Written by: Caldafox
Story[]
Dotty was a former Outsider lioness. While everyone else she grew up with and was related to soon fit in with the Pride Lander lions, Dotty preferred to be alone. She spent most of her days by her newly-discovered cave hidden behind long grass.
Her mother had died a year after the two lion prides were re-united, and Dotty's sister Spotty was the only company she enjoyed these days. Everyone else was so happy around others, but Dotty felt shy when she was around fellow lions, even after all this time.
One day she was pacing by her cave, trying to work up the nerve to go and talk with her old friends, when she heard branches breaking beneath a stranger's paws. Her ears went back and she growled, facing the long grass where the sound came from.
Out stepped one of the biggest and handsomest male lions Dotty had seen. She looked at him briefly in awe, but then returned to her suspicious stance.
"Wow," the lion said, as soon as he laid eyes on Dotty. "Wow, what, stranger?" Dotty snapped. "What are you even doing back here?"
"I guess I got turned around," the lion confessed. He smiled when he met eye contact with her, causing the lioness to scoff.
"We haven't been properly introduced. My name's Kondo." the lion said.
"I don't care what your name is, you're trespassing on my turf! Why don't you just head on back to wherever you came from?" Dotty told him.
"Why would I want to leave, once I've laid eyes on you?" he said to her.
Dotty scoffed. "Look, fella, you must have gotten your head wacked by a branch or something while you were walking through that thicket, cuz unless that was a joke, you have no idea what your talking about. My mother is dead, and my sister is out in her own world these days. See my right eye? I haven't been able to see out of it since I was a cub, not to mention it makes me look really pathetic. Who would want to be seen around someone like me? Clearly none of my friends, because they don't make any effort to come out here anymore."
Kondo waited till she was finished to speak up. "None of that makes you any less beautiful to me." he said simply, with a smile.
Dotty blinked. After all that venting, he wasn't in a rush to make fun of her?
The male lion perked his ears up. "I'm sorry to disappoint, but my brothers are calling me."
Figures. That's your best excuse, buddy? Dotty thought angrily. Why don't you take your fake compliments and sho-
"I look forward to seeing you soon," Kondo said, smiling back at Dotty as he left the area.
Dotty did not finish her very rude thought. She shook her head rapidly as soon as he was gone.
That was weird. She thought. But after letting her feelings out, Dotty felt better than she had.
A few weeks past. Dotty had since worked up the nerve to go and hang out with her old friends. They had paid attention when she confessed how she felt abandoned by them emotionally since they joined prides. The lionesses apologized for this and made it very clear they would not ignore their longtime friend anymore.
Dotty was laying under the shade of the tree which overlooked her cave. Her sister had just left, and the two were on pleasant terms again.
Branches cracked. Dotty stood up quickly and unsheathed her claws.
Kondo stepped out of the shrubs! Dotty's facial expression softened; he noticed. "Miss me?"
Dotty fought a smile creeping across her face. Admittedly, she had found herself looking forward to his return every day.
"Did -Did I ever tell you my name?" Dotty blurted.
"I haven't had the honor of knowing it," Kondo said.
"Well, it's Dotty." The lioness said. "I assume you are named so because of your unique markings under your eye?" Kondo inquired.
"They're not that unique," Dotty said, hardly noticing as Kondo laid down next to her in the shade. She instinctively plopped herself back down too. "My sister Spotty has similiar features, as do my distant relatives Imara and Tazama."
"Still," Kondo started, "I bet they look the prettiest on you."
Dotty turned away from him, ears back. "Oh, stop it..." she told him, blushing. "Can't and I won't," Kondo grinned.
The two burst into laughter. When her eyes opened again, Dotty saw a fellow gazing in admiration of her. She couldn't help the butterflies flying around within her, and he couldn't help his face heat up with affection.
For many months, Kondo made his way to Dotty's and spent the rest of the day cuddling with her. She felt so comfortable now with him, more so than she'd ever felt with anyone. How could anyone be so kind, calm and understanding? Every day Kondo was grateful that Dotty had let him into his heart. She would tell him exactly how she felt about everything in her life, and Kondo would give her the stories of his family.
Then Dotty's friends began to worry about her again; she had stopped coming around them as much as she used to. Was she sinking into depression again?
No, she wasn't. This time, she was occupied with the product of her and her mate's love.
When their cub was 3 weeks old, Kondo looked out Dotty's cave longingly. "What's the matter, Kondo?" Dotty asked.
"I have to go." he told her. "Go where?" Dotty inquired. "There's a big world out there, waiting to be discovered, and it's calling my name." Kondo explained to her.
Dotty sighed. "You miss being a rogue." Kondo nodded slowly. "I will surely come to visit you soon. I kept my word last time and I will again."
"Uh huh," Dotty muttered, feeling hopelessness tickle her on its way into her heart.
Kondo walked over to his mate and looked down at the little fluffball between her paws. She blinked open her eyes and stared intensely at her father.
Kondo smiled at his child. He nuzzled Dotty, but she didn't return the affection. On his way out, Kondo looked back. "I love you."
Dotty nodded, then gave her attention back to her snoring daughter. Majuto is the perfect name for you.
Majuto grew into a very lively cub bursting with personality. She loved hanging out with her best friend Nuka II, Vitani's son, and made it very apparent that she detested her cousin Tani, Spotty's daughter. Spotty had met Afua, one of Kondo's brothers, at the beginning of Dotty's own romance, and the two had fallen very much in love.
Even though Majuto loved being with her mother, Dotty could not give her daughter the affection she always wanted to rain down on her offspring, if she had any. Every day Dotty thought of Kondo's so-called promise to return. Several months had passed, and not even his brothers knew what he was up to.
Dotty felt so betrayed, she struggled to get up some days. Just when things were going so good, it seemed as if the moment Kondo realized what a responsibility a child is, he decided to leave. Leave. What Dotty always dreaded, but never really imagined.
On a day when Majuto was playing with her best friend, like most days, Dotty was resting in the shade. Her ears perked up when she heard familiar branches snapping in the long grass. She growled and stood up. Kondo himself appeared out of the thicket.
"Miss me?" he repeated his former question with a smile.
"Well well well, where have you been?!" Dotty demanded to know. "I've been raising our daughter without a father for months, and you haven't even made an effort to get in contact with me!"
"I'm sorry, Dotty. You would not understand the beauty of waking up every day to a new sunrise, surrounded by new fauna, endless wilderness to explore..." Kondo trailed off.
"How is our daughter doing?" Kondo asked. "Didn't you name her Majuto?"
"Now you care about me again. You think I'm going to believe your stupid 'beautiful fantasy' excuse? I wouldn't be surprised if you found yourself another mate and left her in the same situation I'm in!" Dotty yelled.
"I would never do that to you! It's really that simple, Dotty! I love traveling with all my heart! I'll stay here as long as you'd like for now." Kondo told his mate.
"And then what? Disappear for another- wait-..." she realized. "How did you know Majuto's name?"
Kondo smiled. "You think I wouldn't get in touch with my brothers at all for months? Afua told me his niece's name. It's a lovely name - why did you choose it?"
"If I told you, maybe you would change your mind about..." Dotty replied.
At the other side of the bushes, Majuto heard voices talking, but couldn't recognize one of them. "What's going on, Mom?" she hollered over, unknowingly interrupting.
"Er- nothing, Majuto!" Dotty hollered back. "Why don't you go play over by Pride Rock?"
"Ok!" Majuto said back, thinking little of the unknown voice. "Race you there!" Nuka II challenged his friend - and they were off, laughing.
"You won't let me meet my daughter?" Kondo asked, surprised by Dotty's dismissal of Majuto.
"If she meets you now, or ever, she'll be confused and angry. What would I tell her the reason was for your departure - 'Gee, Majuto, your father loves the Serengeti more than his family, so he just couldn't wait to high tail out of here!'" Dotty yelled.
"That's not true, Dotty." Kondo told her. "I still love you. And I would like to meet Majuto one day."
"Maybe." Dotty grouched, turning her face away from Kondo. She felt him smiling at her and tried not to blush. When she turned back to him, he was indeed smiling at her.
"You never answered my question before, love. Did you miss me?" Kondo repeated.
Dotty sighed. She replied by placing herself under his chin, rubbing up against him while he nuzzled back.
They cuddled, they talked, they reconciled. But it wasn't enough to stop Kondo from leaving again when the morning came - his daughter had decided to sleep over at Nuka II's cave.
Dotty watched him leave again, then let the streams flow down the clefts of her face. She thought of when Kondo said, "I still love you" - and when he told her he loved traveling with all his heart.
Before he left, two things happened: (1, Dotty and Kondo made an agreement. They would see each other on days when Majuto was occupied and Kondo was in the area, so as not to confuse her. And (2:
...They couldn't help themselves.
Several months later, Majuto wandered into her cave to discover she had a new baby sister. Miya looked a lot more like her mother, but with Kondo's piercing blue eyes. Majuto didn't bother to think if she had the same father as her new sister, or where she even came from. She was ready to pour love and affection on her unconditionally.
Watching Miya grow was less torture for Dotty. She met with Kondo now a lot more often, and Miya was less questioning of Dotty's parenting tactics. Dotty would often overhear Majuto talk to her friends about her longing for a father and how she couldn't even remember hers. It tore Dotty apart, as well as the fact that Majuto was the spitting image of Kondo. She wasn't hesitant to talk back to her mother. It was clear being the only cub in the Pride Lands without a father around bothered her.
Dotty grew less angry at her mate during the brief visits they had. Kondo asked all sorts of questions about his family - yet wasn't attached enough to quit his traveling to settle down with them. Every time he left, Dotty was still afraid he wouldn't come back again for months.
It wasn't pretty when Majuto and Miya found out their mother still had contact with their father, but never thought to tell them. Kondo tried to be friendly with his daughters; Miya was more open towards him, while Majuto felt betrayed by both her parents.
A miracle would take place to bring the family together.
Dotty would never believe it, but her mate Kondo never stopped loving her from the second he walked out on her and Majuto. It would take the rest of her life to be convinced.
FIN.