He ached, both physically and emotionally. His lungs burned as he pushed his limbs faster and faster after his beloved sister. She had the agility and the stamina of fire, he had the bursting sudden speed of lightening but easily lost his momentum. Panting harshly he chased her, calling her name over the distance, but his pausing with Locha had lost him ground between him and his sister. But that was all easy to ignore, his burning lungs and aching limbs. It was the agony he felt in his chest that kept his eyes prickling with frustration, that had his burning lungs tight. She was angry, very angry, after he had worked so hard to appease every one of them. This place was safer, it had everything they could need and want, except it didn't have fire. He panted harshly as he lopped after her, groaning. "Sere! Wait!" He called. As he chased her, the clouds that had been threatening to gather began to blot out the sun. Precipitation made the air grow heavy before the sky burst in rain and he shook his head to keep it from his eyes. Everything ached...he panted heavily as he chased her, croaking her name again and again before the first clap of thunder. He jolted, his paws stumbling as he turned wide eyes towards the sky. Great, fantastic. He whimpered as he continued to chase her, his fear pushing him faster and faster towards her safety. "Serefina!" He yelled over the distance, his voice pitched as lightening struck the sky, chased by the very thunder he felt was chasing him. Yet he kept moving. He didn't stop to find shelter, didn't cease his chase for his beloved sister despite his crippling fear. He would catch her, he would bring her home and try and show her that the beach had what she needed. The beach had him and their siblings. And he needed her there. Yelping as a rather loud clap burst over his head he groaned and shook his head, kicking his paws against the ground as he chased her. "Talk"

She ran away, and where too she didn't know. Nor did she give a fuck. She highly doubted that anyone would follow her after her harsh words, but Locha had called out to her first. She felt a pang for ignoring the girl, they often didn't get along even though she tried. She tried so hard to be nice to all her siblings, but it was quite often that her emotions took over. Next came the voice of Voltage, a voice that she had hoped had stayed quiet. He was the only one that could contain her flaming emotions, or at least take their burn and know that she still loved him. He kept her calm and winded down for the others in her family, but this time there was little that he could have done. She didn't want to live at the ocean, she didn't like the water! It scared her, made her nervous. She felt safe at her volcano, the only place really that she had felt so comfortable. So she didn't want to be consoled, she just wanted to run and burn through all this pent up energy, all this anger. But Voltage's voice kept calling towards her, and she did her best to ignore it. Soon the sky opened up, feeding on her anger and emotions as the thunder boomed over head, the thunder striking down the sky. She just kept running, able to keep ahead of her brother because of her head start. But his voice called out for her again, and as another boom of thunder sounded, she finally skid to a stop. Her fiery legs felt like jello as she stopped, but she couldn't help it. Ember eyes looked over her shoulder to see that Volty was still running after her, even as the storm brewed above. She knew that he was afraid of thunder, and yet here he was. He was fighting through the storm just to try and reach her. She let out an angry, frustrated growl as her jaws slammed down with a harsh bite. Eyes rolled as she looked to her left, a cave promising cover. She raced forward and attempted to grasp his scruff between her jaws, a little harsher than was needed. It probably wouldn't draw blood though, unless he struggled. Serefina then tried to drag his sorry ass towards the cave, dropping him and flopping to her own side once they were inside. Panting, Serefina glared over at her brother, although running had helped her cool down enough that her burning eyes were more of a soft glow. "You're an idiot, you know that?" she asked between panting. She wasn't too tired, but she was starting to feel it in her legs. She knew that she needed to rest, but that was quite a long run for her companion. Letting out a sigh, she rose herself up and tucked her back legs under her, laying her head flat on the floor of the cave. Not many knew about Voltage's fear of thunder, which was silly really. It was supposed to be lightening's companion, but it scared him. Eyes cut towards him again, her soot coated ears pressing against her skull. "I'm sorry... but some of what I said was true. I know that the volcano was too small, I realize that. I also know that its hard to appease all of us, hell with that many wolves in one group its going to be impossible for all to walk away happy. I... I don't feel safe here. I feel.. well I don't really know how I feel," she said with a frustrated growl. Dull ember eyes looked out at the water, flinching slightly as the waves rolled against the black shore. Gross. She didn't know why Locha liked this stuff. "Talk" "You" Think

When she turned to him, racing and grabbing his scruff, he thanked the heavens. She had stopped for him! He let her pull her towards a den, towards safety, away from the booming sky and the storms that shone even brighter against the ocean. It hurt a bit, he wasn't a child any longer and his scruff didn't appreciate being pulled so angrily, but he stumbled after her. "You stopped.." He panted, turning wide stormy eyes towards her. He didn't move to flick the moisture from his fur, just let it drip as he stood there, staring, watching her as she flopped onto the cave floor. It was almost amazement that crossed his face before a loud clap seemed to shake his chore. With a rather childish sound he leapt towards her, moving to smoother his large body against her and hide from the thunder. He knew it was crazy, he knew how stupid a fear it was, especially for an element he was named for, but he was terrified. He listened to her speak, reguardless of whether she allowed him at her side or not, and he stared at his paws. A gentle sigh slipped from him as he laid his head upon the cave floor. She wasn't happy, he knew that. It was obvious, and it was the reason he was here, but he expected more than fear. He expected something different, something like how unfair it was to her. And it was, he knew that, but they had tried. They found a warm place, with water, and elevation, that was close to nature and allowed for wind. They tried their hardest! And yet it wasn't good enough. "I'm sorry..." He began, in a small whisper, curling in on himself. His family was everything to him, and disappointing someone, especially Serefina, it hurt him greatly. He felt as if his forest had burned, as if his fire was put out, as if the celestial bodies fell from the sky. His family, his energy, his everything, that was what mattered to him, and right now he felt as if he could do nothing but put tape on the problem. Soon it would all unravel and he'd be alone in the thunderstorm. "Will it help anything, Serefina, if I swear that we tried. We searched...endlessly..and this was as close to everything as we could get." He whispered, turning towards her. "All I want is a home. That was my check box. You all needed your elements, I needed my family to be safe and settled. Fire, water, trees, sun, moon, wind...I needed you. I know you're unhappy, but please, give this a chance?" He turned his gaze away from her again and laid his head on his paws, sighing. "I understand fear...this place seems to have more thunderstorms than I can handle.." He jolted as another clap burst overhead, and he shifted to press against her warmth. "But I can handle it with you here...We have gone too long without a home, I longer than you..." He needed it, he craved it. Voltage was a damaged creature, one stinging from the regection of his parents, and the displacement of his family. All he wanted to do was settle, and flourish. Maybe then his fear that they would all scatter and leave him would fall away, maybe then.. "Talk"

She locked on to his scruff and pulled him towards a den, her ember eyes rolling at his comment. "O' 'ourse I 'opped 'ou bi' dum'y," she muttered around his scruff, not even bothering to let him go. She knew how he was in storms, and she didn't want to be the one to chase after him Plus, he was brave enough to fight the storm to reach her, and she wasn't a bitch. She may be mad, but she wasn't going to watch him suffer because he decided to follow her. So it wasn't until they were safely in the cave that she let him go, flopping herself over. Her own personal space didn't last long though, he yelped like a little babe and practically clung to her coat. Her ears folded backwards in irritation, gaze slanting downwards as she cast a glance at him. She didn't move away though, but she did let out a long, drawn out sigh before she went on to speak. Voltage didn't interrupt her, and for that she was thankful. She wasn't sure if it was from the fear of the storm raging outside or if he was just being kind. Probably the latter though, Voltage knew her better than anyone else. She shared everything with him, which is why she was so hurt. "You could have warned me, you know," she said softly. Sere felt her fire start to simmer down, although Volt knew it as well as she did that it could flare back up at any given moment. She listened to him apologize, feeling oddly irritated at his 'oh woe is me' type of attitude. "I get it, okay? I get that you can't all make us happy. But you know what Voltage, you could have given us a choice. You could have let us decide this as a family instead of holding up in some damn dark cave and bicker about it. I would have been fine if we had been able to all talk it out, but instead you made the choice for us like we are all children. You are not are parents. As much as I look up to you and love you, you cannot control every aspect of our lives," Her words rang true, gaze trying to meet his if he would allow it. "We are all going to stick together, hell even I come back to the same place to be with you and the others. But we are a family, and should operate as such. We should have all been able to have our own say. Sure I still would have complained, but at least then I would have known that everyone else wanted to be here too." When he spoke of a home, her head lowered to rest on top of his neck, a sigh whispering out of her lips. "I know brother, I know. But all I ask is that next time you let us choose as one, as the family you wish. A home is an important place, more so for our youngest brother and sister. We all feel the sting of rejection, Voltage. So let us share this with you. How much more special do you think it would have been if we all chose to come here? If we all came to see it as a group so we could all say, 'yes, this will be our home,'" Serefina's words were growing softer as she spoke, feeling Voltage jolt beneath her and cower into her form. Her head lifted so she could watch the storm, lifting her front left leg and pulling her elder brother closer to her own form. "It's settled then, you will bunk with me so I can protect you from the mean storms." Her voice was slightly teasing, but it still stood strong. There were caves apparently, and Sere could cover the front with vine tendrils and such, make it thick except for one place to get in and out of. That way it would block out most of the sound. "Talk" "You" Think

He listened to her every word in silence, feeling as she wrapped herself around him to hide the boy from the storms outside. He remained silent, staring wide eyed at the darkened wall beside them. Every word she spoke resonated within him, and more and more silent and still he became, untill soon he wasn't even jolting at the booming of the sky. Flashes of lightening would highlight his face and their cave, but he remained still, thinking it over, listening to her. "You're right..." He breathed after a while, closing his cloudy eyes finally. Everything she said was right, and he felt terrible, foolish. Voltage acted as if his every move was for the sake of their family, but perhaps that was just a poor disguise for his own sorrows. He had longed so desperately for a home, for a fix to this agony he constantly felt within him that he had acted without really thinking of his siblings. Sure, he had always had their well being in mind, but he didn't consider their feelings fully. "I just...see you still as the little fluff ball of attitude that I had to leave behind when mother sent us from the family...As the young woman we gathered and brought to Alacritis that needed our guidance..." They were all growing up now, they were all adults. They could easily leave and start their lives if they so chose and Voltage could do nothing to stop it. But they were also old enough to make their own choices, and help the eldest brothers lead them. She was right, Voltage was not her parent, but her brother. Her damaged, overly protective, emotional older brother. He sighed then and turned to nuzzle his nose into her fur, his eyes still closed. "I'm so selfish..forgive me, my princess." He whispered weakly, lifting his head to press kisses along her neck if she would allow it. Stormy eyes lifted open, blinking through the mist that had gathered. "Perhaps we have taken the job of eldest a little too far..We don't want to dictate your lives, Serefina. We thought it was the best for our family..." They should have all done it together, he knew that now. With a careful sigh he shifted to his other side, moving to slip out of her embrace to fully look at his sister. "When did you grow up?" He asked with a gentle smile, tilting his head. He could tell, she was maturing, growing into her own. Her fire still help its hot angry bite, but she seemed to have more control over it. "You used to be so small, Glacier could have crushed you by accident. When did that change?" He sighed then and shifted to nuzzle his head against her again, breathing in her scent, feeling her warmth and protection. When she said they would bunk together he laughed softly, grinning. "Of course, if you don't mind family sleepovers from time to time." He said with a grin. He had lost too much time not spending nights with his family thanks to their circumstances, he needed the warmth of each of his siblings as comfort still. "I love you so dearly, I will never do anything to intentially upset you. You're stubborn, I'm misguided.." He said with a grin then, laying his head back down on his paws and sighing. "Perhaps we should...pass on the torch, as it were." He whispered then, closing his eyes as emotional exhaustion took over him. Perhaps he wasn't suitable to help lead their family, perhaps he should stay back. He was, after all, the misnamed one. With a sigh he thought of the conversations he had with Terrae, with Solaris and Astrea, and he decided he wanted Serefina's input aswell. "Sister, what do you believe came first, our connection to our given elements, or the names? Were we named for our connection, or do we feel it due to what our parents named us?" He asked in a tired voice, flicking his tail to lay over Serefina's as he soaked in her warmth, waiting for her thoughts on it. "Talk"

"You're right..." She couldn't help but let out a small chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. "Of course I'm right, when aren't I?" She asked in a teasing matter, nudging at her brothers shoulder. He fell silent for a moment and his eyes closed, so she shut her mouth and just let him be. It was hard for her not to fill the silence, but she licked her chops and waited. This wasn't one of their normal conversations, it was as thick as the air outside. But she did notice one thing, he wasn't shaking as much now when thunder boomed over head. Maybe she had bored him so much with all her serious talk that he had just fallen asleep. Sighing softly she bent down and licked at his scruff, it was probably sore from her dragging him by it. When he started about how he still thought of her as a little fire ball, she let out a soft snort as she grinned a bit. It was the hardest time of her life though, when he had been pulled away from her. "I cried so hard when you left. I fought against our parents and called them a bunch of mean names for taking you away from me. That is where I learned strength, where I learned how to protect myself with a fiery attitude," she said softly, looking down at her brother at her side. "But that was then, Voltage. You have to live in the now and let go of that past. Yeah, shit happened, and it effects us still. But would we be who we are today without that pain? Would we be so close?" Her voice was thoughtful, she was mentally answering her own questions as she spoke them. "Without those lows, we wouldn't know just how high we float now. Even though being sad sucks ass, it means that we can then compare just how happy we really are. Things are so messed up... but its how it was all meant to be." Serefina felt like it wasn't even her talking, she wasn't usually this thoughtful. But it was there, it always had been. It was just a lot easier to be mad. Voltage turned and nuzzled into her neck and she laid very still, letting him push against her. It was not in fear this time, but in sadness. He asked for him to forgive her, pressing kissed on her throat. "I forgave you the moment you ran after me in a storm." She whispered, ember eyes falling on his face. When she saw his tears gathered she pressed a kiss on the top of his skull, humming softly. "Its hard, when we were younger we did look up to you for advice. The youngest ones may still do that, but you have to realize that we are all getting older. We want to help, Voltage. We don't want our lives mapped out before us. We have earned a place to be involved in the family." Serefina moved her leg when he pulled away from her, although she missed him all at once. His warmth had been comforting, it had helped her to focus on her thoughts. He looked up and asked when she grew up, and her head tipped up as she let out a bark of laughter. "The day you were taken from my side," she said, looking down at her brother with a smirk. It was true though, that was the moment that she had learned that she could not always depend on others, that they could be taken away from her in a moments notice. Not that it was Voltage's fault. He asked when she changed, that she could have been smooshed into a pup puddle by their eldest brother. "We change as often as the wind, as the heat of a flame. I don't think we are ever quite the same as we once were." Her voice was still soft, wise beyond her years it seemed. Serefina didn't talk like this often, it was like all the wise she had gathered was being vomited out at once, in one conversation. Voltage teased about having family sleep overs, and she smiled, but said nothing else about the subject. His paw was back against his head as he talked about being stubborn and him being misguided. "We are all many things, but we all love each other no matter what. Hell, even Locha called out to me and we don't often get along well," she said with a shrug, nuzzling his scruff for a moment. When he talked about passing the torch as it were, her eyes lit up with anger, a loud booming growl leaving her maw. "No." she spat, hackles raising. She had her moment of calm, but that never lasted for a long time. Rumbling she stood up and rose over Voltage, stepping so that she was directly on top of him. Her head lowered towards her, lips pulling back to a snarl. "You share the torch, you don't give up. Come on Voltage, you are stronger than that and you know it! You need to stop hiding behind your worries and fears, because you are bigger than that. Grow up and realize it." She spat. Fiery eyes narrowed towards him, making sure that he damn well heard her, and knew what she was saying. She stepped away from him, deeper into the cave, as he sighed and asked what had come first. She took a deep breath, turning around to glance at her brother. She stayed about two feet back from him, lingering in the shadows. Forcing herself to her rump, her eyes still alight, she thought about the question. "Ii think we became ourselves. We are not our names, and we chose our elements before birth. Why do you think that it calls to us? I've watched Astrea climb up to the top of my volcano just to be closer to the stars. That is not faked, nor was it thrust upon us. We were created as our own, and became our own. If they named me Rayne I would still be the Serefina I am today." Her voice was still grumbled, irritation still evident in her raised hackles. "But I've always had a theory about our parents. I don't think that they sired us at all," she paused, a dramatic effect as she eyed her brother. "Think about it. None of us look alike, not even a little bit. Our colours range so greatly that two wolves simply could not have all of them. Even in their vast bloodline, I doubt that we would end up as diverse as we are. I think that they took us, raised us as their own, and then kicked us out. I don't remember that bitch ever even being with pups, but I wasn't there long... But still, there are too many gaps, too many colours. The dots just aren't connecting." "Talk" "You" Think

He took in everything, her affection, her fire, her everything. He felt his heart sing, felt the most at home here in the den with her. This was everything he needed and could ever want. If family were an element, he'd ask for a trade. With a gentle smile, he would listen to her as she spoke, her every word, and he'd let it all soak in. "You continue to grow before my very eyes.." He said with a gentle smile before his lips spread in a toothy grin. "Who knew my little sister was so wise. What happened?" He teased. They were all changing, every day, before his eyes, and he couldn't ask for anything more. They were all growing up into fine adults, and he knew he would have to adjust his attitude towards his responsibility for them. It would just take time, like a father letting his daughter go out into the world. Perhaps it was too much, he would have to dial it back, that was for sure. He nodded his head in silence. Perhaps yes, he wouldn't give up what had happened to them for anything, it allowed them all to grow into who they were today. Where would Voltage have been if he hadn't assumed the responsibility of his myriad of kin. When she got angry, he winced but didn't move, didn't speak, he just took her flames. Share the torch, the responsibility, that was the solution wasn't it. She would move to the back of the den but he remained where he was, listening to the patter of rain outside their den, and the distant booming of thunder. It was heading away from them now, and he was sure it would be a clear night by the time it was all over. Ears flicked as he listened to her theories, blinking down at the ground by his paws. They had selected their destiny before they had even been born? That could be, but why did Voltage seem so on the fence about whether he belonged to his named element or not. He sighed gently and moved to stand, to shift closer to his sister and soak in her warmth? again. "What if someone doesn't feel they belong to their named element?" He asked softly, glancing up at her. "A black sheep..." They were all who they not because of their elements, he knew that, but for a family that was so deeply connected to nature it seemed odd to not feel the same thing. He would always be Voltage even if he was named something else, but that still didn't help him much. He listened next to her theory, and he snorted. With a gentle shake of his head he would turn to nuzzle into her neck fur. "Serefina, I was there when you were brought into this world. I can, very clearly, tell you that Opaline is your mother." He said with an almost shudder, chuckling softly as he placed kisses along her ears. "We are all siblings, sister, all of us are family, there is no denying it, even with our colors and makings. Perhaps our chosen elements, our destiny, painted us with such a varying colors..." He sighed as he looked out the mouth of the cave, seeing the rain begin to slow, the thunder far away now. "Perhaps we should head back before Glacier organizes a search party." "Talk"