This fantastic set of pieces, titled The Alpha and The Omega, have been done by  Queenhyena as apart of the Plight of the Rose series. The Alpha panel and accompanying story chapter can be found here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/16221975/ and The Omega chapter is located here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/16222513/

These two scenes are apart of the second life of Teela Rose. The upper scene is the first time that the vixen meets her lifetime lover, Caleb. And, the lower is their final seconds before his burial commences.

Over the coming months, I do have plans on releasing more and more about Teela's second life adventures, as the hundreds of pages are bloated with exciting moments from her life.

I'll up the ante of value to this combined scene by adding in the previous chapters to both scenes.

Enjoy.

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The Alpha. - Day #1: Touch of a Goddess.

"Help!" yelped a half fear stricken Foxen. "It's To-Yoh! Her labor has gone seriously wrong! We need the tribal doctor, immediately!" Although his words were in Common, the incredible forces of the Universe were at work, making it possible for non-Foxen's to understand their language. (English)
Faces turned towards the grief ridden youthling, without delay. Chatter began to erupt throughout the village of Darosia.
Finally, someone loudly replied, "Doc's been out of town for a week, due to a neighboring community emergency. Get the priestess, instead!"

Quick as could be, To-Yoh was surrounded by several dozen Foxen's, including the lead priestess. "It's going to be alright, To-Yoh. The Gods will carry you through, under my care. Everything is going..."
"No!" shouted the female, laying on little more then a blanket. "The child is going to be stillborn! It hasn't kicked in hours! My doom is certain! I just know it!"
The priestess laid her hand upon the swollen belly and started to chant several preachy paragraphs about comfort and the ways of life as To-Yoh continued to exclaim about her predicament.
The words included some sacred call words that the spirit traveling Teela would recognize, no matter how distant she may have been. After all, she had written this particular book that they considered to be sacred law. It did not matter that she was preoccupied with observing the activities of another saved colony on a distant world. Distress came before observational assistance.
Teela came to them, like a charm, in her spirit form. The distressed prayers bridged space and time, so that she may rush to their aid, only to see the distressed matter, first hand as it ran in progress.
Something was odd, though. Teela felt a strange calling on a level she was very much unfamiliar with. And, as she touched To-Yoh to give comfort, it was To-Yoh that somehow pulled on Teela's spirit.
Like a black hole, Teela became powerless to fight the pull and was sucked in to total blackness.
Nobody knew that she had come. Nor, that the strange event had just claimed her.

The priestess suddenly hung on one syllable for a full second. "I sense...a miracle!"
The crowd gasped, stuck to her every passing word.
"Life! I have called forth the life that once tried to depart from this miracle and it has heralded my beck!"
"My child? Alive?" muttered To-Yoh, with a spontaneously joyful glee.
"The heart, it beats once more. I feel the spark of life, coming from within. We have been blessed by the deities, themselves." pronounced the priestess. "The gift you must return shall be for the benefit of us all. I am puzzled as to why there is only one spark of life, inside."
"I understand, priestess." praised To-Yoh. "It is my honor to be the vessel for a miracle. I shall always be grateful."
Teela's confusion was only intensified by the sharp impact of unexpected senses. She was hot and wet. Tightness was squeezed in, all around her. She fought to swim out of the darkness. It only brought on a rapid feeling of complete weakness.
That cramped space was only contracting about her with every passing moment. It pressed to restrict her every movement.
"I think...I think that gratefulness is about to happen, rather quickly, my priestess." spoke To-Yoh, trying to say it as calmly as she could.
"With the return of life to the newborn-to-be, it is seemingly anxious to be brought forth into our presence. Be brave. Listen to your training on how to proceed." advised the priestess. "The pain of today will be the reward of tomorrow."
To-Yoh was soon wincing from the pressures that labor will induce. All the while, the village priestess was preaching into her ear and half the village didn't have the courtesy to depart the scene.
The wincing would soon turn to short, labored breathes and To-Yoh's legs began to part.
"...and to the world of which we all become, thine shall introduce into the community a new joy." preached the priestess as she slid away the traditional robing from To-Yoh's lower half, exposing it to the light of day, community and all. "The vessel of our future is priming for that which is of us. Embrace, all. Embrace."
Baring her teeth, To-Yoh began to growl and push with all her might. In-between contractions, she found the focus to ask, "Is it true that there's only one kit?"
"A very unusual count for a very unusual set of circumstances. It is unheard of to be with kits...without the presence of a mating male to give claims to." replied the priestess, between chants. "You are sure that you never had a late night caller?"
The crowd was both awestruck and supportive as the grudging efforts would slowly and surely start to push out a tiny muzzle from the vaginal lips of the pregnant vixen and into the light. "Positive!"
"Keep pushing!" egged on the priestess, quite forgetting to continue her prayers as she got caught up in the final minutes of the effort.
Suddenly, the pitch blackness was turned into blinding light. She could slightly hear some kind of crowd going crazy with cheers. There was a powerful force, trying to strangle her throat. Yet, she seemed to be surviving, without having taken a breath.
"The head has emerged!" informed the priestess with excitement. "Keep pushing, To-Yoh! You are almost there!"
"I...am!!!" replied the stressed mother-to-be, as it was all she could do.
As the vixen gritted her teeth and pushed with all her might, the form of a slimy, baby girl was slowly emerged into the light. And, the priestess's paws were right there to catch her as she slid free.
"Praise the Goddess for granting us a miracle on this most blessed of days!" pronounced the priestess as she was lightning quick to snatch up and cradled the raw newborn in her arms.
"We are truly blessed!" cried out one of the audience members.
"This year is going to be prosperous!" cried out another.
The cheers roared on-wards as the newborn was held up for all to view. The long umbilical cord was still attached between baby and mother as the slippery, naked creature randomly waggled it's legs and tail about. All the while, the most confident of the group on the procedure, utilized a fire heated, sterilized cutting tool to separate the umbilical cord from the baby, as soon as the priestess would allow her to.
Teela tried to speak out as soon as she felt the need to take that first breath, while reaching about for something to grasp. Alas, the poorly developed vocal chords could only produce a kind of rambled moaning sound that many babies might have made. Her new hands were only taking a hold of thin air as she dangled from the priestess's hold, free to wiggle about as much as she wanted to.
"Everyone, upon the first day of Drec at the first moment of Renew, let us welcome our newest female to our colony!" projected the priestess. That, alone, renewed the cheering among the eyewitnesses.

===

The Omega. - Day #???: Life's little plans.

That day was going to be a little different for Teela then what the plan had called for. This was the one day of the year that a special plant was in bloom. It's unique nectar was cherished as a sweet seasoning that could be added to almost anything. The plant produced it for only the briefest of time. And, once the blooms had shriveled, the cherished elixir was quick to turn extremely sour and unpalatable. However, timely collecting, bottling and storing practices could keep it sweet and fresh for months to come.
Caleb was rather slow to rise from their bed on this rather special day. She was quick to take note about the onset of his breathing, as well. However, her vocalized concerns were to be denied by her hubby.
"Please, hunny." said Caleb, as best he could. "I don't want to leave you during this event."
Teela looked deeply into those aged old eyes and knew that he meant what he said. It went against her better judgment to do so, but she put up no further fights about the matter. "Just take care of yourself, out there."
He stifled back a small cough. "Always do."
She never wanted to give it any kind of due attention. No matter how much the thief of time had done, he always looked the same, amongst her inner mindset. The wrinkling, sagging skin was all but invisible, in her sight. The fading color from his fur was also being harshly denied. It didn't help the issue much, when her features were as vibrant as ever. She was still the morning dew of freshness to his evening happenings. And, his sun seemed to be setting at an ever quickening pace.

They left their homely dwelling, paw in paw. She kept her smiling expression, gazing upon his withering expression for the whole time.

"Welcome! Welcome, everyone!" announced the head priestess as helpers shuffled about an ever increasing number of canning bottles from their baskets to an aged table. Quite the village crowd had come out to celebrate the time honored work event. "Another year is upon us. And, we couldn't have asked the Gods for a better looking crop. The [REFERENCE] plants are already beginning to bloom with a healthy glow. I've seen many years of crops that never looked this plentiful, before. I even predict that we may have an excess for trade with our far off neighbors for some kind of exotic goods. And, may The Light be-praise us with further, everlasting luck, throughout the year."
She went on and on for awhile with the lecture, before proceeding to assign a couple jars to each participant.
Teela and Caleb accepted their jars with harvesting tools and proceeded into the open wild lands to swab away at some juice rich blooms. Their chosen direction had led them away from the crowd, in no time.

During the walk, Caleb's breathing had only become more labored. Yet, he refused to surrender to the notion that anything was wrong. He quite insisted on finding the perfect bloom to start the swabbing process from.
Teela begrudgingly bit her tongue to avoid starting an argument with him and proceeded, watching his every move with scrutiny.

The day moved on with a snail's pace.
That is, until the alarming signals led to a full outbreak of deadly fire.

Caleb was bending over, dipping his swab into the most colorful bloom in sight. However, when he instinctively tried to take his next breath, it nearly refused to come. The wheezing sound had multiplied, three fold inside of a heartbeat.
Teela's alarm was raised in an instant. She darted over to his side, grasping as he tried to bring his posture back up to a standing position.
It only inflamed his labored breathing.
"That settles it. Special day or not, we're going back to the village." she said with a stern voice. "It was a terrible idea to even let you talk me into coming out here. You're in no condition. Take a few days rest. Then, we'll see. Take it from there. Now, take my hand and let's head home."
He seemed to be making an attempt at righting himself. However, all he was doing was bending over further, continuing to wheeze and cough. It was quickly followed with a few drops of blood, dripping from his lips. Her eyes widened and she forced him to start walking. For, she knew little else of what to do, right about now.
Teela took a firm grasp under Caleb's arm as he wheezed and fought for life. She looked into his aged face and harshly gasped. It was becoming too familiar, for her. That look. Death was pulling on his immortal soul. "Fight, damn you!" she screamed as she unintentionally quickened her pace, pulling him along.
He only looked back at her and continued to wheeze. His legs barely wanted to work as he was mostly being pulled over the loose dirt by her force, alone.
"I'm not going to lose you!" she downright commanded to him. "You are going to fight! We'll get back to the village. Have the doctor look you over. We'll fight this thing, together. Now, you just hang on and don't let go!"
He didn't seem to be listening as his eyes drifted shut and his legs were soon to go limp.
"Caleb!!!!" she yelled as loud as could be into his deafening ears.
She tugged and pulled him along for several desperate minutes before laying his body out upon the soft dirt. Taking a pulse reading, she continued to scream out his name.
There no longer was a pulse that she could find.
She drew forth knowledge from a course, located inside some displaced, ancient memory and pounded on his chest, repeatedly. Then, gave to him the kiss of life from her own lungs.
Repeatedly, she worked him over until she was physically hurting.
The elderly male that she had loved for life was gone inside of a few, unbelievable minutes. It all happened, right in front of her eyes. As much as she wanted to wish it all away and make Caleb stay, her powerless stance became fully apparent, at that moment in time.

She carried the body of her husband over her shoulder and dashed by the assembly of flower pollen collectors, all of whom had their attention torn away to gaze upon the sight of instant alarm.
"Teela!" yelled out the head priestess. "What's wrong!"
"It's Caleb!" Teela yelled back. Her adrenaline was running at a feverish level. "He's stopped breathing! I need to get him to the doctor!"
"People!" commanded the priestess to the nearby nectar gatherers. "We need some volunteers, over here! He needs to reach the village, post haste!"
Teela was immediately aided as several others helped to carry Caleb back to the village.

Although he had stopped breathing for far too many minutes worth, the small group was still determined to have the doctor try a resuscitation.
"In accordance to the ways of science, this mixture of herbal compounds on a mixed basis shall wake all but the deceased, when placed upon the moistened tongue. I've heard that one of my apprentices, whom has traveled far to the west, was successful in making a modification that would wake one into the state of dancing. But, she's never passed along the recipe to me." she said as her paws were wrapped around a pounding stone and turning some pulp into dust, inside a stone bowl.
Once she had pounded upon the substance for long enough as the head priestess spoke long winded prayers, Caleb's maw was forced open as the bowl's ingredients was deposited lightly upon the drying tongue.
They all waited in silence with held breath.
That wait grew impatiently long as nothing appeared to be happening.
And then, the response that nobody wanted to be uttered, finally came. "The mixture has failed. I have the sad duty to pronounce this faithful Foxen to have died from natural causes. I truly do wish that there was more that I had to offer, in cases like this."
The head priestess quickly went into a classic prayer for the deceased as Teela's emotions began to break through the dam of control, if even at an extremely slow pace.
"He...he can't be dead." muttered Teela. "He was somewhat sick, this morning. But, that doesn't tend to cause death, alone. No. No. He's just heavily sleeping from his sudden case of sickness. Surely, he's just sleeping a bit too deeply..."

Despite the comforting touches that the helpers were offering in her hour of need, Teela kept fighting her emotions and the facts for a fair portion of the day. Until there was nothing left but the tears and the simple truth to bare up against. All the while, the traditional grave design was dug into the ground. For, they had no refrigeration and a body that wasn't fresh was quick to become a problem.