Hushed Willows Shooting stars are not stars at all.

Would love a @Dorea and/or @Dakota thread if you're up for it.  :)

In the days since a new family had made their home among the wolves of Elysium, Sundance thought of them often. While there had been several cubs born of the most recent season, he didn't feel particularly close to any of them. His brothers, maybe, before all the sorrow surrounding Ariel's death, but he'd been especially lonely since the day they'd lost him.

What he yearned for was a friend. A real friend who wouldn't attempt to escape at every opportunity, who would enjoy his company as he would enjoy theirs. He had his mothers and uncle, who he loved spending time with, but someone of his own wage would make a more appropriate playmate, right?

Rather uncharacteristically, the silver youngster slipped away from Olive's watch to venture off in search of the girls he'd met at the borders some days before.

The little wolf pup was bored. This place was dull and so far all her attempts to sneak off were thwarted by her mother and other wolves. She wanted her old home, not this stupid new home. It wasn't the normal she grew up with and the den she shared with Chusi and Dorea. Dakota was no quitter though, she would just have to try her other plans, she sure had a ton of them. Part of her was tempted to tell Dorea but then she realized her sister might tattle so she thought against it, even if two heads were better than one.

Her sea colored eyes saw something moving her way in her peripheral vision, small like her but with thick silver fur. Dakota lifted her head and looked at the boy, recognizing him from the border when her mother brought them to this stupid place. The black-and-white puppy sat up tall and barked at him, "Hhhey you, kkkid!" Though she stuttered, she looked anything but meek. "GGgget me out of hhhere!" If he was from the border he must know the way out of snoozeville! Population not her.

The truth was, Dorea had also wanted to seek out the boy who had been upon the borders. She might have lacked a solid interest in him that day — for there was so much going on, could anyone blame her for being distracted? — but she had not forgot him. He was painted in such soft but brilliant colors and best of all was he had not talked very much, just like herself.

It seemed someone had beat her to the punch though and it would be none other than her sister. Dakota's voice carried words that caused a frown to dig into the puppy soft features of Dorea. For she could not understand her sister's wild resistance to their mother's decisions.

Without even an announcement of her arrival, she aimed to move closer to Sundance's side to see what he would do with her sister's command.

A voice called out to him, and Sundance regarded the cub who stammered with softened countenance. While he couldn't understand Dakota's open reluctance to join Elysium, he could appreciate that she might've faced a time of uncertainty that made new places and new faces an uncomfortable change for her.

He thought gently of Ariel, who was lost to them, and wondered inwardly if this pup and her sister had suffered loss in the way Sundance and his own siblings had. They'd arrived with only one parent, after all, while he himself was fortunate enough to have two mothers. This consideration was broken by distraction as Dorea stepped alongside him, and he blinked toward her curiously.

They looked so alike, yet differed entirely. Pastel gaze flitted from one sister to the other, before he asked of the first: "why leave?"

Dakota had been lounging on a tall rock and so once the puppy asked her a question, she dramatically pounced her way down so she could trot in his direction. Her tail in the air and ears perked, Dakota began to lament as she paced around Sundance. She saw Dorea join them and inwardly Dakota hoped her sister wouldn't go telling their mother about this stunt, she kept up her confidence so there would be no doubts.

"This ppplace isn't my hhhome," Dakota said, straight forward and right to the point despite how often she tripped on words. The black-and-white little wolfess stopped mid step to shoot him a pointed look, brows furrowed. "You'd wanna bbbuzz off if yyyou were taken ffffrom here, right?" Getting in his face, she pouted. "So lend me a pppaw!" 

She turned to Dorea and taking in a breath she quickly added, "Dddon't tell mom, Dorea. Sides... don't yyou wwanna go hhhome?" 

She liked the silver boy already, he asked important questions and didn't seem to waste his breath blabbering. Her sister however had plenty to say about the whole ordeal. Their minds very obviously worked in different ways. When the question was turned to her, Dorea pinched her brows together tightly.

No. Her answer was solid as she stood firmly next to Sundance. Stay. The word became softer than her usual voice, despite all of her edges she could not fault her sister for having so many feelings on everything. Home was not a place to Dorea though. Her sister and mother were here (although for how much longer might her sister stay?) which made it home in her mind.

He blinked, tufted grey ears cupped forward to listen intently to what Dakota had to say, but he was saddened to hear that she didn't feel secure among the wolves of Elysium. Sundance had known nothing but the willows in which he made his home; where had these girls come from, anyway?

She stepped up close, boldly entering his person space and despite being significantly smaller than him, she was immediately intimidating as her snout hovered just below his own. Sundance stared down at her bi-coloured features with wide powder eyes, before he turned his face away in quiet defeat.

Thankfully, Dorea did not turn on him the way her sister did, and the young Cherub was grateful for her silent support. She stood by his side, rooted to the spot, parting her jaws to address Dakota pointedly. "It's great here," he said rather weakly, tail-tip twitching anxiously at his pale hocks as he looked hopefully between the duo, "I promise. Maybe we could all be friends?"

The little girl had her doubts about what Sundance claimed, Dakota making a face as she looked at him. Her cerulean eyes shifted from Sundance to her sister, watching Dorea. "I dddont want to ssstay," she grumbled in protest, slumping her shoulders and deflating like a balloon. 

Sundance offered friendship but Dakota felt homesick, it made her puff out a heavy breath. She plopped onto her belly, tucking her chin on her front paws. "I ggguess," she woofed with a moody squint.

Despite her sister's words, the fight in them seemed to dwindled down. Dorea would not admit such but she was rather grateful. As much as they tussled and argued she despised any real arguments with her small family. It was her job (or so she thought) to keep them happy and safe. How could she do such if they bickered?

Visit home one day. She offered softly. Us. Dorea would not return to live to a place where her mother was not but she had no qualms on visiting their old stomping groups if that was truly what Dakota wanted. It was a relief when the platinum boy offered friendship. Perhaps it would be a way for her to help her sister stay put within Elysium. Or at least not stray too far from it.

Friends. She hummed in response as her blue eyes settled on the boy. He seemed not to be too wordy or pushy. A perfect friend in Dorea's mind. Although she did have to wonder something. Siblings? The one word question was accompanied by a slight tilt of her head.

Wanna fade this one?  :)  Editing an ending.

The bi-coloured girl continued to complain, announcing out loud that she didn't want to stay. Sundance didn't have anything to say to that, having used the only support of Elysium that he had. It had always been home to him because his family surrounded him there, and he failed to understand an attachment to anything but them.

When at last she slumped, defeated, Sundance could provide nothing but a sad little smile. He didn't have anything to be apologetic for, but he felt the guilt stir in his chest and turned his attention to Dorea who promised her sister they could visit their previous pack someday then questioned his own sibling status.

"Yes," he nodded, though the enthusiasm was drained from him. "I have two brothers." Sundance excused himself when the opportunity presented itself, offering a polite farewell to the bi-hued twins - though his pale gaze lingered a little more fondly on Dorea as he padded away.