Broken Dreams

Synesthesia was born in a litter of 3 pups and was quite the sight compared to their siblings. Her pelt was adorned with splashes of color, specks of various yellows and blues a common sight along her mainly pink coat. Her two siblings, Khan and Viviane, could not be more different. They had mainly brown pelts, with Khan having some darker - almost black - markings along his face and legs, while Viviane had lighter, more auburn-colored markings along her underside and face. Due to the appearance of Synesthesia, he was already seen as some kind of bad omen, obviously standing out against the normal browns and grays of the Sable pack, and was shown disgust and distrust by almost all of his packmates.
Her mother, Miyabi, was devastated at everyone's response to her pup and once the three had weaned, she spent countless hours trying to convince the pack leader, Navi, that everyone was wrong about the pup. They were just a child, her child, how could something so small and innocent be capable of so much wrong in such a short time span? None of it made sense to Miyabi, but she eventually gave up on her efforts and spent her days playing games and teaching Synesthesia, as even her own siblings had grown fearful of their sibling's appearance. Synesthesia appreciated her mother's attempts, but nothing could really get rid of the pain of knowing your packmates, wolves who were supposed to be like family to her, hated her for things he'd never done, things he didn't even know of. None of it made sense to the pup, but life would move on as always, and life would be alright as long as they had Miyabi.

As the seasons changed, Synesthesia changed with them. She had aged into a young adolescent, and it only seemed like her pelt had grown more and more vibrant, which only continued fueling her packmates' distrust. Thankfully, they still had Miyabi to stand up for them, but time had taken a toll on his mother. Her devotion to her pup had made her an outcast, and since Synethesia's father had made a home in another pack, she truly was alone with her child. Miyabi had silently grown resentful towards her now adolescent pup and had become harsher during their training, slowly distancing herself until there were short time periods where Synesthesia would be left alone, now an easy target for her packmates. This had left him with a sour taste in his maw and a heavy heart, was he really that bad that even his mother couldn't stand him anymore? She wasn't sure what to do with this newly found free time, and often spent it moping around with a lowly hanging head until one day, when she was approached by Khan and Viviane. His two siblings had grown into a mischievous duo and were known to pick on those under them, and Synesthesia really couldn't have been a better target. The two approached them with a convincing facade, expressing their sorrow for having left them the way they had, and explained they wanted to start over, become friends and strengthen their bonds as siblings. She was practically head over heels once they finished speaking and quickly agreed, and the duo shared a sly grin before suggesting they go on a walk to catch up, which she instantly agreed to.

The trio headed out into the forest shortly after, Viviane rapidly firing off questions for Synesthesia to answer, while Khan provided the occasional sarcastic comment as he guided them deeper and deeper into the forest. The sun's rays comforted Synesthesia as she answered whatever questions Viviane had for her, oblivious to the rustling in the bushes surrounding them. It had happened so quickly, he hadn't even registered what happened until Khan was toppled over, a heavy-looking Grizzly standing over him with a snarl and claws sunk into his chest. Viviane stumbled back with a bark filled with fear as she landed on her hindquarters, watching her brother be crushed under its weight before it lunged for her throat, the bear dropping her now lifeless body once it was satisfied with the crunch its jaws had produced. Synesthesia was frozen for a few moments, staring at their sister's fearful expression that was now forever ingrained, before eventually swallowing the lump in her throat and making a mad dash back to her pack's den. He heard the bear attempt chase, but it was swiftly called back by a small cry belonging to one of her cubs.

By the time Synesthesia made it back, it was early afternoon and she could already sense some argument among the dens as she broke through the entrance of her pack's camp. Almost instantly, every wolf had stopped what they were doing and turned towards the adolescent, accusatory whispers quickly arising as they realized he was alone. His yellow eyes quickly darted across the gathered wolves before being interrupted by the large frame of Navi, the pack leader, who held a fiery gaze. 'Where are Khan and Viviane, runt?', he had rumbled and she was quick to stutter out a response, explaining they had stumbled across a bear and her cubs, that she didn't know, that she was sorry. Navi only snarled at her, saying something along the lines of 'Only the guilty have reason to be sorry, to feel guilt.', and she dared to look up at the leader who had nothing but hate in his gaze. She winced, trying to look for her mother in the crowd, eventually finding her sitting alone with a mixture of resentment, hate, and complete sorrow in her eyes before she eventually shook her head at her remaining pup. Synesthesia would find no defense from her, and her heart had shattered at that realization. He never meant for any of this to happen, it wasn't his fault, why couldn't they see that? He looked back up to Navi, now with a much more defeated look, before lowering it in submission. Navi growled in response, snapping his jaws uncomfortably close to the adolescent's ears and face, and she had never felt such emotion as she shrunk in on her smaller frame. His packmates began growling alongside their leader, and Synesthesia had felt like he truly lost everything when his mother joined them, a brutal snarl adorning her usually soft features. He had nothing left for him here, and quickly turned tail and ran straight for the entrance as his former packmates moved in closer.

Synesthesia broke through the messy brambles of their pack's camp, tears quick to break through as his mind became a whirl of thoughts, but she continued on. Ran until they couldn't anymore, until their front legs had buckled, and their face had smashed into the ground and tears were mixing with the earth. He truly had lost everything he had in just a few hours, leaving him broken and with no energy left to move, to live on. Their vision eventually faded to black, and they fell into an uncomfortable sleep filled with recollections of his life, leading up to this dreadful day. They eventually woke up but had no will to move, and lay there on the ground, wishing it would just open up and swallow her. He couldn't tell the exact time, or how long he had been there, but he was quick to fade back into unconsciousness. This time, however, their nightmares were absent, and he was met with an open field where his mother and siblings lay. She ran towards them, faster than she ever had before skidding to a stop in front of them. Her family didn't react to her presence, no matter how hard they tried, and eventually, she just collapsed next to them as sobs wrecked their body. This was so much worse than any nightmare, why had life taunted them like this?

He woke up with a start, quickly wiping away any leftover tears from his dream before his face contorted with confusion at the realization the ground beneath them was not the broken dirt he collapsed in, it was much softer and seemed to curl around his body, unlike the dirt that just piled around him. They looked around, quickly gathering that they were in some sort of den, there were bundles of herbs laying neatly in piles, and the softly colored wolf staring at them with wide orange eyes, covered in glowy blue feathers and other adornments. He was about to speak, but the wolf quickly backed out of the entrance before swiftly returning with another wolf, one with an air of authority that made him wary. The two shared a glance, and the wolf covered in feathers gave a dip of their head before making their exit. This left her alone with the unknown wolf, who's coat was a mixture of cream,white, and brown. After they finished they silent examination of each other, the wolf, who she now identified as a female, spoke up. 'What is your name, young one, and where do you come from?', She had no compassion towards him in her voice, and showed no sign of feeling bad for him either, which was oddly comforting. He was hesitant in responding, he wasn't really Synesthesia anymore, was he? Synesthesia was the wolf who adored his mother, practically attached to her leg all his life, and was hated by all his packmates. Well, he was still hated by his former packmates, but he wasn't Synesthesia, now just a fragment of the wolf he used to be, broken… That was it! He may not be Synesthesia, but he was broken. 'I call myself Broken…Broken Dreams now, and I come from Sable pack, though they've driven me out.', she responded with a hint of confidence that had never been present before, and the she-wolf gain a short nod, seeming to contemplate something before speaking again. 'Well then, Broken Dreams, I am Corrupted Sunrise, Leader of the Pack of Fire and Chaos. I do not doubt your tellings of exile, as you were found alone and unconscious on our territory, but that does not mean I have any feelings of trust towards you. You will be held as prisoner until you are nursed back to health, and if you can prove yourself in that time, you might just secure a spot in my pack for yourself.' Corrupted Sunrise spoke with a hint of a smile on her maw, and Broken Dreams nodded enthusiastically, maybe a little too much energy, but how could one not be excited for the future now? Synesthesia had lost everything so,so quickly but Broken Dreams was new, didn't know anybody here, and none of them showed disgust towards her appearance, or distrust because of it. They didn't know her, but they could learn, and she could learn them in turn. She would prove herself to this pack, do whatever it took to earn her place here.

This was no longer the scared, lonely Synesthesia, no - This was Broken Dreams, ready to take back what was theirs, determined to do whatever it took to get where they needed to be.

Lore written by Macaria #85792

Spoiler
Pup Training:

"Velvet leapt powerfully at Ancient Blue Creampuff and went for the thick fur under her neck. Ancient Blue Creampuff was faster and swatted Velvet away, growling that going for the underside of the neck is only for killing, not for play."

"Nightfall of the Demon tied the toy to a string made of straw. She pulled the toy between rocks and bushes and Velvet had to pounce and steal it without being detected by Nightfall of the Demon's keen senses."

"Leaves? Rocks? Underbrush? Twisted tree stump? Eroded slope? Velvet learned to use any environment and its features to camouflage successfully."

"Aurora Australis used a few distracting scents to tempt Velvet as they practiced. A successful scout needs to have a will strong enough to stay on the right track no matter what, even if they are hungry."

"Asmodeus ᴺᴮᵂ examined Velvet's technique while she chased a young stoat. The young pup kept getting discouraged, but she will learn that failures are a part of the lesson."
Spoiler
Changes made:
"Your chosen wolf curiously inspects the changed pattern on their fur! Go and see 𝓢𝓾𝓷𝓼𝓮𝓽 (#6622026)!" Changed Diana Sallander from 44% opacity to 100%.
"Your chosen wolf feels a small growth creeping over their fur! Go and see 𝓢𝓾𝓷𝓼𝓮𝓽 (#6622026)!" Applied Wisp Ornate spots 1t 100% in slot 9
"Your chosen wolf howls as the lunar dust covers its fur. They become one forever. Go and see 𝓢𝓾𝓷𝓼𝓮𝓽 (#6622026)!" Changed base from Sarder to Biform.
"Your chosen wolf gets goosebumps from a chilling wave going along its entire body! Go and see 𝓢𝓾𝓷𝓼𝓮𝓽 (#6622026)!" Changed claws from white to duorum.
"Your chosen wolf gets goosebumps from a chilling wave going along its entire body! Go and see 𝓢𝓾𝓷𝓼𝓮𝓽 (#6622026)!" Changed nose from black to cynthius.
"Your chosen wolf is excited to show off their new fancy patterns! Go and see 𝓢𝓾𝓷𝓼𝓮𝓽 (#6622026)!" Applied Amor cracks at 75% in slot 8.
"Your chosen wolf is excited to show off their new fancy patterns! Go and see 𝓢𝓾𝓷𝓼𝓮𝓽 (#6622026)!" Applied Hydrangea ghast at 100% in slot 3.
Applied Relaxed Pose