It is quite by coincidence that Onni is able to meet Kahlua, though likely not from the direction she was expecting. Walking back from the Wilds, the shaman approaches from behind the other painted beauty, her eyes watching her hooves plod in the grasses which dwindle to sands. In fact, even Lyhty is sleeping peacefully upon her shoulders, happy that his friend has finally calmed her nerves after venturing from her home.

The tears dried from her eyes, leaving no sign of the sadness upon the alabaster face. The blood had been washed from her coat in the salty waters of the ocean. The burns had all but healed, white hairs growing back over the muddled skin. She looked much better than she had previous to her travels, despite the fact that wanderers normally return weary and tired. Instead, her heart was calm, her mind clear.

The beauty of this simple peace allows for the shaman's ears to quickly pick up on her own name, spoken in a familiar voice. Looking from the ground, the painted girl sees an ivory splashed figure of ebony highlighted against the night sky and the distant flame of the Dragon's Throat. "Kahlua?" she says, her voice slightly questioning as she picks up her pace to fall in beside the girl, turning her face to peer at the mare with an open smile.

"What brings you south, friend?"

A simple smile rests on the pale white face of the shaman as the mare considers her response. Onni may not be the sharpest of her peers, yet it did not take the healer long to figure out that Kahlua was significantly different than many. Some might call it simple or even, for the rude folk, dumb, but the pegasus instead found it charming. The beautiful painted mare of ebony and white had a kind heart, since they had gotten off so ill to begin with - now, they were mutual friends. Only the soft, the gentle would forgive such breaches of logic and manners.

So, no matter how simple Kahlua was, the Illuminant thought her a pleasant girl. Fun, happy, and, at times like this, sweet. The response given surprised the mare a bit, though, causing her lips to turn down in a frown of confusion for a moment.

Saving her life? Thinking back, Onni remembered that the girl had been at the scene with the giant fire monster. Her frown turns to a smile, and the tobiano gives a good hearted chuckle. "I would say nearly knocking you off your hooves hardly counts as saving your life," the gentle voice responds. "However, I am always happy to help a friend in need." The truth, earnest, easy. The shaman had injured enouugh bodies recently; the bright spirited mare had lost sight of what really mattered in her life.

The Sun, her healing, and her loved ones. They needed her to be the kind shaman. The Sun would expect nothing but a shining soul, even if tarnish had found a place upon the gold.

As Kahlua speaks of monsters, Onni's attention is stolen by the sound of an approach, the flashing form of Midas, preceded by the familiar call of Fina. Lyhty chirps in response to the phoenix, and a smile widens upon soft, pink lips. "Midas," the healer returns upon his greeting, offering a nod. "Kahlua is a sister of the Edge," Onni says in response to his acknowledgement of her company. The General, of course, would need to know who resided within the borders, or Kri would have his throat.

The fear of Kahlua catches into Onni's senses as the mare scoots closer, her demeanor now agitated, and her words barbed with things that did not make sense. One of the chocolate ears flips back in confusion as the shaman views Kahlua, then back to Midas, wondering what occurred. "Surely you are mistaken, friend," the healer says, her voice quiet but calm. "Midas has a kind heart, the same as you."

Her friend appears confused, and Midas surely is as well. However, the shaman retains the idea that the beloved General would never have threatened the life of another so easily. She also knows that Kahlua is not the type to earn a death threat, being so easy and forgiving of nature. So, the tobiano stares blankly at her company, eyes racing from one face to another. Midas appears taken aback, as though her friend had issued a physical blow instead of cold cut words.

There is tension in the air, causing both Onni and Lyhty's feathers to ruffle in an unpleasant manner, as though the warmth had been sucked from around them. Still as statues, they both watch the pair as Midas struggles through uneasy words with a blank look of confusion on his features, but more importantly, one of concern. The healer is reassured in her belief that the General was a kind stallion, knowing how he treated the herd and his own son Cera. Surely, the creature who threatened Kahlua is not the golden eyed stallion with a warm heart.
Not Midas.

Kahlua takes uneven, doubtful steps toward the painted girl, and Onni rustled up a wing, allowing her friend close to her side. The soft of her muzzle seeking out the warmth of the shaman's neck and finding it easily, for the winged mare had no intentions of denying support. Instead, the shaman attempts to sling her wing over the back of the slightly taller mare. An embrace to keep her warm in a moment of terrifying uncertainty.

Even with the absence of sunlight, Onni is, above all else, warm.

"Worry not, sister," the tobiano whispers toward her. "There surely is an explanation... The shadows I spoke of wore the faces of former comrades turned violent and red," the mare looked toward her with earnest blue eyes. "Nothing is impossible in this world, but I would rest my life upon the shoulders of Midas."