Welcome to Gaia! ::

Elphie gasped as she felt a foreign energy enter her, traveling down her muzzle and forcing its way into her head. The world exploded in a blur of color as his spirit passed her eyes, lighting up her sensory cells with a flurry of energy. As Sol-Lun's energy seeped into her body, she panicked, her form squirming violently in response to the outside force before going completely limp. She felt Sol-Lun's mind link with hers with a strange tearing sensation, and felt her physiology respond to his thoughts and emotions. It was probably the most intense experience she had ever had. Every cell in her body hummed, vibrating and itching uncomfortably with the energy of two bodies. A fire of motion roared through her blood towards her heart, and she felt the organ's pace increase to a breathtaking speed. Her body shivered violently as she began to pant heavily. The world of dazzling colors began to blur, and she felt her head roll slightly as her eyes, nearly glowing with energy, closed, her nose losing contact with Sol-Lun's momentarily.

Elphie's paws twitched as she felt Sol-Lun slip away from her, receding like an ocean wave, with the same gentle hush. The female took a couple gasping breaths of the rich air, when out of nowhere, a heavy gale rushed down upon to two from seemingly out of nowhere. Elphie's head was battered against her paws as the wind rushed past her with urgency. The shewolf didn't whine or whimper, simply because she did not have the time to do so.

All at once, Sol-Lun's dormant body came to life with a violent roar, and Elphie's eyes flew wide open as sharp white teeth clamped down on her muzzle, and his energy entered her once more in one quick thrust. Her whole body shook with the overload, her teeth chattering together as a couple drops of blood dripped down her muzzle from a small puncture wound caused by the other.

But none of that mattered. None of that mattered at all, because ringing in Elphie's ears were a million proud voices, each cheering, cheering for her. They were like nothing she'd ever heard before, not so much a sound as a tingle of feeling that somehow wrote itself into warm words in Elphie's mind. She couldn't pick apart any one voice from the others, but she could hear them. Her eyes glanced around wildly, and all around her, the forest seemed to glow with a vibrant green light that hadn't been there before, as if each blade of grass, each leafy branch, had a spirit of it's own.

All in an instant, it disappeared; the voices, the light. Elphie gasped for breath as Sol-Lun left her once again, her body doubling up as she rolled on her side, dry heaving for a moment, trying to regain her senses. Gulping deep breaths of air, she slowly returned to a somewhat normal state, though shivers ran through her body every few moments. After a minute, after one more heavy breath, she turned to Sol-Lun, her tongue lolling slightly. She made no response to his statement, but looked at him with a mixture of awe and fear. "What was that?" She asked breathily.

"I can't hear them. I can't see th--" Elphaba stopped, faintly surprised at the sudden soft snores emitting from the other's muzzle, but she figured he must be exhausted. She wasn't sure just how much work it had been for his energy to penetrate her own, but it must have been taken a great effort. Elphie herself wasn't tired as much as still momentarily stunned. Her body's cells still tingled with the faintest twinge of residual energy, but she could feel it fading, perhaps slipping back into the world drop by tiny drop.

As Sol-Lun rested against her, her eyes wandered the landscape thoughtfully, her tongue licking at the small wound on her muzzle every couple moments. Her destiny? What had just happened? Sol-Lun had told her he could commune with the wind. Elphie recalled the brilliant shimmering light that she had seen for an instant, exploding from every plant around them. And there had been voices! But they had been fuzzy, knotted together, like a tangled ball of yarn. Was it actually possible that she might learn to unravel the threads? 'Greatness'... the word stirred her.

The earthy colored female let the male rest for a while before a vague sense of propriety began to gnaw on her, and she jostled herself gently in hopes that he might awake. "What was that light?" She asked, wondering if the other had seen it as well.

The chocolate brown shewolf took in a deep breath, letting a contented sigh out her nostrils as her body slowly returned to its normal equilibrium. "Again?" She asked quietly, her tone tinted with fear, or excitement, or maybe both. "Now?"

She pursed her lips, remembering the uncomfortable feeling, but the reward had been too great to ignore. "You won't.. hurt yourself again, will you?" She asked tentatively. She still wasn't quite sure what had happened, but she had felt the other losing consciousness as his energy slipped out of her. She hoped it hadn't been her fault.

The female cocked an ear at Sol-Lun's gentle admonishment, her green eyes sweeping over the other as he stretched. He'd seemed so tired... but if, as he said, he knew the way, perhaps it would be easier on the both of them this time.

Elphie's face sobered at the hint of a violent past, but she did not speak up, sensing now was not the time. She had a feeling she'd get to know this unique wolf much better in a time, especially if indeed he could show her the path she had aparently strayed from. It seemed he could. And she was determined to follow him. If he suggested they try again, then they would try again.

"Alright." She said, bracing herself slightly. "I'm ready."

Had Sol-Lun been a different wolf, another new aquaintance, it's unlikely the brown-pelted She would have opened up to him. Elphie was suspicious by nature of others until they'd proved their merit. But something about Sol-Lun struck her as almost fatherly, and the old magick he'd let her catch a glimpse of had helped to catalyze and strengthen the bond.

This wolf was a sage, and Elphaba would do as he told her to.

Elphie didn't hesitate as much this time, but there were still hints of the awkwardness she felt at being instructed lean in and touch her nose to the other's once more. She did so rather quickly, waiting expectantly. The other said it would be gentle, but Elphie was still tensed. She would see if he was right when the energy passed over her. Until then, she decided it was best to be ready for anything.

This time, the conjoining wasn't forced. Elphaba was surprised as her body let Sol-Lun's spirit enter easily. She felt the crimson backed wolf's mind join with hers, there was a bit of pressure, and then a springy feeling that made the shewolf dizzy for a moment. It was as if two bodies had been pressed together until they burst and became one. The she-wolf felt the other take up comfortable residense inside her consciousness, and even more than last time, she was acutely aware of his thoughts and feelings, as if they were her own. His comfort and security assured her, and she felt all anxiety slip away. A soft sussuration announced itself, swirling gently around the two, and Elphie felt a strange tingling of recognition.

Hasshaa nyashaa... ssshaahaaa ressha.. ssrrrisshh...

It was the wind in Sol-Lun's ears, the neural signals from his auds filtering into her less-experienced mind through the Shaman's connection. She couldn't understand words, but suddenly Elphie felt tht the wind was much more personified than before.

At that moment, a deafaning chorus of deep, basso voices filled the air. Elphie heard their words in a voice as strikingly clear as her father's. The shewolf folded her ears back instictively away from the almost painful volume, but it did not desist or even lessen. It was as if the call was ringing in her mind rather than her ears.

Wincing until she grew somewhat used to the voices, Elphaba made sure to catch what they were saying.

We have heard of you Brother. The Wind speaks well of you, as It should. We would like to thank you, Brother, for bringing us an ambassador of our own.

They were.. they were talking about her! Elphie's eyes shone with a bright green hue as she glanced around, as if to seek out the voices that she now realized were coming from the trees. Innately sensing her restlessness, the trees went on:

Be at peace, Sister. Be at peace.

The brown wolf glanced at Sol-Lun imploringly. Was there a way she could talk to them?