Prism

[DotCom]

By they timed they reached the cavern with the large, heated spring, Rora's mind was no longer on her embarrassment.

Mori had spoken true: she could still feel him there in her mind, could even talk to him, if she wanted, though she had yet to give the mind-speak thing a try. She could feel he was happy, if a little confused, and that was enough for her.

More important was the vast pool of warm, clean water, and Rora suddenly feeling nearly a month's worth of dirt and grime settled over her skin like layers of filth. She stared at the spring with wide and wonting eyes, hardly away when Anesa gestured to her. She thought she could probably spend hours in the spring, if it didn't mean hours from Mori. She would hurry, for him, but oh, she would enjoy the time it did take.

When Anesa returned with the large, impossibly soft towel, Rora felt her legs go weak with gratitude and anticipation. She beamed at the older Aavan.

"Thank -- " she started, then stopped, chewing her lip. Oh, right. The language barrier. She thought there was probably some way, being an Empath, she could make the Aavan understand her gratitude, but she didn't dare overstep her bounds so early in the game, not even with Anesa, who exuded only warmth and kindness.

Instead, she smiled again, then cautiously padded to the edge of the pool, pausing to look in. She steam rose and clung to her face, and she shut her eyes, drawing a happy, deep breath as she hesitated. Mori had not come with her to give her privacy, which she appreciated. She did not think Anesa would let anyone in while she bathed...nor did she think she was expected to bathe in her clothing. But she did not want to muck things up by appearing before the Elders in dirty clothes...or worse, a towel and nothing else.

Perhaps there was a stream somewhere she could wash her garments. Granted, they were stained and torn from weeks in the wastelands. The flight from the destroyed village, and the battle against the desert-thing had not helped matters. But it was that or show up as she was. She gave brief thought to simply climbing into the spring, clothing and all. But there was so much dirt between her skin and her tunic, she feared she'd leave the spring a muddy bog before the day was done.

Still clutching the towel in her hands, she turned and gave Anesa an apologetic smile. The poor woman probably thought her son's bonded insane, or at the very least, neurotic.

Rora was about to ask, or gesture...when the desire to be clean simply overwhelmed her. She smiled shyly at Anesa, then shrugged, giggled, and tossed the towel aside, screwing her eyes shut before holding her breath and diving into the spring, tattered tunic and all.

 

[Kaisaan]

Watching the Cerebra was a puzzle in and of itself, but Anesa did so patiently, having to wonder what was going through the young thing's mind. So many facial expressions ranging from longing to bliss, uncertainty and then sheepishness. It was the last one that made the red-blue Aavan chuckle as she watched Rora leap into the hot springs, clothing and all. Hmm...perhaps it was a cultural difference to bathe in one's clothes. She couldn't question it but even if she'd had the ability, Anesa would not have. Such a thing was Rora's choice, perhaps something her people did and she would not want to have been offensive about such a trivial thing.

She left Rora to her strange method of bathing and instead moved to the entrance of the cavern, stopping a passing female Aavan on the way. "The Cerebra requires new clothing. Do you think we might have anything that would fit her?"

Kasnava, a blue Aavan Anesa had trained a few years back, looked thoughtful as she looked down at her guardian, in her towering form. Her frilled tail flicked back and forth in thought and she smirked a bit, bringing her muzzle down closer to Anesa's smaller form. "Put her in a shirt. I'm sure it would reach her ankles, she's so short." A chuckle rumbled and then a yelp followed as the older Aavan did nothing more than flick the younger female in the nose, over a pressure point that sent a sting through Kasnava.

"Be polite, Kasnava. You would not wanted to be treated as such if you were with her people."

Blue eyes darkened, the blue Aavan pulling her head back. "I know what would happen if I was with her people." she intoned with a hiss and Anesa gave her a stern look. "That is why we can not be like them. We *are not* like them even as every one of them can not be like the worst of them. Rora is proof of that."

"She is proof of nothing. I can not believe your son would have her, after what they did to him." Such a thing burned at her and Anesa knew why, knew how Kasnava had thought of her youngest before he'd been taken. Right now, she felt it was a subject better left to Mori himself to deal with. Anesa brought her fingers up to her forehead, rubbing gently and Kasnava immediately looked guilty, feeling the instant flash of grief her words had caused. "Anesa, I am sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"Please, Kasnava. Find me some clothes for the Cerebra. I promised my son I would not leave her."

The younger female rumbled her assent, saying nothing more as she left and Anesa sighed after her, turning and walking back to the hot spring. She shifted up then and laid down, guarding and her graceful neck arched as she seemed to drift into thought. And she had a great deal to think about now.

 

[DotCom]

It had taken Rora all of ninety seconds to throw caution to the wind, deciding she would rather feel the wonderfully soothing warmth of clean water against her skin than fret of the last vestiges or her own tribe. The clothing had meant little to her, anyway, the slightly oversized garb of a Cerebrae in training. She was not training now, and for the moment, at least, did not care whether she trained again. She had Mori -- and a bath -- that was more than enough.

Giggling with a suddenly delight, she took a deep breath and sank, letting the water close over her head and ease beneath the dirt on her scalp. She scrubbed at her hair with her eyes closed, afraid to see dirt, blood, and all manner of small creatures tangled in her dark, mattered locks. The Cerebrae were not water-dwelling creatures, but they were more than happy to bathe and be clean, particularly in the comfort of a warm spring. There were none nearby the city, and very few bothered to heat their water before bathing. In short, the spring was a luxury at the end of a long period of darkness, and Rora was --

There was a commotion somewhere behind and over her head. She couldn't hear it or see it, but she felt it. Amusement, briefly. Disappointment. Then resentment. She was quite sure the latter was pointed at her, and it occurred to her even before her head broke the surface, Anesa must have started the long job of defending her son's new bond.

Cautious, quite, Rora poked her head from the spring, unable to hear, and just barely able to see the conversation going on between Anesa and a large blue Aavan at the cavern entrance. She chewed her lip slowly, feeling the blue Aavan's bitterness wash over her, even from a distance. She did not blame the Aavan for her resentment. Rora rather resented her own people for what they had done to Mori.

But she did feel guilty that Anesa, who had done nothing wrong save having birthed an Aavan who meant the world to one Cerebra, had to deal with the bitterness. She had not doubt Anesa would not so much as let the blue Aavan pass with ill intent, and she appreciated the gesture...but it still seemed unfair.

As Anesa turned the other Aavan away and fell into her larger form, Rora paddled cautiously to the edge of the pool. It was possible Anesa was even more beautiful than Mori, and certainly moreso than the miserable creatures from the city Rora was used to. She studied the older Aavan for a moment, then put out a cautious hand. She had never touched another Aavan, save for Mori...and whichever of his brothers had brought her here.

If Mori were here, she would have apologized for the inconvenience. But he wasn't. So she stretched out an arm and lay it gently, cautiously, against the red-blue snout with a smile as apologetic as she could muster

 

[Kaisaan]

Anesa blinked at the touch and her violet eyes focused slowly on Rora. She looked down at the Cerebra for a long moment before she seemed to smile a little and a gentle croon left her throat. Rora had nothing to apologize for. Anesa did not know the part she'd played in Mori's life in the last six years, but Rora belonged to her son now and as such, the past did not matter. The present was what counted and such was the Aavanian way. If the Cerebrae were to release their kind, to give them space and time, they would forgive. They were a species who didn't look to the future as more than a passing, fleeting thing and they chose to live in the present which meant they didn't overly dwell on the past.

The only problem was that their present was still very much painful for them and it was the same story of their past for the last hundred years.

Anesa did not, would not hold such against Rora, though. She was a wise Aavan in her own way and she loved her son. Rora made him happy and that is what mattered to the mother. So she moved her nose gently against the Cerebra's hand and she laid her head down fully to the floor with a large sigh that stirred even Rora's wet hair. She stayed that way, almost seeming to doze - she'd slept little since Mori was back, needing to frequently reassure herself that he was all right, still here - but her head lifted immediately upon Kasnava's return.

The blue Aavan shrank down as she came into the room and there was no doubt she was gorgeous. Her blue hair fell in long, loose ringlets down her back and framed a well-defined face with delicate bone structure. She was slender with a pale-blue complexion and she moved as if she walked on air, but it almost seemed like shadows clung to her, misty and dark where they fell on her face or where her own shadow casted. Such was her power, though. Her blue eyes flickered to Rora, but moved away soon after as if dismissing her, looking to Anesa and holding out the clothing she'd brought.

"I do hope these work, Anesa. I couldn't find anything else. I did stop by Celese, though, and she said she will start working on something for the Cerebra."

Anesa smiled a bit and nodded, touching Kasnava's head with her muzzle. "Thank you. You've been very helpful to me."

A smile answered the praise. "Of course." The blue Aavan shot another look to Rora and it was clear she didn't think the Cerebra deserved such attention, but she said nothing, starting away again. Anesa's voice stopped her, though. "Your jealousy and anger will accomplish nothing Kasnava. It will only harm you in the end." she said softly and the other female seemed to bristle slightly, but didn't respond as she hurried out. The red-blue Aavan shook her head. For all that she was fond of Kasnava, had trained her, watched her grow and thought her very talented...she was not blind to her faults and she'd known from the first that such would not be a good mate for Mori.

She turned her eyes back to Rora then even as she shrank down and looked to the clothes, holding up what had been brought. Hmm...that would work. A deep green dress that would probably go down to below Rora's knees and a long cream-colored sash to cinch it at the waist - and some undergarments. Anesa supposed it would work well enough until they could tailor something for the smaller female and she held up the clothes for Rora's inspection and in question: Was she ready to leave?

 

[DotCom]

There was no disguising the other Aavan's hostility when she returned, and this time it sparked something other than submissive worry and anxiety. Rora would not act out, or even so much as acknowledge the blue Aavan -- clearly beautiful by any standards, Cerebrae and Aavan alike -- while kind Anesa was there. But she felt herself stiffen slightly at the small wave of agitation and dismissal the Aavan sent to her. It ought to have been negligible. Good, even. Better ignored than hated would be Rora's mantra until the Aavan adjusted. And the blue Aavan had brought Rora a dress such a lovely shade of green, she nearly blushed to look at it.

But still. The blue Aavan's distate felt...personal, in a way not even Rask had been. As thought she faulted Rora for something specific, something more than the crimes of her people against the Aavan and against Mori.

Rora found it brought out a side of her she had forgotten existed in the haze of fear and confusion she'd been dwelling in since her escape with Mori.

She held the blue Aavan's gaze as long as she was able, cool, quiet, complacent, until the Aavan turned away, still clearly upset. Rora watched after her, a small frown of confusion and irritation on her face, until Anesa held up the dress, and a peace flooded her.

Rora looked at the dress, wide-eyed, certain she, as a young Cerebrae, had never seen anything so nice, and nearly refused it. Until she realized that it might seem rude without explanation.

And more importantly...Mori had never seen her in a dress.

Realizing what she was thinking, she blushed and gasped slightly, before trying to hide the whole thing as having slipped in the water. She smiled unconvincingly at Anesa and nodded, hoping that meant the same as it did back home.

Reaching over for the towel, Rora raked a hand through her wet hair before climbing out and wrapping the thing around her like a soft cloud. She couldn't help but close her eyes and sigh at the very feeling of being clean, and it was a moment before she turned to Anesa to accept the dress, gratitude (hopefully) clear in her gaze, despite how she felt for the blue Aavan.

 

[Kaisaan]

Anesa was not fooled in the least. She didn't know what had gone through the younger female's mind, but she knew it had nothing to do with slipping, not when that gasp had come before said 'slip' and she'd sensed, smelled no alarm that would have come from the adrenaline rush an almost-fall would have caused. No, the older Aavan was not fooled at all, but she smiled warmly at Rora and she gave the clothes to the Cerebra before turning away to give her some privacy as she dried and dressed, moving to the same cabinet she'd gotten the towel from.

By the time she returned, Rora had the dress on and Anesa smiled softly, taking the sash from the Cerebra's hands and helping tie it neatly about her waist, pulling the trailing ends to the side a bit in a decorative manner before she prompted Rora to turn around wordlessly by guiding the younger female with her hands. She then proceeded to brush the tangles out of the Cerebra's hair, patient and gentle, taking care not to pull and to work the mats out instead of yanking them. In time Rora's dark hair flowed free and Anesa turned her again smiling at the sight she made.

Her son was going to be very pleased indeed.

Taking Rora's hand, she led her from the cavern then and back down the tunnels. She stopped after a moment, though, and looked to the Cerebra, deciding to try something. She could find Mori easily, but she wanted to see if Rora could do it and to perhaps start helping the Cerebra realize just what she could do with the Heart-Bond. And Anesa was very good at training young Aavan in such things. She could help Rora easily. At this point she pointed to her own head and then thought better of it, shaking her head and starting again by tapping Rora's temple and then tapping under her own violet eyes, so much like her son's and pointing outward, looking at the Cerebra with question.

Could she find Mori?

--

Mori shook his hair out for what felt like the tenth time and Tac gave a barking noise of protest, holding his hands out. Of the two brothers, the red one was actually more soaked than the black...on account of him pretty much attempting to scrub the black Aavan's hair for him, something Mori had protest quite vehemently against. The only thing that kept him from panicking as his brother attempted to drown clean him was the complete and utter faith that Tac loved him, would not hurt him and had no idea what he'd been through.

Still, he refused to immerse himself in water, settling more for just sponging his skin off - it wasn't like he'd not had a bath while he'd been less than lucid - but Tac had been insistent about his hair perhaps just for the sake of being obnoxious.

Now he was getting showered all over again by his irate black-haired brother for his troubles.

"Moridryn, I don't think you can shake anything more out!" Tac attempted, still holding out his hands and Mori snorted, pushing his hair back and giving his brother a narrow-eyed look. "Is that a challenge?"

"No, no!" The red Aavan shook his head quickly and when Mori raised a brow, smirking, he glared. "No."

Grabbing a towel, Mori laughed and proceeded to dry that way instead, growling under his breath. "This was your stupid idea. I was already clean." he protested again and Tac rolled his eyes, drying his own wet skin. "You've been in bed for a week. You had bed-head."

"That's what a brush is for, Tac!"

There was a moment of silence, a pause and Mori looked up, sensing the slight change in his brother's demeanor. Tac was watching him and when their eyes met, violet on orange, the older sibling smiled a bit sheepishly, a bit sadly and happy all wrapped together. "It was an excuse to spend some time with you?" he offered, rather sincere and the black Aavan's irritation, real and mock, disappeared as he nodded back, understanding completely in that moment why they were here.

"I'm not going anywhere, Tac."

It was quiet and his brother looked down, his emotions clearly saying he was struggling not to cry and Mori approached him, wrapping the red Aavan in a hug that his brother returned tightly as if he never wanted to let him go again.

 

[DotCom]

It was strange, she thought, Anesa sitting behind Rora, brushing out her hair so gently, so patiently. The Cerebrae were not cold creatures, but nor were very of them maternal. Even the Matrons had difficultly loving their children compared to those who mated later in life. This was largely borne of the fact that Cerebrae had no true children or mothers. All Cerebrae were generally warm to one another, with Prodigies and Pushers on one end of the spectrum, and Empaths and Dreamers on the other. But all Cerebrae also learned to take care of themselves at a young age. Being dressed, petted and cosseted was strange to Rora, and she might have rebelled...had it not been so comforting.

She let herself sit patiently, half dozing under the gentle feel of hands at her neck and shoulders, until Anesa took her hand to lead her down the caverns. As they walked, Rora found herself near buzzing with excitement. it had been less than an hour since she and Anesa went off their own way, but that was an hour more time than Mori and Rora had spent apart in a month. And after the strange new freedom of the Heart-Bond...

She felt the almost-challenge in Anesa's mind even before she Aavan pulled her up short, and probably would have gone racing off to find Mori by herself, were it not for her gentle instruction to use the bond.

Rora blinked then nodded. Right. She'd forgotten -- had she ever known? -- it could be used that way. She was so giddy, she might have used her feet and her voice to find him, almost certainly getting lost, and upsetting more than a few Aavan in the process. No, Anesa's route was better, if slower.

Closing her eyes, Rora took a deep breath and let it out. She could do this. She was positive. She'd been poking around Mori's head since before the Heart-Bond. Now it was just...more refined. She chewed a lip for a while, feeling around for the strange and beautiful source of blue in her head.

She hadn't even realized it when she started walking, deliberate, confident steps drawing her closer to Mori with each passing second.

 

[Kaisaan]

Mori's head snapped up, his entire body stilling for a moment - in the process of putting a clean tunic on and so his head was JUST through it and Tac was snickering at the sight - as he felt Rora's movement within his mind, waiting, wondering. And then he smiled, feeling what she was doing. The black Aavan was half tempted to start moving around, make her chase him, see just what she could do, but he could feel her excitement to see him again and in all truth, he needed to see her again, too. He didn't like not having her in his sights, even if he knew she was safe with his mother. So he sent approval along the blue threads of his mind, into her own and he finished putting the dark blue tunic on.

His hair was brushed out for the first time in a month and Mori ran his fingers through it, giving a rare sight to his entire face before he shifted up and flexed his claws against the stone beneath them. His ebony scales gleamed in the light cast off by the glowing crystals throughout the entire underground labyrinth of tunnels and caverns. It had been a long time since he'd looked as healthy as he did and given a week or two more, with the some true food and more rest, he'd be truly filled out and far more powerful.

Tac looked up at him fondly and shifted up himself, studying his brother then as well and chuckling. "You've grown."

"That happens." Mori replied, a bit distracted as he watched the cavern entrance, waiting. He and Tac were near the tunnel that would lead them to the Elders, but that was hardly on the black Aavan's mind at the moment. His bonded was. He could feel her getting closer and though he felt more than saw the red Aavan roll his eyes, Mori couldn't stop the anticipation that welled up in him, the happiness. It felt like he was seeing the Cerebra for the first time in a long time and he couldn't even explain why that was.

All he knew was that when she finally came into view, his heart soared with a joy he didn't know how to stop, didn't want to and the blue of his mind immediately swept over hers, curling around her, nuzzling like an affectionate - large - cat and Mori's eyes widened to see her clean, to see her in a dress, to see her so....beautiful. There was no other word for it.

She was beautiful.

His large head moved down to greet her, a soft warble in his throat followed by a crooning sound as he sniffed softly at her hair, breathing over her very purposely. It was an instinctive action to mark her as his with scent and Mori smiled, his large violet eyes for no one but her. "Rora."

Nothing more needed to be said.

 

[DotCom]

She might have kept walking, eyes closed and speeding up as she grew closer, Anesa keeping pace behind. She might have kept walking, straight into Tac, or a wall, or another hot spring.

But the burst of joy she felt when Mori saw her stopped her short, and if she'd been anywhere else, with anyone else, she it might have concerned her that she couldn't breathe.

She opened her eyes and spent all of two seconds gaping. In that moment, she knew none of the Cerebrae back in the city had ever seen true beauty. The Aavan there was starved, underfed, faded, depressed. And none of them were Mori. He was all sleek, smooth lines, muscles, gleaming scales. And hers. He was hers.

She froze, stunned, gaping, afraid and unable to move. He did the work for her, bring his head down over heads, puffing warm air around her ears.

She couldn't help but giggle. What would happen, she wondered, if she told a creature at least five times her size he was 'cute'? The words never made it to her mouth. She looked up at him, half shy, half ecstatic, and put out a hand to touch his muzzle affectionately.

"Hi," she said simply. "You look..." What? Stronger? Stunning? Jaw-dropping? Was there any possible word, or combination of words, or anything at all that could capture how she felt about him?

Well. Maybe one. Rora realized she was blushing again and ducked her eyes quickly.

"Different. You look different."

 

[Kaisaan]

Cute.

It was a strong enough thought in her head that Mori heard it clearly, even as he was not searching her thoughts actively. It made him chuckle and he tilted his head to her words, watching the red spread across her cheeks. His head lowered even further then until his muzzle touched the ground and his violet eyes caught her green again. The blue of his mind started to gently question her, wondering just what made her look away, what made her so shy all the sudden, but he didn't press. No, if there was something she did not want to tell him, he would respect that, but his own emotions were clearly curious.

He knew he was feeling something different as well and the black Aavan knew that if Rora wanted to see it, she would - her mind was in his own, too - but so far he wasn't sure what it was himself. And he certainly didn't know what it was in her mind...he only knew they were both feeling the same way. It was strange but not unwelcome to him.

Mori's eyes smiled at her, his mind stilling of its light searching and instead merely pouring his affection and contentedness at seeing her into Rora. It was so natural to do so and he could barely remember what it felt like not to be connected to her, not to be able to sooth her and help her in this way, to take care of her. It was no wonder he'd felt such an intense longing when around her, why he'd only been able to think of her, plead for her even when he was dying.

But he didn't want to actually think about that right now.

He pushed the beginning of those thoughts away, an edge of cold shadow to them, and instead he focused on Rora. "You look like a precious jewel." he replied quite honestly, no shame whatsoever in the words and no embarrassment in saying them at all. Perhaps there should have been, but all Mori could feel was a calm confidence when he looked at her, a feeling like he could do anything if it would just make her happy. Unfortunately there WAS something he had to do and his mother reminded him of it gently, her mind touching his own, making the black Aavan break his gaze with Rora with effort.

"Mori, the Elders are waiting." she intoned gently, smiling at the two younger ones in a knowing way, exchanging a glance with Tac that the red Aavan merely grinned at.

Mori sighed, a great gust of air, at the reminder and then moved his head up from the ground, looking to Rora again. "We must go." he told her quietly and his tail came forward, wrapping around her carefully and placing her on his back, looking back at the Cerebra again and touching his muzzle to her head in reassurance even as his mind wrapped around her protectively. "It will be all right."

 

[DotCom]

Rora only nodded, though she could feel her stomach knot at the prospect of going to see the Elders. Something about a room -- a cavern? -- full of older Aavan...she had no real reason to fear them, she knew. If they were anywhere near as benevolent as Anesa, or as patient as Tac, she'd be fine.

Rask's temper, though, combined with the blue Aavan's attitude? Well, that might be a but more worrisome.

Still, she could only smile as Mori's muzzle came up to rest against her hair. A month she'd been with him, and he was only now revealing this gift? Perhaps it was natural to the wild Aavan, that ability to freeze and burn with a single touch. He looked at her, and she could swear her heart stopped beating, that her bones became ice and her blood liquid fire all in one moment, only for everything to fade away leaving her dizzy and floating on clouds a moment later.

There was...something different about him, too. Or perhaps it had always been there, and the Heart-Bond only emphasized it. A strangeness in the blue, something familiar and yet unnameable. She found she liked the feeling as much as she hated it -- it's immaterial nature, its defiance to conform, obey, and reveal itself to her. She'd felt the edge of fear in his thoughts before, recognizing the time in the village, when she'd been unable to save him, had nearly gotten him killed...

But he backed away from the thoughts, and she followed, grateful and willing and promising herself never to let anything with intent to hurt that close to Mori again. One hand tightened around the hem of her borrowed dress until she realized she was already wrinkling the poor thing and an audience awaited.

Mori had begun moving beneath her, and whatever questions the Aavan Elders asked, she did not think it wise to appear distracted, even if she was. If they wanted real answers, they would be better separating her from Mori. The thought made her laugh and cringe at the same time. A task if ever there was one.

 

[Kaisaan]

He didn't need to ask what the laugh had been for, her emotions and thoughts enough for him to understand and his tail moved around to brush against her cheek, a comforting gesture. She was be all right and she wouldn't be facing this alone. In fact, she wasn't even going to understand anyone unless he told her what was going on and if there was one thing Mori was not going to allow to happen, it was her hearing anything negative aimed at her. Sure, she'd feel the emotions of the other Aavan, but she wouldn't have to hear the words. It was a way he could protect her at least.

The black Aavan's mind was wrapped securely around the Cerebra's own when they finally walked into the large cavern and his violet eyes flickered around the familiar view of the five Aavan perched on the ledges, purposely placed up off the ground both for safety reasons and for political ones. They were the highest authority in Aavanian culture and their positions above those they saw before them was significant. It hardly meant anything to Moridryn, though. He'd had more than one argument with them in this room and he knew he was one of the only Aavan who had in his generation. But he thought differently than other Aavan, just as they did and it wasn't something then encountered often.

The First Elder and the oldest, was Conorse'kiNo - Con - a gold Aavan who's scales had long ago dulled to an almost white color. While most Aavan lived between six and eight hundred years, he was well over a thousand and had seen three black Aavan in his lifetime, Mori being the third. He was a calm and calculating sort, always listening, watching, weighing and judging before he said anything at all. He'd long ago lost *most* of his vicious streak common to most gold Aavan. His words carried great influence with the four other Aavan in the room and Mori knew he was the one to pay the most attention to.

The Second Elder, and in fact the youngest as five hundred and twelve, was a white Aavan called Wahee'Nefay. Despite most white Aavan being stuck up and indifferent to those around them and situations they found themselves in, she was greatly different, being rather sweet and gentle-natured. If there was anyone who was going to be sympathetic to Rora, it was Wahee. Beside her was a male purple Aavan, her mate. He was bigger than she was, but not greatly so and gave off a sense of pride and wisdom that suited the royalty of his coloring. He was the Fourth Elder and didn't begrudge his mate her higher position despite being old in her age than she was. He was called Sekkon'oVor - Sekkon - and he always placed the good of his tribe above the whims of any one individual. Rumor had it that he'd sentenced one of his own grandchildren to exile as her crimes had been too great against the tribe. He was fair, but very justice and rule-oriented.

The Third Elder was a female, blue Aavan by the name of Vivia'mAla and she was smart and very patient, often having an agenda that even her fellow Elders did not know of in all entirety. They very often worked out for the tribe, but there were times when her own equals had to admonish her for her vindictive nature. She was the second-youngest and had been an Elder for a hundred and fifty years, a short time indeed. It was her brilliant mind that had gotten her into the position she held, but Vivia's attitude tended to breed frustration in the other Elders. Kasnava'Llea was her granddaughter and the younger Aavan came by her ways rather naturally.

The Fifth Elder, but certainly not the least, was an orange Aavan. He was the second-oldest in the group and was good friends with Con and had been for many years. Leeock'Xefno - Leeo - was a very gentle-natured, caring Aavan who often played the role of grandfather to all the younger Aavan in the tribe. He was the easiest Elder to approach and the years he'd lived had only made him kind. Not to say he was not smart - Mori knew he was probably the smartest out of all of them - but he liked to use that intelligence to help rather than condemn.

They all took in the sight of Mori with recognition, but Rora caught their attention in a different way. She was the first Cerebrae they'd ever been close to and they would have many questions for her in the days and weeks to come. But for now they knew their focus was whether or not she was a danger to the tribe and to Mori himself. Con started the meeting first as was his right, his head moving to dip slightly in greeting to the black Aavan.

"Moridryn'aKyno, we are most pleased to see you back among the Aavanian. Did you find evidence of your sister's fate as was your quest?"

Mori kept his eyes blank, but a flash of pain streaked its way through his heart and he took a deep breath that made his sides expand against Rora's legs as he shook his head. "No. I could not find her. I do not know what has become of her." And it still grieved him that he did not. He felt like he'd given up too soon. Asesee hadn't given up on him, she'd given everything for him and he hadn't even been able to make sure she was still alive. Con sensed the distress within his mind even if it was partially hidden from him and the gold Aavan rumbled softly. "I am sorry for your loss, you and your family."

"She is not lost."

Vivia sighed her impatience. "Moridryn-"

"We are not here to discuss my sister. Say what you have to say regarding my Cerebra." There was a clear edge of authority in the black Aavan's voice that took every single Elder aback but Con who watched Mori as if he'd expected this, something that seemed to puzzle Leeo nearest him, their connection deep in friendship. Wahee filled the 'silence' with her melodic voice, like water running over rocks. "Moridryn, please give our greeting to Aurora Skyfall."

"There is no need for that."

Mori, who'd been turning toward Rora, snapped his head back around again, a puzzled look in his eyes. "What?"

Leeo chuckled, stretching his old frame with ease before laying his head on his claws, head partially draping over the ledge he lounged upon. "You understand her language, do you not, young black?" A nod answered and the orange Aavan smiled. "So what makes you think you can't reverse that affect? You have an inner translator. It is a power and one you can share. It is rare, very rare, more-so than even a black Aavan and many of its uses have been lost in legend, but I do know such a transfer can be done. Lead her to that part of your mind and give her the ability." An orange eye-ridge rose in an arch, amused and Mori's head tilted back, pondering that and then understanding came over him and he looked back at Rora with wide violet eyes, just looking at her for a moment before he started to smile and he spoke to her.

"Little rainbow, I think there is a way I can make you understand my people, but it would require you go further into my mind. If I guide you, can you do it?"

 

[DotCom]

Rora was used to being on her own. But being left out of the conversation in a room full of magnificent creatures she hadn't even known were capable of speaking until a month ago? It was beyond strange. Quiet and still, but not like the forests on the edge of the city, where neither Cerebrae nor animal roamed. She could feel the complex emotions of the venerable Aavan, had prepared herself for the worst of it, though nothing went beyond curiosity at her appearance and she felt herself began to relax, instead staring in unabashed and wide-eyed wonder at such large, old creatures. Aavan in the city never lived more than a few hundred years, and that at a stretch. But here...the oldest of them, the gold-ish looking Aavan at the far end of the cavern, his mind radiated wisdom and age beyond even the oldest of the Matrons in the Matriarch's city.

Rora had just dragged her gaze over each of the five Aavan in turn when she felt a spike of grief from Mori. It was nothing like what she'd felt from him before, and she got an image, a brief flash, another Aavan, feminine, and young in his memory. A name -- Asesee? -- a relation...his sister. The grief swept over him, and then over both of them, so thick it was nearly palpable, a Rora moved a hand down to stroke the scales on his neck without thinking. But her eyes were on the blue Aavan she knew had cuased Mori pain, and she felt her temper flare quite abruptly, suddenly recalling the blue Aavan from the spring. She felt her jaw tighten and her fist clench; somewhere on the ground below her, a small pebble rolled away into the dark. Rora hardly even noticed, so intent was her focus on --

"What?" She wasn't sure how long Mori had been speaking to her, but looking at him, pulling her focus from the blue Aavan, calmed her almost immediately. It was another moment before she realized what he was saying, and still another moment before she agreed, uncertain that it would work. But the idea seemed to have made him happy, so she was willing to try.

She nodded. "Yes. If you really want me to, I'll do it," she said simply.

 

[Kaisaan]

Something was wrong.

He noted it immediately now that he was focused on her and Mori brought his head around fully to touch his nose to her forehead, his voice softer, his mind abruptly seeing just what had caused her flare of anger. "They meant no offense by asking about her." he replied simply, giving Rora the sense that they could speak more about it later. He needed her to calm right now, though, to keep control and focus. The black Aavan purred softly, violet eyes holding her green for a moment before he silently bid her close her eyes and did the same. Brighter strands of blue in his mind found the charcoal threads of her own consciousness within his head and Mori twined gently around and through said gray tendrils, braiding himself into her and then pulling softly. He wouldn't move faster than she was comfortable with - he was well aware that despite her ease at connecting with him, she had never truly delved into someone's mind and all the twists and turns, emotions such a thing entailed - and she wouldn't be alone....even if she was already in his head.

It was a bit complicated to explain, but not as complicated to put into practice.

He led her through his mind, careful to keep certain places closed off simply for the fact that they were rather strong memories or emotions and he knew how easily they could distract. And Rora was an Empath. The last thing he wanted to do was overwhelm her with things she barely understood yet. No, he kept her safe as he pulled her along, teaching her patiently how to lengthen the threads she'd let take root in his consciousness, now to spread them out. He tried not to focus on how very happy it made him to feel her presence taking up more room, how it flooded his mind and body with a warmth of safety and comfort. No, rather he worked hard to focus on the task at hand and finally he led her down into one of the deeper corners of his mind, close to the same place he'd gone in her head earlier, that place where mind touched spirit and heart, but not quite at that destination.

No, where he led her was to the 'room' that contained his powers. One of them was the palest blue, crackling in a large cylinder shape from 'floor' to 'ceiling' with energy. It was the lightning and Mori kept Rora well away from it and instead directed her attention to another power source, a thing that glowed a white-green shade. It was a sphere, floating and it radiated something both soft and yet incredibly fierce and powerful at the same time. It was clouded around the edges, holding an air of mystery and the blue threads of Mori's conscious mind suddenly started to take form, creating himself. He walked toward the sphere then and laid his palm on it.

His entire physical body gave a jolt, but his mind remained steady as he took some of the glowing white-green into his hand and turned back to the charcoal threads that were Rora. He coaxed her forward and the blue of his mind that was still within her own soothed any worry she might feel, promising that it wouldn't hurt. He wouldn't let it even if it wanted to. Encouraging her to touch the white-green with her mind, Mori watched it absorb into her, but connected to her as he was, the black Aavan felt no pain from the Cerebra, but rather a warmth spread through her mind, faintly touching his own, but leaving him be.

The Mori-image dissolved and he helped Rora retreat from the deeper part of his mind, but he opened his eyes, coming back to the present reality before she got back to the place she'd been before, letting her, wanting her to keep the ground she'd gained in his head. His violet eyes focused slowly on Rora's face then, wondering, waiting. In the end it wasn't his voice that asked the question but Sekkon and it occurred to the black Aavan that they might have kept the Elder's waiting for a while. He wasn't nervous about it, but he could understand their desire to move forward if that was the case.

The purple Aavan had taken the initiative to stretch his mind out toward the Cerebra, slipping in through a crack in her walls while she was distracted. His presence within her head remained very small, ready to retreat should he need to, but first his voice sounded within her head, deep, but attempting to not cause any pain or overwhelm her. "Aurora Skyfall, can you understand me, Cerebra?"

 

[DotCom]

Even without her Empathic skills, his happiness was infectious, and Rora was glad her eyes were closed, lest she see the expression of the Aavan before them as the Cerebrae giggled at seemingly nothing.

It was strange, easing through his mind. It felt as natural as it did sacred, and she followed closely, afraid to wander where she was not wanted. She was new to the Heart-Bond, but she was not stupid. Already, Mori had spent more time in her head than she had in his. To think she'd not even known about his sister, when it clearly grieved him so, when the mysterious child-like Aavan he recalled was very well the only reason the two had even met! Rora smothered the sudden jolt of guilt and self-loathing, knowing Mori would read it for what it was and feel compelled to come to her rescue. Guilt, again. Was she so selfish that she required every moment of his time, while giving none of her own in return?

She pushed the thought away before they could form fully, trailing along behind Mori in the landscape of his own mind, her fingers dancing across the void leaving tendrils of dark gray in her wake. Rora tilted her head as the spools of charcoal-colored light unwound themselves from her fingers. Odd. Against the uncolored darkness between patches of blue and gray, the darker strands looked almost --

Her eyes widened and her heart skipped a beat at the pillar of electric blue lightning before her. She had no desire to touch it, and Mori wouldn't let her...though its power was something to behold. Curious, she sent a handful of dark gray streaks to coil around the pillar without touching. This, she would have to come back to. Perhaps there was a way to combine their strange skill set...

But before she could meditate on it any longer, Mori had found their destination. It was only then she realized just how deep they'd gone, and she studied him for a moment, admiring and searching all at once. She felt it when he convulsed beneath her, the strange green orb he held the apparent source. But there was no pain on his face, and she didn't feel any from him, so she reached out to take it. It sank away almost instantly, a puddle of water into absorbent cloth, and she shuddered as a strange and not entirely unpleasant warmth passed through her.

She crossed back through his mind, though she hesitated at the threshold between his and her own, looking back over the landscape now twisted and lit with dark patch of gray and blue. Again, she paused, frowning slightly. It must have been the blue light that appeared to change the shade of her own...what was the right word? Presence? Thoughts? Feelings? She knew the word for it, somewhere deep down, but could give it no name. She was about to go searching when another voice pierced her thoughts.

Rora gasped faintly at the voice in her mind. If she'd still been holding the green orb, she might have dropped it. She was used to the feelings and emotions of others, and she was quickly growing used to Mori's presence there. But another being, another Aavan, was strange.

Her eyes snapped open, wide with shock, and she looked down at Mori on instinct before recalling it wasn't he who'd spoken to her. She looked up at the Aavan, hesitating a moment before locking eyes with the purple one.

She nodded slowly. "Yes, but -- " she started, then remembered her own spoken language was no good to anyone but Mori. She paused again, chewing her lip, a small wrinkle creasing her brow as she frowned in concentration. Then, as if someone had flipped a switch, she looked up to the purple Aavan, gaze confident and almost shyly smug.

"Yes...Elder. But please don't call me Aurora." A longer pause. A blush. "I mean...Rora is fine, thank you."

 

[Kaisaan]

It worked.

It worked!

Mori would have roared his delight at such a thing if he'd been with just Rora or even her and his family, but not here. Still, it coursed through him like a river and he looked back at his Cerebra with wide, joyful violet eyes to hear HIS language coming out of her mouth - even if it was technically her mind. He snorted in amusement to her words, approving of them instantly as he looked back at the Elders, Sekkon in particular as the others were not yet connected to Rora's mind. The purple Aavan looked almost startled, as if he'd not truly thought that a Cerebra speaking to them was at all possible.

His head dipped slightly in acknowledgement of the request and then he looked back to the other four, his connection to Mori and Rora still open so they heard what he said to the others as if they listened to one side of the conversation over a phone - though, Mori would hear everything everyone said as his mind was connected to Rora's AND the five Elders.

"She can understand us. She prefers to be called 'Rora'."

Mori felt immediately the other four minds reaching for Rora's all at once and a snarl, deep and territorial left his mouth, stopping the advancement of consciousnesses instantly. Five pair of eyes looked to him, some questioning, others understanding and slightly apologetic and still one looking affronted and challenging to being commanded by someone so much younger. "One at a time!" Mori barked at them, warning in his tone and Rora would understand what he said now, his language, her language or any other in-between. She had his power now, a part of it, the ability to understand any language presented to him and speak it.

The Elders heeded his words and Mori wrapped himself around Rora's mind, creating a light shield around her, helping her to relax as more presences started to come into her head. He knew it could be overwhelming and so he kept her safe from it all while letting their minds filter into hers. A transparent barrier that let in sound and emotions, but dampened them, made sure they didn't overstep boundaries and harm his bonded.

The five Aavan found their respective 'places' in their small part of Rora's mind and the connection between all seven of the inhabitants in the cavern came full circles, a web of interconnections that would allow them to speak freely. Con was the first to do so. "Rora, I am Con. And this is Wahee, Vivia, Sekkon and Leeo." Each Aavan stirred, both physically and mentally when mentioned and the gold Aavan waited for that to process before he spoke once more.

"We understand you have Heart-Bonded to Moridyrn'aKyno, but that has only been recent. Might you tell us what part you played in his life before such a bond occurred?"

 

[DotCom]

She'd just been reveling in his pride and excitement when Rora felt the others push in. It was like being dropped into the center of a storm. Silence and peace one minute, chaos and confusion the next. It put her in mind of swimming at the edges of the city when she'd been very young. There was an old waterfall she and Rogan had used to slip away to. They would dare each other to swim underneath as close as they dared. Rogan had dragged her out of the water half drowned once when she'd gotten bored and cocky and tried to float past. Nothing at all, and then a pounding on her head like a parade dancing over her ears. It had nearly pinned her to the shallow, rocky bottom before Rogan realized she was in trouble.

The Elders didn't hurt, exactly, but it was entirely too much, too soon. Rora found herself stiffening in surprise, then wincing, reeling backward so abruptly, she'd have fallen of Mori's back if he hadn't stopped them. The relief was instant and she felt her shoulders sag at once, the remainder of the tension easing away as he reasserted his presence over theirs. She released a breath she hadn't known she was holding and cautiously started to wade through the four new voices in her head, one hand still stroking the gleaming scales on Mori's lean neck.

And then came the worst part.

The question was phrased so simply, so innocently. It seemed harmless, really. But where to begin? It had only been a month, but it felt more like a year. A year that was fifty percent surreal dream, and fifty percent awful nightmare. How did she tell a story that could endanger so many?

"I -- " she started, then remembered about speaking aloud and started again. "I mean...I...we...before..." She trailed off again under the weight of five expectant gazes, trying to remember how to speak.

Finally, she decided on the simplest answer. She couldn't, wouldn't meet their eyes as she spoke, and her voice lacked any inflection whatsoever. It was fact, pure and simple, and she knew it would serve to answer as many questions as it created. But it was a place to start. And, for her, at least, it was the hardest part of the story.

"My sister...owned him. She was going to kill him. So, I...stopped her." A beat. No reason and no way to hide. "Forever."

 

[Kaisaan]

Silence, complete and simple, followed her words and the Elders looked to each other, to Mori and back to Rora. They seemed to study her for a moment, noted the way Mori was watching them with a fierce glitter of protectiveness in his eyes and Wahee was the first to speak, nodding her delicate white, feathered head. "We understand, Rora, but we must know more. Moridryn, if you might?"

The black Aavan knew instantly what they wanted, had known all along and his mind balked at the idea, an intense shiver running under and through his scaled body, his tail lashing behind him and wings shifting. Leeo caught it before the others and his rumbling voice was gentle, but slightly insistent. "Young black, we do understand this will be hard for you, but we must understand what occurred in the time you were away if we are to pass fair and wise judgement."

"We must know if you and your bonded are a danger to the tribe." Vivia snapped and Wahee gave a warning growl, both female's eyes flashing at each other. "That is not the judgement we are passing, Vivia."

"It was not ruled out." the blue Aavan shot back and Con gave a brief, wizened snarl that shut them both up. "Enough of this. Exile is a serious punishment and one that is hardly needed here. Now both of you think more wisely before you speak." His deep gold eyes turned back to Mori and Rora. "Cerebra, we would ask you to share your memories with us," He glanced to Mori as the black Aavan's mind instantly went up in further defense around his bonded and continued. "but we know such a thing would be unfair to ask of someone new to our ways. So we are merely going to take Moridryn's experience and if you feel the need to add anything, do inform us."

That said, he looked back at Mori expectantly and the black Aavan cringed back, resisting the urge to whimper. Six years. Six years of memories, of grief and fear, desperation and anger, of pain. So much pain. For the first time in his life, he didn't want to share memories with his kin, but he knew he had to. So Mori slowly brought his tail around and he lifted Rora from his back, placing her down on the ground and then he shifted down. Memories did strange things to your body sometimes, made you react and the last thing he wanted to do was harm someone because he was huge so he made himself smaller to be safer.

Black hair hide most of his face, very purposefully so as he spoke in the Cerebrae tongue to Rora, only wanting her to understand. "This...it's not going to...be nice. If you don't want to..to see it then put up a wall in your mind, block my memories out. You can do that." he offered quietly, scared, but working on calming himself as he closed his eyes and found himself in front of a 'door' to a 'room', his hand hesitating over the handle before Mori opened it. The memories hit like a tidal wave, released from their confinement, his own brand of darkness wanting to devour his soul, drag him down into the despair that had been clawing, calling to him for six years, being fought off for that long, but still present.

Mori clamped his hands over his ears and grit his teeth in an effort not to scream.

---

Please! Please make it stop! Please, someone, anyone, make it stop!

Mori screamed again, feeling the drugs wreaking havoc with his body, spasms traveling through his entire frame as he doubled over his stomach, already on his knees inside the pure white cell that wouldn't let him shift up, but forced him to stay in his smaller form. Lightning went haywire over his skin and he wanted to vomit, the nausea unbearable, but he'd long ago gotten rid of anything in his stomach. Even so, he retched, dry-heaving until he forced up bile, burning a throat already raw.

He stared at the blood in the small amount of vomit, uncomprehending before another painful spasm rocked his body and this time he couldn't stay upright, curling tightly around his middle as he tried not to sob.

Make it stop. Please, make it stop.

---

He'd bloodied his owner and at first all he felt was satisfaction. The whip-marks over his bloodied back, still on fire and weeping, were reason enough to justify his retaliation but as Mori now found himself held down between four different Keepers, fear started to sink into his mind. There was a cruel anger in his owner's face now and it wasn't long before the black Aavan understood just why he would never lash out against a Cerebrae again, no matter how justified.

The water hit him like a shock and Mori gave an agonized cry as the lightning reacted to it, writhing in the chains that kept him pinned on his stomach to the ground. He'd just gotten a chance to breathe when more was splashed over him and a new scream was ripped from his body. They got creative then, trickling it over a leg, then his back, an arm, his neck. The pain didn't end, wasn't enough to kill him and the only relief came when he passed out from the overload and exhaustion.

He was sold the next day.

---

They wouldn't talk to him. Why wouldn't they talk to him?

He called and called, pleaded and demanded, but they were silent. So many Aavan and not one mind would touch his own. Why? What had he done? They spoke to each other, little connections, brief and sporadic, but they spoke. Why would they not speak to him? What had he done?

Why were they punishing him? He hurt. He hurt so much already.

Why did he have to be alone, too?

---

Was that her?

Mori jerked against his handlers, trying to catch a better glimpse of the gold Aavan walking beside a wealthy Cerebra. He just needed to look, to know, to see, but the sudden touch of a zipstick had him roaring out in pain and fury. Why!? Why couldn't they just let him have one minute! His head - muzzled - lunged for the offending punishment device and more pain came from the opposite side, forcing his body to move to get away from it and his head was jerked down and close to his neck at an uncomfortable angle, forcing him to comply with demands as they led him toward the Auction Ring.

How he despised the thing.

He never did know if the gold Aavan he'd seen had been his sister.

---

Dulled eyes looked outward at the displeased face that looked back at him and the black Aavan turned his head away, knowing he was going to be forced to get up, to perform for the guests once more, but he couldn't muster up the energy to care, not even about the pain. His mind swam with sickness and his body followed suit. A Nuathal. He needed a bond. Could they not see that?

The first jolt of pain caused a keening sound, a plea for them to stop from his throat, but there was no understanding, not comprehension and the voices swam in his head, failing to make sense, all demands and curses anyway. He wouldn't have spoken to them even if he'd been able to right now. He forced himself to his feet, shaking, unsteady and still the pain continued. He was up! What more did they want?

He didn't care.

He didn't-

The next thought was cut off as his stomach rebelled and the large black Aavan vomited the allotted amount of meat for the day.

He was left alone for the next three days.

He wasn't fed for the next three days and on the third he was taken to the Auctions again.

---

The memories kept coming, a flood Mori could not stop now that he'd let it loose and his entire body shook. He'd already sank to his knees, unable to stand anymore and the pressure to scream or sob was building in his chest, mounting by the minute. The memory of Risa, of those last few weeks in captivity were coming forward and the black Aavan was terrified they'd be the breaking point, but he let them come.

 

[DotCom]

It hurt.

She hadn't known -- how could it even be possible? -- that memories, someone else's memories could cause such unbearable pain. But they did. The flood washing over Mori hurt. Whether that was Rora's Empath status, or the Heart-Bond, or some potent combination of the two, or something worse, she couldn't say. It didn't matter. It hurt. Mori hurt.

Part of it, most of it, even, was physical pain. Hunger and thirst like she'd never experienced before. Aches that rivaled the days in the desert following her slaughter of the snake thing. An agony deep and boundless she doubted any Cerebrae had ever known, and yet could all exercise so effortlessly. She was reminded of that weakness, that exhaustion she felt whenever she'd walked by a cage, any cage, back in the city. This was worse. Much worse. A hundred times, or a billion, at least.

But the worst of it was the hopelessness, the utter desolation of it all. Alone and cold and unloved. Death would have been kinder. It made her want to cry. But she didn't. Couldn't. Couldn't move, couldn't breathe. Wouldn't have been able to say where she was if asked. Wouldn't have been able to hear the question. Right then, at that moment, there was only Mori and he was hurt.

He'd offered her an out. She might have taken it. It would have been smarter. He'd have known the effect it would have on her, or he wouldn't have offered. But she knew he wouldn't have offered unless it was bad. Really bad. The kind of bad he would have wanted to spare her, and so the kind she knew she couldn't let him deal with alone. She'd offered back a small, scared smile, laced her fingers through his, held on tight, and perched at the edge of his mind, ready to help.

Only now, she was caught up in the flood, too, could see him there ahead, drowning, screaming, dying, while she remained frozen.

And, really, she'd expected it. The pain, the hunger, the sadness. She may have only seen his last month in the city, but Risa had been uncommonly cruel. Hadn't she? Rora had known what she was going up against, had known she would come away with his horror lingering in her gut.

She'd expected all of it.

But not the anger. Never the anger.

It was as strange as it was familiar. She recognized the anger, had felt it thrice before, each time under very different and very similar circumstances. The targets, however, were as disparate as they could be.

The greatest focus of the anger, of course, was the Cerebrae. So many of the face in the hazy crowd of Mori's memories familiar. Cerebrae she'd trained with, eaten with. Lived with, experiencing their emotions. How many times had their elation or frustration been at Mori's expense? How often had she skipped house parties where they paraded him like an animal, beating him senseless for starving in the wrong way? How many of them delighted in the torture of a lost boy looking for his sister? The thought made her sick. She might have thrown up if she'd been in any control over her body. As it were, she wanted them dead. All of them, dead. The Keepers. The Matrons. Her teachers. Rogan and Siya. Even Sumilah. All of them, dead, and by her hand.

And then the Elders. Wise and venerable they might be, but to ask such a thing -- of one of their own no less! -- after he had sacrificed six years of his life? They might claim they had not known. But she would not believe it. The Aavan were connected, and while Mori may have kept the memory hidden, it was not so difficult to guess there might have been a reason for it. He had balked at the idea of delving back into those times, shown more than once he was not fond of the idea, and still they had pushed him. All of them, rounding on him like little more than bait. And they thought the Cerebrae cruel creatures.

But that anger, even when combined with her utter disgust at her own people, paled in comparison to the self-loathing she felt now. Stupid. Selfish. Special? No. Sinitrus. Rora could have spent the rest of eternity counting the 'what ifs' and 'should haves' still never reached the bottom.

What if...she had stopped Risa sooner?

What if...she had spoken up about the Aavan, about the pain they felt on a daily basis?

She should have been the one to share her memories. What was a month of travel to six years of torture?

She should have never let Mori stand in, stay in that cage, live with Risa...

She should have done more.
For a moment, Rora was gone. The same place she'd been when she killed Risa, and the desert-snake. The same place she'd been when she'd leveled the abandoned village. Some small part of her mind, the part that Rora always suspended, that same part that observed, quietly objective, from the outside, had finally picked up on the pattern. Early, Mori's mind had suggested she could only go into that destructive fugue state when emotionally distressed. That wasn't true. Or at least, not true enough. No, the Rora that become Monster Rora was kept back with a key so simple as Mori's safety. It was only when he was in danger or pain that the monster emerged, and Rora did not know how to lock the door again.

All around her, the large cavern began to quake. The quiet, objective Rora noticed. The Monster did not. Tiny pebbles began to quiver at her feet; hairline cracks formed in the stone on which she stood. The colors on her face darkened, making a normally pretty picture demented.

"Make him stop." The words were both growled aloud and in the Aavan tongue, her voice hardly sounding her own, though the others wouldn't know that. "Did you hear me, you useless old bags of scale and rot, make him stop! If you want the story, you'll get it from me. There will be no exile, there will be no trial. Put me back in that bloody cavern for all you like, only STOP. THIS."

Dust was falling from the ceiling now. Rora's gaze had gone slightly unfocused, and she'd taken several steps closer to the Elders without realizing it. The moment her hand left Mori's, she felt him collapse, and pressed onward, unknowing, uncaring --

-- and stopped.

The black cloud of senseless, bottomless rage collapsed into itself like a dying star, finite and infinite all at once, as compact as it was vast. It was not gone, not by a long shot. She could feel it hanging there in the back of her mind, behind a door of its own, a door she double, triple, quadruple locked. That anger was for someone else. Not for Mori. Mori needed something else now. She turned back to him, and her markings returned to their normal vibrancy, her eyes a much softer shade of green. Everything was still and quiet.

"Mori," she said gently, abandoning the Aavan tongue in favor of their own 'private' language. "Mori, listen to me. I'm here. It's alright. I...I'll find you. I'll always find you."

She knelt beside him, hardly aware that the ground had stopped shaking. It was odd. She'd never thought on how to comfort him before, so often it had been the other way around. And yet now, in the moment, she wasn't thinking. Not anything but his name over and over again. The rest was instinct, magic, her mind and body working in tandem.

She took his face very gently in her hands and did just as he had done for her, resting her forehead against his. Then she closed her eyes. Inside, in her minds eye, the door Mori had kept so carefully closed was still open, locked into position by the sheer force of memory pouring out. It was Risa again, Risa withholding food, Risa, withholding heat, Risa, tearing the Nuathal away and beating her. Rora could hear the Nuathal's cries echoing her own in Mori's memories, but she didn't flinch. The anger was gone, far away behind her, tucked away for those who deserved it.

She found him again and slowly laced her fingers through his. Then, when she was sure he was safe in her grip, her gray engulfed his blue. Just as he'd done for her so many times, she smothered the dark wave of memories and cleanly and simply as a sodden blanket over wildfire. The gray washed around them, coiling around him, cool and calm and close, and the black disappeared back into the dark, swept aside by Rora's mind, leaving just peace: blue and gray and Mori and Rora.

Outside again Rora opened her eyes and peered up at Mori, half adoring, half worried. She wanted to ask him if he was alright, if he felt able to stand, if he wanted her to make the Elders pay for their insensitivity.

She took a breath, started to ask...and then kissed him instead.

 

[Kaisaan]

He heard her.

Through everything he heard her, but it wasn't enough. Her words were not enough and Mori felt himself swallowed by the darkness, by the pain and the cold, cruel fact that he was alone.

And then the darkness was being pushed away, replaced by a lighter shade, by a feeling like silk sheets on a hot day, wrapping around him, safety and a sense of home. It was instantly overwhelming, instantly welcomed and Mori gave a gasping sob as he clung to it. The darkness, the memories were gone. He could feel them retreating, simply banished and his body shook with profound relief and aftershock, but he became aware of the touch to his face, of the forehead against his own, of the breath mingled with his and the warmth of Rora's body near his own. His nose caught her scent, but his mind was already wrapped up in her and that beat out anything else in this moment.

The gray was beautiful, so very delicate and fierce and his mind rubbed and twined against it without hesitation, like a cat seeking affection, giving affection. She'd found him. She'd said she would and she had. She'd found him when he couldn't find himself and Mori could have cried in that moment as his eyes opened slowly, showing both exhaustion, a rawness he couldn't hide and yet something so much more intense as well.

She'd been so angry. He could feel that now where he'd been blind to everything before and Mori wanted to touch her, to reassure her that everything was all right, that she could could relax now, but the words never came. No, he could say nothing as her lips met his, something he'd not seen coming, not with how frayed his mind was, and Mori found in an instant that he didn't want to say anything. No, he wanted to hold her and draw her closer, as close as her mind was right now and so that is what he did. His hands found a place under her jaw, fingers spread around her ears and starting around the back of her neck as he drew her nearer and he kissed her back.

He'd never kissed, had never been kissed, but instinct was such a wonderful thing, moving his mouth against her own and bringing to life a wondrous bliss he'd not known existed, and the black Aavan only pulled back when the need to breathe became pressing. To go from one extreme - pain, loneliness, fear - to another extreme entirely - comfort, safety, pleasure - rocked his mind slightly, made him feel dizzy and like he was a little lost, but it was such a good lost he decided as his violet eyes met green ones and Mori searched her eyes for a moment before leaning in again kissing her again, much lighter, sweeter this time before he pulled back slowly again, his breathing unsteady and his mind strangely calm when he knew it should not have been.

The world around them didn't exist, not in the least as one hand finally moved and the backs of his fingers brushed down her cheek, as if seeing Rora in a new light entirely and wondering, awed by what he saw.

Now he understood. His mother had been right.