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 Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 9:33 am
Lucie had been avoiding him, there was no other word for it. After all, how did one get over being forgotten by the only true friend they’d ever had? She didn’t understand it and she argued with herself constantly about the right thing to do. Her constant chattering to herself made it clear to any passer by that she was troubled deeply by this, though she’d made more of an effort to avoid everybody. She’d dipped into a strictly nocturnal way of life, basking in twilight under the light of her beautiful subjects, the fireflies.
She asked them constantly what she should do.
But they never responded.
Even still, each night she went to them and each night she discussed it with them, hoping that one day they might surprise her and answer. Such was the scene this night, Lucie stretched out on the damp grass, watching the shapes of the fireflies floating lazily above the water’s surface.
“I know it’s not right of me to burden you all.” She was speaking to them as normal. “I’m your Queen. I should be strong. But I cannot rule alone. Not without him. Besides, he is your King. You should have some say in all of this. Do you miss him? Should I try and get him to remember or should I…should I let him forget?” She lapsed into another long silence and then, finally found her voice again.
“I miss him, though. Is that not enough of a reason to try?”
“Reason enough, I’d say.”
The response startled her and she leapt to her paws, drawing her ears forwards. “Fireflies?” She queried softly. “What did you say?”
“If you miss him, go find him.”
“Truly? Oh, you dear, dear things! Thank you, I will! I’ll go right this instant! Perhaps this time has given him a chance to remember!” Though if that was the case, would he not have tried to seek her out? Anyway, enough of the negativity. The fireflies had spoken! She whipped around and was about to dash away when she realised she was not alone. A small blue cub stood just there in her path, blinking up with his large eyes.
“Hello.” He grinned.
Lucie was too excited to realise that it was the cub who had spoken and not the fireflies at all.
“Sorry, didn’t see you there. Almost ran you down. You’re Laec, aren’t you?”
“Uh huh. And you’re weird.”
She laughed, patting the boy on the head. “What are you doing here?”
“Heard you talking. Came to see who it was. What are those?” He pointed a paw at the insects.
“Fireflies. My subjects. I am their queen, you know.”
“Oh! That’s so cool! Do they listen to you?”
“Yes, but they’ve never replied until now. I think they miss their King very much.”
“There’s a king, too?”
“Uh huh, except he’s…well he’s not been himself recently.” She trailed, but the smile snapped back into place a moment later. “Anyway, I’m going to go find him just like they said. Then I’ll bring him back. Maybe they’ll help him remember.”
“Remember what?”
“Who he is!”
“Oh…”
With that, Lucie moved past him and trotted off out of the trees and across the long, cool grass. The sun was low in the sky, bathing the expanse in a deep, beautiful red. Behind her, the cub padded swiftly in an attempt to keep up.
“Can I come?”
“Um, don’t you have to get home?”
“Why?”
“It’s getting dark, see? Won’t you be scared?”
“Nope.”
She paused and turned to look at him. “But your parents might worry about you, right? You should head back. Don’t worry, you can always come back another time.” She gave him an apologetic look and moved off again, pausing to glance back over her shoulder. The cub remained sitting in place, looking extremely forlorn. She glanced back at him the whole way, feeling a little guilty and worried that he might dash off somewhere and get lost.
Eventually, he was out of sight and she was allowed to return her focus on finding the pink male.
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Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 10:25 am
The individual who had been known as Miminiwa for as long as he could...not remember was now a very confused pink and yellow colored adult who wasn't sure what to think any longer. As of late the male now known as Jua'buyuka did not know what to think. Ever since he had awoken on the sandy beach with little to memory of what had happened there had been several lions that had tried to tell him who he was or who he should be.
None of them had the same story either and there was only one voice that he really believed, the one that seemed to whisper to him from the sun. He could tell, from the very beginning, that the voice was an extension of himself, a part of him that he always had even when he knew of nothing else.
He was thankful to have at least that much to believe in.
He heaved a sigh and tore his gaze away from the lapping waves of the ocean. He had been spending a majority of his time with the dark lioness, Lamya, because she had taken him in after his accident and because he was trying to form relationships with those that his voice had encouraged him to. Yet he couldn't shake the image of how hurt the blue and white lioness he had met not too long ago was when he told her he did not know her.
He hated the accusations that had been thrown at him by both females but he had seemingly made his decision.
He turned away from the water in a slow circle before trotting off to the bountiful trees to give himself time to think.
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Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 2:18 pm
And there he was.
She knew him only as Miminiwa. Perhaps she always would. Mimi was who she had grown up with. Whom she had entrusted to share her love of the twilight with. The one with whom she loved to spend her time. This Jua'bukuya. She did not know him and he did not know her.
Luciérnaga'reina. That was who she had become and who she would always be. But he did not even remember her as Izo'raina. It upset her. Upset her more than words could ever express. And now, as she dwindled just a few paces away, she had half a mind to turn and leave. What good would talking do? It had done little except upset her and confuse him. But...but the fireflies had asked her to and what was the point of spending days asking for their advice if she chose to ignore it when it finally came? So, steeling her nerve, she padded forwards quietly, circling back towards the trees to follow him. As she neared, she gave a low chuff of greeting and quickened her pace a step.
Well...she couldn't back out now...
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Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 2:26 pm
At first he did not see her, instead he only saw the leaves and trunks of trees, it wasn't until he began to lift his gaze from the ground that he saw her. She saw him too and he froze. He didn't have a clue of what to do, his heart pounded in his chest as she greeted him them promptly started his way. His first instinct was to flee, he wasn't sure if he could handle another heart-wrenching conversation.
He could not keep everyone happy.
He stood where he was, claws digging into the sand as he stood at the border of grass and sand. He opened his mouth to speak and promptly shut it without uttering a single word. His golden eyes stared at her as if he was trying to read her mind before he looked away.
This was hard.
"H-hello," he mumbled slowly looking back up at her.
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Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 2:38 pm
She was shaking nervously inside as she stepped up to greet him, picking up the nervous vibes from him, too. She tried to force her body to relax but her muscles were tense and seemed unable to obey her mental commands.
"I...I wanted to say that...I'm sorry about before. I just...it was a bit of a shock, that's all and..." Her eyes darted everywhere except on him. "And I don't know how to fix it."
She shook her head fiercely. "And I wasn't sure what to do, but tonight the fireflies told me to come and find you. They don't speak so...I think it's important that I listen to them." She was blathering. "How...how are you feeling?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 10:06 am
"Don't be," the words flowed from his lips before he could even think twice about them. He didn't regret it though, if anything he should have been the one apologizing to her. Clearly the male she thought him to be was important to her, yet he had no idea of who that lion was. The same instance had happened with Lamya yet things had turned out differently, yet he was unaware why. Could it have been because she had found him first?
Or could it have been because her desperation seemed greater?
He didn't know, all he knew was that he had made decisions based upon the voice that now guided him, it was the only one he trusted with his lack of memories.
"I should be the one apologizing, I am sorry I cannot be the male you want me to be," he sighed scratching the ground nervously. He didn't like this. "I am feeling fine." Was that true? He didn't know. He also didn't know in what context she meant the question. "I don't understand what you are talking about." He knew nothing of the fireflies.
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Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 7:30 am
Not the male she wanted him to be...
"You might not be now." She replied softly, head and eyes downturned. "But he's in there somewhere. We'll be friends again. Maybe not tomorrow or next month but someday." She wondered if he would ever return to the lion she remembered if he was given enough new memories of them together to replace the old ones. In any case, she had to believe that it would be that way. She couldn't give up on him.
"Oh, of course. The fireflies. I am their Queen and they are my subjects, my little muses." She sighed softly. "They're beautiful and they glow like...like the gold on your very pelt, see?" She gestured towards him. "You were once their King, crowned before them, but not for very long. Not before...well...this." She made a vague wave in the air with her paw. "They never speak. Never. But today, I was asking them what I should do about...about this situation. They told me that if I missed you, I should come find you." She paused. "I do miss you so...I listened. I was thinking, maybe if you saw the fireflies, you might remember something?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 6:09 pm
Jua's ears flattened against his head as she spoke, claiming that the male she knew was there buried somewhere deep inside him. He shook his head, swallowing in disagreement, a solemn expression on his face. "I don't want to get your hopes up," he told her sadly, "I do not think I will ever be the lion you wish me to be." It was a simple statement of facts, one that he knew she would not like to hear. As far as he was concerned, she was delusional and was mistaking him for someone else.
He doubted that he would ever be what either female wanted him to be.
"This is..." his voice trailed off as he struggled to find the proper words for what he wanted to say, "hard." He finished with a sigh. "I shouldn't have come," he mumbled under his breath and to himself. Of course she had been the one to approach him not the other way around, yet he could not find it in himself to turn and run. He couldn't be rude, especially since she seemed to care so much.
"I am..." Again he struggled to find his words, why was this so hard.
Take a chance Jua, give her a chance, his voice whispered to him and he swallowed before nodding his head. "I will go." It would not hurt, right?
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2011 1:23 pm
Her eyes grew sad. This was her Mimi but at the same time he wasn't. "I'm sorry, Jua." She replied again. "Only if you are sure. I...I can't really understand how you feel but...but I don't want to make things worse for you."
She took a small step back and directed him with her snout. "If...if you want to leave, just say. It's okay." She hoped, in her heart of hearts, that he wouldn't leave her, though, not before at least trying to remember.
"It's not too far. Just beyond the trees. A small pool of water." She sighed softly. "They're so beautiful." And in her mind she wondered how he could possibly forget the fireflies in all their delicate beauty; their lives so fleeting and yet so perfect. And as they moved towards them, she decided to start up a little small talk.
"So...how have you been?"
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2011 1:51 pm
He could feel his heart thudding in his chest painfully as he tried to figure out what he should do. He wanted nothing more than to turn away and flee from that very spot and to never return, to even spend his days avoiding her because it hurt to see that pained expression on her face. It was a feeling he could not explain and he didn't understand why he felt the way he did, this dull ache in his chest didn't seem natural.
He let out a shaky sigh as he shook his head, no he'd go. His voice told him to and he would listen. It was the only thing he trusted nowadays. "N-no," he stuttered clamping his mouth shut shortly after. He needed to get control of himself. "I said I'd go, so I'll go," his words came out harsher than he meant and he scolded himself inwardly for it.
"Fine? I don't know, everything's sorta melded together lately," he answered truthfully avoiding her gaze and keeping his eyes on the floor. "What about you?" He was scared to hear what she might say.
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2011 2:02 pm
She smiled. "Thank you." And visibly she seemed to cheer up a little, increasing the length of her stride and lifting her head a little higher. Yes. Everything would be fine. Perhaps not today, but someday. And even if the old Mimi never returned, she'd learn to care about the new Mimi. No, that wasn't right. She already cared...so what then. She'd learn to accept the new lion and find a new friend in him?
Yes. That sounded right.
"The mind is a complicated thing. Perhaps, like a bad scratch, it just needs a little time to heal." She replied. "Me?" Lucie sounded surprised at the question. "I've been okay. Doing this and that, spending time with the fireflies. Nocturnal life is good in some ways, not so good in others. I don't get to see a lot of lions now and when I do I tend to talk too much."
She trailed and then quietened. "Okay, they're just beyond these bushes. Follow me." She ducked her head and moved through the gap in the hedges, stepping aside to make room for him. Then, swinging her head round, she saw the glowing shapes of the fireflies as they flitted across the water's surface. With a thudding heart, she waited to hear his response.
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2011 2:19 pm
"My mind has been muddled since I first woke up," he mumbled under his breath in response to her statement. It had been weeks, months, moons over since his accident with the ocean, one that was still hazy in his ever foggy mind why wasn't that enough time for his mind to heal? Perhaps it was time for the candy colored male to accept the fact that his mind may never heal.
"I don't think I could be nocturnal," he stated easily thinking about the voice and how it often felt like it was coming from the sun itself. "I'd miss the sun," he told her looking up at the sky even as he spoke. The sun was a welcome friend that peeked over the horizon even as it was saying good night.
As she fell silent so did he, the conversation was awkward, forced. He followed her, jaw clenched as he prepared himself for...he didn't know. He stepped from the bushes and into clearing where the fireflies danced. His brow furrowed as he stared at the glowing creatures unsure what to feel or what to say.
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2011 2:36 pm
"For all that being nocturnal is bad." Lucie whispered. "It does have its good points, don't you think?" She moved to stand close to him, the tips of her fur almost touching against his - but not quite.
"They are my muses, just as the sun is for you." She gave him a gentle nudge. "Come! They will recognise you even if you don't know them." She smiled at him, clearly convinced that this would all work out. "Come, let's go and say hello." And she began to move for the bank, pausing every few strides to ensure he was following.
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Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 11:42 am
Jua shrugged his shoulders at her comment unsure of how to respond. He didn't think much of the night and at times he felt his energy leave him when the sun's influence dimmed, particularly on nights of the new moon. Then, even at night, the sun's light was near to non existent and he suffered the effects. He was unaware that he, in the past, had spent much time with the white and blue female late at night staying bright and chipper as always.
"How do you know what my muse is?" He sounded a bit angry, he didn't mean to but he didn't understand how she knew, he himself was barely aware of it. Even if he always knew deep down. He hadn't uttered a word about his muse to anyone. Not that he was aware of at least.
"They're...bugs?" He stated carefully, unsure of himself again as he stepped towards them watching as they seemed to consider him before shying away.
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 5:45 pm
"Oh." She blinked, surprised. "Your name...Jua...it's the word for sun?" She was suddenly worried that she had assumed wrongly. After all, such an important thing as a muse should never just be...assumed.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make a guess at what your muse might be..." She trailed, glad that he seemed at least semi-distracted by the fireflies.
"That's right." She replied. "They have short lives. Very short. But whilst they live, they live brightly." Her admiring gaze turned to the little insects and she sighed deeply. "Fireflies?" She called to them now, frowning as they moved away from the lion who had once been their King.
"Why don't you come and say hello? You do recognise him, don't you? You told me to go and find him..." She shook her head in disbelief. "I'm so sorry, Jua, I...I don't know what to say."
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