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Description
  Gunbir's blurred vision could sense the blazing rays of sunshine reflecting off stone in the Pride Rock den. It was morning... The morning after his cubs, their friends, and their guardian escaped. He remembered meeting with them, then fighting Maja and her filthy dogs... And then he was here. His body ached terribly, and he knew he was caught. This was it. He could hear shouts, arguments between two females with familiar voices, one comforting.
Treason. Don't hurt him. Put to death. Please Almasi. Meeting. Begging. Everyone. Don't. As soon as possible. Please. This is how it has to be. The argument between Almasi and Kufikiria continued as he heard shuffles from lions around him. Any wrong move and he would be dead on the spot... And it seemed he was as good as dead anyway. He heard his mate's name shouted from that deplorable Queen and hurried, thundering pawsteps toward him. "Gunbir? Gunbir! Tell them they can't execute you!" Kufikiria's voice shouted.

  Execution. He mulled over the thought for only a moment before he realized just what was going to happen. It was him who had committed treason... It was a risk he knew he'd taken when he committed to his decision, but he didn't expect to survive long enough to be executed of all things. Maja could have killed him on the spot, but of course she had to make it a spectacle... But she had also promised the safety of their cubs. "Gunbir!! Please- Please tell Almasi, I'm begging you. There has to be something we can do! Just say sorry!" Kiki continued, hot tears falling on his paw.

"Kufi-..."

"Tell her you're sorry for whatever you did!"

"Kiki I-"

"Do something Gunbir!"

"Kiki...!"

"Please! Please! I'll do something- anything to-"

"KIKI!" Gunbir mustered the energy to shout, his chin coming off the ground. She silenced on the spot. He couldn't even hear breathing coming from her direction, but he felt her heat hovering over her. "I won't." He declared then and there. "I won't... apologize..." Every word wracked his body with pain. "... For what I did. They're safe. It's okay Kiki... It's okay."

  She was quiet, and he was aware that he was likely being eavesdropped, but it didn't matter. By now the group was long gone. "It's okay... Kiki... Darling. They will be okay.... I did... I did everything." He couldn't hold his head up any longer. It dropped unceremoniously, weakly against the stone with a gentle thud. He had only raised it an inch or two after all. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his throat tensing in a soft, agonized whine. He was out of time, but he wasn't about to let them all see him weak. He had to stand... He had to... "G-Gunbir- Gunbir stop. Stop!" Kiki yowled as he forced his body one more time upward. One last stand against her before he was forced up again for the last time. He took a deep breath, then growled with all his might.
    Get it started already, Almasi." Gunbir challenged, glaring toward the shadow in the sunlight at the entrance. "Deal with your treasonous cheetah." He heard a tut, and then a laugh, and pawsteps leading away. They were alone now, and he allowed himself to slump down again, and silence fell between the couple.
It lasted for what felt like eons. She had begun weeping at some point, he didn't know when. He reached his paw out to brush hers, and he shifted to gaze upward. "Kiki... Come here. Don't cry. It's alright." He murmured. He didn't expect her to entirely collapse atop him, wailing and wetting his pelt like she was dipping him in a lake. "Please Gunbir... Please...! I can't..."

"You can."

     "No I can't!" Kufikiria howled into his chest followed by several gasps for air, wheezes, sobs. Gunbir felt his chest tense as his heart seemed to shatter. He had committed a cruel act... Treason against their relationship. Damning her to be alone. He lifted his head again to softly lick her, wherever he could touch. "It will be okay." He whispered, feeling his own eyes well up with tears of his own. "They'll come back soon... They love you too much to leave you. I promise Kiki."
"You bastard." She whimpered. "Why did you do this to me... Why...?"
"For them." He spoke finally.

     They stayed like this for a time. Kufikiria's weight and warmth calmed him, easing his aches for just this last moment. Finally, he heard a shouting voice, a roar... The light had become less direct but still bright. Midday. Pawsteps.... "Come on. Let's get going. Off of him Kufikiria. Come on!" Maja's voice demanded, and he felt Kiki's body lifting off his, willingly, though reluctantly. A grab of his scruff and he was up. "Come on, rat." Maja growled, but he felt a hint of... something else. "You should stand tall for your execution after all. Shouldn't you? Lionheart."

     Lionheart... An unexpected compliment. He clung to the moniker while he walked out, blinded by sunlight, the blurred voice of Almasi still loud in his mind. Lionheart. Lover of few, father, mate, war hero... Lionheart. Traumatized, wistful, regretful... No... No regrets. Lionheart. No trauma. Lionheart. Brave, justified, powerful, loud, proud... Gunbir, Lionheart of the Pridelands.

     Gunbir thought a prayer as he was held tall, heard the voice of his mate crying out behind him, begging for him not to be hurt, begging for him to come back to her. ‘Please... please... Traveler, matron of all cheetahs, guide Kufikiria as best as you are able through her days and lead her to her cubs... Lead them to her. She can't be alone for very long. She needs companionship and family... She deserves so much more than anything he could have ever offered her. A wonderful, kind, humorous, loving lioness. Traveler, protect Mati and Kipekee. Bring them fortune and well being in their travels, and ensure their safety home…’

    He heard his name, suddenly, in a furious and stern voice, loud enough for whatever group had gathered at the base of the structure could hear. "You have been found Guilty of Treason, Gunbir, for the assault and slaying of our pride members as well as facilitating Amri’s escape from Wekunze without permission." Almasi hissed. "You have been sentenced to execution by spine crushing by Maja of the Royal Guard. Do you have any last words?"
Gunbir was quiet for only a moment, his chest heaving. All of his life flashed before his eyes, his mother and father, his brother, the faces of those he had met, loved, fought, lost. The pain of losing his leg. The heat of passion when he met Kufikiria. The fear of fatherhood. The pride of seeing his cubs. The rage against Ardhi. And now... The pride and ferocity of an entire pride of lions.

  Suddenly Gunbir moved, spitting in Almasi's face, and she shouted in disbelief and disgust. "MAY THE TRAVELER GUIDE ME!" Gunbir roared louder than he ever had in his life, loud enough for everyone to clearly hear. "AND LONG MAY THE PRIDELANDS STAND!"

He felt a brush against his side as Almasi howled with anger, pawsteps all around, a huge commotion. He stood sternly, tall as he could with head held high. There was breath hot in his ear as Maja whispered. "You have my respect, Lionheart. Your children will be safe. We have eyes everywhere."
Gunbir didn't move. He didn't fight. 'Traveler...' He thought as he felt the pressure of teeth on the back of his neck. 'I'm afraid that you may have trouble finding me to guide me home... For you see...' He felt a jolt of pain as his vision began to blacken, his body giving away. 'I'm afraid I've traded the heart of a cheetah.... for the heart of a lion.'

====

He went out with a bang.

Pebbles earned - 125

Crystals earned - 3

Bye Gunbir. Been nice playing you. See you again soon ;w;

:iconmkalibaadaye:

Description
  Gunbir's blurred vision could sense the blazing rays of sunshine reflecting off stone in the Pride Rock den. It was morning... The morning after his cubs, their friends, and their guardian escaped. He remembered meeting with them, then fighting Maja and her filthy dogs... And then he was here. His body ached terribly, and he knew he was caught. This was it. He could hear shouts, arguments between two females with familiar voices, one comforting.
Treason. Don't hurt him. Put to death. Please Almasi. Meeting. Begging. Everyone. Don't. As soon as possible. Please. This is how it has to be. The argument between Almasi and Kufikiria continued as he heard shuffles from lions around him. Any wrong move and he would be dead on the spot... And it seemed he was as good as dead anyway. He heard his mate's name shouted from that deplorable Queen and hurried, thundering pawsteps toward him. "Gunbir? Gunbir! Tell them they can't execute you!" Kufikiria's voice shouted.

  Execution. He mulled over the thought for only a moment before he realized just what was going to happen. It was him who had committed treason... It was a risk he knew he'd taken when he committed to his decision, but he didn't expect to survive long enough to be executed of all things. Maja could have killed him on the spot, but of course she had to make it a spectacle... But she had also promised the safety of their cubs. "Gunbir!! Please- Please tell Almasi, I'm begging you. There has to be something we can do! Just say sorry!" Kiki continued, hot tears falling on his paw.

"Kufi-..."

"Tell her you're sorry for whatever you did!"

"Kiki I-"

"Do something Gunbir!"

"Kiki...!"

"Please! Please! I'll do something- anything to-"

"KIKI!" Gunbir mustered the energy to shout, his chin coming off the ground. She silenced on the spot. He couldn't even hear breathing coming from her direction, but he felt her heat hovering over her. "I won't." He declared then and there. "I won't... apologize..." Every word wracked his body with pain. "... For what I did. They're safe. It's okay Kiki... It's okay."

  She was quiet, and he was aware that he was likely being eavesdropped, but it didn't matter. By now the group was long gone. "It's okay... Kiki... Darling. They will be okay.... I did... I did everything." He couldn't hold his head up any longer. It dropped unceremoniously, weakly against the stone with a gentle thud. He had only raised it an inch or two after all. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his throat tensing in a soft, agonized whine. He was out of time, but he wasn't about to let them all see him weak. He had to stand... He had to... "G-Gunbir- Gunbir stop. Stop!" Kiki yowled as he forced his body one more time upward. One last stand against her before he was forced up again for the last time. He took a deep breath, then growled with all his might.
    Get it started already, Almasi." Gunbir challenged, glaring toward the shadow in the sunlight at the entrance. "Deal with your treasonous cheetah." He heard a tut, and then a laugh, and pawsteps leading away. They were alone now, and he allowed himself to slump down again, and silence fell between the couple.
It lasted for what felt like eons. She had begun weeping at some point, he didn't know when. He reached his paw out to brush hers, and he shifted to gaze upward. "Kiki... Come here. Don't cry. It's alright." He murmured. He didn't expect her to entirely collapse atop him, wailing and wetting his pelt like she was dipping him in a lake. "Please Gunbir... Please...! I can't..."

"You can."

     "No I can't!" Kufikiria howled into his chest followed by several gasps for air, wheezes, sobs. Gunbir felt his chest tense as his heart seemed to shatter. He had committed a cruel act... Treason against their relationship. Damning her to be alone. He lifted his head again to softly lick her, wherever he could touch. "It will be okay." He whispered, feeling his own eyes well up with tears of his own. "They'll come back soon... They love you too much to leave you. I promise Kiki."
"You bastard." She whimpered. "Why did you do this to me... Why...?"
"For them." He spoke finally.

     They stayed like this for a time. Kufikiria's weight and warmth calmed him, easing his aches for just this last moment. Finally, he heard a shouting voice, a roar... The light had become less direct but still bright. Midday. Pawsteps.... "Come on. Let's get going. Off of him Kufikiria. Come on!" Maja's voice demanded, and he felt Kiki's body lifting off his, willingly, though reluctantly. A grab of his scruff and he was up. "Come on, rat." Maja growled, but he felt a hint of... something else. "You should stand tall for your execution after all. Shouldn't you? Lionheart."

     Lionheart... An unexpected compliment. He clung to the moniker while he walked out, blinded by sunlight, the blurred voice of Almasi still loud in his mind. Lionheart. Lover of few, father, mate, war hero... Lionheart. Traumatized, wistful, regretful... No... No regrets. Lionheart. No trauma. Lionheart. Brave, justified, powerful, loud, proud... Gunbir, Lionheart of the Pridelands.

     Gunbir thought a prayer as he was held tall, heard the voice of his mate crying out behind him, begging for him not to be hurt, begging for him to come back to her. ‘Please... please... Traveler, matron of all cheetahs, guide Kufikiria as best as you are able through her days and lead her to her cubs... Lead them to her. She can't be alone for very long. She needs companionship and family... She deserves so much more than anything he could have ever offered her. A wonderful, kind, humorous, loving lioness. Traveler, protect Mati and Kipekee. Bring them fortune and well being in their travels, and ensure their safety home…’

    He heard his name, suddenly, in a furious and stern voice, loud enough for whatever group had gathered at the base of the structure could hear. "You have been found Guilty of Treason, Gunbir, for the assault and slaying of our pride members as well as facilitating Amri’s escape from Wekunze without permission." Almasi hissed. "You have been sentenced to execution by spine crushing by Maja of the Royal Guard. Do you have any last words?"
Gunbir was quiet for only a moment, his chest heaving. All of his life flashed before his eyes, his mother and father, his brother, the faces of those he had met, loved, fought, lost. The pain of losing his leg. The heat of passion when he met Kufikiria. The fear of fatherhood. The pride of seeing his cubs. The rage against Ardhi. And now... The pride and ferocity of an entire pride of lions.

  Suddenly Gunbir moved, spitting in Almasi's face, and she shouted in disbelief and disgust. "MAY THE TRAVELER GUIDE ME!" Gunbir roared louder than he ever had in his life, loud enough for everyone to clearly hear. "AND LONG MAY THE PRIDELANDS STAND!"

He felt a brush against his side as Almasi howled with anger, pawsteps all around, a huge commotion. He stood sternly, tall as he could with head held high. There was breath hot in his ear as Maja whispered. "You have my respect, Lionheart. Your children will be safe. We have eyes everywhere."
Gunbir didn't move. He didn't fight. 'Traveler...' He thought as he felt the pressure of teeth on the back of his neck. 'I'm afraid that you may have trouble finding me to guide me home... For you see...' He felt a jolt of pain as his vision began to blacken, his body giving away. 'I'm afraid I've traded the heart of a cheetah.... for the heart of a lion.'

====

He went out with a bang.

Pebbles earned - 125

Crystals earned - 3

Bye Gunbir. Been nice playing you. See you again soon ;w;

:iconmkalibaadaye: