Eshma lay near the border separating the Pride Lands from the Out Lands.
She looked out into the dull red land. 'Maybe I should and live there...' she
thought miserably. She sighed. What Kita had asked her was true. Yes, she
was going to let herself fall because she felt like a nobody...why couldn't
she have a family too? She wasn't jealous, she just felt left out. Her
sister had Shengo, her brother had Karla, they had Kicku, Kicku had Mohatu,
they had Maya, and Maya had Bailey. And now Niya had started a family with
Taka and her new cubs, and Tania now had Tamola. She squeezed her eyes to
stop tears emerging. She shifted her left paw and then got up. She stared
out towards the Out Lands, wondering whether or not she should leave...
Taka walked back into the cave. He pinned his ears at the sight of everyone around the cubs. 'Niya, could I talk to you for a minute?' he asked with a shaky voice.
'Sure, go ahead.' She said. But Taka remained silent. Niya looked up and saw the look Taka wore on his face. 'Oh...' she said quietly. 'Um, guys, could you excuse us for a minute please?' she asked as she looked around at them. The lions nodded and retreated. Taka walked over to Niya.
'Niya...the-the thing is...' he paused. He was so scared of what Niya's reaction would be. But he took a deep breath. 'Kita and Tiaru are returning to the Lone Lands.' He said but he didn't look at Niya jut at the cave wall. Niya moved a bit.
'So...?'
'I-I don't know if I should go with them...' he still didn't look at Niya. But Niya rubbed her head under his chin.
'I'm not making you choose. I know the Lone Lands is your home, but if you do decide to go, I'm sure Mohatu and Kicku wouldn't mind if you came back to see your children every once in a while.' Taka looked at his son and daughter.
'But-they need me more than Kita and Tiaru do, don't they?' He asked. Niya shrugged.
'Many lionesses have brought up cubs by themselves before. Just look at Kamania's foster mother.' Taka sighed.
'It just won't be the same without you though. I'd miss you if I left, but if I stayed, I'd miss Kita and Tiaru too. And Tiku and Kiki and Bailey.'
'Speaking of Bailey, what if he feels the same about leaving? I know he and Maya love each other.' They were interrupted by Maya's voice.
'Yes, we do love each other. That's why if Bailey leaves, I'm going too.' She and Bailey walked into the den. Mohatu over heard his daughter.
'Maya, what are you talking about?' he asked.
'Daddy, I love you, I love mum, and I love everyone here. But I love Bailey in a different way. I don't want to leave him. I want to go with him if he's going.' Mohatu shook his head.
'What about your future? You have to be Queen Maya!'
'Daddy, I have never wanted to be Queen from day one! Ever since I found out when I was a cub, I didn't like the idea!'
'Maya, you can not escape your fait! You will do as I say!'
'My fait is to be with Bailey!' Maya yelled. By now, everyone in the cave was focused on Mohatu and Maya.
'Maya, please listen to your father!' Kicku snapped.
'No!'
'Maya!' Karla shouted at her granddaughter.
'I'm going.' Maya replied. She swished her tail about as she was about to leave. But Mohatu roared and jumped in front of her.
'You will not leave Pride Rock. You will stay here until you have some sense knocked into you.' He glared at his daughter and she ran to the very back of the cave and cried herself to sleep. Mohatu turned and started to walk towards Kicku. As he passed, Bailey gave an upsetting look and a very short squeaky growl.
Kita walked down passed the watering hole and to where Eshma was pacing the ground near the Out Lands. 'Eshma...?' Eshma was in the middle of pacing but stopped and looked up.
'Mmm?' she said and carried on pacing.
'Eshma, I know your upset about not having cubs, and I know Kamania only talks to you about...err...stuff...and I know how well you get along with Kamania...'
'What are you saying?' Eshma stopped pacing and came and sat with Kita. Kita took a deep breath.
'I want Kamania to be happy. She only seems happy around you. And I'm leaving soon. Eshma, what I'm trying to say is-if Kamania accepts it-you could take her in.' Eshma looked up at Kita in surprise. Then she sighed.
'Kita, there are three reasons why I cannot accept this. One, Kamania is you daughter, I cannot take her in as much as I would like too. True, I do love her, yes, I won't deny that. Two, Kamania is old enough to look after herself now; she is a full grown lioness. And three, I don't think I'm fit to be a mother to any cub, considering what I nearly did. You wouldn't want anything to happen to her because of me, would you?' she stopped talking and turned away. Then, with one last look at Kita, she turned and headed to the Spirit Lands...
END OF CHAPTER 32
I think it'd too long, but never mind, eh? Hope ya like it Bambi, and others! Please review! Ta!
~:.C.a.b.:~
Taka walked back into the cave. He pinned his ears at the sight of everyone around the cubs. 'Niya, could I talk to you for a minute?' he asked with a shaky voice.
'Sure, go ahead.' She said. But Taka remained silent. Niya looked up and saw the look Taka wore on his face. 'Oh...' she said quietly. 'Um, guys, could you excuse us for a minute please?' she asked as she looked around at them. The lions nodded and retreated. Taka walked over to Niya.
'Niya...the-the thing is...' he paused. He was so scared of what Niya's reaction would be. But he took a deep breath. 'Kita and Tiaru are returning to the Lone Lands.' He said but he didn't look at Niya jut at the cave wall. Niya moved a bit.
'So...?'
'I-I don't know if I should go with them...' he still didn't look at Niya. But Niya rubbed her head under his chin.
'I'm not making you choose. I know the Lone Lands is your home, but if you do decide to go, I'm sure Mohatu and Kicku wouldn't mind if you came back to see your children every once in a while.' Taka looked at his son and daughter.
'But-they need me more than Kita and Tiaru do, don't they?' He asked. Niya shrugged.
'Many lionesses have brought up cubs by themselves before. Just look at Kamania's foster mother.' Taka sighed.
'It just won't be the same without you though. I'd miss you if I left, but if I stayed, I'd miss Kita and Tiaru too. And Tiku and Kiki and Bailey.'
'Speaking of Bailey, what if he feels the same about leaving? I know he and Maya love each other.' They were interrupted by Maya's voice.
'Yes, we do love each other. That's why if Bailey leaves, I'm going too.' She and Bailey walked into the den. Mohatu over heard his daughter.
'Maya, what are you talking about?' he asked.
'Daddy, I love you, I love mum, and I love everyone here. But I love Bailey in a different way. I don't want to leave him. I want to go with him if he's going.' Mohatu shook his head.
'What about your future? You have to be Queen Maya!'
'Daddy, I have never wanted to be Queen from day one! Ever since I found out when I was a cub, I didn't like the idea!'
'Maya, you can not escape your fait! You will do as I say!'
'My fait is to be with Bailey!' Maya yelled. By now, everyone in the cave was focused on Mohatu and Maya.
'Maya, please listen to your father!' Kicku snapped.
'No!'
'Maya!' Karla shouted at her granddaughter.
'I'm going.' Maya replied. She swished her tail about as she was about to leave. But Mohatu roared and jumped in front of her.
'You will not leave Pride Rock. You will stay here until you have some sense knocked into you.' He glared at his daughter and she ran to the very back of the cave and cried herself to sleep. Mohatu turned and started to walk towards Kicku. As he passed, Bailey gave an upsetting look and a very short squeaky growl.
Kita walked down passed the watering hole and to where Eshma was pacing the ground near the Out Lands. 'Eshma...?' Eshma was in the middle of pacing but stopped and looked up.
'Mmm?' she said and carried on pacing.
'Eshma, I know your upset about not having cubs, and I know Kamania only talks to you about...err...stuff...and I know how well you get along with Kamania...'
'What are you saying?' Eshma stopped pacing and came and sat with Kita. Kita took a deep breath.
'I want Kamania to be happy. She only seems happy around you. And I'm leaving soon. Eshma, what I'm trying to say is-if Kamania accepts it-you could take her in.' Eshma looked up at Kita in surprise. Then she sighed.
'Kita, there are three reasons why I cannot accept this. One, Kamania is you daughter, I cannot take her in as much as I would like too. True, I do love her, yes, I won't deny that. Two, Kamania is old enough to look after herself now; she is a full grown lioness. And three, I don't think I'm fit to be a mother to any cub, considering what I nearly did. You wouldn't want anything to happen to her because of me, would you?' she stopped talking and turned away. Then, with one last look at Kita, she turned and headed to the Spirit Lands...
END OF CHAPTER 32
I think it'd too long, but never mind, eh? Hope ya like it Bambi, and others! Please review! Ta!
~:.C.a.b.:~
