Dio had been somewhat grumpy today. Despite being perfect in every way in her father's eyes she was all kinds of snorting and kicking and being all around frustrating about everything.

First, refusing to eat breakfast at all and no amount of pressing a spoon of tasty food against the side of her mouth seemed to dissuade that. Then, refusing to put on her rags, forcing Cor and Noah to hunt her down like some sort of gazelle and pin her down while the other dressed her and there may have been some duct tape involved to ensure she didn't just remove them again.

The last straw came when she threw her plush at another foal's head because they wanted to play with her. She had been banished to her den and told that they would deal with her later.

Later felt like hours, days even, to the young foal and she had been crying the entire time. In reality, it was maybe five minutes before the familiar mumbles of Cor trying to squeeze through the tunnel could be heard. She glared at the opening with reddened eyes, hoping Cor would see just how upset she was and how it was all his fault because he'd sent her down here to "think about her attitude", as he put it, in the first place.

No such pity came and he moved over and sat beside her on the pile of feathers on the floor. His body curled slightly to fit in the small space, he didn't bother looking at her right away.