Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC Ashanti and any alterations to the original storyline plot her presence creates to various readers amusement everywhere across the globe.
Ashanti: Peace Of Milele Chapter 6
Ashanti had never seen so much green foliage in her entire life. She stared at the land around them with wide eyes filled with wonder, marveling at the abundance of trees and grass.
Voicing their shared thoughts in wonderment, Mufasa asked "Is this…Milele?"
In warm amusement, Eshe said, "No, My Love."
Eshe and Taka were taking the twins to the only shade tree for miles around where the rest of their pride is congregated.
Mufasa and Ashanti aren't exactly in the best of states from their long unsanctioned journey there so the entirety of the prides females and males can easily smell the cubs before they could see them. The entirety is risen and prepared as soon as the four arrive.
Eshe wastes no time in presenting the foundlings to her mate and King.
Descending from his favorite spot on the rocks underneath the shade tree, Obasi said "I was trying to nape, Eshe. The all-important Nap of Kings. Only to be awoken by the disgusting, hideous, revolting stench of not one but two strays. When we come upon an outsider, tell me, what do we do?"
Rolling her eyes, Eshe said, "Obasi, I know."
"Eat it," finished Obasi, imperiously.
Ashanti whines, cringing back from this enormous male utterly petrified. She exchanges a frightened and worried look with her brother. Mufasa presses his side against Ashanti's in order to reassure her.
"But I found them, Dad. I saved their lives," said Taka.
Shaking his head in exasperation at his son's naivety, reprovingly, Obasi scolded "Taka, we do not associate with outsiders. The only true bond is blood. I've heard stories of lions twice our size. These Outsiders will devour everything in their path."
Brow raised, Eshe chuckled "Do they look like they're going to devour you."
In response to that both Mufasa and Ashanti, when she straightens up, smile in a nonthreatening way at Obasi to show that they're harmless.
Obasi remains unconvinced as he glowers in heavy speculation at the pair.
Sniffing in their direction and then cringing away from their smell in distaste, Obasi said "The smell coming off of them is disgusting. I'm not even sure I could eat either of these strays."
"We're not strays. My sister is an Ashanti and I'm a Mufasa," said Mufasa.
Ashanti nods her agreement all the while staying behind Mufasa.
Circling so that he's directly facing them, scornfully, Obasi said "Do you even know what Mufasa means?"
Shaking his head, Mufasa said "No."
"It means 'King'," clarified Obasi, the lung he made toward the twins showing he didn't like that, swiping at them with his paws and missing. "And that is me. You better start running Little Mufasa. You and your sister both for your lives."
Unsurprisingly, Ashanti moves closer to Eshe for protection while Mufasa stands tall and unafraid in front of Obasi.
In proud satisfaction of his talent, Mufasa said "If I run then you'll never catch me. I'm the fastest cub that ever lived. Our father told me so."
"Oh, Taka, you have a challenge," stated Obasi.
Eshe pushes Taka forward from behind at the make-believe starting line.
"Wait. You're making my brother race now," said Ashanti, indignantly. "It's not fair! We haven't slept or eaten in days!"
"It's okay, Ashanti. If it means we can stay then I'll run," said Mufasa, adamantly, smiling.
Ashanti grumbles, not liking this.
Ignoring Ashanti's objections, Obasi said "They will race to the dead tree and back. And when the prince defeats him, I will finish both of the strays in one bite."
Stepping in between them, calmly setting her own terms to the conditions, Eshe interjects "But if Mufasa wins. If he wins, they live Obasi. He and Ashanti stay with me."
Bowing his head in respectful acknowledgment toward his mate, Obasi said "You have my word." He then addresses the entire pride. "Let the race begin."
Mufasa and Taka take off at exactly the same time.
The trouble is that as soon as the race began, Obasi interfered. He cheats, tripping Mufasa up and knocking him down.
Tauntingly, Obasi said, "Oh, clumsy little stray."
Meanwhile, Eshe isn't tolerating this.
Pushing Mufusa hard with her nose in the stomach to get him moving, Eshe said "Run, Mufasa!"
Mufasa takes off at full speed to take off with Taka.
As they disappeared off into the distance through the reeds and long grass, rounding furiously on Obasi, Eshe said "You did not have to do that!"
"Take is the future King. He has to win his first challenge," reasoned Obasi.
"No, Obasi. To be a true King, he must earn it. Don't take that away from him," said Eshe.
Obasi is about to say something else, but a noise catches both of their attention.
Looking down, they all see Ashanti crouched in front of Obasi in an attack position growling, snarling, and baring her teeth at him.
Suddenly, Ashanti pounces attacking his leg and digging her teeth in.
Unfazed, lifting the paw and Ashanti off the ground easily, mockingly, Obasi said "Is that supposed to hurt?"
Eshe removes Ashanti and gently puts her down.
Vindicated, Obasi said "You see what I mean? These strays will be nothing but trouble."
"You knocked her brother down, Obasi. How did you expect her to react," said Eshe, patiently, bending to sniff Ashanti. "Although my mate is right about one thing. You do smell, Dear."
Timidly, Ashanti said "Sorry."
"Time for a bath, I think. Come here," said Eshe, lying down on her stomach and motioning for Ashanti to come to ear.
Eager to be clean, Ashanti does so, taking shelter in between Eshe's fierce and massive paws.
"Eshe, what are you doing," said Obasi.
"What does it look like," said Eshe, licking Ashanti's stomach and causing the female cub to giggle at the tickling sensation.
"There's no sense in cleaning the stray when she and her brother are just going to be eaten in the first place," said Obasi, disbelievingly.
"Then at least one of them will be clean when you do so. Weren't you just saying that you found their unclean smell revolting," countered Eshe, smartly, grooming the filth out from underneath Ashanti's chin.
Huffing, Obasi said, "Ridiculous."
Holding Ashanti still, Eshe said "Come on. Behind the ears."
Ashanti purrs, snuggling deeply into Eshe's paws. She's so happy to be getting clean after days without a proper bath.
"I still don't see the sense in it," said Obasi.
The other lions in the pride wisely kept out of this.
Eshe wasn't done now that they had a moment.
"You might want to start thinking of the future, Obasi," advised Eshe.
"What future," asked Obasi, eyes narrowed.
"I understand your ire toward Mufasa being a male cub, but Ashanti here is an unrelated female with no ties to this pride. If she were to be eventually matched with Taka, then their cubs could enhance the pride with new ancestry to out to the bloodline," said Eshe.
"What," exclaimed Obasi.
Obasi isn't the only one surprised at this ludicrous suggestion. The other males and females are equally as stunned about Eshe's opinion on this matter.
"Before you object, you cannot deny what is in front of you. There are no other female cubs in the pride right now. So, this is a logical path to take," said Eshe, rationally.
"Taka matched with this scruffy little stray," said Obasi, skeptically.
"Not scruffy for long. Surely you're not so blind as to ignore the hidden beauty in this child," said Eshe. "Ashanti is going to grow to be quite lovely."
"If she lives that long," said Chigaru, Obasi's righthand male, yawning, wanting to return to his nap.
Eshe flicks her tail, sending a pebble careening into Chigaru's face.
"Ow," said Chigaru, rubbing a paw at the spot on his face where it hit.
Shaking his head in outright refusal, determined to keep Mufasa and Ashanti's status unelevated, Obasi said "I will not allow it. Taka will never mate with a stray of all things."
"So, you say," said Eshe.
Out of nowhere, keeping watch for Mufasa and Taka's return, one of the other females said "They're coming back!"
That caught everyone's attention.
Slipping out from Eshe's grip, stomach lurching, desperately straining to see over the long grass, squinting through the sun's glare, Ashanti said "Who is it? Who's winning?"
Spotting the leading cub, smiling in gratification, Eshe said "Mufasa."
Indeed, it is Mufasa at the front, quickly approaching the finish line with Taka just a few paw steps behind.
Mufasa and Taka happily wrestle with each other.
"He did it! He did it," said Ashanti, jumping up and down in delight.
A sentiment not shared by everyone.
"Cheater," growled Obasi, angrily stalking toward Mufasa.
"Obasi," said Eshe, stepping in to stand protectively over the twins.
Mufasa won the day even if Taka deliberately let him achieve victory. Eshe will make sure Obasi upholds his promise.
"You will keep him with the females. Take, how could you lose to a stray," demanded Obasi in bitter and disappointed sourness.
While Taka had earned his father's disapproval, his mother is another story.
Immensely proud of her son, Eshe said "Well done, Taka. Well done."
Taka grins, very pleased with himself.
Speaking to Mufasa, Taka said "I thought you said you were fast. I had to let you win."
"Well, I did just go for days without sleep or food," said Mufasa, using those as an excuse as to why he wasn't up to par this time.
Ears perking up, Ashanti said, "Wait…you let Mufasa win?"
Nodding, Taka said "Yeah, he was really tired and slow. I've always wanted a brother and now I have one."
Feeling tremendously grateful, trotting over to Taka, and sweetly licking his cheek, Ashanti said "Thank you. You saved us."
Ducking his head sheepishly, blushing, Taka said "Oh, it was nothing."
Mufasa and Ashanti's stomachs rumble in unison.
"Wow, you weren't kidding about not eating any food. Those are the loudest rumbles I've ever heard," said Taka, eyes wide.
"And speaking of food, why don't we have something to eat? There's some leftover kill from this morning," said Eshe.
"What is it," asked Mufasa, eagerly.
"Zebra," said Taka.
"Yum," said Mufasa, licking his muzzle in excitement.
While Mufasa and Taka are interacting with each other, Ashanti becomes distracted by Obasi and the other males while the females leave for the zebra carcass. All of them are resettling in their favorite sleeping spots at the shade tree to go back to sleep.
Despite how hungry Ashanti is, she's even more tired, and now that she and Mufasa are confirmed safe and accepted, partially, exhaustion hits her in full force. And she must admit that those spots at the shade tree look really comfy.
All at once memories of Mesago's voice along with his warm and strong presence beside her and Mufasa as they slept come back to her in full force.
Unnoticed by everyone else, Ashanti ends up stumbling on fatigued paws toward Obasi. Disregarding the fact that Obasi wants nothing to do with either of them, Ashanti really wants that presence back in whatever way she can get it.
Obasi is already slipping into a doze when Ashanti reaches him with extreme caution.
Opening her jaws in an enormous yawn, Ashanti curls up against Obasi's side.
Startling awake, furiously kicking Ashanti away with a back leg and sending her tumbling, irritatedly, bristling, Obasi commanded "Eshe, I told you to keep them away. I mean it!"
Eshe runs over to where Ashanti is cowering, picking the trembling cub by the scruff in her mouth.
As Eshe, the other females, Mufasa, and Taka depart to have a late lunch, Ashanti doesn't take her eyes off Obasi until the grass and reeds conceal them from view.
At the kill, Mufasa fervently digs in with enthusiasm. Spotting a rib that still carries plenty of meat on it, Mufasa tears it off the zebra carcass and drags it over to Ashanti.
Only to find that his sister is fast asleep in Eshe's embrace. Poor thing is exhausted from a combination of today's events and the stress.
"Ashanti…," said Mufasa, questioningly.
Lightly shushing him, Eshe said "Let her sleep. Ashanti can have her share when she wakes up."
Shrugging it off, Mufasa returns to tearing into the zebra right beside Taka.
Eshe tenderly licks the purring and slumbering Ashanti on the head.
Obasi might believe these new arrivals are nuisances, but Eshe is beginning to view them as a hidden blessing.
Softly, Eshe said "Rest, Ashanti. You're safe now."
And they would be for enough seasons to come.
This pride wouldn't replace the family Ashanti and Mufasa have lost, but, for now, it's home.
Authors Note:
I hope you all like this one! I certainly did while writing it for your vast enjoyment! ;D
For those of you just starting out with my stuff there are other works on my profile that may catch your interest. I highly recommend you take a look as soon as the opportunity presents itself to you. Who knows, you may be pleasantly surprised by what you discover.
Stay safe everyone. Especially with all of these crazy natural disasters occurring a lot lately due to global warming and climate change everywhere for sure. I swear it's like they're getting worse and worse all the time and it's like officials are simply just ignoring it or pretending it doesn't exist entirely just to go on with their daily lives. Especially those in multi-million dollar companies that rely on certain elements of our planet that we rely on to naturally keep us safe instead of adapting and finding new safer ways to keep in business. There are so many options out there where they can adapt, but they just refuse to see it because all they care about is money. Climate change is altering so much faster than anyone can really keep track of.
So, in light of all this, it is important to live life to the fullest as much as anyone can.
I know I am. ;) See you guys next time.