Everything was going wonderfully according to plan, thought Psychedelic. Nearly a year had passed since he, his daughter, and their randomly met companion Aurora had arrived in the Forest and been offered refuge by the queen, Persephone. Since then there had only been one close call, but Psychedelic hadn’t been near enough to feel the risk. It had only been when Talya came to him in the evening, acting strange, that he pressed her and learned Evaline had passed through. This was… troublesome. Psychedelic waited every day after that for Persephone to confront him or for Evaline to show back up to wreck this little hideout… but she never came. Days turned into weeks, the snow of winter melted and the greenery of spring burst to life, and eventually the heat of summer settled comfortably into his skin and still, no Evaline.

Only peaceful bliss. Well, so long as he ignored the voice which popped off occasionally in his head, annoyed by his lack of interest in doing anything but becoming a (slightly tubby), lazy stallion.

Psychedelic’s ears twitched, hearing hooves crunching over the thick carpet of forest twigs and dried leaves. He glanced over in time to see Persephone and waited a beat, expecting to see his daughter close behind. When Talya didn’t appear, Psychedelic assumed she was bothering Aurora. He yawned and shook his body, a little bit of dust from an earlier roll appearing in a cloud around him, and started forward to say hello.

“Hey Persephone,” he greeted and might have raised a brow in faint curiosity if he had one. “You look like you’re on important business,” he said, noting her prior pace, “my daughter hasn’t done something foolish, has she?” This was a very, very likely possibility, but at least Persephone didn’t appear agitated by any means, so maybe Talya was still managing to behave in some manner.