ORIGIN

Leon was a bubble of every kind of emotion he had ever conceived in his brief, thrilling life. She probably felt it - there was no question that she could feel it, but did she know what it was from? He only hoped that her magic didn't extend to such ability; then again, he'd likely be equally to blame for wearing so obviously on the forefront of his mind.

It was excitement, mostly. Some part of it was nervousness - why, he didn't know. The anxiety just came naturally when one was going to make such a great leap, and though it was the furthest thing from a risk, he still couldn't help but feel he was placing himself just a little out of his comfort zone. It was okay, though - his confidence reassured him that it would be alright, and all evidence pointed to this being a step in the right direction. He wasn't afraid of anything; he embraced it, he was happy, and he was worried, and he was inspired and everything in between, and he couldn't wait to share it with her.

It began as an invitation to a place they both held dear. A place so untarnished by everything that had occurred in the past few cycles; a place innocent in its existence and nigh forgotten in its relevance until now, and then it became perfect. He could remember the feel of the cold beneath his paws, a familiar sensation that didn't come with alienation, but a fond memory. He remembered the way the snow glittered in the dim darkness; it was before the lights had turned on, and he remembered the chill that made him do what he did, and he remembered every feeling of comfort and security that came of it. He remembered that single set of footprints leading blind into the tunnel, and the twin trails interwoven among one another as they left. He had come here alone and this, this was where he found his home.

The emotion was so powerful it nearly grew a lump in his throat, but he swallowed it down. Now was not the time for his feelings to swallow him - not yet, when there was still so much to be done. He walked alongside her, his thick fur mingling with the light sandy shades of her own as he offered his gentle heat. He extended his warmth to her the very same way he'd done when they first met, and he always would; she was his anchor, his home, and he the fire that lit it. Their steps were timed, it was really the only thing Leon could focus on long enough without his excitement taking him away, or the words they shared causing his heart to explode into butterflies. He led her, smiling and laughing, through the tunnel to where he remembered she first broke out of her chrysalis. Aquamarine was still embedded in the rock walls, glistening pure against the white snow. Nearby a treasure was hidden among the drifts; unseen and waiting, waiting for just the perfect moment.

There, Leon slowed. He liked to imagine that the depressions and prints in the snow were still their own. The bear turned his head to her, and his heart swelled, a quiet pride and joy that even in its subtlety bled through into his voice. "Are you still cold?" He asked, and excitement urged his voice to be oddly quiet, but the laughter illuminating his words betrayed his undeniable joy. He gazed upon Makyna, eyes alight with happiness and warmth and love and everything.

"Makyna Speech"
"Leon Speech"

A relaxing walk with her dearest friend, her boyfriend, her joy, her love, her light? How could she say no to that? It was like a piece of heaven every time they were around each other. So, to go to the place that they'd first met to spend time with each other. A place that wasn't tainted by horrific ghosts or bad memories was even better than heaven. The lioness was overjoyed to do so and had agreed with no questions asked.

As they walked, fur mingling with each other's and Makyna leaning slightly into Leon's side, Makyna hummed a little merry tune. There were no words to it she simply did so because it was putting voice to her joy without actually speaking. The joy was her own but it was also a bit of Leon's. She could feel a plethora of emotions coming from the bear ranging from fear to anxiety to happiness to worry. What was going on in that bear's mind? She could feel his emotions due to some strange reason. It wasn't her magic since she couldn't feel anyone else's emotions like his. Thoughts she could feel if she really tried but that required an effort from her while this didn't. Leon's emotions came to her at all points in time. It was strange but Makyna welcomed it. It made her feel even closer to the light of her world.

All she could do was wait and see if the bear wanted to reveal more to her. Questioning him, she felt, would ruin the mood between the two so she left it be. Besides, whatever it was had him excited and happy, not upset so maybe it was a surprise. The lioness would find out soon.

The tunnel came into view, just the same as she remembered with only a few more footprints, gem shards, and the light to change it. The feeling that washed over her then was intense nostalgia and a feeling of melancholy. She'd come so far since that day when she'd hatched and met the bear. Lying on her back in the dark and in the snow she had been defenseless until the cub had come along to rescue her and allow her to cuddle in his fur. A smile formed on her face at the memory. Even then it was shown that they would develop into the best of friends.

If she stared hard enough she was certain she could see the the shadows, the ghosts of themselves as cubs as they cuddled together. Memories... Sweet memories... She could almost feel the happiness making tears in her eyes. "Are you still cold?" The lioness blinked and looked up at the bear. The happy phantoms washed away. Makyna grinned and gave an amused chuckle before she playfully bumped Leon's shoulder with her own. Her clear blue eyes shone up to the bear with all of her joy and the love she felt for him. "Not when I have my warm bear with me." The lioness stood up on her rear legs so that she could nibble at his ear before dropping back down.

She dropped back down to her four feet and rubbed her head along his shoulder before her attention turned back to the tunnel. "I'm so glad you brought me here..."
The lioness walked forward and very gentle began to nose at a piece of aquamarine that was half buried under the snow. This certainly had to be from when she'd hatched. Easily she grabbed it in her maw and turned back to Leon with a smile. "Still remember it like it was yesterday... What about you?" A silly question certainly for the lioness knew that he remembered but she hoped he would humor her in bringing up those lovely memories.

The question lingered in the air for only a second before Makyna leaned in and bumped her shoulder against his. Leon gave way to the force of her bump, leaning away for a second before rebounding and coming back at her, returning the bump - just as gentle, just as playful as hers, an expression of delight painted upon his jaw. He snickered and scrunched his neck up as she reared up and nibbled on his ear, and he flicked it out of instinct, though the short and stubby ear didn't move much. Leon's head shifted slightly and he clicked his teeth at her, as if threatening to 'nibble' her back - in a more bitey kind of way. Nothing came of it as instead the lioness rubbed her head along his shoulder, and he beamed, warmth burning in his chest.

He didn't move when she walked forward, merely standing back and watching her interact with the piece of aquamarine in the snow. It must have been laying there for a long time - nearly four months now, if he remembered correctly. His life was growing ever longer, and the moment that they had met was growing further and further away, but the memory still felt very real and very alive. He shifted slightly, watching her pick it up in her teeth; the bear didn't hesitate when she turned around and recalled the day they had met. "How could I forget?" He hummed and leaned forward, making a grab for the shard she held in her mouth. Despite the massive and bumbling nature of the bear, he had stolen it from her grip with startling ease - though maybe she was the one that made it easy in the first place.

With the shard in his mouth, his lips drew back in a goofy grin, exposing the piece of blue crystal clutched between his teeth. While a low laughter rumbled up from the pits of his chest, Leon again moved forward, closing his paws over either side of Makyna's head and gently pulled her towards him. He craned his neck over her skull and gently placed the shard atop her forehead, just above the gem that truly was embedded in her skin. Then he withdrew; with one paw still cradling her cheek, he took his other paw and lifted her chin slightly so that she could balance the shard easier. "Close your eyes, and don't open them 'til I move that shard." The bear shot her a cheeky grin, waiting for confirmation before anything else.

"Makyna Speech"


Ah, how great it was to be around the bear. To exchange the playful actions with the one you loved, even just to be around them, was wonderful. Makyna could imagine nothing else she would love to do more than be with her beloved in their place of origin.

The lioness smiled around the shard, a toothy grin that exposed the shard even more. Her head leaned upwards slightly as Leon came in towards her. At his closeness his scent wafted up her nose, a smoky bear-ish scent with just the mix of maleness that she loved. Her tail curled upwards joyfully as he came even closer and made a grab for the blue gem in her fangs. Makyna loosened her hold, allowing him to take it easily. There were other things she'd rather have anyhow, like his heart or at the moment his nose which she touched with her own gently as he pulled away.

Her eyes raised to his face as he gave a rather comical grin. The lioness couldn't help herself as she let out a laugh at his antics. Ah, Leon, as brave and kind as he was he had room in his heart to be a silly cub. It warmed her insides to see him behave in such a way. Makyna returned his grin with one of her own and though she now lacked the shard she managed to make it comical herself. It became less silly and more loving when the bear cupped her head in between his gentle paws. The golden cat leaned in to him eagerly, wanting to melt into his soft fur and warm embrace for all of eternity but all too soon he was pulling away.

She nearly followed until she felt that cool weight on her forehead. She tried to look upwards to see it but it was just out of her range of vision, right above her gem if she was any judge. First she gave a smirk and her mouth opened as she began to ask the question of why it was there but Leon's words came first as he tilted her head upwards. It seemed as if he wanted to play some sort of game. Well, far be it for her to ruin his fun. Besides she was eager to see just what he would do. Makyna's large paws began to knead the ground with anticipation while she closed her eyes and said, "Alright, they're closed." Laughter was in her voice as she waited to see what he would do.

The bear was able to just briefly catch her gaze before she had closed her eyes, though he cherished the warm blue that simmered just beyond her eyelids, his smile lingering wistfully upon his lips. He had something even better in store. With her eyes now closed, the bear shifted slightly, gently grabbing her shoulders and orienting her - slightly, slowly - so that she faced the wall. A sheet of thin ice and snow rippled across the rocks; their reflections were faint against the grey-brown of the stone beneath, but as long as he could make out the details of the image and distinguish between himself and Makyna, it was all he needed. With that, he double checked to ensure the shard was still on her head, craning his neck and carefully prodding at it with his claws to keep it from tumbling down. Eventually, he decided that fidgeting just wouldn't be very helpful, so he withdrew from it and turned away from her. "Don't you look!" He called over his shoulder.

Somewhere in a nearby pile of snow hid his treasure. The bear snuffled around, making sure that there weren't any footprints in the snow that would suggest somebody had gone rifling through his hiding spot. The pile of snow remained crisp and untouched, just as he'd left it when he visited the tunnel earlier. With anticipation, he shifted and glanced over his shoulder, making sure that Makyna wasn't looking. He didn't expect her to sneak a peek, but he just had to make sure. Just in case. Satisfied, Leon pawed at the pile of snow. Clumps of sparkling white fell away to reveal the crown that Arkrael had helped him make. Several large, blue flowers remained preserved in the translucent blue crystal that she'd forged, curled ivy details embossed into its surface. The bear was nearly doubling over with excitement and nervousness.

Leon lowered his jaw and grabbed the crown, taking it gently between his teeth. As he lifted it, the rest of the snow fell away from it, leaving a circular imprint in the pile beneath. The bear made his way back to Makyna, but as he did so he could feel his heart growing ever more restless; he didn't know what made him so anxious, or that he even should be feeling that way, but he was. It was the kind of trepidation that, even though you were absolutely certain that nothing could go wrong, there was always still... that slightly possibility... He swallowed it down, crouching on his hind legs beside Makyna while he took the crown with his front paws. Ever so delicately, he lifted it and placed it upon her head.

There was no doubt she'd feel the sudden weight. The bear hesitated; his stomach turned and his heart was aflutter with apprehension, but it was too late to go back now. Not that he'd want to. This was it - everything he'd strove for would culminate to this moment. "Makyna," He breathed. "I can't even begin to describe everything that you are to me. When I'm without you, I'm afraid that I'm incomplete. I'm afraid that I'm angry, and sad, and that I'll become trapped in all that because I can't... I can't find my way out of it. Without you, I'm lost."

"But... with you... I hear your voice. I hear you and feel you, and everything becomes clear again, you lead me away from everything that scares me and I'm not afraid anymore. The parts of me that were missing, I find them in you. You help me to know who I am. You... you're the... the calm when everything else is in chaos. You're the silence when everything else becomes too loud. Yours is the voice I cling to in memories and dreams when nothing else makes sense. And even if you had never chosen to stand by my side, nothing would have changed. It's just... you. You're everything that I know... you're home."

His voice threatened to crack, betraying the powerful underlying emotion that drove his heartfelt confession; it pierced him and left his heart without want any longer, because everything that he'd felt for her, everything, was out for her to know. The way that she kept him from the darkness that had threatened to consume him while he was gone. The way that, without her, he would be a wreck - he wouldn't be half the man he was now, and that even if she had remained with Cancer, he'd love her all the same, and she would mean just as much to him. He'd sacrifice everything for her because there was no one else that could ever do what she did. Leon's lips trembled, and in the wake of his overwhelming feelings he struggled to smile, breaking into a wobbly half-laugh. He paused to compose himself, settling his softened gaze upon the reflection of the lioness in the ice.

Then, he plucked the shard from the flat of her head.

"Makyna... will you stand by me, forever? For the rest of our lives?"

"Makyna Speech"


Makyna bore Leon's secret excitement with a patience borne of her intense love for the bear. She could feel within him a happiness, some euphoria that she couldn't place. What had him so up in the clouds? What on earth could it be? Her tail began to twitch with the nerves while her stomach began to twist into knots as he turned her in a different direction. The temptation to break the promise and lift her lids was there but she resisted it. Instead she let that nervous energy escape by kneading her claws on the ground. Snow could be heard crunching beneath the pads of her feet. "I won't, I won't!" She said with a laugh.

However, he couldn't keep her from listening.

One ear tilted back towards the bear as she heard him digging around for something. The lioness couldn't tell what though and as she heard him coming back she was none the wiser. However, those tangle of emotions had increased and it had her practically dancing on her paws with anticipation. It was when she felt the weight of something new on her head that her resolve nearly broke but she held herself. Marveling at the weight of something cool and slightly heavy between her ears she wondered what exactly it was.

Her questions and more were answered when Leon spoke.

Her name from his mouth sent a thrill of joy up her spine, spiking the fur in a pleasant display. His words sent her heart aflutter and sent her pulse skyrocketing. Those words... They were so perfect, so wonderful, they made her feel so joyful. She felt like... no... she was the luckiest gem in the cave. To have someone love her this much she felt like she didn't even deserve it. How could she have been so blessed to have this perfect being love her so much?

Tears began to flow from the corners of her eyes and she raised a paw to brush them away. She had to keep it together. She didn't even have her eyes open yet... Just keep it together a little longer...

The shard lifted and her eyes opened.

The breath caught in her throat at the item on her head. It was beautiful. She had no idea how Leon had gotten the flowers into crystallized shapes like he had nor how he'd carved the intricate patterns into them. How had he? It was so beautiful! The tears began again and this time she couldn't stop them. She sobbed, her head lowering for a moment as she tried to regain her composure. But she could not... Everything... It was just so perfect.

"Leon..." It was pointless. She couldn't get herself under control. Her eyes lifted to Leon's and though she was crying there was a smile on her face and absolute bliss in her aquamarine gaze. "Y...yes..." Another sob wracked her body and she ran a paw across her eyes to try and stem the flow. After failing she gave up and stumbled over to Leon, falling into his embrace as she sobbed against his chest. "Yes! For long as there is breath within my body I will be yours and even after. I love you! I love you so much... I always will!" She spoke between sobs but the point was clear. She had agreed and would forever stand with him until th end of their days.

He didn't even have to hold his breath. The bear should have known the answer - he felt he knew it all along, and yet as he watched realization and emotion develop upon the lioness' face, he found himself hoping in that split second that it was out of happiness. He saw the tears bead up in her eyes and felt a twinge of guilt, but they weren't tears of sadness, were they? No, he could feel her happiness. It was a gentle warmth slowly simmering inside of his chest, his heart, radiating out to everything that he was. A feeling that they shared, that they had nurtured together, and he had come to know hers and his own. He watched her in the reflection as she began to cry and bowed her head, then raised it and opened her eyes - she saw the crown, and he watched her take it all in before her shoulders shook with more and more sobs.

Leon was torn between crying and trying to make her feel better, and laughing, because really, he didn't understand her response at all. The crying, maybe, could have been because she was overwhelmed - Leon didn't know, and he feared knowing. His paws trembled as they hovered just a few centimeters off of her shoulders, orange eyes curious and worried and shocked all the same, until a word shook from her lips. Leon tuned in, entirely absorbed in the lioness; his name wore on her tongue and he felt a shudder down his spine and his stomach turn with nervousness. Then she gave her answer. Broken, but an answer none the less. Yes.

Suddenly the lioness had turned to him and collapsed against his chest. Leon couldn't help but sputter out a hysterical laugh, wrapping his thick arms around her in a tight, delighted embrace. As she crashed into him, he held her; one arm remained tight around the lioness while the other hovered just above her skull, securing the crown in case it wobbled or slid while she sobbed in his chest. "I love you too, Makyna." He managed, feeling moisture collect on the brims of his eyes as well, but he blinked it away. "You and only you."