Dimbwi stretched, enjoying the early morning coolness. As she scanned the beach, she noted that the cubs seemed to be gathered around another Pombuka. She'd have today off. She started to head for the sea, intent on an early-morning swim, when she notice Mahatma. Once again, he was under a tree - Was that the SAME tree as before? - playing out his story with some rocks and... Well, that was new, now he seemed to be using some grass under the tree and the sand. The lioness smiled, padding her way over. "At the story again, are we?"
Mahatma looked up, smiling at Dimbwi. "Aye, I think I just about got it done, too!" He motioned to the rocks. "I fixed them all! I just hope no more birds drop fish on them..." It had taken him a while to find the things he needed again. Cursed seagulls.. It had taken him three whole days to do it all over again! "I had to change some things... Like, tha sand is now tha sea, and tha grass is tha land!" Admiring his handywork, the male carefully positioned the rock that represented the merlioness, as well as the berry-stain pride's prince.
Leaning over, the lioness admired them. "You changed the opposing pride!" Before, they'd had white flower petals, but now each stone had a bit of grass on it. "Why did you change them? Could you not find the right things again for them?" It made her a bit sad, they'd been such pretty white stones. "And 'ow is the story? Will you tell me more, Ma'atma?" She sat next to him, smiling as she cuddled up to him.
The male chuckled, motioning with a paw to the opposing 'pride.' "Well, since tha birds did a good job ruining them, I decided to redo tha whole lot. So I found new rocks, and stuck grass on them with some honey. I think it was creative of me!" Proud of himself, he picked up one rock with not only a leaf stuck on it, but a fluffy yellow feather as well. "Now... This is the heir of tha opposing pride. He's an uppity lion, who believes everythin' he's told by his fatha', and took the prophet's prediction to heart. He saw the other heir out with tha lioness from the sea... And remember, they didn't know that she was tha sea god's daughter. Well, the other heir got jealous, because he wanted such a stunningly beautiful lioness for HIS queen. So, he went to talk to her one night, while tha calmer heir was out with his father."
Her ears lifted in surprise, watching the rocks. Though she said nothing right off the paw, her mind was at work, imagining the story and the scene. One pride in shades of sunset red, the other in shades of forest and grass greens, and in the middle, the lioness from the sea, in blues and greens and decorated with an array of fish. Were they going to go to war? Would it be peaceful? She glanced from the rocks to Mahatma, dark purple eyes dancing with wonder. "Then what 'appened?"
Moving the rocks for the two heirs and the merlioness, Mahatma motioned with his paw. "The heir to tha sea-worshipping pride, while displeased with tha association between his new-found friend and love interest, did not discourage, as he wanted her to have friends besides just himself. He wasn't a selfish lion, and believed in sharing many things, most importantly friendship. He just wasn't keen on sharing mates... And by then, weeks had passed since this little fish had come from tha sea. He'd fallen in love, and intended to propopose to her. But with the other heir stepping in.. Things became complicated. He, too, wanted tha lioness for himself, and was willing to do anything to have her all to himself. He told her she should only talk to him, nobody else, that she didn't need friends, only him."
"The manipulative sneak!" Dimbwi glared at the rock, as if it really were the prince of the grass-decorated 'pride'. "A girl should be allowed to be friends with 'oever she chooses! 'E is 'oarding 'er time!" She looked up at Mahatma, frowning deeply. "'E is being controlling! That is so RUDE!" She knew it was still just a story, but it still felt so real.
He let out a laugh, nuzzling Dimbwi. "Come, now, it's just a story!" He turned back to the rocks. "So, tha one heir wants to control tha pretty lioness, and tha other wants her to form bonds and friendships... Two very different methods of life. Well, she's not liking how tha second male is treating her, so she heads back to the pride she'd been staying with. Tha second male was not happy, so he went after her, trying to force her to his home pride. Tha first male, who'd found her on tha beach, would not have this kind of thing going on, and out-right attacked tha other male. Soon both prides were involved, as tha two males fought their battle. All tha while, tha lioness from tha sea watched, hiding away from tha waring prides. It seemed... All hope was lost for either male to have her, for she wasn't fond of tha fighting. And all tha while.. The sea, not far from them beyond tha cliffs that tha two prides fought on, began to toss and turn, as tha sky grew cloudy and forboding." Reaching a paw over, Mahatma grabbed a large and broad leaf, creating shade over the rocks with it.
The lioness gasped, watching in surprise. In her mind, she could just see the clouds gathring, dark and ominous. And there, in the 'sea', was the god, ever watchful of his daughter and the two prides. "And then what 'appened? Did the sea rise up and crash over them all?" She'd heard the story of the pride's history, about how the sea had risen up and washed most of the original pride away. Or... Had she seen it? She couldn't rightfully remember, always seeing snips of this and that in the past.
Now he REALLY had her attention! "Not right away, no. See, the god from tha sea... He wasn't happy. And when he wasn't happy, tha sea wasn't happy. With tha two prides warring over his daughter, he soon became ANGRY. With a MIGHTY boom of the waves on tha rocks, tha god appeared before tha two prides! Both sides went silent, amazed at tha sight of such a lion. When he spoke, his voice boomed, 'You insult my daughter by fighting like this over her! What do you have to say for yourselves?' Tha whole of both prides were shocked, all turning to look at the lioness from the sea."
Watching in rapt attention, Dimbwi wondered for a moment just which god it was. Was it Jukuu? Or was it Bahari'nswi? Or was it some other god, yet unknown to the pride? What was going to happen to the fighting prides now?
Moving the rock that represented the lioness from the sea, Mahatma leaned over. "Tha lioness ran back to her father, telling him all about her time with tha two prides. While tha prides watched in silence, afraid to do anything, tha lioness and the god talked, before tha lioness, smiling, ran back to tha prince who'd found her on the beach so many weeks ago. She'd formed a deep bond with him, having spent hours talking to him, and sharing his pride with him, and in that time... She'd fallen in love with HIM, tha kind and gentle prince that didn't much care about trying to follow destiny. Why force it, when it was bound to happen anyway? Oh, but tha other prince would have NONE of this, and in a rage, attacked both tha other prince, and tha lioness. Exhausted from fightin', tha prince had not tha energy to defend himself and tha lioness he'd come to love from tha attack."
Dimbwi gasped, eyes wide. "'E will KILL them both!" She looked at the rocks, just imagining the opposing male charging for the attack. Such an uncontrolled lion! How had HE been made an heir? She looked from the rocks to Mahatma, eyes wide with worry for the kindly prince.
Mahatma couldn't help but laugh, nuzzling Dimbwi. "It's just a story, silly!" He moved the rock that represented the god, putting it between the opposing prince and the first prince. "Before tha opposing prince could land his attack, tha god stopped him, enraged that he would dare to try and harm those who could not or would not fight. With a swift motion of tha god's paw, tha opposing prince hit tha ground, not more than a fish! And then.. Tha god ATE him! Both prides were rightfully shocked, and bowed to tha god, appologizing profusely for their transgressions. Tha god simply warned them to never fight over such a thing again, and then, giving his daughter and her chosen mate his blessing, returned to tha sea." Mahatma sat back, smiling, as the story had finally come to an end.
Dimbwi let out a quiet wow, eyes wide and full of wonder. Looking at the rocks, she soon smiled, admiring them. "I 'ope the two prides joined together after that! It seems a much nicer ending for them all, to be one big 'appy pride!" She paused. "It stops inbreeding, too..." That was a problem most prides tried to avoide, at least. Or she hoped they did.
He nodded, smile stil on his face. "Of course they did. And tha two prides lived as one, quite happily, for many generations." He stretched, then carefully gathered the stones he'd used to be the lions of his story. "I just hope tha cubs like tha story as much as you did!" After gathring everything into a pouch he'd found, he nuzzled Dimbwi before carrying it off to tell it to the cubs. Hopefully without bird intervention...
