Being loved [Midnight, Open]

[Midnight]

She wakes, shivering, great racking heaves shake her body. "What did I become?!?!" her mind screams. She had no idea what had happened to her in that brief span of time. She was terrified of herself.
After calming down, she crawls over and snuggles under Graal's chin. Then she steps back, and puts her paws on his muzzle, pulling his face toward hers. She carefully licks him between the ears, then releases him.
"What will help you?" she asks, ready to go to Akunikai itself to find the plant that will numb his pain.

[cptkickercutleg]

Graal slowly opens his eyes.
"My chest hurts..."
His mind flashes back, remembering the crack of his rib, the roar of rage from this tiny pup, and the damage she wreaked on her foe.

He lifts his head from the ground, resting his chin on Midnight's nose.
"Hush, Drappa, shhh sh sh sh shhhhh..." he whispers, gently rocking her from side to side by her nose.
"I am fine, Midnight, there is no need to worry about me..." he mutters, his eyes full of pity.
"I told you I would hurt you..." he sighs, taking his nose from her and looking her straight in the eye.
"Listen to me Midnight. We are together in this."
Graal shuffles his wounded body closer, wincing at the pain in his chest, he reaches out, putting his paw on her cheek.
"Together. I'm not leaving you, you did nothing wrong." he murmurs, breathe tickling her ear.

[Midnight]

"Stop. You didn't hurt me. I'm fine. The blood was from....wasn't mine." she replies. She is worried for him, and it didn't help when he flinched. She whines, and goes over to curl up by him. She wanted to warm him, but she was so small, and she didn't even cover half of him. "Fine, then, but lets go look for it together. You're hurt, and I don't like it."

[cptkickercutleg]

Graal stands, favouring his front right leg, standing on it hurt his chest.
"It's gone. Well, it's not quite gone yet, the bones'll still be there, picked clean by our friends, the Crows and the Ravens and the Rooks. As for my wound, I'll be fine. Come the next full moon after this, I will be healed." he says, keeping his tone strong and healthy, though his vision blurred and his mind screamed at him to lie back down.
He picks her up by the scruff of the neck and puts her down where he was lying, the spot warm from his body still, "What do you remember? Midnight, you must tell me everything down to the tiniest detail, you can stop at any point if you are too upset, but this is important for both of us."

[Midnight]

Midnight didn't object to being picked up. She liked it. She felt his thoughts, and knew how hurt he was, but he wasn't going to admit it or let her help, so she did what he wanted.
"Well......when I saw you hurt, it sorta felt like I exploded, but I didn't. I think my eyes were red... I saw the bear and pounced on it. Then..the rest, but I felt stronger than normal, and I didn't just want it dead I wanted it...like..gone. Forever. That was why I ripped it apart. My thoughts were like the real me stuck in a corner and then that me swirling around and battering me, my real self. Then I passed out, hard. It was hard cause when I pass out it feels like I'm landing in water, but that time it was like landing on the ground. Then I woke up and was scared of myself. But you're hear, so it's ok."
She said it all with a puppy voice.

[cptkickercutleg]

Graal listens carefully to Midnight, nodding encouragingly as she talks, although inside, his head screams at her to stop describing almost exactly what had happened to him at around her own age.
He whines, slamming his eyes tight against tears,
"I'm so, so sorry I couldn't protect you! If I had, you wouldn't have had to go to those measures to save us both! I could have protected you from this curse if I had just been a little stronger! I'm not good enough to be your brother, you deserve better..." he thinks, an utter feeling of failure flooding his body.
"Enough. You have to strong for her now, don't fail her again!"
Graal takes a deep breath, a peaceful smile coming over his face.
"I won't fail again."
"You're right Midnight, it'll all be okay from now on, I promise, I won't let you get hurt ever again." he says, leaning over and licking gently between her ears.
"You're such a good girl, Midnight. The best sister ever."

[Midnight]

Midnight was happy. She knew he would protect her, no matter what. She curled against his side, growing warm. Now she was really tired. Exhausted, she fell fast asleep.

[cptkickercutleg]

Graal smiles down at the winged wolf, his heart swelling with love and pride, even if he had done nothing to deserve it, he had a sister, and he would protect her to his dying breath.
"Sleep tight, Drappa, I'm here. I'm here and I'm not going to leave you, not ever..." he whispers, wrapping his warm body around her, ignoring the pain in his chest.

[Midnight]

~*Morning*~

Midnight woke.
Just in time to rush to the mouth of the den and watch the sun rise; tail swishing.
Gradually, the weak rays began to warm her. She ran her tongue over her muzzle, and was hungry.
Not to mention bored as all get out. So she went back over to Graal, planning to sit on him, then remembered his pain. She vaguely recalled a plant that he used on someone, once. Somewhere.
Ha! look at that! It was growing right beside the den. Mindful of his warnings that some juice, or pollen could hurt more than help, she proceeded. Plucking off a stalk, she went back over and waited for him to wake up.

[cptkickercutleg]

Graal stirs awake, curled around an empty spot on the ground where Midnight was sleeping, his chest thumping with pain.
"Midnight?" he calls, eyes snapping open and his heart skipping a beat.
It only takes a moment for him to recognise her standing next to him, and he relaxes, taking a moment to focus his mind, closing and opening his eyes again.
"Did you enjoy the sunrise, sister?" he asks, standing slowly to face her, butting his nose against hers gently.
"I do not need that flower yet, Midnight. Would you like to learn it's properties?"

[Midnight]

"No I do not want to learn its properties I want to see how fast it takes you to eat it." she said siting down with a determined look in her eyes. She was serious. Midnight knew he was in pain by a 6th sense.

[cptkickercutleg]

Graal barks out a laugh,
"You ARE trying to kill me, aren't you!" he exclaims, grinning despite the agony.
"Laughing doesn't help!"
"Put it down Drappa. It is more dangerous than you know, and it must be picked and prepared properly to be used. It does not just numb the pain, it neutralises almost every message to that part of the body. I may well lose the ability to breathe." he says, his chest aching horribly.

[Midnight]

Midnight grumbles incoherently. "Fine, but stop your pain. We still share a small mental link, and your pain is annoying. It's giving me a headache." In all honesty, it really wasn't. But she knew if he knew she was in pain, he would break.

[cptkickercutleg]

Graal sighs, closing his eyes and concentrating.
"So if I block my mind like so, you wo-" he grimaces as he opens his eyes, but after a deep breath, he smiles.
"Is this better? Or are my walls wrongly placed?"[/color he asks, concerned.
"You know I don't want you to suffer..."

(( it's 2am, I can't think of much else to type, coming off until the morning, going to see if I can't catch some sleep for once. ))

[Midnight]

"No, your walls are horrably placed, and I am suffering. Just go eat something that will make you feel better. I'll get food. I'm hungwy." She turned and loped off into the woods, searching for a meal. Soon she will find stream and get some birds and fish, bringing them back and eating some.