i'll find you, penny // open

[CHEKESHA !]

pen walked desperately along the land of the desert, searching for somebody to take her in. her cubs were due soon, she could feel it. they were about to come, and if she didn't find sanctuary by the time they were born, they would most ceratinly die. the sand felt like burning coal underneath her blue paws, and sun beat down restlessly on her white pelt. it wouldn't stop, no matter how much penny wanted the neverending heat to leave her. she was used to the winter and snow of the kinjo, and didn't really know how much the sand stung and hurt the paws as a lioness traveled over them. taking a deep breath, she moved her white face up to the sky, blue optics searching for a way to sanctuary. looking around and surveying the area again, she found a small oasis on the horizon. it wasn't much, just a tiny island of water that stood out against the barren desert. she pushed herself towards it, even though she knew that she was on the brink of passing out. if she feinted here, the cubs would most certainly die in her stomach, and she would never be able to teach them the ways of the land. she was closer to the oasis now, and she could definitely feel the reflection of the sun on the sparkling water from where she was standing. she bent down quickly to take a drink, slurping up the liquid in exasperated gasps. it felt cool and wonderful as it slipped down her throat and into her stomach, cooling her from the insde and making her eyes glow with happiness. finding a small palm tree next to the water, pen went over and lay down in the shade, letting her pelt brush against the warm sand. she hoped a lion would come by and see her, or that she found help before she died out here in this forgotten wasteland. if not, she was doomed, and the life inside her that she knew was about to emerge would die without ever seeing the day. the contractions were on the way, she could feel it in her gut. it was about to happen, but it must be held off until after she found help. but help wasn't coming now, and the cubs were. the first contraction started, and pen gasped in horror. she didn't want them to die, and she might die in the process. the contractions came in intervals, and she breathed heavily as she waited for the first cub. she pushed as she felt it coming, and her first born, a female came. pen looked over in excitement at her cub, ready to lick her and get the blood flowing. as she ran her tongue over the female, she realized that she wasn't moving, and that there was something dreadfully wrong. having a closer look she found that it was a stillborn cub, and the female was already dead. there was no heartbeat coming from the tiny body. penny's eyes were wide with shock, but she was jolted out of her coma as the next cub started to come. she pushed hard, hoping that it wasn't another stillborn, but a live cub. her wish came true, and the second born, a male, came to live. "Zander" pen whispered as she licked him vigorously to get the blood pumping and moving in the tiny male. taking a break from her licking to push again, the next cub was born. this one was a female, almost identical to herself in markings. "Quinn." she named her, and started licking both of her cubs simultaneously. soon she felt another coming, and pushed hard as a fourth cub was born. "Minerva." she knew that it was over, for the pain had stopped. there was a crimson mess on the sand, but there were other things to worry about now. she had brought life into the world, and it was time to take care of the ones that didn't make it. she collected all of her energy to pick herself up and take the stillborn cub by the scruff of the neck. she would have named her emilie, after her mother. she picked up the small, lifeless cub and dug a small ditch in the sand to lay her in. covering the cub back up with the rocks and grains, pen dragged herself back over to her three waiting cubs. they were mewling unhappily, wanting their mother and some milk. she lay down in the shade next to them, and watched as they crawled to her side to suckle happily. she licked their small heads, one blue, two white with enthusiasm even though she was exhausted. the three cubs were hers, and they always would be. now, somebody needed to find them so they could have safety in this barren heat. they wouldn't survive without help as soon as possible.

[i N s A n I t Y ;;]

D E L O C A T E S ;;

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dee-di-di-dee-di-di-di-di-di-di-di-dee,
doo-do-do-doo-do-do-do-do-doo,
di-di-di-dee-di-di-di-di-di-di-di-di-di- dee
and here's to you, Mrs. Robinson,
Jesus loves you more than you will know, wo-wo-wo
God bless you, please Mrs. Robinson,
Heaven holds a place for those who pray
hey hey hey, hey hey hey

we'd like to know a little bit about you for our files,
we'd like to help you learn to help yourself
look around you all you see are sympathetic eyes,
stroll around the grounds until you feel at home
and here's to you, Mrs. Robinson
Jesus loves you more than you will know, wo-wo-wo
God bless you, please Mrs. Robinson,
Heaven holds a place for those who pray
hey hey hey, hey hey hey

---

The sand. The sun. The heat. That is how the typical desert is, but there is more life in the "lifeless" biome than you know.

A spot of black zoomed in the scene, standing out against the shades of red and orange in the desert. It was like a smudge of pencil shade on a sketch, but even darker and more elegant. It was different from any other sketch smudges, for it is alive and living. It runs around, it hunts, it fights, it lives. Air is what it breathes, while flesh and water is what it depends on. Yet, it is dark like a smudge and it stands out in the colors of the desert, which are glaring red and calm orange, and the sky is always a light happy blue. If this was a drawing in colors, then the smudge would be an artist's mistake. But it's not.

It's just a different thing.

Air. That is what it breathes to keep its patience. Water. That is what it drinks to keep its wisdom. Fire. That is what it feels to keep its knowledge. Earth. That is what it walks on to keep its freedom. Ah, yes, you wonder what this is, but you'll find out soon. It is a creature of Earth – Terria, or so called by the lions – that walks on four legs and has black with red stripes fur all over its precious body. It has keen senses and skills that are able for survival and it has more better eyesight than you have. Blue eyes, yes, so passionate and calm that blue is, like the desert sky. Its long mane of hair on its head is a fire-red, like the small soft tip of its tail. Its four legs are not long, nor short. Just right for running through the thick sands of the desert, stocky and average. Yet, its stomach is slender from not eating so much and from exercise, just right for living. A wise look on its interesting red-striped face is shown, going down to its silver old muzzle. Whiskers twitch and scream to the wind, sensing vibrations in the air. What is this? It is a magical lion, a lion with a different appearance and style, yet is the same just like all other lions.

Not just a magical lion. It is Delocates, lord of Xionth's Wrath, now running somewhere far off from his territory.

The grande lion grunted, already decreasing his speed as he got more tired. His elegant paw steps slowed down, sweat coming from his sweat glands. A gasp came from his mouth as he stopped, his back being soaked in radiant energy of the Sun. The Sun's rays hit his fur, cackling at his pants and gasps as they make him even more hotter. But he knew the Sun's tricks and teases. He knew the Sun would never hurt him, for he defeated the Sun. His parents taught him how to survive in the desert, for they were desert royals, just like him. He just shook off the sun's rays and smiled to the big glowing ball of brightness. 'You, Sun, yes you, are a little trickster. Yet you just can't seem to defeat me with your tricks, but I understand why you must do this,' he said, taking two slow paw steps on the burning golden sand. 'You help Terria by warming different parts of Terria. You help the trees and plants that grow somewhere else in Terria, somewhere I can't go to, and you take the water from the rivers and streams and bring it back. You give us lions brightness during the day and when you're done, you let the Moon take your job. I know why you give the desert the gift of heat, because the desert took it first to save the other parts of Terria and that the desert like challenges. So be it.' The coal-gray – almost black – bowed to the Sun, and then took off to explore more of the desert.

Delocates wondered if he should catch any prey for his Pride, for he is hungry and his Pride must be hungry. And he also wonders about where he should go to the summer place where his Pride stays. The desert winds are calling him by becoming more unexpected and more stronger, telling him that they need to rest now. The desert winds own Xionth's Wrath, yet they give the territory to the lions for them to live, yet they come back every mid-summer to rest. They leave at early autumn, sometimes a bit later, but not so later. There are two places he could go to; the usual summer place with the many underground streams or Chekesha's Pride, the desert Kronos Pride. Delocates knows that Chekesha knows that Xionth's Wrath is a fairly dangerous place to live in, yet Chekesha lets him stay with her for some time since they are close friends. The old, big lion licked his silver-gray muzzle, blinking his tired blue eyes as he ran.

Another thing popped to him. His Pride needs more members and a mate for him. A mate to love and share the next Pride's cubs who will take the throne of Xionth's Wrath. Delocates was only fourteen years old, yes, but he still is a bit old and needs a mate, before it's too late. Delocates shrugged at the thought, yet he knew that he must have a mate, but won't make the same mistake his father made when he picked Ingia, the late lord's second wife. The male lion pushed on and on, until he spotted a rare palm tree and a rare beautiful stream. Ah, my long exploration of the desert from my camp is quite useful, he thought, for I have found something. The gray-black fur of his bristled with happiness as he stopped running and warily walked to the stream.

Something spotted his wide blue eyes. There was a white lioness with black stripes and blue paws struggling for something, laying on the shaded sand where the palm tree lay. A groan and a moan escaped her jaws and she tightened her grip on the sand, waiting for her cubs to come. Delocates watched as he walked more to the place he found, twitching his whiskers in wonder and knowledge. A lost lioness queen, giving birth to cubs in this desert, he thought. Why hasn't she gone off to the Kinjo Mountains? When he finally reached the birth area of the lioness queen, he saw three cubs suckling her belly for milk, feeling pleased that she fought the battle of cub-birth pain. His tail flickered in relief and happiness.

He sat down, curled his tail around his paws, and said, 'Hello there. It looks like you and your cubs have made it to life, yet you seem you need some help. You can come with me to my place. The gray-black lord closed his blue eyes, waiting for the cubs to stop suckling the milk, and when he opened his blue wonders, he saw the cubs murmur and squeal in delight. Delocates stood up and picked up a blue lion with zebra-black stripes on his body, making sure his teeth won't hurt the cub. 'Hurry, we must go as fast as we can, for my camp is far away.'

[Cookie -n- Cream]

cheke you are not allowed to reply until Mystic replies to faking perfection -stomps foot-

[CHEKESHA !]

pen had never seen anything so wonderful. as she gazed off into the horizon, she realized that something was coming starting to break into the blue. something was there that shouldn't be, but she couldn't put her finger on it. it was like something was starting to cover the light wispy sand with a dark splotch of ink. her brow furrowed as she contemplated this, trying to figure out why the dark spot was there. brushing it off of her shoulders she turned back to her cubs, but still kept the ominous presense in the back of her mind in case danger approached. she wasn't in the mood for an attack of any kind, and she didn't have the strength either. taking a deep breath through her nose, she started to lick the young cubs again. her rasping tongue made long courses along their tiny delicate bodies, getting the blood flowing but not smothering them too much in this heat. the only thing that penelope could think of was rescue and help for her little bundles. they wouldn't survive out here in this desert. they needed someone to take care of them and make them stronger. she couldn't even provide for them! why was she such a horrible mother...she should have headed toward the kinjo instead of the sands. it would have been a lot safer, but she hadn't realized how far into her pregnancy she was. pen sighed, and remembered the dark splotch again. looking out to the horizon, she found that the ominous figure had disappeared. part of her was relieved, but the other half thought that it might have been to her advantage if she could have gotten help from it. she shook her head and blinked her light blue orbs tiredly. turning back toward her cubs, who had finished suckling and were burrowed in her fur, she found a giant lion sitting with his tail crossed gracefully around his large paws. she felt herself want to jump up in surprise, but didn't have the energy to try. he would give them help. but who was he? the back of her mind was thinking this, but pen was in too much of a hurry to notice. she pulled herself to her feet hurridly, but felt the earth shake underneath her. earthquake? why would there be an earthquake? out here? just when she thought she was safe, something had to go wrong. the sand trembled strangely underneath her paws, and the water from the oasis rippled and splashed. her eyes were wide and frightened, and she found herself picking up quinn and minerva as the strange black lion picked up zander carefully. she murmured to the two femmes she was holding quietly that everything was going to be alright, but she wasn't sure of that. pen wasn't very used to seeing new faces, and wasn't familiar with this lion, so she decided to not speak and start moving with him. she nodded briskly, and continued along to the horizon where the lion had pointed towards. they had found safety, but the earthquake had probably made sinkholes in the sand. for some reason, pen knew that they wouldn't get away from fate that easily.