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 Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 12:58 pm
Bump. The feeling of a few paws pressing against her stomach made Moyo wince slightly. It had been the right amount of months, if she had measured them correctly with those of her mother's. Should the cubs be coming now?
Another bump. Harder. More insistent.
Either way, the cubs were coming now.
"Kiwi," she whispered, nudging her mate's neck lightly. The sun had not fully risen from night's curtain of sleep; a few stars were still out in the sky while the first rays of color pierced the horizon. Moyo nudged Kiwi's nose once more. The bumps were increasing, picking up her heartbeat and the pain...the pain was increasing, as well.
Even though Tana had tried to explain the birthing process as best as she could, somehow, it did not make as much sense as it did when one could imagine what was happening. Moyo promptly forgot most of the things the two had talked about. Except for what to do and the pain. Tana described the pain as a good feeling, knowing you're bringing a new life into the world...
How could she think about that now? Moyo felt like splitting in half a few seconds later. Kiwi had listened to the heartbeats only a few days ago, proclaiming that there were four. Four cubs?! That was the number Tana gave birth to in her second litter. And this was Moyo's first.
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Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 1:08 pm
Kiwi couldn't figure out what emotion he was feeling. It was all some huge blur - a wonderful, magnificent blur, but it was confusing nonetheless. Every different part of his body seemed to be reacting different. His stomach clenched with anxiety as he bent over his mate, purring and rubbing his chin reassuringly against her cheek. Still, his heart fluttered against his chest, knowing instinctively that the cubs would be coming soon, and that he was about to become a father. His mind was racing, trying to remember what Kifijo had taught him about how to help his mate during the birth without getting in the way too much.
It was all so confusing! His head swam but he continued to bend over Moyo, his green eyes focused directly on her stomach. If he watched hard enough, he could see each contraction, and he could hear her breath strain each time one came along. In a way, his heart ached for her. She was in pain, and he had been the one to cause this pain, even if it was what they both wanted. The gentle lion tried to force that out of his mind, instead laying a large paw on Moyo's next, between her throat and her torso. He kept it there, holding it lightly, just enough that she could be aware of his presence.
"You're doing great, Moyo," he murmured to her, his eyes misting over. They were about to have cubs. Their cubs. Their own family. The thought was amazing to him, and had the situation not been so dire, he would've marveled at it. He offered her a loving smile, though she could not see it, and flicked the tip of his tail over her back, his tail tuft brushing against her fur.
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Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 1:20 pm
Breathe, push, pant. Breathe, push, pant. An endless cycle that she was quickly becoming frustrated with.
So, one could imagine what a relief it was when the cub finally slipped out. All that pushing and breathing and strain led up to one, innocent life. It really was quite exhilirating, when you think about it.
Moyo's eyes were dilated; she blinked rapidly to regain her vision. A small, distant whine flickered past her ears and she curled up to nose around the cub. A new cub. Their cub.
It was a boy. His dark chocolate coat reminded her of Nitesh, her younger brother. Reddish brown stripes were on his back and divided his tail, along with three small dots under his left eye and a smudge on his mouth. His eyes were closed, his fur wet with blood, but he had to be the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her life.
Moyo began to clean him, nudging him gently to her stomach as the next contraction began. She toughened up and continued her cub's bath as another slid into the world.
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Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 2:01 pm
Kiwi quickly pulled himself around to the other side of Moyo, leaning over to finish cleaning their cub. He was so tiny, so fragile, and yet he scent was amazing - a mix of Moyo's scent and his own. This was truly their cub, and he looked down at his firstborn, pride welling in his eyes. The large lion felt like breaking down right there, pulling the cub to him and Moyo and cuddling right there with them - their perfect little family. As Moyo's breathing quickened again, though, he knew he couldn't. They still had three more bundles on the way.
He leaned and licked her cheek, murmuring encouragingly, "He's gorgeous, Moyo, a healthy baby boy. Only three more to go now... until our family is complete. Our family..." he echoed the words, his joy clear in his voice.
As Moyo began to push once more, he sat, staring down at the wiggling ball of chocolate coloured fur. A smile spread across his lips. His son. What an odd thing to say... Kiwi, a father! He almost gave a laugh of joy, but decided to keep his excitement quiet for the time being. The love of his life was still in pain, and so he finally shifted his gaze towards her, watching to make sure that everything went smoothly.
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Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2006 2:59 pm
Moyo just smiled and concentrated on cleaning the next cub. Another boy. Kiwi was going to have a field day with these boys of theirs.
This cub was white. Pure white. Except for dark and light brown markings on his paws, back, a smudge on his mouth, and tail. Absolutely adorable.
"Two boys," she chuckled softly. So far, this had been a bit harder than she had thought, but it was turning around very nicely. Very, very nicely.
Moyo wasn't the least bit surprised when another kick in her womb alerted her to another cub was on the way. She didn't tense up as much as she had done with the first two; the cub slid easily out on its own.
She believed it to be the last cub, licking its fur gently and beaming up at Kiwi. This was probably the most incredible feeling she had ever felt. The most incredible feat she'd ever done, most likely. She was so proud of herself, and Kiwi, for even giving these cubs a chance at life.
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Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 3:02 pm
A massive, deep purr bubbled up from Kiwi's throat as his second son was born. He leaned forward as Moyo cleaned him off, his mane brushing against the boy's fur. There was no way he could be more proud of his mate than right now; it was incredible, these little miracles that they had brought into the world. Two healthy cubs. Their cubs. It was so hard to believe, and yet there they were, right in front of his own two eyes.
When Moyo leaned back and delivered another cub - another son! - Kiwi beamed. The lion watched as Moyo tenderly cleaned its fur, revealing dark fur like his mother's, with white marks around his eyes and a tuft of reddish fur at the tip of his tail. The purr continued to resonate in their den, his tail flicking from side to side happily. "Three boys," he murmured to Moyo. "Three perfect, healthy boys!"
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Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 1:18 pm
As Kiwi leaned in closer, no doubt to revel in his three handsome sons, Moyo smiled and touched her nose to his. This day, this warm day of Summer, Moyo praised the world. She was so happy to be alive and to experience this life-giving event.
But her stomach was still swollen; in the excitement of the birthing, Moyo had forgotten the number of heartbeats Kiwi had relayed to her: four. So, technically, she shouldn't be surprised. But that little part of information did not connect to her brain fully, and so she was surprised--to say the least--to feel yet another bump and squirm in her womb.
Hesitant for only a few seconds, Moyo quickly pushed again, feeling relief after the cub dropped.
As she had done with the other three, the adolescant bent around to nudge the youngest toward his older siblings. But as soon as she had done so, she noticed a peculiar difference between him and his brothers.
Moyo's head rose to face her beloved, eyes sparkling and her mouth turned upward in a huge grin.
"Do you notice anything different about this last cub?"
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Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 1:54 pm
Kiwi licked his love's nose as she leaned in, his eyes sparkling with a combination of pride, love and joy. His entire body felt warm, and not just from the heat of the summer. This was his home, with his mate, and his children. Nothing could've made this moment more perfect.
Except...
In the heat of the moment, Kiwi too had forgotten about the number of cubs they were expecting. He was so caught up with their three newborns that it slipped his mind that another was on the way. So, when Moyo delivered their last child, he gave a bright and cublike grin. Another one, and this one had his mother's beautiful golden markings, but wait... Moyo was right, there was something different.
The large lion leaned forward, his nose almost brushing against the cub's white fur. As soon as he could take in the scent, his eyes lit up. "A daughter," he whispered, turning his gaze to Moyo. "Three sons and a daughter."
He sounded amazed; almost in awe.
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Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 2:07 pm
Moyo nodded happily, snuggling all four to her belly and reclining into a relaxed position, head still slightly tilted towards Kiwi's.
"Yes, yes she is. At first, I was worried: little ol' me in a den with four males? I'll beg my mother to come visit." Moyo chuckled, licking Kiwi's cheek playfully. "But I suppose I'll stick around, for now, to properly raise our daughter. She won't be raised by you hooligans, thank you."
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Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 2:13 pm
Kiwi purred before puffing out his chest, feigning offense. "Hooligans? Why, I'll hear no such thing! I'm a proud and respectable lion, thankyouverymuch." But the idea of him speaking so formally made him grin, and finally he broke out into a laugh. The lion laughed and laughed, seeing absolutely no reason to stop. The day could not get any better. He had four beautiful cubs, a loving mate, a home and a place to sleep at night. Life had gone from being a rogue, searching for someone that seemed invisible, to being... perfect.
Kiwi rolled onto his side, laying parallel to Moyo. His eyes were trained upon their four squirming cubs, his classic smile lit on his lips. The male laid a loving forepaw on Moyo's shoulder, scooting closer so that the cubs were nestled between their two bellies, albeit with plenty of wiggle space.
"I love you," he murmured.
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Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 2:17 pm
"You say that now," Moyo warned, shushed by the small wrigglings of the cubs. She scooted around a bit, still under Kiwi's paw, so they had more sleeping space and such.
"Be quiet, you'll wake them up," she half-heartedly scolded. Her eyes were drooping; the adrenilne had completely vanished, leaving Moyo wiped out. With a sigh and slight smile, she put her head down, facing Kiwi, and slowly began to drift off, eyes closing.
"I love you more," she whispered before she left the ground completely, heart pumping happily, mind content with the knowledge that she was loved, protected, and had helped with the gift of life, and soul content to rest with its mate.
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