*Set before the challenge*

The evening sky gave way to the light of the stars, and with it the silence of night would come. Dragon headed towards the shores that lit up in the dark. Though he couldn't see it anymore, he had been here plenty of times to envision what it looked like. On top of that, he wanted to try and speak to the spirits once again. With his vision gone, he needed guidance now more than ever, and with his believing that such things existed, he felt his faith would bring him the strength and answers that he needed. He could hear the familiar sound of the waves lapping at the shore, and though Kimahri tried to guide him, the earthen male shrugged off his companions and went his own way. He didn't need their help to guide him here, he knew the lands of Auster like they were a part of him. Once he reached the water, he slowly walked in welcomed it. He welcomed the cold water, feeling it wash over his paws and tickle his underside. Asides from his own lands, he felt right at home here. He knew that all around him, the water glowed with the brilliant light that it always did when he touched it...and though he didn't need to, really, he closed his eyes and remained silent. Listening for the voices of those he sought out. "Dragon"||Kimahri||Shiva

When he had chosen this location, he hadn't expected someone to intrude on his solitude - let alone that someone being his brother. Ha, brother. Not much of family, in reality. Family, when faced with a situation like Lykos had been in, typically listened to the other party instead of automatically attacking and assuming. Something that Dragon had done, without caring to actually even bother talking to Lykos. It was one reason that Lykos was grateful that Gryphon was very unlike Dragon, and had listened and fought for him.

It'd been a while since he'd seen Gryphon. Pity it was Dragon he saw first. Hmm.. although he might have seen Dragon first, it seemed as if the other didn't see him at all, even looking right past him. The brief glimpse showed Lykos a weird distortion of Dragon's face - was something wrong with it? He couldn't really tell with the distance, or the darkness... but he did know it was quite odd that he wouldn't notice Lykos. Even though it was dark, the taller wolf wasn't exactly hiding. And true, the wind might be blowing his scent away, but....

"Are you blind, or have you just become too stupid to notice what's going on around you?"

The calm and serenity of his night would be shattered when an all too familiar voice sounded in the darkness. He hadn't heard that voice in a while, but of course he could always leave it to him to still be the jerk he'd always been. A quiet sigh slipped past his lips as his head tilted skyward, letting his estranged brother sit in silence for several long moments. "You haven't changed, have you?" At last he responded, but he didn't quite bother to answer his question. It was none of Lykos' business what had happened to him. In fact, he was quite sure that Lykos would actually smile and laugh and mock him for his blindness. He didn't know whether or not the darker male even cared about the family or if he continued to hate them. Dragon knew his mother had moved on and put the past behind her, and though she wanted to apologize, she wouldn't actively seek out her estranged child. Likewise, Dragon had decided to leave him alone, too. "Dragon"||Kimahri||Shiva

Dragon avoided the question, as Lykos knew he would. Now... Dragons response, that was also in a way expected. His brother had always made assumptions over him and never bothered to actually learn - just accusations and confrontations. Never more. "You never got to know me enough to be able to tell if I've changed or not. If you had, you wouldn't be saying that right now." Of course, Dragon would obviously disagree with that. The other thought that he was always right; always had thought like that, even as a child. It was why, when that whole incident went down.. Dragon never went to see the other side of the story. He'd just automatically attacked Lykos for it without even bothering.

Kimahri uttered a low, threatening growl towards who he assumed was a hostile. Dragon flicked his tail, signaling to the jaguar that he wasn't bothered too much by it. The earthen male shrugged. He didn't come here to argue or fight. "You're the one that implied I might be stupid," He half turned his head towards Lykos' direction, away from the light in a way that his brother wouldn't be able to tell that he was indeed, blind. "I know we've had our differences and our quarrels, but quite frankly I don't care about any of that anymore. I've changed, and I'm not going to question whether or not you have." What good would that do, anyway? Maybe Lykos would always have a bad attitude, maybe not. Maybe he'd forgive him for the past. Maybe not. He wasn't going to force Lykos to do anything, but he also wasn't going to sit idly and let him hurl insults or continue to act like a jerk. The dark male never really had a dose of reality, he had always been somewhat sheltered. They all had, for the most part. Though Dragon and his other siblings had actually gone and seen the reality of the world, him and Kharnage especially since their first raid. It didn't bother him anymore though, he had gotten used to it. Learned from it. And he knew that no matter how much knowledge or wisdom or experiences one had, everyone was prone to mistakes. "So what brings you out here? I thought you'd be long gone by now." "Dragon"||Kimahri||Shiva

And that there was the issue with Dragon. He never cared; he never bothered with anyone but himself. He'd never bothered in the first place; why would he start now? The bitterness in the thought stung, and Lykos ground his teeth in frustration. "And how have you changed?" The question came out a lot sharper than intended, but it was there, and it was out in the open. Lykos gave Dragon a sidelong glance, noting that the other was refusing to look at him. Why?

His ears twitched at Dragon's question. "Long gone where? There's no where really to go." He just wandered around territories, that was all. Wasn't much else to do.

"And how have you changed?" Dragon lightly scoffed. That was a question easily answered. If he knew what Lykos was thinking, he'd tell him he wasn't the one that had never changed. He didn't stay bitter or angry or resentful. He learned from everything around him, and just like everyone else had also made mistakes. And more than likely he would continue to make mistakes because nobody was immune to that aspect of life. "You're not stupid. I never really thought of you as stupid. Arrogant? Yes. A jerk? Yeah. But even you know I'm not the same wolf I was before." He moved a few steps closer to him, churning the water around his feet so that it glowed. And the glow would make the scars on his face visible. "I've led a pack for some time now, and they followed. Leading others who depend on you, changes you. Fighting for them changes you. Making decisions that you don't know whether they're the right or wrong ones, changes you. I may not be the smartest or the strongest or the best out there, but I damn well tried for them!" His tail lashed, fur bristling slightly. He was irked that his brother would even ask him how he'd changed. "Maybe if you weren't so busy chasing Mercy's tail and brooding about everything you'd know. You claim she was like your family, or better than us or whatever. But where is she now? Hm? Even though we had our stupid quarrels, we were always here for you whether you want to believe it or not! You were never without a place to go, you chose to go nowhere. But if the past is what you want to hold on to, then that's on you." He wasn't quite sure why he bothered saying so much so suddenly. Maybe it was the pent up feelings. Maybe he was mad at his brother for staying so distant. And no matter how much he tried to deny it, he couldn't lie to himself. He missed him. "Dragon"||Kimahri||Shiva

Lykos listened quietly to his brother blow up. In that, he hadn't changed, but the words coming out of his mouth - yes, Dragon had changed, and he dipped his head in acknowledgement of the words. "I never said you didn't fight for them, but yes, based on what you just said - you did change. Before, you never really fought. You just... accused. Not once in my childhood did I feel you were there for me, or that you would fight for me; I always felt that you and Kharnage always wanted to see my downfall. In that, you've definitely changed.

"Mercy was... more family tome because she was the only one who'd listen to me. Who was there for me. Gryphon was always distant; even he wasn't there for me until recently, it seemed. You and Kharnage hated me more than anything; there was no way I could go to either of you for anything. And mother... after the incident... you say I always had a place, but would you want to stay in a place where your own mother believes that you are no better than a cheating, lying man who abandoned his pregnant mate? Would you feel welcome, loved, if that's all your family viewed you as? All your mother viewed you as? As a traitor, for having a friend to confide in? Yes, I could have stayed in the pack, but I wanted nothing to do with people who would believe that of me. And you, Dragon, just immediately believed her without hesitation. Never bothered to learn my perspective, never learned that I had felt betrayed and hurt by you and Kharnage for months before that. Perhaps, in hindsight, I could have talked about that, but I don't think a single one of us easily shares those types of feelings, even now. Perhaps things could have been different, had I shared that with you. My indecision, my hesitancy, especially when she first made me heir.

"I guess my point is, I never felt that you guys were here for me in a very long time. You and Kharnage specifically, I hadn't believed it since the end of our time in Imperium. Mother, when the incident happened. Not once did I ever feel that I could depend on you guys, or that you were here for me. Not once. In fact, it was quite the opposite. It seems that that issue there could have been solved if either of you had said that, too." He chuckled quietly. Big communication issues, huh? "Lots probably could have gone different if we actually talked to each other, instead of all of us just assuming. "