Kieran was starting to think Daryl was in denial. She had tried several times to communicate with him telepathically, but he ignored her. Acting as if he was just hearing voices. With every attempt he would turn away from her, muttering under his breath about how things weren't real. But Kieran wasn't going to accept his behavior. She was determined to learn about him. Who he was. What he was. But he certainly wasn't going to make it easy.

The sun was inching its way over the horizon, and she knew people would be waking up soon. The community waking meant Daryl would be here soon to take her for her morning walk, as he did every day. She wanted so badly to just let him come in while she was still in her human form, the form she preferred to sleep in, but he was still so unexcepting of the possibility of fae she thought it might scare him off. Kieran stood, and quickly stretched before turning back into her horse form. Her bones were just settling into place when Daryl unlocked her stable door.

"Mornin' Buttons" he said as he took her rope lead off the wall.

Kieran allowed him to use the rope, even though she was pretty sure he knew he didn't need it. But there was no way he was putting that bridal he brought back on her.

'Good morning, Daryl.' She communicated to him.

He froze for a second, like he did every morning, before shaking his head and muttering to himself about things not being real. Kieran decided that today she would take things into her own hands. Daryl needed to know what she was. He needed to know what he was.

As Daryl walked her past the community gates she started to pull him over to them. She had to speak with him in her human form, and she was absolutely not allowing the humans around to see it. Which meant getting Daryl outside the gates. He fought back, trying to get her back on the road, but she wasn't having any of if. She knew in this form she was stronger than him, and she just had to keep pulling. Eventually she have him where she wanted him. Once she had him over by the latch she began snorting and pawing at the entrance.

"Ya really want out there, huh?" He said. "Alright."

Daryl unlocked the gate and pushed it open. In the process he dropped her rope and Kieran took off. She didn't go far, but she wanted him to chase her. And she had to get to where she wouldn't be seen either. Daryl responded exactly as she hoped. Slamming the gate shut, he bolted after her into the woods.

Kieran ran a couple miles out, making sure to not actually lose Daryl, before she stopped and waited for him to catch up.

"Crazy horse." He said, walking up to where she stood surrounded by trees.
"Should leave ya out here, actin' like that."

Kieran leveled her head at him before trying one more to communicate with him mentally.

'Are you ever going to talk to me?'

Daryl stopped and stared at her. He looked for a second like he was almost believing what he just heard. But then he went back to silently gathering her rope up.

'You're really that stupid, aren't you.' Kieran mentally transmitted
'Alright then.'

She allowed herself to transform directly in front of him. It wasn't the first time she had done so, but clearly he was choosing to ignore their initial meeting. Daryl stopped what he was doing and stood almost transfixed in front of her naked human body. Kieran carefully stepped out of the rope, now pooled at her feet. She wound it back up and handed it to him. She stood with her arm outstretched for several minutes before he said anything.

"Buttons?" Daryl asked.
Kieran scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"Now you should know that's not my real name." She said.
"Ok." Daryl said, swallowing thickly.
"What is yer name then?" He asked.
"Kieran." She replied.

Daryl stood staring at her for several minutes before she spoke again.

"And what is your name?" She finally asked.
"Daryl." He replied.
"No." She said, rolling her eyes again. "Your real name."
"Daryl." He said again. "Daryl Dixon."

Kieran's heart broke at the information. She knew exactly why he had no light now. Why he acted as though he didn't know what she was, what he himself was. He honestly didn't know. Kieran never thought it possible for a fae to be cruel enough to allow their child to be born in the human realm. To be condemned to live a mortal existence. Fae had to be born in the fae realm. It was the only way for them to have access to the magic and light which was their birthright. It was also the only way they would ever be allowed entrance in the realm once crossing over into the human world. A child born in the human world could never fully be what they were destined to be. And Kieran never thought and fae could hate their own kind enough to deny the fae heritage to their children. But she was wrong. Apparently Tynan Dixon was exactly that cruel.

"Are ya real? Or am I jus' losin' it?" Daryl asked, pulling Kieran from her thoughts.
"Daryl, this isn't the first time you've seen me in this form." Kieran said.
"No, that was exhaustion gettin' tha better a me." Daryl said, seemingly more to himself than to her.
"No. It wasn't. And neither is this." Kieran said, stepping closer to him.
"Daryl, have you ever heard of the fae?" She asked.

Daryl began muttering to himself under his breath. Kieran could barely make out any of what he was saying. The only pieces she caught were snippets of how this wasn't real. How it couldn't be real. How his dad always said the stories were just that, stories.

"You have, haven't you?" Kieran said, getting his attention.
"Naw, the fae ain't real." Daryl said, shaking his head.
"Ohh, Daryl." She said, stepping into his space and taking her face in his hands.

Kieran stood up on her toes and gently pulled his forehead down to her. She pressed her lips to his third eye, allowing him to feel her light, feel her magic. Transferring the energy that was exclusively fae into his body. He nearly melted in her hands. He hadn't felt that since he was a child and his mother would kiss him there.

"What have you heard of the fae?" She asked stepping back a little.
"My mom used ta talk 'bout fairies and such. But it was jus' stories." Daryl replied.
"No, Daryl, they weren't." Kieran said. "Did she ever tell you about the Púca?"
"Naw." Daryl replied.
"It's what I am. A fae horse. I can take this form." Kieran said, indicating her human body "or the form of a black horse. In this case, one you like to call Buttons."

Daryl backed away from her at the explanation. Sitting down beneath a tree he shook his head. He just couldn't except his mom was right. He knew his dad was an asshole. Probably the biggest one he'd ever met. But if all this was true, then why would he deny it after her death? His whole life he had been made to think his mom was loving, but delusional. But if the fae were real, then it meant his dad knew. Knew and purposely hid the truth from he and Merle, even going so far as to make them think his mom was crazy. But why? Why hide what they were from them? His dad may have been an ass, but he usually had reasons for the things he did. Reasons typically more complicated than just being mean to his sons.

"I can't." Daryl said, standing up. "I jus' can't right now."

Kieran sighed. She hated seeing him like this, but she understood he was going through a lot and most likely needed to process this new information. She handed him the rope again and this time he took it. Kieran changed back into her horse form and walked around to face him. She lowered her head and allowed him to place the rope around her neck. But this time, instead of letting herself be led back, she walked in front. Leading a frazzled Daryl behind her. She would let him process, but she would not give up on him.

************************************************************

Back in Alexandria Daryl didn't know what to do. He actually wanted to talk to someone about this, but who. Who would actually believe he was telling the truth when he started talking about fairies and magical horses who weren't horses at all, but girls. No one, that's who. They would all think he had just snapped. And given the current state of the world, no one would blame him, but they wouldn't believe him either.

For the first time in a long time he missed his brother. Merle was the one person on the planet he could actually talk to about this. Granted, he probably wouldn't believe him any more than anyone else would, but at least he had heard all the same stories from their mother. Stories about magic and mischief. About centuries old human kings honoring various members of the fae realm. And buried mentions of wishing her boys could visit their true home, and hating herself because they would never be allowed. But Merle was gone, just like their parents. And Daryl was alone.

Well, alone except for a black horse called Buttons who apparently wasn't a horse at all. She was actually a woman called Kieran. Or maybe it was the other way around. Daryl didn't know. All he knew was a beautiful woman in the woods told him his mother was right and the last two plus decades of his life had been a lie.

************************************************************

Kieran knew Daryl needed time to process. He said his mother had told him about the fae, but he believed it to all just be stories. What she didn't know was whether it was because of his father or just from growing up having never known the fae realm. She wasn't giving up on him though. He needed to know what he was. It broke her heart to think of a fellow member of her family never knowing the magical world they belonged to.

The next morning when Daryl came to get her she didn't change back into her horse form before he got there. She wasn't going to let him shut her out. It was a risk, yes, possibly exposing herself to the humans he lived with. But then again, how long had they been living with Daryl and not suspecting a thing? Even so it was worth the risk to help him learn what he truly was.

He opened her gate and just stood there staring at her. Kieran did her best to steady her breathing and not frighten him. She was certain he was in a precarious place in his own mind. Trying to come to terms with what he always assumed were just stories, were in fact factual tales of fae lineage and history. After several moments he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, opening them again he spoke to her.

"Can't walk ya lookin' like that." Was all he said.
"So you would rather I be a horse?" She asked.
"I'd rather ya be dressed." He answered.

For the first time she realized he might be uncomfortable with her nudity. It was a purely human thing to need to be clothed. She had never worn clothing before, not wanting anything to do with humans there had been no need until now, when she needed to live with them in order to understand Daryl. But considering he had grown up in a human world, the need to be dressed suddenly made sense. The thought of the simple misunderstanding made Kieran chuckle a little.

"Fair enough." She said. "But no rope today. Please?"
"Alright." Daryl conceded.

Kieran changed in front of him. She wanted him to get used to witnessing magic. The more of it he witnessed, the more comfortable with it and accepting of it he would become. She then led the way out of her stall and the two made their morning rounds side by side.

************************************************************

Later that day she was grazing in her lot when Daryl showed up with a large bundle in his arms. He nodded to her and made his way inside her stall. Kieran followed him to find him sitting on a bale, a pile of clothing and blankets next to him.

"Ya got no idea how hard it was ta get girls clothes with no explanation." He said as she strode in.
'Is it alright if we talk while I'm in this form?' Kieran communicated.
" 'Ts a little weird. But I guess it's alright." He answered.
'You're not used to mental communication are you?' She asked.
"Nope. Yur the first person ta ever speak ta me that way." Daryl said.

Kieran took pity on him. Happy with his progress and changed into her human form. She walked over to the pile and began picking through it.

"Wasn' sure of yur size, but I think it'll all fit." He said.
"Thank you." She said. "Does this mean you'll walk me around in this form?"
"'Slong as yur dressed. Don' see why not." Daryl answered. "They'll have questions. We'll hafta come up with where I found ya."
"Can't you just say 'in the woods'. You're out there enough hunting and scouting." Kieran asked
"I guess." Daryl answered.

Kieran pulled on a pair of jeans and a dark blue top. She sat down next to Daryl and began pulling on the boots he brought with the rest of the items. They were a little big, but they would do.

"Are we going to talk about the fae? Or not yet?" She asked.
"Don' wanna talk about me." Daryl answered. "Can ya tell me about you?"

Kieran smiled at him before launching into her history. She started out by telling him about the Púca race. How they tended to avoid humans as much as possible, and hated being caught by them. She told him the Púca came in many animal forms, but she preferred horse. Though she could pull off a convincing dog as well. She told him about the closest relatives of the Púca, the Kelpie and Manx. Then of course there was the Pegasus, Unicorn, and Centaur.

She spoke of her parents and her siblings. She told him of their home in the fae realm and their ancestral running grounds in Ireland. When she spoke of Oberon he perked up a little. But he still didn't want to talk about what he knew, so she continued on. Kieran spoke to Daryl for nearly three hours, telling him as much as she could about the world she knew and loved. The world she wanted him to know.

They both heard Rick calling for Daryl at the same time.

"I got him. Take yur time." Daryl said getting up and leaving her stall.

Kieran undressed. Listening to the two men discuss community safety. Once she had folded her new clothing and neatly stacked it she changed into her horse form and walked out onto the lot. Daryl looked over at her and smiled before walking off with Rick. She was glad to be making progress with him.

************************************************************

The next morning Daryl showed up with breakfast. Kieran was always more than happy to graze, she had been doing it most of her life. The gesture was welcome though. She had slept in the nude as she always did, so after she dressed she sat down next to him on the bale and he handed her one of the two bowls he brought.

"'Ts jus' oatmeal." Daryl said as she took the bowl.
"It's wonderful, Daryl." Kieran said, taking a bite of the warm sweet oats.
"Was thinkin' a havin' ya meet Rick today" Daryl said, starting in on his own breakfast.
"I've already met Rick." Kieran said.
"Ya know what I mean." Daryl replied.
"Have you thought of how we're going to keep human me separate from horse me yet? Because all of them already know Buttons, and I will not have them knowing what I am." Kieran said.
"They don' ever really come over here. Yur mostly my job. And they won't wanna believe it. Won't be a problem." Daryl said finishing his bowl and taking Kieran's empty one.
"If your certain." She said, handing the bowl over.
"Yeah. They're wonderin' already why I want women's clothes and two bowls for breakfast. They're gonna start snoopin' I keep it up." Daryl answered.
"Then I guess I'm meeting Rick." Kieran said standing.

Kieran followed Daryl out of her stall in her human form for the first time since coming to Alexandria. She knew he was right, Daryl was the only person to ever check on her. Whether that was coincidence or by his own design she had no idea. But either way, no one would really notice if the horse was 'in her stall' as opposed to grazing. And maybe this way she could actually sleep in a bed instead of wrapped in blankets on top of straw.

There were a few glances as the two walked through the streets. No one knowing who she was or why she was hear. But the obviously trusted Daryl, as no one bothered them on their way to meet Rick on his morning rounds. They found him where they expected to, near Deanna's house. Daryl paused in his steps before taking a deep breath and calling out.

"Rick!" He shouted, and the other man turned in their direction.

Noticing someone he had never met was with Daryl he jogged over to where they were standing.

"Want ya ta meet Kieran" Daryl said, introducing her once Rick made his way over.