"Oh, Lark!  You have to keep your neck still if you want these plaits to come out right!"  Alaira's nimble fingers had been quickly working through the stallion's cream-colored mane, but his neck had curved suddenly away from her and they momentarily slipped free.

{{Sorry.}}  Skylark resumed his former position. {{I truly appreciate this, Alaira.  It's not every day that I have the opportunity to look...nice.}}

Alaira smiled broadly. "You always look nice.  But thanks for letting me play. What were you looking at just now?"

{{Firedance.  Preening over there with his new Bonded.  He was standing by the water just then and I suddenly remembered that time last year when Jewel confronted Angeli at the pond.  They have a similiar look about them, I think. Do you remember that?))

"Do I!  I was the one she pushed in!  What a brat!  I can't believe she Bonded!"

{{I believe in the Light's ability to choose.  Sometimes we're not able to see the reasons why, but they are there.}}

"Yeah, I suppose you're right."  Skylark couldn't help but notice how much older Alaira looked, now that she had been a year at the Academy.  Her once long, auburn hair had been chopped short, her smallish frame still spare, but beginning to plump in the appropriate areas. The brisk winter air had turned her cheeks a glowing pink. "Skylark?" she asked, finishing the last plait and giving his neck a hearty pat. "Now that there's already been two Bondings, do you s'pose there'll be any more?"

{{Inevitably.}}

"It should be an interesting week, then."

{{Inevitably.}}

"Hey, look!" Alaira pointed at the gate that opened from the outdoor dining area onto the road. "Here come Sunbeam and Smoke!  I can't remember the last time I saw the two of them at open lunch."

{{They prefer the company of other unicorns.  I, however, like human youngsters very much.}} he paused. {{Shall we go say hello?}}

Alaira shrugged. "I would, but I've got to finish a History assignment before class in a few hours.  I probably should be working on it now, but eh... you know how it goes.  When you first get here, all you want to do is work, work, work.  Prove to everyone that you belong here, you know?  After a while, though..."

{{Yes.  I've heard other students describe similar feelings.  You'd best get to your studies, however.  Once it begins to slip away...}}

"I know, I know.."  The second year held up her hands in defeat, "it's hard to get it back again.  Thanks, 'Lark.  See you around?"

{{Yes.  And thank you for the new...hair style.}}  He dipped his head so that she could thoroughly admire her own handiwork. {{I'm sure all of the other 'corns will be jealous.}}

Alaira laughed as Skylark lifted his head once more and turned to meet the approaching stallion and mare.  "Anytime!" she called after him. She hoped that someday he too would find a Bonded.

{{Smoke!  Sunbeam!}} Skylark called out cheerily to his fellows. {{Here to admire the newly Bonded?}}

{{Admire?  Huh!}} Sunbeam grunted with both his body and his mind. {{Seeth with jealousy and resentment's more like it.}}

{{Sunbeam!}} Smoke flicked him with her long, lavender tail.

The palomino stallion was unperturbed. {{It's the truth, isn't it?}}

Skylark nickered softly with amusement.  {{Well, there are still Bondings to be had, I think.  Perhaps you will be the one to be, well...'seethed at' in the very near future, Sunbeam.}}}

{{Hmph.}}

{{Well at least we can admire your new hair-do Skylark,}} commented Sunbeam after a moment.  The other stallion managed to look a bit bashful.  It was obviously the work of a pair of human hands.

{{Oh, I'm hungry!}} the spotted mare said to no one in particular. {{Would either of you gentleman like to help me scout out some 'moochable' student food?  I haven't had a nice, shiny red apple in weeks!}}

{{At your service.}} Skylark sent warmly. {{Sunbeam?}}

The palomino stallion bowed his head in acceptance. {{The honor would be mine, m'lady.}}

Smoke sent them both a mental grin.  {{Let me know if you see anything tasty...}}

{{Carrot sticks.  To your left.}}  Skylark sent Smoke and Sunbeam a mental image of two younger girls on a picnic blanket, a stack of fresh, crisp carrot sticks in the center, next to a half-eaten custard pie.

Smoke was overjoyed.  She loved to get such mental pictures, even small ones. It was her only real contact with the visual world.

{{Acknowledged, Captain.}} she sent, her own nostrils quivering as she caught wind of the custard pie.  {{Shall we, troops?}}

Sunbeam nodded. {{Indeed. Forwaaaard march!}}

Whinnying with laughter, the three proceeded towards the blanket, the gentlemen flanking the lady on either side.

"SKYLARK!"  Distracted by the voice, the stallion turned, his mental image shifting from the picnic blanket to the approaching student.  {{Hello, Danto. I...}}

But something stopped him.  A strange ripple through his mindlink...

The student looked questioningly at him, but he turned away.  Something was desperately wrong.  Beside him, Smoke was standing perfectly still, her sightless eyes focused on something only she could see.  The comforting hum of her mind had...stopped.

{{Skylark!}} Sunbeam sent with alarm. {{She's shut off!  What in demon's name is going on!?}}

The cream-colored stallion frantically searched both his mind and his surroundings.  "Skylark," the student asked, "what..?"

But Skylark wasn't listening.  He suddenly knew what was going on.  There, some twenty or thirty feet beyond the boy he had been talking to, was the tribal girl, Miranda.  He had made note of her quickly in his mental sweep (it was difficult not to!), and had inadvertantly sent his impression of her essence onto Smoke.  He transmitted the thought, wordlessly, to Sunbeam.

{{Oh Light!  You sent her enough to latch onto the girl's essence, but she can't make eye contact!  The Bond can't happen unless both parties...!}}

{{Light!}}  Skylark's heart leaped as he realized the import of the problem. Smoke was trapped in a half-Bond: she'd released her own essence for Bonding, but it was not being received.  {{Sunbeam, maybe we can get the girl to...}}

But the palomino stallion didn't wait for him to finish. {{Miranda!}} He sent to the girl with urgency. {{Come here at once!  Hurry!}}

Miranda's head spun around at the reverberating mind voice calling her name. Before she had completed the turn of her head she had risen to her feet and was moving toward the palomino.    So unexpected was his call that she was responding without thought.    Then her thought processes caught up.

Concentrating Miranda 'centered' her thoughts and reached outward to scan her surroundings and take mental note of what was happening.    Like a play....everyone seemed frozen in mid-action, staring at the three unicorns. Miranda studied the eyes of Sunbeam and followed his worried gaze.

Her breath caught in her throat.   The sightless eyes of the purple-spotted mare with the black mane and tail where staring at the place Miranda had just left...but there was something wrong.

Smoke needed help.    Something had frozen her in place!    Miranda went toward the quivering mare taking rapid mental note of the lack of visible injury.   Without further thought she placed gentle hands on the mare to see if she could 'feel' any injury.

Then suddenly Miranda gasped!   Her hands were held in place, as if imprisioned by unseen hands!      An image of herself came bursting into her consciousness.   Miranda's mind filled with the details of only a split breath before as she had studied the silent Smoke, making a mental picture of the beautiful creature.

Just as suddenly her own mind released an image to super-impose on the image of herself.    The image painted upon the canvas of her mind with loving strokes.     The image of Smoke melded into the image of Miranda and the two images flowed into one living, moving creation of grace and beauty. Miranda's memories suddenly began to play rapidly through her mind the details of things she had long since forgotten suddenly being played anew. The deep azure of the sky directly overhead on a summer day that faded to the softer tones of blue at the horizon.   Each detail being presented with fresh wonder to be examined and rejoiced in.    The Tantari people and their fears touched Smoke's mind with intensity and she 'saw' the foolishness and yet the reality of an entire people's pain.    Smoke's gentle spirit wove through Miranda's in a song of such beauty, Miranda wept.     She had tried so hard to destroy that part of herself.... the part that laid her open to injury....now she knew it was okay.    Smoke's courage was far greater than any she, Miranda possessed.    Smoke's faith and trust were so amazing in their intensity and sheer power, that it made Miranda realize how foolish her ambition to be 'hard and tough' had been.    The places of her own soul that had been so empty were suddenly filled and Miranda realized how desperately lonely she had always been but never acknowledged.

The mental images separated into two again but from one heart to the other ran a stream of Light filled with a rainbow of colors that leapt and swirled with joy and harmony, like threads of ribbon dancing in a breeze.

"Smoke....my most beautiful one!  Let *me* always be your eyes and you my beloved, will be my heart.   I need you.   I have always needed you.   I have been naked and wretched in my 'aloneness'.   You have changed all of that for me.   Thank you my dearest, Smoke!"   Miranda whispered through tears of escasty.    She leaned into the purple and gray coat of silk and wept unashamed.    Miranda had ceased to know or care that there were people and unicorns all around them.    For her only Smoke existed and she lost herself in the gentle heart of her bonded.