A New Leaf

Voltage was getting tired. It was a strange feeling, he didn't often feel tired. He had this natural, innate ability to continue on with ample energy no matter what he faced in the day, or how much sleep he had gotten. It fueled his blood, and allowed him to watch the stars at night, to watch the sunrise in the morning, herb hunt in the morning, fish in the warm afternoon, get a race in in the evening and still be awake enough to watch the moon rise before he settled in for a few hours of restless sleep. He lived his life for his siblings, and his days were constantly wrapped in activities they would enjoy. And yet, he was growing tired, sitting on the cliffs and staring up at the burning stars above them.

He loved his youngest sister so dearly, it almost hurt. He had seen her potential and had tried to help her out of her personal darkness, and had made it a point to spend a few hours each night at her side to watch the stars. He was always there for the first star, whether she was there or not, to spend his wish. It didn't change often, his wish. Sometimes the words changed, sometimes the emotion, but it was always essentially the same. The stars were hers, so the wish would be hers too. Each and every night, he would spy the first dim star on the horizon, close stormy eyes, hold his breath and wish, hope that one day she will be as happy as he wanted her to be. To know she had her place in this family, and she wasn't as far away from them as she felt.

But he was growing tired.

She had hurt him, deeply, that evening on the beach. Her words cut deep into his heart in a way nothing else had ever done. But he didn't blame her, really. She was lost, still, even if she believed she had found herself. He knew that, but sometimes those lost refused to be lead back. So he wished, to the second, third, fourth star on the sky. He was in debt to the stars, he knew. He had spent more wishes than he was alloted. But he hoped, prayed, that one of them would come true. But they never seemed too. She had disappeared, again. And it hurt. He had never felt more like a failure than he did when it came to her.

He was swaying on his paws, his stormy eyes heavy and his heart aburdened with emotion. His wife was waiting, and his children, and yet he spent precious time sitting up here, beneath the stars, hoping she might hear his silent wishes. He was just raising to his paws, ready to return to his little cloud's side, when the stars called his name. Yellow grey eyes snapped open, wide, as he lifted his gaze to the stars until his tired mind realized it wasn't the stars. But it wasn't far off.

"Caeli.." He whispered, almost choked, as he looked in the direction of her call. And instantly he was moving, feeling the energy course through his body again. He wasn't tired anymore.

It didn't take long before he reached her, almost forgetting to stop until almost the last minute. His paws would skid in the sand, stormy eyes wide as he stared at her. He had rushed to her, and yet...he was hesitant. This was, what, the third time he had met her on the borders? Had anything changed. For a second, or maybe it was a minute, he stared at her silently, stormy eyes searching for the change, searching for his fulfilled wish, before he slowly smiled. "Welcome home." He whispered, his voice tender as he stood there, waiting for the reason she had called for them, and hoping the stars had finally heard his voice.

"Burn Baby Burn"