Safi padded down towards the river for a drink. He loved his family for all they were worth, and as much as he hated it, ever since he'd met that cheetah he'd been craving adventure. The young leopon wanted both adventure and a firm place to plant his paws, which caused a rift of confusion in him.
Just what was it that he wanted?
Mchezaji appeared from the tall grasses onto a rather odd scene. His singing and dancing hadn't alerted the pale creature of his presence, which confused the hell out of him. "Whats wrong, little brother?" He padded closer, dancers feet gracefully gliding atop the river stones to the leopons side.
"On a day like this, no one should be as sad as you are." Could he, too, be craving cubs? There were only so many he could sire at a time! Thus, he didn't offer.
Safi wasn't surprised to have a stranger at his side. These days, it was as common as having a sibling with him. "Have you ever felt like you don't belong?" He looked up into the leopards soft eyes and saw something he never had before. He'd known of happy people, but to look at this leopard was like staring Nirvana in the face. He was calm, relaxed and poised, without much of a care in the world. That alone made it insanely easy to talk to him. "My parents left their pride so they wouldn't have to raise their cubs in fear, but sometimes I wonder if it was really so bad."
"Well, it seems to me like your going through a rough stage, so that could be part of it." Mchezaji took a seat on Safi's left side. "Adolescence is a rough part of life for anyone, but for a hybrid..." He shuddered. "I can see your concerns. Was the pride they left against hybrids?"
That could play a key role in the mystery.
"That's just it. From what my older brothers tell me, the pride's royal family were hybrids. A leopard King, a lioness Queen and a bunch of leopon children." He ran a paw through his thick stretch of mane, and scratched the back of his head before dragging it back to the ground.
"They said that it was full of bullies and that's why they left, but why not join another pride? Wouldn't it be better than wandering around out here, where anything could happen? My father's been in two prides already, and he still misses them."
Mchezaji pondered on the situation. A father that missed being in a pride, a family that wanted better for their cubs and a moping hybrid. It didn't make a lot of sense to him, but he was going to help one way or the other. "It sounds to me as if your parents were looking for a better life for you. By bringing their litter into the rogue lands, they gave them a chance to strike out on their own. If you wanted to stay with them, fine. If you wanted to join a pride of your own, fine. The world is at your paws because of them, and for that, you should be grateful. Because of their choices, your able to become whatever kind of male you wish to be."
"A better life for me?" Safi repeated the question. Could it really be true? Had his parents suffered so much, not only because of their own desires, but because of love? No, no, that couldn't be true, and yet...He was hard pressed not to believe the leopard.
"Well, then, answer me this; if they wanted me to be a rogue so badly, why do I want to join a pride? I hate being out here, with only my family as constant company." He moaned. "It's boring as hell!"
Mchezaji laughed. "Well, then, thats easy. Join one." He grinned. What a fool youth could be. "Haven't you listened to me at all? They gave you this oppurtunity to choose your own path. If that means leaving them, then they'll be sad to see you go, but I'm sure they'll understand."
He placed a paw on the adolescents shoulder. "Your growing up, cub. Listen to what your heart tells you and do what you want to do."
Safi openly gaped. A shiver ran down his flourescent fur, settling on the tip of his tail. "Then...I've got to tell them right away. I can leave tonight." His orchid eyes screamed with relief. Finally! The answers he had been searching for for so long. Why hadn't he seen it earlier? "My family loves me. They really love me, and because they love me, I'm going to do what I know I must."
The adolscent leopon bounced up on his paws and took off, then paused and looked back. "Thank you so much!" He called out across the plain. He owed the leopard so much, and yet, he knew he would never get the chance to repay that debt. So, instead, he started back for his family and his new life.
"So thats it then." Mchezaji chuckled. He stood up on his paws, lowering his front half down on the ground with a large, languid stretch to work out his kinks. "One lost soul down, so many more to go~ If only Mingmei were here to see me in action." Oh, how she would demean him and steal his thunder. Actually, maybe it wasn't such a bad idea leaving her behind after all.
For a while, he simply watched the white blob that was Safi disappear. And after all that, he couldn't help thinking that he wasn't such a fool after all.And with a strong breeze to surround him, the athletic leopard took off back towards the den that he shared with Mingmei, pondering the mysteries of life and love with every step.
What kind of love could create a creature filled with so much self hate? He shook his head with a sigh. While hybrids should be praised as much as any child, he knew then and there that he wanted nothing more to do with females of other species, simply to avoid that kind of trauma in his own kin.
(Word count: 1,03 cool
