Matope padded through the swampland, contemplating... Well, everything. His coat had grown shaggier since he'd gotten to the swamps, so long ago. His mane was even somewhat corded from the moisture. He wasn't sure how that had happened, though. He'd also watched many cubs leave and return from name quests, finding their true names. As the painted lion flopped across a log, staring at the water, he wondered... What about him? He scowled at the reflection, reaching a massive paw down and slapping it.

A ghost slipped through the trees and plant life of the swamp. Now and then, a pale paw sank into the water or mud, but the owner seemed to not mind. When the massive ex-Firekin came into view, the white lion tilted his head, smiling, before walking up. "Something seems to be on your mind there, Matope." He sat down not far from the much larger lion, mindful of the power in his punches.

One ear flicked, before Matope finally looked up. The white lion had been something of a godsend for him - Patient, kind, gentle... He could easily see where Pata had gotten her temperament from, learned or otherwise. He gave a scowl, then glared at the water. "I'd rather not be Matope..." He gave a scoff. "Mud blood..." His paw shot down, smacking the water again. "I've NEVER liked that name..." While his mother had given Dooley a nice name... His father had given Matope himself a less-than-happy name.

Mle moved closer, sitting on the shore of the water. "You know, I wasn't always Mle'tonoka." When he looked up, he noticed the larger lion's sarcastic look. "My parents weren't even the ones who named me." He brushed a bit of old dirt from his shoulder. "See.. When I was a cub, my family was just a small family of rogues.. My parents, myself, and my brothers and sisters. All of us white-coated... We lived NEAR a pride, but the pride was suspicious of us with our coats... It led to a lot of problems for me in life."

Matope looked at Mle in confusion. "So what's that got to do with names? And how can your parents NOT name you?" He shifted, crossing one paw over the other as he watched the older lion. "I wasn't exactly my father's favorite off-color cub." He gave a snort. "I think Haggy got THAT honor..." As far as he'd observed, Kosuke, being a seer, heavily favored any cub that was a seer. Which meant Haggy was favored, and Kosuke wished she'd been born a more acceptable coloring. If they'd ALL been born acceptable colorings... Well, none of them would have gone off to new prides.

"Ah, see, that's the thing... They DID name me... At some point. But... Remember that pride I mentioned? Not a single one of them was white, and not one had white ON them... Any cub born with white was killed, as they were superstitious about the color white..." The white lion scratched his chin. "They called us ghosts, unnatural... Unholy. Because of that... They attacked us. As far as I know, I'm the only one from our small family left... The only other relatives I have, besides my own descendants, are two cousins and THEIR descendants... But since then, the only word I knew to refer to myself as was Zimwi... Spirit..."

Matope sat up, blinking in surprise. "So then you came here?" It seemed logical. The pride seemed to have a healing effect on everybody he'd seen walk in. He himself felt like he was healing. While he didn't have as much anger... He still had that name. It made him feel held back, like an ugly scar. An emotional scar his father'd given him, for all to see.

"Actually, no." Mle carefully stepped into the water. "See... When I was a juvenile, I found my way to the Mistweavers." He saw a look of recognition pass over Matope's face. "I imagine you'd know that name well enough. Knowing your lineage, having learned it from Pata, I can safely say I know your maternal grandfather." He paused. "Or knew... I'm not sure if Bodaway's still alive. But he told me enough of the history of your former pride to know that there were no happy feelings between the Mistewavers and the Firekin. I'm not sure if you'd know the name, but there was a lion living in the Mistweavers for a while, he looked like he could be a Firekin..." He scratched his head. "What was his name...? I think it was Akamu... Or something like that."

He shook his head. "Nope, don't know the name..." He let out a sigh. "So what's that got to do with me, anyway, other than you grew up around a pride my birth pride used to hate?" He couldn't recall even hearing about the pride from many lions beyond his father, his grandfather, and one aunt. "I just..." He let out a growl, then got up, walking away from the water. After a moment, he sat down, lifting his front paws to pull down on his face. "I wish I could have proven to him that I have as much fire in me as any OTHER Firekin!"

"Except you're not a Firekin anymore, you're a Jini'msemi lion." He gave a flick of his ear, as Matope turned and looked at him. "What's in a name, Matope?" He got up and walked over to the larger lion, standing next to him. "I told you part of my story, because it relates to who I am now. Before I came here, I was a fearful lion, always seeking to appease everyone but myself. It was selfless of me, yes, but self-destructive because I lacked confidence. If I'd met you when I was far younger, I would have run the other way screaming in abject terror. You are who you make yourself to be... And while you may not look it, I'd say you have that fire in you. You just need to express it in a good, non-frustrated way."

Matope thought about Mle's words, then sat up, face hardening a bit. "You're right... I've been so worried about proving to someone who's not even around me anymore, that I'm worth while... And I've been putting myself down in the process." He stood up. "I AM a Firekin!" He then looked at Mle. "But I'm a Swamplander, too!" He was okay with that declaration.

Mle smiled. "There you go! See, you had that fire in you this whole time! You just didn't realize it." He then gave the larger lion's shoulder a playful punch. "Now tell me... Who ARE you? Really. You don't look like a Matope'damu to ME."

The multicolored lion thought about it, looking down, eyes moving back and forth as he searched in himself, then smiled. "I am Paa'ndani angu'mtima." He wasn't Matope'damu. He wasn't mud blood. He was a lion who conveyed the fire in his soul. As if to show his pride in himself, he let out a mighty roar, filled with that pride and fire.

Mle fell over in surprise, not expecting a roar of such magnitude. "I think my ears are ringing now..."

The large lion looked sheepish now. "Sorry... Just got excited..."