Amberrush

With primal lions and lionesses being exceedingly rare these days, it comes as no surprise that some of the members of this dwindling subspecies choose to form prides with those similar to them, much like the one that Amberrush was born into. While the majority of her life was spent around other primals, she couldn't help but wonder what other lions looked like, especially since her mother had been one. Though the love she shared with her father had been frowned upon by both prides and resulted in their daughter being left with her father while the rest of her siblings, the ones who did not exhibit primal traits like herself, went with her mother. She never did see her mother or siblings again, at least, not alive. Their bodies, along with many of those from her mother's pride, were found along the border along with the scent of two unknown males, implying that their pride had been taken over by the newcomers and her mother had fought to protect the lives of her cubs. Sadly, none of them made it as they fled toward Amberrush and her father's pride for help, and every day she misses them and wishes that she could see them again or could have been there to help them, even though she knows she couldn't have done much to help them.

As time went on, things did get easier and Amberrrush began to grow into herself, attending lessons and hunting practice with the other lionesses, and even wrestling with some of the males, her large size and strength permitting her to win a few matches and hold her own rather well. Years passed and the young lioness matured, she grew into a beauty, with her smokey fur boasting undertones of gold that matched her eyes, it was easy to see why the males came flocking to her. But surprisingly, Amberrush wasn't all that interested in romance, instead dedicating herself to becoming the best warrior that she could be, having promised herself that she would never let anything like what had happened to her mother and siblings happen to anyone again. Not if she could help it.

And she did become a great warrior, chosen to lead the pride's as their Captain and going on to win many battles, some by brute strength and strategy, others by pure intimidation. The lioness dedicated her life to protecting others and did not seem to notice as the years went by, not until her father passed away from old age. Reality slammed into her then, she was almost ten years old and had never had cubs or a family of her own, she would never experience motherhood and the joys of having a mate if she allowed her job to consume her. So she left, no matter how hard it was, in search of a pride that would take a battle-scarred primal lioness in.

Amberrush traveled far and wide for almost a year, her hope waning as she fought for every scrap of food and wink of sleep as a loner, her size and strength lending her an upperpaw in most fights, but others proving a challenge. And it was after one of these fights that Flamemane found her, cleaning her wounds beside the carcass of a water buffalo she had killed earlier that day. Initially, she took the king as an enemy or rival who wanted to steal her food, hackles raised and long fangs exposed in a growl of warning. So it shocked her when the young male simply blinked once and then twice in a mixture of awe and surprise before padding a bit closer and looking her up and down. "Wow, I've never seen a primal like you before. I mean, I've seen a primal before, two actually, but none as badass as you," he had explained almost sheepishly before introducing himself.

The two massive lions hit it off instantly and by the end of their chat, and the end of the day as both had lost track of time as they talked and laughed, King Flamemane brought Amberrush back to his pride in their winter home. After only a month of being a part of the Starfall Gully Pride, she was named the Captain of their guard, the former stepping down gratefully as her lieutenant on maternity leave. And the good news did not stop there, as their pride's closest ally and sister pride, the Shattered Valley Pride came to visit and allow friends and family to catch up. King Flamemane introduced Amberrush to King Galliummane, his adopted brother and the one who founded the Rubydust Pride after their father King Lightmane passed away. The king of the Shattered Valley Pride was a primal just like her, just the same age as well, and the two quickly grew fond of each other.

Eventually King Galliummane admitted his feelings for Amberrush and she was delighted to reciprocate them and become his official mate. Though she could not leave her pride in order to solely become his queen, and he understood that, he affectionately teased that having a mate who was both a queen and the captain of a guard was even better. With the closeness and overlapping territory shared between the two prides, the two were never apart for long. And once news came that Amberrush was pregnant, King Galliummane made it a point to visit her even more often until his brother suggested that they merge the two prides for this migration cycle and travel together, like they once had when their father led the Ruby Eye Pride.

Happy to accept, Galliummane united their prides once again and began to live alongside his mate, even as he retired his title to his son, crowning him King Phantommane, in order to prioritize his duties as a father. And plus, he was getting older and could no longer move as fast as the younger lion, nor could he outlast opponents for as long in battles, especially considering his lithe, small frame. This moon, Amberrush and Galliummane were made official parents by the birth of their cubs, two little lionesses whom they named Quartz and Selenite. With the retirement of Flamemane and the crowning of King Star Ruby, Amberrush and Galiummane have been able to spend time with both him, their daughters, and their niece, bringing their little family even closer together.