The End Of The Line

Zivia sat, staring out at the swamp which she knew to hold many crocodiles that in her more youthful cub days, she used to play in. Just to tease the crocodiles, but she would never allow herself to get too close. Her head was bowed now as her eyes strained to stare at it, before she became tired of the battle and they too dropped their gaze to the ground. Her shoulder began to tremble lightly as she felt her rage building within her once more. Too many things had happened in Zivia's life before she was even a teenager, and now that she was, she felt she had no other choice. She couldn't continue living in this place that was so barren, when she knew there were better things out there. Places she could go where she no longer would have to feel the pain of day to day life. She'd lost everything that was dear to her, and was a part of a family that she did not belong in. She'd always love them, always hold her adoptive family dear to her, but she couldn't do it anymore. With the loss of her real family, Zivia had suffered more than the small cub had let on. She had been alone in the world, left to fend for herself until Kiume - a great King and father - had found and took her into his barren lands. She had never known that these were lions who had been banished until recently, when hearing the gossip of the others. She had been shocked to the core, realising that she was an Outlaw by choice.

She didn't want that. She did not want to be seen by others as someone who had done something bad to be sent away, because she had merely found the lands. Curious, and still a bit shell-shocked, Zivia had wandered away from the lands she had called home and discovered that the rest of the world was beautiful. The savannah was filled with herds of animals to feast on, and trees to find shelter under. Even a cave or two here and there, and there were other prides than the Pridelanders and the Outlanders out there. This information was new, and interesting, and quite frankly, shocking. She hadn't expected it at all, and she felt as if she had been led to believe a lie. Of course, there had been no deception, she just hadn't been properly informed due to her young age. She was hurt too, by being kept in the dark of this information. All she wished she could do was rn to Ilani and ask what was going on, why they were all here. But she couldn't do that, for her adoptive mother was dead and it was breaking her heart more every day. To know that her little sisters and brothers were being raised in this horrible place, without a mother to love them. Without any elder woman figure in their life, save for Zivia. But not for long. Soon, they would be without a mother and their big sister.

Zivia just couldn't do it anymore. She couldn't constantly live here, feeling the pain inside her every time she looked at Kudumu, who was so like his mother. Or the tuft of hair on top of Tao's head. Why, Tao looked like her mother too save for her fathers colour. And Kavu, she couldn't look at any of them anymore knowing that their futures were not bright and filled with promise as she'd used to think. She thought she could be happy here, with her new family, but Zivia was tired of pretending to be happy. She was tired of pretending that she didn't care that she'd lost two mothers, many siblings, and a father. But she couldn't pretend anymore, it was making her sour and angry. She was so filled with rage all the time, so filled with hate and sadness that she didn't know if she could go on living in this place. She ducked her head and finally lifted her body up into a standing position. It took effort to raise her head, and then she was running. She ran as fast as she could, slipping and sliding into secret hiding places to avoid the others. She could see the hyena's, no, sense them. Their scent was strong within the air, polluting it almost. She crept along quietly until she reached the border, hiding behind a stone. She crouched low for ages, trying to collect her wild thoughts. She knew her father would be patrolling, and she had to let him know she'd left without giving him any trace as to where she was. She then smiled and rolled over, leaving her scent thick by the border and the edge of the rock. She stood up and waited patiently, thinking of how to distract the hyena's attention away from her.

They would chase her of course, an Outlander trying to escape? They would try to kill her, rip her apart if she was caught, or take her to whomever had outlawed them. There, she could explain that she was an Outlander by choice and had never committed any crime, explain that she only wished to be free. In fact, she would be more than happy to stay wherever she was taken, but it couldn't be guaranteed that the hyena's wouldn't just eat her. She grit her teeth and swept her gaze around her immediate area, spying a rock. She used all of her strength to kick it the opposite way she was going to run. The hyena's heard the commotion and went rushing to where the rock was, in between some tall blocks of rock. She took this as her opportunity and set off at a fast run, flying across the earth urgently. She ran as fast as she could, way out into the savannah, until she knew it was time to conceal her scent somehow. She knew that out here was dangerous, she'd almost been killed as a wandering cub if it wasn't for Kiume. She looked around and saw a very, very small pool of water that a few zebra were drinking from. She roared at them and chased them away from the small waterhole, dropping down and rolled in it. Her scent was now thickly concealed by water, and she continued to run through the savannah. She ran until the sun was low in the sky, and she couldn't run anymore. She slowed to a stop as the sun finally dropped beyond the horizon, and her eyes scanned the area. Spying a tree with a dug out trunk, she walked over to there and collapsed, so tired that the moment her head hit the ground she was asleep.

The light shined slightly through the darkened clouds as Kiume patrolled the borders. It had almost been two years since his mate had died, and almost two years since his cubs had been born. Zivia, his adopted daughter, had grown into a fine adolescent and Kiume was never more proud. She reminded him so much of her adoptive mother in ways that even he didn't seem to understand. Then there was Tao, his mate's look-a-like save for her colors. It seemed unreal that it had been almost two years since he lost Lani in order to be given these miraculous cubs. Kiume knew that she watched over them daily and kept them safe at night. It had been a peaceful time it seemed, no hyena attacks like the one when he was an adolescent, no threats from Scar. Almost nothing had happened that would destroy the Outland pride. That was until today. The sun had been just at it's peak in the sky, symbolizing the start of the afternoon. Joining him on his patrols today were two of his most trusted males; Hadi and Huzuni. They talked about the past, about the future, about almost everything. Hadi spoke about how even with Kiume gone, the lands would be protected until they returned. Huzuni, the elder of the three males, spoke about how Kiume's cubs were growing up fast. Kiume smiled and nodded, everything was going to be alright, his cubs would finally join the ranks as adults in just a short time.

As the trio were patrolling, Kiume smelled the scent of his adoptive daughter Zivia. He smiled and lead the males along with him as he went to greet her. Her scent lay heavy along the border, and as he neared the crocodile swamp he could tell something was off. Zivia was almost never near the borders, nor was she ever alone. Kiume couldn't tell any scent besides hers, but then what he found threw the male into a rage. Crossing into the borders were dozens of hyenas, all wanting to get a sniff of what was on the rock. Kiume's eyes widened, Zivia was in danger. The king ran forward and roared, striking down three hyenas in a flash. They were knocked unconscious and the rest of the pack that had come with them were apprehensive of staying. However, Kiume snarled and narrowed his eyes, so the hyenas took this as a moment to rid the world of the Outland king. The hyenas were weaker since Kiume's days as a teen, so taking them out would be a breeze. Another of the lions from the pride, Moto, had heard Kiume's roar and leaped into battle. Kiume helped strike down two more hyenas before he turned to go find his daughter. "Kill every last one! Leave no survivors! Get as much information as you can from them, about Scar, everything. Kill them all!" Even with the threat of death upon them, the brood of hyenas refused to step down. There had to be at least thirty hyenas -give or take a few- at the scene, and they all fought for an unknown cause.

With now the promise of a large meal for days to come, even if Kiume despised eating the hyenas, the king ran off in search of his daughter. Furaha, the mate of Chini, found the king distressed and about to leave his kingdom. When asked what he was doing, Kiume became irritated. Every time someone stopped him, he was being stopped from finding his daughter. From Kiume's understanding, the hyenas had entered the lands and ran his daughter off knowing fully who she was. But would he ever know the truth? Kiume shook his head and looked at the male, "Patrol the borders, Zivia's in danger, I have to find her. Alert Chini and the others, protect the cubs. Help Hadi, Huzuni, and Moto with their kill. We'll feast tonight on hyena," Furaha sighed at the thought of eating hyenas, but he smiled when he realized that it was a meal. He nodded and ran off along the border, Chini not far away to tell them what had happened. For the first time since Kiume had taken his place as king, the Outlanders were put on high alert. Especially if Kiume was gone, anything could happen. In the distance, Kiume could still hear the tearing of hyena flesh, the triumphant roars of the males who lived to protect their king. It was an honor to have such a helping pride, and Kiume would have it no other way. As Kiume left the safety of his borders, he ran across the small strip of the Pridelands into the neutral savannah that housed his fleeing daughter.

But soon, Zivia's scent disappeared, all traces of her tracks were blown away by the desert sands. Kiume still ran in a straight line for more than an hour, but he soon stumbled and fell into the sand. Zivia was long gone, Kiume knew that, but he couldn't accept it. Tears fell down the lion's face, the first time he had cried since he had finished mourning the death of his mate. He pictured her teal eyes that bordered on blue just as her adoptive mother had. Lani, he had failed her. He hadn't kept Zivia safe like he promised her, and that killed her. Kiume let out a roar, one that he knew that his daughter couldn't hear, but still he tried. "Z-Zivia!" Kiume hit the ground once more and sobbed into his paws. He had lost his daughter, he had lost one of the last things that Lani had given him. "N-No..." Kiume's anger built up inside of him, "NO!" How was he going to tell his cubs? How was he going to tell Tao? The two were close for many reasons, they were the only sister that the other had, and they shared a bond to their deceased mother that none could explain. The golden king picked himself up and with shuddering legs started to pad home. He looked over his shoulder, his blazing orange eyes filled with tears, hoping to catch one last look of his daughter if possible. But alas, she was long gone. Every inch of Kiume wanted to look for her, but he couldn't leave his pride alone any longer. Zivia had left hours before Kiume had departed, there was no telling where she was now.

Kiume looked up to the sky and into the clouds that seemed to be covering the area quickly. He shuddered from emotion and wept to the sky, "Lani, oh my dearest Ilani, I have failed you as a mate. Your daughter, the one you took in out of love, has vanished. Please my love, watch over her, make sure she stays alive. I will find her, I will find her again before I join you, I swear it!" The king's eyes shut and his head went down as more tears fell from his eyes, "Mufasa, Denali, Lani, watch over my Zivia. Make sure she's safe, please," And with that, the Outland King was broken from head to tail with emotion. It wasn't kingly for him to be crying, but everyone needed to cry one day or another. Kiume took the long walk home, with one thing on his mind. Zivia was gone, how was he supposed to go on?