Running In Circles

The previous Princess of the Outlands woke early that morning, a feeling of unease and dread in her stomach as she lifted her head to stare at the misty, early morning glow. The others were still asleep save for Nako, who was possibly out on his usual patrols. Or perhaps he was off thinking, Zivia had noticed that the large lion did that a lot lately. She had warmed up to her new Pride in the time that she had spent there - which had been a while now. A long while, but still it felt like only yesterday the pale lioness had ventured into these lands and cowered in fear at the site of a lion who now seemed to loving and kind to ever be considered a threat to anyone. Nako was as sweet as they came and Zivia almost chuckled as she thought back on how frightened she had been of the large lion when she had first laid eyes on him. And now, as if the time had been barely more than a few weeks, she had made friends among the Pride with all but Baset, though she was not on u-friendly terms with the other of the Pride.

Her thoughts drifted to Kifu and she felt a blush rise to her cheeks as her droopy, tired, green-blue eyes moved over to the russet lion who managed to look perfectly innocent and adorable in his sleep like no other. Something about Kifu sent tingles up and down her spine and a warm, buttery feeling in her stomach. When she talked to him, the feeling was intensified by a million and she wondered if perhaps she was beginning to have feeling for her friend, but she was not sure if he would return those feelings if she did have them. She wasn't even sure if she had them in the first place, but the feeling was something that was not un-pleasant, but also still quite foreign even though her and Kifu were the best of friends by now, though they still managed to be a little shy around one another when it came to certain topics.

Zivia lifted her body off of the dusty floor and trotted out into the mist, surveying the land which had quickly come to be her home, but her heart was still with the Outlands - and more specifically, Tao and Kiume. She felt a pang in her chest as she thought about her father and her sister, who she had been closest too. She knew that Tao would understand why she'd left, her little sister had always been so wise if not a little socially awkward and had seen the pain and sadness inside of Zivia. She let her paws carry her across the earth until she reached the border of the Ashlands and her mind was made up - today she would go home. She set off at a brisk walk, which quickly escalated into a full out run as she raced through the jungle to the stream. She stopped and perched above the water, lowering her head to take a drink. She noticed in her reflection that her fur was laced with ash and she quickly washed off. Once she was acceptably clean, she continued along at her pace and took most of the morning to finally be able to see her Outlands in the distance, on the horizon.

She slowed to a walk and felt apprehension in her soul as she walked towards the lands. She felt butterflies - no, not butterflies, bats - swooping around in her stomach and she came to a complete stop. With a step back, Zivia started to turn away. How could she face them after leaving without a word? She could picture the angry expressions on their faces as the ones she loved most turned her away and sent her back tot he Ashlands, informing her that they never wanted to see her again. You're being ridiculous, she scolded herself. They were her family, and family was always there for each other. She walked forwards until she reached the border and took a deep breath, stepping over the border and weaving towards the Termite mounds but taking her time getting there. She was home. But where was home, really? A part of her longed to be back in the Ashlands, but another part of her was singing for joy that she was back in the Outlands.

The day had been hot. Every day that Tao could recall had been similar, though. Nothing about this one suggested that anything exciting might happen that day. The lithe lioness, her peachy fur perfectly groomed, had spent another afternoon away from the others. Her mind was consumed by thoughts of an uncertain future as she walked alone, waiting for the relief that the setting sun would bring in a few hours. Tao existed for the night and for the enlightening dreams she was blessed with. In her slumber, Tao was witness to sights and experiences she could never have in her waking life: she saw distant lands she had only heard stories about but could never visit, and she knew her mother intimately because of those dreams, even though Lani had been dead for as many days as Tao had thrived.

It was because of these nighttime visions that Tao was certain without a shadow of a doubt that Zivia was still alive, somewhere out there in a land that Tao couldn't name. The territory Zivia called home now was dark, a little dingy, but Tao could sense that Zivia was happy there. And that was all that mattered to Tao, knowing her adopted sister and one-time closest friend was content with the new life she had made for herself away from the Outlands. It was still painful that Zivia had left unannounced, but Tao could harbor no ill feelings towards the barely older lioness. Zivia had suffered greatly, and Tao knew this, assuming that her sister had abandoned them in search of answers. She couldn't be upset with Zivia for her curiosity and longing. The quest for knowledge and understanding was something that Tao was familiar with, even if she never strayed beyond the borders.

But in the time that Zivia had been absent from Kiume's kingdom, Tao had changed. She had always been quiet and a little reserved, but now she was borderline antisocial. Some aspects - really, most aspects - of life were beyond her control, and being a princess meant very little to Tao. Her dreams were now occasionally punctuated by scenes of violence which frightened her. It was only a matter of time before the tyrant Scar was disposed of forever, and Tao knew this event would alter everything she knew and was comfortable with. The idea of leaving the Outlands made her uneasy, but she would follow her father to the ends of the earth. But she was no longer close to her brothers. Kavu was gone and made no appearances in Tao's dreams, which concerned her. Kudumu was still around, but Tao didn't feel especially close to him. Their family was more incomplete than ever, shrinking rather than growing, and the thought was a sad one to Tao.

Before she spied the long missing princess approaching, Tao got a funny feeling like a shiver that ran from her tail to her nose. Sky blue eyes blinked rapidly as the young lioness wondered what this could be. Usually her premonitions were not random and meaningless. She stood from where she was sitting and squinted against the afternoon sun, peering around with gaining curiosity and anticipation. Far in the distance, she saw a pale form, and she blinked again as her eyes tried to focus on the image before her. A despairing cry parted her lips the moment she recognized who it was, so certain she was that her mind was playing tricks on her. She called out, "Zivia!" But she wondered if this was wishful thinking or a cruel joke of an active imagination, this ghost from the post.

Zivia had been gone for far too long, and though she expected to see all she had left behind exactly as it had been, she knew it would be different. She did not expect the differences to be that there was more abundance of life or plants in the Outlands, no she expected the lands to not look much different to how she had left them. They were barren lands that could not, would not, thrive despite any heat or rain that the land was shrouded in. The soil did not allow much to grow, the lands were dry and bare. It was why the Outlands was chosen to be the home of the exiled, for those who had been banned from the Pridelands were not meant to live in happiness and peace. They were not meant to have plenty of food and water, they were meant to just barely get by. But Zivia knew from the rumours that the Pridelands were not much better off than the land of exile.

It seemed that despite the tyrant King's desire to own the lands that Mufasa had, he had failed in this. Mufasa had ruled with kindness and love, and had given the lands the respect it deserved. The Pridelands had fallen to ruins with the onslaught of hyena's that had been allowed into them and it was no wonder that the land was failing. The drought that had fallen upon them didn't aid Scar, but she had a feeling that he wouldn't be much better off without the drought either. Her eyes had glimpsed the Pridelands in the distance once, as a young cub, and she had witnessed that space of time between the destruction of the Pridelands and the prime of the Pridelands. She had been such an adventurous cub, still full of hope that the future would be better, but as it did with most lions their zest abandoned them as did their youth. Zivia was still in her youth, but not a cub anymore. She was closer to an adult, and adult's were filled with responsibility.

Deciding not to let these negative thoughts plague her mind, Zivia pushed them aside and focused on the barren lands that she was hesitantly treading through, a smile on her face regardless of the apprehension she felt inside of her. Memories played out in her head and she felt her smile grow slightly, before it slowly slid away as she continued on her path. She heard her name cried out to her in a tone that had matured, but was still so familiar to Zivia. Her head snapped up in surprise and she searched the immediate area, finally lifting her head upwards and seeing Tao above her, peachy coat capturing the light and causing it to gleam almost golden. She had grown so much and Zivia felt a pang whens he realised too acutely that she had abandoned her sister and had not been there for her when the growing lion needed her most.

"Tao!" She called back, a grin finding it's way onto her muzzle. There was no anger in Tao's stance, more surprise on her features that Zivia could just make out and she wanted nothing more than to nuzzle against her sister and know every little detail about how she was maturing. She had forgotten just how much she loved her little sister, her closest companion, but it swelled inside of her now and she felt her heart bursting with joy as she looked up at the peach lioness. She looked so much like Kiume with her colouring, but her figure was beginning to look more like Ilani's build. Zivia's ears flopped down, something that she had picked up from her new friend Kifu, as she waited for her sister to make the next move, not wanting to force herself on Tao in a greeting but she could feel the excitement bubbling in her. Hopefully, Tao would not be too mad with her.

It felt as if every piece of peachy fur on her body was standing on end, like electricity was in the air, teasing all of her senses. The ghost from Tao's past called out to her in return, in a once-beloved voice she had not heard for so long. In the absence of a mother, Zivia had somehow filled a void, and her disappearances had affected Tao more than anyone else. Still, Zivia didn't come any closer, and for this reason Tao wondered if indeed this was a mirage. As she stepped closer to the other lioness, her expression was one of apprehensive joy, but Tao was too cautious to allow herself to feel happy until she knew her eyes were being truthful. The closer she got to Zivia, the clearer her features became. She looked more mature, more graceful and feminine now that she was grown, but there was no mistaking what Tao saw, and she broke into a run to fill the space between them the way she had pounced her sister when they had been much younger. And true to form, Tao was still quite a bit smaller than Zivia, ever the little sister.

She laughed, finally allowing herself to believe her eyes as she pawed at Zivia with a youthful playfulness that had been rare for Tao even in childhood. "You made it." Nothing about Tao's features or her mannerisms suggested that she was angry, and she wasn't. It was an amazing gift to see Zivia again in a world that made no such promises. How pleased Kiume would be to see her, as well! Zivia looked clean and healthy. Her bones didn't poke out under her fur, and Tao was relieved to see that she had taken care of herself in her absence. She certainly didn't appear to be mistreated or starving. If anything, she looked to be in better shape than Tao herself, but the Outlander princess had never had a strong appetite. Food was hard to come by, and she had learned to live on next to nothing without thinking anything of it. It was the only life she had ever known, and one she found impossible to leave. The land of the exiles were her lands, after all.

Now that the immediate shock was wearing off, Tao cast the other a questioning look. She sat down directly in front of Zivia, still taking in the look of her matured sister without giving much thought to how much she herself had grown too. At least Zivia remembered them; remembered her. Tao felt so happy, and at the same time, her curiosity growing. "Where.. Where did you go?" Unconsciously, Tao tested the air between them with her nose, wondering if Zivia's scent would give a clue as to where she had gone off to so many months ago. But the other lioness had traveled far and the smells were muddled and confusing to Tao, who had never really gone anywhere: smells of the lands she had journeyed through, scents of the pride she had adopted many miles away, all of which were foreign to Tao. She offered a reassuring smile - she had asked where? before why? for a reason, but hoped Zivia would explain it all if she had the energy after a long day of travel.