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Midnight was born on July 19 2020 from Mona, her mom. Mona was very old when she stopped nursing her, perhaps she was getting tired too quickly. Now she has to face the realization that her mom will probably die before she's an adult.
July 31st:
Morning of the last day of July, Tefnut comes in spirit form to the pride and is up at the highest rock of the entire pride.
Midnight: Who's that I'm hearing? I'm nervous. Dad!
Gardevoir: You're nervous? Don't be, it's Tefnut bearing you some gifts before she disappears. Bast did the same thing to Tora and Dabae in June.
Tefnut: I hear you are the last offspring of the oldest lioness in your pride.
Midnight: I am indeed. Mona is my mom and she's so old that she might die in a few months or last for another year. You can see the age in her.
Tefnut: Uh, which one is Mona?
Midnight: This here's Mona. See the darkness around her eyes and the slight mane she's got? She also has the same eye color I do.
Tefnut: Ah, I see her now. And yeah, she's in that state of about to die isn't she?
Gardevoir: Yes she is. We already did a ceremonial song for her. She taught my best hunters all her moves. She helped me decide important things. Now, she's resting here in the peace of her pride.
Tefnut: Ah, I see. She was like a queen to you. Well, I have come bearing gifts for Midnight, her last offspring.
Midnight: Me? What do you have for me?
Tefnut: I have a Celestial Horn Crown, a Labaradorite Shard Necklace, Tefnut's Memory, Morning Light, and my own daughter, Menhit.
Gardevoir: Thanks for your gifts. We appreciate you and you will always have a special place in our hearts.
Midnight: Yeah, thanks Tefnut for your gifts.
Menhit: If you don't mind, I think I will eat and then sleep until tomorrow morning.
Gardevoir: That's fine. I've got plenty of food for you.
Aug 1:
The thirsty month has come upon the pride. It only seemed to affect their king, Gardevoir though.
Menhit: You want to play? I do! Ooh, your necklace is pretty.
Midnight: Thanks. And sure, I'll play with you.
Menhit: Great! And I will be your companion for life, no matter how tough it is.
Aug 3:
Midnight approaches you, voicing her concerns about the prides food stores.
Gardevoir: I've got enough food, don't worry about it.
Menhit: Tag, you're it.
Midnight: Oh, you're on. I'll get you.
Midnight accelerates up to top speed and catches up.
Menhit: Try to catch me.
Tora: Hahahahaha, This is so fun to watch. Reminds me of my cub years
Fawn: I agree. Those 2 lionesses are playing as though they were meant to be best buddies. And Midnight is getting her hunting skills in at the same time.
Midnight makes her signature jump and tags Menhit.
Tora: She got her! That jump was timed precisely. Mona must have taught her that. She taught us Alphas everything she knew about hunting and we have never failed, even if some of us got scarred. Mona! have you been watching? Mona?
Mona: uhh, I've been watching. My adolescent timed her jump precisely when she was close enough to tag Menhit and Menhit is now down, pawing at her necklace.
Fawn: Mona, are you okay?!
Mona: Remember what Tefnut said? I could die anytime now. I hope to live longer, but I might not.
Tora: Well, at least you will die knowing that your bloodline will continue through Gardevoir's heir and that you have taught us Alphas how to be the best hunters in the pride. Nothing could be better for you, could it?
Mona: No, you're right Tora. And you are one of the Alphas yourself and are having cubs. May your legacy be as good as mine.
Aug 4:
Midnight was playing with Menhit when suddenly she felt an intense heat on her paws and jumped away.
Gardevoir: You Okay?
Midnight: Got burnt paws from that, FIREEEEE!
Gardevoir: Everybody! Get up as high as possible onto the rocks to avoid getting burnt. Midnight gave us the warning that the fire is here.
All the lionesses, cubs, and sub males got up there, except Mona and Midnight. Midnight limped over because of her burnt paws.
Gardevoir: Midnight, what are you doing down there?! Get up here now!
Midnight: I can't, I'm in too much pain to climb. It hurts to walk on burnt paws.
Menhit: I'll get her up there Gardevoir.
Gardevoir: Do you have the strength?
Menhit: I have to try. I'm her lifetime companion after all. Come on Midnight, let's get up there.
Midnight got up onto the rocks. She was so scared of falling into the fire that she didn't look anywhere except up. She made it up there and then immediately looked down and saw Mona moving as slow as a turtle. It looked painful to her.
Midnight: Mona! Mona! Get up here onto the rocks. You don't want to get burned by the fire do you?
Suddenly, Mona jumped to 20 mph and got up onto the rocks.
Midnight: Yay! Mona, you made it before the fire. I'm proud of you.
Mona: And I'm proud of you for giving the warning to the pride. You may not be a full grown lioness yet, but you are certainly aware of danger, even while playing, and that's important.
It was more crowded than usual, but the whole pride slept soundly on the rocks. Usually, only Gardevoir, his heir, and a few of his lionesses sleep on the rocks and the rest including the cubs sleep in the grass. But nobody could sleep in the grass tonight because of the fire.
Aug 5:
At this point, Midnight was happy that Mona lasted for one more day. The fire was still in their area.
Midnight: Gardevoir! What do you think you're doing? You know the fire is still in our area.
Gardevoir: But I have to get water items and Dry Bones. I just have to.
Midnight: Why?
Gardevoir: I can craft water items and Dry Bones will help towards my hybrid goal. I don't feel comfortable telling you all why.
Lionesses: We Want To Know! We Want To Know!
Gardevoir: Alright, fine, I'll tell you. You see, for 600 Dry Bones, I can get a buffy.
Midnight: What does that do?
Gardevoir: It increases the guaranteed litter size. And when breeding muties, having a larger litter helps. So would having a lioness with 2 wombs, but I can't get that right now, it's too expensive to buy.
Midnight: And let me guess, hybrids count as muties?
Gardevoir: Yes they do.
Midnight: Alright, but I still feel uncomfortable about you going out there in the fire.
Mottled Rosette: I'm his heir and I have been patrolling this territory non-stop without getting burnt. Only reason you got burnt was because you were playing and didn't know there was a fire.
Gardevoir: See Midnight? If he can patrol this territory without getting burnt, then I can explore without getting burnt. I just don't want you lionesses and cubs to do your thing and get burnt in the process.
Aug 10:
Midnight was close to adulthood now and Mona is still going at it at an age of 15 years 7 months.
Midnight: Is there still fire in our territory?
Gardevoir: Yes, but, it is far enough away that you can go back to sleeping on the grass.
Everybody except a few lions climbed off the rocks and onto the grass. Mona had trouble getting back down, what with her slow speed, but nevertheless, she made it.
Mona: Ow, my feet, my knees, they hurt!
Midnight: I thought you were in pain the day that the fire approached. What's causing your pain and slowness?
Mona: It's arthritis. It happens to a lot of us old felines. Because of how much it hurts to move, my speed has decreased since about a year ago. Now, I'm down from lion speed to turtle speed. I can sprint, but my sprint is still slower, again due to the arthritis.
Midnight: Oh, I'm sorry you're in so much pain. But, you have been a fighter, you made it to 15 years 7 months. Hopefully I'll be at least 2 years old by the time you die.
Mona: I hope so too. I feel that no matter how much I fight death, it's going to come soon. Especially what with my arthritis. Now Gardevoir has to bring me the food whenever it's feeding time, because I just don't feel like getting it myself.
Midnight: And he does a good job caring for you. By the way, did you know that you are starting to get great-grandcubs?
Mona: I am? Wow!
Midnight sat by Mona for the rest of the day to keep her company.
Storm: Hey Mona, look what I gave birth to.
Mona: Can you come here with your cubs?
Storm: Yes. I'll come over.
Storm came over with her 2 cubs, brother and sister.
Mona: Aww, how cute. A piebald cub?! How in the world?
Storm: See, I met this stud and he had a base that would help me towards getting a combo base.
Mona: Yeah, go on.
Storm: Well, he also happened to have the Piebald mutation. And when I gave birth, I could immediately tell that his mutation had passed on to one of my cubs.
Mona: Are they brother and sister or what?
Storm: Yeah. This brown, more bland looking cub is the brother.
Mona: Which makes your piebald cub the sister. She's such a pretty little lady.
Storm: Isn't she just. She looks a lot like me except in those white patches.
Mona: Hey Gardevoir. Come over here.
Gardevoir: But, I have to get my Dry Bones.
Mona: But you don't want to miss seeing this cub do you?
Gardevoir: A cub? On my way!
Gardevoir ran in excitement to see the cub.
Storm: Spectre, meet your pride father, Gardevoir
Gardevoir: A piebald cub! Male or female?
Mona: Female.
Gardevoir: Oh wow, any items used?
Storm: Nope. Nothing. It was just the natural passing of the piebald mutation from a stud.
Gardevoir: Wow. I've bred my Withered pie over there.
Storm: The brown and white lion?
Gardevoir: Yep, that's her. I've bred her 5 times now to a pie stud and she has had 4 litters and is about due to have her fifth litter. And, no piebald cubs at all, and this is from natural birth with double the chance that you had. So, to see that you have given birth to a piebald cub when you aren't piebald is just remarkable.
Storm: Aww, thanks. Is she a keeper to you?
Gardevoir: YES! She might give me more pies when she's of breeding age. That male though, I mean, I see the potential, so I won't chase him off, but I will give him away to another pride that can take care of him.
Storm: Alright, I respect your decision, as you are the king of the pride.
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