"Since burned the Emerald Valley until there was almost nothing left.. Cansu attempted to save it but she was too late. She couldn't do anything.. Then the entire Emerald Valley as we know it, is now the Prideless Stretch.." My grandmother said.
"That's so cool and sad!" My brother Flame said, his red mane shaking slightly as he jumped around. "So everyone died!?"
"Flame! Actually listen to the story for once and you'll understand." My brother Ember said.
"What about the story about Kioga and Lite? The romantic story!?" My sister pipped up.
"Calm down! All of you! Or I won't finish the story." My grandmother said, slightly snarling. My siblings went quiet as I was resting in her mane. "As I was saying. Cansu did her best to save the Emerald Valley, but it became the Prideless Stretch due to Sunce's anger only getting stronger and stronger.. With Dry Season only getting hotter and harder with each year that passes.. And that is why we keep our water level as high as it can be." She finished her story, finally noticing I was resting in her mane. "Have you been there the entire time, granddaughter?" She asked me.
"Yes I have been grandmother, it's just very soft and comfy, am I making you uncomfortable?" I asked, tilting my head slightly, she laughed gently.
"No, I was just wondering since I couldn't see you. But I see I'm not the only one with a mane." She said, using her paw to gently push me out of her mane, she gently licked my mane, causing me to giggle. We then heard footsteps coming toward us, we all sat up.
"Telling your famous history stories to the cubs again, aren't you, mother?" My mother asked, coming out of the dry grass.
"It keeps them happy FadeHunter.." My grandmother said, pushing me with my other siblings.
"Well it's time to fill bellies right now, so story time is going to have to end." My mother said.
"But she was about to tell us about Kioga and Lite!" My sister pipped up.
"She never said she was going to sister." I said.
"I want to hear more stories! Does she have to go?" Ember said sadly.
"I agree with Mom, I'm getting really hungry." Flame said. There was another pair of footsteps, we all looked over.
"Hopefully you won't be hungry enough to eat your dad." My dad joked. We all began laughing.
"Ah.. Always my favorite jokester. Clawmane, I trust you won't lose one of them like last time?" My mother asked.
"It was one time while chasing a butterfly!" Ember whined. My father laughed.
"I promise I won't. Don't worry." My father said, laying down and we all quickly cuddled with him.
"Let's go hunt then, Sunpaws." My mother said to our grandmother.
"We'll be off now." My grandmother said, walking away with our mother and aunties.
"Bye mom!" We all called.
"Bye aunties!" I called to them, they all smiled at me before walking away.
"Okay! Let's play manes and no manes! Sister and I will be the no manes and you two be the manes!" Ember said. Giving a fake roar as he pounced on our sister.
"Ember! Get off! I wasn't ready!" My sister said, I gently giggled and Flame just rolled his eyes. My dad picked up Ember and got him off our sister. We were all about to start laughing again until we heard a loud roar. We all went quiet.
"W-Was that..?" I nervously stuttered out.
"A real no mane." My father said, getting up, he shoved Ember and I closer to our other siblings as they stayed by the dry tree.
"Dad-" Ember was about to say something.
"Shh!" My dad shushed him, giving him the "if you keep talking I'll scold you" look. Ember went quiet. We were all scared. "Stay quiet and low cubs. I'll deal with this." My father told us, we cuddled together, scared. My father slowly walked off.
"What if he dies..?" My sister whispered, I gently licked her, gesturing her to stay quiet.
"He's not going to.. He has to win.. He's.. Strong.. The mane." Ember nervously said.
"Shhh.." Flame shushed our brother. There was a loud roar as a no mane suddenly tumbled through the tall grass, my father jumped out, his normally dim brown mane covered in a red mess.
"Cubs! Stay hidden! Don't let him find you-" My father tried to shout before the no mane got up, slamming into him, knocking him off balance. "Ugh!" He grunted out. That's when I noticed the no mane's eyes falling on us. He ran at us. "No!" My father cried as the no mane took my brother Ember under his paw, nearly crushing him alive. "Stop it! Leave him alone! This is not what Pride Law states!" My father roared angrily.
"Pride Law has no place right now. I'll win this Pride, even if I must cheat!" The no mane shouted, his claws about to poke out, I ran out.
"Get off my brother! My father is right! Pride Law is so you win fair and square!" I shouted at him.
"Ah, another male. How sad." I noticed he began to crush my brother more as he reached his other paw toward me.
"I'm not a male.. I am a maned lioness!" I cried out in anger, using all my strength, I jumped up, clearly catching him by surprise, with a fake roar, I chomped down, doing my best to tear into his elbow. The no mane roared in pain as he got off my brother, swinging his arm, trying to flail me off.
"Get off me you brute of a cub!" He shouted in pain, I heard my father's loud stomping as he pounced on the no mane, I was swung off and tumbled into the ground, hitting my siblings with my body. I was trembling in pain as I tried to stay awake as I watched my father biting down on the no manes neck. I could hear him choking before there was a loud sickening snap.
"Daughter! Daughter no! Daughter please!" I heard my father cry as he ran toward me, I saw my siblings surrounding me.
"Sister!" Ember cried.
"No!" My sister shouted.
"You'll be okay!" Flame sobbed.
"Wait! I smell blood!" I could hear my grandmother shouting in the distance.
"Over here-! Ahhh! What happened!? No! Daughter!" I heard my mother cry. My family around me. They were the last thing I saw before my vision went black. Hours later, I woke up, noticing the sun was nearly down, I tried to get up but my back hurt quite a bit.
"Daughter? Daughter! You're okay!" I felt my dad nuzzle my face gently.
"Dad..? Are you okay..?" I asked weakly.
"I am.. I was so worried.. Never scare me like that again." I felt my father pick me up by the scruff of my neck.
"What about the no mane?" I asked. My father gave a gentle sigh as he carried me. His voice was muffled but I could understand him.
"The no mane is dead. You saved us, daughter. He wasn't going to win the fight the way Pride Law said to. I'm.. Proud of you, daughter." He said to me, we got to the Sister Steppe and he placed me down. "She's alive." My father said.
"Thank the Goddesses!" My mother shouted as she jumped down from the Steppe. She sniffed me and nuzzled me. "I was so worried.. Don't you ever try something like that again.. I thought we lost you.." She said, I could feel the tears going down her face.
"I'm okay Mom. But I couldn't just let that no mane kill Ember.. It wasn't fair.." I said.
"And thank goodness for that." Flame said as he walked over with Ember and our sister.
"You saved my life sister. Thank you." Ember smiled at me.
"You're still crazy though. Are we sure she isn't a male?" My sister asked, my mother and father gently growled at her.
"That's enough for now. Let's eat dinner everyone." My father said, my aunties walked over to me and gently licked me, making sure I was okay as they walked with me over to the caribou that was killed for dinner. I began to eat with them.
I don't know how I survived.. I guess Sunce truly is looking out for me.
