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11/2/2017 - Today, Snowfoot gave birth to Nightwing. Brokenfang was surprised to see a male, but even more surprised to see that he took much more after his mother. He was very happy about this, as he now had the possibility of a gorgeous heir of his own blood!
11/9/2017 - Nightwing gazed off into the distance with his victory. You hear a couple female cubs giggle to each other. +4% training experience!
11/10/2017 - Added Blue Vitiligo 6 at 83%.
11/10/2017 - Nightwing is the chosen heir of the Moonlit Pride. Today, he is dressed in paints and backgrounds to mark his choosing. (Dreamwalker Realm, Body Paint (swirls), and Ethereal Touch added)
11/13/2017 - Nightwing smoothly and quietly catches his target. The question is, why is every girl cub in the area here to watch? +3% training experience!
11/13/2017 - You applied the Onyx Siamese marking to your lion, Nightwing! (63%)
11/23/2017 - At only 1 year and 9 months, Nightwing reached 100% training thanks to Straye's persistence. The two lions have become fast friends due to their close partnership, and Straye finds a secure spot as a patroller when Nightwing takes the throne. For now, he can rest and let Nightwing do all the work.
11/25/2017 - You applied the Onyx Domino marking to your lion, Nightwing! (34%)
11/25/2017 - Your lion's mane turned into Hellraiser Mane!
3/25/2018 - Nightwing becomes more and more comfortable with the jungles he calls his territory. (Brumous cold morning and shrubbery)
3/26/2018 - You come out of your den to find weird markings drawn all over in the dirt. What is Nightwing up to? Is this modern art?
5/28/2018 - Three years!!
5/29/2018 - Nightwing trained long and hard each and every day, patrolling farther than he should. He was pushing himself, training desperately. Straye, being his closest friend, was the first to notice. After a particularly long patrol that ended in Nightwing breathless and parched, Straye convinced his friend to confide in him. Nightwing felt safe with Straye, and he spilled his worries.
"Brokenfang is growing older and more distant with each passing day. My father hasn't spoken to me in many moons. It's hard. I have to lead this pride one day, and yet...He's never taught me a thing. Though at this point, I'm not even sure I want him to...I don't want our pride to suffer another empty reign."
Straye listened closely to his friend, and nodded when he finished. "I understand completely. I was abandoned by my father, left at the tree as a young cub. I wasn't a strong cub, you know. I'd probably be dead or still waiting at that tree if Masked Fate hadn't claimed me. My time there wasn't very long, but it was wonderful. He really loves his pride, and spends hours with them every day. Kovu took me on patrols. Those two were very much the fathers I didn't have." He sighed slightly, reminiscing on a time long gone. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, a new idea forming.
Nightwing caught on quickly; he knew that look well. "What exactly are you planning, Straye?"
Straye proceeded with caution. "You could never lead a pride the way you dream without a proper role model. Perhaps you and I could take some longer patrols together every few days, and visit our allies at the watering hole?" Strayes voice was quite hopeful. Nightwing couldn't help but feel that this offer was more for Straye's benefit than his own.
"You really miss them, don't you?" Nightwing sighed. Straye gave a meek nod. It was rather strange for Nightwing to see the Confident lion acting so shyly.
"Well, I think it would be in the best interest of our prides' alliance for the two future kings and their advisers to begin their meetings before their rule." Nightwing suggested in an attempt to spare the Confident lion's pride.
"Thank you, Nightwing...I truly believe they can help you, too. It really isn't just about me." Straye replied, his honesty shining through his words.
"Of course, Straye. I trust you." A small smirk danced across the Prince's lips. "Now, let's stop moping around and grab a bite together - I'm absolutely starving!"
The young males chuckled and went to the prey pile together, a new hope in both of their hearts.
6/1/2018 - Nightwing barely slept the night before, instead pacing alone. His mind was swamped with worries surrounding the trip he would take the next day.
It was approved, and Brokenfang had already spoken to Masked Fate. Both lions knew what to expect and when to expect it, and Nightwing had no risk of repercussions. Then why was he so scared?
'This is one of my first steps towards kinghood..." He sighed at the thought. From the moment he was born, he was told he would be King. He was born a Prince, and everyone knew. He was, of course, well respected; but their was something so off about how the most respectful of the pride's lionesses had bowed to him even as a cub. He was uncomfortable with the power, and certainly didn't see himself as deserving of it. He wasn't incredibly strong, or even that nice to look at. He certainly wasn't meant to be king. But he looked down at his paws, dyed with strange patterns as a mark of his choosing, and realized how trapped he was.
He certainly didn't expect the soft voice that woke him from his musings, and turned to the lioness almost in embarrassment of being caught. But upon seeing her face, all he felt was shock.
"Sapphire?" he asked, breathless. Before him was his sister, in many ways the forgotten child of the litter.
"Are you alright, Nightwing? You've been out here for quite a while now. Tell me, brother. What troubles you?" Her voice was soft, but trembling. Each word was so carefully chosen. Even his sister spoke to him with such formality, it seemed. Maybe this one was his fault, though, seeing as they had barely spoken since his training began in his adolescence.
"Sapphire...I'm sorry." He couldn't bring himself to say anything else, instead bowing his head in his sister's presence.
She took a step back, slightly shocked. Here was her brother, the Prince, bowing at her feet after not speaking to her in months. She wasn't sure how to react, and only placed a paw on his.
"Why are you apologizing?" She asked, genuinely confused.
"I'm sorry for not being there for you more. I'm sorry we ended up like this. I'm so sorry I-"
She placed her paw on his muzzle. He always did like to ramble.
"The past is behind us, isn't it?" She offered, trying to soothe him. "Besides, I'm sure being the heir is no easy job. You must have so much on your mind all the time...no wonder you're out here."
He could feel the tears in his eyes, but before he could hide them, his sister saw. He looked at her, and whispered. "I wish it had been you instead. You're so much better with these kinds of things. If only you'd been the next king instead."
"Nightwing? Hey, don't cry," she cooed. "It's going to be OK. You'll make a great king one day, I know it. Besides, what good would I be as king anyway? You know how much I hate responsibility!"
Nightwing chuckled slightly at that. "You do hate responsibility a lot."
"I really do! But you're great with it. You take everything in stride and manage well." She continued.
"Yeah, but, you're so much better at connecting with others. You're a lot less shy than I am. You'd do well in such a position." Nightwing countered.
"What are you really worried about Nightwing?" Sapphire asked. She had a feeling he was hiding something.
"I never wanted to be King. I'll never be the King everyone hopes that I'll be, that everyone believes that I'll be." He was sobbing at this point, but Sapphire didn't mind, pulling her brother close.
"You don't have to be the King they're expecting, Nightwing. You just have to be the King you were born to be. It's a scary path, and definitely a difficult one, but you don't have to walk it alone. You may not have our father, but you have Straye, and mom, and you will always have me. OK?"
He took a deep breath, and looked up his sister. Her blue eyes soothed the storm in his mind, and he relaxed a bit in her arms.
"OK." He replied through shaky breaths.
"You need to rest now. Tomorrow will be a long day, you know." She got up and motioned for him to follow.
"Sapphire?" He breathed, his voice soft.
"Yes Nightwing?" She stopped for a moment.
"Come with us tomorrow. Please." He sounded so desperate for her support.
She sighed. "You know that I can't, Nightwing. There's so much to tend to here."
"There are many other lionesses that can tend to those things," he suggested.
"Brokenfang and Masked Fate have already discussed and approved of you and Straye alone," she reminded. She began to continue her trek back to the dens.
He followed her. She was right. But he still had one last idea. "Then you'll accompany us next time, right? It seems strange that they'll only be meeting one of my advisors."
Sapphire stopped dead in her tracks. She spun to face him, obviously caught off guard. "I'm sorry?"
"Well, I thought it was obvious, but I guess not. Even though I've been quite busy, I haven't forgotten about you. How could I ever rule without you? Maybe father left you behind, but I won't turn my back on you."
She blinked, then sat down. She stared at Nightwing, carefully considering his words. She could tell that he wasn't just saying this for his own benefit; he was being quite sincere. He nodded to her, and she nodded back. She could tell what he was thinking; 'we'll talk more after I return.'
They returned to their dens in silence. Nightwing's chest felt lighter now.
6/10/2018 - The Sun Pride's territory was always so refreshing to see. It was bright, just as its named implied, and in stark contrast to the dark jungles of the Moonlit Pride. Nightwing always did enjoy coming here, and today was no different.
The first visit he had taken with his advisors by his side went wonderfully; Kovu and Masked Fate loved seeing Straye again and both lions were happy to meet Sapphire. Everyone was sad when the time came for the trio to depart, and the Kings quickly arranged to make the meetings a frequent occurrence that was to be carried on into both heir's Kinghoods and beyond.
Today was their very first meeting since the new agreement. The wet season made the journey much longer and far more tiring. The jungles of the Moonlit Pride were drenched, and the Waterhole of the Sun Pride was overflowing. Still, with the courage of a King, Nightwing led his advisors and after a two day journey, they arrived.
"Oh, you poor things!" Snow cried upon seeing the drenched lions. The Queen led them to the Royal den, out of the rain and cold winds. Two adolescents, a chocolate girl and a piebald penumbra, brought the guests fresh food before leaving with a bow.
"Thank you, Snow - your hospitality is incredible as always," Nightwing smiled, thanking the Queen on his group's behalf.
"Ah - spoken like a King indeed. Brokenfang has chosen well." She replied. Speedy paws were heard at the entrance of the den.
"Sorry we're late! We were helping the huntresses move the prey. The storms just keep getting worse, don't they?" A Prune lion chuckled. His Vanilla razor mane was drenched in water, clinging miserably to his fur. Still, he had a cheeky grin on his face. "So lovely to see you all again!"
"Yes, it's an honor to have you. Too bad the weather thinks otherwise," the Zarin male added, snuggling up to his Queen. "Well, enough on us - was your journey alright?"
Nightwing nodded. "We made it in one piece, which I'm thankful for."
All the lions chuckled at this. Nightwing loved it. The Sun Pride was so warm - he couldn't ask for a better ally.
6/11/2018 - Nightwing loved talking to a true King. Each word from Masked Fate's muzzle was like gold to the Moonlit Prince, and he was so happy to have someone to look up to. He admired Masked Fate's rule, his structure, and the love that held his Pride together - it was everything he had ever wanted. Maybe the Moonlit Pride wasn't like that, but he believed that it could become that. His kinghood had a goal.
As Masked Fate told the story of choosing the right Queen, Nightwing watched Straye. The Obsidian lion was listening intently to the story, just as he had all the others. He was focused and at peace, happy to be with the people that mattered to him the most and completely devoted to his future King. Nightwing couldn't help but smile as he looked at the male, utterly captivated.
6/12/2018 - You look for Nightwing to greet him, and finally find him near the borders of your territory, growling rhythmically into the wind.
6/13/2018 - "Dead?!"
Nightwing was shocked at what he heard. He was just returning from a patrol, and found his mother crying. His father had died.
"It's time for you to take the throne, Nightwing." Snowfoot said through her tears. Regardless of the problems they had, she did love Brokenfang, and was shocked to see him go.
'I'm not ready to be King...' he thought. 'I wasn't ready to lead!'
Straye and Sapphire quickly ran up to him. "i'm so sorry, Nightwing..." Straye said.
Sapphire looked focused, cold. She seemed to be hiding her pain. "It's time. We're right at your side, Nightwing."
He took a deep breath and put on a fake, brave face for his struggling pride.
"I am Nightwing, single son of Brokenfang. Today, my father has passed too young. Short as my training was, I will take the throne, with Straye and Sapphire by my side. Together, we will bring an era of happiness that the Moonlit Pride has never known."
The lionesses cheered, eager to see what the young king and his advisors could accomplish in their rule. They trusted their new King and his heart, and knew he would lead them well.
Nightwing just hoped they were right.
6/20/2018 - Being king wasn't that bad.
Many of the "responsibilities" were no different than what he had been doing; exploring was like a patrol, and battles were not very different from the various skirmishes he got into in the process. Over the months, his fear was lost; now, he felt almost confident in his abilities. Well, as confident as a nervous mess could be.
"You're doing amazing, Night!" Sapphire said. They were lying together, gazing at the stars.
"Do you really think so?" He wondered.
Sapphire smiled at her brother. "I know so, Night. Look at your pride members; they smile now. They're happy. They're motivated to work harder. You've been treating everyone so well, and it shows in their eyes."
Nightwing's eyes widened at her words. Had he really done all that?
"It's all thanks to you and Straye, honestly." He replied. "You're leading remarkable hunts, and encouraging the lionesses well. Not to mention you keep track of everything around here!" He chuckled. "And Straye, he-"
"He what?" Straye teased, padding over to the two. He sat down beside them.
"Straye's an annoying little-" Nightwing was stopped by a playful swat on the nose from the Confident male.
"Really?" Straye sighed. Sapphire was giggling, unable to contain her amusement.
"I'm just kidding, Straye," Nightwing chuckled. "Straye has been an amazing help. He spars with me daily and helps me sharpen my skills considerably. And he's an excellent patroller, might I add."
Straye grinned at this, pleased with the praise. "That'll do, Nighty."
As they laughed together, stars twinkling above, Nightwing smiled.
'Maybe we were meant to rule.'
6/21/2018 - Yeaaah! You improved your impression level.. And are now Dreamboat!
6/22/2018 - Nightwing wears his feathers with pride <3
6/24/2018 - "Can't we just give up already?" Sapphire sighed, exasperated.
It was their "day off", so-to-speak. Of course, a King's duties were never really over, but things had relaxed considerably in the pride and everyone was grateful for an opportunity to rest.
Well, everyone besides the Royal Dorks.
Straye had insisted on doing a short patrol before he rested, wanting to check out a few things he'd seen last time. Sapphire and Nightwing, on the other hand, were playing games at the Crossroads. This should have been fun, and it was - at first. Now, Sapphire was exhausted and Nightwing was too focused to really think straight.
"Come on, Sapph! Just a few more tries, please? I'm sure we can do it!" Nightwing was practically begging his sister, pouty eyes and all.
She was completely unamused by his attempt. "Night, I'm tired. You're tired. Let's just head home and relax, OK? They'll be selling the prizes soon enough, anyway."
He frowned. "But Sapph, it's the principle of it! Besides, I really don't think they'll be selling them for anything reasonable anytime soon. Just one more game, please? Then we'll go home. King's honor!"
She stared at her brother. He was trying so hard to do this for his friend. Tired as she was, she couldn't bring herself to stop him. "Fine..but this is the last try. I'm serious!"
A cheesy grin appeared on Nightwing's muzzle. "You're the best, Sapph!" He cheered, starting the next game.
He really wasn't good at it, but he was devoted, and that must have been worth something. This time, he succeeded, and received the prize he'd been after - the new Chaos Snake Skin Bodywear.
Sapphire just blinked, absolutely shocked. Sure, she was rooting for her brother, but she hadn't expected him to actually win.
"Thank you so much, Sapph! C'mon, off we go!" He picked up the bodywear and began to trot happily towards camp. Sapphire padded after him, giggling.
6/26/2018 - 5 years old!
7/2/2018 - He had cubs now.
It was strange for him to see the mewling creatures and know they were his. The thought of being a father was foreign to him, and he had no real reference for a good one. His father certainly hadn't been a good one, and he simply didn't see Masked Fate raise cubs.
"Sapphire, Straye. I have an important question for you both." NIghtwing said. He tried to look calm, but he sounded so nervous.
"Shoot," Straye replied. Sapphire just nodded.
"Well," Nightwing began. "What do you wish your fathers had done for you?"
He saw their shocked and confused faces and fell into a ramble. "I'm sorry, I know, it's personal. But I have cubs now, and they need a father. and I'm their father! But I don't know what to do and-"
Sapphire placed a paw on his muzzle, just as she always had. "It's fine, Night, stop rambling. We just hadn't expected that, is all."
Straye nodded in agreement. "It's good you're trying to do better. Your cubs will thank you."
'Your cubs.' The words felt wrong on his ears.
"Just spend time with them, Nightwing. Talk to them. All they want is to know their dad cares." Sapphire's voice was slightly pained as she spoke, but she smiled.
"She's right," Straye added. "They just want to be loved, really."
Nightwing nodded. "I do love them. I'll make sure they know they're loved. Thank you both." He padded off towards the mothering den, determined to be the father he never had.
10/13/2019 - 8 years old!
9/19/2022 - Ruling was comfortable, now.
He loved seeing his pridemates smile. He loved cubs running around his paws. He loved exploring, and he even loved diplomacy. After all, he had the two most important people in his world at his side; what more could he ask for?
His sister, Sapphire. She was born to lead, even if she refused to admit it. He valued her input tremendously. And having someone he could truly trust to deliver messages and attend meetings when he couldn't was extraordinary.
She'd been doing that a lot more lately. When Masked Fate was still alive, Kovu was always free to visit. Now that he had a pride of his own to rule, it was much harder to schedule. Both kings struggled to understand how their fathers had managed it, but that's where his Royal Dorks came in. Sapphire was more than happy to make the trips to the Sun Pride on her own, and she always came back with all the information he needed, so it worked out.
But it also meant he was alone with Straye more often.
Straye was...where could he even begin? He was stunning. Devoted. He always knew how to make you smile, even when you didn't think you could. In the dark jungles the Moonlit Pride called home, Straye was his personal Sun, his beacon of light through it all.
He thought of the stories he'd heard of Masked Fate and Snow, a King finding his one and only. He thought of the way they'd looked at each other, and found himself wondering if Straye looked at him like that, too.
Because he certainly did. There was not a doubt in his heart or mind about it - he loved the Obsidian male dearly. He adored him, every aspect of him, and wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with him.
He had that already, of course. Straye had promised him that long ago, when he agreed to be one of his advisors. He saw that promise in every cocky grin, felt it in every night he'd slept with his muzzle buried in a blazing mane. He had a hard time believing the male didn't feel the same way.
And yet, quiet he stayed.
Things were wonderful, perfect even. Why say anything? Why risk pushing him away, when he already has him?
He elected to ignore the way his heart skipped a beat when Straye returned from his patrol. Yes, things are perfect the way they are - to pursue anything else simply wasn't worth the risk. He refused to imagine a world without him.
9/19/2022 - Level 18! Yeaaah! You levelled up successfully and gained: +5 Strength, +11 Speed, +4 Smarts, +8 Stamina, +8 Agility!
9/21/2022 - He understood when she explained it to him.
As terrified as he'd been in her absence, he couldn't blame her. How could he? If Straye was still in the Sun Pride, he'd have done the same.
He wasn't really surprised, in all honesty. He knew his sister. And he had his suspicions on why she was so eager for so much alone time with the Prince, but never pushed it. Because he knew she'd tell him when she was ready to talk about it.
Which was now. Oh so casually discussing her love and the result of it over breakfast.
He was terrified of her being pregnant, of course, because it was a big and scary and final thing, and now he had her and a cub to worry about. He arranged for escorts on her visits - sometimes Komorebi picked her up. Straye starting dropping patrols to take her.
When she was home, he spent a lot more time doting on her. Making sure she was resting. She'd had every intention to work through the entire pregnancy, which he couldn't believe. "Straye and I can handle the pride - you need to handle this. Take care of yourself, for once - for your cub's sake."
And she did, reluctantly. She learned to relax, to spend more time with the lionesses just lounging. She visited the broodmothers often and watched as they cared for cubs, eager to understand. When he panicked, the sight of her cuddling a cub soothed him. 'She's going to be alright. It's all going to be alright.'
It was, of course. How could it not be?
And for the first time, he was an uncle. And his niece was absolutely adorable. She had the sweetest blue eyes - blue eyes he insisted she'd gotten from her, despite the fact Kovu shared them, too. The same argument was made for the onyx marking, because that rhubarb coat was undoubtedly Kovu's.
He loved that little cub from the moment she was conceived - even though he knew that her existence threatened everything.
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