Memories.
A strange name for an even stranger occurrence. Dalia's mother used to tell her that memories are the treasures of the heart. Reminders of the past and lessons for the future. Some memories are painful but necessary. Others are pleasant yet bitter-sweet. Regardless, Dalia has always prided herself in having a sharp memory. In fact, while they were traveling, Tombie would often rely on Dalia's memory to act as their relative map.
Most of her memories are clear and sharp, and she's able to recall them speedily. But for this one instance in particular, her memory seems to be in fragments. Like shattered pieces of glass that only reflect the light when the sun hits them a certain way. She remembers little bits and pieces of the day she nearly drowned, but never the entire event. Well, up until now, that is.
As she sinks deeper into the water, memories that have never made themselves clear before now start to flood her mind. She wishes she can move, but she's frozen in place, her muscles refusing to cooperate. She hears Kiara's muted voice from above the surface.
"Dalia, are you okay?" Kiara's voice calls, sounding warbled from the water. After a few beats of silence, the princess turns to her friend. "Tiifu, go get the Lion Guard!"
{flashback}
"Dalia!" her mother's horrified voice cried as the strong current of the flash flood swept her daughter away. What was just a dry valley minutes ago is now a raging angry torrent. That was the nature of flash-floods — dangerous and unpredictable. She ran alongside her daughter from on top of the gorge, helplessly watching her daughter try to fight against the current.
Dalia choked on the water surrounding her. "Mom!" she whimpered, sobbing as she desperately tried to stay afloat. And she knew, even at that young age, that she couldn't fight the current forever.
"Someone help!" her mother screamed, tears now freely flowing from her eyes. She looked around desperately. Where's the rest of her pride when she needed them? "Someone! Anyone! Help!"
"Hey! What's going on!?" Tombie's voice shouted amongst the heavy rain. The hyena must've been close enough to hear her calls for help.
"What's going on?" Kion asks as he nears Big Springs. Kiara is still in the deep blue water, worry practically painted on her face.
Less than a minute ago, a breathless Tiifu ran into him quickly explaining the situation at hand. Kion had immediately directed the rest of his Guard to follow Tiifu back to big Springs. The entire time, Kion could only think how lucky he was to have been passing the area.
Kiara furrows her brows together. "She said she couldn't swim, but ended up in the water." Kiara peers into the water before looking back up at her brother. "I tried to get her, but I can't lift her back up to surface." She takes another deep breath in. "I-I don't know what to do."
{flashback}
"Dalia got swept into the flash flood," her mother explained, letting out ragged breaths as tears blurred her vision. She had to start running to keep up with Dalia in the flood. "I-I don't know what to do."
Tombie peered over the edge of the gorge and started running as well. Dread instantly filled him, and he was glad that he was near enough to hear Nyla calling out for help. He started formulating plans in his head to rescue the cub he's grown to love like a sister. He had been in that gorge before. There should be a tunnel up ahead in the gorge that'd lead out into a larger lake on the other side...
As he looked down in to the flood once more, he spotted Dalia's head bobbing up from underneath the water. The saltiness of the water stung as it filled her lungs. "Mom!" she cried once more. This time, her throat was raw.
The current pulled her under once again, the gray murkiness seeming to overtake her. She pushed against it with all her might but to no avail. Her mother saw the water pulling Dalia in and let out a panicked shriek.
"Dalia!" her mother called again. "Dalia! Where are you?" Fear coursed through her mother's body, dread causing her stomach to plummet. She dashed to the edge of the gorge, fully prepared to jump into the water and grabbing her daughter out of there. She didn't have a plan yet on how to get herself and her daughter out of the water after she jumped in, but she couldn't just watch her daughter drown.
Just as she was about to jump off the edge of the gorge, Dalia's head popped out from the gray water followed by loud sputtering and gasps. Her mother let out a brief sigh of relief before dread quickly overtook her once more.
Tombie quickly realized that if he were to get her out of the water, he would have to act fast before she passed the tunnel. "I'll go get her," he told her mother firmly with resolve. "You go get your Pride, Nyla."
Before Nyla could even have enough time to process the information, the red-furred hyena was jumping off the gorge in pursuit of his friend. He knew a tunnel in the now-flooded gorge that would lead back to dry ground. And Dalia was about to pass the tunnel, so he had to act fast. His body crashed through the stormy flood water with a nasty sting.
He quickly became aware of the red tint to the water. Blood.
Tombie looked around for the smaller lioness, fear quickly rising. "Dalia!" he called out against the raging winds of the storm. "Dalia!" He could no longer see her. Was he too late? "Dalia!"
Thankfully, her little head popped out once again from the water with a loud gasp for air. "T-tombie?" she sputtered as the hyena started swimming towards her.
"I've got you," said Tombie before he quickly grabbed her by the scruff. As he held on to her scruff, he realized that the blood was coming from her forepaw. "Dalia, your forepaw!"
Upon closer inspection, he noticed the long gash running the length of her forepaw. She must've slammed into sharp rock somewhere along the way. Dalia looked down at her paw and looked just as shocked as Tombie was. If he wasn't already determined to get out of this flood, he certainly was now. The tunnel would be on the left side of the gorge and they would have to climb into it before the current passed it.
That would be their last chance of safety.
When the moment was right, he dived into the water while holding on to Dalia. The tunnel quickly came into view, the dark opening in the side of the gorge serving as a beacon of hope. Tombie swam hard against the current to reach it. His lungs were aching between the force he was exerting and the lack of oxygen. Finally, he pulled himself and Dalia into the tunnel.
If he remembered correctly, the tunnel would lead to a nearby lake on the other side of the gorge. The lake should be easy enough to swim out of he decided. The flash flood acted like a blast of pressure, quicky pushing them through the tunnel and out the other end. Dalia let out another gasp for air when the water shoved them out of the tunnel, and she squealed as she and Tombie fell a few feet into the water of the lake.
The duo hit the lake water with a splash, both of them immediately resurfacing. Tombie once again grabbed Dalia by the scruff and, this time, started swimming to shore. "Are you okay?" he breathed once he pulled her onto dry ground.
"Are you okay?"
Suddenly, Dalia's eyes snap open and she jolts straight up. Before she can figure out what was happening, her lungs start coughing out the water that had been trapped in them. She vaguely hears a collective sigh of relief from several creatures. As she coughs, she's aware of the fact that she is no longer in the water but actually on dry ground. Dalia soon feels a paw patting her back comfortingly.
The paw belongs to Kion.
"Are you alright?" he asks once more.
After she manages to catch her breath, she feebly tips her head into a nod. Slowly, her vision starts to return to normal and her head stops spinning. She turns her head around and scans the area to get her bearings straight. Standing in a circle around her is both the Lion Guard and the trio of lionesses from earlier, one of whom had pushed her in the first place. Dalia notices very quickly that Kion is the only member of the Guard wet. It didn't take a genius to figure out who dragged her out of the water.
"I'm fine now," she croaks, her voice sounding foreign to her. She looks up at him, managing a grateful smile. "Thank you, Kion."
"No problem," he replies.
Zuri takes a step forward towards Dalia, her ears flat against her head. "I'm sorry, Dalia. It was only supposed to be fun."
The cheetah beside Kion makes a "tsking" noise with her tongue, her green eyes rolling with disapproval.
The nomad remains silent, eyes fixed at the three lionesses before her. Her claws unsheathe themselves and slide into the ground. Dalia still doesn't know exactly what to make of the incident. She's still angry and still embarrassed. Her body's still shaking from the flashbacks of being tossed around in the current of the flood. Between the hunger making her stomach rumble and the fact that she's soaked to the bone, she's not in the best state.
Tiifu flashes her a smile. "You should really learn how to swim," she says innocently. "Could be helpful in the future."
Embarrassment pricks the base of her spine and runs up the length of her back, eventually reddening her cheeks. Her tail starts thrashing from side to side, frustration rising. She was embarrassed, which led to anger. The most frustrating part of the comment is the fact that Tiifu said it genuinely. Perhaps she was simply trying to be considerate, but it certainly wasn't the right time to mention it.
"Well, maybe you should mind your own business," she snaps.
Zuri raised a brow before jumping to the defense of her friend. "But it was just a suggestion—"
Dalia's angry green-gray eyes find Zuri's blue ones next. "And maybe you should keep your overly-manicured, horrendous-looking paws to yourself!"
Dalia regrets the words the moment they leave her mouth. She feels especially bad when Zuri takes a step back and flattens her ears against her head uncomfortably. Zuri looks down at her paws for a moment before her face morphs into one full of irritation. Her muzzle opens quickly to snap back at Dalia.
She bares her fangs, ears angled downwards in hostility. "Why, you little—"
Kion takes a step forward in between Zuri and Dalia before the situation could escalate, eyebrows furrowed as he looks between the pair. "Everyone, calm down," he says slowly.
Beshte, the hippo who has been silent for the majority of this encounter, interjects as well. "I'm sure Zuri didn't mean any harm."
"Yeah," Bunga adds with a shrug. The honey badger glares at Dalia before crossing his arms over his chest disapprovingly. "It was just for fun."
The nomad lets out a scoff of disbelief and a shake of the head. "Oh, just forget it! I'm getting out of here."
She turns on her heel and starts heading back to Priderock. She would need to visit Rafiki and Makini again so they can re-bandage her paw. Unfortunately, after the time spent in the water, her bandaged paw has been reduced to a soggy, torn heap of green about her paw. As she makes the walk back to Priderock, she silently vows to herself that she would leave the area at her earliest convenience.
No amount of awe-inspiring phenomenons would convince her to stay in the Pridelands, she decides.
Makini's giggle bounces off the walls of the Lion Guard's Lair at the sight of a dripping-wet Dalia. Rafiki gives a hearty chuckle as well from the opposite end of the clearing.
"I didn't expect to see you again this soon," she notes, amusement lighting her olive-green eyes. "Or this wet, for that matter," she adds, running her fingers over the soaked fur.
"Yeah, well, I didn't exactly expect for today to play out the way it did either," Dalia responds, glowering at her paw.
Makini snorts, the edges of her lips tugging upwards into a smile. "You're a funny lioness, Dalia," she giggles.
"Thanks," Dalia replies dryly. She lifts her paw up so Makini can see it better. "I need to get this rebandaged."
Makini grabs the wad of green vines from this morning and sets it down next to her before working to remove the old bandages. Once the old bandages are fully off, she makes quick work to rewrap the paw. As Makini wraps the green around her paw, Dalia catches sight of the grotesque-looking scar running up the length of her forepaw. She doesn't remember getting it, but she thinks it was from the flood smashing her into a sharp rock. Or perhaps her paw snagged on an extra-pointy piece of driftwood.
The younger mandrill also catches sight of it and involuntarily flinches. She internally reprimands herself and hopes that Dalia didn't notice. Unfortunately, she did.
"Sorry." Makini looks down at the ground, continuing to wrap the lioness' paw.
Dalia lets out a sigh. "It's okay. I don't blame you." She looks down at it once more. "At times, it frightens me as well."
The scar's an ugly thing. It's jagged, raised, and aches whenever it gets too hot outside. The color's a deep purple and looks painful despite the amount of time that has passed since receiving it. She's lucky that the scar's not easily spotted; she needs to turn her paw forwards for anyone to really see it. Dalia closes her eyes, thinking about what her mother would say about the matter.
Dalia can almost hear her gentle, soothing voice. She can almost see her warm smile.
"Scars tell the story of where we've been, my flower. They're lessons for the future."
A strange ache strikes Dalia's chest, nearly forcing tears to her eyes. She shakes her head, clearing her head of every and all thoughts of her mother. Even after all this time, it hurts too much to think of her. She slowly settles back into her mask of indifference — it's easier that way.
Thankfully, Makini had the good sense to not ask any more questions regarding Dalia's scar and silently works at the rest of the bandaging. She soon is wrapping the last bit of green around Dalia's paw, tying it tight against her flesh. The young mandrill scoots back to observe her work.
"Rafiki!" she calls after a moment, cupping her hands around her mouth, "Can you come to take a look at this?"
A grunt is the older mandrill's response. Of course, Makini only giggles at Rafiki's lack of enthusiasm. "Coming, Makini," he says before stepping into view with his staff in hand. He circles Dalia, eyes trained on Makini's handy-work. Stroking his beard, he murmurs his approval more to himself than anyone else.
Finally, he stops in front of the lioness and the apprentice. "Good work, my apprentice." He pats her head approvingly. "You are learning very quickly."
Makini's grin spreads from ear to ear. "Thank you, Rafiki."
Rafiki nods before his eyes settle on Dalia. The lioness quirks an eyebrow as the mandrill gives her a curious look. "Young wanderer, where did you say you were from?" Rafiki questions after a moment. "When I was young like you, I was quite the traveler! Perhaps I have visited the place you called home."
The nomad's ears completely flatten against her head this time, the question taking her off guard. She takes a deep breath in and out before answering his question.
"Well," she starts, cautious of her words. "I lived just north of the Tree of Life. Perhaps a one day journey." Rafiki nods, waiting for her to continue. "And we bordered territory with Odin's Pride. I'm not sure if you're familiar."
The older mandrill stroked the white fur on his chin for a few moments and murmured to himself oddly, "Pride of Odin... Tree of Life... north...hmm..."
"Ah-ha!" he says abruptly. Rafiki stands straight up, pointing a finger towards the sky in realization. He peers down at the now uncomfortable lioness. "You belong to the Land of the Wazi!"
Dalia stares at the eccentric Royal Mjuzi blankly. "Well, I suppose that's what you Pridelanders call it."
Rafiki gives a good laugh, placing his hands on his stomach as he throws his head backward with a laugh. Makini giggles as well, though Dalia doesn't find it funny in the least. She can't help but be annoyed with the name others have given her home. It loosely translates to The Land of the Outcasts. While, yes, it is a fitting name, it's embarrassing to have to admit that you belong to a group of social outcasts.
Makini turns to her mentor with a smile. "I told you she was funny!"
The Royal Mjzui looks at Dalia kindly, a smile still present on his face. "My apologies, young wanderer. What do you call the place you are from?"
Nostalgia clouds over Dalia's face as she looks up towards the sky. Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she is filled with a sense of wistfulness. She knows what her answer will be. The lone word is hovering over the tip of her tongue. She opens her eyes once more, looking up at the wise mandrill.
"Home."
Author's Note:
Oooh, we're getting into Dalia's backstory! Just a quick note: "Wazi" translates to "outcast" in Swahili. Also, yes, I did make Dalia kinda bratty in this chapter. But, to be fair, everyone has their days.
About the late updates: I try to update this fic whenever possible, but life does get in the way. School's starting back up very soon and it is my last year so I'd like to finish it off well, especially after having to take one year off school to take care of my mother. I may not be able to update super frequently coming forward, but I'm not going to abandon this fic. So, if there is a delay in the future, please know that I don't have intentions of abandoning it, but something came up/I was focussing on something else.
As always, any criticism/feedback/reviews are happily welcome. Let me know what you liked/disliked about this chapter.
