caught in the afterglow; any

[Kagerus]

K

oh me oh my, i thought it was a dream...

Depends on if the stranger is friendly or not, comes my granddaughter's reply. I make no attempt to hide the coy grin that spreads across my lips as I make out the young mare's narrowed eyes and tilted head; such curiosity... A reminder of my first lover, of Rapt, who placed worship in the same reverent category as love making. Though softened and refined a great deal now two generations later, the quality does bring back memories of the young, foolish mare I had been and all her misadventures... But alas, my descendant's reverie ends and her voice brings me back to the present, too.

My name is Catcher. A beautiful name, I muse. Who are you and how did you do that with your horn? Is this a dream?

"I think you would know if it were a dream," I chuckle, the swing of my tail at the summer flies providing an accompaniment to the river's flow. "But, it's a good guess. Anyhow, I am Kagerus." I pause a moment, eager to notice any recognition in Catcher's expression before I go on. "Your grandmother."

With a swallow, I concentrate my efforts on the particles of air beside us and shift them in such a way that they reflect light just-so. Half a minute later, a decent resemblance of Abysm stands alongside us, shimmering golden and white in the light of the sun and even breathing. The illusion falls short of brilliant by any means but it gets my point across. "Unless this isn't your father, of course," I jibe, more chuckles rolling from my chest.

"Alas," I murmur. The illusion fades away and I return my gaze to Catcher. "Your father may not have spoken of me, and only with distaste if he did." Memories of how I abandoned him and his literal birth father cause my mouth to taste of ash. If I could go back, I would. But the youthfulness and innocence of the mare before me stays my tongue as it yearns to overshare; I move on, knowing that I will have time to lick my wounds later.

"But no matter! Tell me of yourself, Catcher. We much to catch up on." With the pun comes a wink -- hey! If abandoning politics, growing vineyards, and having grandchildren doesn't give you a bit of a pun allowance, then what even is the point? "Ah-hah-ha..."