The days that had slipped by felt both long and short. Short in the fact that he could not believe an entire week was gone since they had lost Illume, and long in how painful the ups and downs of their emotions where from it. He had spent a lot of time in Current's den, curled up around him and in the presence of his troubled daughter. He hadn't seen much of Anais, and would have no idea of the situation she was now in after some time spent together. Perhaps it was a good thing he didn't yet know, the act of finding happiness when Voltage had only misery would have troubled Glacier immensely. The thing was, after a long week of searching it was extremely clear that Illume was lost to them. Had she been found by another or woken herself, she would have made her way back to them. That she hadn't done so, nor her body found, told him she was likely lost to the waves. Certainly, the Alpha never expected to see her again, even if he didn't know how to tell Voltage so. His thoughts where deep, and troubled, in the early hours of that morning, as he woke to find himself wound about his brothers form. He yawned quietly, shifting his feet to find a comfortable position for his head, unwilling to wake his litter mate. "Speech"

  

Voltage hurt. There was nothing more than thay, there was nothing more he felt. All he knew was hurt now, it almost made him numb. It was strange, to feel this way. His entire life up until now has been nothing but vibrance. He had felt everything so strongly, so quickly. He knew emotion like an old friend but this...this was nothing but emptiness. His sporadic insomnia that had been caused by his endless energy had been replaced with nightmares. The moment he closed his eyes visions, nightmares, horror would flash through his mind. He couldn't sleep, even with his brother's form wrapped around him. There was so much he couldn't feel, and even his brother's warmth was one of them. Voltage, in a single week, was withering away. He was falling, he was fading. He had lost his light... He knew instantly when his brother woke up because he himself was awake. He hadn't sleep. He hadn't even gotten a wink. His burning eyes stared blankly out of the den, his chin rested on his brother's hind paw as he had somehow managed to twist around in the night to stare out at the ocean. He couldn't look away, hoping with all his broken heart, that she might emerge from the waters again. But today...it was dark. Clouds coated the sky, blotted out all light, and the crash of a winter storm shook the sky. He barely flinched, staring at the rocking ocean and sighing softly. Waves crashed desperately onto the shore, and lighting struck the sky, but he didn't move. Didn't react. It was the first storm since Illie had been washed away, and he couldn't feel it. He closed his eyes slowly, brows pinched as he laid where he was, not wanting to alert his brother. Oh, his brother...his brother had been so good, had spent the week with him, had searched endlessly for little illie. And Voltage felt nothing anymore. No taste, no color, he could barely feel anything but hurt and hopelessness. His poor brother... "Speech"

Every time he curled up with his brother, he felt how skinny and wasted his litter mate was. How could that vibrant, ever changing boy be this skeleton, this empty husk of a man? It was difficult not to dwell on the sadness he felt, not just coming from him, but coming from Voltage, from their very lands. He would look out at the beach on a sunny day and see an echo his form, leaping through the sands with a little blue puppy on his back. She could still remember her smile, the sound of her laughter. He missed that sound the most, he hadn't heard it from Current since the start, couldn't even connect the girl she was now with the one she had been. Of course, she had lost her heart, and if she was anything like Voltage and Glacier, likely believed it to be the better half. Hearing the sound of a storm outside had the giant shifting again, through he tried to muffle his movements. Turning to face the storm however he would realize his brother was already awake. That realization was a hideous stab in his heart, and his body gave a soft shudder. He hadn't felt his brothers wakeful presence, hadn't felt the life that had always sparked to life the second his eyes had slipped open. It had always been impossible for Voltage to hide that energy, and it certainly wasn't hidden now. It was simply... gone. “Voltage?” he asked softly “Did you sleep at all?” through he was sure he knew the answer. "Speech"

  

Voltage was nothing, really. He couldn't even be anything for little Current. He was failing her as well, just as he had failed Illie. But, unlike his blue marked daughter, he watched his other baby girl change, lose herself to this darkness she had inside her. He watched as he failed her, as she slipped from his grip. Every second of every day, he was tortured, watching as his daughter was washed away, leaving behind something he couldn't recognize. Voltage had failed. And it seemed, like everything else he had done in his life, it had been spectacular. He heard his brother's voice, but he merely stared out at the storm. "There's a storm.." He whispered in his dry voice, no emotion touching his words. Nothing, there was nothing anymore. "I've never...watched a storm before..." He hadn't, because his entire life he had been terrified of the thunder. He had felt it so strongly, as well. He blinked, slowly, before slowly lifting his head but not looking at Glacier. He couldn't. If there was something he felt, even faded, it was the pain and grief and guilt he felt when he looked at his brother. Glacier, who had someone he loved waiting for him. Glacier, who had taken the helm, had done more for this pack in so long than Voltage had. Glacier...was wasting his time with Voltage who was just...wasting away. There was nothing left.... "Speech"

Glacier's heart was going to give out if he had to bare the sight of his brothers grief for one more day. He already felt it, deep in his soul, seeping through all that him him like a poison. In some ways, Voltage's pain was worse then the lose of Illume. Through the bright spark of life and potential deserved remembering, and was a loss that should never have happened, witnessing Voltage slip away from him was the worst of all. Ironically, it was much to Glacier as Current was to Voltage. Watching, feeling, the life drain from his litter mate made Glacier feel like an utter failure. Remembering his words to Voltage, encouraging him to loosen his grip on daughters put more blame then Glacier could bare on his shoulders. He should have prevented this, he should have seen, or found a way, he should have known how to find the lost child, or comfort Voltage in a way that brought him back to himself. But, for the first time in their existence Glacier could not save Voltage, could not find a way to bring him back to them. Glacier's throat was dry, as Voltage cynically studied the storm ragging on outside. There was no fear, or anticipation in his tone. In truth, their was nothing there at all. Is voice was dead of emotion life, and left no trace of all that Voltage was. “Its beautiful, isn't it?' he asked softly, his voice hesitant. "Speech"

  

The lightning brother stared out at the storm as then sleet began. It was cold enough now that the rain pretty well froze. The drops fell hard and heavy into the ocean, beating it to a pulp. The waves were harsh, strong. Anything caught in it would go down, no matter how it fought. It was strange, wasn't it.… He had lost his baby girl when the ocean was soft, gentle. How...how had that happened. Is it never safe? He sighed softly then, listening to his brothers careful words. He knew what his brother was feeling. He could understand it. It was always the same for the both of them. Voltage and Glacier had faced everything together. Absolutely everything. They had always known how to help the other, always known how to get that smile to return to each other's face. But this.… This was a new breed entirely. It was difficult, it was hard. It was something he had never faced. Death... He understood it now. He got it. There was no way she was still alive. There was no body, no sign. She hadn't returned. Their seconds had run out. He had lost his baby girl. And he had lost something crucial within himself. And there was no finding it. Perhaps the only one who could distract him from these emotions, this deafness...was gone. Gone, and he had no idea where she had gone. Serefina...where was she. He would sigh again, feeling as if every sad breath let loose another part of his soul. "It's a storm." He said in his dead voice again, knowing it wouldn't help his brothers guilt. Hed look to the ground then, brows pinching before turning fully to his brother. "Glacier...please…smile more. I can't find mine, it's gone...it's washed away. Please don't loose yours." He whined then, feeling tears fill his eyes again...how could he have so much! "I know...I know we always said…it was both of us against the world. It was only us, only you, only me brother...But I'm so tired" he blinked for a few seconds too long, sighing out a whine. "I dont have the strength...no anymore. I'm not strong enough for this. I've never been..." He couldn't do this anymore. "Speech"

Voltage saw no power or beauty in the storm, no respective fear or appreciation. There was simply... nothing. In Voltage's own words it was simply a storm nothing to love or fear, nothing that meant anything to him. Through the deadpan glaze of his brothers eyes did lift, and even if it was to show sadness, Glacier was glad, glad to see life in him once more. As Voltage spoke of his smile, Glacier turned about fully, lying along side his brother, and pushing his broad shoulder into his brother side. “I know, brother” he said softly, forcing a weak, but loving smile onto his lips. For Voltage, he could do anything. His next words still Glacier's heart, they sounded too much like Voltage was giving up, giving up on... life? fear stirred the sadness in his heart, until he felt like a volcano ready to burst. “But what alternative do we have? We still have too much to live for, people and memories to honor with out life. The siblings looking up to us gives me strength, they still believe in you Voltage, as do I” "Speech"

  

Voltage couldn't feel anything but numbness, but that didn't mean he didn't know from years and years of experiance what his brothers reactions would be. How his brother felt. Perhaps that's what made them so special. Voltage couldn't feel anything, but he could know his brother's emotions without a doubt. Distant eyes would stare up at his brother, squinting and trying to focus before he gave up, dropping his head to rest it against Glacier's shoulder. Thunder crashed, and he didn't flinch. He was stock still, breathing in his brother's familiar scent, it was like his life blood, this scent. But for once, it didn't save the world. It didn't save Voltage from himself. "When we were young, before we could even understand the world, we promised to care for our siblings. For our brothers and sisters that aren't around, Glacier." He whispered softly, eyes closed. "Where is Serefina? Where is Arcus? Where is Selini? Where is everyone. It's not just Illie I've lost...." He whispered softly, his voice sad and deep. "For the first time in my life I was living for me, just a little bit. I found the love of my life, and started a family, and the second...the second I had decided to be a little selfish, everything fell apart." He'd wince then, shrinking, feeling his lungs fill with lead and pain. "Why does the universe hate me so. Why must the thunder always chase me..." He cried, feeling so down, feeling so....nothing but pain. "I don't know what to do anymore..." "Speech"

Where were the words that would chase away Voltage's problems? The sheer lack of wisdom rolling around in his thick skull infuriated him. His emotions where as a general rule dulled for the majority of the time, but here and now a surprising touch of anger ran through his veins. This self hated was felt so easily by the pair of them. It seemed it was a part of who they where, another connection of similarity that hindered rather then helped the duo. Glacier moved forward, and licked Voltage's ear gently. “Sere, Arcus, and Selini are all old enough to do what they want with their lives. I think what they, what all three of them is doing, is finding out who they are individually. Sometimes with a family like ours, is difficult to know who we are as a separate entity from our families. Don't forget, we had a year to ourselves, struggling and surviving and learning. We had out chance at self discover, and we are proud even now, Voltage, even now, of who we are. I believe in my heart of hearts that they will come back to us. Do not blame yourselves for their journey, simply let them have it. Set what you love free, if you ever want it to come back to you. I know that right now especially that's a hard motto to reconcile with but it is a true one. I love you Voltage, don't ever give up, and don't ever think this family will ever stop needing you.” he said, finally able to set apart the demons in his own heart in his need to find the words that would show Voltage that everything would be ok. “We are the Elementas, we are a part of the world. We live and breath to be earth and fire, water and air, and everything beyond and between. Remember that, even if we do not know where Illume is now, she is not as far from you as you might think. Remember the blues of the skies, the soft sweet clouds. I truly don't know if she will ever return Voltage, but let us remember, she also isn't gone.” he whispered, kissing his brothers cheek, his eyes bright with sadness , love, support, grief entwined strength.