Blizzard remembered something and rushed to the Spotted Pride's hoard. She dug out a few things of nesting material that had been kept warm, buried in the ground.

"Me and Rustymane a little while back made some emergency nesting material! They've been buried, so they should still be fairly lukewarm." She announced loudly to the prides, showing them the nesting material.

A couple Star Pride spirits looked to Blizzard without her knowing. "Does she know we kept the material warm for her, or that we made her believe that her and Rustymane made them instead of us?" One said to the other, unhear by any and every live lion there. "Surely not. How could she possibly find out about such a thing?" The other spoke. The first one nodded before the two disappeared with no evidence that they were ever there...

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Akirl was frustrated at the display that showed itself before him. His Pride was the only one to be embarrassing so far! The other Prides seemed easy to manage. He sighed, nodding to the two and saying: "Do what you think is best."

Cocoa found this opportunity and took it; she leapt over to him and sat next to him. "It must be hard being a King."

"It is." He grumbled. "My father never told me that it would be this difficult keeping up with so many lions." He looked over at the other Kings. Was it a mistake he let them stay? He shook his head. Cocoa let her head sit on his mane. "It'll get easier."

He smiled at the lioness. "Yes, it will."

Cocoa smiled back.

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Blizzard looked to Akirl. "Well... I'm sure we can help you out as you are us."
She stood tall. "Any pregnant lionesses without a nest, come with me. I'll make sure you and your cubs are safe and warm."
She lead the pregnant lionesses into the nesting den and make the nesting material into nests for them and herself. She sighed, flopping down onto her own nest. Atleast she could help SOMEONE out of harsh, cold weather this time...

Was it a mistake for her past king to send HER out there, to find a new home for her past pride? She could barely even help this time, only helping a couple of lionesses and herself. Herself... she had been the only one to live. Was she selfish? Is that why she failed to save them?
The thoughts clawed at her, taunting her. She buried her face into her paws eventually, trying not to wail...

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Cocoa got up from beside him, yet Akirl got up after her, asking: "Cocoa."

She turned. "Yes?"

"Am I..." he looked down, then looked back up at her. "Am I a bad King?"

Cocoa gasped then came back to rub her head again his mane again. "No, in my opinion you're an amazing King."

He purred, watched her as she said: "But I've got to be going out to hunt. I think you'd be pleased to have prey sticking around to eat when it's cold and the alive prey would be hiding about."

"Good idea." He gave her a approved nod, then watched her walk off, with two lionesses that must've heard her say she was going to hunt go after her. He suddenly shook his head and turned, asking Queen: "So is there anyway for us to deal with this cave being closed in?"

Queen sighed, shaking her head. "Every rock is wedged into the next. I don't know how they got like that so perfectly, but there's no way for us to get in..."

Akirl huffed, rubbing his head against hers. "Well, I'm happy to see that you tried to find a way to get the cave back open."

Queen nodded.

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Blizzard eventually sighed and fell asleep in her nest.

She was suddenly thrown into a field of blue grass, the starlight from the sky nearly blinding.
She looked around further, only finding more grassy area.

"Blizzard Bays..." a voice sounded from behind her, so she whipped around to see another spirit lion, just like the one she saw at the boulders blocking the cave.

"Did you cause the blockage of the cave?" Blizzard demanded an answer. The spirit nodded. "We cannot have any lions hiding during the birth of your cub."

"Wh... why?"

"That is one thing we cannot tell you exactly of, yet i will say this." The spirit drew nearer to Blizzard, almost touching noses at that point. "Your cub will be the make it or break it of the prides as you all know it. Raise them well, right, and make the right moves. You are more involved than you think."

Before Blizzard can respond, the spirit vanished and she was left into a world where she only had normal dreams in her sleep from then on. However, her sleep wasn't enjoyable after that moment to say the least...

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Queen scanned the cave after Akirl wandered off. She was slightly irritated at hearing Slate continuing to gnaw at the rocks, attempting to pull one out. "Okay, I think we all know now it's useless."

"It isn't useless until I say it is." He snarled. Queen looked shocked and he froze, muttering: "A-ah, I'm sorry.."

"You're.. fine. Just don't break your teeth while doing that." She turned and padded off, wondering why Slate was so.. scary back there. He had never done anything like that when she was around, and then she didn't even stop him after he scolded him about it! She sighed, laying down.

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Blizzard eventually woke up after a long while, shaking in the cold, dead of night. The snow had started to fall already and her nest was in the front of the cave, so it seemed as though she was the only pregnant lioness affected.

Suddenly, she heard a crunching of snow under a couple sets of paws and Blazed tail along with Cobra showed up at the entrance. "Hey, Blizzard." Cobra spoke in a hushed whisper. The two sat down next to her.

"Everyone else is either asleep or doin' absolutely nothin', so we thought that we'd oughta keep ye company. How's everythin' been for ye?"
Blizzard sighed. "I don't know. I guess I've been stressed out too much lately."

Cobra did something she'd never do, putting her tail gently onto Blizzard's back. "Aren't you near birth?" Blizzard nodded to her. "Then rest your worries. It isn't going to be good for you or the cub."

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Owl stared at them. then they noticed her. she didnt even try to hide the fact she was staring at them for 4 hours.

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Blizzard saw Owl and was immediately uncomfortable.

Cobra let out an angry growl, basically telling her to back up because she's makin' her friend uncomfortable.

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(Okay timeskipping a little cuz I just noticed Valentine grew up hhh-)

A bit of time had went by since the incident with the cave. Winter wasn't bad, and one of Camels cubs did get sick, yet Akirl rushed to get the cub feeling better and, reluctantly, Camel decided to stay.

Valentine was a pain the whole time, though. As she grew she seemed to get more aggressive towards the lionesses that had had Akirls cubs, and even picking with the other Prides lionesses that had given birth, as if she was slightly.. jealous? Akirl sighed and put his paws over his head. Now he really wished her father came around and took her back, but she seemed to be enjoying being taken care of by so many lions, she especially stayed close to Shining Rays, which Akirl saw himself being unusually upset with. She wasn't bothering him when she was around the lioness, why was he so irritated with it? He sighed and shook his fur. He pricked his ears and heard lionesses making hunting parties and getting ready to set off.

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A light snowfall that late evening lit up the den. Blizzard looked down at her small female cub. She had been brightly lit by the glow of the sunset peeking in. The pinkish-orange glow looked almost as if a heavenly light shown on the cub.

Blizzard had the voices of the spirit lion echoing through her mind. 'Your cub will be the make it or break it, along with you... you are more involved than you think...' It made her feel stressed, unworthy of motherhood, unworthy of anything she has...
Her thoughts were interruprted by unusually kindish Cobra. "You doing okay?"

"Oh! Yeah. Just... post-birth stress I guess...."
Cobra looked at Blizzard then to the cub. "Well, do you have any names for her?"

Blizzard shook her head no. She saw out of the corner of her eye that a lion spirit had edged the walls of the cave, another one only she could see. "Mary..." It seemed to whisper to her. She brushed it off, trying to think. A couple more joined in. "*Mary...*"
She felt uncomfortable now, but still tried to think. It had soon become too much, however. "Maryy..! Mary!"

"Mary!" Blizzard spoke at last, before sighing. The spirits were happy and had disappeared after she acceoted the cub's destined name. "Her name will be Mary."

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Akirl finally got up and first looked for Valentine. He was relieved to find her alone, sleeping peacefully. He turned and went to Rustymane. "Good morning." He started the conversation, dipping his head. "I want to speak with you. In private." He muttered.

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Rustymane nodded, following Akirl to a private area. "What's up?"


"Mary is a delightful name!" Blazed tail cheered. "She's so beautiful!'

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"Have you... been hearing things lately?" He asked. He suddenly thought he sounded insane and explained: "It's because... I feel like I shouldn't be the only one hearing roars in the distance. Not, like, in my territory sort of close, but roaring, over and over. I don't know what to do about it. I went out to figure out what it was about but then the roaring stopped when I followed the sounds." He gave a jaw-gaping yawn, not trying to hide it well that he was kept awake by these roars, constantly worrying there would be.

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Rustymane sighed, putting a paw on his shoulder. "I've been hearing them too, though I was able to force my way to sleep."
He paused, trying to find a way to put it without seeming to beg for control of his pride... "If you'd like and allow me to, maybe I could help you out with dealing with the pride today? As long as you're okay with it, of course. It's your pride after all."
His heart rate started getting faster, hoping he hadn't made a mistake with asking. 'Please don't let me be alone again...' he thought to nobody in particular..

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