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Cover | Chapter 13 <--> Chapter 15

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It is late morning one day as I lay on a rock under a tree a ways from the den. I had spent a few days on my own trying to find another lion to court but to no avail. I close my eyes to try to take a nap when I hear a rustle in the bushes. I jerk my head awake to see a dark male lion begin to cross the plain in front of me. He glances my way, almost jumping a bit before chuckling, “I’m sorry miss. I hope I didn’t startle you. I’m not in anyone’s territory, am I?”
           “You’re fine!” I respond with a smile. “No, this isn’t anyone’s territory. At least, as far as I know. I’m a rogue myself…kind of. I live with a group of lionesses who are also rogues. Our den isn’t too far away but we don’t have an official territory…unless they’ve marked territory that I don’t know about.” I chuckle nervously.
           “It sounds like you’re a bit confused there,” the dark lion chuckles as he comes and sits next to the rock I’m laying on. “I promise I’m not here to take any territory or anything like that. I’m just passing through. But it is nice to meet a friendly face along the way.” He smiles at me before saying, “I’m Neeko.”
           “Nice to meet you Neeko,” I respond. “I’m Zara.”
           “That’s a pretty name,” Neeko says. “Doesn’t it mean ‘flower’ or something like that?”
           “Close,” I say. “It means ‘to blossom’. But thank you.” I give him a slight smile.
           “So, tell me a little about this clan you live with,” Neeko says looking at me. “I should probably know if they’re vicious lionesses you live with or not.”
           I laugh. “They aren’t vicious. We’re just a ban of ‘outcasts’ I guess. We all came from different background and ended up needing a place to be besides home. They’ve become my new family essentially.”
           “And what was wrong with your old family?” Neeko asks with his head tilted.
           “Well…” I pause, debating if I should tell a total stranger my life’s story. “You don’t have to hear it if you don’t want to. We literally just met a couple of minutes ago.”
           “I don’t mind,” Neeko said with a smile. He gently nudges me, “Go on.”
           “Well…” I take a breath. I hadn’t even thought about this story for a while. “My parents had adopted three cubs. Two of them turned out to be related to another couple in the pride. They stole those cubs from us and the king and pride governing any adoptions in prides in our area decided that the cubs should stay with the couple they were related to…even though they were bonded to us.” I breathe again, realizing I barely took a breath the entire time I said the story.
           “Is that why you left?” Neeko asks somberly.
           “No,” I say. Venom dripped from that single word. “The reason I left is because no one in my family even bothered to notice me. They decided to up and leave our pride without even discussing my feelings in the matter. Sure, my little sister was too young to care. But I was an adult! I had feelings too! I was grieving too! And they didn’t even seem to notice.” I hang my head, not to prevent tears from coming, but to try and close up the trap door of emotion that I hadn’t opened in months.
           “I am so sorry Zara,” Neeko says. “Do your friends in your clan know?”
           “Yeah but they don’t understand.”
           “What about Yesu?” he asks. I turn my head to look at him surprised. “The only prides I know of who have any form of governing pride over adoptions also worships Yesu. You have him to lean on, don’t you?”
           “I guess…but where was he when all this happened? Where was he when I prayed and asked my brother and sister to stay with us? When has he had my back?” I feel tears begin to prick the back of my eyes now.
           “But he still does,” Neeko says comfortingly. He puts a gentle paw on mine. “He never left you. You may have walked away from him, but he’s never left you. You have to trust that. Maybe you should try talking to him again.”
           I nod. “Maybe I will.” I give Neeko a soft smile as I sniffle before looking up at the sky. “I should probably head back to my group. It was really nice talking to you. Thank you Neeko.”
           “Any time Zara,” Neeko smiles. “Maybe we’ll meet again one day.”
           “Maybe we will,” I say as I headbutt him as we part ways.
           It’s sunset by the time I make it back to our den. I notice only Farah laying under the tree outside as I walk over to her. “Well we were starting to worry about you. Welcome back!” Farah says as she notices me.
           “I’m glad to be back,” I say with a smile.
           “Any luck? Find anyone court worthy?” Farah asks.
           I shake my head, “Talked to one guy for a little bit but he was just passing through.”
           “Oh well, you’ll find your right guy eventually,” Farah states.
           I nod before asking, “Where are the others?”
           “Out hunting,” Farah says. I nod as I hang my head in thought. Farah notices and asks, “What’s on your mind?”
           “Just the guy I talked to today…he asked how I ended up leaving my family and I told him and he mentioned Yesu…and to be honest I haven’t thought about him in months. I haven’t prayed, haven’t worshiped, or anything. I guess I kind of felt like he had turned his back on me.”
           “But he hasn’t,” Farah states, shifting to face me.
           “That’s what the guy said,” I sigh. “I guess it’s also that Yesu was also so important to my parents too and I felt betrayed by them and I guess I kind of wanted to cut ties there too.”
           “Why did you feel betrayed by your parents?” Farah asks. “They weren’t involved in losing your siblings, were they?”
           “No,” I sigh. “They just didn’t even notice me. They made decisions without even discussing it with me, never acknowledged my feelings…it’s like they didn’t even care that I was grieving.”
           “Well they were grieving too,” Farah states. “They were going through the worst thing imaginable for them. They weren’t trying to hurt you. They were just trying to survive their own pain. Have you thought about that?”
           “Well no…” I turn away.
           “Look at me,” Farah says. I turn to face her as she says, “I’m not here because I needed to get away from my family or my family died or I was kicked out. I got lost. There was a dust storm in the middle of a hunt and it threw my sense of smell off and I got completely lost. I wound up with Rai and Zemira by accident. And let me tell you…I’d give anything to be with my family again. Now, you have a chance to. You have a chance to be with your family. So take it! Cause here’s the thing…if you’re right and your family just didn’t care about your feelings and they really did betray you, you can always come back here. But if they didn’t, if they were just trying to survive their own grief, wouldn’t you want to be with them again? Isn’t your little sister at least worth that much?” I feel tears pricking my eyes again as Farah looks at me. “I don’t mean to hurt you. But I can see that this isn’t where you belong…even if you don’t feel it. Don’t sit here and wait and wonder. Go find out.”
           I hang my head for a moment. I feel the trap door that I shove my emotions down into trying to break open again and I dig my claws into the ground. I quickly stand up and say, “I need to go think,” before I walk away.
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Hmm...seems like Avi is left with a lot to think about. Also, meet Neeko! He's the lion version of NeekoWolfie 's fursona! Hope you all enjoy!

Lion Neeko belongs to
This chapter's image was done by

Description
Cover | Chapter 13 <--> Chapter 15

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is late morning one day as I lay on a rock under a tree a ways from the den. I had spent a few days on my own trying to find another lion to court but to no avail. I close my eyes to try to take a nap when I hear a rustle in the bushes. I jerk my head awake to see a dark male lion begin to cross the plain in front of me. He glances my way, almost jumping a bit before chuckling, “I’m sorry miss. I hope I didn’t startle you. I’m not in anyone’s territory, am I?”
           “You’re fine!” I respond with a smile. “No, this isn’t anyone’s territory. At least, as far as I know. I’m a rogue myself…kind of. I live with a group of lionesses who are also rogues. Our den isn’t too far away but we don’t have an official territory…unless they’ve marked territory that I don’t know about.” I chuckle nervously.
           “It sounds like you’re a bit confused there,” the dark lion chuckles as he comes and sits next to the rock I’m laying on. “I promise I’m not here to take any territory or anything like that. I’m just passing through. But it is nice to meet a friendly face along the way.” He smiles at me before saying, “I’m Neeko.”
           “Nice to meet you Neeko,” I respond. “I’m Zara.”
           “That’s a pretty name,” Neeko says. “Doesn’t it mean ‘flower’ or something like that?”
           “Close,” I say. “It means ‘to blossom’. But thank you.” I give him a slight smile.
           “So, tell me a little about this clan you live with,” Neeko says looking at me. “I should probably know if they’re vicious lionesses you live with or not.”
           I laugh. “They aren’t vicious. We’re just a ban of ‘outcasts’ I guess. We all came from different background and ended up needing a place to be besides home. They’ve become my new family essentially.”
           “And what was wrong with your old family?” Neeko asks with his head tilted.
           “Well…” I pause, debating if I should tell a total stranger my life’s story. “You don’t have to hear it if you don’t want to. We literally just met a couple of minutes ago.”
           “I don’t mind,” Neeko said with a smile. He gently nudges me, “Go on.”
           “Well…” I take a breath. I hadn’t even thought about this story for a while. “My parents had adopted three cubs. Two of them turned out to be related to another couple in the pride. They stole those cubs from us and the king and pride governing any adoptions in prides in our area decided that the cubs should stay with the couple they were related to…even though they were bonded to us.” I breathe again, realizing I barely took a breath the entire time I said the story.
           “Is that why you left?” Neeko asks somberly.
           “No,” I say. Venom dripped from that single word. “The reason I left is because no one in my family even bothered to notice me. They decided to up and leave our pride without even discussing my feelings in the matter. Sure, my little sister was too young to care. But I was an adult! I had feelings too! I was grieving too! And they didn’t even seem to notice.” I hang my head, not to prevent tears from coming, but to try and close up the trap door of emotion that I hadn’t opened in months.
           “I am so sorry Zara,” Neeko says. “Do your friends in your clan know?”
           “Yeah but they don’t understand.”
           “What about Yesu?” he asks. I turn my head to look at him surprised. “The only prides I know of who have any form of governing pride over adoptions also worships Yesu. You have him to lean on, don’t you?”
           “I guess…but where was he when all this happened? Where was he when I prayed and asked my brother and sister to stay with us? When has he had my back?” I feel tears begin to prick the back of my eyes now.
           “But he still does,” Neeko says comfortingly. He puts a gentle paw on mine. “He never left you. You may have walked away from him, but he’s never left you. You have to trust that. Maybe you should try talking to him again.”
           I nod. “Maybe I will.” I give Neeko a soft smile as I sniffle before looking up at the sky. “I should probably head back to my group. It was really nice talking to you. Thank you Neeko.”
           “Any time Zara,” Neeko smiles. “Maybe we’ll meet again one day.”
           “Maybe we will,” I say as I headbutt him as we part ways.
           It’s sunset by the time I make it back to our den. I notice only Farah laying under the tree outside as I walk over to her. “Well we were starting to worry about you. Welcome back!” Farah says as she notices me.
           “I’m glad to be back,” I say with a smile.
           “Any luck? Find anyone court worthy?” Farah asks.
           I shake my head, “Talked to one guy for a little bit but he was just passing through.”
           “Oh well, you’ll find your right guy eventually,” Farah states.
           I nod before asking, “Where are the others?”
           “Out hunting,” Farah says. I nod as I hang my head in thought. Farah notices and asks, “What’s on your mind?”
           “Just the guy I talked to today…he asked how I ended up leaving my family and I told him and he mentioned Yesu…and to be honest I haven’t thought about him in months. I haven’t prayed, haven’t worshiped, or anything. I guess I kind of felt like he had turned his back on me.”
           “But he hasn’t,” Farah states, shifting to face me.
           “That’s what the guy said,” I sigh. “I guess it’s also that Yesu was also so important to my parents too and I felt betrayed by them and I guess I kind of wanted to cut ties there too.”
           “Why did you feel betrayed by your parents?” Farah asks. “They weren’t involved in losing your siblings, were they?”
           “No,” I sigh. “They just didn’t even notice me. They made decisions without even discussing it with me, never acknowledged my feelings…it’s like they didn’t even care that I was grieving.”
           “Well they were grieving too,” Farah states. “They were going through the worst thing imaginable for them. They weren’t trying to hurt you. They were just trying to survive their own pain. Have you thought about that?”
           “Well no…” I turn away.
           “Look at me,” Farah says. I turn to face her as she says, “I’m not here because I needed to get away from my family or my family died or I was kicked out. I got lost. There was a dust storm in the middle of a hunt and it threw my sense of smell off and I got completely lost. I wound up with Rai and Zemira by accident. And let me tell you…I’d give anything to be with my family again. Now, you have a chance to. You have a chance to be with your family. So take it! Cause here’s the thing…if you’re right and your family just didn’t care about your feelings and they really did betray you, you can always come back here. But if they didn’t, if they were just trying to survive their own grief, wouldn’t you want to be with them again? Isn’t your little sister at least worth that much?” I feel tears pricking my eyes again as Farah looks at me. “I don’t mean to hurt you. But I can see that this isn’t where you belong…even if you don’t feel it. Don’t sit here and wait and wonder. Go find out.”
           I hang my head for a moment. I feel the trap door that I shove my emotions down into trying to break open again and I dig my claws into the ground. I quickly stand up and say, “I need to go think,” before I walk away.
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Hmm...seems like Avi is left with a lot to think about. Also, meet Neeko! He's the lion version of NeekoWolfie 's fursona! Hope you all enjoy!

Lion Neeko belongs to
This chapter's image was done by