Run or Learn

March 16 || Open to Zukkiza

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Vumbi jumped over a shrub and dug his paws deep in the spongy soil as he evaded sharp horns. One prong julienned his fur and he scampered to the side. He turned and stood his ground, raising his hackles. His quarry advanced, and Vumbi launched himself at the springbok. He landed on his rear paws and bounced sideways as the ram pivoted. Every time the springbok's horns drew closer, Vumbi hopped sideways, compelling the ram to turn in a tight circle, preventing it from building up speed or momentum. At last, the springbok's knees shook, and he stopped. Vumbi grinned. Dinner was practically served.

A bee buzzed across Vumbi's nose. He took his eyes off his quarry to shoo the pesky insect away. That was all the springbok needed to regain control. It charged and landed a blow. Vumbi inelegantly fell into a muddy creek, and the ram sprang off to rejoin his herd.

After a particularly nasty argument with his parents, Vumbi had decided to run away from home. He lacked good problem-solving skills and developed a romanticized view of life as a rogue. Being a cub can be so disempowering. He had to get his parents' approval for anything remotely fun and follow rules he thought were irrelevant and irrational. On top of adhering to a draconian bedtime and missing a match in Marshen Donno, nobody ever took Vumbi seriously. A lot of his suggestions had been brusquely dismissed long before he had a chance to thoroughly explain the mechanics. He constantly felt like a pawn in somebody else's game. Grown-ups always talk about how easy kids have it, but they must have forgotten what it was like to have somebody else calling the shots. It was anything but easy!

But there's a big difference between thinking about running away and actually running away. That was something Vumbi had to learn from experience as he was far too stubborn to take anybody's word for it.

If Zukki had learned something of value in the outlands, it was that the land was unforgiving at best and brutal at worst, as were its wicked inhabitants. The lioness was not a softie; she'd grown up there, after all. But it was simply not a place for chidlren; much less for a child who had never known hunger or pain, or had never had to have someone else's blood or their own smeared across his face just because he'd been hungry and had to fight for his meal.

Zukki had learned of Vumbi's disappearance by sheer, dumb luck. Birds were common visitors and travelers of the Pridelands, and the lioness's ear had caught a conversation between two feathered individuals about the Queen's son disappearing. Naturally, Zukki started looking around straight away, not even bothering to check up on her own chidlren, for she knew they were safeunder not two, but four watchful crimson eyes. Vumbi, on the other hand? He could have been anywhere. Zukki had decided she'd check every place in order from most to least dangerous, and the outlands were her natural first choice.

The lioness didn't spot the cub straight away, no; his red fur was perfect camouflage amongst termite mounds, and even if he had been another color, the darkness made it harder to see from a distance. Eventually, though, Zukki's visage stopped upon the small figure. She knew Kula's cubs almost like they were her own; she'd watched over them several times, so recognizing Vumbi once he'd been spotted was an easy feat. His physical appearance wasn't the only thing Zukki knew, however; his persoality stuck amongst the cubs like a sore thumb, and his cranky nature was frankly one of Zukki's persona favorites. She knew she wouldn't be taking the usual approach when dealing with Vumbi.

Calmly, the lioness padded towards the cub and sat herself beside him, almost like the situation was all casual, like Vumbi hadn't run away, like they were at the Pridelands. Silence lingered for a few moments before the lioness spoke, "The outlands aren't the best place for a young prince." She mused; the lioness's voice was not a scold or a lecture, it was a mere observation. "Did the pridelands get too boring for my favorite nephew?" Naturally, Zukki didn't know all the details, and perhaps some small talk would ease Vumbi a little. Zukki wasn't there to lecture the cub, after all; if she was going to get him to realize he had to go back home, it wouldn't be through harsh words or words of ancient wisdom.

The last thing Vumbi needed was to be told to be quiet and go back home, after all.

"Aunt Zukkiza!" he exclaimed. In any other scenario, Vumbi would have been elated to see his favorite aunt, but he had a hunch she had been sent by one or both of his parents to bring him back to the Pride Lands. Why should I go back? He thought indignantly. Going back meant he'd have to abide by his parents' dumb rules again. That, and he was probably going to be punished for running away. Knowing Zukkiza could easily pick him up by the scruff of his neck, Vumbi briefly considered bolting. Maybe I can outrun her. I can run almost as fast as Fuli. That's good enough! 

But he could not bring himself to leave just yet. Aunt Zukkiza's nice, he reasoned. I should at least hear her out before doing anything drastic.

"Did the Pride Lands get too boring for my favorite nephew?" Aunt Zukkiza asked.

Vumbi shook his head. "No," he admitted. "I got in trouble - again. Uhuru said I was a big chicken because I ran away from a wasp. I got mad, so I...uh, I slapped her big fat face! Mom saw what happened and sent me to my den. She said I must never strike anybody, and that I'm supposed to act more mature because the pride is going to depend on me one day. It's as if she's grooming me to be the next king of the Pride Lands or something!" He groaned melodramatically. "So I ran away. I decided I'd be better off living as rogue lion! That way nobody can tell me what to do! Ever!"

Zukki was no fool. The moments Vumbi spent thinking were moments she spent preparing to chase after him. Not to bring him home by the scruff, no; just to intercept him and try talking sense into the cub. It was a relief that the auburn youngster chose to speak instead of fleeing. Zukki was sure she would, in time, catch up to him; as fast as Vumbi could have been, his stamina was no match for a grown lioness's. Still, his aunt was glad she wouldn't have to chase her favorite little nephew into the core of the outlands.

She listened to Vumbi's dilemma intently, amber orbs fully focused on the child before her. "I see." She said, her tone serious but not somber, and she made sure not to sound like she was trying to boss the cub around. "That wasn't very nice of Uhuru, was it? Your mother is right about something, though; you should try not to strike anybody that isn't a risk to you. Especially not a sibling. I'm not trying to tell you Uhuru didn't deserve it a little, though." She added with a chuckle, hoping to lighten the mood. "She's a fiesty cub and can go out of her way to try to get to you, Vumbi. I know it cn get annoying, but you know what would annoy her most? If you didn't listen. Siblings get a kick out of being annoying, and if you're not annoyed, they don't get a laugh out of it."

"She said I must never strike anybody, and that I'm supposed to act more mature because the pride is going to depend on me one day. It's as if she's grooming me to be the next king of the Pride Lands or something!"

The words made Zukki's ears perk forward. So it was safe to assume Vumbi was Kula's chosen heir, then? Zukki couldn't say she wasn't surprised. In her mind, Kula would've considered Uhuru before anybody else. She couldn't help but to smile at the prospect of Vumbi being king, but she didn't make her thoughts known. "Did you know I was a rogue for a while? Me and your cousins, that is." Perhaps making the cub realize that he had no chance to survive as a rogue would be easier if the lioness told her of her and her family's own stuggles. "We had to move a lot to be safe, since your uncle Chumvi was gone a long while, and we're not welcome here in the Outlands anymore. Never quite fit in the Pridelands either. A lot of animals sneer at us for 'looking outlander'. I guess prejudice is still stronger than progress in the Pridelands." Despite her words, the looks and sneers had always slid of the lioness's back fairly easily.

"Being a rogue lion is harder than it seems, Vumbi. It's hard to hunt on your own, it's cold to sleep on your own, and it's boring to be on your own all the time. See, if you wnt to be a rogue... it's more fun when you have company." She added. Perhaps if Zukki was unable to dissuade Vumbi from leaving the pridelands right away, she'd at least be able to convince him to stay with her until his head cleared.

The feline could only hope she was being tactful enough and the least bossy she could possibly be.

Vumbi kept quiet as Zukkiza spoke, not even bothering to defend his actions because he knew she was right. He should not have struck Uhuru, even if she did deserve it. Only bad guys hit. He tore his eyes away from his aunt's and lowered his head compunctiously. "I know," he begrudgingly conceded. He suddenly felt very foolish. When Zukkiza suggested not listening to his sister, Vumbi's face lit up. "Really?" he asked. "You think that'll work? Okay. I can try that." When I visit...

If Vumbi discerned his aunt's surprise, he did not show it. The cub deduced she thought his mother's endeavor to raise him right was over the top too. He had no idea his mother was going to challenge the king for the Pride Lands, or that he was his mother's chosen heir. 

"Did you know I was a rogue for a while?" Zukkiza asked. "Me and your cousins, that is."

"No way! That's so cool!" Vumbi beamed. "I bet you and my cousins had a ton of fun adventures, right?"

"We had to move a lot to be safe, since your uncle Chumvi was gone a long while, and we're not welcome here in the Outlands anymore," his aunt explained. "Never quite fit in the Pride Lands either. A lot of animals sneer at us for 'looking Outlander'. I guess prejudice is still stronger than progress in the Pride Lands."

Vumbi scowled. "Yeah, well, they'e stupid and mean," he huffed. "Judging others for what they look like is not nice."

"Being a rogue lion is harder than it seems, Vumbi. It's hard to hunt on your own, it's cold to sleep on your own, and it's boring to be on your own all the time. See, if you want to be a rogue...it's more fun when you have company." 

"I guess." Vumbi's first day as a rogue lion had been rough. His quarry escaped, and his fur was damp and gross from landing in muddy water. Running into Zukkiza had been the highlight of his day. 

"What should I do then?" he asked his aunt. "I don't want to go back, but I don't think I'm cut out for life as a rogue just yet. I can't even catch a dumb ol' springbok!" 

Vumbi's heart was in the right place, that much was evident. "I'm sure it will work, Vumbi. How do you think Zhir keeps himself out of trouble while his brother and sister argue? He ignored them when they were annoying to him, and now they don't annoy Zahir anymore, only one another." Zukki explained. Personally, Zukki thought a bit of arguing and tussling was healthy, but she knew, as a mother, that when thing got rowdy, she had to interfere. Zahir did lift a weigh off of her velvet shoulders by being more of a pacifist, though, there was no denying that.

Zukkiza smiled, endeared by the cub's excited demeanor. She couldn't say she blamed Vumbi for his thirst of adventure; Pride Rock got pretty boring after a day or two, and he was starting to grow more active, more restless. "We saw many new places and things, and met some new faces too." She agreed, "Some nice, some others... not so much." Luckily, the lioness had never had to deal with anything trying to harm her cubs before. Otherwise, things would have gotten ugly for her. But she had met threatening foes in the past, and she was sure she would meet them again in the future.

"That's a very smart and kind thing to say, Vumbi. Maybe mom and dad should give you more credit for the things you do rigght, hm?" Zukki commented encouragingly. If Vumbi knew at such an early age thaat outlanders were not all bad, then he was already a more hopeful king than Simba could have ever hoped to be. Hatred and prejudice had been what had magnified the war to such an horrible degree, after all. "We're all the same inside, despite what we look like. That's a very important thing to remember."

At last, Vumbi asked for Zukki's advice, making it clear he wasn't ready to go home just yet. "Well," she begun, "You're always welcome to come with me and the kids. Your uncle is there, too, but he's not a tattletale. You could stay with us however long you wanted, until you decide if being a rogue all by yourself is your thing or not." The lioness offered, naturally hoping Vumbi would accept to come home with her. He'd be safe there, at the very least, and she could get a bird or two to infrom Kula about the situation.

What Zukkiza said made sense. Zahir never seemed to get into any trouble. Granted, Vumbi's cousin did not have Uhuru for a sister, but his aunt's suggestion was worth a try. "Okay. If that works for him, maybe it'll work for me."

"Thanks," Vumbi beamed. He had been taught to respect all animals, regardless of how they look or where they came from - even humans, despite their exceedingly destructive ways. Holding an entire group accountable for the actions of a few seemed idiotic to him. That was like blaming every lion in Africa for what Scar did. He could not even begin to comprehend tossing his sister or brother off a ledge - no matter how annoying they were.

Vumbi appreciated his aunt's offer. "I guess I should stay with you," he said thoughtfully. "Being a rogue is harder than I thought it would be. I could use some help." It did not occur to him that Zukkiza was obligated to tell his parents where he was. He grinned when Zukkiza said his uncle would be there too. "Uncle Chumvi? I haven't seen him in forever!" he said excitedly. 

Zukki couldn't help but to smile down warmly at the cub, "It's settled, then. You'll stay with us, the rogues, for a while. C'mon, I'll show you the way." The lioness said, rising to her paws slowly and turning around, looking at the little cub expectntly. It was, after all, her main priority to get the Queen's son, her beloved nephew, out of the Outlands as fast as she could. "I'm sure Chumvi will be delighted to see you." She assured, "He'll even be up for a game or tag! Or maybe hide and seek. Or he could tell you about his experience as a rogue; he's been one for a lot longer than I." Zukki suggested as she began padding out of the barren land that she once called home, and into the direction of the plentiful forest that now sheltered her from the war.

It was going to be a long walk.

Surely, talking would be the perfect wy to make the long, tedious journey a little bit more upbeat and fun. "So," the velvety lioness began, addressing a concern that had been nagging at the back of her mind ever since Vumbi himself had brought it up. "We both know Simba is king and Kion is prince, but if your mom was Queen, who do yu think she'd pick as her heir?" To smooth out her question, make the conversation seem more casual, she added, before the cub could respond; "Cause Chumvi and I were talking about which cub we'd pick the other day, you know, just for fun." Naturally, that was a lie. "We couldn't even pick one! They could ll be fit rules, we think. But you know your siblings better than I, so I think you're more fit to judge who'd be the best queen or king of your litter, hm?"

Finally, after her short ramble, the lioness stopped her mouth to listen to whatever the cub had to say. There was, naturally, nothing hypotetical about the situation, if Zukki was being truthful. She trusted the revolution. One day, Simba would be dethroned, and Kula would rise to power. One day, one of her nephews or her niece would be picked as the rightful heir. And Zukki was known to be curious, maybe even a bit nosy. Naturally, she trusted Kula's judgement, and she knew all of her children would be fit to rule. Again, it was simple curiosity that drove her question towards the cub.

Then again, if Vumbi realized that maybe his mother considered him to be the best heir out of the litter, he'd go back home at the prospect of being king. Or maybe he'd be scared of the responsibility and not want to go back home. Zukkiza was playing a wild card here, she was aware. But whatever the outcome of her words was, the lioness was sure she could handle it.