Sick.
Shwari was sick.
Did lions even get sick?
A purple paw smacked against the shore of the watering hole in annoyance. So whined and rolled over, covering his eyes from the bright sun. Seriously, a newborn cub couldn't have made more of a pathetic noise than he did just then. He knew, at this moment, he looked like a sad little man. He wasn't ashamed of it because he was. Other than the little part. He was normal size for a pridelander, thank you very much. Their contest the previous day of who could eat the most rotten meat, So couldn't stomach. Literally. Shwari had came out the victor and now was paying the price for it in puking and aches. He'd have found it funny if it didn't mean he was left out here by himself for today, maybe even tomorrow! He'd lost yesterday, and now, today, he had to deal with something worse: being bored.
Doom.
---
Mto had never been a leader before. She'd never wanted to. Being alone was an ideal life for her, it's why she was in no rush to find her real name and run back to the Swampies. Not that she didn't care about her pride or her family. Just... Some lions weren't meant to be with others, she'd always thought when someone asked her to play as a cub, the only result being her annoyed, not amused. In a matter of two days she was beginning to rethink things she'd been convinced of a lifetime. Maybe she wasn't such a horrible leader, or even just a lion to be around. After all, neither of these two behind her seemed like the types to follow someone unworthy of it.
She was convinced she knew where she was going, a rarity for her. Direction might have been the only thing she needed to feel comfortable around someone else. It was a theory she'd need to test out. She'd always considered maybe she was less grumpy because she had someone to complain with, rather than just b***h out, about all this ridiculous love business that spawned visions refusing to let her sleep. So. It was a nice name. Short, like her temporary one. She'd never met him in person. Maybe he was a nice guy. She'd give him a chance to help him before they forced him to.
"There! I see him. By the water."
---
Little did Mto know, Lakisa was conditioned to follow. True, she was the most bossy of followers, but a follower none the less. Being the one to debate and correct the leader didn't always mean you wanted to be the leader. In her case, it was just that she was a busybody, maybe a little bit nit picky. Okay, a lot. In any case, Mto could have been anyone and as long as she looked and acted like she knew where she was going, rest assured Lakisa would have followed her the same as she was doing now.
Her paws were sore, her legs were tired. She was just young enough to remember she was too old for these adventurers. It had been so long since she'd been to the pridelands she'd forgotten how far away they were. Why, she was likely younger than their fearless, pink-eyed leader when she'd last been around these parts. It wasn't as long ago as she made it sound. "Isn't this place still maintaining the biggest collection of lions out of all of them? Back in my day you wouldn't find a bigger group! How exactly are you going to find someone in such a wide area? We can't keep looking forever---"
I see, Mto said, and Lakisa stopped.
I'll be damned, she thought, but didn't speak it aloud. It wasn't proper. "My bad, dear."
That was much more lady like.
---
First, there was Mto. Then, there was Lakisa. Last, there was Cricket. That was just the way she liked it. Dominance and leadership didn't have any importance to her. Not any she was aware of. Cricket could have taught Control Freaks 101, but she never knew just how far her paranoia of not taking charge went. In the face of being mauled by crazy lions, she'd learn to deal with it. They were quite a trio. Three women who had all the qualities of a shepard yet none who really wanted any sheep. They could use a sense of direction for sure.
She wondered how her mother and that cheetah were doing back where she'd left them. Maybe it was wrong of her to just leave like that. Wasn't that the same thing Banji did that made her so mad? She'd been thinking about it. No, it wasn't, she concluded. Gzifa was an adult, a mother adult no less, she'd be fine. Cricket was an adult, too, and as an adult she'd given her word. She had to see it through no matter what.
But... the largest group of lions? Gulp.
---
There were cootie infestations all around this pride. So didn't find anything out of the ordinary about a group of females passing by. They always traveled in packs to gossip and giggle and all that annoying girly stuff, didn't matter how old they were. Except... Except these ones weren't moving out of the way to pass him. They were coming right at him. He glanced up at him, noting their grimaces, and panicked. Oh, crap! Were they friends with that annoying cub?!
Times like these, So wished he spent more time moving and getting actual exercise than conning things to hunt for him and spending his whole day making replicas of Priderock out of twigs and pebbles. If he'd bothered staying in shape he might have stood more of a chance when he jumped up and tried to flee the scene.
Oh please, let all three of them have a limp or something.
---
Mto didn't have any limp. What she did have was limited patience and now a lack of willingness to have more of it. If he was going to run like Banji, because of Banji, then she'd treat him like Banji. It was to be expected if that was the case, she'd pounce on him and pin him to the ground. She did. They were even similar in body weight and size. Cute. "Where do you think you're going? Only the guilty run, you know. That's the law of the Savannah. Try that again and I'll break your legs."
---
Lakisa winced as So got his face smashed in the ground. Banji deserved it. She wasn't sure this poor fellow did. Her sympathy for him wouldn't allow her to help Mto this time. She wasn't exactly rushing in to stop her either. Not quite yet. If he was... ahem, involved with Banji, then he could be just as sleazy and sneaky. Guilty until proven innocent? Innocent until proven guilty? The second one would work better this time. She'd take it into consideration with a wary eye none the less.
"We're here about Banji, dear. There's no need for you to run from us, we won't hurt you. Mto just... says that to everyone. It's like hello for her."
---
"M-Mto!" You'd think Cricket would be used to this by now. She couldn't really blame herself for still being unsettled every time Mto launched herself at another lion. Either everyone found her as scary as she did or her luck was just really, really good. There were a lot of lions who wouldn't have taken the assault laying down like this poor guy. For once her and Lakisa were on the same page. Kind of. She wasn't going to excuse their dark-coated companion's behavior.
"I'm really sorry." She would, however, apologize for it. "We really don't mean any harm... at least, we don't." She motioned to herself then Lakisa. "But we just want to know some stuff to help out the females Banji has left behind for, uh..." For you. For him. "For their sake, this needs to be worked out. I hope you understand."
---
So screamed like a little girl on Christmas who had a gremlin fall out of her chimney and devour all her presents. He was about the same size as Mto, but slower, most definitely not as strong. His claws extended and scratched at the ground desperately. All attempts to escaped proved futile. When he finally did manage to get an inch there were already two more in front of him. Were they were really going to kill him for shooing away an annoying cub who had bothered him first?!
...Banji? What?
"I don't know what you're talking about, or who Banji is!" This obviously wasn't about the any cub after all. "I swear! I don't know anything!"
---
"Don't play dumb with me!" Mto warned. She lifted a paw and brought it back down with a thud, grinding his face into the dirt. "I saw the images a long time ago, I know you know him." That one was one vision she'd never forget, just because it had been so... original. So nuzzling Banji with that ugly lion looking distraught. What was his name? Something with a 'shh' sound, like in 'shut up'. Which So really needed to learn to do if he wanted to keep those legs of his. "I saw you get all snuggly! Lie once more and I'll start taking toes!"
----
Lakisa grunted and sat down. This was going to talk longer than she expected and like hell she was gonna be standing around the whole time. Complaining didn't get anyone anywhere so she'd have to help things along. Her pride and her useless sons were fond in her memory. Home sick? You bet cha. "Listen, dear, we're not going to judge you. It's more common than you think. Now, we'd like to know about Banji. The black male with white stripes. One blue eye, one brown. Very charming fellow. Ringing any bells yet?"
---
When Lakisa sat by her Cricket couldn't help but edge away. She was less off her rocker than Mto but it was still a pretty close race. "It's really in your best interest to help us. If you're worried about being separated, I'm sure you could all live together. I'm sure the females are very nice."
---
"...I..."
"...."
"...what?"
So had never been so stunned. Insane. They were insane. "Are you crazy?! That was just a game!" After the description, he did finally realize who they met. That old guy he'd met forever ago? Ugh, best left forgotten. "That was only to make Shwari angry and make him loses so he'd be jealous I was winning!" Bad word choice there, So. "--Wait, no! I didn't mean it like that! I meant he's not--we're not--it's not like that! I don't know what he did or what you're talking about! I don't even know the guy! I just met him that one time! You have to believe me."
And not kill him. That'd be nice.
----
Mto peered down at him and hissed. That wasn't enough to convince her, but she knew something that would be. She shuffled her weight to her front paws and closed both her eyes. Focus, Mto, focus...
They came to her in an disorderly way, vision after vision. So with that same lion every time. Them racing, them hunting, sleeping, drinking, playing, doing a lot of weird things she wasn't sure what to call. Was that a miniature priderock out of sticks? What the hell? She got the one with Banji again, but this time, flashes of what happened before and after it. Finally it all made sense. It was a love triangle! Banji's love was one-sided. Karma was really a b***h.
"He's not lying, I saw it. We're done here for now. Looks like this is all Banji's fault after all."
