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 Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 12:57 pm
It was ironic, very ironic. Memetuka had helped someone get up the courage to go wandering out in the roguelands, someone who was afraid of the potential dangers.. and then danger had come to the Pridelands. The Queen was gone, the heiress was gone.. two of the three Meme had dared to introduce herself to. Family gone missing. Unsure of what to do, how to react, Memetuka stood not far from her den pacing back and forth. She had to go and find Akida, talk to him, see if there was anything she could do.
She finally came to a stop, and looked off in the direction of Pride Rock silently. Her tail swished behind her thoughtfully as she hesitated some minutes.
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Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 1:19 pm
The issue was only just beginning to become rumored amongst the pridelanders and Shiri heard bits and pieces. What she could not understand was how the royal family could be taken away when the pride was so large and filled with guards, lookouts and the like. Perhaps the pridelands were not as safe as she had hoped?
Standing still in thought, Shiri caught site of a familiar figure inching towards pride rock. Once she paid enough attention she realised that it was her mother, Memetuka. "Meme?" Shiri called out gently. Speaking with a familiar face might ease her worries.
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Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 1:26 pm
Having always been a Pridelander, having always called this place home even when she tried to leave, Meme was having a good deal of trouble dealing with the idea that it might not be as safe. Dramatic changes had happened before, there were those rogues who'd taken over for the short time before Mufasa came and won the pride back from them. This was different, but it was still hard to imagine properly. Her mind batted back and forth over things that happened long before, recently and things that could happen when suddenly she heard her name.
"Shiri!" she called when she looked over to find her daughter standing not far away. More urgent, she realized, than going to Pride Rock was talking to her own family, "Shiri, have you heard what's happened?"
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Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 1:41 pm
Shiri nodded as she padded over towards her mother. "I've heard of the disappearances, but nothing of the details. What's happened?" Shiri's voice shook as she spoke and occassionally she would glance back over to make sure that Hodari, Jasiri, Angavu and Dakarai were all where she had left them. While she waited for a response, the lioness leaned forward to offer a greeting nuzzle to her mother. It was in greeting, but with these worries, Shiri was in great need of comfort at the moment.
Her cubs were growing up and with their father in the roguelands, they had great desires to explore and adventure. Shiri kept most of her stories of the past to herself, often speaking as though she lived within the pridelands her entire life. The story of her childhood was not something she felt they would understand at such a young age. It was filled with painful memories that she did not wish upon her cubs.
But even though that was the case, Shiri had gone through the same desires as a cub; she could not hold it against them.
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Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 1:51 pm
Meme sighed quietly, her eyes following Shiri's off to the young ones before she returned the welcome nuzzle. She could tell Shiri was worried, and very suddenly the old lioness didn't blame her. Shiri had to worry about her four cubs all by herself. Well, she had her mother around to help, certainly, but their father was not right there to help. Yes, she had to be here first and foremost.
"I'm not entirely sure myself," she answered, "The queen and heiress have disappeared.. I was just going to see what's going on on Pride Rock- but I think I'm needed here more." Meme tried to smile reassuringly at her daughter, gently batting at her with a paw.
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Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 1:59 pm
When Meme gave Shiri the news, the younger lioness nodded understandingly. "I had thought so much." Shiri spoke quietly, but before she continued, she leaned forward and whispered, "Rumor has it that they may have been kidnapped..." Shiri did not wish for her cubs to hear the news, for fear that they might become valiant and want to search for the royalty, or become frightened like their mother.
The gentle bat from Meme's paw caused Shiri to smile. So much had changed since their first meeting. Meme seemed so much more confident and their bond was only strengthened with time. When she commented about how much she was needed, Shiri nodded. It was not news to Shiri how much she needed her mother at this time. While Kei's visits were increasing, so was the work needed in order to care for the growing cubs and answer their consistent questions.
With a worried expression again, Shiri added quietly, "They wouldn't have just left us...right?"
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Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 2:18 pm
"Oh no!" she said firmly, shaking her head with more confidence than she ever had, "Kamilika would never abandon yes, nor would Sarakiva. I promised to go and see her again when she was queen, you know." Meme didn't even give a second thought about saying that, with how friendly everyone was in the Pridelands it wouldn't be surprising to befriend the royals, it shouldn't give away anything.
But then, perhaps she should.
"I'm sure some will go looking for them, try to find a way to bring them back," she said thoughtfully, glancing back to Pride Rock again, "The Pride has gone through tough times before, you needn't be too worried. We're a large, dedicated group. Bad things happen, but you get through it."
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Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 7:28 pm
Shiri felt her eyes water as her mother spoke so fondly of the pride that she was a part of. Shiri had chose this pride as her home because of the strong attachment she felt for it. Since she joined, she had met friends, started her family and developed a strong sense of fulfilment. She had never felt more welcome in her entire life and here she was doubting them. Her ears folded back as she continued to listen to Meme reassure her.
Memetuka spoke of the hard times the pridelands had experienced before, but Shiri was new to the prides. She heard many stories from other pride members, but no one spoke of the challenges. Curious, Shiri's ears slowly unfolded as she asked her mother, "What happened before? How long before it was solved?" It was naive for Shiri to ask the second question, but she hoped that the challenges would be over soon for the safety of her cubs.
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Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 9:34 am
( x.x Sidenote/disclaimer: Story is of Meme's POV and opinion. I read over the history. *shrug* )
"When I was young, Ahadi was king and he had two sons, Mufasa and the heir, Taka," she started, not at all concerned with telling the litter story about how Mufasa came to be king, "Ahadi was not a young king when he had his sons, and two rogues came and killed him. Mufasa and Taka disappeared the same night, and we lived under the rogue kings until I was a bit older than your cubs, I'd say."
Meme took a seat, deciding to make herself comfortable for the rest of the story. It might not take a long time to tell, but then Shiri might have questions which would draw it out!
"Mufasa showed up one night, and he challenged the rogues for the pride," she explained with a small smile, "Things got a lot happier when Mufasa won, and he was made king." Carefully, she avoided mentioning Sarabi yet, unsure how to bring that up without admitting it.
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Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 10:38 am
As Memetuka told the story, Shiri was silent, but very expressive as to her feelings. When her mother spoke about the rogues coming and killing the King and the pridelands being ruled by outsiders, Shiri's eyes went wide. It sounded so much like what was currently going on. The Queen and her daughter had vanished, but no one knew if they were still alive. What if the rogues were planning a second attack? The pridelands were a large group, but very friendly and open to accepting rogues. It would not be difficult for the rogues to form some sort of attack.
Shiri was glad when the story came to a close and offered a relieved smile. She heard only amazing things about Mufasa, but was surprised that he single handedly challenged the rogues and regained control of the pride that belonged to his family. Nodding as she took in everything, Shiri looked to her mother with a smile. "What if that is happening now?" Shiri's ears slowly folded back. If everyone else in the pride was not so worried, she had no reason to be. Especially if many of the current pridelanders had faced the rogues during their ruling.
Then, as though out of nowhere, Shiri became curious. "How do you know so much, Meme?" Shiri had heard stories from others, but never anything so complete. Was everyone afraid of the story?
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Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 10:51 am
"If an attack like that was happening now, we'd know about it already I would imagine," she said carefully, glancing towards Pride Rock, "And I don't believe all the royals have fled. There are too many of us here to pull something like that easily, I refuse to believe a large enough portion of us aren't truly at home here how things were- are-"
She blinked at the question, smiling shyly.
"Well, I don't know what too many who are in the pride now were alive when this happened, I haven't run into anyone I knew when I was young yet," she explained, "But I haven't been terribly social, either."
Memetuka hesitated, trying to find her way into the story. Shiri was listening now, her mother was being honest now, she might as well fill in the little holes in the stories she'd always told.
"Sarabi, Mufasa's queen, was betrothed to Taka when he was born and made heir," she added onto the original story awkwardly, "When Mufasa took over, she became his mate and queen. I always thought they were in love, I'm quite certain they were very happy together. Sarabi- she and I had the same father, we were sisters. She and Mufasa were the only ones who knew what happened to me when I ran off to be with your father."
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Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 11:30 am
Shiri took in everything that Meme offered to her, nodding and thinking up potential questions. By her mother's responses, it did not appear as though there was anything for her to worry about. As she said, many of the royalty were still there in the pride. If the rogues were attempting to take over once again, it would have been wise to dispose of all threats to the throne.
The younger lioness was about ready to ask a question during her mother's hesitation, when Memetuka continued her story. Shiri could not imagine what else there was to tell, but remained still, listening carefully.
Memetuka then told Shiri about how she was half sisters with Sarabi. The queen? Shiri thought to herself. But if that were the case, then that would imply that Meme was of royal blood, through marriage. And if Meme was...Shiri wore a look of confusion when she prepared to ask, "But then that means that.. you.. and me? We're part of the family?" Shiri hesitated. "The royal family?"
Shiri had come to the pridelands with the hope that she would find her family and if not, begin a family of her own. She was gifted in meeting her mother and having her cubs. She would never have imagined that she had more family to find.
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Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 11:45 am
Meme could see the surprise and curiosity in Shiri as soon as she confessed who they were related to, and her smile shrank a bit though she still looked happy. Shiri had to find out sooner or later, especially if Meme was going to go and try to be a better aunt.. and Akida had said he'd like to meet them, after all. The royals had such a large family it wouldn't be such a difference, but to Shiri and her cubs.. it made a big difference. They'd only had each other and their old grandma.
"We aren't directly in the royal lineage," Meme reminded her, "But yes, we are related to the royals in the generations after Sarabi. Kamilika and Sarakiva were the only two I'd told at first, but I met Akida recently. He seemed excited by the idea."
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Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 12:31 pm
When Memetuka reminded Shiri that she was not directly related, the lioness shook her head before having a moment to correct her mother. With a beaming smile, the lioness spoke, "That makes no difference! I can't believe that we have more family! The cubs! They'll have second cousins and great uncles and aunts!"
It was of great importance to Shiri for her cubs to feel welcome and make friends of their own. Knowing that they were related - in any way - to a great number of those who made up the pride would certainly help ensure this. She could just see the look on their tiny faces when she explained what Meme had told her, though likely more exaggerated and leaving out the gruesome details.
"Thank you so much, mamangu!" Shiri always hesitated in finding what to call Memetuka. Mommy and momma were strange for a lioness so much older, but Shiri felt as though she had missed out on something from when she was younger. Simply calling her Memetuka felt impersonal and mother seemed too formal. In her bout of happiness, "mamangu" simply slipped, meaning 'my mother'. But that was that Memetuka finally was: Shiri's mother.
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Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 5:13 pm
"Cousins, at least," she agreed, where the only aunt and uncle they'd have had were Sarabi and Mufasa- both who were deceased. But family was family, and it was becoming more and more evident as she met with more of the royals that they were most welcome. The smile on Shiri's face was enough to let her know that she'd done the right thing, telling her. It never seemed like a good time to bring it up, they'd not really talked too much about their family. Thankfully they spoke even less about Shiri's father.
"You're welcome," Meme replied, hiding her surprise at Shiri calling her something more affectionate than just her name. It was.. surprising. And wonderful. They were excited about more family, but the real exciting thing for Meme was how much they were really becoming a family. That was the best reason to stay where they were, make sure they stayed together and there was somewhere you always knew you'd find family if you did leave.
Fin.
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