As strong as the seas are stormy.</style>
Life had turned itself on its head in mere days.
The earth demigod had been slaughtered, Gaucho's status as the killer revealed, the world shaken to its roots with the awakening they had all simultaneously experienced. Her Goddess had crafted the best heist in history, and yet she had been caught, shackled and chained to the earth like a whelp. Like a mortal. Hotaru respected her deviousness, her intelligence, and yet she was sorely disappointed that in the end she had not only been caught but had partially been the cause for her own reveal. Hotaru strictly believed that the aces up her sleeves would only be revealed when she so chose. It was disappointing to see her Queen fall so far, to lose so much faith in her. Part of Hotaru was fascinated by the darkness that sang in tandem inside her own body, out towards the immortal Lady. The sole femme of the Gods. Another part of her was disgusted by the unnecessary death. And a private, torn part of her grieved that her parents had been struck down by not only captor, but her Lady in the guise of her once guard.
Still, the she-wolf was not easily daunted. Life moved on, time whirled forward, and Hotaru would not ruminate on the loss for too long. There were things she had to do. Simple things, of course. Crumbling empires, chaining stallions like dogs on leashes, promoting herself to the Queenly status she deserved. Daily efforts.
One such daily effort was caring for her egg.
The panda had been a bit of a pain in the ass, and she had been shocked when it was she whom he'd chosen to be the carer and lifelong companion of the soul inside. She didn't even know what it was much less how to care for it. Nevertheless she toted it around, trying to keep it warm, and falling steadily in love with it as time went by. It was like being pregnant again, but with the realization that she would be irrevocably tied with the little being when it hatched, the rituals had taken on a far different importance.
It was tucked close in her little woven bag that was going to be immediately discarded the moment it hatched, and Hotaru was just breezing past the copse of trees between the prison and the crafting caverns when she felt it give a mighty jolt against her side. Stifling a gasp she swung her ornate tiara round to gaze down upon it with big eyes, freezing in place and waiting for further demonstrations. Sure enough, it wobbled and groaned until she dropped quickly to her knees and took off the strap round her neck, opening up the bag with the tip of her horn and watching the egg with shameless awe and excitement. The time had finally come.
It seemed to take forever, but after suffering through childbirth, nothing could really make her feel impatient. Pushing a child through one's loins for hours was not a pleasant experience, after all, and it made Hotaru cherish time far more than she used to. But patience was rewarded, and soon little cracks were appearing, pointed teeth tearing frustratedly out of what was containing the little spitfire. Hotaru grinned to see it, already knowing they were going to fit absolutely perfectly if that was how the little thing was going to act.
And finally, out popped a little ball of slick fur and closed eyes. Hotaru cooed and shuffled forward, moving away little shell bits and briskly rubbing her muzzle over the tiny...thing. It took a few minutes of rubbing off the fluid from inside the egg to realize that the creature was a pup, blind and helpless but rather big nonetheless. Inside her mind, something slowly built like a tidal wave, until it washed over her all at once. It nearly made her lightheaded, the forging of the bond, and experiencing all the sensations her companion was in a sudden rush would likely give her a lingering headache. But it was like snapping a puzzle piece into place, and Hotaru couldn't help but suck in a helpless breath, smiling like nothing could possibly be wrong with the world.
"Hello, Alice," she murmured softly. Alice mewled and snuffled right back at the sound of her voice. Yeah, they were going to be just fine.
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Open to all!
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