Lion Guard Redux [Private]

[rubinaito]

Sorry for taking awhile to respond-- I wanted to give Star a chance to reply~

@Random Melody @Stario&Co.

Sari watched Kion for a moment, not saying anything as he studied her carefully. She frowned a little, feeling her heart seize up - what if he said no? She swallowed nervously, letting her ears fold back every so slightly and trying to rationalize as best as she could (after all, she was only a cub) that the leader of the Lion Guard would say yes. That he would help her, even though she wasn't like him or his friends. It was a slight childish fear that every young cub would eventually face- the fear of rejection. Her ears lifted up as Kion mumbled a word- sabers, whatever those were- and turned to look at her with a smile that seemed genuine to the cub. After Kion asked where the sabers had been, Sari let out a faint squeak and she bit down gently on her bottom jaw to think for a little bit. "We live down by the Hakuna Matata falls. We were going fishing at that lake over there-" She pointed a paw at a smaller lake that was barely visible from Priderock. "-when Sade put me into a bush after hearing something and the big scary tigers came out." She explained, having calmed a bit. She glanced nervously at Claire as she came closer, but didn't say anything.

[Stario&Co.]

"SADE!?" The guard echoed
"Kion, I told you so!" Fuli groaned, rubbing her face with her paw. "If your going to take a child for an apprentice, keep an eye on her!"
"So those Saber guys have Sade?" Beshte looked more concerned than annoyed.

[Random Melody]

Kion's eyes snapped wide with surprise when Sari said Sade's name, and it took him a moment to process this, hardly hearing Fuli and Beshte at all. The Sabers had Sade. His apprentice. His friend. The golden cub's jaws locked instantly, a soft growl rumbling in his chest, but he took a deep breath and pushed it down. Kion took in a steady breath, fighting against every instinct telling him to take off to save her. Rushing headfirst into these situations was never a good thing. He had to think this over carefully. He had to plan it out. But the more he stood there thinking about it, thinking about Sade with those tigers, the angrier he got. He felt his blood boiling with each second that passed until finally, he couldn't take it anymore. His amber gaze shifted from Sari to the lake the cub had pointed at, and his muzzle lowered, lips curling back slightly over his teeth. Go, whispered a dark voice Kion didn't recognize, encouraging him, pushing him. Don't think. Just do it. Kion was too distracted to worry about where the voice was coming from, who was speaking to him. Instead, he obeyed. In no more than a second he took off toward where Sari had said the tigers were, ears flat to his head and amber eyes narrowed straight ahead. Attaboy.

"Kion--" Bunga started to speak, but Kion had launched off at that moment without a word. Bunga stood in stunned silence for a few seconds, looking up at Beshte and Fuli in shock and confusion before turning back to stare after Kion in surprise. "I - Uh - Guess we're going then?"

Ono had been silent this entire time, perched on Beshte's back. However, when Kion ran off, he rose up into the air and looked down at Bunga as the honey badger spoke, nodding silently in agreement before taking off flying after the cub. And after a second, Bunga followed closely behind.

Claire's ears pricked up in surprise when Kion darted off, and she raised an eyebrow, debating on following. Her head tilted faintly to the side, and then her purple gaze drifted down to Sari, staring blankly down at the cub. "Welp," She started, but didn't finish, glancing back after Kion. He's got this. She reassured herself, tail flicking.

[rubinaito]

Sari hadn't even managed to process the information being thrown at her- Apprentice? Of the Lion Guard? Sade? - before Kion had darted off with an almost scary look in his eyes- Which I can understand, I guess- and the others followed swiftly. She swallowed, the young cub watching them dash off like the group they were, finally giving into her concerns for Sade and bursting into tears like the cub she was. Claire, being the closest and probably only animal near her, soon had a sniffling little cub burying her head in Claire's fur- probably expecting comfort of some sort, or at least just a shoulder to cry on.

Atazi paused, hearing a cub burst into tears and grimaced ever so slightly. Again, that soft spot for cubs would probably end up killing her in the long run but she just couldn't help it-- She poked her head out of the cave and stared blankly at Claire and Sari for the moment, vaguely curious to see how Claire would react to the cub clinging to her- and she still had yet to recognize the cub as her own daughter.

[Random Melody]

Claire was seriously debating on following Kion, and the cub bursting into tears only made that decision seem more tempting. However, she didn't have a chance because Sari was already clinging to her, crying her heart out, the small, vulnerable cub's head buried into her fur. Claire grimaced as she felt the tears soak in, and bit back a low hiss, not wanting to trigger any more tears. After a moment she managed to calm herself. Claire didn't have a very high tolerance for cubs. They were loud and obnoxious and insufferable and arrogant and somehow had boundless energy that never came in handy because they never knew how to handle it. They were annoying and messy and Claire completely disliked them. She wouldn't go as far as to say she hated them, though. She didn't really. Just strongly disliked them. And having one clinging to her now, crying, Claire wanted nothing more than to push the cub away and snarl a few not-so-nice words. But she knew she probably shouldn't do that. The kid was traumatized right now and Claire knew how it felt to come across big, saber-tooth tigers. Sari had dodged a bullet not getting captured and Claire honestly hoped that Kion was able to save the other cub before anything horrible could happen. Claire disliked cubs, but she didn't want to see any more broken down.

"Yeah, alright," Claire finally grumbled, resting a paw over Sari's back and staring down at the cub almost blankly, but there was a small spark of understanding there. But also a cold, fierce look. "Chill out, kid. Crying isn't gonna get you anywhere and it's not gonna earn you anything but wet fur." But despite her harsh words, there was no real bite to them, just a calm, cold tone as she stared down at Sari, eyes slightly narrowed.

[Stario&Co.]

"Whoa, Kion wait for us!!" Beshte quickly hurried after them
"Another day, another rescue," Fuli shrugged and dashed after Kion, catching up easily.

##

"You won't get away with this!" Sade squealed from the tiger's jaws. "When my teacher and big bros find out, they'll give you what for!"
"She's been going on for a whole hour!" The slim Saber groaned, falling to his stomach and covering his ears. "Make it stop, I'm begging ya!"
"Oh, get up you wimp!" The Saber holding Sade rolled his eyes "We're here anyway."
"What?" Sade blinked and looked around. Sand? She was in the desert. She must have been screaming to much to notice they crossed the border. "Oh sweet Mufa--oof!" She yelped when the tiger dropped her on the soft sand, then planted a foot down on her tail to keep her from running.
"Ohhhh, this is gonna be gooooooood!" The slim Saber ran over and climbed onto a rock. Then too Sade's confusion, he began to holler across the clearing "The deed is done, bring out the general!"
"General?" Sade blinked. "Who's the general?"
"You're about to find out," The tiger that had carried her stared straight ahead. His posture was neat and straight, his chest puffed out. Sade didn't quite understand, but she puffed out her chest as well, making a growly face.

That's when it happened. One by one, large animals appeared from the dens. Most of them were Sabers, but some leopards were in their ranks as well. Along with a few snakes. Sade didn't like snakes. But they weren't the most intimidating thing. a group of large tigers all crowded in a circle. They marched in step towards Sade, and many other cubs her age. Most of them were girls, some boys. Sade gulped as the tigers neared, realizing something. They were guarding someone. The leader. That's why they were in such a formation.

"I-I'd like to go home now!" Sade stammered, scurrying to her paws. However, it was no use, as her tail was still being pressed down. Her veins turned into ice. Who was in that formation that was so dangerous, so terrifying, that they needed to be guarded. What if it was a three headed tiger that breathed fire? Or worse, a giant venomous snake! Sade shuddered and braced herself for an attack. She was too scared to look away.

The tigers stopped in there tracks, right in front of the cubs. Then, slowly, they moved back from each other, revealing the deadly leader they had been hiding. Only, there was one minor flaw. The leader wasn't a deadly warrior. In fact, he didn't have a scratch on him. He was a small cub, just like the rest of them.

"Greetings!" The cub offered a friendly smile. It was shinning and innocent. He wasn't a bad guy. This allowed Sade to relax a little. The cub was not a full tiger. He was also a little lion. Her had sandy brown fur, with brownish red markings on his back, eyes, and tail. black stripes covered the sides of his face, his shoulders, and his lower back spiky brown tuffs sprouted from his head. He was kind of adorable.

"My name is Octavian!" The cub introduced himself with such formality and kindness, all the kidnapped cubs were at ease within seconds. "I'm the leader of the Sabers."

[rubinaito]

Don't tell me he's going to be like the other little Octavion I know...
Love the Heroes of Olympus but god that kid is deranged and spooky.

Sari nodded slightly, sniffling and raising a paw to wipe off her face. She looked up at Claire and offered a soft, hesitant smile. "O-Okay." She mumbled, sitting down and doing her best to hold back her tears. After all, the cub was... strangely familiar. Like her mother, from what vague memories Sari had of her, but a little more in-tune with her feelings. Less angry. "U-Um, do you think that maybe they'll be okay?" She mumbled, shifting. "The tigers, I mean. I know they're scary, and mean, but I'm part tiger and I guess-" She shut herself up. She shouldn't talk so much, as it may just make Claire angry. Besides, she reminded herself, Claire and Kion didn't like tigers- which meant that Claire probably didn't like Sari much. All of the self-consciousness from earlier crashed into Sari and she smiled a little weakly. "Sorry." She mumbled, sitting down. It was a little harder for her to open up and be the playful young cub when there was so much stress dragging her down at the moment.

Atazi flicked an ear, slipping out of the cave. She studied the cub interestedly, not really making a sound. The cub, now that she thought about it, looked strikingly like her own missing daughter, Sari. But that couldn't be possible, could it? Against her wishes, hope blossomed in her heart that it was her- but instead of bounding forward with a cry of joy and longing, she stuck to the shadows to watch just a bit longer. There was no need to make herself suffer should the cub turn out to not be the child she'd been looking for. Her blue eyes focused on the cub as Sari sat down anxiously, having dried her tears. The cub exchanged a couple of words with Claire, a little too soft for Atazi's young ears to pick up on. All she needed to have the confirmation is a name, and the color of the cub's eyes- after all, she could remember Sari's bright blue eyes for as long as she lived.

[Stario&Co.]

Trust me Red
That's not the case XDD
Soooo Red
Wanna make a cub for my little plan for Octavian?
You can make however many you want X33

[Random Melody]

"There you go, kiddo." Claire said coolly, tilting her head faintly and watching the cub with interest. Her eyebrows raised when Sari asked her question, and explained she was asking about the tigers. A small scoff escaped her lips. She didn't seem to be angry at the fact that Sari was concerned for the tigers. Not really. "Hate to break it to you, short-stack, but if Kion finds them, I highly doubt those tigers will be anywhere near okay." She replied, a small hint of pride in her voice. Then she brought her narrowed purple eyes back to Sari. "And you don't need to be sorry. I get it, you're worried. But I'm just saying. Crying won't magically make anything better. It's a waste of time and energy." She said matter-of-factly, tail tip twitching faintly, almost irritably, and her eyes trailed as if remembering something before she shrugged. "In any case, just stay calm. Your sister'll most likely be alright. What's your name, kid?"


##


Kion was snarling wildly as he padded along. He'd already picked up the tigers scent - An unmistakable scent that brought nothing but pure rage. An emotion he was used to feeling toward those; "Striped, arrogant, flea-ridden stupid, insufferable, ignorant rats!" Kion raged as he padded along, lips pulled back over his teeth. "Whoever the hell do this I don't care who it is I will rip their stripes off one by freaking one and I will love every. Bloody. Second of it!" His snarl got lower and deeper as he spoke until he didn't really sound like Kion anymore. At least not the Kion the Lion Guard knew. No, this was the Kion from the desert. From the Sabers. This was the Kion who mercilessly slaughtered over twenty-six tigers and hadn't regretted a single second. This was the Kion who had trained for months to kill and fight and all that pent-up rage, all his training, all his instincts telling him to kill, kill, kill, kill they were about to come unleashed, whether the Guard watched or not. "Those tigers are gonna freakin' learn, they're gonna pay, they're gonna die," Kion hissed, amber eyes darkening. He paused for a second, making sure he still had the scent, then lurched forward at a quicker pace, baring his teeth. "Oh, oh, oh they're gonna die."

Bunga honestly had never thought it would be possible for him to be afraid of Kion. Kion. His best friend. Especially considering Bunga was the Bravest in the Pridelands, he wasn't scared of anything. But right then, listening to his best friend's rants and threats of death and blood, his blood ran completely cold. This was a side of Kion he'd never seen before. A side of Kion he didn't know was there. And he was terrified of it. The honey badger glanced at Fuli and Beshte, then up at Ono, who looked equally as stunned. Neither of them spoke.


##



A small cub stood in the group, watching, assessing. Her intense amber eyes never wavered. They held intelligence and understanding, compassion and thoughtfulness, but no fear. Her mother had taught her never to show fear. Her silver-colored ears twitched, straightening up. She was definitely odd-looking. She mostly looked like a tiger, deep blue stripes blending in with soft golden ones on her silver fur, the stripes going down her tail. But she was also partly lion. The tip of her tail had red tinges around it. Her striped paws twitched silently against the ground as she stared at Octavian, her amber eyes slowly lighting up with a burning curiosity, but she didn't speak. She wasn't very old, maybe four months at most, and she wasn't very tall yet either. She blew the small tuft of dark gray fur tinged with red out of her face, her jaw ticking silently, teeth clicking together as she looked around. She didn't seem very nervous. Then again, none of the others seemed nervous either, because of Octavian's seemingly friendly nature. The cub gave one twitch of her tail before bringing her intense gaze back to the other cub, ears flicking silently.

[rubinaito]

Originally Posted by Stario&Co.

Trust me Red
That's not the case XDD
Soooo Red
Wanna make a cub for my little plan for Octavian?
You can make however many you want X33

I am very relieved haha.


"Sari, miss!" Sari quipped up politely, glad that Claire wasn't upset with her. However, upon hearing the faint gasp behind her she spun around and locked her blue eyes with a very, very familiar set of similarily blue eyes. She didn't say anything for a good moment, her jaw slack with shock. "Ma-Mama...?"

Atazi hadn't meant to gasp so loudly but it was hard not to. Sari was alive and well- and hadn't been under Lucifer's influence at all it seemed. "Sari!" She rushed forward, scooping the child up into a great hug, a sparkle returning to her gaze and her tail no longer drooping.

-<>-

Amelia stood under the shade of a large tree, watching the spectacle with great big, green eyes. Her pale blonde fur stood out from inside the dark shadows, and it wasn't as if she was trying to hide. It was just a bit hot for the little cub, that was all. She had the faint markings of a leopard running up her legs and tail and fading away upon reaching her belly, while a few stripes took the place of the leopard spots. She was wearing a flower crown she'd found near a watering hole that was made with small purple flowers and golden savannah grass- the crown that Sari had made, in fact. It slipped down over her eyes and she moved her paw to slide it back up. She stumbled forward a little bit to make her way to Octavian, her eyes shining. "Who's this?" She asked, her accent slightly exotic and smooth. She wasn't very old, maybe about three or four months- she didn't know herself- and was very small compared to the not-much-larger cub.