[Open] The Aftermath

[Baya]

Shwari sighed as he walked alone through the jungle. He stepped over several roots of trees, and watched as local jungle life mother's fed and interacted with their children. His teal eyes fixed on a family of birds in a nest. His ears drooped in morose as he continued on his way after awhile. The sun shone through the foliage and onto his back as he walked now. His stomach growled in hunger as he walked now.

Shwari having no parents needed to find food for himself. The only things he could possibly get on his own as a cub were fruits, and small bugs. He walked by a rock and lifted it taking a long look at the grubs. He smiled slightly as he gathered several of them and ate them rather quickly. Shwari sighed in content as he swallowed the grubs and burped. He licked his lips and realized now that he was thirsty. He closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of the rushing river. He opened his eyes and followed the sound of the river until he got to it. The blue of the river reflected against his gray fur and he lowered his head to take a drink. As he dipped his muzzle into the water he felt something rub against his nose. He looked forward and jumped back to see the figure of a lioness washing up near the shore. He looked to the sky and noticed the sun was high in the sky. Shwari figured he should pull this lioness out before the tides came in. He grabbed her by the ear and grunted as he began to pull her fully onto shore.

Shwari proceeded to place his ear against the lioness's chest. He heard the beats of the lioness's heart and smiled slightly as he quickly jumped up towards her head, and shook it gently to wake her up.




Meanwhile in the pride lands Kovu stood outside of the den with a proud grin on his face, waiting for Kiara to deliver the next heir of the pride lands. Simba stood next to him.

"Excited?" Simba asked with a proud grin on his own face. Kovu nodded.

"Nervous too." Kovu said quietly looking down.

"Don't worry Kovu. Raising cubs is almost like being king. Except you are taking care of only one or two creatures." Simba chuckled.

[Mike]

Zira floated. She felt like a soggy leaf. She had used every last ounce of her strength trying to stay afloat, struggling to reach solid land, trying to stay alive. In her mind's eye she saw Kiara's face retreating above her as she fell to the raging water below. Kiara's look of fear and pain was like the reward of a fresh kill. She devoured it, and it gave her a will to live.

After an eternity, or maybe just moments, Zira felt land under her paws and air against her face. She had done it, she had survived the flood. A vision of Scar seemed to float above her, though her eyes were still closed. Scar was laughing in triumph, he was standing atop a massive pile of bones that Zira knew instinctively belonged to the pridelanders. A smile twitched her otherwise lifeless face, and she drifted back into true unconsciousness.

Suddenly Zira became aware that there was a creature standing over her. Her eyes shot open and she growled as they painfully protested being exposed to the sun for the first time in days, and she made out, with difficulty, the figure of a young lion with gray fur.

Instantly on the defensive, Zira cursed the weakness of her body as she bared her teeth and snarled ferociously. She wasn't sure if she had the strength to stand, so she lay still. The more the stranger underestimated her, the better. "Who are you?" Zira hissed dangerously.

[Baya]

Shwari quickly stumbled back, frightened at the lioness's defensive snarl. Shwari gulped as he looked at the enraged looking lioness. "M-My name is Shwari." He stuttered quietly as he looked to the river. "I-I saw you floating down the river and brought you out before the tides could come in and take you away. After the jungle lands it's just ocean..." Shwari explained quietly as he gripped the ground with his claws instinctively. He was scared beyond his wits at this point.

[Mike]

Zira smiled to herself, enjoying the effect she had on this stranger. It was always nice to have power. Zira decided that it was time she risked sitting up. It was hard to intimidate from the dirty ground. She gathered her paws under her body, and pushed up, locking the joints in her legs so that she would not slip back down. Though she swayed slightly, she was able to balance herself, and fix the stranger with an haughty, and piercing stare.

"Shwari then." Zira said "Today is your lucky day. You'll know my name well if you've ever met a pridelander or an outlander. I am Zira."

It was usually a safe bet that a stranger had met an outlander or pridelander at some point in their life. The pridelanders were the largest and best known pride in the lands after all. Zira did not consider it too arrogant to assume that Shwai had at least heard her name mentioned. In the meantime though, Zira felt that she would not be able to hold her position indefinitely. She desperately needed real sleep, rather than being passed out in a river.

[Baya]

"I'm sorry, I have not heard of you, the pride lands or the outlands. I have never left the jungle." Shwari said as he shook his head. He approached her with caution. "A-Are you hungry?" Shwari asked with another stutter. "I can't get you much, because im not big enough to hunt pigs yet." Shwari said as he looked down, trying to avoid her piercing gaze.

[Mike]

Kiara was covered in sweat. The den had been cleared of the rest of the pride to give her some privacy, except for Nala, who had been at her side since her labor begun. It had been a long road, but it seemed that the wait was drawing to a close. She was glad that no more of her overprotective family was with her, she would have found it twice as difficult if hse'd been surrounded by worried faces.

"Thanks for being here mom." Kiara said, finding her mother's paw and squeezing it tightly. "I think I'm gaining respect for you every second. I think we're almost at the end though."

Kiara could feel the little lives inside her finally making their way out. It was frightening, but at the same time exciting. What would they be like? Would she be able to bring them up as well as Nala had raised her? Only time would tell.

-----------------------

Though slightly disappointed by the fact that she was not immediately recognized, Zira decided to let this pass. There were more important things to worry about, like her need to get back into a state where she could stand up without falling over. It was strange and frustrating for Zira, who was an uncommonly powerful lioness, to be hindered by her own body in this way.

"Yes." she said. "Go get me what food you can. I will find a tree to rest under until you return."

Zira sat, waiting for Shwari to leave. She didn't want to limp around and struggle to move in front of her new helper.

[Baya]

Shwari smiled slightly at Zira, and quickly made himself of use. He ran into the taller foliage and began to gather several berries onto a large leaf. He then proceeded to gather some bugs, the ones with the most meat on them. Shwari was glad that this lioness washed up here. Sure she was just a bit scary, and he did not know whether she'd stay for long, but what he did know was that now he had someone to talk to on his level. Right now he felt like she was his motherly figure, and he'd do what ever it took to make her healthy and pleased with him. He was now dragging the leaf with tons of berries, and bugs crawling on it towards the lioness under the tree.

[Mike]

In the moments after Shwari had left, Zira made her painful way to a patch of soft earth under a tree. The land was far more comfortable and attractive than the outlands ever had been, but in her movement Zira discovered several new bruises and cuts on her battered body. One of her ribs felt bruised or broken and she took care to lie on the less damaged side. Her legs and paws had escaped harm for the most part, but there was a large scrape across her back where she must have dragged along the side of the gorge, tumbling and slamming against the rock wall. It was painful, but it wasn't bleeding, and it felt relatively shallow. She had just about finished taking stock of her injuries when Shwari returned.

He seemed to be presenting her with an unappetizing platter of grubs and berries. In the outlands some lionesses had been forced to turn to grubs or termites for their survival, but Zira had considered this beneath her dignity and always ensured that she, Kovu, and Vitani ate their fill from what little meat the hunting parties managed to gather. There was no point turning up her nose at the meal though. She wasn't in any shape to hunt herself just yet, and it was better than starving to death, though not by much. There was no way she'd accept it in her old home in front of her pride, but here alone in the jungle Zira wasn't afraid of losing face in front of Shwari. She nodded in grudging thanks as the youngster approached.

[Baya]

Shwari sat down beside the tree as he watched her eat. It felt really good to be of use to any body. He smiled in slight content. He waited and until she was finished eating before he opened his mouth to speak. "There's a cave not too far from here. When you can walk we can stay there. There are really mean jungle cats around here, and if we don't move soon..." Shwari looked down. Those jungle cats were vicious predators. They had no respect for what they were killing, sometimes mutilating their prey and eating only specific parts. Shwari had seen many creatures dead on the floor missing an arm/wing, or having just some meat torn off. Swhari himself came face to face with a jaguar and due to his small size, he squeezed into a crevice near a waterfall and escaped.

[LilTiger]

[[OOC:When I say"When Kiarapushed", I'm not controling her, Kivuli told me it was acue for the cubs to be born]]
When Kiara pushed, soon, one little female cub was the first to arrive. She was brown like Kovu, had an outsider nose, but her eye color couldn't be identified yet. She squirmed as she wanted to get out of the sac, but she wanted her mother to do so.