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This is a roleplay between myself and my friend Raven of the Shadows revolving around our characters Akasha and Zemar (with other characters appearing as necessary).

Characters

Akasha: Namacub95

Zemar: Raven of the Shadows

Dawn broke over the Pridelands and with it came the dawn of a new era. King Kovu and Queen Kiars had stepped down as rulers of the Pridelands due to their age and today would be the crowning of their son Prince Chaka and his mate Penda. Many animals had come to Priderock to see the crowning of the new king, including the soon-to-be queen's half-sister, Akasha.

Akasha had arrived late the previous night and was still recovering from her two day trip to the Pridelands. The Waterside Pride wasn't that far but it was still a considerable distance with the added strain of there being a large desert between the two territories.

She'd spent most of the time catching up with Penda, they'd come a long way since they'd first met and Akasha had gone from hating her sister to being best friends. A lot had happened since her last visit to the Pridelands. For one, both Chaka's sisters had found mates and the youngest princess, Jia, was pregnant with her first cubs. Although Penda had warned her about another lion coming to the presentation.

"His name is Zemar." Penda had said "He's not very welcome around here after what happened with Jia...he tried to get her mate banished by lying to Chaka and causing a fight. He was nearly banished but Jia stuck her neck out for him. He's only coming because Jia invited him."

Akasha scowled, she'd give Zemar a piece of her mind if she saw him. Betraying your pride was a horrible crime in her mind.

Zemar sighed as he looked over at Pride Rock. He wasn't too far from where he was ment to be but he just wasn't sure if he should go over. Jia invited him and he was upset enough to go but he told her he would and he was the type to keep to his words atleast to Jia.

As he made his way up towards Pride Rock all he recieved were glares from the other animals and lions. What he did was unforgivable and no one looked at him the same after that day. He saw Jia and walked over towards her and he even saw Enzi sitting next to her. He recieved a glare from him too which didn't make him feel any better, He mumbled to Jia that he was here and she smiled at him happy to hear he showed up.

He sat a few feet away from the rest of the pride and stuck to himself even though he was glared at he ignored them through out the ceramony.

Akasha watched proudly as Chaka and Penda ascended to the throne. She couldn't have been prouder of her sister. For a second, her dark blue eyes darted skyward, imagining their father watching them with a smile. She wished he could be there with them...he'd have been so proud.

Then she caught something out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head to look at the dark grey lion. He looked different from the rest of the Pridelanders and she couldn't recall if she'd ever seen him before. Then it dawned on her: that must be Zemar. A scowl formed on her muzzle and she turned her head away.

She roared with the rest of the pride, mostly because she was here to support her sister rather than because she was accepting her and Chaka as her rulers. She didn't belong to the Pridelanders. She was Waterside through and through.

Zemar watched them roar but kept himself silent. He knew Chaka didn't like him infact he knew Chaka hated him and was more then likely going to tell him to leave after ceramony was over. Zemar sighed as he watched the pride roar with glee at there new leaders while but he had a den right on the outskirts of the pride lands which ment he wasn't an actual member and there for he didn't have to roar.

He was only here because Jia had asked him to be here and he was only respecting her wish not that anyone else wanted him here. He growled lightly to himself it really wasn't fair, Enzi was a waterside pride member first and then came to the pride lands with Kovu why did he get the girl it just wasn't fair. His ears lowered lightly when he remebered when Jia stuck up for him when he was about to be banished and thats when guilt tore at him and he felt terrible for hurting her like he did but after that day he barely spoke to her or anyone for that matter.

Chaka and Penda padded down to the pride looking quite happy and a little nervous at the same time, Akasha expected that, after all they'd just become the new rulers of the Pridelands which was a huge task. She didn't envy them. She thought she saw Chaka give Zemar a glare but Penda quickly steered him in the opposite direction, a conflict was the last thing everyone needed.

Soon enough the night fell, although that didn't dampen the mood of celebration, and Akasha found herself padding out of the den, she was never liked parties much...even if they didn't happen all that regularly.

Jia was nice enough to invite Zemar to the after celebration but Zemar refused. He felt out of place and didn't wish to get into anymore fights then he needed too. As the night rolled around he soon found himself walking around the pride lands which he enjoyed because it was more quiet at night and he could be alone to let him self think.

He soon came by the watering hole and sat down staring into the watering hole" I don't see why she chose him.." He muttered to himself" I Could have made her just as happy as Enzi could.." He frowned and laid down by the water's edge" I could have made you happy too.." His ears lowered slightly" If you had just given me a chance" He whispered.

(Sorry for the wait my comp's internet went out)

"Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness, you know."

Akasha had made her own way down to the Watering Hole only to see Zemar and hear him muttering to his own reflection. She hadn't forgotten what Penda had told her earlier about Zemar and truthfully she was almost hoping for a chance to get him alone, and let him know just how close he'd come to being tossed out of the pride.

She approached the male cautiously, she wasn't stupid and didn't know this male well enough to know if he was particularly violent or not.

Zemar flinched slightly and looked back at Akasha and huffed" Oh.. Your that Lioness Penda's Sister right.." He sighed and looked away" I kinda wanted to be alone and i was not talking to myself i was talking to the kings of the past.." He looked up at the stars" I guess i was hoping for some kind of sign but i suppose i am asking too much of them right now"

He looked back over at Akasha before standing up" So what are you doing out here i thought you'd be inside celebrating with the other lions and lionesses" He snorted" Or did you just come out here to yell at me like everybody else has so far..?"

Akasha rolled her eyes at Zemar's excuse for talking to himself, she really wanted to say something very sarcastic but held it in. He seemed to recognize her and when he asking if she was Penda's sister she nodded.

"Half-sister." she corrected "Akasha." she added as an after thought.

Then he stood and Akasha's eyes narrowed. He asked her why she had come down to the Watering Hole and if she had come to repremand him.

"I don't have to explain myself to you." she said "And I don't blame everyone. What you did was unforgiveable and I'm pretty sure that Jia's the only pride member who actually likes you at the moment. If I were you I would have left a lomb time ago before Chaka had the power to throw you out whenever he pleases."

Zemar growled and glared at her" Oh really..?" He huffed" You have no idea what happened anyway so why are you even getting involved.." He got up and started circling her" Have you ever been in love with somebody and would have done anything to please them only to find out they were in love with someone who had no feelings in return.." He snarled and came to a hault" Enzi showed her love but he waited so long to do it.. he doesn't deserve her and i was just proving my point.." He looked over at her" You know i could have killed him that day Akasha.." He said her name with such venom in his words not that he cared right now.


Zemar huffed" Like you would ever understand..not like you ever had someone you love ripped away from you" He sat down a few feet away from her" I care for Jia.. thats why im here..i am respecting her wishes and showing up for her sake not anyone elses.." Zemar had no idea why he had to exsplain himself to yet another one of the pridelanders, she wouldn't believe him and at this point he didn't really care if she believed him. He walked back over towards the watering hole and sat down" Just leave me alone..you have no buisness talking to me and no more buisness here so you may leave at any time now"

Akasha growled "That doesn't make what you did right." she replied "But if you really lovd Jia then you should have let her be happy. She has a right to love who ever she wants. You shouldn't have intefered. Like I said, I'd watch my back. Chaka doesn't like people who betray his trust."

She turned to leave but Zemar spoke again. Lost someone she loved? She'd lost a lot of people she loved.

"I've lost both my parents and my brother. My mother and brother died when I was only a newborn and my dad was taken away from me when I needed him most so don' you dare say that I've never lost anyone I cared about. Be glad Jia is still alive. You can still talk to her, see her face, I can't do that. I'll leave you alone now."

With that Akasha turned to leave.

Zemar sighed he felt bad but he was speaking out of anger. He knew he had hit a nerve with her and wanted to apologize but he didn't want to seem soft. He turned back towards" Im sorry.." He whispered" I was just angry.." He got up and turned around" Tell Jia im heading home for the night if you want..something tells me i wasn't welcomed here from the time i set foot into the pridelands.."

Zemar started to walk off but stopped and looked back" If its any conselation..you can always see your family again.. in your dreams and the stars.." He shrugged" You probably don't believe in the great kings and to be honest i didn't either.. but there the only thing close to you when you feel like you have nothing left to hold on too.." And with that Zemar left her alone with her thoughts.

Akasha said nothing as Zemar left, her eyes were fixed on her paws. Zemar's words were replaying themselves in her mind. Slowly her gaze travelled skyward and she bit her lip. She didn't really believe in the Great Kings...the idea of the dead influencing the living seemed too bizare for her...but her father always believed.

She padded back to Priderock and couldn't help but glance in the direction Zemar had disappeared.

(Cue time skip!)

As the sun rose again the next morning and Akasha was preparing for her journey back to the Waterside Pride. She couldn't stay long as the pride needed all the hunters it had, at this time of the year in the jungle prey was always more difficult to come by.

Soon Akasha moved out, following the gorge out towards the desert that divided her home from the Pridelands. She should reach it in a few hours.

As she was walking along the edge of the gorge she thought she spied something in the gorge and stopped to peer over, unfortunately it was a weak spot and by the time Akasha realized this, the rocks under her paws had collapsed. The lioness gave a yell as she fell with a loud yell into the gorge.

Zemar had gotten up early to try and get some early food in before the lionesses started to hunt. Chaka didn't like him hunting on his lands but as long as he wasn't caught no harm would be done. As he was making his way towards the pride lands his ears perked up to a sudden yell that didn't come far from where he was.

Zemar turned around to the direction and it was towards the gorge, any lion to go near the gorge wanted to die. He sighed and decided to go and see who got themselves caught on the edge of the rocks. Zemar ran towards the gorge and came to a stop making sure he didn't upset the rubble so that it wouldn't collapse under his paws. He peered over to see Akasha latching on to a boulder.

He stared down at her" Akasha what are you doing down here.. do you have any idea how dangerous the gorge is this time of the season.." He sighed" Hang on i'll see if i can get down to your level." He unsheathed his claws and gently lowered himself down the side of the gorge carefully and when he felt he was close enough he held out his paw to Akasha" Grab it.. grab my paw Akasha.." He stared down at her" I know you don't like me but if you wish to live you'll grab my paw now!?" He streched his paw out more towards Akasha while keeping his other three paws latched onto the rocks beneath him.