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Poor Xerxes' ears tucked deep down against her skull as she witnessed Eliinwylu once again going into hysterics. It pained her to know that her new friend was in such pain ... and fear. She knew what was going on now, but she was scared to tell her. Scared that she wouldn't take the news well. Despite the fact that the gift she held was a very sought after one. It was very obvious that Eliinwylu was not in favor of such a gift.

After much struggling, it became apparent that she wasn't going to get the leopardess to move an inch. She was firmly rooted in place. Xerxes sighed, finally giving in to the larger feline's strength. Walking around to her front once more, Xerxes plopped down beside her and took a deep breath.

Shoving her face closer into her companion's personal space, she tried to look as stern as possible. But she came off as more silly than anything.

"I've seen others like you before, but i've never seen anyone as worried as you are about it! I guess that means you really don't know...." Pausing a moment, she allowed the silence to drown out Eliinwylu's panting.

"You've been blessed by the gods Eliinwylu!"

She yelled at near the top of her lungs. Quickly realizing her mistake she covered her mouth and stared wide eyed at her friend.

"Isn't that cool?!"

Xerxes tried to suppress a giggle, having finally realized how serious the situation was. Eliinwylu was terrified, and she'd only just realized all of this wasn't the joke she'd been making of it.

"No Eliinwylu, you aren't going to die. Everything is going to be OK! I promise!" Xerxes reached out to pat the leopardess' paw but quickly pulled away. Perhaps the touching was her trigger? She couldn't prove it, but every time she touched her, the girl went off in convulsions.

"You're able to see the future. That's all! There is no death involved ... Well unless you see death."

Xerxes' ears perked as her head tilted to the side slightly.

"What is it you're seeing Eliinwylu? Is it something bad?

Xerxes' own ears held close to her own head as she watched Eliinwylu go through a small episode within herself. She supposed the information was a little much to take in ... especially if it were coming from a complete stranger. But she still wanted nothing more than to comfort the poor thing. She seemed distressed, and terrified. Why, the other seer she'd met ... had been nothing like her. They had embraced their visions and used them to further assist those in need of it. But then ... the other seer hadn't had such an immediate response to his visions.

How badly Xerxes wanted to reach out and comfort her, but after recent episodes she was thinking better of her judgements. "Yeah, like things that haven't happened yet! Sometimes the things you see don't always come true, but other times they do come true!" Xerxes bounced on her paws, trying her best to comfort her.

"Well ... it could mean a number of things ... maybe you have god's blood somewhere in your family line! OH! Or maybe the gods just found it fitting to bless you with the gift!" Xerxes nodded her head, and finally tired of her bouncing. Instead, she took up a position just in front of Eliinwylu, lying down on her back with her paws in the air. Her eyes staring intently into Eliinwylu's.

The more she listened to Eliinwylu's explanation, the more confused she became. Her visions were far less advanced that the seer's she had met before. That sort of ruled out any immediate relation to a god. "Oh ... Well its OK! You don't have to know exactly what they mean anyway, well ... unless they involve you. I mean .... i'd want to know if they involved me.

Wouldn't you, Eliinwylu?"

Xerxes could see the pain all over her new friend's face and she wanted nothing more than to be able to wipe it all away for her. But from what she had learned, Xerxes' hugs and tackles of affection only garnered her further pain and anguish. Xerxes cringed in reaction to what she could only imagine Eliinwylu was going through at this very moment. There had to be something she could do to help her, Eliinwylu was her friend now! And having her suffer wasn't an option she wanted to leave her with!

Xerxes was lost in her own thoughts, but not so lost that she didn't hear Eliinwylu when she spoke up once more. "W-Well... some gifts aren't always apparent in their meaning. Some gifts can be in disguise, and you won't know they're good until its time for you to realize it." She wanted to pat Eliinwylu on the paw but held back, gods if only she knew how difficult this was for her. Poor Xerxes was in her own world of pain right now.

"See maybe that's why its in disguise! It won't be seen as a blessing until its time to help you in some way, or maybe someone you love!" She knew her words weren't going to help much but she had to try.

Try .... Try ... Try ...

There had to be something she could do to help Eliinwylu!

It took only a moment, but in that moment Xerxes jumped to her paws with a loud gasp and darted away - yelping only a few words as she did so. "I'll be right back! Don't you leave OK!?"

---

She was gone a bit longer than she had intended to be, but she had finally gotten a hold of what she had been looking for. Or at least, something that would do the trick for her experiment ... granted her friend would allow her to try it. It was a giant leaf, from atop one of those large canopy trees. It had a thick skin, and there were no tears in it from what she could tell. This would work perfectly for a first attempt, and if it worked, she could only go up from there!

Tugging from the stem, she finally made it back to her and Eliinwylu's spot to find her friend still sitting there waiting for her to return. She smiled at her fondly, and bounced around at her feet once more.

"OK! OK! OK! I got something for you! But you have to let me test it first! Plleeeeeeeeease Eliinwyluuuuuu pleeeeeeeeeeassssee?" She smiled her cutest smile at the female and did her best to look adorable, while not exactly telling the female what she had in store. Too many questions would result in a quick and definite NO, which was exactly what Xerxes did not want.

It was only a guess at this point, but a guess was more than nothing when it came to helping a friend. But she wouldn't go forward unless she had Eliinwylu's blessing. This was Eliinwylu's life, and she wasn't going to barge in and help or ruin it without the full support of the owner. As she stared at her friend with pleading eyes, she watched her friend stare back. Was that her way of telling her to go forward?

"OK, so I was thinking..." Xerxes began,having left the large leaf behind, pacing in circles. "You seem to have your visions when someone touches you! Like fur on fur! But what if someone touched you ... but didn't touch you?!" The female paused a moment and stared at her friend to see if they were on the same page. It didn't appear so, but maybe she was just holding back her fears. "So that's what the leaf is for! Its a prototype, or something like that ... I think! If it works, there are sooo many different paths you can take from there Eliinwylu! JUST IMAGINE IT!"

She had to stop herself, she was beginning to get ahead of herself here. First she had to test her theory. "OK, now you be still, and we'll test this puppy out!"

Now standing with leaf in mouth, she lunged at her friend. The leaf fully protecting her from having any actual contact with Eliinwylu's fur. Any part of the two that touched one another would be separated by the leaf. Xerxes winced her eyes closed, and held her breath as she waited to see if her guess would actually work.

Xerxes finally dared to unclench her eyes and sneak a peek up at her friend who had yet to begin screaming or writhing in pain. She was praying silently that this was a sign of something good to come.

As she finally mustered the courage, and locked eyes with her friend she noted the same look in her eyes as was in Xerxes'.

It had worked afterll.

"We did it?!" She mused, pouncing back and away from her friend and hopping around on her paws. "You didn't see anything bad this time did you?!"

Of course she knew Eliinwylu hadn't, her silence was enough of an answer on its own.

"I'm so happy for you Eliinwylu!" She chirped up as she appeared beside her friend once more, a soft purr emanting from her throat. "I took a shot in the dark, and i'm so glad it worked for you."

If Eliinwylu were open to it, this entire idea could change her life for the better. No longer would she need to act with others as she had acted with Xerxes earlier today. But that was all up to her, Xerxes could only hope, that this would help to better Eliinwylu's way of life.

Xerxes tilted her head to the left as she tried to comprehend Eliinwylu's question. She was still scared? But ... why? She should be rejoicing, but instead she still seemed to be gripping tight to that fear. It hurt the younger female to see her new friend still so scared. "D-do you really think that could happen? Like - is it possible? For something to just stop working like that?"

Xerxes stopped for a moment, a paw slowly rising to her chin. As she stood there rubbing it, a thought was bubbling on the top of her mind. Something that she knew would fit here ... but what was it.

And then it happened, much like a balloon had popped right before her face. The memory came flooding back like a river unblocked from a dam.

She remembered the rainbow lion and his explanation of disease. She remembered how had explained immunity!

"Don't worry Eliinwylu, it won't. I promise." Looking up to ensure the large leaf was still in place on the female's shoulders she patted her lightly through it. "I...I had a friend once, he was really sick. He took the time to explain to me how immunity works in one's body. This leaf, that we're using right now. It will never be something you will build an immunity to. I'm positive on that."

Nodding her head matter of factly, she made a point of looking the female right in the eye to ensure she noted her sincerity.

"You'll be OK Eliinwylu."

She could tell her friend was still skeptical about the new idea Xerxes had placed before her. Which if she had to be truthful, she supposed she could understand. But that did not mean she didn't WANT her to believe, WANT her to take it seriously, and most of all, WANT her to be happy..

Standing up once more the younger lioness, placed her chin under Elinwylu's and nudged her gently. It was affectionate, but not overly so. Just enough to let the leopardess know that someone was there and they cared about her.

"I bet you'll be just fine Eliinwylu." Pausing a moment, she stepped back and sat on her rear once more. "But if it should ever stop, you at least have a new place to start from .. y'know to find a new cure." She smiled fondly at her new friend and tried her hardest not to jump up and down or go crazy. It was quite the test if she had to say so herself, but she was succeeding at it.

"You're welcome Eliinwylu." She paused and offered the female her paw in friendship. "I would do it again in a heartbeat for a friend!" As she spoke there was a rare twinkle in her eye, something that didn't show often but he Father spoke of with affection.

The twinkle that she'd gotten from her Mother, of course, she had nothing to compare it by. But if she could ever see it for herself, she would hold it dear for the rest of her own being.