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 Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 10:30 am
Omoa trotted past the boulders, past the trees, and past the waterhole where she had first met Ithie. Her best friend. Her only best friend; she was fine with that. The only problem was, Omoa had to say good-bye. She and her new father were leaving soon for the ocean, and the cub had a feeling she wouldn't see Ithemba for a while.
Which she hated to think about, since the two had become such great friends.
Her paws took her past her treasure tree (she had decided to leave most of her sparklies there, and hope no one else found them. If they did, well, she hoped they wouldn't take everything.) and closer to the mud and pile of rocks she and Ithie had first explored together.
She hoped she could find her best friend here. If not, she would have to give up and go back home. It was getting dark out and Jethro would be worried if she didn't' return soon.
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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 10:38 am
Ithemba sat at the base of her favorite tree, staring placidly at the sky. The sun was disappearing slowly but surely from the sky, and already the first stars of the night were becoming visible, despite the sun not being fully set. An evening breeze was flowing by and it ruffled her dark fur. She sighed along with the sigh of the wind and closed her eyes. She was thinking about her friend, Omoa; or Moa, as she had been nicknamed that day.
It had been a while since they first met, and they hadn't met again since then. Maybe Ithemba's sad fears were becoming true; maybe Omoa had forgotten about her, or maybe just forgot where she lived. Ithemba leaned against the large, old trunk of the tree and listened to the night.
A faint sound echoed in her ears; something like footsteps. They were close, but not that close. Ithemba opened her eyes and jerked out of her sleepy state. She stood. Was it one of her family members? Or something that was going to attack her?
Or maybe it was--No, it couldn't be her...Could it? Ithemba swallowed hard and peeked around the tree.
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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 10:54 am
A black and white shape with piercing eyes that suddenly appeared around the tree startled Omoa, and she screeched and stumbled backwards. Although it wasn't fully dark yet, the sight of the brightly-colored eyes of her best friend had frightened Omoa. She giggled after realizing her mistake and bounded forward, nuzzling her friend.
"Ithie!"
Omoa kind of didn't want to tell her that she was leaving. But she had no choice; they were leaving soon. She didn't want her friend to worry, or think she had been abandoned. She waited a few moments longer 'til Omoa had to tell her friend the bad news.
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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 11:32 am
With a choking gurgle, Ithemba realized that the cub charging straight for her and nuzzling her was her very own best friend. Her heart was slamming in her chest from the shock. She had only been thinking about her seconds ago, and there she was! It was like magic.
"M-MOA!" she sputtered, still shocked, and also slightly embarrassed with using nicknames, still. She clumsily nuzzled her friend back. "What are you doing here?" she asked, a smile finally showing on her face.
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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 11:42 am
"I was looking for you, actually!" she exclaimed, smiling back. "Are you here by yourself again? By your favorite tree?" Quickly and effortlessly, she changed the subject back onto Ithie. Omoa didn't particularly want to talk about why she was here all of a sudden.
But she had been hoping her friend had been near her tree, at least. Maybe they could even play in the clay at the base of the tree, this time! She had always wanted to do that. They'd have to hurry, though. She didn't have all day again.
"How are you? I haven't seen you in forever."
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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 11:49 am
"Yes," Ithemba answered quietly, smiling. Doubt entered her mind at Omoa's quick change in topic, but then she remembered how Omoa liked to talk, and the doubt faded. Still, she felt unease at something. Why would Omoa come so late in the evening? Well, she was one for adventure, right? Ithemba shrugged it off. She always thought to much about pointless things. It wasn't really her fault that she had pessimistic tendencies...
"I'm doing well." Ithemba replied to Omoa's questions. "It's been a long, long time." Her mind wandered to the memory of when they broke open that shining, beautiful rock. That had been such a fun day. Maybe they could have a bit more fun before Ithemba had to go back to her mother?
"There's...Some clay there," Ithemba nodded her head over to her favorite tree. "Wanna play?" she asked tentatively.
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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 11:57 am
"You read my mind," she replied, bouncing over to the clay. Her paws quickly fiddled with a big chunk, but she soon paused and looked back over at Ithemba. The guilt at not telling her friend the truth was eating away at her, and she couldn't take it any more. She had to tell the truth.
"Ithie, I did come here for a bigger reason," she began. Her eyes dropped down to the pile of earth at her feet as a distraction. "I don't want to, but I'm leaving the rogue lands."
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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 12:05 pm
Ithemba stumbled over to the clay and watched her friend play in it. It was interesting to see someone else have fun with it for a change, instead of her being by herself. Her brothers hated her playing with the clay...
But before she had time to join her friend, Omoa spoke those scary words...
A wave came over Ithemba; something like a wet, cold sheet being draped over her entire body and holding her there. Ithemba closed her mouth, her smile vanishing. She swallowed and stared unblinking at her friend. "Leaving the rogue lands" wasn't what had startled her at first. But just the word "leaving" was more than enough to get her attention.
"...Leaving?" Ithemba echoed, still staring. "...Do you...Have to?" Ithemba asked, immediately regretting asking such a stupid question. But it wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair. She had finally met her friend again just to have her leave? Maybe for good?
It wasn't fair.
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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 12:13 pm
"I don't want to leave you!" Omoa saw Ithemba's face and quickly tried to reassure her friend. "I'm just going to the ocean! I'll come back and visit, I promise. And maybe you can come back with me, and meet my new daddy and the other lions there."
She hated leaving. Everyone had left her when she was younger, and now she was doing the exact same thing to her only best friend, and she hated it. She hated herself for it, too.
But she would visit. If Jethro wouldn't let her, she would run away and go by herself. And then Ithie could come back and visit with her. Maybe that could work.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I really don't have a choice in the matter. Daddy wants to go see his lady again." She knew that wasn't fair of her to blame the whole situation on her new father, not when she had been the one constantly asking if they could visit the ocean yet.
But what's the use of a parent when you can't use them as an excuse or blame them for something?
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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 12:22 pm
Despite her friend rushing to reassure Ithemba, Ithemba was continuing on a downward spiral of emotions. Her mind whirred with thoughts. Omoa was leaving...
To the ocean.
Ithemba had never seen it, but she had been told of it. It was vast and beautiful, but mostly...
It was far, far away.
"You have a daddy?" Ithemba mumbled quietly, maybe so quietly Omoa didn't even hear it. Ithemba had never known that her friend had any kind of father. It was strange...She felt close to Omoa, but she still knew next to nothing about her. That didn't matter, though. Friends were friends just because, weren't they? But friends were always together. How could Omoa leave? She was leaving...Far, far away. She'd never come back.
Suddenly, Ithemba raised her head. She stared at Omoa and smiled. "That's okay, Omoa." she said in almost a monotone. "It's not your fault...It's my fault. It's my fault, right?" she asked. "It's always my fault." she murmured, looking away, a strange smile still on her face.
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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 12:56 pm
Omoa's ears flopped downward, her tail came to a rest by her side. She looked at the ground, incredibly guilty. How could Ithemba think that this was her fault? She had nothing to do with it. Omoa wished she could stay, just for her friend.
But...maybe, they weren't friends any more.
"He's my new daddy," she mumbled just as quietly. She was surprised that she heard Ithie--Ithemba's question, but she did. "He just adopted me."
"It's not your fault. It's my fault." She spilled everything. "I'm the one that wants to go to the ocean so badly. Ever since Jethro--my dad--told me about it, I've wanted to see it. Just to say that I have, and perhaps even stay there for a little while. You never know.
"But I do promise that I'll come back and visit. Soon. I promise." She frantically tried to think of a way to cement this into Ithemba's head. "The rocks. Our rocks. Remember them, and remember that I'll come back and we'll fit them together again, okay?"
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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 1:03 pm
Only a very mean person would want to separate two friends. Omoa's new "daddy" must be that kind of person, Ithemba thought.
It just wasn't fair. But then again, it had been Omoa's idea. Maybe he wasn't that bad...
"Oh, you wanted to go..." Ithemba mumbled. She sighed, finally releasing all over emotions. Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought of the rock they had broken. She wasn't one to start crying, but she couldn't help it. It was true; they both had a piece of it to keep. And one day, they would meet again.
It wouldn't be so hard...Either Omoa would find her way back, or Ithemba would try to travel to see her...To the ocean. No matter how far away it was.
"You're right," Ithemba said quietly, smiling a true smile at her friend. "You're right, Moa. We'll see each other again."
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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 1:20 pm
Tentatively, almost afraid that her friend would break and it would be her fault, and that she would have to somehow find Ithemba's mother and show her the millions and millions of tiny pieces that Ithie had crumbled into, Omoa approached her friend and gently nuzzled her.
"I will come back. And then you can come with me, so you know the way and can visit any time you'd like. And so my daddy can meet you, and you can stay with us when you come to visit."
She glanced upwards, staring at the darkening sky for a moment. It was getting late; she was sure that both their families were about to get worried about them, staying out so late in the day.
"You should go home before your mother starts worrying about you, Ithie," she smiled gently and nudged her. "You know how she gets, better than anyone. I'll stay here until you leave, and then I'll go. Okay?"
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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 3:38 pm
Ithemba smeared a paw over her face in an attempt to wipe the tears, and to also "wipe away" her sad feelings. She really was being silly about it all. It wasn't Moa's fault that she had to go away...
...Well, it was, in part. But Ithemba was forgiving and let it go. Besides, she didn't want Omoa to be stuck in one place just like she was.
Ithemba bit her lower lip hard, once again trying to pull herself together. "Okay," she said, agreeing with Omoa. Omoa would visit and then they'd both be best friends again, forever. "Okay, Moa." she said again. "I'll--I'll visit, too." she tried not to sound like she was lying. She really did want to go visit, but she knew that it was impossible; at least for a while. She gave a short, clumsy nuzzle at her friend and then stepped back. Her ears perked up suddenly at an idea. She turned her head to look at the clay patches and ran towards one. Her mother could wait a minute longer.
"I'll make us out of clay." she said, more to herself than to Omoa. "You can help, too. It'll be our last game before you...leave." she said slowly. "Just real quick."
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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 4:07 pm
Omoa giggled and bounded over next to Ithemba, pawing at the thick clay. "Sure!" she agreed, sitting down and pulling a small pile next to her. "Do you want me to make one of me, or you?"
Already her steady, small paws were shaping a clumsy form, slapping on extra clay on one side to balance out the features. She looked around for something to make eyes, a face, a mouth...ah ha! Omoa stood and wandered around for a minute or two, looking for the perfect stick for Ithemba, and a stick for herself, as well. She found a decent pair, snatched them in her mouth, and trotted back to her best friend.
"Hur, I found theze," she said with a full, smiling mouth.
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