*Miraj's POV*
"And last but not least, you only resort to fighting when..?" Lion-O was asking me the last question. It was a simple question, but a very important one.
"All else fails." I finished.
"Good. It appears you've had some experience fighting and plotting." Lion-O said.
"Maybe a little." I replied, shyly.
"I think a little more than a little." Ben-gali this time.
"Alright. Now for sparring...hmm. I think we should start you off with our least experienced fighters. Kit? Kat?" Pumyra called.
"But...they're cubs! I don't want to hurt them!" I objected
"How 'bout next level up? Pumyra?" Lion-O smirked.
"What?! You don't think I'm a better fighter than that?!" Pumyra sounded offended.
"You're the next level up. From them. You're not as an experienced fighter as some of us. And as you all know, I am the best." Tygra arrogantly strutted towards the table. I backed off a little, incase things got nasty.
At Tygra's words, Pumyra's ears flattened back, and her tail started thrashing as a growl rumbled in her throat. Clear signs of her ire.
Right that second, the puma lunged for Tygra's throat.
Tygra's expressions were unguarded for a second, and he looked plainly shocked. His face was hilarious! Eyes bugged, mouth slightly agape, and might I say, he looked like a rag-doll hitting the floor! I had to resist the urge to bust out laughing then and there. However, Lion-O full fledgedly laughed, and even Ben-gali chuckled, before pulling his girlfriend off of the star-struck Tygra.
"Idiot!" Pumyra yelled.
This caused me to snort. Everyone turned to stare at me as my form shook from holding in laughter.
One more incident, and I'd be as loud as a drunk hyena.
Cheetara and the cubs snickered at my snort.
When I calmed down enough that I could talk, I asked, "So, where will we be sparring?"
"We have a place set up, just outside the tank." Cheetara answered.
"Let's get on with it, then!" Lion-O said.
*Just outside the tank*
Just as quick as the puma threw a punch, I blocked it.
I had her thinking the only thing I'd do was block and throw a few stray kicks.
She then proceeded to jump behind me, in hopes of a sneak attack, but just as she punched, I grabbed her arm twisted it while turning around, wrapped my calves around her throat, and as my hips rotated, landed a serious fight flip I had nick-named "The death roll". The meaning of the flip's name had to do with it's resemblance to the death roll that alligators perform at times.
"OWWWWWWWW! You little butt!" She roared.
I released her from my calves, and, as gracefully as I could, hopped up and off of the fighting mat.
"Good grief! That looked like it hurt!" Cheetara said, just as Pumyra got up, holding the arm I twisted.
The cubs, Lion-O, Tygra, Panthro and Ben-gali were staring at me, gaping.
Under their stares I felt terribly uncomfortable.
"How the heck did you DO that?!" Lion-O asked in utter shock at the "Death roll" I had just performed.
Though you couldn't hardly tell, I blushed under my fur.
"I train...a lot.." I answered dumbly.
"Well, DUH!" Pumyra huffed.
I awkwardly cleared my throat.
"Well, on with the next match!" Cheetara announced.
Matches went on similar to Pumyra's. I won each one, till I got to Lion-O. He beat the hell outta me! I did manage to get a surprisingly hard kick to connect with his jaw, but he only stumbled back a few steps, before grabbing my leg, and performing a nasty, hurt like hell, fight flip.
It hurt so freaking bad, that I literally roared "SHIIITAKKEEEEE MUSHROOOOOMS!"
At this, everyone, even Lion-O, busted out laughing.
I was now reeling from the horrible pain in my right knee.
When Cheetara calmed her laughter, she helped me up. "Are you okay, Miraj?"
"I think he fractured my knee." I growled. I was royally pissed.
"Hmm. Ben-gali, Pumyra, could you look at her knee?" She asked the tiger and puma.
"Sure. Take her in the tank." Pumyra answered.
Cheetara tried to help me walk, but being the stubborn little witch I am, "I don't need any help!" I hissed. Though I limped, I made it all the way to and inside of the tank. I thought my leg would give out, but I made it to the doctor table -or whatever it's called- just in time.
I sat down quickly. My knee hurt so bad with having to bend just to sit, that I hissed and growled in pain. If you know me, you know I rarely ever show any expressions that I'm in pain.
Ben-gali X-Rayed my knee, and he didn't see any fractures, and didn't feel anything like broke bones. He told me it was a "Really nasty twist, and that if Lion-O had twisted it any further, it may have well been a fracture."
"I can try to make some sort of concoction to dull the pain?" Ben suggested.
"'kay." I grumbled.
"Um, sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you so bad." Lion-O said sheepishly.
"It's okay. Please, don't EVER do that to me again, but it's okay." I replied.
"You're going to have to rest for a few weeks. How far away is your house?" Pumyra asked.
"About two and a half miles. I think I can make it-"
"Nope. I'm not allowing you to even walk on that leg. I was going to say someone could carry you, but two and a half miles from here? No way in heck!" she interrupted me.
"I'm not THAT heavy!" I hissed.
"Oops. Uh, that's not what I mea-"
"Do I really look THAT big?! Do I, jerk-o? Do I?!" I cut her off.
"W-well, n-"
I cut her off again with a growl.
"You don't understand. Even though you're light-weight, carrying you that long? Carrying anyone that long, they would feel like dead weight. That's what I was trying to say." she clarified.
"Uh huh." I mumbled.
"Well, you're the last tryer-outer we had today." Wilykit said.
"Yes. Snarf probably has dinner done, so we should probably eat." Cheetara said.
"Um, y'know, there's something I just remembered. Do you guys see the castle, waaaaaayyyyyy over there?" I asked, pointing to a palace that was about five miles from here.
"Yeah? So?" Lion-O questioned.
"There have been servants working in it for years, to make it nice and decorated, incase their emperor returned. And the last time I checked, you're the emperor." I said gesturing towards Lion-O.
"Hmmm. We'll have to check it out. It would be nice to live in somewhere other than this tank." Lion-O said thoughtfully.
I tried to get up to retrieve my back-pack, but Ben-gali stopped me, and Kit got it for me.
"Thanks." I said.
"No problem-o!" She replied.
I chuckled. She was such a cute little cub, and I already viewed her as a little sister.
"How old are you?" Kit suddenly asked.
This question caught me by surprise. "Seventeen. Why?"
"I dunno. You seem so much older." She says.
"Uh, thanks?" I said unsurely.
"I mean, you seem more, oh what's the word..masculine? Magical? Musical? Mattier? Ooh! I think that's it. Mattier!" She said excitedly.
"I think you mean 'Mature', Ditzo." Kat said with a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"Yeah! Mature ditz- hey!" She interrupted herself when she realized what her twin said. Kat snickered.
I laughed as the two began to "fight".
Lion-O rolled his eyes at the twins' antics, before turning to face me. "Me and the others agree that we think you should be part of our team, Miraj."
I flustered a bit as he spoke.
I realized I had been staring for a while when he arched a brow and smirked.
I quickly looked away, flustered, and I heard him chuckle.
I discreetly looked around, and the others were engaged in their own conversations. Good! They missed it!
Just that second, someone walked into the room. It was Jada! I could See a few other new recruits behind her.
"Hey, guys? Snarf said to tell y'all dinner's rea- Miraj?" She said, suddenly realizing I was there.
"Yeah. S'me." I responded to her.
She gasped. "Didja make it? Didja?" She asked, perky as ever.
"Yeah, I did Jad." I replied with a tight-lipped smile.
"I knew you would! See? I toldja you'd make it!" She said, jumping up and down.
I heard Lion-O chuckle behind me. I chanced a glance at him. He was smiling at her. Then, the realization hit me; he likes her!
A growl rumbled in my throat. I realized everyone had stopped talking so as to listen to our exchange, and they looked at me, surprised, when I growled.
Jada asked me, "Is something wrong, Raj?"
"Huh? Oh. No. It's, uh, just my...knee. It's, uh, twisted." I said hesitantly.
She then, none too quietly proclaimed "Bullcrap."
"It is actually twisted, Jada." Lion-O assured her.
"Yeah, sure." She said disbelievingly. " Well, let's eat some dinner!" Jad then said. "I'm starved!"
*Lion-O's POV*
We just came in from sparring matches. I was the last one who fought Miraj, and I hurt her knee bad. I didn't mean to hurt her that bad, but I did.
Ben-gali X-Rayed her knee, and came to the conclusion it was just a really bad twist.
"Um, sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you so bad." I sheepishly apologized.
"It's okay. Please, don't EVER do that to me again, but it's okay." She said.
Pumyra ended up starting a minor argument between Miraj and herself.
"You don't understand. Even though you're light-weight, carrying you that long? Carrying anyone that long, they would feel like dead weight. That's what I was trying to say." she tried to calm her down.
Miraj then proceeded to tell me about some castle.
"Hmmm. We'll have to check it out. It would be nice to live in somewhere other than this tank." I responded.
Then, I zoned out. Not even listening to anything. Just studying her.
She was really gorgeous! She had raven black hair, dark grey -almost black- fur, that I could just barely make out spots on, (huh. A black panther. Aka a black jaguar.) a gorgeous bod, that -even while under clothes- he could tell was muscular. A good warrior maiden. She had full lips that drew into a thick Cupid's bow when she smiled or laughed, an impeccably perfect nose.
I snapped out of my daze, and glared at Tygra who was staring at me, smirking.
"Ooh! Does someone feel a little attraction for a certain jaguar?" Tygra whispered in my ear.
"Well, you have to admit she's pretty!" I whispered back to him.
"I would, but Cheetara would be ticked if she in any way heard me." He whispered his response.
I smirked. She probably would be ticked.
Just then I tuned back in to the others, to find Kit asking Miraj her age.
"Seventeen. Why?" She appeared surprised by the question.
Oh. So she was two years younger than me, eh?
"I dunno. You seem so much older." Kit replied.
" Uh, thanks?" She sounded confused. Probably trying to figure out whether to take that as a compliment, or an insult.
"I mean, you seem more, oh what's the word..masculine? Magical? Musical? Mattier? Ooh! I think that's it. Mattier!" Kit excitedly said.
"I think you mean 'Mature', ditzo." Kat said, sounding mildly annoyed.
"Yeah! Mature ditz- hey!" She interrupted herself. She just realized what her brother said.
I rolled my eyes, and heard Miraj laugh, as the twins began to "fight".
I turned to talk to Miraj. "Me and the others agree that we think you should be part of our team, Miraj." I said.
She seemed to fluster when I said her name. She was staring at me for a few seconds, before I arched an eyebrow and smirked.
Hmm. It appears she might find me attractive?
I chuckled as she turned away. I could barely tell under her fur, but she blushed.
Right that minute, Jada, -one of the new recruits- walked in.
"Hey, guys? Snarf said to tell y'all dinner's rea- Miraj?" She suddenly noticed Miraj was there. Huh. I guess they knew each other.
"Yeah. S'me." She half-butt responded to Jada.
Jada gasped, then excitedly asked, "Didja make it? Didja?"
"Yeah, I did Jad." She replied, oddly with a forced-looking smile.
"I knew you would! See? I toldja you'd make it!" She said, jumping up and down. I guess she's a rather energetic one.
I chuckled at how hyper she was, and smiled. She was cute, but nowhere near as pretty as Miraj.
I heard a low growl rumble in Miraj's throat. Apparently everyone else did, cause they were all staring at her.
"Is something wrong, Raj?" Jada asked.
"Huh? Oh. No. It's, uh, just my...knee. It's, uh, twisted." Something told me that wasn't true.
Jada then proclaimed "Bullcrap."
"It is actually twisted, Jada." I assured her.
"Yeah, sure." She said disbelievingly. " Well, let's eat some dinner!" Jad then said. "I'm starved!"
What was that growl all about? Did something happen between her and Miraj that I didn't know about?
Hmmm.
"I hope dinner is good tonight. I'm starved!" I thought.
Hi! Second chapter done! I hope everyone likes it!
Anyways, I hope everyone's enjoyed the story, so far!