The sun was setting, giving the desert a rare coolness. The drought persisted, and Kosuke was unhappy with it. As he padded his way up to the crest of a lonely dune, he looked up at the sky. "Finar-si, please forgive the pride... Come to Kidondo and show him the error of his ways..." This drought... It had to be their goddess' doing. That was the only conclusion he could come to. He'd have to convene with his brother about the matter... He let out a snort, sitting on the dune and glaring at the sky. The stars were ever silent, not providing him any words of comfort, only a calming glow.
When she found Kosuke not in their den, Shula went looking for him. She couldn't sleep alone in there, not anymore. Their cubs had all grown and moved to their own dens, so it was... Empty. Very empty. When she found him, he looked... Morose. She said nothing, only went up and sat next to him and leaned on his shoulder. The silence that passed over them was comfortable, a sort of companionable moment. They needed no words, after all. Not anymore. Though... The silence eventually DID get to her, and she started humming. It was a simple tune, calm and happy, with a touch of nostalgia.
His tail swept over the sand for a moment, before landing on Shula's. For a moment, their tails enter-twined. And then the moment lasted forever... He listened to the humming, and found himself smiling. "Hello, friend... It's good to be with you... Time is standing still..." He nuzzled her, rumbling in his chest. "Our love, shines true and bright... It always will..." He rested his chin on her head, closing his eyes. "My wishing star, has guided all you do... My empty heart you fill...." He let out a puff of air, ruffling the fur of her ear. "We still feel... Forever young..."
Shula couldn't help but giggle a little - A moment where she felt like a young lioness again, just an adolescent dancing in the sands. "Looking back, we're just the same, as we were when we began..." She nuzzled into his mane, enjoying the feel of it. "This love will keep protecting us, reach me for me and I'll take your paw..." She let out her own puff of breath, watching the contrasted black and blood-red hair move. "When we're apart, just close your eyes, and you'll see me waiting there... You can always count on me... I will always care..."
The giggling from Shula was infectious, as Kosuke found himself chuckling. It was soon replaced with a rather... Tender feeling. He rubbed his cheek against Shula's, closing his eyes again. "My special friend, inside my heart you'll stay... You'll be with me until... The sun... Shines through the night..." He chuckled. "It never will." He then licked her forehead, smile on his maw. "My little star, you'll never fade away... The paws of time are still... And we'll be... Forever young..." Once again, he rested his chin on her head, closing his eyes again at pleasant memories. Behind them, their tails curled, enter-twining fully.
"Step up and take my paw... One touch... And we'll be friends... Forever..." The lioness found herself rumbling as well through the words, shifting so that she shoved him over. Only once Kosuke was laying on his back did Shula curl up against him, finding comfort in the unconventionally-positioned embrace. She rolled over so she could bury her face against his mane. "Hello, friend, it's good to see you, too! Time is standing still... For we'll be, forever young..." She closed her eyes, starting to fall asleep. It was so comfortable here... And warm. But not a bad warm, it was a good warm. A comforting warm.
"Hello to you, it's nice to see your smile... Step up and take my paw..." He licked her ears, watching her start to fall asleep. "One touch, and we'll be friends.. Forever..." Kosuke soon found himself yawning. His worries of before were suddenly very unimportant, washed away by Shula's presence. He closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the peace, only to discover when he opened them again that the moon and stars had moved in their eternal march across the sky. He reached a paw up, rubbing his face and yawning. They'd fallen asleep in the open... They were lucky to not have slept ALL night. Gently, he shook Shula. "We should get to our den... We fell asleep out in the open..."
The lioness stretched, feeling her joints protest a bit. Then a shiver ran across her body as she felt the chill. "Oh... We DID..." Slowly, she extricated herself from Kosuke, doing more stretches as she started to walk. "It's so cold at night..." She looked around, then smiled. "It's such a relief from the heat, isn't it...?" Just... Not for sleeping. One sleeping out in the open could easily perish from how much the temperatures dropped. She rather liked living. It always tended to be a much better alternative to freezing to death. As she started walking, she paused to look at Kosuke. "Why were you out here in the first place, anyway...?"
Kosuke rose to his paws, stretching out. He could feel joints popping as he did so, and remembering just how many children he had... He suddenly realized how old he was getting. "Oh, nothing..." He shook his mane out as he stood fully, then looked up at the stars. Would they ever hold the answer he sought?
An eyebrow went up. "You were up to something... I'll get it out of you eventually." She gently prodded his shoulder with a paw, then smiled at him. "Let's get back to our den... It's lonely with only one of us there and the other out staring at the sky..."
He let out a chuckle, then nuzzled Shula. "Okay, you got it out of me... I was wondering if this drought was Finar-si's doing..." He let out a sigh, frowning.
So THAT was it! Shula let out a puff of breath. "Whether it is or not... Right now it's time to go to sleep." She rubbed against him, then started back toward the dens. "You can worry about that kind of thing tomorrow... We have an empty den calling us before a sand storm whips up and buries us." She threw a look over her shoulder as she walked. "Unless, of course, you wish to be mummified by the sand..."
The male chuckled, shaking his head before following. "Yes, dear..." He didn't spare another look at the sky the rest of the night, instead wanting the warmth of their den.
