[Closed] Little Stranger (Taraji Chapter 1)

[Mike]

Kovu saw a strange lion not far from the base of Pride Rock. As the lion called out Kovu was unsure of what to do. It was his duty to defend the land against just such intruders, but he didn't know what concequences any delays might have for the cub in his jaws. Even as he hesitated, Vitani spoke.

"Go on ahead, get the cub to Simba." She said without slowing down. "I'll see who that is and what he's doing in the pridelands."

With that she angled away from the other lions and slowed down as she approached the stranger. Kovu turned back to Pride Rock and put Vitani out of his mind. He had no doubt that she could handle herself, and half the pride was waiting just a short distance away in case she needed help. Kovu reached the base of Pride Rock and quickly bounded up to the promenade. Simba was lying right where he'd last been when Kovu left. Kovu gently dropped the cub at Simba's paws and stepped back.

"Simba, wake up. He said. "I found a cub that needs help in the outlands. We need to act quickly if you want us to save her."

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Vitani left Kiara and Kovu who continued to speed on towards Pride Rock. She slowed to a light jog and then a walk as she approached the red-maned stranger. She sized him up, noting the scar on his left eye. Vitani had no prejudice against him, but the eerie coincidence still sent a jolt through her. She was also mildly surprised by the odd color of his mane and paws. She found if interesting and refreshing though. The lion was currently in a submissive posture, bent low against the grass. Vitani stopped in front of him and spoke.

"You're a strange face here. Not that I know of many male lions around here, but you're not one of them. What are you doing in the pridelands? Have you got Simba's permission to stay?"

[SinChei]

Daxis turned around before Vitani arrived him cause he heared a sound but he thought "No Daxis there was nothing" so he turned around to Vitani she was alreade right in front of him and he jumped up and spoke.

"Well but at first tell me who is Simba and what are the Pridelands?"

Daxis tryed to seem evil and strong but Vitani was taller then him cause he was still a teenager at this time.

[Faolcho]

Gumu lowers himself even more, rapidly, as the dark furred lion peers around searchingly.
He can barely see what's going on due the grass, and aims his ears in the direction of the two, hoping to hear the conversation clearly.

"A lion his size, is going for this strategy? Fool." thinks Gumu while raising one eyebrow.

[KiarasMate]

It seemed as though Vitani was one step ahead of her once more as the young lioness' ears twitched and swiveled to catch the faint voice coming from the distant creature, who Kiara had spotted around the same time that Vitani did. About to speak up, Kiara was cut short from Vitani's voice as the older lioness departed from the group. Thankfully, her fellow lioness took the matter into her own paws, leaving Kiara free to help Kovu get this new cub some much needed help. As her eyes retreated from the direction to which Vitani had proceeded towards, Kiara thought she saw the looming figure of another feline, but it was too hard to tell from such a far distance, so she merely shrugged off the thought and continued to follow closely behind her mate. As the pair of felines reached Pride Rock, Kiara took the liberty to wake her father from his light slumber as Kovu spoke to him in an urgent tone.

Upon feeling his daughter's fore paws shaking him to a more conscious state, Simba's eyes snapped open as he rolled onto his paws, eyeing Kovu and his daughter with a befuddled gaze.

"Hmm? What's going on you two?" Simba stated as his eyes drifted downwards, spotting the small figure of the thin cub, causing the King's eyes to narrow, but at the same time, making his heart sink a bit from the unsightly condition the poor creature was in. Taking a moment to compile his thoughts, Simba spoke to Kovu directly this time.

"I'm assuming you found this cub in The Outlands Kovu and by the looks of..." Simba spoke, lightly moving the young cub's tail aside briefly before he continued. [b]"her condition, I take it that her parents or Pride were nowhere to be found?"

Kiara watched intently as her father spoke to Kovu. So far, things were going okay. She knew her father had a very caring heart and the young princess hoped that this fact alone would be enough to sway his decission to let the young cub stay.

[Mike]

In front of Vitani the young lion jumped up. It was quite a young lion, she noticed. Fresh out of his cubby years. He suddenly took a much more assertive posture as he asked his questions. It was kind of ruined by the fact that he stood almost four inches shorter than her, and Vitani was more inclined to respect his brave front than be intimidated by it.

"Simba's the ruler around here. If you want to stay in the pridelands you have to ask him. He'll decide whether to welcome you into his pride or not. That's what my brother did. Now Kovu's Simba's son-in-law, and next in line to the throne. So it's not an exclusive club... generally. Did you not know this? Simba's pride is one of the largest and most well known ones in the region."

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"That's correct." Kovu said. "There was no one there, no lions, no animals, nothing. Well, nobody else living at any rate." he amended, shivering as he thought of... whatever it was he experienced there. Kovu hesitated for a moment then admitted. "I didn't get any real scouting done there this time. I left as soon as I saw the cub, I thought it would be best in case she needed immediate help. You've only been asleep for a short time."

Kovu didn't know if Simba was going to let the little cub become part of the pride, but Kovu felt sure he wouldn't just leave it to die. After all Simba had accepted more unlikely lions to his pride... Kovu himself for example. From his's reaction Kovu guessed that Simba thought he had done the right thing. Kovu also noticed that Kiara was taking a keen interest in the little cub's well-being. That was good news for the little one; he knew that Simba had trouble saying no to Kiara when something was important to her.

[SinChei]

Daxis noticed Vitani was a bit intimidated by him so he made himslef so big he could and stuck out his chest. He breathed out hard and went nearer towards her and answered.

"Do you have a problem that i didnt know this????!!!!!!!"

he circled her with a evily grin on his muzzle and extended claws.

"Hello i ask you a question"

[Faolcho]

Gumu raises his eyebrows once more at the odd lion and makes a small noise that indicates that the serious lion can laugh, but.. holds it in, for obvious reasons. He droops his ears quickly as he makes the sound, and lowers himself untill his mane touches the dirt.

[KiarasMate]

Simba thought long and hard about the prospects of this new cub being accepted into his Pride as he listened to what Kovu was telling him. He pretty much figured that the young cub's parent's wouldn't have been present, let alone, allow a strange lion to run off with their kin. It still was a bit unsettling though, as Simba wasn't too sure if the young creature's parents were still alive or not, and if they were, would they come looking for their missing cub and perhaps start trouble with his own Pride? Regardless of the countless number of qualms Simba had with merely letting this strange cub into his ranks, he could easily detect the worry and angst coming from both his daughter and son-in-law, so with a slight hint of uncertainty in his voice, the proud king spoke to the younger lion.

"Well, seeing as we have no idea of the where abouts of this young cub's parents, I amwithholding the right of passage into our Pride for this young cubb for the time being however, seeing as the poor thing is struggling with life as it is, I can't obviously turn my back on a creature in need. Therefor, I will allow for this young cub to stay within the Pride until she is deemed well enough to be on her own, or if her parents happen to come looking for her."

As simba spoke these words, Kiara's face seemed to light up in anticipation. She was relieved that her father didn't banish the poor cub out of the lands, although she knew he wasn't that cold hearted, but the fact that he didn't accept the young cub into the Pride did strike her as being a bit odd, but she wasn't about to say anything in response to her father's judgment, especially seeing as he was kind enough to allow the cub to stay. Seizing the opportunity during the brief period of silence, Kiara spoke up quickly.

"Um Daddy, who is going to watch over the young cub while she recovers?"

Hearing his daughter's inquiry, Simba looked at his daughter, noticing that familiar twinkle within her eyes as he smiled and responded.

"Hmm, seems to me that you've already made that decission, haven't you Sweetie?"

Kiara blushed slightly at just how well her father knew her. The golden furred princess nodded and spoke once more.

"Well, it would give me and Kovu here a chance to practice our parenting skills. Not saying that we're going to be having cubs anytime soon Daddy, so don't get your mane in a tizzy just yet." Kiara stated with an amused giggle as she turned to her mate and addressed him. "That is, if you don't mind us taking in this little cub while she recovers, do you Honey?" Kiara asked in a hopeful tone, flashing her mate a sweet stare, typically reserved for special occasions when she needed to get her way with him.

Simba smiled and looked at Kovu with a hopeless stare, as if to indirectly tell him that there was no use fighting it. When it came to his daughter, she knew exactly how to pull a lion's strings to get what she wanted.

[Lodrill]

Tarajis eye lids flickered once again while the adults were still talking. The voices of them echoed in her head as if they came from far away. She did not understand the words itself. Her mind was still groggy.
She opened her eyes just half an inch. The light was fair enough for her because the shadow of Simba was covering her. In her crystal eyes the fear was clear visible even if they were nearly shut. Taraji began to shiver. She had no strength to move and so she lay still before the king, watching the big lions around. She was surrounded. She could not move. And on top of that she was so dizzy that everything was circling around her and the voices were like a vague noise.

Only a very very silent whimper showed her fear and pain - and the shivering of course. Because she was totally dried out no tears came from her eyes. Also the whimper was so silent that even the slightest breeze took it away. The shivering and the whimper was the only thing that showed a bit of life in this cub. And even these both were fading with every second and became weaker. Not because of the fear in the cub was decreasing but because it's last reserves of energy were about to be completely consumed. The dust before her did not even show any reaction that would point at her breathing. Her breath was so weak already that is was not to be noticed.

The only things Taraji's mind was thinking about were thirst, hunger and fear. They mixed together with the pain her body was in and made the cub confused and stunned. There was nothing the small girl could do. Just lying there, waiting for the big lions around her to kill her or to die on thirst and hunger... these were the only things Taraji was waiting for. She would never reach this place of her dream. She nearly gave up all her hope. 'Mama! I was not able to find this place of my dreams. Can I now go where you are? I don't want to be alone anymore! I do not want to starve and feeling pain!" she thought this without even controlling her mind. Taraji thought that the situation she was in would be the end of her struggle to keep living.

[Mike]

Vitani smiled at the young lion's brave front. She'd seen the same behavior from countless lions and lionesses in the outlands. Trying never to show fear or pain, Always hiding behind an aggressive front. It had taken Kiara's brave intervention in the battle between the prides to break through that front. On the inside they were all vulnerable and emotionally damaged. It had taken a while to fully recover and adjust to the new style of life.

"Oh, not at all." Vitani said trying to soothe the lion. "It's just that Simba is the most powerful lion around here, and he leads the strongest pride. I wouldn't want to get on his bad side. Why don't you come up to Pride Rock with me to meet him and ask to stay in his lands. He might say no, but you can always hang around the edges of the pridelands to get to know us anyway."

Vitani started to walk towards Pride Rock, her body language invited Daxis to come along. "On the way why don't you tell me a bit about yourself so I can introduce you to the King? What's your name? Where do you come from?"

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Kovu was spared answering by a soft noise from the cub on the ground. He was a little nervous about becoming a dad, and he thought he might have embarrassed himself if he'd answered Kiara just then. He bent down to study the cub.

"I think she's awake, but she's obviously starving. We need to get her food and water right away. Is there a lioness that can fetch her a drink? I'd go myself, but Vitani's still with that strange lion. I'd rather stay where I can help out if she needs it."

Kovu belatedly remembered that he hadn't told Simba about this strange lion on his land. "Uuh, I'm sorry I didn't tell you this earlier Simba, but a lion with strange markings was seen wandering around a short distance away. Vitani offered to go confront him so that we could get this cub to you before it's condition got any worse."

[[OOC: There ya go NM, here's that intro-opening you were looking for ]]