Unexpected Parenthood

Ni silently watched the cubs frolic through their playground known as the ridge, someone had to do it but Ni didn't think he was the type for baby-sitting. But the cubs looked towards the borders and ran off back to the den as they were supposed to do whenever a hyena -ally or not- crossed into the Shadowlands. Ni smiled for the cubs knew what they were doing but he turned to see none other than Kuvuka and Kichafu -two of his allied hyenas- running to him with, were those cubs in their mouths!? The golden prince met them halfway and stared at the squirming cubs as they were placed on the ground.

"Sire, these cubs were banished here to the Shadowlands by the tyrant," Kuvuka stated once his mouth was cleared of the obstruction, Kichafu nodded and looked to the member of his royal family, "Yeah Prince Ni, apparently it was all a ploy for the Shadowlands to run their resources dry, but it wasn't Scar who planned it! It was the cub's mother! She's already had one of Scar's litters so when these cubs came around she didn't want them 'cause they ain't Scar's," The golden prince was appaled, these cubs looked so young, as if they had just been born! Ni's concerns were proven when Kuvuka gave him a nod, telling him his thoughts were right.

The prince turned to Kichafu, "Kichafu, go get Abuto, now!" The teenage hyena nodded, bowed, and then ran off to fetch the new member of the Shadowland pride. Kuvuka put his paw on the tawny pelted one, it seemed as if his pelt was a mixture of Ni's and Abuto's with Ni's pelt the dominant pelt, "This is Kiasi the oldest of the two," he moved his paw to the cub who's pelt was a few shades lighter than Abuto's, "and this is Makosa, the youngest," Ni looked at the cubs and tried to wonder if he knew their father or mother, but no lion or lioness came into mind. "They are both male?" the prince asked and the canine grunted in approval. Ni couldn't wonder who would be so evil to banish newborn cubs to a barren land.

Thoughts flew to Naanda and Kidevu as potential parents, but he turned it down since they already had their hands full with Kazi. The prince gulped and looked towards the cubs, Makosa being the first of them to awaken and cry for his mother. "I'll raise them," Kuvuka stared and barked, "Sire are you mad?! These cubs need a mother not a father!" Ni shook his mane, "I'll have Abuto help, she's old enough and needs more than just me as a friend in the pride," The hyena nodded and looked to the cubs, both now fully awake and huddled together for warmth on the cold hard ground of the Shadowlands. Ni dipped his head low, he didn't wish to make the decision for him and Abuto to raise the cubs without her there, but he had to do it, somehow it felt right. He gave the two cubs a lick which jolted them in fear but they started to inch towards the Shadowland prince to which he lay on his stomach and let them into his close embrace.

"Don't worry little guys, I'll protect you," Ni cooed, "Nothing will ever happen to you, I promise,"

Abuto had still been getting used to being a Shadowlander. The Pride hadn’t been cruel to her in the least, but it was still somewhat awkward to try and get to know and get comfortable with her new family, especially since Abuto hadn’t been with more than one lion at one time since she lived with her old pride, and it was somewhat strange to be always nearby several others. She had kept shyly to Ni, but did her best to be social -- but Abuto’s best was still somewhat awkward and flustered.

The lioness had been laying on her stomach, paws crossed and head rested atop them, along the edge of the den, a notable distance a part from the rest of the pride who also rested in the den. Abuto didn’t think much of it when the cubs came trotting into the den, but she started when a hyena suddenly peeked in. Her instinct was to flee and find safety, but she forced herself to calm down, remembering the pact between the creatures and that this one was indeed loyal to the Shadowlanders. But that didn’t stop the surprise when Kichafu turned to her directly and barked at her to come quickly. Abuto flinched on instinct, and looked around at the others who looked as baffled as her. Kichafu rolled his eyes are her hesitance and added, “Ni needs you.” That convinced the lioness to push to her paws and follow the hyena out, though she trailed a few steps behind the hyena, still somewhat hesitant. He lead her out to the Ridge, along the edge of the Shadowlands, where Abuto saw Ni laying on the ground and another hyena near by. Her heart pounded a little faster as she wondered if he was wounded in some way, but she saw no indication of it. Fear was replaced with confusion when the scent of newborns and the soft cries of little cubs came to her attention. She picked up her pace, moving past the hyena to meet Ni.

“Ni, what’s going on?” Abuto asked, her face etched in concern as she paused at his side, staring down at the little cubs, then glancing at the two hyenas again. “Are they... from the Pridelands?” She deduced their origin herself, but that didn’t clear up her confusion. The two cubs were large for newborns, but still small. Still newborns. Who would let these two out from their warmth so soon after birth, let alone partway across the savannah? The lioness nuzzled their little forms, causing a few confused cries but they didn’t move away. Her motherly instinct, which she had rarely gave any consideration to in the past, was growling. This wasn’t acceptable. These cubs had been abandoned for some reason, and Abuto couldn’t stand for that. Even while she had been a cub, her mother had been there for her, even if no one else was and most convinced her mother to leave little Abuto in the middle of the savannah.

She glanced at Ni, “Please tell me their parents either passed on, or were forced to give them up.” Her tone was soft but lower than usual, hoping her words were true but fearing they were not. There was no way these two, healthy little males would be unwanted, that any cub would be unwanted by their own parents.

The prince slowed his breaths as he pulled the cubs in close, the boys snuggling in his arms. They started to cry out for their mother, for the much needed milk to survive, and it pained Ni. He turned to Kuvuka, "Who's the father? I can guess who the mother is, it's Heshima isn't it?" Ni had learned the name of all of Scar's lionesses from his spies and he knew that Heshima had given Scar a large litter. The brute nodded and looked at the cubs, "A rogue by the name of Kuzimu, he attacked and forced Heshima to mate. This sire, is the result of Kuzimu and Heshima, although the rogue and his remaining son were killed by us," Ni nodded, he understood the circumstances but he still couldn't believe that this was all her plan and not Scar's.

As Ni stared at the small forms of the two cubs brought before him, the prince heard Abuto approach. When she asked about the cub's origin he nodded, "Yeah, the Pridelands," He seemed too hesitant to tell Abuto what had really happened to these cubs, why their mother abandoned them, and why Ni was about to raise him. The male had always wanted cubs, but no one wanted him, even when he did clean up as he was today, no lioness seemed to want him. So it was his own instinct that he had made the rash decision to care for these small cubs. It seemed like a long time before Abuto spoke again and he smiled when she had nuzzled the cubs gently.

But what she had questioned was what Ni did not wish to tell her. The prince snarled slightly and shook his mane, speaking in a low tone but anger and hate filled his voice. "No Abuto, their mother didn't want these beautiful cubs... She had already sired a litter from the tyrant king and because these cubs weren't his but a rogue she sent them here to drain us of our resources," Ni paused and spat at the ground behind him, "The nerve, giving these cubs a death sentence just because they weren't her precious king's," The prince snarled and looked back at the cubs, they looked much like their father in this early stage of life but Kiasi was more in between in color. "Their father is dead, but their mother is still living in the Pridelands, she wants nothing to do with them,"

Ni looked to Abuto, "I'm going to raise them as my own, these are my sons now and not hers. But I need your help Abuto, I trust no one better than you. Will you become my son's mother?" It was a big responsibility for the two lions but someone had to do it, and Ni thought no one would be more perfect for the job than Abuto. She was young yes, but this would give her the chance to have a family of her own, one that would love her more than her former pride had. Ni chuckled and offered a toothy grin, "Come on now, you can't say no to these adorable faces can you?" The youngest of the two, Makosa, started to inch out of his new father's paws and towards another heat source, and that was Abuto. He mewed softly as he rested on her paw, wondering if this was the body that was going to feed him. Ni chuckled and his heart soared, he nuzzled Kiasi and stared back at Abuto, wondering if she would agree or not.

”They sent these newborn cubs out here, with threat of death... for politics?” Abuto’s voice was lower than usual, a bit shaky as she regarded the little cubs, crawling around blindly. This sounded to have been a move to attack the Shadowlands, one of the Pridelander’s current enemy, in an attempt to destroy them from the inside out, should they be sympathetic to the cubs plight. Had they assumed someone would argue to keep the cubs? (Surely they never thought the Prince himself would show interest). Had they thought they would be destroyed on site? Dd they simply not care either way, so long as they were out of their own sight? The lioness wasn’t sure how to handle such information, especially now knowing the mother still survived but still didn’t want the cubs. What could make a mother hate their own children so much to cast them out in such a manner?

Abuto’s views were narrowed to her own experience, not being able to understand the complications going on in the Pridelands, or the mother’s continued plight. All she could think of was the way her old pride had stared at her, the way her father had dismissed her existence, and the advice given to her mother to abandon her, advice she had thankfully never taken until forced to with her death. She could only hope that the cubs mother was going through something she couldn’t understand at the time, but that didn’t ease the unfamiliar feeling of anger that bubbled in her chest. She shook her head at her own thoughts, snarling quietly, “There is no excuse to leave innocent new cubs left for dead.”

Abuto wasn’t really surprised when Ni declared he would take care of them as his own. She knew he was too kind hearted to let innocent cubs die for something not their fault. But she was surprised when he asked her to become their mother (though her heart swelled at hearing he trusted so much in her). “Mother..?” she swallowed, her tone returning to it’s normal softness. “M-Me?” Was he serious? Sure, she was of age, a few months past in fact, so such a responsibility was natural even if the cubs appearance was not. But Abuto had rarely even given thought to raising cubs, having been far to occupied surviving on her own. How could she hope to take care of cubs when she could hardly take care of herself? Of course, such thoughts were of her previous rogue life. Now she had Ni, and an entire new pride to help her and protect her, even if food was still scarce. She need not worry about surviving any more, at least not on her own. And it was true for several days now she had wondered at a purpose for her life now, and it seemed one was being dropped straight in her lap. Or rather, crawling up to rest on her paw. “B-but -- how--”

But Abuto still felt extremely young, still unwise to the ways of the world except that it was better to run than fight, and eat and drink and rest when one could because one was never sure of what awaited them the following morning, the following moment even. She didn’t feel ready at all to take on such a task, but it seemed the Great Spirit thought so, and so did Ni. But she was worried, fear stirring in her stomach. She didn’t know how to be a mother. She hadn’t thought she’d need to know for a while, if ever. Perhaps if her mother was there to guide her... but wasn’t she? Hadn’t her mother guided her to the Shadowlands, to Ni? Perhaps...

The lioness’s mouth felt dry, unable to laugh at Ni’s comment, though it was very true. She leaned her nose down again to sniff and nuzzle little Makosa who mewed softly, resting on the warmth of her paw. She glanced at Ni again, knowing both their questions of her being a mother was no truly a question. Even though she hesitated, worrying how good of a mother she could be, Abuto knew she could never say no -- what better would she be then their former mother, then? And with Ni’s help, the young lioness, now a young mother, knew this would all work out for the best. “Of course,” her hoarse voice betrayed her fear at such a twist, but who wouldn’t be nervous in such a situation? Even biological mothers had fearful thoughts plague their mind, she had heard. “Of course,” Abuto repeated softly, her tone returned to normal as she nuzzled both cubs, giving them each a lick to their heads. “I’ll make you proud, Ni, and they’ll never have to worry about being unwanted again.”

“What are their names?” She studied the cubs coats, which seemed almost similar to their own, so perhaps and outsider wouldn’t even question the couple’s status as parents. Abuto turned her green gaze to Ni tenderly, nuzzling his cheek, “You’re so wonderful to take them in as your own, though I wouldn’t have expected anything less.” She said with a smile and a small laugh. While she never thought Ni one to turn down one in need, especially cubs, it was still a large, unusual step for one to raise up stranger’s cubs as his own, and Abuto wanted him to know she appreciated his compassion, the same that let her call these lands home even though she had thought herself strange, unlucky, and unwanted.

Ni listened closely as Abuto voiced her anger and concerns about the biological mother of the cubs leaving them for death. It was a cruel world that the pair lived in, and finally Ni was hit with the face of it. Cubs seemed to be the last things affected by the world, but it seemed for Kiasi and Makosa their worlds had been stripped away upon their being into life. The prince shuddered at the thought that a female could be so heartless, to give up these beautiful cubs to a barren land. However, nothing mattered now, Kiasi and Makosa were his, they would never see their biological mother again, not as long as Ni was still alive and kicking. These were the royal cubs of the Shadowlands, not an unwanted litter of the Pridelands, Ni's not Heshima's.

The golden prince nodded as Abuto questioned about becoming a mother, Ni knew that the pride would be suspicious of the true reason why she joined the pride, and if she was now going to mother their prince's cubs he knew that the pride would jump at the chance to accuse them of being mates in the first place. But now the male didn't care and he smiled when Abuto agreed to become their mother. She promised that she would make Ni proud and that made his heart swell. "Abuto, you will be the best mother these cubs could ever have, trust me, you don't have to try to make me proud. For I already am," The prince smiled as she asked about their names and he pointed to the respective cubs with his nose.

"This is Kiasi, and that is Makosa. Their mother named them, and although I wish not for them to have any ties with her I can't think of other names," Ni's heart pounded when Abuto nuzzled his cheek and he became slightly nervous, and then it hit him, was he really falling for Abuto? She was so young, and yet she couldn't want a lion as old as him. But Ni shook it off and took her complement well. "Thank you Abuto, I couldn't let them die, every lion deserves a chance to live, unwanted or not," But now these cubs wouldn't have to be unwanted anymore, sure Ni and Abuto weren't experienced parents by a long shot, but at least these cubs had a family. They, like Abuto, were finally home.

(OOC: Sorry this post is so crappy, couldn't get back into Ni mode as I call it. xD)

[[Don’t worry, I understand that! It’s been the same way with Quanna for me]]

“Thank you,” The russet lioness said sheepishly as she averted her gaze with a self-conscious smile at his compliments, and only hoped he was right. Abuto would have to change her outlook drastically to be a good mother -- she couldn’t be constantly preoccupied with her short-comings, distracted by her negative thoughts, and always assuming she was doing something wrong. That wasn’t a mindset she wanted to encourage in her charges, nor was it helpful in discipline. She had to set a good example. The lioness still was not sure she had it in herself to do this, but she didn’t really have a choice. There was no way she would just pass by these cubs, abandon them as well as Ni in his time of need. It would all work out, between the two of them and hopefully the other pridemembers.

That thought spurred on other worries. What would the others think? There was already some tension with Abuto’s recent reception into the Shadowlands, and while they were still kind, the strange looks were still noticeable. She had not heard or come to the conclusion that rumors had been spreading that she was the prince’s strange, rogue mate who’d finally come to settle. Perhaps even that the cubs were somehow their own. But no one had said any such thing in her presence as of yet, though she figured opinions of her were quickly being formed about her regardless, and Abuto knew helping Ni raise the cubs would simply add to that. She gave him a worrying look, and he seemed to have already mulled over such things, so she swallowed and cast him another smile. She would just have to be brave in the face of the unknown. And anyway, it could’ve been a much worse situation.

When Ni told her the names, Abuto frowned slightly. “Kiasi and Makosa...” Even their names seemed to be rather cruel, but the cubs already seemed attached to them, perking up when both lions spoke them. Perhaps it was best to keep them as is. The young lioness was oblivious to Ni’s nerves, attention returned to the newborn cubs that she could feel herself already becoming attached to. She hadn’t thought deeply on her feelings for Ni yet, even as they seemed to grow the more time she spent in the Shadowlands and every time she dwelled on how excited she was to see him and become a part of his pride, she would wonder if that same level of emotion would’ve been said about any other lion had she run into them. But Abuto was unwillingly to over-think such things and end up making a fool of herself, and had simply enjoyed her time here thus far. Despite the reception and obvious more than acceptance from Ni, a part of Abuto still assumed no one would ever truly want her.

But the situation thrust upon them would require more time working together. And the thought of being mother (and not even just briefly to nurse them -- no, full-time, rest of their lives, true mother) to Ni’s cubs was a strange one, one that would make her blush if she thought too much on it, and if it were physically possible for a lion to do so. So rather than deal with the awkward side of this new turn in their lives, Abuto just nodded. “Why don’t we take them back to the den, they look chilled.” It would be a strange re-entrance with the pride there, that was for sure, but that was the safest place for the youngsters right now. The hyenas had long since backed off to give the two privacy to work it out on their own, so Abuto and Ni were left alone along the ridge to carry back one cub each to their new home. Things would be different from here on out, but the more Abuto thought about it, the more she concluded she wouldn’t have it any other way.

[[I figured this was a good spot to wrap it up, as I mentioned, so we can pick up another thread with them elsewhere?]]