I think I'm losing my mind now - Ruan

[Jinju]

Jinju

She hesitantly watches him as he lays down, confused by how he remained silent after her questions. Maybe she asked too many of them? Or the wrong one? Maybe had she hurt him unknowingly or maybe he had already gotten tired of her. Jinju’s mind starts to go overboard again, thinking way too hard and too much, from which nothing was really necessary. However, then she notes how he had left some space for her to settle down, close beside him, without forcing her to. Maybe, maybe it wasn’t as bad as she thought after all.

Jinju settles next to him, as close as she possibly could be, gently pressing her velvety nose against his shoulder. Once settled he answers her and by that he reassures her without really being aware of it. Or so she thought.

She listens and stays quiet, trying to let it all settle in. The black filly couldn’t imagine others hurting each other with magic. Magic was something beautiful and it didn’t harm others, right? Her scar didn’t hurt, on the contrary, it saved her from the cold and kept her warm and thus protected her. And the necklace and fire fairies hadn’t hurt her either. But if uncle Ruan told her others were hurting each other, for whatever reason, she believed him. At the same time it scared her too, now realising that there were dark horses in this world too. Lexa, Reagan and Ruan, all of them had been good to her, and she had all met them by accident. What if they had meant harm?

Another yawn escapes past her lips, forcing her eyes closed for a short moment. And when she looks at Ruan again, Jinju can barely keep her eyes open. ”How.. how do we earn our magic back? Aunt Reagan mentioned something like that too..” she mumbles sleepily, barely able to focus anymore. Too much had happened today. The panic attack earlier had already drowned her of so much energy and then this talk about magic and how to earn it back and what others did with it. She was simply exhausted and soon off to the worlds of dreams as she laid safely at Ruan’s side, nestled underneath his big wing.

[Ruan]

Ruan

---

He watched the drowsiness slowly sink into her as she reflected on his explanation. He couldn't help but to be proud of her for being the type to think through everything she was told, as if she needed to order in her mind to be sure it made sense. She would not be easily swayed or lied to in her future, he thought, taking comfort in that.

"How do we earn our magic back?" she asked sleepily. Ruan smiled and nosed at her playfully, keeping her awake long enough to hear him answer her. "Don't worry, little sprite. I bet you'll earn your magic back by the end of tomorrow. I'll take you out to the meadow when we wake," he beamed happily at her. In truth, he was excited to do so.

His voice lowered solemnly as he added one last thing. "Reagan will have to miss out on our adventure though. She has a very busy day tomorrow. She's the Guardian of this land now, did you know? So she must put protections in place to keep our home safe." He blew a warm hot breath into her little mane, enjoying her so near him.

"But I'm sure she will find us when she has free time again," he added softly. And his fiery sprite began slipping into a dreamland then. There were no sounds around them but the peaceful night song of crickets, and his low voice as he quietly hummed a lullaby. The graceful Irish lilt to it seemed to sweep her away into a deeper sleep.