How I got to the point I am in now, I'm never going to understand it myself. When I was a cub, my parents chucked me away to the side to live on my own. Confused and alone, I wandered to his place...the pride lands. There, I met the male and female I know today as 'father' and 'mother'; Tendai and Zuri. They welcomed me to their home and they treated me like their own blood, and to them I am eternally grateful.
Neobi walked out of the pride home, and stretched his limbs. He was the first to rise and meet the sun with his one of a kind amethyst eyes. He was a morning lion, and for his family...not so much. But he knew they were going to wake soon. Not wanting to waste his time at the home, he walked forward and towards his favorite spot where a rock overlooked the water of a small pond where he would lay down.
Like he had predicted there was movement in the side of his vision as a light colored lion came into view. His brother, Afolabi. "Good morning, brother" the brown lion greeted, receiving a look from his older sibling and then his head dipped down to the water like he had heard nothing.
Afolabi. His name means 'born with a high status', and he sure lets people know it. He has never really treated me like I was much of anything. Even when we were cubs...he just doesn't like me at all. But I don't pay much attention to him in the first place like he doesn't with me.
"Where are mom and dad?" Neobi asked, shaking his fur when he got to his feet and looked down at his brother. Afolabi looked up and him and then back at the den. "Still sleeping?"
"Yes, so don't bother them" his voice was quick and sharp. But then again he never was a morning cat, so it was partially due to the start of the day being unkind to his sleep schedual.
Neobi rolled his eyes and hopped down to the ground to tower over his older brother but walked away without a sight to Afolabi's green eyes, "fine, fine".
As you can tell, he's not my favorite.
"Good morning, brother!" A bright, happy voice chirped like a bird. Neobi didn't even have to look up to know the voice was coming from his little sister, Malaika. Neobi smiled trotted over to her as she pranced through the short blades of grass to her brother. Her ears went back and her tail twitched as she licked his mane and smiled.
Malaika. She stays true to the meaning of her name: 'angel'. Well...for the most part. Just don't cross her or she can really mess you up. Trust me, as someone to grew up with her, I know these things. Other than that, she's a real sweet heart and always looks out for me. And of course, how could you resist that face? She's a little kitty, this one.
"Sleep well?" Neobi asked, giving her a lick back. She smiled back up at him and looked over at the den.
"Afolabi kept kicking me with his paws" she giggled, "so I kicked him back". Neobi and his sister both sat there and laughed for a while.
Another thing I love about my little sister: she's so cute that she can get away with almost anything she wants and not even my dad will say anything.
When they were done with laughing, Neobi looked over to see his oldest sister walk out with his mother. He found it intruging to watch them as they contrasted so well with each other. Adeola had light fur, while his mother had one of the darkest pelts known to all lions. Adeola, Malaika, and Afolabi obviously got their coats from their father, but both his mother and father had the green eyes to give their children. Adeola took her steps forward from the home like every morning and walked up the hill to where all her friends were laying in the morning rays. Before she left though, she turned her head to look over at Neobi and Malaika and smiled lightly before walking off.
Neobi smiled back at his eldest sister.
Adeola. Her name has the meaning 'crown of honor'. She is the oldest, so she would naturally take over the pride when our father passes away, but she has shown no interest in becoming a leader. You see, for her to be the leader, she has to find a male for herself. But she's not too into being a mate for another lion, and prefers to be a single lioness. Not that she can't get one--- she's actually quite popular with the men. And because of that, she always has me to make sure she's not being messed with. Afolabi couldn't give two sniffs about it.
Looking from her one daughter, mother, Zuri, made her way over to her other two children to give them some morning love. "Good morning, children" she said, having her baby girl Malaika duck her head under her mother's head to have a lick. Neobi laughed to himself and watched amused by his little sister at how much she loved to be loved. Zuri then looked from her youngest daughter to her youngest son with a smile. "Would you like a lick too, Neobi?"
"I'm good" he replied. None the less though, he was pulled down by his mother by her paws on his neck and she started licking him. Malaika laughed and watched as Neobi sighed but let his mother do her business.
[LINE ART DONE BY:TallyBaby13:TallyBaby13's Deviantart page. COLOR OVER BY ME]
That's my mom, Zuri. I couldn't have asked for a better adoptive mother to come and find me. I truly believe that she was meant to find me, and I was meant to be lost from my birth pride to find her and this family I now call my own. She has to be one of the most unique lionesses on the planet. Her pelt has the most genius colors and her personality is nothing less of a great mother, lover, and friend. And of course, the moment she walks by someone, they instantly surrender their attention to her. But that's normal for her-- you would think that royalty would have that effect on people. Even though she isn't a Queen or Princess anymore, she was once and she obviously still has that aura around her.
Zuri sighed out after she was done licking her son and moved her neck until there was a crack. It caught Malaika's ears and she walked over to her mother and licked her ears. The gray lioness smiled down at her child and shook her away lightly to show she was alright. "Sore, mom?" Neobi asked.
"Just a tad. I didn't sleep well last night," she looked up to her tall son, "your father moves a lot in his sleep" she chuckled.
"Not my fault; I'm a big lion" a voice bellowed from behind his mother as she looked behind and up at her mate. She let out a purr, rubbing her pelt on Tendai's chest and he smiled down at her. Malaika smiled and sighed out, wishing one day to find the kind of love they have while Neobi smiled and looked down at his sister.
This is my dad, Tendai. His name means, 'thankful'. Why 'thankful' you ask? Well, when he was a cub, his mother was too young to have a child so she was having a hard time getting him out and alive. And if he did come out alive, she would be dead. Turns out in the end, they both survived and he lived to be a big, sturdy lion. But he was kicked out of his birth pack when he went with my mom...he never told me why, so I just leave it be. For now, at least.
"Good morning, dad" Neobi said, walking closer to his father. Tendai smiled and lightly put his head to his son's with love and a purr, while Neobi copied. Malaika jumped on her father's back and giggled, making him laugh as well.
Yeah, I have the best family.
When the morning first started, the other animals came running from their fields, the lions getting out of the way to it being a possible stampede. Neobi caught sight of his bird friends and roared up to them to get the attention of the beak bearing animals. "What is going on?"
"The royal pride from the west pride lands. King Kovu and queen Kiara invited them here". With that, they flew off and continued on their way.
Zuri and Tendai looked at each other in confusion, as they had heard nothing about it prior to the arrival. None the less, it was something that peeked their interests, and they started walking forward for their kids to follow. Afolabi stepped forward beside his father, holding his head up high but Malaika bumped into him as she ran past with a giggle making him growl. Neobi rolled his eyes and walked past his brother and parents to walk beside his oldest sister whom smiled over at him and kept walking.
When they finally reached Pride Rock, the animals cleared a way for them for them to go to the front of the audience. Neobi was so interested in what was happening that he hadn't noticed that he had eyes on him from all angles, but they looked back up at the show from the large, high rock to see what was going on.
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