CH.2

White Angel

Hey all, here is chap 2, I hope you like it and please review. Ohh and there was another mistake in chap 1, wherever I put something about jaguars it was s'posed to be leopards. Jaguars don't live in Africa; they are native to the America's mostly South America. Yeah, and I don't own any of the Lion Kings.

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Wind and rain battered the desolate land, and a lone white figure struggling against it. A flash of lightening briefly illuminating her pure white coat. Another flash pulls her into a world of light as her tired body struggles onward. Darkness again, the rain falls harder and winds fight her. Her swollen belly can distinctly be seen as the lightening gets closer. She is near to birthing, very near. She braces herself as thunder shakes the ground beneath her and lightening follows seconds after sparking a nearby dead Acacia tree. It doesn't take much to set the dead land ablaze so that the rain even has little effect. She lifts her head over the tall grass and to her horror she sees many fires in the distance. Her silvery eyes scan her surroundings for the closest escape. She begins to run, whipping through the high grass. The wind this time working with her, pushes her tired body closer and closer to safety. Although the rain hits her faster, stinging her pelt like thousands of maddened bees. Silver orbs filled with fear as she approached fire, she could not turn back for the flames were licking at her heels and caving in on her. Struggling against the limitations of her round belly she kicked up her speed bringing her body low to the ground, close enough for the blades to tickle her. Nearing the fire ahead she spotted an area where the dancing flames had not yet grown tall. In a leap of faith, her muscles strained and flexed under her coat as she threw herself over the flames. Pulling herself up she didn't stop to look back but kept going. She had fallen on her paw when she jumped for her life and had hurt it badly and was now limping. After a good fifteen minutes of going as fast as she could she felt safer. It was raining harder now and the fire was far away. The fires almost had her but now they were finally receding to the down pouring rains. She stopped to watch the red flames reaching for the sky. Her chest rose up and down quickly as she tried to regain her breath. She looked lovingly down at her unborn cub before rising and continuing forward. Cringing as she felt the cub tossing and turning within it's boundaries, unknowingly the cub was causing his mother quite a deal of pain.

"Don't worry little one, were almost home." She cooed to herself and her tummy.

Despite the pain though she continued to walk all through the night trying to hold off her cub's birth as long as possible. She took a relieved breath off air as the sun peeked above from the horizon. But she was not looking at the sun but the land it high lighted. It was rich with life and scattered areas were covered in dense bushes and trees as well as open area were small herds of zebra and water buffalo grazed.

"Were home, were finally home." Her silver eyes danced and then cringed as her belly once again received kicks.

She knew that she would no longer be able to postpone her cub's birth. So she took flight, quickly reaching the boundaries of her home. Going as fast as possible she stumbled as her cub struggled in it's mother's womb. Trying to remember where the watering hole was she decided on a direction and flew. Hearing distinct splashing and laughter on the other side of a group of bushes she pushed her way through.

A group of young tawny cubs stopped playing in the pond as they heard a rustle in the bushes. Quickly running to their parents resting under the shade of some trees, they hid from a possible predator. The adults quickly turned their attention to the noise, getting ready to chase of any hyenas, leopards or anything else that would take a young cub. But to their surprise a white lion stepped from the bushes, relief could clearly be seen on her face as she spotted the pride. But pain quickly replaced her relief as her cub tired of it's small space. A few lionesses rushed to her side as she staggered. An elderly female stood, her fur was a rich creamy tawny and her eyes were golden. She squinted as she stalked closer to the white lion and a smile creased her old face.

"Phuma...is that you?" She questioned but only received a small nod and smile from the pregnant lioness.

"Hurry and take her to the den." A large dark tawny male spoke, he's mane was a crisp gold around his face but turned black as it reached along his back..

Doing as they were told the lionesses helped her to the den which was on the other side of the pond. It was on a tall dirt hill, trees and bushes creeping along it's back and sides. It was rather large and roomy inside as well as cool. Phuma leaned heavily on her helpers seeing and remembering many of her childhood friends. They took her near the back of the cave and helped her lay down. The elderly female followed behind then sat beside her, watching over Phuma lovingly.

"It's been many years since you disappeared from Timbavati, we all thought you were dead." The old female spoke, stroking her paw over Phuma's large belly.

"I'm sorry mother, you know the other pride that lives here." She gasped through pains.

"Yes, but we haven't seen any other lions in quite awhile. We don't know where they disappeared to." She answered becoming worried for her daughter and unborn cub.

"Well I saw humans take away the two white cubs and one tawny one from that pride after waking up and sneaking out of the den. I knew that you, father and the rest of the pride had been hiding me away from the humans for the same reason. But somehow I didn't feel safe, I returned soon after and pretended I didn't go any where. But soon after I did it again and snuck out but this time I got lost and wandered about aimlessly. Until I ran into a big male leopard, as he spotted me I froze in terror and he only licked his chops and jumped at me. But before he could land on me another leopard leapt out of nowhere, tackled him and grabbed me by the nape of my neck. I thought I was to be eaten so I struggled but she only tightened her grip. After running for awhile she let go of me. It turned out she had saved me and had no plans of eating me. She also had recently had a litter of cubs but they perished. She told me that we weren't in Timbavati and that she hadn't even heard of it. So I reluctantly allowed her to take me to a lion pride that she knew of. When I got there they immediately took me in and raised me. I also found love as you can tell but he died as well as the rest of the pride from several hunters. I escaped and came her. I'm sorry I never came back sooner but I did not want to put you all in danger because of my white coat and the numerous hunters about." She finally managed to finish as a few of the lionesses remained in the cave to help her as well as her mother. The other females and the big male remained outside watching the cubs as Phuma started giving birth.

About an agonizing hour later and the birthing finished, the cubs raced inside the den to see their new playmate. She was a small white cub with black tipped ears and tail. The front half of her back paws were black as well as her little nose. She had a black widows peak that rounded at the back of her head with dark blue/green eyes. The cubs gasped as they saw the little bundle curled up against her mother. The big male licked the cub gently as he examined her. Phuma smiled and layed her head on her mother's stomach as she began to nurse her new cub. The sun was setting now and the whole pride was in the den. Yawning the big male went to the center of the cave and layed down. The females took their own spots in the den, cuddling their cubs close. Smiling as her lids drooped, Phuma watched her cub finish up her meal before licking her face clean. They both snuggled close to each other and fell asleep.

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I didn't make up the name Phuma or the place where the pride lives, Timbavati. The Timbavati Reserve is a real place. That's where two white cubs and a tawny one were found following their mother. They were captured for their own protection. Another white one named Phuma was spotted in another pride but disappeared and is presumed dead. This happened a while ago and the cub probably did die. But hey it's just a story and I thought it would be neat to use it. Ohh and Phuma means to stand out or to be out of the ordinary. You can find plenty on the topic if you use Google. Please review and I'll update soon.