Chapter Text
Dark scarlet fur and a long white mane.
Sharp-silver eyes that kept in its irises such an inexorable raw power and, yet, yielded so much tenderness. Carrying in each step a undeniable sense of pride and in contrast with the set of lean but strong muscles; a small but noticeable bump on her stomach.
Summer was carrying her first litter and travelling to a more secluded, and lets say “fortified” den, amongst her several burrows across the land, to ensure she would deliver her cubs in the most secure place possible. She estimated that after reaching her destination, it would take at least 4 days until she was due. More than enough time to spare; so she wasn't pushing too much, taking her time to enjoy the trip.
After a while – satisfied with the amount land she covered, quite a good distance just as planned, she decided it was enough for the day - so she halted and to rest and catch her breath.
‘Well . . . now, just gotta find a meal and a place to sleep.’
Following several, frustrated, attempts of hunting a small but feisty little lizard; her journey and pregnancy began to take its toll on her.
‘It’s getting late anyway . . . and with no sight of moonlight.’
She spent a few moments searching and, soon enough, her eyes landed on a rock-like-mound with a depression on its side. She circled around it . . . and giggled. "I am pretty tired . . . guess I better . . . cave in a well-deserved rest, humm?" she humoured herself.
It was . . . quite the small cave.
The entrance followed the depression curved on the rock, and curled on itself; with lots of plants and thick vegetation hiding it partially. Also, it was very cramped fit to get through, making it difficult to access for those with a bulk just slightly bigger than hers. All in all, it seems like it would work on her favour pretty well but . . . let’s just say her current accommodation wasn't very comfortable.
The solo was dry, dusty, rigid, and with no grass at all.
She almost considered picking a few plant leaves from outside to assemble some makeshift bedding, but her exhaustion made her pass out quasi immediately after laying down.
Summer woke up in the middle of the night with a nagging feeling; a dull but constant discomfort in her stomach. She waited a few minutes, breathing in and out deeply and slowly, thinking it might've been just hunger . . . but it just got worse.
A growing, burning, heat that seemed to want to consume her body emerged . . .
Cold sweat rolled down her trembling frame. . .
With each excruciating passing minute, the pain increased immensely until her insides felt like being carved from inside out. And she was trashing, hissing, panting and curling on herself in the ground, desperately.
Pain. So much pain.
She felt nothing . . . and everything . . .
She felt numb . . . and scorching in cholera . . . all over.
Yet her body was cold except for the hot tears running down her face, pooling on the ground.
She didn't know it was even possible to go through such a thing; an unbearable heartache that consumes your whole being . . . like an endless pulse.
All she wanted was to lie down and never get up again . . . and for several hours that’s exactly what she did.
She really doesn't know what pulled her from within the burrow into the pouring rain that day. She just went wandering around aimless, with no idea of what she was looking for . . . but, somehow, a will to do it anyway.
Drenched to the core, she could only wish that the storm would just take her pain away. Just like . . . the most important thing was taken away from her that night.
She stopped . . .
. . . and sobbed, louder than the storm itself.
Then, amongst the deafening sounds . . . . . . she heard a weak mew.
She was running full speed in a flash.
It might've been just a trick of her mind. She couldn't even hear it anymore, and her nose was as good as nothing in the pouring rain, but this . . . such a simple sound, was the only thing in her mind that didn't involve pain, so she clinged desperately to it.
She heard it again, much closer this time.
Under a bunch of piled rocks, that barely managed to cover its frame, was a small, quivering, drenched yellow cub; curled on its side in fetal position, eyes closed. It couldn't be more than a few days’ olds.
It mewled again.
And Summer was paralyzed, staring at it.
Heart caught in her throat, she, very slowly, brought her snout down, touching its side. It answered with a weak but desperate whimper. She closed her eyes, feeling the soft fur against her nose.
A sob escaped her lips before she opened her mouth and carefully scooped the small cub, then she hurried back to the burrow.
Summer dried the cub as best as she could with her tongue.
The cub had fallen asleep while she was grooming it, purring softly all the while in pure content.
It mewled in protest when she was done.
With cleaned fur, Summer could finally have a good look at it-her.
Even though her eyes were closed the scarlet cheetah could tell she was awake. She nudged her a bit and she still didn't open them, which meant she really was as younger as she assumed.
She was very small, and way to thin. Her tummy should be round and full of milk. For how long was she in that storm? Or even alone in the opening, for the matter?
How could someone just leave their new-born cub behind like that?
And even in this state of abandon, she was so cute and lovely; light yellow fur, with a slightly deep shade in the tip of her tail, and a bunch of light orange rosettes covering its frame.
A lion cub.
A. Lion. Cub.
Her eyes bulged.
For the mundane eye, a lion cub might look very similar to a regular cheetah cub.
The fur is almost the same color, reddish yellow. But the body proportions are different, a lion cub being way more robust.
But maybe the more prominent characteristic of a young cheetah - which was very clearly lacking on the cub in her paws – was the white "mane" covering its torso.
Summer probably didn't realize sooner, because of the turmoil of emotions she had just go through, and they both being soaked so the rain probably covered the distinct smell of a lion.
She sighed.
How many times had she simply stumbled close to a lion territory and got almost teared to pieces because of it?
They are such a feral – or at the very least the ones she encountered were – predator. Perhaps her worst enemy out there even.
"Why am I doing th-" - but her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a soft groan sound coming from . . . the cub's tummy, whom also was crying again.
Oh.
Summer picked her up by the scruff, while trying to find a more comfortable position to lie on her side. She then settles the cub close to her underside, and with her snout, she pushed her towards the appropriate area.
The little cub immediately started sucking vehemently and hungrily, so rapidly so, that she was with full tummy in no time. Hence, the cub lost interest in suckling and turned towards her, sporting a milk mustache.
It brought a small smile to her face as she lightly put pressure on the cub's back until she let out a soft - "Burp ! ".
Only then did she finally realize what she had just done.
Scared, maybe even more than before, of how she was responding right away to this little cub's needs . . . of how easy going she was making herself feel . . .
. . . she groomed her, while humming an old melody, until she fell asleep. Even with a bunch of new worries popping up in the back of her head - and previous ones - Summer couldn't help but smile.
Her chest warmed just by watching this little and fragile fur-ball sleeping peacefully, without any idea of the danger it just went through. This growing heat seems to melt the cold pain she endured.
A precious cub.
A little lion.
She didn't care. All she understood in that moment, was the overwhelming feeling to protect her.
The light that had shone suddenly in her life, at such dark times.
Like . . . . . . a little sun.
"My little sun . . . " she said as pulled her close to cuddled and closing her eyes.
". . .Yang"