There would be no peace for her.

It had started as a whisper on the breeze, familiar, yet foreign. She had swum to Ibis Island, nothing to be found. If her family couldn’t be found there, then perhaps they had been scattered to the wind, just as she had. It seemed fitting, she supposed and so the darkness had swallowed her up once again, a wraith haunting the Island where her family once lived until one day she threw herself back into the ocean. She was skin and bone and unkempt fur. The distance and the currents very well could have killed her, but in a cruel twist of fate they failed to, the waves dumping her on the shore, rejecting her offer of sacrifice again. The Gods were cruel.

She had hidden when others approached, and when she had thought to make her presence known, her long disused voice had failed her, until she thought better of it and just stayed hidden. What would the living want with a ghost like her anyway? A curse. She’d only bring destruction to any who took pity on her, she knew. That was until…

The scent curled toward her like a beckoning finger, wrapping around her throat and dragging her closer like a chain. Her body leaned back, but her legs walked forward and the closer she cringed into the ground, wishing it would just swallow her up, the tighter her throat felt. Tears threatened to well in the corners of her eyes. She hadn’t dared to hope… But here it was. A wall of scent that told her, not all had been lost. Maybe she could be saved too?

She tipped back her head, a strangled sound leaving her throat, more a scream than a howl, her throat hoarse from disuse. I’m alive. I’m alive. I’m alive.

"speech".

for our souls in the ocean together will be

That familiar cry that suddenly rang through the air cut through him like a knife. He'd searched for her for so long that imagining she might be here seemed out of the realm of possibility. He'd never forget her voice, and how could he?, but the kind of relief he expected upon her return didn't quite reach the surface. He was afraid - completely and utterly terrified - though fear was his default state most of time, it was just a matter of how well he masked it. Suddenly it felt like an impossible feat as he rose to his paws and moved to reach the source of the call. Ignoring his mother wasn't something he could do, no matter what difficult emotions it stirred up inside him. She was alive, at least that was what it seemed like; but he couldn't, wouldn't, allow himself to feel happy for her return. Instead he felt an ache stirring deep inside his chest, unearthed by her sudden arrival, and he felt the familiar telltale signs of tears burning sharply at the corners of his eyes.

He was quiet as he moved across the plains and paused when he finally saw her. Where were his siblings? He was like a panicked deer caught in headlights, frozen once he was within distance of her and searching for somewhere to flee, or someone to flee to. Even from a distance he could tell she looked unwell, alive but not truly thriving. He'd seen her like that once before and he couldn't bear to take in the sight again. Another slow step forward caused him to close his eyes, shutting them tight as he waited for someone else to come. He couldn't do this on his own and he truly feared she'd be gone if he looked again.

Void was on his way back to Abaven for the day when he heard a sound he never believed that he would ever hear again. Interrupting thoughts of his new husband and the life they were building together, so far away from what was once home. The man somewhat evenly split his time between Abaven and the home Plague built for the two of them, leaving an open invitation to his siblings to return there with him whenever they wished. Void knew it was still hard on his siblings either way. Having him, fully, for so long and now having to share so much more. Sometimes he felt like he was split in two, and as that voice caressed his ears even more so.

Huge paws carried him forward, beaten only by Spirit as he approached what he had believed so long a ghost. How she had survived on her own, how she had avoided their searching for even longer. He could scarcely believe she was real either as he approached slowly, in disbelief. ”Mother?” He questioned softly, moving to Spirit’s side to encourage and comfort him as they moved forward together.


Void Abraxas-Destruction

Eulogy’s sense of direction had always been legendary. For a moment she almost remembered once thinking that if she ever found her mother and brother again she would never stray from the den. It was all crashing down on her, heart caught in her throat, breath coming in short, sharp gasps as she trembled, wishing the earth would just swallow her up. Forgive yourself, her mother had said, but now, with her children manifesting in front of her, one with eyes squeezed shut an the other, so clearly the pillar she should have been able to be for them… Eulogy knew in the marrow of her bones that she could not, would not ever be able to forgive herself for leaving them. After all, she had pulled a disappearing act more than once. Why not save them the pain? Why had she come here?

The mocha tinted woman tried to meet those eyes so like her own, but she flinched instead, unworthy - settling her gaze somewhere between the approaching paws, her whole body leaning away from the confirmation she had sought for so long. Just as she had always suspected, they were better off without her. Her face turned to the side, ears folding back, flinching away from the title. Her mouth opened to answer, and then closed again, her throat hoarse from disuse. Tears stung her eyes and she struggled to not fold in on herself, to stop herself from going belly up in front of her children who had always deserved so much more than she had given them.

Eulogy was paralysed as she willed herself to take that first step towards her sons, but her paws simply wouldn’t move.

"speech".

for our souls in the ocean together will be

Fortunately Void wasn't far behind. Spirit was frozen, completely glued to the ground where he stood, with no hope of recovering. Only Void gave him the strength to move once again. He let out a shuddering breath as he leaned against his brother for comfort and stability. He gave a small nod as he moved forward with him. Their mother looked unwell and his instinct, buried deep among his frazzled nerves, was to drag her in and call for a healer to properly assess her. He could try but he was by no means skilled, and she deserved better care than he could offer. "M-mom... please don't cry," he said finally, his voice small, as he moved forward to embrace her. All he wanted to do was take her pain away, even if it meant exacerbating his own.