The Captain and The Singer

'There he is again. Always the same time, always the same path.' Aether watched as the Dream Guard Captain passed by her window and dropped a basket at their front door. He never ringed the doorbell, always left before anyone could confront him. He was so mysterious. Aether hummed jumping down from the window sill and trotting to the front door. By the time she got there, the Captain was long gone. The snow had covered the hoofprints, and she was alone. Aether pawed the floor in front of her, dark eyes slowly looking down to the package in front of her. A small red and black basket with a light pink cloth cover. She slowly pulled the cloth off and tilted her head. 

'Moon cakes again? Never a note. Never an explanation. Who are these even for?? Me? Lulu? Pim? Pom??' Aether made an exasperated noise before taking the basket inside and sitting it on the kitchen counter. She was sure they would be gone within a day. Normally Inda's gifts of food disappeared rather quickly. He must be a good cook...Not that Aether cared. The only baked goods she ate were made by Soul. Oh and Lulu of course. Aether took a breath to compose themselves before looking to an empty basket that Inda had brought before. This one smelt strongly of flowers. Aether looked to the door and then back to the basket. Well, it would be rude not to give it back. Normally they left them outside and the Captain took them back...Aether forgot to sit this one back outside. The black and red orin sighed and picked it up. How hard could it be to find a bright blue orin in the snow. 

Aether felt themselves wandering aimlessly after a few hours. No sign of anyone out there. The snowfall wasn't even that bad. Aether's tail stayed tightly wrapped around their back leg as they walked, trying to keep from getting it stuck in the snow. Part of her wanted to give it up and go back home. It was always weird being out on one's own. Normally she did her outings with Soul. 'Wonder what she's up to right now...' Soul was the best orin in Aether's life. Other than her twin of course. Soul understood Aether! Understood that they didn't always want to go out and socialize with others. The other day they were caught in the snow together, they ended up hiding out under a shop front. Aether felt a light blush creeping onto her face. The way Soul laugh made their day. Just the way she talked was perfect. Lately, Aether had been considering her feelings for Soul. She hadn't wanted to be around anyone since the incident, but Soul? She could spend the rest of her life with her. If Soul was okay with that! Aether was too shy to even ask. The orin bumped into a tree as they became more lost in thought over this. A glob of snow fell onto their head as they did, causing them to shake to get it all off. 

"Aether?"

A soothing voice made itself known the black and red orin. Aether backed up to run into a taller Orin behind her.  She slowly peaked back to see Indarias standing there. 'How long had he been there? Had he been following me?'  Aether straightened themselves out and dropped the basket in front of him. Indarias silently stared down at it, before looking back up to Aether. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it as quickly as he did. Instead, he looked up to the tree above them, the magical sky of the realm. This was weird. Aether softly pawed the snow wondering if they could leave now before the other looked back down at them. 

"You want to go for a walk?" 

~~~~

This was even worse. Aether should've shaken their head no but couldn't find it in herself to decline him. So here they were walking on a snow-covered path in the forest. It was so eerily quiet you could almost hear the snow falling around them. Aether's dark eyes slowly looked over to the captain. He seemed so empty, walking without purpose. Like somehow he thought that this would be more than it was...He suddenly looked up and over at her, causing both of them to quickly look away. 

'What was this....'

Indarias looked back slowly seeing Aether was still looking away. She was still as beautiful as the day that he met her. If only things could go back to normal. He would never force that upon her. Aether was her own orin...bonded or not. No one needed to know that. That would go to the grave with him if it needed to. He already blackmailed Lumine into not telling anyone. According to the world, Aether was unbonded. Her past was hidden and she was free to live however she wished. Then why did everything hurt thinking about that? He could leave her at any moment. He could drop contact whenever he wanted to. But...

Aether had stopped a bit behind him, looking up at the now night sky. 'It's so dreamy.' Aether signed before sitting there in the snow, happy to spend time staring at the sky. Indarias paused before turning around and returning to her side. He fell back in the snow beside her sharing a moment he wished could be last forever.

But how could he ruin her life? Ruin that smile? Indarias' eyes dropped from the sky looking over to Aether instead, "Yeah she is." He whispered, Aether didn't seem to notice his words lost in the constellations above them. Indarias eyes closed before looking back to the stars. If he could rewrite the stars, he would rewrite Aether's life to be perfect. Whatever she wanted. It would happen. Aether...would get everything.

'Hey, Inda?' Aether started gently tapping her companion to get his attention, 'If you liked a girl, how would you tell them?'

Indarias paused, heart cracking slightly at her question but he took a breath and looked back to the stars, soaking them in to get the courage he needed to answer. "I would...I would take her to a secluded place. But not like creepy. Call it a picnic and take her to the nearby cliff, you can see the stars clearly up there. I would call her beautiful. I would bring her favorite things...I would..take her hooves in mine and get really close before saying that I love her." Indarias said softly motioning it out with his front hooves. "I guess in your case, keep enough room she can see what your signing....who..who is it? If I may know."

'Soul. Pretty blue orin. Soft. Bauble is soooo pretty.' Aether signed back with a bright smile. She pushed herself up tilting her head slightly as her projection whirled to the moon of tonight, 'Thank you. Inda. You're the best..I should get back before Lulu gets worried.' Inda nodded watching as the white and red orin stood and started to trot away. Indarias slowly stood watching as the white figure disappeared in the snow.

"Good luck songbird," Indarias whispered before going his own way.