[Private] Love Will Tear Us Apart

[YFWE]

"That's interesting, Kweli," said Ari with a waver of uncertainty in her voice. "It could totally have been a dream though, not necessarily real... d'you think--"

But Ari did not have a chance to finish her thoughts, for as she was about to continue, the lack of sustenance in Hiroshi's system finally caught up to the lion as he raced off to a nearby bush. Exchanging a surprised look with Kweli, Ari got to all fours, Kweli close behind, as they padded over to where Hiroshi retched unceasingly.

Kweli could tell already that Hiroshi had not eaten enough; he himself had experienced a similar state much earlier in his life when he had had to scrounge for food in the jungle. He knew what Hiroshi was feeling, and accordingly was quite sympathetic for his friend. That said, he also knew that the lion would need to be kept under a closer watch so that he would pay more attention to keeping his nutrition well-accounted for. If he did not... well, then after a few days, Hiroshi would have no more reason to watch his health. And this frightened Kweli to no end, knowing especially how it would affect Ari.

Ari, meanwhile, stood transfixed at the sight of her friend, almost pathetic in his motions as he struggled to remain standing. She had known that his health was deteriorating... but she had no idea that it had gotten this adverse. And yet, though she wanted to help him, to hold him, to simply be with him, she could not bring herself to walk any closer. She felt rooted to the spot, staring hopelessly as Hiroshi suffered before her. She was relieved when the lion finally composed himself enough to begin to walk again, though he did not seem the least bit interested in speaking to she or Kweli, instead opting to walk back to the den by himself.

Hesitantly, Kweli and Ari followed, their voices a dull whisper as they trailed their friend, making sure that he was in no danger of possibly collapsing. Kweli eyed Ari curiously as they spoke of Hiroshi's condition, wondering how she was taking the lion's condition. To him, though she was obviously nervous, she seemed to be staying strong and not backing down, which Kweli saw as extremely beneficial. If there was anything that could help Hiroshi through his ailment, it was Ari.

Ari glanced one last time at Hiroshi as they entered the den, catching him just in time to hear him utter his final words before his consciousness was gone. It was then that she could not bear to pent up her frustrations any longer. She felt tears beginning to slide down her face as she turned to Kweli. "Kwel... is he going to be okay? Should we wake him up? He needs food..."

Padding with trepidation over to the golden lioness, Kweli reached a paw up as he embraced Ari, sighing longingly as he did so. "I think he'll be fine, for now. This happened to me out in the jungle. If he rests, it will curb his sickness, but we'll need to get him food soon or things aren't going to be looking so good for him. I won't be able to do much tomorrow due to border patrol but I dunno... maybe you can find something. If not, I'll try to possibly bring back something from Rafiki, alright?"

With a quick nudge against the side of her head, Kweli turned to his own pelt and laid himself down, thoughts of his visions earlier in the day finally resurfacing within his mind. They would be all that he would think about before he fell asleep, and all he would dream about that night, of the sweet lion Bashasha, now fully grown, and his mother, in a far off land.

Ari sauntered over to her own pelt, which as always was conspicuously close to Hiroshi's, and stared at the now-sleeping lion for a few moments, taking his somewhat erratic sleeping behavior in as she considered what she would do, what she could do, to help him. She lowered herself to the ground, draping one foreleg over Hiroshi, pulling herself close to his still-warm body. She would not let go until morning.

Meanwhile she thought of what she could do to help her friend, and finally it came to her, like a bolt of lightning. Though she wondered at first why she had not thought of it before, soon she realized that she was merely happy that she had thought of anything at all to do on Hiroshi's behalf. Closing her eyes, she let the welcoming feeling of sleep wash over her. And she would most certainly need all the sleep she could get.

She would be paying a visit to Scar's private stash in the morning.

[KiarasMate]

The night seemed to stretch on forever as Hiroshi found himself slipping in and out of a conscious state, the feeling around him growing numb as he laid almost motionless, the slow rise and fall of his chest being the only sign of life coming from his weakened frame. Laying in a cold sweat, Hiroshi’s mind persisted to play tricks on him as unfamiliar images filled his thoughts. Being too weak to move and having no strength to call out, Hiroshi was at the mercy of his dreams and nightmares as they quickly enveloped the powerless lion.

Blinking several times to focus his vision, Hiroshi glanced about him, perplexed about just how he had come to be at Paradise. Standing by himself within the beautifully colored field that he and his friends had visited now on many different occasions, Hiroshi began to feel slightly more at ease now that he was in a not so foreign place. Wondering to himself if he could move in his current condition, the apprehensive male was pleasantly surprised as he watched the earth move below his paws, his steps seemingly not even making a sound as he wandered through the vast meadow. Enjoying the alluring scent of wild honey and jasmine that surrounded him now, Hiroshi completely forgot about everything that had been worrying him previously as his hazel eyes spotted a familiar looking figure off in the distance.

==========

Morning had come and after experiencing a very unproductive night himself, Kito wasn’t in the best of moods. Fortunately for the grumpy lion, Scar had already set off on his early morning routine, this time around would also involve him finding a replacement for The Hunting Party now that Lulu had been disowned. Tentatively rising to all fours, Kito padded out of The Main Den and took a seat upon the promontory of Pride Rock, allowing the rising sun to warm his figure as he stared over the once picturesque lands below him. Shaking his head in dismay, Kito spent a short while merely lounging where he was before finally deciding on what to do for the day himself.

Giving his tired limbs a quick stretch, the lone male padded down the slope of the majestic landmark and darted off towards one of the few remaining sources within The Pride Lands where water could still be found. Kito figured that he’d get a quick drink to quell his early morning thirst before perhaps trying to appease himself to Lulu once again in the hopes of getting a little action. Even though he had been rejected the previous night due to the horrible mood the former huntress had been in thanks to Scar’s decision, Kito was never the type to give up easily. After taking a hurried drink from the barely adequate waterhole, Kito pranced off towards where he knew he would find Lulu, making a mental note to stop back for a bit of lunch before Scar himself would return later, but all in good time. For now, there was only one thing on the lion’s mind and it clearly showed.

[YFWE]

It had not been the most peaceful night in recent memory. Though Ari had no physical condition that would prevent her from struggling to find sleep in theory, the simple fact that Hiroshi was a restless sleeper did not help her cause, especially given that she was situated so close to the lion. Thus, as she opened her eyes to notice that the sun had risen, she was still quite enticed concerning the possibility of falling back asleep, but knew she could not. Kweli's words rang true in her mind; the main focus that day was finding food for Hiroshi. And after reflecting upon the matter, coupled with the subtle comment Hiroshi had made before falling asleep, she knew exactly where to go.

Moving her foreleg off of Hiroshi, she yawned once and glanced at the lion whose body still laid next to her. Hiroshi was still sleeping--still breathing, which was truly all she needed to know at that point. Ari did not mind, after all, if her friend slept through the day. As long as he lived, well, that was all she needed.

Kweli had already left, which as always did not surprise Ari; the lion was almost always gone before the others had awakened. Rising to all fours, Ari padded out of the den and into the sunlight, stealing one last glance at Hiroshi before she departed. "I'll find you something. I promise," she whispered, before departing into the savanna.

------

Kweli departed Pride Rock, having just met with Scar concerning his duties for the morning. Nothing would be different, as he had expected; Kweli was to patrol the borders, but he was to hurry back this time instead of pausing for any stops as he normally did. Thus, there would be no meeting with Rafiki. And though he enjoyed the mandrill's company, Kweli did not mind too much. He much preferred being alone with his thoughts on that day.

Strange it was, however, that Scar seemed quite preoccupied that morning. Usually, the King was reclining quite lazily when Kweli came to meet with him in the morning, so the fact that Scar had actually been ready to go somewhere, or even seemed somewhat thoughtful, was a relatively new notion to Kweli. He thought nothing more of it, figuring it was nothing to preoccupy himself with... and still, Kweli was intrigued. Perhaps he would find out a bit more when he returned from his walk.

Padding off toward the horizon, thoughts of Bashasha and his mother returned to Kweli's mind. And off he walked, hoping that a little alone time while covering the vicinity of the Pride Lands would perhaps help to clear his mind.

------

After having slunk about the Pride Lands and, subsequently, Pride Rock, Ari had been able to avoid any unwanted detection by those that resided within the stone edifice still--predominantly, Scar and Lulu. As she clambered up the side of the rock, Ari spied her mother nearby, reclining in the sun, and was fleetingly longing to meet her. Alas, she quelled this feeling rather quickly. Though she likely would do no harm in speaking to Nafsi, she did not want to take any chances, especially if Scar was anywhere nearby.

She came to the entrance of the [b]Main Den, where she knew Scar's private stash of food to be hidden. If she could lift just a few pieces of meat... it would be enough to keep Hiroshi going. The problem could possibly arise again later on--perhaps even the next day--but Ari did not care. If she could curb Hiroshi's sickness, that was for the best.

Ari stepped hesitantly into the den, hoping that there would be no one--especially Scar--inside. Luckily, the den appeared to be empty at that point in the day, and so the lioness went to work, padding cautiously toward the back of the den, the location of the food supply. Attempting to be as quiet as possible so as to not direct any attention toward her, the lioness came to the food stash, which consisted of a large amount of haunches, carcasses and other assorted pieces of meat that had no doubt kept the King satisfied for quite some time.

Reaching down into the pile, she began to sift through, finding a few prime choices that could certainly satisfy Hiroshi's hunger once they were brought to him back at their den.

[KiarasMate]

Calling out Ari’s name as he padded towards her, Hiroshi wasn’t entirely sure if his voice was even leaving his muzzle. He could clearly hear the words in his own head but finding it harder and harder to feel even his own body’s movements by this point, the uncertain male tried repeatedly to grab the golden furred lioness’ attention. It wasn’t until Hiroshi arrived right along side her, did he realize that she couldn’t hear him at all. Looking utterly perplexed, Hiroshi moved in front of Ari, hoping that she’d take notice of him. As his hazel eyes met with Ari’s downcast looking face, Hiroshi knew something was wrong. He had never seen such a look of sadness from Ari herself and the more he stared at her, the more his own heart sank. Trying once again to speak to his friend, Hiroshi perked up his ears as Ari’s voice reached them, an obvious tone of mourning noticeable in her voice.

She was calling his name, that much he could make out but the rest was quite muffled. Shaking his head as if trying to rid himself from being unnoticed by Ari, Hiroshi watched in disbelief as the golden furred lioness rose to all fours and proceeded to walk forward, directly in the path where Hiroshi now stood. Backing up several paces so she wouldn’t collide into him, Hiroshi’s efforts seemed feudal as Ari’s steps grew longer and faster until she had quickly overtaken the startled lion. Gasping as he felt Ari’s body passing right through his own, the warmth of her frame momentarily surrounding him before she was gone, leaving nothing but an icy feeling to rush through Hiroshi’s being.

Twitching slightly as Ari moved her fore leg out from around him, Hiroshi’s body curled up tighter as the lack of warmth left him. It was unclear if he had even understood the words Ari had spoke to him before she had left but in his weakened condition, it made little difference. His life was now resting in Ari’s paws and as he struggled amongst his own thoughts and dreams, yet another situation would be playing out and could very well change everything.

==========

A lone figure methodically skulked back through the withering lands as both lioness and hyena quickly beat a hasty retreat, in fear of being in the lone lions path as he passed. Scar had already taken care of his morning business and was on his way back to The Main Den for a bit of lunch and perhaps even a tastier snack if he could come up with one. It hadn’t taken him long to find Lulu’s replacement, as it seemed as though that there wasn’t a shortage of volunteers to fill her position. Arriving back at Pride Rock as the sun had hit the midpoint within the clear sky, Scar’s keen ears swiveled as he picked up the sounds of movement coming from within The Main Den. Figuring that it was probably one of the brainless hyenas, trying to steal a quick meal in his absence, the paranoid lion king stalked as silently as he could, towards the mouth of the cave, his piercing emerald orbs scanning the darkness in front of him.

Much to both Scar’s delight and dismay, the only creature in sight was that of a young lioness, who seemed to be snooping around the reserves of meat he had left in the back of the cave. Taking a moment to try and recall the name of this young lioness, which only took but a minute, Scar adopted a toothy looking smile as he entered inside of the roomy den, his shadow falling over Ari as he eyed her actions, more importantly however, her exposed hind quarters. Licking over his muzzle lips in a hungry fashion, the sly king spoke up in a coy voice as his claws gently tapped against the stone floor of the den to make his presence known.

”Ari, what an unexpected, yet pleasant surprise to see you here. Care to tell me what exactly you’re doing poking that innocent nose of yours into places it doesn’t belong? I surely hope you weren’t planning on stealing anything from me my dear. You do know the punishment for stealing, do you not?”

Knowing that he had most certainly gotten Ari’s attention by now, Scar thoughtfully positioned himself directly in the way between Ari and the entrance of the den, ensuring that there would be no easy way out for the thieving lioness if she so chose to make a run for it. Keeping a dangerously calm demeanor about him however, as his emerald orbs violated Ari’s body with their unwavering stare, Scar knew that he had the upper paw and wasn’t about to just let Ari off with a simple warning. Besides, this had been just the thing he was looking for and almost completely forgetting about his initial hunger, Scar looked more apt to feed another more important craving at this time. Waiting for Ari’s response, even though Scar had already made up his mind about why Ari was here, the crafty lion king bided his time as his tail flicked randomly behind him.

[YFWE]

Ari froze as she heard the sound of a mobile being behind her. She attempted to stay still, not daring to turn around or say a word in the hope that whoever it was would perhaps not notice her. Unfortunately for her, avoiding detection was impossible in the dimly lit cave, and it showed as a deep, conniving voice made its presence known behind her. Ari shuddered. She knew who that voice belonged to.

She did not dare look back at Scar as he spoke at first, but knew she could not avoid him forever. She would have to answer for her actions, and to be quite honest, the thought of doing so frightened her.

Then again, perhaps this was a time in which she could be thankful that Scar thought rather highly of her. It might save her life.

Finally she turned to face the King, sullen determination showing in her countenance. Her escape was blocked; there was nothing she could do but to humor Scar... whatever that meant.

"My apologies, Your Majesty," breathed Ari. "I was just... well, there hasn't been much food lately, and..."

She did not know what else she could say. She had been caught in the act and she knew Scar would see past any lie she attempted to make.

"...if you'll let me go, I won't return. I promise. I'll... I'll find my own food."

[KiarasMate]

Somewhat taken aback from just how openly honest his company had been towards him, Scar eyed Ari closely as his mind was hard at work, already beginning to formulate a plan on how to take best advantage of the young lioness’ predicament. It seemed to Scar that he already had the upper paw and the more he stared at Ari, the more his deeper desires were winning out in the end. Smiling mischievously at the golden furred lioness, Scar’s features melted into a dangerously calm appearance, which was never a good sign for those who knew the temperamental lion king well enough. Arching out his back as he stood upon all fours now, Scar quaintly addressed Ari in a suave voice as he carelessly batted away one of the pieces of meat that had been disrupted by Ari rummaging around within the so called Secret Stash.

”Oh, I don’t doubt that my dear. You see, had you actually stolen some of my sustenance here, you would have surely regretted it in the end.” Moving a bit closer towards Ari, Scar easily severed another one of the near by chunks of meat, revealing a small layer of herbs that were obviously placed there by someone for a specific reason. ”You see, all this meat in here is tainted. I figured that there was thieves among my ranks and this was just a way to ensure that they’d get their just desserts.”

Slapping away the lacerated flesh in an aggressive fashion, Scar moved himself in much closer to Ari as his muzzle fell mere inches away from hers. Narrowing his emerald eyes as his fore paw lifted, Scar gently ran a single fore claw under Ari’s neck, lightly tracing it over the golden furred feline’s jugular as he hissed at her in a loathing voice.

”You don’t think I’d be stupid enough to leave my hard earned prizes out where just any mindless fool could find them, do you Ari? Surely you think more highly of your king than that.”

Lowering his fore paw now, Scar took a few steps backwards to give the false impression that he meant Ari no harm. Taking a seat once again, this time around his hind legs partially splaying apart to expose just how excited his company was making him feel, Scar brought his fore paw up to his muzzle and thoughtfully began to twirl one of his whiskers with his paw toes, quite an unusual sight to say the least, although the king’s actions had become quite unpredictable as of late. It was blatantly obvious that his paranoia was getting the better of him and every member of the pride, hyena and lion alike, knew that any little mistake could set the unbalanced king off the deep end, typically resulting in a violent display from their ruler. Looking quite the opposite of a cold hearted killer though as he sat idly by, his stare unwavering from Ari’s physique, Scar continued to toy with Ari as he motioned in front of him, patting the den floor with a fore paw as he spoke.

”Come here my dear. Forget about finding food right now. I assure you that you will be rewarded for your efforts as Hunting Leader. You know I picked you for that role for a reason, do you not?”

[YFWE]

Ari continued to stare straight ahead at Scar, and kept her gaze focused ahead of her even when the King slipped out of sight. She still did not want to incite knowledge in Scar that she was, truth be told, almost cripplingly frightened at that moment, what with the lion so close to her. Her eyes widened at the revelation that the meat had been tainted; internally, she was actually somewhat glad, then, that Scar had caught her in the act, else she might have fed the meat to Hiroshi... and then... well...

She snapped back to attention as the Lion King ran a clawed paw against her throat, and in spite of herself, Ari could not help but gulp noticeably as he did so. "I... I..." she stuttered, "...had no idea. It was a rumor, I guess. Nothing more."

Feeling his paw leave her throat, Ari breathed a sigh of relief before returning her gaze once again to Scar, attempting to come off as calm as possible. Her path still blocked, she knew that trying to either sweet-talk her way out of the den or to comply with Scar's requests would be the only way that she would make it out alive. She could not afford any premature outbursts, despite what she thought of the King. However, it was when Scar sat, splaying his nether regions, that she began to panic inside. She now knew why he had kept her there for so long. Her mother's words, Kito's words, Hiroshi's words... they all came rushing back to her as she realized what Scar wanted. He wanted her.

Finally, at Scar's words, Ari snapped, unable to hold in her disposition any longer. "NO! I will not "come here." I will not "be rewarded." she mocked the King's tone, aware that this would set her into some deep trouble with His Majesty but uncaring at that moment. She would rather die than to have the lion lay even a single paw upon her.

She sidled away from the King, trying to sidestep her way out of the den. "I appreciate your choosing of me as Hunting Leader but if this is what the position entails, I suggest you find another lioness, because I will not be some object to be desired."

"If that's what you want, go find Lulu. I'm sure she'd be happy to oblige," she added scathingly, still padding cautiously around Scar, praying that he would either choose not to stop her or the sounds of their argument would reach friendly ears outside the den.

[KiarasMate]

Scar’s entire body seemed to quiver with distain as Ari’s words pierced through him, fueling the already growing flame of rage that burned deep within the callus king’s soul. The fact that such a young lioness would even have the nerve to speak to him in such a manner, let alone refuse a direct order from her leader drove the maniacal lion into a frenzy of utter curiosity as he lunged towards Ari as she came into range in her vein attempt to pass by him to leave the den. Using the entire weight of his body to force Ari against the wall of the den, his fore paws pressing savagely against her fore legs in order to prevent her from striking out towards him, Scar jeered viciously at his captive, his jagged claws pricking the surface of the poor lioness’ pelt as he shouted at her, his words booming from his muzzle like thunder.

”You sardonic little [censored]! How dare you speak to your king in such a brazen manner!”

Applying more pressure against the struggling female, Scar’s claws pressed harder against Ari’s legs causing several of his needle like claws to penetrate her skin as he fought to keep control over her. Despite her young age still, Ari’s physical prowess was nothing to be underestimated and Scar knew this fact better than anyone. Purely being driven on by bitter hatred and lust by this point however, there didn’t seem to be any hope for Ari as Scar leaned his head in close to Ari, giving her exposed cheek a violating lick before murmuring several obscenities in her ear. Adopting a toothy looking smirk, Scar spoke up proudly as one of his fore paws swiftly moved from where it was firmly planted against Ari’s fore leg, swiftly cuffing the immobilized lioness across her muzzle in a humiliating fashion.

”You brought this upon yourself you ungrateful little tramp. Now you’re gonna get it!”

Right before Scar was about to act further, another voice came bellowing into The Main Den as none other than Kito emerged on the scene. He had come back to grab a quick nap as well as to have a peaceful place to eat the large looking warthog that lay slain next to his fore paws where he now stood. The look in Kito’s eyes was a dead giveaway that the male meant business as he shouted in a threatening tone which was clearly directed at Scar himself.

”Take your damn paws off my mate Scar!”

Completely startled by Kito’s sudden appearance, Scar quickly released his hold upon Ari, his claws leaving several painful looking furrows within Ari’s pelt as the dismayed lion king turned his focus upon Kito, continuing to block the way for Ari herself. Seeing his chance, Kito promptly bounded forward and placed himself in between where Scar and Ari sat, his back facing his injured friend while he stood in a defensive stance, his own razor sharp claws extended and ready for use if need be. By this point, Scar had managed to compose himself as he regained his dignity and spoke to Kito in a belligerent voice.

”Mate? What are you going on about Kito?”

Having to think on his paws, Kitos only option was to use a promise that Scar had made to him the first season he had begun to offer his services to the crafty lion king. Taking a minute to think over that memory, Kito replied in a cold voice, his body remaining rigid, just in case Scar would choose to pick violence over a civil conversation, which could ultimately be the outcome if he didn't play his cards properly.

”When I started being your Second In Command, you assured me that I could have one, ONE lioness to call my own. One that would be off limits to even you, just as long as I did what was bid of me, and so help me gawd, I’ve done that for you Scar! Now I expect you to keep your end of the bargain.”

Looking quite displeased in the fact that his own words seemed to be coming back to haunt him, yet still feeling as though he could find some loophole in Kito’s plea, Scar took a moment to reflect over what had been said, before retorting in an equally crass tone.

”And what makes you think I believe you that this lioness is your mate, hmm? I’ve never seen you two together and you’ve seemed quite interested in several of the other lionesses in my pride. Besides, what makes you think that I should even honor my word after what you’ve done here, right now?”

Realizing that he’d actually have to make his point clear and believable enough for Scar, in order for his plan to work, Kito sucked up every last ounce of dignity he had left before he turned to face Ari. Quickly mouthing a silent apology to her as he knew she wouldn’t be ready for what he was about to do, Kito moved in close and quickly pressed his muzzle against Ari’s, locking the pair in a passionate looking kiss. In order to make everything look as sincere as possible, Kito spared no expense as his tongue easily pressed into Ari’s mouth, deepening their tender embrace as his fore paw lovingly caressed her cheek with the gentlest of touches. For coming off as being an ass most of the time, when it came to being sensual, Kito surprisingly excelled at it. Holding the heated kiss for as long as was necessary to make it look genuine, Kito finally pulled his muzzle away, departing their muzzle lips before turning back to Scar and addressing his question in an unwavering voice.

”That’s why she’s my mate and if you don’t uphold your end of our deal, I’ll just have to let your dirty little secret slip to everyone in the pride. How would you like that YOUR MAJESTY?”

As the words left his muzzle, Scar’s complexion seemed to become ghostly pale. Backing off hurriedly, Scar’s demeanor shifted rapidly as he was reduced to nothing more than a stammering idiot. Continuing to back away, showing that he had clearly given into the blackmail that Kito had proposed, Scar only managed to reply in a submissive voice as it looked as though he were being watched from every possible angle, his eyes shifting wildly in his head as he spoke.

”Fine, fair enough. Do as you wish with her. I will never lay a paw on her. You have my word. Just don’t…DON’T!”

Unable to maintain his own composure by this point, Scar bid a hasty retreat out and down the side of Pride Rock his vulnerable situation very apparent as he was quickly out of sight from both Ari and Kito. Letting a dejected sounding sigh escape his muzzle, Kito finally turned his gaze back to Ari. Noticing her minor wounds and seeing her distraught expression, Kito’s heart sank as he inquired in a supportive voice.

”Are you okay Ari? Did that bastard do anything to you and what the hell were you doing in here in the first place?”

[YFWE]

She should have known that Scar would not tolerate her insubordination, but at that point Ari had cared for nothing more than to let the King know her feelings. Alas, such an idea proved to be quite adverse to Ari's well-being, as the lion proceeded to shove her against the wall of the den, forcing and keeping her there with such a brute force that Ari no longer questioned the lion's strength--at least, when he was threatened. Desperately, Ari squirmed, trying to free herself from the clutches of the Lion King, moaning and growling all the while. "No! This isn't right! Let go of me, Scar!" she cried, though to no avail. Her fate, as it seemed, was set.

Ari yowled in pain as a few of Scar's claws dug into her pelt. Through watering eyes, the lioness attempted to look down, out of the corners of her eyes, at the source of the pain. While she was unsure of the severity, she was almost certain she could see blood forming at the spots where Scar's claws remained implanted. She grimaced, fangs grinding against one another as she braced herself both against the pain she was already feeling and for whatever Scar might do to her next.

She was now much past simple pain, her eyes watering to the point where tears were trickling slowly down her cheeks. The lioness's vision blurred more significantly as Scar licked her cheek. It was a revolting, violating lick, one that felt dirty to the touch and forced Ari to feel like nothing more than scum herself. Her cries of protest only continued, but were curtailed by Scar's cupping of her muzzle with his paw, forcing it shut. Still she sobbed into the King's paw as he violated her, threatening to go further, and further, and further....

Another voice spoke up beyond Scar, though Ari was so far gone that she could not distinguish between the new voice and Scar's voice at first. As Scar released her, Ari slumped to the ground and against the wall, grimacing once more as she blinked a few times, the pain somewhat subsiding. She squinted ahead to witness Kito, squaring off with the King. She got to her paws, shaking as she licked her wounds. Once she was certain she had stopped bleeding, at least for a short while, she cowered behind Scar, listening intently to their quarrel, thankful that Kito had shown up... else, she did not want to think about what Scar might have done to her.

Kito walked toward her, and she noticed him mouthing a silent apology. She was not sure what for at first, sending her friend a quizzical expression. But this was quelled when Kito pressed his muzzle to hers, embracing Ari in a rather passionate-looking kiss. Ari felt herself protesting at first, but cooler heads prevailed as she realized why he was doing what he was doing. And as she felt his tongue enter her mouth, and felt it wrap around her own... Ari found herself doing the same, breathing in quickly as she enjoyed tasting him... her first kiss.... Ari felt her cheeks begin to flush as she reached a paw forward...

But seemingly as quickly as it had began, Kito broke away from her and turned back to Scar, leaving Ari, breathing heavily, to sit back on her haunches as she stared blankly at the ground, unsure as to what had just happened. She even completely missed Kito's final telling-off of Scar and his subsequent departure as she tried to calm herself down and make sense of the situation. Though she knew that the kiss had been for show, there was now an odd feeling inside of Ari, a feeling she was fairly certain she had not felt before, not even with Hiroshi. Was it possible... that she had enjoyed it?

Snapping out of her trance finally as Kito padded over to her, Ari blinked and looked up at her friend, her expression distraught and even somewhat bemused. Taking a deep breath, she answered Kito's question, attempting to not draw any attention to her current state.

"I'm fine... he got a hold of me in some places but I'll heal fine... I was just here because... well, Kito, Hiroshi's sick. He needs food soon or..." her gaze locked with Kito's. "...thank you, Kito. If you hadn't stepped in... I don't know what he would've done to me but I have an idea, and it's not good. Not good at all."

Brushing herself off once more, she took a step toward the mouth of the cave, though she thought better of it and, hesitantly, nuzzled Kito against his mane as a symbol of her thanks. Departing from his side, she looked at him again. "Hiro really does need food, though. Kweli thinks he could survive for now, but... we don't have much more time. Do you know anyplace we could go, something we could feed him with?"

[KiarasMate]

Trying his best to uphold his usual demeanor even though truth be told, the situation had really rattled him inside, not so much the fact of what Scar had done, but rather, the feelings he had experienced for the short time his muzzle had been locked with Ari’s. Knowing that this wasn’t the time to dwell on such matters however, Kito made no mention of this as he observed Ari’s movements while listening to her words carefully. Choosing not to make that big of a deal out of the praise she gave him, despite the fact that her words did make him feel quite special, Kito frowned and lowered his ears as his emerald eyes fell upon the cuts that were clearly visible upon Ari’s fore legs. Although her statement about Hiroshi’s condition had caught his attention, Kito’s main focus at this point was upon Ari’s own well-being as he calmly blocked her path and spoke up in a concerned voice.

"Take it easy Ari. Just relax for a minute, okay?”

Knowing how stubborn Ari could be at times, Kito figured that he might as well make sure that her wounds were nothing to be worried over. It appeared that Ari was able to put her weight upon both her fore legs with little to no signs of discomfort, which eased Kito’s anxiety to some degree. Moving in for a closer look, Kito could see that several of Scar’s claws had actually pierced Ari’s pelt but didn’t seem severe enough to need medical assistance from Rafiki. Pleased in this fact at least, Kito gently gave Ari’s injuries a soft lick to help clear away the tiny amount of blood that had already begun to set over the minor puncture points before pulling back and addressing Ari’s inquiry about Hiroshi now.

”Now, what are you going on about regarding Hiro Ari? If it’s food you’re after, here,” Kito stated, moving back towards the deceased warthog he had previously abandoned when he had first arrived at The Main Den, picking it up in his jaws and plopping it down in front of Ari. ”Take my lunch then. It’s the freshest kill that was in Scar’s secret stash, but if Hiro really needs it, than it’s all his.”

It was quite a decent sized meal that Kito was offering and due to the fat content of such a succulent creature, it would probably benefit Hiroshi’s condition immensely. Usually, Kito would have been reluctant to give up such a prize however, witnessing what Ari had been through and noting the sincerity and urgency in her voice, Kito set aside his own selfish ways to appease Ari now. Taking a quick glance around to make sure that Scar had truly left them alone, Kito turned back to Ari, an apologetic expression upon his features now as he spoke up in a low voice.

”I’m sorry for what I did back there Ari, but it was the only way to get Scar to leave you alone. If it’s any consolation to you, you’re not half bad at kissing though.”

Adopting a sheepish looking grin as he tried to lift the mood as best he could, Kito nudged the warthog forward towards Ari with a fore paw as he turned to take his leave. As much as he wanted to address the issue of his own feelings towards Ari that had spawned from a single moment, he just couldn’t find the right words to express the funny feeling that had sparked inside him. Figuring that it would be best to leave things as they were now, Kito called over his shoulder to the golden furred lioness as he departed.

”I should go find Kweli and warn him about Scar’s mood now Ari. You take care of Hiro now and maybe I’ll stop by later to check up on the both of you, okay?”