The Lone Kirin

Trains of thought

It works.
The moment the liquid touches her tongue, her eyes shot open, filled with shock.
After about a second of her eyes darting around, she lets out a gasp, and her eyes widen. She opened her mouth, and no words escape her torn lips, as she seems to be overwhelmed by pain.

Her normally peace- and joyful face seemingly didn't even adjust to the amount of pain, as for several seconds, she remained in that exact pose.
But then it started. Her caved in cheekbones readjusted, and I could hear the sickening cracking, as bones began to shift, reassembling themselves.
It also isn't the prettiest sight, seeing all the ripped and torn skin tissue slowly growing together again. I'll probably dream about just this for the next few years. Not pleasant dreams, mind me.
All the disfigurements slowly fade into the alluring shape, I remember.
The worst part is her extremities snapping in the right direction. As awful as it looked, being bent that way, watching as the leg and arm slowly turn, skin tearing in the process, only to regrow a moment later. After about three minutes of change, her body is restored. It looks beautiful again.
Even the gigantic hole in her torso closed without leaving a trace.

[Val?]

Her whole body is cramping at the moment. Shit. Eh... What to do.

[Can you talk?]

Her eyes snap onto my face. If her tongue were between her lips, she would have just bitten it off.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

I just stare at her, bewilderment freezing my brain.

[I'll just let you sleep here. We will talk tomorrow.]

She continues to stare at me for about a minute before she just collapses of exhaustion.

I hope she does get a good sleep. I just hope Valeria will be the same when she wakes up. I can't even imagine what such an amount of pain does to your mind.

To be honest. I have no clue what to do. I'm pretty sure I won't sleep tonight.
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Nr. One: Apologize, in the most delicate, and sincere way possible.
Nr. Two: ... Cry for about the next ten years, because you are the dumbest horse around.
Nr. Three: Make it up to her.
In case she doesn't remember anything, you'll just do what you do best: Cry. And if she has lost her mind, then resort to crying.
I am crying right now, in fact. Good training. My lacrimal gland really gets some early practice.
This will be a long night.
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And what if she really is cognitively disabled? Is that fixable? Or maybe the elixir fixed that as well? Can it? Maybe. God! I shouldn't think about all that, but what the hell am I supposed to do?
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I'm beaten. I give up. I've run for maybe... I don't even know how many kilometers. And the constant stress... Then this devil... First, she helps me and then tries to kill me... And I didn't even get to ask for her name. "Acquaintanceofcaelus" just doesn't sound all that friendly.
Maybe next time. If she allows it.
And after all that. I've had enough. I almost ruined another life today. Maybe I did. And that is the part that won't let me sleep.
This heartrending guilt that dictates my thoughts is just throbbing right through the entirety of my body. And even if Valeria retained her consciousness. Who is to say that she doesn't hate me? Or even fear me?
All of that would be understandable and relatable. And that scares me the most. That's also why I don't want to sleep until I get so see how Valeria is doing. If she just leaves me, when I'm sleeping, be it sane or not, I could never forgive myself. I at least want to talk this through, if possible.
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Uhhhh...
I want to sleep. And I feel, how my body demands it. But again. I can't.
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The sun is rising. Great. I don't even know whether she is going to wake up anytime soon. It could be another like... twenty hours or maybe even days, for all I know.
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I'm getting hungry. And thirsty. I haven't eaten in almost a day, and being delirious from sleep deprivation doesn't help me ignore those needs. If anything, it makes it worse. Adding to this lingering feeling of dread, I also have to deal with basic needs... At least I won't have to worry About Val. Nymphs and dragons have healthy bodies and stamina-rich bodies. We can go for a few weeks, before starving. Sadly I don't know how long a Nymph can go without hydrating herself. They are water-based fey, after all.
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I should go and look for Valeria's bag. She didn't have it anymore when she hit that tree, and I should make sure she gets it back.
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There it is! Hiding in the grass, are you? ... Am I seriously talking to a bag right now? Whatever. It is still closed. Great. At least that.
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Please just wake up. I want to have clarity. I don't want you to be a cripple of sorts. Please just be my best friend. The loving and caring Nymph, I grew to love.
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"Prophet?"

Snapping out of my delirious trance, I hear the weak and pained voice, I longed for almost a full day.

[Valeria? Are you fine? OH, GODS! Please say you are sane and well!]

"What the hell did you do?"

[I am so sorry! I can't explain how regretful I am! I just wanted to pull a prank on you. A joke, really. But then you flew through the air and slammed against that tree, and that branch pierced you and all the blood, and you almost died, and then I froze your wounds, and then I went out to search for help and then there was this devil. She gave me a potion for you, and you just cramped up after drinking it, and all your wounds closed andIreallyworriedwhetheryouwouldbethesameafterwakingupsoIdid n'tsleepatallforthewholenightandpleasesayyouaren'tangrywithme!]

"Please. Just calm down. I'm fine. Am I?"

She slowly sits up and flexes her muscles one after another. Everything seems to work. Please! Just let it all work out somehow!

"Yup. You managed to fix me. I actually never felt this... Pftuhh!"

A shard of glass tumbled through the air and lost itself in the grass.

"Yup. I didn't feel this good in a long time. My throat might be a little dry, but except for that, everything's a-okay. And I don't really remember last night. Probably for the better."

...

"So. About your little prank. Can we just say that you learned your lesson, that fast things are dangerous? I got to say. I don't know how to feel. But I stand by what I said, when you lost yourself, after killing that werebear family. You're my family. And family exists to help each other. And a mother shouldn't hate its child for messing up once. Rather. She should see it as something fortunate, as her child just got a little wiser. Not that I am your mother. But leading you through this stage of your life, where you don't know how to trad, is kind of my job now. And I really want to help you. As the closest friend, you'll ever get."

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"And please don't cry. I already told you. I am not mad. Not all that much, anyway. Feeling guilt, however, is fine. Showing it is fine as well. Emotions like guilt speak of how sincere you are about this. And I appreciate that a lot. I wouldn't want to have a crazed murder horse running around."

...

"Hmpf. Come here."

I almost didn't notice it when she took my head and held me for what felt like hours. After crying hysterically without end, I, at some point, passed out, while listening to the encouraging words of my bestestest friend I could imagine.