The day had been fun and Andromeda and most of her siblings had spent the sun-filled hours playing outside. However, as the day went on and her sisters’ discomfort in the bright light grew, the purple pup had started to form a plan. After food and naps, when the sun begin to set, the group was finally ushered up to the family den for the night and Andy had curled up against her mother amongst the pile of puppy bodies like normal. However, she did not sleep. Keen ears listen to her families breathing, mentally checking off when each one falls asleep while her eyes stay firmly shut.

Finally, they are all asleep and Andy cracks open one pale blue eye to sweep the darkness. Carefully, the purple pup begins the laborious task of extracting herself from the slumbering mass of her siblings without disturbing any of them. Once she is free, Andromeda looks over the pile until she spies the sleeping forms of her sisters. Stepping up next to Vanta, the pup gently pokes her awake, placing a paw over her lips in the universal sign to be quiet. Eyes dance with joy and excitement as she waves her paw to usher her sister out and away from the others. Next, she awakens Kite shushing and beckoning her like she had Vanta.

Pawsteps are light as she moves to the entrance of their den, turning to keep watch over her sisters’ progress and making sure the rest of their family does not wake up. As soon as Kite and Vanta join her, Andy gives them a wink and disappears out the door, leading them into the moonlit antechamber. But the purple pup does not stop there, instead continuing to move until the trio leave the network of cave system and spill out into the moon-kissed night. With a soft laugh, Andromeda bounds out into the huge open area, the nighttime in full swing and the harsh light of day far from them.

Once they are a safe distance away from the den and less likely to be overheard, Andy wheels about to face her sisters, saying, “I know the day light hurts your eyes so I figured we could have own time exploring and playing in the moonlight! Whatever you want to do, lets do. The night is ours! Let’s have fun!” A wide smile is on her lips and her tail wags happily behind her as she looks to her sisters, ready to make this night special for them.


"Andromeda Fatalis"

Vanta's crystalline eyes peeled open at the disturbance, taking in the low-light of the den with a surprising level of comfort. It was not often she was awoken at a time where the sun was not glaring into the stone den-site, Vanta found she very much appreciated not opening her eyes to an immediate headache. Her small maw opened to speak, but her sister gave a gesture that snapped it shut before the soft query could tumble out. Stealth and silence then - she could do that! Unravelling herself carefully from the pile of slumbering pups, Vanta slid out after her sister alongside Kite.

They were led out from the den, down the stone stairway, and into the moonlit valley between the mountain ranges. "Wow." Vanta breathed. She knew from midnight wakeups and feedings that the night time was a preferable one for her and her similarly-disabled litter mate, but never before had she dared sneak out after hours to enjoy it. The moon offered just enough light to see, but not blinding rays that refracted painfully back into her gaze. It lit up the grass and bounced off the rock, giving the territory an otherworldly vibe of calm and mystery.

Andy's words pulled her attention away from the observation, her muzzle turning to redirect her awestruck grin onto her thoughtful sister. "This is so nice." The girl murmured shyly. "Thank you for thinking of us, Andy. You're the best." Stepping forward, she aimed to rub her head and neck against the other pup's in a grateful nuzzle. The gesture was a touching one, only building upon Vanta's founding belief that a supportive family was the most important thing at all. "What should we do?!" To Kite now she turned her grin, waiting to see what ideas the other crystal-blind pup might offer.

"Speech"

Kite woke suddenly to the feeling of another wolf poking her. She turned around to grumble at the sibling, only to realise it wasn’t an accidental stretch - Andy had been trying to get her attention. She blinked at her sister for a moment, wondering what was going on, before she observed the wide grin. Oh, mischief was being planned, was it?

She got carefully to her paws, and noticed Vanta doing the same. As they made their way out of the den, unobserved by Kite, a leopard-shaped shadow peeled from the wall and followed silently after them.

When they were far enough away to speak, she also turned to Andy. “This is a great idea!” She agreed, and considered what they could do when it was asked of her. “We could… hunt for stink beetles and hide them in Azure’s pillows?” She’d seen their brother giving them the side eye during their day of exploring, and something about the older wolf had rubbed her the wrong way.


"Speech"

Andromeda realizes that this is what makes her happy as she watches the awe play across her sisters features. It reminds her of when she first laid eyes on the grand expanse of the col, how utterly humbling it had felt to step out into the sunlight. Since Vanta and Kite were unable to enjoy that moment to the fullest, little Andy has secretly been planning this night since then. It seems only fair that they get to know the land like she knows it, to see the dips and rocks even if it is bathed in moonlight instead of sun. Vanta voices her thanks and Andy dips her head in humble acknowledgement, before beaming a grin at her siblings that quickly becomes a smirk at Kite’s voiced idea.

Pale blue eyes dart between her sisters as she leans toward them, whispering, “Stink bugs sound good but what about something bigger? Squishier? Maybe even smellier?” Eyes dance with joy as Andy turns her body to jab a paw in the direction of where the food is stored, stating, “I’ve seen some of the adults take big, dead fish in there! They stink something awful. Or,” now she turns her body to point at the large obelisk that stands next to the roaring fire, saying, “Maybe we could add our own rule to that! I bet I could us get a burnt stick and we can scribble on it!”

Eyes dance with mischief as she turns back to her sisters, ready to help fulfill their wildest dreams! Even if it means breaking a few of the rules. Heck, this night is for them after all!


"Andromeda Fatalis"

At her core, Vanta was a good girl. While she empathized with Kite's position and understood why the other girl wanted to punish their cruel older brother so badly, it was exceptionally difficult for Vanta to imagine herself involved in such pranks. What if their mother and father got mad at them? She didn't know what she would do without the love of her parents, cast off somewhere cold and wet and without food or water, left to suffer and struggle under her disability alone all because she'd helped plant stink bugs in someone's bedding. She frowned down at her paws while the other girls talked, trying to determine exactly how far she was willing to go to assist in Kite's vendetta.

Andy then suggested something that brought her head to jut up sharply, ears flickering forward to catch the sound. Her lips pulled up in a slow grin and she scooted closer to the two, so that she could bring her voice down even lower. "You really think we could add our own rule to the obelisk?" She murmured excitedly, flicking her gaze back and forth between each sibling. "If we put a rule down that Azure has to stop being a jerk, he has to follow it, right? Like, it'd be a rule." This idea was perfect in Vanta's young mind. A solution that did not require her breaking rules - it required making them. Once they were made, they could be enforced. It all made sense!

"Speech"