Kiri swallowed nervously, each step dragging as looked to the bipeds he'd trusted in that single moment. Many sat, some rocked with quiet cries of distress. Fish sat next to Swift, her hand resting on her head. Her tears welled as Kiri approached. "Why? Why did you bring that creature to hurt us?"

Kiri's hands trembled, his own eyes clouding. "I didn't know where else to go... This is my home too." He ran a hand through his hair, wincing as fresh lines of blood raced down his arm. "I.... I didn't know he'd hurt you. Hurt your family."

Brother reached out slowly, his fingers moving with just the slightest hesitation. "Can you help us?"

Kiri's legs gave out, dropping him to the floor as he tried to catch his breath. Tears ran down his face, his sobs shaking his form as he shifts back.

He pressed his muzzle against the kit so still on the ground. Her fur a rich dark red, so short it could hardly be called peach fuzz. "Little one...." His mind reached out, hoping to find a spark, a sign.

Her mind faded, faint mental tracks disappearing on the winds of the mental ether.

D'vala pulled him back, "Kiri! No. She's too far gone. There is no choice left for her. She already made it."

Kiri pulled back, his mind scanning. Illandria's voice soothed, pulling him along.

Swift lay against Bladen, his tongue rasping over her head with every shaky breath."Deep breath. In and out. It's almost done."

She pressed her head back into Bladen's chest. "Is he still listening?"

Bladen glanced over, the tiny little silver cougar curled into a perfect loaf. His tail fluttered, flickering in and out of this reality. "He is."

Her back arched, internal organs spilling out across the ground as she screamed. Every muscle twitched, coiling against one another.

The kit flinched, "I.... The story is great... But I don't think I can stay...." He glanced to his feet, his little claws slowly being pulled free. "I'm scared."

Illandria chirred, "Come on little prince, it's not that much longer. Curl up here, right beside me."

He raised a foot cautiously, focusing hard on bringing it back down. Winds whipped through his mind, ripping him from his perch.

Kiri went silent, his abilities tearing through time and space, weaving a desperate pattern beneath the realms.

Swift reached out, her claws sinking into herself, tearing, forcing the kit to land on soiled grasses. Her body revolted, shutting down around her mind.

She ducked aside, forcing herself to run. To leap to the next mind, no matter how they yelled at her to stop. A vortex caught her, pulling her steadily free from the tiny body.

She grinned, placing one foot in front of the other, soft hands drying the kit when she couldn't. She forced it to breathe, hacking coughs wracking it's body. She cooed softly, the storm disappating around them.

Kiri nosed Fish's hands aside, his tongue stroking the little boy's head. "Come back little one. You can. You fought to stay before. Fight again."

Sharp fangs broke skin, claws and teeth sinking into Swift's tail. The little cat glared up at her, half lost to the other side.

She spun, pulling her tail, and him, free back to this realm. "You came back." She pressed her head to his, ignoring his squeak of horror. "I'm sorry. I...." She wrapped herself around him, her chirr rattling her body

"You stole my body!" Came the muffled cry, "That's not allowed. It's my body. And...." He curled up closer, "I never found out what the name of the prince was in the story..."

Kiri twitched, the kit's soul settling back into its body. He gently scooped it up, carrying it back to Swift.

Illandria slipped in, curling around the pair. "His name is Loki. A male of great stature, a trickster through the centuries. A storyteller, creator."

The kit snuggled closer, "I like that story. Can I be the little prince in your next story?"

"Who says you weren't the prince in this one?" Illandria chuckled.

Swift waited as the kit drifted to sleep. "Dria, will Bladen be ok with the body?"

She glanced back to him, "I think so. Or at least I think he'll warn us if he becomes not ok." She rests her head on top of Swift's, "You are amazing. You know that? Very few adults could have ever lived through what you have. I wouldn't have questioned for a second if you left after this. Yet you are still here."

She smiled, "Kiri swore me the same oath. If I die he will follow me. I'm not letting him go. He's my best friend. I love him. I don't want a day to go without me by his side."

Kiri gritted his teeth, forcing himself to shift again to a biped form. His fingers trembled, stuttering through the pain. "Are you ok? Can I help you guys get safe?"

The people gathered close, some frowning with fear, others concern. "How old are you?"

Kiri shrugged. "Don't know your translations. 6 months."

They exchanged a look as Kiri's legs gave way beneath him. He settled to the floor harshly, shifting back to his canine form.

Fish flicked her brother's friend in the chest, pointing back towards their village. "Well, let's stop standing around. Ash is badly injured, and unless we plan to leave these 3 here, we need to get the sleds to get everyone safely home."

One lady chuckled, only a few scratches on her, "Is that so? Are you claiming to be the next chieftain?" She teased, 4 others heading away.

Fish glanced down at her feet, "Well... Uh. No... But it needed to be said, didn't it?"

She ruffled the girl's hair, "It did. And you'll do great in a few years. But for now, why don't we leave those requests to me. You can help me with them instead."

They returned, their sleds built with fur and branches, each branch bound with the sinew of the animal they'd killed.

Kiri leaned out, his nose touching the fox fur on the bottom pelt. He flinched back, his ears flat. "I uh... I'll walk I think... I don't want to ride on the skin of my mother."

Fish gasped, her hand covering her mouth as she turned to stare at the adults in horror. "You brought those sleds?!"

Frost settled in the tree above, his nose twitching. His eyes widened slightly, glee, if he could understand such a thing, filling him. It was true. Just like that, another alpha minded Dukari joined the ranks. His grin grew. "And Firestorm will never get any of them." He purred, his wings stirring the leaves as he took flight.

He angled in close, swooping back to the ground to catch at the dead left there. No sense wasting such a delicacy to the earth. A frosty net gathered the pieces, each one carefully wrapped before he dove through the waves on his way home.

Kiri pulled himself back to his feet carefully, gently taking the little kitten in his teeth.

The bipeds gently lifted Swift from the ground, her head lolling to the side.

Kiri swallowed back tears, watching frost creep across the sling. "D'vala, why us? When do we get our happy time? Our peace and quiet?"

She stared off into the distance, her breath trembling. "Kiri." She spun on him, her teeth bared, "Why couldn't you just...." She let's her head drop. "Sorry.... Sorry. I.... I don't know, and I really don't feel safe around here. I want to get away from the bipeds."

Kiri whined, pressing himself close. "Can you? And leave me here with this body?"

D'vala swallowed hard, her throat closing at the unexpected compassion from her little headmate. "Wh- no. Kir, no. I'm not going to just leave you here. Not when everything is going on."

He gave her a gentle shove, "You can't help me if you're panicking. I can't leave. Swift needs me. The little boy needs me. Sure he's not mine, but he's pack and I am not playing that game again." He turned back to look out. "So go D'vala. If you need to be away from the bipeds for yourself, then don't let me hold you back. Hopefully, this will be the last of our adventures for a while yet."

D'vala wrapped herself around him, holding him close. "If I do this, you'd better call me the second you even think you might need me. You hear me? No debating it. I don't care if you just want to ask me a question."

Kiri grinned, giving her a shove. "Go. Maybe you can find us a fun new island, with less bipeds."

Fog drifted across his feet, his energy draining like a sieve as his mind emptied. He focused on the tiny being held between his teeth, fighting against the panic raiding his mind.

The kit rested his paws against Kiri's chin, chirring softly, "Its ok... right?" Came the tiny question.

Kiri watched them pull his packmate away, back to their home. "I hope so. I sincerely hope so."

"What's my name, Alpha."

Kiri set the boy down, curling around him. "We don't know yet. Your mother may have an idea, but I would've called you Galaxy, if it was just my choice."

The kit wrinkled his nose, burying himself in Kiri's fur. "That's a weird name. Why that one?"

"When I look down at you I see worlds swirling beyond ours through that silver coat of yours. Strong willed, determined, an incorruptible spirit with the fight your mother owns with a passion." He ran his tongue along the little cat's back his ears flicking back. He catches the kitten by his scruff, heading back to the people. "You should ask her that question too, I know that she was originally given a name she really hated, and she chose the name she has now."

"Really? What are your names?"

"She is Swift now, I am Kiri. You're welcome to call us by any of those names, or by something else."

Bladen lifts Swift's head as Kiri sets the boy down. Kiri pressed his head to theirs with a gentle chirr, "I'm going to see if Frost really did leave."

"Be careful Kir. You can hardly walk." Bladen warns breathlessly. He whispered against the kit's head. "Star."

Kiri cocked his head, his smile growing. "Same reasoning as my Galaxy." He turned, jumping up into a tree. "It's ok Bladen, I'll be quick. I really don't want to pass out in a tree. Promise. I'll be back, lickety split."

He scoffed, "You'd better."

Kiri bounded away, tracking scents as quickly as he can. He slid, his numb feet dropping him from his branch, slick with new ice. Shells crunched, sending Kiri in a spin. A single disk hung with a slow twirl, its bag held still with a thin spiderwebbing of ice.

He crept close, his nose brushing against the frosting. Frost's voice purred through his mind. "You're strong kit, stronger then I expected for one of your ilk. Your loyalty is admirable, though foolish with one so young. This here contains the meds I'd have ordered for your little pack member, if she was in that condition in my pack. Have fun with her and your little biped pack. If you want to learn more, come find me. I'll know."

His gaze flitted between the leaves, searching for that glimmer, the faintest sheen hidden in the fields of green.

Frost closed his eyes, hiding that tell-tale gleam beneath the minds within simple beasts. Waiting.

Kiri shivered, snatching the package from the ground. "Thank you... But she is not just pack sir. She is Alpha. And she stands at my side. Please refer to her as such." He blinked back tears, tilting his head up. "Thank you. Sincerely."