[Private] Initial Rivals

[SnowyCheetah]

Kiburi, although quite startled by Kiara's sudden dramatic appearance, was quite alright. Yes, Tanga, don't worry. she said with a cautious nuzzle, not feeling comfortable with showing too much affection with the unknown lioness around.

Dixon frowned at Kiara. Explain yourself. Why did you attack? I fail to see how any of us provoked you. he said, his large paws apparently keeping the lioness effectively captured. Obviously he had no intention of killing her, but he was beginning to wonder if she knew that he was only trying to keep everyone safe - including her.

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga gave a small sigh of relief, the adrenaline rush coupled with his care for the dark-furred lioness causing him to return her cautious nuzzle more openly. "Thank the Kings...I thought she was going to get you for a moment," he said, relieved that his oldest friend was okay as he turned back to Dixon, who was demanding answers from the lioness that had attacked, waiting to see what her response was.

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As Kopa watched Kiara, he could not help but stare at her. Something seemed rather familiar about her, despite knowing he had never seen her before. It was like he knew her...but at the same time did not. With this curiosity, he focused intently on the young lioness pinned under Dixon's paws, waiting for her to explain herself.

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Kiara frowned at the white lion above her, wondering if this was all some game he was playing...a chance to toy with her before he killed her. But when she looked over at the others, she saw Kiburi for the first time, and finally pieced the chain of events together. "Oh..." she breathed, her fierce demeanour vanishing as she realised she had almost attacked and killed another lioness. "I'm...I apologise. I didn't realise I was attacking another lioness. I'd been stalking the antelope for a while, when your friend there got to it first, I was so frustrated that I lunged at the first sign of movement...but I didn't know it was another lioness."

She squirmed guiltily under the white lion's paws, as she further attempted to explain herself. "I just...I've never managed make a kill before, and my dad doesn't like me heading off to hunt alone, so I came here to get away and do something myself...prove I could live alone, but I didn't realise someone had already taken this place as their own after my dad left." Realising she was starting to ramble, exposing her frustrations to a complete strange, she shut her muzzle, and waited for this white lion to say or do something.

[SnowyCheetah]

Kiburi would comfort Tanga later, when no longer in the presence of the strange lioness.

Dixon listened thoughtfully to Kiara's speech, which was a rather convincing excuse for her actions. He thought for a moment about them, still keeping her pinned down as he debated whether he should let his guard down. He looked to Tanga, hoping for some visual indication of what his opinion was on the matter. Looking back at Kiara, he himself saw something familiar. Somehow she reminded him of Simba and Nala in one. All he knew that something about her was familiar.

In any case, it seemed as if she had no harmful intentions, so he decided to let her go. Removing his massive paws from her, he stepped back a bit to give her some room to get to her feet.

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga noticed Dixon look his way, and after a nervous glance towards Kiburi, he decided that the lioness was not a threat anymore, now that they were all aware of her. He turned back to Dixon, nodding his approval as he got off Kiara, although he, too, watched the lioness carefully, just in case her story was all some sort of ploy to get them to let their guard down.

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As the massive white lion pulled his weight off her, Kiara hesitantly got to her paws, making sure to keep her distance from this group, particularly the big one. She was outnumbered, and this was, naturally, very cautious about her, considering how she introduced herself. She decided it was probably for the best if she took her leave of this group, and went their seperate ways. "Thank you for letting me go. I'm sorry again for attacking you, but I'll head back to Pride Rock now, so I won't bother you any more."

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Kopa caught onto Kiara's mentioning that Pride Rock was her home. Adding that to the sense of familiarity around her, and her earlier comment that her father had lived her once, and the pieces started to fall into place in the brown-maned lion's mind. "Wait, Kiara!" he called, causing the young lioness to stop in her tracks. "Your parents...they would not happen to be a couple called Simba and Nala, would they?" he asked.

Kiara did not respond, but the way she froze in shock, suspicion and fear gave him the answer he needed. "They...they're alive?" he asked, his voice hopeful. "The pride is okay?" He was so focused on his parents, that the reality had yet to completely sink in that Kiara was actually his younger sister.