everything started as it normally would have that night. sora left on a night patrol and came home by midnight. even she needed rest, after all. so, the woman went home. setting her sword to the side and crawling into her bed. she was worn out from patrols, hunting, and training. she needed a nap. that was where her mistake may have come.

she fell asleep. she fell into a deep rest, but her paws twitched in the real world. her face making pained grimaces from time to time.

----

she was in her birth body. a fox running from something. her son grasped tightly in her jaws. she fled from the danger gaining on her. alas, it was as though she was not truly moving. she and her son were ripped into the sky. pulled from the earth before they could reach the den the den where her daughter was hidden.

swirling upwards, her son ripped away from her maw. tossed into the unknown. she was screaming, but no sound left her. sora would fly from the tornados grasp. slamming into the ground miles from home. her soul leaving only to find its new home in this body.

and then she was running to her old burrow. to her daughter. her son was gone, but maybe.. only she wasn't there in the real world, but this time she was. her little baby. yet, before sora could reach her daughter she was whisked away. flying backwards through the night sky until she was dropped once more. only this time she woke.

----

sora jolted awake with a slight yelp. fur on end as she looked around the room. ears folding back on her head as she closed her eyes. fighting back the tears that threatened her. "zuriela.." she whispered the name as her eyes opened. slowly, with what broken will she could find left in her, she rose to shaking limbs.

it was then that she realized she was not on her bed. that she was not her normal wolf self. no. something was off and she forced herself to look around the room. deciding, for now, to leave the space and find her way outside, the woman left her sword behind.

not wanting to wake anyone else as she moved to get some water. she felt odd. everything was the same, but she didn't feel like herself. at the waters edge, she looked down. seeing her normal starry face looking back. she didn't understand why she felt off.

trying to shake the feeling, she would lower her head to the water to drink. feeling like she was oddly taller then before. blinking those bright yellow eyes, she would lift her head once finished drinking. trying to forget her dream. trying to forget the feeling something was off.

so, she headed back to her bed. only, she couldn't make herself sleep. so, before she reached home, she veered off track and found herself a large rock to rest on. it was there that she took a seat. gazing up at the stars above and closing her eyes. the dire wolf sighed softly.

feeling as though the winds were whispering to her. she just didn't understand it. "if she is alive.. give me some sort of sign." she pleaded with what ever gods there were out there. opening her sorrow filled eyes to see a star fall from the heavens.

she followed it as it fell across the sky. her eyes never losing track from her perch until it fizzled out of sight. was that her sign? was her kid out there? part of her wished she knew. part of her was afraid to find out. she failed to protect both of her kids. one died because of her. she could never expect the other to forgive her. if they were even alive out there.

----

the sun was coming up when the woman dragged herself back home. stopping to the left of the sun cabin and laying down. her eyes distant as she looked up at the slowly lightening sky. she had to know the truth. even if she got hurt in the process. how else could she heal? how else could she ever move on from her past failures?

so, her mind was made up. once everything was settled here, she would take small trips to seek her daughter. there were other groups out there. she could start there and maybe, just maybe, she would find her. if not, then she would try elsewhere.

she just hoped she wasn't making a mistake.

not again.

never again.


//she is now a dire wolf

"speech"