He might not have come this way without a little encouragement from his aunt, he’d been content enough to leave his interactions with Aslatiel when she was knocked out. He’d had a hard enough time holding her in that state, he wasn’t sure he could hold himself together any better being in her conscious presence. Were it not for Iolaire Indigo might have looked much more disheveled than he did. His close proximity to his aunt had him reminded to groom and take care of himself.

Indigo wanted to be stronger than this pain that held tightly to his chest, but all he wanted to do was feel sorry for himself. Io played as his conscious, and his responsibilities hadn’t suffered so greatly. Every day that went by made him desire the safety of the Hallows. Maybe the grass was greener on the other side, but he could see hope over the border.

Indy stopped outside his sister’s den, this wasn’t the place that he was familiar with, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever been inside before. It only made the distance between them that much more obvious. He debated about turning around in that moment as his chest tightened and his breathing became more difficult. He could smell the different wolves that frequented his sister’s den and he forced himself to swallow a sob as his emotions got the better of him once again. He sighed softly and very nearly turned away again.

"Aslatiel" Bas and Kai had helped her outside this morning to relieve herself. After that, she sent them off as she did every morning. She sent them to train because if she was up and whole, she'd be making them do it anyway. While they were gone, the girl simply lay either in her den or under the shade outside. Today she was sprawled out on her pile of furs in the living chamber, purple eyes staring at the mouth of the den. She wondered who would come today. Someone came every day. Not surprisingly, it was never her parents. It just went to show how quickly she'd been replaced and forgotten. As Asla mused and stared at the den mouth, a pair of purple paws appeared. They seemed to shuffle hesitantly. The girl would know those paws anywhere and her heart gave a little clatter in her chest. What was he doing just standing out there? He'd come this far, hadn't he? After a time, Asla couldn't stop herself from calling out to him. "Indigo, if you don't come in here, I'll have to come out there." He knew damn well that she couldn't walk, but gods would she try if he didn't come to her. She needed to see his face. Needed to touch him and feel him against her. She needed her brother, dammit.

He wasn’t sure if he was relieved or anxious when he heard Asla’s voice slip from the entrance of the den. Indy had lost his chance to hide his emotions as she was much more observant than he expected. Her threat was too real, and he would risk his ailing heart a hundred times over to keep her from the effort of moving so far with a broken leg. Indy sighed softly and steeled himself before he ducked into the den.

Trying to focus on Aslatiel’s scent he did his best to ignore the others that lingered here. Kai’s was easy to identify, and he could assume the second strongest was the wolf he’d seen her kiss so intimately… Indy shoved the memory from his mind as it brought another wave of sorrow over him. The boy did manage to keep his features stoic enough as bright blue eyes fell on his beloved.

She looked much better than the last time he’d seen her, no longer near as broken as she’d been passed out in Iolaire’s den. Seeing her brilliant purple eyes brought a soft grin to his features. He knew how much it would hurt to leave her later, but for now he’d torture himself as he aimed to curl his massive body around her tiny form. He shut his eyes tightly as he tried to simply submerge himself in this moment. It wouldn’t last near long enough, but he’d have her in his arms for now. ”Aslatiel…” He said softly and despite his best efforts his voice would reveal every emotion that warred beneath the surface.

"Aslatiel" They'd been avoiding each other for a while, but the sight of him still took her breath away. Indigo was an Adonis. He was gorgeous. No wolf would ever be as visually appealing to the woman as he was. His vibrant purple fur, the thick mane that was growing in, the sheer size of him. And those eyes... those kind, blue, loving eyes. Just seeing him almost brought tears to her own. Aslatiel was good with shoving emotions away, but she would never be able to shove Indigo away from her heart. Not fully. Not ever. As Indigo came and curled his body around hers, Aslatiel closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. The feelings that she'd kept caged away inside of her wriggled free and she leaned into her brother. Burying her face in his thick, purple coat, Asla kept her forehead pressed against him. The little purple feather attached to her ear swayed. The constant reminder that she would always love Indigo, no matter what. "This is hard, isn't it?" It wasn't really a question. Her breathy vocals were quiet, for their ears alone. She knew that it was hard for him because it was terribly difficult for her. Every time she kissed another. Every time she allowed herself to take comfort, Asla had to push Indigo's face away from her mind. He was the one that she wanted to hold her, kiss her, love her. He was the one.

Though he could still feel the tension of their time apart Indigo relaxed into her as she relaxed into him. The stars aligned and everything was right with the world as he settled in beside her and Aslatiel held back tightly to him. He never felt as complete as when he was beside her. He held her softly, careful not to jostle her wounded leg. Indy wrapped his head around her neck and held her like he used to do. Rue had been a balm, was his relief, but she didn’t compare to how this felt. To what Aslatiel meant to him.

”I feel like it’s impossible.” Indy responded softly, a whisper in her ear as he agreed. Not having her close was the most difficult thing he’d ever done in his whole life. He didn’t want to disobey his father, but he couldn’t live like this forever.. With the daily reminder of how alone he was. He considered taking his father’s punishment if it meant he wouldn’t have to leave his sister ever again. ”Will it always feel like this?” He knew she’d know what ‘this’ meant. The terrible feeling he had to endure as they distanced themselves from one another.

He leaned into her, wrapping his neck around hers as though no time had passed between them at all. His soft voice brought pain landing through her heart. She didn't want him to feel bad. She never wanted him to feel bad. Asla loved him too much to see him in pain. Would it always be like this? Maybe she could help to ease that pain somehow.

"It's always you,  Indy," she spoke breathily, her face still pressed against him. "Everyone that I get close to. Everyone that I touch. Everyone that I kiss. I see your face. To appear normal,  I pretend that it's you." Pulling back,  the girl looked up at her brother, galaxy gaze swimming with unshed tears. "So go out there. Have your fun. Touch and kiss and do whatever with whomever you wish." The girl raised one dark paw, placing it on one fuzzy,  amaranthine cheek. "But if it gets too hard,  this game that we're playing for the sake of our father, then just imagine it's me that you're kissing. Imagine it's me that you're holding tight." Purple eyes searched blue. "I would never hold it against you,  this game. I hope you won't hold it against me." Still she met his gaze,  her soul bared and shining through. "I love you,  Indigo Fatalis. It's always you."

Words were hard, and silent fell between them for a few moments before his dark ears took in the soft sound of her voice as Aslatiel comforted him. They shared in the pain of their emotions, being apart from each other was hard. They were born together and being away was unnatural. Indigo closed his eyes as she explained how it was she made it through, how it was so easy to cover up the truth. All of them had been him deep down.

When he’d held Rue it was much like he was holding Aslatiel, she’d been a substitute for what he really wanted. The one that he couldn’t hold like this anymore. She pulled back and he felt her paw against his cheek. Bright blue eyes opened as her brilliant purple gaze found them. They had to do this, and it was the easiest way out. Indy still hurt, but agreed to her words with a soft nod and a hint of tears in his eyes.

”Never.” He promised to not hold what he’d seen and might see against her. ”You’ll always be my one. Indigo promised further, his chest tightening and his throat drying. He swallowed hard, accepting this path they were placed on. ”I love you, Aslatiel Fatalis.” The boy promised finally as he nudged forward to press his forehead to hers as he held her tightly to him. He pressed his nose to hers and willed this moment to last forever.

Indigo repeated her words back and Aslatiel sighed. How could anyone think that this was wrong? There was nothing bad about this. She understood why her father wouldn't want them to have children, but Asla didn't want to have children anyway. She just wanted to safely be with the one that she loved. She didn't want to hide anymore.

The cream and grey placed her paw on the cheek of the purple giant before her once more. Asla brought Indys mouth against her own in a sweet, searing kiss. She missed this sensation so much. She missed being with him, doing things with him. Then an idea struck. Surely no one would say anything about a brother spending time with his injured sister.

Drawing back, Aslas grape colored eyes glittered. "Want to break me out of prison for a while?" Teeth flashed in a grin. "I can't walk or bend my leg, but if I lay on your back, my leg can hang down. It shouldn't hurt if we take it slow." The young lady started up at Indy hopefully. "What do you say?" She gave her head a sweet little tilt, knowing that he couldn't deny her.

Indigo hadn’t thought about his future children since the day that Sirius had confronted them. He just wanted to hold, be close, and love Aslatiel without fear. The corners of lips lips pulled back slightly as her paw pressed to his cheek again and she pressed her mouth to his. The emotions that filled him whenever she kissed him were unlike anything else in his life. They were the exact opposite side of the spectrum to what he felt when they were forced to be apart. She knew exactly how to kiss him, and he was struck by the thought that she was the only wolf that he kissed, but how many others had she substituted for him? Should he try it her way and attempt to catch up?

For now the thought would remain unanswered, the boy perked slightly as his sister spoke up again. It felt good to mirror her grin, something that had been so hard for so long. What did she do to him? Not being with her really took a piece of him. An integral piece of him.

Having it back, at least for a moment, was a breath of fresh air. He grinned brightly, forcing himself to ignore the dread in the pit of his stomach for when he would be ripped in two again. ”Prison break. Yes.” Indigo chuckled lively. ”How do I get you on my back without hurting you?” He asked uncertainly as he lifted himself to his paws and returned his gaze to her.

Indy seemed to perk up after her kiss and even more after her suggestion. "Won't it be funny when my guards return and I'm not here? I'm sure they'll lose their minds." Mischievous as always, Asla found the idea terribly comical. With his agreement for a jail break, Indy parted from her side. She didn't want to stop touching him but she would be doing more than that in just a moment.

"Why don't you lay down as flat as you can and I'll scoot myself onto your back?" It was the only way that she could think of. He couldn't lift her up there. Once Indy flattened himself on the ground beside the pile of furs, Asla used her working legs to scoot and scramble backwards. Soon she could feel the weight of him beneath her and she knew that her mission was almost complete. Good thing too. It was making her rather tired.

"Sorry," she said as her claws dug into him a bit. Finally though, she was on his back. Asla had laid herself along the length of her brother. The girls warm belly was nestled against his spine. She'd scooted up close so she could press her cheek into the side of his neck. This also allowed her to wrap her forelegs around him a bit to help keep her seat. Hind legs draped down either side of her giant, purple brother. She was ready to go. "Just take it slow, " she said softly before placing a kiss against the side of his neck.

”You’ll be safe with me, they can lose their minds all they want.” Indigo told her with a sense of satisfaction before doing as she told him. His huge girth wasn’t easy to flatten but he did what he could and with only a couple of pricks to his skin Aslatiel was perched snugly on his back. That little bit of discomfort was worth it to have her so close. No matter how he held her Asla fit perfectly against him. He leaned back lightly against her touch as as assured him of her positioning and warned him of his speed. Indy nodded slightly and then very carefully lifted the both of them up.

His massive paws moved slowly as Indy brought the pair of them out into the morning sunlight. Indigo was far from being taxed by her weight on his back, and he grinned widely as the world opened up to them. There was still that voice at the back of his mind that begged to just take them both away from this place. ”Should we see if we can get out of pack lands?” He asked as he looked over his shoulder and offered her a lift of his brow. ”Where can I take you that would please you most?”

Settled upon her brothers back, Aslatiel couldn't help but nuzzle into the side of his neck. Indy was adamant that he didn't care whether or not the others had a fit to find her missing and she found that rather charming. She didn't really care either. Let them freak out. She was spending time with Indy. That mattered much more than their peace of mind.

Once out of the den, Asla breathed in the sweet, summer air and smiled. It was nice to be mobile, even if she wasn't the one walking. She didn't mind having her entire weight on Indigo's back. She didn't weigh much, he was huge, and it wasn't like this was the first time that he'd carried her around. He questioned where she'd like to go and Asla thought about it for a moment before replying. "Probably not too far. I'm sure my stupid leg will get sore quickly." She'd been doing nothing but laying down for so long. Having her leg hang would put pressure on the snapped joint. The immobilizer that wrapped over her spine was the only reason that she was even able to do this. It put the pressure on her hips instead of on her broken thigh.

"Maybe we'll just take a short little jaunt around the edge of the territory. Then maybe we can do it again some other time?" The more she healed, the farther they could go, right? Wrapping her arms tightly around his thick, purple neck, Asla's voice went quiet. "Thank you, Indy. I missed you so, so much."

He smiled brightly as she nuzzled into the side of his neck, it was rather convenient for how she was laying. His tail even swayed lightly at his haunches, and for a moment he could forget about their troubles and just enjoy his time with his sister. Indigo would carry her anywhere she wanted him to, for as long as she wanted him to. Asla was light and he was strong, he’d been carting dirt around all summer she was nothing in comparison.

No one could take his grin, he smiled brightly as they went. It seemed that their trip wouldn’t be incredibly long, not when her leg had the possibility of getting sore rather quickly. He couldn’t deny her need for rest and to keep her limb immobile. For now a simple trip around the borders and perhaps next time they’d go further. His smile faltered for only a moment. What if there was no next time?

She wrapped her arms around his neck and confessed her feelings softly. Indigo felt the same way. He missed her too and he couldn’t even quantify how much. They really were two sides of the same coin, and being separate had certainly already done its damage. Indigo didn’t feel like the same wolf without her beside him. Maybe taking on a new persona when they were apart would help him to settle into the game they had to play.

”Words can’t describe how much I miss you.” His voice was soft but the words rumbled deep within as the emotions they brought up did. ”Asla,” He kept his eyes ahead as they moved forward slowly. ”I’m going to live in the Hallows.” Indy confessed quietly, his heart tearing in two once again.

Their time together was the best time that she'd spent with someone in a long while. As Indy moved along, they laughed and conversed like nothing had ever changed. She stole her kisses and hugs the whole way. Asla had needed this and she knew that Indigo needed it too. The love that she felt for the wolf beneath her was immeasurable. He was indeed the other half of her. Asla never felt so whole and so... herself than when they were together.

He spoke her name and grey ears perked. She expected him to tell her that he loved her again or something like that, but instead he told her that he was leaving. Aslatiel's first reaction was to scream, 'No!' but she stopped herself. The girl pressed her forehead against the side of her brother's neck. "Why?" She knew why. She knew that it was because of her, but she wanted to hear it from his own lips. He was leaving home because of her and because of the game that was essentially hers. Already ideas were spinning in her mind as to how they could meet up and spend time together, but she couldn't walk. It might be a long time before they saw each other again. Tears filled Asla's eyes, but with her face pressed against his neck, he wouldn't see them.

He couldn’t describe the joy he felt being with her like this again, he really wasn’t the same when they were apart. Everything always ended in the same way though, they’d have a great time touring the border and then when he had to return her to her den sadness would return. He wanted to hold her, comfort her, kiss her sweet face… but he wasn’t allowed. What he wanted most in the world, to be close to her, was forbidden. His heart ached for that fact. Indigo cursed himself for bringing the topic up, but he had to tell her. Even if it hurt she had to know. He trusted his aunt, this was the path he had to take, even if he didn’t want to leave her ever again.

She pressed tighter against him and he slowed nearly to a stop as he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath to quell his own emotions. ”Why?” She asked, but he knew that she knew the reason. ”Because I’m not strong enough to stay.” He admitted softly, Indigo wanted so badly to be beside her, but knowing that he’d have to see her and she would see him, playing their forced game ripped his heart even further. ”It hurts so bad…” His voice broke and he shook his head lightly as he forced his paws to begin to move again. He hurt, and he knew that his sister did just as much as he. ”I’m so sorry Aslatiel.” Indy muttered, unable to express how much he didn’t want to hurt her.

"I'm sorry," was all that she could manage to say. "I'm so sorry." Again that familiar stomach clenching pain took hold of the girl. Why was it always like this? Why couldn't they just be free to love each other? If they weren't going to have pups together, why was it a big deal? Still to this day, even though so much time had passed since their father tried to hammer it into their skulls just how bad they were, she hadn't been able to figure out why. It was insanity and she truly hated it.

How could she make this better? "Our next birthday..." she began softly, tilting her head up to whisper in his ear. "Go to The Hallows. Play the game. Do what you need to do." If he could play the game, if he could see her face in ever wolf that he attracted to him just as she saw his, then maybe they could get through this. And with a bit of incentive, perhaps it would be even easier. "But on our next birthday, Indigo Fatalis... I'm going to give myself to you. All of me. Do you understand?" She squeezed him tight, her breath hot on his ear. "Something for us both to look forward to. Father be damned. Anyone who tries to stop us will meet my teeth." She was small, but she was fierce. Asla would carry through with that threat. What would he say to her proposal? She hoped he would agree and she hoped that it would help him do what he needed to do.

Her words echoed his own, like she took the blame for their situation entirely. Indigo tried to shake his head, it wasn’t their fault. They couldn’t help how they felt and they couldn’t sway their father’s decree. Indy just wished he could hold onto his sister’s pain so that she didn’t have to feel the same way he did, but he knew that wasn’t possible. They’d both hold tightly to the blame as they tried to relieve the other one. ”None of this is your fault, Asla.” He told her softly, but she continued. He could feel her breath against the fur on his ears as she spoke secretly and just for him.

They would continue on how they were, they’d play their game and Indigo would settle into the Hallows. He wasn’t exactly sure why but as she continued on and spoke of the moment they reached true adulthood he blushed lightly. The red skin wasn’t visible through his dark fur but he felt the heat she caused in him. Indy took in a deep breath and steeled himself, they had a long road ahead of them. One day they’d be able to truly show how much emotion they felt for each other. He’d prove his love for her.

”Yes, something to focus on so I don’t drown.” He muttered softly as he tried to catch her gaze from the corner of his bright blue eyes. ”I’ll miss you. So much.” He confessed lightly, he wasn’t sure if their plan would come to fruition but Indigo would hold the possibility close to his heart. ”For now, it’s just you and me though.” He assured her as he leaned his head back in the only way he could currently show his immense affection for her.