A Somewhat Surprising Solstice

Morana found herself once again training in Espeor. Her visits had become more and more frequent, and it was getting to the point where she was recognized by various Quirlicorns who lived there. Sidra had been coming around more as well, to the delight of the citizens, and Morana saw just how precious the mare was to them. It was an entirely different world, in some ways.

Morana had wandered the lands after leaving Candentia, and finding a place here had never been expected. But Mor knew she couldn’t stay.

“Well done!” Khaalida said, with a grin. Mor had just successfully finished another training session with Sidra, each learning about the Astral Magic they had been granted. The two younger mares grinned at each other, before they moved to grab a drink.

But before drinks could be acquired, Anevay herself burst through the doors.

“Hello hello!” Anevay called out, and all three mares braced themselves. “It’s Summer Solstice time again!”

“Oh no,” Sidra murmured, and Morana was inclined to agree. The last shenanigans with Anevay had been something out of a horror story.

Khaalida stepped forward, giving Anevay a suspicious look. “What brings you to Espeor, Anevay?”

“It’s vacation time!” Anevay announced, and Sidra and Morana exchanged looks.

“To an asylum?” Sidra murmured, and Anevay pretended not to hear.

“Take these, and relax! Have a good vacation!” Anevay said, before dropping some vials and disappearing back out the door as quick as she had come.

“This seems suspicious,” Sidra said, looking at the vials. Morana nodded, and Khaalida and Sidra’s cat familiars investigated. Morana stood toward the back readying her magic, Shade on her shoulder and the annoying animated cupcake she still couldn’t get rid of watching.

“It could explode,” Morana offered, eyeing it with suspicion.

“It could be vials of poison,” Sidra added.

Khaalida sighed, having had her own fair share of chaotic summer solstices and not really disagreeing.

“It could also possibly just be…. Vials? Oh, there's a label? ‘Simon’s Morning Dew - Guaranteed to help you heal!’” Khaalida replied, with a slight frown. “Still slightly suspicious,” she finally agreed.

“Well… Anevay didn’t say anywhere specific….. So…. Do we just go somewhere on vacation?” Sidra asked.

“Where would we go?” Morana asked, looking around. Really, she had been to most if not all of the lands in Khaalida’s alliance. None really screamed ‘vacation spot’, unless you wanted to be asked to help out.

“Hmm, why don’t we go on a hiking trip?” Khaalida suggested, looking out one of the large windows. “We could just see where our hooves and wings take us!”

“I’m not sure it’s hiking if we are bypassing the hard parts by flying,” Sidra murmured to Morana who laughed.

“We can just hike down the mountain range!” Khaalida continued, with a grin. It was the type of grin that told Morana and Sidra that they had absolutely no choice in what was to come next.

“We could check out the Entropy Region,” Sidra suddenly suggested. Morana kind of wanted to step on her hoof for that, having been there herself, but decided against it. Khaalida had been there for the beginning however, so theoretically between them they could keep Sidra out of trouble. Maybe.

“Fantastic idea!” Khaalida agreed, and Morana held back a sigh. The Entropy Region it was then!

Khaalida portaled them to the Entropy Region, right next to a beach. The strange thing was the water was a silver liquid that seemed thicker than water, and as the waves crashed sparks of gold flowed through the turbulent water.

The beach was black sand, and the trees at the end had black bark, with glittering silvery leaves. The grass grew purple, and the sounds of critters echoed. But it otherwise seemed peaceful, much to Morana’s surprise.

“Woah, this is so cool!” Sidra exclaimed, looking around. Morana had to admit it was beautiful, even more so by the sky with two moons and thousands of stars.

Khaalida seemed awestruck for many moments, before she shook herself slightly. “It’s beautiful,” she admitted, looking out over the water to where some islands floated in the sky, waterfalls pouring down and seeming to change color in the light of the two moons.

“We should set up camp, it appears to be late here,” Morana suggested, trying to hide her awe in the place the best she could.

The three mares settled in, and stories passed over a small fire. The black logs caused the flames to burn a myriad of colors, as unnatural as they were beautiful.

It was near moonhigh when strange sounds awoke the three mares.

“Knew this wasn’t some chaos free vacation,” Sidra muttered.

“Hush,” Khaalida chided, as they looked around.

From the darkness stumbled a figure, and as it drew closer, Khaalida let out a gasp. The foal glowed softly in the light, and it had a strange marking on its face.

“Are you lost, little one?” Khaalida asked, noting how the foal was soaking wet and shivering slightly.

Morana watched, and the foal's eyes met hers. A strange feeling filled Morana’s chest, as if a chain had locked around her soul. Merely seconds later, the foal collapsed.

Carefully the three moved the soaked foal closer to the fire. “I’ll get more wood,” Morana offered, before moving toward the treeline. Before she could get too far, a bolt of pain went through her chest, and the foal simultaneously cried out in its sleep.

“What was that?!” Morana got out, between gasping breaths. She moved closer to the fire again, and the feeling faded. Sidra looked concerned, but Khaalida frowned.

“Sidra, get some wood. I will take a look.”

A wave of healing magic washed over Morana, and another washed over the foal. But despite her magic, Khaalida could feel nothing wrong.

“I don’t feel anything, but better safe than sorry. Stick close, we can figure this out in the morning.”

Sidra returned with more wood, and Khaalida lay next to the foal, sharing her body head. Morana stayed on the other side of the fire, Shade at her side, puzzling over the new feeling in her chest.

Khaalida woke, only to find Sidra and Morana standing and talking quietly. The foal still slept, so Khaalida stood and headed over to the other two mares.

“I don’t know what to do with a foal,” Morana protested, softly.

“You will be fine,” Sidra said. “I sense magic from the foal. We can go to Valisthea after this and she can learn.”

“I don’t know the first thing about caring for one. I didn’t spend long on Snowhaven, and well. Candentia was chaotic. I’m not certain that's the best life for her either,” Morana replied.

“You aren’t alone,” Khaalida cut in. “It takes a village to raise a foal, and well. You have got the support of an entire alliance.”

“Being on the road all the time is no life for a foal,” Morana sighed. “I’m not like you guys. I don’t own land, I don’t settle down.”

“Well it looks like you have no choice,” Sidra finally said, a bit sharply. “Whatever strange magic is binding you two has put you in a position in which you are not able to go far from her. So I suggest you get used to the idea.”

Khaalida looked over, surprised by the sharpness in Sidra’s tone. But looking at her daughter's weary gaze, Khaalida realized this must have been a disagreement that had gone on for a while before she arose.

“Ma, can you do what you did for Morana?” Sidra asked, turning to Khaalida. Khaalida was confused for a few moments before she remembered, and nodded.

“When the little one wakes up I shall,” Khaalida agreed.

The foal woke later that morning, and to all three older mares' surprise, a small crow had joined her. Sidra gave Morana some side-eye, looking between Morana and her own crow, Shade.

“Hello little one,” Khaalida said softly. “What is your name?”

The foal looked wearily around the space, head turning to and fro. It was then that Morana realized the one eye that was covered by a strange flame colored marking was pure white. Was she blind in that eye? Almost subconsciously Morana moved closer to Sidra and Khaalida, into view of the foals' other eye.

The foal seemed to relax slightly, and focused on Khaalida. But the silence stretched longer, and Khaalida finally asked “Do you have a name?”

The foal seemed to consider it, then shook her head and shrugged slightly. The crow moved closer, perching on her back and seeming to keep watch over her blind side.

Khaalida looked over at the others, then nodded slightly. Her pale eyes glowed, as she activated her Mountains Region powers, peering into the foal’s life.

“No sign of parents, everything before right now is just a blur,” Khaalida murmured. “No name, just the crow.”

She shifted her focus to the future and for a moment she froze, before pulling back.

Many of the paths led to places Khaalida could barely imagine, but what she saw most brightly was the bond between Morana and this foal. While not a foal of her womb, it was something meant to be between the two.

“I name you Rusalka,” Khaalida said, the name seeming to lock in place between them, much how Morana’s naming had gone. Khaalida reached mentally toward Morana, skimming the edges of possible futures and nearly shuddered.

So many lay in darkness, just as they had at Morana’s birth. But perhaps…. Khaalida studied Morana and Rusalka. Perhaps together they could find the light.

As Rusalka’s strength grew, aided by the healing dews that had been given to them, Morana, Khaalida and Sidra began to plan their next steps.

“It’s still a vacation,” Sidra said with a bit of a shrug. “If the little one is feeling stronger we could explore some!” Her eyes were still wide with wonder at the world around them.

“It’s the Solstice, too,” Khaalida added, looking at the foal. “She's a bit young but….”

Morana and Sidra watched as Khaalida walked over to Rusalka, murmuring quietly. To their surprise, moments later wings sprouted from the little one's back, flapping a bit uncertainty.

“Well that answers that,” Khaalida said, looking a bit smug.

The rest of the morning was spent with flying lessons, helping Rusalka gain her balance and keep it in the air. Her small crow flew close to her blind side, wings brushing her neck often to help guide her.

Sooner than Morana expected, Sidra and Khaalida’s cat familiars were on their respective Quirlicorns backs, Khaalida's cupcake floating nearby, and they were in the sky. Shade flew close to her, and Mor's own stupid cupcake that she couldn’t seem to get rid of bobbed through the sky nearby.

As they flew, they took in the wonders. From the waterfalls that fell into the sky, the upside down islands, or the dazzling array of colors, there was something simply magical about the place. Even the air felt different to Morana, somehow fresher.

There was something about it that felt like home in a way.

Even Rusalka seemed to enjoy it, a slight smile on her face as they flew.

They stopped for a rest on the edge of a cliff. There was a small crack in the rocks, and looking in, opened to a cave that was bigger than the outside rock. It looked like an entire world within a world. Easy conversation flowed, and Rusalka listened to it all with curious ears.

The young foal wasn’t certain what was going on, if she was being honest. Her familiar, Sight, kept close. The strange magic pull to the one mare - Morana was her name? - felt like a tug in her chest, one that was impossible to ignore. Even if she flew too far it was uncomfortable. It was like a subconscious awareness that reared its head every time she went too far.

From what Rusalka had seen, there was a bond between the mares. The light blue one (See-something?) was the daughter of the darker blue and purple one, and the one she was tied to was also treated like a daughter, but wasn't? They were also powerful, even she could tell that. The blue one and the blue and purple one seemed to leak power into the air around them, and while Morana didn’t seem to have quite as much, it was still formidable.

Rusalka knew she had power too. It was a drop compared to the wells of power within the three mares, but it was there. But the power on the air felt unstable, so Rusalka kept it curled within her, her glowing seed of power, waiting for things to settle. Perhaps it was the Solstice, as the mares called it?

“Rusalka, would you like something to drink? Something to eat?” the darker blue mare asked.

“Khaalida, isn’t she too young?” Morana asked.

Khaalida, yes, that was the dark one's name.

“She looks old enough to at least try,” Khaalida responded.

Food and drink were offered, and Rusalka hesitantly took some. It was nothing that she was familiar with (not that she could quite remember - everything before this morning was a hazy blur) but it was good.

After a short rest, their travels continued. Rusalka found herself relaxing more and more as time went on, and the strange bond felt less oppressive and more familiar. She caught Morana giving her glances every once in a while, and Rusalka returned them. After their second stop, Rusalka took to flying on the other side of Morana - slowly trusting the mare to watch her blind side.

As the Solstice Day drew to a close, they landed back on the beach where they had started.

“We can rest here and get home in the morning,” Khaalida suggested.

“Home?” Rusalka asked, her first words to the mares. All three turned to look at her, before Khaalida nodded.

“Yes, my lands, in the Mountains Region. Not in this Realm,” she replied.

“Home, with you?” Rusalka asked, looking between the three. This caused a momentary pause.

“Well, I have a different home and Morana wanders,” Sidra said hesitantly.

“You can stay in Espeor if you would like for a while,” Khaalida offered. “When she gets older perhaps you could go to Valisthea, and work on her magic training there.”

As the eyes turned to Morana, she considered the small foal and her small crow. Espeor would be the better option, with more support while she… transitioned into this new role.

“Espeor works,” Morana agreed.

So they settled in for the night, Sidra and Khaalida resting peacefully. Morana was up late into the night, watching the strange stars and debating what to do. Unbeknownst to her, Rusalka watched her, considering the same.

Espeor was… overwhelming. The colors seemed strange to Rusalka, who could only remember the vibrancy and chaos of the Entropy Region (as she had learned it was called that morning).

What was more alarming was the amount of other Quirlicorns as they entered Queensbreak. The noise and chaos startled her, and she felt herself stumble, her blind side bumping into a warm body.

“It’s okay,” Morana said softly, and Rusalka found herself relaxing at the feel of the mare at her side. “It is pretty busy, isn’t it?”

Rusalka nodded slightly, her good eye hardly being able to focus on any one thing. Quirlicorns called out to Khaalida and Sidra, and the pair called back, exchanging pleasantries and other formalities.

“It can be overwhelming to me, too. I can show you some of the quieter places later, once we get settled in,” Morana offered, and Rusalka nodded.

“I would like that very much,” she admitted.

“We will be at the manor house soon,” Morana assured. “It is a bit more quiet there.”

Rusalka nodded, sticking close to Morana’s side the rest of the walk.

“Well that was refreshing!” Khaalida said, as they settled in. A set of conjoining rooms were picked out for Morana’s stay, and Sidra had taken up her old room. The training visit was turning into an extended stay for them both.

“The Entropy region is amazing,” Sidra agreed, her eyes dreamy. “Didn’t expect to come back with a foal though.”

Khaalida looked to the stairs, where Morana and Rusalka’s rooms were.

“I can’t help but have the same strange feeling I had when Morana was born,” Khaalida admitted.

“It will all work out, Ma. We know they will be fine,” Sidra reassured.

“Will they? Are they ready for what is to come?” Khaalida worried.

“I’m not sure they have a choice. But Morana is strong, and has just kept growing stronger. Rusalka is even more powerful than Morana was as a foal. I sense she is one of the ones who inherited magic. No matter what comes, I’m sure they will be fine,” Sidra replied.

“I know how tenuous Morana’s threads of fate are. But when I see Rusalka entwined with them, they grow stronger. Whatever strange magic occurred on the Solstice to bind them… it was a good thing,” Khaalida replied.

The two mares fell silent as they heard steps at the top of the stairs, and saw Morana leading Rusalka down them.

They shared a glance, both simply having hope for the future of the two mares.

“We are all settled in,” Morana said, although she wasn’t thrilled with it. Even though she had been spending time in Espeor quite often to practice her magic, it was still strange to stay there. Many a night after training Morana had taken to the skies and soared into the mountains to find a place to rest under the stars. But now… Now that wasn’t quite possible. While Rusalka had wings for the Solstice, it was simply the magic of that day. Traveling on hoof into the mountains - with a foal no less - was asking for trouble.

“I’m glad to hear,” Khaalida said with a smile. “Koa and Leesi are in Triemme, and Signe and Zehar are in Haven, so it will be quiet for now. Most of the Circle are out and about as well. Let’s get you both settled, and then we can go over some magic theory.”

Morana rolled her eyes at that, but as they settled in for a meal, she noticed Rusalka’s eyes wide with wonder at the descriptions of magic and how it worked, and Morana nearly smiled herself. Perhaps this wouldn’t be so bad.