Magg, in all the arrogance that crossing the threshold into adulthood had afforded her, was 95% certain she had gotten away with her little indiscretion. She had taken many precautions to erase or hide all evidence, and so far no one seemed to regard her any differently (except him, of course). So, obviously, she had chosen to break one of her father's decrees a third time.

She had missed the hot springs dearly, and given her injury she had longed for their warmth. When the opportune moment finally arrived, she escaped the Cove's confines once more and ran for them. Her gait was not as athletically graceful as it once had been, but it was largely on its way. Each day she worked on steadily rebuilding muscle, stamina and poise. The progress meant everything to her after being stalled for so long, and she could feel every bit of it now.

Reaching the shore didn't slow her. She practically threw herself into the thermal pool, disappearing completely beneath the surface with a spray of water. The warmth wrapped around her and sunk into her skin and bones. Magg let out all of her breath in a contented sigh, letting her body sink further rather than buoy back into the frigid air. Just a few seconds more...

Three paws touched the silty bottom, and the heat was intense. She pushed up then, rocketing back to the surface.

Gasping in air betwixt a toothy grin, Magg remained oblivious to the fact that she wasn't as alone as she'd thought, once again. With a happy hum she paddled forward, but the sound fell away when she realized that she was turning. What was going wrong clicked into place within a matter of moments; her strokes were naturally uneven now. Without being watched, she could respond with wonder rather than frustration or embarrassment, exploring this new difference without any concern for how it looked from the outside.

It should have made sense that once she had rounded fully, there would be someone else suddenly in her vision. Not just anyone else, either. Magg's eyes went wide and her heart throbbed in her chest. Adora!

'I missed you.'

She wanted to run to her, but there was a large difference to her now that she wouldn't be able to hide outside of the water, and it kept her in place. The longing was clear in her brown eyes, however, and her tail lifted above the water just so it could express her immense joy. How was it possible that the other young woman grew more beautiful each time they were reunited? Why did it bring heat to her cheeks and neck this time?

"I missed you too," she spoke just as sincerely, paddling just a little closer. Perfectly straight, no weaknesses to be found here, excepting that immense soft spot she still held for her childhood counterpart.

"Of course!" her answer was immediate, almond-shell eyes dancing with mirth as her friend drew ever closer. Magg attempted to push back, giving the other room as well as stirring the water's surface. It was blessedly cloudy in nature, yet still there was an undercurrent of anxiety that if Adora got too close, she would see what was missing. Then it would have to be addressed. She much preferred pretending that things were far more similar to how they'd been the last time they'd crossed paths.

"Where have you been?!"

Spoken with a measure of excitement of what Adora might share, rather than bemoaning the absence. Magg had always wondered what it would be like to be more similar to the young Macieo, to have no rules or constraints, to see the wider world and not be harmed by or frightened of it. Little did she know just how firmly she had shut that door on herself. In this moment, days before she would discover her own pregnancy, Magg still had a glimmer of hope that maybe one day she'd get to join her cherished friend on one of her adventures.

Magg's toothy grin widened all the more seeing Adora bob so contentedly in the water, her already-plush coat appearing even fluffier as the water soaked in and gave buoyancy to every pale strand. For a moment, she recalled another time they'd incidentally crossed paths outside of the Cove, being lost in the comfort of all that fur under a sky lit purple and green. Appreciating a friend's company without this undercurrent of anxiety. If Adora drew too close this time, Magg would step away.

The answer to her question pulled her away from the memory and back into the moment. It sounded like a beautiful place for intelligent individuals, somewhere Magg herself likely would've been ousted from rather quickly. She wondered how Adora had fit in, but thought she might not get the truth if it hadn't been well. Would the other young woman share, or shield? For all she thought of her childhood friend, Magg bet everyone at this Wisteria Crest had thought her to be absolutely perfect.

"I'm certainly glad you didn't," Magg couldn't help but reply, one corner of her mouth lifting higher into an impish smirk. The spark was brief, without catching any flames. It would have been okay if Adora hadn't come back... if it meant she was happy.

At least... that's how Magg was supposed to feel about it, right? It's how a good friend would, and so she told herself it was true.

"What did you do there?"