He showed me a picture of two florins together, happiness radiating from them like sunshine.
“I know the value of a mate, my friend.” I sighed. A depth of despair gripped me, and I struggled against the temptation to fall into it. The sensation was eerily familiar to the call of the void. “It is that I am unworthy of her. My warriors depend on me for the hope of mates. I cannot claim my own, when I have not provided them the chance for theirs.”
The tiny creature hopped on his hind legs, three tails propelling him onto the bed beside me. His paws flapped rapidly. His projections showed florins working together in various tasks. Then, a warmth glided over and through me. The storms inside began to settle into calming winds, still present, but far less turbulent.
I patted his paw. “Thank you. I am in your debt.”
He stretched his tiny hand toward me. I bent at the waist so he could touch my temple. A small amount of energy drained from me, no more than what I’d use for the most menial tasks. When he finished, he gave me a bow and a smile that pulled his lips into an impossible shape, and then popped from my dimension.
It was only a matter of time before the tempest roared again, but I’d take the gentled winds for as long as they lasted. I only begged Celestia that the storm within me would stay quiet until this mission was complete.
For both my sake and my unclaimed mate.
Universe help us both, if it didn’t.
