The Midnight Wanderer

Uh-oh, looks like The Midnight Wanderer wandered a little too far from her den (VampireKetsuki #19097), and now she's off to roam the world! If ever you feel the urge to chase, she'd really appreciate it if you could just return her home instead, or to 'The Roaming Lionesses' thread

Owners I've Had:
VampireKetsuki #19097
Ragna #154354
Kahlua #142451
Coyotalia #50580
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The daughter of two great primals, Ashanti and Duskrose, The Midnight Wanderer was abandoned to fend for herself quite young. She did not share her parents' primal blood, so she was not worthy to stay in their pride. She was found by Ceras as a small, shivering, five month old cub. She was welcomed to the pride, and had at first prepared to stay her life there. It was then that she met the various wandering lionesses who came and went through the pride, telling tales of the world past that pride. Past her first pride that had abandoned her. Maybe it was because she had been abandoned, but her heart yearned for more, to find a place she truly belonged. That is why at barely a year old she left to strike out on her own.
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Unfortunately, perhaps it would have been better if the Midnight Wanderer had stayed in Ceras' pride. Soon, she stumbled upon a medium-sized pride that lived in the scorching desert heat. She was cornered by a young male named Caligula, who demanded why she was intruding. When she only narrowed her eyes, he shoved her back to the pride. The pride leader, Shruikan, appeared, and he was much more imposing than Caligula. He was a great lion, driven mad by rage and lies. In a small voice, the Midnight Wanderer replied that she had been borne to two great primals who had abandoned her, and that a lion named Ceras had taken her in to his pride. She had decided to strike out on her own, to find the perfect place for her. Shruikan reluctantly accepted her into the pride after all of his lionesses took the Midnight Wanderer's side. However, she soon realized just how horrible it was there. This was no place for her. She had no friends here. There weren't any lions like Ceras except for a few of the lionesses, and she wasn't allowed to interact with the other females. So with a heavy heart, the Midnight Wanderer snuck out at night and set off once more.
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She traveled all through the night. Though her name was Midnight Wanderer, traveling in the dark was much more imposing. She could hear the shrieks of hyenas around her, and became more and more unnerved. The shrieks got closer and louder until suddenly a hyena jumped in front of her. She growled at him and showed her teeth and claws, hoping it would be enough, but certain it wouldn't. However, the hyena in front of her didn't look intimidating. His eyes darted around her and then he whispered "Shh, come this way", and went back from whence he came. She looked around and noticed the eyes of the other hyenas were closing in. So without any other plan, she followed the seemingly friendly hyena. As soon as she hopped over a log and crawled under some brush, a lioness appeared and scooped her up than ran with her over her back. Midnight wasn't sure what to make of this but went with it anyway, since she had no other options. They hadn't run for long when the lioness lightly dropped her on her feet and smiled at her. "You'll be safe here, kid. Probably shouldn't travel at night until you're my age, yeah?" The Midnight Wanderer smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "Don't worry about it. We can talk in the morning after you've had some rest. Hey Panthura, can she sleep by you?" The friendly lioness called to a black lioness that looked a lot like herself. The black lioness smiled sweetly and nodded. "Okay, just go on over there and we can talk tomorrow. I'm Aurelia by the way." Before the lioness ran off, Midnight wanted to ask just one question. "Wait, was that hyena a friend of yours?" Aurelia smiled. "Yes! His name's Laharu. He's the one that spotted you. I'm glad he did."
The Midnight Wanderer slept beside one of the caretakers named Panthura during the night, beside some cubs she was watching. In the morning, Aurelia returned to her and told her she'd introduce her to the King of the pride. Midnight was nervous as she hadn't had much luck with Kings lately, but tried to relax since the pride-members had been so friendly with her. But when they got to the King, The Midnight Wanderer froze in fear. He was a PRIMAL! Not again! He stepped closer to her and without thinking she shouted out "Please don't hurt me--I'm sorry!" But he immediately stepped back and smiled gently. "I would never", he laughed warmly then turned to Aurelia. "What lies have you told her about me? You know I was kidding when I threatened to eat you as a cub, right?" Aurelia laughed and bumped noses with him. Midnight started to realize this primal wasn't like the others she'd met. "I'm sorry if my visage scares you. Are you a roaming lioness?" Midnight could only nod in response. "We have lots of roaming lionesses that come through here. I've never seen one so young though. That's so dangerous. Do you want to stay here until you're an adult? You'll be safe here, I promise. And you can train with the hunters, warriors, or caretakers--whichever you prefer. What do you say?" She had finally relaxed enough to speak to the seemingly gentle King. "Yes, sir. I'd like that very much. Thank you, sir." He laughed loudly, his whole body shaking with it. "Please kid, please call me Mekaisto VI. And what's your name?" She stood up tall. "I'm The Midnight Wanderer." His zoisite eyes glimmered at her. "Well, it's very nice to meet you. I hope you enjoy your time in our snug pride."
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The Midnight Wanderer had left Mekaisto's pride, traveling once again once she was 'old enough' to leave again. She roamed and wandered from pride to pride, but still, there was no home for her. She wondered if she would ever find a home...
It had been years since she had left the great Ceras's care, and she wondered what that pride had become. She knew she had been gone too long for Ceras to still be in power, but what was the new king like? So, now an old lioness, wrinkles of age showing on her graying muzzle, she tried to find her way back to where she had been found.
She arrived to the familiar pridelands she had thought about so many times in her travels, but she saw no lioness she recognized. She found the pride's divineer though and spoke with her, asking to see those who had roamed, those who had come and gone, those who had come and stayed to their end. Finally seeing a few whisps that she recognized she asked what had become of the one who had found her shivering in the cold rain under that tree thirteen long years ago.
On learning what had become of the king, she carefully sought out his replacement. The one apparently named Ayelet. Seeing the celestial king she gasped softly, bowing her head low to greet him properly. "Hello sir. I am The Midnight Wanderer. I grew up in this pride long ago and was wondering if-" she began
"If you could stay here?" Ayelet asked "Of course" he chuffed happily, going over and nuzzling her in greeting, grooming her a bit.
She smiled at the grooming, chuffing in reply and grooming him back- or trying to anyway, before she ended up with a mouthful of mane. She laughed as she spat out the resulting hairball.
One thing lead to another with the newer, younger king, and she became pregnant with his cubs. This would be her final litter she knew, the rest unfortunately had not survived for various reasons, so she hoped that at least this one would.
Once her cub was old enough she found a quiet place under the shade of a tree not unlike the one she'd been found beneath. She closed her eyes, thinking back on her adventures, thinking on her travels, of the kings she'd met and courted, of the ones who had brutally chased her out, of cubs gone before her. With a deep, final sigh, her whisper lifted from her, joining the roaming lionesses who had lived their last in that pride.