Chapter 4

Sure enough the years went by, the hands of time aging Ahi and Lela into adults.
Ahi grew from the pudgy ball of fur scampering in the savannah to a strong, robust capable male. His body was long and sleek but far from lanky, developed muscles helped to fill in the big cat's thinner sections. He was popular with the females, a fact he was very aware of. He proved himself to be quite the flirt and a prominent threat to any other young male with hopes of landing a mate. His voice was disarming, he had a way of making it feel as if anyone he spoke to had been his friend for years. His hunting ability was also something to marvel. To onlookers, his paws barely grazed the earth; he was simply gliding across the land, his sights fixed upon bewildered prey as if they too were amazed and admiring him.

And how he loved his sister. His sister, whose age only helped to further distinguish herself from her brother. The differences between them became painstakingly clear as Lela too went from a slightly larger spotless "leopard" cub to an obviously unlike animal, separate from her brother and mother. She was slender, her limbs seemingly flowing from her torso onto the ground. She moved with the same strong deliberateness of Chui, who'd spent a great deal of time schooling Lela on proper form. Her face was, by her species standards, stunning; a result of many years of royal selection. The lines of her features were soft, elegantly meeting each other at different points, allowing her to maintain a feminine allure even while making the most callous or awkward of expressions. Alas, the only male she was popular with was her brother, the others having completely ignored or scorned her. Not that she minded, she expressed very little interest in attracting the attention of her male peers. She spent a fair amount of time simply alone, admiring the lands and various creatures that came with it. If she associated with anyone, it was with her brother and mother.

When Chui taught her cubs to hunt, she made sure herself and Lela hunted in pairs; each learning to use the other as a way of gaining the upper hand on the prey as opposed to merely out running it. She took the time to at least attempt to mimic how she thought Lela would be most comfortable. She, like her brother, proved herself adept at the art of hunting, albeit utilizing a different strategy.

Ahi would occasionally look at her, gazing at her anomalies and, for a brief moment, suffer from a sudden wave of nausea. It wasn't because he considered her unattractive, he thought her beautiful in her own way. It was because he'd begin to question everything he'd known. He was realizing what his heart already knew, at least to some degree, and that made him physically ill. However just as quickly as they came into his mind, he'd put the thoughts out.

***

Twilight cooled off the sweltering savannah, and beasts of the lands began to retreat to their respective homes. Ahi stood in the grasslands, persuading a group of cubs that had attached themselves to him to run off to their mothers. Watching him from a distance was Lela, lying on a rock and chuckling to herself as the cubs nipped at his paws and clumsily climbed onto his back.

"Now, if you don't stop I'll have to go personally get your parents myself!" Ahi attempted to sound authoritative, but it only served to encourage the cubs' rough housing.

"Ahi, you wouldn't do that!" one cried, laughing out loud and swiping at Ahi's gently swaying tail.

"Oh I wouldn't?" He looked to his sister and called out "You want to help me here?"

She shrugged and made her way to Ahi's side. She slowly sat on her haunches. The cubs failed to notice her.

"You think maybe you can let Ahi go?" she asked. The cubs suddenly turned, almost in unison, to stare at the creature before them.

"But.."

"Come now, it's dangerous out here."

They all climbed off of him at once. For a moment, it looked as if Ahi was shedding his spots.

"Goodnight Ahi. Good night Lela" they said politely and walked off to the safety of the Oasis.

A silence followed. The night began to fall, bringing about the gleaming universe above them.

"Well," Ahi began "What are you up to tonight?"

"Nothing productive" she chuckled "How's Zani?" she referred to a recent love interest of Ahi's.

"Ah" he said softly "She's good. I mean, not too bright but.." he trailed off. He turned his attention back to Lela "I'm kind of hungry".

"Of course you are". She sarcastically mocked his veracious appetite.

He ignored her comment "Wana pick off something small? I don't really feel like working too hard".

"I suppose" she turned her head, scanning the area for anything slow roaming, herself feeling sluggish. "I thought I saw something down that way, just outside the oasis".

"That works."

Ahi started walking, lazily at first, casually padding through the open savannah. Lela followed, walking slightly behind her brother. He glanced at her, watching her walk with a sort of empty carelessness. Suddenly, he felt an unshakable urge. He watched his sister's paws hit the earth, rise, and fall again.

His maw turned up into a devilish grin, and he stopped in his tracks.

"I'll race you."

Lela stopped for a moment, he had her attention. Those three words always got her going; nothing like a little sibling rivalry.

Silence fell.

Simultaneously the adults bolted, the only sound exchanged between them being the thumping of their bodies on the earth as they plowed their way through the savannah. Ahi quickly gained an edge.

Why do I feel the need to compulsively compete against him? I always lose.

She forced herself further, pumping her legs as hard she as could, her sights fixed on the hind quarters of the speedy Leopard ahead of her. The grass grew taller and thicker, soon coming up to just above her head. She was straining every muscle, tiring every inch of her body. She'd forgotten about the original task of catching a midnight snack, her only goal was keeping up with him.

He leapt into a tall jungle of thorny vines and dark greens. She instinctively followed, fighting back a brief sense of fright as she bound into the wall of darkness.

Instantly, she was stuck. Vines wrapped around her neck, body and legs. She pushed through until they snapped, forcing her forward onto a thin branch. It broke under her, and she fell unto her stomach. She got up and slid under another branch. She looked up, thick vegetation created total blackness. She became intensely frightened. She was by herself, completely and utterly alone. She hacked through everything, blindly swinging her front legs through the entanglements in front of her. Another vine caught her hind leg and she tripped, falling onto her face. She let out a loud grunt and rolled onto her back, pulling her leg as hard as she could. She freed herself and continued, running through the vast darkness.

And then she saw light.

Breaking through a final vine, Lela finally felt the gentle breeze of freedom against her body. She looked behind her and shivered as she gawked up at the wall she just emerged from. She sighed and looked around her. She didn't recognize this place.

She then realized she'd lost her brother.

"Ahi!" She called out.

Suddenly she heard a light splash. If she hadn't been listening for Ahi, she wouldn't have noticed.

In front of her stood a row of tall green grass; grass that appeared to be well nourished. She sniffed the air, her ears perked. The scent was unmistakable.

Water.

She slowly parted the greens, revealing a small pool of water. It shimmered under the naked moonlight, the breeze creating gentle ripples. The stars' light reflected off of the surface, moving with the winds. She couldn't explain her fascination with the tiny pool, nor why she felt so hesitant to approach further.

A gust of unusually strong wind suddenly whipped from behind her. Startled, she stumbled closer to the little watering hole.

It was baffling. Why was she so drawn to this.. puddle?

She moved her face closer to its surface, watching her reflection come at her. She squinted, entranced by the animal looking back . She had seldom studied herself, figuring it better for her to avoid the subject of her appearance all together. But she was inexplicably drawn to her reflection now. She felt some foreign emotion swelling within her; a dichotomist mix of complete awareness yet utter bewilderment. She had learned nothing new, she was simply staring into water. So why did she suddenly feel so enlightened?

She raised a paw and slowly lowered it towards the pool. She hesitated a mere inch from the surface, feeling the slight coolness radiate onto her pads. She breathed hard, unsure of why she felt so tentative about it. She stood in that position, paw hovering, head tilted down for several moments. She felt so completely connected to this place, this one tiny water hole, it was almost sacred.

It had happened so quickly. She was so preoccupied she failed to notice her brother silently stalking her from the shadows. It was supposed to be a little prank; something all siblings did to one another. He leapt quietly into the air, landed gracefully behind her, and in one swift motion pushed Lela into the liquid abyss.

She was so startled the wind was knocked from her. Before she knew what had happened she was submerged in water. Lying on her stomach, the water barely passed her ears, yet she lay there stunned. Ahi thought she was struck by a rock on the way down and was knocked unconscious. He hurriedly treaded into the water, which came up to just below his knees.

"Lela!" he cried out when he reached her. He opened powerful jaws, which he would've used to clamp down onto her and pull her out if she had not suddenly recovered from her daze. She jerked her head up and gasped loudly. She anxiously looked around her, darting her head in every direction until finally looking down at her submerged body.

"Oh!" Ahi breathed a sigh of relief "You're alright. I thought you were out cold"

Lela leapt to her feet, now totally overcome with sheer terror. Suddenly it was as if everything she knew to be true had been exposed as a falsehood. Her reality was ripped from her and she was made to watch as it burned into nothing. Her existence, her entire self, disappeared. She couldn't bring herself to speak. Her throat tightened and every breath grew more strained. She stared at the thing before her, her brother, with wide and frightened eyes.

"Woah.. Lela.."

She heard nothing. The star speckled night sky melted into the green horizon and blended into endlessness. She stood alone in the middle of the universe as heaven and earth melted before her. Everything she had known in her heart surfaced, yet she remained totally unaware of the real truth.. A horrid awakening, the sudden total realization of everything and nothing.

"I.." she mustered out weakly "have to go"

She knew that much.

"What? Go where?" Ahi responded to his apparently delirious sister with total confusion and concern. "Maybe you did hit your head Lela.. I'm sorry, it was just a goof. I think we should get back to mom and have her look you over".

"I have to go" she repeated in a monotone that frightened Ahi.

"Right, we'll go back to mom" He nuzzled her neck in an attempt to move her "C'mon, let's go"

She recoiled from his touch.

"I.. can't.." her voice broke. With that, she bolted through the grass out into the open savannah. She heard the desperate sounds of a hurt and bewildered sibling calling after her fade with distance.

She had never run from anything faster in her life.