Opposite Ends

[cheezeegriff]

Black... could that mean the cubs were in the tunnels of roots at the base of the tree? It could be, Figgy thought, but surely he would have smelled something. Freshly born cubs should have quite the odour.

So they rode east of the base, noses raised to the wind, Figgy sniffing for anything that seemed unusual. He controlled Zeza with his mind to walk north and south, north and south in a zig-zag pattern, hoping to catch a sense of something unusual. It occurred to him he didn't even know what cubs smelled like. But it couldn't be too different from regular lions, right?

Plus, he'd eaten pregnant prey before. Not that he had intended to catch a pregnant antelope. She'd suffocated in one of his traps, and he hadn't let the mother or the cub go to waste. There must be something similar in the smell.

Figgy squeezed Destiny's paw as they rode, ears twitching for cub noises, nose held high into the sky.

[This Land]

She felt the squeeze of her paw. She lay her head into him for a brief moment to return the gesture before holding her head high once again.

Time passed... and it was messing with Destiny's mind, the constant worry made it feel so slow, yet the sun was soon to touch the horizon. During the search there hadn't been the slightest clue of the cub's whereabouts, but she knew she had to keep calm. After the initial shock, it was like switch had flicked in her brain to suppress her emotions to concentrate on the matter in paw. But still, it was mentally exhausting.

They had covered most of the east side and ventured the furthest they had been since taking residence here, and not a whisper of a scent to be found. This is where the thoughts of fatality of her cubs started to seep through mind, breaking down the suppression of her emotions.

She was about to crack, not until a faint scent brushed across her nose. It was feline, that was all she could muster but that was the most hopeful thing she had smelt all this time.

Without warning, she leapt off Zeza, bounding through the patches of shallow water before hitting a deep area. She swam frantically with her nose sticking up high, getting more and more of the feline cub scent. Up ahead was a dry bank, she leapt out of the water and ran up it.
If you are my babies...mom's coming
The scent got extremely strong, her emotions has already cracked through her suppression and it only fueled her persistency more that this was the scent from her cubs. She entered some very tall grass before soon screeching to a halt. She had come across three balls of feline fluffs.

However, it soon was apparent that these were not lion cubs.

And just at that moment a deep thundering growl emerged from behind her, quickly followed by claws sinking deep into her shoulders.

[cheezeegriff]

Figgy smelled it too, though it wasn't the scent he was looking for. "Wait a moment," he said, but Destiny was already gone, bounding through the long, dry grass. He turned to follow with Zeza, calling to her. "Des, wait!"

He couldn't see what attacked clearly, but he could hear it. A growl like thunder and a blur of fur in the grass. Figgy snapped Zeza's vines even harder. The pile of vines and bones couldn't move as fast as a full grown lion, but the speed was certainly better than what Figgy could manage on foot.

Destiny and her assailant were already at it, doing their best to rip each other to shreds, as far as Figgy could tell. At his thought-command Zeza's toothy maw opened and snapped shut with a loud crack. He had been trying to catch Destiny's attacker, but missed.

So he reset Zeza's jaws, ready to try again...

[This Land]

Just after the agonizing feeling of the claws sinking into her, Destiny's front legs buckled to the ground. Without a moments delay, she flipped herself over along with the attacker and a flurry of claws torn fur ensued. Everything she done was in self defense, she didn't want to kill this leopard, she knew the leopardess was only protecting her cubs...the one thing Destiny failed at the moment her own were born. In her eyes, this Leopardess was a better mother than her already.

Destiny called out to the Leopardess several times, begging her stop, trying to explain between paw swipes and bites that she meant no harm and was just mistaken Identity, but the Leopardess was relentless and wouldn't stop. In some ways Destiny admired her strong will towards her cub's protection. However, she couldn't hold up her defenses for long, there was only so much her body could endure.

After a massive back-paw slap that send her sliding across the ground, her and the Leopardess now were now a few paces either side of the cubs. Destiny has to use her last resort.

She stretched her paw out as her eyes ignited with a powerful glow. The Leopard froze in shock, not just because of how Destiny looked, but what she was doing. The leopard watched on helplessly as her cubs lifted off the ground and rose high up into the air. Their cries of confusion and helplessness ringing into her ears.

Destiny locked her glowing eyes onto the Leopard with an angry yet resentful frown.

"If I wanted your cubs, I would of done this to begin with from a distance... without all the fighting." she said with a deep growl.
"Now Listen! As I tried to plead earlier, I mean no harm! This was just mistaken identity" She tried to growl but softened into a slight whimper, as the thought of her own helpless cubs entered her mind.

The Leopard stood still frozen. Either from fear of Destiny or from the cubs falling if she attacked.

[cheezeegriff]

As Destiny distracted the leopardess by levitating her cubs, Figgy gently used his magic to twist the roots and grass tightly around the leopard's paws. Just in case. But all the leopard did was stand there. So Figgy said from Zeza's back, "We're just looking for our own cubs. We got the smell confused." At least, that's what he thought must have happened. "Have you noticed anything unusual lately? Any odd smells or sounds or sights?"

He gave Destiny a nod to return the cubs to the ground. The roots and grass were bound tightly now, and the desperate leopardess still hadn't noticed.

[This Land]

For a moment the Leopard ignored the questions, she was just stood helpless gazing at her cubs in mid-air. Her tough appearance cracking as she watched her cubs whimper in distress. She went to take a step forward but soon felt her paws were tightly and very skillfully wrapped around with vines. She had just seen a lioness's eyes glow and her cubs floating in the air, she soon assumed that the vines were another 'trick'. Her legs buckled forward and she half flopped onto the ground, now looking a little more helpless.
"Please...Ok...I wont mean any harm, I may of heard something, I don't know, but please....let me have my babies back" her voice started to break and her eyes swelled.

Destiny couldn't help but immediately sympathize with her - regardless of scratches and a slightly concerning deep claw mark across her shoulder from the conflict. She knew what it was like not having her cubs close by, all too well.

Her eyes started to dim and the cubs were slowly lowered down and towards the front legs of the Leopardess. The cubs immediately clambering over her half hunkered down body, a warm smile cracking at the side of her muzzle.

"Thankyou...I'm....sorry" she sighed, relieved.
"I cannot blame you for being a protective mother, and quite a hard one at that... but I had to do -something- to stop you, I hope you understand" Destiny replied firm but gentle. The leopardess replied with a single nod.

She then turned her head to Large lion that was sitting on some sort of contraption made of bones and vines. She had seen 2 supernatural things already in the space of a couple of heartbeats so it didn't seem to shock her. With the vines wrapped around the skeleton, wriggling and giving it movement, she quickly assumed who the culprit of trapping her was. Her eyes widened realizing that it all seems to be coming together now.
"If you don't mind unwrapping me....I'll tell you what I know" She paused, knowing what will be asked next.
"I'm not going anywhere or going to do anything...if the stories or gossip is true, then I need some answers from both of you too."

Destiny tilted her head, curious at Leopardess, then glanced over to Figgy, confused.

[cheezeegriff]

Figgy instantly released the leopardess, then lumbered down from Zeza's back towards Destiny, nuzzling her carefully. "You're hurt," he said, looking at her shoulder, and then giving a dark look at the leopardess. Carefully he began licking Destiny's wound, one eye on the culprit the whole time.

The leopardess stood up gingerly, her cubs gathering around her, eyes widening at the size of Figgy's enormous body. Only a magical creature could get that big in the african wilds. Only a magical creature could survive that big. There was barely an inch between Figgy's belly and the ground. Fat rolls covered every limb and digit - even the base of his tail was thicker than the leopardess' waist. The tiniest movement made the flesh on this flanks toss and tumble like jelly, and his snout and nose were flanked by cheeks so chubby he almost looked like a cub!

His mate was much smaller, though still plump and curvy. Unnaturally so. If Figgy wasn't standing there she would have been the roundest lioness the Leopard had ever seen, but she looked small compared to him. It was obvious this lion cared for her very much - and provided for her too.

"We don't owe you any answers," Figgy said, his voice belaying his anger. Despite the softness of his body his green eyes looked at her harshly. And could she blame him? It was her fault blood was running down his mate's white coat. "Tell us what you know, but we'll decide what we tell you."

The leopard looked down at her hungry cubs, suddenly a little worried for them again. She couldn't run away and leave them behind. Her only choice was to cooperate. "Alright. Here's what I know..."