gift for one of many of his followers. He is guarding me carefully, and I am grateful.

Even now, as I walk along the crimson sands of the desert under the moon's glow, I myself am radiating light. Golden, warm, and bright - the light of the sun. It is through pale blue eyes that I spot the patched figure of Midas, who looks to be scouring the ground under the dim light of the stars. I walk forward, Lyhty sleeping easily between my wings, rested beside a strange pouch which holds shards of metal. Metal; the only remanents I held of my beloved mentor, Voltaic. "Good evening, Midas," my voice level and calm as I smile broadly. "Have you lost something?" My eyes wide with the will to help him look, for that is the only reasonable explanation I can draw for someone sifting through the dirt at such an hour.
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[ I have no idea how this ended up in first person.... :| I only realized it when I was half way through posting. Should be back to normal next post. xD sorry if the perspective changes throw you off. ]

onni.</style>

A smile for a smile.

Onni greets it happily, her own eyes turning up slightly with delight as the stallion takes notice of her. In the intensity of whatever search this was, the General had been approached with little care to quiet her steps. The shaman thought as protector of this place, maybe he should be more attentive, but the girl could not resist finding it quite pleasing she had managed to keep her light footing after more than a year of distancing herself from battle. Some habits never die in a warrior, she supposed, not that anyone aside from that peculiar boy Knox knew of her former history with battle.

His golden eyes reflect the light which radiates out from her coat, two beacons in a sea of night. They are widened slightly, as though surprised to see the healer, though Onni hazards a guess that is not why he is shocked. Few had noticed her newly acquired glow, and therefore, it stands to reason Midas would not have known either. His politeness wins out, though, and Onni shyly looks toward the ground about the same time his own eyes turn away. An awkward amount of attention being displayed upon her, such that she is not used to it. A modest creature, Onni is not used to being stared at.

His explanation comes soon enough, and Onni flicks an ear sideways uncertain at the mention of gold hunting. She did not know gold could be preyed upon, though it stands to reason some might seek to collect it. The material shone like the sun whenlight crossed its surface, something Onni admired greatly. "I might be able to help," she says quite sheepishly. A walking lantern, the girl would make the gold flakes glimmer within the crimson dirt as they walked.

The explanation for his activities comes despite the fact that Onni would never question Midas's motives. Her pale face looks surprised for a moment, looking closely at the general, before turning her head back and grasping the strange pouch from between her wings carefully, not wanting to wake the small bird nestled beside it. With a clunk, the shards of metal fall toward the ground, shining in the ethereal light of her body.

"Would you be able to fix this?" she asks, hopeful, her sky eyes wide. "It is a..." What had Voltaic called it? Onni appears to stumble on the word before finally taking a guess. "A sword?" She thinks, tilting her head. "It belonged to my beloved mentor."
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onni.</style>

I can fix it. A bright smile breaks onto the painted mare's face as the sand hovers the swoard up for Midas in order, showing the smooth curve of the once brilliant katana. Onni remembers well how it followed behind Voltaic like a noble companion, singing sweet sounds into the wind, but now it was crumbled, just like his broken body had been. Even the holy sunfire had not been able to keep piece his figure back together and capture the golden soul that floated softly toward the heavens, resting easily. Then, the mare had seen it as a failure of her abilities as a healer. One thing she had learned in these many months, however, was that maybe it was not her lack of ability, but his lack of drive to live.

Patients, as many as she had seen, had a common trait if they survived. They wanted to live. Even Cera, far weaker physically than the stallion she had studied under, pulled through the critical condition he had been delivered to her in. Voltaic the Samurai's smile had long since faded. His heart had been shaded in the last years of his life. Perhaps this claimed his life instead of the lion Ra. Onni was nothing but a conduit of power, but if they did not want to be saved, they would not live.

Maybe, if she had offered him kind words of encouragement and a smile before the battle, he would have lived. Maybe, if she had not been within the desert already. Maybe, if she had found him after he left Isilme. Maybe, if she had been a better pupil. Maybe.

The smile doesn't fade, though her sky eyes look sad for a brief moment as she looks at the engravings of lightning on the shaft of the thin sword, the hilt a bolt as well. "I am glad," she says happily, thinking that the sword could be returned to its former glory in bright, burnished gold. What are you going to do with it? The healer looks up, smile replaced with a thoughtful frown. She had no more use for it, certainly, no longer poised as a warrior. "I don't know, really," she says honestly. "I feel as though someone will wish to wield the Samurai's blade someday." Smile is replaced, looking toward the dark face of Midas, seeking out the vibrant eyes of gold.

"I will guard it carefully until then. It is the least I can do."
""