[PRIVATE] A Rogue's Light II: A Shattered Pride

[XxRinaRoguexX]

Basically, this RP is a sequel to the RP that never quite finished (mainly because some of the RPers were busy and needed to take care of things in their lives...real life really sucks like that.) but we're bringing it back and it's going to be just as good.

Characters:
Imani, Visola, Kamau, Kioja - XxRinaRoguexX (XxRRxX)
Tanga, Kijamii - AustralianChaos (AC)
Mabaya - IvanMuse (IM)

Left with only the three of them Imani, Tanga, and Ra are left to deal with their living standards after the fire set by their ex-pride mate (and to Ra, ex-mate), and the arrival of new cubs along the way. Sooner than they imagine, the cubs have arrived, but they are in danger of a new villain whom only one of the pride members knows about. And so, with the threat of a vengeful rogue lion and their home being torn apart, the pride sets out on a quest to find a forever home they can find no danger and raise a family all together. But like any good story, there always has to be the rough spots.

[AustralianChaos]

[[OOC post:

Okay, sweet, this topic's up!

And my second character is Kijamii, Tanga's older sister that he has no knowledge of. (name links to profile)]]

[XxRinaRoguexX]

It seemed like years for how long they had stuck it out in the burnt out portion of the Pridelands, but it was actually only months. Time played a large mockery in their existences in this ash land and the more they stayed here and merely waited for something to happen was bringing them inches closer to more of their pride being taken out.

Imani was the first to wake from her sister and mate, but she was more willing to just stay where she was and close here eyes back up again. Not like it was a choice for her though as she had to be strong for herself and manage to make herself believe that there was a reason for waking up and getting moving every day like before. When the Pridelands were lush and full of nature and its creatures she rose up faster than anyone in the pride, but now she was close to becoming the laziest cat. But alas, her paws positioned her to rise up above the sight of her sister's overgrown belly to peer around her for what seemed like a nightmare. Thin trees, and even thinner chances of finding them some breakfast she started to make her way over to the muddy water they slept close to every night.

There's more out there for us, so why don't we just go already?, thought the lioness with her violet eyes trying to identify something edible along the way she could bring back for her family. She was so deep in thought that she hadn't realized she had made her way to the water, causing her to scream with a slight roar when her paws hit the deep part of the water, but she backed up just in time before she was able to get any on her face. "Oh dear..." she mumbled, trying to catch her breath.

[AustralianChaos]

As Imani got up and left, her mate, Tanga, was still sleeping...even if his sleep was not exactly restful. The last few months had been rough on all three on them, attempting to carve out a living in the devastated, burned lands...but it was starting to take its toll. He knew that, even if he had not seen his own reflection in some time, that he must look pretty bad...they all did. The lack of food had left Tanga thin, his already small and skinny frame now starting to look seriously unhealthy...but he always tried to get Imani and Ra to eat more than him. Ra desperately needed the nourishment...with her expected to give birth to her cubs any day now, she needed every bit of help she could get, or the cubs would not last. And Imani...Tanga tried to make her eat more than him because he simply cared about his mate...more than anything else in the world.

But Tanga soon snapped to the waking world as Imani's startled scream reached his ears. Despite his malnourished state, within the blink of an eye he was on all fours, already darting towards the muddy waterhole where the scream had come from. "Imani!" he called...he'd recognise her voice anywhere now, and had no trouble realising that it was her that had screamed, even if he had not stopped to look at who was beside him when he woke up. "Imani are you alright?" he called again, as he rushed to the muddy water, skidding to a stop at the bank, right next to her mate.

A quick look confirmed to Tanga that his mate seemed to have simply been startled, and was in no immediate danger. Coming up beside her, he sat down and nuzzled her shoulder softly. "Hey, what happened? What's wrong, love?" he asked, looking around to again confirm that there was nothing that could harm her in sight, as he, too, tried to catch his breath. The lack of nouishment was having an effect on his energy reserves, too. Tanga realised that this was not working...they needed to find a new home, and fast...they would not last much longer out here.

[XxRinaRoguexX]

There was no doubt in Imani's mind that it was one of the two lions that she had in her pride, and by the sound of the low tone in his voice, it was Tanga. Ra was probably still asleep, that log of a sister of hers would always manage to sleep through something like her sister shrieking...or a tornado.

Imani looked over to the bright male beside her, and with his slight touch it brought her a feeling of contentment as well as security. But when she got a look at him she felt the unhappiness in herself and guilt being drawn back since he was this way because of her own doing. She should have already ordered the pride of theirs to be moved to a lusher area like the main portion of the Pridelands, but she was too late and far too inferior to admit her mistake was worse on her mate, and soon to her potential nieces and nephews' health, and still on Ra. That pregnant belly needed something to fill it up with besides the cubs, but she was too stupid to realize it before...

"Let me find you something to eat" she completely avoided the question he had put upon her to look for something to help him with his own needs. Every time this happened, when someone was concerned for her or making sure she was well, she took it upon herself to make them feel better than she did. Perhaps it was because of her caring nature above her own care, but she mostly felt guilt for putting this lion and lioness in this situation. Her eyes wandered like her feet to attempt and find something Tanga could at least nibble on to keep him going until something else was found, but there was nothing...

Imani heaved a sigh before she looked back to her mate with her ears laid back to her head, "we can't keep living this way...". Her paw traced circles in the ground in front of her, but she lightly swiped in front of her as the circle turned into more of a tattered few lines.

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga sighed as Imani avoided his concerned, and instead attempted to offer him a meal to help sustain. Part of him wanted to ask her again, but he suppressed with practiced patience he had learned in the last few months. He had learned fast that when Imani avoided a question, nothing anyone said or did would get her to answer, and it was generally for the best to just let the matter drop. Besides, Tanga reasoned, there's nothing here...she must have just been startled...it's not worth persuing.

But as he watched Imani try to find something for him, he looked around himself, taking in the barren, destroyed lands. He knew Imani's self-imposed task of finding him food was doomed to failure. Even if she did find some small morsel, he would insist on sharing it with her, and making sure Ra got something, too. In his mind, he was the least important lion of the trio, and as such, could go with the lowest rations, and even go without for periods of time if it became necessarry. He knew he was slowly killing himself, but he'd rather keep Imani and Ra alive at the expense of his own health than see them suffer instead. Imani was too precious to him, and Ra was holding the next generation in her belly.

He pulled himself out of his thoughts as Imani turned back to him, whispering her worries at their lifestyle, shuffling her paws nervously. "I know..." he replied softly, placing his own paw softly over Imani's, making it stop it's nervous shuffling as he attempted to comfort her. "Staying here is doing nothing for us...and I have no idea how the cubs are going to survive here when they arrive..." as he said this last part, he glanced over at Ra's sleeping form, sighing form. "They deserve a better cubhood than this...and we all deserve a better life..." with his paw still on Imani's gently, rubbing it softly in what he hoped was a soothing motion, he looked into her violet eyes, almost losing himself in his love for those orbs, and the lioness they belonged to.

"We can't stay here anymore, Imani...we have to find a new home..." he said, a sad finality in his voice. This place had been home for so long...which was why they had not migrated yet...but migration was now necessarry. Tanga doubted he would last another month in his current condition...he was just about killing himself to ensure Imani and Ra had some semblance of health...and he knew that if he did let the lack of food overcome and kill him, that Imani would be beyond devastated. He knew that he was willing to die for her...but he also knew the effect that could have, and vowed that he would only resort to that as an absolute last resort. The situation was desperate now...they simply had to find a more bountiful land...anything would be better than this ash-coated wasteland.

[XxRinaRoguexX]

He was right, and so were her thoughts. Everything he said was just more of a confirmation that they needed to go, and fast. By this rate, Ra would have had her kids and then it would be too late for them and their early cubhood.

Just the thought of that brought a smile to the lionesses face, "my sister is going to be a mom soon. And here we were thinking we were going to be little kids all our lives" she started to giggle that soon morphed into a laugh thanks to the blast from her past. "And now I'm going to be an aunt..." just the thought of being an adult to someone like a cub, more importantly a cub that shared her blood, was enough to scare her enough to twitch under his touch.

Her mind started to ramble, and she hadn't even realized it was coming out of her mouth. "I imagine she'd be pretty scared about it, even though she treats it like nothing. But I've seen her struggle with her own health as well as the cubs letting her know they are just about ready to come out", she sniffed once and shook her head looking back over at her sister, "but she'll be a good mom. She's strong, protective, confident, smart, and she takes care of me enough so its not like she hasn't had experience with children" she smiled with her eyes closed happily.

[VitanisMate]

(Let's see what Mufalfa's been up to. )

Mufalfa looked off in the distance. His face and body had started to return to normal though there were still dark patches around the skin where he had been burnt. He looked back at what happened.

He saw in his thoughts Imani that, that fiend of a lioness, which was ironic since he thought she looked like a bossy, spoiled sister when he first saw her. He saw Tanga, that, that, that idiotic excuse of a lion that deserved to be put out of his pathetic life along with his mate. He saw Kioja that bully 'princess' who deserved a long death. He saw Auni that stupid oaf of a lion who tried to defend him. And he saw Ra. He knew there had to be cubs on the way by now, his cubs. But...NO! She did nothing to defend him. She just chunked him out! She would pay as well.

He saw a lizard on the ground beside him. "Isn't life just so pathetic?" He then crushed it with his foot imagining Imani's head his body. He laughed and knew if he ever saw them again it would be either him killing them or the other way around. He decided not to dwell on such things, since he would never see them again. He went off to find somewhere cool to sleep.

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga smiled as Imani's mood brightened as she talked of Ra's upcoming parenthood. But when that mood faltered, and she started rambling, he shuffled closer and hugged her, knowing that her ramblings were a sign that she was worried. "She'll be a wonderful mum, I'm sure...just as I'm sure you'll be a perfect aunt to them as well," he said softly.

But soon, Tanga's thoughts drifted back to the barren lands around them, and he found himself voicing his opinion once more. "But this place is not where they should have to grow up...they should have plenty of food, and lot's of trees and grass to play in. I know this isn't easy to talk about...but we have to. We have to talk to Ra about leaving this place behind...today."

He hated doing this...having to have a serious conversation that was all-but certain to bring Imani's mood crashing down...but there was no choice. By the looks of it, he was going to have to go without food today, and Imani and Ra would be lucky to get even a small bite, as well...and he was already malnourished enough...they needed to move, and fast, before they became too weak to do so.

[XxRinaRoguexX]

Tanga's embrace silenced every functioning part noticable to her; her mind, her mouth, and her heart. When Tanga held her like he did, she knew there was no one else who could ever make her feel the way he did. Though they were visibly and physically in pain with no means of admitting it, it still felt good to her to have someone to calm her down and talk her out of the nervous break downs. In the few moments of silence before there was a point to be made by her mate, small visions through his golden fur exhibited a picture to her that questioned her lightly. Her, Tanga, and Ra...smiling down at cubs...were they Ra's? Or...?

The fantasy was caught off track when Tanga spoke, once again saying everything that Imani had wanted to say and address for the longest while. But she never had the right amount of confidence or drive to bring up the touchy subject, nor could she imagine Tanga was all together pleased with being the one to break it into the open for consideration.

Imani looked out to the distance where the sun was peeking over the hills of Pridelands, but barely finding its way over to even meet their invisible standing shadows. Lightly and quickly she took herself out of Tanga's hold before looking out at the light and perking her ears. Though she looked like she was on alert for something she had heard somewhere, she was actually thinking of the idea she had wanted to present to her mate before her sister in fear that Ra would throw it back in her face with harsher words. That pregnant phase had its way of taking a toll on her language...not to mention her temperment. "What if we traveled to the main Pridelands?" Not the most original idea there ever was but it was a start, right? The creamy lioness pivetted on her paws to look back up at Tanga for some kind of a reassuring gesture or even better would be some words of encouragement.