If this is to end in fire Then we should all burn together Watch the flames climb high into the night The beauty and sweet scent of the orchid was lost to her as she crept, dejectedly forward to the edge that turned from the orchid, into the pack lands of Imp, and it was here she sat, for long moments, letting the light rain wash down her body until it soaked her through and hid the tears she had shed just moments before with her brother. There was nothing in Motif that could understand why her sister was doing this, surely Rhythm too could see the cruelty in this move, surely Rhythm knew how much Motif loved Shai, had seen it in her when they had gone back to his island, and yet knew, Rhythm knew that Motif had had every intention of turning around and walking right back to Abaven, she would have walked away from Shai if he had not gone with her, and she would have done it because she knew she could not live in this world if she was not beside Rhythm and Bass. She hadn't even thought Rhythm and Valentine where as close as she and Shai had become, she had not seen it in her sister, yet here she was moving to Imp to be with him instead of her it made her wonder... was her sister a stranger to her, did she know her anywhere as near as much as she thought she had? Calling out father oh Stand by and we will Watch the flames burn auburn on The mountain side When at last she gained the will to raise her head and howl for her sister, it was a faltering, heart broken melody that whispered agony upon the breeze and carried with the wind into the territory her sister now called home, the jail cell that had held her sisters body, for a fleeting few hours, before it had captured her heart also and created a barrier that Motif could not fight to bring her home. Warriors she could battle, physical forces she could tear down, but as long as this place held Rhythm's heart, there was nothing she could do to mend the shattered one that lay, beating pitifully inside Motif's own chest. She whimpered once into the cold rain and harsh wind, before she pulled herself together, before she called upon her rage to hide her pain, pain her sister could not see.. no it was better to see that Motif was mad, then that she was dying from a broken heart. And if we should die tonight Then we should all die together Raise a glass of wine for the last time - I see fire by Ed Sheeran ""

 

She was with Chord when she heard Motif's call, she was both the wolf she wished to see most as well as the wolf she wanted to see the least. She had to be thankful to Bass for that much, he'd already broken her heart there was little that could hurt her more, or so she thought. The drizzle would start as the first of the new days light would begin to appear. The whole night had been spent with her hurting her siblings. There wasn't much more she could take. The sight of Motif would prove her wrong though, her heart had been broken by Bass, but the sight of her sister would crush the pieces that had been left over to dust. She wasn't sure she could feel at all anymore. Dark paws would bring her up to her sister, she wouldn't try and embrace her remembering where that had gotten her when she'd tried to show her affection to Bass. It was true what he'd said about her, or at least she was easily believing it. She'd betrayed them. She'd thought her eyes were done crying, but as she came closer to her sister they would make known that they were indeed unfinished. She'd hold her head in like with her shoulders as her haunches fell beneath her and she waited for her sister's anger to wash over her. Her normally bright eyes were washed out and red from all her tears. Her head would hang low, as she knew what she'd done. Wordlessly she would await her lashing. ""

Now I see fire Inside the mountain She had to look strong, stern and angry in the face of her sister, but as Rhythm appeared, a dark mist in the shadows and stopped silently before she could feel her resolve wavering. Her sister did not even bother to approach closer then that, did not try to embrace her, or explain her actions in any way. Never had she felt more like she had lost her sister then in that moment, never had Rhythm felt like such a stranger to her. I see fire Burning the trees As she looked at the silent, mournful face of her soul-sister, she broke inside. Her legs shook and she was forced to sit before she collapsed into the earth, all she had needed was that single look to know it was true, history was written in guilt across her sisters face, and told her that this was happening, that Rhythm was abandoning her. And I see fire Hollowing souls She lost her ability to speak, to think, as right there before Rhythm her heart shattered, her eyes dulled and faded to a dim, washed out gold, and with the effort and slowness of a wolf in their last years of life she struggled to aching feet once more and turned, and would begin to walk away from Rhythm, to leave her there in the home of her choosing, to live out her life as she seemed to wish it – away from Motif, she would leave if she was not stopped, and she had no clue where her feet might take her, or if she might ever stop walking again. I see fire Blood in the breeze And I hope that you remember me - I see fire by Ed Sheeran ""

 

Motif's reaction would further destroy the girl as her very heart looked at her and then turned away. Similarly with out a word. She didn't have much fight left in her, and now all she wanted to do was sink into the grass and be forgotten. Chord's words were the only hope she had, and she would pick herself up to call out to the one she loved the most. She wasn't sure where her quickness came from, but she knew she couldn't lose Motif. She'd never intended for any of this to happen. She never thought that this much hurt would happen. Rhythm would throw herself at her sister's feet, "No!" Never was there more desperation in her voice. "Motif, no." She would beg. If she lost Motif... "This isn't how it's supposed to happen." She wasn't sure if her sister had stayed or not, but she felt her confidence wavering and her form would lay in a helpless pile. This was hardly happily ever after. She was exhausted, and completely drained. She just wanted forgetful sleep. "I love you." not knowing even if her sister could hear her Rythm's tired eyes would close tight as she wished away the pain. ""

I remember tears streaming down your face When I said "I'll never let you go" When all those shadows almost killed your light As, with shaking limbs, she turned to leave behind the world she had known, leave it all behind, because nothing could compare with the connection she had thought she had held with Rhythm, that very girl would lunge forward and throw herself at her feet. At this interruption, Motif would sink to the ground, to weak in heart to struggle. Motif had thought she was a strong wolf, she had thought she would always have fight in her, but it turned out that Rhythm would prove her wrong, would show her the worst of herself, would show her would could cut the deepest and break her. I remember you said "don't leave me here alone" But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight Rhythm would admit to loving her and Motif's breath would leave her in a pained hiss, as the words struck a blow to her heart. “So what, you love me and leave me is it? I'm only a half Rhythm, hell, I'm a third, turns out i'm a weak and useless part of that whole too, because I can't live without you Rhythm, I can't live without either of your, your my strengths and reasons, turns out you always have been, so maybe I don't want to live in this world if it isn't with you. Maybe I could have handled you growing up and getting a life, but this betrayal... how could you do this to us? How could you stand by and watch Bass fight with his life, for yours? How can you tell me you would fix this, and then leave. Where you even going to tell me? Or where you going to leave that to Bass, we'll you turned your back on us to let us suffer as you will. Hell Rhythm, I thought I knew you, and I didn't see you getting this close to Valentine, I knew you liked him, I knew you where courting, but I didn't know you loved him more then I loved Shai, and Shaye, more then you loved life itself, because you know how much I love those two, and you also know that I would have turned my back on both of them in a heart beat, that I had every intention of doing just that to be with you and Bass” her breathing was thick and heavy, as through each word in her long speech cost her, each word gave up a little more off her tortured soul. Just close your eyes, the sun is going down You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound. Then, quietly, so quietly the words where as subtle as the silver tears that began to flick at the corner of her eyes. “Who is going to be there when you toss and turn with a nightmare? whose going to hold you when your afraid? ... him? the last word was an agonized hiss “Because i'm not ready to give up protecting you Rhythm, I dont know if I ever will be. And whose going to be there when I teach Shaye to hunt for the first time? Whose going to be there with me when she discovers what boys are? We are twins in heart and soul, if not in body, and I thought we faced this world together. How... how can you turn your back on that?” Don't you dare look out your window, darling everything's on fire The war outside our door keeps raging on Hold onto this lullaby even when the musics gone, gone - Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift ""

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She was tortured by the pain she'd hear in the voice that told her that her sister was still beside her, stopped by some force. Rhythm would get what she wanted, the emotions she'd sought when coming to greet her almost-twin. This was never how she'd intended this to happen, she wished that a compromise had been sought but instead Bass had closed any thought of reconciliation. Did Motif not realize Bass had banned her from Abaven? "I will stalk the border every day for you to prove I'm not leaving you. Bass doesn't want me anymore, but Motif I need you so much." Her sister's words cut deep, the truth burning into her like hot iron to flesh. "Let me be there. Please. I'm so sorry. Give me another chance, I"ll prove it to you I promise." Her brother's words once more rang through her mind. "It's going to be alright. It has be." Rhythm found herself chanting this to herself. This wasn't supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to be losing her whole family over this. She found herself clinging to the similarly furred Destruction girl, "I can't lose you!" She had no plan to let go. ""

And if the night is burning I will cover my eyes For if the dark returns Rhythm would speak again, her words frightened, and pained, and the sound of them twisted Motif's heart, she knew she was hurting her sister, and she wanted to shove her own shriveled heart deep inside of her, bury it somewhere where it would not longer cause Rhythm pain. She promised she would stalk the borders every day, promising that she would be there, that she needed another chance, and hope flickered like a forgotten light in the corner of her chest where once her heart had been. “I just don't understand Rhythm, I don't get why you did it, why would you change your allegiance so easily? Why would you pick them over us.I don't trust them, hell, if there the sort of people who would kidnap a girl from her family so easily how can they be worth putting your faith in them? I don't understand, if you intend to be near us all the time anyway, you would make you allegiance with them, would it not be better to be a part of us, your family, and visit with Valentine daily? You know we would have understood that, if you two developed into something more, we would have accepted you going over there, but not like this Rhythm... not like this. “ her soft, painful words felt like a broken record, but she just couldn't get into words how much she did not understand her sisters choice and how much it effected her. Then my brothers will die And as the sky is falling down It crashed into this lonely town “Could Valentine not accept it that way? Was that why you did this? Did he make you choose?" she asked, her voice soft, and hoarse from her over flowing emotions. She just had to understand, she couldn't breath or think, until she knew why Rhythm it had hurt them so truly, so easily. And with that shadow upon the ground I hear my people screaming out - I see fire by Ed Sheeran ""

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Motif wouldn't try to move or squirm away, and their hushed voices would continue to float above the wet grass, rain continuing to fall on them as the sun slowly crept up and began to light the world in a dark dusky grey. Rhythm found herself speaking in coherent sentences again, "My timing is really off." Motif had only sent them off on their second ever date the evening before. "I know it was really fast, but you knew already I was going to ask, the process just got really sped up." She'd feel herself take a large breath, There were too many thoughts reeling through her mind. "During the battle I had no intentions of even staying a night here, but after Valen sorted out the ones who'd kidnapped me he asked me to stay with him." She'd try and find her sister's eyes, "Bass made my choice. I wanted to come home tonight, to tell you and Shaye what happened. I never thought it would blow up like this." Her hope had returned, but could just as easily be squashed again. ""

Motif would defend herself, and the brown girl would realize that none of her words made a difference, known of her heart break could sway Rhythm from this path, and she found herself nodding absently at the new thoughts swirling through her head. At this point the rain was long forgotten, through their stillness in it had soaked her to the core, she couldn't even feel her shivering, couldn't comprehend the cold. “You know what? I get it, we might look similar but we are different, you and I. I chose you over Shai, and I would have again and again even if it eroded my heart over time, but you have chosen Valentine, and you know what? I agree with Bass. You've made this bed Rhythm, now lie in it. Don't bother telling Shaye, or seeing her again, I will tell her myself how she doesn't mean enough to you to make you stay, that none of us do” she rose with a groan from the ground, she could feel the cold now, and no doubt she would suffer for it later, but for now and for a long time coming she was past caring, and then once again she turn from her sister and start to walk away. ""

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Motif would not accept her explanation, instead she would spurn her even further, finding herself fully in agreement with their brother. She wasn't worth being called sister any longer. She'd feel Motif get up, but she wouldn't be able to move. Her grief would freeze her, but she had to do something. Her sister had explained eloquently how much more she cared about her sister than Rhythm did for her, and she believed it. Rhythm had always lived for her family, but all Valentine had to do was ask her to stay (and after Bass had been ripped to shreds for her too!). How could they not hate her? How could Chord not hate her either? Could she ever be forgiven? Rhythm found herself pushing her form from the ground, already Motif was rather far off but she would still follow after her. Rain soaked and determined. "Please don't do this Motif..." She'd cry out, her steps much slower than her sisters. "Give it a chance, give me a chance." But surely she was out of hearing range by now. How had she screwed up so completely? ""

Rhythms words where a garbled pleading, no structure, no explanation or argument, just a broken plea that her sister not do this. But... What was Motif doing? She wanted to hear her sister out, and she had done so, and she regretted every moment of this exchange, because she found her sister guilty. Her slow drag through the earth that took her from her sister put her into a world of agony. Rhythm was a part of her, had been a part of her for as long as she could remember, and if she turned her back on her now she might never see her again, because rhythm herself might never forgive Motif for turning her back on her in this moment. With this thought foremost in her mind, she stopped, through she did not turn around or walk back to her sister. "I need...time, to wrap my head around, to adjust to what we are now. Everything I knew has been shaken, can you understand I need time right now?" It was a whisper, but one she forced to be loud enough to carry back to her sister ""

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Motif wouldn't just walk away forever, to Rhythm's great relief. However Mo also had no intention of keeping herself around her sister either. She needed to digest this, to figure things out before she could accept it. If she could ever accept it. Time. Rhythm's dark features would nod slowly, she would give her sister all the time she needed, but she still would feel the terrible tear that was ripping through her heart. "I never wanted to hurt you Mo." She'd whisper as she let her sister go. She hadn't lied though. Rhythm had every intention of earning back her sister's love. She really was her other half, and she'd never realized how much she needed her sister than when she'd almost lost her completely. Would she ever have enough time to forgive her? ""