Lakonale took one last look at the place she had called home from the moment she was born. The area that she had played in with her siblings, had suckled from her mother, and slept the days away in, looked so small now. Well, of course it did. She was no cub but a young adult leopard. Her size was not the only thing that had changed about her. She no longer chased bugs around and woke up during the day and went to sleep before the suns rays peeked above the horizon.
It had been obvious that she should at least try to be up part of the day since there were more creatures out and about while the sun was up rather than at night. So overtime she had adapted, her sleeping habits had changed. One thing that hadn't changed was her desire to make friends, to meet others. Of course, her childish dream to make leopons was still there. For some reason, she had not outgrown that one. Though she felt bad for those unsuspecting male lions that she had asked to make babies with. She laughed softly.
Now she really did want leopons. She was old enough to have them so no reason not to. It was just a matter of finding the right lion. Lakonale had grown up in the aspect that she wouldn't just ask any lion to have cubs with her. No, she'd like to know the one she has cubs with, at least a little. He would have to be something special or maybe just someone that she became a little attached to. Since her parents were not the monogamous type, she decided she wouldn't settle with one mate either. She rather liked the thought of having one litter of leopons, one litter of leopards, and one litter of leotahs.
She licked her nose as her eyes stung with the promise of tears. It was definitely hard for her to leave this place. Maybe one day she would come back after she had cubs and raise them here. One paw at a time and she was slowly moving away from her past and onto the future. It would be a lonely future indeed. She almost couldn't imagine what it would be like day in and day out with no specific family to go to and no specific place to sleep. Lakonale almost turned around to go back but she knew she should keep going. There would be lots of fun adventures ahead of her, she just had to keep thinking that.
The hard thing was deciding where to go. Should she follow after the sun, in the direction it set or the direction it rose? After all, she did love to watch it and what better way then to travel with it. Perhaps a more sentimental route was needed, the way she had met the leopon, the one that had decided ehr future, though he didn't know it. Then there was the option of finding a little bug to follow. The sun would be setting soon and then the bugs would come out.
Lakonale sat to rest for a bit. She definitely felt lonely. Her mother was no longer here for her to speak with of this change. It was such a big change. There was no one for her to speak with. "Now don't be like that." She chided herself. Pity would get her nowhere except maybe killed. Predators could sense when one was upset or sad or hurt. It was a great asset while hunting. Her blue green eyes looked up at the sun again, it was getting closer to the horizon. She should follow the sun. It was now the only constant in her life so now she would trust it to guide her on the right path.
With her mind made up, she got onto her paws and started off with determination towards the setting sun. This felt right. She was sure she'd find companionship so long as she remained true and friendly. After all, how could any deny her when she was so easy to get along with. Her tail swished back and forth through the air in a cheerful way. She just had to make sure that the rest of her life journey was a good one. Only she could ensure that and starting it off sad was not the way to do it.
Lakonale kept on walking, her paws not tiring. After all, she was used to traveling a lot even if she always had one place to come back to. As a cub she had run rampant all over the place chasing bugs and making friends with adult lions and leopards. Now that she thought about it, she had yet to meet a cheetah. She knew of them but had never met one personally. Meeting a cheetah was now a goal of hers. It would also be good to meet a leotah. She didn't know what they looked like though she knew that cheetahs and leopards could breed. That must mean that cheetahs and lions could breed too. She wondered what those cubs must look like too. All the thinking had occupied her so much that she hadn't noticed that it was nearly dark already.
The familiar hum of bugs waking up for the night filled the air. It made her smile to herself. This was what she knew. The darker shadows that fell with night and covered the lands in a hush that mostly only bugs dared to disturb. Soon the stars would be the only light in the sky. A sliver of moon could be seen behind her, coming up after the sun. Without notice, her stomach grumbled at her. She laughed to herself. She needed to find something to eat. No longer would her mother feed her. Now she had to use all those practice times on bugs to hunt for her meal.
Her ears twitched this way and that, listening for the sounds of any animal that could be near for her to make a meal out of. There, the sound of a branch being broken. Felines were adept at being silent while moving so it couldn't be one. She was right, it was a fat little rodent coming out to eat. Her body sunk low to the ground, paws placed carefully to make no sound as she inched closer. A grin lit her face briefly before she pounced from where she was. Success! She snapped it up in her teeth, killing it quickly before settling down to eat it. All thoughts of loneliness taken away with a breeze. The past a memory and the future a possibility.
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