They walk along the beach, peaceful.

For once there is nothing to weigh down their minds. Or perhaps there is too much, so much they simply cannot look upon it anymore, such a desperately insurmountable mountain they are forced to look away, gaze out upon the sea and let the lapping waves carry them away, ease their thoughts and save them from themselves. Fire Dancer and her brother stride atop the sand, and steer clear of the water; today they will not sink, but float, dance and laugh and smile and run.

He leads. She follows. Today, they are young.

The sea breeze plays with the tangles of her mane, draws affectionate fingers through tousled braids and clings lightly to the curvature of muscle as she runs behind her shadow kin, panting lightly, gritting her teeth against the exertion of pulling her weight through fickle sand. It is a good workout, a stretch and a jog; it makes her stronger, faster, better than the waif of a child she had been days, hours, moments before. The girl inhales the salty air and exhales her worries, the fluttering of her mind: she is a single focus, a happy creature with one simple goal, one aim, one desire, and not burden of leadership, no weight and wonder at being queen.

She laughs into the summer sky, and pulls up fast as her brother's voice barks a sudden, bright command. Tired? she teases the small black fox, blinking against the salt in her eyes. Inari! And Sacre! the boy replies, ignoring her ridiculous accusation of exhaustion- his body is far better equipped foe charging through sand than hers. Indeed, he pauses for a fractal second before dashing toward their distant friends, small body a black shadow launched like a bullet toward the bigger, red fox. His sister follows at a more leisurely pace, heart racing with exhaustion and delight. Of all the souls to meet today, this friend might be the very best; she smiles at him across the sand, black eyes vibrant, slashed cheeks flushed.

It quickly becomes apparent that her friend is distracted, occupied by something upon the sand, and curiosity plays bright pinpricks of interest in the copper child's throat, drawing her gaze and her ears and her nose. She lengthens her stride, eager to close the distance between them, to discover what treasure Sacre has found: will the bloodstained boy share the knowledge with her, or does he seek to hoard it, to hold it to himself? She hopes he will share; they have already exchanged so much, partaken in so many memories and built such a rapport, and she wants to share everything with him.

She cannot imagine a world without him as her friend, her bright, unflappable knight, the constant light in her shadowy world.

"What do you have?" the girl begins, her dark voice an alto strand upon the salty breeze, bright and curious, keen and warm. Embers dance around her as she finally slows, a length away, suddenly shy, unwilling to close the gap without his invitation. Natraj needs no such coaxing, feels no such shame; he is peering at the creamy egg, alternating between the unhatched kit and his one-tailed friend. Would this mean Inari had a brother or sister on the way? Jealousy rose in the kitsune's heart, unbidden. Would the fox now have a new best friend, a better one, and not need the little fennec to help him hunt or to play games? Petulant, unhappy, the boy slinks away, back to his sister's hooves where he settles, sulky, pointedly ignoring the other bonded pair. Copper child rolls her eyes. Usually she is the one for melodrama and insecurity; it is amusing to see the same reflected in her brother, if not a little tiresome. Of course Inari will still be your friend. Friendships don't just disappear because things change... friendships are forever, she swallows, and looks upon the blue-eyed boy, hoping that her words are true.

@[Sacre]