[Private] KingKivuli, Zeke and Amanda

[Zeke]

Zeke paused for a moment, not wanting to revisit the memories that stained his mind. "I came....from a small pride, very far from here," He said, looking off into the distance. He was surprised at how much his voice had changed from when he last heard it. "We were burned out and slaughtered one night, and I've been on my own ever since." Satisfied with his shortening of the story, Zeke stopped and waited for Kivuli to respond.

[KingKivuli]

Kivuli thought for a moment and visited his own memories. He too had been in a burn and escaped. Was it possible? Was this lion, Zeke, another survivor? 'That explains your white mane!' Kivuli yelled 'Tell me something, this burning, was it casued by another prides attack on yours?' Kivulis face was washed with total amazment.

[Zeke]

"Yes it is, why do you ask?" He asked. Then he realized that Kivuli had similar marks about his mane. Zeke froze up, stunned at what he had just discovered. No way, He thought, rising to his paws and silently taking a step back.

[KingKivuli]

Kivuli jumped in amazement. THe pain in his leg did nto matter comapared to what he had just discoverd 'Its not possible!' He said 'Everyoen died in that fire, i just got out myself. You must have only been an adolesent at most! This is incredible. I dont believe it!' Kivuli was engulfed in happiness. After so long of being alone he finally found a member of his lost pride

[Panda-chan]

By now it was soaking wet. The three separated zebras were running frantically toward the rest of the herd, trying to stick together. But the lionesses in hiding were blocking their route so they had no choice but to run straight ahead. Semira and the three lionesses were only a few feet away from them now. Amanda's heart was hammering in her chest and she wanted to cry. She'd never expected a hunt to be so fast, so dangerous, and so... scary. She closed her eyes and whimpered softly to herself, praying the zebras would get away. I'm not even that hungry anyway, she thought, opening her eyes again. Her stomach, however, grumbled just then, apparently disagreeing.
Suddenly, down below, the baby zebra tripped and fell and started bleating. One of the zebras continued to run, but the other one, a female, stopped abruptly and bleated back, panicked. The lionesses crowded around the baby zebra, and at that instant, Amanda tore down the hill. Before she was halfway there, she saw one of the lionesses raise her claw to slash it against the baby zebra's face, and screamed, "NO! STOP! DON'T HURT IT!"
All four lionesses turned toward the screaming cub. Even the mother zebra froze. When Amanda reached the circle of lionesses, she said, panting, "Let it go. Please. It's just a baby."

[Zeke]

Zeke could not find the right words to express his astonishment. For a while, he just stood staring at his fellow pride member not sure of what to say. "How....how did you get away?" He asked. "I thought I was the only one left. I couldn't find any survivors."

[KingKivuli]

Kivuli's hearts was pounding. The words fianlly reached his mouth 'I was on the very edge of the flames, i was by myself hunting. The flames came so quick. I tryed to get back to the Pride but i was cut off, so i just ran. What about you? You must have only been an young adolesant? How by the great kings did you survive?' Kivuli stared at Zeke in complete amazemnet and awaited a reply

[Zeke]

"I honestly don't know," He started. "When I woke up, everyone was looking for a way to escape and I couldn't find anyone I knew. I got up but was smashed back to the ground, receiving this scar," He said, turning his head and displaying the gash across his nose. "Then they just left so I got up and ran. Ran through the flames and kept running. Couldn't find anyone after that." Zeke stood quietly, looking down at his paws and waiting for Kivuli to respond.

[KingKivuli]

Kivuli was stil amazed. Against all odds this young lion had beaten them. Kivuli walked over and looked at Zeke 'Whats important now is that we found each othee. That gives me hope. Hop that soemwhere the rest of our pride is alive' Kivuli smiled 'I think our elders would say the same thing'

[Panda-chan]

The lionesses stared at Amanda in shock. Finally Semira recovered and cleared her throat. "Amanda, I told you to wait up there by that rock." Amanda stared. Did her mother really think she was so stupid? "How can you kill an innocent little zebra like this?" she burst out. Semira hadn't expected this reply. She fidgeted uncomfortably before saying, "Amanda, dear, we do this all the time. All the food you eat is hunted like this."
"But what about the poor animals?" asked Amanda, bewildered.
"They all die eventually." Semira said simply. Then seeing Amanda open her mouth to argue, she added, "Look, we are lions. We need food. These zebras need food too, but they have the grass to eat. We can't eat grass obviously, so what else is there? We can't let ourselves die, can we?" Amanda looked at her, speechless. She had nothing to say to that. All the other lionesses were growing hungry. Some were even smacking their lips. Amanda shuddered.
"Well," she began in a small voice, "Can we at least let this one go? It's just a baby, and it's not fair that it has to die so young when it's hardly even experienced life yet." The lionesses looked horrified, but Amanda saw from the corner of her eye that the mother zebra was looking hopefully at Semira. Semira thought for a while, then gave in. "Alright." she said, "But you'll need to be less merciful when you grow old enough to hunt on your own. Sparing baby zebras like this is foolish. We need all the food we can get." Then, somewhat reluctantly, she ordered the lionesses to let the baby zebra go. At once it bounded happily over to its mother, who gave it an affectionate nip on the head. The scene made Amanda's heart break.