Illaria & Crossfire
(Rebecca Engelmann)

(Portrait by Rebecca Engelmann)
 

*111 ADT*

The graduation ceremony had gone off well, with the requisite tears and  cheers, and now the traditional party was in full-swing.  The Academy grounds seemed to sparkle in the light, as they always did this time of year.  Graduation brought everyone out and looking their best  from the  buildings to the teachers, from first-year students to the elder unicorns.

Families milled on the spongy grass, huddled around proud graduates and, in  some cases, their bondmates.  Not only human families were present, but unicorns as well, proud to see their foals grown-up and bonded.  And all of the unbonded unicorns were at the party, enjoying the chance to mingle with so many humans, enjoying the dreams of being the ones who were graduating.

Starfall huffed at the orange stallion surrounded by a crowd of humans, still galled that scrappy little Spark could have bonded before he did.  ::No matter::he consoled himself, ::My time will come.  The Light is waiting for my perfect bondmate.::

Sauntering by, Parade flicked her tail in Starfall's face, and he jerked his head back, startled out of his reverie.  {{Try not to look so intimidating}} she joked, gesturing at the humans milling nearby.  {{You're scaring the two-leggers.}}

Starfall blinked and tried to look proud but friendly, succeeding only in the former.  Prayer, as usual following Parade, was watching the party with wide eyes.  {{Look how many brothers Tiarna has.}}

They all looked, and Splash, chatting nearby with Jester, raised her head to look as well.  The two had been keeping remarkably to themselves, as though they couldn't decide whether they wanted to directly join in the celebration or not.  Most everyone felt safe from any of the pair's pranks for the day, as Commander Amaris was always at the graduations, along with every other officer that could get there.  {{No wonder she always has those chianta around  they must remind her of her brothers}} the young mare remarked.  {{Hey Skydancer}} Splash called out when she saw the down-to-earth stallion paces away.  He was always a fun target.  She waited patiently for him to finish his conversation with two second-year students and Crossfire before turning his head her way.

{{Yes Splash?}}  His mindvoice held a long-suffering tone.

{{What's the difference between a chianta and a stallion?}}

Skydancer shared a look with Starfall.  {{I don't know, Splash.  What?}}

{{Chianta's are smarter!}}  Her sharp whinny caused party-goers nearby to turn and look.  Parade rolled her eyes and continued on, seeing Lure and Radiance across the grounds with some of the older students.  Prayer wished Starfall well and followed her friend.

Illaria turned to see what had caused the piercing laughing-whinny and saw Splash and Jester together, obviously the sources of the amusement.  Fighting against the silver and black thoughts of her own hoped-for graduation and how her father would not be hovering proudly over her, she smiled when she heard the joyful sounds.

She tried to determine who had been the brunt of the pair's humor.  Starfall stood near them, looking more disgusted than upset and she decided it had to be someone else.  He never let his pride get tattered in
silence.  Nearby, Skydancer, spectacularly colored and gleaming, shared the same, mock-tormented look as Starfall.

{{Hey Splash}} Jester called out.  {{What's the difference between a mare and a stallion?}}

The pale blue mare's coat twitched as she considered.  {{I don't know, what?}}

Illaria never had a chance to hear the answer.  Behind Skydancer, another unicorn had moved into view, drawing her attention though he was so much more average than the rainbow stallion.  No, not average -- magnificent.  Kind brown eyes, brought up in a questioning glance, were welcome beacons of the home she'd never really known.

Crossfire's legs splayed, struggling to hold his stunned form up.  He felt like he'd encountered a thousand nodes and they were all surging through him; felt like he had pulled the entire Light pool inside himself and found it was simply a pair of molten silver eyes.  How could he not have known?

A pair of black wings sprouted from his back and lifted him a few inches off of the ground.  Skydancer staggered backwards in shock, and the two students could only gape at the sight.  Starfall let out a short, loud trumpet from his horn to alert those he could that a bond was taking place.  His thoughts were for the wyn and for himself both: untrained magic users had to be removed from the area and was it really possible that average, dull Crossfire was bonding?  Skydancer took up the call, sending out {{A bond!  A bond!  Crossfire is bonding!}}, confirming Starfall's fears.

Illaria, for her part, had no idea that Crossfire was suddenly flapping large wings or that anyone was in danger.  All she could feel was heat and pain as the timbers came crashing around her.  She had to save her father!  He was calling her; she could hear her name on his lips.  Hear the love in his voice.  And then it wasn't her father's voice, but Crossfire's, soothing, like jumping in a cool lake on a hot day.  Saying her name without using words at all.

Crossfire's wings disappeared and he felt the feeling of fullness again, full of Light, full of love, full of someone else who he gladly took into his own soul and let her look around.  He felt her pain, knew what had caused it, what had caused all of it her whole life.

[[I forgive you]] he sent, over and over, wanting his beautiful, beloved bondmate to know that she was perfect in his eyes, was more than he could ever have dreamed of.  The fullness left him, but she remained, safe in his heart.

And when he sent [[I forgive you]], it seemed Illaria heard her father behind Crossfire's mindvoice.  She, too, felt the Light, but it seemed it was her father, blessing her bond, clasping his hands around the pair and guiding them to each other.  It seemed silly now, not to know that he had been there all along, that he would be here now for this, that he would always be there, safe in her heart, with her new bondmate and the love that had been ignited today, the love that had been there forever.

Awash in a virtual tide of emotion, Illaria Kaitarass could seem to do nothing more than choke on sobsof relief, joy and an all encompassing love unlike anything she ever could have imagined… or even omprehended. All of her hopes and dreams were suddenly hers to be shared, no longer just her own. All of her fears were diminished or evaporated, all in the Light of a Bonding to the most miraculous of all beings.

A violently trembling hand was upraised towards the stunning unicorn whose heart was now imbedded within her own, merged to hers like a tapestry woven of finest, purest materials. For so like a tapestry it was, nothing without the right blend of colors and skills, and but a cloth without life unless weaved with passion by a loving hand.

The softest touch of velvet brushed her open palm, the tiny hairs tickling the skin. A tentative first touch before the stallion greedily pushed into the offered hand, quivers thrilling through his muscles and turning them to gelatin. Crossfire was terrified that he would not be able to stand much longer, afraid that he would somehow disappoint his newly found Bondmate.

The after quake of their sudden, powerful Bonding made the stallion’s fears less than heartfelt and Illaria’s weeping caught on the impulsive laugh bubbling up within her. “I could never find any but the deepest pride and affection in you, my shining star.”

Crossfire’s chest swelled impossibly large with love and unbelievable pride. How had he never known about this extraordinary human girl, walking the Academy grounds, passing him even without a thought that SHE was the One?? How could the Light have held such a secret for so very long? Surely they had been made for one another at the very birth of their conception!

Illaria was now alternately choking, laughing and weeping and Crossfire’s mental soothing enveloped her in his warmth and he pushed closer to her, eager to feel her hands on his coat, to know that she would not disappear.

Needing no further invitation, Illaria’s arms went wide and she did her best to embrace him fully around the neck, the soft black mane coming in contact with her wet cheeks. Turning her face, she fully buried it in the thick hair, her body shaking with an overload of emotions.

Bowing his head, Crossfire enclosed his cherished Bonded- HIS Bonded!- into the heat of his body, marveling at the closeness, the completeness! She was not small by the standards of her people, but he nevertheless felt an overwhelming need to protect her, to keep her safe at all costs! Even if it were to mean…

{NO! Never say that! Never THINK that!} Illaria’s voice came fierce and desperate, surprising them both that it was sent along their new and beautiful mind-link reserved just for them. {I.. I love you!} she whispered back, pulling her face away so that she could see her beloved Bonded. He was swimming in a hazy cloud before her and she laughed and sobbed as she vainly tried to wipe away the tears obscuring her vision.

{{Never will I leave you, cherished one. I love you, too.}} Crossfire’s words came out, but for a moment he wondered if he could have found some eloquence in this Bonding, as he surely would have tripped on words such as these before! He was just far too plain, far too average with nothing to offer anyone but the Wyn as a test subject. But no… that was not true! The LIGHT had felt that he deserved to Bond!

{You ARE special!} Illaria whispered in her mind, reveling in the telepathic communication. {There is nothing average or plain about you! You are strong…} she ran her hands over the still trembling muscles in his shoulder and neck. {You are handsome! Such a lovely coat, like the brown of a new seedling. Mane and tail like coals, eyes sweet and friendly. And this…} Reaching out her fingertips, she traced the small triangle of white between his wide nostrils. {This snip is as pure as fresh snow! And your horn gleams like sunlight through the clouds… Oh how could you have ever thought that you were plain??}

The stallion’s brown eyes wavered as they became watery, his heart expanding until he thought that surely it would burst! His eyes met hers and he felt, more than saw, a moment of disbelief overcome his Bonded. But as he prepared to form a question, he knew at once what it was that had momentarily gripped Illaria. Her father’s smiling visage, his open arms bringing them together. His mouth open, lips parted as he whispered ‘I forgive you.’

{{He loves you very much. He never blamed you. He never left you.}} Crossfire’s gentle mind-voice touched Illaria’s very soul and for the first time, she actually believed those words.

{It… it was not my fault…?} Her words were filled with wonder and heavy with relief. {But he was so close… to me. His hand…} Choking again, Illaria leaned her weight into Crossfire’s side.

{{Yes, he was trying to help you! You were much too young and felled yourself. See what I have seen, what your conscience knows deep inside of you.}} Projecting that day carefully to his new Bonded, Crossfire was afraid that he would lose control of the images, but Illaria was finally seeing that day more clearly, even though it was tainted by the intense trauma of an eight year old mind.

Years and guilt had twisted that day’s events, but the truth had lain in her heart and mind, waiting to be opened up. The young woman suddenly saw her father’s terrified face before her, but she also saw that his fear was for her, his life given gladly so that his child would live. He had not in fact never reached her. He had actually seen the beams that were racing downwards towards his precious child. He had kept her small body from being crushed. His hand that protruded from the burning wood had been without life… without pain. A reaction felt only by a body in a natural state of passage.

Fresh tears pooled in her eyes and Illaria’s fingers weaved into the heavy strands of Crossfire’s mane. {I feel him here… with us now!}

{{He experienced our Bonding!}} Crossfire beamed, whickering delightedly that the Light’s gift to them both had helped to end his beloved’s torment. Breathing out deeply into the amazing fire of his Bonded’s curls, the stallion shifted his weight and suddenly realized that people were scurrying about the grounds and mind-voices were shouting. How had he not noticed them before?

Illaria became aware of them the instant that her Bonded did and she looked up to lock eyes with him. Her magnificent Crossfire. Grinning impishly, she pat his back and said {I guess we just made History all over Uen!}