What started as innocent, albeit probably unlawful, exploration would lead to adventure. Diomedidae had snuck herself away from the Brook and from the colder weather. She was drawn by sun, by warmer winds, into the southern plains. Along the way she found no resistance, nothing to worry about...

She was too young to realize just how empty the surroundings were. As most animals had picked up on something and moved on for their own safety. The earth below her paws slowly began to tremble. The small pebbles and dust were bounced up, dancing around each other and clattering against one another in the air. Diomedidae looked down at her toes as she felt the quickly pulsing ground begin to shift and rumble. Her little heart began to pound quickly, hummingbird fast while her breathing too began to speed up. Monster? It was the only thing she could figure causing the quake below here. Not even the elephants and hippos were big enough to cause the ground to shake like this. And she didn't want to stick around and find out what was.

She ran.

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She wasn't going to let her baby sister wander off all by herself when she spotted her heading over the border. That wasn't what a big sibling did! She also wasn't going to stifle her sense of exploration either, though, so she had been trailing behind, staying out of the way but keeping where she had a decent view of her sis.

A good thing too, considering the ground began to quake unexpectedly. At first, the rumbling didn't reach Spiritus, so she was confused when she saw her sister stop and look down. At least, she was confused until the shaking started in earnest and Diomedeidae took off running.

"Medei!" she exclaimed, bursting from her cover and trying to catch up with her before either of them could get too off track. "Wait for me!" She had no idea what was going on herself, and she was having a hard time keeping her paws under her thanks to the shaking of the dirt beneath them, but she wasn't going to let her baby sis be scared and alone. They could just be scared together.

@Diomedeidae

@Spiritus's soothing voice called Medei, she was the lighthouse for the stormy port that the littler one suffered. Her aimless, panicked, running immediately became a beeline for her sister's legs, a path cut to dive right between them and cower below Spiritus's stronger bronze body while the earth continued to angrily churn below them. Monster! She proclaimed loudly, little voice trembling with a heartbreaking fear. Even the more grown lions could be shaken by an earthquake like this. Medei had no point of reference, she'd barely experienced a good thunderstorm let alone the threat of the earth itself. And so below big sister she began to cower, reaching out to clench onto Spiritus's leg as tightly as she could. Claws and all._{CODE | BACKGROUND | ART BY MUULAND}

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They made their way too each other, and Spirits was relieved when she had her sister tucked underneath her. Surely she could keep her safe now. But... they still had to get out of here. "Not a monster, just..." she tried to reassure her baby sis, but she realized she didn't know what was causing it either.

Little needle claws dug into her leg, causing Jokull to wince, but it did help spur her into action. Surely everywhere couldn't be shaking like this, right? So if they headed out of the fields maybe it would stop. Heading towards the peaks was at least an obvious way to go, but she was afraid of something falling on them there.

"Quick, let's head back towards home and see if the shaking stops," she decided. "Can you walk or should I carry you?" Honestly, she thought she ought to carry her just to make it easier, but she was also kind of afraid of stumbling while doing so with the earth quaking like this.

@Diomedeidae

Carry. Carry. Dio said rapidly, her breath fluttering from her lips as she worried and whined in her sister's embrace. She tried so far as to begin to climb up @Spiritus's leg to get onto her sister's shoulders and away from the shaking earth. Not knowing what little difference it would make. That even being carried would slow things down. She wanted that comfort of contact with her sibling. In family's aura she felt safer, innate defenses put up around her and these souls who had never failed her before she trusted would not start now. C'mon, c'mon She cried aloud again, clenching her eyes tightly shut fearfully._{CODE | BACKGROUND | ART BY MUULAND}

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She would immediately clutch her sister carefully in her jaws, or would boost her onto her shoulders to let her cling there, whichever she seemed to prefer at the moment. Only once she had her secure did she run, and run she would, as fast as she could away from the quaking ground.

Spiritus stumbled a couple of times, but she refused to let herself fall. Not with such important cargo. It also seemed as though she would never get to safety, but eventually the quaking slowly faded away, until she felt like she could slow down and catch her breath.

Panting fiercely, she looked back and swore she could see the ground heaving in the fields where they had just been. "I've never felt anything like that," she said between gasps.

@Diomedeidae

Diomedeidae clamored over her sister's shoulders, merciless little claws and teeth instinctively grasping for the purchase of mane and holding tight as she could to the familiar and comforting presence. Against the fear and her teary eyes Dio closed her lids as she clutched Spiritus, mumbling nonsensical prayers and sounds of distress through the flight and panic.

When at last she dared to peak out and see what was going on the land they were in now was still and she could hear only Spiritus's panting mixed in with the thundering of Dio's own heartbeat.

Sliding down from her position she quickly threw her arms around her sister in the tightest hug she possibly could manage. Oh thank you thank you thank you. I'm so sorry I left home.

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Spiritus put a paw around her sibling, both to return the hug and in relief that they had both made it out unscathed. Well, sure, she had some little pinpricks around her mane and shoulders, but that was a small price to pay. "Oh, it's not your fault!" she hastened to attempt to reassure her sibling. "I think... I think this place is just being weird. It's usually really peaceful and pretty!" She hoped her little sis hadn't gotten too terrorized by all that, to the point where she wouldn't want to go exploring again. There were so many cool things to see in the world that it would be a shame for that to happen.

@Diomedeidae

Dio was not entirely convinced this wasn't some huge punishment for sneaking away. Gods and earth itself upset at her disobedience they sought to remind her just what could happen when lessons were overlooked. But she did find it comforting that @Spiritus didn't think it that. Dio's fluttering fear filled heart began to quiet, her breath hung still in her lungs for a second as she held her breath and once more pressed to Spiritus and just listened to her sister's heart beating inside of her chest. Can- Can we go home? Her voice quietly piped up from below. Suddenly two teal eyes were peering right up with the most pleading look in them imaginable. Please?_{CODE | BACKGROUND | ART BY MUULAND}

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Truth be told, Spiritus wanted to get home too. She'd had quite enough of weird things happening, and besides, who could say no to that face? "Yeah, let's get home," she agreed. "You want me to carry you again? Or... we could race there!" She didn't know if her little sis wanted comfort or a distraction more, but she'd let her decide that.

At least the Brook was just covered in snow, something she didn't mind nearly as much as... whatever had just happened. At least snow she had dealt with before. Sure it made her toes cold, but she could always just tuck them into her mane for a little bit (ha, see, it did have a use!).

@Diomedeidae