As she headed back to the pride, she spotted movement. A glance showed her that Kirai was heading out of the kingdom, moving quickly. Brow furrowing, Nusu followed. Where did he go, so late at night?
Her answer came upon the banks of a shallow-running river, a river with banks of whitest clay. And that clay ??? Kirai smeared it upon his body, and Nusu knew in that instant, just how much Kirai was not a god. She must have gasped inadvertently, for suddenly his head whipped up, white dripping from his muzzle, and his eyes met hers. ???Nusu???? he asked, and for an instant, his voice was the old Kirai???s, gentle and in need it reassurance, the voice of he whom she loved and had thought dead inside him.
Her mind raced as she kept her gaze on him. What would he do next at this discovery? She was ready to bolt as she spotted something in his eyes. Kirai must have seen it and sighed. His body relaxing. 'Fine,' he hissed. 'Now you know. In the end I failed to pass as a white once again. My father must be laughing loudly from the afterlife.'
Nusu dared to take a step closer, but her body was tense and ready to flee. She had not forgotten his horrible acts. 'You know, I loved you and I love you still and it was never for your coat, but for you.' She paused to look at his face. He seemed shocked. The small fragile lioness moved even closer and stroked his face, whiping away some clay. 'You don't need this, to be great.'
Kirai stared at her for an instant as if he was considering her words, letting them sink in. All his plans to make the Pride pay for the great sorrow they gave him for his coat, the trouble he had went through to plan this, to get where he was.
Yet, here stood a small lioness from his past, he could break her and no one would care. He stared into her eyes and felt her paw hadn't left his face. He closed his eyes...he couldn't and he wouldn't.
'Why don't we use this 'power' you have,' she said, 'and make this work for us?' For years nobody had listened to reason, Nusu could see her pride dying around her and if it continued the Spirit Pride would be erased from the world.
After that day Nusu and Kirai appeared together more often. Kirai would don his white coat when needed, but the murders stopped, cubs lived longer. Kirai beat around his brothers now and again to make sure they obeyed him.
Nusu made sure she had a talk with Mweupe and explained how much she cared for him, but he had to understand Kirai was her heart. She told him what had happened to their daughter and how she was sure she was safe. Mweupe was distraught, but Nusu promised she would try and find out where she went. If Sikitika was unhappy, they would try and get her back, if she was fine, they would leave her.
Mweupe listened but his heart ached. He did notice a change in his brother, but he was careful to try and get anything as it would just earn him a beating.
However from that sad moment Nusu had left her daughter in the care of the hyena's it seemed as though the Spirit Pride finally found peace and a future, their King had a bad temper, but he was like a God and their Queen was a voice of reason and kindness.
Just a little what if. The parts in italic are from story by rinjapine.
I love Nusu, I really do. She has so many sad things happen to her and in the end, she sacrifices all. Kirai was not bad to begin with and I had to believe there was something there, Nusu could soothe.
This could spur a lot more what if's. For example, Kipendo now lives, Uru has Mega and so on.
Characters ?? iconrinjapine
Art ?? me
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