If there was anyone that he could tell the whole truth to, and receiev as impartial a response as possible, it was his aunt Iolaire. He’d gone to her for almost all of his troubles growing up and he didn’t want to stop now. However. He knew just how sick she was, and was more aware than most of the pack what she was poisoning herself with. Indigo had to wonder if having babies was worth so much effort, but maybe the harder you worked for them the more special they were. He’d have to keep that fact in mind moving ahead, but for now all he could think about was the empty feeling inside.

Indigo approached Io’s garden, still feeling guilty for even thinking about bothering her. She was the only one who could really help her, he was sure. He wouldn’t have bothered her except for a situation like this. For a long moment he sat outside the door, silently brooding the meeting ahead. He was just about to stand up when Roan almost knocked him over coming out the leather door flap.

After a couple of mini heart attacks Indigo was sent inside to meet with his aunt. ”Aunty Io…” He said softly, doing his best to keep his emotions contained.

Today was a bad day. Iolaire felt like death. She had been emotional. Her stomach had been aching. Her bones seemed to hurt. She had started off her morning crying. The healer just couldn't seem to get her head around her emotions today. She had stopped with the treatments. They were just taking too much of a toll. Io felt that if she continued, she would end up wasting away into nothing. A dead woman couldn't have children any more than she could while she was alive. It was with a heavy heart, but she told Roan that she was done. They wouldn't have children, but at least they would have each other.

As the tiny, frail woman lay on her pile of furs near the fire, a soft voice called out her name. It had been quite a while since Indigo had visited. No doubt he was staying away from her like the rest. The whole pack knew how ill she had made herself. "Come in, Indigo," she called out to him. It would be nice to have some company. Something had to really be bothering him though for him to call upon her these days. She hoped that it was something she could help him with. Rising so that she was laying on her stomach, Io made herself somewhat presentable.

He huffed a heavy sigh as he gave himself one last boost of confidence and entered as Io called out ot him. He realized as his blue eyes fell on her thin frame that he should have brought a gift, a meal, some kind of token of thanks. He wanted her to know his appreciation for her. He’d ask her what she wanted for dinner after they’d talked, he’d deliver exactly what she wanted instead.

Indigo crept forward, quite aware of his huge size and was surprised that Roan could navigate th cottage so easily. He tucked his tail and ducked his head just a little before coming to flop down at Io’s feet. A heavy sigh left him again as he struggled with where to start. ”Hello Aunty,” his voice was warm and full of the affection he had for her, but didn’t hide the uncertainty that he felt. He didn’t want to ask her how she was, that answer was obvious and he didn’t want to dwell. She looked so sad, he didn’t want to ask how her efforts were going either.

”Have you gotten to enjoy the garden much this year?” He decided on safely as he looked up to her from his paws. She by now had already guessed that he had troubles to share with her, and he was only beating around the bush. ”I don’t want to bother you, but I need some help. I think you’re the only one I could go to.” He swallowed hard. Indy was desperate. He couldn’t go on with this intense pain inside him.

He was such a sweet boy. She could tell that he was worried, but he didn't say a thing about it. Io couldn't help but smile softly as he lay at her feet. She rose and moved forward, placing a kiss on his brow before settling back. He really didn't have to be so far away. She was weak, but she wouldn't break.

The boys voice was soft as he spoke, asking whether or not she'd spent much time in the garden. "Unfortunately no. I'm sure it's a mess." With Meadow having gone there wasn't anyone to pull weeds and make sure that things were watered. Basilisk had been doing a bit, but he was very new to the whole process. Perhaps she would step out to the garden today with Roan's help. Or maybe Indigo would want to walk outside with her.

Indy's voice rose again, and she could feel the pain in his words. Io furrowed her brow and placed a dainty paw over one of his massive dark paws. "You can talk to me about anything, Indy. Anything, any time." What was bothering him so? "Tell me what's wrong, darling." She hoped that she would be able to help him.

Iolaire leaned forward to kiss him gently, Indy’s blue eyes closed softly as he let her affection soothe him. She told him what he’d been expecting, she hadn’t been able to enjoy her garden yet. Indy nuzzled her cheek lovingly, knowing that she had to be miserable. His emotions seemed to drag him down and he didn’t feel like caring for his garden as much, she had to feel the same way. Not even being able to get to her garden with how sick she was. Indy didn’t press her, he could guess how difficult her life was right now.

She looked up to him, dainty paws over his massive one. Baby blue eyes met hers as she coaxed his problems out. Again he hesitated, she didn’t deserve to have to deal with her problems as well as his own. Guilt weighed as heavily as his heartache. He sighed heavily as he steeled himself and looked around the room just in case anyone was listening.

”Aunty Io…” Desperation clung to him. ”I love Aslatiel.” Indy admitted softly to start. ”I can’t be with her.” His words were barely a whisper, and he avoided placing blame on his father as much as he could. If Sirius didn’t hate the idea would Indy have been free to love who he wanted? ”I…” He couldn’t even describe what he’d seen. Aslatiel and… he didn’t even know the boy she’d been with. He felt a deep burning jealousy within him, but it wasn’t anything compared to how much it hurt not having his sister. ”How do I get rid of the pain?”

It took him a little while to work up the nerve. Whatever was bothering him, it must have been weighing heavily on him. In time, he opened his mouth and began to speak. Iolaire listened. She didn't react, but the gears were going in her head. It made sense. Asla and Indy had always been incredibly close. Hell, they had come out of the womb together. It made complete sense to her. Where she was from, it was common for family to inter-marry. She couldn't tell him that though. It wouldn't help in the slightest. She knew Sirius's views on the matter. They had come out clearly enough when Hannibal and Deathbelle had their litter.

She had to go about this delicately. First, Io rose again and moved towards her nephew. Though she was significantly smaller, she scooped him up into an embrace, resting her cheek on his head. "My sweet boy..." The tri-colored woman kissed his head. "I wish I could give you a cure to make the pain go away, but I can't." She gave him a gentle rock. "Love is one of the hardest and longest lasting pains there is." She knew from experience. "Time and distance. Those are the only things that will make it better." Pulling back, green-gold eyes met blue. "That is the only remedy, but even that may not work completely." She didn't want to give him false hope. She wouldn't do that to him. It was as good as a lie and she refused to lie to the boy.

"Time and distance," she repeated. "Perhaps you need to get away from the Armada for a while. Go and work on yourself out from beneath the paws of your family." Immediate family, anyway. The idea struck almost instantly that he should request permission to go to The Hallows for a time. If he was willing, it might very well help him. She knew that her mother would take care of the boy. Sirius would be more inclined to let him leave if it was with family. "Ask your parents if you can go to The Hallows with your grandmother. See if time away from Aslatiel helps any."

He was partially thankful that she didn’t press the why he couldn’t fully embrace his relationship with Aslatiel. She knew Sirius, she could easily guess. Part of him had wished that she had advise on how to cure his pain with uniting with his sister, but really he’d known what was coming. He couldn’t have what he really wanted. Iolaire held him close, and Indy pushed into her soft fur and took comfort from her closeness.

He should have expected her answer as well, but as the words fell from her lips it was as though his last tiny bit of hope was finally snuffed out. Indigo felt himself break. His breath shortened and he felt overwhelmed with the reality that held him. Aslatiel would belong to someone else, that fact was undisputable. Tears welled up into his eyes as he shifted slightly to hold tightly to his aunt.

Iolaire didn’t sugar coat his diagnosis, there was one cure and it wasn’t certain to work. She looked into his eyes that had filled with tears and spilled over down his cheeks. Io quieted, giving her best solution as he lay his head on his paws, feeling the finality of it all. He’d have to live with his emotions until time saw fit to sweep them away. Maybe simply getting away would work. He sniffled lightly, his huge form listless.

”Can I stay here with you for a little while?” Now that he’d been given the closest thing to a solution he didn’t want to do anything. He wished for the world to continue on around him, without him. Maybe it would be better if he never recovered.

She could feel the pain pouring from him and Iolaire would have given anything to take it all away. As he cried, she held him, murmuring soft nothings and rocking him. She knew the pain of love. Sometimes it felt as though your world was ending. Iolaire felt horrible that he had been carrying this pain around with him. Iolaire didn't judge. She especially didn't judge family and Indigo was among her favorite family members. "Darling, you can always come to me if you need to talk. No matter how I feel, I always have time and an open ear for you." Io felt as though she needed to tell him. No one should have to bear such pain alone. Especially not someone as sweet as Indigo.

When asked if he could stay with her, Iolaire scoffed softly and gave the boy a squeeze. "You can stay as long as you wish. I have the spare room. Take as long as you need." If he was this bad off, Iolaire wanted him to stay with her. She knew that he had his own space and his garden and whatnot, but he needed to be somewhere safe where there would be less and more distractions. "Stay here. I can make you dinner. We can talk. You can relax." The woman smiled down at her nephew. "What do you say?"

Iolaire understood him, just like he knew that she would. She held him tight and rocked him gently as she tried to soothe the wound in his heart. Indigo cried softly into her arms, letting the emotions out for what felt like the first time. He hadn’t been able to admit his feelings to Rue, but Io didn’t offer any judgement. She was soft but didn’t hide the truth from him, she was clear in revealing what he had in store for himself. The time it took for Indy to recover from this pain wouldn’t be easy, he was in for a long ride and he could feel it already. His love for Aslatiel would never diminish, he knew it. He was going to have to live with this forever. Knowing his aunt would be here for him whenever he needed her was a small comfort he’d hold tightly to.

Thankfully his aunt had extra space to spare, and he would be allowed to linger here for as long as he needed. Even glimpsing the telescope on his way back and forth from the greenhouse caused his chest to tighten. Maybe staying here for the night would help to get him back to a semblance of normal before he asked to go to the Hallows. It was a good idea, and his parents weren’t likely to veto it either. He could use the excuse that he missed Meadow, because he would never confess these feelings to his parents. Indy didn’t want to think of what Sirius would do to him were he to find out that he hadn’t obeyed him when he’d caught the two of them together for that first kiss…

”Thank you,” He said softly, looking up to her but not making any motions to move yet. ”I’d like that.”

Iolaire kissed Indigo between the ears once more. She felt for him. She really, really did. If she could have taken the pain away from the sweet boy, she would have. This was his first lesson in love. It didn't matter who he loved. Not in her eyes. It mattered only as long as Sirius was in charge of the Armada. At some point there would be a transfer of power. That was what the race for heir was all about. Perhaps Azure or Mortis wouldn't care as much as their father. Iolaire didn't want to tell Indigo that though. Not now. She didn't want to get his hopes up.

The small woman placed her forehead against Indy's and spoke softly. "Just because you can't be together doesn't mean that you can't continue to love one another, you know. I know for a fact that Aslatiel adores you. She's followed you around since the day you were born." She did know because she'd been there. Just as she would be there for the next litter that was on the way. "Give it time, but you two should never stop speaking to one another because of this. Distance is good, but never sever your bond." She gave him a squeeze. "You'll regret it, darling."