He huffed, stomping his hooves before he nuzzled his nose against my cheek. I giggled through sobs, wrapping my arms around his neck. He lowered to his knees, letting me cry against him.
"Neigh," he soothed.
I nodded in his fur. "I know. I knew you said you'd come...but I was scared. So afraid you wouldn't," I whimpered.
He huffed, pulling back to shake his head.
I grinned. "You were held back?" I asked.
He nodded. "The guys?" I asked
"NEIGH!" he grumbled, rising up to stomp his foot.
I laughed. "Hunter didn't want you going in alone?" I asked.
He nodded, pleased I understood.
"Ah," I replied. I bet Hunter was afraid Orion would be touched by the darkness too. I frowned at the thought, looking at my wrists that had black marks on them.
"But...Orion? Am I tainted now? Won't I turn into a Forsaken?" I asked. I remembered the dream I'd had. It was more of a memory that I’d forgotten from my childhood, during one of the times Magnor visited me.
He stared at me, looking at my wrist that I held out. He took a step forward, pressing his lips to my forehead. I blinked, confused by his action, but my wrists began to glow, feeling hot in seconds. I bit my lip and tried to mask the pain I felt from the burning sensation that was also coming from my ankles that was just as hot.
I closed my eyes, waiting for the pain to dull. When it did, I reopened them, noticing new tattoos on my wrist where the dark bruises had once been. The centerpiece was a pink heart with wings that rested right on top of my pulse. Gold vines came out from the pink heart and wrapped around my wrists. The glowing artwork dimmed, and only the pink color of the heart remained, the rest of the tattoo now a solid black.
"It's beautiful. Orion...what does this do?" I asked. He moved away, recalling his wings and looking behind him to where the door once stood. The darkness had dimmed and lingered on the other side of the wall, staying far away from Orion.
"We have to go?" I asked.
He nodded.
I tried to stand, but my legs wouldn't budge. I felt weak and the relief of being rescued by Orion had dimmed the exhaustion my body felt. Orion looked back at me, tilting his head.
"Neigh?"
"I can't," I confessed.
He nodded, ruffling his wings. His body glowed and was engulfed in a golden light. When it faded, Orion's naked body appeared, his wings still out on display. I blushed, lowering my gaze down his body.
"I think we should figure something out about the naked thing. Not like I'm complaining," I mumbled.
Orion chuckled, snapping his fingers. In seconds his body was cloaked in simple black pants and a white t-shirt.
I frowned, making him laugh.
"We should get to safety," he encouraged, walking to me. He knelt down, brushing my flushed cheeks stained with tears.
I bit my lip, slipping my arm around him and pulling him into an embrace.
"In a minute," I whispered.
He hugged me back; his wings closed around me. I knew we didn't have much time, and I was worried about the others, but I wanted to enjoy this embrace. A real, warm hug from one of the men I loved and cherished.
"So...Alicorns are real, huh?" I hummed.
"Definitely real. Just like unicorns." He chuckled.
I kissed his neck, pulling back to look into his eyes. "I love you too, Orion Meadow. Thank you for saving me," I praised.