Comet was going to offer that Sun could go live with her and James in Orion, but didn't. There had been a reason when Aristotle and James broke up that the gibbon had chosen to stay with the lion. Plus, these chrysalises needed a protector. She was glad to see that the stick they had found together hadn't broken, and seemed as sturdy as ever.

She felt Sun's hand on her shoulder, then he went straight back to tugging at the pelt. There was a bit of progress, but she needed to help him if they were going to move the heavy body of Aristotle to the back of the house. Taking a deep breath, Comet got back onto her feet and helped Sun. Several times she fell backwards, but she got back up again every time, and continued.

Eventually, with their combined strength, Aristotle was pulled all the way to the designated spot where he would be buried. It was peaceful here, and she knew that this was the best place to lay him to rest. "Time to dig now." This would have to be a big hole, but luckily her legs were suited for this kind of thing.

@Sun-wukong

Sun gave Comet a gentle smile as he laid his hand on her shoulder. He knew she would be okay, she still had James. She was upset now and very emotional, so of course she would be more easily frustrated and less than okay at moving the heavy body of her former father. He gently stroked her shoulder a few times to reassure her. Then he turned and began pulling on the hide slowly moving Aristotle across the ground and out of the house. Sun’s footing slipped on the grass a few times but with COmet helping though she as well fell backwards several times, they finally made it all the way to the back of the house. It had been a very tiring thing to pull the heavy lion.

The spot was peaceful and shady, and if you looked up at the top level of the treehouse, you could see the top window where the chrysalis’s rested now. Here he could watch over the children even now that he was gone. The gibbon sniffled sadly but held back the torrent of tears that stung his eyes threatening to overflow. As they stood for a moment Comet commented that it was time for the even harder part. They now had to dig a hole.

Sun looked at his hands knowing they wouldn’t do anything for digging at any rate, he hobbled his way back around to the front of the house and inside retrieved a bowl he had been given. He walked back outside and back to Comet with the bowl. Looking at Comet he gave a small nod and began to dig the hole by scooping at the ground. Slowly a small hole began to appear. The gibbon gave a sad sniffle again as he helped Comet dig the hole. It was slow going and by the time the pair had finished digging the hole the lights above had begun to dim signaling that it was getting late in the day. The gibbon judged his days by when the orbs were brightest and dimmest. By the time they were finished, Sun’s golden fur and black hands and face were caked with dirt. He looked to be more dirt than Gibbon at this point but he didn’t care.

Sun moved to stand in front of Aristotle’s side and belly. Setting himself the young gibbon pushed as hard as he could in an attempt to roll Aristotle over the edge of the hole. It would seem that the gibbon was much more exhausted than he thought he was, as he pushed and just ended up slumping against Aristotle’s belly. He sighed and stood up and looked at Comet. ”I think it’s going to take both of us to get him in.” He spoke softly his heart barely in the words. The two had barely spoken to each other through the whole ordeal. But what was there to say? The best they could do right now was just silently be there for each other's comfort.


@Comet

Comet waited for Sun to go back into the house to get his bowl before she started digging at the same time with him. Her paws worked against the dirt, it was quite loose, since this was the dirt of the forest floor. Each pawful of dirt lifted was another weight on her heart. Another step closer to the inevitable: pushing Aristotle into the hole, and burying him forever.

The hole was finished much too soon, but judging from the dimness of the lights, it had taken them a while. Still dazed by the whole thing, she was snapped out of it when Sun asked for her help to push him into the hole. Her legs strained against the ground as she threw her shoulder against his body, and pushed with all her might. But just like the gibbon, she failed.

Both of them were too exhausted form their digging to even put the hole to use. Comet laid on the ground, and took a few deep breaths. Physically and mentally exhausted, she leaned against Sun. His warmth reminded him of the old days, but she still missed Aristotle's warm mane, and the pelts that they hunted together which they would fall asleep on. She wanted those days back. "Try-- try again?" They had to bury Aristotle. It was the least they could do.

@Sun-wukong

Sun focused quietly on digging the hole. Each scoop with the bowl was another inch deeper. Each scoop was closer to putting Aristotle to rest for the final time. This was it, they were putting the final seal on his death. There was no going back anymore, Aristotle would never again grace them with his kind warm smile. There would be no more falling asleep together on lazy days, or exploring together when they had the time. No more sharing fruit that they had foraged together. Thinking about these things caused Sun to sniffle.

Finally with the hole finished and finally deep enough for them to sufficiently hold and cover him with the dirt. Sun sniffled, wiping his face with a dirty hand it smeared dirt across his cheek. Sun pushed with all he had trying to push Aristotle into the hole, though as hard as he tried even with Comet’s help they still couldn’t push him in.

Sun sighed exasperated at the fact that they couldn’t even use the hole they had dug. It was so hard doing this. Emotionally and physically exhausted the gibbon just didn’t have in him to push the heavy lion into the hole. For a moment the gibbon slid down to the ground and sat there for a moment leaning against Comet, his arm draped over the back of her neck.. He took a few deep breaths and gently ran a hand over Aristotle’s pelt. ”I’m so sorry daddy.” Sun apologized to the lion sighing. The gibbon blinked hard pushing the want to cry away and out of his mind. As Comet spoke he sniffled again and nodded as he stood up.

The gibbon set himself with his hand and forearms against the lion. The gibbon pushed with all his weight and strength. His feet slid on the grass as he attempted to push. Slowly the lion’s body began to move, it began to roll. With as much effort as he could the gibbon slid to let his shoulder rest against the lion’s body as he pushed.

@Comet

Comet let out a final sniffle and got back up. Their small break was of great help to their weary bodies, and Sun continued the struggle of pushing Aristotle into the hole. His body budged, and her energy renewed, the wolf once again threw her shoulder against the lion. The body shifted, and with their combined efforts, Aristotle dropped with a thump into the hole. The sound gave the entire situation a sort of finality to it, now that he was laid in the hole, he would not be coming back out again. Ever.

The rest had been easy, oh so easy, but now came a harder part. Burying him. Comet took a long look at his face, taking in every line, hair, and wrinkle. This was Aristotle, and he was dead. The large mound of dirt had to be placed back into the hole, covering the lion forever. Her paw hesitated, not able to face the prospect of covering up her father with the dirt. "I-- I don't think I can."

@Sun-wukong

Sun patted Comet’s shoulder one last time before he stood up with her. The bit of rest having done wonders for his body. He sighed heavily pushing as hard as he could to move Aristotle’s body. He hadn’t been ready for this, he didn’t think he would ever be ready for this. He glanced at Comet as she began to help push his body into the hole. With both of their efforts his body finally moved and fell into the hole. Sun looked down, sniffling sadly his black face stained with tears as he wiped his nose with his arm. The sound he had made when he fell in the hole had caused Sun’s fur to stand up in a strange way. He didn’t like it, it was the same sound he had made when he had fallen from the upper platform.

Sun stood looking down into the hole at Aristotle’s body. Now the next part was the hardest part of all. All of it had been fairly easy compared to what they had to do next. The final step to laying Aristotle to rest. His gaze fell on the large pile of dirt that would be replaced in the hole on top of Aristotle, and then back to Aristotle himself in the hole.

Then Sun heard Comet speak next to him. ”It’s alright sister if you can’t keep going, I’m sure I can finish on my own” Sun offered gently for his sister to take a break while he finished burying their father. ”You can either rest here or inside the treehouse, there are plenty of pelts on the second platform to rest on.” Sun offered warmly. Sun wiped a hand on his leg cleaning it of dirt and reached out to Comet gently caressing her cheek. He was sure he could finish on his own as long as he had Comet here for support. Moving away from Comet he picked his bowl backup and began taking scoops of the mound and placing it back into the hole. One of them had to be strong, even if he was entirely broken on the inside.
@Comet

The thump of Aristotle had caused Comet's fur to bristle up a bit, and she noticed so did Sun's. This all just seemed so wrong.

She smiled at Sun's offer, she wanted to, she really did, but there was something about this moment that told her she should stay. Burying their father was not a burden that she wanted her brother to take on alone, he was their father after all. They would have to do it together.

Sun scooped the bowl into the mound of dirt, and poured it into the hole. She didn't want to look, but she did, and the sight of Aristotle being covered in dirt made her choke. No, she wouldn't leave it to her brother to do it himself, she would have to help. She had to be strong. Why was this so hard? So much harder than fighting, than anything else she had ever done.

Inhaling the remnants of Aristotle's scent into her nose, she stilled herself, drying away her tears, hiding away the remnants of emotion that showed on her face. Strong. Nodding at Sun, she used her paws to move the dirt into the hole. Working unflinchingly even as she heard the dirt hit the body with a thump. She had to be strong for Sun. "We can do this." There was no smile on her face, there was nothing. A perfect reflection of the emptiness that was in her heart. She continued to bury her father.

@Sun-wukong

Sun smiled softly at Comet, he knew she was tired. Not just physically but emotionally. She didn’t have much left and he could see that. To be honest neither did he, but he would keep going no matter what. He had to lay Aristotle to rest. He had to say his final farewell to the lion that had been his father. This was something he didn’t think he would have to do for a very long time if ever. He wanted Comet to rest, if she didn’t think she could continue helping then she didn’t have to. He could handle the rest, putting the dirt back in the hole wouldn’t be as hard as it had been taking it out. Of course it would go slower with just him but he was alright with that.

The first scoop of dirt had been easy, he turned around taking another scoop, he dumped it in the hole. He felt a lump form in his throat, and he swallowed. The sight of the dirt falling on Aristotle was almost breaking to the poor gibbon. However he never stopped, biting his lower lip he kept going. Bowl after bowl, the gibbon kept going. He glanced a few times at Comet who seemed to be having an inner turmoil with herself. He wasn’t sure what he could do to help that.

Then Comet came to terms with whatever she had been fighting with and took a place beside him where she began scooping the dirt behind her with her paws. The two were working together again, not for the first time that day. But it took far less time to fill the hole back in than it had to dig the hole in the first place. Finally as the two finished leaving trace amounts of loose dirt in grass beside the now small mound covering Aristotle.

By now the light had faded to a dimness that signalled it was indeed night time. Sun walked over to Comet placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. ”Let’s go inside, the second floor has plenty of pelts for us to rest on.” The gibbon paused for a moment. ”If we do more than just sit in each other's comfort for the night, we need to at least try and rest.” The gibbon urged his sister gently. He nudged her forward with a hand and began to head into the treehouse for the night. ”Goodbye Daddy.” The gibbon choked as he said his final farewell his eyes stinging with tears as he led the way inside.

@Comet

Every pawful of dirt that was filled into hole was another chunk taken out of her heart, another weight of sadness added onto her soul. And, perhaps, a small part of her died. All too soon, and all too late, the deed had been done. Where there had once been a hole was a mound of dirt. Aristotle's grave. She nodded blankly at Sun's words, "I'll-- stay back for just a bit."

Comet listened to the gibbon go back towards the house, continuing to stare at the grave. Her mouth curved into a sad smile, "A present." The very first time she had met Aristotle, he had given her a lily. A lily, a symbol of rebirth. The lion would never be truly gone, he would live on, in the four chrysalises that he had given his life to make.

Looking down at the tears that had collected on the ground, she reached out her magic, freezing the water into ice in the shape of a lily. Comet laid it on his grave. "A present." she smiled, all the memories of things they had done together rushing through her head. And now this was the end. Raising her nose to the sky, she let out a long mournful howl, singing out these memories through her song of grief, telling stories of things that would never happen again. She drooped her head, her song coming to an end. The forest was silent, as if it too, knew to keep silent during these moments. For it had lost someone too.

A single tear ran down her cheek, and she looked at the lily made of ice. For they not only represented rebirth, they were also a symbol of eternal love. "I love you Daddy." Comet stood up, and walked back into the house, joining Sun inside.

@Sun-wukong

As Sun tried to urge Comet to come inside and rest, she insisted on staying by the graveside. For a moment he contemplated going inside by himself, but all too quickly he decided he didn’t want to be alone. Besides leaving Comet alone at this point would just be cruel. So rather than go inside Sun moved and sat his bowl near the wall of the treehouse, and moved back to sit beside Comet, his eyes on the grave. ”I think I’ll stay with you. Neither of us should be alone right now.” Sun spoke in a soft heartbroken voice. It was low and barely had any energy to it at all.

But rather than stay too close to his sister, he gave her some space and went to sit against the wall of the house. The gibbon sat quietly with his head turned up towards where the light orbs hung. He wondered where Aristotle was now, if he was finally happy again. He hoped that Aristotle felt no more pain, physical or emotional. He hoped that his father was at rest and no longer suffered from anything. The gibbon sniffed hard, closing his eyes as he leaned back against the wall. He sat simply listening to Comet now.

Sun sat listening to her mournful cries. He wished he could sing such a beautiful mournful tune as she did. Her voice gave justice to Aristotle’s final moments. He listened as she cried her heart out to the ceiling above. Sun lowered his head, his gaze falling once more on Comet as she quieted. As he watched her get ready to walk into the house he slipped in just ahead of her and sat down on one of the many pelts laid out over the ground on the main floor. ”That was beautiful sister. Your voice was a beautiful send off for daddy.” Sun admitted gently as he scooted over and patted the spot on the pelts beside him. His back rest against the wall behind him he smiled halfheartedly at Comet. ”I’m sure he heard your song as he crossed onto the next life.” Sun assured his sister that her song had reached him even though he was gone.

@Comet