His eyes fluttered. Once, twice. A beautiful dream, like so many others he'd experienced. A pale pink sunrise peered over the rocky landscape, painting it in a perfect rosy palette. The pool he'd claimed as his own sparkled and rippled in the early morning breeze, steaming lightly. His shadow stretched beside him, long in the first light of day. He watched it carefully, noted the frail spire that rose from his shadow's head. A strange feeling inched up his spine. He snorted, harsh breath forced from his lungs. Tossed his head, watched the shadow mimic him perfectly. Okay...?
A stunted bush grew near the steaming pool, liberally dusted with thorns as long as his canines. Holding a breath, he hurried towards it, and sat down before he had a chance to reconsider. With a shrill scream, he leapt back up in pain from the dozen new punctures in his thigh. A flavor of panic beat in his head, he had to force air back into his chest. In and out, in and out... Shaking slightly, he turned back to the pool, eyes clamped shut. Jaw clenched, he willed himself to look. And he did. In the slightly uneven surface of the water, he saw his own face. It was slightly distorted by the breeze, but it was undeniably his face staring back at him. After the initial shock, his lip curled in mild distaste. Fuck, he'd let himself go this last year.
His mane was a knotted mess, dust and grime made a patchwork of his once-flawless coat. He knew his tail wouldn't look any better than his mane. Looking up from the water, he glanced back over himself. His heart broke a little, taking in the scars the marred his shoulder, the fresh blood staining his leg. Looking back to the pool, he stared hungrily at his own face, trying to remember who he really was. And then he noted the brilliant shine radiating from his forehead. For all his ruffled appearance, this was a single point of real beauty. From the point between his eyes spiraled a perfect horn. It was translucent, clear material streaked through with amber-gold. So this was his compensation. A year of blindness, for a horn of crystal.
Tears leaked from the corners of his eyes, blurring his newly restored vision. He could see, as perfectly as anyone could wish to. It was wonderful and beautiful, and now he could see the land he'd become blindly accustomed to. It was rugged and rocky and lovely in the dark greens that swathed it. It was always warm, and he could now see why. Volcanic mountains rose from the sea, outlined against the morning light. They smoked a bit, betraying their volatile nature. A slow smile grew on his lips. He needed to find Amorette.
A stunted bush grew near the steaming pool, liberally dusted with thorns as long as his canines. Holding a breath, he hurried towards it, and sat down before he had a chance to reconsider. With a shrill scream, he leapt back up in pain from the dozen new punctures in his thigh. A flavor of panic beat in his head, he had to force air back into his chest. In and out, in and out... Shaking slightly, he turned back to the pool, eyes clamped shut. Jaw clenched, he willed himself to look. And he did. In the slightly uneven surface of the water, he saw his own face. It was slightly distorted by the breeze, but it was undeniably his face staring back at him. After the initial shock, his lip curled in mild distaste. Fuck, he'd let himself go this last year.
His mane was a knotted mess, dust and grime made a patchwork of his once-flawless coat. He knew his tail wouldn't look any better than his mane. Looking up from the water, he glanced back over himself. His heart broke a little, taking in the scars the marred his shoulder, the fresh blood staining his leg. Looking back to the pool, he stared hungrily at his own face, trying to remember who he really was. And then he noted the brilliant shine radiating from his forehead. For all his ruffled appearance, this was a single point of real beauty. From the point between his eyes spiraled a perfect horn. It was translucent, clear material streaked through with amber-gold. So this was his compensation. A year of blindness, for a horn of crystal.
Tears leaked from the corners of his eyes, blurring his newly restored vision. He could see, as perfectly as anyone could wish to. It was wonderful and beautiful, and now he could see the land he'd become blindly accustomed to. It was rugged and rocky and lovely in the dark greens that swathed it. It was always warm, and he could now see why. Volcanic mountains rose from the sea, outlined against the morning light. They smoked a bit, betraying their volatile nature. A slow smile grew on his lips. He needed to find Amorette.