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The sun was high in the sky, past the halfway mark and will soon be on its path down. Kusuma'Nima was resting on the top of a dune, staring out into the vast golden sea. While bare and seemingly bare of life, it was her home. The corners of her maw couldn't help but to curl up slightly at the thought of all the strong, tough lions that lived here.

Her tail flicked slightly. She had been out today gathering new stories, but today wasn't as successful as others. She knew, there were good days and bad days, and it was best to take them in stride as she wouldn't let this failure stop her from her passion.

At the very least, her visions haven't plagued too much lately.

He wasn't as large as the largest males here, and standing next to them made Fen'wei feel young, too young. Almost coming into age of an adult he was a decent size, no doubt would be like his father. But he wanted more then that. Fen'wei wanted to have strength, but he also wanted a reason for it, to have a reason to want to be strong, a reason to want to protect. The only thing he was missing...was what could connect him to his ideals, something to ground him. Fen'wei was pale in color, his pale stripes were barely visible in the scorching light of the sun, but his golden eyes were like that of a true warrior.

His heart was filled with pride of his family, as strange as it was, and all he wanted was to be happy, make his parents proud, and become more than them, to become more than what his parents might suspect or wish for. Fen'wei would not put restrictions on himself, but he did not want to continue under false pretenses. He did not want all of this, he wanted what meant most to him. The thought and sound of the word love confused him, and he didn't know what to expect of it. Lions and lionesses had their own versions of love, he believed his parents loved one another, but were not together always. More than that, Fen'wei wanted more than that, he thought to himself as he walked the dunes alone, humming a song he heard in a dream.

Before she had any time to get lost in through, Nima's ears flicked at the faint, fleeting sound of a song. This, she concluded, meant someone was heading near where she was. Was it someone she knew? Or perhaps, it was someone new!

Her red eyes scanned the sandy desert for the source of the sound. It took a little while, but as the lone figure was off in the distance, his bright pelt gave him away, just like hers would.

Once the figure got closer, she saw that it was a male, and an adolescence at that. As to not startle the male and make her presence known, she called out to him. Company was always welcomed, "Hello!"

His ears flicked as her heard a voice, and for a moment he believed he might be dreaming. Looking up he saw another pale pelt, just as his, and tilted his head somewhat as if in question. Fen'wei knew there were other lions and lionesses that had whiter pelts as his and his father's, but he kept to himself usually, reserved, isolated, trying to find his way among his thoughts and inner songs. A smile spread across his face as he turned to head towards her, her eyes captured him first, drawing him in. For a moment, he really thought himself in a dream, and her voice might be the beginning of a new song.

As he came closer, he noticed her markings, so bright and strange, but enticing. He often asked his mother about her history, about her parents and how they looked, but she never spoke of them. For all he knew, they were rogues lost to the wind. If they were firekin though, he would have known them, and they would still be here today. "Afternoon," he called as he came closer. He was not awkward around females and others as he saw some young males tended to be. He was shy, and often was alone, but it did not hinder his voice (especially when alone in the night to sing). "I am Fen'wei," he bowed his head to her, proper respect, his mother's voice said in his head. "Whose presence do I grace?" he asked with a smile, though a blush was hidden under his fur. He couldn't help but be intrigued by her pelt markings.

As the male came closer and introduced him, Nima dipped her head in return. Such a good Firekin, he sure did know good etiquette, unlike some of her cubs who she still had lots of teaching to do. She brushed the thought away, there were other times for that, as she introduced herself.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Fen'wei. I am Kusuma'Nima, but feel free to call me Nima. My name can be a mouthful for others."

Her head tilted slightly as she kept her gaze on him, "What song were you singing?" Curious, that was her nature, she loved to learn new things and gain as much knowledge as she could.

"Pleasure is mine, Nima," he smiled and kept his grin hidden, he almost went off on one of his tangents. Sometimes Fen'wei liked to play the incredibly formal aprt, addressing others in titles, but yes, that was from a dream as well. HIs dreams, sometimes, he believed were meant to mean greater things, but all he could truly remember were the tunes and voices of those that sang for him, and those he sang for in memory of them. "The meody was from a dream I had," he started, stopped, adn tried to think of how to continue. He swayed his right paw in the sand, thinking, how to explain?

"My dreams, though it will sound strange, sometimes seem so real, and I remember songs and tunes I hear. I meet others, that don't exist here in the firekin, and, though it might sound strange or stupid, it is like I can have a piece of the faraway culture to keep, though I don't think I could ever leave my home to find them." Would that be understandable? Did he waver too much in explanation? "I'm, what you might call, a slate in sun. One half is lit and known by all that can see, but another is in shadow, I don't think some of the other males would take kindly to my voice..." his ears fell back a bit. Yes, they would most likely bully him. It was why he stayed out of their way usually.

Her eyes widen slightly in surprise as Nima couldn't help but be intrigued by this male. Now, this was something very new and interesting to her!

"Oh no, it's not strange or silly at all, Fen'wei!" She nodded her head, "This is most very intriguing. I have dreams much like your own, although they show me things that have happened in the past and rarely, what shall happen in the future. Dreams can be a nice way to connect to something far more bigger than you and I."

Her tail flicked slightly against the soft, but hot sands. To think, that she'd run into someone other than her friend who had dreams that shaped who they are...this was a rare treat! "You shouldn't be ashamed of what others think or say. The only opinion of your that matters is your own. You should be proud of your voice and cherish it."

"I do cherish it. But, its difficult. I want to be a warrior, but not one that merely wishes for brute strength to be dominant over others. I want the strength to protect, and have my strength and my will mean something, and I don't think other training males would see my voice and songs as a gift, but a hindrance," he sighed and sat near her, glancing to her eyes every so often. Sometimes he had wished he was cast in red like his mother, perhaps then, all others would be wary of him. But, it seemed, that his pale pelt gave others the impression that he was one that could be blundered about, and he appreciated none of it. "Your dreams, are dreams I wish I could have. To know what has happened or may come? What a gift, my voice seems to fail in comparison to such greatness," he smiled and watched her, her small movements. Graceful, but not without purpose. He wished to live that kind of life.

Ah, Nima could see the dilemma he was in. When one thought of warriors, the strong, tough and rough lion is what came to mind to most. "Don't worry, it's just that they don't understand. Not all power comes from brute strength, although most see it that way. Strength lies in everything that we do, it's just how we go about polishing ourselves. I, for one, could never be a warrior. I am terrible at combat, besides the fact that I don't like unnecessary bloodshed. My strength is not in paws but with my head."

She gave him a soft smile, "It can be a blessing, but it can be a curse. Especially when I see things in the past that my ancestors have done, that I wish to never see but cannot erase it from my mind. It is nice to know what is to come, but that is not always the outcome, every decision you make can take you on a different route. And if you always live your life by what you think is to come, is that really a life?"