Sora opened his blue eyes, looking around the cave; it was empty other than the Maroon lion sleeping next to him. Sora realized his wasn't in Roxas and his' shared cave, for he wasn't sleeping on the hard stone, but soft leaves. The lion beside him stirred and Sora faked sleep. Sora peeked open his eyes, the maroon lion looked at him and sighed. "No use faking." She nudged him playfully. "Riku and Axel left to help remark the borders, soon you might be well enough to go with them."
"Kairi~" Sora whined as she began cleaning his ears. Kairi stopped and looked up when a lion entered the cave. She squinted as the light reflected off of Riku's silver pelt, in his mouth was a small antelope which he dropped at Kairi and Sora's feet, the kill so clean that no blood was on it or Riku at all. Axel burst in after him, Demyx on his tail. Demyx was one of Axel's friends Sora met a little after he was allowed to join the Pride. The blond leopard was singing a song that Axel was laughing at. "I like my Sitar, I like my Sitar, I play the Sitar, Sitar, where ever I go oh~"
Axel shoved Demyx," Be quite." Riku sat down beside Sora, "After you two eat, we can all go on a patrol." Sora nodded and began to eat the antelope with Kairi.
-A year later-
Sora pounced on Riku, pinning him on the ground. "I win!" Sora yowled in triumph. Riku rolled out from under him and pinned him to the ground. "I win." Riku smirked. Over the year Sora had grown almost as big as Riku, almost. He had also healed perfectly from his wounds, just as Aerith said.
Riku released him," Come on, it's about time for our patrol with Axel and Demyx." Sora bounced up and followed Riku out of the cave. They soon met up with the others and began walking their patrol. Today they were checking the river border separating them from the outclan. Demyx bounded ahead leaving everyone else behind. Sora and Riku walked in pace with each other, Axel a little behind glancing longingly at the other side. No one had seen Roxas since they found Sora in the river, not even Sora himself.
Soon they came up to the tree bridge, Riku bristled as he spotted a large black lion walking up to the bridge, coming half across it. "I wish to see the leader of this pride." The lion spoke, Behind him where two other lions, a gold lion and a dark brown lioness. "I expect you want them to travel with you?" Riku asked. The black lion nodded. Behind Riku, Demyx and Axel where bristling, Sora trying to be unnoticed beside Axel. Riku nodded and turned to Axel, "You two go ahead and tell Sephiroth that their here." Riku nodded to Sora. "Demyx and I can lead them." Axel nodded in agreement and nudged Sora with his muzzle. Axel and Sora bolted leaving Demyx and Riku alone with the three outclan lions.
Riku nodded to them," Come on."
-…-
Sora and Axel finally got to the main cave where Riku's father Sephiroth lived with his mate Zack. It only took a few minutes for Riku to enter after them. "Cloud, it's good to see you again." Zack smiled from his place sitting by Sephiroth.
The black lion shook his head," I've come here to announce that Cloud is dead." Zack's eyes widened with shock. "But if he's dead who are you? You look just like him, Black fur turning blond and all!"
"I'm his only remaining son. I'm taking his place as leader of the outclan." The Black/blond lion smiled. Sora stepped out of the shadows; "Roxas…" the black/blond lion looked over in shock, "Sora?" Roxas took a step forward only to be stopped by Riku" You have said what you have come to say, it's now time for you to leave." Roxas nodded glancing at Sora. "I wish you good health then, come" Roxas glared at the two lions that had come with him. He then stalked out of the cave. Demyx and Kairi followed them to make sure they didn't do anything in the pride lands. Riku glanced to look over at Sora who held no emotion on his face.
"do you know who was with him?" Axel asked Sora when they left to go to their separate cave. "Tifa, our mom, and Sid, he's probably the new second in charge or else, Vincent would have been there instead." Sora looked down at the ground, Riku pressed up against him to comfort him. The stabbing pain of Vincent's gold claws returned to Sora just at the thought of him.
When they got to the cave, they saw Kairi and Demyx where already there. Sora plopped down in his place beside Riku and Kairi, already ready to go to sleep. Riku laid down beside him. Axel took his spot way in the back, Demyx sleep by the door, next to a small pool of water.
The sky soon turned black, but Sora could not sleep. His mind was wondering to Roxas.
