[PRIVATE] A Rogue's Light

[Nakisisa]

"Im fine" Ra sighed, "How are you, and you're neck?" Ra asked, "Any pain?"

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga tested Ra's question by flexing his neck experimentally, rubbing a paw through his mane for added effect. He heard the joints in his spine cracka couple of time from the unusual, and long-overdue movement, and winced slightly as the discomfort flared up again, but it was far less painful that it had been before. "Still stiff and sore...but I'll be fine. It was more what I saw while I was out that hurt more, really..."

As he spoke, he looked back towards his family's resting place once more. "But my family's at peace now...and one day I'll see them again, but not for a long time, I hope." Feeling slightly self-conscious, he gave Imani another brief nuzzle, drawing comfort from the contact. "I'm not sure about Mufalfa, though...I don't quite know what I should be doing about him. I know you're with him, Ra, and he's the father of your cubs, and he seems alright at the moment...but he killed my parents. I just...I'm a little confused about it all right now," he finished rather feebly.

[Nakisisa]

(( let's give it a try then ))

Checking Imani was out of range, Ra blushed. Yet even though she new that Imani couldent hear them, she whispered to Tanga. "Tanga I'm glad you're alright, but I have something to tell you" she said sounding serious, slowing her pace even more. "Me and Mufalfa, were not together. I wanted my cubs to have a father, that's why I protected him. If I could turn back the clock I would, but what's been done can't be changed." Ra said almost sobbing.

"But I have to ask you. Does my sister know of the promise you made to me, and do you realy love her?" Ra asked, as another question formed in her mind, sobbing properly, she asked, "Do you want to talk about you're parents to me, and do you want me to be there when you talk to Mufalfa"

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga laid I paw on Ra's shoulder, trying to calm her down a little. "Easy, Ra," he soothed. "I'm sorry, I had just assumed..." he trailed off, deciding it was probably best to let the matter of Ra and Mufalfa go before he dug himself into a deeper hole over it.

He looked Ra directly in the eye, making sure she could see every emotion his blue orbs were generating as he spoke once more. "Imani does know of the promise, yes...but really, that promise is no longer relevant. I truly do love Imani...she's a wonderful lioness, and I'm still trying to figure out how I was lucky enough to recieve her love in return. She's my life now, Ra...and even if I had not promised you anything, I would still do anything to protect her and make her happy...even at my own expense."

Tanga spoke from his heart, and he did his best to show Ra that. But he moved the subject on, remembering the other questions she had posed. "I'll tell you the full story about my parents some other time...but the short story is that my first solo hunt sent me straight into Mufalfa and Neru's claws. My parents came to my defence, and forced me to run while they fought off the two of them. In the end, Mufalfa killed them, and Neru..." he paused, fighting back the nauseating revulsion this part caused. "...well, some things are better left unsaid. But I didn't know until this morning, just before Neru died...that my mother was carrying my unborn sister when she was killed."

Tanga sighed heavily, before once again looking back to the collection of rocks that marked his family's final resting place. "Those rock back there are where they rest...I had to see them one last time. It's been hard, but I'm moving on now. I guess talking to Mufalfa will be the last obstacle before that, though."

thinking of his upcoming conversation with Mufalfa reminded Tanga of Ra's last question. "I think you should be there when I talk to him...I don't know how I'm going to react...but if I look like I'm going to attack or hurt him, I give you permission to stop me as you see fit, no matter how much I protest at the time." He knew it was the right thing to do, particularly since he may not be thinking rationally at times when it came to Mufalfa...he did not want blood on his paws, even if it was the blood of his parents' killer.

"Just know that some...difficult things could come up during this, so don't feel obliged to stay." Taking a breath, Tanga pulled himself back on all fours, taking a few more steps towards Mufalfa's spot. "Alright...better get this done soon rather than later, I guess," he said, indicating for Ra to follow him if she wanted as he approached Mufalfa and Auni, steadying himself in preparation for what was most likely going to be a difficult conversation.

[Nakisisa]

"Thank you Tanga." Ra whispered as she stopped crying, "As long as you're protecting my sister, I'll be there for you, and know you'll be safe. Both of you" she said sighing, "If only..." she silently sighed, "If only..." Hearing what Tanga said qbout his familie brought more tears to Ra's eyes, as she spoke aloud, "Gods I must look a mess, me, the strong one, and I'm crying!" she said laughing, calming don to hear Tangas finale. "Tanga, I will stop you both from doing something you both regret. I promise" she herself finished

[oXButterflyKissesXo]

As the cubbish-lioness bounced through the grass with happy giggles following her, she turned her head to look and see her sister and Tanga talking. "What are they saying?" She laughed to herself, waiting for them to catch up. When they got closer, she saw Ra's eyes filled with tears and more emotion than she has seen from Tanga the past days. "Ra?" She said aloud, running back to her.

When she approached her sister, she let her ears fold back onto her head and looked at her sister. "Are you okay? Did I do something wrong?" She asked hesitantly, licking the top of her older sibling's head, acting like a mother and the older sister this time. When she was done, she looked back into her eyes and waited for a reply.

[Nakisisa]

"Im fine." Ra said sadly, chuckling at her sister action, "...mum" she said giving Tanga a quick glance, and then into her sisters deep violet eyes. "You look just like her, you know" Ra said, stunned by the resembalance of her memories and sister. At that point she had a thought and started debating weather she should follow through with her idea. And what her sister would do!

[oXButterflyKissesXo]

Imani looked at her sister and smiled at what she said. Her head tipped down and thought about it for a moment before she looked back up at her thought of something, "you said I looked more like dad! All the time when we were kids, you said I looked like dad" she laughed lightly, hopping away, trying to get the thoughts of her parents out of her head.

She then paused and looked down at the ground. Speaking of looking like her father...she thought about Kamau for the first time in ages. Kamau, she thought, raking in a breath that she could find and then letting it out, "brother..."

[Nakisisa]

"Imani, are you? Are you alright?" Ra asked noticing the sudden intake of breath. Yet she didn't notice her brothers name* "Imani, calm please." Ra begged placing her paw oh Imani's, "come on let it all out" she said sounding stronger, and pulling her sister close to her, allowing her to confert her easier, "Do you want Tanga here aswell?" Ra asked

((* Had a great idea, I'll tell you about it after I've had some sleep! night ))

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga sat on the sidelines as the two sisters had their moment, feeling ashamed of himself...he had been the one to bring Ra to tears with his depressing stories on his past, and he hated himself for doing that to both her and Ra. He knew there, then, that he had to change his ways.

Remember how, several times lately, Imani had come across as really carefree and almost cubbish when she was in a good mood, Tanga vowed to himself that, once he had made one last, serious talk with Mufalfa, that he would ask her help to make him less sombre, and find a way to start acting like she did. It was about time he brought smiles to other lion's faces, instead of removing them constantly.

Feeling a little better now that he had a definitive plan to stop his ways, he looked up once more the shame still lingering in the background as he watched the two sisters. This was their moment, and Mufalfa still seemed distracted with Auni...he could wait for either group, patience was a virtue he had learned well in his solitude.