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 Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 5:57 pm
It had been... Quite a while, really, since Toshiro had turned on her. She had run south, then turned west in an effort to be rid of him, and had encountered a mysterious flame-marked male. She didn't remember much more about him besides the marks, really. And what he'd done... Now, wounds healed and scars present in her gleaming white coat, the adolescent lioness trudged along. She never realised how lonely she was in the world, and suddenly felt the pang of missing her sisters.
She stopped, feeling a different pang. A rather... Physical pang. Her ears twitched back as she winced, glancing at her swollen belly. She knew nothing about having cubs... She looked around, seeking a safe place to hide, to wait for it to just end. The pain suddenly ended and she wondered if that was it. She'd find a hiding place, anyway.
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Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 6:11 pm
It was a rather small den, but it was big enough for at least her and... She had no idea how many cubs there would be, but the pain was rather intense. She curled up in the den, ears flattened back as she dug her dark claws into the dirt. Each pain reminded her, made her think of the piebald male's blows to her body, her very soul. Kimiko shifted, letting out a pained roar. It would draw attention, but... At the moment, she didn't care; All that her mind was focused on was the pain, the intense pain!
What felt like hours passed, and the pain never seemed to end. A glance at the den entrance told her that the sun was setting, which somehow... Worried her. Was it supposed to take so long? The white lioness got up and paced the cramped space, stopping as another painful contraction gripped her. Her legs possitively quaking, she tried not to collapse. It was no use, though, and she found herself on the ground, on her side.
Another roar tore from her maw as she shifted, pushing the cub towards the world of life, of being outside. Before long, it seemed the pressure ended, and she found a cub in her midst, soaked in fluids and a bit of her own blood. The young mother pulled it close with her mouth, grooming it. The coat was so white, with the same flame marks as the father, but she had other marks... Ones Kimiko didn't recall seeing before.
She'd just finished cleaning the cub when more contractiosn followed, as did two more cubs. Neither one moved, though, and no amount of nudging and licking could bring them to mewl, move, or even breathe. Her heart sank as she realised only one lived. Kimi looked at her two stillborn cubs, then her one living, wondering what to do. After a moment of heart-wrenching deliberation, and despite her weakness, she picked up the one living cub and went to find a different den. The scavengers could have the other two, as much as she hated to do it.
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Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 7:13 pm
The small cub only moments old meow against its mothers movement of picking it up and carrying it to another den. She seemed otherwise all right until her mother started moving to fast as she let out a small whimper of being tossed about a little more then should. Though she intently stopped he pleading once her mother slowed down to a semi peaceful speed.
Her tail wrapped around her small semi curled legs. The end flicked a little as she started to grow annoyed of still being in her mothers mouth. She wanted down she wanted to eat. This hungry was growing intense inside her small stomach. She began to grow a bit loud as she begged for food.
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Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 7:22 pm
Looking about, Kimiko poked at various dens. Her body demanded rest, and the cub demanded food, but she felt... Unsatisfied. Finally, hidden by a cluster of bushes in a rock outcropping, she found a den that was safe and spacious. Laying down, she rested the cub at her belly, finally relaxing enough to drift into blissful sleep.
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Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 7:31 pm
The small cub used this time to move against its mothers belly tell she could find what she was looking for. Her small mouth clasped onto one of her mother's nipples as she began to softly purring a little as she began to suckle and drink.
Shortly after getting her fill she crawled closer to her mother and snuggled closer getting as much warmth as she could.
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Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 1:57 pm
Dawn came far too soon for Kimiko, but so did the sound of others outside. She blinked blearily, then got up to go investigate. Gold eyes narrowed in worry as what looked to be other lions approached, but they seemed to not notice her presence as they left. The white lioness went back to her one little cub, licking it gently as if to assure herself that, yes, it was still alive.
How could something so small seem to hurt so much? Not only physically, but... Kimiko looked at the cub, and felt a sort of shame. In all her life, she'd been tough, fierce, and not shown any signs of weakness or dared to let another touch her. But in one moment, just a few days of her life, she had shown far too much weakness for her liking, and now she had a cub that seemed to embody this shame, this weakness. But she couldn't just HIDE the cub...
After several days of deliberation, in which Kimiko was able to catch herself a couple meals to stave off total weakness, she decided on a plan. She had to find one of her sisters. Gently grooming over the cub's back, she held it close. "My little Masozi... Please at least remember me, for you may never grow up to know me..." She let out a soft breath over the cub, letting her remember her mother's scent, then lifted her. She had a ways to go to find a sister, any sister, even if she had to go all the way to the south.
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Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 3:24 pm
Chau had wandered off once more from where it was she was supposed to be, wherever that even was anymore. No, the white and pink lioness was always known for doing that sort of thing, for walking off and not returning for a few days. She wasn't sure where Kigao was this time though, where he'd gotten off to. Her mate was always the one that found her, however this time was different.
Not sure what would find her this time, or if it even would at all, Chau just kept walking, choosing not to worry about it and keep moving. Usually the most fun things were found when one didn't stop. The pale looking lioness would admit that she didn't always find fun things, sometimes she found upset things, or hurt things or dead things. Those weren't fun, but then that was part of life. There were times when she found males too, when she found them she usually ran however, ran as far as her paws would take her.
Lifting her black nose to the air, Chau closed her jade colored eyes. She smelled something familiar in the area, but it was a smell that came with another, something that confused her and forced the small lioness to question her own nose from so. This smell hadn't ever wanted her, this smell was one of the ones that had cast her out and left he. So what use was this smell anymore to her?
Turning slightly, Chau changed her direction. She had to know.. but she was afraid to. Why was that one here? What was happening to change her scent?
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 12:53 pm
Kimiko stopped, nostrils flaring just a bit. She could smell... Her sister. Or one of them. Gold eyes looked in the direction, and she did something normally uncharacteristic of such a proud lion - She slunk over to meet her sister. Gently setting the cub down, she looked up at the jade-eyed lioness. "Chau..."
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 2:01 pm
Jade eyes stared into the yellow eyes of her sister warily. It had been a long time since Chau had seen Kimiko, in fact the last time they'd met there had been somewhat of a scuffle. Kimiko wasn't known for being nice and her attitude was as fiery as what she wished she always was.
"Kimi..." Chau's voice trailed off as she peered at her sister.
Just from looking at her, Chau could tell her sister had seen the harder part of life. Even down to the small cub at her paws.
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 3:30 pm
Masozi'ambala didn't seem to complain much retting by her mothers paws. Stretching out her flame printed paws a little she yawned as she thought her little body should get some rest now that her mother was not caring her any longer.
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 4:34 pm
Kimiko looked down at her cub, feeling her heart ache. She was attached... She'd attempted to not be, and she already was. Gold eyes returned to Jade as she sat back, whole body trembling. "Chau... I've... I've been a fool... I thought I could be tough... That I needed nobody..." She choked on her words a bit, as tears started to fall. She was breaking down, completely and utterly, and nothing could be done to stop it. "And now... Now.." Tears fell down to the cub, gently raining on it. "I can't do this... Please... Chau... Help.." The look of utter and complete defeat was in her eyes as she looked to her sister, her sister she'd normally scorn for the salmon-pink markings she bore. Perhaps it had truly be jealousy that had made her hate her sisters so much - Kimiko, the plain black and white one, with only shadows for marks, and her sisters so vibrantly marked with pinks and greens.
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 5:59 pm
Staring into the golden eyes of her sister, Chau felt a strange weakness fill her whole body. Her sister was 'begging' her for her help, pleading and crying, shaking where she sat back on her haunches. The cub was so tiny and so fragile looking that Chau felt a sort of pity for it and her sister.
"What happened Kimi?" Her words were soft, almost a whisper really, but they were stern. She was demanding the answer, not asking for it. If Kimiko wanted her help she needed to answer her, Chau was willing to help her sister of course, but she wouldn't do it without a reason and an explination.
Looking at her sister, Chau saw why she envied her. Her black and white... so different from her and the rest of her pink sisters. Chau with her hatred for the vile color marring her fur envied Kimiko so much for her beautiful black... but she would never say it.
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 7:26 pm
She was ashamed to admit it, ashamed to say it, but... She NEEDED to say it, she could hear it in her sister's words. "T-Toshiro... Turned on me... And attacked me..." She shuddered, still remembering the claws, and the pain... And the aches.... And just wanting to run... "So I ran... I ran as far as I could... And this male showed up, I didn't know him, and..." She choked, breaking down into sobs. Laying down, she curled around the tiny cub, nuzzling into her little back. Tears soaked Kimiko's cheeks, not staining them, but seeming to clear away dust.
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 10:02 pm
A frown split her normally gentle face. This was one of her most cruel sisters, the stable thing in her life. Chau was so used to cruelty that she didn't know how to take this new form of her sister.
Holding in a sigh, Chau walked over and lay down in front of her sister, her eyes trying to hold onto Kimiko's. She knew what it was like to be hurt by those that you thought you could trust. She had been hurt by some of her own once before, long ago.
"Kimi... it'll be okay. I'm here for you." her voice was as gentle and soft as it had been in her entire life. Like clouds coming from her muzzle. Chau wasn't going to hurt her sister... no, there was no way that Kimiko could be hurt worse and Chau certainly didn't like to see her brave and bold sister like this. "We all make mistakes Kimi, I've made some of my own as well. I'll help you."
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Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 5:59 pm
She saught comfort from her sister, something the monochromatic lioness never usually did. Shuddering with sobs, she glanced up a bit. "Thank you... And..." She hiccuped a bit, "I'm... I'm sorry... I'm sorry I was such a rotten sister... I'm sorry I never showed affection... I'm sorry... So sorry..." She burried her face slightly in the cub's fur, effectively soaking it with her salty tears. "I... I can't do this... I can't raise a cub... I've been such a horrible sister, and... I'm just... I'm not ready... I'll make a horrible mother right now..." Trying to calm down, she looked up at her salmon-marked sister pleadingly. "Can you take her...? You're so much nicer, and... I don't want her growing up as bitter and cold as I've been..." She wouldn't admit it, but... At that particular moment, she feared nothing quite as much as her own child growing up to be like her.
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