"Are you really going to name them?" Jiu Ruan asked as Chiaki studied the five sleeping cubs in the basket beside her.

"Yes." She was back home in their own cave, the day after the cubs birth. As healer Langzhu had said, she had been able to be carried home with little difficulty after a full night of rest.

"You have gifts!" Skye called as he carried in a stack of items. "Furs, leathers, even a salt pot, and every male you taught to make fish traps have made a deal with Qianhuang to gift a days catch!"

"Key did that?"

"Yeah, the fishing has been a good extra food source for the village. And the female, Huanhuan, sends these from her garden." He lifted the other items off of a container of fruits and vegetables.

The wolf village had been the most welcoming and home like place she'd found in the Beast World after leaving the winged lion village. Chiaki almost wished she could stay there with Huanhuan and old man Langzhu. However she'd had a rough night of sleep after the birth of her newest children. A full night of sleep, yes, but a troubling one. She kept seeing fire and feeling the earth move, she would have believed it memories from the city had it not been on a beach, the ocean just as troubling.

Chiaki pulled her attention back to Skye. "Thank everyone for me, please?"

"Of course I will!" He replied as his ears twitch happily.

Huanhuan had situated herself well into the community also. Chiaki didn't need to be here, just like she didn't need to be with Key's people because of Ji Mo. It just seemed like where ever she ended up, another woman from Earth had been placed there. Maybe she really was meant to be a wanderer on this world.

She relaxed into Jiu Ruan's arms as they watched over the five sleeping cubs once more. "If we go by the ear colors, these three are Bai Di's sons and these two are Winston's sons." She pointed at the respective cubs while talking. "This one was first born?" She asked pointing to the cub.

"Yes." Qianhuang said, settling down beside her and Jiu Ruan. "It is still odd to know you can't just smell every scent like we do, to tell cubs apart quickly."

"Maybe that's why I need to name them!" She laughed softly. "He will be Khan, the next one..." Here Qianhuang immediately pointed out the next cub. "Rajah, and the third-" She paused, she really didn't know any more famous tigers from Earth culture. "-Bai Hu." From across the room, she saw Bai Di's ears perk up at her giving the cub a name so close to his own. Well if she was just going to name one 'white tiger' in one Earth language- in for a penny, in for a pound. "As for Winston's cubs- the first one is Byakko-" Again she had to admit to herself that she didn't know enough languages to do that either! "and the last will be W-"

"Is there a name like 'Chiaki Sato' that my son could be named?" Winston asked before she could finish.

Chiaki paused, she had been thinking 'Wyatt' so Winston would have a cub with a name close to his own, as she'd already done for Bai Di. Now her mind stilled. " I- well, my grandfather wanted to name me Chizuo if I was born a boy?" She stammered out, somewhat confused.

"Then the cub will be Chizuo, because without you I would still have nothing." Winston said softly.

The entire room quieted for a moment, before Curtis returned to cleaning the fish that had just been brought into their home. His noise and movement caused the rest of the males to relax back into their own tasks. Kimba shuffled closer to the new cubs, laying on the stone floor on his belly, he inched closer until he could see into the basket.

"When will my brothers be ready to play? Mama?" He asked, eyes full of curiosity.

"Not until their eyes are open and they can runn around with you."

"Oh." His ears drooped. "When will that be?"

"A long time, they were just born."

Kimba sighed. The puff of air causing one newborn to stir, lifting it's head and giving a hiss towards the unknown.

"It's okay Khan." Chiaki said as she touched the tiny cub with her fingers. "That is just your older brother, Kimba." Her other hand ran through Kimba's fur. "They can't even hear yet, but they know my scent and touch."

"Because you're mama!" Copper said as he twisted out from around Kimba's fur and wrapped himself around Chiaki's hand.

"Right." She replied with a smile. "And you two are very good big brothers, okay?"

"Yes, mama." Both echoed back together.

"Copper, let's go look for short winged bird nests!" Kimba said as he stood suddenly.

Copper looked at him lazily, mama was warm. Kimba was warm too, but fuzzy. Fuzzy got in his mouth when he tried to smell the things his brother was looking for. "Don't wanna."

Kimba huffed and stalked out the cave entrance. Eggs were good for mama! And maybe they could catch a short winged bird- alive! And give that to mama because she lost all the ones back in the city. Mama would like that!

Kimba's steps slowed as he felt an oddly heavy pressure in the air. It felt like when papa Winston and father Curtis were fighting. He shivered. In his stalking he'd made it outside of the village quickly, the light low as evening drew to an end and night began to fall. His heart began to pound in his ears. His breath quickened, trying to take in distant scents. Something was approaching... and fast-