[PRP] Lights Out (Mimi and Izo)

[Kimaria]

She wept. She wept as if her heart was broken, her breaths ragged and gasped through the sobs that racked her body. She lay on the grass, shaded by the undergrowth at her side, her paws curled before her. Her snout was dipped towards her paws and, if one looked closer, it seemed as if she cradled something there.

Something precious.

She sniffed, drew her paws away a little and renewed her sobbing. They were dead. Truly dead. Poor things. Their lives so short. Their fire so bright but so fleeting. How she loved them, her little subjects. And how she mourned at each one's passing.

Three little fireflies lay on the grass, protected by the circle of her paws. Oh, what a terrible day.  

[Kimaria]

Miminiwa was blissfully unaware of the woe that had struck his dear friend. In fact he was humming a happy tune as he walked along in the light before stepping into the trees. He ducked and jumped as he made his way through the vegitation to that secret spot that he had been let in on. The place that his new friend, and perhaps best friend he didn't actually have many friends surprisingly, had taken him to once she had decided that he was a firefly-born lion.

Not that he minded.

It was nice and rather amusing how they had come to the conclusion that they were the firefly king and queen. And it was cute. However as he finally made his way through the trees and saw her weeping his heart dropped. "Izo? Izo what's wrong?"  

[Kimaria]

Her head lifted at the sound of his voice. Oh, in her grief she had forgotten to seek him out and tell him that they had lost more subjects... Her eyes welled and she drew her paws away, gesturing for him to come closer through the sniffing to keep tears back.

"Oh, Mimi. It's terrible." Her voice was hoarse. "We've lost three more, fireflies. I-I found them just a while back and...there was nothing I could do." She shook her head, scattering tears to the air as she stood. "I feel s helpless."  

[Kimaria]

"Oh Izo," his ears flattened against his head as he hurried over to her side. To him the deaths of their 'subjects' didn't hit nearly as hard. He realized that they were young lives to be cherished but they were still bugs. Beautiful bugs perhaps but bugs none-the-less and their life-span was never a long one. "I'm sorry." He sighed taking a seat beside her and draping a paw over her back.

"It's okay, they've gone to greener lands," he tried to comfort her not really knowing what to say or what she wanted him to say to comfort her. "I bet you they left babies behind to fill in the gap."  

[Kimaria]

She gave him a weak, watery little smile and reached towards him as he neared. Her nose found the growing mane behind one of his ears and pressed her face close to it. "Y-you're right. Even still...it's just not fair. Why should we live on and on and they...t-they just wither and die?"

She shook her head sadly. "It's hard being Queen sometimes." She glanced down at the tiny little dead insects and with a deep breath, picked them up in her mouth - being careful not to crush them. Then, casting a glance at the King of Fireflies, she moved down to the water's edge where the insects loved to fly.

She stood upon the edge and after a silent moment, cast the bodies into the water, watching them float away on the currents. "Goodbye...little ones." She whispered.  

[Kimaria]

"I know, I know," he replied nudging her with his nose lightly. "It'll be okay though, they're good at reproducing, when one life ends another is just begining," a small smirk spread across his maw as he spoke. It was something his muse had told him one day while he was lying in the sand contemplating things.

"Things die and it's sad," he paused shaking his head. "But would they want us to mourn them, or celebrate them and the life they led?" He asked smiling at his friend as he came up behind her near the water. "I don't think they'd appreciate you crying for them Izo, they always got so excited when you'd come and play with such...enthusiasm."  

[Kimaria]

She managed a slightly bigger smile, turning her eyes to him. Mimi. Firefly lion. He was a thing of beauty; a lion with the shining glow of a firefly. To think that they would have the good fortune of being born into the same pride.

"Then I shall try and keep smiling. For them." She moved closer, setting her head on his shoulder. "I'm glad you came to cheer me up, else I might have been crying all day long." She blinked, giving him a grateful look.

"I heard you humming before." She continued. "Have you had a good morning?"  

[Kimaria]

"I'll always be here Izo, why wouldn't I be?" He asked her reaching out to pat her on the head. He was glad he could help brighten her day, maybe having the sun as a muse really did fit him. It was bright and could easily make someone's day just by shining, and he was bright too. Like he was always being lit by the sun. And he was generally a happy camper.

"It wouldn't do you good to spend the day crying, the fireflies would've been worried," he told her resting his head on her, slightly it was more pressed against hers. "What?" She had heard him humming? For once he was thankful for his pink fur as it hid the blush nicely. "Ah, um...yeah it was good, better now."  

[Kimaria]

Giggling, leaning into his touch, couldn't help but purr. Things were much easier when he was around to help sort out all the jumbled up emotions. And, with a chirp, she bounced backwards. She cast another long look across the water, dipped her head a little and then turned back to face the shining lion.

"Feel like running?" She asked with a sparkle in her eyes. "Because I do." And with a laugh she twisted in the opposite direction and took off through the trees.

She was a swift runner indeed, her sleek body able to pass through trees and hedgerow with only the slightest difficulty. With a laugh she glanced over her shoulder to see if he had taken her up on her challenge.  

[Kimaria]

He was content just sitting there with her, well standing in his case, when she suddenly proposed a game. He blinked and pulled back just a bit, right around the time she did so herself. "Running? Well I--" She didn't give him the chance to finish his sentence when she took off running.

He stood there for a minute, a baffled looked upon his features before he cracked a grin, shrugged and took off running after her. She had gotten quite the headstart but he was pretty fast, though it was harder for him to get around the limbs, roots and other plantation. "Imma get you Izo."  

[Kimaria]

She slowed to throw a glance over her shoulder. Sure enough he was coming after her, and fast, too. She'd have to be more tricksy! With a laugh she darted to one side, plunging into the thicket and pulling her way through.

Let's see if he could chase her through this!

And then the branches snagged on her, trapping her snout, squeezing at her shoulders and...oops...she was trapped.

She laughed. "Mimi! Help! The plants have got meeee~!"  

[Kimaria]

He couldn't help but laugh as he came up behind her and found her ensnared. "Looks like you got yourself stuck in a very thorny situation Izo," he teased shaking his head. He moved closer to her to assess the damage, he'd have to break the branches around her shoulders. Otherwise she wouldn't be able to escape. But first thing was first.

He tagged her. "I got you," he told her before reaching out a paw to the closest branch and pushing down on it. One...two...three. SNAP.  

[Kimaria]

She threw him back a pouty look - though it wasn't clear whether he could see it through all the branches. "I know. I know. Help!" And then he tagged her. He tagged her!

"Got me? I...I guess you have." She smiled and, as the branches came away she forced herself through the rest of the way and then turned back on herself, intent on heading back after him.

"You better run fast cos I'm at your heels!"  

[Kimaria]

He grinned broadly as her as he stepped backwards before turning. Then he took of running. "I'm not sure you can catch me Izo!" He taunted glancing back at her briefly as he ran back towards the fireflies. He was glad he had helped to cheer her up. He hated it whenever he saw her looking down, or simply being sad.

"Come on! If you don't pick up your pace you'll never catch me!"  

[Kimaria]

"Of course I can!" She called back, eager to rise to this challenge. She dug her hind paws into the ground and pushed off hard, desperate to catch up and tag him back.

"You are the antelope, I am the lion! I'll have your throat!" She laughed and her eyes danced with excitement as she quickened her pace. And, with little preparation she set her paws firmly and leapt at him, intent on closing the gap between them.