Shoon Distribution

It had been snowing consistently for nearly a week straight.  It wasn't like a blizzard, it was a light snow but there and always falling.  Moonie was beginning to grow restless.  She hated the cold.  Hated that it made her sister, Luna so tired that she hardly wanted to leave the warmth of the den.  Hated that it made Zana's illness worse.  There wasn't anything to do but wait for most of the day.  She walked herself outside and looked around.  The snow had accumulated enough to where she had to wade through, though not so badly that it was impossible to walk.  Some others had already began with their winter fun, snowmen here and there.  She even spotted some pups having a snowball fight, ducking behind a fallen tree and make-shift snow forts.  She couldn't help but giggle as she saw one buck dive straight into a snowman because they weren't looking.  It all looked so fun, and yet here she was.  Alone.  She let out an exasperated and dramatic sigh as she plopped down into the snow, sitting down and looking down at the ground beneath her.  That's when she finally heard it.  A small sound, one she'd never heard before.  Where did it come from?  She wondered.  Once more the sound chimed in, and she leapt to her feet.  It was going to drive her crazy.  What made that noise?  Where was it coming from?  Did anyone else hear that?  From the looks of the bucks scattered around the neighborhood, nobody else heard the cries.  She took a moment to sniff the air.  Was there anything too unfamiliar?  Too many questions kept crossing her mind, overwhelming her as she felt a sense of needing to look but not knowing where to start or what she was looking for.  She paced for a moment, trying to see if she could figure something out.  Anything.  Then it finally reached her.  A scent.  Sweet, minty... it was unfamiliar in the sense that she had never smelled it around here before, but familiar in that her brain tried to make a connection as to what it was.  She began to follow it, focusing in on the only lead she'd been able to get until the cries started to get louder.  She was getting closer, she knew it.  She began to sprint toward the sound, the snow falling becoming somewhat of a blur as she ran past the white.

Finally, she reached the noise.  She looked around before her eyes finally landed on a small bundle of... something?  She couldn't quite make it out.  She slowly crept up, cautiously now.  Soon, another cry as a baby shoon began to roll off the cloud.  She quickly ran to meet it, nudging it back onto the cloud and taking in a closer look.  There were three.  How.... She questioned softly to herself.  She wasn't sure what to do.  She didn't see anybody around, nor a mother, despite them having been crying.  Do Shoons have multiple in one birth?  Was it a farmer's?   She had never seen a Shoon farmer around their small village.  It was a mystery to her.  She sat for a moment and waited as she thought over her options.  She could wait, make sure the babies were safe.  She could take them temporarily, but then what if their mother returned?  How long was too long to wait?  There were so many questions that her head wanted to spin.  She soon shook her head before looking around for something she could put them in.  A mother would have returned already, and depending on how long they'd been here, they could be starving.  They could be hurt.  She'd ask around later.  She eventually found a blanket, gently putting the Shoons in a makeshift basket and bringing them to the only person she figured might know how to get them fed.  Zana.  While Zana could no longer care for something reliably, she could tell Moonie what she needed to do to help the Shoons.

She rushed quickly to Zana's den, pushing through the door before setting them down in the warmer exterior and calling out.  "Zana?  Zana!  We have a bit of a- OH!" Moonie's panicked shouts paused as she saw her friend stand near the fire.  Immediately taking notice of the Shoons, she walked over and leaned down to give them a small sniff to see if she smelt anything off. 

"We need food," Zana's voice was softer than usual and Moonie couldn't help but notice as Zana struggled to keep herself up, "Formula- there's some left over from when we found the Reetle."  "Lay down.  I'll take care of it.  Just keep an eye on them." Moonie pushed the Shoons closer to Zana before she laid down beside them, keeping her head on the blanket beside and watching.  Moonie began to get the formula ready, keeping an eye on Zana.  She couldn't help but feel bad for the timing.  Winter was hard for many bucks, but with Zana, well...

"Don't warm it up too much" Zana said as she lifted her head and looked at Moonie, who made sure she quickly pulled it away from the heat.  She walked over and the two did their best to help the Shoons drink.  "I've never seen any Shoons around here- especially this kind before," Moonie glanced over at Zana, who watched the Shoons patiently.  "I haven't either.  But I'm glad they're still willing to eat," She gave a soft chuckle at the Shoon closest to her fighting to get it's food quicker.  They were hungry, and it was sad they were put in that situation, but thankfully they were brought here quick enough to where it wasn't too late.  They could be helped, and with time, they'd be able to regain their strength more and grow up.  "Are you going to keep them?" Zana asked, breaking the silence that had fallen between them.  "I don't know how to care for a Shoon, and you know Luna would be upset if I came home with a Shoon, let alone three." Moonie said and Zana shook her head. 

"I think you'd do great.  You've already saved them once."

Hours had passed by before Moonie left Zana's, confident enough that they'd be fine throughout the night.  They slept bundled in the blanket carried by her and she wondered if it was a good idea.  If nobody claimed them.  Once she got home, Luna looked over confused at the unfamiliar scent but waited to hear the explanation. 

"They were just left there."

She set down the bundle, unwrapping it and showing the three Shoons.  "That one's Shuu, that one's Myuu, and that one's Ryuu." Moonie's voice was softer, looking over at Luna to gauge her reaction.  Confusion, then despite her not saying a word she could hear her sister's protests before her sister finally just shook her head.  "I'm not taking care of them." She said and turned to walk away.  Moonie paused for a moment before looking down at the sleeping Shoons.  She couldn't help but grin, maybe it was too soon to get her hopes up for them, but look at how cute they were, snuggled together in one cloud.