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Post by Ruby_Fehu on Apr 1, 2014 8:47:06 GMT
Ruby saw two of the other lions starting towards Xoren, using her speed she raced forward her paws pounding on the ground. The cheetah in her gave her an advantage and she reached the males before they could reach the water, a snarl ripping past her lips. The two lions - evidently caught off guard skid to a halt and froze in front of her.
They may been willing to attack Xoren but they had morals, one of them being to never attack a female unless she attacks first and knowing this she used it to her advantage and just stood, blocking their way.
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Post by Hypercube on Apr 2, 2014 0:51:53 GMT
Sola had picked the younger cub up and carried her into the tall grass, lying down with her as the battle continued. She looked across the water and watched as another male swiftly ran around the circumference of the pond, coming up behind Ruby with malice in his eyes. Ruby's voice echoed through Sola's mind: "Don't get involved!" it yelled, but Sola could not allow herself to listen to that voice. "Ruby! Duck!" Sola shouted as the pursuer's paws left the ground and Sola rushed from the grass towards into brawl.
Xoren, as if in another existence, did not comprehend any of what was occurring. Instead, he was deeply concentrated, learning how to fight in the new environment. With his enemy becoming fatigued, Xoren was able to successfully fight back, leaving small clouds of the deep red blood of both felines in the once clear water.
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Post by Ruby_Fehu on Apr 2, 2014 22:43:31 GMT
Ruby did as Sola yelled in time for the lion to barrel into the ones in front of her. Before anything else could happen she lunged at the lions and threw herself into the fight with one of them, determined to help keep Xoren as safe as she could. When the lion she was against was stunned for a moment, Ruby managed to steal a glance towards Iris and saw her cowering in the grass. She sighed in relief before starting against the lion once more.
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Post by Hypercube on Apr 3, 2014 21:27:19 GMT
After fighting in the water for some time, Xoren now had the advantage over the younger feline. His opponent was well aware that he had been beaten and his eyes were bathed in fear. Unwilling to harm the adolescent, Xoren instead struck him swiftly with the back of his paw, causing the boy to fall unconscious. Using his mouth to grab the tuft of fur behind the lion's neck,\ Xoren began to paddle back to shore, dragging the limp cat against the resistance of the water.
Sola watched as Ruby began to initiate combat with one of the males while the other two, including the largest of them, regained their balance. Once they had, their attention focused back upon Ruby. "Hey!" Sola yelled at them, "If it's a fight you want, come and get it!" The leader of the group looked to the other and nodded his head, signalling for him to continue the fight against Ruby while he moved towards Sola with ferocity in his eyes.
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Post by Ruby_Fehu on Apr 3, 2014 22:33:05 GMT
(OOC: This post is going to kill me XD)
Ruby continued swerving and diving and snarling and biting at the lion before her but she didn't notice that a new lion had joined the midst and had circled around the back of the lake and started coming up behind Iris, who was cowering and watching her sister intently. Ruby turned when she head a deafening roar and then a terrifying cry of fear. Caught off-guard she spun on her heel and saw the rogue holding a limp Iris. Ruby's eyes widened as she prayed that her daughter was just unconscious. With a cry of anger she turned and lunged at the lion she was in combat with and knocked him to the ground, sending him hurtling towards a tree where the lion hit his head. With a snarl Ruby turned and raced over to the lion who dropped Iris and smirked before racing off in the opposite direction.
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Post by Hypercube on Apr 4, 2014 1:50:43 GMT
(OOC: That's just not right  ) Xoren, hearing Ruby's terrifying sounds of anger and despair, turned his head just as he reached the grassy edge of the lake. It was not long before he saw the source of her despair and watched as the lion who had committed the heinous act fled in the opposite direction. As Xoren witnessed Iris's limp body fall to the ground, something snapped within him and before he was aware of his actions he was already on top of the coward that caused this nightmare. Without hesitation, Xoren, or whatever he was at that moment, tore open the assailant's neck, plastering the ground with fresh hot blood. Sola had fought through the lurid cries, struggling to dodge the larger lion's quick bounding movements. She had managed to use her small stature to land a couple of shallow scratches along the attacker's flanks, but nothing that would slow him down on their own. As he barreled towards her, Sola's paw slipped from under her, the loose dust flying in the direction of her sliding leg. She felt a huge push against her abdomen which knocked her to the ground and pinned her there, her eyes wide with fear. The creature that stood atop her looked into those fearful eyes and snarled "I suppose this is your end too young one." |
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Post by Ruby_Fehu on Apr 4, 2014 8:31:51 GMT
(OOC: it killed me :c but if there's one thing I've learnt as an author - you have to kill a few characters even if they're your 'babies' haha :c)
Ruby managed to look up through her burning tears and see Sola, without a second thought she dived at the lion pinning her and knocked him off her, seeing only red she slapped him across the face with unsheathed claws leaving a cut before using the stunned moment to bite down on his neck which she did causing him to let out a gurgling cry and fall like a rock. With a quick glance at Sola, Ruby ran back to her daughter and lay beside her, wrapping her body around the small frame and starting to nuzzle her, sobbing to herself.
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Post by Hypercube on Apr 4, 2014 21:57:01 GMT
After watching their two strongest members decimated by this rag-tag group, the other lions that had originally inhabited the lake fled, one of the females that resided beneath the shade of a nearby tree carrying the adolescent that Xoren had knocked out. With the threat gone, Xoren had returned back to his normal self, but he did not stay this way for long. Raising from his crouched position he observed Ruby curled around her daughter, her tears falling upon the lifeless ball of fur that she nuzzled. His mind immediately rushed to his own daughter, his inner thoughts screaming prayers that she was unharmed. As his eyes met her mane tears of utter destruction rained from them, his emotions crushed by the loss that Ruby had suffered, and the loss of who he thought of as his second child.
Sola slowly regained her bearings and began to stand, observing the area frantically. It was not long until her gaze met with her father's, his eyes saturated with still flowing tears. She moved her vision to Ruby who was wrapped tenderly around something that had perished in the battle. Sola looked swiftly to the tall grass she had placed Iris; her heart stopped and her legs failed to maintain her when she saw no sign of the cub. "NOOOOO!" she screamed, her pain penetrating through the years of toughness she had gained and stabbing her heart like a rusty dagger.
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Post by Ruby_Fehu on Apr 4, 2014 22:19:44 GMT
Ruby remained around Iris, nuzzling and whispering to her. The young mother repeatedly begged for her daughter to wake, she was just unconscious, that's all. She though as she stared at Iris. She turned her gaze to Xoren and Sola and growled to herself out of jealousy that they still had each other. Ruby had lost the one thing that kept her going every single day. She'd let herself down and she'd let Iris down, her body shaking with new sobs she lay her head in the grass beside Iris and held her close. Never wanting to let go.
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Post by Hypercube on Apr 5, 2014 0:00:52 GMT
Xoren, working through the tears, walked to the two lifeless bodies that lay on the grass. "Ruby..." he choked out, "Ruby I'm sorry... I know nothing I say can comfort you, so I won't speak any more..." Adding his tears to the already growing puddle, he sprawled his body next to Ruby's, his tail mingling with hers in the same numb space. Sola continued to shout all while rocking back and forth; this was all her fault. Ruby's voice continued to torment her: Don't leave her it scolded, followed only by the never ending repetition of the hybrid's cries of desperation.
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Post by Ruby_Fehu on Apr 5, 2014 0:41:16 GMT
Ruby didn't respond to Xoren and looked away, she didn't move her tail however as she glared at the ground. Suddenly she stood up and started pacing back and forth, a growl constantly crossing her lips. "I want to kill them! All of them." She hissed angrily. She looked ahead of her in the direction that the surviving lions had gone. She glanced over her shoulder at the father and daughter before racing off after the lions, not giving the duo a second look.
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Post by Hypercube on Apr 5, 2014 18:38:56 GMT
"Ruby! Stop!" Xoren shouted, sprinting after her. He was fast but she was just as quick, allowing her to maintain a small distance between her and her pursuer. As the two adults ran far in the direction the rest of the group had fled, Sola picked herself up and stumbled over to Iris. As she looked at the closed eyes of the cub she nestled herself around, a few words escaped her heavily breathing mouth. "Iris..." she cried, "I'm sorry. I wish... Only if..." Her sorrows would not allow her to complete a full sentence and she instead let her head rest upon the unmoving fur of her sister, uttering the same repeated fragments of broken thoughts.
Xoren's paws slapped the ground he ran across, tossing dust into the air behind him. He was aware that he would never catch up to the infuriated mother, so he was forced to instead try to reason with her. "Ruby!" He yelled, "Ruby! Killing them won't do anything to bring Iris back! They have children too! Do you really want to force them to go through the same Hell you're going through now?"
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Post by Ruby_Fehu on Apr 5, 2014 18:54:05 GMT
"I don't care!" She yelled over her shoulder, "I want them to suffer. They don't deserve to have children." She yelled, skidding to a stop and swinging around to face Xoren. "They took her from me Xoren. Iris died thinking her mother was dead." She cried, sinking to the floor in a heap.
The small ball of fur began to stir, ever so slightly.
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Post by Hypercube on Apr 5, 2014 19:53:06 GMT
(OOC: That makes me feel SO much better  ) Xoren placed himself above the sobbing hybrid, speaking gently into her ear. "I know that I can't even begin to understand what you are feeling right now," he said, placing his paw upon hers, "but I do know that you wouldn't want someone who is innocent to suffer the way you are..." He rested his head next to hers, allowing her to cry into the dry sand, "and you know that I wouldn't be able to live without you."
Sola stopped her words immediately as the cub she thought was lost began to move once again. "Iris?" she asked quietly, questioning if she had really watched the body move at all. A few moments later her stirring began again, and Sola buried her face in the soft fur of Iris's underbelly, overcome with joy. "Iris! I thought -- we thought you were gone..." |
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Post by Ruby_Fehu on Apr 5, 2014 20:06:12 GMT
Ruby buried her face in Xoren's fur, taking solace in his hold on her, "I want her back." She managed to whisper, her voice breaking slightly as she speaks. "I'm such an awful mother." She said quietly.
Iris groaned in pain as she felt a sharp sting go through her, "Where's Ruby?" She managed to ask weakly, opening her eyes and scanning the area for her sister.
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Post by Hypercube on Apr 5, 2014 20:14:26 GMT
"That isn't true," Xoren said, stroking Ruby's pelt with his free paw, "Nothing you could have done would have prevented what happened." He wrapped his paws around her back, holding her like he did his daughter, "you've done everything right."
"She's out with my father," Sola spoke in a quivering voice, "they should be back soon." Sola slowly removed her head from Iris, replacing the contact with her paws, hugging her as her father had when they were reunited and allowing small tears of joy to escape her eyelids.
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Post by Ruby_Fehu on Apr 5, 2014 20:32:00 GMT
"If that were true, Iris would still be here." She snapped at Xoren as she pulled away to look up at him. "Where is Sola?" She asked eventually.
"Oh." Iris said quietly, exhaling heavily and placing her head on the ground wearily.
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Post by Hypercube on Apr 5, 2014 22:06:05 GMT
Xoren peeked his head up, scanning his entire field of vision. "I don't see her..." for a moment, Xoren began to feel intense fear which caused him to jump up and his heart to beat incredibly fast. Just calm down he thought to himself, forcing his logic to dictate over his feelings. "She must be back at the water," he said, looking back to Ruby.
Sola picked the cub up and placed her upon her back. "Let's get you cleaned up kiddo," she said as she carried the dirt-covered child to the water.
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Post by Ruby_Fehu on Apr 6, 2014 19:39:40 GMT
"We'll get back to her." Ruby said slowly, she didn't really want to see her, purely because seeing the father daughter relationship was going to upset her; she had no doubt in her mind about it. And she knew the thoughts were wrong but a small part of her blamed Sola for her daughter's death. She wasn't going to admit that though because she disagreed with the thought. She felt like she was in a battle with herself, one she may not be able to win anytime soon. Letting out a shakily heavy breath she looked up at Xoren, waiting for him to agree or disagree.
"I want Ruby." She said stubbornly, looking up at Ruby, "I heard her talking to me Sola, I heard her crying." She continued, referring to how she'd overheard three little words, mummy is here.
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Post by Hypercube on Apr 6, 2014 22:39:12 GMT
"That would be best," Xoren replied, beginning to move in the direction they came from. He stopped when he reached Ruby's side and looked to her with a small smile, a weak attempt to mitigate not only her sorrow, but his own as well.
Sola had finally returned to her full senses and understood the cub's desire to be with Ruby. "Okay Iris," Sola said in a calming voice, aware of Iris's concerns, "let's go catch up to them." She started to walk in the direction her father and Ruby set off, keeping a slow but steady pace as to not irritate the small wounds she received from the encounter.
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Post by Ruby_Fehu on Apr 9, 2014 11:02:56 GMT
Iris nodded once and invited herself to jump onto Sola's back, by gripping onto her tail with her teeth and swinging herself up before she finally managed to nestle herself into Sola's fur. "Okay, let's go." She said, determination in her voice as she waited for Sola to set off towards her sister and Xoren.
Ruby padded along beside Xoren, making sure to stay close and safe. There was something comforting about being around Xoren. The way he sent his emotions to cover everyone like a mystical invisible fog that you couldn't help but feel what it wants you to feel. She managed to sneak and glance up towards Xoren and she cocked her head to one side, a slight smile forming on her lips before she hung her head and thought back to her daughter.
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Post by Hypercube on Apr 9, 2014 19:22:25 GMT
Sola readjusted herself and began to walk away from the bloody scene.
Xoren saw the quick smile that Ruby flashed him and looked to her just as she returned back to her sombre demeanor. It pained him to see her like this, so distraught and removed from her usual happy self. He knew that nothing he could do or say could make her pain go away, but he was determined to at least make it less unbearable. While still moving along her side he touched his flank to hers, pressing softly to let her know that he was there for her.
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Post by Ruby_Fehu on Apr 10, 2014 9:26:26 GMT
Ruby hung her head lower as they walked along but didn't move when Xoren brushed against her. "I'm sorry." She murmured as they walked along, she looked up when she saw the silhouette of Sola approaching. "There she is." Ruby said to Xoren, moving away from him so Sola wouldn't notice how close they'd been walking.
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Post by Hypercube on Apr 11, 2014 20:00:05 GMT
Sola saw the two felines, their pelts separating from each other as she neared. "Dad! Ruby!" she shouted to them with alacrity, "Iris! She's okay!" Her paws went from a walk to a slow trot, eventually reaching a steady run to the two, all the while being sure not to allow the bouncing cub that rested on her back from falling.
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Post by Ruby_Fehu on Apr 11, 2014 20:19:05 GMT
Ruby's gaze snapped up suddenly, "What? Sola don't make jokes like that." Ruby snarled at Sola, evidently hurt by what she'd said.
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Post by Hypercube on Apr 12, 2014 18:10:31 GMT
Sola stopped at Ruby's feet, "I'm not lying!" she said smiling with joy as she knelt down to let Iris step down from her back "Here she is!"
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Post by Ruby_Fehu on Apr 13, 2014 12:06:32 GMT
Ruby looked down in surprise when Iris appeared looking very weary, but very much alive. "What?" She breathed. "I don't understand. How?"
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Post by Hypercube on Apr 13, 2014 14:02:13 GMT
"I don't know," Sola said with tears of joy now escaping her eyes, "but I don't care." Before Ruby had the chance to even take a step towards her daughter, Xoren ran to Iris, scooping her up with a fatherly embrace, his eyes clasped shut attempting to forget the alternate reality that almost was.
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Post by Ruby_Fehu on Apr 13, 2014 23:00:10 GMT
Ruby smiled fondly at Xoren and Iris before going to her daughter and scooping her up in a hug, "I'm so sorry baby girl, I'll never let you get hurt like that again." She whined, whilst Iris snuggled into both Xoren and Ruby's embrace with Sola included, they really would have been the picture of an ideal family.
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Post by Hypercube on Apr 14, 2014 0:03:11 GMT
After many seconds of enjoying the reunion, Xoren stepped out of the closely knit family, Sola following soon afterwards. He looked to the horizon, the sun nearly touching the thin line that defined it, and then scanned the savanna for an untainted place to rest for the night. "It's gonna get dark soon," Sola pointed out, "we should probably find a place to rest before the night falls." "Over there," Xoren said pointing with his snout, "I can see a group of trees just beyond that knoll. That should provide sufficient shelter."
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Also added Christmassy snow and banner :3
I'm currently getting some uni work done before heading to the post office. What's up with you?