OUT OF THE DEN! Finally! Lith'elen could FINALLY explore the world outside after watching the moon go from new to new again! The dark cub grinned happily and stalked through the grass in the clumsy way only a cub could.

What would she find? Who would she meet? Where could she go? Ellie couldn't help but bounce a little in excitement. Her young nose caught a half-familiar scent...she'd smelled it faintly in the den...One of her older half-siblings Mommy had talked about? Excited, she followed the scent.

At this time of the night, Nyota was lazily stretched out on a large flat rock, simply enjoying the feel of the moon on his fur. His skull was absent from his face, but his other adornments were in tact, making him quite the sight for little eyes that were just emerging into the world. He was well aware that his mother had another litter recently, and although he wasn't exactly fond of any of his siblings, half or full, he had promised her that he would at least be civil with the young ones.

Ellie peeked over the edge of the big rock...and stared at the lion on it with wide gold eyes. Was this one of her big half-brothers? He kinda looked like Mommy...with his back markings. But he was all dark blue-y..."Hullo! Are you one of Mommy's first cubs?"

Nyota turned absently to regard the little cub that had adressed him, and a dark smirk found it's way upon his features when he found gold eyes staring back at him. Another true demon of his mother's blood... Oh how happy his mother must have been.

"I am our mother's first cub. I am Nyota'angavu... Who are you, little demon?"

"You were Mommy's first?" She grinned brightly. "Mommy is SOOOO proud of you! She tells lots of stories about you!" She giggled. "I'm Lith'elen...but Mommy calls me Ellie unless I'm in trouble. So...I try to be a good demon!"

"Ellie... It doesn't sound very demonic, but then again, you don't act very demonic," Nyota teased, his lips twitching into some mockery of a half-smile. The young cub was... Different. In a way, her innocence reminded him of Kipepeo.

Ellie pouted. "I'm a demon! Gonna be a BIG one like Mommy some day!" She giggled again. "I don't have to be all scary-like ALL the time, right? Why should I be scary to other demons, when I won't be a leader?" Her mother had made sure Ellie and her siblings learned where their blood placed them in the pride.

"I suppose that's true... But you shouldn't show signs of weakness to other demons unless you truly know that you can trust them. Keep that in mind, Ellie," Nyota said absently, chuckling at the look on his sister's maw and absently flicking his tail.

Ellie nodded. "Well...I won't show weakness." She growled playfully. "And anyone who thinks so...Imma bite their ears till they give!" At that, her grin became wide...innocent despite her not-so-innocent words.

"That's what a vicious little demon should sound like," Nyota mock-praised, chuckling and moving to absently ruffle the fur of Ellie's head.

Ellie giggled as her half-brother ruffled her head-fur. "Good! Cause that's what I wanna be! A vicious demon for Sparda! Mommy says Sparda is just as important as Morifaer..." She blinked. "Because he's the one who teaches us how to be all noble-like!"

"You know... My father once told me that he was a descendant of Sparda," Nyota purred absently, observing his younger sister's reaction to the statement.

Ellie's eyes widened a bit. "Really? That's awesome!" She giggled. "Maybe that's why yer so big! Cause Mommy is big, and you got god blood, which makes you big!" Perfect logic for a month-old cub.

"Not just any god blood. The blood of a demon god," Nyota said, smirking at his younger sister and absently moving to observe his claws.

Ellie nodded. "Uh-huh! Because demon gods are the best!" She wiggled a bit and jumped-skittered onto the rock, curling up into a small space Nyota wasn't taking up. "Though Mommy said there are non-demon gods that are good to respect too...not many, but some."

"Like the God of Darkness, for one. We demons roam the darkness, so it is always good to respect the god of our domain," Nyota said absently, allowing Ellie to curl up next to him.

Ellie giggled. "And Volcanoes. Mommy said she met the goddess once!" She purred. "Without the fire-lady, the hell-gates wouldn't have a good home." The little cub was getting drowsy, still unused to using her body so much. One day...one day, she was sure she'd be able to stay up for a long while...

"That's also true," Nyota said absently, smiling and gently moving Ellie closer to him. Perhaps this would be the only sibling he could get along with...

Ellie yawned and nodded. "Mmhmm...Maybe Mommy will teach me more later...I wanna learn EVERYTHING about being a demon..." As she drifted into sleep, she smiled. She'd be a good demon, and make her mommy proud.