True to her word Astrea had brought her little niece up with her to her perch. She looked around and indeed, the bedding she had gathered for sleep was indeed tossed about the cliffs but in such a way that it could have merely been trampled over without the trampler even knowing that it was there. Zori's nest on the other hand was toppled over, leaving poor Zori without a home. First things first, Astrea went to her companions bed and righted it, placing it back onto the small little outcrop near her own bed. She then tuned to her niece. She was still quite young, so was still full of energy. Astrea blinked at her, she could tell that she was going to be a handful especially for her, who frankly was not that lively when you think about it. But even with the big blaring differences Astrea felt the connection. Illume and she where the same when it came to the call of their elements. Astrea yawned then, the setting sun blinding her. She had traveled all morning and it seemed to be catching up to her. She moved some of the dried leaves and grass that was strewn all over the place and moved them all back into her bed and settled herself down, placing her head on her paws, but instead of closing her eyes she watched her niece, she would not sleep when she was responsible for her brothers get. Zori swooped in then, she glided first around Illume then settled down on her righted nest. "Ah much better." She tweeted, making very content sounds. "Now we can watch the stars in comfort." That reminded Astrea then about her first question she should ask Illume. "So Illume what calls to you so?" Because if Astrea new anything it was that the girl was drawn to the sky for a reason. But why the sky? Volt's calling was energy and was feed by the family's and really had nothing to do with the sky, so what was calling to her? "When do you come to this place?" She hummed then, watching the youngster.

Illie had been extremely hesistant following her new found aunt up to the cliffs that she had always been forbidden to go. But this was different, right? She had...someone with her, right? So that meant she wasn't breaking the rules....right? Her eyes were narrowed as she followed this strange feathered...speckled woman, searching for the right answer while also holding back, hesistant. The last time she had been up here she had been in big trouble and she nearly made Uncle Glace go away forever! That wasnt good. But this..that wouldn't happen this time. She would sigh softly, standing off to this side as the woman fussed around with stuff. She felt...put off by this woman, just slightly. But Illie didn't much like new people that acted all smart. Or something. She wasn't quite sure why she was put off. While Astrea was fussing around with whatever she was doing, illie would move towards the edge of the cliff but not too close. Sitting where she always sat, where there was nothing to obstruct her sight. When her aunt spoke, her ears would lift before she sighed. This didn't feel right, not tonight. There was nothing. "When the sky is all big and blue and bright." She said then, not looking back at her aunt. "Just...huge, like there's all this space to run, y'know? Bright blue over the ocean I can't touch, spreading over places I'll never be allowed to see..." Her brows would pinch as she lowered her head, looking at her paws. She couldn't feel it now... "Feels like...freedom, ya know..." There was something whistful to her voice, something that she didn't understand but frustrated her every day. "Talk" "You" Think

She could see little Illume's hesitance. She does not seem to know what to make of Astrea, and frankly Astrea understood. It had to be a bit of a shock for her to find that she had yet another older wolf to tell her what to do and what she was not allowed to do. But that was not what Astrea intended to do, she was here to help with her emotional well being. That was one thing that the Star Dreamer had learned on her adventures, she was not the hunter or the protector, or the healer. But she was the spirit guide, her goal in this family was to make sure that her loved ones where not troubled by the forces that made them, she was to help guide them when they where down and troubled. But first she had to figure this girl out, and Illume's explanation of her feelings really did not help with that, all she got was that she felt free when the sky was clear... What was abundant when the sky was clear? At this moment as the sky drew darker with the dawn Astrea could see that her little niece was not impressed with it, so the sky was not what she needed... but something in the daylight sky... Surly not the sun because that was her brother's thing. Something about the clear comment stuck with Astrea as she tried to puzzle through the newest puzzle that Illume gave her. She tilted her head on her paws pondering on the phrasing of what Illume said... Light? Light was at it brightest about midday, so sun up and sun down was not a good time for her, And midday light was always brightest when the sky was clear... Astrea smiled then, that made since. "I do know about the feeling of freedom, I have it whenever I look up onto starry nights, I feel the miles upon miles of space stretched between me and them, I feel the pull of them. I hear them call my name. Nothing is right when I cannot see them, and the pull is stronger the closer I am to them." Astrea sighed then, understanding her little niece more than Illume could understand she did. Astrea felt the disconnect every day of her life, she felt like something was missing, even now she felt it and she would feel that something until the day she died and returned to the stars. "But even though I would like to fly to the stars," She smiled at her little memory. "I know my family is more important than that feeling and that call. Illume, whenever you feel restless and lost just come up to this cliff, I have talked to your father about it and it should be fine. And if you need an ear, I will be here."

The young elementas would sigh, shifting on her paws. There was a great restlessness in her now, as the sky grew dark. It was something she didn't quite understand, but certainly not something that she really liked. Ears would perk forward as Astrea spoke about stars and she just didn't get it. None of this made any sense, any of it! Ever since she could remember things were always....weird. It frustrated her. So many rules, so many feelings. All she wanted to do was run. Every time the sky was bright there was this great need to run, to move free. But she could barely even go to the Praries alone, and those were part of the pack! It wasn't fair. She sighed softly as the woman continued to speak about things she didn't get or really care about. Stars? Really? Why did it matter anyways. She was still stuck here. "How can you feel free if you're stuck here, huh?" She whispered softly, staring off to the side at the inky black ocean that spread around them. All she wanted...was to see things, to have fun. It was like her father didn't trust her at all. Was that it? When Astrea spoke of family, Illie would turn towards her then, brows lifted and a very...impatient look on her face. "I keep hearin' about all this family. But where are they, huh?" She said then. "I don't know no one, and you show up out of tha blue. It's like...I don't know. Daddy isn't very fair." She huffed then, looking down. "Elementas stick t'gether, he says. But...where's all these elementas he talks about. Hey? I mean...I don't know..." She sighed softly then, turning back to the ever fading horizon. "I'll be stuck here forever anyways...." She felt...unhappy, that was a word she knew. Restless and unhappy. All she wanted was to feel free, and all she felt was stuck. "Dad'll be upset I'm up here, no matter what he tells ya..." She whispered, shifting and curling her tail around herself. "Talk" "You" Think

She looked at the little frustrated child. So much confusion so much frustration lives in her, and all of it could have been avoided if Voltage had not hidden the family's traits from her. It seemed that that at the moment when her family needed her the most she was off on her own. A needed journey but not timed very well. All this girls frustrations where Astrea's fault. But there was nothing that she could do about the past, there was only something she could do with the future and at this moment she was going to help this girl find herself, to understand herself. "I am free because I know I am, I am able to view the stars whenever I want, I can be myself with my family without anyone to judge me." She smiled at her and lifted her head from her paws. "The world beyond the family is not always a safe place, little Illume. Their is war and starvation, those who judge others." Then the girl almost exploded about the family. Astrea tilted her head then it was true that more than a few of the family mostly kept to themselves and two of them where gone but they where still family. Astrea got up then, she shock herself then, sending all her feathers flopping. "Do you see my feathers Illume? There is a reason I have so many and all are different colors. Every single one represents one of my siblings." After all the feathers settled down she tilted her head to show off the two feathers behind her ear, "The yellow one if for your father the energy brother; the dark blue for Glacier the ice brother, they are the first born of us." She then moved her front paw close to each one, at least to as close as she could get. "These ones are for the second litter, the four major elements of this planet. The red for Serefina my fire sister, purple for my wind sister Gale, brown for Terrae the earth brother, and last light blue for Locha the water sister." Last she swished her tail, displaying the last three feathers. "This is my litter, the gray is Arcus my storm brother, the orange Solaris the sun brother and his twin Selini is the moon with the pale yellow. My littermates all live in the sky, like you, unlike Terrae, Serefina, Locha, and Gale none of my litter can feel our natures. We understand your frustration little Illume. All our family understands, those wolves on the other side do not, unlike those outside wolves our nature is a part of us, it shapes us." As the stars peek up from behind the blear of the closest star she looked up then, her very being vibrating with the power she feels whenever they all come out of hiding. "The elements that call to each and every one of the family makes us who we are. That is why Locha swims like a fish, why I may seem distant, why Glacier is so unmovable, why your father is so over protective." she looked down at her niece, her pale eyes knowing. "Illume, your father may not like it when you are here, but he will have to get over it, the other thing? Leaving the pack lands is dangerous, and you should only leave the beach with someone." She paused to add a bit more weight to what she was about to say. "But if you ever want to go on a small adventure you can always get me or Zori, one or both of us will go with you so that you are safe." She smiled down at her. "Tell your sister too, if she ever feels the pull to leave, for whatever reason that she can always come to me, I will always come." ""

Illie would stare out at the darkness that surrounded them, not looking back at her aunt too much. Even with the inky darkness, she felt better, knowing she was up here. As much as she adored her father, she needed to feel that freedom. Needed to feel the wind in her fur, the sun on her back, grass beneath her paws. She wanted new scents, new feelings, new...adventures. Time just went by so slowly here, and she didn’t much like it. An ear flicked forward to catch Astrea’s voice, and she sighed softly. This was a lesson, wasn’t it? Blue eyes would turn back to her aunt, just in time to watch her shake out her feathers, to show off her odd accessories. It was weird, but it made Illie want feathers as well. She stared at the odd colors, not quite understanding the semblance. She hadn’t grown up when the family was super thick, she only knew what it was now. Wolves that barely showed her face, and a father and an uncle that barely let her live. There were named she spoke of that Illie didn’t know, and curiousity got the better of her. "I know Uncle Terrae, Aunt Locha, and Aunt Gale, but….who’s this Serefina, Arcus, Solaris and Selini?" She asked softly, looking up at her aunt. She didn’t understand why the female compared the family to elements, she didn’t much get the whole complicated nonsense. All she wanted was the freedom of the sky. Slowly she’d pick herself up to move towards her aunt, staring at the feathers on her tail. "Yeah you say that now.." She murmured at the very idea of being taken on adventures. She’s been promised before, and let down just the same. With a sigh she’d relent and shift to rest her shoulder against her aunt, looking up at the sparkling stars. "Aunt Astrea….d’you ever feel like...I don’t know, that...." She sighed softly and looked down at her paws. "That there’s other things ya should be doin? Like...instead of bein trapped on a beach, y’know? No...I mean, that...well, that things are going ta change soon?" She rambled, shuffling slightly.  Another sigh would slip passed her nose as she gazed to the side, just barely seeing the waves crash on the shore. "Even if it’s dangerous out there, I mean...What did you see on your adventure, Aunt Astrea? Did you have fun?" She’d turn big blue eyes up to her aunt then, blinking over a curious gaze. "Talk" "You" Think

Astrea watched the little blue girl, she seemed... Discontent. And as she listed off the family that she knew and those that she did not a sad wight settled on her chest. What happened to her family? She knew what happened to her, she left. But what about the others? Where did they go that the newest part of her family have not seen head nor tail of them? Astrea shock that sad thought away, it was food for thought another day. "Well Serefina was the protector of the family, she was pure fire, temper and all. Arcus is the eldest in my litter, he holds a storm of emotions in him and he went with me on my journey. He stayed out their, I have a feeling that if he ever comes home it would only be for a visit..." A sadness hung around her neck, other than Volt and Glace Arcus was the closest of all her siblings... and she missed him like she would miss the stars. "Solaris and Selini are the twins in my litter, opposites but as close as any two could be." She sighed, she had wished to wedge herself between them, had wanted so bad to have what they had... But now? Now she was happy with herself. She was happy being her own thing, more so than she was ever trying to fit in with them. She snapped her mind back to the now and not the lonely unsure pup she used to be. She focused back on Illume, her small voice full of home and doubt. "Illume I never say what I do not mean. I am always her for you, ALWAYS. If you need help or get lost I will find and help you." She smiled then at her little niece, knowing the storm that she must be feeling, much akin to the storm she herself once weathered. She nuzzled the fur on her nieces chest and then did what her siblings most likely never did, she truly listened to what little Illume was saying. She talked about a pull, a pull away from the family. She sighed then, knowing that things where never going to be a shift in this little girls path. "Fate has a way of directing our actions, if you feel like you need to do something for your soul then you have to, if you deny it for too long fate will pull you in. Come to me little Illume when the pull is at its strongest, and we will go and find the other side of the line that is holding you." Astrea smiled at her, a sad knowing smile, she knew this pull, had fallowed it when it called as she knew Illume would too... "I would not have called it fun, I meet some great wolves and ever a fox who wanted to see a shark but I also went hungry for the first time in my life, I walked in the cold wet rain when I could not find shelter, and I missed those who loved me most... I also faced a cold hard fact out in that world, one I hope you never have to... One that Glacier and Voltage just want to save you from... But I know we can not protect you from the world, not forever..." She looked at little Illume knowing deep down in her heart that this little light was going to see some darkness really soon... Was she going to light the darkness up with her inner flame or whisk out like a starved fire with no tender? Only time will tell... Astrea got up then, and nudged the little girl. "It is time for us to get you to bed, I know Volt is most likely worried that you have not gotten off this cliff yet. He most likely thinks you sunk into the ground so you never leave it again." She laughed at her joke as she made her way down off of her perch, she felt a heavy weight on her heart, knowing that the family and little Illume was going to be tested in the days to come... Her only wish is that she could be their for her family when it did...