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 Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:59 am
Alas moved with slow uncertain steps, she was hesitant, but resolved. Crunch had wanted to be at her side to tell the girls the truth, but she had insisted that she could do it alone. After all was it not she who had decided to steal Tempeste and to bring Venera in as their own. She would now face the consequences of her choice, she alone would tell them the truth.
Her heart ached with a deep resounding pain, she knew it was not caused by any illness only the thought of loosing her precious daughters. What would they say and do, how would they feel to know the truth? If only she could hold the secret in her heart forever, to spare them any pains, yet she knew she couldn't maintain a lifetime of deception.
She sighed and moved to sit down in a small clearing away from the den yet well within the pack's territory. She closed her eyes for a long moment trying to steel her resolve before lifting her muzzle and calling her two eldest daughters to her.
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 10:10 am
Tempeste ran alongside her sister happily, both were in high spirits from getting to patrol together. Normally stoic, serious, and aloof tempeste managed to loosen up when she was with Venera. She laughed and nipped at her sisters side and neck before pulling ahead to race towards their mother.
Her expression became serious when she spotted her mother, she knew papa was with aunt Gracia off in search of their lost sister/aunt. She wondered why her usually smiling mother wore such a pained and somber expression. She moved forward and nuzzled her mother tenderly before siting down and looking at her nervously. "What is it mama?"
Tempeste frowned slightly as the usual guilty look filled her mothers eyes as she looked at her. It had always bothered Tempeste that her mother looked so guilty whenever she looked at her. What had she done to upset her mother in such a way? No matter how proud or happy Alas was with Tempeste there was always that distant look.
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 10:17 am
Venera giggled and raced alongside Tempeste happily, she adored her sister and rejoiced in the news that papa had chosen Tempeste as the heir to the pack's alpha position. She leapt as Tempeste snapped at her and laughed as she let her lead the way. Venera was always flirtatious and cunning, but she had no desire to lead as Tempeste did. She was always content to follow her more serious sister, and the same seemed to be true of their younger siblings.
She skidded to a halt still laughing beside Tempeste and rolled onto her side in a fit of giggles before realizing that her sister was not sharing in this laughter. She looked up and frowned at her mothers expression.
"Mama?" She jerked to her feet and looked at her sister curiously before giving her mother a concerned glance.
"What's wrong mama? Are papa and aunt gracia alright? Did Frey get hurt on patrol? Are Davii and Concordia alright?" Venera might have continued to fire off questions but Tempeste gave her a glance that told her to wait for their mother to explain.
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 10:26 am
Alas watched her daughters as they raced up to her, Tempeste as always in the lead and Venera as always cheerfully following her sister. It broke her heart to have to tell them now, that they were not sisters in blood. Would the truth break the incredible bond between them? She looked at them wordlessly a moment before shaking her head to reassure Venera.
"No baby, no ones hurt..." She hesitated before turning to Tempeste, she had to know first, she was the one who was most wronged by the lie.
"I...I have to talk to you girls. I have to...tell you the truth now. Your both old enough to know." Alas took a deep breath before looking at Tempeste.
"Tempeste...your father and I have always loved you, and we always will baby. You're our first little girl, nothing could ever change that. You both know that long ago I was the beta for another pack, for Agua Azul, the pack by the sea...." She hesitated a moment before continuing her gaze on Tempeste.
"The alpha female was corrupt, evil, she was going to birth a litter and raise them to be cruel fighters, an army to take over the land. I tried to help her, to show her how wrong it was to do such terrible things to others. There was no love in her that I could reach...and I left. Yet...before I left the pups were born, I wanted to save them all from the fate I knew awaited them. There was no way I could have saved them all, but I took one with me...and fled." Alas looked at Tempeste and waited.
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 10:33 am
Tempeste listened with concern to her mothers words, yet inside she was calm once she knew that their family was unharmed. The idea of a talk that upset her mother was not a thought she relished however. The Truth? Her mind echoed the words numbly confused. Old enough to know what she wondered?
Tempeste listened carefully as it seemed that their mother was directing this at her. She nodded softly at her mothers reassurance of love, she had never doubted how much her entire family loved her. Even aunt Twix who was so often aloof lavished her with love.
"We know mama..." She had heard the story of how her mother had left the cruel sea pack before. She had always done as her parents had asked and avoided the edge of their territory that blended into the ocean packs.
The story set Tempeste teeth on edge, and her eyes widened before she shook her head softly and stood. "No...stop! Stop..I don't want to hear this anymore..." Yet what was heard could not be unheard. She understood what her mother was saying. She was not the firstborn daughter of Crunch and Libenalas, she was not born to Akiiki Chibale, she was not Venera's sister. She was the daughter of sea monsters.
"I'm...not...yours?" She murmured softly looking at her mother with pleading eyes. Eyes that begged to be told that the story was not true, that she could continue life as she knew it to be. That she wasn't adopted.
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 10:38 am
Venera calmed at her mothers words pleased to hear that none of the family was in any danger. Still the next words were puzzling, what was this truth that they were old enough to hear? What was their mother so upset about revealing to them?
She looked at Tempeste curiously as their mother spoke to her, at first she didn't quite grasp what their mother was saying. Slowly however it snapped in her mind, Tempeste was the pup her mother had taken? That meant that Tempeste was not her sister? She looked at Tempeste shocked before realizing the pain her sister was in, for she would always be her sister no matter what blood was revealed to be in her veins.
She quickly moved to press against her sister and lick her muzzle. "You'll always be my sister Tempeste, always!" She nuzzled her lovingly, supportive in what must have been this most painful moment. How terrible to discover that her parents were not really her own, poor Tempeste. It did explain why Venera looked so much more like mama then Tempeste looked like papa or mama.
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 10:48 am
Alas moved closer and nuzzled Tempeste "You were born to Twist and Wazaam, but you will always be the daughter of Crunch and Libenalas, you will always belong here in this pack, with your family who will always love you."
She licked her daughters muzzle and looked down. "I took you, to raise you better, to give the chance for love to one of Twist's children. I have always loved you Tempeste, as I tried to love your mother..."
She sighed "I could not help her, but I hope that I have helped you."
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:11 am
Tempeste shuddered and leaned into Venera giving her sister a nuzzle in return and whispering softly. "I know Vee...but...I'm not really." She turned to bury her muzzle against her mother neck for a long moment trying to hold back a cry of pain.
How could it be? How could she have come from any family but the one she knew and loved, she would die for her pack for her family. Tempeste jerked up and growled. "Don't call her that! Twist is NOT my mother! You'll always be my mother! You and papa!" She shook her head and looked down.
"I couldn't have asked for better mama, you loved me, you saved me from that place. I've heard of what those wolves are like, don't you remember when Moranna came back? She was so afraid, she had almost been kidnapped by that insane animal! I would NEVER call him brother! NEVER!" She shuddered and looked down.
"This is my home, and no matter where I was born, this is my pack, and your all my family" She took a deep breath and frowned. "Maybe...I should go there...I will go and see what Agua Azul is like for myself, I'll renounce them myself and come back home where I belong." She smiled softly at her mother, for she would never stop seeing Alas as her mother. She moved to nuzzle her again and press close against her sister.
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:16 am
Venera kept close against Tempeste even as she lost her temper and yelled. She couldn't blame her sister for feeling so angry, or sad. As Tempeste calmed Venera nuzzled her and listened with concern. She didn't want Tempeste to go to Agua Azul, yet she understood why she had to. If she wanted to sever any connection to the pack that she was born to she would need to go and do it herself. Perhaps this would end the threat of war that concerned their parents.
"I'll always love you Tempeste, your my sister..." She smiled softly and relaxed glad that the painful news was over.
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:27 am
Alas frowned at Tempeste's outburst, she had always possessed Twist's temper, luckily she did not have her mothers cruelty in her. Well, it was there, sometimes it surfaced, but Alas was certain that Tempeste possessed a tenderness and compassion that Twist had never gained.
That Tempeste wished to visit Agua Azul was a terrifying thought, but she nodded softly in support. She knew she couldn't keep Tempeste away from her birthplace or parents forever, she only hoped that her daughter would return stronger for the experience, untainted, unharmed.
"Your home will always be welcome to you, no matter where you wish to go or who you wish to see."
She watched Venera and looked down after a moment. "When I brought Tempeste to the den...I had no milk for her. I went out in search of a way to induce the milk, as a healer I was able to find a way within the night. While I searched for herbs and returned to the den I found an abandoned burrow. It seemed so small a place for a wolf, yet there had been a small family there. I saw their bodies...who is to say what tore the family apart in such a way. It pained me to see, but then...then I heard a tiny whimper from within the burrow. There was a tiny female pup, destined to die if she was not taken in. I chose to bring her to the den, and side by side I raised the girls as sisters...not born to me, but loved with all my heart."
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:35 am
Tempeste nodded softly in understanding and nuzzled her mother softly. "I'll always come home." She blinked as her mother turned to look at Venera before continuing with her story.
How odd that she was explaining to Tempeste what had been done, she appreciated hearing that her mother had put so much love into ensuring her health and survival. Yet...this story was not about how she was fed...if Alas had birthed Venera then Tempeste would have had milk? Tempest's eyes widened in shock, to hear that her sister who looked like an exact reverse copy of their mother was also adopted was more a surprise then her own true origins.
"Then...Venera isn't your daughter either?" She murmured in surprise before looking at her sister and offering her a nuzzle. "Oh Vee..."
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:42 am
Venera frowned as hr mother continued the tale of how Tempeste was given milk before she too realized that something was wrong. Why did Alas need to induce milk if she had been born before Tempeste was taken? A pup left in a burrow? It's family dead? Two girls raised together, TWO adoptions. Two...Tempeste...and...herself.
She gave a cry and stood to backpeddle. "No! It can't be! Look at me mama! I'm...I look JUST like you!"
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 12:14 pm
Alas frowned at Venera's outburt and looked at Tempeste with a soft nod. "No, neither you nor Venera are my own, no matter how I wished you both were."
"Venera, when I saw your pelt I felt as if I had been blessed, two perfect little girls to call my own, to love and raise. No one ever questioned that you and Tempeste were sisters born to me and Crunch." She moved to nuzzle Venera.
"You know it doesn't change anything baby, you'll always belong here, we're your family no matter the blood."
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 12:35 pm
"Of course nothing is changed, Vee your my sister still, we'll always be here for each other. This is home, and mom and dad still love us." She tried to move closer to nuzzle Venera and reassure her. Of the two Tempeste was certainly the clam one, Venera was given to hysteria, and drama filled antics.
"Come on Vee don't fret..." She wondered how her sister felt, at least Tempeste could go and confront her past, see where she had been born. Venera couldn't go back, she would never know her true family for better or worse.
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 12:46 pm
Venera backed away from the nuzzles and shook her head, she felt a deep pain clutching her chest. She didn't really belong at all, she was adopted, but unlike Tempeste she wasn't strong. She wasn't like papa who led, she wasn't like twix so tough, she wasn't like mama who could heal and comfort. She turned and ran, she knew that Tempeste could outrun her, stop her, but still she went on blindly away from the pack.
She needed time to understand, to come to terms with the fact that she had been a foundling, alone, abandoned. Death should have claimed her long ago, she had been spared, she had been so blessed with a love that was never really hers. How lucky Frey, Concordia, and Davii were, they were the true children of Crunch and Libenalas. She was no ones, she was alone.
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