Nuru
Kimya'mwimbaji


Fully grown...That was something to be said. She and Nuru would be reunited today, for the rest of their lives, and one thing that KImya knew was that she and he would be the perfect pair. Grooming herself in the reflection of a pond, she paused however. He'd not yet seen the scar by her right eye, the mark Moricorm had given her, the mark that reminded her of the promise she'd made to kill the Lioness. Sighing, she knew he'd worry too much. But for now, it was time. Getting to her paws, the beautiful leopardess padded towards the den, her heart aflutter with so many emotions, it was almost INSANE~.

Nuru paced back and forth nervously outside of the den - which he had been doing for the last twenty minutes or so-, his tail twitching rapidly. He hadn't seen Kimya in so long. What if her feelings had changed? What if he'd matured into someone she couldn't stand - the possibility that the same could be applied to her never once crossed his mind. He was more afraid of that possibility than he was of anything else. Finally, growing dizzy from his own pacing, he took a seat and huffed, shaking his head and feeling his mane toss with the motion. He was being ridiculous, right? She would come up, and she would be fine, and lovely, and they would never again be parted. Nothing could possibly go wrong, could it? ...Then why was he afraid of just that?

Trotting forwards on easy paws, she saw him, and her heart swelled. He was beautiful! He'd matured into such a gorgeous lion, and her white paws carried her ever closer. Moving eagerly forwards, she sang out, her voice ringing clear like a bell, "Nuru!~" She prayed the scar didn't set him off too much, since he didn't know about it, after all. Crimson eyes looked at him, utterly in love with him, "Oh Nuru~. My Shetani msasi~" Her voice was warm, full of love and adoration, "I've missed you so~"

Naturally, the first thing that Nuru noticed was the scar. His eyes widened and he forgot everything else, forgot her own nervousness and his fears in the all-consuming worry that flooded him when he saw what had happened to his Kimya. "What happened?!? Kimya, are you all right? I'm sorry I wasn't there, I'm so sorry!" He continued to babble apologies at her, nuzzling her repeatedly, his blue eyes full of guilt.

She smiled weakly, nuzzling him and purring softly, "IT's okay, Nuru~" She cooed, "It's really okay~...." Her eyes darkened, and she sighed a bit, "It is a good reminder of HER~" The female cooed, "And what She did to our parents, and us~" Her paw moved up to touch the scar, and she sounded bitter, "I will kill her, if it's the last thing I do..." MORICORM....Kimya's now mortal enemy, after they'd met when she was an adolescent, "How are you~?" She asked, licking his ear, and trying to get him distracted from her disgusting scar....

"I should have been there," he murmured, nuzzling her again before stepping back and looking her over, chcking to be sure that there were no other major scars. "I couldn't protect you... I'm sorry," he added again, looking relieved when he realized that she seemed fine otherwise. He sighed and stepped closer to nuzzle her again - the lion didn't have much memory of what had happened to their mothers, or of the lioness who had done it, but he understood Kimya's resolve nevertheless. "I'm fine, Kimya... but when you kill her, I want to be there - I have to keep you safe; I don't want you to get any more scars if you don't have to. Okay?"

She nodded, purring, "Nuru..." She cooed, her heart beating far too fast as she thought her next words out carefully, 'I love you....And...You love me~" She cooed...."I want..." She took a breath, "I want cubs~." How was she supposed to dodge around the subject? Looking up at him, her face flushed lightly, crimson eyes looking up from under her fur at him, ".....Do you?~" She had to ask, had to hope beyond hope that she wasn't wrong, that her Nuru wanted a family too...

Nuru blushed beneath his fur. The thought honestly hadn't occurred to him until just now. He took a step back from Kimya and sat down, his tail curling around him as he closed his eyes, thinking over the concept for a long moment. Cubs... could he be a father to them? Making them would be no problem, of course, not as much as he loved Kimya, but raising them, on the other hand... could he do that? He mulled the thought over, knowing that it wouldn't be wise to simply say yes or no without considering it. At last, however, he stood up again and nuzzled the leopardess, his voice gentle. "I think... that would be wonderful." He smiled, then, his blue eyes lighting up with a gentle sparkle. "Our cubs will be beautiful... and just like our parents..."

Her heart soared and she all but tackled him, laughing in delight, "Yes~ Just like mother and father~" She would be so proud of them! They'd be her and Nuru's gift back to the Pride that had taken them in, and when she thought of it, a blow to that demoness that she had sworn to end one day, "It will be perfect for us~" She ran her body against him ,a bit of a wicked look in her eye. Her tail ran under his chin, then flicked across his nose as she padded for the den, giggling, "Coming~?"

The lion was left staring after her for several moment, his eyes slightly glazed and a rather dopey grin on his face. Kimya was going to be the death of him! "Y-yes! Yes, I'm coming," he called, and practically ran after her in an attempt to try and catch up to the leopardess.

Word count - 1009