Tough as Nails Adoption (Closed for renovations!)

[amato]

Not Adopting, I changed. XD

[La Morte D'Arthur]

I would like to adopt!
Number: 15
Picture:
Name: Eis (Pronounced 'Ice' )
Species: Anthro wolf, indian wolf to be precise
Personality:
Likes:
Dislikes:
Background (Optional, but it gives you a better shot)

Still editing, obviously

[TheScamperPony]

I would like to adopt!
Number: 5
Picture:
Name: Moon
Species: Smili
Personality: Friendly, fun, outgoing, wonderful!
Likes: Nature.
Dislikes: Human objects
Background (Optional, but it gives you a better shot):
"Moon, Moon dear, open your eyes!" Moon was only a few days old. She had never opened her eyes. "But Mom! I don't wanna open my eyes! I like is how it is!" the little smili cried. "Oh Moon, you'll love it! Come on dear!" Her mother apparently really wanted to open her to open her eyes. So Moon slowly opened her large, glowing blue eyes. She couldn't see anything. At all. "What can you see, dear? Can you see the colors?" Her mother asked. "I can't see anything!" Moon wailed. "What are colors? What am I supposed to see. What is there to see?" Moon's mother paniced. "Oh, oh my little Moon! Oh, don't worry! You'll be just fine!" "But I can't see anything!" Why was her mother acting this way? What was going on? "I'll tell you when your older, okay little Moon?"

So Moon waited. And waited. Moon was nearing a adult Smili by the time her mother told her. "Moon, don't panic when i tell you this, but your blind. I'm sorry i didn't tell you this sooner." her mother said flatly. "Blind? BLIND? And you never chose to tell me? You've made me live all these years thinking it was normal not to see anything and that running into to things was just as normal as sleeping? Well, I see how it is now!" Moon turned and ran into the woods, looking for a hole to crawl into. She wanted to fie. Never to live again in this world. Why would her mother never tell her?

Moon found a hole and crawled in, whimpering herself to sleep.

Moon woke to the sound of her stomach screaming for food. I will NOT go back to that horrible mother. Never. Moon thought. Moon pulled herself up and hunted through the woods for something to eat and drink. She ate and then found a small stream to drink from. Where to now? she wondered. Moon found a large field and ran across it, enjoying the wind in her face. Suddenly, Moon tripped over something and cried out in pain. She limped over to the strange thing and sniffed it. A little head popped up and said, "Are you the one who tripped on me?" "Er, yes. I'm so sorry!" Moon didn't know what to make of it. "Well, be careful next time. By the way, I'm Clee, a felize. Who and what the heck are you?" Clee said quit rudely. "Mind you I'm Moon, a smili. Now, where is a nice place I can stay? I don't have a place to live. "Hmm, I don't know. Now, you could stay with me for a while untill I go back to the tribe. The tripe is a group of felizes, my home." then the little creatures eyes widened in amazment. "Are you blind?" she asked. Moon was taken aback by the rude question. "Yes, I am. Now, so i am staying with you?" Moon asked. "Why of course! Follow me to my makeshift den!" Clee replied.

Moon followed Clee to a large cave with plenty of room for them both to stay. "Now, I'm not going to baby you and take care of you. That's your job, go it?" Clee said. "Yes, I know, I know!" Moon answered.

Moon and Clee became very good friends. They spent all day together, the got food together, they just basicly did everything together! One day, Clee said, "Well, i said you couldn't come to my Tribe. I take that back. Your welcome to come with me!"

A few moths past and it was time for the two to leave. They traveled many days and nights, trying to the place of Clee's tribe. When they finally got there, the imedently went to the Tribe leader. "I found Moon in a feild," Clee was explaining to her leader."We have become the best of friends, and she would really help the tribe! Please let her stay!" Clee pleaded. "Very well then."

Moon was happy. She had a best friend, a place to call home, and a family to share it with.

[birdie,]

((@ ans5599- You can't name here claire, she already has a name, it's Eis.))
I would like to adopt!
Number: 15
Picture:
Name: Eis (E•os)
Species: Albino Wolf Anthro.
Personality: Eis is a strong figure. She treats every creature with the same level of
respect. She loves to hunt, but isn't very out going. Eis would rather stay in the woods
and hunt, then to meet new people.
Likes: Hunting, swimming, blue birds, archery.
Dislikes: Gloaty poeple/animals, tons of attention, haters, suff like that...
Background:
~
Eis sat in the cold night air, hiding behind a bush.
Thump thump.
Thump.
Thump thump thump.
Her heart raced, she had ran away from some thing.
Crack!
Eis Gasped and held her breath. The creature had found her.
She held herself against the bush, Eis foced her stomatch in.
The creature grabbed Eis by the arm.
Eis screamed.
The creature covered Eis' mouth with it's other hand, it them
appered out of the darkness.
"Jacob! You scared me!" Eis whispered.
Jacob quietly giggled "You're scared so easily,"
Jacob whispered.
A foggy, blank look clouded her normally crystally blue eyes, her
heart still pounding menacingly, though her original fright
had started to fade with the daylight.
"A blood thirsty killer animal is chasing us, of course i'll be scared."
Eis whispered ragefully.
Jacob sat next to Eis his heart too was pounding, like a jack hammer on hot cement,
he held his bow and arrow tightly, so tight that the veins in his hands appered
"Shhh," Jacob said while looking over the side of the bush franticly,
he quickly pulled his head back "It found us," Jacob said worringly.
Eis held her breath, then quickly exhaled. The heat of her breath showed up in the air.
light blue tear drops slowly trickled down her face, and then onto the ground.
Jacob looked down at Eis, hearing her weep.
Jacob Hugged Eis lovingly "We'll be okay," Jacob whispered.
Eis nodded, her eys were sealed shut, she wipped her tears with her throbbing hand.
Grrrrrrraw! the creature screamed.
Jacob held Eis closer, he was begining to get worried.
Eis began to shake uncontrolably, she felt like an earthquake that made no damage.
Grrrrrrrawwwww!!!! The creature screamed impatienly.
Jacob let go of Eis, he grabbed his bow and arrow and ubmurged from the bush.
Grrrrrraaaaaawwwww!!!!!!!! The creature screamed with pleasure.
Jacob aimed at the creature, closing his left eye. Jacob pulled the arrow and
the released it.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiizzzzzz The creature screamed with pain.
Jacob's arrow had mde a dirrect shot.
Eis stopped her shaking, her face was wet, and smelled of wet dog.
Jacob smiled peacefully "We're okay Eis....No need to cry, and you smell like wet dog," Jacob said with a slight giggle.
Eis smiled "So do you," She said softly.
~

Jacob and Eis walked up to the dead creature.
Eis nelt down and felt it skin, it gave her chills as she felt a familliar skin "Reptile skin," Eris said still studying
the strange creature. Jacob counted it's legs "Quad," He said while pulling out a note pad.
He wrote down "Quad, Reptile skined". Eis opened it's eye lids "purple eyes, put that down," Eis comanded.
Jacob wrote down what Eis comanded "We better take this back to base," Jacob suggested, he put the note pad and
pencil back into his bag. Eis nodded then took out a lazer gun type thing, she pulled the trigger and the beat dissapeared.

~What Jacob looks like~
Jacob is a black anthro wolf. His snout is dark red, so is his arms and legs. He also has Dark red stripes on his tail.

~Eis pointof veiw~
"I bet you are wondering what me and jacob here are huh?" Eis says to you softly. Eis steps out of the darkness
and smiles at you "Well we are monster hunters, we keep you safe from these beats, trust me is we weren't here
you'd be eaten alive in your sleep. We either kill o just knock out the beats, then we take them to the lab to study
their species, it's pretty fun, once you get over the whole 'monster' term." Eis says with pleasure.

~Later at the lab

"I can't stand looking at this thing in the light...It's gross!" Eis complained.
Jacob had his safty goggles on, he also wore his white lab coat, and of coarse he wore his rubber gloves.
"Heh, you get used to it..." He said blankly, while pushing the creature's lip up to examine it's teeth.
Eis sighed and leaned against the wall, she put her paw in her hair, and stroked it softly "If you're a boy,"
She said angerly. Jacob looked up at Eis with a destirbed look on his furry face "Look, Eis, I don't know what's you're
deal tonight, if you don't want to help me just go to sleep," Jacob said angerly. Eis huffed and stomped away angerly
"He dosen't know what my deal is?!" Elis said to her self with rage. She forced the door open and stomped inside. She
slammed the door behind her. The lab table rumbled "God, EIS SETTLE DOWN!" Jacob yelled with anger. Eis sighed and
sat on her bed, she looked around her room and stood up again, she opened her closet and picked some PJs, she quickly
got dressed and lied down on her bed. Suddenly the alarms went of "God!" Eis scramed. Jacob dropped his tools "At this hour?!" He said fraticly. Jacob took his gloves of and locked each entrance, he ran up to Eis' room "Did you pull it?!" Jacob yelled with rage. "No! It's probably the creatures family of something!" Eis argued. Jacob let his head falll, he rubbed his forehead "I don't need this," Jacob said in a stressed tone. "Neither do I," Eis said angerly.
Jacob flshed his face at ei, his face had gon re with rage. Eis giggled slightly, she st6od up and walket the swich, she forced it down and the lights dimmed, but the alarm still rang.

-To be continued.....

[azalea]

I would like to adopt!
Number: 5
Picture:
Name: Rikia
Species: Smili
Personality: courageous and brave, but headstrong and stubborn. she at times wistful and bitter because of her blindness. she is fair and just. she particularly dislikes the Great Ones for "granting" her a "powerful gift"
Likes: being alone, adventuring, "seeing" with her ears and paws, later in her life she falls in love with another smili called Sakio, snowy owls, Luna AKA the Moon
Dislikes: other smilis of her tribe that coddle her, the Great Ones, the smilis that call her freaks, being excluded from the tribe
Background (Optional, but it gives you a better shot)

Naki paced impatiently back and forth outside his partner's den. They had raised five litters together, yet none usually took so long. Being a male, he was not allowed inside the den during the birth. He always hated this, as if he should not be around to help Hila; as if he would mess up the birth;as if- Wait, is that a squeal? Yes, it was definitely the first squeal of a cub...but...only one? That can't be!
"Naki, you can come in. There is something you should see...." the female smili that spoke to him looked very distressed.
"Hila, are you okay? Does anything hurt? Did the birth go well?" he rushed in questions immediately as he crawled into the small, airy den.
He noticed that she was crying....then he closely examined the cubs. "Two are already dead, probably still-borns. That's extremely rare, but I suppose it happens.." he thought. "But at least one is alive, weak but alive."
"Hila, it's okay, this little one is still fine..." he was, in fact, a little fond of the surviving cub. Although all smili were born colorless, he could tell that she would look quite like him in her shady forest home, with dark blue fur the color of shale. Surely, when the cub opened its eyes, they would be ice blue just like his.
She simply sobbed harder. The female that had helped during the birthing gravely whispered in his ear, "The little one is marked." Naki's dark face widened with surprise. The Great Ones never marked a smili cub....he gently rolled the little cub over...no...a ghostly white handprint the size of a pea, the mark of destiny and unfathomable power, almost glowing against her shadowy pelt. Naki had never really seen a marked one, only heard of them from legends. The Marked Ones were blind forever, and held great power in their paws. Such great power that most in other tribes were killed on the spot. Naki knew very well, that his tribe would kill his daughter as well.
"We must hide the mark. They will kill her. It's rare that a blind cub is born; however no one shall think much of it. Quick, we need dye to cover the mark. This is a secret between only us three, correct? No one else has seen this cub?"
"Yes, only I, Hila, and you. I'll get the materials we need." said the nurse, a female named Silaa. Besides Naki, himself, Silaa was one of the most trustworthy smilis in the tribe and she understood the consequences for the little cub if she did not help Naki.
Hila had drifted unconcsious from the stress and trauma, and Naki gently woke her.
"It'll be okay. I'll make sure she'll live. But, in the meantime, she needs a name..." he whispered.
"Naki, I have to tell you something...before birth, I had a dream. A Great One came to me and said, 'Your litter, it includes a Marked One. She will hold more power than ever before placed in a Marked One. She must be protected at all costs. The fate of your tribe, and all smili tribes, rests in her paws. Her name is Rikia. Like others, she will be forever blind. I come to you with a message from the other Great Ones:
the looming dark consumes the sight
crimson blood and screams take flight
it continues, into the eternal night
the one with eyes stained pure white
only She can bring back the light'
and then he left."
"Then her name shall be Rikia, do not protest, it is the Great Ones's will. We shall protect her to the best of our abilities and let what will happen, happen. In the meantime, we must figure out what the Great One meant...." he replied, but Hila had slipped into sleep again.
Silaa was back, with the materials they needed. They worked the rest of the night, making sure the Mark was unseen.

~~9 Years Later~~

[p.s. Silaa died 3 years ago, so she isn't really included in Rikia's life story anymore.]

A lone smili rose much earlier than the sun. Her tan pelt contrasting the dark forest beautifully, she padded along the treeline until she reached the little cave where she, Naki, and Silaa had hid the dye. Every morning, she and Naki would fetch the dye and rub on another layer to Rikia's Mark, who was now a young adult almost fertile age. Soon she would be raising a family of her own. A single teardrop slid down the smili's cheek, just thinking about her baby leaving her made her sad...
She held the basket of dye in her mouth and slipped stealthily between the trees. The sun was rising now, and the dancing light patterns hid her perfectly. She padded towards the birch tree where her daughter slept, and gently rubbed on the dye, careful not to wake her. Swiftly, she put the basket back and headed back towards the tree where Naki was sleeping.
"Hila, did you-" Naki murmured.
"Yes. Soon we will have to tell her, you know," she replied with a frown.
"Perhaps a little while longer?" he mumbled drowsily.
"Now, Naki," she snapped. "It isn't good to hide these things. Besides, the others are suspicious as is. It's time we told them. If they threaten her, we can..no...we will defend her with tooth and claw."
She gazed into his eyes with much determination, and he gazed back with equal determination and perhaps even a bit of admiration.
"Very well, I'll gather a meeting..." he said assertively, getting up and padding over to the chief smili, a pure black smili with glowing amber eyes.
After brief conversation, Naki nodded to Hila and walked towards the Center Circle, the traditional meeting place for the Forest Tribe, a large circle marked by stones.
Hila left to fetch Rikia...
"Rikia? Rikia, darling, you have to get up. There's a tribe meeting..." she said.
"So early in the morning?" she groaned in annoyance. Like she was wanted at town meetings anyway, the other smili's treated her like a virus. Perhaps because of the blindness. Pshht. 'Blindness is a gift from the Great Ones. They honor you.' she muttered mockingly. Yea right.
fine. i'll go to the town meeting.
She got up and followed the sound of her mother's gentle padding on the ground. She could feel the ground getting rougher with many pebbles, yep. She was here alright....she could sense 20 smili's, the entire tribe not including the younglings and the expecting females.
"We're here," she whispered to Rikia. 'Gee, I really didn't know, mom. Thank you for informing me.' she thought sarcastically.
Immediately, she could hear the whispers. To most smili's they were barely audible, but blindness had heightened her senses. To her, their whispers were like daggers, piercing her beloved silence.
"It's her..." one whispered.
"You mean the freak?" another one smirked.
rikia extended her claws and they sliced through the loose, damp soil.
The chief was in the center of the circle, a smili named Latiki.
"SILENCE." he boomed. "We have gathered here today for reasons unknown to even me. Naki would like to say something. He states it's very important."
Naki stepped forward and took the chief's place.
"Most of you know of my daughter, Rikia. Well, Hila and I.." Naki said, voice wavering. He felt no need to include Silaa in their punishment as a respect for the deceased, "have been keeping a secret about her. Even she does not know herself."
Whispers exploded all at once. Rikia grimaced in pain.
"SILENCE," Latiki boomed.
"Thank you, Latiki," he paused."Rikia...is a...Marked One."
Cries of shock and pain shot out from the crowd. This time Rikia didn't grimace, she was too shocked to even blink.
"So, you mean to say that you and Hila have been harboring a Marked One secretly?" Latiki asked, always the fair and just. "I need solid proof. Where is the telltale mark?"
Naki glanced at Hila, then glanced back. "Yes, and we are ready to accept the consequences. Hila, show them the mark..."
Rikia stared at her mother as she used a dewy maple leaf to smear away the dye. But even more, she stared, half in awe and half in shock, at the bright white handprint on her shoulder.
After a long moment of silent and troubled thinking, Latiki replied.
"Very well then...the young Marked One shall be spared, but exiled. As for you two...you may choose to be exiled with her, or stay and suffer the loss of your cub. Mind you, if you choose to be exiled, you will be sent into the Dark Land as well."
More gasps and whispers of shock and dismay.
"SILENCE. If anyone shall defy my judgement, let them speak and be heard."
"Umm...perhaps some could volunteer to go with them?" a youngling asked.
"Hmmm..yes, this is fair. The cub may beckon another to go with her."
"No," Rikia blurted. "I do not want anyone to come with me. If I must go to ensure the safety of my tribe by leaving, then I must. But to drag another into this, is cruelty on my part. My parents should not have to endure the Dark Land either. Exile me and me only."
Latiki looked on with admiration and sadness. He had always been fond of that headstrong smili. So young, yet so prideful and just. She would make a good heir. It's a pity she must be exiled, but the ancient laws set by those before him are not to be trifled with.
"Very well. If it be your wish. However, your parents must be punished in some way. One shall go, and one shall stay. No arguing, that is my final decision. You two must leave by the morning. Come to the Great Oak with your choice by moonrise."
The tribe dispersed, and life went on as if nothing had ever happened.
Rikia and her parents sat near a birch tree, discussing who should go...
"It's not fair, neither of you should go. It wasn't your fault that I'm a Marked One, it's the Great Ones' fault."
"Rikia! Don't speak like that!" scolded Hila, gently smacking the back of Rikia's head.
"Quiet, there is no point in arguing. Latiki has spoken and so it shall be. I will go," said Naki.
"But, Naki!"
"No, I must be the one to leave. After all you are expecting cubs and they won't survive the Dark Land, neither will you frankly. Despite the fact that most likely neither will I, I have a greater chance of surviving."
Hila stayed quiet. She knew there was no arguing with Naki once he had made a decision.
"Then, we should tell Latiki?" said Rikia, tentatively.
"Yes. I shall go tell him. Rikia, go pack up some your things and say goodbye to your friends," said Naki, stalking towards the Great Oak, where Latiki slept.
As if I have any, Rikia snorted to herself. She crept away to her birch tree to gather her few possesions.
After a long, teary goodbye, Naki and Rikia left the tribe grounds and headed towards the Dark Land. The journey there would be treacherous and horrific, but the Dark Land would be even worse. Already they had traveled for an hour, with no words.
Finally, Naki spoke, "Rikia, it's time I told you something very important."
"If it's another secret about my birth, I don't want to hear it right now," she snapped. "It's enough to know that I'm a Marked One, what? I came with a prophecy too? I'm shall be bestowed upon with more "power"?"
"The sarcasm was not necessary, darling."
She grunted in annoyance and jumped across the river in front of them with such grace, no one would have thought she was blind. Truely, she could "see" much more than other smilis. She could hear from the sound of the water against pebbles the speed of the water, she could feel the vibrations in the ground that told her how far she needed to jump, and she could sense the gentle swish of the grass as a squirrel rushed by.
"In fact, yes. Before you were born, your mother had a dream," said Naki as he too leaped across the river, with equal if not even more grace. "A Great One came to her and said a prophecy: the looming dark consumes the sight, crimson blood and screams take flight, it continues, into the eternal night, the one with eyes stained pure white,only She can bring back the light"
Rikia smirked.
"What?"
"What do you mean?"
"You smirked."
"Oh, nothing. It's just that its not that great of a prophecy. Aren't prophecies usually all cryptic and stuff? Well, this one is pretty straightforward, isn't it? the looming dark consumes the sight well that obviously means that the sun will disappear by something that is dark during the day...so maybe the moon?as for crimson blood and screams take flight, that's pretty straightforward, a war most likely caused by the sun being blocked by the moon. after all the sun is very important to other tribes, whereas the moon is more important to others. I can see that causing a war. it continues, into the eternal night i guess would mean that the war goes on for awhile and the sun goes on being blocked by the moon. and the one with eyes stained pure white, only She can bring back the light would mean a female blind smili....perhaps me?"
Naki stared blankly at his daughter. He had never realized how clever she truly was.
"Well, now that we have the prophecy figured out, I supposed we should figure out what would cause the sun to be blocked by the moon and when it would happen? And more importantly, how the heck I'm supposed to bring back the sun and stop an all-out war...." Rikia muttered, troubled.
"I think it's time to visit an old friend," said Naki, eyes twinkling with mischief. He started off towards the Eastern Woods and Pearl Lake.
He explained to Rikia that when he was a young, trouble-making smili, he had once stumbled upon a massive gnarled oak tree upon which lived a snowy owl. Snowy owls were banned from the Smili Lands quite a long time ago, but for some reason no one ever found this certain one. His name was Fariti and was quite wise for his young age. Since he was banned and could not risk being seen, he was slowly starving to death, but Naki had found him and stole food for him. In return, Fariti taught Naki his wisdom and they became great friends. Rikia, by the way, was quite impressed at her father's covert mischievous ways.
By now, they had reached the still massive and gnarled oak. Rikia jumped when a large white owl with amber golden eyes hooted softly behind her. He had been so quiet, even she did not hear him.
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry to startle you, Blind One," Fariti cooed.
Rikia blatantly bristled at that name, but politely said, "How did you know I was blind?"
"An owl knows more than you know, as I know that you two were exiled but a few hours ago, Young Marked One."
Rikia simply stared, she made a mental note to herself to watch this owl carefully.
"Fariti! I missed you so. Here, some rat. I know how much you love a good plump rat," said Naki, trying to calm down Rikia. She was always so sensitive about her blindness.
Fariti said a quick thank you, and asked them to enter his house in the tree. It was large, airy house, much larger than it seemed. Rikia explored every inch of the house, trying to gather her bearings, while bumping into things every which way. Here the ground neither vibrated nor whispered to her for some reason. They sat down on the soft, smooth floor.
"So, Naki...what brings you to my humble abode?" Fariti poliltely inquired.
"Well, we need some wisdom about the time when the moon covers sun..." Naki started.
"Ah, yes. It is called a solar eclipse. I have only heard of it once or twice in bedtime stories. I believe I have a collection of them somewhere...." said Fariti as he rustled through the mess of books and papers in the corner. "Ah, here it is! A Complete Anthology of Bedtime Stories for Young Owlets of All Ages! Let us see here...."
Rikia leaned towards the owl, trying to interpret the alien language of the book.
"Isn't it Chapter 3, Page 24?" she splurted out after glancing at the Table of Contents.
"My heavens, you can read the ancient language of the owls?" he exclaimed in amazement. "You truly are a powerful Marked One, just as the Great Ones said....Anyhoo, here it is. Would you like to read it, young one? It is good for Marked One's to exercise their abilities."
Rikia read out loud, fluently and precisely, the paragraph shown to her...
Long ago, when Gali and Orfacia walked the Earth, a time of darkness arrived. The great lady moon blocked out the hero sun. It was said that the lady moon was jealous of the hero sun's brilliance and importance. Out of rage, she blocked him out and life on Earth was suffering. The animals below bickered over who had caused the sun to hide in shame. Then the brave champion smili Lipiti traveled to the House of Stars to visit the Moon. Lipiti gently coaxed her to unblock the Sun, showing her the three most important things she did and she was now neglecting. In despair, Moon moved aside from the hero Sun and returned to her work. She promised that she would never again leave her duties as long as the animals would continue admiring her beauty. And they did. Although, generations went by and the animals forgot the Moon and stopped admiring her beauty. As a curse, the Moon rid all animals of night vision to prove how much they needed her. Lipiti again, went up to her and begged for her mercy. The Moon, this time, was offended at the boldness of this smili and cursed all of them with even worse night vision, so that even with her out and shining they could not see at night. In despair, many smili tribes began worshipping the Moon, and she gave them back some night vision. However, being a spiteful lady, the Moon vowed to someday block the hero Sun again and make the animals below pay for their treachery.
"So that's why the moon will block out the sun soon? But it does not say when..." Rikia muttered, a little disappointed.
"Read on, little one..." Fariti murmured.
However, the hero Sun who had heard that the Moon would try again, prisoned her for 100 years, never to leave her room, always doing her duties. On the day of the winter solstice on the year of Great Happening, the Moon will be released and she will take vengeance on the Earth.
"The Great Happening? Is that this year?" Rikia questioned.
"Yes. I believe so," Fariti replied.
"..and the winter solstice is tomorrow..." Naki whispered solemnly.
Silence blanketed the room.
"What's wrong with you guys? We have to go back, we have to warn them!" Rikia yelled.
"What good will that do? They will assume we are lying." Naki calmly stated.
"But we have to try!"
"No, what Rikia should do is travel to the House of Stars and convince the hero Sun not to release the Moon," said Fariti.
"What about father?" said Rikia.
"No, I cannot go. Only Marked Ones and Great Ones are allowed passage into the House of Stars. You must go alone," said Naki, pained.
Rikia burst into tears, "No, I can't do it on my own! I need help...."
"You will have to. You can do it, I believe in you. In the meantime, I shall go back to the tribe and warn them. If they do not heed my warning, well..." Naki trailed off.
The moon was almost out, as if taunting them.
"You must go, Naki. Here are some supplies. Make the trip safely," said Fariti."As for the Young One, lucky for you, I did a favor for the Hero Sun once and he offered me safe passage there. Take this dream catcher. Grasp it and think of your happiest memory. It'll take you to wherever you want in the House of Stars. From there, you're on your own, I'm afraid. There will be many challenges, but whatever you do, do not stop. Good luck."
Fariti smiled bravely and stepped back. Closing her eyes, Rikia did her very best, thinking of her happiest memory. It was her, surrounded by her parents and many siblings. They were all happy and smiling, with the little ones tumbling about. The sunshine dancing off their pelts as they raced around the trees playing hide-and-seek.
When she opened them she was in a crystal room, the floor transparent with a view of the world below. She could see her tribe, carefree and unaware of the danger awaiting them. A teardrop splished onto the floor, distorting the once perfect image. I can do this, she told herself, For my family. She took a deep breath and started up the glittering staircase to the Moon's prison.
"Young Marked One," said calming soothing voice,"why have you come? Have you come on the behalf of your kind to apologize to me once again?"
"Yes..." Rikia stuttered,"and no."
The young, beautiful lady in a white dress surrounded by flowing albany ribbons turned in interest.
"Continue...." she said.
"I have come here not to apologize to you, but to stop you."
"What?!?" she shrieked, her calm soothing appearance changing into harsh bitterness.
"Yes. I know of your plans to wreack havoc upon my brethren, and I am here to stop you," Rikia said tersely.
"Ha! And how are you to do that? You forget, I AM A GODDESS!" she whispered menacingly in Rikia's ear.
"Simple. I am going to talk to you."
The lady Moon let out a piercing, horribly cruel laugh.
"I'd like to see you try..." she hissed, "before I kill you and your little friends. Perhaps, I should kill these two first?"
Rikia gasped as the Moon held up an orb that showed her father and mother and all of her tribe fighting against smili's of the moon tribe. She was too late. The eclipse had started and probably long ago.
"Yes, that's right. You're late. Tsk tsk...time is an illusion, and on Earth the eclipse was three weeks ago..." she smirked.
Rikia's face crumpled with anger and contempt.
"Ahh...I love war. Don't you? This one is one of my favorites. The Moon Tribe, my loyal servants were accused of stealing the sun, which I believe your tribe worships. it's beautiful! Almost makes me want to cry..."
"You aren't a goddess! You're just a bully! Torturing the innocent for no reason!" Rikia yelled.
"NO REASON? NO REASON?!?!" the Moon shrieked again. "They forgot me, a goddess! The one that gives them light at night! They left me for my brother!"
She slumped down to the floor, in tears. Rikia suddenly felt a twinge of sympathy for the Moon. She wasn't evil, she was just lonely...
"I'll never forget you. I'll be your friend," she said.
"You would?" the Moon laughed a little. "You must truly be an idiot to be friends with such a cruel, evil goddess."
"You're not cruel..or evil. I think you're just lonely."
"Or maybe I'm a cuckoo fruit loop that lives with sparkly unicorns."
They laughed together.
"I'll make you a deal. If you promise to come up here once a month and just talk with me, I'll let my brother out again."
"Sounds good. Deal," Rikia replied.
"It's amazing actually. All of this started because of a stuffed bear."
Rikia stared at the Moon quizzically.
"You see, the first eclipse happened when my brother and I were three. We each had stuffed bears, mine was pale blue with cerulean swirl designs, his was yellow with orange flame patterns. He was jealous of mine, and stole it from me. And of course, I was mad and stole his light scepter which is his power symbol. That was when I discovered that stealing his power symbol would hide him from the earth and as you call it, cause a "solar eclipse". Of course, I was shocked and immediately gave it back to him. But on earth, two weeks had already passed. And then Lipiti came up here to the House of Stars to ask why I had hid the sun. I told him the truth and he went back to Earth to explain everything. But he told lies and spread nasty rumors of me. And so, i guess the animals of earth began to hate me and forgot to worship me..."
"Wow..."
"I know."
"Ummm....shouldn't you give it back to the hero Sun now?"
"Hmm? Oh, right..." the Moon said sheepishly. Out of her pocket, she drew a small...pen?
"That's the light scepter? A pen?"
The Moon simply tapped it's side and it grew into a large bronze scepter that gave off light at the tips. With a throw into the air, the scepter vanished. For some reason, I could feel that the Sun was shining now.
"Well then, now I'm going to be punished..." she muttered as the sun, a buff dude with flame tattoos all over his arm wearing...only a kilt?
"Sister. I see you have returned my scepter. Prepare to be punished. You're punishment is...you must walk the earth for a month, our time," he boomed.
Rikia expected the Moon to be angry again, but she looked positively shining-literally.
Serious again, the Moon said, "Fine! Just so long as I'm not a smili of the Sun Tribe! That would be torture!!"
Rikia glanced at the Moon wonderously...
"Excellent idea! You shall be turned into a smili of the Sun Tribe!" he boomed, positively pleased with himself, and left.
"What just happened?" Rikia asked the Moon.
"I'll explain later. Let's go."
The Moon and Rikia left the House of Stars and returned to Fariti's tree via goddess powers. The Moon, who was turned into a pale smili with ice blue eyes, was quite outraged at the inaccuracy of Fariti's books. They spent all night discussing and arguing over it. Meanwhile, Rikia sent a message to her parents (also via goddess powers) to tell them that she was ok.
Finally, the Moon (who preferred being called Luna now) and Rikia left Fariti's tree and headed for home. On the way, Luna explained to Rikia why she could leave. Apparently, she was a powerful enough goddess to do all of her duties from Earth, and she would often stay down here. But then, the animals began hating her and she went back up to the House of Stars to ask her brother to straighten things out. He wouldn't and she wreaked havoc on the world for awhile, etc etc, the rest is history. She was now quite happy to be back.
They finally made it back and found the grounds much better than they thought. Although only a week had passed since the sun returned, the Sun Tribe were recovering quickly despite the war...perhaps because of the hero Sun?
Upon seeing Rikia, almost the entire village (including Naki and Hila who were not wounded in the battle) raced to her and hugged her, cheered for her. They had all heard of her heroic story.
Luna was ignored, but she was perfectly happy because she had seen Latiki and they embraced. As Rikia learned later, Luna had often snuck out of her prison to explore Earth and they fell in love, even raising two litters of their own.
Things were finally turning up for Rikia. She finally had a real friend, she was finally accepted by her tribe-mates, and she was named apprentice to Latiki. All was right in the world now.

Epilogue
Rikia ended up becoming Chief of the Sun Tribe and saving Earth ten more times. One her third time, she met another smili named Sakio. They fell in love and have raised three litters together so far.

Naki and Hila lived for five more happy years together of peace. They had witnessed their daughter become chief of the tribe, fall in love, and raise two litters before dying together at the exact same time. They were turned into stars by the Great Ones via request of Rikia,who was also now the Great Ones' favorite Marked One (although she still dislikes them).

As for Luna, she stayed for twenty years on Earth, almost a month at the House of Stars. She and Latiki raised eight more litters, all strong, feisty, little cubs that ended up being heroes. She died at the age of thirty and when sent back to the House of Stars while her love was sent to the heaven below, she demanded that he become a star as well. Agreeing, the Great Ones made Latiki a star and he stays with the moon for all eternity. As promised, Rikia returned to the House of Stars every Earth month. Even now, on a certain day of the month, two bright stars can be seen near the moon. And a week after the full moon, the brightest star slowly drops down to Earth, accompanied by two other stars, one in a peculiar tan shade and the other, a deep blue.


THE END C:

[GRIMDYXE]

I would like to adopt!
Number: 13
Picture: The racoon/wolf one
Name: Ayame
Species: Wolfcoon XD
Personality: Doesn't talk to other people ecxept for ones she knows well and trust. Although if you get her mad, BEWARE...
Likes: Stripes, Rainbows, Peace, Anime, Silence, Zoomed out pictures of a beautiful place, Sleeping XD
Dislikes: Spammers, People who annoy her, wars, fights, watermelon seeds
Background (Optional, but it gives you a better shot) Ayame was scared. She was ready to cry. Her parents were just teaching her to hunt, then, boom. An arrow hit her dad. "Daddy!" she cried, but he was already dead. "We have to get to a different place," her mother said quickly. They reached the water, and a boat was about to leave. "Be quiet, or the humans will kill us," her mother said. She swiftly climbed on the boat, and the boat pushed off the shore. "Can we come back home soon, mommy?" Ayame asked. "No, we have to get to America. We're never coming back to Japan," her mother said, weeping. "I want daddy back!" she cried, and tears dripped on the floor from both of them...

The last day they were on the boat, a huge wave knocked Ayame's mother of the boat. "MOMMY!" she screamed, but it was winter, and the water froze her in seconds. Ayame knew there wouldn't be a response. The boat stopped and she swiftly walked off. Ayame was stopped by a wolf. "I- I'm sorry. But I just thought that I should tell you that was brave to get on a boat with humans and live. Oh, and I'm Millena." Ayame smiled and said, "Thanks. I'm Ayame. I'm from Japan. I.... don't have anywhere to go..." Millena smiled back and said, "You could stay with me and my owner for a few days." Ayame thought about it and said, "That'd be great."

[AlbertaBound]

I would like to adopt!
Number: 5
Picture:
Name: His given name is Tlaloc (teh-lock) meaning stone, but he has become known as Alastar, meaning helper of man
Species: Smili
Personality: Solid, strong, and enduring, Tlaloc is usually even tempered and fair. He does not jump to accusations or rush into fights. His name, given to him by his birth tribe, reflects his very nature. Stone. Yet, he will also not change his mind easily, and is quite stubburn. When he gets angry or upset, it takes him a long time to recover. When you break his trust, or prove yourself and enemy, he is not quick to forgive. But show him a moment of mercy, and he will never forget.
Likes: Snow, Elk meat, hunting with Shae, hanging out with Novo, night time, the wind
Dislikes: rabbit meat (too stringy XD), missing prey, tripping, when his nose gets cold
Background:

Why, hello there. You are wondering of Alastar? Well, I know more about him then most. We shared a connection, that not even time can severe. His story is really quite remarkable...I see you are impatient for me to start. Well, close your eyes and take a deep breath and I shall tell you of the Blind One, where he came from, and the song that danced in his veins.

The Northern Lights
At the top of our world is a land. A land of frozen days and long, black nights. Where the wind cuts across sheets of black ice, chilling the hearts of those brave enough to survive in this nearly barren wasteland. Winter cloaks that land in darkness, and the sun only sheds a dusky light during the short days of summer. A heavy silence welcomes you to the Far North. No flying reindeer or jolly elves reside here, and only the strong and the stubburn will be found alive when the earth tilts and the river runs again.

This is wasteland is home to a healthy population of Smilis. The hardy creatures who seem to ignore the bleak landscape and the warnings of the storms. They live in the snowy crags and the ice topped plains. They hunt the seals during the winter, and the large herds of elk in the summer. Many Northen tribes tell of the power and grace of these creatures. Legends are told among the flickering campfires, yet to most they are a fable, a myth. Yet one small group of people, as rugged as the landscape and as stubburn as the howling wind, have learned the secret of capturing the Smilis. They are the gypsies of the North, wandering from one place to another, capturing the glory of an ancient race, and dancing to the beat of the Northern Lights.

Orion's Pride
Huge paws pounded across the snow. Dark forms sped across the landscape as growls sounded from the throats of the hunters. A huge leap, a slash of dark claws, the gleam of long white teeth...and it was over. A huge elk lay dead in the snow, once bright eyes glazed over, and the swift legs that couldn't save it lay still. The hunters moved around their catch, long tails waving in excitement. Smilis. Their dark pelts stood out against the brilliant white of the snow, and the low, summer sun reflected the joy in their eyes. This was what they lived for. With a couple teasing remarks, and not a few grunts and groans, the group of hunters and friends gathered their catch and carried it back to their home. A shelter of jutting rocks and elegant ice formations created a haven for these creatures of the cold. As the hunters returned with their prey, young cubs eagerly bounded up to the adults, weaving in between their legs and happily chattering about this or that. Females admired the catch, and the young male who had taken down the deer felt his chest swell with pride. The clan was alive with health and strength. A new litter had been born and the eager father brought a portion of meat to his mate, still in her den. Three cubs squirmed against their mothers belly. The dark eyed male, Orion, eyed the cubs with pride. Two females, as beautiful as their mother, and his son. To him, all was well, as the sun began to sink below the distant horizen.

As the days grew shorter, and the light at the top of the world faded, the cubs in the small den grew. The entire clan boasted of the three cubs, they were strong and healthy, and the very life of the tribe pulsed through their veins. The male was larger then his two sisters, and even before his eyes opened, he was called Tlaloc, the Stone. Soon, his younger sister opened her eyes, and stared in wonder at the world around her. A few days later, his older sister followed suit, and chatted in her baby talk of light and dark, of colors and shades. Finally, with coaxing from his father, Tlaloc opened his eyes, waiting for the searing light that he had been warned of. But to his (pleasant) surprise, the world stayed in its comfortable blackness. He felt his dad's warm breath as he stared into his son's face. Worried, the tiny cub pawed at his father's nose. "Wat's wrong, Da?" He felt his father heave a sigh, then a warm, rough toungue licked the top of his head. "Nothing's wrong Tlaloc. Remember that. Don't let anyone tell you something is wrong with you. Now go to sleep...you look tired." With that Orion nuzzled his son, and went to lay by his mate. Tears were in her eyes as she looked up at him. "Why? Why is my boy blind?" The dark male sighed. "I don't know, but he won't let it break him. I can't let that happen."

The Star Burns Brighter
The winter came with the howling winds that swept across the land. The nights faded together, the sun abandoned the North for weeks on end. But seasons come and seasons go, and soon spring arrived, bringing with her the glory of the sunshine and the hope of new life. The Smili clan was glad for the end of the winter. Young hunters challenged each other to races across the ice, elders took to basking in the sun, and mothers showed their cubs the now warm world. Tlaloc and his sisters were now almost a year old. They joined the other young ones in exploring their camp. Tlaloc was stubburn, and refused to let his blindness get the better of him. He scampered and played with the others, making friends, and playfighting with his sisters. The one thing he couldn't get the hand of was hanging by his tail. The other cubs spent considerable time upside down, clinging to rocky outhangings. Tlaloc refused to let his mother help him up. Instead he would try to scramble up, then promptly fall on his head.
This continued until one young hunter saw him take a tumble. This was Novo who, having just turned ten years old, was considered an adult in the tribe. With a teasing laugh, the hunter scooped up young Tlaloc by the scruff of his neck. Crouching onto his back legs, Novo curled the cubs tail around a branch with his paws, then gently let Tlaloc hang. The cub let out a delighted squeal and proceeded to swing back and forth. Novo bunted heads with the youngster and laughed again. "If you ever need a helping paw, give me a call. Got that, champ?" With that the hunter wandered back to the others his age.
After that, Tlaloc never problems keeping up with the other cubs. His father taught him to run and hunt, even with his disability. Novo and his friends made sure that he got help when he needed it, and they encouraged him, as if they didn't notice his unseeing eyes. He still stumbled constantly, and wasn't able to do everything a normal Smili could do, but for him, life was good.

The Moon's Hunters
His long tail waved slowly back and forth. His huge paws padded softly against the snow. Razor sharp fangs gleamed in the sunlight. The Smili raised his nose to sniff the air, and paused. His feet were poised at the brink of a cliff of ice and soil. Crouching, the dark creature settled down to wait. A faint thunder could be heard in the distance. His muscles tensed. The thunder grew louder, and soon became recognizable as the thudding echo of hooves, dashing across the ground. The Smili didn't move. A large elk tore across the ground, eyes wide with panic. It was now nearly under the ledge. The fast-fading form of a Smili could be seen behind it. The female, in stopped mid-stride, her breath coming in heaves. She narrowed her eyes, judging the distance. Then suddenly she reared up on her back legs and let out a shrill cry.
The Dark Smili sprang into action. His long back legs shot out and he pushed himself of the ledge. His claws came out as he landed directly on top of the startled elk. His long fangs bared, he expertly found the back of the creatures neck. Within a moment, it was over, and the tribe had gained another meal. The female, slowly walked toward the dead animal and the Smili who had made the catch. With a loud purr, she sized up thier prey.
"Nicely done, Tlaloc. Did you have any trouble?"
The sightless eyes of the dark male turned toward her. "No... no trouble at all, Shae. My one forepaw slipped when I landed, but that's easy enought to correct." Carefully, he grabbed the neck of the elk. Without another word, he nodded toward the horizen. Shae bounded a few steps ahead of him, then gently laid her tail across his shoulders, leading him back toward camp. Tlaloc had grown from a bumbling cub to a confident member of the tribe. He was nearly twelve years old, and he not only had he survived, but he had thrived, never doubting his ability to run with the best of his clan.
His parents were getting older now, but his father still loved the thrill of the hunt. His older sister had a mate and was expecting cubs later in the year. Novo, the young hunter, was now a respected member of the tribe. He had his own mate, and two rowdy cubs that loved pulling on Uncle Tlaloc's ears, or hanging from his tail, held high in the air.

Tlaloc shook his head, clearing his mind of his thoughts. The pungent smell of the deer hung heavy near his nose, and the long treck back to camp was wearing on his legs. Suddenly the blind Smili dropped his prey and perked his ears. They had just come into hearing radius of the camp. "Shae...Somethings wrong at camp." He spoke slowly, carefully listening to the voices in the wind. The female pricked her ears, but heard nothing, except her own labored breathing. "What do yo-" She was cut off when the dark Smili bounded a few steps forward, listening. Suddenly, her turned to her, his normally calm face lined with concern. "Shae, I'm going to grab your tail. Run as fast as you can, and get as back to camp. Something's wrong." Shae's eyes opened wide with fright, but she knew that the blind Smili's hearing was far better then her own. She waited until she felt the tiniest prick of teeth in her tail, the she took off across the snow covered plain. Her short legs were not made for running, and she had already chased an elk today. But she sensed the urgency of Tlaloc's words. So she ran. The were nearly at the camp when Shae heard the sounds that had beckoned to Tlaloc from across the snow. Human voices. Harsh, strange, and loud. With a final burst of speed she came toward the camp entrance. Tlaloc let go of her tail, and hurled himself into the camp. Man had come. With shouts and dogs, they had come from the south. Shae knew why they were here. Every Smili in the North knew of the Moon Hunters. They came and took a cub, or a young adult, and stole away with it. They captured what they considered to be the most powerful creature on earth. But Man hadn't come this far North in over forty years. Shae was petrified. She heard a shrill cry and saw one man with a cub. The son of Novo. Two other men had trapped the enraged parents in a cave, and others held back the other Smili's with weapons of polished bronze.
Suddenly, a kindness shone to a blind youngster was about to be repaid. Tlaloc had pinpointed that single cry. He crouched down, and for a minute, froze. Then, the young one bleated again, and the dark creature leapt into the air. He knocked over the man, swatting the cub away with his tail. The terrified man squirmed under the heavy weight of a full grown Smili. Tlaloc didn't move, until he was sure he heard the delighted cry of Novo, and the chirping of the regained cub. Then, he tried to get off of the human. But a rope was tightened around his neck, and another around his hind leg. He felt the breath being choked out of him.
The dark Smili didn't fight back now. He followed almost meekly as the men heaved on the lines, pulling him out of camp. "Shae!" He knew where she still crouched by the entrance. "Tell them not to follow. I'll be fine. I'll be back." He was pulled toward the entrance. The other men began to follow, making sure the clan of growling Smili's didn't move. Shae could only think of one thing to say. "We'll be waiting for your return. Hero."

A Star Fades
The stench of Man had faded away. The clan of Smilis began to come to grips with the tramatic events of the day before. Many of the Smilis were nursing injuries from the beating and stabbing of the weapons of the humans. Tlaloc's parents, and many others, were in shock at the capture of the young Smili. Novo, and the stronger hunters quickly tried to form a rescue party. They swore to return with their lost clan mate. But they were stopped by a very stubburn female. Shae was a runner. She was quicker then most of the other Smilis, but not an accomplished hunter. She was lower in social status, but she was often partnered with Tlaloc, and she had learned from his solid ways.
Shae stood directly in front of the Rescue Party, her long tail blocking the way out of camp. Novo, who was heading the anxious group, snarled at her. "What do you think you are doing Shae?"
"He told me not to let you follow." Shae spoke evenly, her eyes glinting with purpose.
"He said no such thing. Move."
"No. He will return of himself. Our duty is to remember him as the Hero."
"He can't make his way back by himself." Novo's long tail lashed in annoyance.
"Why not? You wouldn't want the whole clan to come get you if you got in a spot of trouble. He knows what he's doing. He will return."
There was a moment of hostile glares and uneasy silence. Finally, Novo's shoulders dropped in defeat and sorrow.
"You are right. But Shae...he may never come back."
The female looked behind her, at the snow covered plains. "But...he will return." Her voice was nearly a whisper that faded into the still air. "He has to..."

A New Light
The rope cut into his thick fur, irritating his skin and scratching his neck. The voices of Man rose and fell as the strange group trod across the landscape. Over a dozen human males, armed to the teeth, surrounded a single Smili, his unseeing eyes staring straight ahead. He allowed himself to be led by the rope, while the men carefully looked around, as if waiting for an ambush. The sun began to sink lower against the horizen, and the cold wind began her song from the North. Tlaloc felt himself being led to what must be a cave, or a rocky outhanging, for the voices took on an echo, adding to the chaotic sounds in the Smili's head. If Tlaloc understood the language of Man, this is what he would have heard.
"Why does the One allow himself to be lead?" "Is he ill?" "Somethings wrong" "No, no, look closely." "Ah! The One is blind." "Surely not" "But it's true!"

Amidst the voices growing louder and louder, speaking in this strange toungue, Tlaloc's felt his lead relax, as the men began to bed down for the night. Blankets were unrolled, a fire was started, and two men left to find a meal. Tlaloc simply stood frozen. Unmoving, waiting for a chance to discover what was going on.

Meanwhile, one human, barely a man, eagerly collected firewood. He was dark eyed and would have been handsome, but for his twisted leg. He lerched about with a uneven, awkward gait. He rushed his bundle of timber and twigs into the cave, not seeing the dark form right before him.

Tlaloc heard an uneven footfall behind him, and was suddenly aware of a leg, jamming into his side, and of timber spilling over his back and unto the floor. He didn't move. He heard a gasp of pain and felt a hand leaning on his shoulder. He didn't move. Suddenly, the hand jerked away, and loud human voices were heard calling. Some were angry. Some were confused. And one was terrified.

"You touched the One!" "The boy must now become a Keeper." "Impossible! He is a cripple, and a lad!" "Tradition states, the first to touch the captured One becomes the Keeper." "BOY!" "I didn't mean to... I'm really sorry....wha-" "You are a Keeper! Now...tend to the One!"

What Tlaloc didn't know, was that this unsteady young man had just recieved the highest honor of his Tribe. He would become Tlaloc's keeper...tending to the Smili's every need and ensuring his happiness in a new life. Tlaloc himself would become "Alastar". The helper of Man.

Tlaloc's story has not ended here. For I could still tell of his new life as a near god in the Human tribe. I could tell more of his friendship with that awkward human lad. I was that boy you know. I was the one whom he whispered his memories and thoughts, in a language that does not seem to exist amung humans. I could tell you of his hopes, his dreams. And I could tell you whether or not the young Smili ever made it back to his home tribe. But that is for another time, and another place. For now, this story is done, until, once again I take up my pen to tell you a tale.

[loquacious]

I would like to adopt!
Number: 6
Picture:
Name: Fateh (FAY-ta) means light in Arabic
Species: Smili
Personality: Fateh is a quiet, understanding smili, If you need cheering up, Fateh is the smili to go to. She always finds a way to find the greener side of the grass. But when she is alone, all the bad things come back to her mind. Fateh can be so negative she grounds her saber teeth into the ground, she sometimes screams and growls at her reflection in the water. I guess you could say she was a bit bi-polar. Fateh always was a night owl. She loved to stay up real late and watch the moon and stars. The young smili has been doing that ever since she was old enough to ge out of the den she grew up in. fateh watched the mooon glow brighter at night then fade way in the morning. She fancied falling stars, never made wishes on them like a lot of people and animals do when they see one.
Likes: Watching the moon and stars, helping others, being the center of attention, autumn, the good voices
Dislikes: mood swings, summer, being alone, bad thoughts, flash backs, death, the bad voices
Background (Optional, but it gives you a better shot)
The whispers started in the canyon from the other Smilis where Fateh was born. "What is with her markings?" "Something must be wrong with her" "Bad sign or good sign? Which one to choose?" Fateh's markings were quite unnatural. Even though the other Smilis had tribal markings, that was paint. Fateh was born with the strange colorations and patterns. For some reason, all the smilis thought this was a bad sign. Her mother disgusted her, her brother kicked mud in her face from the dusty canyons they dwelled in. She didn't know why all her kind hated her. Many times she looked at herself in the water puddles around and screamed and rubbed her paws all over her face to wipe away the markings. Once she tried to paint over the markings but it just caked onto her fur and stung for three days, and washed away. Fateh calmed herself by watching the moon and stars at night. Her favorite season was fall because it got dark so early and the stars came out sooner than usual.
I'll do some more tomorrow.

[Kari Lion]

Yes, I should have specified this, but please do not change Eis's name. She has a name, it is Eis. If I had intended you to pick a name for her, I would have left the name slot blank. Thank you

[June Bug]

I would like to adopt!
Number:4
Picture:

Name: Sanjana (meaning 'Soft, meek, gentle')
Species: Smili
Personality:
Wary of others
Slightly paranoid
Calm
Gentle
Soft spoken
Likes:
Smaller creatures
night time
sweet foods
Dislikes:
Loud noises
crowded places
humans
peanuts
Background (Optional, but it gives you a better shot)
Sanjana was never a very remarkable cub. The only thing separating her from the other cubs she encountered with her mother was her unusual color. But, other than the strange colors of her pelt, she wasn't special at all. Sanjana had no reason to expect her life to be abnormal and her mother raised her as she had all her other cubs. Like all cubs, Sanjana began to watch her mother hunting from the day she was able to follow her without her noticing. She was almost constantly bored. Her father had not stayed with her mother and when the cubs had been born, she was the only one to survive through the first few hours.
The pair had wandered into new territory, prey had become scarce in their usual hunting grounds and Sanjana's mother was getting anxious.
"stay her Sanjie" her mother cooed as she gently herded her into the cover of a bush. "I'll be back soon with something good to eat"
"Yes mama" Sanjana hated when her mother treated her like a small cub. She was almost a year old, surely she could fend for herself by now. She waited untill her mother was out of earshot and blew a raspberry at her.
"I'm not a baby anymore" defiantly, yet cautiously, she crept from beneath the bush. keeping low and silent, she followed her mother through the brush, making sure to dart behind trees when she stopped to look around.
Suddenly, Her mother stopped and crouched. she began to creep forward, obviously tracking something. But, Sanjana couldn't see what it was, she hoped it was something big, preferably a deer, but there didn't seem to be anything in the ferns. She took one distracted step forward, stepping on a twig. The snap made her mother turn and she quickly jumped to the side behind a tree. Before she had even landed by the tree, she noticed how strange the roots of the tree looked. They where very uniform in shape and ran parallel to each other. Her heart sank, her mother had told her of trees like this, but there was no way for her to stop from landing directly in the center of the strange root pattern.
'SNAP' Now her mother Called to her frantically. She knew that sound, but foolishly hoped her cub was not the one who had set it off.
Sanjana opened her eyes, she had clamped them shut as she landed. The strange roots had jumped up off the ground, surrounding her like the branches of an alien bush.
"Sanjana! Sanjana! Was that you!?"
"Mama! I'm here!" Sanjana called to her mother relieved she had not been hurt, but when she tried to push through the roots, they did not budge. She pushed harder, starting to panic. Nothing, no give at all.
"Sanjana! Oh, Sanjana, didn't I tell you to wait for me!? Why did you follow me out here Sanjana!?" There was no anger in her voice, only sadness and desperation, as if she knew what would happen, but was daring to hope she could change it. Before she could answer, her mother began to tear at the solid roots with claws and teeth. The ferocity of her mother's attack surprised her. Her mother would be able to break through them no problem, she was strong, but why was she struggling so hard. But she couldn't break through, the roots held fast. After some time her mother stopped and simply stared at the trap. An unreadable expression on her face.
"Mama? I only wanted to watch . . ." Sanjana mumbled, tears filling her eyes. Her mother didn't answer. She continued to stare "Mama? What's happening?" The tears had begun to slid down the fur on her cheeks. Silence for a moment, but finally she responded
"They'll take you away, Sanjana" She spoke in a monotone "I can't help you Sanjana, they'll take you away" Slowly she turned and started to walk away.
"No, mama, please come back!" The tears where streaming now. She didn't understand, why wasn't her mother trying to free her "Mama! I won't ever follow you again! I'll be good I promise! Please mama! Please don't leave me!"
"I cant help you Sanjana, they'll take you away. I can't help you" She didn't stop, didn't even look back. She just continued slowly into the trees muttering almost to herself now.Soon she was gone
"Mama?" Sanjana was quiet now "Mama?" But there was no response.
Sanjana laid down in the trap and sobbed quietly untill she fell asleep.

Sanjana awoke to the usual dark room. the dreams of her youth came to her more often than ever. Nowadays she did not dream other than seeing the visions of her mother abandoning her in the forest.
There was no way to tell what time of day it was in the room. There where no windows and no clocks, which she had found fairly easy to read. So she looked around taking a silent rollcall.
Bleu - check
Coacoli - check
Peradde - check
Xawei - missing
She had overslept. They take Xawei at about noon and she would be next. She glanced at her untouched dinner from the night before. It was begining to stink. She pushed it to the corner of her cage where the feeders would no doubt be able to smell it and take it away.
The doors at the far side of the room opened. Three humans, a woman and two large men came into the room pushing a large metal cart. The Smili on the cart was limp as if dead, but as they entered the empty cage beside Sanjana, he lazily rolled himself off of the cart and onto the floor with a thud. The humans showed no sign of worry for the feline an d simply exited the cage locking the door behind them without so much as a second look.
Instead of leaving the room, the three came to the door of Sanjana's cage. They didn't unlock it immediately, instead, the woman held up a small gun-like device and sank a dart into Sanjana's shoulder. She bared her teeth, she would never get used to the stinging needle, but after a minute or so she became drowsy and slumped onto the floor. The taller of the two large men unlocked the door and led the trio into her cage.
"She looks thin, Barty"
"Sucker hasn't been eating her rations, look, see she didn't even take a bite" The shorter of the two pointed toward the slightly rotten meat shoved into the corner
"That's quite a stink"
"Shut it up and just get her on the cart guys, we don't have all day" The woman stood by the door, obviously not intending to help them. The men glared at her, but she pretended not to notice.
Without another word the men pushed the cart up against the side of the cage. The taller man took a hold of her two forepaws and the shorter, her hind. The two dragged her toward the cart then lifted and dragged her onto it, leaving her head and tail to drape over the ends.
"Congratulations, you got it done without complaining about it, for once" The woman held the door open for the two as they pushed her through the doors. The tranquilizer keeping her in a state of near paralysis. She began to doze off as they entered the room through the doors across from her cage, where she could read the name they'd given her written above the door, "Red Freak".

When she awake the second time that day she was nearly blinded by the bright florescent lights of the indoor enclosure connecting to the cages. This room was no better than the cages. The room was only about half the size of a football field and even though there was a patch of soft grasses in one of the corners, it was not nearly big enough, nor comfortably enough for the Smilis held there to pay it much interest. Everything in the room was fake. Fake trees that cut off just before hitting the ceiling, fake grass that they had all seen rolled away to reveal a plain concrete floor, large slabs of fake stones that held no heat and provided no comfort. Much of the time, the four smilis sat by their doors and simply waited to be let in out of the awful fake room.
The fake quality of the scenery wouldn't have bothered Sanjana so much if it wheren't for that awful wall. Unlike the other solid concrete walls, it was transparent, just dirty enough to tell it was there, but it eliminated any privacy they may have had otherwise.
Sanjana had been in the research center for three years. They had brought her here two days after she had been caught in their trap. Bleu, Coacoli, and Peradde, the three other females never said a word, they where more like zombies, simply going through the motions of life without showing any signs indicating that their minds where all there. Xawei, the young male, told her that he only came here a few weeks before her. He assumed they'd been here long before them and voiced his worries about their own mental stability. Life was monotonous in the center, everyday each smili was taken one by one into the strange room. Then they where taken out to be observed by the other scientists. When the doors to their cages where opened they hurried inside to dinner. There they stayed untill the next morning when it would all happen again.
"I think its the drug" Xawei whispered to her, "Have you noticed how slow your mind works when they drug you? It's gotta be the drug"
Sanjana thought for a moment
"Or it could just be the horrible schedule. Everyday the same thing at the same time. I know it'll get to me too. Even now I'm starting to think different, but not slow. Just different" She'd been feeling insecure lately, her mind begining to play tricks on her. She frequently saw shadows in the corners, but never had the heart to tell her friend.
Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear the call to open the cage doors.
"C'mon Sanjie!" The sound of her old nickname snapped her out of her distracted thoughts.

That night Sanjana didn't dream of her mother. She dreamed instead only of the trap. She felt an urge to bite the hard bars and, though she knew it would do no good, gave the bar in front of her a slight nibble. Suddenly a sharp pain tore through her mouth and as she pulled back from the bars, her teeth began to fall from her mouth. She looked down horrified. And then, it was dark. She slowly awoke from her strange dream, shaken. She snapped her teeth experimentally. All there.
She hadn't eaten her dinner again, but she didn't feel hungry. She pushed it into the corner again and dozed off, not wanting to wake up just yet, even if it meant another scary dream.

Sanjana was awoken by the three humans returning Xawei to his cage. She looked up for only a moment before closing her eyes again, waiting for the sting of he needle to lull her to sleep again. This time, the man unlocked her cage and walked in as the woman raised to tranquilizer gun. Sanjana saw her chance and lept at the man without giving it a second thought. As her teeth sank into his neck, she heard the click of the pistol. Amazingly, the dart hit at an odd angle and was lodged in the fur of her shoulder. She fell on top of the man in the doorway. The two left froze.
"Shoot her again! You missed!"
"I can't, we only had enough for one each!"
Sanjana snarled, she was much bigger than they could handle alone, and with no weapons, they where no threat to her. She made a bee-line for the door to the strange room pushing past the stupified humans. If there was any chance at escape, it was in there.
She burst through the doors looking around. frantically for an escape. The room was surprisingly barren, except for the large table in the center of the room and the selves of strange instruments along the right-side wall. Then she saw it, A large door with "Fire Exit" painted in bright red. She lept forward then stopped dead. She couldn't leave Xawei. She turned running back into the cage room. The pushing past the humans a second time. the man grabbed at her tail as she passed. Enraged, she turned to him and struck out with a passive paw, throwing him against the wall. the woman cowered in the corner. Sanjana ignored her. She rushed to the door of her friends cage. The electronic keypad looking very vulnerable. She gave it a quick swipe. It broke easily and the door clicked.
"Thank you Sanjie, Thank you"
"C'mon, lets go, I saw a door, I think we can get out" She gave another look at the woman who remained in the corner trying to look as helpless as possible 'she's not stupid, she knows I won't attack her if she doesn't threaten me'
Without another thought, she bolted toward the strange room, Xawei in tow. The two streaked across the room throwing all their weight against the exit door. I swung open easily. The two ran out into the sinlight, the first natural light they'd seen in years. But there was no time to enjoy it. They knew they wouldn't be very fast. Smili aren't known for speed and they hadn't stretched their running muscles since they'd been caught, so they focused on getting as far away as fast as possible.
When they had gone a good distance they stopped slumping to the ground exhausted.
"What now?" Sanjana asked
Xawei thought for a moment
"I want to find my family, I miss my sister" He finished
"I think I want to see my mother again" Sanjana answered
"So i guess, we won't be seeing each other again?"
"Maybe not, but perhaps"
The two said their goodbyes, there was no point in waiting any longer to split up.
Sanjana would miss her friend, but she wanted to start her new life away from the horrible research center. The things she experienced affected her mentally though. She was never taught natural smili social patterns and so her way of thinking differs greatly from the wild smili, but she manages to keep herself well fed and healthy. But she is still alone, her mother has long since left and the wild smilis avoid her. She doesn't blame them. Sometimes she wishes she had stayed in the research center so she could slowly lose her mind and let her worries melt away.


editing
(I puposly didn't explain her odd color because sometimes, animals are just strangly colored. There doesn't have to be an expanation anymore complicated than a random unusual genetic code
I wanted to write about her personality more than her color)