Disclaimer: I don't own Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts!

Title: Everything Stays

Summary: Billions and Kipo reminisce on their brothers.

...

"Are you going to move to the city?"

"Probably eventually," Molly said with a shrug, gesturing to some Timbercats with her free paw. "Got some cleanup to do here first, you know?"

"That statue?"

"Amongst other things." The Mute scratched Yumyan under his chin with a sigh. "I know he won't understand, but he belongs on the wall. Yumyan Hammerpaw is a goddamn hero, and I want the kittens to eat pancakes under his eye."

"Yeah," Kipo said. "He'd like that."

"That reminds me. Here." Molly unlatched the cat from around her shoulders and handed him over to her. "Lemme grab something before you go, yeah?"

Kipo cradled Yumyan's bottom legs and let his front paws rest on her chest. She watched, bemused, as Molly strode over to the Axelord's chair. "I'm not going far. I'm coming back tonight to work on Hugo's statue."

"Oh, I know. I've just been putting this off all week."

Kipo bit back a sigh. She didn't want to wait to go to the observatory any longer, because that meant it would be later when she got back. Sleep was coming and going for her these days, and Kipo could already tell tonight was going to be a night of tinkering away. And she was okay with that. She wanted to finish the statue as soon as possible; get it up and engraved. She wanted the world to know Hugo. The way she wished she could've known him.

"Here she is!" Molly said, and hefted Yumyan's old axe up and over the chair. Even for Timbercats it was large and looming, befitting only someone by the name of Hammerpaws. Molly held it out for her to take as Yumyan leapt back onto her shoulder. "Here, kiddo."

Kipo's heart constricted. It was without thought that she went to take it with purple jaguar paws; not out of some sort of perceived threat, but of reverence. Respect. "Molly, I couldn't just-"

"You know he'd want you to have it," she replied.

"That's not the problem." Still, she slung the strap around her shoulder, if only to avoid having it fall to the floor. "This is Yumyan's axe. I couldn't just- make it mine."

Molly scoffed. "Of course it's his axe! Just like that's his chair, and this is his weird little non-Mute body. I'm not giving this to you to make yours. I'm giving it to you because I know he'd want his axe to make music even if he couldn't strum it anymore, and there's only one Timbercat I know who can pluck the strings the way he likes." The white molly gave a solid slap to Kipo's shoulder. "He thought of you as his, Kipo. Let him sing your songs with you."

Her claws tightened around the neck of the instrument. A lump in her throat made it impossible to talk. She snorted, nodded, and squeezed her eyes shut to avoid shedding more tears. Not now. Not in front of Yumyan's scritchable face.

The Newton Wolves weren't exactly Kipo's biggest fans. True, things had settled greatly over time, but dogs and cats are still dogs and cats. But today they hardly even second-sniffed her, waving her in without even asking for knowledge to hunt. Kipo took that as a bad sign.

She soon learned why when, upon locating the door to the main telescope room (a newer, but much smaller, model had been installed) to hear talking. "Please, brother, I know words are difficult, but this is the center of the universe! You can say that, can't you? You can say sun?"

Guitar heavy on her back, Kipo jammed her foot into the wall beside the door, effectively giving Billions a warning of her impending 'arrival'.

He cleared his throat and smoothed out his collar. "Yes, yes, come in."

Kipo edged inside, closing the door behind her. Billions snorted and rolled his eyes as she approached. "Hey. Just swinging by to remind you about the statue unveiling next week. You never responded to the invite, so we were worried they got lost."

"Brother ate them," he replied, terse. "I hardly understand why that primate should get such a fancy statue. I mean, shouldn't it be a statue of all the Mutes lost? Or of you, for defeating that waste of space debris?"

"The Timbercats wanted to make the Mute one, and I don't want a statue of me. Hugo wasn't always right, but... I really do think he believed in Aurum. And I think he saw something like it in us. That means something to me." Kipo touched the wolf's arm. "You look tired, Billions. You need to take care of yourself. It's safe now."

"Is it?" he replied. Bad Billions had watched, enraptured, as they spoke to each other, head twisting back and forth. His brother reached shaking hands out to rub his ears. "In a pack, we all howl together. Brother won't howl at all. I can't help but wonder if this is my comeuppance for failing him. For failing everyone." Kipo could see the tremors now, itching under his fur like bug bites. "He's gone because of me, Kipo. How am I supposed to be okay with that?"

"I don't think you can be," she admitted. "I... know what you're going through, Billions."

He looked at her. Really looked at her, eyes roving up her shoulders and across her new instrument. He looked away. "Yes, I suppose you would."

Kipo leaned her slight weight on his shoulder and laughed. It was bitter. "I'm sorry, this is so awful. I'm jealous of you. You and your brother have been together since you were puppies. I'd just got my brother back. I'd just got almost my entire family back. Hugo, Mom, Yumyan..." Her teeth, sharp and carnivorous, dug into the side of her cheek. "He's dead, Billions. I barely even got to know him. And it's all my fault."

Billions tutted and awkwardly patted her arm. "He loved you. Take solace in that."

"He loves you," she shot back; and Billions- rather than waste time trying to deny it, desperate to wave even the slightest bit of guilt away- nodded.

"I think that's the only reason he's still here, honestly. He probably yearns for a normal wolf life, but he stays." Billions pressed his forehead to the other for a moment before pulling back. "I'll come to the ceremony. But, first, let's have a howl, shall we?"

"You better not expect me to be in key," she joked, but tipped her head back as he did. The other wolf cocked his head and listened.

"You see what I mean?" Billions asked as they trailed off. "Not even a bark. I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong."

Kipo grabbed the neck of Yumyan's axe and slowly turned it around. It felt right, nestled in her arms. "Maybe your howl doesn't sound the same to him now that he's not a Mute anymore. Maybe he's just looking for the right note."

"This isn't a song, Kipo. It's howling."

"Then let's make it a song." She held a hand out. "Come on, Billions. Help me write a song about him."

A smile crossed his muzzle, unbidden. Billions took it. It was always a bit unsettling how strong the girl was, tugging him to his full height without even a grunt of effort. "Sounds delightfully cheesy. I'm sure they'd've liked us fussing over them for a whole song."

Kipo snickered. "Oh, they would've eaten that right up."

"If he howls for you, I'm disowning him."

"If a canine howls at my singing, I think that says more about my singing than the canine."

"Nonsense," he replied, primly. "Wolves just adore howling at and with things they love."

"Awwwww."

"Sometimes, we even let a pesky cat join in."

Kipo blew a raspberry at him.

Author's Note: Another cute Kipo-Billions oneshot! I had a lot of fun with this one, though I'm really sorry for the delay I had to give. Here's hoping you enjoy!

-Mandaree1