The lioness did the check again. Flower was there, leaf was there, and stone was still in her mouth and (miraculously) not choking her yet. Good. Time to go. The lioness continued on prepared to leave but noticed the squelching sounds as she walked and the muddy pawprints leading towards the tunnel. Oops... She should probably clean herself up a bit before she left. So, the lioness dropped the gem carefully on the ground next to her, untangled the leaf from her tail tuft and began licking herself. She started grooming the hard to reach spot on her back. After she did that she worked her way down then around to the front of her belly. The mud tasted gross but it was a necessary evil. After she got back to Pisces she would be washing her mouth out for weeks! Ugh!

After her main body was clean she did all four of her paws. Satisfied at her work she picked up the leaf and tangled back in her tail tuft for travel then she grabbed up the gem in her mouth carefully. Now she was ready to go! She took one last look back at Cetus as if in farewell then she exited the cave. She'd come back soon. After all, this was her favorite place to travel to go be on her own and think and practice.

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