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Description

Mpendwa let out a gentle purr. The cave around her felt warm and comforting. The smell of milk and love swirling in the air. She could feel her mothers paws wrapped around her as she napped, listening to the idle chatter of Sarabi and her mother. She could also smell something sour. It tickled her nose and made her sneeze. She wouldn’t find out till far from now that that smell was birth. The mewling of tiny cubs as they kneaded their moms belly for milk. This moment felt as if the world had stopped, as if this tiny family were the only beings ever. This wouldn’t last long though…
The moon lit up the cave as Mpendwa tried to shield her eyes. It was so bright in such a dark place. The sound of snores and sleeping lions around her made her feel comforted, however no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t seem to sleep. She lifted her head to look around the cave. Sleeping lions tucked in every corner. Her mother and Sarabi lay tucked against one another, Sarabi’s cubs lay snuggled in between them. As her eyes gazed around the warm cave she spotted one lioness who wasn’t asleep. She knew Zira well. The lioness who led her mother and the rest of the small pride to the pridelands. She was responsible for their salvation and subsequently their welcoming into the Ndona pride. Zira was the reason she had a home. She watched as the sleek lioness gazed out onto the ledge of priderock. There lay their king, Scar. Two hyena guards sat at the entrance of the cave, watching for any intruders. Zira flicked an ear towards the small cub, clearly noticing she was awake. “Good evening Mpendwa” She said in a soft coo. Mpendwa opened her mouth to say something but she flicked her ears back, checking to make sure her family wouldn’t wake up. Zira let out a chuckle, “It’s alright dear… they’re heavy sleepers”. Mpendwa pulled herself towards Zira to talk with her closer. Zira gave a gentle smile as she watched the cub come closer. Her tail swung towards the cub, wrapping around her body. Mpendwa purred at the comfort. She loved her pride members, and Zira was always so kind to her. The two of them gazed once more at the lion laying out on the edge of the rock. They sat in silence for a while before Zira spoke. “Has your mother ever told you about our king?”. Mpendwa shook her head. “Mama doesn’t talk about him much… I don’t know why”. Zira cocked an eyebrow and smirked. “Well… then how about I tell you?”. Mpendwa’s face lit up. She loved Zira’s stories.
This habit of sitting awake for stories became a regular occurrence for the two.
A shriek erupted from the top of pride rock. Mpendwa tried not to look to the source of the noise as she made her way down the slope. She watched as her pride sisters walked towards the distance. She could see the border from here… the dusty and dry start of the outlands. She looked to Zira who was being tended to by another lioness. There was blood pouring out of a gash in her ear. “Mpendwa” a voice cried out, though she did her best not to look at the source. Her heart failed her after a moment as she tilted her head to look to the slope. Rushing down it was her mother, as well as Sarabi. At the top of the slope stood one of Sarabi’s cubs, now nearly as grown as Mpendwa herself. “You can’t leave… Please My darling please don’t leave with her” her mother cried out as she rushed towards her daughter. Mpendwa stoodstone faced, trying not to let her emotions show. Her mother was hunched over, tears running down her cheeks. “Please… Please don’t…” Her mother couldn’t seem to get her words out between her sobs. “You can’t go with her”. Mpendwa whipped around, “I can do as I please”. Something about the way her mother referred to Zira struck a nerve. How could her mother turn her back on the lioness who practically saved her life. Before the pridelands her pride was starving. She owed everything to Zira. Mpendwa looked down at her mother who was hunched over in front of her. “Please… Mpendwa please…” Her voice trailed off. “You turned your back on Zira” Mpendwa stated in a cold voice. Her mothers face twisted in horror as Sarabi rushed to her side. “I will go with her, I owe so much to her.” Her mother shook her head, “No Mpendwa you don’t… she… she betrayed this pride. Betrayed you-”. Before she could finish her sentence Mpendwa had rushed in front of her mother, chest puffed out. “You betrayed us!”. Mpendwa turned her back to her mother, and began to follow Zira and the other lionesses. Her mother slinked after her, pleading for her to stay. Mpendwa’s heart twisted in agony at the sight and sound of her mothers distress, however she remained cold. She continued to follow Zira as they got further and further from Pride Rock. “Mpendwa… please…” her mother choked out a final sob before collapsing against Sarabi, letting her emotions out as the beige lioness did her best to comfort her partner.
Njiwa watched as her daughter and the rest of her old pride shuffled off from pride rock. She watched their silhouettes become smaller and smaller until they were gone. With that she returned to the pride cave, and spent the rest of the evening crying over her only child.

sorry the messy writing. i wanteda story to go along with this piece but have been kinda low on motive

this piece takes place before this one: www.deviantart.com/karma-lion/…

characters featured here are:
my ocs; Sahara (only the paws in the third panel and baby in the first), taka II (baby in the first panel), Njiwa, and Mpendwa
canon characters featured are; scar, zira, sarabi and misc background lionesses
other peoples ocs; the two hyena guards
background by me!
You are not welcome to trace, heavily reference, copy, edit, or steal my work in any way, shape or form! this includes (but is not limited to) A/I as well as N/F/Ts! I am currently not looking for any critiques at this time so please keep any critiques to yourself! thank you!

Description

Mpendwa let out a gentle purr. The cave around her felt warm and comforting. The smell of milk and love swirling in the air. She could feel her mothers paws wrapped around her as she napped, listening to the idle chatter of Sarabi and her mother. She could also smell something sour. It tickled her nose and made her sneeze. She wouldn’t find out till far from now that that smell was birth. The mewling of tiny cubs as they kneaded their moms belly for milk. This moment felt as if the world had stopped, as if this tiny family were the only beings ever. This wouldn’t last long though…
The moon lit up the cave as Mpendwa tried to shield her eyes. It was so bright in such a dark place. The sound of snores and sleeping lions around her made her feel comforted, however no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t seem to sleep. She lifted her head to look around the cave. Sleeping lions tucked in every corner. Her mother and Sarabi lay tucked against one another, Sarabi’s cubs lay snuggled in between them. As her eyes gazed around the warm cave she spotted one lioness who wasn’t asleep. She knew Zira well. The lioness who led her mother and the rest of the small pride to the pridelands. She was responsible for their salvation and subsequently their welcoming into the Ndona pride. Zira was the reason she had a home. She watched as the sleek lioness gazed out onto the ledge of priderock. There lay their king, Scar. Two hyena guards sat at the entrance of the cave, watching for any intruders. Zira flicked an ear towards the small cub, clearly noticing she was awake. “Good evening Mpendwa” She said in a soft coo. Mpendwa opened her mouth to say something but she flicked her ears back, checking to make sure her family wouldn’t wake up. Zira let out a chuckle, “It’s alright dear… they’re heavy sleepers”. Mpendwa pulled herself towards Zira to talk with her closer. Zira gave a gentle smile as she watched the cub come closer. Her tail swung towards the cub, wrapping around her body. Mpendwa purred at the comfort. She loved her pride members, and Zira was always so kind to her. The two of them gazed once more at the lion laying out on the edge of the rock. They sat in silence for a while before Zira spoke. “Has your mother ever told you about our king?”. Mpendwa shook her head. “Mama doesn’t talk about him much… I don’t know why”. Zira cocked an eyebrow and smirked. “Well… then how about I tell you?”. Mpendwa’s face lit up. She loved Zira’s stories.
This habit of sitting awake for stories became a regular occurrence for the two.
A shriek erupted from the top of pride rock. Mpendwa tried not to look to the source of the noise as she made her way down the slope. She watched as her pride sisters walked towards the distance. She could see the border from here… the dusty and dry start of the outlands. She looked to Zira who was being tended to by another lioness. There was blood pouring out of a gash in her ear. “Mpendwa” a voice cried out, though she did her best not to look at the source. Her heart failed her after a moment as she tilted her head to look to the slope. Rushing down it was her mother, as well as Sarabi. At the top of the slope stood one of Sarabi’s cubs, now nearly as grown as Mpendwa herself. “You can’t leave… Please My darling please don’t leave with her” her mother cried out as she rushed towards her daughter. Mpendwa stoodstone faced, trying not to let her emotions show. Her mother was hunched over, tears running down her cheeks. “Please… Please don’t…” Her mother couldn’t seem to get her words out between her sobs. “You can’t go with her”. Mpendwa whipped around, “I can do as I please”. Something about the way her mother referred to Zira struck a nerve. How could her mother turn her back on the lioness who practically saved her life. Before the pridelands her pride was starving. She owed everything to Zira. Mpendwa looked down at her mother who was hunched over in front of her. “Please… Mpendwa please…” Her voice trailed off. “You turned your back on Zira” Mpendwa stated in a cold voice. Her mothers face twisted in horror as Sarabi rushed to her side. “I will go with her, I owe so much to her.” Her mother shook her head, “No Mpendwa you don’t… she… she betrayed this pride. Betrayed you-”. Before she could finish her sentence Mpendwa had rushed in front of her mother, chest puffed out. “You betrayed us!”. Mpendwa turned her back to her mother, and began to follow Zira and the other lionesses. Her mother slinked after her, pleading for her to stay. Mpendwa’s heart twisted in agony at the sight and sound of her mothers distress, however she remained cold. She continued to follow Zira as they got further and further from Pride Rock. “Mpendwa… please…” her mother choked out a final sob before collapsing against Sarabi, letting her emotions out as the beige lioness did her best to comfort her partner.
Njiwa watched as her daughter and the rest of her old pride shuffled off from pride rock. She watched their silhouettes become smaller and smaller until they were gone. With that she returned to the pride cave, and spent the rest of the evening crying over her only child.

sorry the messy writing. i wanteda story to go along with this piece but have been kinda low on motive

this piece takes place before this one: www.deviantart.com/karma-lion/…

characters featured here are:
my ocs; Sahara (only the paws in the third panel and baby in the first), taka II (baby in the first panel), Njiwa, and Mpendwa
canon characters featured are; scar, zira, sarabi and misc background lionesses
other peoples ocs; the two hyena guards
background by me!
You are not welcome to trace, heavily reference, copy, edit, or steal my work in any way, shape or form! this includes (but is not limited to) A/I as well as N/F/Ts! I am currently not looking for any critiques at this time so please keep any critiques to yourself! thank you!