[Note: Flashback RP]
Wordcount: 1,180
"Where is she?!"
Things weren't going very well for the Mtaishi queen known as Sen. She had been hovering around this den for days now, and understandablely, others were beginning to get suspicious. Hiding her pregnancy had been a chore, but hiding the cubs themselves was so much worse. They were so noisy. The number of excuses she'd used to shoo people away she couldn't even tell you.
They were three days old now, and still no sign of Hari. That no one had caught her yet was nothing short of a miracle. She had told Yue and Mwokoti she was sick and not to bother her. Concerned pride members had approached (from a distance of course) to try and soothe her ailing self.
"Where IS SHE?!"
---
"I'm right here, dearest."
Not that it would be any comfort to Sen, but Hari hadn't been too pleased either the last few days. Her own litter was no doubt on their way tomorrow, and the effects of pregnancy were taking their toll ten fold. It was a nessecary step to keep from being 'unforceablely removed' from the lands by her mother. Didn't mean she had to like it.
The feeling of sickness, among other things, had kept her from moving for a while. The next time, if there was one, she would be more used to this and no unborn little bastards would get the better of her. That was then, this was now.
Now, she had something more important to deal with.
"You don't look very good. Did everything turn out okay?"
---
"What? No. I mean, yeah." Sen sighed, thumping her head against the side of the cave she'd taken refuge in. "Everything is okay health wise. I'm okay. They're okay." The word 'they're should have been enough to tell Hari what the problem was, but she kept going on anyway. "It's... There's too many, Hari. There's more than one."
Inside the cave, huddled in a poorly made bed in the back, was indeed not one but four cubs. The three girls lay mostly atop their brother, all crushed as close together as they could get. The air was chilly in their surroundings.
----
Wonderful.
Hari couldn't help but look annoyed. Being one who prided herself on complete control, pregnancy had won versus her willpower this time. The jolts of pain surging through her were making her anxious and frustrated. This matter wasn't helping. She couldn't not look how she felt right then no matter how hard she tried.
Wordlessly, she passed Sen and made her way into the cave to inspect her kin with wary eyes. She pushed the white one to the side. Acceptable.
----
Under normal circumstances, Sen wouldn't have let Hari just shuffle a litter of newborns around like she was trying to find something she'd dropped in a pile of rocks. The thing was, Sen was no normal mother and these weren't normal circumstances. This situation was anything but normal.
Right now, she needed something to tell her what to do. Not the other way around.
"What do we do?"
----
First thought: Smite the extra three.
Hari quickly thought of something better. The plan was filtered through faster than any before it. Right away, it all made sense. How it work, how she could do it. This would be blackmail not useful till much later, but the pay off would be worth it...
"These two here..." The dominantly black duo was moved away from the remaining female. "I can say they're mine. My cubs with your brother should be coming soon. The third daughter is the one you can give to Sen. Yue will never know the difference."
----
That... Was just crazy enough to work. Yue's mind was as dim as his coat was bright. There was no way he'd be able to tell them apart. Sure, they looked a bit like her, but so did mom and dad and anything they inheirted could have easily come from them.
"Alright. But... What do we do with the boy?"
----
Oh, right, the male one.
Hari scooped the squeaking cub up for inspection a second time. She'd segregated them by gender at first, but now saw another reason to keep him apart. Those markings didn't look much like Yue's or anything Sen had. And that purple... There was just no way this was going to fly if they drug such a random looking thing into it.
"This boy is the rebirth of the Great Spirit's son. His presence alone here will bring the great storm and the pride will find out what happened, as well as outcast you for treason should you not kill him now. I'm very sorry, Sen."
---
If there was one thing that could have possibly overwhelmed the already frantic new mother, it was hearing that. Those words sent her into a total frenzy; a panic even. What was she talking about?! Was she being serious?! "Hari! Are you joking?! He's a little cub! You can't seriously tell me you believe that?! You want me to kill him?!"
---
"You may not, Sen, but the pride does and I have seen his past." Hari tried her best to look truly regretful and was finding it difficult when one of her own unborn offspring gave her a sharp kick. Yeah, enjoy it while it lasts, you little rats. "If you refuse, terrible things will happen. There could be an uprising. They'll likely swarm the cub anyway. You'll be found out no matter what happens. You don't want that, do you?"
For a second, Hari felt a twinge of regret in what she was about to say. Quickly, she cast it aside. "If you can't do it, I'll..."
---
Sen's world finally felt as though it was slowing back down to a normal pace. She tried to breathe again, tried to think again. Hari was right about half of it at least. If she didn't play this right she was going to be found out. She'd have to stay here even longer if Mwokoti knew she had kids to raise...
"Alright, it's okay. I can do it. It'll be fast when I do. I owe you, Hari."
---
Hearing this, Hari carefully gathered her two 'daughters'. It was going to be a challenge returning to her own den without being caught, but she was confident she could manage. She knew the routes, tricks and short cuts better than anyone else.
Inwardly, she smirked. She owed her a favor alright. To the outside world, she gave but a nod and then was on her way.
---
It was work and time Sen hadn't invested in anything else since the days she'd been trying to fly, but she managed. The cub was raised in the back of the cave, slowly but surely growing to where he no longer needed his mother.
The poor young thing was fast asleep the night she carried him out to the rogue lands, plopped him in front of the hare and gave her son a final goodbye nuzzle against his face.
When she had to, Sen could lie to the best of them.
