Troy had fallen into a dark place. With Hasira down and out, he'd had no one to train under. No guiding hand to teach him. He'd taken to trying to train himself and though the colt had become physically stronger for it, he found himself lacking in emotional strength. It was a heavy blow on his self-esteem, and since he felt too weak to protect her, he'd left Jasmine alone.

He'd left her alone for far too long.

The guilt tore at him day after day until finally, he'd made up his mind to return to Orion and find his long-legged beauty and bring her back to their birthplace in Eridanus so that they could once again be happy together. Eridanus might have predators lurking, but so far, they'd left him alone.

He doubted they'd get close enough to Jasmine to hurt her.

He'd protect her. He'd always protect her. Even at the cost of his own life, he'd keep her safe from harm.

Except, he'd already failed.

When next he saw his legged beauty, she walked into Eridanus in the company of a brutish beast, all gray skin and muscle. He'd been heading for Orion, but the colt stopped and hid amongst the greenery, taken off-guard by the sight of his beloved with another. A jealous rage built in his chest, but he swallowed it. Surely she'd not found some new protector in his place? Surely he was just over thinking it? This was his Jazzy. She still wore the trinkets he'd given her... He still wore that which she'd given him... They were still bonded... right?

Except, as he looked at her now, she was bare. No trinkets. Not a single one.

"Jasmine." He spoke with a questioning tone as he stepped out, toned frame not the gangling youth he'd once been. He wasn't fully grown yet, but his pelt had smoothed into its shiny adult sheen and he no longer tripped over too-big hooves when he walked. The scruff of fur down his back had evened out, too. He was a stunning stallion in the making, but he wore a distressed expression on his face. Had he been replaced?

He took a step forward when Jasmine stopped. She said his name, asked him where he'd been... and he opened his mouth to answer, but a rumble of heavy footsteps cut him off. He backed away as the elephant charged forward, the rumbling setting his hooves unsteadily across the ground. He didn't look overly brave, backing away from the charge, but once the elephant had blown their peace, he stood straighter. The pain in his eyes quickly vanished, replaced with fury. How dare this beast stand between them? How dare they interrupt what should've been a honest reveal, a touching reunion.

"Hey, back the fuck off, cankles!" Troy snapped, slamming a hoof down against the ground in warning. "This isn't any of your business!" He bared his teeth and showed he wasn't afraid. He'd spent too long worrying about whether or not he could protect Jasmine. He'd been isolated from her for too long. This was finally his chance to be with her again, and this brute stranger was getting in the way of that.

Jealousy became possessive rage, but in a last ditch attempt at avoiding conflict, he stepped aside, making to walk around the brute and towards Jasmine. As he walked, he spoke.

"I've been training." He explained hurriedly. "Training to be strong for you, to protect you. I was coming back, to bring you here, to take you home and get us both away from that barren cave." But his voice sounded accusing. "Who the hell is this freak?" He turned his head back towards the elephant in the room.

Gadanai. So the cankle beast had a name. He made a mental note not to call her by it. She didn't deserve it. The way she rumbled at him over his friend, it was sick. He hated her immediately, even despite Jasmine's gross display of affection towards her. He stepped back again, looking utterly betrayed, then furious as the elephant addressed him mockingly.

"How dare you!?" He snapped back, ears pinning to his skull and head tossing back. "You don't even know us! You don't know shit!" He stamped against the ground again, turning to face the elephant head-on. "Jazz was safe in Orion! Hasira wouldn't let her get hurt! I only left for a few days! I didn't even go that far away!" But the boy was hurting. He was hurting bad, now. His blood, in contrast to the elephant's, had run cold.

"But you know what?" He turned his eyes on Jasmine, and for a moment, there was a pleading, pained expression there. It passed quickly. It became bitter. "Why don't we let Jasmine decide? She's not some trinket to claim." Though his eyes lingered on her horns, where there should have been gleaming jewels. It hurt to see them bare. It hurt to see her pressed beside Gadanai. It hurt so much...

...and that pain showed across his skin like ripples of black. It played against his stripes in rappid, erratic movements, flickering his white fur between ivory and ebony and that blue stone on his face lit up with the use of magic, but he didn't even seem to notice how it burned across his skin unnaturally. He kept his gaze on Jasmine, and as his flanks quivered under the pressure, and the magical display of shadows faded away, he begged her, silently, furiously, to take him back and leave this beast behind for good.