Hello, my dear child.

Arms of moss green are wrapped around me

Adorned with yellow freckles bright

Too bright to be compared to salii

But They contain the fullness of their presence 

Yet to my eyes 

It is like the stars as I’m enveloped

A twinkling in silent invitation 

And I accept with thought

The heat of Them warm me to my spirit

I nestle in the bosom 

Entranced by its pulsating ripples coming from the center

The color of lava and flames

With softness of clover

And scent akin to ylang ylang tickling my nose 

The red thread becomes visible 

But I see more than just our connection 

One curves around my waist 

Trailing behind me 

I follow the slack line over my shoulder 

A tela watching me with a smirk

Eyes of cyan with pitch black slitted pupils 

Face sharp and narrow as flint

But eyes wide as mine 

And seeming pulled back by ears that stretch to the path behind 

Their skin was deep like Zubair’s

And freckled like me

Except it the glowed like Dw’Sanee

‘You as well.’

My puzzlement ends as I find my marks lit like I possessed a hidden star 

Wha-

‘Come. Your family awaits.’

They stretch a hand out me 

And I hesitate for a moment 

Go. I will never be far.

With Their blessing

I climb down Their 

thick legs that send me down like whitewaters

Powerful

Undoubtedly able to crush me 

But I safely descend

The tela nears slowly 

Neck bared to reassure but always facing me 

‘Come sister. It’s almost time.’

As they grab my hand

We glow brighter

Lightning sparking just underneath the skin of our palms

‘That is how you’ll know you’ve met another child of Dw’Sanee.’

They lead me confidently in the darkening forest. The second moon is setting and joining the first, and the Blooming Hour on the cusp of beginning. The rustle of moon creatures hiding for the night, while the bigger predators and Blossom-beings rouse themselves. As the moon disappears, I notice that they’re leading me to a cliff’s edge. 

Yet I don’t call out

Or stop

And yell of my fear 

Because it is absent 

With every step my body hums 

Bouncing in anticipation 

Seeking the source of its excitement 

We

Freefall 

My eyes closed as I surrender

To the sensation of weightlessness 

My arms extend 

Hair whipping around me 

I brace for impact that never comes

At least

Not how I imagined it

My eyes snap open as I bounce into

feather soft petals

Wrapping around my body 

Tilting downward 

The leaf let’s me slide off and into a field of…

People who look just like me 

Frolicking through a field incandescent flowers of all kinds

Their games of chase stir up the pollen

A cloud of it rising to the air in their wake 

Stumbling forward 

I catch the tela…

My sibling sporting a full smile now

They once again grab me 

And I’m pulled forward by hope and awe

In the center of the field are buds the height of two to three people 

The others begin to notice me the closer we come 

Reaching out to touch me in some way

A buzz humming in the air as the distance shortened

‘Bira.’

‘Bira-me.’

One points at the person beside us, themself, then me, grinning as they say: ‘Ja boro, ji biro, ju bira.’

Pointing to myself I repeat what they called me: J-ji bira?

‘Aye! Ju bira!’

With silver lined eyes, the eldest gently holds my face. The sparks tickles against my skin and I feel my heart flutter.

‘Bira, ji hani ju oponi esi khedia.’

Khedia? Family?

My Old Tongue is rusty, but I do know this much:

Ol jan…es Khedia?

‘Aye!’

‘O may khedia!’

‘Oye Sadar! 

May ol Khedia? Jani Khedia!

They rush and sweep me into their arms

It feels like a beautiful eternity 

Swaying in their arms

Tears flowing refreshingly

Cooling our hot skin as we warm and light up from the proximity 

Remember this feeling, little ones. Cherish it deeply. It may be awhile before you all find each other in the future. 

We draw closer at the reminder

I suppose being together made it easier for us to be picked up. Bodiless hands scooped us from the ground, placing us in the center of a bud. 

Shivering, the petals wound itself tightly until the sky was no more, but I had no fear. 

We simply piled even more tightly together, skin lightly the inside of the flower like stars. 

Our Tati begins a soft lullaby in a tongue beyond our understanding, but resonated with nonetheless, the bud swaying the whole time. As sleep begins to settle in our bones, the pollen rises to coat us. 

With each speck that touches my skin, something ripples in me; an irrevocable change triggered. 

Nurture your spirits, children, for you have great things destined. It shall come whether you’re ready or not, and it will test you like none other. I do not leave you without gifts, nor do I send you back without protection. Rest my dears, and wake knowing you are not alone.

My eyes barely were open by the end of their speech, but now I truly couldn’t fight the drowsiness. 

‘Ju bira-me. Sister.’

I wordlessly look to my side

To  the blue-eyed tela that has remained with me through this experience. 

‘Le…let us find ea..ea-ch-chother fir-st.’

A-aye. Ha…how?

‘F…follow ta spa-ark. I…will…call f-for you.’

Moon!

NéNé, NéNé!

“Come on Blossom, you need to eat.”

My eyelids weigh heavier than boulders as I struggle to open them. The fuzzy sight of my partners hovering above me draws a purr out of me.

I feel so light after the dream that I forget to hold myself back. My hand reaches out to my Umbra on the left of me, pulling him until our lips meet. Pouring out my new wave of energy and joy lingering from Their visit, my love is breathless under me by the time I pull back. 

NéNé, we didn’t mean that kind of eat.

“Oh I don’t mind. We can- No. Damn it, Zubair, get your mate!”

The younger cheetah laughs as Zubair picks me up. 

We must make haste. I can sense his resolve cracking.

“Why did the gods make her so tempting,” Kamal groans in the hides. The younger cheetah pats his back in sympathy, nodding with a wistful face. 

A pregnant NéNé is a dangerous one. Always underestimating her allure…and time.

It would be quick. I’m not even that hungry!

My stomach growls not a second later, and my love barks out a laugh. 

“You’re not fooling anyone.”

The cubs and mada need food immediately.

To the dining hall!