Mourning

A couple weeks had passed since the incident with the hyenas and the celebration of Kubariki was here. Safiya's heart still held grief for the loss of her daughter, but she continued to move forward and do everything she could to provide for the pride and her remaining daughter. She had lost cubs from previous litters before, especially when she was younger, but that didn't make the pain of the loss any less. She was very worried about Mpenzi, who wasn't dealing with her sister's death very well. The golden cub had become withdrawn and depressed, refusing to leave their den and had to be forced to eat or drink. Safiya barely succeeded at getting her daughter out for Kubariki.

As the other lionesses danced the night away, tipsy on marula tree fruit, Safiya lay on the outskirts of the heat of the fire next to her daughter; she watched with sadness as her pridesisters laughed happily- Zahara would have loved this. She turned her green gaze towards her remaining daughter and sighed- the mournful look on Mpenzi's face was painfully obvious as she ignored the world around her. A small tear rolled down the cub's cheek, slightly smearing the yellow berry juice painted on her face; as was tradition, the pridemembers painted their faces with berry juice in patterns and designs that showed what they were hoping for in the coming season. Mpenzi's face was painted with the symbols of strength; Safiya's own face was painted in two different berry juices- one for strength and one for guidance, two things she really needed right now.

A light, irritating twinge from her tail made the pale lioness glance back at what remained of her tail. It had since healed since the incident, but she was still having phantom feelings and pains. Her tail felt itchy, as if fleas were biting around her tail tuft, but there was no tail tuft for any to bite. Those damn hyenas stole her tail and her daughter! The pale lioness sighed and shook her head slightly; she just had to keep ignoring the sensation and hope it would go away soon.

Safiya turned her gaze back to her daughter for a moment, then back towards the celebrating lionesses. Her mother always told her that the best way to deal with great grief was to create better memories- perhaps she should just let go... enjoy the celebration of Kubariki. Celebrate her passed daughter's life rather than mourn her death. Glancing back at Mpenzi, the lioness spoke up in a quiet voice, "Penzi, come join me and the others."

"I can't..." the cub whimpered, not bothering to even look towards her mother. "Yes you can little one," Safiya whispered, drawing herself closer to her cub. "I know it hurts, but Zahara wouldn't like seeing you like this." The pale red lioness gently stroked her daughter's back, "Let me tell you something my mother told me- sometimes the best way to get past the bad memories is to create new good memories. Zahara wouldn't want you to give up on life, she would want you to grow strong and thrive. Live your life as if you're living for her." Mpenzi didn't budge, continuing to silently lay in place as her mother stroked her back. Safiya removed her pale paw and licked the top of Mpenzi's head; the tuft of hair on the golden cub's head was now spiked and messy.

"Don't give up little sun," the lioness whispered in her daughter's ear before backing away. She watched her daughter for a moment before turning away towards the other lionesses. Hopefully she would join her for their first Kubariki celebration. The pale lioness padded over to a pile of marula fruit and grabbed a few, savoring the tangy taste on her tongue; soon her brain became foggy and she joined her fellow pridesisters by the fire pit, dancing alongside them into the night.

Young Mpenzi continued to lay alone in the outskirts, ignoring the world going on around her. Her mother's words hadn't fallen on deaf ears, but it would take some time before they would really sink in. For now, the golden cub continued to mourn in silence- deaf to the sounds of celebration going on around her.


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Here's that picture I told you I'd post from my last submission. It's Mpenzi and Safiya of a couple weeks following the hyena incident during the celebration of Kubariki. I didn't feel like drawing a background, so it's just of them. Poor little Penzi isn't doing so well. :c


_{Single Character Color w/o Background - 3 Pebbles (?)}


Characters & Art (c) Me