Darko

xxviii - Clear Skies

The night before the competition brought unnecessary anxiety to the equestrians. Anne felt the most effected, resulting in her now sitting alone on a dock at Silversong River.

Anne had never seen a sunset quite like this one. As she looked above the trees, cotton shaped clouds with a light magenta graced the skies. When she slowly moved her head down so that she was now facing what looked like an infinite stream of water, an orange hue of light could be spotted from over the horizon. The sound of faint neighs could be heard despite how far she was from the barn.

This was her home. The island of Jorvik had become a place of solitude for her, but at the same time, a place of destruction. It was both her enemy and her friend. It was a place where she could embrace her passion of riding horses. Yet, it was a place where she always had to be on guard from Dark Core.

However, one thing came above all the others.

Her family.

The relationships she had made were fulfilling for her. Her friends were there when she needed them, the Druids kept her safe, and Darken..

Oh, where could she even begin?

"It's beautiful."

The blonde whirled her head around at the sound of the boy's voice. More then happy to see him, she gave a light smile, patting the wood next to her. "It is." She said. "Come sit." She slightly moved over.

Darken walked down to edge of the dock, seating himself next to her. He leaned over to where his legs were dangling over the edge.

What he saw was himself. A boy with shaggy, dark red hair, crystal blue eyes, and small freckles. The water was so calm it was like staring into a mirror.

His lips formed a slight frown. He hated how he looked, especially at a time like this. Not only did he feel emotionally drained, but he looked like hell.

Anne noticed he was still staring at the water. He was unusually hard to read, so she felt best just to start a new subject. "Are you ready for tomorrow?" She smiled.

He kept his eyes on the water, shrugging. "Yeah." He almost mumbled. "It really came up on us.."

Anne nodded, shifting her gaze away from him. A rush of guilt went over the poor girl in this moment. She was completely avoiding the obvious turn of events that happened to him this summer. "I know it was difficult for you." She finally broke the silence.

He furrowed his eyebrows, turning to look at her. "I don't think so."

She looked at him knowingly. "You really want to play that card now?"

He chuckled, putting his hands up slightly in an act of surrender. "Okay, so it was a little traumatic."

She let out a soft giggle. "Understatement of the year."

His smile slowly faded. Anne couldn't have been more correct. Who knew that so much could happen in a matter of three months?

She watched as his expression grew dry. "Sorry." She quickly blurted.

"What?"

She bit her lip, taking a soft inhale. "I really shouldn't have brought it up." She admitted. "All the Soul Rider.."

He slowly lifted an eyebrow.

She found it difficult to search for the right word. "..problems."

A soft smile creeped up his lips, his gaze shifting to the setting sun in front of him. "No, it's not your fault."

She waited a moment before responding. She took in a long breath. "It is."