Finding Her Pride

Chapter One

Kagome glared at the humans from the other side of the cage. She had been placed here...for a long time....and she was starting to get restless. Kagome didn't recognize anything. There were no land markings she knew....she was far...far away from home. The first thing she needed to do was get out of this stupid cage and then run for it, but it might be hard with her wounds and the men that could get her and even kill her.

She bit the bar of the cage growling as she did so, the damn thing wouldn't budge. Hearing the sound of someone coming, Kagome stepped away from the bars to make sure it wasn't one of the humans that were checking on her and the other animals. But she was surprised to see a male lion walking by with caution and curiosity.

Mufasa was doing a sort of patrol on the Pride Lands when he saw smoke in the distance and told his pride he was going to look into it.

When he made to the source of the smoke, the King was in morbid shock to see so many metal cages and with animals that almost looked close to dying or were just miserable. Zazu then swooped in and landed on Mufasa's shoulder, "Sire, let us go before we're seen."

Mufasa was about to agree but stopped in his tracks when he caught the scent of a female lion cub. He fallowed the smell. After passing a few cages, he spotted the cub. She was as white as snow, and shrank back in fear when he came closer.

"Sire?"Zazu asked, but stopped when he saw the little lioness.

"Zazu...go tell Sarabi, that we will be having a new cub coming, and get Rafiki so he can treat her wounds." Mufasa told the bird, which Zazu saluted with his wing and flew off.

The Alpha lion looked the young cub with soft eyes, trying not to frighten her than she already was and spoke in a soft voice, "It's alright, little one... I'm not here to harm you..."

Kagome relaxed a little when she heard the adult lion speak softly but was still not moving from her place. This lion, whoever he was, had a kind and gentle face with a soothing voice that reminded her of her father. When she was about to move closer to him, she gasped at hearing the humans' voices laugh loudly before turning to him, "Sir, please hide! Before they catch sight of you!" The last thing Kagome wanted was for another lion to be in a cage because of her.

Mufasa looked toward where the voices were coming from and saw shadowing getting larger from around a corner, before taking cover in the space between the cub's cage and a large wooden crate, hiding in the shadows.

Kagome backed up all the way in the cage as she saw one of the men step in front of her cage. She growled at the man lifted open the top of the cage, and picked her up by the end of her tail.

"Well, it looks like its time little lioness." The man smirked evil.

Kagome moved her body trying to claw at the man, but to no avail, she gave a whimper as the man threw but on a metal chain around her neck and threw her to the ground.

From his hiding place, Mufasa became furious at how the human was treating the cub while barring his fangs and ready to attack so that he could get the little lioness out of here and to the safety of his pride. When it looked like the human was going to do more harm to the cub, Mufasa let out an angry roar and came out of his hiding place and pounced the human.

The man let out a surprised yet frightened cry, alerting his colleague while trying to push the huge lion away from him and keep it from biting his face off.

Kagome watched, frozen from her place before the lion yelled out for her to make a run for it.

Not wanting to be told twice, Kagome struggled to get free of the chains she was bound in before looking up to see more humans come running with weapons that were the same as the ones that killed her pride.

Mufasa heard a click sound over the human's pained cries and caught sight of another human aim a gun at him. He quickly dodged the bullet, getting off the human he attacked before grabbing the little lioness by the scruff of her neck and running away from the ruckus of the caged animals and away from the human camp.

The farther he ran away from the camp, the fainter the noises of humans yelling over wild animals and gunshots grew. Once he was sure that they were far enough to where they wouldn't be spotted and had lost them, Mufasa set the young cub on the ground to look her over and make sure she was all right.

The cub had many scratches, and some were still bleeding, her white fur was dirty, and in need of cleaning, but for the most part she was alright.

Kagome looked up at the older lion, she was curious...why had he saved her, she wasn't a part of his pride....so then...why?

"um....thank you....?" Kagome softly said, still confused. The elder lion brought his paw and rubbed the top of her head in a friendly fashion.

"No need to be thanking me." His eyes softened when he saw the exhausted expression take to her face, "so little one....do you have a home you need to get back to?"

Kagome's ears dropped at the words, "no........my home was destroyed when the two legers came...they killed them all...and took their skins...but.....I was left alive.....I don't know why...."

At this, Mufasa was saddened. This young cub was left all alone with no pride... or anyone to take care of her. If he left her alone like this, he was certain that she wouldn't survive especially with the chance of the humans catching her again. Looking at the young lioness, he offered gently, "If you want... you are free to come with me to my pride."

Kagome looked up at him with question in her deep blue eyes, asking, "Why? First you help me escape and now you're welcoming me to your pride... why are you trying to help me so much?" She didn't understand why this lion was doing so much for her when she's not of his pride...

Mufasa gave a gentle smile and answered, "Because... you are all alone. You have no more family and no home. Besides... shouldn't we lions look out for each other, even if we're of different prides?"

Kagome smiled, "Thank you...."

"Not a problem ....." he looked down at her, "what should I call you little one."

"My name...." Kagome looked up at him, "My name is Kagome."

"Well Kagome, it is best we get moving....we need to get you healed up..." He picked her up by the scruff of the neck and headed to pride rock.

Back at Pride Rock, Sarabi looked out, waiting for her mate to arrive with Zazu and Rafiki at her side. When she had heard Zazu say that Mufasa was going to bring home a lioness cub, Sarabi was surprised but didn't expect anything less from her mate. His kindness was one of the many reasons she loved him.

She climbed down the rocks as she saw her mate coming near, and in his mouth by the scruff of the neck, he carried a white cub. The other lions and lioness started to gather as they saw their king return.

Mufasa came to a stop in front of his mate, and sat down the cub. Kagome looked up at the lioness she didn't know what to think.

The lioness looked down at the cub, and gave her a reassuring look before looking back at her mate, "So this is the new cub........what happened out there."

Mufasa looked back from where the camp of the two legers were, " They had her locked up, and hurting her....as for her pride....they killed them off.....The cub will now be staying with us..."

Sarabi nodded, and bent down to the cub, " Hello little one." She smiled as she saw the cub look up at her, with worry in her eyes.

"hello" the cub said softly to her.

Looking up at her mate she asked, " So she is under our care...as our cub..?"

Mufasa nodded, and he saw his mate smile softly at the little one, "she is ours...I think her and Simba will get along fine."

She nodded, and leaned back down to Kagome, "come now little one, lets get you all cleaned up." Sarabi lifted the cub up and descended up the rocks. She had a cub to take care of.