Strange Magic

The quests were complete, but Khaalida had a different idea in mind. She wanted to experience the world again, and as such, had decided to take the long road, so to speak. Call it a family reunion of sorts, or perhaps just an effort to settle herself back into a normal routine after completing her quests to gain her land. The land she had yet to set eyes on. She had picked out the place, and a name of course. She could remember the land, a land she had traveled through and marveled at its beauty. But this was different. It was a home… but it was also a responsibility. As if trying to hold on to a reckless youth that she had not given herself time to live, she decided to spend the Solstice traveling, and meeting old friends for what felt like the first time in forever.

The star speckled mare felt the magic heavy in the air. The Solstice heightened abilities, but for the past few days she had been feeling… off. She had not tried to use any magic, but something about the magic within her felt strange. As she traveled back to her mother's normal spot in the Plains, Khaali wondered what was going on.

The land was flush with flowers, tall towering plants seeming to reach to the sky, her mother's magic at work. Khaali heard humming from within the garden, and saw her mother gently tending to the flowers. “Hello, Mother,” Khaalida greeted her. Liana’s head whipped up, falling upon her daughter. A small gasp of relief came, and she rushed to greet her. Pulling her into a hug, Liana grinned. “You are safe!” she cried, and Khaalida smiled. “Of course, Ma,” she replied with a laugh. Khaalida laughed harder as she noticed Liana’s long locks tied up in strange messy ways, her flowing mane half braided half tied up, and her tail wrapped. “What on earth is this look of yours?” Khaalida asked. Liana huffed. “It's Summer! And all this hair gets annoying,” she griped. “Why not just cut it?” Khaalida asked, and Liana shook her head. “It's nice in the winter,” Liana defended. “Besides, I’ve spent so long growing it that it seems a shame to cut it now.” Khaalida shook her head, looking around. “The garden looks lovely,” she said. “Is Father around?” Liana smiled wistfully. “He's out with your new sibling,” Liana replied. Khaalida had never understood her parents' relationship. In some way, Liana almost took on a mothering role for her younger father, indulging is antics and taking care of him. They loved each other for sure, but Khaalida wasn’t exactly sure how she came to be from such a strange pair. Not to mention she had a half sibling now. Having been gone nearly a year on her quests, Khaalida had yet to meet her new sibling… or know much about them really. “Oh…” she said a bit uncomfortably. She didn’t know the mother of her sibling, nor how they had come to be. Her father's wild and mostly childish nature didn’t give her much hope for him being anything respectable. “They will be back shortly. It's about time you met them,” Liana said sternly. “A brother or a sister?” Khaalida asked, realizing she had no clue. Liana gave her a sideways look. “They are what they choose to be,” Liana replied softly. Khaalida didn’t understand at first, but the sound of her father's bawdy singing was heard over the summer bugs, and she knew she wouldn’t have to wait long to find out.

Abraxas was trotting happily along, at least mindful enough to keep his tail out of the way of Liana’s plants. He always had delicate flames along his tail and back hooves, dangerous things if you asked Khaalida. Why such a carefree horse would be gifted with fire was beyond her. But behind him… a young horse, with two strange twisting horns. Looking at the foal, her half sibling, Khaalida felt they were two sides of a coin. Where she inherited her father's starry pelt, the other inherited the sunny side, mixed with white markings. “Oh my darling daughter you are home!” Abraxas cried out, hastening to a canter. “Watch the flowers,” Liana called, and Abraxas gave a sheepish grin, controlling himself. “It's about time you got back,” Abraxas said with a scolding tone and a grin. “Were you successful?” Khaalida smiled, and nodded. “Yes, I gained my first land,” she replied. “Didn’t mother tell you?” Abraxas chuckled, and shrugged. “You know I don’t listen too well,” he said with a wink. Khaalida didn’t begrudge her father's nature; she rather found it refreshing. He was so wholly himself, never putting up a facade or trying to be anything different. “And oh of course! You haven’t met your sibling!” Abraxas said, changing the topic quickly. “Khaalida, meet Pyralis. Pyralis, this is your sister Khaalida,” Abraxas said, quickly introducing the pair. Khaalida studied the yearling, and was studied in return. “Hello Pyralis,” she said. Pyralis gave a slight shy smile. “You may call me Pyra today,” they said, their voice an even tone between high and low. “Only today?” Khaalida said slightly jokingly. “Today I feel more female,” Pyra replied. “Tomorrow, who knows?” Khaalida blinked in surprise. It took a moment to adjust it in her mind. “Would you prefer to be referred to as she?” she queried. Pyra smiled. “Whichever is fine, they also works. I feel different ways each day so if they or them would be easiest, I don’t mind.” Khaalida smiled and nodded. “It's nice to meet you, Pyra,” Khaalida said, and Pyra smiled.

“So guess what I heard,” Abraxas said as their little family rested in the shade of some awfully large flowers. “What's that dear?” Liana asked, as Pyra worked to undo the crazy mess her long mane was wrapped up in. “There's a Solstice event along the edge of the desert!” Abraxas said excitedly. “I was taking Pyra to visit Pan and the girls since Pan has another new daughter and found that out!” Khaalida snorted in surprise. “Another daughter?” she asked. Liana chuckled softly. “That mare seems to throw nothing but daughters,” she commented. “What's this about an event?” Pyra asked softly, having finished removing the knots from Liana’s mane. “Oh yeah! A magic show and tell type deal or something like that,” Abraxas said with a shrug. “Are Pandora and her girls going?” Liana asked. Abraxas nodded. “Even that poor girl Datura is going too,” he said. Khaalida snorted softly. She didn’t know Pandora or her girls very well. She had met them on occasion, sure, but most of her childhood had been spent with Cyrenne, traveling and learning all she could. “When do we leave?” Liana asked. Abraxas looked startled. “Oops I was supposed to just come pick you guys up and meet them!” He exclaimed. Khaalida rolled her eyes. “Forgetful much, Father?” She asked, and laughed. “Let's go then!”

Khaalida smiled as they walked. It felt nice to be back with her family. With her black cat by her side, she walked behind the group. Liana and Abraxas walked together, Pyra right behind. Khaalida wondered if maybe Pyra just didn’t know what to say, much like how Khaalida felt facing her sibling. She had never thought she would have a family, not more than her mother and father, and Cyrenne of course. Cyrenne! “Ma, Father, I’m going to look for Cyrenne and see if she wants to join!” Khaalida called out. “Be safe dear, why don’t you take Pyra with you?” Liana replied. Khaalida only balked for a second. “Sure. Pyra, would you like to come with me and meet Cyrenne?” Khaalida asked, turning her attention to them and letting it be their choice. Pyra considered, seeming a bit unsure before they nodded.

The siblings walked in silence for a little while. Finally, Pyra broke the silence. “So what kind of magic do you have? I know Liana has Plant magic, and Abraxas has Fire.” Khaalida blinked. “You don’t call him ‘father’?” she asked. Pyra shrugged. “He's like a large child,” they supplied. “Why should I refer to him as father when I am more mature than him?” Khaalida chuckled at that. “I call him Father because that's what he is to me. He's unapologetically himself, all the time. To me it's not because it is a term of respect or a sign of maturity. It's a term of affection.” Pyra thought about that for a few moments then nodded. “I suppose that makes sense,” they admitted. “He acts more like a friend than a father, though.” Khaalida smiled. “That’s true,” she said with a laugh. “What about your mother?... Sorry if that's insensitive or a delicate topic.” Pyra shrugged. “I see her on occasion but I spend a lot of time with… Father and Liana. Liana helped raise me too. And Father takes me to see Pandora and the girls a lot too. Apparently he grew up with them.” Khaalida nodded. “I’m not really close with them. I’ve met them on occasion but I spent a lot of time with Cyrenne growing up,” she said. “Why was that? You also never answered my question about your magic,” Pyra replied. Khaalida chuckled. “Sorry, got distracted. My first magic was the ability to see the dead,” Khaalida said. “My mother originally thought something was wrong because I kept seeing things that weren’t there. She knew of Cyrenne and that Cyrenne knew a lot about the world, and took me to her. It was Cyrenne who helped identify my powers and taught me what she knew of them. So I spent more time with her learning than I did with the others.” Khaalida was surprised that Pyra didn’t balk at the mention of seeing the dead. They simply nodded, and accepted it. “What magic do you hope to learn?” Khaalida asked. Pyra thought about it. “I think Water magic,” Pyra said. “Or being able to talk to animals,” Pyra added, glancing to Khaalida’s black cat. “Are they your familiar?” Khaalida nodded. “Yes, Cat is my familiar,” she replied. “You just call her Cat?” Pyra asked. Khaalida chuckled and nodded. Cat hopped up on her back, lounging across her shoulders. “Yes. When I first met her I couldn’t think of what to call her. I thought of her simply as the black cat, which turned into the cat, and eventually just became Cat.” Pyra laughed softly, and Khaali was surprised by the sound.

A small rise loomed ahead, and on the other side Khaalida saw a familiar purple hued form. “Cyrenne!” She called out. Cyrenne looked up, and looked surprised to see Khaalida wasn’t alone. Cyrenne came to meet them, embracing Khaali. “Oh Khaali so good to see you safe and sound,” Cyrenne said. “And who have you brought with you?” Khaalida smiled and gestured for Pyra to introduce themself. “Today I am Pyra,” Pyra supplied in a soft shy voice. Cyrenne took it in stride and smiled. “Nice to meet you Pyra. Why have you two come?” “There is apparently a magic event going on down by the border of the desert,” Khaalida said. “Father told us about it, and I wanted to see if you would like to join.” Cyrenne smiled. “I would love to!”

The trio headed back, catching up on lost time. Cyrenne told them about the new gems she had found, and Khaalida told of her adventures with her land quests. Even Pyra supplied some conversation. Khaalida was happy then. She felt a connection to Pyra, and knew it was more than just family pushing them together. Khaalida had no doubt she would invite Pyra to join her in her land. It didn’t take long to catch up to Abraxas and Liana, who had found Pandora and her family. Introductions were made quickly for those who didn’t know each other, for while Pandora and Avia had met Cyrenne before, the other girls hadn’t. There was also the question of Pandora’s tiny, butterfly winged new daughter. She flew around them as they all walked. Khaalida stuck to the back. Pandora, Cyrenne and Liana walked together, while Idalia and Eadwine bickered. Avia kept stopping to sniff flowers, and Abraxas followed, initiating a game of tag with one of his closest childhood companions. It was peaceful, Khaalida decided, and exactly what she needed in this moment. She watched Elara, the tiny butterfly winged daughter as she flew around, talking to everyone… a literal social butterfly. It recentered her, reminded her of what she had to gain…. And all she had to lose.

As they traveled Khaalida found herself feeling more conflicted. Her magic was stronger, yes, but also something was… wrong about it. They were getting close to the desert edge now, and the closer they got, the higher the sun got in the sky… and the more erratic her magic. The emotions of the others flowed strongly around her, and she could feel the current of emotion flowing through her system. Instead of being able to put out a slight calming wave of magic, Khaalida found herself feeling their excitement, nerves, joy, all the stronger. She was elated! She felt like she was shaking slightly, her body quivering with anticipation. Flames caught her eye, and ahead she saw a figure with a flaming mane and tail. Was that… Anevay? The pink hues and white coat gave it away. Khaalida was stunned. The Desert Deity was here on the border? Khaalida looked around as she felt spikes of emotion from everyone. It was giving her a slight headache. From ahead Anevay was watching them, having paused to wait for the large group of Quirlicorns. The group oddly seemed to disperse around Anevay as the sun reached its highest point. It was like a strange sort of chaos erupted. Other Quirlicorns were there as well, ones that Khaalida didn’t entirely recognize. A strange stallion caught her attention, a blue hued and antlered horse, but still clearly a Quirlicorn of some form. Orange stars seemed to speckle his coat, and he seemed to be watching, waiting for… something. He was far enough away that trying to ask him what he was waiting for would be difficult. Perhaps he was waiting for the chaos that came. Quirlicorns were using magic willy nilly, celebrating under the desert sun. Anevay seemed to be watching it all with a wicked delight, especially as… Khaalida blinked. Idalia, whose power was fire manipulation, was spitting water! Khaalida shook her head, trying to see if it was an illusion. But no, each of the Quirls were celebrating with magic, and all of it was going haywire. Pandora seemed to be trying to use wingless flight, but was being pushed further and further into the sand. Liana had tried to do… something with some plants, but they just withered and died. The rush of emotion hit Khaalida like a freight train. Liana was quietly sobbing over the dead plant, and Khaalida felt the sadness tenfold. Khaalida fought back against the wave of emotion, but something was shifting. She couldn’t tell if her eyes were watering or… nope, there were ghosts all over the place. She hadn’t tried to see them, so she couldn’t tell what summoned them… Unless. Khaalida glanced over at Anevay who was just standing off to the side and watching with that same wicked delight.

Khaalida approached Anevay, but her nervousness at speaking to a deity quickly changed, as quickly as the emotions battering her shifted. “What is going on?” Khaalida said. She didn’t even consider that she sounded a bit demanding. “It's the Solstice,” Anevay said with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. Khaalida snorted. “Yes I know that, but why is everyones magic going… haywire?” Anevay gave an indolent shrug. “It's the Solstice,” she replied again with that same smirk. “Magic is heightened, and well. Magic can sometimes go awry.” “This is a bit more than awry,” Khaalida muttered, looking at the chaos around her. Her head was absolutely pounding.

The day progressed and things only got wilder from there. Khaalida stood off to the side as much as possible, regretting joining them. Cat stood behind her, hiding under her tail as things got even crazier. Khaalida tried several times to send out calming waves of empathy energy but it seemed to make things worse. “They are going to hurt themselves,” she murmured. Pyra came to stand by her side. “What's wrong with them?” they asked. Khaalida noticed Pyra didn’t seem to be having any weird issues, nor did Elara who was flying around the others seeming confused. “Their magic is going awry,” Khaalida responded. Pyra, who had not yet discovered their magic, just seemed confused. “But you seem ok?” Khaalida shook her head. “Not really. It's giving me a huge headache. My magic is Psychic, so I don’t have anything flashy or visible normally. I tried to use my calming magic but I think I made it worse.” Pyra seemed to consider it. “Why not try using your magic to make them more riled up? Maybe the opposite will happen and they will calm down. It's kind of looking like a disaster zone.” Pyra was right. The ground was scorched and flooding at the same time, plants were dying, but also bursting to life. It seemed it even had a change on Datura, who was very confused by the plants bursting to life around her when normally things died. “I can give it a shot, but it might make things worse,” Khaalida replied. She pulled that chaotic energy around her, and shot it back out. To her surprise, they actually did seem to be calming. That, or the fact that the sun was almost down made them chill out a bit.

Anevay snorted. “Taking away the fun,” she commented as she turned away and headed back into the desert. Khaalida took that to mean things would be winding down and she could hopefully get them away from the desert. “Let’s go find our father,” Khaalida murmured to Pyra, who nodded eagerly, sticking close as Khaalida began to walk into the fray. Cat hopped up on Khaalida’s back again and Khaali was glad, she worried the frenzy that still seemed to hold some of them would end up with Cat getting stepped on or worse.

Abraxas was standing looking a bit dazed away from the others. “What's going on?” he asked as Khaali and Pyra approached. Khaalida and Pyra shared a look. “The Solstice,” Khaalida said simply. Abraxas shook his head, looking exhausted. “Let's find your mother,” he said finally. Liana was still weeping over her dead plants, but seemed to be just depressed and staring at them. “Let's go home, Ma,” Khaalida said, gently leading her away.

The further they got from the desert, the lower the sun sank, and the calmer their magic became. It was a blessing for the little family, especially since Khaalida’s head felt like it was going to burst from the waves of emotion earlier. The ghosts were fading too, thankfully.

“I think it's time for me to go see my land,” Khaalida said as they reached her mother's garden. Liana and Abraxas still seemed a bit dazed but nodded. “You earned it, sweetie,” Liana said gently. “Go enjoy it.”

Khaalida bid her family goodbye, and headed through the plains toward the mountains. She could feel the mountains calling her home, and knew once she arrived nothing would be the same. She felt the feeling of home in her bones. She would be a good queen, she decided. Today has just been another step toward that. Handling craziness and disaster would be part of her journey. Briefly she wondered if she would be alone for it all. She could very well end up the queen of nothing but land. Would she find herself a queen of ghosts? Like that queen in the desert? Khaalida sighed, looking toward the sunset. A glint caught her eye and she saw that same strange blue hued Quirlicorn from earlier standing on a hill, looking down at her. His antlers rose high and proud, and he seemed to be watching. Khaalida paused, curious about the strange stallion. But he turned and left, so Khaalida shrugged it off and started the long trek toward her new home.