Atlas was quick to turn his attention to the rather vocal pegasus, unable to muster the anger he wanted to respond with, instead keeping silent as he shifted his gaze between both of his parents. Glyn seemed rather amused by the mare’s outburst, though like his son, remained silent. They didn’t need to respond harshly and ruin whatever peace they’d managed to make with this union. Only Opal bothered to say anything, lifting her head to gaze upon the golden mare with an expression of understanding, though she elected to avoid reacting in the same manner.

“I believe the prophecy was quite clear. Unless you want to lose your daughter to the Darkness in a far more ugly manner than any threat they’d meet in the woods, it is best to let fate act as fate wills.” The mare spent little time focusing on the pegasi leader and her troubles, instead turning her attention back to the water horse to ensure their status remained stable.

The pegasi leader's plan was one the three unicorns could agree on, for neither side seemed particularly eager to send their heirs off on a likely dangerous task. Glyn stepped forward as well, gaze falling upon the grey stallion as he nodded his agreement before speaking. “Doing so would be the best way to go about this. I have no objections.” He paused for a moment, looking towards the unicorns assembled behind him before returning his gaze to the other leaders. “I already have a unicorn in mind to accompany my heir, am I safe to assume you have a pegasus in mind as well?”

Atlas was rather bemused by how easily the two came to an agreement, expecting some sort of argument to erupt. Part of him wished he had an opinion on the matter, though he knew it was no use to hope for such things. This union had easily turned into something far larger than either heir, and wishing for anything different did no one any good. Yet at the same time, he didn’t quite understand how either of them could be expected to find this chosen one. The prophecy had given few clues to aid them in their search, and as they couldn’t quite ask for more information, it seemed they were fated to fail. He wanted to be a little more optimistic about it, but alas, there was little reason to be.

The knowledge that Wynnettia won't' be alone in her travels had made the pegasi feel that much better, someone she can trust would be very helpful indeed. Of course, sending two heirs from each herd, equines that were of much importance would be foolish. Guards were essential, and a mediator a good solution to keep things from going south.

A snort escaped Gia, "It was more a warning than anything else." The mare muttered quietly to herself, she refused to accept the Unicorn's way, all about fate and destiny. That was preposterous, they made their own choices in life, not let someone else decide it for them. But, the golden mare kept her lips sealed and did not utter another word, she would leave it all to Svantai, who had more patience in front of their... ex enemies now that the union is complete.

The grey pegasi in question nodded in response to Glyn, "Yes indeed I do. Eteri will be accompanying Whynnettia, she is a trusted and loyal pegasi, and would prove useful to all on this journey." With that, Svantai gestured to the mare in question. He trusted that with her, the Unicorn chosen guard, and a volunteer from the water herd would be the best bet. And that they could secure the Chosen Horse and bring them back, if they had luck or not was another matter, with nothing to go on it would all come down to how well the heirs can accomplish their task.

Whynnettia's wings relaxed, she felt she wasn't alone anymore, and that she could finally breathe a little. The perlino knew the mare well, they were the same age and so grew up together, of course, the perlino lived a sheltered life but Eteri had become quite favourable among the nobles and it must have been an honor to receive this assignment.

---

(I realised we never really discussed how the guards got their positions (not that it was important at the time lol), so not sure if you have it that she worked hard for her position, or is from an esteemed unicorn family, rebelled, whatever. So I'm winging it and trying to leave it vague, correct me on anything. Oh and for Takoda, we can say he... has been part of the guard since a young age, fought in the wars, and his family has been part of the royal guards for generations.)

“I will send Takoda, for I feel he will be of use. I trust him with my own life.” Glyn nodded towards the dark brown stallion for him to come forth, then directed his gaze towards the water horses. “Which of you shall volunteer to join the heirs on their task?” He felt rather strongly that a mediator was best, especially with the number of unicorns and pegasi partaking in this mission doubling quite rapidly. He trusted that Atlas was not one to act rashly even when stuck so close to equines that, up until quite recently, had been his enemies. Yet he knew nothing of the pegasi heir, nor her guard, and didn’t trust that both sides could manage themselves for the entirety of their journey. There were bound to be times when they were at their limits, and they didn’t need the newly formed union to end in bloodshed and a rebirth of the war.

Atlas looked towards the dark brown stallion who’d been volunteered to act as his guard, smiling for he was pleased it was someone he knew well. He was an older stallion, around 4 years older than himself, but he was almost like a mentor to the heir. It only made sense for him to be volunteered for this task, his father trusted him most amongst all the guards, and Atlas trusted him the same. He looked over to the pegasi to see which pegasus amongst their herd was chosen, watching as the bird-like mare stepped from the ranks and bowed her head to Svantai.

“It would be my honor.” The words rolled smoothly off the bi-colored mare, her eyes sliding across all the equines standing separate. She offered a smile to Wynettia, sensing her relief. Her eyes flicked over Atlas, sizing up the heir, though merely to prepare herself in case an altercation took place. They were at peace after all, and whilst the suddenness of this prophecy and the expectations of acting like they were friends with the unicorns felt quite sudden, she wasn’t planning on going against her leader's will. Afterall, she was quite pleased that she had earned enough trust to be tasked to such a sensitive mission.

Atlas could feel the golden eyes of the pegasus on him, though elected to pay no mind to it. He was more concerned with the prophecy itself, trying to figure out whether there was some hint to who the chosen one was hidden amongst its lines. It was a rather hopeless venture, as from what lines he did remember vividly, none of which seemed to carry any clues. They needed to fulfill the prophecy as quickly as they could, as he worried that the longer it took the less likely they’d be to succeed. If they had no starting point for who the heir was, then this could easily take far too long.

---

(what you put for Eteri works, I was gonna have her be someone who worked hard for her position, and what you wrote works. I did put Takoda as a mentor of sorts as well if thats alright, though I can remove that if its wrong. Only really put it there as he was a bit older than Atlas and could be someone who taught him how to fight and such)

"Of course," Takoda gave a short response and deep nod of appreciation to Glyn, it was one of trust and conviction that he would fulfill his duty and protect Atlas with his life. He did not like the idea of traveling with pegasi, especially on friendly terms so he paid them no mind. The dark brown unicorn had already taken quite a toll from the wars and unrest sat deep within at the idea, but with consideration of the importance of this task, he would not wish any strife that would break what fragile peace they have. Instead, he looked to the heir with a small smile, when Glyn wasn't there, it was Takoda that was, he had taught the young stallion everything and was his support for a majority of his life, Takoda was without offspring so he treated Atlas much like he was his own.

The previously downed water horse had finally awoken, he was dizzy but very much in good condition, enough so that he finally stood. He was joined by a couple of other water horses that took over the care of him, while the rest stayed back to whisper among themselves, and looks passed around as they discussed who they wish to volunteer. After a moment the water herd ceased and then parted ways for a marbled blue stallion to step forth. He had an easy-going aura about him and gentle eyes. "It would be my pleasure to accompany the heir's on their journey." The water horse said, with a bow to both the Pegasi and Unicron leaders. "I am Cobalt, a trusted member of our herd."

Wyynettia who had yet to move from her spot since before the start of the union ceremony glanced to the water horse, he was young still, although appeared a few years older than her. But his relaxed expression did give her a good feeling, as though he was trustworthy and patient. Someone that could be a good friend and supportive, but that could also just be his charismatic nature. Either way, she was glad that Cobalt had joined them. She was not much of a warrior and felt she would be helpless enough as it is, she felt slightly ashamed to feel elated to have someone in the same "boat" as her.

Svantai hummed approvingly, he deemed Cobalt adequate. The grey stallion did a once over all those to leave on this journey, it was strange to see pegasi and unicorns working together, but if all went well it would soon be a common and welcome sight. His eyes flicked to his partner, Gia appeared bitter by the arrangement, not that he blamed her, they had just lost a son and now they sent their daughter (who had no experience) out into the world. But it was their only choice as of now, and he trusted that Wynnettia would prove herself and grow into a strong pegasus and graceful ruler.

"I thank you for your courage to set out on the seemly difficult task, I believe it best you all set out tomorrow morning and find the Chosen One our life-giver has asked for, and return when they are found." Svantai spoke clearly so all can hear, his wings fluttered slightly as he adjust his stance. "We do not know how long this journey will take nor are we informed on the time you have left, but we pray that you will succeed. That we heal the Enchanted Tree and the Darkness will be defeated before it takes hold." He paused momentarily, his gaze lingering on the small group, namely his daughter, and spoke quieter to those in the near vicinity. "Unfortunately there isn't much to go off on but tonight we will discuss the details, and since this is a union ceremony, after all, we will hold a celebration to bid you farewell and a good journey"


---

(That all sounds perfect to me! I love it. I just realised I didn't play Wynnettia in here that much.)

Atlas wasn’t quite sure what to make of the water horse at first, having limited experiences with the herd. He was beginning to feel that they had gathered quite a crowd, and was unsure whether that was a good thing. He surely didn’t trust any of them besides Takoda, though he saw little need to be concerned about the pegasi heir. Perhaps he was underestimating the smaller mare, but she didn’t exactly seem like a horse which had experience in any sort of conflict. He was more worried about her guard, unsettled by her eyes which landed upon him every now and then.

For a moment Atlas had forgotten about the union until the grey stallion mentioned it, distracted by his racing thoughts about the prophecy. It took most of his effort to not let his worries get ahead of him, the reminder of the time limit causing him to shift nervously, though he did his best to still appear composed. How long did they even have? Months? Weeks? Days? The longer he thought about it the shorter the timeline became, in the end having to cut the train of thought off as abruptly as he could. There was no use in worrying over something he had no control over.

Glyn looked towards his heir as he noticed the stallion shift, surprised he had managed to appear unbothered by the matter for this long. It was hardly a light subject, and certainly not a task he would have wanted to intrust into a horse so young. “I understand a ceremony may not be what you have in mind as fitting to the occasion, but let us celebrate this new peace and leave you with joyous memories to bring with you, so that when you are struggling, you will have something to help you continue.”

“Let us move forward with the celebrations, afterall, we still have much to celebrate and be happy about.” Glyn spoke louder, more generally to the herds, watching as they began to disperse to where the celebrations were meant to take place. This left the leaders, their heirs, and the three chosen to join the heirs on their journey. “We can either save the details for after they are given a change to celebrate or we can choose to discuss them now. I think it would be wisest to wait, to give them a chance to process the information.”

---

(I know it won't be until quite a bit later, but how should we have them recognize the chosen one? Maybe an odd marking?)

Wynnettia listened distractedly to her father, his words blurred together and her mind was a mess. The perlino scrambled to collect her thoughts, but with so many questions and still struggling to come to terms with everything that has happened, it proved difficult to do so. She released a breathe and let her pale eyes wonder, her gaze taking in her surroundings and those around her. They all appeared calm, or well calmer than she was. With a slight tremble, she refocused her gaze on her father who had now finished and the Unicorn's leader Glyn was speaking.

As of right now, the ceremony was the only thing the young pegasi heir looked forward to, it was a distraction at best but it provided something other than dealing with their current predicament. Time left, was there a time limit? They were never informed and if there was and that only caused anxiousness to twist in her gut, and even then, how would they find this Chosen One? Much less, she had just had her union ceremony with a stranger and not too long ago was worried what her future will hold. Wynnettia very much had her hooves knocked out from underneath her at this moment and yearned for some resemblance of normalcy.

"I agree, let us leave the discussions for later." Gia finally spoke, she had let her past worries go to focus on the future. The golden mare strode up next to Svantai, her dark eyes glanced around and her ears flicked in irritation, she wanted this day over more than anyone. Having lost her son, she felt she was to lose her daughter, but being hit with the severity of the situation there was nothing she could do. The mare felt a wing touch her side and with a glance, she saw it was her partner giving a small gesture of comfort.

The grey pegasi hummed and then gave one last look to the leader of the Unicorns "I know there is much resentment between the herds but I hope that with this union our old quarrels will be left behind us and a new peace moving forward." With that, the pegasi offered a nod before he led the way to the festivities, where all the others were already heading. Gia was quick to follow and resisted the urge to call her daughter to follow, but she would sit with Atlas during the celebration.

---

(Sorry for the wait, busy weekend. And yeah, that's a good idea, a marking would be useful and definitely help. I've got two ideas, 1 being in the legends of the original chosen horse, the horse had a marking in the shape of a star-like format, which equals to magic. Or 2, there is no legend on markings, but the heirs find the chosen one because they find her with the marking in the shape of the tree, like it symbolises the Enchanted Tree and rebirth?)

Whilst Atlas understood the need for a distraction, and he did quite yearn for one, he couldn’t help worrying it would not do them any good. What if this evening of celebrations became a regret later on? It was only a single evening, but the pressure was almost suffocating the longer he worried about it. Perhaps that was exactly why it was needed, though he wasn’t even sure if he could enjoy himself.

Glyn nodded his head in agreement with Svantai’s words. “Our hopes are the same,” he replied, looking back towards his heir before following after with Opal beside him. It was difficult to not try and assure the two heirs further, deciding it was best they didn’t add more worries to the list of fears they already had. It was also best he left his heir to figure out things on his own, knowing Atlas was capable of doing so, and the prophecy was his to complete after all.

As the leaders departed Atlas stood silently, glancing towards the pegasi heir. Wynettia, that was her name. The reality of forming a union with a mare he hardly knew enough to remember her name left a feeling like a sinking stone in his chest. He wasn’t sure what to say, whatever composer and assuredness he’d had earlier long since replaced with worries. After a moment he cleared his throat, trying to offer a smile that he hoped was comforting. “Shall we join them?” He turned slight to look at her fully, his gaze temporarily flicking over the other three. All strangers except for Takoda, though he did hope such things would change. They were to travel together after all, for who knows how long. “You three can return to your herds if you would like, it is only us two which need to stay together for the evening, at least until we have to talk about the prophecy more.” He looked towards them, not sure whether Eteri would respond to his words given she’d been watching him closely for quite some time.

The bi-colored mare stepped closer to Wynettia, worried for her well-being. “If you would like, I can stay by your side.” Eteri spoke gently, dipping her head as she looked her over. She ignored Atlas’s words completely, choosing to listen to whatever Wynettia decided instead. Even if she wasn’t one of the prophecy besides being chosen to act as a guard, she could still feel the weight of it. She wasn’t sure how it felt for Wynettia, afterall she had to have already been quite nervous about the union, and now a prophecy was dumped on her as well. If Eteri had been the one in her situation, she would have wanted some sort of normality, and perhaps Wynettia wanted the same.

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(You're alright :D I kinda like the star marking idea. I'll edit Sol's sheet to add in the star as apart of her appearance)

Wynnettia watched her parents leave first, knowing she would spend the evening with her newly unified partner. More as a tradition rather than her choice, but what better way to learn about Atlas than tonight, before they are all sent off on what seemed like an impossible journey. She glanced to the stallion, and nodded her head in affirmation, she was ready now, still with much to process but was happy to move on to the celebration. The white golden pegasi heard Atlas's guard, mumble respectfully of wanting to spend what little time he had with friends and family before he left with one final bow of his head. The water horse that was also to join them on their quest said much the same, not that Wynnettia was surprised, the blue stallion didn't know any of them.

That left Eteri the last to stay behind, but that was very much welcomed by Wynnettia, it was a comfort the pegasi really did not wish to lose but was selfish much the same. "Thank you, I appreciate the offer," Wynnettia quietly responded. "But that is not nessecasary, please enjoy the evening with your friends and your family. Who knows what the future will hold, and I do not want you to regret it." Truly, the pegasi appreciated Eteri, and would want to have someone she knew beside her but did not want to have what may be their last night with those they loved taken away.

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(That sounds all fine to me. Also huge apologies for taking my time, I have been sick and so haven't really had the motivation to write. But not feeling much better I got on to reply, though unfortunately not a very long one)