The burning sun rose over the tip of pride rock, shining a sea of golden rays over the gorgeous pride lands. The zebras grazed as giraffes stretched their lovely long neck high to the sky and the elephants and rhino took a long and dirty mud bath to wake up form the sleep in their eyes. All was at peace in the pride lands.
But there was a lone lion figure on the top of pride rock. It was King Mufasa. Mufasa and his mate; Queen Sarabi, had only five days earlier presented their son; Simba to the animals of the lands as Prince of the pride lands. His old friend and the great adviser of the King; Rafiki, the Baboon had been the one to conduct the ceremony.
King Mufasa always sat in the same spot when he looked over the pride lands in the morning, as it was the King's duty to keep peace between the different animals that lived there. But the reason for him to always sit in the same spot was because in his opinion, it was the best spot to admire the beauty of the glorious lands.
"What a beautiful morning" he said into the wind. After he had decided his lands were safe and well, he made his way down the rock path to the lion's cave. As he got to the entrance of the cave he peered into check on the fellow lions. There were only two new cubs to the pride this year; Simba and a lioness cub called Nala.
Nala was the lioness Sarafina cub that was born two nights ago. The lionesses had joked that it was fate that they were only born two days apart because the two cubs were soul mates form the start. However Mufasa was thinking of making the cubs engaged to each other as of this day, the only thing that kept him was love.
He wanted the cubs to find their own love, weather it is with each other, or with some other lion or lioness. He saw that Sarabi was just waking up and was about to join her on their rock in the cave, when suddenly there was a squeaking coming form behind him to the noise all the lioness head rose.
Mufasa turned to look behind him when he saw his adviser Zazuu the Hornbill speeding towards him.
"Sire, sire!" he cried as he came closer. "Their a while lioness on the pride land with her cud their-"
"Zazuu you know full well that the white lion's are allowed on these lands freely" Mufasa scolded quickly 'Stupid bird, waking them all up for nonsense' Mufasa thought to himself as he made to turn back to the others to tell them every thing was fine and to go back to sleep.
"I know sir but there are these three Hyena again, there attacking her and her cub!" Zazuu squawk as fast as he could. At this Mufasa roared with anger.
"Why didn't you say so before!" he said as he took off in the direction the hornbill had come, with five lionesses hot on his tail.
"I was trying to tell you sire, but you interrupted sire" Zazuu tried to explain as he lead the lions to where he had see the white lioness running. As they got closer to the scene Mufasa could see that the lioness was losing against two of the hyenas while the female hyena; Shenzi sat to the left with something white lying at her feet. Mufasa realised that it was the cub Zazuu had spook of. He had to think quickly. He turned his head to the five lionesses behind him.
"You two follow me, Layla," the darkest of the five looked to Mufasa paying attention to what he was going to tell her "Zazuu, go get Rafiki, quickly" they both nodded and quickly sped off to the right, toward Rafiki's tree. "You two" he said to the ones on his Left, "Get that cub away form that Hyena" and with that they all went off to do as they were told. When the hyena's looked up to see what was coming but it was too late. Mufasa gave a mighty roar and pounce on the nearest one and growled lowly.
"What are you doing on my land, pests?!" he growled out. The hyena was shacking with fear as he looked into the eyes of a very angry and very pissed off lion King. "What possible thing made you think that you could come on to my pride land and attack a WHITE lioness and her CUB?! Please do tell for I see no reason at all!" Mufasa yelled out as he raised hi paw to hit the hyena.
"Hey Mighty King" said the female hyena "why don't we deal hmmm" at this Mufasa looked up and what he saw made him stop in his tracks of hitting the Hyena. She had the cub on its back under her paw, claws out and ready to crush it in a second. The cub gave a whine in protest at the pressure being put on it little chest. "Let him go" she said nodding her head at the hyena under him "and I'll let you have her and the lioness, your call" she said and Mufasa could see the evil smirk on her face as she looked at the other lioness stalking closer to her.
She put more pressure on the cub and it started to squeal with desperation on be let go. The lioness stopped moving and sent disgusted glares at the hyena. The other male had moved beside her as they waited for the King to let go of their friend. With reluctance, Mufasa put down his paw and backed away form the hyena he quickly got off the floor and all three began to run.
"Dam it after them, go no further then the boarder" Mufasa yelled and the four lionesses were off all missing the cub as they went. He signed and then he saw something that almost broke his heart. The white lioness that was previously lying on the ground clawed and bleeding heavily was dragging her body towards the wailing cub.
Now that the hyenas weren't there, Mufasa looked more closely at the cub and saw that it was a little female, that couldn't be more then two days old. He looked around for any sign of Rafiki, Layla or Zazuu. There was none. He turned back to the tow and did the only thing he could do to make it easier for them. He went to the cub and turned her on to her stomach, she seem to quite the wailing down a little at his touch.
'Maybe it's because I am a lion, that she feels a little safer' he thought. Her heard growling and looked up to see the lioness glaring at him and she was snarling at him. 'Hmm interesting, she doesn't trust me even though I saved her'. Mufasa looked the lioness right in the eyes as picked up the cud by the scruff of its neck. With out rising to his full high she moved closer to the lioness, his eyes not once leaving hers.
Her snarling had stopped and she just gave him a hard look as he moved. It wasn't quite a glare but it was still hostel look. Mufasa stop just in front of her and put the cub down her eyes left his and focused on her cub. Mufasa took this as a good time to assess the damage done to her. There were many claw marks all over her and all was bleeding heavily their was a pool of her blood where she was laying and a trail form where she was dragging herself to get to her cub.
"Thank you" she said suddenly the hostile gone and her feature soft as she moved her glaze form the cub now in her arms and to Mufasa face. "I owe you a lot for what you have done for me and my cub"
"I would have done the same anyone else, a lioness from my pride; or a wandering lioness on my land" he said softly. He sat straight, not with pride but as a friend. "I told the white King I would look after his kind if they were on my land and I have done for many years and I hope to do it for many more" she smiled and the grimmest with pain.
"I still thank you but" her become sorrowful "I feel I must as of one more thing" Mufasa became confused but let her continue. "I ask that you look after my cub and raise her as one of your own, if your pride expects her" his face filled with shocked. "I have a feeling. I will not last much longer. I am already getting very tired" she said her breathing becoming laboured.
Mufasa looked form her to her cub. The cub's eyes weren't even open yet and that is what really made his heart break. The cub was so young and they have had little time to have each other and now her mother was being taken form her. He looked back to the lioness.
"what is your name, milady?" they both new it wasn't her real t itle but it still made her feel pride in her even in her last moments. However she was getting very weak and was now down to one work answers and breathing became harder and harder.
"Midori" she panted as laid her head down avoiding her cub but still so she could see her tiny little cub.
"I swear to you Midori I will try my best until my dieing breath to make your little-"
"Kagome" she interrupted "Her. name. It's. Kagome" Mufasa nodded.
"I swear to make Kagome's life as pleasant as I can" He said with a smile as he looked to the cub. 'Caged songbird' he thought to himself, 'I hope you have no cage sweet little Kagome'. He was brought out of his thoughts when the cub started to whine loudly. He looked as saw that Midori had stopped breathing.
He saw that Zazuu, Rafiki and the lionesses were close and so he moved forward to Kagome she crawled out form under her mothers head and started to wail. Mufasa lowered his head so the bottom his muzzle was laying softly on Kagome's back and purred. Her wailing quieted and moved to lean on his right paw. Mufasa gave a smile at her then looked up to the rest. He looked first to the four Lionesses, who had there heads low with shame.
"They got away my King we weren't fast enough, please forgive us my lord" said the 'leader'. She had the lightest coat in all the pride, with red tail, her name was Olabunmi. Mufasa gave a sigh, It was upsetting that the hyenas had got away after their attack but it was even more upsetting that his lionesses punish themselves for not being good enough when they are.
"We go home" he said then turned to Rafiki "will you pray for her and send her soul on Rafiki old friend?" Rafiki went closer to Midori.
"Of course Mufasa" and he started to shake his staff over her body and started an old chant. Mufasa picked up Kagome by the scuff of the neck, but she started to wiggle. He growled a low growl. Not one to scare her but to calm her. And so he, Zazuu and the lionesses made their way to pride rock.
Sarabi woke to little Simba moving in her paws. She looked down to the cub and smiled, and licked his head. She looked around and found that her mate was no where to be seen.
'Must still be on top' she thought then looked around again. She then noticed that five of the lionesses; Abelo, Kagiso, Layla, Titilayo and Olabunmi where missing too. 'Weird' and she made to get up when Simba started to whimper at the loss of heat form his mother. She sighed and picked him put by the scuff of his neck and walked out of the lion's cave.
She put Simba down the sat with her paws beside him and then curled her tail around her paws, making a protective circle around Simba to keep the wind off him. She looked up form her cub to look out to the lands looking any sign of the missing lions. She heard a rock move and looked to see Scar going back into his cave. She didn't understand why he didn't sleep in the cave with her, Mufasa and the other lionesses; he just said he preferred to sleep alone.
She looked back out to the lands and saw them. Mufasa was in the lead with Zazuu. But something white was hanging from his mouth. She looked closer and they walked closer and she saw it was in the out line of a young cub, a white lion cub. 'What's happened' was the only thought going though her head.
Mufasa stopped bottom of the slope that lead up to pride rock and sat down with the cub like she was with Simba. Zazuu landed behind him to the right with Titilayo sitting behind him to the ring and Kagiso sitting behind her to the right. Olabunmi sat level with Zazuu behind Mufasa on the left, Layla sat level to Titilayo on Olabunmi's Left and Abelo sat level to Kagiso on Layla's Left.
By now all the other lionesses were up and sitting in or in front of the lion caves entrance. Mufasa looked at them all briefly before looking into Sarabi's eyes and began to speak.
"There was a hyena attack on these lands this morning" he pauses as some of the lionesses gasped at looked at him with shocked and fearfully eyes. "do not fear none of this pride were the target of the attack, but they did go after a lioness" Sarabi raised her brow as she was trying to price it all together and then it hit her, "it was a white lioness and her very young cub" as if on cue there was a whimper form the cub hidden by Mufasa's tail.
"when we arrived we fought the hyenas and they fled, Olabunmi, Kagiso, Titilayo and Abelo gave chase Layla went to get Rafiki for the lioness, as she was coved in claw marks and bleed so heavily that she could no longer stand" he paused again, they could see there was sorrow in his eyes "that white lioness' name was Midori, and she has pass" and then no one spoke because the same thing that was going on in Sarabi's head was going on in theirs.
'What happens to the cub now?' and then, after their moment of silence for the dead lioness, Mufasa looked right at Sarabi and said.
"Queen Sarabi, it is your choice on what this pride does with this cub"