When was the last time they had spent quality time together - he and Voltage? Of course, he understood the roles and responsibilities that the leader had undertaken, but it surely was no excuse for him to avoid conversations entirely; even a small chat would satisfy him. The feeling inside of him - it felt like the bond with his family was fading away, weakening with every moment he passed solitarily. He didn't want to be torn away from them, despite residing in the same pack and seeing them on a regular basis. And with his elder brother recently returning from his long anticipated journey, the healer fell under the impression that things weren't alright, or at the very least something had occurred. How could one make a homecoming and resume their usual routine with nothing happening? It was too realistic for his liking, which was why he sought to converse with his brother about these matters, whatever they may be. There was always something to be shared, especially since he felt the notion that he was falling behind with the current pack affairs. Oh, he dreaded the sense of seclusion that had consumed his emotions, constantly creeping into his thoughts regardless of how many times he shoved it away. Ignoring no more, he planned to finally pay his brother a visit, and have a lengthy discussion to make up for the talks they had missed, if time permitted. Assigning small tasks for his hedgehog companion to complete whilst the earthen male was away, he trotted down to the main cave network used for the family's sleeping arrangements where he hoped his brother would still be using within the early hours of the morning. "Voltage? Brother?" Leaning into the cave whilst positioned outside of the entrance, his head plunged into the dim light as he called out for his lightning brother.   "Terrae speech" "Silvius speech"

Voltage had been sleeping, and, oddly enough, rather soundly. It seemed the only thing he really needed to cue he's bouts of insomnia was Gaia at his side. There was something about her that just calmed the inner chaos in his body, that kept his paws from twitching and his tail from moving and, most importantly, his most restless sleeps. Growing up he had often depended on his siblings to help calm the boundless energy inside of him, but this...was unprecendented. So when Terrae arrived to his den it was rather surprising, especially considering that Voltage had not expected it. And for one brief but rather scary moment he had felt the need or desire to growl and react in defense against his earthen brother. Ever since he had found out that his soon-to-be wife was carrying the ones that would be his children, he had felt a great need to protect, greater than he had ever in his life. He would dilligently and quite obsessively be the sole wolf to hunt for her, and he spent most of his time with Orchid learning all he could so in times of crisis he could be the one to aid her medical problems. But then again, Voltage was always known to be rather and extemely passionate. His lips did curl however, but the second he realized who it was he covered it with a yawn, stretching his paws in front of him before glancing to Gaia. He didn't want to wake her, mornings usually brought about the sickness and he wanted her to rest and relax. So, without a word he picked himself up, carefully stepped towards the entrance as silently as he could and inclined his head to his brother. He would push out, reguardless of whether Terrae had moved or not, and offered him a gentle smile. "Take a walk with me?" He asked softly, and before he heard his brother's answer he was off, trotting at a leisure pace towards the beach. "Burn Baby Burn"

A yawn erupted from the caves below, echoing up to his position outside of the gaping entrance. It seemed he had arrived at the best moment to find his brother within his den, but also at a rather awkward moment to have disrupted his sleep. Oh well, it seemed he wouldn't be able to find him at the most suitable moment, like if he happened to be inside his cave, wide awake and completely free from other pressing matters. Regardless of it all, he stepped back to provide enough space for his brother to exit the tunnel, who greeted him with a welcoming smile and continued with an inviting inquiry. A walk sounded satisfying, a way to burn the restless energy stored within his limbs and even the worry itself. After all, during the winter months, he had never found a day warm enough for a stroll along the shore, so with spring returning once more, he had grown to savour pleasant mornings like these. "Certainly," he piped after a pause, soon realising that his brother had already begun to trot upon the charcoal sand. With that, he scrambled to align his walking with his brother's, his pace soon melting into a relaxed and comfortable speed. At the times his elder brother was gazing upon the beach before them, the healer would watch him intently from the corner of his eyes. The expression upon his brother's features annoyingly assured him that nothing out of the ordinary had occurred, yet his gut urged him to believe that something had happened, or it was in the process of happening. "I, uh, came to see if things were alright. We haven't talked in a while," he murmured with an odd uncertainty in his voice. If something had really happened, he felt the need not to intrude upon the issue, in case it may be more serious than he reckoned. He rolled his eyes in a joking manner, stifling a chuckle and grin. "You know me, overly concerned at times."   "Terrae speech" "Silvius speech"

His paws would press against the black sand, sinking into the grains as he pushed forward. Stormy eyes would scan the horizon, tracing the clouds on the sky and watching the seabirds fly. It was gorgeous here, he loved it so much. They had really picked a great place. When he heard his brother's voice his ears would perk forward, tilting his head slightly before he glanced towards him. They hadn't spend a great deal of time together, did they. With a gentle smile he'd nod his head slightly. "We have all been rather busy.." He said softly, smiling his boyish smile. "But you'd think I should be the one asking that question." He would laugh then, looking out at the horizon then and sighing softly. Gaia had said it would be okay to tell everyone now, and he wanted Terrae to have this experiance. He wanted him to learn more about healing, that was why he had brought Orchid home anyways. "How are you...since the news?" He asked softly then, stormy eyes shining with concern. Was Terrae overly close to their parents? Sure it had been years since he knew Terrae had stepped foot on the island, but even Voltage, who held a pure and immense hate for his parents, had been wrought with grief at their passing. "I haven't been very...dependable for you all, have I..." He whispered softly, looking down at the sand then. He hadn't been there for them, through whatever grief they might have...He had been holed up in his little heaven, in his den with his good news. "Burn Baby Burn"

Busy - weren't they all? Especially Voltage, he was no exception. Though their eventful lifestyles had prevented them from spending time together, today seemed to be the opposite as probably both of them had put aside hectic matters for the moment. Following his laugh, he arose the subject of "the news", a topic of which the healer knew well what his brother was referring to. After his ears had heard such words for the first time at the their previous meeting, he had tried to block it away from his mind. It wasn't particularly healthy to dwell upon the past, though it was rather depressing at times. His own relationship with his parents wasn't entirely close, after all, he had to hold somewhat of a grudge against them for kicking out all three litters of their spawn. Throughout his own childhood, he had always been an independent character, frequently exploring their previous home away from his parent's clutches, but that didn't mean he was apathetic towards their passing, no, that was too sadistic for the gentle male. Yet a dark thought remained somewhere in the depths of his mind, reminding him that his parents deserved their consequential outcome for expelling them from the island. However, what really worried him was his brother's recent attitude, like how he blamed their deaths on himself, which surely wasn't the case. "Oh, I've tried to not let it bother me," he responded to his brother's query with a weak smile before his words grew comforting at the sight of his brother's fallen gaze. Was he dragging the problem onto himself again? "You did everything you could, and it wasn't your fault. Death happens to be a natural process of everyone's cycle." In an attempt to provide the troubled leader with solace, he leaned closer to him so their flanks brushed softly. "I'm sure we're all proud of you."   "Terrae speech" "Silvius speech"

If anyone wanted to choose from a list of negatives, they could easily say that Voltage was selfish, self centered. He had a hard time passing off blame, handing away responsibility. There was so much he had to handle on his own that even Glacier had a hard time stealing away from him. And this...this was one of them. He truley and wholey took on the responsibility of their parents death, especially internally. If he had just left sooner! If he hadn't hated them so much, perhaps they could all return. It was his hate and his hurt that took them so far away from the island. He convinced Glacier, they had to get far away from their parents. They had to take all their siblings and go where they could make their home. If he hadn't felt so strongly... With a gentle sigh he'd lift stormy eyes up to Terrae, his brows pinched as a small grin slowly spread across his lips. He had experiance, it was easy. With his signature grin, he could put all his pain away with lock and key that even Glacier couldn't access. Emotion was fleeting, pain was lasting. "I appreciate it, brother." He said with a smile, tilting his head before he looked across at the horizon. That was all in the past now, there was so much more for his flitting brain to settle on. "Terrae, I need you to learn all you can about pregnancy and childbirth before the season is finished." He said softly, his smile more real now as his eyes shone. He wouldn't say any more, wondering if his brother would catch on with just that comment. Voltage had been very busy, and he was often rather mentally exhausted, but oh...the joy at the end will be entirely worth it. "Burn Baby Burn"

If Voltage could put aside the subject of their parents for a short while, it was all that would satisfy the earthen male. Acknowledging his reassurance, it seemed the leader had already moved on from the topic, bringing him some sort relief. Nevertheless, he wanted the depressing matter out of his mind for good, however, he was soon to forget all about the it once their discussion made a rather dramatic turn. Mocha ears perked at the verbalisation of his name, piquing his interest. Addressing him, his brother seemingly sternly explained in what he interpreted to be a rather urgent tone. Given a task, the healer had to obtain as much medicinal knowledge, but in which particular field? Oh, he had heard everything exactly as it was spoken; it was just taking a while for it all to reach his mind. Continuing their stroll, he nodded with a casual smile as if the Ferax had uttered something perfectly normal, and for a few moments he peacefully remained like that until he braked and halted everything, even his own thoughts of which had now received the other half of the earlier instruction. "Wait, what?" he demanded disbelievingly with widened eyes, facing the other male. "D-did I hear co-correctly?" A stammering mess he had become, trying to shove out all his raw and honest thoughts through his throat. Of course he had misheard; how could such a random topic as childbirth arise in their conversation? Besides, he was grinning his usual grin; it had to be a misunderstanding.   "Terrae speech" "Silvius speech"

Voltage would continue to grin, counting down the seconds in his head as he waited for Terrae to get it. His brother was brilliant, that Voltage knew, he had a very good head on his shoulders so it would not take long for it to click. And when it did, Voltage couldn't help the laugh that fell from him, almost unstopping. Laughter would bubble from him as he tried to control it, his head tilted to the ground. "The look on your face, brother!" He laughed, teeth clipping together in a toothy grin as he finally managed to gather himself. He cleared his throat then before nodding, stormy eyes bright and...joyful. Everything about Voltage screamed happiness, like there wasn't an ounce of sorrow or pain remaining. Everything fell in too place, every puzzle piece. "Yeah, you heard correctly." He'd grin then, allowing a sense of silence fall over them as he breathed in the morning ocean air. Glacier knew as well, and he was quick on the uptake. It wasn't like Volt to just come out and say "hey, me and Gaia are expecting children". Everything about him was playful, a tease. "Gaia's getting very round, you know. Orchid, the lady I brought to help train you, she has been talking with me about pregnancy a lot, but I still want you there." He said softly, his smile never leaving his face as he waited for his brother to respond, waited to know how he felt about it all. And then he'd smile brightly. "I've never been one to do things slow, have I?" He said with another laugh, moving to take another step in their little walk. "Burn Baby Burn"

While the situation may have been pure amusement for his elder brother, it was all shock to the healer. Laughter exploded from his brother's throat, finding humour in the mere expression upon his features. Confusion began to mingle with his thoughts and was flawlessly reflected onto his complexion. It all seemed like a joke, a little statement to scare the gentle male. Regardless of it all, he managed to force out a couple awkward chuckles in chorus with his brother's hearty laughter, bronze gaze flashing with uncertainty. What were they laughing at again? Oh, right, himself. Though for now the thought of humiliating himself didn't seem quite appealing, eventually he would look back on the day with remembrance of faint humour. In all honesty, he had to look ridiculous; joltily impacted by the news. However, it was far from being ridiculous, especially when Voltage confirmed its truth. Before he could demand whose children were to be born, the question was already answered. The very man standing beside him was expecting pups, a soon-to-be father. It was like looking at a completely different canine. Although he had early gotten the impression that something odd had happened, this was far from being what he had in mind. "Slowly?" he repeated rhetorically with a breathless laugh, features soon igniting with joy. Oh yes, the news had certainly been shared in a slow and easy way. "I-I don't know what to say. Congratulations?"   "Terrae speech" "Silvius speech"

Terrae didn't seem to appreciate Voltage's humor, but perhaps that was more due to Volty springing such large news onto him than anything else. For a moment he wondered if Terrae was feeling pressure from Voltage asking him to learn about pregnancy, but that didn't much feel right. It could still be true, but it didn't feel like it was. So he'd grin at Terrae. "Yeah, slow. Like Glacier." He said with a teasing grin. Voltage didn't take things slow, whether it was life, or walking, emotions or even...things as important and life changing as this. But this was something he had always wanted, his own little family. It was almost subconcious now, the desire to give life to those he would love forever, to refuse to make the mistakes their parents did. Voltage had been a big brother for so long, a guide, a confidant, someone who would protect and lead and make silly jokes to get smiles on faces. And now..now he was upgrading to a father, and none of that would change. Life wouldn't change one bit, because truley...he had always taken on a parental role, ever since he was a mere year old. It's been a long time coming, this title. "Oh Terrae," He sighed happily, tilting his head towards the sky as he grinning, eyes fluttering closed. "I don't think I've ever felt this happy." He'd laugh again, amazed at the emotion that flooded through him. And he'd walk again, his paws light as feathers in the black sand. But then he'd hum, blinking slightly before smiling back to Terrae as he paused, yet again. "Well no, that's not true." He remembered a time, so long ago. The day he would bounce and plead and run and race, and the smile never ever left his face and Glacier would pretend to be annoyed but he couldn't stop smiling either. "No, i've felt this before. The day you were born." He whispered with a happy grin, his eyes a light with memory as their parents finally let Voltage and Glacier see their little siblings. The moment his stormy gaze landed on his little brothers and sisters, he was in love. It was love at first sight. "God, you were tiny." He'd chuckle then, shaking his head as he moved to walk again, this time without pausing. "And so adoreable....I wonder what happened?" He'd say in jest, his grin never leaving his face. "Burn Baby Burn"

Apparently his other elder brother was one to take matters slowly, though the healer was having difficulty believing it. "I'll come to a decision when Glacier shares the same news," he firmly concluded with a wink, soon imagining little slate pups bouncing beside his chocolate paws. Oh, how could he avoid it? Their family, once a bunch of adults, was expanding. It was only a matter of time before his other brother declared the same announcement; who knew how many more of his siblings? Terrae was certainly ecstatic with the hearing of this news, though the feeling of envy slowly crept into the back of his mind. Both of the leaders had been fortunate enough to find love full of (hopefully) life-long commitment, and one of them was already expecting their own family. There was no way he could entirely erase the silent jealously; the emotion grew stronger with every attempt to shove it away. Happiness was scribbled all over his brother's complexion, causing a tiny smile to form upon the earthen male's features, even allowing him to forget about his previous discontent like it had been wiped clear from his thoughts. "Of course, you should be." A frown soon formed as he heard his brother doubt his judgement, considering another memory to be filled with as much delight - Terrae's own birth. It was almost like a compliment, remaining surprised. Perhaps it goes to show how important and dear siblings are, not that children aren't. Voltage's next mischievous remark embarrassed him a little bit, especially at the part of when he had been inevitably tiny...and dreadfully adorable. Or perhaps not anymore, as his brother wondered where it all gone. Teasingly, he neared his flank closer until he moderately bumped the other male shoulder to shoulder, grinning whilst he was at it. "I got an upgrade." That was what had happened.   "Terrae speech" "Silvius speech"