Welcome to Gaia! ::

Axelle angled her wings, swooping towards the earth. She had spotted a group of travelling healers nearby, and, judging from their appearance, she’d met them before.

“Alucia!” she called, her voice nearly drowned out by the downward flaps of her wings as she landed. “It’s been a while!”

It wasn’t hard to make out the mare’s magenta against her stark black coat, and Pierre rushed to reach Alucia, who had wandered a bit away from the main group. “What, no greeting for me?” he asked, all smiles.

Sardine’s ears lay flat against her skull as she looked over her shoulder, checking for pursuers and making sure her brother, Snapper, was okay. He had a strong grip on her tail as he always did, but they were still young and not skilled enough to keep pace with one another – especially when panicked. Whenever she sped up, her tail was pulled, but if she ran too slow, they nearly crashed into one another.

“Beautiful, as always,” Axelle said, letting her hair flow dramatically from the wind of her landing. It had been some years since she’d first met the two, but she was glad both were as friendly as before. There was no hesitance in their eyes despite the time that had passed since their last parting and that, more than anything, quelled her own trepidations.

“It’s good to see you, too,” she chuckled, punching Pierre in the shoulder with a wing. “What’ve you guys been up to without me?”

“Saving the world, the usual,” Pierre shot back. It was good to joke around like this; when they’d met, he’d admittedly been wary against her. Though his father didn’t speak of it much, he’d been part of the Kalona War that Axelle’s birth herd initiated. The first time he found out, he’d gone into a rage and tackled Ax. Considered she was a veteran, he didn’t last very long. But that was history, and he thought of her more as an aunt than anything.

Snapper may have been hopeful, but Sardine’s view wasn’t so optimistic. A part of her thought that this was all a plan, that Lux wanted to get their hopes up before crushing it to the ground. Life with the mare had taught her that anything was possible.

Her eyes narrowed as she followed Malenki. He’d stayed with Lux the longest, had been most exposed to her influences. Sardine wanted to pounce him, to threaten him to tell them the truth, but it was all she could to do to keep up, her breath coming out in heaves. If this was a trap, she realized there was nothing she could do.

"Well, you can’t take all the credit! It takes a lot of work to stand in the background looking pretty,” Pierre said, striking a pose. It was clear where Axelle got her sense of humor from.

“But, really: I’m happy you’re back, Ax. How’d your trip go?”

“Don’t get all sentimental on me, boy.” Axelle ruffled his mane, remembering with a pang the own children she’d had and left behind. Once again she found herself wondering if they had lived and, if so, what they thought of her. She shook her head to clear her thoughts.

“It went well; I met many students who didn’t give their mentors half so much trouble as you.” She turned to Alucia and winked. “Just say the word, and I’ll kick his a** for yo—what the?”

Axelle turned to face the Usdia with markings as bright as her own, her feathers ruffling. It’d been a long time since she’d lived with an overaggressive herd, but old habits died hard, and her first reaction to a newcomer was to assume he was dangerous.

Sardine didn’t struggle when Snapper tugged; her hackles were up, and she studied the group with cold eyes. Instead of following Malenki, she nudged her brother back into the trees where they could watch without being so exposed.

Axelle nodded at Alucia’s words and let Malenki pass unharmed. The usdia may have been safe, but what of his companions? She looked harder, and realized with surprise that they were not adult usdias like him, but young foals. Again her heart twisted. Where were their parents...?

She stirred, about to approach them, before she noticed Pierre had already trotted forward. This was for the best; they likely wouldn’t want to see her frightening eyes, nor her demonic traits. Since the Kalona War, prejudices against kalonas rose, and she wouldn’t be surprised if these children feared her kind as much as Pierre had when they first met.

She unfurled her wings, readying herself to leave and save the foals some trouble. But... though she played a large part in bringing down the Great Herd, she had spent a much longer portion of her life supporting it, too. If there was anything she could do to change that, even if it was as small as showing foals that not all kalona were dangerous, she could at least try.

She stepped up to Alucia’s side, silently telling the mare that she would be here.

Without hesitation, Pierre approached the two foals. Having been surrounded by close friends and family all his life, it didn’t occur to him that the children would find him dangerous, that they were legitimately afraid, rather than simply shy. It didn’t occur to him... until he was able to see them up close. He’d seen those eyes before on Ax and his father, on top of some of the patients he had helped Alucia with. They were not eyes a foal should have had. On top of that, the two were covered with many lacerations; none were deep, but they would sting, and would have to be cleaned before any infection could get to them.

“Oh,” he gasped, and for a moment, it seemed as if that was all he could say. Slowly, carefully, he laid down so that he could be level with them and asked, quietly, “Do you want to come out? We’re here to help.”

It was in a forest much like this that he’d lost one of his sisters. No matter how long he and his family searched, they could never find her. To see these foals appear suddenly at the edge, so close to coming out... it was almost as if there was hope that one day he’d be reunited with his sister.

Sardine was all points and sharp angles; she bared her teeth at the blue stallion with a snort. Kindness was unnatural, unfamiliar; she didn’t know what to expect from such behavior, and uncertainty meant danger.

Sardine stood straight, suddenly alert. Was Malenki leaving, just like that? Yes. He had to. Lux would be mad. Lux would be mad at them, too, if they didn't return. Panic flooded her, and for a moment, she nearly considered running back on the hope that Lux might be lenient with them. But then, Snapper nudged her. If it had just been her and Mal, she would have run back, she was sure of it. But she couldn't let her brother return to that place, even if it mean they had to be with other strangers instead.

She didn't move for a while longer, watching Malenki disappear back into the forest. She knew Lux would punish him, and punish him severely, but there was no twinge of sadness or fear for him; she'd lost the ability to care for anyone but Snapper long ago. There was only confusion, for why Mal would purposely choose to leave. Was it a trap? she asked herself again. But she was throbbing, and tired, and before she knew it, she was staggering into the open.