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Leopard the Warrior of Africa

It seemed that after Makunga explained all that had happened to Shani, Zorillo, Chui, and himself, the pride seemed willingly to let them join. Chui even became friends with Tau's stepson, Kifaru, who was the small reddish gold leopon that had stood by the Crater Pride leader, and other cubs in the pride. Shani started to become friends with many of the lionesses, who also gave her hunting tips from a female point of view and who she could talk to about certain topics.

The most common friends Shani spent time with were Abebi (one who wards off), who was a golden tan liliger with brown eyes, Alala (dreamer), a pale yellow lipard with brown ear markings and grey eyes, and Swala (gazelle) a pale orange jaglioness with blue grey eyes who was Alala's cousin through the Alala's father and Swala's mother.

In Makunga's case, he also found a few friends, granted not as many friends like Chui, Shani, and Zorillo, who had made friends with the other polecats in the crater, but he still found some friends, two in fact actually.

One was Tembo (elephant), a rather large, grayish gnu/wildebeest with bright blue eyes who was a bit younger than Makunga by a few months. The other Mamba (crocodile), a young, king cheetah with golden who was rather careless and a bit of a daredevil.

The pride, as it seemed, had its den in a corner of the crater in the middle of a group of tall crowded trees and high rocks. Zorillo, despite not being a feline of any sort, was allowed to stay in the pride. Makunga, Chui, and Shani all shared the same den along with Zorillo.

At the moment though, a few weeks after the group of four joined the pride, the lionesses were all getting ready for the morning hunt, some of them gossiping and talking as others stretched out a few extra times. Shani, in her case, was talking to her friends when Abebi brought up a certain topic.

"Hey, have any of you heard of the celebration coming up soon? The one that the elephants are throwing for the start of the wet season?" the liliger said, trying to groom the back of her ears.

"Yeah, I heard about it a week ago and I'm still trying to get Blyds to ask me to it," Swala said, mentioning one of the male lions that the other three knew she was interested in. Shani and Alala looked at her in pity before Alala looked at Shani.

"What about you, Shani? You three know I'm bond to go with Zuberi," she said, looking at Shani in curiosity. The brown lioness of the group blushed, her mind thinking of a certain pale tan lion. "I think Sizwe has had his eyes on you, lately," Alala added, giving what she thought was a knowingly smile.

"Oh please, Alala. We all know that Shanika's going to ask her out in no hurry," Abebi said, interrupting Shani from speaking. Swala shook her head at the two others, implying her own opinion.

"Abebi, almost all the single males in the pride would try to ask Shani out in a hurry. You and Alala know that Shani's pretty much got the attention of most of them already."

Shani blushed again, feeling a bit uncomfortable at the thought of all the single males in the pride looking at her if they all asked her to come with them to the celebration at the same time. "A-act-actually, I was thinking about going with Makunga," she said, receiving some questionable looks from her friends.

"Makunga!?" Swala and Alala had both said that at the same time while Abebi seemed to be giving Shani a smirk. Shani blushed and looked around, hoping that none of the other lionesses had overheard them yet.

"Yeah. Makunga."

"Well, I don't see anything wrong with going to the celebration with him. I mean, what you think about him is your own opinion. Granted, he won't have been my first choice, but it's your decision, not mine," Abebi said, still having that smirk on her face.

"Well, I do see what's wrong with going with him. Shani, he's nearly old enough to be your own father. Doesn't that disturb you in anyway at all?" Swala said, her expression filled with confusion of the lioness's choice. Shani smiled a tiny bit, not answering the jaglioness's question.

"I agree with Swala. That and he is still technically your father's rival. Even if you're in a new pride, girl, there's still going to be some tension," Alala said, her expression questioning Shani's choice. The lioness rolled her green eyes, her head turning towards where the dens were.

"Thank you Abebi, for your support. Swala, Alala, you two never got to know Makunga during the trip he, Chui, Zorillo, and I took to get here. I mean, he was always nice to me, he, he loved spending time with me and Chui, heck even once called Chui his son. You wouldn't believe the way he took over as a father-figure for him. He defended the three of us from Jasiri…"

"Who was the very lion your father arranged a marriage with you without your opinion," Alala added, only to be hushed by Abebi.

"… I mean sure he does have his flaws, but really, once you get over them, he's a very nice guy and… and..."

"Ok, girls, come on, that prey isn't going to catch itself!" the lead lioness, called out, interrupting Shani. The four females looked at each other before joining the rest of the female on the hunt.

….

Makunga watched Chui carefully from where he, Zorillo, Tembo, and Mamba were as Chui played with Kifaru, and some of the other cubs. It would kind of be odd with a human was seeing this, since some of the other male lions of the pride were on the rocks opposite from where Makunga was with his three friends, but if someone was to know Makunga better, they would have known that, as still getting to know the pride, Makunga was keeping his distance until he could pinpoint a weak spot in the pride. Right now though, he was just making sure that Chui was safe as he played with the other cubs.

Mamba nudged Makunga a couple times before getting the lion's attention. "What is it Mamba?" the lion finally asked, still not taking his eyes off his "cub" and the others.

"I said, for the tenth time, who are you taking to the celebration this Thursday?" the cheetah said, crossing his arms as Zorillo was giving a knowledgeable grin towards Tembo. Makunga thought for a moment before answering.

"Shani."

Mamba gave him a confused and questioning stare while Tembo just looked at the lion in shock at the answer. "Um… you know that she's almost young enough to be your daughter, right?" Tembo said, Zorillo still grinning.

"Well, I think he and Shani would make a perfect couple! I see I've been trying to tell him all along, but he just wouldn't listen to me and-"

"Zorillo, shut up and you'll become Chui's next hunting practice target."

"I'll shut up."

Makunga stayed quite for the rest of the conversation, still receiving odd looks from Tembo and Mamba until the morning hunt came back, Shani carrying a gazelle towards him, Zorillo, and Chui. Settling down and after Makunga took the first bite of their own breakfast, the rest joined in. Chui soon tried to eat off of some part of Makunga's part of the meal before Makunga cut some part of it off and pushing towards the growing cub as he looked towards Shani.

….

Back at the reserve Jasiri was having his wounds treated by Melman and Joe while he told Zuba what had happened. During this, Zuba kept his eyes close in a disappointed expression as his ears twitched at every word the younger lion said.

"And when I tried to go back, there were some hunters camping just off to the side, so I had to go back to where I could go through the jungles. Had to make sure I didn't get shot at by any hunters, so it took me longer to get here. I have no doubt, Zuba, that they're probably now at the Crater Pride, I'm planning on going there to get them, this time with back up," Jasiri said, his red eyes seeming to be burning in anger at his own failure.

"Well, I'll tell you one thing, Makunga did seem to put up a fight," Joe said, making Jasiri quench as the giraffe lifted his arm. Zuba was quite for a moment before opening his eyes.

"Take Teetsi and Azubuike with you. Teetsi has a somewhat chance to talk to Makunga while both he and Azubuike can help you in another fight with him," he said, adding, "And when you come back with Shani and Chui, I don't want to see anything wrong that happened on either!"

….

Makunga rubbed the back of his neck the next morning as he approached Shani just as the lionesses were getting ready.

"-And so I tell her, 'Girl, if you want my advice, just ask him first, nothing's wrong with it.' And yet she says," Alala was saying before she and Abebi noticed Makunga. Swala and Shani then looked, Swala crossing her arms while Shani gave a bit of a smile.

"Hello Makunga," she said, her smile towards him making the male lion feel like his legs were made out of wood. Makunga tried to put up a smile and rubbed to back of his neck again.

"Hey, Shani. Um...You know, with Thursday being three days away... and the celebration being then, I was wondering if… you um, wanted to go with- mmm?" Makunga's eyes widen as Shani kissed him before the lioness pulled back.

"I'd be happy to go with you," She said, despite the shocked looks Swala and Alala gave her as Makunga looked like his birthday came early.

Me: *looks at Makunga* Should I even ask?

Makunga: no…. I'm still loving that moment. *is grinning*

Me: *rolls eyes* Everyone just Review!