As Derrick stood there, a strange sensation began in the core of his body. He wasn't sure what it was at first, but it felt alien...almost wrong. The more it spread though, the more right it felt. What Derrick didn't know was that it was his blood as an American Lion being changed, his very dna, his spirit being infused with the spirit of Africa. Memories of baseball, cars, and the lush lawns of home were replaced with images of the hunt, of animals, and the long stretch of serengetti in his mind.
"This...this cant be right..." But in his heart he knew it was. Surely a Lion Cub such as he would run and hunt, he would know the ways of the wild. After all, he was the eldest son, Kanu. Wait....Kanu? Was that his name? Derrick gripped at his head. He knew the name should be something else, but the more he thought about it, the more distant the name Derrick became.
"What's happen-" mid sentence he felt his vocals change...his language sounded strange to his ears as it switched to Swahili, sweet like nectar now, more familiar. "kinachotokea kwangu?"
Slowly, paw made sandals caressed to his feet, tribal markings tracing along his back and his face, they were similar to Zuli's but different as well. Marked with chalk on the broach of his nose and red upon his cheeks, these markings he had designated him as a young lion male in training and since they were of the same pride and prides meant different than human families, Zuri was to be his mate one day.
"Mate?" Kanu blinked. She was supposed to be his sister...wasn't she? Well she was...but there was nothing wrong with that, and to be mates was a long ways away in the future. Animal bones caressed his ankles and wrists, a loin cloth of zebra hide upon his groin. Kanu felt his spirit surge as the totem animal seized upon him. Blinking his now golden eyes, the little cub looked to Zuri, and then embraced her as the other cubs looked on.
"Dada yangu!"