Searching for the Outcast. (OPEN)

[Ellie who has 0%]

A pink nose twitched a the soil in a deep inhale followed by a heavy exhale that curled the earth into small clouds of dust. The soil was unstable from the lack of rain; a heavy drought hugged the Outlands into a scavanging depression. The grass struggled to be born into the circle of life. Instead they all drooped on their sides and curled into hardness by the scortching yellow sun. The earth cracked slightly under the weight upon it proof of it's instability to produce life. Despite the case, it still held the trails of fellow lions would continued to wander the shadowland like vagabounds.

"Fatshe leso lea halalela." The small pray of hope was uttered twice from a golden muzzle as a lionness coutinued on her search, while drinking in the condition of the outlands. It wasn't too long ago that the Pridelands looked exactly like it, but even that was beyond her years.

Shadow land, the leaves have fallen. This shadowed land,
this was our home. The river's dry; the ground has broken. So I must go. Now I must go.

Black trees that speckled randomly looked ill and thin. No life hanged from them. There weren't any colors of bright green, but a drying dying brown. Red eyes met another pair of deep ruby eyes. Vultures perched on the trees and watched the lioness closely. She could feel their eyes cling to her frame, but she calmed her fur from rising. Already she could feel the chatter of their beaks as they gaze down her soft coats and musclar mature frame. They hoped that she would fall, but Kiara had a misson at hand, and even the sun's heat wasn't powerful enough to sway her.

The Pridelands was flourishing with unity as the Pride became stronger than ever with a growing family from previous Outsiders. Now they banded together harmoniously, while protecting their fellow neighbors and the Circle of Life by unknown threats that was hidden from the Princess of the Pridelands. Still to this day, she was told to stay within the pride's boundaries and territories, but a strong force had driven her away. Lately she could hardly sleep at night. Although she had Kovu nearby; for some reason, she felt the Great Kings from above pulling her another path. Knowing that other lions may be suffering with the Outsides only made Kiara more fueled to travel this far.

She had brought hope, prosperity, and unity within her own family and another pride with help of-course. From that point, the mature lioness saw it her place to start acting like a Princess and a future Queen, and one step was helping others. She wanted to find fellow Outcast to reassure them that there is a place to call home versus being trapped in the gloom of the Outlands and their own darkness and solitude.

Round ears perked at a sound, and her head craned up high to detect where it came from.

She wouldn't be expecting her father. He would reject any idea of her being outside their territory; Simba was protective enough in secluding her in Pride Rock to keep her safe. The daughter knew that telling him would only motivate him to stop her. In fact, no one knew, not even Kovu, of her expedition far from Pride Rock. Kiara had planned to leave her home yearly to be back before dark and in-time for the next upcoming hunting session. One can't say she wasn't gone when one is ignorant of it.

[Shun]

A Gummi Ship landed at the Outlands region of the Pride Lands. It had been a long time since one arrived at the world. A black haired teenager came out of the ship: he was wearing a black plain shirt and also black pants as well as a blue jacket. Mikael noticed that the world was very hot, so he left his jacket at the ship covering his two sai swords: Dreambreaker and Wishmaker.

"Oh well, might as well start walking. I have never been here..." The human said to himself. And the black ring he wore at his right hand sparkled like a diamond in the glare of the big reddish and warm sun.

((I lost my muse, sorry))

[Ellie who has 0%]

The sound was distant, but it buzzed like a giant beetle. Golden yellow ears twitched with alertness, and red eyes wandered for anything unusual. The young lioness started to trot towards the foreign polarity that was tugging her like a dog on a leash. Dust clouds curled underneath her paws as the crippled Outlands cracked easily under her weight and speed; it left unclear footprints. Her jaws were ajar as she breathed heavily towards her new destination. A new scent traveled among the lifeless breezes. Actually more than one scent, the faintest smells were a mix between rotten corpses and the wet mud from the gator's pond.

Infront of her was a dying bush with stubborn dried leaves that refused to fall. Slowly she croutch down and snuck closer behind the shrub. She had a feeling that with just a peek she would be able to see the foreign scent with the buzzing beetle sound that had just ceased not long ago. Her nose led her too it, and with a new sense of nervousness, her instincts kicked in with a command to stay low. Her claws extended and raked silently on the earth, a habit introduced by Kovu. Deep red eyes surrounded by a cat yellow watched from a far.

With a shine, the pupils narrowed at the instant glare. Her brows knitted at the discomfort, while a growl was suppress by a raised muzzle and fangs. Her tail swayed as Kiara concentrated. What was she to do next? She had came here in search for Outsiders to welcome them to the Pridelands, but instead she spied a naked figure who oddly reminded her Rafiki and rides a giant beetle. The smell of dirtiness and corpse was ignored as two pairs of eyes continued to keep a long watch on the bigger picture.

The new arrival was being hunted, while the hunter was going to be the haunted....

[Shun]

The hair of Mikael was moved by the wind. The place was lifeless: dead trees and bushes. It almost looked like a desert. The teen continued walking, but he suddenly stopped: someone was watching him. He looked around and studied the place.

His eyes suddenly met those of another creature: they were red. She was hiding behind a bush; a great hiding place.... indeed, it was very ingenious from the being who watched him from afar to hide there. But as he started towards her, Mikael noticed that three black creatures were emerging from the ground.... Heartless.

"Hey you! Look out! Behind you!" He shouted, hoping that the mysterious creature watching him could hear him. The teen started to run, trying to be close enough to cast a healing spell or maybe a protection spell to help her.

[Ellie who has 0%]

As if I will fall for that..., her shoulders rolled as her claws digged at the floor again. She was prepared to charge. It would be a failure of her responsibility to not interrogate this alien, especially without knowing his purpose and objective. Either it was that, or go home to Pride Rock, get the lecture of her life, grounded, and a possible disappointed Kovu in not including him on her escapade. Her muscles tightened like a bow that would soon be released.

1...2...

BOOM!

A large rounder boulder smacked on the right side of Kiara. If she didn't feel the breeze of the upcoming force and presence that sent a chilled down her spine, she would surely be injured severly. Her instincts kicked her over the left with a dodge. With a gasp, Kiara turned her head. Red eyes widen and ears flatten as an ancient face roared in her face. The breath reaked of darkness, which smelt like decay and tainted, impure. The corrupted heart gave a repulsing smell that Kiara swore she would choke on it soon. The large crater lifted and swung down again. The lioness lept out the way supressing a whimper. This creature was no inhabitant of the Pridelands and fear made her fur twitch, but her pride refused to let her fall so swiftly.

What did he say? What did he say? What did he say?

She wished her mind would jog a memory to stop this freezing stance of fear to think of something next.

Don't turn your back, and never show fear. They'll feed off of it. With a growl and a wrinkle of her face, Kiara stood up straight and glared at the yellow eyes of the dinosaur-like face. Proud Roar!

A thick roar smacked the creature and it followed with a shriek. The culmsy zombie dinosaur heartless, better known as Living Bone to the outside world, backed away, but a stick collided into her skull. A heartless monkey named the Shaman hooted and laughed on top of the large animal and bared it fangs in a mocking tone. The lioness hit the floor, and her head pulsed.

"Soo didn't see that coming.."

[Shun]

Mikael kept running towards them. He saw that the lioness was caught by surprised and tossed to the floor. She stood up though, willing to fight the creature.

"Proud Roar!"

He watched the Living Bone vanish, but soon a Shaman attacked her. What spell should he cast? Should he cast a healing spell on her? Should he cast a fire spell on the Heartless? He didn't know what to do, but he had to act soon, or she would be swallowed by the dark creatures.

"Shield of Eldon!" Mikael shouted. Soon an invisible shield appeared in front of the lioness, protecting her from the Heartless and from Mikael's next attack...

"Firestorm!" The teen exclaimed; many fire balls were launched from the sky. They striked the remaining two heartless, making them vanish. Mikael sat beside the lioness.

"You were wounded, let me help you... Cura!" The teen whispered. The female's wounds were healed.

"I am Mikael Darrow, what is your name?"

[Ellie who has 0%]

...Is it me or Rafiki is the only nice monkey? Her thoughts echoed through her head, while rising on her paws. She would've gotten up sooner, but the heartless presence was blocked with a soothing ripple that calmed her to stay on the floor a bit longer until the pulsing in her head stopped.

Odd and foreign dialects bounced off the walls of her ears, but it couldn't be heard clearly by the loud drummings against her skull. Red eyes blurred momentarily and looked up at the strange flat face above her. He spoke a language she didn't understand. Once standing on all fours, her ears flattens and her lips was about to rise in a growl, but reality dawned on her once the pain her head left. A low gurgling sound left the pit of her stomach in reply.

Princess Kiara looked the strange creature up and down. Her nose sniffed his clothes. She may not know what he is, but she can tell a bit of who. Of-course right off the bat, Kiara knew he wasn't a fellow lion. He stood on two legs, but he was too naked to be a bird. Her muzzle tapped his arms.

Far to slim to be wings...

Her nose snorted, while blinking at what she discovered...fingers. They weren't clawed, but the nails weren't short and stubby like a rhinocerous or an elephant. In fact, it reminded her of a monkey. Is he monkey, a furless monkey, or was he the missing link, "the monkey's uncle"?

Her nose glued to his leg with a sniff. Backing away the lioness sneezed and shook her head.

No he doesn't smell like monkey, a bit too cleean for a monkey..

"Who are you?" She called out, but it only translated in roars.

[Shun]

Mikael sighed; he wasn't expecting to have to transform to comunicate with the lioness. But she seemed not to understand him. He remembered that lions to not speak "human". He looked deep into her yellowish-red eyes before standing up.

"Oh well, it seems that I would have to be like like you to speak with you" The teen said, knowing that the lioness would not understand what he just said.

He took a deep breath, placed a chain on his neck and removed his black ring. Suddenly a very bright light started to emerge from Mikael's body. His skin started to turn puplish; his hands and feet turned into clawed paws. He now had a flat pink nose and two big ears. Then he grew a tail... he was now a lion. The ring was at the chain at his neck. If he needed to go he just needed to wear it again. The transformation from human to lion wasn't painless at all, actually, it refreshed his mana.

"I am glad we can communicate now" The lion said beaming. I am Mikael Darrow, who are you?

[Ellie who has 0%]

The lioness ceased her circle and mild inspection before sitting down as her tail curled around her legs. The long fur tip swayed softly with a cocked head of curiousity as he continued to speak in a dialect unfamiliar to her. A thingy-ma-jig was wrapped around his neck as a thingy-ma-bobber was taken off his long unclawed finger.

Her pupils slitted sharply at the bright light that engulfed him. Kiara cranned her neck up to try to see beyond the light to see the height of the lanky tall unfurry monkey. The light slowly dimmed down and the lioness couldn't see him or smell the regular scent again. Her red eues widdened, while she started to approach the area with a panic.

I am glad we can communicate now. I am Mikael Darrow, who are you?

"Oh heavens, I thought, but what you...and then that." Kiara shook her head and snorted to clear her head, "Well no matter, thank-you Mikael. Right?" The lioness tested the name seeing it wierd compared to others name here. Everyone's name was translateable, but his was too foriegn to even pronouce correctly the first time. "I'm..Kiara..," she hesistated whether to give her name or not, but gave in for he had aided her not to long ago, "and thank-you."

"Also what business do you have here, and why do you come in that big beetle?"

Her red eyes peered into his irregular silver before scanning down his purple tinted fur. Yes, he was a very odd looking lion. He stood out like a sore thumb compared to anyone else. Luckily it would be easy to pin him down with such unruly mane and pelt color.

[Shun]

When the lioness saw his strange transformation and widened her reddish eyes, Mikael wanted to laugh, was he that weird? But then she started to walk slowly towards him, and finally spoke something that he understood.

"Oh heavens, I thought, but what you...and then that... well no matter, thank-you Mikael. Right?"

The now lion couldn't contain his laughter as the lioness tried to test his name. Well, his name was indeed weird compared to others...

"I'm..Kiara..., and thank-you."

"Nice to meet you Kiara, and it was no problem at all." Mikael said showing a smile. Well, at least she introduced herself. It seemed like he had made a friend in that strange animal world.

"Also what business do you have here, and why do you come in that big beetle?"

Mikael stood still as Kiara scanned his body. His fur colour was sure strange compared to hers. What lion would have purplish skin, a long black mane and silver eyes? Yes, his eyes were silver now. He didn't knew why though. But now, why did he came to the Pride Lands?

"I didn't actually knew that this would be a world habitated by lions. Well I am actually looking for someone dear to me... a friend. And what do you mean with "that big beetle"? Oh, by the way, have you seen or heard about a girl named Mira?"

[Ellie who has 0%]

Now it was Kiara turn to laugh, "What do you expect on Pride Rock, talking mice that wear the little wierd stuff you had on over your two scrawny arms?" She was referring to clothes. "Umm the big beetle thing that you had came out of. You know...over there." Her head swayed towards the gummi ship with an arch brow.

She lept over to the bush and looked over it with a swaying tail, "well it sort of look like a beetle. Even if it was, I swear they would be here quicker than a herd of antelopes to eat it." Kiara giggled at the thought of her godfathers eating away at the large beetle looking gummi ship.

Her ears perked up before walking back towards the odd looking lion. "Mira you said? No I haven't heard or known anyone under that name. Then again, Pride Rock is filled with many lions, zebras, hippos, hyena, and so on. This Mira could wandering amongst them. Is she scrawny like how you ....were? You know, no fur, fleshy,...full of skin...and wierd flowing thin pelts."

[Shun]

Mikael looked curiously at Kiara while she laughed. He had never seen a lion laughing before. That was totally new to him.

"What do you expect on Pride Rock, talking mice that wear the little wierd stuff you had on over your two scrawny arms? Umm the big beetle thing that you had came out of. You know...over there."

He looked at the direction hear head was looking. She was reffering to his Gummi Ship. It actually did looked a bit like a beetle. Then she spoke again.

"Well it sort of look like a beetle. Even if it was, I swear they would be here quicker than a herd of antelopes to eat it."

Well, now the lions had sense of humor. Could it get any crazier? All of this was new to Mikael, who grinned as he hard Kiara's comments.

"Oh well, I have to admit that yes, it sort of looks like a giant beetle. But trust me, that thing is one of the fastest ships in this corner of the universe." He immediately knew that his new friend wouldn't understand any of what he was saying, but he then looked at her when she answered his last question.

"Mira you said? No I haven't heard or known anyone under that name. Then again, Pride Rock is filled with many lions, zebras, hippos, hyena, and so on. This Mira could wandering amongst them. Is she scrawny like how you ....were? You know, no fur, fleshy,...full of skin...and wierd flowing thin pelts."

"You mean that if she is a "people"? Yes, she is one." He laughed a bit, but then concentrated on finding Mira. She could have landed and transformed herself into an animal here. Well, trying wouldn't hurt. "Well, Kiara" he said it in a funny way so she would laugh. "I would be very happy if you could help me look for her.

[Ellie who has 0%]

"A ship? Universe?" Kiara held shook with a confused look with an arched brow. Her ears flattened in confusion, but her eyes rolled and shrugges it off..for now. "Oh so this friend of yours is a peeerson. Hm? I meeting more people than usual. Hopefully no more will come, then I will have to find more."

Kiara jumped and started a soft trot around the purple tinted lion. "Now time to find this Mira of yours. We better get out of this side of the Outlands soon. Their might be more of those things out there. I will have to my dad about him." The lioness muttered the last sentence. "He might not be to happy about this."

Her ears flattened again as her face dropped. It was hard to tell if it was sadness, shame, guilt, or disappointment. Shaking her head, Kiara looked back with a lion grin. "Come on time to look for that friend of yours. I wonder what she will look like. Will we find her aaaaas aaa bunny rabbit?" Kiara started to bounce and hop on her legs like a rabbit.

[Shun]

"Now time to find this Mira of yours. We better get out of this side of the Outlands soon. Their might be more of those things out there. I will have to my dad about him. He might not be to happy about this."

He looked at Kiara and smiled. He didn't thought what he was about to say, but there was no way back.

"Maybe I can cover up for you. You know, I might speak with your father and "explain" that I was being chased by Heartless and that you went to help me". He grinned and wondered who was her father...

"Come on time to look for that friend of yours. I wonder what she will look like. Will we find her aaaaas aaa bunny rabbit?"

Mikael laughed as she hopped and bounced as a rabbit. The lions in that world indeed had a sense of humor, which wasn't a bad thing. He could use his sarcasm here.

"But if she was a bunny rabbit, she would be already dead. You know, your friends might already have eaten her. Maybe she is a hungry hyena!" He said playfully before starting to laugh as a hyena.

[Ellie who has 0%]

"Yeeeeah, that may not work with daddy. And was that what that thing was, a heartless? Wow, more new things with the strangest of names. I've never seen or smell anything like that thing in the pridelands. It smells....dirty like a rottening wilderbeast corpse that's aaall covered with buzzard." Her tongue stuck out in disgust with a cringe. Hopefully he would go for that explanation, then again it seemed less likely. Especially if that strange thing only were in the Outlands. Kiara would've been ratted out for the first epic "no-no's" of them all.

But if she was a bunny rabbit, she would already be dead. You know, your friends might already have eaten her.

"Come on. We wouldn't eat a bunny." Her head shook, "that would be a snack that will leave you angry, such a small portion for a great predator. Bunnies are only fun to chase. Bunnies are friends not food. Then again, I can't really speak for Vitani....yeah hopefully she's definately not a bunny." Kiara commented back to the bunny comment.

Maybe she is a hungry hyena! Kiara jumped at the laugh as an eye twitched. "Now that....was....creepy. Pray to the Great Kings that she isn't. It wouldn't be nice for your friend to end up in the hunting trip. Grandma Saraphina can take down a hyena anytime."

"Ooo ooo maybe she's a bird, or a dodo, like Zazu." Kiara started to waddle a bit as her head moved back and forth as she walked. She replicated a duck in a sense. "You as a daughter of the King of the Pridelands shan't be running off in the Outlands." Her voice altered into a funny accent as her eye rolled. Princess Kiara started to laugh. "Maybe sheeeee's a hippo!"

"Hey, question, why isn't your friend with you know?" Kiara looked back as she followed her old pawprints that held her scent. "Did you two get lost and split up or something?"