I wrote this a few days ago, and finally decided to post it here. Neither Kaimu or Alti are my favorites, but like others, I was curious about what happened to them that night that ripped them apart. This is my take on explaining it. I certainly do not agree with anything written here, and this is the first fic I've ever had to do such a disclaimer for. Enjoy.

Lightning flashed, followed in quick succession with the thunder. It was loud. She'd never heard such a loud storm before. She hated thunder storms and had been scared of them since she was little. Her sister had been the same, but it had always been her sister who would climb into her bed for company. When that happened, it was easier for her to forget her fears. She could focus on her sister instead.

"Nee-san?" came the whisper as the door creaked open. "Are you asleep?"

Kaimu sat up in her bed. "No… the storm's kept me up."

"Me too…" Alti said nothing for a few moments. "Can I stay with you?"

"Sure," replied Kaimu, pulling back the sheets.

Alti quickly crossed the floor and climbed inside. She snuggled against Kaimu's side, and Kaimu placed an arm around her. A flash of lightning and Alti pressed her face against Kaimu's side as she whimpered. The two were all alone in Kaimu's room, having just joined the Chor earlier that day. No one had placed them in a proper room just yet.

Kaimu couldn't explain how it happened, but the next thing she knew, Alti's hand had slipped beneath the thin fabric of her nightgown, running lightly across her chest. She shuddered and then winced when she heard more thunder. It caused Alti's hand to cup her breast and she gasped. She wondered how it began. When had Alti moved her hand?

She closed her eyes, wondering if it was a dream. Was it right? It felt so right…the storm pounded in her ears, but all she could hear and see was her sister, her closest companion since they were younger, no matter how she had tried to push her away. Alti's touch comforted her and eased her mind. She let herself kiss and be kissed. Soft and gentle, light. It was familiar somehow.

"Alti, Alti…" she called softly, embracing her sister.

The storm seemed to fade in her mind as she focused on her sister instead, hands wandering, searching, and exploring. She felt the warm flesh against her own, tasted salty skin, and found herself desiring more. More and more. Right, or wrong didn't matter. What mattered was what she felt at that very moment in time and she let her mind focus only on her sister, who kissed the side of her face and murmured in her ear softly.

"Let me, Nee-san. Let me do this…" she whispered, her hand slipping beneath the fabric.

Kaimu allowed her to lead and remove the clothing, and she soon did the same in return. Flesh touched flesh for the first time, and her sister took control, linking their hands together. "Nee-san…" she whispered, leaning down to kiss Kaimu.

The storm began to pass, fading away as they tasted and explored. Hands roamed and crossed, touching areas that had been long covered. Legs slide about and tentative fingers touched sensitive areas. Kaimu felt the pressure building and all too soon, a sudden release. She felt herself arching into her sister, trying to catch her breath. Alti cradled her, caressed her, brought her back down from her high before kissing her softly and smiling.

Alti snuggled against her sister, neither bothering to pick up the discarded clothing they had shed in the process. Kaimu placed her arms about her sister, and held her gently. No longer could she hear the storm outside of the walls. All she could hear was Kaimu's steady breathing. She listened for a time, letting that lull her mind and relax her. She drifted off to sleep, at ease.

As the first rays of sunshine crept into the room, Kaimu rolled over, trying to escape the bright light that was invading her room. Her arm brushed against something soft and warm, and she slowly opened her eyes. Hadn't she gone to bed alone? She saw Alti laying by her side, face scrunched up. Hadn't Alti been in her dream last night? The one where they had?... she blushed at the mere thought. It had only been a dream.

She reached across Alti for her glasses that she had placed on the nightstand before bed. That was when she noticed that her nightgown was not on her body. Fear crept over her body as she shook, sitting up slowly. The covers fell away to reveal her nakedness, and she soon saw that Alti was in much the same state.

Quickly, Kaimu scooted as far away from her sister as she could possibly get. Rising from the bed quickly, she tried searching for her pilot outfit. Her face was beet red as she tried to do so quickly and as quietly as possibly, not wanting to wake Alti in the process. She didn't want Alti to see her nakedness. An image from the night before flashed through her head of Alti tasting her skin and she shuddered at the thought. It was wrong and she'd done it. She shouldn't have.

Her fingers fumbled to pull on the outfit and she seemed to be incapable of dressing herself properly. Her hands scrambled to find her shoes; she couldn't seem to remember where she'd last placed them. She knelt down, looking beneath her bed.

"Nee-san?" came the sleepy voice. "Nee-san, what are you doing?"

Kaimu froze. "I'm dressing. You need to do the same and leave."

"But Nee-san."

"Stop it, Alti. Get dressed. I don't want to see you in my room again."

"But why?"

Kaimu spotted her boots near the end of the bed and reached beneath to grab them. She sat up and began pulling them on, not looking at her sister. She couldn't bare to even be in the same room with her right now. "Last night was a mistake. It should have never happened."

"But you wanted—"

"No. I was wrong. Leave me alone, Alti."

Kaimu knew that if she turned to look at her sister, she'd see the tears in her eyes. She felt the sting of tears on her own cheeks, but refused to let Alti know. She stood up and headed for the door, resting her hand on the knob. "Don't tell anyone of last night. It never happened."

"Nee-san…" called Alti sadly.

The door closed roughly behind Kaimu as she left. Alti sat up in bed, holding the sheets over her chest. She didn't understand. What was wrong? What had she done to hurt her sister? She had only been comforting her… Slowly she dressed in her nightgown and then looked sadly back at the bed that she had shared with her sister only hours before. It seemed strange now, as though she had never belonged there.

Alti closed the door to Kaimu's room behind her, and headed to her own room to dress for the day. She wasn't sure she could face the others. They were to meet up with the rest of the Chor for maaju practice in the afternoon.

"Did the storm keep you up too?" called a voice.

Alti turned, spying the orange haired girl. "Ah… yes. I couldn't sleep."

"So you stayed with your sister? How boring. Storms can be really fun you know." The girl hinted as though something more went on than just being by oneself.

"I…I see," replied Alti.

The girl bounced up to her. "Come on though. Get dressed! Then I'll tell you some really good gossip about Neviril and Amuria!" The girl then took her hand and took off down the hall.

Alti let the girl pull her along as they headed back to Alti's room. The storm had been fun last night… she didn't understand why Kaimu didn't feel the same. She thought her sister had felt the same way about her as Alti had felt for her sister. Apparently, she had been wrong, so very wrong.