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Dad always told her he loved her. Dad wouldn't lie...right? Then why was he leaving her at the edge of some pride she had never heard of before and telling her to stay? Shukura sat miserably, tears running down her brown cheeks as she watched the dark form of her father disappear into the distance.

Shukura had never met her mother. She had died in childbirth, too weak and frail to deliver two cubs successfully. Her brother had also perished, and she had only survived thanks to a passing healer who happened to have two cubs of her own and was nursing at the time. Her father, distraught with losing his mate, couldn't handle the little brown cub who looked so much like her deceased mother. So he did what he thought was best: give her to a pride that could take care of her better than he could.

But of course, Shukura didn't understand all that. All she knew was that Dad loved her, but was leaving her with strangers. She didn't want to go with them! She wanted to go with him! But she was a good girl and did as she was told, even if that was sitting in a small patch of grass under a tree, waiting for someone to come and take her away.

Shukura ended up laying down under the tree while she waited for someone - anyone! - to come for her. Dad had told her someone would, that this pride didn't leave cubs unattended for long. This was a good pride, he had promised her. She'd grow up big and strong here, and be very successful and wise. And perhaps she'd be able to come find him once she was grown up. She had held on to that promise tightly to keep her spirits up, but now that he had actually left her here...well. It did little to console her.

Between her sniffles she heard soft footsteps approaching her tree. She lifted her head and through her tears saw a large cheetah. She had seen cheetahs before with Dad, but never one so close. She shied away from her, even when she spoke with a gentle voice. Was this a random feline or was she part of the pride?

"A-are you from...from the Jedi pride?" she asked, the longer name escaping her. She knew the nickname, though, of those who used something Dad had called the Force to guide them in their lives. "I'm not s-supposed to talk to anyone...if they're not from there."

Shukura flinched slightly as the cheetah dropped, thinking she was going to be attacked. But when the soft voice continued, the little cub relaxed just a bit and inched closer to her. "No," she said quietly, sniffling just a bit. Once the cheetah confirmed she was a Jedi, Shukura moved closer. They were a nice pride, her father had promised her, full of caring lions and cheetahs and all other kinds of animals. She'd like it there. He had promised.

"M-my dad said that...that I'm gonna stay here," she said weakly, amber eyes shining with tears. "He can't...can't take care of me anymore and I don't have a mom so he told me to stay by this tree until a Jedi came." She wiped at her eyes with a paw, trying not to cry anymore now that a Jedi had found her. She was safe...but she'd miss her father horribly.

"S-so...so I'm...I'm in the right place?"

The hug caught Shukura by surprise, but after a few moments of initial shaking, she pressed up against the cheetah. This was her home now. There were other lions and cheetahs and creatures in this pride that would treat her as kindly as Abeo. She just had to buck up and find the strength within herself to want this change. Her little heart still ached for her father, but perhaps she'd meet him again some day when she was older and could take care of herself.

"I wanna be," she said weakly as she pressed her face into Abeo's neck. "S-sorry Miss Cheetah, f-for crying. It was just really scary being here all alone." She rubbed her face against her paws again, trying to get the last of the water from her fur. "I'm Shukura. And I've heard...really nice things about this pride from my dad. S-so if I can't be with him...I wanna be here."

The hug was comforting, and it chased away the last of Shukura's sniffles. She wiped her eyes with her paw once more before looking up at the cheetah, a weak smile on her face. Her dad had always said the same thing about crying. Hearing it from someone else was not only a relief, but it made her feel like she was at home. If all the members of the pride were this nice, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing.

Her ears perked up as Abeo confirmed what she had been told. They were all nice here! Maybe there would be cubs that she could become friends with. Ah, that would be wonderful...she had never met someone her own age before, since she had always gone around with her father until today. The prospect of friends made her a bit more excited to go with Abeo.

"Really?" she asked a bit shyly, drawing circles in the dirt with her paw out of embarrassment. She had no idea what it took to be a Jedi other than being kind and caring to all those around her, and she did enjoy making people smile. Perhaps she would be a great Jedi some day.

"Oh...yes, I'd like that very much," she said before glancing over her shoulder. There were no other lions in sight. Her father was long gone and she doubted she'd ever see him again, But that was okay...she knew she made him sad because she reminded her of the mother she couldn't remember. She didn't want to make him sad. So if staying here would make him happy, that's what she'd do. And who knew? Maybe he'd come back to visit!

"Okay...I'm ready," she said, sniffling once more to clear her nose. She stood and looked up at the taller feline, a hesitant smile on her face.

[Last post from me!]