The Mystics. *Private Arani and QOPR*

[AdAstrα]

Ayira gasped. The voices inside her head had begun to scream once again. Something bad was about to happen, something very bad, but what it was, she could not tell.
"What's wrong? What's happening?" she whispered to herself. The voices did not respond. Just like before, they seemed so distant she couldn't comprehend any of what they were trying to say. Frustrated, she blocked them out. Something was preventing her ancestors from reaching out to her, she could feel it. This had never happened before today, and it made her confused. How was this possible?

Vitani turned around as Hatari fell silent. "Something wrong?" she asked anxiously.

[Arani]

"I'm not sure actually..." She said, looking around. "Something's... missing." She could have mentioned the spirits acting up again, but distant enough so that they couldn't be heard. She didn't want to get into THAT with the kids. Tahi ran over to them, odviously knowing that something was wrong.

"Where's Tania?" Tahi asked. Hatari and Ayria both gasped at once. Tania had run off.

"Oh my god, she never listens." Hatari growled to herself. "Alright kids, I need you to go back to Pride Rock right now, don't stop for any reason. Tahi, Vitani, Ayria, follow me. We're heading for the gourge."

[AdAstrα]

Vitani gasped. "The..gorge?" She said, "But...how do we know for sure that's where she went? She could have gone in another direction..I mean it's a bit risky isn't it, going there..if it turns out she's not there,eh? I mean.."
"Calm down, Vitani." Ayira snapped, "You're making the youngsters nervous! Freaking out isn't going to help,is it? We have to remain calm."

[Arani]

Hatari glared at her aunt for a second, then turned back to the kids. Their faces were starting to show fear of what the elders might know. "It's alright, I'm sure everything is fine. Just run back to Pride Rock as fast as you can and we'll be home soon. And tell the rest of the Pride when you get back that we'll be back later. Okay?" All the kids nodded and in a second they were racing back to Pride Rock. Hatari turned back to face Vitani. "Calm down, will ya?" She snapped. "Listen, last week, I had a vision. In the vision, a lioness that looked a lot like Ayria was there talking to me, and we were at the gorge. And right now, both of us" She shot a look at Ayria "can feel that something bad is going to happen shortly. It's the only lead we've got, and it's near where Hofu showed up. If she's gone there then Hofu will have a chance to practice." That last word, practice. She suddered at her own voice. If he laid a paw on one of the kids... she didn't know what she would do but it would be something bad.

[AdAstrα]

Ayira nodded. "If anything happens to her,it will be serious. I can feel it. We have to find her as soon as possible, or it might be too late. I understand if you are frightened, Vitani.." She added calmly, "But everything will be all right if we just stay together. He won't be able to do us any harm if we remain a team."
Vitani turned around and began to walk towards the gorge. "Come on then" she muttered, "Let's find this girl before Hofu does."

[Arani]

Hatari and Tahi followed her. Tahi, though he was trying desperately, but failing miserably, to keep a strait, calm face, he showed how frightened he truly was. Not for himself, but for Tania.

"Lets hope she didn't go there at all." He said. No one answered, lost in their own thoughts. Hatari then came up next to Vitani.

"Sorry I snapped at you like that, Aunt Vitani." She said in the most apologetic voice she could over her shaky voice and fast breaths. She had never once snapped at her aunt, especially in such a harsh way, so she must have surprised her some. "Right now is a really... stressful time for me. You know, being the mystic and all. And without the help of my ancestors..." She fell silent. It was true, they weren't helping her. Only thing they did was give her a sign when something bad was going to happen. It made her frustrated and mad. Why? Was it a test? If it was, it was a really bad one. She quickened her pace, going ahead of everyone else, the frustration and the fear driving her forward. Maybe she'd find some answers soon. She could only hope.

[AdAstrα]

"It's all right.." Vitani said quickly, "I guess I shouldn't have panicked like that. I normally wouldn't have, but with everything that's happened recently..I had just about managed to stop thinking about Hofu, but now I really can't get him out of my head, and...whoa!" She stopped. On the path ahead of them, new pawprints had appeared. Large pawprints, which could only belong to one lion..

Vitani examined them. The disrupted earth was still cold and damp. This meant that Hofu had once again ventured outside his own territory. But for what reason?
She looked at Hatari. Would they ever find Tania alive?

[Arani]

Hatari was staring ahead of them, looking extreamly horrified and terrified. She didn't notice the paw prints, or Vitani looking at her. Tahi looked the way she was.

"Hatari there's nothing there." He said worriedly. She ddn't respond in any way. "Hatari, can you hear me?" He asked.

She couldn't hear him. She couldn't hear anything. 'Some rescue mission' She thought to herself. For some reason it felt like someone didn't want her to reach Tania. Only thing she saw were the sights and sounds of a vision. But this one seemed... different. Like it was and wasn't a vision. She saw Hofu... he was staning there, directly in front of her, his nose almost touching hers. He had this... weird smile, triumph? Hatred? Maybe even... no, it couldn't be, but for a moment she though she saw sadness. He just stood there, looking directly into her eye's, leaving her spellbound.

"Why?" He whispered, and then everything went black.

When she regained consiousness, she found herself where they had stopped while looking for Tania. The others were standing around her, looking very worried.

"Whoa." She groaned. "What hit me?" She asked weakly.

[AdAstrα]

Vitani merely stared at her niece with an expression of pure horror on her face. She had gotten fairly used to Hatari having visions and acting strange over the years but this, this was different. Even she could tell that this was very different.

She opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Ayira who had quickly sat down next to Hatari.
"You had a..kind of vision, I think. Do you remember any of it now?" She asked gently, gazing at her as if she could see her soul rather than her face. Her head was spinning and she hoped she wouldn't collapse as well, they were running out of time.

[Arani]

"I don't know if I even had a vision. You're the expert around here, any idea of what it might have been?" She asked, sitting up. When Ayria asked her if she remembered anything, she was almost inclined not to tell them. But, she knew she had too. "I saw..." She hesitated. 'Come on girl, snap out of it and tell them!' She thought to herself. "I saw Hofu... just standing there in front of me. He asked me why and then I blacked out." She looked at her aunt. "You okay, Aunt Vitani? You're looking weird, you feel sick?" She asked, standing.