.:Into Paradise We Drift:.

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The chilled, rainy night had not bothered the two elder canines. They sat impervious to the chill of the rain, awaiting the rising of the sun as they normally did.  As the cool drizzling of water died down, and their pelts began to dry, the smallest of the pair swayed a bit. She could only see out of one eye, and the other was not far behind in blocking out the images of the world around her. But she did not need sight, nor failing vision or smell, to know that her beloved companion was seated at her side.

The retired warrior let out one of her wheezy sighs, and narrowed her one-eyed vision at the horizon where the warm glow of the sun always greeted them.  When she began feeling her forelimb bones ache with their normal, obnoxious arthritic pains, she shuffled to lay on her belly. She turned from the sunrise, opting this morning to watch as the colors of the glorious star's appearance flood the valley beneath their rocky perch. Delicate muzzle settled between equally delicate paws, and her two, eery pupiless eyes bore into the darkened Earth floor, waiting for the spectacular and warm colors of morning to greet her.

Beside her, the blue Shaman tilted his large head to watch his dear companion, raising a brow at her seemingly pouty actions. His lip-line raised in a soft smile as he gazed down at her, turning on his haunches to be beside her once more. His nose delved into the fur on her neck, and he nudged her, careful of the scar he brother had bestowed upon her. 

"What are you doing, Miss?" He questioned softly, settling his head next to hers. His own eyes tried to find what she was looking at, but considering she was without pupils, that task was not easy.

The little red devil sorted and motioned with her wee toes towards the valley, just barely lifting her aching foreleg off the ground to do so. Her response was barely audible, damaged vocal chords near to not working. "I want to see the sun fill the valley with morning light." She said simply, shifting her head to move her lenthened mane out of her small, scarred face. She frowned when she heard a chuckle next to her, and reached over to the best of her abilities; right turns with her head were difficult; and gave a long slimey lick up the side of the brute's face. With a huff, she settled back, brows furrowed.

Why was the sun taking so long?

Sensing her impatience, the Shaman let out a soft sigh after recovering from the affection... or punishment? to his face. He too, stared at the valley floor, at the crystaline lake, and at the spring trees. It would be a beautiful, spring day. Especially with the crisp rain they'd just had. He draped his tail over her tiny body, and scooted his much larger frame closer to hers. He felt his heart tug, his body inwardly shiver, as he once more noticed the quite obvious signs of her age. White on the muzzle and brows, the rasping and uneven breathing caused by only one good lung, and her fur seemed to have wilted, too. But the same could be said for him. He silenced a disturbed sigh, not wanting to unsettle her peaceful state. 

The wee female hellion shuddered slightly. Another seizure. They were getting more frequent, though, thankfully, this time it was not so violent. She gave a soft whimper, and pressed herself further into his side, as if it would hide her from another of the neural attacks. His thick neck curved towards her, head placed slightly in front of hers, and he made sure her tiny frame was as close to him as possible without being completely smothered beneath him like she used to do. 

An hour passed, and the sheila felt her eyes becoming heavy. She spoke again, a bit of groggy tiredness to her strained vocals. 

"I don't think the sun will get here fast enough..." She whispered, blinking away the exhaustion. The words held something else, and they both knew it. Another meaning entirely different from pure sleep.

"It will... " Was his gentle reply.

Another hour slowly came and went, and the first golden rays of the sun had already breached the horizon. The dazzling star was raising ever-slowly, gradually lifting to be level with their rocky cliff perch, high above the valley. In the hour, the little lady had turned her lower half to face her companion, snuggled contently in a twisted manner next to him. Her tail began to slowly wag as the sun rays did what she was waiting for, bringing to life their home around them. She whined happily, and gave a much more delicate lick to the side of his face. 

The old Shaman wagged his own tail softly, and nosed his companion affectionately. His head came to rest back on the hard rock surface.

Was his vision always this hard to keep in focus? 

The belle let out another wheezey sigh, a slow admittance escaping her scarred maw after. "I can't..." It was only two words, but they struck the male through the heart. Neither of them could hold on much longer...

A soft question left him, ears pressed back to his broad neck as he awaited her response. "... Are you... Are you going to come back?" The question was directed at her species, and was met with silence. She had the choice of coming back once she passed, as something wonderful andpowerful, like how the red devil used to be. 

"No." Was her  reply. "I'm tired... I want to stay with you... I just want to stay with you..." The response was almost a plea, spoke in a broken, pitiful voice, and a broken, pitiful sentence. It was her only wish, her final wish. She just wanted to be with him. Her body convulsed again, but the seizure was small and short, and not even a whimper left her. But she could not keep it away for long. She knew it was waiting somewhere in the shadows.

And as the sun began to flood the valley with life, and all the creatures of the day began to rise to go about their business, the two would spend their final moments in the waking world together. Three words passed the female's muzzle, slurred and strained as ever. And as their eyes began to droop, the three words were returned by her companion. 

Their eyes fell shut, and pressed into one another's warm embrace, the two began to slip from the living world.

Their sides stilled, and their hearts paused together.

And into Paradise they drift.

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(If the .gif doesn't work, refresh the page. It's not on a loop, and goes by rather quickly.)

By far one of the hardest things I've had to draw. Not in the way of skill or anything, but because I kept crying, from the pencil sketch, all the way up to making the gif, video, and one other picture I made to commemorate these two. Also my first published .gif. I know it's simple, but that was the goal.

This series of memorials, including this gif, a video, and a hypothetical picture, are to celebrate one year with my wonderful and amazing soul mate. These two were how we met, and we decided today would be a perfect day to lay them to rest. 

Lady Macabre and Hydroxis were not a pair, but they were extremely close. And they will always be close, and remain forever-loyal to one another. 

To my Mister,

I love you, so very dearly. I am so blessed to be with someone as utterly wonderful as you, Mister... Thank you for this passed year, and thank you for the years to come. Thank you for the love, understanding, and patience you've had with me. Thank you for protecting me, and comforting me when I was hurt and upset... Thank you, Mister, for everything you've done to make me happy, the movies, the art, the utter silly-ness, and the jokes we poke at eachother. 

I love you, I will always love you, and nothing nor no one shall ever change that. I shall always be your angel, and you shall always be my hero. I love you.~ 

Love,
Your little angel.

Video: [link]

Second picture: [link]

Hydroxis(c)

Lady Macabre(c)

Art(c)

Stock used from