A Twisted Vanity

[Shadou]

Sayomi stopped walking away and prodded her siblings around her. "Come on, let's listen in." She said, before trotting into the bushes.
And Sora did the same (she and Sayomi had had a little talk themselves). Daitaro followed Sayomi with a feeling of guilt that he was spying on his parents. And yet at the same time he was very excited to as well.

"So, how have they been?" Shadou asked, tilting her head away from her mate but looking at him all the same.

[Silv]

Zen wagged his tail and bounded after Sora, Daitaro, and Sayomi, crouching in the bushes beside them, despite his pang of guilt.

Sirius flicked his ears.
"They've been fine. Got a little scared when we crossed over Kuna terratory to get here, but they've been fine. and what about your trio." he asked.

[Shadou]

Shadou shrugged. "Oh, excitable is a word for it." She said casually. "They've missed you. Oh.... erm.... I. I'm going to be straight with you, have you seen Azerex around? I mean, let him near the pups?"

[Silv]

Sirius narrowed his eyes, slowly.
"Let him near the pups? Oh, sure." he said sarcasticly. "I just went up to a complete and dangerous lunatic and shoved the pups up to him."

[Shadou]

Shadou growled herself. "I didn't mean like that." She snapped visciously, tail lashing. "I'm just worried about them."
Shadou stood and turned, and then sat back down, sitting away from her mate. "Well, they don't stop going on about when they can see you again. It's like the never-ending conversation. When can we do this with dad that? When can we do that with dad this? It's no surprise to me they want to stay with you for tonight." She explained blankly, now trying to get away from the Azerex conversation.

[Silv]

Sirius shrugged, trying to calm his anger.
"Well, it's the same where ever we are. Every night, every morning. Only when we're on the go do they keep quiet." he murmured. But deep down inside, he wanted more than anything to leave the three pups to Shadou. To be free again with Azerez, who was lurking nearby, to not have to make sure they were all there, not have to be sure they lagged behind. Things like that. But he didn't voice his disturbence.

[Shadou]

Shadou flicked her ears. She sensed Sirius wasn't well with this himself, though in what way she did not know. "What is wrong? They seem so happy to see me, and yet at the same time I just feel they aren't the same since I last saw them." Shadou said, turning full body to face her mate. "And on this topic of feeling well, how is Azerez?"

[Silv]

Sirius sighed and rested his head on his paws.
"it's just not the same. When we were friends, we were comfortable around eachother. And now, I can't even voice my feelings to you comfortably." he pointed out, avoiding his thoughts carefuly. "Azerez feels the same; it's..different with the pups. Different around you. that is why he didn't follow us out to meet you."

[Shadou]

Shadou snorted. "Am I really that much of a problem?" She said huffily, tail flicking suddenly. "So it was when we were friends you could tolerate me, eh?" She went on, standing. "Then I'd really better go. Wouldn't want you and Azerez to be feeling depressed any longer." And with that, she began to walk away.

Sayomi, meanwhile, gasped, and tried to get out from the bushes quickly. Het attempts failed however, as Daitaro tried to detangle his fur. The two of them fell out in a heap in front of their mother.
Sora stayed perfectly still as she watched her mom leave her dad, her heart felt like it was being wrenched from her chest. Why did they have to argue like that?!

[Silv]

Sirius's tail drooped slightly, but his ears stayed pricked. So it would always be like this, he thought, turning with a slight huff and padding several paces away.
Zen crouched beside Sora, eyes wide in shock. Their parents couldn't do this to them!

[Shadou]

Shadou stopped and looked down at Sayomi, her eyes hinting fury. "So you were listening in one us?" She said loud enough for all to hear.
Sayomi and Daitaro nodded solemnly. Sora stepped out herself. "I was too." She said, with a hint of fear. "Me and Sayomi.... we were hoping you to would get along for once! Get back together so we could be a family again." She barked.
Sayomi's ears flattened, however true it was she didn't want to get involved.

[Silv]

Zen, too, padded out to join them.
"Me too. I wish you could at least try to get along!" he cried. "Father was just telling you the truth!" the young pup added more quietly, ears and tail drooping.

[Shadou]

Shadou flattened as the pups chorused together in agreement. "It's not that simple, and I've told you that!" She said, sitting down and rolling her eyes. "And true as it may be, there is no reason to go hiding in the bushes as if I'm going to bite. Have you ever considered the fact that I am not that happy about being a single parent either. And unlike you-" She began, turning to Sirius and flattening her ears "-I don't have any help. Not around here, oh no. I'm well and truly alone in this land of yours. And I've never gotten used to it!"

And with that, Shadou stood and walked away, stopping to turn and look at Sayomi. "Come on, let's find somewhere to sleep."
Sayomi shook her head. "So you're not going to even try?" She pleaded.
Shadou growled and turned away, before tilting her head to glance back at her pups. "I did try. I tried a long time ago, and the way things went then. I just don't see the point."

Sora's jaw dropped. So that was it then, that was how her mother felt. Tears welled up in her eyes, and without thinking anything else out she fled the scene, whining miserably. Sayomi and Daitaro simply sat, and watched their mom walk away with the fading hope she would stop and turn around.

[Silv]

Zen layed down and rested his head on his paws with a sinking heart as bnoth parents stood up and walked away; Sirius returning to Azerez in the shadows, Shadou going where ever she might be going. His ears flattened and he opened his jaws to plea once more, but shut them again.

[Shadou]

Sayomi watched her parents leaved, aghast. Had they not noticed? This enraged her.
"Are you two so wrapped up in your own world you don't notice when Sora fleas?!" She yelled heartily and surprisingly loudly. "Or is that you just don't care about us anymore?"

Shadou turned and jumped at Sayomi in an urgent and worried way, who yelped and leapt backwards in shock.
"Which way did she go, then?!" She asked, looking around with tears already forming.

Sora ignored the shouts, if anything they made her run faster. Then she ran smack into a big, black wolf. Thinking this was her father or mother, she ran past him, and straight into the den where MoonWolf lay.
There she cowered in a corner, hiding her face in fear she was in deeper trouble than she had been to start with.

[Silv]

The ghost-white she-wolf lifted her head and blinked in surprise. To her own surprise, a slight smile formed at her jaws.
"Why, it seems we have ourselves a visitor." Moonwolf said softly.

[Shadou]

Sora shook wildly, covering her muzzle with her paw. She relaxed slightly at the smile that formed upon the jaw of the female. "I-I.... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to barge in." She whimpered in a pathetic way.

Shadou left Sayomi and looked at Sirius, the fury and worry obvious. "As their father, Sirius" She began, controlling herself "I ask you to help me look for her."
And with that, the female turned, picked up Sayomi in her jaws, and then walked away to the den she had found. "Daitaro, you in here too. And you, Azorez. Now then, we're going to go find Sora. Can you stay here and keep watching for her if she comes back?" The mother asked, watching Daitaro slink into the den beside Sayomi.

[Silv]

Sirius flattened his ears.
"Only as her father." he mumbled. Sirius bent down and nudged Polarius and Zen twards the den with their siblings before padding to stand near Shadou.

Moonwolf nudged a small pup back from the den's entrence before looking back at Sora.
"And where's your mother?" she said softly.

[Shadou]

Sora gulped, her auds flicked nervously. "She's arguing with dad again. Ever since they split I hoped they might at least try to get along, but I guess that's a dream." The little pup sad sadly, her head falling to look at her paws. "I just wish we could be a family again."

Shadou sighed and looked at Sirius, with a look that seemed to half apologise for the argument, went to go off into the night.

[Silv]

Moonwolf bit her lip. Night Wipser had told her something like this. Who was it about? Sirius? It seemed impossible that he would argue with his mate, the one who had seemed to perfect for him.
"Well..." she murmured, unable to think of something to say. "where was this? When was this?"