Dimming Lights

After Kiume shared the bad news about the lost princess, and declared war in the process, Tao made a hasty retreat to her favorite place in the territory. Here, plants with thorns, gnarled shrubs, and herbs grew freely, and few of the lions ever came to Kibaazi Field. Tao's mind was reeling, she felt so sick and so sad. Now Zivia was gone. Zivia had been more than a sister to Tao. She was like a surrogate mother, one of the few links Tao had to Ilani, who had been dead nearly two years now. Tao herself was becoming an adolescent, though she was still petite and always would be. But her legs were growing longer, and her face had a certain serene maturity to it that suggested her thoughts were not those of a normal almost-two year old. With no interest in males, Tao was happier to be left to her own devices, and the field offered privacy from the rest of the pride, and a chance to clear her head.

An old desert tortoise had been living there for countless years, longer than any lion could ever hope to exist on the planet. With time came great knowledge of the plants that were found growing in abundance in the field. When Tao first encountered the tortoise, he had been wary of the young cub, but she quickly won him over with her genuine interest in his life and his private studies. From herbs that would stop the flow of blood to roots that nourished a starving cub, Tao had been fascinated to learn it all, and she soaked up the information like a sponge. That day, the sun was already beginning its descent towards the west, and it would be night within an hour or so.

She searched for her friend, the tortoise, for she couldn't bear to speak to any of the Outlanders now. The sight of her father taking charge, the anger and the injustice in his voice, had been overwhelming for Tao. Maybe her non-leonine friend could offer some hope, and explain more about what going to war really meant. "Sulcata?" Her normally calm voice was trembling with barely contained emotion as she peered beneath rock piles and behind spiny shrubs, but the old creature was nowhere to be found. With a sigh, Tao gave up her search and collapsed on her stomach, sending a dirt cloud flying in every direction. Her face was buried beneath her paws before she finally allowed herself to grieve for the loss of Zivia, uncertain if she would ever see her sister again.

Kiume hated acting like the king that he should be, but today it was necessary. Scar had run off his daughter, that was an act of war upon itself. But Kiume was smart, an all out war was suicide for the Outland pride, but a silent war of taking out the hyenas was the smartest move. But to see Tao run out of the den like that broke Kiume's heart and he decided that he had no choice but to follow her. After answering whatever questions the pride had, Kiume left Hadi in charge to distribute the unwanted hyena meat to the pride. For the first time in a long time the Outland pride would have their fair share of meat, even if it wasn't the most desired in any of the lands. Following his daughter's scent throughout the lands was easy, but the king was cautious just to make sure that his daughter wasn't going to pull a runner just like her older sister had unknowingly done. But soon Kiume found her in the Kibaazi Field wandering around and seemingly searching for something. Maybe she was looking for Zivia, unlikely but Kiume could dream couldn't he? But finally his daughter collapsed to the ground and started to sob just like her father had did mere hours ago. Sighing, Kiume padded quietly up to his daughter, trying his best to mask his presence. The golden king hated seeing his daughter like this, but was this really a good time to interrupt her mourning? He felt as that day back at the Haven was flip-flopped.

Finally Kiume was right next to his peachy daughter and he lay down next to her. He waited for a few moments before sighing and placing his paw on hers, "I'm sorry Tao, you don't have to eat the hyenas if you don't want to. I know they're really disgusting, and chewy. I don't like them either," Kiume knew that this really wasn't the reason that his daughter was out here all by her lonesome, but he felt as if it would lighten the mood. The male brought his daughter close and placed his chin upon her head and sighed softly, wrapping his front leg around her upper back. The disappearance of Zivia still rang heavily in Kiume's heart and soul and he regretted not going to find her sooner. The two would meet again some day, but once the pale daughter of his told him why she truly left Kiume would feel horrible for having suspected the worst. But it was every right of the king to speculate and worry, and Kiume seemed to be doing that a lot lately. He worried often about his pride and what dangers lay ahead from across the border of the swamp. Blazing orange eyes scanned the surrounding area, seemingly looking for Zivia to come back, but the king knew that she was gone and that Lani was leading her to whatever land she found herself in. Still, it broke Kiume's heart to know that he had failed his mate, he had failed his kingdom, and he had failed every single member of his fantasy.

The lion nuzzled his daughter's head in a way to say sorry, and he finally remembered why he had originally came out there. "I was worried about you darling, you ran off alone. What if something happened to you while you were out here?" It was more of a rhetorical question than one that Tao should answer, but Kiume left it open if she wanted to answer. But something still bugged Kiume, there was a bigger reason than Zivia leaving or having to eat the hyenas that his daughter was out here for. Maybe she felt lost in the world and needed to find a relaxing place? Whatever the reason, Kiume was here for his daughter until the end, no matter what troubles plagued her. She knew that, Kiume had told her that countless times. But was today really the best day to remind her of that? A day of sorrow, full of mourning, it just wasn't the Outland pride's day.

Before Kiume appeared, Tao had a feeling he soon would. Her intuition was correct, and the king of the Outlands found his way to the field and to his daughter, where he came to rest. Tao stared forward blankly as he spoke apologetically. "I’m sorry. It’s not that it’s bad to eat hyena, I just can’t. I hope the others don’t think I’m being judgmental for refusing.” The thought made Tao feel even worse, and the young lioness looked positively miserable. Her soft gold coat even looked dull that day.

Kiume worried aloud, pondering what could happen to his remaining daughter if she strayed. But Tao only looked at him with obvious surprise. She got a far off look in her eyes that though t suggested he lioness was there, her consciousness was not. It took a minute before Tao snapped out of her daze, and she looked down in embarrassment. "Nothing bad could happen to me here. It's safe here." Indeed, it was her favorite place in all the Outlands and maybe even the world... But Tao was young, and she had never gone further than a few feet from her father’s kingdom.

What could be out there? It was enough to tempt Zivia to leave, it seemed. Tao knew that her mother had not always lived in the Outlands, so she too had wandered in her short lifetime before finding her home there with Kiume. Though she had seldom given the subject much thought, for she had promised her father she wouldn’t leave, Tao felt a growing curiosity to know what was lurking out there. Whether terrible or amazing, the young lioness was now beginning to wonder what secrets life beyond the Outlands would hold, if she ever found the bravery to go. Even still, Kibaazi Field would always be special Tao, and she would find herself drawn to the place for the rest of her life.

She looked up again at her father and mused silently about whether or not to share her newfound wanderlust, but decided against it. He had enough to worry about that day. Now the peach female was too big to climb all over her father like a little bug. She was still nowhere near his height, but the change the months had brought were obvious. Tao was becoming more like a grown up every day, whether she or Kiume liked it. But until that day, she loved her Daddy unlike anyone else. She inched closer to him to offer a nuzzle of comfort. ”If I don’t dream about Zivia, it will mean she’s still alive,” she said softly, pulling away to see what her father would make of her strange comment.

Kiume shook his head and chuckled when Tao worried about the pride viewing her as judgmental for choosing not to eat the filthy beasts that the pride had caught and were now feasting on for now. "No one thinks that Tao, it's your choice if you want the hyenas or not. I can go out hunting for you later if you want, I won't let my little girl go hungry," Kiume chuckled, "Besides, I think your brothers were fighting over who doesn't have to eat the really chewy parts of their hyena. It's actually quite comical," When Kiume had left, the boys were gifted with a large portion of hyena meet with very undesirable parts. Being taught not to waste anything, the boys started to argue over who had to finish the meat, actually starting to wrestle over it which made for a show for the rest of the pride. But now the king focused his attention on his daughter who seemed to be off in her own little world. Was she even listening to him? Not wanting to be that kind of a father, Kiume waited until she came to, taking the time to look about the field. He had long wanted to bring his cubs here and teach them about some of the plants and herbs that lay in the field, but his children were smart. Kiume knew that his cubs would soon figure out what to touch and what not to touch. In Kavu's way, Kiume suspected he would eat something, get sick, and then eat something else. Trial and error it seemed but Kiume laughed it off in his mind.

When Tao came to, Kiume gave her a questioning look when she mentioned that it was safe here in the field. "I see, so you feel safe here hm?" It was just like him and Haven was before the tragedy that destroyed Kiume's world occurred. He would often find himself milling about the place and escaping the pride life for a while. However since Lani's death he often avoided the place, feeling as if it was a bad omen to visit the place often. But still, Kiume had to on his patrols to make sure none were using the place as a hideout for an unwanted guest or foe. "You know, I felt the same way about Haven when I was your age. I could always find myself at peace and safety when I was there," That was all Kiume said on the subject and left it at that. Now listening to Tao's odd claim about dreams after her nuzzle which he graciously returned. He took it in and looked to the sky, a small small on his maw. "You see your mother in your dreams, don't you Tao?" It was often the story of his mother before his exile that she knew his father was still alive since he never entered her dreams, but maybe these dreams came from Lani's side of the gene pool as well. He could see his daughter, who felt so safe in the field of herbs and shrubs, as a healer one day instead of a queen. However, would life give her both opportunities? Kiume would be alive for whatever came his daughter's way, but how much longer would he have after that?

Knowing that there was another reason Tao ventured out here, Kiume nudged his daughter's head softly with his nose and sighed. "Tao, what's the real reason you're out here? You can tell me, I'm always here for you sweetie," Now Kiume realized how much his children had grown, and it honestly scared him. They had been alive for so long, they were already mature in their own special ways and the fact that they were almost adolescents made Kiume really think about what he needed to do. He hadn't started the boy's training to be a king nor had he taken the time with Tao to teach her about being a queen. The king of the Outlands would have to act fast, even though he knew that he would be relocating to the Pridelands after Scar was out of power. If his children wanted to rule there would always be that option, well in Kiume's mind that is. However an evil force would sweep through the lands that Kiume had called home for so long and start training the one who would avenge Scar's death. But Kiume and his children would escape all that drama, hopefully that was.

Tao couldn't bring herself to laugh at the image of her brothers battling over the hyena meat. They were much better than that. The entire pride was better than that, but desperate times seemed endless for the outcasts. "I can hunt for myself," she suggested meekly. She was pretty good at catching the rodents that seemed the most abundant prey for the Outlanders. She never complained. "I have a... friend that lives out here. He's taught me a lot about the plants that grow here. I know which ones are edible. They taste like dirt, but it's better than nothing." And it was better than eating hyena, as far as Tao was concerned. Her mother had always been petite, and young Tao was destined to be small as well, even when she was fully grown.

Tao had seldom visited the Haven since she found her father there crying. She could feel the importance of the place where her life had started and her mother's ended, within minutes of each other. It made her both happy and terribly sad. Kibaazi Field was rarely visited by the rest of the pride, only the ancient tortoise who was absent that day. When her father guessed that her mother made appearances in her dreams, Tao nodded reluctantly. Did it mean she was crazy? Was it just her imagination taking hold of her subconscious while she slept? "Is that weird?" She already knew that most people didn't have such vivid dreams. She never shared this information with her brothers, and she hoped it wouldn't upset Kiume somehow. The mind was a powerful thing, and it was possible the dreams were only the conjuring of memories she never had a chance to make. But she loved the dreams, she cherished them and most days, it was nicer to be asleep than awake.

"I'm upset that Zivia is gone, too. And.." She paused, trying to find the strength to tell her father the truth. She had never argued with him before, but she felt she had to say something. "Dad, she didn't leave because of the Pridelanders. She left because.. Well, I don't know exactly. I think she's sad." It was the most she could offer. A war didn't seem necessary to Tao. She had met a Pridelander or two in her day, and even though both of the young members of the royal family had been a little rude, she couldn't envision them as her enemies. She didn't want to fight. Now Tao was beginning to realize that was being rather difficult, and that she had made a scene by excusing herself from the hyena feast. She cast an apologetic half smile towards her father. Her thoughts would be hard for the father of four to hear, but if it saved lives and meant there would be no war, than Tao had to be frank. Kiume had always taught her to be honest, after all.

When Tao noted that she could hunt for herself, Kiume nodded and smiled, "Yes, you are growing up to be quite the fine hunter. Aren't your darling?" As he listened to his peach-pelted daughter talk about her having a friend around here he cocked his head and nodded slightly with a kingly air surrounding him. "A friend? Is this friend of our pride?" But soon Kiume understood when she started talking about how she knew what of the herbs were available for eating and the male smiled, "Now I understand what you mean by friend, and to have a teacher in said friend is more than promising. I feel as if this friend will help you grow into a fine adult. I would love to meet him soon," Kiume paused for a moment and looked around at the different plants that surrounded the duo. He took into account everything about his daughter, and made a decision that would possibly effect her life. "Tao, I feel that maybe instead of being queen, you should take into account that you know more about these plants than anyone else. With the war approaching, we're going to need healers and you my daughter might be our only hope in case someone gets hurt. I'm not saying that you will never be queen, I'm just saying for the time being, that I should train your brothers more and get them ready to become rulers," This was a shock to even Kiume, he always wanted his children to rule alongside each other, but now he was almost demoting Tao's right to rule.

It was a risky move, Tao could easily snap at her father even though her nature said otherwise. But Kiume would be ready for it. For right now, Tao was needed in the back lines of battle, her brothers at the front. The three teenagers were the only thing that Kiume now had for a family, and he wanted nothing to happen to them. Once Tao was back on the subject of her dreams, she silently questioned if it was weird. Kiume smiled and shook his head no, closing his eyes to feel the harsh breeze whip around the duo once more. "Nothing is weird Tao, it is a gift for you to be able to see your mother in your dreams. Your grandmother, my mother, claimed that my father was still alive because she had not dreamed of him like my grandparents. I always thought she was crazy, trying to make me feel better, that there was a chance that my father was still alive and well. Hope is something that I learned needed to be held onto, and your mother was the first one in a long time to give me that hope," Kiume paused for a moment then continued in a loving tone, "Your mother wants you to see her Tao, that is what I feel is happening in your dreams. Ilani wanted so much for you to grow up with a mother and a father, but alas the Great Kings wanted differently for her. I think your mother wants to see you grow up, wants to see you become a fine young lioness as you are becoming. She is always there to guide you my daughter, even in the darkest days that are sure to come,"

But what came out of his daughter's mouth next was surprising. She had just claimed that the war was unneeded, that Zivia left on her own accord, that she wasn't happy here. Kiume sighed and intertwined his tail with his daughter's, just as he did so very long ago with her mother. "Zivia was unhappy, I know that for certain Tao. Your mother's death destroyed her, just as much as it destroyed me. For our Zivia didn't lose her mother, she lost her savior. You know that Zivia isn't related to us correct Tao? Your mother took her in when she had no one else, and then she left us with your birth. She was reminded of your mother every day with seeing you and your brothers, and it killed her as much as it did me. But in her case, possibly more," Kiume gathered his thoughts and shot a glance to Pride Rock, grimacing at the sight of it. "But we cannot forget Tao that the hyenas were entering our borders. They attacked me and the other males of the pride as well," granted Kiume attacked them first, "they are a threat, and if Scar allowed his hyenas to enter our borders that is an act of violence against our pride," Kiume pressed his paw onto his left eye, touching the scar that had lay for years now without disappearing. "The last time he let the hyenas enter our lands I gained this scar, and our old king suffered wounds that killed him. I don't want anything like that to happen to you or your brothers," A silent worry rang out and Kiume brought his daughter close, "How could I go on if I lost you too?"

Tao accepted her father’s compliment about her hunting with a faint shrug. ”I can’t hunt anything big,” she responded modestly. There wasn’t much large prey to hunt around the barren lands so she was definitely no expert. She glanced around one final time for her tortoise friend but he was nowhere to be found. Whether or not it was intentional Tao wasn’t certain, for she knew the earth crawler was shy around lions, and Kiume’s chances of meeting him were slim.

Then her father said something that caused Tao to blink rapidly in succession, as if she couldn’t believe her ears. He had always said that she would rule along with her brothers, for as long as she could remember. And while the peachy young lioness was scarcely the type to long for the throne, she had long since acknowledged her duties to her pride and to the Outlands themselves. To hear that he had changed his mind was surprising, but if she was upset by the news, she didn’t show it. Her delicate features remained calm, ever poised, and she simply nodded. ”If that is what you think is best.” She bit back her disappointment as she controlled her hunger. There was no use dwelling on it. Only to do better, to make the situation right could resolve such a problem, and she was resigned to her fate as the healer of the Outlands.

Her father’s words reassured Tao that indeed, she wasn’t a lunatic. She was instead pleased to learn that her grandmother had had some sort of prophetic dreams when she was still alive. Tao had only heard of Kiume’s extended family in bits and pieces, but she wondered now if there were more of them out there then either father or daughter realized. Maybe their family was bigger than it seemed? ”Do you suppose he is still alive? Your father, I mean.” In Tao’s mind, her old man was just that: old. Of course, he was far from ancient, but the idea of meeting her father’s father was an amusing one. A gentle smile crossed her pale muzzle as Kiume spoke of Ilani, her mother. Tao now had a clear picture of her, and she was certain now that it was a true vision and not the conjuring of a sad and lonely imagination. And it gave Tao hope. ”Kudu and Kavi don’t know about my dreams. They’ve never mentioned it, if they have similar dreams.”

Tao dreaded the violence she knew she would see. What would she do if she found a Pridelander hurt? Enemy or not, Tao couldn’t let another lion die if she could do something to prevent it. And though she didn’t say it, she was secretly trying to come up with a way to prevent the war. She didn’t want to see her brothers become warriors against the opposing pride. She could still remember meeting two Pridelanders in her younger days, and she wondered vaguely if Tasa and Nuka were still there. If the answer was yes, then they were now her enemies. Again, she hid her upset artfully from her features and from her father. She had long guessed that Zivia was adopted, but that didn’t matter to Tao. She was still the only sister she had. Regardless of Zivia’s fate or decisions, it seemed war was unavoidable. ”I understand,” she said solemnly in regards to the hyenas. ”And you won’t lose me, so long as I have anything to do with it. But what will happen if more than just hyenas cross the borders looking for a fight? What if it’s bigger than that?” Her worry was barely veiled in her voice.

Kiume chuckled at the fact that his daughter was trying to be modest, but he shook his head. "Now come on Tao, you know I don't believe that. I think you're probably a better hunter then even me!" The king tried his best to make his daughter feel proud, but all of that seemed to slink away when he told her she should be a healer rather then focusing on becoming a queen. Kiume sighed and brought his amber eyes to meet with his daughter's bright cerulean. "Only until the war has passed my darling, then we can get some royal training done one-on-one instead of a group like your brothers will be going through. Trust me Tao, you will be queen, but for right now I want you to use your big brain and kind nature to be a healer," He had broken his promise to Ilani to keep Zivia safe, but he would not break his promise about having his children rule as one. if one of the pride was hurt, Kiume would have to rely on Tao's wisdom about the herbs around her to heal the pride, a skill that would be quite useful for when she was queen. And the king decided to tell her that, "Besides darling, having a background as a healer will be able to give you that edge over your brothers when you three rule together," For now, Kiume wasn't up for any arguments, Zivia had gone and he was still mourning over the loss of his daughter. But right now, another daughter was having issues that Kiume himself created.

His light peach muzzle dropped and Kiume's eyes widened at the comment about how Tao wondered if his father was still alive. Yes Kiume wasn't exactly a young adult when he had his cubs, but he wasn't- "Tao! I'm not THAT old! Your mother was even older than me!" A soft chuckle was given, but Kiume looked towards the horizon where he wished his father would pop up any second. "Your grandfather was a rogue when he met my mother, and with that he stayed a rogue. I believe he's still out there, my old man's too tough to die young," Once his daughter's smile was visible, she talked about how Kudumu and Kavu hadn't mentioned if they had similar dreams, and Kiume pondered this for a moment before deciding on a plausible reason. "You're special Tao, I feel as if you're the only one that is seeing your mother in dreams. It's nothing to be scared of, but rather something that should be taken and ran with. I think your mother will help guide you to do things that maybe you thought weren't possible, much in the way that Hadi helps guide me," Hadi, the dull russet male of the pride, was Kiume's current adviser and friend. He had been the last to see the deceased queen, and he help Kiume often. The golden male would rather he be king upon his departure until his cubs were old enough to rule on their own. Even if dear ol' dad wasn't there to help them in their times of need, Hadi would be there to take his place.

But soon his daughter's voice was full of worry, questioning what would happen if the hyenas stepped foot into the lands with more than just hyenas. Kiume's face turned solemn before he stood up tall and mighty, looking just like King Mufasa would have been during his rule. "We Outlanders have a knack for staying alive Tao. For you being an Outlander by birth, you must accept that knack and run with it. We may not have much, but just because a greater force comes to send us to our impending doom we will not back down. We will fight for what is right, no matter the enemy or attackers that face us. That is the way of the Outlanders," A small chuckle and a funny look appeared on his face, "Well that's what I was taught anyways," But then Kiume's face went neutral once more and he patted his daughter on the head, "Don't worry Tao, I don't feel as if Scar would care much about sending lions to do his dirty work. They could easily run away and he doesn't want to risk that. The hyenas will come, but they are weaker now since there's no food in their lands either. Nothing will happen to you, me, your brothers, or anyone in this pride. I will make sure that won't happen," Although he couldn't promise that nothing would happen to anyone, Kiume would try his best to dispatch every hyena that came their way. He wouldn't have his children live in fear anymore. He wouldn't allow it, not as king and especially not as their father.

Tao allowed her father’s compliment to stand, but she wondered why he said it. Tao was rarely successful when it came to hunting, which wasn’t entirely her fault because there wasn’t much there to hunt. The young lioness didn’t argue when Kiume insisted she would someday be a queen, instead offering a nod and a faint smile. Her father had enough to worry about, and Tao wasn’t going to make it worse by behaving sullenly. ”If that is what you wish, Father.” If there was a war, and if the dark king was defeated, then where would be nothing to stop Kiume and his brood from returning to his homelands across the border. Then it wouldn’t matter who had training or skills, because Kiume would no longer be queen and his offspring wouldn’t be royal anymore either. This thought wasn’t as upsetting to Tao as the idea that they would leave the termite mounds and Kibaazi Field and every other part of the Outlands behind.

But Tao would always be drawn to the place, even when it became forbidden to her. Though her grandfather had been a rogue (which Tao hadn’t known prior to this conversation), Tao’s roots were firmly planted there in the Outlands, the kingdom of the unwanted. Kiume spoke of what was right, but Tao didn’t understand what he meant. One lion’s view of right and wrong is certain to be vastly different from the next lion’s. All Tao knew was that she had a gift, and she would use it to help others, even if they were deemed enemies. She believed Kiume when he called it a gift, and she smiled. ”I’m not afraid, Dad. I hope I can use my gift for the benefit of all lions, not just the Outlanders.” She paused, wondering if she should continue. After a few seconds, she did, admitting something she never imagined she would to her father. ”Daddy, I’ve met some of the Pridelanders before. Not just any Pridelanders either, but.. But the daughter and son of the king. I didn’t know who they were, and they were near our borders. I-I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

Her head hung low, anticipating her father’s outrage to learn that his daughter had kept such a serious secret from him. Once upon a time, she had thought her father was invincible. But Tao was older now. She realized that her father was not all-powerful, as she had once believed. Kiume was still her hero, her favorite lion in the world, but Tao was well aware that her father made promises that he would not be able to keep. He would have promised her the stars and the moon if it pleased her, but Tao was intelligent and she knew some things were beyond their control. Kiume reasoned that Scar wouldn’t send lions into the Outlands, but Tao wasn’t convinced. ”Scar.. He didn’t even care when his own cubs were missing. There’s no telling what he might do if he knew you were planning something. They hate us enough there as it is.” She looked back up again, worry obvious in her clear blue eyes. "I don't want you or anyone else to get hurt."