[MillietheWarrior]

“Tell me,” she began again, and turned to face Laroo. The lioness’ ears twitched. She shifted slowly, and turned to face Naasade fully. Her gaze no longer seemed troubled, or faraway. That was good. Naasade was worried she’d brought up too many bad memories. “You fought once in the tournament, and you won.”
[1]

[MillietheWarrior]

She flicked and ear curiously. “Yet you took no life. How is this possible?” Dusty had told Eyes, and Eyes had spoken of it to Naasade. The two female cats had masters who were not only very close, but squad mates and brothers. Thus, the two cats were close as well, though they had never really met.
[2]

[MillietheWarrior]

It was a strange, spiritual connection. One that neither could deny, and both acknowledged. Laroo seemed baffled by the question. Naasade could see the confusion in her eye. She twitched her crystalline whiskers, looking faintly uncomfortable. “There was no need,” she said at last. Naasade settled onto the grass, staring up at the lioness.
[3]

[MillietheWarrior]

“They were beaten without the use of lethal force, as Dusty calls it.” Naasade dipped her head in acknowledgement. “But did you not desire to destroy your opponent?” She flicked her ear again. “:Did you not desire to rid yourself of they who would harm you?” As she spoke, Naasade turned her head ever so slightly.
[4]

[MillietheWarrior]

She watched Charge, but he almost seemed to be paying attention more to the scenery than the conversation. One of his ears, however, was resting on his would-be mate. He heard every word she and Laroo said. Naasade had no doubt that he was silently absorbing the information from the conversation. That was exactly what she wanted.
[5]
[35,35,35]

[MillietheWarrior]

Charge needed to learn to be normal. This meant he must know he was not a weapon. He didn’t have to kill. He didn’t have to fight. Not if he didn’t want to. He was an experiment. A creation not of this world, made only to destroy. But he didn’t have to be what he was made to be. He must know he had a choice. Just as the clones did, and just as Naasade herself did.
[1]

[MillietheWarrior]

“I see,” Naasade replied, smiling a feline smile. “So then, you fought your own nature and desire, and rejected it.” She turned and glanced quickly at Charge. Laroo didn’t miss the look. She smiled as well. The two Khimera seemed like the perfect match. Laroo was happy they had one another.
[2]

[MillietheWarrior]

“Yes, I did indeed. It is in the nature of all felines to kill their prey and those who threaten or harm them. It is in the nature of some canines and humans as well. But nature can be overcome. And we are not always dictated by what we are thought to be.”
[3]

[MillietheWarrior]

Charge turned slowly. His dark eyes observed the two females with curiosity. He said nothing, but he seemed to be intrigued. Naasade could tell he wanted to speak, but he remained stubbornly silent. She frowned, and nudged him lightly with one of her tails, careful not to harm or scratch him.
[4]

[MillietheWarrior]

Charge gave her a look. “So…” he began, and his voice sounded mechanical and strangled. “You are saying that one does not have to be what they were made to be? There is a choice?” He glanced at the ground and Naasade and Laroo frowned. “I was never told this. I was…not aware.”
[5]
[40,40,40]

[MillietheWarrior]

“Because you were not supposed to be aware,” Naasade growled. She stood, her tails twitching in agitation. Charge watched her quietly. He wore a patient expression on his face, as if he’d heard this before. Laroo was taken aback by Naasade’s suddenly foul mood. She’d never known the female had even an inkling of a temper.
[1]

[MillietheWarrior]

“You were created to be a machine. You weren’t created to have a life or feelings or…” She growled, her words dissolving into sharp, high-pitched snarls and squeaks reminiscent of a female Cheetah. Laroo looked on in sympathy, understanding what she was saying perfectly. Charge was a loner.
[2]

[MillietheWarrior]

He was an experiment. He’d never been created for a family or a mate. It enraged Naasade, and Laroo wasn’t happy about it either. She, however, knew less about it than Naasade. But she could gather the main gist of it.
[3]

[MillietheWarrior]

Naasade was grumbling now, but she’d ceased making noise. Charge was watching her with a mixture of confusion, sympathy, and indecisiveness. He wasn’t sure what to do about Naasade’s passionate feelings about his origin. He couldn’t help being what he was. Tihaar tried to make him feel as real as he could.
[4]

[MillietheWarrior]

He would take Charge for walks, play fetch, even let him sleep in his room. Charge felt like his loyal companion, not an experiment. So why did Naasade get so worked up about it? Charge still had a hard time understanding emotions. When he was created and programmed, he wasn’t created to have emotions.
[5]
[45,45,45]