January 6, Year 6 - Vermilions

Willow lowered her ears at Lucille's accusation. She wasn't able to understand how being near Torch, a male younger than her, would make her look like she was searching for a mate. She frowned at Lucille's hostility. Willow couldn't even think about ideas of mates; she had already lost so many loved ones. Why would she risk getting close again only to be broken once more? Had Lucille not thought of this?

But perhaps Willow was overthinking everything—She was a little irritated due to being hungry. She keeps walking, putting a shred of distance between Torch and herself, if it made the bossy female feel any better.

This was definitely not the Kitties atmosphere she was so used to. Willow had never been under the control of a violent leader. She couldn't imagine how it must be like, but she was aware that she'd just might have to start getting used to it...

(( ooc: Lucille was only thinking about Willow and Torch, she didn't voice her concerns out loud ^^; sorry for the confusion. I won't post again until we have a babysitter.))

ooc: Woops, I guess I'll have to backpedal here XD

Bic:

Willow makes a short decision and decides to stay behind and babysit the pups. Having had a litter herself in the past, she would be able to lactate if the situation called for it. It could also help her get on Lucille's good side...

Satisfied that her pups will be kept safe, Lucille nods, but waits patiently.  She would prefer to leave with her son, but knows that the mob is impatient, as made evident by meerkats such as Morgan.  If Sohnii wants to starve, that's his choice.  He's 4 months old, she shouldn't have to babysit him anymore.  It might seem a bit harsh, but after her father died and her mom was evicted, Lucille was a subordinate and pretty much raised herself.  She never really knew any other parenting style.

(waiting for Youssy with Sohnii, Mata Nui and Rintan.)

---

A figure breaks the dusty horizon a little ways away from the developing Vermilions mob.  He was quite thin, and although that was to be expected in such a nasty drought, that wasn't the only thing making his gait a bit unsteady.  It was quite obvious that he had been injured quite some time ago.  Although his wounds were healing, the going was slow.  His injuries had been life threatening, but although that had been 5 days ago, he only waited two before leaving his mob, and his constant movement and struggling only reopened the wounds, not really giving them time to heal.  But in times like these, a meerkat injured this badly would need to stick with others, to give himself the best chance of survival.  So why was this male out here alone, pushing himself so hard? What made him so desperate? Well, to understand that, one would have to know his identity, and just what had transpired the past month.  This meerkat was JaXX, from the Pearls, and you might say that he'd had a hard week.

Of course, this drought was hard on everyone.  With so few to begin with in their ranks, and having several physically challenged members, times were especially tough.  But as always, they were determined, and they still had each other.  Their tightly knit friendships and will to survive kept them going.  JaXX eventually came to trust and care for each and every one of them.  He and Lou were still at odds with each other, and he of course missed his little brother Puppis, but... at least JaXX still had his pups.  It was tough feeding them all, but they managed.  And so, despite everything, the Pearls survived peacefully.  Even after being bitten by a snake two weeks ago, for the first time in his life, JaXX was happy.  

It's too bad that a certain meerkat and his eldest son had to come and change everything.  There had been a predator scare 6 days ago.  It didn't just split the group, it scattered them.  They were disoriented; luckily, JaXX and his seven pups; juveniles, by then; ended up together.  It didn't matter what happened, because the rest of the Pearls weren't the first meerkats they found.  Oh, no... they found someone much worse.

As he struggled his way up a dune, JaXX winced slightly.  It was nothing he hadn't been through before.  He was badly injured after the Lavas/Linklus battle, but even he was reaching his limit.  He was too malnourished, too hurt, and he was pushing himself too far.  Trembling a bit, the reddish male allowed himself to collapse at the top of the dune, knowing that his pelt would disguise him in the red sand.  He gazed up at the sky, thinking back to that day.  How quickly he had raced to protect his cornered pups, excluding Dawn, from his older half-brother and cousin, Rahkshi.  How he was too angry to realize that someone worse was present -- the one meerkat he had never wanted to see again.  JaXX's usual spirit was still present at that point, even as he father, Makuta, almost effortlessly bested him, and pinned him to the ground.  He was terrified, but he would not allow his father to take his family away from him.  What JaXX didn't realize, however, was Makuta wasn't just there to kill him... he was there to punish him.  For treason, for abandonment, and for failing his father's expectations.  And Makuta rarely, if ever, limited himself to physical torment.  Makuta forced JaXX to reveal his darkest secrets to the ones he loved: where he came from, what he'd done, everything that JaXX had never even told Puppis... never told anyone.  Suddenly, his pups knew that he had been a killer.  With a pang in his heart, JaXX recalled seeing their faces, forever burned in his memory.  Who was he to think he could ever have a chance at a normal life, after what he'd been born into, and what his family had turned him into? He should have known that his father would find him and destroy that happiness eventually; that was what Makuta did best, after all.

JaXX had felt the emotional pain of revealing his secrets to his adoptive children.  And after that, Makuta moved on to the physical torture, and made the pups watch the whole thing.  JaXX tried to fight back at first, but his will had been broken, and at the end, he could barely stand.  But no, that wasn't enough for Makuta.  He wanted his son to watch them die.  And that was when they moved on to Dawn.  Lou had arrived shortly after; there were a lot of mixed feelings between her and JaXX, but she wasn't about to let them die.  They were able to escape thanks to her help, if only barely, but she paid for it with her life.  They found the rest of the Pearls at that point, and the two Shadow Deaths quickly disappeared, oddly satisfied.  The damage had been done, and there was no telling whether or not JaXX would survive the night.

But, of course, he did, although death might have been more merciful.  The day after was probably the hardest.  It was difficult to decide which hurt worse, his severe injuries, or the emotional trauma left by the incident.  It was no secret that the Shadow Deaths attacked the innocent, but that wasn't why the Pearls had been targeted.  That wasn't why Makuta had come personally.  This had only happened because JaXX was there... because he had adopted seven innocent pups and gotten so close to them.  It was all part of his punishment.  Everything that had happened was his fault, and if it weren't for them, none of them would have had that terrifying experience.  Dawn never would have been injured.  And Lou would still be alive.  He couldn't look them in the eye, knowing that if they had been adopted by someone else, all of them would still be safe.  And he couldn't bear to see Dawn at all, not without breaking down.  A meerkat that had once been strong and loyal had been reduced to ash, all in just a matter of hours.  And this wouldn't be the end of it.  Makuta was thorough; he would check to make sure JaXX was dead.  And they wouldn't get lucky next time, not in this weather.  There was only one way he would be able to protect them.  He was going to have to leave them.

And so he did, three days ago.  His wounds had barely scabbed over properly, and he wasn't anywhere near ready to travel, much less survive on his own.  But he thought, perhaps it was better that way.  He wasn't expecting to survive, but he wasn't leaving for himself.  He was doing it for them.  Did it hurt to leave, without saying goodbye? Of course it did, but not nearly as painful as things already were.  He just wanted to keep them safe.  The further away he was, he thought, the safer they'd be.  It made perfect sense to him, even if he knew he'd break their hearts doing it.  Sometimes... you have to say goodbye.

JaXX didn't realize it, but... he hadn't gotten far in the three days he'd been gone.  He didn't have much of a chance out here.  It wouldn't be hard for them to track him down, but he wouldn't last much longer on his own.  Still, his survival instinct was still strong.  He tried to push himself up, but stumbled.  Shuddering from the pain, JaXX decided a few more minutes of rest wouldn't hurt, and closed his eyes...

How could things go from bad... to worse? In 7 short days... that's exactly what happened. At least, to 7 juvenile 'kats. Things had been rough for them... Not only because they were all born in the same litter, but also they ended up losing their biological parents to a jackal. The two gave their lives to ensure their pups could escape. While they ran... One of them, the oldest, Dawn... had witnessed their deaths. Watching as their very existence... came to a sad end. Since then... the pup swore she would never lose her siblings. Not ever. Since they were alone... Dawn was forced to mature rather early. They stayed together, but 7 young pups... it was always hard to stay fed. Still young and needing adults, they rarely got to eat too much. Some times, they got lucky. But often, not so much... They'd always had to hope they could catch something or hope something came to them.

But, somehow... Fate seemed to pity them. Since, they ended up finding a mob. Known as the Pearls. And what set the mob apart from most was the fact, many of the members had handicaps, including the leaders. Yet, they banded together... And survived regardless. And of course, they took the 7 pups in. They were thin and malnourished, definitely underweight for their ages. However... a male stepped forward... One whom the 7 would end up becoming very attached to. JaXX. To them, he was what they needed... a parental figure. Sure, they'd never forget their parents Donna and Darren... But their sacrifice was why they were able to find this mob, find JaXX. But, it really didn't take them too long to feel comfortable around him. And start calling him, "Dad". For Dawn, it was a big adjustment... But, like her siblings, she too, got comfortable with it, too.

For the first time, since that awful day, the 7 were able to feel at ease. And regained their lost weight in no time. Being in a mob helped out. Other than a few scares here and there, life seemed to finally improve. ...Until, a big predator scare. The 7 managed to find a bolt hole to hide in, and thankfully, their adoptive father ended up near it too. As Dawn came out to let him know they were safe... Two unfamiliar 'kats came... She had to stay in front of the bolt hole, to guard her siblings. One of them, one with fur as black as the night sky... Began to torment JaXX. Dawn had been tempted many times to rush over to help him. But these were two full grown males. They'd overpower her in seconds... She was forced to stay, watching as her adoptive father's life was beaten nearly out of him. And... forced to confess about his past sins.... Yet... It didn't phase her. Her feelings toward him did not weaver whatsoever. Did the past really matter..? No. Whenever she looked at JaXX... She didn't see a murderer, a liar, a deceiver... She saw someone with love, empathy and kindness... Yet, she barely had the time to react since the second male, a big grey one, came barreling at her. Most would flee... But Dawn did not. She refused to budge, to break. And thus, the biggest test of her determination came to play. She fought against him, despite having no fighting experience. She met his claws and fangs with her own, with no fear and hesitation.

She knew she did not stand a chance in the strength department... But the juvenile still fought back. She endured. She refused to fall. No matter how much he knocked her down, made her fall back... She sprang right back to her paws and kept retaliating against him. She got lucky at some points, managing to inflict some injuries to him. Not as much as he did to her, but she still managed to catch him by surprise a few times. Her brown coat soon had crimson and wounds all over. The pain was something she never endured before... Yet, her determination and desire to protect her siblings... And her sheer willpower... It kept her going... Even when she began to accept she may end up dying at the paws of this twisted 'kat. Yet, she was embracing it. As long as it kept her siblings alive... Yet... Something happened that she did not ever expect to: Lou, a 'kat she hated... Came to her rescue. She managed to keep the male at bay, demanding her to get her siblings and JaXX... And run. Dawn, at first, refused, wanting to help... But soon... She relented, and managed to urge her siblings out of the bolt hole, and managing to get JaXX as well, and they fled. For a second time... Dawn could only watch helplessly as Lou's noble act... Soon made her pay for it... With her life. For the first time, since she knew the female... Dawn felt regret and sorrow. Because of them... Lou had perished. Thankfully, they found the remaining Pearls. At that point, Dawn collapsed, having pushed herself beyond her limits... And she blacked out.

While her injuries weren't as severe as her adoptive father's... The mob still worried for her life. She was much younger, after all... But against the odds, Dawn managed to survive. Especially with her siblings helping her... Tending to her... Keeping her fed. But, she wanted to see JaXX... Yet she was too weak. And he was too. She would even try to call him... Yet she never got any reply... And a few days ago... The 7 learned JaXX had left. No matter where they looked, they could never find him. His scent was faint... But it didn't take long for them to figure out: He had left the territory entirely. Dawn, despite still injured and tired, decided they had to find him. He was all they had left... And somehow, Dawn felt they owed it to Lou as well. It was her sacrifice that enabled them to live. And once more, they were not going to let it be in vain. JaXX was still their parental figure. What was in the past... was just that, left in the past. No one should ever let their past control their lives. And thus, the 7 left on their own journey to find him. No matter how long it would take them. Thankfully, being juveniles, their survival was a bit better. The drought was still an issue... But they managed for the most part.

Dawn, while she was not fully healed... She was pushing herself... She definitely had her stubbornness levels go higher... Perhaps thanks to JaXX also being stubborn... But... They were not going to lose a second parent figure. Not again. Not ever. Dawn pushed on, ignoring her body's pleas to stop. To rest. But no! They couldn't delay... Every day, they felt they were closer to finding their missing adoptive father. His scent was never too far, even while it was fading... But it was still something to follow! The 7 kept moving along, even finding some faint paw prints... And they had a very faint smell of JaXX. They were close... They were..! Dawn panted, but kept going. They could see some dunes in the distance... There, perhaps? They kept going, their bodies exhausted... And their breathes were short... But they couldn't stop now. Not when they were SO close! As they kept going... the familiar scent got stronger...

There..! One of them, Dusty, chrred as they saw a figure at the top of a dune... And the scent didn't lie... It was him! DAD! All 7 ran up the dune, going toward their fallen father figure. He was just as injured as Dawn was... They needed to help! Unlike them... JaXX hasn't had any help... They made it to him and without hesitation, they began to tend to his injuries, grooming him... After all their hard work, all their traveling... They arrived at their goal... Finding Jaxx... Now... They had to work together to give him a helping paw... And ensure, they were never separated again! They'll fight those 'kats, and next time... All of them would fight... Not just Dawn! They ALL had to band together to protect their adoptive father... Nothing was going to rip them away from him! NOTHING! No 'kats, no obstacles... Nothing, even the world itself, wouldn't get in their way!

Too young to really know what's going on yet, Stefanie just feels the warm embrace of her older brother Sohnii. The two scents that give her the most comfort are his scent and the one of her sister that she always smells, Asha. There's another scent, too, the one that feeds her milk... but that one is somehow not as soothing. She squeaks in contentment, too young to understand the mob politics going on above ground.
--
Tiptoe's eyes widen when Mata Nui begins to gather he and his siblings up. They're finally going above ground! He takes a spot behind Rintan, but suddenly he is very nervous. The burrow is the only thing he's known his entire life. It's so bright up there and who knows what's lurking around outside of the burrow? He suddenly loses his excitement and squeaks in fear, his legs freezing up. He doesn't want to go out there!
--
Parakeet continues to keep a close watch on the Vermilions... she can't really hear everything they're saying, but from their body language it doesn't seem like there's a dominant female. There seems to be a little bit of contention within their ranks. She's terrified of being run off or attacked, but she knows that at this point she needs to find a group or perish. It's not her family, the Avians, but... living is better than dying. And this group seems as good as any - at least there doesn't seem to be a strict dominant female. She takes a few deep breaths, steadying her courage, and then steps out from the brush into the open line of the burrow. She decides she needs to do a direct approach. She chirps loudly at the Vermilions, requesting their attention, but keeps her posture low and non-threatening. She waits to see what happens.

(will post with Satsuma and Tijoux later)

(( ooc: Night has informed me that she's probably going to wait until the next day to post again, so I'm going to take a break with JaXX until then. ))

Mata Nui glanced back at Tiptoe and blinked as he turned around to face his son. He didn't remember his own emergence very well, but he's sure that he was a little nervous, too. Of course, it did make it a little easier when there was a mob above ground to encourage and protect you, especially seeing as Mata Nui's parents were the dominant pair, a luxury his own sons and daughter would never have. Regardless, they couldn't stay here much longer, and Mata Nui pressed his nose to Tiptoe's, chrring softly in an attempt to encourage his son. Giving the pup a little nuzzle, he turned around and continued his lead calls, urging Tiptoe to follow.

Rintan, on the other hand, growled impatiently, irritated that his brother was delaying the moment he'd been waiting for since he was old enough to walk. He was tired of this burrow, and he was ready to go outside! Barking defiantly, the tan pup turned around and charged through the entrance - only to hit a wall of light, which was much more than he had prepared himself for. Yipping in surprise, the tiny pup tumbled back, slamming right into his sister, Alayla. For a few moments he stood there, stunned, before he uttered a whimper and hid between his father's legs. Mata Nui suppressed a chuckle and gave Rintan a tender nuzzle, before he turned his golden gaze back to Tiptoe. Mata Nui chirped, We can wait a little, if you're scared, Tiptoe... But we can't stay here forever... We need to leave eventually. He tried to be as gentle about it as he could, as they were only three weeks old, and he didn't want to scare them... But he knew that their chances of survival decreased significantly the second they were outside... They wouldn't survive much longer on their own either, though. The pups were not yet weaned, and there weren't any females left to nurse them...

---

At the Vermilions burrow, Sohnii growled a little, not knowing that Willow had stayed behind to babysit. Was his mother really so selfish that she would leave her pups without a caretaker, after nearly losing them in a burrow raid? He kept little Stefanie between his paws, and despite being only four months old tried to keep Asha at his side as well. He was definitely more attentive to Stefanie, because Lucille definitely favored the larger Asha, and thus got more attention from mom. In addition to moving mobs frequently, Sohnii himself had been born in an abnormally large litter, and had been neglected even though he was perfectly healthy at the time. As a result his social skills were impaired and he had to grow up fast... He practically raised himself at times, and he wasn't going to let that happen to Stefanie. It wasn't that he didn't like Asha, he just felt that his other sister needed him more. He looked down at Stefanie, and blinked. There was one issue. Aside from his friend, Garen, he'd never had positive relationships with other pups and wasn't entirely sure how to interact with one... Luckily these were newborns and had very few social needs. He touched his nose to her back awkwardly. 

---

Meanwhile at the foraging grounds, Lucille began digging. During this time of drought, tensions were high and she had pups to feed... And subordinates to keep in line, if she was to become the dominant female. She looked around for someone to steal from...

Asha was a pawful. Despite being so young and helpless, she was determined to roll and stumble around. Of course, she never rolled too far away from her siblings. The tyke shrieked, demanding for yummy milk from Lucille. She was HUNGRY. But her demands fell on deaf ears, for Lucille was out foraging.

-------

Morgan was vigorously ripping up the sand in search of decent substance. All she could find was ants! She needed something more fulfilling! Eggs! Lizards! Beetles! Anything! This was frustrating and it was really starting to irritate her.

Ignoring Rintan, Tiptoe's eyes widen as Mata Nui encourages him to be brave and leave the burrow. Okay... I guess... I guess I can do it. He gulps, then slowly starts walking up the burrow slope, taking tiny steps, but moving forward nevertheless.

The minute he heard someone approaching him, JaXX nearly jumped, but was surprised when he saw his pups, all 7 of them.  At first, he felt his heart leap out of his chest.  No, no, no, they weren't supposed to be here... they were supposed to be back in the Pearls where they were safest, away from him... if his father ever found out that he survived... IF he survived... his father would return to finish the job.  But in the end, he was just too tired, and he was happy to see them either way.  With a weak chrr, he touched his nose to one of them - he wasn't sure which - and tried to push himself to his feet.  They couldn't stay out in the sun, especially in such a large group... they would catch too much attention.  No... these ex-Pearls would need to find a new mob.

---

Mata Nui smiled and gave his son a small nuzzle.  I know it's scary now, but once you're outside, you'll never look back - at least until it looks dark.  Just remember, I'm always here beside you.  He could remember his adoptive mother, Fuzzle, telling him something similar when he emerged for the first time.  Once again, Mata Nui continued up the slope, looking back at his sons and daughter before gazing at the sky warily...

Willow still wasn't liking Lucille's fashion in asserting dominance and forced leadership. She finally let out the latent growl broiling her system. She wouldn't do this with the younger female around, she knew better. But she couldn't keep her frustration suppressed much longer. She felt a premonition, but this was most likely because she's never been in a group with a hostile leader. She's certainly seen them, she'd never forget Volcanopaw and her mob of monsters, but she never imagined being a part of one. What did dark leaders do to those who didn't have a mean bone in their body?
What if Lucille snapped one day and decided to evict her—
Willow flexed her claws, refusing to imagine the possibility of living out in the harsh desert by herself again. She sighed and went underground to check on the pups.