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Post by Amari <3 on Feb 15, 2021 4:43:31 GMT
(Since currently the site is pretty much on hiatus I am going to add in other characters during my posts so that way the story can continue on without much issue. When we reopen of course I won't be doing that anymore..)
"We really do not want to return to my home pride, I can tell you that much. My oldest brother has a small pride nearby, but it's less of a pride and more of a sausage party. I don't think there is a single female in their ranks.... I heard some of the girls talking the other day about one of the lionesses here, Zira, talking about how they are going to leave this place and start anew. We could go with them."
Amari had been pondering this exact thing for awhile now, if she was going to leave with Zira or stay here with her birth mother. Everyone in the pride knew how often she butted heads with her biological mother. Many arguments had ended with her wishing that Zira had been her real mom. She knew it had hurt her mother deeply when she had yelled those things at her. It was true however, she wished Zira had been her biological mother. While growing up she had taken quite a liking to the lioness and those feelings were returned in time. At first their relationship had been rather strained and filled with jealousy. The older lioness wanted her cubs to be the heirs to Scar's lineage, not someone else.
However she had won her heart over in due time. Amari loved how strong Zira was and admired her strength. Zira had been the reason Amari had stared to learn how to hunt and how to fight. She wanted to prove herself to the matriarch of their pride. She still did if she was being honest with herself. She wanted to show her how strong she was becoming, how she was more then just a princess.
Glancing up into Nya's blue eyes she smiled slightly. "I definitely like the idea of leaving if Zira decides to go.. She's the closest thing I have left of a actual maternal figure. I love my birth mother but I feel like her being around me and Iniko reminds her of a bad time in her life." Amari told her simply with a slight roll of her shoulders, she had come to terms with her relationship with Sarafina. She worried more about Iniko more then herself, for the other sister was more involved with the pride. Iniko had started training to be a shaman, and she had made a few friends..
"I haven't spoke to Zira or anyone about what was going on. All I know is that there have been a few near attacks the last few days. Everyone is always fighting with each other and no one is making it stop." It was all coming to a head, everyone knew that. Amari would eventually have to pick a side in the matter. Considering her eldest sister was the reigning Queen of the Pride and land. Either way she was going to have to hurt someone's feelings and honestly in her mind it would be easy to hurt her bio mom.
"I guess Zira is having some sort of meeting in the Outlands tonight, perhaps we should go and see what that's all about?" Those loyal to Zira and Scar never had any sort of privacy and so they had to go and have this meeting. Surely the rest of the pride would realize that half their number was gone. She wasn't sure it was the smartest idea but how else could they make some sort of decision.
Amari nudged Nya gently rubbing the top of the her head on the larger lionesses chin. "I've never given much thought... on males in general. I just accepted it as something I would have to do eventually when I wanted cubs.. Even now I don't know if I want cubs." Amari told her in a way to soothe her. She wasn't going to leave over something dumb. Most males were arrogant pigs anyway at least from what she had seen in her life time. All they wanted to do was sleep and mate with whoever they wished. It was rather disturbing.
"Anyway. What do you want to do until then? We have the entire day to ourselves until that meeting happens." Amari was honestly going to let Nya lead the charge on this, let her lead the day. See what kind of trouble they could get into.
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Post by Amari <3 on Feb 10, 2021 4:37:05 GMT
It had never crossed her mind that this particular situation would be her future. She never imagined that she would able to actually pick her path in life. From the time she had come screaming from her mother's womb she was groomed to be a royal lion. That she could someday become a Queen of this paradise, and she had taken those lessons to her heart. She had loved every moment of it, but she had her reservations on the title of being a princess. A few times during the end of her father's reign he had mentioned her becoming betrothed to another lion from a different pride. That she would have to have a suitable male counter part to rule the pride lands with. Amari had never liked the idea of finding a supposed prince charming, and having to be with him. She wanted to find her partner all on her own and actually fall in love with them..
Which at the time had made her father angry and rather upset with her. He had explained in not so subtle detail that no royal ever marries for love. That it was all a fantasy to look good to the kingdom. If she was being honest with herself it had broken her heart to hear those words. A part of her had always hoped that her parents had at least cared for one another. Learning that it was only to satiate the desire of a King wanting heirs. For a long time afterwards she had sort of fell into herself, finding life to be utterly meaningless. Her mother confirmed the story at a later date and Amari remembered how hard she had cried. There was little comfort to be had in those times, the pride was trying so hard to survive.
Then her older sister came home seemingly back from the dead, with a suitor. A suitor that quickly became the resident King. Nala had somehow managed to find her mate out in the middle of no where. At first it had been hard for her to accept that they loved one another, but in time she saw it. How they would look at each other, how they would laugh together. When the duties were done they would disappear to be alone together.. so in a way she learned romance existed when her bitch sister showed her.
Now that she had lost her title and all rights to this place, she could experience these things for herself. She had no duty to anyone. Only to the dead and that didn't matter.. it was all just dust in the wind. Her green eyes twinkled as she listened to Nya talk and the words were like a cool blast of fresh air. Amari had never given her sexuality much thought, she had always assumed that the right partner would eventually come along.
Her body tingled, her head bowed slightly for a moment to stare at the rock beneath her feet. It was decision time for sure. --- Honestly, her life had improved so much since Nya had joined the pride. She had found her best friend and someone she could talk to about anything that was on her mind. There wasn't a day that had gone by that they weren't together. It was clearly becoming more obvious to her that they had something going on.
Laughing softly, she shook her head. "I think I love you too Nya. Everyday I wake up and hope to be able to spend time with you. I enjoy every dumb thing we do together. You give me so much to look forward and have helped me conquer many of my demons. You are my motivation. I adore everything about you truly." Amari whispered quietly her ears twitching as a sheepish smile crossed her face. Without giving it a second thought she learned in and nuzzled the larger lioness. She buried her head into her shoulder for a moment drawing in a deep breath.
"So now what?"
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Post by Amari <3 on Feb 3, 2021 4:38:55 GMT
A few moments after rubbing against her friend, she seemed to bounce over to the edge of the pride rock. With a soft grunt the silver toned lioness sat down and just took a long look at the land she called home. It had been quite some time since she had been able to sit here and just admire the land around her. The very same land that her family had lived in for countless generations for time untold. At one time not so long ago she had been showed this land with her father. He had told her many different stories that day, about the circle of life.. How the world worked before this particular land became more "civilized", the law of tooth and claw. He talked to her about the lion guard and how he had ruined it for himself due to greed. Greed was something that had haunted her father and in a way it still haunted the pride as a whole. She had listened to his advice carefully that morning so long ago, trying to remember every word he spoke.
He had spoke of life and love, the duty of royal blood. How one had to make decisions that didn't always make them happy. It was for the good of the whole. It had a lesson she took to heart but what did it truly matter anymore? Her father was gone, her sister was now the reigning Queen of this land. Her niece was the future Queen and her nephew was a Prince. There was literally no room for her to have these fantasies anymore, it was pointless. Amari didn't have the drive to do what others had done in the past. She had no desire to kill her sister and take her throne, or to destroy those little cubs that were the future of this pride. Just like she had been at one time.
Instead the world had opened up seemingly over night, now she had no duty to anyone except for herself. She could do as she pleased, and every door opened for her. Amari also knew that with her lack of title that meant she could be with anyone she desired. It was a new freedom that she had never pondered before. Glancing over her shoulder she watched Nya for awhile noticing how strange the larger lioness was acting and her words were strange as well.
A confused look settled across her features, those green eyes twinkling with mirth. "You love dew? Whatever are you going on about?" She giggled softly and jerked her head in a come here motion. Amari wanted her friend to see the world from where she did if only for a moment. Honestly she felt this weird energy, it made her feel almost hyper but on the inside. She was aware of how hard her heart hammered in her chest as she watched the lioness.
"This could have been mine you know? At one point I was set to be the next Queen of this land. It is in my blood... but fate had a much different plan for me. Now I am no one, I have no title.. no purpose.." Amari stated softly a slight shiver running down her spine as the wind seemed to dance around them. "I have no duty to this land anymore, I can do whatever I wish.. be with whoever I wish..." The words caught in her throat for a moment as she looked at her friend. Making sure that she was looking in her eyes.
"So explain to me again what you were trying to tell me.."
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Post by Amari <3 on Jan 31, 2021 4:40:47 GMT
There was a soft grunt in the darkness, a soft exhale of breath. She wiggled closer to the source of the sound and nestled her head against her mother's back before resting there. Amari may have issue with her mother but she loved the lioness all the same. How could one not love the one that gave them life? Sarafina's breath grew deeper again beneath her cheek and the younger feline felt a slight smile cross her face. Though it would seem this peaceful moment was about to end as the sun decided to rise and usher in the day. The serenity of sleep was slowly washed away as the lions around her began to rise to greet the new day. Already they spoke of what to do for that day, who needed to do what. For a moment the young lioness just wanted to keep laying here with her mother and sister. It to her felt like what heaven would be. So many mornings she had awoke like this while she grew, to a soft nudge or gentle lick from her mother. Or at times her father or even Zira depending on where she had spent the night.
"Rise and shine girls.." Sarafina's soft tones tickled her ears and she wanted to complain at her. Amari instead creaked one green open to look at her mom, seeing the loving and yet stern look on that face. "Okay.. okay" She grunted softly and raised her head off of her mother's back, which allowed the older lioness to stand and stretch out those pesky muscles. For a moment longer she lay on the cool stone floor, staring at her mother watching how she moved and how she got ready for the day. Taking it all in. Her ears twitched soundlessly as the talk of breakfast and duties started up. Of course her mother volunteered to go on the hunt that morning, which she usually did now that the girls were older.
Though sometimes she still wished her mom would stay home and just spend the day with her like she used to. Amari ignore the awkward lump in her throat as she slowly stood upright. Immediately she stretched out her legs and back feeling the muscles pop and grind. It felt nice. It felt good to be alive. She turned her attention to Iniko who was already going off to begin her own duties for the day. Her sister had a fondness for medicine and herb collection, and often spoke of one day being a healer. Which honestly had lead to Amari having her own personal crisis. She still hadn't found her place within the pride.
Once upon a time she had dreamed of being a ruler, a princess, someone the others would respect. However now that life took a different turn it left her picking up the pieces. There was talk floating through the pride about leaving, starting life again elsewhere. It was a idea she had been toying with for some time. What the world would be like outside of the Pride Lands, where no one knew who she was. Where she could make her own destiny without any outside influence.
One more stretch and yawn and the silver toned lioness followed after her quickly departing family. The sun was bright and for a moment it made her flinch as she walked out into what felt like cold fire. The mixture of sunlight and cold stone was enough to make a shiver run through her body. As she turned to walk down the steps she heard someone call out her name. Amari stopped and looked in the direction of the voice, a genuinely happy smile crossing her face at her friend.
"Good morning Nya!!" Amari almost chirped as she approached the much bigger lioness with a bounce in her steps. With a soft huff she bumped her head against her shoulder before rubbing her side against hers. Mingling their scents together into a smell that was clearly there own, it was a scent that often gave Amari some weird comfort. "Sure we can talk, what's up?" She asked her honestly curious. Whatever it was she hoped it was good news.
As the stragglers left pride rock the two lionesses were left alone. If only for a moment.
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Post by Amari <3 on Jan 8, 2021 4:06:55 GMT
Amari hadn't really expected company, but it was always welcome. Her green eyes seemed to twinkle with amusement as the pale lioness appeared. It would also seem that Ma'at was trying to hunt those gazelle as well. Unfortunately, it would also seem that she had no luck this day for a meal. The leopard had won his prize and disappeared through the thick foliage. Glancing back down she noticed how empty the small plain was now, surely more grazers will eventually show up again. This place never seemed to stay empty for very long, at least now that the drought was gone. "I'm sure you'll get another chance here shortly, the herds don't stay away for very long." She tried to reassure the shaman, at least to try and ease any aggravation the other lioness felt. The frustration of failure was something she was very used to, having grown up in a drought. Many times the pride had come home with nothing to give to the cubs, so many died it was awful. At least this particular moment in time wouldn't lead to Ma'at's untimely death.
With a soft grunt the silver toned lioness rolled onto her paws to sit up. As she glanced at the other pride member she heard some noise from down below. Leaning over the edge of the rock she watched as a large lioness seemingly came out of nowhere and slammed the leopard to the ground. A gasp escaped her as she watched how quickly it happened, how the gazelle was taken and the spotted cat ran screaming for the hills. It took her a moment to realize who the large feline was. It was Nya! Amari felt a genuine smile cross her face as she watched her friend slowly approaching the rocks.
She sensed the hostility from her friend for a moment as she noticed Ma'at. However it seemed to be short lived and things returned to a comfortable normal. Amari eyed the gazelle that was hanging limply in Nya's jaws before it was dumped onto the rocky surface. She was even more pleased when her friend walked over to her and greeted her with affection. A soft purr rumbled in her chest as she returned the affection with a openness that may make other's blush. The moment seemed to be over far to soon, and she almost seemed to pout when the larger female moved away.
Lunch? Honestly she hadn't been expecting to eat much that day but she'd never turn down a snack. Her gaze fell onto Ma'at. "Well come eat some lunch, there's more then enough for us to have a quick bite." Amari would notfeel right eating and not inviting the maned lioness to eat some as well. "You're such a risk taker Nya, going after a leopard like that. My hunting instructors never speak of stealing a kill. It's not noble or whatever. Honestly, that mentality sounds spoiled to me.."
Amari moved to tuck in to the kill, licking her lips in anticipation. "So what are you both up to today? It's been quiet today. Kind of boring really." She pulled some of the gazelle's hair off with little nips of her teeth, not wanting to swallow to much of it. Within a few pulls she had her first decent mouth full which tasted like heaven. The first bite always did. It was something she had always enjoyed while growing up. The first bite was good as was the very last bite.
Licking the blood from her mouth she looked at the other two lionesses. Wondering exactly what the day was going to bring them.
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Post by Amari <3 on Jan 6, 2021 4:07:01 GMT
Ever since the other night at the Elephant Graveyard her mood had drastically improved. She had even managed to spend some quality time with her mother without fighting. Needless to say she was flying high this late afternoon. Amari had finished her hunting lesson for the day, and had been dismissed to do whatever she wanted. For once instead of heading to her old haunt, she decided to visit the flat ridge rock. It was a perfect spot. The Pride lands met the Outlands and the differences between the two are quite obvious. With it being late afternoon the rock would be nice and toasty, perfect for her to take a much needed cat nap. Quietly, she walked across the warm rock smelling the various scents that lingered in that particular place. She even smelled Simba, he must have been here recently. Finding herself a nice little spot she lay herself down.
The rock was a delight, and a pleasured groan escaped her mouth. It made her muscles relax, and her good mood seemed to get even better. Nuzzling her cheek into the hard surface she flexed her claws lightly scratching at the rock beneath her. Amari looked out into her surroundings, just letting time tick on by. Her nose wrinkled slightly as she watched the bushes near her shaking. After a few moments she saw a leopard leave the bushes, looking all business. Her curious nature got the better of her and she raised her head to watch the other feline more keenly.
It would seem that they were hunting, this would be a good lesson for her to watch. She wiggled closer to the edge of the boulder, and watched the scene unfold. A good distance away from the stalking leopard was a herd of gazelle. Those small antelope's seemed very oblivious to the approaching danger. Time seemed to stop as the leopard tried to find a suitable hiding spot. Amari felt her own heart begin to pound, her muscles tensing up. It was very exciting seeing this happening.
The strike came at random, and it was over so fast she barely caught sight of it. Her ears twitched as a gazelle's death cry rang out. It was over. Amari was happy that the leopard managed to find food. She on the other paw was so excited just seeing it happen. Her sharp claws continued to dig into the rock.
What could possibly make her day any better?
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Post by Amari <3 on Dec 30, 2020 20:33:02 GMT
Earlier that day she had heard the whispered rumors that they were supposed to meet at the Termite Mounds. She had been anxiously waiting all day to sneak away from the watchful eyes of her mother. Things had been progressively becoming more hostile as of late, and at any moment it felt almost like a bomb could go off. Even the hunting parties were having a hard time providing the pride was adequate food, fights had even broken out during the hunt. Which in turn was making them all hungry, and with hunger came harsher feelings. A part of her was surprised that neither one of the royal couple had addressed the issue. Instead it would seem like they were content to ignore it for as long as possible. Receiving word from Zira that they were to meet up had put it all into place. She knew that things were going to change soon.
Amari had taken her moment to leave when her mother had been pulled away for some reason or another. She made sure to walk casually so she wouldn't cause anyone to notice her leaving. Hell, she even walked towards the watering hole first. She took her time getting a nice long drink before taking a smaller path towards the outlands. It didn't take much time for her to find the border and to move across it. As of late she had been spending more time here then at home. At least here she could be herself without being judged by the lions around her. It didn't take her long to find the massive termite mounds.
As she approached she noticed who had arrived so far. She noticed her aunt Faraja, who was the only sister her father had. Along with Nuka which made sense, the first born son of their late King. She also noticed another lioness lounging in the shadows and her sister Iniko. First she gave a slight bow of the head towards her aunt before she moved to sit beside her twin sister. Amari nudged her softly and licked her cheek in greeting before her green eyes took in the group around her.
She knew more would come, as would Zira at some point. Amari just hoped that this meeting would start something, The beginning of something great.
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Post by Amari <3 on Dec 29, 2020 4:22:50 GMT
Amari closed her eyes tight for a long moment, letting the others speak and she remained silent as she listened to them. She knew all to well how the world worked outside of this particular Kingdom. Scar had told them all how wicked the world was outside of their home, and how life and death happened without a pause. How no one life really mattered out there in the unknown. She knew that many pride's suffered under different laws and rituals.. How some knew nothing but pain their entire lives. It was hard to accept that the world was very unfair. She had grown up here in relative safety compared to most. With her father being the reigning King she had little to fear growing up. Though she remembered how many of the other pride members had suffered under his rule. How the hyena had terrorized the pride on so many occasions. How her step mother Zira had to leave the territory quite often to find food for them.
It had been a very dark time in the pride's history, she would never deny that fact. However it was hard to accept that everything was different now. Amari had been comfortable with her place in life, and now she had to find a different purpose. If she was to be honest she was more angry with how her family dynamic had changed since Scar's demise. How her biological mother rarely had time for her or Iniko. How Nala was a Queen?! It made her skin crawl. Her eyes opened slowly as she watched Nya crawl over to her and lean into her other side. Drawing in a deep breath she leaned her head against the larger lioness. Burying her face into that tan fur, drawing in her scent. Allowing it to comfort her, and it did but the tears continued to slip down her face for a moment.
"I think my problem is the rest of my family. I am so horribly angry at my sister, she betrayed us all by bringing Simba back here. She knew what she was doing... she knew... That's how little we mattered to her. Why didn't she just stay gone? Why did she come back and destroy so many lives without even a thought? Now she is a Queen.. My mother rarely talks to me or Iniko anymore and instead we are left to do whatever. Or we are randomly punished when she feels like "parenting" us..
Not to mention I haven't really spent any time with our new King. He seems to be avoiding anyone that shares Scar's tainted blood. Even though he allows me to watch his cubs.. It doesn't make any sense to me.."
Amari actually cared about Kiara and Kiongozi. She often watched over them when the pride hunted and was actually very good at that job. There was no hate in her heart, they had nothing to do with her father's death. That anger was reserved for a select few members of the pride. Softly she nuzzled Nya, her tears beginning to dry up. The larger of the two mentioned her carrying her father's spirit in her heart. Which made her smile slightly, indeed she was like him in many ways. It was just hard to accept.
Flexing slightly she moved to groom her twin sister, feeling her anxiety and sadness as well. They at least had each other. It was something. She also had Nya. Amari hoped in due time that Iniko and Nya would become friends. It would be nice if they could rely on one another. The same went for Ma'at. She never expected such kindness from a stranger and frankly it had shocked her at first.
"I feel like once we have our first hunts we should leave this place. Find our own place in the world?" Amari knew that they would never hold any position of power here. They would never matter due to who their sire was. Finishing her small grooming session she tucked herself closer to Nya, her head laying on one of her paws. For the moment the pale lioness felt peace, she felt at ease. Hopefully it stayed for the rest of the evening as the storm continued to rage outside.
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Post by Amari <3 on Dec 23, 2020 4:18:56 GMT
Her ears flickered as she listened to Ma'at. Honestly it felt nice to actually have someone see what she had been saying all along. They weren't allowed to really be sad or show any emotions regarding the former King. Instead it was expected that they just ignore it and move on. It was one of those moral things that just lit a fire under her ass. Heaving a sigh the pale lioness shook her head a bit. "We are not even supposed to say his name out loud while at Pride Rock or around the other Pride members. They all just want it to be a bad dream and pretend it never happened. Now that our cousin as returned literally out of no where and became King." Amari didn't really know how she felt about her cousin, he hadn't really spent any time getting to know any of the family members.
Instead he spent all of his time frolicking with Nala and his weird guardians. That warthog and meerkat that had royal status.. She had lost all of her status and had literaly watched prey animals become members of the royal family. It was disgusting. "Which is all well and good. The circle of life and all that comes with it.. I get it. However I am not okay with the fact that we had never held a funeral for my father. He was a King and should have been sent off as such. Instead he was left to be eaten by hyena and nothing more was done about it. I bet if you would go to the south side of Pride Rock you'd find his blood smear." She hissed out, her teeth bared for a moment, before she swallowed her anger back down.
Nya's question came nevt and she laughed softly. "Yes. Everyone just assumes that this place is haunted because he frequented it in life. It is a story that they now tell the cubs to keep the away from the graveyard. They made him into some sort of boogeyman. I'm not really sure if he is actually haunting anything.. I've never actually seen him but I've felt some weird things a few times." Amari glanced at her friend before turning to look back at the den entrance. The graveyard seemed to be getting darker by the second. Night was falling and the storm was far from letting up.
Next came the idea of him being evil. Amari had wondered this herself, she knew her father had done horrible things. But was he evil? "I don't think he was evil I think he was misunderstood. He often gave all of his cubs lessons on life and how the world worked. He often talked of the world outside of the Pride Lands. How most pride's don't have the same laws or customs that we had. That it was alright if one killed the reigning King and then took over in his place. Those actions in the world were not looked down upon and life had continued on regardless." Amari hated talking about all of this but it needed done so maybe things could change.
"My father loved my sister and myself. We were princesses and could have been rulers of this land someday. Our baby brother Kovu was picked to be his chosen heir and we were a tight family. It was hard to lose all of that.." Amari felt her throat close up as those emotions bubbled to the surface. She dug her claws into the damp earth and tilted her head up to try and force those tears to stop. It was hard for her to just be normal.
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Post by Amari <3 on Dec 22, 2020 19:55:25 GMT
For most of her life, she had never witnessed rain as heavy as this. During her own cub hood they would often get the threat of severe weather but for some reason it never actually occurred. More often then not the clouds would drift on by or just disappear all together. On a very rare occasion they would hear thunder and lightning but never did rain actually flow out of the clouds. She remembered those few times, hiding in the den with their mother listening to the wind and thunder. Amari also remembered how the lionesses around her had preyed for rain, how so many had cried out to the sky. Hoping for relief from the on going drought that had plagued the land since her father had taken the throne. The first time she had experienced a down pour was the very day Simba had taken back his birth right.
Amari remembered his roar filling the night sky, and how the thunder seemed to roar right along with him. Ever since that night the rain had become a common occurrence. She was always in awe of it. Even now that she was approaching adult hood, she was always in awe of the storm. This evening was no different, and she watched as the water poured down around them. She noticed absently that both of the lionesses had joined her and Iniko. She was glad they had decided to do the smart thing. Honestly, she was comfortable here in her little hideaway. "It's okay, you didn't know what I was doing. I can understand being concerned, I mean who likes to hang out in a graveyard of all things?" She told Ma'at jokingly.
Indeed it was weird for any young lion to be interested in being in a place like this. She came here because it was one of the memories she had of her dad. He had also frequented the graveyard when he was alive. He had been here all the time when the hyena clan lived here. He had made friends here, made plans here, and ultimately started the path to his own death here in this graveyard. She was trying to grasp at those memories, for they were all she had left of her father. Her green eyes silently followed Nya as she moved back to the back wall of the den. Her large body somehow finding a way to get comfortable, which she was happy with.
Glancing over her shoulder at her friend, she wiggled back just slightly so her tail could playfully bump the much larger feline on the side and paws. Trying to get her friend to lighten up a bit and relax. Amari knew that Nya had some sort of social anxiety and hated being around a lot of lions. It was something she had in common with her. So she continued to lightly smack in the hopes of making her smile or something. Anything really. Amari's ear twitched as she heard her friends question.
Before she could respond she listened to Iniko's answer. "I come here because it is quiet and I can find some sort of peace here. It may be weird to some but this graveyard is better suited for me then a crowded pride den. Also most will not come here looking for me, due to the fact that they believe it's haunted by my father. Let alone all the supposed spirits of the various dead animals that rot here.." Amari spoke to all three of them, trying to explain why she was so weird. Most of the adults found it odd that she visited here, and she had to become sneakier as time went on.
Her mother Sarafina had already forbid them from going here, saying that no one wanted to remember their father. That he was better off forgotten. That sort of attitude was why Amari continued to come here as often as she did. How could they expect her to be normal when they wouldn't let her be sad first? It was hard to be expected not to grieve for her father, and to grieve for the loss of her former life. She had rank before, now she was literally a nobody in a giant pride.
She also felt sad for her brothers and sisters, and Zira. It was hard to pretend that none of that even mattered anymore. Sighing softly, she leaned into her twin sister. Laying her head across Iniko's back so she could actually look around the small den and see the other two felines that occupied it at the moment. It would seem Ma'ats words rang true, it seemed the rain had no intention of letting up until morning. If anything she was glad to have an excuse to stay away for a night.
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Post by Amari <3 on Dec 20, 2020 3:57:38 GMT
She wasn't exactly sure when sleep had claimed her, but it was a deep slumber. Her mind flickered through memories, most of them were good and heart warming. It was the only legit place she could remember her father without anyone giving their opinion on the matter. Every so often a paw would twitch slightly or her ears would move as she dreamed. The storm raged around her endlessly, the rain washing away more and more of the dirt from the graveyard. Turning into a thick mud, erasing all of the scents and replacing it all with the sweet smell of water. The air took on a sudden chill it seemed almost unnatural, how often she had hoped her father would visit her. Give her a sign that he was near and that everything would be okay. The irony of this ghostly visitor is that she was deep asleep and did not notice anything.
The specter walked soundlessly, barely even touching the ground as his form roamed. There was to be no peace for one such as he, he had committed a sin that most would never be forgiven for. He had murdered his own family, his brother even. The stars and spirits had damned him to walk until he had some sort of epiphany and sought forgiveness for his deeds. Taka had no such desire to seek forgiveness and so he remained a ghost. He roamed the Pride Lands at his will and no one was able to stop him from whatever he desired to do. This evening he had been silently roaming the elephant graveyard, remembering all the plans that had transpired here when he was alive. Now it was a empty shell of what it once was, devoid of life.
It would seem that the hyena clan had left this place since the battle on Pride Rock. It was strange to see the place so empty. Though he was quickly drawn to the only living creature in the massive graveyard. Taka moved unseen from living eyes, appearing before the massive skull within mere moments of noticing the life form. His dead eyes fell onto the sleeping form of his daughter Amari. She was here all by herself and in a storm no less? Where was her mother? He noticed no other signs of life at the moment, so that made him wonder why the young lioness was here all alone.
He watched her silently as she shivered and twitched on her bed of grass. Taka grimaced slightly as he stood in the storm not feeling the rain falling all around him. He heard someone approaching and made a rather irratioal decision on his part. Entering the den he quickly rushed over his daughter, bringing a cold breeze with him. The coldness woke the young female rathe quickly, she snorted and raised her head. Shaking the sleep from her own green eyes, and for a moment he swore she was staring right at him as he stood at the back of the small den.
Amari shook her head slightly as she tried to make the sleep leave her, but for some reason her eyes kept drawing back towards the far wall of her home. She could swear she could smell her father.. but perhaps it was her imagination. One more shake of the head and she was somewhat awake. A unknown voice startled her, and her hackles puffed up in defense. Those long deadly claws leaking out of her paws. "Amari? Are you in there?" It was a strangers voice. Had someone followed her from the Pride Lands? She had been so careful to leave no trace. Yet..
"Yes I am. Who is asking?" Her own voice rumbled out sounding deeper then usual due to her agitation. Slowly, the pale lioness got to her feet and peeked her head out into the blistering storm. Her eyes fell first on the figure of the other pale lioness, the one with the mane. She remembered her mother mentioning she was a shaman. Hm. She assumed the other meant no harm and so she relaxed and put on a slight smirk. Though another's presence announced itself. Her friend Nya and honestly she was grateful to see her. Amari didn't trust many, and this was not a different occasion. "Yeah, kitten.." Her heart did a tiny little flip flop at her pet name, and her smile seemed more genuine.
"... you in there? Want to tell me what's going on?" Nya's voice sounded genuinely concerned as well as slightly annoyed probably by the unknown lioness. Before she could reply to either of them her twin sister burst into the den, also seeming to be alarmed by her disappearance. Amari felt guilty for making her sister worry, and she nudged into Iniko for a moment. Letting her know she appreciated the comfort she gave. "I'm just here, I like being here. I don't like being in a crowded den surrounded by strangers and enemies.." She stated softly with a slight roll of her shoulders.
She saw most of the pride as enemies anymore, and why would she lay down with them? It was foolish. Sure her mom cared about her but not on the same level as her precious Nala and Mheetu. She had been unwanted due to who her father was... and those thoughts never really left her. "I prefer it here in the quiet, I feel like I am closer to our father here. It's not like anyone really comes looking for either of us. This is the first time someone had noticed me leaving.."
Amari looked at the maned lioness wondering what her story was."You two should come out of the storm, there is plenty of room in here for everyone." She offered Nya a smile and stepped away from the entrance letting them come in if they so desired.
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Post by Amari <3 on Dec 16, 2020 4:09:42 GMT
"What am I supposed to do father? How do I go on without you in my life? What honest purpose do I have now that you are gone? Now I am stuck here in a pride that has moved on over night and has never looked back even once. Those that cry for you do so in the middle of the night, falling upon deaf ears. I feel awful for the youngest of us, your offspring. Young Kovu and Vitani barely even remember you.. Your already fading away into nothing, back to being just dust." Amari spoke out loud, almost daring her father to show himself, she wouldn't be afraid of no ghost. She just wanted to have a purpose again, something more then just being a hunter in a massive pride. Was that so wrong? She wanted to have meaning. The idea of being a Queen wasn't something she had ever really desired, but now that her father was gone... She had to admit it had a certain ring to it. Queen Amari. It sounded good didn't it?
She never spoke these thoughts out loud to anyone, keeping her fantasy a complete secret from the world. Glancing around the gorge she frowned slightly, her hope of catching a sign from her sire was not happening. It was hard to accept that he would never give her advice again or even keep her warm in a storm. Amari had to keep herself warm and content during all the scary moments. Her eyelids felt heavy as she closed them, a few warm tears slowly running down her cheeks.
The grief was raw and very real. She knew that her mother had only become pregnant to her father because of pressure. A lot of lionesses had become pregnant to give him a suitable heir. He had explained it to her once that it was a normal custom that most prides do. Most prides consisted of males and females, and all the females in the pride would have those males cubs. Then in a few years new males would come and kick the older one's out, and start all over again. Most of the world was not romantic like the Pride Lands.
Most lions never experienced love, at least romantic love. If anything the love of family was what mattered the most. She had accepted it and hadn't worried about it anymore. It was hard to see her mother's solemn face at times but she had grown to ignore it. Instead she had spent more time with her father and his wife Zira. They had begun teaching her how to survive, how to fight, how to hunt, and how to rule.
Amari cracked one eye open to stare at the cracked and broken tree in the center of the gorge. A testament to the sin her father had committed so long ago. Around the tree was a large rock and green grass, it was a rather beautiful place in such a barren area in the Pride Lands. Even now the broken was beautiful. She had to carry on his legacy along side his other offspring.
For now she had decided to hide herself in the shadows of the gorge wall. She wanted to take a rest and try to relax. Amari had a reputation to uphold after all. Curling into a ball the young lioness continued to stare at the tree and grass, her tears still silently running down her face.
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Post by Amari <3 on Dec 16, 2020 3:51:58 GMT
Once again she found herself out alone in a thunderstorm, as time continued to pass on by her resentment only seemed to grow. She couldn't stand being home anymore, nor could she stand being near most of her extended family. Amari just couldn't keep pretending she was okay with what had happened. The bitterness had seeped into her heart, which honestly seemed to be a family trait. Her father had been a rather bitter King and it would seem she was following in his paw prints. She hadn't even bothered to fight with anymore this evening, instead she had just left after the pride had eaten. She had managed to get her fill of some juicy zebra before she departed. Roaming the vast expanse of the Pride Lands had become one of her favorite past times. What else was there to do? She wasn't old enough to participate in the hunt, and her lessons only happened every other day. Other then that she had a lot of free time to just do nothing.
Amari's ears flickered as she walked, the rain becoming heavier with each passing moment. In a sub-conscious way she followed a familiar trail. One that lead her into the abandoned elephant graveyard. The hyena clan had left this place, now it was mostly vacant other then the occasional vulture. She enjoyed the quiet this place provided, a sense of peace almost. It didn't take very long for her to find the familiar den that had belonged to Yolandi. She hadn't seen the young lioness in some time and honestly she hoped she was okay. In the mean time she had decided to take over her little shelter and make it her own.
She had spent countless afternoons layering the floor with grass, moss, and various foliage. Amari had found flowers and herbs as well, to make it smell better inside the massive skull. It was nice. On her way inside the small lair she rubbed against the edge of the skull, marking it as hers. This time she had managed to get inside before the rain cut loose yet again. The sky seemed to roar and the ground shook as the storm rolled in.
Finding a dark corner, she lay herself down on the moss and grass. It was comfortable, and a contented sigh escaped her as she laid her head onto her front paws. Amari was content to spend her night here alone in the rain if that would bring her some amount of peace.
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Post by Amari <3 on Nov 26, 2020 4:23:37 GMT
Amari could sense the tension between Yolandi and her sister, and she wisely kept her mouth shut. Sometimes her sister could be insensitive even though she didn't mean to be that way. However, she was also more then ready to let the topic drop between the trio. It was a lesson she had learned early in her life. Everyone had a different journey and to compare them was useless. She remembered all of the stories and lessons her father had told her. How he had spoke of his own father and his life.. If someone had offered him compassion and sympathy it was very possible he would have lived a very different life. She wanted to be a open heart and a shoulder to lean on for others. Even if she herself could be hard to deal with at times.
As Yolandi granted them permission to enter, a loud crack of thunder roared around them. A bolt of lightning struck somewhere in the vast graveyard. She hissed under her breath at the brightness and the sound. Her pale fur standing on end along her neck and shoulders, she didn't hesitate to enter the small den. She took a moment to just enjoy being out of the rain. She watched Yolandi for a moment before she found a nice little corner to lay down in. There was no way she would be traveling in this sort of rain. It would be crazy and dangerous.
Her bones ached from the cold rain, and she shivered. Amari tried to get comfortable and busied herself with cleaning her fur. It was a lot of work for her to keep her pale coat looking clean. At least it would be something to do, to pass the time until sleep came. A slight smirk crossed her face as she looked up from her leg. "This would be a great night for scary stories. The atmosphere is perfect." She laughed mostly to herself before continuing to work on her nasty fur.
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Post by Amari <3 on Nov 25, 2020 4:18:52 GMT
The rain continued to pour down around the two sisters, soaking them to the bone and making her body shiver with chills. All of the dirt around them was quickly turning into thick mud, her paws were soaked. She listened to her sister speak about not being home, how things were spiraling down a dark road. Amari frowned lightly, there was little she could do to change things. "Mother has been busy taking care of the new prince. We are almost grown, she doesn't have to be around all the time." She rationalized it with a slight grimace as another rumble of thunder rolled across the sky above. Her attention fell on Yolandi as the younger lioness spoke to them. Indeed, she had been brought here as a orphan..
Feeling rather foolish for her outburst, Amari lowered her eyes towards the muddy earth. She couldn't fathom not having a mom or siblings, she even had a step mother. Apologizing to her would make it seem almost fake at this point so instead she decided on a different route. "I couldn't imagine what that's like.. I'm sure it must have been hard being alone.." Truly she felt bad for the other lioness, growing up alone was hard. Let alone being alone among a group of lions. Honestly, she was surprised no one had formally adopted her as their cub. Her aunt Sarabi often adopted orphans in the pride, it was one of the reasons why she was so well loved by so many.
Yolandi's situation sort of made her feel stupid for complaining. Sure she had her own problems with her family, but at least she had one. The younger lion spoke again about asking nicely for shelter and a soft chuckle escaped her. "Please? Can we come in so we don't catch our death out here?" Amari asked with a slight pout at the end, obviously trying to joke around with the other teenager. She wanted to make up to her for being such a jerk. Glancing at Iniko she hoped her sister would do the same.
Shaking the water from her fur, she waited for permission to enter the shelter.
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