[Private] Love Will Tear Us Apart

[YFWE]

Smiling meekly at Hiroshi so as to attempt to relate to him that her injuries were minimal at best, Ari tried to move her hindlegs so that her abrasions were hidden from view. Nonetheless, this did not stop her friend from continuing to fuss over her. Sighing, she let him do what he wanted, speaking up quietly and reassuringly as he searched her.

"Yeah, that's compliments of His Majesty, but I'm fine, Hiro, trust me. Kito did the same thing when he saw I had some cuts and bruises but... that's all they are, cuts and bruises. I got back here fine and under my own power, didn't I?" She flashed him an assuring smile. "I'm fine. It only hurts a little bit. I'm a big girl. I can suck it up."

Time passed as the three lions laid in their den, Kweli content on his own pelt while Ari continued to rest against Hiroshi. The silence was something Ari did not mind at all, having had her fair share of excitement for the day. Day soon turned to night and she knew the day would end soon; nonetheless, Ari did not want for it to end. It had been one of the happier afternoons and evenings in recent memory, despite what had happened in the morning. Though her happiness would most likely continue the next day, there would likely be nothing that could beat the feeling she was feeling then. Sighing, she leaned her head further into Hiroshi's chest, perfectly content with her situation and glad that she could finally do so without fear of possibly seeming overbearing toward Hiroshi.

The moment was interrupted by a voice coming from the entrance to the cave, for the second time that evening. This time it was Kito, and as Ari glanced up to greet her friend, her thoughts momentarily returned to what had happened between the two lions earlier that day. She lifted her head from Hiroshi's chest, opening her mouth to greet him... but her words were stopped fleetingly when she laid eyes on Kito's side, which was covered in his own abrasions. Gasping succinctly, she stood, fearing not what Hiroshi or even Kito might think, and rushed over to the corner where Kito had slumped in.

Lowering her head so that she could view Kito's injuries with a better eye, Ari cried out in fear as a wave of realization concerning his injuries came over her. "Oh my gawd, Kito, what happened? Who did this to you?!"

The smell coming off of Kito was not of Scar, nor was it Kito's himself. She sat back on her haunches, not wanting to touch any of his injuries but wanting to help. Kweli walked over quietly and joined her, observing from a safe distance as he, too, waited for Kito's explanation, wanting to know if a visit to Rafiki was perhaps necessary that late at night.

[KiarasMate]

Lifting his head from his fore paws momentarily as both Ari and Kweli approached him, Kito looked quite disinterested in wanting to reveal what had happened to him. While he was both genuinely flattered and a bit bemused over Ari’s concern for him given his current state, Kito knew that he’d only cause more worry for the golden furred lioness if he explained what had happened to him in full detail. Doing his utmost to act as nonchalant as possible, Kito replied to Ari’s question with an abridged version of what had transpired.

”Meh, it looks a lot worse than it feels, so save your pity guys. I just had a little run in with a few mangy hyena vermin is all. Apparently I’m no longer welcome at The Main Den or near The Hunting Party members cave either. Looks like I royally pissed off Scar this time but to hell with him. I’ve had enough of his crap anyways. That’s why I sort of need a place to crash.”

By the looks of his wounds, it seemed as though Kito had already tended to them to the best of his own ability, although due to the sheer volume of scratches and lacerations that adorned his body, a trip to see Rafiki would probably be very beneficial to say the least. Kito however, was not about to pay the cheeky Shaman a visit if he could help it. Being obviously too proud still to even hint at needing any sort of assistance, Kito just hoped that his friends would simply drop the issue altogether. From the look that both Ari and Kweli were giving him though, this didn’t seem like it would be the case. Grunting as he rolled back onto his less disheveled looking side to hide most of his imperfections from his company’s view, Kito tried his best to alter the subject as he called over to Hiroshi in a casual voice.

”Hey Hiro. I saw you enjoyed my lunch, huh buddy? You know, I had to go through a lot just to get my paws on that, so I hope you realize just how good of a friend I consider you to be.”

While both Kweli and Ari took their time to examine Kito’s condition, Hiroshi remained where he was, knowing that whatever was ailing Kito, both his friends could handle the situation without him needing to be involved. It wasn’t that he didn’t care himself or that he wasn’t concerned about Kito’s predicament, but not being in the finest of shape himself, Hiroshi just assumed that the best thing he could do right now, was to let the others deal with helping Kito. Seeing Ari’s reaction to Kito’s situation, Hiroshi was strongly beginning to think that something might have come between the golden furred lioness and his best friend, as Ari never seemed to be this sympathetic towards Kito under any given circumstances, although in all fairness, Kito had never sustained any injuries that were this severe before. Still, the way Ari spoke of Kito ever since she had returned, just didn’t settle right with Hiroshi. Hoping that he was just over thinking things, Hiroshi was relieved to hear Kito speaking to him now, giving him a reason to forget about his own train of thought as he responded in an appreciative tone.

”Indeed, it did Kito. Thank you for giving up so much for me buddy and more importantly, thanks for helping Ari out today. I really owe you one there.”

[YFWE]

Ari frowned at Kito's explanation, quite certain that there was more to his lacerations than he had given off, though she was unsure whether or not she would be able to extract any more information from him than she already had. Opening her muzzle to attempt to question him further, as she was curious, Ari was cut off by Kito's quick change of subject, and disdainfully shut her mouth as she listened. Kweli, meanwhile, had a feeling that pressing Kito further would be a lost cause and was quite sure that despite his injuries, Kito would be completely unwilling to visit Rafiki especially at that time of night, and so he retook his place upon his pelt, laying his head atop his paws as he listened to Kito, and then to Hiroshi.

Once Hiroshi had answered his question, however, Ari reset her sights upon Kito, still not content with his answer. "But why would the hyenas attack you, Kito? What did Scar say? Why would you be banished from the Hunting Party's cave?"

Ari knew she was prying quite heavily into the details of Kito's evening, but there was something inside her that was so incredibly enraged at Scar for all that had occurred that she had been brought to a breaking point of sorts. She wanted to know what he had done, wanted to know what kind of leverage she could use on him if it ever came to that. She doubted Kito would reveal much more, but hoped he would. After all, she did feel a twinge of concern for the lion, especially if he had been attacked for the reason she suspected--after what had happened between she and him in front of Scar. She did not want any blood on her paws and knew that if the attack on Kito had been because of what he had done to her, she would not be able to take the fact very well.

Sighing, Ari made her way back over to Hiroshi, hoping that perhaps some space would cause Kito to be more likely to spill what had happened. She figured, nonetheless, that perhaps she had become too emotional, on account of what had happened between she and Hiroshi that evening. Maybe she was overreacting. Nudging up against Hiroshi once more, she laid her head against his broad foreleg, yawning as she stared out the cave and into the night.

"Are things always going to be this way?" she asked no one in particular with a dreamy, sleepy voice as she watched the stars twinkle over the barren lands.

[KiarasMate]

Huffing contemptuously as it seemed as though his ploy to avert the topic of discussion, had gone unheeded by Ari at least, Kito was still reluctant to spill any further information about what truly had happened to him and why it had in the first place. Glancing over at Ari, who had once again, made herself comfortable next to Hiroshi, Kito’s emerald eyes met with Ari’s for a split second. Without even having to say anything, the wounded male’s gesture was a sure enough sign that her inclinations were accurate. Hoping to at least appease Ari’s initial interrogation however, Kito thought fleetingly about his short lived moment of passion with Ari, before replying to her inquiries, doing his utmost to keep his response as sugar coated as he could.

”I guess you really meant that much to Scar Ari and me coming in between the both of you, just didn’t rub our king the right way. It’s as simple as that.”

In all honesty, it was far more complex than what he had just stated, as Kito himself had sacrificed so much just to ensure Ari’s safety now. He would, under Scar’s reign that is, never have the opportunity to get a mate, as his only devotion was supposed to be solely upon Ari herself, a lioness who didn’t even think of him as anything more than a friend at best and even that was stretching the truth. Kito knew that Hiroshi had already won Ari over and that even if he had felt some sort of connection towards the golden furred lioness during their unexpected kiss, the feelings would never be mutual from Ari. This fact both bothered and saddened Kito, as he didn’t regret what he had done for her, yet at the same time, he wished that Ari would realize how far he was willing to go and what he was willing to give up, just to make her happy. Seeing both Ari and Hiroshi together and sensing the love that had undoubtedly bloomed between the two friends, Kito found himself torn at a cross roads. Hoping to forget about this fact for now at least and beginning to feel his injuries starting to plague him further, Kito closed his eyes and attempted to find sleep as his mind continued to ponder over everything in greater detail.

Happy to have Ari back at his side yet again, Hiroshi cuddled in close to her as he too, begun to settle in for the night. It had been a day to remember, for both good and bad reasons, yet having been able to confess his love for Ari made it all worth while in the end. As long as she was safe and with him, nothing could go wrong. Hearing Ari’s indirect question, Hiroshi gently took hold of one of Ari’s fore paws with his own, caressing it lightly as he responded in a quiet voice, seeing how everyone else seemed to already be dozing off themselves.

”Let’s hope times get better Ari, but we still have each other and nothing is ever going to change that. Our friendship has seen us through the worst of times so far and as long as we stick together, we’ll always pull through in the end. Let’s get some rest though. I’m sure we all could use a good night’s sleep after everything we’ve all been through today.”

Repositioning himself slightly, now that the initial worry about Ari being safe was quelled in his mind at least, Hiroshi curled himself around Ari’s slender body, keeping her warm and protected by his mere presence alone. Purring softly, Hiroshi leaned in to give Ari a soft lick over her cheek, followed by an affectionate nuzzle. Murmuring quietly in her ear, Hiroshi spoke in a hushed voice just so only Ari would pick up upon what he stated.

”Good night my beautiful Ari. I love you with all my heart and thank you again for saving me today and I’ll always be here for you, I promise.”

[YFWE]

Now fully aware of what had happened to Kito and why it had happened, Ari felt slightly more content to rest, though it did supply her with a more guilty conscience. Trying to remind herself that Kito seemed to be alright and would likely heal soon, coupled with the fact that Hiroshi's large frame had already closed around her, Ari felt herself easing slowly into sleep, her concentration broken once as Hiroshi whispered quietly into her ear. Smiling to herself, her tail intertwining with his, Ari purred softly as she turned briefly and returned the favor. "Goodnight, Hiro. Tonight you'll be the last thing I think of as I fall asleep and the first thing that enters my mind as I awake. I'll see you in the morning; I can't wait to spend the day with you."

Kweli could hear the lion and lioness whispering and sighed to himself, certainly happy with Ari and Hiroshi, who seemed to have finally decided that they were mates. Yawning sleepily, he closed his eyes, quietly anticipating the next morning. It would be his birthday, after all. He was unsure whether or not any of his friends actually knew this, but he was quite sure himself, having observed the patterns of the moon for the last fortnight. Most of his birthdays were quite hushed and quiet, and he expected no more than the same. Regardless, a birthday was a birthday, and Kweli was eager to celebrate it in whatever way he could.

Ari glanced out of the cave one last time at the stars, and then over at Kweli and Kito, who appeared to be sleeping or close to it, and turned her gaze to Hiroshi. Reaching up one last time to give the lion a tender lick upon the cheek, Ari could still be heard purring as she, too, drifted off to sleep, unsure of what the next day would present but eager to spend it in the company of her friends.

[KiarasMate]

As a new day dawned upon The pride Lands, Hiroshi found himself awake at the first signs of light that shown dully into the confines of their den. Having slept soundly enough while being snuggled next to Ari for the entire night, Hiroshi felt extremely refreshed in contrast to how he had been feeling the previous day. The amount of fatty warthog meat he had consumed, combined with the affection and attention Ari herself had given to him seemed to have brought him back from the brink of destruction as his energy levels and physical prowess were back to acceptable levels. Having enough strength to move about on his own volition, Hiroshi let out a soft yawn before uncurling himself from around Ari’s warm body, making sure as not to disturb her in the process. Noticing the absence of Kito, which didn’t quite strike him as being out of place as he had grown accustom to waking up without his best friend even being present most of the time now, Hiroshi paid it no mind as he quietly rose to all fours and made his way over to the left over warthog that Ari had insisted he finish.

Feeling his appetite returning to him, it was only a matter of minutes before the remainder of the savory meat was safely tucked within Hiroshi’s stomach. Satisfied and ready to get a new day underway, Hiroshi heard paw steps coming towards the entranceway of the den. Perking up his ears, Hiroshi stood up and made his way over to the mouth of the cave just in time to catch sight of Kito, who was returning back from what looked to be an early morning stroll. Sporting a friendly looking smile, Hiroshi waved a fore paw to Kito as he called out to him in a pleasant voice.

”Morning Kito. Up early, huh?”

Kito, who had woken up a few hours before anyone else, had decided to actually pay a quick visit to Rafiki in regards to his wounds. The wise mandrill had been more than happy to tend to Kito’s injuries but not without giving the reluctant male an ear full about how he should be more careful and that how each creature only had one life to live and how it should be cherished. Letting the words roll off his back for the most part anyways, Kito had suffered through Rafiki’s treatment and was pleasantly surprised from how much of a difference the Shaman’s medicines were having upon his cuts already. Spotting Hiroshi’s warm greeting as he neared the den, Kito simply nodded in response as he had a small pouch tucked in between his muzzle lips, preventing him from vocalizing a reply at the given moment. Passing by Hiroshi as he entered the cave, Kito set the small bundle down next to the wall of the den before speaking up to Hiroshi in a quiet tone.

”Hey buddy. Glad to see you up and about today too. Yeah, figured I’d go and see Rafiki in regards to my condition. Didn’t sleep all that great last night, so I needed all the help I could get I suppose. He also gave me two other things to bring back here though.” Kito stated, turning his attention back to the pouch he had formally placed upon the ground. Reaching a paw into the container, Kito withdrew a small clump of dried herbs that he quaintly tossed over to Hiroshi as he spoke up again. ”I told Rafiki about Ari’s injuries too and he insisted on her applying some of those herbs, when wet, to her wounds. I gotta say, as crazy as he comes off as being, that monkey knows his stuff when it comes to medicine. I’ll let you give that to Ari though, since she probably won’t take it from me buddy.”

Reaching into the pouch one last time, Kito extracted another small, brightly colored flower that he himself had actually never even seen before. Gently cupping the delicate looking flora within his paw, Kito glanced over at Kweli, who was sleeping in his usual spot atop his pelt, before turning his focus back to Hiroshi. Speaking up in a hushed whisper, Kito gently passed the flower over to Hiroshi as he stated in a curious voice.

”This here, is apparently for Kweli. Did you know it was his birthday today Hiro? Rafiki sure did and he told me to give Kweli that. Not exactly the type of present I’d want, but I guess it’s the thought that counts, right?”

Having to take a few steps back from Kito, as the scent coming off of his best friend’s pelt was quite overpowering due to the heavy layer of herbs that lined his abrasions, Hiroshi listened closely to everything that Kito was telling him. Looking over both items that were passed his way, Hiroshi was internally thankful that Kito had thought of Ari when he had been visiting with Rafiki. Both males knew how strong Ari was, but also wanted her to remain that way, so Hiroshi himself had no qualms in giving Ari the intended medicine to help aid her injuries, minor or not, it was for her own good nonetheless. Upon examining the vibrant looking flower, Hiroshi came to the same conclusion that Kito did, as he had never seen such a flower in his lifetime but knowing that Kweli and Rafiki spoke of many things during their time spent together, Hiroshi just assumed that it was something that Kweli would recognize himself. After Kito had finished speaking, Hiroshi nodded as he spoke up in an equally hushed voice to field Kito’s question.

”Indeed I did Kito. In fact, Ari has a plan of some sort for today, although I can’t quite remember what it was thanks to all the drama from yesterday, but I should probably rouse her so we can find out ourselves.”

With this stated, Hiroshi gently picked up the bundle of herbs that were meant for Ari and began to pad over to where the beautiful lioness was snoozing peacefully. Setting the medicine down next to her, Hiroshi lovingly leaned in and began to nuzzle Ari’s cheek while purring softly to coax her awake in as soothing of a way as he could think of doing. Murmuring quietly in her ear, Hiroshi planted a tender kiss over Ari’s neck as he lightly caressed her side with a fore paw.

”Time to greet a new day my gorgeous Ari. Rise and shine and show me those beautiful amber eyes of yours.”

While Hiroshi was busy attending to the task of getting Ari up, Kito stayed where he was, fumbling with the unique looking flower in his paws as he debated on whether or not he should wake Kweli up and deliver Rafiki’s present to him. Finding himself with nothing better to do though as he couldn’t keep his attention centered upon Hiroshi and Ari for very long without feeling a small twinge of jealousy to course through his being, Kito made up his mind and quietly padded over to where Kweli was resting. Dangling his fore paw which held the flower within it, above Kweli’s head, Kito let go of the flora as it softly alighted atop the dozing lions nose. Grinning to himself from the mere sight of Kweli now, Kito cleared his throat before belting out a few extremely off key notes of singing as he gestured with his fore paws in an amusing fashion.

”Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dearest Kweli! Happy birthday to you! Now get your lazy ass upppp!”

[YFWE]

She was atop a large hill in the middle of the savanna. Ari had been here many times before, knowing it to be a prime outlook for the surrounding area. But on that particular day, she was not atop that hill to do a bit of sightseeing. Rather, she was there to meet someone.

And there he was, trudging up one side of the hill. Hiroshi was looking particularly handsome that day, his long, black mane flowing in the light breeze that had descended upon the Pride Lands. Ari smiled at the sight of him, happy to be given the opportunity to spend the day in the company of the striking lion. Taking a step toward him, Ari was ready to greet him affectionately before they set off together... but paused in her tracks.

Walking up the other side of the hill was another lion. As it was still off in the distance, Ari could not make out its identity just yet. And although Hiroshi was still coming toward her, still intent upon greeting her... something about this new presence intrigued Ari and pulled her attention away from Hiroshi.

Yes, something was quite intriguing about this lion, with his tan fur, brown mane, and emerald eyes....


Ari felt herself being pulled out of her dream by the soft nudges to her cheek and the hushed words spoken into her ear. Recognizing the voice almost immediately as Hiroshi's, Ari slowly opened her sleepy amber eyes, yawning once before directing her gaze to the black-maned lion. Returning Hiroshi's affections with a short lick on his cheek, Ari got to her paws, whispering a quick "good morning," before stretching some more. She glanced down at the various herbs that Hiroshi had laid at her paws and grinned. "Ah, someone told Rafiki about my injuries, did they? Well, I guess I'll need to work on applying these in a bit, won't I? Though," she glanced down at her abrasions she had accrued from the previous day's events, "I'm looking much better already. They don't even hurt."

Kweli had been laying in the den peacefully for a while, having been unable to sleep that much the previous night due to it being his birthday. Now that the rest of his friends had finally begun to stir, the lion knew that his time had almost come, whether he liked it or not. This was realized when Kito, as he dropped a delicate flower atop Kweli's nose, began to sing rather obnoxiously to him. Making sure he did not groan so as to avoid upsetting Kito, Kweli opened his eyes slowly, scrunching his nose at the sight of the flower in between his eyes and gently picking it off of his countenance. Once Kito was done singing, Kweli glanced up at the lion, fully aware that the flower had come from Rafiki but wanting to have a little fun on the morning of his birthday. "Thanks for that lovely rendition, Kito. But a flower? I never thought you were the type of lion to appreciate that kind of beauty! You shouldn't have, really!" he said with a laugh before rising to all fours.

Padding over to Kweli, Ari gave the small male a quick nudge against the cheek. "Happy birthday, Kwel," she said, sending him a delighted smile. "So... I had an idea for your present today. It might not be much but... it's something. I can't tell you what it is yet but we'll have to walk for a liiiittle bit. Would you be okay with that?"

Feeling his cheeks flush as he was not used to nor usually desired much attention any day, let alone his birthday, Kweli laughed quietly as he looked back into Ari's eyes. "That's mighty kind of you, Ari. Take me wherever you'd like! I'm sure whatever you have planned is just fine."

Beaming, Ari turned back to Hiroshi and Kito. "You guys are coming too, right? I know I haven't told either of you where we're going but I guess that'll add to the surprise.' She glanced once at Kito's abrasions. "...if you're feeling up to it, of course."

[KiarasMate]

Upon hearing Kweli’s response to his overly enthusiastic wake up call, Kito couldn’t help himself as he scrunched up his face in a look of disgust. Typically, he would have most certainly fired back a snide remark of his own, but remembering that it was, in fact, Kweli’s birthday, Kito held his tongue and merely went along with his friend’s playful banter. Adopting a cheeky looking smile, Kito took himself quite out of character as he flashed Kweli a sappy look before turning himself around and crouched his body low to the ground while glancing over his shoulder. Speaking up to Kweli in a comical voice, Kito swished his tail enticingly as he stated jokingly.

”Oh, you’ve found me out Kweli. I’ve always wanted you, so come and get your real present big boy.”

Bursting into hysterics from his own display, Kito hopped back onto all fours as he grinned deviously and took a seat back alongside all of his friends. As much as he would never admit it, he truly did miss these types of moments. Ever since he had taken up residence within The Main Den, Kito had forgotten about how entertaining life could be when spent with his three friends. This fact seemed to weigh heavily upon him this day, especially from the way Ari kept stealing glances towards him. Waiting to hear what Ari had in store for Kweli now though, Kito remained silent as his emerald orbs drifted from one friend to another, prolonging over Ari more than the other two in particular.

Hiroshi was just about to speak up and suggest that Ari apply the provided medicine from Rafiki as soon as possible but his words ceased to leave his muzzle as he watched Ari moving away from where she had been sitting next to him as she greeted Kweli affectionately. Debating whether or not he should even bring up the matter now, as it really did seem as though Ari was just fine and her gate showed no sign of abnormality, Hiroshi dismissed his thought, but made a mental note to be sure to help his golden furred friend take the medicine later on once they would have some time to do so. As Ari’s words in regards to her plan for Kweli’s birthday reached his ears, Hiroshi focused upon the subject at paw as he quaintly tucked the bundle of herbs beneath Ari’s sleeping pelt to prevent them from being accidentally blown away by any potential winds that might peruse through their den in their absence. Speaking up once Ari was finished, Hiroshi nodded as he stood up and prepared himself to follow his friends out of the den once they were ready to depart on their little adventure.

”Thanks to you Ari, I’m sure I’ll be fine today. I already feel like my old self again, so lead the way Beautiful.”

Hearing Ari’s inquiry and once again, noticing her directing the general gist of her question towards himself, Kito felt his mixed emotions about the golden furred lioness, beginning to churn within his mind once more. Why did she suddenly care more about his own wellbeing than Hiroshi’s? It was true that her statement was aimed towards both himself and Hiroshi, but Kito would have expected Ari to at least focus her eyes upon Hiroshi over him. Still, trying his best not to work himself into a tizzy over such matters, Kito merely chalked Ari’s actions up to the severity of both Hiroshi and his own given conditions and while he didn’t entirely believe this to be the truth himself, it still quelled his thoughts nonetheless. Giving Ari a quick nod, Kito replied right after Hiroshi did as he too, rose to all fours and moved aside to allow Ari and Kweli to take lead first before he would follow.

”Don’t worry about me TomCat. I’ll be fine. It’s you I’m worried about.” Giving a halfhearted smirk, Kito just couldn’t bring himself to rip upon Ari as he normally might have, yet still wanting to give the false impression that nothing had changed between the two of them, Kito continued to play the part as he waited for the days events to get underway.

[YFWE]

Glad to hear that both Hiroshi and Kito would be able to join them for Kweli's birthday, Ari nodded and stepped outside, Kweli beside her, as she stepped around the cave and began walking even further from Pride Rock. Having not been to the place she was heading toward in a good while but unable to rely on any of the others for directions, Ari kept her head forward and focused, determined not to get them lost but also to make the day as great a birthday as she could for Kweli.

Kweli stalked alongside Ari, somewhat curious as to where they were headed, though still a bit apprehensive himself. Having never been the attention-seeking type in his life, he much preferred more quiet birthdays to ones where things were actually done for him. That said, it was only Ari, Hiroshi and Kito that had come along, so it was still a marginally small birthday. As long as a big to-do was avoided (which Kweli figured would be the case, given that Scar most certainly would not recognize it and nor would most of the other lionesses), Kweli considered himself content. After all, how much longer would he even remain in his friends' company? His premonition and the notion that the shattered remnants of his former pride were still out there, somewhere, made him question this more and more with each passing hour.

Luckily for Ari's sanity, it did not take long for them to reach the spot she had envisioned. A large hill sat up ahead, and a steep one at that. At its top was a small abundance of trees, though they could see nothing more from their angle at the bottom of the hill. The incline was slightly steep and composed primarily of dirt, but the climb was most certainly doable for anyone, even Kito with his injuries, or at least so Ari pictured in her mind.

Once they were at the base of the hill, Ari did a quick turn and motioned upward with her head. "It's right up there," she said shortly, before returning her focus to the steep incline. Unsheathing her claws so that she would ensure herself maximum traction when climbing, Ari reared back once and then dashed up the hill, moving quickly so as to not lose any momentum. Reaching the top of the mound within seconds, she paused at the top, overlooking the scene before her and nodding approvingly, then turning back to wait on the rest of her friends to make the climb.

Staring at the steep incline a bit hesitantly, Kweli's fears of climbing such a thing were quelled somewhat when he saw that Ari had had no problem making her way to the top. Still, he was fully aware that Ari was far more agile than he was, and perhaps stronger as well, so this was bound to be easier for her. Certainly not wanting to back out and disappoint Ari, though, Kweli leaped forward, latching onto the dirt surface with his claws as he scrambled up the side of the hill, finally reaching the top moments later.

After waiting a short while until Kito and Hiroshi had joined them atop the hill, Ari raised a paw and motioned to the area they had reached. Much like the Waterhole they were accustomed to visiting a bit closer to Pride Rock, the small grouping of trees surrounded a tiny body of water. From one side flowed a small stream, which emptied out into a steep rapids that ran the length of the other side of the hill. On either side of these rapids was a distinctly muddy area. Though there was most certainly a scarcity of water due to the drought, there was still enough left over, somehow, for the mud to have remained somewhat malleable.

Turning back to Kweli, a wide grin upon her countenance, Ari said, "Well, what do you think? Is this kinda like the place you used to go with your pride when you were younger? See, you can slide down the hill and everything!"

And as if to demonstrate this, Ari took a running leap off the side of the hill, connecting with the large incline of mud and dirt and sliding down it, mud collecting on her sleek fur as she laughed with pleasure, rolling on to her back at the bottom of the hill. "Come on guys," she called up to the three males that peered at her from over the top of the ledge. "It's fun!

[KiarasMate]

Seeing how Ari appeared to be focused upon finding her way to wherever it was that she was leading them to, Hiroshi opted to stay behind the golden furred lioness as they made their way across the dry lands. Having the chance now to test his own strength, Hiroshi kept his pace timed with Ari’s as he trotted along, seemingly unfazed by his former condition. While he didn’t quite feel as though he was fully recovered, the brisk walk seemed to help his body get back into the swing of things as he noticed an approaching hill that Ari appeared to be leading them towards. Pausing at the base of the sharp incline, Hiroshi listened closely to what his golden furred friend stated before observing her gracefully bounding up the steep slope with ease.

Waiting for Kweli to follow suit, Hiroshi was the next to scale the hill as he mirrored his friend’s actions and took a leap towards the hillside, digging his jagged claws into the terrain before hoisting himself upwards. It took Hiroshi a little longer to arrive at the peak of the structure due to his body’s current limits, yet he still managed to clear the task with little to no strain upon himself. Glancing down towards Kito, Hiroshi motioned for his best friend to join them as he turned and followed Ari’s gaze towards the opposite end of the hill.

Being the last to trek up the vertical surface, Kito’s extra muscle mass proved to be beneficial once again as even in his tattered state, he reached the top of the hill without breaking a sweat. Taking a few steps forward to join his friends, Kito listened intently to Ari as she spoke up to Kweli. Adopting a puzzled expression as he witnessed the golden furred feline proceeding to slide herself down the muddy trail left by the stream. Turning to face Kweli, Kito spoke up in a quizzical voice.

”Sliding down hills in the mud? Is this what you did in your spare time when you were younger Kweli? Not exactly the most hygienically sound forms of recreation if you ask me.”

Having a much more open mind than Kito did it seemed, Hiroshi didn’t need to be told twice as he let out a joyous sounding roar before launching himself off of the hill and landing on his stomach upon the muddy path. Due to the sheer amount of forward momentum that he gained from taking such a powerful leap in the first place, Hiroshi came barreling down the slippery slope like a furry bullet. Catching sight of Ari, who was still wallowing where she had skidded to a halt at, Hiroshi had a sneaking suspicion that he wouldn’t slow down by the time he reached her. Trying to decrease his speed as best he could, Hiroshi dug his paws into the muddy landscape but to no avail. Fortunately the thick mud acted like a cushioning agent as Hiroshi lightly collided with his dirty looking friend, causing the two mud caked felines to go tumbling together. Landing with himself laying atop Ari’s slippery body, Hiroshi grinned sheepishly as he spoke up in an embarrassed voice.

”Ooph, sorry Ari. Guess I should have waited for you to move before coming down, huh?”

Looking on as Hiroshi dove down the makeshift mudslide, Kito shook his head in disbelief. He couldn’t believe that something so primitive could be so much fun. It wasn’t as though he was overly concerned with his own cleanliness but purposefully covering himself in mud for no apparent reason didn’t exactly rank very high on his list of entertaining things to do. Sure, he had done it that one time when they had visited Paradise when he had to escape from the angry swarm of bees he had managed to piss off, but this was different. Turning to look at Kweli to see if the smaller male was going to take Ari up on her offer, Kito stated in a reluctant voice.

”If you’re going to do it Kweli, go right ahead. I think I’ll have to pass. That crazy mandrill told me to keep my cuts clean and rolling in mud probably wouldn’t be a very smart move on my part. Don’t let me ruin the fun for you though. It’s your special day though, so live it up.”