Eternity [Open-ish]

A deep valley sat in stillness, covered in the lingering mist which followed two days of rain. The rain had passed, and now the last light of the day's sun fought to bring warmth to the earth hidden beneath the fog. Maybe tomorrow the sun would have better luck. Luna's thoughts had been like this for a long time, 'Surely, tomorrow will be better.' and yet tomorrow always grew farther and farther away. There was one thing she wanted, and even when small fortunes came her way it meant nothing in comparison. Of course the gestures of others touched her, and happy days were still met with a genuine smile. The smile didn't last forever though, and the long nights alone purged her back into melancholy.
The cool rocks beneath her couldn't compare to the coldness she'd felt inside for a long time. Since the day Sive had told her that he had left, and he hadn't said goodbye. It was expected though; when she'd departed from their meeting all those years ago, she had told him she wouldn't try to find him again. She didn't want to make it any harder than it had been, since he'd obviously sensed her feelings. Did she regret not saying anything? Yes and no, but that was life. Shades of grey were much more common than black and white situations. Love was about sacrifice, so she sacrificed saying or doing the things that would give her closure because it would make him suffer more.
The rainbow mare laid her head more solidly against Avalir's body and breathed deeply. With her eyes closed and her mind occupied, she didn't even hear Satomi approach. The purple mare had become a close companion recently, since she embodied everything Frostbite had also been in her youth. They were closer to the same age, so Luna felt a bit more free to share feelings that might embarrass her in front of the frosty mare she so respected. A lilting "Hello." filled the silence, and LunarPrism sank down against a pile of moss, her illusion shattered.
Satomi's eyes were soft and sad as she looked down upon the rainbow mare. Avalir was her favorite illusion; LunarPrism perfected him not long after she'd become a teen. Now it was flawless, he even had solid weight and a scent to him that Satomi could only assume was accurate to real life. She didn't dare remark on it, she knew Luna was too shy and prideful to converse about something so sensitive and personal. In Luna's eyes it was weakness; Luna had said to her, "I show everyone that I'm fine without him... in reality, I can't spend a day apart. If he never comes back, I think I need this... to survive".
A weak, melancholic smile was offered to the now grown mare, who no doubt would be finding a mate of her own soon. "Good evening, Satomi. Before you ask, yes, I'm fine." She smiled gently as the other mare let out a trill of nervous but relieved laughter. "You know me too well, Luna." Feeling a bit unneeded in the atmosphere, and guilty for startling Luna out of her reverie, Satomi cleared her throat awkwardly. "I just wanted to let you know that Tine is looking for you, he wants-" She was cut off by the tired sigh of Luna's voice as she sat upright with no obvious intention of moving, "to make the same offer he does on this day every year. I'm sure you know my answer, I can't give that which belongs to another." Satomi blinked a few times and nodded. "I thought so, sorry to interrupt. Oh, and... Happy birthday."
LunarPrism listened until the tumbling of rocks underfoot grew to a bare whisper on the wind. She hated to give the cold shoulder, but it was her birthday so surely she had a right to be a bit self-concerned. Three years and two months, since he had left two months before her birthday. Did he know her birthday? Prophet had told her when they'd met, almost one month after Avalir had gone, so surely he had no idea. With barely a thought, the mound of moss shifted under her weight and fake warmth filled the space beside her. She leaned into Avalir's solid phantom form and smiled with empty eyes, "You're the only gift I need, love. Thank you for always celebrating with me." She imagined the silence was his natural reply, as if no words needed to be said.
