Ghosts [For Kopalover]

[UncoordinatedPisces]

Characters: show

Askari - AmyMarie
Nuru - AmyMarie
Mechi - Kopalover
Siasa - Kopalover
Shairi - AmyMarie
More characters to come!

"Oh god...oh god...". The young male was pacing restlessly. The morning sun being blotted out by looming clouds which made the morning all the more worse. Not that it could get any worse.
"A-Askari, we've got to stay calm-" came another voice. It trembled; it sounded trying to maintain which seemed like a normally sensible tone in normal circumstances. The voice came from Nuru, Askari's slightly younger sister.

"How are we meant to stay calm eh?" Askari hissed back under his breath. He didn't want to wake his exhausted siblings after a night of panic, terror and running.
"Maybe their are s-survivors 'Kari?" Askari stopped pacing. He slumped to the ground, sitting on his haunches. "Maybe mom is-"

"Mom is dead". Nuru blinked hard. The realization that optimism wasn't going to help here sunk in, but her mother's death remained a lie. With an unstable sigh, she approached Askari. "Mom is dead Nuru. I saw it happen. Man came, and man went. Taking life and giving nothing in return". There was a tone of anger in his voice as a few straggling tears slipped past the strong barrier which were his emotions in front of his family.

Nuru hadn't cried yet. She was in a state of denial, and even Askari's philosophical words were not hitting home. The young lioness sat with the male, not wanting to say anything, not wanting to make things more emotional. She glanced up. The sun was now trying desperately to break through the clouds. She then took a moment to look at the younger members of her family. They were sleeping together, huddled up inside a rocky opening they had found in a high patch of ground.

She didn't want them to wake. Neither did Askari. They didn't want to face it.

[Kopalover]

Siasa woke to the sound of voices. Being very attentive, she had learned to sleep lightly and awaken with any sound of others nearby. She had been the first to spot the to legged creatures, as her young ears were better than the elder lions ears. The cub still heard the ringing of her Pride's screams and the loud bangs coming from the large, shiny metal things the creatures were carrying. Stirring slightly, she opened her eyes and scanned the premise. her brothers and sisters were still there. Good. Where was mother?

"Nuru-" Saying softly, in a daze. "-Where is mother?" Finishing her sentence with a yawn, then looking at her sister. Her green eyes dazed into Nuru's with a smile.

Beside Siasa, her brother Mechi was already awake and simply listening to the conversation.

"We're lions Si. We don't need our mother to tell us what to do any what to eat." He smugly said, laying on his back with his feet in the air. "Oh no wait, you're a baby. You need your mama!" Sticking his tongue out at Siasa and smiling.

"I'm not a baby! Just because you're the oldest of us, doesn't mean you're the mature one. Try acting like an adult for once." Siasa sighed and rolled her eyes. "Sometimes I feel like I'm the older one."

"Baby.." Mechi whispered under his breath, then pounced on Siasa. Though, being quick and attentive; Siasa quickly moved out of the way and watched Mechi smack his face off the ground. "Stop it." Hissing under her words.

[UncoordinatedPisces]

Askari ears twitched at the sound of Siasa's voice. She was asking the dreaded question. Nuru glanced at him but he was shaken to the point where he couldn't move or speak. Nuru felt unhinged, the cub's soft innocent voice and her nice little smile. Unknowing about the truth or the dangers that faced them.

"I...I don't know Siasa". It was the truth. Nuru didn't know. She still had a doubt that she had been slaughtered along with the rest of them, but by the way Askari flinched at her word's, she knew deep down there was going to be little to no chance of ever seeing her mother again. Askari turned around once he had heard Mechi started speaking. The oldest male's eyes were a little red and the fur underneath them was damp.

Askari sighed; Mechi had no idea. Only he and Nuru had the understanding of last night's events. To the others it was just a scary adventure. When Mechi went to pounce his sister, Askari growled impatiently.
"Your sister's right Mechi, stop it". He had no patience for his brother right now. "You'll both end up waking-"

"Askari?". The oldest lion's heart crumbled. His youngest sister, Shairi, was now awake. The young cub licked her lips and let out a huge cubbish yawn. She stood up, a little unstable on her feet and a bit dirty from being in the midst of all the panic with dust being kicked up. Her neck fur was all ruffled from where Askari had grabbed her, having had to find her among the crowd in the moonlight.

The cub toddled over to her brother and sat in front of him, leaning back on his fore-leg. After a long pause, Askari's lips parted with a
"Good morning sweetheart". Askari loved his younger sister, having spoiled her with his affection and love. In return, Shairi loved him even more so than she did her own father. Nuru noticed Askari's change in temperment. She knew he wouldn't tell her about their mother. Not unless he had too.

"'Kari, can we go back to Mommy now? I didn't like our adventure last night...". Askari had a lump in his throat. Shuffling his paws he gave a small false smile. Standing up, he looked ahead of himself. He knew the lands ahead of him roughly, and where the next watering hole was.
"Yeah, we'll have to find her first won't we? Let's go that way" he said, pointing with his paw, the opposite direction from the pride. "I bet you're thirsty, so we need to find some water don't we?". Shairi nodded and nuzzled against his leg.

Nuru listened with an anxiety. She drew closer to her brother and whispered lowly to him.
"We're not going back to check?"
"No...if man is still there we'll be in trouble. We'll get away". Nuru thought about this for a moment, and replied with a steady,
"What happens when we don't find mom and they start asking questions?". Askari didn't meet her eye for a second, not wanting to think about it.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it". With that final statement, Nuru retreated.

[Kopalover]

Siasa got up and followed her older siblings with her nose in the air. Her eyes occasionally scanned the area, and she realized they weren't going towards a place she remembered.

"Where are we going Askari? I don't remember ever seeing this land." Whimpering under her breath, worrying about danger in the close future. "Is mother this way?" She asked another question, trotting up to Askari and looking up at him.

"Oh cool! We've never been here!" Mechi said loudly, walking through a hollow log. He pounced out and laughed, then ran ahead of the group. "Come on! It's our time to explore! Without mom keeping us in line, we could probably go anywhere!" Yelling to the heavens as a flock of startled birds flew out of the trees above him.

"No. We have to find mother!" Siasa snapped at Mechi, then smiled. "Mother is probably worried sick about us, so it's our job to find her!"

"You're such a goody-good. Loosen up!" He sighed, and pushed Siasa over. "She should loosen-up am I right guys?" Mechi laughed at his sister, teasing her.

[UncoordinatedPisces]

Askari flinched with every single word. Nuru's eyes darted around nervously, knowing he was going to loose his cool. They had been walking for less than ten minutes and the tension was buildings. In hindsight, Askari couldn't blame Siasa, or Mechi. He couldn't blame anyone. His siblings were young and unaware, and he felt almost sick with the looming responsibility.

The older male watched Mechi run ahead of him. He wanted to shout at him, tell him to quiet down, but he had to keep his cool, he had to keep calm. Shairi had been padding along, blissfully unaware and yet still curious. Askari tried to block out Mechi and Siasa. He really tried. At Mechi's question about loosening up he stopped, and when Shairi asked him 'what was wrong' and whether he could 'see Mommy yet', he cracked.

Nuru was about to leap on him, to cover his muzzle, to do anything to stop him from saying it but it was too late.
"You won't be seeing Mommy" he said under his breath, "Mom is dead". Only Shairi heard and she, not quite understanding but, knowing this was a bad thing, fell silent. When Askari turned to Mechi and Siasa he raised his voice. "You hear that guys? Mom is dead!".

Nuru batted Askari hard when Shairi began to cry.
"Askari, stop. You're scaring them-" Askari pulled away briskly from Nuru, glaring slightly.
"Our whole pride is dead. And what are you doing? Messing around".

[Kopalover]

Siasa started crying almost instantly. Their protection was gone, their own mother was gone. She felt her whole world crash in on her in seconds. Now, she was worried. Where would they go? Shouldn't they go bury mother? What will happen to them? What about the pride?

"Why didn't you tell us sooner.." She whimpered quietly, then flopped to the ground on her stomach and put her face into her paws. "Is that what happened last night?" Questioning everything she had said before, and questioning why everyone in the pride was screaming.

"Did those creatures-" Siasa gulped down her sadness and worry. "Did they murder her?" Her voice trailed off, and almost went silent on the last word.

Mechi on the other hand, didn't cry and held it in. Though, he did sink into the grass. Now unseen by his family.
"Mom.." The young cub finally broke down into a fit, but remained quiet. He had to stay strong, he couldn't let his family see him cry. In rage and sadness, he smacked a paw down and started to weep harder.

"I could've saved her." Remembering the events of the night before, where he had her with them. Then suddenly, he lost her. If he went to find her, she'd still be here. It was his fault she was dead. Or so he thought.

[UncoordinatedPisces]

Nuru, seeing her entire family fall apart in front of her, began to let loose a couple of withheld sobs. Quick and short, she hardly let any tears out, but all the emotions had been building up and she didn't know how to re-act. "We were going to Siasa...b-but-" Nuru couldn't finish her sentence.

Askari sat looking blankly off into the distance. His heart was screaming to cry but his head was screaming louder. It told him that he had to pull himself together. His mother would of wanted him to look after his siblings so he had to do it. He hardly even felt Shairi crying into his leg, he was in such a deep trance that only Siasa's question snapped him out of it.

The oldest lion moved closer to Siasa, leaving Shairi in Nuru's capable, but at the moment, a little emotionally unstable arms.
"Yes...they murdered her. Look, you are mature enough to understand Si. But..." he looked at the youngest of them all, "Shairi isn't. Also, I doubt Mechi will come to terms with it in the way you will. We've all got to stay strong. Mom wouldn't of wanted us to be like this, would she?".

He leant forward and gave his half-sister a reassuring nuzzle. Meanwhile, Nuru had been whispering to Shairi in a gentle voice many have wished for.
"It'll be ok sweetie, it'll be ok. Mommy is in the heavens now, she's watching you. Don't cry". It was all rather rushed, but Nuru knew Shairi needed comfort and she needed it quick.

Askari noticed Mechi wasn't to be seen. His heart skipped a beat. He briefly panicked, but after moving towards the high grass, Askari found him. His face was hidden, but Askari knew the young lion had been crying.
"Mech? Buddy?" Despite the two's differences, Askari placed a paw on the young lion's shoulder to comfort him.

[Kopalover]

Siasa wanted nothing more than her mother now. You don't know what you have until it's gone; a phrase that's wildly underestimated. The cub sobbed some more, and nudged her way towards Nuru when Askari left her grasps. Her tears started streaming harder and harder when she saw her younger sister's sad face.

"Nuru.. Is mother happy now?" Looking at Nuru and her younger sister, Shairi. "Will we ever see her again? Is she watching us with the Great Kings?" Siasa had so many questions, that her mother had no way of teaching her now.

"Where will we go?" Was the biggest question she had. They had no where to go, and no one to teach them. They were together, but alone. No parents, just each other.

Mechi ignored his brother trying to comfort him. "I could have saved her, Askari. I could have saved her!" He yelled, pausing in between each sentence. "I was there, I lost her. I was right beside her and I didn't go back for her. This is my fault we're all alone and upset. She could be alive right now if I wasn't scared to go find her." Yelling up at him with tears pouring down his face. His light blue eyes were stained with red lines, his dark caramel fur matted around his eyes.

"Askari, I love her and I abandoned her." Dropping his head into his paws and whimpering soft sobs.

[UncoordinatedPisces]

Nuru felt a bit overwhelmed with Siasa's questions. The older lioness herself wasn't prepared for them. She couldn't bring herself to give a full answer, not yet. She would though...soon. Having finally managed to settle Shairi's sobs, Nuru didn't want to trigger them again. She was going to be hard work. They all were.

"Askari will look after us" is all Nuru had to say "And so will I". Her and Askari were the oldest, they had both being given a least a little bit of training. Nuru's mind went to the future for a few moments. She had only ever managed to bring down small creatures, the largest being a warthog. She knew it wouldn't be in. Nuru doubted her talents, and she knew she'd have to teach Siasa how to hunt, as soon as she was a little more capable.

Meanwhile, in the high grass, Askari looked on with a somewhat shocked expression. The young lion's yelling wasn't going unnoticed, but Nuru had guessed Mechi would react differently to the others. Askari for a moment, didn't know how to handle him. He thought it was his fault.
"Mechi, look at me" Askari said firmly, "Look at me". He waited for the young lion to catch his eye before continuing, "It is not your fault. Mom would of wanted us out of there. She would of wanted you out of there. There is nothing you could of done, and nothing you can do now".

"You didn't abandon her Mechi". Askari was going to wait for a response before he did anything else. He wanted to move towards water as soon as possible. He also wanted to sit and cry for a while but he knew his family were now more important.

[Kopalover]

Siasa stopped crying, and simply stared at the ground. She used her tears yesterday while crying from how worried and scared she was. "Okay." The cub whispered, and nuzzled up to her sister. Siasa closed her eyes and tried to remember the good times with her mother, and tried to forget that they were alone.

"Nuru, do you think mother saved us?" Her hushed voice asked, with her eyes still closed. The tears were starting again, with the thought of her own mother risking herself to save them.

Mechi sighed, then looked away from Askari, "Can we just go?" He snapped, and got up. His non-caring attitude came back just as soon as it left. The cub got up and started padding away.
"Which way to the closest watering hole. I'm thirsty." Mechi said, not even looking at Askari. He just kept looking ahead, but through his mind was the screams of the fallen pride. The other cubs were gone, they were the only ones left.
"Well..? Which way?" Saying, as he turned around and faced his half-brother. The tears still matted his fur and he fought to hold back fresh ones.