Chapter 4: Kindness in an Unexpected Form

A/N: As you may notice, I have decided to try a new spacing/format style for this chapter to see if it would help with reading the dialogue and story, in general, a little bit better. If you like it or want me to change it back, send me suggestions with your reviews.

"You think he might wake up soon?"

"I don't know. He's been asleep for some time."

"Well, he was almost killed by Janga and his clan."

"Personally, I think we should have let that mongrel eat it and save us the trouble."

I wasn't sure how long I was out for this time or how I was alive for that matter. What I did know was that I was not alone, for as I started to regain consciousness, I heard what could only be described as a collective gasp, followed by more muffled speech.

"Come now! Surely you haven't forgotten what IT is, or what IT's kind has done to ours in the past. It's a danger and a threat to the pride."

"Oh, but look at him; He looks so weak and helpless.

"If anything, he seems adorable and sweet. He doesn't even look like he could hurt a fly."

"Regardless of our opinions, we have to remember that the decision of what happens to HIM rests solely with the King and Queen."

It wasn't long before I finally let out a soft groan as I slowly came to. I also began to notice that I was resting on something big, soft…and surprisingly furry as the voices started to become clearer, helping me make out that they were all feminine in tone.

"Look, he's waking up!"

"What do we do?"

"Calm down ladies. The last thing we want to do is frighten him any more than he already has been."

As I vaguely hear the last statement being spoken, I soon feel something rough, yet comforting glide along my head, as if helping me regain my focus somehow.

"Mmmh…Wh-where am I?" I ask slowly as I rub my head, my eyes still shut as I try to ease the dizziness I was feeling.

"Shhh, you're safe now, young one." A female voice spoke relatively close to me. It sounded fairly young from my perspective, and if I had to wager, at least be around the same age as my mom, if not off by a few years. "No one is going to hurt you here."

I felt reassured by this voice, even though I couldn't see its owner. Even with this newfound comfort though, I couldn't help but feel like something was off with this whole situation.

"Am…Am I dead?" As I brought up the question, I soon heard a collection of giggles and awes which were no doubt directed towards me.

"Thankfully no, young one, but you almost were, given that Janga had you under his paws. It's a good thing his majesty was there to save you when he did." Another young female voice spoke.

Janga?...His Majesty?... The confusion started to fill my mind as I heard these words in the same sentence. "Oh, man…This must be some crazy dream or something."

I slowly rubbed my eyes to help regain my focus. Surely this was all in my head. Maybe it was my imagination, or maybe it was some weird hallucination. I just needed to open my eyes and everything would be alright, at least that was the hope.

"Well, believe it or not dear…" My eyes finally opened and quickly adjusted to my surroundings, revealing that I was in some sort of cave. "This is all real."

…A cave filled with lionesses… Upon seeing the countless predators lying down in front of me, my gaze shifts downward to see that I was laying on the rather large body of one of those lionesses, and noticed she was staring right at me, just as I looked to my right and met her gaze.

Before I could make any sense of my current situation, I felt the color leave my face and did the one thing my mind could think of at the time: I screamed out of pure terror. As I tried to back up into a standing position, I felt excruciating pain surge up my right leg as I fell back into a sitting position, my scream of fear replaced with one of agony.

Fighting through the pain, I soon see that my right leg was covered in leaves and strange, red goo while the limb itself was braced by a couple of large, sturdy branches that were tied up by some vines. As I inspected the makeshift brace, one of the lionesses approached me, bringing fear back into my mind as I started to scoot away from the giant carnivore.

"NO! Stay away from me!" I shouted at them as I soon hit the back of the cave, realizing that I was trapped in here…I was stuck in a lion's den, full of lionesses…talk about an ironic way to meet your end.

As I tried to keep my distance from the big cats, they looked at each other, before the one I was laying on got up and slowly made her way over to me, which in turn made me try to back away out of instinctive fear. That was when she spoke to me in that same, comforting voice from before.

"Hey, it's alright young one. We're not going to hurt you." She then proceeded to lie down in front of me. "If anything, we want to make sure you are okay." Her voice remained calm as she talked to me, and yet the fear was still controlling my actions as I scoffed at her statement.

"Yeah right! Like I'm going to believe a…" and that's when it hit me… like a ton of bricks… "You…you just talked..." Scratch that. Like a ton of concrete blocks. "You're all…talking lions…"

As the impossible reality set in, I looked around at all of the lionesses and noticed something I didn't before in my panic: They all had eye colors that ranged from amber, all the way to a vibrant blue, just like the lioness that was laying in front of me. It didn't last long though, as I started to giggle, although it seemed a bit off; like I was somehow losing my sanity.

"I knew it… I just knew it…" I slouch against the rock in defeat, unaware of the concerned looks that my hosts were giving me. "I've finally gone insane. I'm in a cave, talking to lions as if they were people."

"Is everything alright?" I soon hear a new voice approach, this one deep and male in tone. "I heard a scream and…ah. I see our guest has finally woken up."

The new voice belonged to probably the largest lion I have ever seen. He had a thick, auburn mane, dark yellow fur, and to complete his appearance, a pair of wise, almost fatherly amber eyes that at first expressed compassion before being replaced by concern upon seeing my current state.

"Is he alright Sarafina?" He asked the lioness in front of me, now knowing that her name is Sarafina. "I wish I knew your highness. As far as I can tell, I think he's gone through as much emotional pain as he has physical." She looks back at me with worry, as the lion that I discovered was royalty frowned slightly.

"Maybe I can reach him somehow." Speaking with confidence, the lion approached me and sat down at least three feet away from me. "Oh, hello Mr. Lion. Did you come to eat me?" I spoke to the lion, the sanity in my mind slowly fading, to which he slowly shook his head, smiling warmly.

"Of course not, young one. I merely wish to see if you are alright. I'm happy to see that we were able to reach you before the hyenas could do any more damage. By the way, my name is Mufasa, and I am the leader of this pride. Perhaps you could tell me your name?" Mufasa spoke to me gently, doing his best to ease my mind and soul, but both were having a hard enough time staying intact as is.

"Why? So you can remember my name as you serve me to your pride? Haha, I'm sure I'll make a great meal for the whole lot of them." I spoke once more as my mind continued to fade away, yet Mufasa was quick to retort. "No, of course not. As I said before, we-"

"Mufasa, is everything alright?" Near the front of the cave, one more lioness made her presence known as she entered the cave and made her way toward Mufasa and me. She had dark tan fur which shone against the light from the cracks of the cave's ceiling along with the entrance of the cave itself. She also appeared to be powerfully built, though I would later notice that her middle was starting to round out slightly. But what stood out the most with her was her face and eyes; it was as though they bore a gentleness that could be seen in a loving mother, with ruby eyes that reflected a sense of wisdom and kindness towards others. It was those same eyes that saw me as she approached Mufasa, giving him a tender nuzzle.

"How is he, dear?" She kept her worried eyes on me as she stayed close to her king. "I'm not sure Sarabi." He spoke to the lioness, who I now knew as Sarabi. "His body is healing well enough…But his mind seems to have gone through its own kind of pain. I've tried talking to him, but it would seem that words are not reaching him." Mufasa sighed sadly as he relayed this information to Sarabi, to which the pride looked on solemnly…all except for one lioness in the back, who just watched on with a neutral, yet disgusted expression.

Despite all of this, Sarabi smiled up at Mufasa, a sense of hope in her features. "Why don't I try something Mufy? Given he's still a child, there might be one method that can help me reach him." Mufasa looked at her, contemplating her idea before looking back at me, seeing that I was mumbling incoherently and then nodding.

"Alright sweetheart, it's worth a try." With a curt nod, Sarabi walked past Mufasa and over to me. "Just be careful, honey tree." Mufasa whispered to her out of worry, to which she turned back to him with a smirk and winked, before putting her focus back on me. As I looked back at the approaching lioness, I screwed my eyes shut, waiting for my inevitable death.

Waiting for those jaws to bite down on my throat and end my life.

But it never came. Instead, I felt something soft press against my forehead, giving off a familiar kind of warmth…a very comforting warmth…a warmth I haven't felt in weeks. Slowly opening my eyes, I see that Sarabi, the predator I thought would bring me my end, had pressed her forehead against my own and started to purr. As she continued to perform this action, my eyes started to waver and my mind made its way back to me.

She wasn't just nuzzling me…she was comforting me in my time of need. She was showing me, through this display of affection, that she cared about me, and it was bringing me back from the brink of madness. With a sorrowful sigh, tears fell down my cheeks as I brought my hands up and rested them against her muzzle. In response, I could feel her smile against the skin of my palms as she sat down in front of me, not once indicating she would leave me in such a vulnerable state.

"This is real…" I whispered as she pulled away, my tear-filled eyes meeting her ruby ones. "You're real." I start to sniffle as she nods, her smile not once leaving my sight.

"Yes, and I feared we were going to lose you." Sarabi replied as she leaned forward and tenderly licked the tears away from my cheek. "I'm glad that you're alright now."

I nod with gratitude towards Sarabi before directing my gaze at Mufasa, who looked relieved to see that his mate…yeah, pretty certain about that now…was able to help me out of my less than rational state. "Connor…"

"Hm?" Mufasa looked at me curiously as I finally introduced myself, the concern from before slowly lifted from his features. "My name…It's Connor…Connor Geigns…" I spoke softly to him as I still felt weak from what happened a few minutes ago. I'm just glad Sarabi never left my side as she let me stroke her neck.

Mufasa chuckled lightly as he heard my introduction, but the chuckle wasn't out of humor or anything negative, but more out of relief that I could finally speak rationally. "Well then Connor, to reintroduce myself, my name is Mufasa; leader of this pride," he gestured to the large group of lionesses in the cave with his paw. "And King of the Pridelands." He then motioned his paw towards the lioness caring for me. "Of course, you already met Sarabi; my mate and Queen at my side."

At the mention of her name and title, Sarabi pulled her head back and smiled down at me. "You have a very unique name, Connor Geigns."

"Please, Connor will do just fine, your highness." I reply to her with a bow of my head. However, it doesn't stay that way as Sarabi chuckles, using her head to lift mine. "In that case, you may simply call me Sarabi." I can't help but chuckle at her sense of playfulness and ease with me. It truly did help to make me feel comfortable amongst the creatures that saved me.

"Now Connor, if it's alright with you, I would like to ask you a question or two." In response to Mufasa's statement, which held a tone fit for royalty, or in his case, a king, I nodded to him silently, indicating he could begin.

"The first question I would like to ask, is what brought you to the Pridelands to begin with?" Damn…right out of the gate…I was hoping I would have more time before I could answer a question like that. However, I didn't want to keep the king waiting, so I gave him an honest answer while focusing on Sarabi's paws, finding it hard to look at anyone at this point.

"The need to survive, Your Majesty. A couple of weeks ago, my family was… was killed…during a fight with some human hunters. I was supposed to keep my brother safe with me… but…" My voice starts to tremble as I continue to recall the horrible memory. "I didn't think to check and see that he was with me. I tried to save him…but I…but I…Oh God TJ, I'm so sorry…"

I cover my face with my hands as I start to weep, mourning for the brother and parents I lost due to my slip up. A slip up in which I would never see them again.

Before I could continue to mourn, I felt that same warm and furry sensation from before resting on my shoulder. Uncovering my face, I saw that Sarabi had moved her head so that it could rest against my neck, as though this was her way of hugging me.

"You poor thing…I'm so sorry you had to experience a loss like that. It's never easy, that much I know, and I can tell you that many of my pride sisters, as well as myself, know what you're going through, so we understand what it's like."

As I listened to Sarabi's words, I caught notice of Sarafina making her way over to me as well. "Connor, I know we can't bring back your family, but I believe I speak for everyone here when I say: If there's anything that you might need, we'll be more than happy to help." She finishes her speech with a sweet smile, and as the tears continue to fall, I slowly but tightly wrap my arms around Sarabi as I hug her while allowing Sarafina to lean over and nuzzle my cheek.

It was weird to be comforted like this. I was only just recently rescued by this pride of lions, and already they were showing me compassion and comfort; something that I was denied for longer than I would have thought necessary. And yet, as I held onto Sarabi; feeling her fur against my fingers and her purring against my neck, I could feel my sense of loneliness ebb away. It was as though my heart, after suffering so much pain and despair, was finally mending itself, and it was thanks to these wondrous and beautiful creatures. I finally felt loved again, and I wasn't about to lose that feeling a second time.

As Sarabi slowly pulled away from me, she looked at Sarafina, which led to them both looking at Mufasa, who was watching on with a kind smile. "Pride meeting?" He asked knowingly to the two lionesses, to which they both said: "Pride meeting".

Before I could ask what was going on, Sarabi turned back to me, making sure my attention was on her. "Connor, would you be alright with us stepping away for a moment and discussing a few things? We won't be long."

Given that this seemed important to the pride, I nodded to her and rested myself against the back wall as Sarabi joined Mufasa and the rest of the pride, forming what I thought looked like a football huddle as they started to mutter and converse quietly amongst one another. Meanwhile, in an attempt to avoid eavesdropping, I decided to put my focus on actually observing the cave we were in. From what I could tell, it was quite spacious; perfect for housing a lion pride as big as Mufasa's, but I also noticed that near the center of the cave was a raised, flat layer of earth which I had to believe was where Mufasa and Sarabi would rest, kind of like a throne. I also noticed that my pack was resting against it, and while it had acquired a few new scuffs and bite marks, it was still in one piece.

As I continued to look around, I noticed that the pride was dispersing and making its way over towards me…Well, except for the one lioness who gave me the stink eye earlier; she decided to just leave the cave altogether. I wonder what her problem was? A clearing of the throat brought me out of my stupor as I put my focus back on Mufasa.

"Are you ready for my next question Connor?" He asked me calmly, to which I nodded with curiosity, wondering what his next question would be.

Looking over at his pride for a moment, he nodded before smiling. "Connor, given that it might be a while for that leg of yours to heal, and that some of the lionesses have taken quite a liking towards you." At this, I look at the big cats, who proceed to smile kindly at me. "How would you feel about staying here, and becoming a member of our pride?"

Now I KNOW I didn't see this coming. Me? Join a pride of lions? Never in my wildest dreams did I think something like this would happen to me. And yet here I was, in their den with their king asking me that very question. Talk about a lot to take in, since apparently, I was still gazing at the pride after the question was popped. Finally recollecting myself, I look at Mufasa and his lionesses with uncertainty. "Are you sure? I mean…I don't want to be a burden to any of you."

"You won't!" I was a bit thrown off by this, as every lioness said that one line…at the same time, while Mufasa simply chuckled at their enthusiasm. "I can assure you Connor: We wouldn't have come to this decision if we didn't think that you joining our pride would be beneficial to all of us…So what do you say?"

He was right. This couldn't have been an easy decision, to begin with, and yet the entire pride agreed to it fully. This only reinforced my beliefs that these lions truly did care about my well-being. So with a smile on my face, I finally gave Mufasa my answer:

"I would be honored to. I will do what I can to help once my leg is better too."

With my decision made, the pride let out whoops of joy as Sarabi came back over and nuzzled my forehead once again. "Welcome to the pride, Connor."

I happily hugged her muzzle as she did so, resulting in a purr. The surreal fact that I was part of a pride of lions was a lot to take in, but unfortunately, my mind still had its share of doubts about all this. The main concern being: Will I be able to fit in with the pride? I guess at this point, only time would tell.

A/N: Chapter 4, done and done. Connor is now a member of Mufasa's pride, but I bet many of you are wondering why the lionesses are so drawn to him; I can tell you right now, that Connor is feeling the same way. As for how this will affect him, you will just have to wait until Chapter 5, where a certain, green-eyed lion will leave his impact on Connor. Until then, as I said up top, don't forget to read and review. Until next time. ^_^