She sat at the edge of the pit, meditating for a time, eyes open but misty, distant, as she Thought.

Here, where the whispered swelled, she wondered many things. How many of the people she met in her lifetime were still around, as alive as they had been when she'd met them? How many were in their chrysalis, sleeping away the cycles? How many were dead?

Her mind strayed all the way back. Before the owl, before the sky, before the infection darkened her horizons, hell, even before she'd gotten any kind of common sense in her. She wondered about the Children of Rot - she should visit them, give her apologies if they cared at all. Or, perhaps, it would be a bad idea to visit them. Let them forget her. Not everyone needed to be reminded that she still walked the caves.

She thought about Black. She hadn't seen him for a long time. Was he still protecting, guarding others? Or had his guardianship gotten him killed? She hoped that he was still alive. Perhaps she should try to find him.

She wondered if Blackberry had ever emerged from that cave she had was supposed to die in. Well, Wilder had not heard of her misdeeds, nor any talk of some terrible goose monster wandering around. She hoped that meant more on the side of "she had turned a new leaf" rather then death.

And she thought of her children - Kass and Bauble, both of whom had disappeared from her life long ago. Bauble, she assumed hibernated, but Kass...she shivered and lowered her head at the thought of him. She hoped he was alright, and that he had not met a similar fate as...

Her ears pressed against her head. She couldn't...couldn't even think about it without the guilt returning full force, crushing the air out of her lungs. Even though she had done as she wanted, succeeded where she had failed, raised a good family the right way, it did not erase the fact that she had failed in the worst way before.

So she sat at the edge of the Pit and listened for her child's echo, the child that she had condemned to death, the child that she had failed, and hoped she had not failed anyone else.

She heard someone approaching, and glanced up to see them carefully gliding down. She was not afraid - a hunter would have been more quiet, an enemy would have been quicker in their descent. So she didn't move as they landed and approached, only turning to speak with them when they were asking their question.

She looked into their eyes and froze.

Golden and glowing, pupil-less. And their body, cloaked with the void, speckled with starlight and auroras. It was bigger then her, but undeniably feline. Emotions came swift and overwhelming and her magic caught up quickly and almost literally pressed the pause button on her reality. Everything stopped and she could look at him properly before she reacted.

It wasn't...it wasn't Regalia but the similarities were undeniable. She had never seen another gembound in the caves that had the same inky-black cloud-like cloak that her child had, and the fact it was paired with glowing eyes couldn't be coincidence. It was all the wrong colors, sure, bathed in reds and golds and the colors of a brilliant sunset that she had only ever seen in visions of the surface, and she could see a body under there, flesh and blood. Regalia had none of that, only ever existing as a floating mass that had resembled a cat.

It wasn't Regalia, but there was no doubt in Wilder's mind that it was its progeny. She had no idea that it had created a child - that was a bit of a terrifying concept. How many others had it made? Had it raised them to be like it, delusional, cruel, and superior to all things?

As time began to speed up again, Wilder had processed enough to at least not be caught staring slack-jawed at the feline being. She picked herself up to her feet and turned to face it, defensive but not aggressive. "Who are you?" Her voice carried the threat of a hiss. "What do you want from me? Don't try to lie - I will know."

Wilder narrowed her eyes and extended her magic, as promised. She pushed herself into the feline's mind and listened, feeling for the emotions she feared were there - any anger towards her, feelings of vengeance, or hatred, or that dreaded, ugly chaos. But...she found none of that. She heard the words echo in his mind while he spoke and she felt a strange...sadness with them. Guilt that he'd frightened her, worry that something about him had put her off, and a confusion about what had triggered her. She searched, but did not find anything dangerous. All she saw was light.

As Wider retreated from his mind, she felt...odd. This was Regalia's child, wasn't it? It had to be. But perhaps it had no had the chance to raise him before Wilder Venari had gotten to it. She felt something in her relax just a little bit at the notion, and another part grew in curiosity. The fur that had begun to raise along her neck flattened as she took a breath.

"No, no, I'm the one that is sorry. You...look like someone I know. Or knew. But it's okay. Sorry." She shuffled her paws and then gave Arcturus an inquisitive look. "I am Wilder. Does that name mean anything to you?"