On top of this, the story is also complex, deep, and (I hope) very unpredictable.
Because of this, I'll leave a preview at the top of this post, and then get started on the story itself in the same post (although I have no idea how many characters a single post can take, so this may get split up)
Also as a quick quide, this is set a short time after "Simba's Pride"...I'm still trying to figure out exactly how long.
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Preview for "Lost Rogue":
I...I don't remember...I don't remember anything...
When a rogue appeares on the borders of the Pridelands, near-death, Simba is cautious. Who is he, what does he want?
But when the rogue awakens with no memory of his past, the situation becomes even more complicated. As the rogue slowly heals from his injuries, he tries to gain the trust of a wary pride, whilst trying to uncover his lost past.
But as the rogue tries to find his lost place in the Circle of Life, there is one thing that no-one can possibly know...the mysterious rogue's past holds deep secrets, which could be the secret to stopping a plot against the Pridelands...
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Original Characters (with links to OC profiles)
NOTE:I suggest avoiding this unless you've read at least 9 chapters in...some identities may have plot spoilers!
Spoiler: show
And with that, if you're still interested, let's get this show on the road!
Lost Rogue
Chapter 1
...All The Creatures
Spoiler: show
"Look around, Kovu...what do you see?"
In the middle of a great grassland, known to its inhabitants as the Pridelands, two lions sat on top of a small rise, surveying the lands around them. One, the lion that had spoken, was a regal, powerful thing, his golden pelt of fur and expansive brown mane shining in the morning sun, and rippling slightly in a gentle breeze. Powerful muscles lay beneath a lean figure, suggesting a hidden strength beneath a rather skinny figure. His calm, protective gaze as he looked across the plains gave him an air of someone who watched over this land...and, as king of the Pridelands, that was exactly what Simba did.
Seemingly satisfied with the condition he saw his great land in, Simba turned his brown eyes to the lion beside him, the one he had spoken to. Kovu was in many ways similar to Simba, but at the same, different in many ways as well. His pelt was a deep brown, as opposed to Simba's golden hue, and his mane was a deep, jet black, and not as expansive as Simba's, although it was not a withered, scraggly thing, either. The muscles beneath the darker lion's fur were even more prominent than Simba's, suggesting that, even though Kovu was small, and still very young, he could take on the best fighters with few problems. His green eyes seemed to carry a strange depth to them. On the surface, a kind soul rested, but deep down inside this lion, something darker was hidden away...something that was most likely extremely dangerous.
Those same green eyes were currently taking over Simba's former task of looking over the expansive land that surrounded them. All around them, green fields stretched for as far as the eye could see, dotted with occasional tree, rocky outcropping, or water hole. To the southwest of the two lions lay a strange, unique and wondrous rock formation that was both the heart of the Pridelands, and the home of the pride of lions Simba ruled. It was Pride Rock, and for the two lions, it was home. To the west of that home, way off in the distance, a long, narrow gorge marked the edge of a desert, that also marked the western borders of the Pridelands. To the south and east of Pride Rock there was little more than endless plains, where the herds the lions hunted to survive could almost always be found grazing. And then, finally, to the north, in the direction the two lions had headed, the grasslands eventually gave way to a barren wasteland, filled with canyons, ravines, and various valleys, all of which were littered with massive skeletons. It was known as either the Elephant Graveyard, or the Outlands, the two forbidden areas separated by a large, fast-flowing river. It had long been considered a very dangerous place by the Pridelanders.
Simba waited patiently as Kovu observed the land around them, obviously considering the question carefully, attempting to think it over diligently, lest he unintentionally give an insulting or disrespectful answer. This was Simba's kingdom, after all. As Kovu's gaze grew less and less focused, Simba smile widened. Kiara had certainly taught him a valuable lesson with this young lion. He had badly misjudged Kovu based solely on his upbringing, and now he was attempting to correct that mistake. The dark lion may have been raised as a vicious, thoughtless killer, but he had a kind heart, and now, having seen both sides of his own personality, Simba could tell that Kovu was struggling to put his dark past behind him.
Finally, Kovu came up with an answer. "I see your land, Simba. I see all the Pridelands, a paradise that has been created by your rule...and your father's."
Simba smiled, although he inwardly winced at the mention of his late father, Mufasa. Leave it to Kovu to come up with an answer that not only answered his question, but slipped in lavish praise on himself, and his method of ruling the Pridelands. Simba had been looking for a more honest, possibly confused answer, but he inwardly scolded himself for harbouring such false hope. He's newly mated to my daughter, he told himself, what else could you have expected? Managing to suppress a sigh, he turned to Kovu.
"That was nice, but it's not what I was looking for," he finally said in response to Kovu's answer.
Kovu kept his gaze focused on his king, and new father-in-law, but his posture fell slightly. He had obviously been hoping that he had said the right thing. Simba decided to put the young lion out of his misery. "Do you know what I see, Kovu?"
Kovu made no obvious response, but his eyes brightened with curiosity. It was obvious that he wanted to know, but kept from prying out of respect for his king. Simba sighed...it was going to be tough to get Kovu used to the idea of ruling his kingdom one day, but Kiara was his only child, and...
Shaking his head, Simba forced his train of thought away from its present course, and put it back where he needed it. "I see a delicate balance...one that exists between all creatures in the Pridelands, from the smallest insect, to the largest elephant, and everything in between. And as king, I need to not only see this balance, but understand it, respect it, and maintain it. That, above all, is a king's most important duty to his land. Do you understand?"
Kovu's head fell, and he drifted into thought once more. "I...think so," he replied hesitantly. "But...I was told that, as lions, it is our right to be above the other creatures, and to take what we want."
Simba frowned. When he had decided to have this talk with Kovu, he had been worried that Kovu might have had that sort of mindset to being king. If the young, balck-maned lion sitting before him was going to succeed him, he would need to understand what being a king truly meant. "Scar thought like you've been taught, and that was the way he ruled while I was in exile." His normally gentle, passive voice had adopted a sad, almost devastated tone, as memories of his once-utopian home being turned into a barren wasteland rose to the forefront of his thoughts. "In the end, all it did was turn the Pridelands into a wasteland, and turn the lionesses...and even the hyenas...against him. Scar's greed and hate destroyed him, and any chance he had of keeping his place as king. That is why I fought him Kovu. Not because he did not deserve the throne, and not because the throne was rightfully mine, but because he was destroying everything I held dear, and I could not let him do that any longer."
Kovu remained silent, his head bowed as he listened. Simba knew that, his whole life, Kovu had been taught to look up to Scar as some sort of half-father figure, half-diety, to be respected, revered, and followed at all costs. Zira had told him that he always meant to be Scar's successor as king of the Pridelands, a tale Simba was mildly sceptical of, although he had to admit the visual similarities between his old uncle and the young lion before him were nothing short of astounding. And even though Kovu had learned the error of both his own ways, and his mother's ways, he was still shaking off those last ties to his dark past, and Simba knew, from first-hand experience, that it would neither be easy nor pleasant to move on, but he would be a better lion for it.
Finally, the younger lion looked up. "Why are you telling me all this?"
Simba smiled. Now they were getting somewhere...now they had reached to core reason behind this walk-and-talk session. "I've taken you out here today, Kovu, and shown you my entire kingdom, and the responsibilities associated with being king, because it is something my father did with me, before he...died." Simba quickly recovered from his brief falter, continuing on before his memories could bring him down again. "I'm telling you all this because Kiara's my only child, my only successor. And with you as her mate, you will, one day Kovu, become king of the Pridelands."
Kovu seemed surprised by this sudden declaration. "What? But, I...you..."
Simba could not suppress an open laugh at Kovu's stunned face, and his feeble stuttering. "But you have no relation to me, right?" he suggested, Kovu nodding, proving that Simba's assumption on Kovu's objection was well-placed. "Okay, let me explain: When a king steps down from the throne, whether it be because of death, or because they just want to live out the rest of their lives in peace, the throne usually passes on the eldest male child of the king, right?" Kovu nodded, although his expression showed he was still not quite following. "Now, Kiara is my daughter, but at the same time, she is my only child. Because of this, she is the only successor to the throne. No matter what happens, when I pass the responsibilities on, she will become queen. And, since you are my daughter's mate, that will make you king of the Pridelands, even though you hold no direct relation to me."
Kovu seemed to absorb all this information for a few seconds. Simba waited patiently, knowing he had just given the young lion a lot to think about. When the king really thought about, it was probably almost too soon to put all this responsibility on Kovu, the dark lion was barely an adult. But when he thought about it, his daughter, Kiara, was even younger, technically still an adolescent. And yet, he had long ago taught her the responsibilities she would eventually have to face when she became queen, just as his father had taught him when he was a cub, too.
Finally, Kovu let out a long, slow breath. "Wow, I really found a keeper in Kiara, didn't I?" he finally said, managing a weak smile at his attempted humour.
Simba was inclined to initially take the comment the wrong way, his instinct to protect his daughter at all costs firing up. But he had learned the hard way that being over-protective of Kiara would never end well, and as such, he forced himself to suppress it, and see the lighter side of Kovu's remark. "Yes, she's a fiery one...she gets that from me, unfortunately." Simba gave Kovu a warm smile to show that he was willing to look at the situation light-heartedly as well. "Just remember that she's partially your responsibility now, as much as she is mine, and her own. So if something happens to her, you will be the first one I'll come after." Simba's latest statement with light-hearted, but firm at the same time. It was a simple reminder that he was protective of his only child, and would do anything to help her, even if it meant dealing with Kovu in a far less than pleasant manner.
Kovu laughed. "Trust me, I know. But still," he added. "I love her, and I would do anything for her. I must admit, I never really thought about her status as future queen until now, but if being with her means shouldering the weight of the entire Pridelands, then I guess I have little choice."
Simba smiled at Kovu's little declaration. The circumstances under which Kovu and Kiara had met may have been...unfavourable, but now, even Simba could tell that Kiara had made a brilliant choice in her mate. But a hint of doubt still seethed in his mind, as it would in the many of any parent. Kiara was still his daughter, and despite the fact that was almost fully grown, and filled with a wisdom beyond her years, she was still his daughter, and he was still afraid of letting her grow up and head out into the world on her own, still afraid of...
"Sire!"
Two manes swirled as both lions swivelled their heads, looking back towards Pride Rock, the general direction of the source of the voice. Approaching them fast was a small, blue-feathered hornbill bird, one both lions recognised immediately; Zazu, Simba's majordomo and advisor, was the only hornbill that would fly towards a pair of lions, whilst the look of panic on his face was reserved for another matter entirely.
Simba's face immediately grew serious. Zazu, while being a meticulous planner who hated the slightest thing out of order, rarely panicked. For the little bird to be in such a state of distress meant he believed that the matter was serious. "What is it, Zazu?" he asked quickly, not bothering with any formalities.
Zazu somehow managed to point an awkward wing to the north, whilst at the same time remaining airborne, a trait the bird must have perfected as part of his duties to the king. "A rogue...sire. A rogue has just entered the Pridelands, sire!"
Simba's frown deepened, although it was now a frown of confusion instead of his former alert stance. "A rogue, Zazu?" he repeated sceptically. It was not like Zazu at all to worked up over such a small matter. "You're in a huge flutter over a lone rogue?"
This time it was Kovu's voice that answered Simba, as the young lion followed Zazu's pointing wing to the north. "He's not alone, Simba."
Now Simba's head turned, following Kovu's gaze out to the north. Having already ventured north of Pride Rock, the Outlands were not that far away, and from their small rise, the two lions could easily see the distance to where the golden grasses gave way to flat, rusty earth, which was almost always undisturbed.
Except for now.
Now, the normally lifeless wastelands were partially obscured by massive dust clouds, obviously caused by something - or someone - kicking up huge clouds of dirt and dust as they made their way into the Pridelands...at speed.
Simba frowned as he finally spotted the small figure Kovu had found; a lone, unfamiliar lion - definitely a rogue - sprinting away from the jagged ravines of the Outlands, and straight towards Pride Rock, as though his life depended on it. Why would a rogue enter another lion's territory at such speed? Did they perhaps not realise that they had encroached on someone else's territory. But what confused Simba most of all was why the rogue was running so fast, and constantly looking behind him, almost as though...
...as though he was being chased.
It was only then that Simba was able to see through the thick dust clouds the rogue was kicking up in his desperate sprint, and realise just why the lion was running as though his life depended on it...because his life really did depend on it!
Close behind the rogue, and closing in fast, were no less than six hyenas, and now that Simba could see them, he also realised that he could hear their vicious barking as they hunted their prey. Simba felt a low growl form in the back of his throat at the sight of the creatures. Hyenas had not seen in the Pridelands since Scar's death, and Simba's ascension to the throne, but within the last few months, they had returned and set up a small pack in the Outlands, which had been abandoned since Simba had merged the Outlanders pride with his own - under his daughter's advisement. And they were exactly as Simba remembered them from his cub-hood - vicious, selfish scavengers, all too willing to break Simba's laws and enter the borders of the Pridelands to poach on his territory, despite there being enough food in and around the Outlands for them to get by. And here they were, once again flouting Simba's law banning them from his territory, even if it was to catch another outlaw in the process.
"We have to help him," Kovu finally spoke up, causing Simba to turn and look at him questioningly. "It's hard to tell from this distance, but I think that rogue is injured. He can't escape those hyenas...we have to stop them before it's too late!"
"What?" Zazu sounded even more confused than Simba felt at Kovu's declaration. "It's a rogue, Kovu...you can't possibly expect Simba to put his life on the line for a lion who's not even part of the pride!"
"Zazu's right, Kovu," Simba stepped in. "That rogue may have entered the Pridelands, but even so, he cannot expect assistance from us."
"Look at him, Simba!" Kovu shouted. Simba gave him a stern look, but obliged, hearing an almost pleading side-note in the desperation that he could not ignore. Sure enough, even from this distance, Simba could see that the rogue's desperate stride was off-balance, and had poor rhythm, as though one of his legs was not able to hold it's usual weight. The rogue also looked exhausted, suggesting that he had run all the way through the hyena-infested Outlands to escape, and the hyenas were taking full advantage of it. Rather than chasing him down directly, half of the group was splitting up, flanking around him, slowly trying to herd him in. The hyenas were obviously aware of the laws they were breaking, and were trying to reign in the rogue before he could get far enough into the Pridelands to alert any others to his presence.
As Simba took all this in, Kovu continued. "In case you forget, Simba, I was a rogue once, too. You took me in when I had nowhere else to go...doesn't this rogue deserve that same chance?" He paused for a few moments, then ploughed on. "And besides, I honestly do not believe he's aware that he has entered your territory. He's just trying to escape from the hyenas, probably completely unaware of what he has done."
Simba took all this in as quickly as he could. If he was going to make a decision, he'd have to do it fast, or the hyenas would make the decision for him in a couple of short minutes. Kovu did have a valid point, Simba had granted him at least temporary sanctuary when Kovu had asked for it. But then, the only reason he had done that was because he had saved Kiara's life that very same evening. Simba held no such debt to this other rogue. It was also possible that Kovu's other theory was correct, and that the rogue, in his desperation, had completely missed the fact that he had just entered another lion's territory, his sole focus on escaping the hyena ambush. And the hyenas themselves...
"Why?" Simba finally asked, causing both Kovu and Zazu to give him confused looks. "Why do you care, Kovu? What is it about this rogue, a complete stranger, that makes you want to help him?"
"Because," kovu said, bowing his head slightly. "Because I understand how he feels, Simba. And I believe that he should be given a chance, at least until we know who he is, where he's from, and why he's here."
Kovu's words resonated with Simba, but he was still unsure. Rogues were generally loners because they had betrayed their previous pride, or simply run away. The former was far more likely, but Simba himself had, as a cub, run away from the Pridelands, believing he had committed a terrible crime, one that he still struggled with whenever he remembered it. With his train of thought, Simba fell to his trusted method of deciding a difficult situation; What would Mufasa do?
Simba thought hard on this, digging up various memories of his childhood, and using those memories of the time he had spent with his father to attempt to figure out what his father would have done, were he in his current situation. But it was hard to do...Mufasa had been taken from him so soon, Simba had very few memories to work with, and they all left him so emotionally drained that it was nearly impossible to keep his mind on the subject at hand.
"Simba," Kovu's voice once more filled Simba's hearing. The desperation from before was gone, the young lion was now simply pleading with him. "You just told me that as king, you have to respect all the creatures...doesn't that mean we should also respect those who are not necessarily from the Pridelands?"
The words penetrated Simba's mind, but he barely understood them, for they triggered a particular memory, one Simba had been using to teach Kovu how a king of the Pridelands was supposed to behave...
"But dad, don't we eat the antelope?"
"Yes, Simba, but let me explain...when we die, our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eat the grass. And so, Simba, we are all connected, in the great Circle of Life."
...we are all connected...
The mild flashback ended almost as quickly as it had started, but his father's words echoed across the years, reminding Simba of a valuable lesson his father had taught him.
And with that, the king's mind was finally made up. "You're right, Kovu," Simba finally said. "The rogue does at least deserve a chance. And besides, the hyenas are the ones who are knowingly breaking my law. Let's go get him before the hyenas do!"
In the middle of a great grassland, known to its inhabitants as the Pridelands, two lions sat on top of a small rise, surveying the lands around them. One, the lion that had spoken, was a regal, powerful thing, his golden pelt of fur and expansive brown mane shining in the morning sun, and rippling slightly in a gentle breeze. Powerful muscles lay beneath a lean figure, suggesting a hidden strength beneath a rather skinny figure. His calm, protective gaze as he looked across the plains gave him an air of someone who watched over this land...and, as king of the Pridelands, that was exactly what Simba did.
Seemingly satisfied with the condition he saw his great land in, Simba turned his brown eyes to the lion beside him, the one he had spoken to. Kovu was in many ways similar to Simba, but at the same, different in many ways as well. His pelt was a deep brown, as opposed to Simba's golden hue, and his mane was a deep, jet black, and not as expansive as Simba's, although it was not a withered, scraggly thing, either. The muscles beneath the darker lion's fur were even more prominent than Simba's, suggesting that, even though Kovu was small, and still very young, he could take on the best fighters with few problems. His green eyes seemed to carry a strange depth to them. On the surface, a kind soul rested, but deep down inside this lion, something darker was hidden away...something that was most likely extremely dangerous.
Those same green eyes were currently taking over Simba's former task of looking over the expansive land that surrounded them. All around them, green fields stretched for as far as the eye could see, dotted with occasional tree, rocky outcropping, or water hole. To the southwest of the two lions lay a strange, unique and wondrous rock formation that was both the heart of the Pridelands, and the home of the pride of lions Simba ruled. It was Pride Rock, and for the two lions, it was home. To the west of that home, way off in the distance, a long, narrow gorge marked the edge of a desert, that also marked the western borders of the Pridelands. To the south and east of Pride Rock there was little more than endless plains, where the herds the lions hunted to survive could almost always be found grazing. And then, finally, to the north, in the direction the two lions had headed, the grasslands eventually gave way to a barren wasteland, filled with canyons, ravines, and various valleys, all of which were littered with massive skeletons. It was known as either the Elephant Graveyard, or the Outlands, the two forbidden areas separated by a large, fast-flowing river. It had long been considered a very dangerous place by the Pridelanders.
Simba waited patiently as Kovu observed the land around them, obviously considering the question carefully, attempting to think it over diligently, lest he unintentionally give an insulting or disrespectful answer. This was Simba's kingdom, after all. As Kovu's gaze grew less and less focused, Simba smile widened. Kiara had certainly taught him a valuable lesson with this young lion. He had badly misjudged Kovu based solely on his upbringing, and now he was attempting to correct that mistake. The dark lion may have been raised as a vicious, thoughtless killer, but he had a kind heart, and now, having seen both sides of his own personality, Simba could tell that Kovu was struggling to put his dark past behind him.
Finally, Kovu came up with an answer. "I see your land, Simba. I see all the Pridelands, a paradise that has been created by your rule...and your father's."
Simba smiled, although he inwardly winced at the mention of his late father, Mufasa. Leave it to Kovu to come up with an answer that not only answered his question, but slipped in lavish praise on himself, and his method of ruling the Pridelands. Simba had been looking for a more honest, possibly confused answer, but he inwardly scolded himself for harbouring such false hope. He's newly mated to my daughter, he told himself, what else could you have expected? Managing to suppress a sigh, he turned to Kovu.
"That was nice, but it's not what I was looking for," he finally said in response to Kovu's answer.
Kovu kept his gaze focused on his king, and new father-in-law, but his posture fell slightly. He had obviously been hoping that he had said the right thing. Simba decided to put the young lion out of his misery. "Do you know what I see, Kovu?"
Kovu made no obvious response, but his eyes brightened with curiosity. It was obvious that he wanted to know, but kept from prying out of respect for his king. Simba sighed...it was going to be tough to get Kovu used to the idea of ruling his kingdom one day, but Kiara was his only child, and...
Shaking his head, Simba forced his train of thought away from its present course, and put it back where he needed it. "I see a delicate balance...one that exists between all creatures in the Pridelands, from the smallest insect, to the largest elephant, and everything in between. And as king, I need to not only see this balance, but understand it, respect it, and maintain it. That, above all, is a king's most important duty to his land. Do you understand?"
Kovu's head fell, and he drifted into thought once more. "I...think so," he replied hesitantly. "But...I was told that, as lions, it is our right to be above the other creatures, and to take what we want."
Simba frowned. When he had decided to have this talk with Kovu, he had been worried that Kovu might have had that sort of mindset to being king. If the young, balck-maned lion sitting before him was going to succeed him, he would need to understand what being a king truly meant. "Scar thought like you've been taught, and that was the way he ruled while I was in exile." His normally gentle, passive voice had adopted a sad, almost devastated tone, as memories of his once-utopian home being turned into a barren wasteland rose to the forefront of his thoughts. "In the end, all it did was turn the Pridelands into a wasteland, and turn the lionesses...and even the hyenas...against him. Scar's greed and hate destroyed him, and any chance he had of keeping his place as king. That is why I fought him Kovu. Not because he did not deserve the throne, and not because the throne was rightfully mine, but because he was destroying everything I held dear, and I could not let him do that any longer."
Kovu remained silent, his head bowed as he listened. Simba knew that, his whole life, Kovu had been taught to look up to Scar as some sort of half-father figure, half-diety, to be respected, revered, and followed at all costs. Zira had told him that he always meant to be Scar's successor as king of the Pridelands, a tale Simba was mildly sceptical of, although he had to admit the visual similarities between his old uncle and the young lion before him were nothing short of astounding. And even though Kovu had learned the error of both his own ways, and his mother's ways, he was still shaking off those last ties to his dark past, and Simba knew, from first-hand experience, that it would neither be easy nor pleasant to move on, but he would be a better lion for it.
Finally, the younger lion looked up. "Why are you telling me all this?"
Simba smiled. Now they were getting somewhere...now they had reached to core reason behind this walk-and-talk session. "I've taken you out here today, Kovu, and shown you my entire kingdom, and the responsibilities associated with being king, because it is something my father did with me, before he...died." Simba quickly recovered from his brief falter, continuing on before his memories could bring him down again. "I'm telling you all this because Kiara's my only child, my only successor. And with you as her mate, you will, one day Kovu, become king of the Pridelands."
Kovu seemed surprised by this sudden declaration. "What? But, I...you..."
Simba could not suppress an open laugh at Kovu's stunned face, and his feeble stuttering. "But you have no relation to me, right?" he suggested, Kovu nodding, proving that Simba's assumption on Kovu's objection was well-placed. "Okay, let me explain: When a king steps down from the throne, whether it be because of death, or because they just want to live out the rest of their lives in peace, the throne usually passes on the eldest male child of the king, right?" Kovu nodded, although his expression showed he was still not quite following. "Now, Kiara is my daughter, but at the same time, she is my only child. Because of this, she is the only successor to the throne. No matter what happens, when I pass the responsibilities on, she will become queen. And, since you are my daughter's mate, that will make you king of the Pridelands, even though you hold no direct relation to me."
Kovu seemed to absorb all this information for a few seconds. Simba waited patiently, knowing he had just given the young lion a lot to think about. When the king really thought about, it was probably almost too soon to put all this responsibility on Kovu, the dark lion was barely an adult. But when he thought about it, his daughter, Kiara, was even younger, technically still an adolescent. And yet, he had long ago taught her the responsibilities she would eventually have to face when she became queen, just as his father had taught him when he was a cub, too.
Finally, Kovu let out a long, slow breath. "Wow, I really found a keeper in Kiara, didn't I?" he finally said, managing a weak smile at his attempted humour.
Simba was inclined to initially take the comment the wrong way, his instinct to protect his daughter at all costs firing up. But he had learned the hard way that being over-protective of Kiara would never end well, and as such, he forced himself to suppress it, and see the lighter side of Kovu's remark. "Yes, she's a fiery one...she gets that from me, unfortunately." Simba gave Kovu a warm smile to show that he was willing to look at the situation light-heartedly as well. "Just remember that she's partially your responsibility now, as much as she is mine, and her own. So if something happens to her, you will be the first one I'll come after." Simba's latest statement with light-hearted, but firm at the same time. It was a simple reminder that he was protective of his only child, and would do anything to help her, even if it meant dealing with Kovu in a far less than pleasant manner.
Kovu laughed. "Trust me, I know. But still," he added. "I love her, and I would do anything for her. I must admit, I never really thought about her status as future queen until now, but if being with her means shouldering the weight of the entire Pridelands, then I guess I have little choice."
Simba smiled at Kovu's little declaration. The circumstances under which Kovu and Kiara had met may have been...unfavourable, but now, even Simba could tell that Kiara had made a brilliant choice in her mate. But a hint of doubt still seethed in his mind, as it would in the many of any parent. Kiara was still his daughter, and despite the fact that was almost fully grown, and filled with a wisdom beyond her years, she was still his daughter, and he was still afraid of letting her grow up and head out into the world on her own, still afraid of...
"Sire!"
Two manes swirled as both lions swivelled their heads, looking back towards Pride Rock, the general direction of the source of the voice. Approaching them fast was a small, blue-feathered hornbill bird, one both lions recognised immediately; Zazu, Simba's majordomo and advisor, was the only hornbill that would fly towards a pair of lions, whilst the look of panic on his face was reserved for another matter entirely.
Simba's face immediately grew serious. Zazu, while being a meticulous planner who hated the slightest thing out of order, rarely panicked. For the little bird to be in such a state of distress meant he believed that the matter was serious. "What is it, Zazu?" he asked quickly, not bothering with any formalities.
Zazu somehow managed to point an awkward wing to the north, whilst at the same time remaining airborne, a trait the bird must have perfected as part of his duties to the king. "A rogue...sire. A rogue has just entered the Pridelands, sire!"
Simba's frown deepened, although it was now a frown of confusion instead of his former alert stance. "A rogue, Zazu?" he repeated sceptically. It was not like Zazu at all to worked up over such a small matter. "You're in a huge flutter over a lone rogue?"
This time it was Kovu's voice that answered Simba, as the young lion followed Zazu's pointing wing to the north. "He's not alone, Simba."
Now Simba's head turned, following Kovu's gaze out to the north. Having already ventured north of Pride Rock, the Outlands were not that far away, and from their small rise, the two lions could easily see the distance to where the golden grasses gave way to flat, rusty earth, which was almost always undisturbed.
Except for now.
Now, the normally lifeless wastelands were partially obscured by massive dust clouds, obviously caused by something - or someone - kicking up huge clouds of dirt and dust as they made their way into the Pridelands...at speed.
Simba frowned as he finally spotted the small figure Kovu had found; a lone, unfamiliar lion - definitely a rogue - sprinting away from the jagged ravines of the Outlands, and straight towards Pride Rock, as though his life depended on it. Why would a rogue enter another lion's territory at such speed? Did they perhaps not realise that they had encroached on someone else's territory. But what confused Simba most of all was why the rogue was running so fast, and constantly looking behind him, almost as though...
...as though he was being chased.
It was only then that Simba was able to see through the thick dust clouds the rogue was kicking up in his desperate sprint, and realise just why the lion was running as though his life depended on it...because his life really did depend on it!
Close behind the rogue, and closing in fast, were no less than six hyenas, and now that Simba could see them, he also realised that he could hear their vicious barking as they hunted their prey. Simba felt a low growl form in the back of his throat at the sight of the creatures. Hyenas had not seen in the Pridelands since Scar's death, and Simba's ascension to the throne, but within the last few months, they had returned and set up a small pack in the Outlands, which had been abandoned since Simba had merged the Outlanders pride with his own - under his daughter's advisement. And they were exactly as Simba remembered them from his cub-hood - vicious, selfish scavengers, all too willing to break Simba's laws and enter the borders of the Pridelands to poach on his territory, despite there being enough food in and around the Outlands for them to get by. And here they were, once again flouting Simba's law banning them from his territory, even if it was to catch another outlaw in the process.
"We have to help him," Kovu finally spoke up, causing Simba to turn and look at him questioningly. "It's hard to tell from this distance, but I think that rogue is injured. He can't escape those hyenas...we have to stop them before it's too late!"
"What?" Zazu sounded even more confused than Simba felt at Kovu's declaration. "It's a rogue, Kovu...you can't possibly expect Simba to put his life on the line for a lion who's not even part of the pride!"
"Zazu's right, Kovu," Simba stepped in. "That rogue may have entered the Pridelands, but even so, he cannot expect assistance from us."
"Look at him, Simba!" Kovu shouted. Simba gave him a stern look, but obliged, hearing an almost pleading side-note in the desperation that he could not ignore. Sure enough, even from this distance, Simba could see that the rogue's desperate stride was off-balance, and had poor rhythm, as though one of his legs was not able to hold it's usual weight. The rogue also looked exhausted, suggesting that he had run all the way through the hyena-infested Outlands to escape, and the hyenas were taking full advantage of it. Rather than chasing him down directly, half of the group was splitting up, flanking around him, slowly trying to herd him in. The hyenas were obviously aware of the laws they were breaking, and were trying to reign in the rogue before he could get far enough into the Pridelands to alert any others to his presence.
As Simba took all this in, Kovu continued. "In case you forget, Simba, I was a rogue once, too. You took me in when I had nowhere else to go...doesn't this rogue deserve that same chance?" He paused for a few moments, then ploughed on. "And besides, I honestly do not believe he's aware that he has entered your territory. He's just trying to escape from the hyenas, probably completely unaware of what he has done."
Simba took all this in as quickly as he could. If he was going to make a decision, he'd have to do it fast, or the hyenas would make the decision for him in a couple of short minutes. Kovu did have a valid point, Simba had granted him at least temporary sanctuary when Kovu had asked for it. But then, the only reason he had done that was because he had saved Kiara's life that very same evening. Simba held no such debt to this other rogue. It was also possible that Kovu's other theory was correct, and that the rogue, in his desperation, had completely missed the fact that he had just entered another lion's territory, his sole focus on escaping the hyena ambush. And the hyenas themselves...
"Why?" Simba finally asked, causing both Kovu and Zazu to give him confused looks. "Why do you care, Kovu? What is it about this rogue, a complete stranger, that makes you want to help him?"
"Because," kovu said, bowing his head slightly. "Because I understand how he feels, Simba. And I believe that he should be given a chance, at least until we know who he is, where he's from, and why he's here."
Kovu's words resonated with Simba, but he was still unsure. Rogues were generally loners because they had betrayed their previous pride, or simply run away. The former was far more likely, but Simba himself had, as a cub, run away from the Pridelands, believing he had committed a terrible crime, one that he still struggled with whenever he remembered it. With his train of thought, Simba fell to his trusted method of deciding a difficult situation; What would Mufasa do?
Simba thought hard on this, digging up various memories of his childhood, and using those memories of the time he had spent with his father to attempt to figure out what his father would have done, were he in his current situation. But it was hard to do...Mufasa had been taken from him so soon, Simba had very few memories to work with, and they all left him so emotionally drained that it was nearly impossible to keep his mind on the subject at hand.
"Simba," Kovu's voice once more filled Simba's hearing. The desperation from before was gone, the young lion was now simply pleading with him. "You just told me that as king, you have to respect all the creatures...doesn't that mean we should also respect those who are not necessarily from the Pridelands?"
The words penetrated Simba's mind, but he barely understood them, for they triggered a particular memory, one Simba had been using to teach Kovu how a king of the Pridelands was supposed to behave...
"But dad, don't we eat the antelope?"
"Yes, Simba, but let me explain...when we die, our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eat the grass. And so, Simba, we are all connected, in the great Circle of Life."
...we are all connected...
The mild flashback ended almost as quickly as it had started, but his father's words echoed across the years, reminding Simba of a valuable lesson his father had taught him.
And with that, the king's mind was finally made up. "You're right, Kovu," Simba finally said. "The rogue does at least deserve a chance. And besides, the hyenas are the ones who are knowingly breaking my law. Let's go get him before the hyenas do!"
Chapter 2
Rescue
Spoiler: show
Now that Simba had made his choice, his indecision was replaced by action, as he turned to his majordomo. "Zazu! Head back to Pride Rock, tell the rest of the pride what is happening, and get three lionesses to track us down! Then go get Rafiki and tell him to wait at Pride Rock! Chances are we'll be bringing back an injured rogue who'll need attention as soon as possible!"
Zazu hovered in front of Simba, seemingly deliberating whether to argue the point of Simba going after a rogue, but finally sighed. "Right away, sire!" The hornbill bobbed his head in a mid-air bow, before turning and zipping off, heading straight for Pride Rock.
With that taken care of, Simba turned and, with a nod to Kovu, sprang off, leaping through the tall grass as fast as his legs could take him, heading straight for where he had last seen the rogue, Kovu right behind him. Although the choice had been made, and Simba was going to see it through now that he made it, doubt about his choice crept into his mind. Saving the rogue was most certainly the noble thing to do, but Simba could not help but feel that, in regards to the rest of his pride, he was making a bad choice. Rogues were not a very common occurrence in the Pridelands, but Simba had previous experience with them, and it had not been pleasant, either...
"Thank you, Simba," Kovu's voice cut Simba's thoughts off, causing him to look sideways at the younger lion as they ran. "I know rogues don't have the best reputation, and that you're well within your right to leave him to die, but...I just don't believe in abandoning a fellow lion in trouble, even if he's not from our pride."
Simba sighed. "I still don't like this, Kovu," he said flatly. "Rogues are not good news. Their time alone makes them self-centred, and they tend not to respect the laws of other prides."
Kovu frowned. "I never said he had to stay with us, Simba," he replied, seemingly amused by the king's oversight. "We just rescue him from the hyenas, help him if he's injured, then if you still don't trust him, send him on his way."
Simba mentally scolded himself for the oversight. Of course he could send the rogue away, what was he thinking? He decided that his assumption had been based on the way Kovu had worded his plea to save the rogue...acceptance into the pride was the next step along after saving this rogue, and that was definitely something Simba was struggling to come to grips with. He may have allows the Outlanders to come back into his pride after Zira's death, but one of the big reasons he had allowed that was because Kiara had insisted, and that most of the Outlanders were Pridelanders that had been exiled after Scar's death. But this rogue, this rogue had no connection to the Pridelands, no past here. And those kind of rogues were the ones Simba had real difficulty trusting, for they were the ones that had betrayed his trust in the past.
And now Simba's decision seemed so much better, now that he could see that the rogue was not necessarily going to have to stay with the pride, and cause trouble. With a smile towards Kovu, their pace increased slightly as the tall grass started to thin out, beginning to give way to the barren Outlands. They were getting close, but Simba could see the worry etched on Kovu's face, and knew exactly what the young lion was thinking. They were almost there, but was it already too late? Could the hyenas have already taken him down? Simba decided that it really did not matter. If the rogue was alive, they would save him. If not...then Simba could deal with the hyenas without any distractions.
But even as that thought crossed his mind, both Simba and Kovu were brought to a simultaneous halt by a loud roar that broke the silence of the grasslands. The roar was definitely leonine in origin, and was full of pain, fear...and defiance. It was also accompanied by the frenzied barking and baying of multiple hyenas. Simba and Kovu shared a glance, Kovu's eyes wide.
The hyenas had finally caught their prey...the rogue was being attacked!
"Hurry!" Kovu sprang off even as he spoke the one desperate word, racing towards a large dust cloud forming some distance in front of them, Simba blinking himself out of a stupor and following behind. As he tried to catch up with Kovu, he could not help but wonder at something. Was Kovu's desperation to save the rogue nothing more than what he had already said...or was there some other, ulterior motive Simba did not know about? Had Kovu possibly recognised the rogue, or was there something else about Kovu's mysterious past in the Outlands Simba did not know about that was fuelling Kovu's current desperation to save this unknown lion?
These doubts were erased from Simba's mind - though not discarded entirely - as he finally caught up with Kovu, who had stopped again, and saw the ambush close up for the first time. What the king saw left him astounded and revolted at the same time. It was indeed six hyenas that had ambushed the rogue, but at present only three were still trying to bring him down. Two of the hyenas lay scattered in the dirt, still alive but out cold, while a third one was limping away, whimpering with pain caused by deep gash in his right hip, and obviously not willing to risk more personal injury over this lion.
But the three that were still fighting had all the advantages, and seemed to have victory in their grasp. they had managed to force the rogue lion to the ground by viciously attacking one of his forelegs, which Simba could barely see through the thick coating of blood covering the limb. The shock of the situation seemed to have finally struck the rogue, who was only sporadically fighting. He was barely conscious, and in seconds, he would fade, and the hyenas would be able to go for the throat, literally, without anything to stop them...
...except himself and Kovu.
Deciding that distracting the hyenas was the best course of action, Simba made the three remaining hyenas very aware of his presence by sucking in a deep breath, and unleashing a deafening, raging roar, the message within the sound very clear; you have stepped into my territory, and now you will pay the price!
The hyenas immediately turned from their semi-conscious prey, three sets of eyes locking with Simba's angry gaze, which only grew angrier as he saw the faces of these scavengers, and recognised them. Inwardly sighing, and wondering why these creatures never learned, both Simba and Kovu raced forward, Kovu slightly ahead, entering the fray...a fray the hyenas suddenly realised they no longer had the advantage in.
But before any of the three hyenas could react, Kovu was on top of them. He tackled two of them directly, knocking them clean off the injured rogue, before unleashing a vicious kick with his hind legs, catching the one he missed in their soft underbelly just before they leapt on him.
From there, Simba took over, as Kovu went to check on the rogue, now that the stranger was free from the hyenas. Unsheathing his claws, the king of the Pridelands quickly proved that the best fighter don't always have to be the strongest. His lean form ran circles around the three hyenas, slowly herding them into a small, tighter group, lashing out whenever one of them tried to make an escape. The fear in the hyena trio's eyes became more and more distinct as Simba slowly rounded them up...then pounced.
In a furious series of moves, Simba attacked the hyenas, moving faster than the hyenas could follow. They attempted to scatter in a blind panic, but Simba quickly dragged them back in, using his claws only when necessarry, before finally forcing all three onto their backs, side-by-side, before pinning them all underneath his paws, at which point all three of the beasts starting talking simultaneously...or at least two did, Simba was not sure if the third one was even capable of speech.
"Ow, ow, ow! Hey, take it easy..."
"...Come on! What's your problem?!"
"...Claws! Claws! Hurting, ow!"
"...We're not really that far into your land..."
"Silence!" Simba's commanding boom shut the hyenas up instantly...only to have them speak up again a moment later.
"Wow, you really sounded a lot like your father there!"
"Yup, definitely Mufasa's son!"
"I said silence!" Simba repeated, with even more force than before, finally succeeding in shutting the hyenas up for long enough to get his own words in. "Well, well, well...if it isn't my three favourite hyenas." He then looked at each one in turn. "Shenzi...Banzai...Ed...what are you doing here?" His tone initially sounded kind, but the threatening ring to it left no doubt as to who was in charge of the situation.
Banzai was the first to respond. "Wow, Shenzi, Simba still remembers us, even after all these years!"
"Yes, Banzai, you three are hard to forget," Simba deadpanned, before his voice grew once more ferocious. "Although you don't help me forget you when you keep breaking the laws I set down every other week!" He emphasised his words by pushing down on the three hyenas with his paws, but only enough to make them uncomfortable.
"Hey, come on!" Banzai continued, finding it seemingly impossible to let Simba have the last word. "Is it our fault that your lands have the best food for miles around? We have a pack we've gotta feed too, right guys?" Both Shenzi and Ed nodded, before Shenzi stepped in.
"Besides, this rogue came into our lands, first. We were just going to catch him and take him back, seriously!"
Simba turned his gaze to focus exclusively on Shenzi, the only female of this trio. Simba also had a sneaking suspicion that she was also the leader of this small pack of hyenas that had taken up residence in the Outlands. "Really?" Simba asked, scepticism lacing his voice. "That's it? There was absolutely nothing else?"
"Well, we were going to - " Shenzi elbowed Banzai sharply to shut him up, but the damage had already been done as the blabbermouth hyena desperately tried to take back his words. "...uh, we were going to go straight back home, yeah, that's it! Nothing else at all!" He offered Simba a sheepish grin.
"Right," Simba grinned, not at all convinced.
"Please, Simba..." Shenzi paused, seeming to struggle to find the right words. "...what are you going to do? You..." she paled considerably as Simba's smile widened. "...You wouldn't...would you?"
Simba somehow resisted the overwhelming urge to laugh at Shenzi's panic. It was obvious what the hyena was thinking, but Simba had no intention of executing them. The hyenas might be a pain in his backside, but he was not that cold. "No, Shenzi...no executions today." All three hyenas heaved a massive, collective sigh of relief, but Simba was not quite done. "However, you are to leave the Pridelands...immediately. you are to take your friends with you, an if I ever see any hyena in my land again, the consequences will be much more severe. Do I make myself clear?"
Both Shenzi and Banzai were quick to respond.
"Oh, yes, great king..."
"...perfectly clear..."
"...you'll never see us here again!"
"Good," Simba said, finally satisfied that the hyenas were sufficiently scared, and would not betray his trust again. He finally removed his paws from the hyenas, freeing them to get back up. Shenzi and Ed went to collect their fallen brothers, but Banzai went straight for the unconscious form of the rogue, which Kovu was now watching over.
"Stop!" Simba's booming command caused all three hyenas to stop dead in their tracks, but Simba's attention was fixed solely on Banzai. "You are to leave the lion with me!"
All three hyenas reacted to that statement simultaneously. Shenzi and Banzai both started complaining, while Ed simply nodded stupidly at everything the other two said, whilst putting on a pouting, begging expression.
"Oh, come on, Simba...!"
"...He's just a rogue, you won't miss him..."
"...we worked so hard to get this guy..."
"...please, come on..."
"Enough!" Simba said forcefully, stopping the protests. Part of him was considering leaving the rogue to the hyenas, at least that part of him which remembered what happened the last time he'd let a rogue into the Pridelands, which turned out to be his first major mistake as king, and nearly turned the whole pride against him...
But the other part of him realised that Kovu was right...no matter what he - or anyone else, for that matter - felt towards rogues, it was only right that they at least give him a chance to tell his story, explain how he became a loner, and then either send him on his way, or let him stay for a short time, to see if he was willing to work as part of the pride.
With that thought, his decision, constantly coming under self-doubt, was once again finalised, and he turned back to the hyena trio he had such fond memories of. "Remember, you three, your pack has broken the laws we agreed to when you came back here. I am well within my right to take the rogue from you. he has wandered into my lands, and as such, is my responsibility!" Simba jerked his head in a dismissive motion. "Now take your friends and get out of my sight, before I change my mind about letting you go."
The hyenas moved quickly to obey, hearing no sign of a joke in Simba's voice. The three hyenas scrambled to grab their two unconscious friends, before half-dragging, half-carrying them away, stealing constant glances back at Simba and Kovu every now and again, their pace increasing slightly each time their eyes met Simba's hard glare.
When the five hyenas finally disappeared into the Outlands, Simba finally heaved a heavy sigh. He hated the hyenas, he had never, in his entire life, had a good experience that related to them. Simba normally did not hold grudges or prejudices, but his experience with hyenas did not give him a good impression of them. The thing he hated most was that they never seemed to learn their lesson. Simba knew that, no matter what he had just said and done then, the hyenas would be poaching in the Pridelands again within a couple of weeks, and he would have to come down and scare them off, again. It was tedious, and only sought to annoy the king these days. but it was part of his duty to his pride, and he did it willingly...he just wished that they would grow some brains and learn their lesson, then both his life, and theirs, would be so much easier.
Dragging his mind back to the real reason he had fought his favourite hyena trio off, Simba turned back to where he had last seen the rogue. Exactly as he had expected, Kovu was standing guard over the still, lifeless form. The rogue lay so still that Simba initially wondered if they had been too late, and failed to save the strange lion. But a moment later, the king saw the stranger's side rise and fall fractionally, confirming that the rogue was alive, but unconscious...and in bad shape.
Simba approached, looking to Kovu, his gaze silently asking. Kovu's sad, pained expression gave the silent answer. They may have saved the rogue for the moment, but he was in very bad shape...if he did not get some sort of help soon, he would most likely die.
Despite the silent conversation between the two lions, Simba wanted to see this rogue up close for himself, and so continued to approach, until he sat down by Kovu's side, looking down at the unconscious figure before them. But it was difficult for Simba to get a proper idea of what the rogue should have looked like. The rogue's fur was so filthy with dirt, mud and other grime that everything was a muddy shade of brown...it was simply impossible to tell what colouring this rogue possessed underneath the filthy exterior. What was obvious was that this rogue had not been living very well recently. His mane was matted and tangled, and whilst strong muscles bulged under the filthy fur, a hint of his ribcage showed as well under the lean figure. He was a strong lion, as all rogues had to be, but he was also malnourished, which would not be helping his current condition in any way.
And then there were his injuries. The rogue's muzzle and torso were lined with countless cuts and bruises, not all of them recent. A particularly nasty-looking cut across the rogue's forehead, stretching from his right eyebrow up into the left side of his mane, was already in the early stages of healing, but was sure to leave a scar behind. At first Simba thought another animal might of caused it, but he noticed the edges of the wound were too ragged, too random to have been caused by a tooth or claw, he had sustained that injury in a fall of some kind, that much was obvious.
But, the worst damage by far lay in the rogue's left foreleg, the same leg the hyenas had focused on to bring him down. The leg had been viciously clawed and mauled, and was now barely recognisable. Several cuts were very deep, probably cutting into the muscle of his leg, and the whole limb was stained crimson with blood. If was this series of wounds that were killing him, and Simba could see that it would take all of Rafiki's skill to save this rogue. And even then, there was a good chance that the rogue would lose the full use of his leg. If that happened, then this critically injured lion laying before him had little hope in the world. With a gimpy leg, the rogue would no longer be able to hunt with any effectiveness, nor would he be able to run from any danger. In short, unless a miracle occurred, this lion would be relying on others for the rest of his life.
"Do...do you think he'll make it?" Kovu's voice was barely audible, and full of genuine concern. Despite the fact that he did not even know this rogue - at least as far as Simba knew - Kovu was desperate for this lion to live.
Simba sighed. Even though he had no soft spot in his heart for rogues, seeing this lion in such an unstable, vulnerable state did pull at his heart...deep down, he really wanted this rogue to live, too. "I hope so, Kovu. He's in a very bad way...but Rafiki's never let us down yet, at least as far as I'm aware, anyway." He looked down at the rogue once more, trying to guess whether he was stable enough to move, before turning back to Kovu. "Do you think we can move him? We have to get him back to Pride Rock as fast as possible, and that means moving him as far as we can before Zazu gets back."
Kovu nodded, standing to starting heaving the rogue up so they could carry him. "I can't tell, but we have to risk it," he answered honestly. "Every second he goes without help is a second closer to death. At the very least, that leg needs to be tended to, and fast."
Simba nodded, but remained silent as the two of them spent a few awkward moments heaving the rogue up so they could carry him. Eventually they settled on draping one of the rogue's paws over their shoulders, so they were half-carrying, half-dragging him, before turning and slowly making their way back south-west, towards the distant shape of Pride Rock...and the silhouette of Zazu hurrying towards them.
And as they made their way towards the majordomo, and the assistance he had summoned, Simba could not help but think of just how much this day had changed his way of life already. What had started as a simple rescue mission was fast spiralling out of control. Because with the rogue's leg so badly injured, Simba knew that, if the rogue were to survive for any length of time, he would have to stay with his pride for some time yet.
And Simba was not sure whether that was going to be a good or bad thing...all he knew, somehow, was that the Pridelands would never be the same again.
Zazu hovered in front of Simba, seemingly deliberating whether to argue the point of Simba going after a rogue, but finally sighed. "Right away, sire!" The hornbill bobbed his head in a mid-air bow, before turning and zipping off, heading straight for Pride Rock.
With that taken care of, Simba turned and, with a nod to Kovu, sprang off, leaping through the tall grass as fast as his legs could take him, heading straight for where he had last seen the rogue, Kovu right behind him. Although the choice had been made, and Simba was going to see it through now that he made it, doubt about his choice crept into his mind. Saving the rogue was most certainly the noble thing to do, but Simba could not help but feel that, in regards to the rest of his pride, he was making a bad choice. Rogues were not a very common occurrence in the Pridelands, but Simba had previous experience with them, and it had not been pleasant, either...
"Thank you, Simba," Kovu's voice cut Simba's thoughts off, causing him to look sideways at the younger lion as they ran. "I know rogues don't have the best reputation, and that you're well within your right to leave him to die, but...I just don't believe in abandoning a fellow lion in trouble, even if he's not from our pride."
Simba sighed. "I still don't like this, Kovu," he said flatly. "Rogues are not good news. Their time alone makes them self-centred, and they tend not to respect the laws of other prides."
Kovu frowned. "I never said he had to stay with us, Simba," he replied, seemingly amused by the king's oversight. "We just rescue him from the hyenas, help him if he's injured, then if you still don't trust him, send him on his way."
Simba mentally scolded himself for the oversight. Of course he could send the rogue away, what was he thinking? He decided that his assumption had been based on the way Kovu had worded his plea to save the rogue...acceptance into the pride was the next step along after saving this rogue, and that was definitely something Simba was struggling to come to grips with. He may have allows the Outlanders to come back into his pride after Zira's death, but one of the big reasons he had allowed that was because Kiara had insisted, and that most of the Outlanders were Pridelanders that had been exiled after Scar's death. But this rogue, this rogue had no connection to the Pridelands, no past here. And those kind of rogues were the ones Simba had real difficulty trusting, for they were the ones that had betrayed his trust in the past.
And now Simba's decision seemed so much better, now that he could see that the rogue was not necessarily going to have to stay with the pride, and cause trouble. With a smile towards Kovu, their pace increased slightly as the tall grass started to thin out, beginning to give way to the barren Outlands. They were getting close, but Simba could see the worry etched on Kovu's face, and knew exactly what the young lion was thinking. They were almost there, but was it already too late? Could the hyenas have already taken him down? Simba decided that it really did not matter. If the rogue was alive, they would save him. If not...then Simba could deal with the hyenas without any distractions.
But even as that thought crossed his mind, both Simba and Kovu were brought to a simultaneous halt by a loud roar that broke the silence of the grasslands. The roar was definitely leonine in origin, and was full of pain, fear...and defiance. It was also accompanied by the frenzied barking and baying of multiple hyenas. Simba and Kovu shared a glance, Kovu's eyes wide.
The hyenas had finally caught their prey...the rogue was being attacked!
"Hurry!" Kovu sprang off even as he spoke the one desperate word, racing towards a large dust cloud forming some distance in front of them, Simba blinking himself out of a stupor and following behind. As he tried to catch up with Kovu, he could not help but wonder at something. Was Kovu's desperation to save the rogue nothing more than what he had already said...or was there some other, ulterior motive Simba did not know about? Had Kovu possibly recognised the rogue, or was there something else about Kovu's mysterious past in the Outlands Simba did not know about that was fuelling Kovu's current desperation to save this unknown lion?
These doubts were erased from Simba's mind - though not discarded entirely - as he finally caught up with Kovu, who had stopped again, and saw the ambush close up for the first time. What the king saw left him astounded and revolted at the same time. It was indeed six hyenas that had ambushed the rogue, but at present only three were still trying to bring him down. Two of the hyenas lay scattered in the dirt, still alive but out cold, while a third one was limping away, whimpering with pain caused by deep gash in his right hip, and obviously not willing to risk more personal injury over this lion.
But the three that were still fighting had all the advantages, and seemed to have victory in their grasp. they had managed to force the rogue lion to the ground by viciously attacking one of his forelegs, which Simba could barely see through the thick coating of blood covering the limb. The shock of the situation seemed to have finally struck the rogue, who was only sporadically fighting. He was barely conscious, and in seconds, he would fade, and the hyenas would be able to go for the throat, literally, without anything to stop them...
...except himself and Kovu.
Deciding that distracting the hyenas was the best course of action, Simba made the three remaining hyenas very aware of his presence by sucking in a deep breath, and unleashing a deafening, raging roar, the message within the sound very clear; you have stepped into my territory, and now you will pay the price!
The hyenas immediately turned from their semi-conscious prey, three sets of eyes locking with Simba's angry gaze, which only grew angrier as he saw the faces of these scavengers, and recognised them. Inwardly sighing, and wondering why these creatures never learned, both Simba and Kovu raced forward, Kovu slightly ahead, entering the fray...a fray the hyenas suddenly realised they no longer had the advantage in.
But before any of the three hyenas could react, Kovu was on top of them. He tackled two of them directly, knocking them clean off the injured rogue, before unleashing a vicious kick with his hind legs, catching the one he missed in their soft underbelly just before they leapt on him.
From there, Simba took over, as Kovu went to check on the rogue, now that the stranger was free from the hyenas. Unsheathing his claws, the king of the Pridelands quickly proved that the best fighter don't always have to be the strongest. His lean form ran circles around the three hyenas, slowly herding them into a small, tighter group, lashing out whenever one of them tried to make an escape. The fear in the hyena trio's eyes became more and more distinct as Simba slowly rounded them up...then pounced.
In a furious series of moves, Simba attacked the hyenas, moving faster than the hyenas could follow. They attempted to scatter in a blind panic, but Simba quickly dragged them back in, using his claws only when necessarry, before finally forcing all three onto their backs, side-by-side, before pinning them all underneath his paws, at which point all three of the beasts starting talking simultaneously...or at least two did, Simba was not sure if the third one was even capable of speech.
"Ow, ow, ow! Hey, take it easy..."
"...Come on! What's your problem?!"
"...Claws! Claws! Hurting, ow!"
"...We're not really that far into your land..."
"Silence!" Simba's commanding boom shut the hyenas up instantly...only to have them speak up again a moment later.
"Wow, you really sounded a lot like your father there!"
"Yup, definitely Mufasa's son!"
"I said silence!" Simba repeated, with even more force than before, finally succeeding in shutting the hyenas up for long enough to get his own words in. "Well, well, well...if it isn't my three favourite hyenas." He then looked at each one in turn. "Shenzi...Banzai...Ed...what are you doing here?" His tone initially sounded kind, but the threatening ring to it left no doubt as to who was in charge of the situation.
Banzai was the first to respond. "Wow, Shenzi, Simba still remembers us, even after all these years!"
"Yes, Banzai, you three are hard to forget," Simba deadpanned, before his voice grew once more ferocious. "Although you don't help me forget you when you keep breaking the laws I set down every other week!" He emphasised his words by pushing down on the three hyenas with his paws, but only enough to make them uncomfortable.
"Hey, come on!" Banzai continued, finding it seemingly impossible to let Simba have the last word. "Is it our fault that your lands have the best food for miles around? We have a pack we've gotta feed too, right guys?" Both Shenzi and Ed nodded, before Shenzi stepped in.
"Besides, this rogue came into our lands, first. We were just going to catch him and take him back, seriously!"
Simba turned his gaze to focus exclusively on Shenzi, the only female of this trio. Simba also had a sneaking suspicion that she was also the leader of this small pack of hyenas that had taken up residence in the Outlands. "Really?" Simba asked, scepticism lacing his voice. "That's it? There was absolutely nothing else?"
"Well, we were going to - " Shenzi elbowed Banzai sharply to shut him up, but the damage had already been done as the blabbermouth hyena desperately tried to take back his words. "...uh, we were going to go straight back home, yeah, that's it! Nothing else at all!" He offered Simba a sheepish grin.
"Right," Simba grinned, not at all convinced.
"Please, Simba..." Shenzi paused, seeming to struggle to find the right words. "...what are you going to do? You..." she paled considerably as Simba's smile widened. "...You wouldn't...would you?"
Simba somehow resisted the overwhelming urge to laugh at Shenzi's panic. It was obvious what the hyena was thinking, but Simba had no intention of executing them. The hyenas might be a pain in his backside, but he was not that cold. "No, Shenzi...no executions today." All three hyenas heaved a massive, collective sigh of relief, but Simba was not quite done. "However, you are to leave the Pridelands...immediately. you are to take your friends with you, an if I ever see any hyena in my land again, the consequences will be much more severe. Do I make myself clear?"
Both Shenzi and Banzai were quick to respond.
"Oh, yes, great king..."
"...perfectly clear..."
"...you'll never see us here again!"
"Good," Simba said, finally satisfied that the hyenas were sufficiently scared, and would not betray his trust again. He finally removed his paws from the hyenas, freeing them to get back up. Shenzi and Ed went to collect their fallen brothers, but Banzai went straight for the unconscious form of the rogue, which Kovu was now watching over.
"Stop!" Simba's booming command caused all three hyenas to stop dead in their tracks, but Simba's attention was fixed solely on Banzai. "You are to leave the lion with me!"
All three hyenas reacted to that statement simultaneously. Shenzi and Banzai both started complaining, while Ed simply nodded stupidly at everything the other two said, whilst putting on a pouting, begging expression.
"Oh, come on, Simba...!"
"...He's just a rogue, you won't miss him..."
"...we worked so hard to get this guy..."
"...please, come on..."
"Enough!" Simba said forcefully, stopping the protests. Part of him was considering leaving the rogue to the hyenas, at least that part of him which remembered what happened the last time he'd let a rogue into the Pridelands, which turned out to be his first major mistake as king, and nearly turned the whole pride against him...
But the other part of him realised that Kovu was right...no matter what he - or anyone else, for that matter - felt towards rogues, it was only right that they at least give him a chance to tell his story, explain how he became a loner, and then either send him on his way, or let him stay for a short time, to see if he was willing to work as part of the pride.
With that thought, his decision, constantly coming under self-doubt, was once again finalised, and he turned back to the hyena trio he had such fond memories of. "Remember, you three, your pack has broken the laws we agreed to when you came back here. I am well within my right to take the rogue from you. he has wandered into my lands, and as such, is my responsibility!" Simba jerked his head in a dismissive motion. "Now take your friends and get out of my sight, before I change my mind about letting you go."
The hyenas moved quickly to obey, hearing no sign of a joke in Simba's voice. The three hyenas scrambled to grab their two unconscious friends, before half-dragging, half-carrying them away, stealing constant glances back at Simba and Kovu every now and again, their pace increasing slightly each time their eyes met Simba's hard glare.
When the five hyenas finally disappeared into the Outlands, Simba finally heaved a heavy sigh. He hated the hyenas, he had never, in his entire life, had a good experience that related to them. Simba normally did not hold grudges or prejudices, but his experience with hyenas did not give him a good impression of them. The thing he hated most was that they never seemed to learn their lesson. Simba knew that, no matter what he had just said and done then, the hyenas would be poaching in the Pridelands again within a couple of weeks, and he would have to come down and scare them off, again. It was tedious, and only sought to annoy the king these days. but it was part of his duty to his pride, and he did it willingly...he just wished that they would grow some brains and learn their lesson, then both his life, and theirs, would be so much easier.
Dragging his mind back to the real reason he had fought his favourite hyena trio off, Simba turned back to where he had last seen the rogue. Exactly as he had expected, Kovu was standing guard over the still, lifeless form. The rogue lay so still that Simba initially wondered if they had been too late, and failed to save the strange lion. But a moment later, the king saw the stranger's side rise and fall fractionally, confirming that the rogue was alive, but unconscious...and in bad shape.
Simba approached, looking to Kovu, his gaze silently asking. Kovu's sad, pained expression gave the silent answer. They may have saved the rogue for the moment, but he was in very bad shape...if he did not get some sort of help soon, he would most likely die.
Despite the silent conversation between the two lions, Simba wanted to see this rogue up close for himself, and so continued to approach, until he sat down by Kovu's side, looking down at the unconscious figure before them. But it was difficult for Simba to get a proper idea of what the rogue should have looked like. The rogue's fur was so filthy with dirt, mud and other grime that everything was a muddy shade of brown...it was simply impossible to tell what colouring this rogue possessed underneath the filthy exterior. What was obvious was that this rogue had not been living very well recently. His mane was matted and tangled, and whilst strong muscles bulged under the filthy fur, a hint of his ribcage showed as well under the lean figure. He was a strong lion, as all rogues had to be, but he was also malnourished, which would not be helping his current condition in any way.
And then there were his injuries. The rogue's muzzle and torso were lined with countless cuts and bruises, not all of them recent. A particularly nasty-looking cut across the rogue's forehead, stretching from his right eyebrow up into the left side of his mane, was already in the early stages of healing, but was sure to leave a scar behind. At first Simba thought another animal might of caused it, but he noticed the edges of the wound were too ragged, too random to have been caused by a tooth or claw, he had sustained that injury in a fall of some kind, that much was obvious.
But, the worst damage by far lay in the rogue's left foreleg, the same leg the hyenas had focused on to bring him down. The leg had been viciously clawed and mauled, and was now barely recognisable. Several cuts were very deep, probably cutting into the muscle of his leg, and the whole limb was stained crimson with blood. If was this series of wounds that were killing him, and Simba could see that it would take all of Rafiki's skill to save this rogue. And even then, there was a good chance that the rogue would lose the full use of his leg. If that happened, then this critically injured lion laying before him had little hope in the world. With a gimpy leg, the rogue would no longer be able to hunt with any effectiveness, nor would he be able to run from any danger. In short, unless a miracle occurred, this lion would be relying on others for the rest of his life.
"Do...do you think he'll make it?" Kovu's voice was barely audible, and full of genuine concern. Despite the fact that he did not even know this rogue - at least as far as Simba knew - Kovu was desperate for this lion to live.
Simba sighed. Even though he had no soft spot in his heart for rogues, seeing this lion in such an unstable, vulnerable state did pull at his heart...deep down, he really wanted this rogue to live, too. "I hope so, Kovu. He's in a very bad way...but Rafiki's never let us down yet, at least as far as I'm aware, anyway." He looked down at the rogue once more, trying to guess whether he was stable enough to move, before turning back to Kovu. "Do you think we can move him? We have to get him back to Pride Rock as fast as possible, and that means moving him as far as we can before Zazu gets back."
Kovu nodded, standing to starting heaving the rogue up so they could carry him. "I can't tell, but we have to risk it," he answered honestly. "Every second he goes without help is a second closer to death. At the very least, that leg needs to be tended to, and fast."
Simba nodded, but remained silent as the two of them spent a few awkward moments heaving the rogue up so they could carry him. Eventually they settled on draping one of the rogue's paws over their shoulders, so they were half-carrying, half-dragging him, before turning and slowly making their way back south-west, towards the distant shape of Pride Rock...and the silhouette of Zazu hurrying towards them.
And as they made their way towards the majordomo, and the assistance he had summoned, Simba could not help but think of just how much this day had changed his way of life already. What had started as a simple rescue mission was fast spiralling out of control. Because with the rogue's leg so badly injured, Simba knew that, if the rogue were to survive for any length of time, he would have to stay with his pride for some time yet.
And Simba was not sure whether that was going to be a good or bad thing...all he knew, somehow, was that the Pridelands would never be the same again.
Chapter 3
Awakening
Spoiler: show
What...what is this...where am I?
All he saw was blackness. All he heard was a dull whistling. All he felt was a mild pressure on his right side. And that was all he knew at the moment. Is this death? he mentally asked, the thought seeming to echo in his blank, empty mind.
As he felt his body start to come to life with excruciating slowness, he realised two things. First, he was definitely not dead, and second, that his entire body, from his muzzle to the tip of his tail, ached horribly. The pain was particularly severe in his left foreleg, and across his forehead as well.
He tried groaning, but felt no response from his throat. He tried moving, but his limbs failed to obey his thoughts. Whatever had happened to him, he realised, must have been serious, because his body was taking an awful long time to start up...and some small part of him was telling him that he had heard somewhere that, when your body took this long to return to consciousness, you had been out of action for a long time.
And so, all he could do was wait for his body to catch up with his mind, as he slowly woke back up.
The next thing to come back to him was his sense of smell. At first, it was blank, but then he could distantly smell grass, although wherever he was, he was a good distance away from the nearest blade. But that was quickly overpowered by a very familiar scent, that could only mean one thing...wherever he currently was, he was not alone.
That thought seemed to jolt his hearing back into action, and the dull whistling that was all he could hear changed, forming voices that were distorted, most likely from his brain still waking up, but at least audible.
"...he shouldn't even be here!" one voice, female, spat scathingly, obviously displeased about something.
"Tani!" a second voice, also female, shot back. "I know you have a thing against rogues, but seriously, look at him! The hyenas can't have done all that to him!"
Hyenas... The single word sparked something in his recovering memory, and his blank vision was filled with horrific images. A barren wasteland, full of dry ravines...frenzied barking and baying...running for his very life from a pack of hyenas that had ambushed him...escaping the maze of ravines, losing all but six of the hyena pack...the hyenas surrounding him, attacking...unspeakable pain as shock and finality settled in...a loud, booming roar as he finally gave in to the shock and pain, and blacked out...
He forced himself out of that memory, currently the only one inhabiting his mind, not wanting to re-live that horrific event again. but how had he survived? When those six hyenas had descended upon him, he had managed to fight off three, but the other three had torn away at his foreleg - the same one that was currently stinging so badly - and he had blacked out after that. How could he have possibly survived?
"...exactly my point, Kiara!" the first female voice, Tani, the second one had called her. "He's a rogue! All rogues are traitors to their former prides. He must have got the rest of his wounds when he betrayed the pride, and they forced him away!"
"We don't know that," the second voice, Kiara, shot right back. "For all we know, it could be the other way around. We have to at least give him a chance before we judge him, Tani...it's only fair."
"Fair!" Tani spat incredulously. "You think it's fair that we give him a chance to run amok, kill our cubs, and have his way with half of the pride before Simba can step in and stop him?!"
"You..." Kiara spent a few moments sputtering incoherently, obviously too stunned by Tani's tirade for words. "Why you - "
"Stop it, you two!" A third voice, again a female, boomed out from somewhere off to the side. "This arguing is not getting anyone anywhere! Simba's made his choice, and all you're going to do with your bickering is wake the rogue up!"
"Stay out of this, Vitani!" Tani snapped. "Of course you would side with Kiara on this one, Outlander!"
In the stunned silence that followed, his thoughts whirled. So these three lionesses were having a heated argument, relating to some 'rogue'...which was almost certainly him. This Tani was obviously not pleased that he had been saved, but Kiara seemed adamant that he should be given a chance. Vitani was harder to read, but then again, she had not said much, yet. And who was this Simba? This was a pride, he quickly surmised, which lead to the inevitable conclusion that Simba must be their king.
The rogue was so lost in his thoughts, that he did not realise that his body was now able to respond to his instructions. He realised this well enough when his body decided now was the time to wake up fully, and the aches across his body flared into a vicious, mind-numbing pain, causing him to screw up his face, growling in agony.
His growl did have the interesting side-effect of silencing whatever argument had been about to spring up with Tani's latest comment. For a few seconds, nothing happened, at least as far as the rogue was aware, as he waited for some inevitable comment.
Finally, one came, from the third voice, Vitani. "Did any of you hear that?" Judging by the clarity of the voice, the rogue assumed that Vitani was now now looking in his direction.
"Oh, now what?" Tani replied coldly.
"I thought I heard...him," Vitani replied, seemingly ignoring Tani's insulting tone. "Did anyone else hear it?"
As the rogue heard various murmurs of dissent, he realised that, no able to move once again, that he could also see, judging by the extremely weak light filtering through his eyelids. He initially considered just lying there for a little while longer, but quickly decided against it...there was simply no point.
So the rogue carefully opened his eyes.
Had he been in full sunlight, the rogue would most certainly have cried out from the brightness his disused eyes were taking in. But, as it happened, he was inside a cave of some sort, and the light was weak, if still a little uncomfortable. Grunting with the uncomfortable brightness the cave entrance was throwing his way, he quickly turned his head away from the light source...
...and locked eyes with three lionesses.
His nature as a loner, coupled with his current vulnerability, cause him to attempt to jump back, trying to put some distance between himself and the three lionesses staring at him intently. But the moment he tried to stand, absolute, mind-numbing pain seared through his left foreleg, causing him to roar in agony and fall back to the cold stone ground, almost blacking out again. "What...?" he asked no-one in particular, wondering why his leg was causing him so much pain, only to be distracted by one of the lionesses talking...to him.
"Easy there...take it easy. You're lucky to be alive."
The rogue looked up at the lioness, confirming that it was Vitani that was talking. She seemed to paused for a moment as the two of them locked gazes, but whatever had caused her to stop, she quickly recovered from, as she turned to look at a second lioness. The rogue could not be sure, but from her appearance alone, this second lioness - he could not be sure whether it was Tani or Kiara - was exceptionally young, barely reaching full maturity.
The young lioness nodded at Vitani's gaze. "I'll go get dad, he'll want to know the visitor's awake." She turned to leave, before turning back and looking at the other two, a cheeky smile on her face. "Try not to cause any trouble while I'm gone, you two."
"Aw, don't worry," Vitani replied sarcastically, giving a cold smile to the third lioness. "Tani and I will get along just fine on our own!"
As the rogue watched this play out, he used the conversation to confirm each lioness's identity, and took a moment to take in the appearance of each one. Kiara's youth was immediately obvious from the soft structure of her face, from her large amber eyes to the ever-smiling mouth. Her soft fur was a sort of golden beige colour, lighter on the underside as standard, with a brown tuft at the end of the tail. Her whole figure was lean and healthy with no overly distinctive features. She was just your typical late-adolescent lioness, although she did have a slightly proud, confident stance that suggested there was more to her than her simple looks gave off.
As Kiara turned and left, the rogue turned his attention to the only one who had not spoken since he had woken up, Tani. When he first took a good look at her, he had to force himself not to take a few steps backwards. She was, quite simply, the biggest lioness he had ever seen. Tani's massive frame was a good deal longer than the rogue's own, and even on all fours, she was significantly taller than Vitani. Beneath her muddy brown fur coat, which brightened to a golden hue on her belly, huge muscles rippled, proving that she was a lioness that, if you crossed her, you were in very big trouble. The rogue swallowed nervously at the thought that she could probably crush him with a single paw...with very little effort, too. Her face almost looked like it was carved from stone, with hard edges, her mouth set in a serious, no-nonsense frown, and pale, ice-blue eyes that seemed to hold little warmth in their depths. The rogue, from his brief observation, concluded that Tani was a lioness who had little sense of humour, and a short temper to match it. And if her previous words were anything to go by, she did not like him in the slightest, either. The rogue could not help but worry that Tani was going to be very unpleasant to be around.
And then the rogue turned his attention back to Vitani...and the last lioness could not be any more different than the other two. Her coat was a simple beige colour, with the standard lighter underbelly, but the fur was a bit more ruffled than the others. On top of this, her body was covered in various small scars, particularly on her legs and nose...she even had a few chunks missing from both her ears. Her figure was lean, bordering on malnourished, and everything about her suggested that she had gone through an extremely rough life, far worse than anything Tani or Kiara had endured, at the very least...which left the rogue wondering how two lionesses within the same pride could have come from such contrasting backgrounds. Her face was rather narrow, her expression neutral, but there was a hard glint in her deep blue eyes that reinforced the rogue's notion that Vitani had suffered in her childhood, but somehow survived it.
And there was something about her that he could not quite place, too. The rogue had absolutely no idea what it was, or why she was the one giving him this unknown feeling, but he could not help but feel that it was in some way important, like...
His thought's screeched to a halt as Vitani turned, catching him in the midst of staring at her. Flushing with embarrassment at having been caught so easily in his curiosity, he turned away, as much to stop his disrespectful staring as to hide the his rapidly reddening cheeks.
It was then that his breath caught, as his avoidance of Vitani's gaze had sent his eyes straight to his pained left foreleg, and he bile rise in his throat at what he saw. His entire foreleg was almost unrecognisable, almost every inch of the limb covered in scratches, bites and various other wounds, ranging in seriousness from superficial marks barely breaking the skin, the deep gashes that had cut almost to the bone. The powerful, metallic smell of blood oozed from the leg, along with something sweeter, which was probably coming from a film of sticky, clear fluid coating the whole leg, which appeared to have been applied by someone while he was unconscious.
But is was not the ragged mess of flesh and blood that sickened the rogue...it was the sheer seriousness of the injury, and the possible consequences. He knew that his leg was in very bad shape, and he was lucky just to have survived the blood loss such a wound would have caused. What really left him nauseous - and terrified - was the fact that there was absolutely no guarantee such a vicious wound would heal correctly. He knew that there was a large chance that he would never be able to regain the full use of his leg. He would, in time, be able to walk on it...but if it did not heal properly, other, more complex activities, like running, and turning at speed, would no longer be within his reach. Because of those hyenas, he could be crippled for the rest of his life, unable to hunt for himself.
And as a rogue, such a disability was a delayed death sentence.
"Hey, you okay there?" The rogue turned, finding Vitani looking at him, a hint of concern etched on her face. With her soft question, he realised that, in his worry about the implications of his injuries, his eyes had started to water, leaving him on the verge of tears. Tani, in the meantime, was not even pretending to take in interest in him, seemingly far more interested in the condition of the claws on her right foreleg.
The rogue quickly turned away once more, placing a paw over his eyes and fighting to regain some self-control. After a few deep, shaky breaths did he turn back, his eyes once more clear, and answer the lioness. "I...I don't..." he struggled for words, the mere thought of his injuries leaving him feeling completely helpless and weak. "...my leg..."
At this point, Tani seemed to have had enough. With an exasperated huff, she pulled her towering frame up and stalked off out of the cave, both her head and tail held high. The rogue stared after her, wondering what he had done to provoke such a venomous reaction from the strong lioness.
"Ignore her," Vitani said, bringing the rogue back to the current time and place. "Tani, well...she's never been able to get along well with rogues and outsiders. Trust me, I know." Her face grew soft and concerned once more. "And yes, you're in bad shape. The hyenas tore up your leg pretty badly. Rafiki has tended to it as best he can, but it's going to take a long time to heal."
The rogue sighed sadly, his initial shock over the possibility of being disabled gone...now he just felt resigned to his fate. "If it ever heals at all." he said softly, still fighting to keep his emotions under control.
Vitani sighed, and spend a few moments thinking before answering. "Listen, rogue, I won't lie to you; your leg's in bad shape. There is a chance that it won't heal properly...but there is still a very good chance that you'll be just fine in a month or two...just try and hope for the best."
The rogue looked up a Vitani, a little surprised by the concern she was showing for him. "Why do you care about me?" he asked before he could stop himself. "I'm a rogue...an outsider. Why..." he finally stopped himself, a little ashamed at how bluntly he had put the question.
Vitani just gave a mild chuckle. "I was in your position, once. I know what it's like to feel unaccepted and alone." her face fell slightly as she gave a slightly longing expression to the entrance to the cave. "Sometimes it still does feel that way. I care, rogue, because you seem nice enough, so far, and I believe you at least deserve a chance."
The rogue took this in, relieved at her response. He knew that rogues were outsiders, and were generally considered by most prides as selfish individuals to be sent away at the first opportunity. But this knowledge only lead to more questions in his mind. Exactly who had saved him from those hyenas? And why would they save him, a rogue?
"Anyway, I guess it's time to give you that chance," Vitani said, giving the rogue a small smile. "We'll start off simple, I guess; what's your name?"
"I'm..." the rogue stopped as he dug into his mind, expecting the name to jump right to his tongue...but it never did. Shocked, he quickly dug deeper into his mind, sifting through his memories for the name that had just escaped him. What he found would have caused him to fall over, were he not already lying down.
His memories were completely and utterly empty. He could remember certain pieces of knowledge, like how to talk, the general way in which prides worked, and the social standing of rogues, along with various other bits of general knowledge. but any memory of personal significance, any knowledge of his own past prior to the hyena attack, was non-existent. As he dug deeper, he uncovered mild memories of wandering the endless plains for a few days before being attacked by the hyena pack, but before that...nothing.
The rogue nearly fainted for the second time since he had woken up as the crushing reality set in. He had no memory of his past. he had no idea of when or where he had been born, no memory of where he had grown up, or who his parents were. he had no memory of any friends or enemies, or whether he had ever had them in the first place. His breathing became laboured and shaky as one final, crushing realisation hit him...
...he did not even remember his own name...he could not remember who he was!
All he saw was blackness. All he heard was a dull whistling. All he felt was a mild pressure on his right side. And that was all he knew at the moment. Is this death? he mentally asked, the thought seeming to echo in his blank, empty mind.
As he felt his body start to come to life with excruciating slowness, he realised two things. First, he was definitely not dead, and second, that his entire body, from his muzzle to the tip of his tail, ached horribly. The pain was particularly severe in his left foreleg, and across his forehead as well.
He tried groaning, but felt no response from his throat. He tried moving, but his limbs failed to obey his thoughts. Whatever had happened to him, he realised, must have been serious, because his body was taking an awful long time to start up...and some small part of him was telling him that he had heard somewhere that, when your body took this long to return to consciousness, you had been out of action for a long time.
And so, all he could do was wait for his body to catch up with his mind, as he slowly woke back up.
The next thing to come back to him was his sense of smell. At first, it was blank, but then he could distantly smell grass, although wherever he was, he was a good distance away from the nearest blade. But that was quickly overpowered by a very familiar scent, that could only mean one thing...wherever he currently was, he was not alone.
That thought seemed to jolt his hearing back into action, and the dull whistling that was all he could hear changed, forming voices that were distorted, most likely from his brain still waking up, but at least audible.
"...he shouldn't even be here!" one voice, female, spat scathingly, obviously displeased about something.
"Tani!" a second voice, also female, shot back. "I know you have a thing against rogues, but seriously, look at him! The hyenas can't have done all that to him!"
Hyenas... The single word sparked something in his recovering memory, and his blank vision was filled with horrific images. A barren wasteland, full of dry ravines...frenzied barking and baying...running for his very life from a pack of hyenas that had ambushed him...escaping the maze of ravines, losing all but six of the hyena pack...the hyenas surrounding him, attacking...unspeakable pain as shock and finality settled in...a loud, booming roar as he finally gave in to the shock and pain, and blacked out...
He forced himself out of that memory, currently the only one inhabiting his mind, not wanting to re-live that horrific event again. but how had he survived? When those six hyenas had descended upon him, he had managed to fight off three, but the other three had torn away at his foreleg - the same one that was currently stinging so badly - and he had blacked out after that. How could he have possibly survived?
"...exactly my point, Kiara!" the first female voice, Tani, the second one had called her. "He's a rogue! All rogues are traitors to their former prides. He must have got the rest of his wounds when he betrayed the pride, and they forced him away!"
"We don't know that," the second voice, Kiara, shot right back. "For all we know, it could be the other way around. We have to at least give him a chance before we judge him, Tani...it's only fair."
"Fair!" Tani spat incredulously. "You think it's fair that we give him a chance to run amok, kill our cubs, and have his way with half of the pride before Simba can step in and stop him?!"
"You..." Kiara spent a few moments sputtering incoherently, obviously too stunned by Tani's tirade for words. "Why you - "
"Stop it, you two!" A third voice, again a female, boomed out from somewhere off to the side. "This arguing is not getting anyone anywhere! Simba's made his choice, and all you're going to do with your bickering is wake the rogue up!"
"Stay out of this, Vitani!" Tani snapped. "Of course you would side with Kiara on this one, Outlander!"
In the stunned silence that followed, his thoughts whirled. So these three lionesses were having a heated argument, relating to some 'rogue'...which was almost certainly him. This Tani was obviously not pleased that he had been saved, but Kiara seemed adamant that he should be given a chance. Vitani was harder to read, but then again, she had not said much, yet. And who was this Simba? This was a pride, he quickly surmised, which lead to the inevitable conclusion that Simba must be their king.
The rogue was so lost in his thoughts, that he did not realise that his body was now able to respond to his instructions. He realised this well enough when his body decided now was the time to wake up fully, and the aches across his body flared into a vicious, mind-numbing pain, causing him to screw up his face, growling in agony.
His growl did have the interesting side-effect of silencing whatever argument had been about to spring up with Tani's latest comment. For a few seconds, nothing happened, at least as far as the rogue was aware, as he waited for some inevitable comment.
Finally, one came, from the third voice, Vitani. "Did any of you hear that?" Judging by the clarity of the voice, the rogue assumed that Vitani was now now looking in his direction.
"Oh, now what?" Tani replied coldly.
"I thought I heard...him," Vitani replied, seemingly ignoring Tani's insulting tone. "Did anyone else hear it?"
As the rogue heard various murmurs of dissent, he realised that, no able to move once again, that he could also see, judging by the extremely weak light filtering through his eyelids. He initially considered just lying there for a little while longer, but quickly decided against it...there was simply no point.
So the rogue carefully opened his eyes.
Had he been in full sunlight, the rogue would most certainly have cried out from the brightness his disused eyes were taking in. But, as it happened, he was inside a cave of some sort, and the light was weak, if still a little uncomfortable. Grunting with the uncomfortable brightness the cave entrance was throwing his way, he quickly turned his head away from the light source...
...and locked eyes with three lionesses.
His nature as a loner, coupled with his current vulnerability, cause him to attempt to jump back, trying to put some distance between himself and the three lionesses staring at him intently. But the moment he tried to stand, absolute, mind-numbing pain seared through his left foreleg, causing him to roar in agony and fall back to the cold stone ground, almost blacking out again. "What...?" he asked no-one in particular, wondering why his leg was causing him so much pain, only to be distracted by one of the lionesses talking...to him.
"Easy there...take it easy. You're lucky to be alive."
The rogue looked up at the lioness, confirming that it was Vitani that was talking. She seemed to paused for a moment as the two of them locked gazes, but whatever had caused her to stop, she quickly recovered from, as she turned to look at a second lioness. The rogue could not be sure, but from her appearance alone, this second lioness - he could not be sure whether it was Tani or Kiara - was exceptionally young, barely reaching full maturity.
The young lioness nodded at Vitani's gaze. "I'll go get dad, he'll want to know the visitor's awake." She turned to leave, before turning back and looking at the other two, a cheeky smile on her face. "Try not to cause any trouble while I'm gone, you two."
"Aw, don't worry," Vitani replied sarcastically, giving a cold smile to the third lioness. "Tani and I will get along just fine on our own!"
As the rogue watched this play out, he used the conversation to confirm each lioness's identity, and took a moment to take in the appearance of each one. Kiara's youth was immediately obvious from the soft structure of her face, from her large amber eyes to the ever-smiling mouth. Her soft fur was a sort of golden beige colour, lighter on the underside as standard, with a brown tuft at the end of the tail. Her whole figure was lean and healthy with no overly distinctive features. She was just your typical late-adolescent lioness, although she did have a slightly proud, confident stance that suggested there was more to her than her simple looks gave off.
As Kiara turned and left, the rogue turned his attention to the only one who had not spoken since he had woken up, Tani. When he first took a good look at her, he had to force himself not to take a few steps backwards. She was, quite simply, the biggest lioness he had ever seen. Tani's massive frame was a good deal longer than the rogue's own, and even on all fours, she was significantly taller than Vitani. Beneath her muddy brown fur coat, which brightened to a golden hue on her belly, huge muscles rippled, proving that she was a lioness that, if you crossed her, you were in very big trouble. The rogue swallowed nervously at the thought that she could probably crush him with a single paw...with very little effort, too. Her face almost looked like it was carved from stone, with hard edges, her mouth set in a serious, no-nonsense frown, and pale, ice-blue eyes that seemed to hold little warmth in their depths. The rogue, from his brief observation, concluded that Tani was a lioness who had little sense of humour, and a short temper to match it. And if her previous words were anything to go by, she did not like him in the slightest, either. The rogue could not help but worry that Tani was going to be very unpleasant to be around.
And then the rogue turned his attention back to Vitani...and the last lioness could not be any more different than the other two. Her coat was a simple beige colour, with the standard lighter underbelly, but the fur was a bit more ruffled than the others. On top of this, her body was covered in various small scars, particularly on her legs and nose...she even had a few chunks missing from both her ears. Her figure was lean, bordering on malnourished, and everything about her suggested that she had gone through an extremely rough life, far worse than anything Tani or Kiara had endured, at the very least...which left the rogue wondering how two lionesses within the same pride could have come from such contrasting backgrounds. Her face was rather narrow, her expression neutral, but there was a hard glint in her deep blue eyes that reinforced the rogue's notion that Vitani had suffered in her childhood, but somehow survived it.
And there was something about her that he could not quite place, too. The rogue had absolutely no idea what it was, or why she was the one giving him this unknown feeling, but he could not help but feel that it was in some way important, like...
His thought's screeched to a halt as Vitani turned, catching him in the midst of staring at her. Flushing with embarrassment at having been caught so easily in his curiosity, he turned away, as much to stop his disrespectful staring as to hide the his rapidly reddening cheeks.
It was then that his breath caught, as his avoidance of Vitani's gaze had sent his eyes straight to his pained left foreleg, and he bile rise in his throat at what he saw. His entire foreleg was almost unrecognisable, almost every inch of the limb covered in scratches, bites and various other wounds, ranging in seriousness from superficial marks barely breaking the skin, the deep gashes that had cut almost to the bone. The powerful, metallic smell of blood oozed from the leg, along with something sweeter, which was probably coming from a film of sticky, clear fluid coating the whole leg, which appeared to have been applied by someone while he was unconscious.
But is was not the ragged mess of flesh and blood that sickened the rogue...it was the sheer seriousness of the injury, and the possible consequences. He knew that his leg was in very bad shape, and he was lucky just to have survived the blood loss such a wound would have caused. What really left him nauseous - and terrified - was the fact that there was absolutely no guarantee such a vicious wound would heal correctly. He knew that there was a large chance that he would never be able to regain the full use of his leg. He would, in time, be able to walk on it...but if it did not heal properly, other, more complex activities, like running, and turning at speed, would no longer be within his reach. Because of those hyenas, he could be crippled for the rest of his life, unable to hunt for himself.
And as a rogue, such a disability was a delayed death sentence.
"Hey, you okay there?" The rogue turned, finding Vitani looking at him, a hint of concern etched on her face. With her soft question, he realised that, in his worry about the implications of his injuries, his eyes had started to water, leaving him on the verge of tears. Tani, in the meantime, was not even pretending to take in interest in him, seemingly far more interested in the condition of the claws on her right foreleg.
The rogue quickly turned away once more, placing a paw over his eyes and fighting to regain some self-control. After a few deep, shaky breaths did he turn back, his eyes once more clear, and answer the lioness. "I...I don't..." he struggled for words, the mere thought of his injuries leaving him feeling completely helpless and weak. "...my leg..."
At this point, Tani seemed to have had enough. With an exasperated huff, she pulled her towering frame up and stalked off out of the cave, both her head and tail held high. The rogue stared after her, wondering what he had done to provoke such a venomous reaction from the strong lioness.
"Ignore her," Vitani said, bringing the rogue back to the current time and place. "Tani, well...she's never been able to get along well with rogues and outsiders. Trust me, I know." Her face grew soft and concerned once more. "And yes, you're in bad shape. The hyenas tore up your leg pretty badly. Rafiki has tended to it as best he can, but it's going to take a long time to heal."
The rogue sighed sadly, his initial shock over the possibility of being disabled gone...now he just felt resigned to his fate. "If it ever heals at all." he said softly, still fighting to keep his emotions under control.
Vitani sighed, and spend a few moments thinking before answering. "Listen, rogue, I won't lie to you; your leg's in bad shape. There is a chance that it won't heal properly...but there is still a very good chance that you'll be just fine in a month or two...just try and hope for the best."
The rogue looked up a Vitani, a little surprised by the concern she was showing for him. "Why do you care about me?" he asked before he could stop himself. "I'm a rogue...an outsider. Why..." he finally stopped himself, a little ashamed at how bluntly he had put the question.
Vitani just gave a mild chuckle. "I was in your position, once. I know what it's like to feel unaccepted and alone." her face fell slightly as she gave a slightly longing expression to the entrance to the cave. "Sometimes it still does feel that way. I care, rogue, because you seem nice enough, so far, and I believe you at least deserve a chance."
The rogue took this in, relieved at her response. He knew that rogues were outsiders, and were generally considered by most prides as selfish individuals to be sent away at the first opportunity. But this knowledge only lead to more questions in his mind. Exactly who had saved him from those hyenas? And why would they save him, a rogue?
"Anyway, I guess it's time to give you that chance," Vitani said, giving the rogue a small smile. "We'll start off simple, I guess; what's your name?"
"I'm..." the rogue stopped as he dug into his mind, expecting the name to jump right to his tongue...but it never did. Shocked, he quickly dug deeper into his mind, sifting through his memories for the name that had just escaped him. What he found would have caused him to fall over, were he not already lying down.
His memories were completely and utterly empty. He could remember certain pieces of knowledge, like how to talk, the general way in which prides worked, and the social standing of rogues, along with various other bits of general knowledge. but any memory of personal significance, any knowledge of his own past prior to the hyena attack, was non-existent. As he dug deeper, he uncovered mild memories of wandering the endless plains for a few days before being attacked by the hyena pack, but before that...nothing.
The rogue nearly fainted for the second time since he had woken up as the crushing reality set in. He had no memory of his past. he had no idea of when or where he had been born, no memory of where he had grown up, or who his parents were. he had no memory of any friends or enemies, or whether he had ever had them in the first place. His breathing became laboured and shaky as one final, crushing realisation hit him...
...he did not even remember his own name...he could not remember who he was!
Chapter 4
The Lost Rogue
Spoiler: show
Panic settled into the rogue's mind as the realisation hit him...hard. He completely lost awareness of the world around him as he retreated inwards, trying to find some way of disproving his sudden realisation. There had to be something he remembered...he could not have forgotten everything about his past, could he?
But his aimless, half-conscious wanderings around the vast savannah, and the vicious hyena attack were the only images his memory could conjure up of his past. As far as he was aware, until roughly a week ago, he never even existed, and even then, his existence was barely there, and meaningless. It was as if he had just appeared out of nowhere...but why? Why had he lost his memories? What could have happened to him? He knew that he could not have just sprouted into existence, that he must have at least had a cub-hood like any other lion...but what had it been like? Where had he grown up, and why could he not remember any of this any more? He was torn between frustrated fury and crushing despair, and his mind and heart could not decide which emotion to go with.
"Hey, you awake in there?" Vitani's voice brought the rogue back to the cave, and his companion, as she smiled at him encouragingly, obviously having no clue of his inner turmoil. "I know you're afraid, and confused, but you're okay now. But we can't do much about you if we don't know anything about you. So, what's your name?"
All the kind prompting did was leave the rogue feeling infinitely small and weak, and his inability to answer such a simple question only worsened the feeling. Despair won in his emotional battle, and he felt his eyes stinging as tears built up, which he fought desperately to hold back, trying to hold himself strong in the face of such an overwhelming shock.
Considering what he was going through, his hopes of keeping a brave face were futile, and as the first tear ran down his cheek, Vitani's kind, encouraging expression vanished faster than his memories, replaced by a look of concern. "Hey, you okay? What's wrong?"
The rogue, still seeking to hang on to what little composure he had left, turned his head away from the lioness that at present was his only company, quickly using a dirty paw to wipe away the tears, only for more to take their place. With each shaky breath he took, his composure slipped further and further from his fragile grasp, and this only sough to make him more upset, as his sense of weakness and failure grew. The constant revisiting of his realisation that his past was lost to him finally became too much, as his shaky breaths turned to heaving sobs. Without his memories, he had no identity, and that just made it all the worse. Who was he? Had be been a strong, proud lion, or a raging tyrant, or a gentle, soft-spoken soul? No name, no past, no identity...
...he was nothing.
At that point, the floodgates burst, and the rogue, feeling a sense of emptiness and loneliness overwhelming him, curled up into as tight a ball as his sore, stiff body would allow, and lost the fight to hold onto his composure, the tears breaking with full force, his body shaking as he sobbed as quietly as he could manage, covering his face as best he could to muffle the noise he was making, even though only one lioness was around to see him in such a weak and vulnerable state.
But it was that one lioness he was trying to avoid attracting the attention of. She had seemed nice enough so far, despite the fact that the rogue barely knew her, but how would she look at him now, breaking down over what would appear to be absolutely nothing?
In the end, as he continued to lie there and slowly release his emotions, he realised that it did not matter. With his lack of past, he had no-one in his brief and meaningless life...and with nothing to identify himself, he highly doubted anyone would want to know him, anyway. No matter where he went, or what he did, he knew that he would always be completely and utterly alone.
He was so lost in his misery, he was only mildly aware of voices indicating Vitani was no longer his only company. "Kiara, I thought you said he was awake?"
"He was, dad. I..." her voice faded, and the rogue realised that she must have seen his body shudder with the sobs he was still trying to contain.
"Kiara?" this new voice, definitely male, seemed confused by Kiara's sudden stop mid-sentence. "Kiara, you what? What were you going to...oh." judging by the sudden shift in tone, this new lion had just spotted the rogue's emotional state as well, which did little to help him regain control.
This new lion must have given Vitani a questioning look, because she was the next one to speak. "I have no idea what happened, Simba," she said, a little cautiously. "I was just asking for his name, but he seemed to get distracted for a moment. I tried to ask him about it, but he, well..." her hesitation left the rogue aware that she was aware that he was well within earshot, and seemed interested in trying to avoid hurting his feelings. "...well, you can see what happened next well enough."
The way she seemed to avoid expressing the rogue's unexpected breakdown directly gave him a little of his composure back. It seemed to help that she did, for some reason that was completely unknown to him, seem to care about his feelings in some way. As he finally started having some small, slow success in bringing himself back under control, the conversation continued on around him.
"Any idea what might have caused him to do this?" the male, Simba, asked softly.
Even though his eyes were still hidden behind both his eyelids and his right foreleg, he could almost see Vitani shrugging. "Not a clue. Whatever it is, I've never seen anyone so distraught before."
Simba gave a heavy, weary sigh, and that seemed to suggest to the rogue that Simba had seen someone in such a state, which again helped his confidence, and his composure, recover that little bit more. If this lion had seen someone break down like this before, he might be a little more understanding of it.
With that thought, he finally brought his quiet sobbing under control, his trembling body finally becoming still. He sniffed, wiping his paw across his eyes once more as he finally uncurled himself, looking up to find that Vitani was looking at him once again, and, as the voices had said, Kiara was back, her face showing just as much concern as Vitani's.
But the rogue's gaze locked onto the new, male lion, Simba. His earlier suspicions that Simba was the king of this particular pride of lions was confirmed by the sight that met his eyes. His gleaming golden fur, billowing, full brown mane, and proud, confident stance all gave off the impression of a powerful, respected leader. His athletic body seemed to glow with strength and power, yet his brown eyes seemed to hide a softer side to him. That softer side, however, was not on display at the moment, and it was instantly obvious that this proud leader was vary wary of the rogue currently in his presence.
"Hey, what is it?" Kiara's voice was unbelievably soft and gentle, as thought she was hurt just by seeing him in such an emotional state. She seemed to intend on coming closer, but Simba held up a paw, stalling the young lioness.
"Careful, Kiara," he said warmly but firmly.
"Dad, even if he did want to hurt anyone, which I doubt, he's in hardly any state to do that," Kiara replied quickly, leaving the rogue assuming that this sort of thing happened often between the two.
"Just..." Simba seemed to struggle for a moment to come up with an argument. It was obvious that not only was he wary of the rogue, but that he was very protective of his daughter, as well. He finally let Kiara go, but his gaze was locked firmly on the rogue, who suppressed the urge to look away. "I don't trust you, rogue. I know what your kind are like."
The words stung the rogue, but not nearly as much as the truth behind his reply. "I understand, sir...I'm not sure I trust myself, to be honest."
All three faces in the cave took on puzzled expressions, if they had been expecting anything from the reply, it most certainly had not been that. "What do you mean, rogue?"
the constant use of the word 'rogue' in such a derogatory manner was stinging the rogue's pride like a claw across the muzzle, but he forced himself to hold back any argument. Rogues did not have the best reputation by a long shot, and as king of a pride, Simba was well within his rights to be distrustful. Now if only I could remember how I learned that, he thought sadly as he turned to Vitani first. "Vitani, you asked me for my name before?" The lioness in question nodded. Considering what he had done afterwards, it would probably be hard to forget for the rest of the day. "The reason I reacted the way I did, and never gave you an answer, is..." he stopped. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he was struggling to say them. The idea that he had no memory of his past was still too fresh, to shock too raw. Just the thought of having to say it aloud nearly caused him to lose his composure again. "I...I can't..."
Simba seemed to get impatient. "It's just a name, rogue!"
Kiara gave her father a low growl, obviously scolding him for being so forward and cold with his remark, but to the rogue, the remark had the effect he needed, it spurred him on. "But that's just it!" he finally cried, letting it all come out at once. "It's just a name, and I can't remember it!" Their shocked faces only encouraged his emotionally strained mind on further. "I can't remember anything at all!"
The rogue got three completely different reactions to this declaration. Vitani's jaw dropped in complete, unfathomable shock, obviously struggling to comprehend exactly what he had meant. Kiara's face mimicked Vitani's for a few brief moments, but then it changed to a look of sympathetic concern, showing that she seemed to be convinced of his honesty easily enough. Simba, on the other hand, seemed to be mildly confused, and more than a little sceptical. It was obvious that the king would take some convincing to get him to believe in his sudden amnesia.
In the end, it was Simba who spoke first. "What do you mean?" he asked, still perplexed at the rogue's revelation.
The rogue sighed, his frustration mingling with the his returning despair. His emotions were running away from him again, and he did not want to suffer another breakdown. "I meant exactly what I said. I can remember some of the hyena attack...I can remember wandering the plains a few days before that. But before that...there's nothing. I don't..." he realised he was fast beginning to rant, and fought to bring himself under control before finishing, his voice dead serious, with a crushing sense of loss evident in it, even to himself. "...I just...can't remember."
The rogue's shoulders started to heave as he fought back another wave of sobs, and it was this, rather than his words, that seemed to remove the last of Simba's doubts. But he still seemed to hope he could learn at least something about the rogue in front of him. "So you can't remember anything at all...not even your name?"
Rather than risking opening his mouth, the rogue simply shook his head sadly. With this, Simba let out a weary sigh, obviously thinking the same thing the rogue was; that the situation the two of them found themselves in had just gotten a whole lot more complicated. Without any way of testing the rogue's intentions, Simba was at a loss to figure out what to do with this strange lion that he wandered into his territory, and the rogue himself, without a past, did not know what to do with himself. Where does one with no apparent purpose in life go, and what do they do?
The rogue looked over his own body, trying to see if there was some clue to his identity hidden in his physical features. But as he looked over his own body, he saw that, quite simply, there was nothing to see. His body was covered from head to tail in mud, dust and grime, and whatever colouring his fur and mane possessed was lost beneath it all. His entire body appeared to be a dusty shade of brown...and somehow, by some indistinct instinct, the rogue knew that this was not the case.
And with that simple question burning in his mind, that single desire to find out exactly what he looked like, the rogue found some purpose to drive him...at least for the next five minutes.
But it would do for now.
Moving slowly and carefully, so that he would not set off the pain in his left foreleg too severely, the rogue slowly rolled onto his stomach, a move which generated curious looks from the three lions watching him. Groaning with the pain, and the discomfort his stiff joints were producing, he slowly hauled himself to his feet, only to yell out as his bad foreleg protested having even the smallest weight put on it.
"Whoa, hey, take it easy!" Vitani's cry stopped not only the rogue, but Simba and Kiara as well. "You probably shouldn't get up right now, you're lucky to be alive."
The rogue managed a small, half-hearted smile at the lioness in question. "Thanks...but I really need to do something. As for my leg..." Rather than finish the sentence, he instead made a show of tucking the mauled leg against his chest, keeping it out of the way as he balanced awkwardly on his three remaining legs.
But Simba was eyeing the rogue suspiciously once more. "Just where are you going, anyway?"
The rogue then turned to Simba. "Wherever the nearest lake or river is," he answered simply. But rather than move for the cave exit, he simply stood, politely waiting for Simba to let him go.
Simba eyed the rogue for several tense moments, as if trying to read the rogue's intentions. The rogue responded by meeting Simba's gaze, and observing the king of this pride, watching for his reaction. He could see the majestic lion's gaze drift to his injured foreleg, and when those eyes met the torn and battered limb, his expression softened noticeably. "I'll show you to a nearby river," he finally said. "You could probably use a good washing down, actually."
The rogue nodded, before testing his ability to walk, taking a few tentative steps. His gait was unsteady, and the fact that he was forced to hobble on three legs made it even worse. But after a few unsteady moments, he found a limping gait that was slow, but steady enough, and followed the three lions as they left the cave.
But at the entrance, Simba stopped once more. "Kiara, go tell the others that our...guest...is awake, and the den is ready for them again."
The rogue did not need to use much of his brain to figure out the underlying message in that sentence. The rest of pride, being as distrusting of him as Simba had been so far, had avoided that cave - the pride's den - while he had been unconscious. While the rogue felt a hint of annoyance at the pride's behaviour, he also felt slightly ashamed that his presence had caused the pride discomfort. He was the outsider, and that meant that it should be him sacrificing his comforts for the pride, not the other way around.
Kiara was very quick to protest Simba's orders. "Oh, come on, dad..."
Simba's voice became more pressing. "Kiara, please, just do it."
Kiara looked between the three lions in front of her, obviously hoping someone would back her up in her pleas, before sighing. "Yes, dad," she finally said long-sufferingly, before slowly padding off, out into the sunlight, as Vitani turned to Simba.
"What about me, Simba?" the lioness asked.
Simba took one look at the rogue, before turning to Vitani, not bothering to hide his next words. "You're my spare set of eyes...and claws. Just...keep an eye out for any trouble."
Simba's indirect phrases were not lost on the rogue. He may have lost all of his memories, but he had not lost his intelligence. Simba was bringing Vitani along to keep an eye on him specifically. The king may be slightly sympathetic to the rogue's current problems, but that did not seem to mean that he was trustworthy in the king's eyes just yet.
Vitani caught on to Simba's implied messages as well. "I will, Simba...but with all due respect, I believe him." She waved a paw in the rogue's direction. "And I do not think he will cause any trouble here."
"Maybe," Simba said quietly, almost to himself. The rogue heard, and understood well enough. Simba was still cautious of the rogue, but his sense of caution was wavering...he was becoming less and less certain of the threat he possessed. The rogue could only continue trying to figure things out for himself and hope that, by the end of the day, Simba trusted him to some extent.
"Come on, you," Simba said, his voice returning to normal volume as the motioned his head towards the cave entrance, before heading that way himself, obviously beckoning the rogue to follow him. "It's time to see if we can't find out who you are."
But the rogue's thoughts continued on as he followed Simba, finally heading out of the pride's den and into the bright sunshine. He needed Simba to trust him by the time the day ended for one, simple reason; if Simba did not trust him, he would not be allowed to stay in his land. And if he was sent away now, with his leg in its current condition, his fate was already sealed, his empty and useless existence done before he could even try to make something of it.
His life depended on Simba's trust now...and his ability to convince others that he was not a threat.
But his aimless, half-conscious wanderings around the vast savannah, and the vicious hyena attack were the only images his memory could conjure up of his past. As far as he was aware, until roughly a week ago, he never even existed, and even then, his existence was barely there, and meaningless. It was as if he had just appeared out of nowhere...but why? Why had he lost his memories? What could have happened to him? He knew that he could not have just sprouted into existence, that he must have at least had a cub-hood like any other lion...but what had it been like? Where had he grown up, and why could he not remember any of this any more? He was torn between frustrated fury and crushing despair, and his mind and heart could not decide which emotion to go with.
"Hey, you awake in there?" Vitani's voice brought the rogue back to the cave, and his companion, as she smiled at him encouragingly, obviously having no clue of his inner turmoil. "I know you're afraid, and confused, but you're okay now. But we can't do much about you if we don't know anything about you. So, what's your name?"
All the kind prompting did was leave the rogue feeling infinitely small and weak, and his inability to answer such a simple question only worsened the feeling. Despair won in his emotional battle, and he felt his eyes stinging as tears built up, which he fought desperately to hold back, trying to hold himself strong in the face of such an overwhelming shock.
Considering what he was going through, his hopes of keeping a brave face were futile, and as the first tear ran down his cheek, Vitani's kind, encouraging expression vanished faster than his memories, replaced by a look of concern. "Hey, you okay? What's wrong?"
The rogue, still seeking to hang on to what little composure he had left, turned his head away from the lioness that at present was his only company, quickly using a dirty paw to wipe away the tears, only for more to take their place. With each shaky breath he took, his composure slipped further and further from his fragile grasp, and this only sough to make him more upset, as his sense of weakness and failure grew. The constant revisiting of his realisation that his past was lost to him finally became too much, as his shaky breaths turned to heaving sobs. Without his memories, he had no identity, and that just made it all the worse. Who was he? Had be been a strong, proud lion, or a raging tyrant, or a gentle, soft-spoken soul? No name, no past, no identity...
...he was nothing.
At that point, the floodgates burst, and the rogue, feeling a sense of emptiness and loneliness overwhelming him, curled up into as tight a ball as his sore, stiff body would allow, and lost the fight to hold onto his composure, the tears breaking with full force, his body shaking as he sobbed as quietly as he could manage, covering his face as best he could to muffle the noise he was making, even though only one lioness was around to see him in such a weak and vulnerable state.
But it was that one lioness he was trying to avoid attracting the attention of. She had seemed nice enough so far, despite the fact that the rogue barely knew her, but how would she look at him now, breaking down over what would appear to be absolutely nothing?
In the end, as he continued to lie there and slowly release his emotions, he realised that it did not matter. With his lack of past, he had no-one in his brief and meaningless life...and with nothing to identify himself, he highly doubted anyone would want to know him, anyway. No matter where he went, or what he did, he knew that he would always be completely and utterly alone.
He was so lost in his misery, he was only mildly aware of voices indicating Vitani was no longer his only company. "Kiara, I thought you said he was awake?"
"He was, dad. I..." her voice faded, and the rogue realised that she must have seen his body shudder with the sobs he was still trying to contain.
"Kiara?" this new voice, definitely male, seemed confused by Kiara's sudden stop mid-sentence. "Kiara, you what? What were you going to...oh." judging by the sudden shift in tone, this new lion had just spotted the rogue's emotional state as well, which did little to help him regain control.
This new lion must have given Vitani a questioning look, because she was the next one to speak. "I have no idea what happened, Simba," she said, a little cautiously. "I was just asking for his name, but he seemed to get distracted for a moment. I tried to ask him about it, but he, well..." her hesitation left the rogue aware that she was aware that he was well within earshot, and seemed interested in trying to avoid hurting his feelings. "...well, you can see what happened next well enough."
The way she seemed to avoid expressing the rogue's unexpected breakdown directly gave him a little of his composure back. It seemed to help that she did, for some reason that was completely unknown to him, seem to care about his feelings in some way. As he finally started having some small, slow success in bringing himself back under control, the conversation continued on around him.
"Any idea what might have caused him to do this?" the male, Simba, asked softly.
Even though his eyes were still hidden behind both his eyelids and his right foreleg, he could almost see Vitani shrugging. "Not a clue. Whatever it is, I've never seen anyone so distraught before."
Simba gave a heavy, weary sigh, and that seemed to suggest to the rogue that Simba had seen someone in such a state, which again helped his confidence, and his composure, recover that little bit more. If this lion had seen someone break down like this before, he might be a little more understanding of it.
With that thought, he finally brought his quiet sobbing under control, his trembling body finally becoming still. He sniffed, wiping his paw across his eyes once more as he finally uncurled himself, looking up to find that Vitani was looking at him once again, and, as the voices had said, Kiara was back, her face showing just as much concern as Vitani's.
But the rogue's gaze locked onto the new, male lion, Simba. His earlier suspicions that Simba was the king of this particular pride of lions was confirmed by the sight that met his eyes. His gleaming golden fur, billowing, full brown mane, and proud, confident stance all gave off the impression of a powerful, respected leader. His athletic body seemed to glow with strength and power, yet his brown eyes seemed to hide a softer side to him. That softer side, however, was not on display at the moment, and it was instantly obvious that this proud leader was vary wary of the rogue currently in his presence.
"Hey, what is it?" Kiara's voice was unbelievably soft and gentle, as thought she was hurt just by seeing him in such an emotional state. She seemed to intend on coming closer, but Simba held up a paw, stalling the young lioness.
"Careful, Kiara," he said warmly but firmly.
"Dad, even if he did want to hurt anyone, which I doubt, he's in hardly any state to do that," Kiara replied quickly, leaving the rogue assuming that this sort of thing happened often between the two.
"Just..." Simba seemed to struggle for a moment to come up with an argument. It was obvious that not only was he wary of the rogue, but that he was very protective of his daughter, as well. He finally let Kiara go, but his gaze was locked firmly on the rogue, who suppressed the urge to look away. "I don't trust you, rogue. I know what your kind are like."
The words stung the rogue, but not nearly as much as the truth behind his reply. "I understand, sir...I'm not sure I trust myself, to be honest."
All three faces in the cave took on puzzled expressions, if they had been expecting anything from the reply, it most certainly had not been that. "What do you mean, rogue?"
the constant use of the word 'rogue' in such a derogatory manner was stinging the rogue's pride like a claw across the muzzle, but he forced himself to hold back any argument. Rogues did not have the best reputation by a long shot, and as king of a pride, Simba was well within his rights to be distrustful. Now if only I could remember how I learned that, he thought sadly as he turned to Vitani first. "Vitani, you asked me for my name before?" The lioness in question nodded. Considering what he had done afterwards, it would probably be hard to forget for the rest of the day. "The reason I reacted the way I did, and never gave you an answer, is..." he stopped. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he was struggling to say them. The idea that he had no memory of his past was still too fresh, to shock too raw. Just the thought of having to say it aloud nearly caused him to lose his composure again. "I...I can't..."
Simba seemed to get impatient. "It's just a name, rogue!"
Kiara gave her father a low growl, obviously scolding him for being so forward and cold with his remark, but to the rogue, the remark had the effect he needed, it spurred him on. "But that's just it!" he finally cried, letting it all come out at once. "It's just a name, and I can't remember it!" Their shocked faces only encouraged his emotionally strained mind on further. "I can't remember anything at all!"
The rogue got three completely different reactions to this declaration. Vitani's jaw dropped in complete, unfathomable shock, obviously struggling to comprehend exactly what he had meant. Kiara's face mimicked Vitani's for a few brief moments, but then it changed to a look of sympathetic concern, showing that she seemed to be convinced of his honesty easily enough. Simba, on the other hand, seemed to be mildly confused, and more than a little sceptical. It was obvious that the king would take some convincing to get him to believe in his sudden amnesia.
In the end, it was Simba who spoke first. "What do you mean?" he asked, still perplexed at the rogue's revelation.
The rogue sighed, his frustration mingling with the his returning despair. His emotions were running away from him again, and he did not want to suffer another breakdown. "I meant exactly what I said. I can remember some of the hyena attack...I can remember wandering the plains a few days before that. But before that...there's nothing. I don't..." he realised he was fast beginning to rant, and fought to bring himself under control before finishing, his voice dead serious, with a crushing sense of loss evident in it, even to himself. "...I just...can't remember."
The rogue's shoulders started to heave as he fought back another wave of sobs, and it was this, rather than his words, that seemed to remove the last of Simba's doubts. But he still seemed to hope he could learn at least something about the rogue in front of him. "So you can't remember anything at all...not even your name?"
Rather than risking opening his mouth, the rogue simply shook his head sadly. With this, Simba let out a weary sigh, obviously thinking the same thing the rogue was; that the situation the two of them found themselves in had just gotten a whole lot more complicated. Without any way of testing the rogue's intentions, Simba was at a loss to figure out what to do with this strange lion that he wandered into his territory, and the rogue himself, without a past, did not know what to do with himself. Where does one with no apparent purpose in life go, and what do they do?
The rogue looked over his own body, trying to see if there was some clue to his identity hidden in his physical features. But as he looked over his own body, he saw that, quite simply, there was nothing to see. His body was covered from head to tail in mud, dust and grime, and whatever colouring his fur and mane possessed was lost beneath it all. His entire body appeared to be a dusty shade of brown...and somehow, by some indistinct instinct, the rogue knew that this was not the case.
And with that simple question burning in his mind, that single desire to find out exactly what he looked like, the rogue found some purpose to drive him...at least for the next five minutes.
But it would do for now.
Moving slowly and carefully, so that he would not set off the pain in his left foreleg too severely, the rogue slowly rolled onto his stomach, a move which generated curious looks from the three lions watching him. Groaning with the pain, and the discomfort his stiff joints were producing, he slowly hauled himself to his feet, only to yell out as his bad foreleg protested having even the smallest weight put on it.
"Whoa, hey, take it easy!" Vitani's cry stopped not only the rogue, but Simba and Kiara as well. "You probably shouldn't get up right now, you're lucky to be alive."
The rogue managed a small, half-hearted smile at the lioness in question. "Thanks...but I really need to do something. As for my leg..." Rather than finish the sentence, he instead made a show of tucking the mauled leg against his chest, keeping it out of the way as he balanced awkwardly on his three remaining legs.
But Simba was eyeing the rogue suspiciously once more. "Just where are you going, anyway?"
The rogue then turned to Simba. "Wherever the nearest lake or river is," he answered simply. But rather than move for the cave exit, he simply stood, politely waiting for Simba to let him go.
Simba eyed the rogue for several tense moments, as if trying to read the rogue's intentions. The rogue responded by meeting Simba's gaze, and observing the king of this pride, watching for his reaction. He could see the majestic lion's gaze drift to his injured foreleg, and when those eyes met the torn and battered limb, his expression softened noticeably. "I'll show you to a nearby river," he finally said. "You could probably use a good washing down, actually."
The rogue nodded, before testing his ability to walk, taking a few tentative steps. His gait was unsteady, and the fact that he was forced to hobble on three legs made it even worse. But after a few unsteady moments, he found a limping gait that was slow, but steady enough, and followed the three lions as they left the cave.
But at the entrance, Simba stopped once more. "Kiara, go tell the others that our...guest...is awake, and the den is ready for them again."
The rogue did not need to use much of his brain to figure out the underlying message in that sentence. The rest of pride, being as distrusting of him as Simba had been so far, had avoided that cave - the pride's den - while he had been unconscious. While the rogue felt a hint of annoyance at the pride's behaviour, he also felt slightly ashamed that his presence had caused the pride discomfort. He was the outsider, and that meant that it should be him sacrificing his comforts for the pride, not the other way around.
Kiara was very quick to protest Simba's orders. "Oh, come on, dad..."
Simba's voice became more pressing. "Kiara, please, just do it."
Kiara looked between the three lions in front of her, obviously hoping someone would back her up in her pleas, before sighing. "Yes, dad," she finally said long-sufferingly, before slowly padding off, out into the sunlight, as Vitani turned to Simba.
"What about me, Simba?" the lioness asked.
Simba took one look at the rogue, before turning to Vitani, not bothering to hide his next words. "You're my spare set of eyes...and claws. Just...keep an eye out for any trouble."
Simba's indirect phrases were not lost on the rogue. He may have lost all of his memories, but he had not lost his intelligence. Simba was bringing Vitani along to keep an eye on him specifically. The king may be slightly sympathetic to the rogue's current problems, but that did not seem to mean that he was trustworthy in the king's eyes just yet.
Vitani caught on to Simba's implied messages as well. "I will, Simba...but with all due respect, I believe him." She waved a paw in the rogue's direction. "And I do not think he will cause any trouble here."
"Maybe," Simba said quietly, almost to himself. The rogue heard, and understood well enough. Simba was still cautious of the rogue, but his sense of caution was wavering...he was becoming less and less certain of the threat he possessed. The rogue could only continue trying to figure things out for himself and hope that, by the end of the day, Simba trusted him to some extent.
"Come on, you," Simba said, his voice returning to normal volume as the motioned his head towards the cave entrance, before heading that way himself, obviously beckoning the rogue to follow him. "It's time to see if we can't find out who you are."
But the rogue's thoughts continued on as he followed Simba, finally heading out of the pride's den and into the bright sunshine. He needed Simba to trust him by the time the day ended for one, simple reason; if Simba did not trust him, he would not be allowed to stay in his land. And if he was sent away now, with his leg in its current condition, his fate was already sealed, his empty and useless existence done before he could even try to make something of it.
His life depended on Simba's trust now...and his ability to convince others that he was not a threat.
Chapter 5
The World and The Wanderer
Spoiler: show
As the rogue exited the cave, he was greeted by an amazing sight.
Stretching out in front of him was a long tongue of rock, and beyond that raised platform he could see the plains for miles and miles around. A second look confirmed that both the promontory of rock...and the cave he was just woken up in...were both raised up off the ground by a fair distance. The sun was sitting high in the sky, bathing everything in a brilliant light, causing the rogue's jaw to drop of he took in the amazing scene before him. Despite his lack of memory, he knew one thing for sure about his past...he had never seen any place quite like this.
Staring at the scene before him in wonder, the rogue made his way up the promontory a short distance, taking in the sight of the lands before him. Rolling plains of golden grass, gleaming lakes and shimmering rivers spread out in all directions, the land dotted with the occasional tree, the wondrous image stretching all the way to the distant horizon unblemished. to the rogue, though he had no memory of any other place, he knew what this land was...paradise. There was simply no other word for it.
Distantly, the rogue heard footsteps beside him, a quick glance telling him it was Simba. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" the king said, also staring out across his land.
"Very," the rogue replied simply, before managing to snap himself back to his senses, a little. "This is all yours, isn't it?" he asked.
Simba managed a small smile, although his gaze never drifted from his land. "Everything you can see in all directions from our home, is our land...the Pridelands."
The rogue turned around, expecting to be met with the cave he had just left, and the rest of the land behind it. Instead his jaw dropped as he took in the second awe-inspiring sight he had witnessed in about as many minutes.
The cave was actually an opening in a vast pillar of rock, one that stretched up out of the ground below him, spearing high into the air, well above his head. The rock had a slight lean which was directed towards the promontory he was currently sitting on, which covered both his current position - and the area of rock just outside the pride's den - in cool shadow. In it's shadow, the rogue was unable to see the full scale of the rock formation Simba's pride called home, but he knew that, from a distance, the imposing formation must look even more majestic.
"From the top of this place, you can see the entire Pridelands," Simba commented, snapping the rogue back to reality. "Most outsiders always seem awed by this place, but for all of us here, it's just home."
The rogue struggled to come up with a suitable reply. "I may have lost my memories," he finally said. "But I know, somehow, that I've never seen anything like this place."
Vitani's voice came from the rogue's other side. "When I first saw Pride Rock, I was amazed by it, too. I don't think there's anything else like it in the whole world."
As the rogue stared at the massive rock formation in front of him - Pride Rock - he did not doubt Vitani's suggestion one little bit...and even extended the suggestion to incorporate the whole of the Pridelands...he did not believe there was anywhere quite like this kingdom Simba ruled. As he looked around some more, he saw, just below them, on the ground underneath the massive promontory of rock, Kiara was leading the rest of Simba's pride up a small pathway up Pride Rock, towards the entrance to their den. The entire pride looked completely fit and healthy, and aside from the suspicious glances many of them threw his way, they all seemed fairly content with their lot in life. This, more than anything, sealed the rogue's conviction...this place was a lion's paradise, plain and simple.
But the rather suspicious, wary looks most of the pride were throwing his way also brought the rogue back to the hard reality of his situation. Of Simba's entire pride, only a couple of the adults, along with the small group of cubs hanging around their parents' legs, seemed to be curious about him in a friendly manner. Yet, at the same time, only Tani's face, which was easily recognisable by the dark fur, was showing open hostility. The pride was distrustful, yet indecisive, and the rogue realised, with a tiny flare of hope, that despite their initial impressions, he was not a lost cause already...he might just have a chance of winning the trust of Simba and his pride...if he was careful.
"Come on," Vitani beckoned, as both she and Simba lead him away from the rest of the pride, which was heading back into their den. The rogue noticed a small stream not too far from Pride Rock, in the direction they were travelling, which was obviously what Simba had chosen as their destination, even though the rogue could see several watering holes that were much closer. The rogue turned back, unable to resist taking another look at the pride, and was slightly amused to find several of the cubs suddenly turn away, obviously frightened of being caught staring at him. As the cubs trotted off, after several gentle nudges from their various mothers, the rogue continued following Simba and Vitani, although he now had the smallest hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. It was a slightly amusing irony to note that the members of the pride who were openly curious of him without the wariness that usually accompanied it were also symbols of his lost past...of a youthful, innocent period he could no longer remember.
"Now," Simba's tone was conversational, but guarded. "You have no memory, no name, and no past. Is there anything you can say for sure about your past?"
The three continued walking during the conversation, as the rogue fell deep into thought. Rather than trying to recover his lost memories, which he realised by now was a useless and futile waste of effort, he simply looked through a series of impressions he had of his past, and his reactions to what it was he did remember. "Well...I can say with certainty that I have never seen any place like the Pridelands, which means that I have never been here." Simba nodded vaguely, showing that this was obvious to all three of them anyway...they all knew he was raised outside the Pridelands. "I..." he thought back to his reaction upon seeing Simba's assembled pride. "...I know a little about how prides generally work, and I wasn't surprised by yours, so I get the feeling I was raised in a pride, at least at some point in my life." He looked deeper, and uncovered a few more vague hints. "But I also feel like I'm used to being pretty much alone."
Simba nodded. "So, if we take all that, my best guess is that you grew up in a pride similar to mine, but you have wandered alone more recently." The rogue nodded, agreeing with Simba's theory, it just seemed to make sense. "You have no idea where you are from, though?"
The rogue thought once more, and this time, he was actually able to use one of his recent, existing memories to form a theory. "My best guess would be..." he stopped, realising a flaw in his theory. He looked around the Pridelands, seeing if he could spot any significant landmarks that he remembered from his hyena ambush. But Simba had mentioned that his kingdom stretched as far as the eye could see from the top of Pride Rock. From down here, in the grass, the view was much more limited, and everything was unfamiliar. "Actually, where did you find me?" At Simba's questioning look, he elaborated on his sudden change of topic. "I still remember the hyena attack, but I can't see any place like where I was right now. If I was in the Pridelands, I must have been at one of the far borders."
Simba's eyes glinted slightly in recognition, and he stopped, waving a paw back towards Pride Rock. The rogue was confused for the briefest of moments, and then, just before Simba spoke, he realised that the king was pointing the the lands beyond his den. "You had come from a place we call the Outlands, a barren area beyond our northern borders. I'm guessing, because of that, that your pride must live somewhere beyond that wasteland."
The rogue began to nod at Simba's latest theory into his past, but stopped. something about that just did not feel right. "Maybe," he finally said. "It sounds right, but something's telling me that it isn't...not quite, at least."
It was Vitani's turn to speak. "What do you mean?" she asked, sounding confused.
The rogue managed a half-hearted laugh...he was finding it very difficult to show any positive emotion right now. "I know, it doesn't make any sense to me, either." Rather than dwelling on the subject, the rogue continued to sift through more of his vague feelings and impressions. But aside from everything he had just learned, everything else was a tangled mess of feelings, so many of which contradicted each other, that it was impossible to make anything out that made even the smallest hint of sense.
"Anything else?" Simba asked after a long pause.
The rogue tried to find, something - anything - more, but finally gave up, shaking his head. "Everything else is too jumbled and confused...and being just vague feelings and impressions, I can't pin them to anything in particular."
Simba sighed heavily, he had obviously been hoping for a little more. "It's not much, but it will have to do. So...you were born and raised into a pride that most likely lives north of the Pridelands..." he stopped suddenly, before turning to face the rogue once again.
But it was Vitani who spoke the question first. "Wait, you were raised in a pride, yet you've spent your recent past as a rogue...what happened to cause that?"
The rogue's face instantly fell into a confused frown, but not over Vitani's question, more the conflicting issues it brought up. "I...I don't know. The rest of my emotions are so confused and mixed up that I can't get any ideas aside from what we've already learned. All I know is that I turned rogue some time before coming here...I'm too used to being alone for it to be any other way."
The frustration was extremely evident in the air surrounding the three lions as the made their way closer to the stream. The argument continued to bounce back and forth between all three of them, but in the end all they could discern of the rogue's past was the simple and obvious facts: He had been born and raised in a pride of some sort, far from the Pridelands, he had, at some point in the past, severed ties with this pride for whatever reason, and some time later, lost his memories, and ended up in the Outlands, where he had been attacked by the hyenas, which had lead him to his current situation.
For the rogue, his knowledge of his own history was frustratingly brief, despite the fact that he was at least a matured lion. He may have managed to glean a few small facts about his past, but they were small, almost meaningless points, only confirming that he had actually had a past, and a childhood. As far as he was concerned, they meant next to nothing, neither to him nor to Simba. For him, they gave him no new clues as to who he was, or what he had been like. For Simba, this would almost certainly be of little assistance in his current trust issues with him, leaving the rogue's chances of being able to stay in the Pridelands for longer than the remainder of the day slim. But there was nothing else they could do...all the rogue could do now was limp his way to this river, find out his true appearance underneath all this dirt and grime, and see if that drew any new impressions from his mind. If it did not manage that, then the rogue listed his chances of even grudging, temporary sanctuary by the proud king beside him to be extremely slim.
So it was that the three of them reached the stream Simba had guided them to, the rogue with both his head and his hopes low. he could not shake the feeling that his forgotten past was somehow connected to his future, and that both of them had something to do with the Pridelands. And here he was, unable to remember the past which, through that connection, was erasing what little hope he had for the future.
What little hope he had lay in the stream Simba and Vitani were currently sitting on the banks of, and whatever he would see of himself once he had cleaned himself in the slow, bubbling current.
Vitani gave him a mildly encouraging smile. "Go on, then, you," she said, gesturing her head towards the water.
The rogue looked to Simba, who gave the barest of nods, before finally stepping forward, joining them at the bank. Just as he was about to step over the edge, and get his first look at his reflection, he stopped, hesitating. Should he look at his current reflection first, or just jump straight in and get himself cleaned up, waiting until he was showing his true colours and looks before getting his first look at himself?
In the end, the choice was obvious. When he saw that reflection for the first time, the memory of that face staring back at him would be implanted in his mind for all time, he wanted it to be of his true face, not what he looked like when he was a filthy, mangy mess.
With that, he closed his eyes to avoid looking at his reflection, and stepped out into the water. The stream was fairly wide, and was also deep enough for him to comfortably clean himself in, without being so deep that he would have to swim unless he intended on crossing it all the way. The rogue got the impression that he was not afraid of the water, but knew that attempting to wash the grime off his weary body, while trying to swim at the same time, would be a very tiring and awkward chore. Soon, he was in as deep as he deemed was necessary, and promptly rolled over in the water.
The effect the water had on the rogue was near-instantaneous. He could literally feel the dirt, sweat, blood and various other foul things drift off of his fur as he alternated between rolling himself vigorously against the stones at the bed of the river, and just lazily drifting in the currents. He soon opened his eyes as he worked, knowing that he was disturbing the water so much with his efforts that there would be no reflection for him to see. But it was not just the dirt that was being affected by the water. As the water removed all the physical blemishes from his fur, the rogue could also feel himself relaxing, as if the water were removing a weight from his soul as well as his fur. He felt more relaxed, despite the stinging the water was producing in his mauled foreleg.
After several minutes of rolling around, the rogue decided to look at both his forelegs to gauge how well he had succeeded in cleaning himself. In the end, he barely even needed that to tell him he had done a brilliant job of cleaning himself. All around him, the once clear, glittering water had become a murky, muddy brown from the sheer volume of grime that had been removed from his body. Snapping his eyes away from the rather remarkable sight, the rogue finally turned his attention to his forelegs.
The change was astounding, leaving the rogue without a coherent thought for several moments.
While his wounds had already been thoroughly tended to on his left foreleg, it had been obvious on his initial inspection that it had been done quickly, with the healer in question skipping over what little of the leg had been undamaged in the vicious assault. The river had washed up what little grit had been left over, and what traces of dust had found their way into the wounds since then. The rogue quickly came to the realisation that he would have to keep that leg clean, and clean it often, in order to give it a better chance of healing. And judging by how much healthier and cleaner the wounds looked now, the rogue had, for the first time, a slightly optimistic hope that his leg might just be fine in the end after all.
The biggest change was to the uninjured leg, however. And looking at it proved one thing about his appearance. With the layer of dust and mud coating his body, the rogue appeared to have dirty brown-coloured fur. Now, with the river cleaning away the grime, he could see his true fur colour for the first time...and he was not terribly surprised to find that it was the bright, golden pelt most male lions seemed to possess.
But, as the rogue moved away from the river, settling himself a short distance downstream from Simba and Vitani so he could shake himself off as thoroughly as possible, he knew that, this whole time, what he really wanted to see was his face. What did he truly look like...and what was his mane like? Despite how vain the questions sounded, the rogue could not help but find himself immensely curious...he had lost all his memories, and somehow, he knew that the first step to recovering them, was to rediscover himself, starting with his physical appearance.
He turned to face Simba and Vitani, who must know what he really looked like by now. Simba's expression was unreadable, as he seemed deep in thought over something, although he was looking in the rogue's direction, confirming that he had seen his proper appearance. Vitani, on the other hand, was openly staring at him. Obviously, there was something about his appearance that had surprised her.
Unable to stand the suspense any longer, the rogue ignored Vitani's staring and headed back to the river, which was once more flowing smoothly, able to give him a solid reflection to look at. he stood at the bank, steeling himself. This was it, this was the moment he found out what he had always looked like. It did not matter whether this revelation triggered the appearance of any new memories, it was still an incredibly important moment in his empty, restarted life.
Taking a deep breath, the rogue arranged his face into as much of a neutral expression as he possibly could, before finally taking a step forward, leaning his head over the edge of the stream, and looking down.
The rogue had absolutely no idea what he had been expecting when he looked into the stream. Maybe his golden fur had given him the idea of looking a lot like Simba...maybe his mangled foreleg had given him the idea he'd have a scarred, battered visage like Vitani.
In the end, he had little likeness to either of them.
The first thing that hit him was his colouring. As expected, the golden fur on his forelegs was his primary colouring across his entire body. But there, the normalities seemed to end rather quickly. His belly and chin were the usual lighter shade to the rest of his coat, but what was unusual was just how much lighter. Rather than the beige or tan most lions possessed, his belly was a bright, pale colour, almost silver in nature, making it contrast with his golden back much more obviously. his mane was exactly the same way, the bushy tangle of long hair framing his face have a deep, midnight-black colour to it, once again contrasting the brightness of the rest of his body...the tuft at the end of his tail matching the mane. Thanks to the water and the desperate chase the hyenas had given him, the rogue's fur was currently a bedraggled, tangled mess, but he figured that would sort itself out in time. What was really strange to the rogue about his own body was the fact that, aside from his left foreleg, he had very few noticeable scars or injuries. There was one half-healed cut along his forehead which looked pretty nasty, but aside from that, he only had the usual marks a lion got throughout his life.
Deciding that his body was not going to provide any clues as to who he was...and in fact had only increased the mystery...the rogue focused more intently on his facial features, looking for anything there.
What he saw in his reflection was a confused and rather distressed lion who did not know his place in the world. His gold-and-silver muzzle was locked in a sad frown, despite his attempts to force a neutral expression. Once again he turned his attention across his entire body, finding it matched his lean face perfectly. With the dirt gone, he could actually see a hint of his ribcage beneath his hide, indicating that his time as a rogue had not been good for him. He had the well-toned muscles of a strong, independent lion, but at the same time, was thin and malnourished, even if he was surviving. That lean, hard look to his face mirrored that idea completely.
But it was his eyes that had the rogue transfixed. They were a fascinating shade of deep blue, eerily similar to Vitani's, and held a depth to them that, more than anything else that had happened to him today, proved to him that while he had no memories lasting more than a few days back, there was a past hidden there. He had lived for a least a couple of years, the proof was there...now it was just a matter of what had happened in those years.
But there were no memories hidden in those blue depths. On the surface, the rogue's current state of uncertainty and confusion were there for everyone to see. Deeper down, there were more of those vague feelings and impressions, but despite being the owner of the eyes, even the rogue could not make sense of what lay in those depths. He was getting these vague hints at his past, but not even the knowledge of what he currently looked like was helping him. wherever those memories had gone, it seemed they had no intention of coming back.
The finality of the situation struck the rogue hard, leaving him with a startling realisation. He was now certain that his memories were never going to come back...but where did that leave him? He realised that there was really only one choice; he had to move on. His old life was gone, and it was not coming back, no matter how hard he tried to make it do so. All he could do now was move on, and make a new existence for himself, wandering the lands until he found a place he could settle and live out his life in relative comfort.
Wander...
Something snapped in the rogue's mind, and he looked up from the river. His mind was assaulted with the vague impression of a memory. There was no clear indication of time or place, or even if he was alone or not, but the memory of an old language all lions once knew rose to the forefront of his mind, slowly connecting several pieces of lost information together.
Wanderer...wander...
"That's it," the rogue finally whispered. He could not believe what his random musings had just come across. But with the feeling it was generating, what else could it be? It just felt...right, like it had always been.
"Did you say something?" Vitani's voice snapped the rogue back to the Pridelands, and he turned to face the lioness, along with the king, the two of them already starting to make their way back towards Pride Rock. "Come on, Simba wants us to get back."
Nodding, barely aware of what Vitani was saying beneath his sudden epiphany, he slowly hobbled up to the other two Pridelanders, trying to confirm what he believed he had just found out. He could not be completely certain, but it seemed to make so much sense, what else could it be?
"Hey!" This time it was Simba that brought him out of his musings. "You awake in there?"
"Yeah..." the rogue said vaguely, before remembering who he was talking to. "Yeah, Simba, I'm just thinking."
"Your reflection give you any new memories, then?" he asked.
"No, no..." the rogue replied. "I was hoping seeing myself clean again for the first time would help me remember some things, but..." he finished with a heavy sigh, which told the rest of the story perfectly well.
"So...you can't remember anything new?" Vitani pressed.
The rogue gave her a strange look before answering. Her curiosity was genuine, but there appeared to be something else hidden behind it. Her voice held a certain edge to it, almost like she, herself, was searching for something in his memories as well. Putting aside the lioness' strange behaviour, he answered slowly. "There is something..." two sets of ears instantly perked up at those words. "...it's not certain, it just an impression I'm getting, but I can't think of anything else it could be."
"Well, what is it?" Simba pressed, obviously desperate to learn something about the rogue, so he could make a better decision about what to do with him.
It took the rogue quite some time to answer. "I...I think...I think it might be my name."
Now Vitani was even more curious than Simba. "What is it?" she asked, her voice sounding even more desperate than Simba's previously.
The rogue gave her a strange look. He could dismiss the lioness' strange behaviour no longer...she was hiding something, he could see that now. But once again, unwilling to invade her privacy, he let it go...he was not likely to know her for much longer. He turned to Simba, who was waiting with barely suppressed impatience for his answer; both of them were eager to know his name...or at least what his impressions were suggesting it was.
"My name..." as the rogue spoke, a sense of wonder filled him as he coupled his new-found name with his appearance, which left him with an incredibly warm feeling. He had no memories...but he at least had an identity now.
shaking himself out of his thoughts, he finally finished. "My name, is Tanga."
Stretching out in front of him was a long tongue of rock, and beyond that raised platform he could see the plains for miles and miles around. A second look confirmed that both the promontory of rock...and the cave he was just woken up in...were both raised up off the ground by a fair distance. The sun was sitting high in the sky, bathing everything in a brilliant light, causing the rogue's jaw to drop of he took in the amazing scene before him. Despite his lack of memory, he knew one thing for sure about his past...he had never seen any place quite like this.
Staring at the scene before him in wonder, the rogue made his way up the promontory a short distance, taking in the sight of the lands before him. Rolling plains of golden grass, gleaming lakes and shimmering rivers spread out in all directions, the land dotted with the occasional tree, the wondrous image stretching all the way to the distant horizon unblemished. to the rogue, though he had no memory of any other place, he knew what this land was...paradise. There was simply no other word for it.
Distantly, the rogue heard footsteps beside him, a quick glance telling him it was Simba. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" the king said, also staring out across his land.
"Very," the rogue replied simply, before managing to snap himself back to his senses, a little. "This is all yours, isn't it?" he asked.
Simba managed a small smile, although his gaze never drifted from his land. "Everything you can see in all directions from our home, is our land...the Pridelands."
The rogue turned around, expecting to be met with the cave he had just left, and the rest of the land behind it. Instead his jaw dropped as he took in the second awe-inspiring sight he had witnessed in about as many minutes.
The cave was actually an opening in a vast pillar of rock, one that stretched up out of the ground below him, spearing high into the air, well above his head. The rock had a slight lean which was directed towards the promontory he was currently sitting on, which covered both his current position - and the area of rock just outside the pride's den - in cool shadow. In it's shadow, the rogue was unable to see the full scale of the rock formation Simba's pride called home, but he knew that, from a distance, the imposing formation must look even more majestic.
"From the top of this place, you can see the entire Pridelands," Simba commented, snapping the rogue back to reality. "Most outsiders always seem awed by this place, but for all of us here, it's just home."
The rogue struggled to come up with a suitable reply. "I may have lost my memories," he finally said. "But I know, somehow, that I've never seen anything like this place."
Vitani's voice came from the rogue's other side. "When I first saw Pride Rock, I was amazed by it, too. I don't think there's anything else like it in the whole world."
As the rogue stared at the massive rock formation in front of him - Pride Rock - he did not doubt Vitani's suggestion one little bit...and even extended the suggestion to incorporate the whole of the Pridelands...he did not believe there was anywhere quite like this kingdom Simba ruled. As he looked around some more, he saw, just below them, on the ground underneath the massive promontory of rock, Kiara was leading the rest of Simba's pride up a small pathway up Pride Rock, towards the entrance to their den. The entire pride looked completely fit and healthy, and aside from the suspicious glances many of them threw his way, they all seemed fairly content with their lot in life. This, more than anything, sealed the rogue's conviction...this place was a lion's paradise, plain and simple.
But the rather suspicious, wary looks most of the pride were throwing his way also brought the rogue back to the hard reality of his situation. Of Simba's entire pride, only a couple of the adults, along with the small group of cubs hanging around their parents' legs, seemed to be curious about him in a friendly manner. Yet, at the same time, only Tani's face, which was easily recognisable by the dark fur, was showing open hostility. The pride was distrustful, yet indecisive, and the rogue realised, with a tiny flare of hope, that despite their initial impressions, he was not a lost cause already...he might just have a chance of winning the trust of Simba and his pride...if he was careful.
"Come on," Vitani beckoned, as both she and Simba lead him away from the rest of the pride, which was heading back into their den. The rogue noticed a small stream not too far from Pride Rock, in the direction they were travelling, which was obviously what Simba had chosen as their destination, even though the rogue could see several watering holes that were much closer. The rogue turned back, unable to resist taking another look at the pride, and was slightly amused to find several of the cubs suddenly turn away, obviously frightened of being caught staring at him. As the cubs trotted off, after several gentle nudges from their various mothers, the rogue continued following Simba and Vitani, although he now had the smallest hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. It was a slightly amusing irony to note that the members of the pride who were openly curious of him without the wariness that usually accompanied it were also symbols of his lost past...of a youthful, innocent period he could no longer remember.
"Now," Simba's tone was conversational, but guarded. "You have no memory, no name, and no past. Is there anything you can say for sure about your past?"
The three continued walking during the conversation, as the rogue fell deep into thought. Rather than trying to recover his lost memories, which he realised by now was a useless and futile waste of effort, he simply looked through a series of impressions he had of his past, and his reactions to what it was he did remember. "Well...I can say with certainty that I have never seen any place like the Pridelands, which means that I have never been here." Simba nodded vaguely, showing that this was obvious to all three of them anyway...they all knew he was raised outside the Pridelands. "I..." he thought back to his reaction upon seeing Simba's assembled pride. "...I know a little about how prides generally work, and I wasn't surprised by yours, so I get the feeling I was raised in a pride, at least at some point in my life." He looked deeper, and uncovered a few more vague hints. "But I also feel like I'm used to being pretty much alone."
Simba nodded. "So, if we take all that, my best guess is that you grew up in a pride similar to mine, but you have wandered alone more recently." The rogue nodded, agreeing with Simba's theory, it just seemed to make sense. "You have no idea where you are from, though?"
The rogue thought once more, and this time, he was actually able to use one of his recent, existing memories to form a theory. "My best guess would be..." he stopped, realising a flaw in his theory. He looked around the Pridelands, seeing if he could spot any significant landmarks that he remembered from his hyena ambush. But Simba had mentioned that his kingdom stretched as far as the eye could see from the top of Pride Rock. From down here, in the grass, the view was much more limited, and everything was unfamiliar. "Actually, where did you find me?" At Simba's questioning look, he elaborated on his sudden change of topic. "I still remember the hyena attack, but I can't see any place like where I was right now. If I was in the Pridelands, I must have been at one of the far borders."
Simba's eyes glinted slightly in recognition, and he stopped, waving a paw back towards Pride Rock. The rogue was confused for the briefest of moments, and then, just before Simba spoke, he realised that the king was pointing the the lands beyond his den. "You had come from a place we call the Outlands, a barren area beyond our northern borders. I'm guessing, because of that, that your pride must live somewhere beyond that wasteland."
The rogue began to nod at Simba's latest theory into his past, but stopped. something about that just did not feel right. "Maybe," he finally said. "It sounds right, but something's telling me that it isn't...not quite, at least."
It was Vitani's turn to speak. "What do you mean?" she asked, sounding confused.
The rogue managed a half-hearted laugh...he was finding it very difficult to show any positive emotion right now. "I know, it doesn't make any sense to me, either." Rather than dwelling on the subject, the rogue continued to sift through more of his vague feelings and impressions. But aside from everything he had just learned, everything else was a tangled mess of feelings, so many of which contradicted each other, that it was impossible to make anything out that made even the smallest hint of sense.
"Anything else?" Simba asked after a long pause.
The rogue tried to find, something - anything - more, but finally gave up, shaking his head. "Everything else is too jumbled and confused...and being just vague feelings and impressions, I can't pin them to anything in particular."
Simba sighed heavily, he had obviously been hoping for a little more. "It's not much, but it will have to do. So...you were born and raised into a pride that most likely lives north of the Pridelands..." he stopped suddenly, before turning to face the rogue once again.
But it was Vitani who spoke the question first. "Wait, you were raised in a pride, yet you've spent your recent past as a rogue...what happened to cause that?"
The rogue's face instantly fell into a confused frown, but not over Vitani's question, more the conflicting issues it brought up. "I...I don't know. The rest of my emotions are so confused and mixed up that I can't get any ideas aside from what we've already learned. All I know is that I turned rogue some time before coming here...I'm too used to being alone for it to be any other way."
The frustration was extremely evident in the air surrounding the three lions as the made their way closer to the stream. The argument continued to bounce back and forth between all three of them, but in the end all they could discern of the rogue's past was the simple and obvious facts: He had been born and raised in a pride of some sort, far from the Pridelands, he had, at some point in the past, severed ties with this pride for whatever reason, and some time later, lost his memories, and ended up in the Outlands, where he had been attacked by the hyenas, which had lead him to his current situation.
For the rogue, his knowledge of his own history was frustratingly brief, despite the fact that he was at least a matured lion. He may have managed to glean a few small facts about his past, but they were small, almost meaningless points, only confirming that he had actually had a past, and a childhood. As far as he was concerned, they meant next to nothing, neither to him nor to Simba. For him, they gave him no new clues as to who he was, or what he had been like. For Simba, this would almost certainly be of little assistance in his current trust issues with him, leaving the rogue's chances of being able to stay in the Pridelands for longer than the remainder of the day slim. But there was nothing else they could do...all the rogue could do now was limp his way to this river, find out his true appearance underneath all this dirt and grime, and see if that drew any new impressions from his mind. If it did not manage that, then the rogue listed his chances of even grudging, temporary sanctuary by the proud king beside him to be extremely slim.
So it was that the three of them reached the stream Simba had guided them to, the rogue with both his head and his hopes low. he could not shake the feeling that his forgotten past was somehow connected to his future, and that both of them had something to do with the Pridelands. And here he was, unable to remember the past which, through that connection, was erasing what little hope he had for the future.
What little hope he had lay in the stream Simba and Vitani were currently sitting on the banks of, and whatever he would see of himself once he had cleaned himself in the slow, bubbling current.
Vitani gave him a mildly encouraging smile. "Go on, then, you," she said, gesturing her head towards the water.
The rogue looked to Simba, who gave the barest of nods, before finally stepping forward, joining them at the bank. Just as he was about to step over the edge, and get his first look at his reflection, he stopped, hesitating. Should he look at his current reflection first, or just jump straight in and get himself cleaned up, waiting until he was showing his true colours and looks before getting his first look at himself?
In the end, the choice was obvious. When he saw that reflection for the first time, the memory of that face staring back at him would be implanted in his mind for all time, he wanted it to be of his true face, not what he looked like when he was a filthy, mangy mess.
With that, he closed his eyes to avoid looking at his reflection, and stepped out into the water. The stream was fairly wide, and was also deep enough for him to comfortably clean himself in, without being so deep that he would have to swim unless he intended on crossing it all the way. The rogue got the impression that he was not afraid of the water, but knew that attempting to wash the grime off his weary body, while trying to swim at the same time, would be a very tiring and awkward chore. Soon, he was in as deep as he deemed was necessary, and promptly rolled over in the water.
The effect the water had on the rogue was near-instantaneous. He could literally feel the dirt, sweat, blood and various other foul things drift off of his fur as he alternated between rolling himself vigorously against the stones at the bed of the river, and just lazily drifting in the currents. He soon opened his eyes as he worked, knowing that he was disturbing the water so much with his efforts that there would be no reflection for him to see. But it was not just the dirt that was being affected by the water. As the water removed all the physical blemishes from his fur, the rogue could also feel himself relaxing, as if the water were removing a weight from his soul as well as his fur. He felt more relaxed, despite the stinging the water was producing in his mauled foreleg.
After several minutes of rolling around, the rogue decided to look at both his forelegs to gauge how well he had succeeded in cleaning himself. In the end, he barely even needed that to tell him he had done a brilliant job of cleaning himself. All around him, the once clear, glittering water had become a murky, muddy brown from the sheer volume of grime that had been removed from his body. Snapping his eyes away from the rather remarkable sight, the rogue finally turned his attention to his forelegs.
The change was astounding, leaving the rogue without a coherent thought for several moments.
While his wounds had already been thoroughly tended to on his left foreleg, it had been obvious on his initial inspection that it had been done quickly, with the healer in question skipping over what little of the leg had been undamaged in the vicious assault. The river had washed up what little grit had been left over, and what traces of dust had found their way into the wounds since then. The rogue quickly came to the realisation that he would have to keep that leg clean, and clean it often, in order to give it a better chance of healing. And judging by how much healthier and cleaner the wounds looked now, the rogue had, for the first time, a slightly optimistic hope that his leg might just be fine in the end after all.
The biggest change was to the uninjured leg, however. And looking at it proved one thing about his appearance. With the layer of dust and mud coating his body, the rogue appeared to have dirty brown-coloured fur. Now, with the river cleaning away the grime, he could see his true fur colour for the first time...and he was not terribly surprised to find that it was the bright, golden pelt most male lions seemed to possess.
But, as the rogue moved away from the river, settling himself a short distance downstream from Simba and Vitani so he could shake himself off as thoroughly as possible, he knew that, this whole time, what he really wanted to see was his face. What did he truly look like...and what was his mane like? Despite how vain the questions sounded, the rogue could not help but find himself immensely curious...he had lost all his memories, and somehow, he knew that the first step to recovering them, was to rediscover himself, starting with his physical appearance.
He turned to face Simba and Vitani, who must know what he really looked like by now. Simba's expression was unreadable, as he seemed deep in thought over something, although he was looking in the rogue's direction, confirming that he had seen his proper appearance. Vitani, on the other hand, was openly staring at him. Obviously, there was something about his appearance that had surprised her.
Unable to stand the suspense any longer, the rogue ignored Vitani's staring and headed back to the river, which was once more flowing smoothly, able to give him a solid reflection to look at. he stood at the bank, steeling himself. This was it, this was the moment he found out what he had always looked like. It did not matter whether this revelation triggered the appearance of any new memories, it was still an incredibly important moment in his empty, restarted life.
Taking a deep breath, the rogue arranged his face into as much of a neutral expression as he possibly could, before finally taking a step forward, leaning his head over the edge of the stream, and looking down.
The rogue had absolutely no idea what he had been expecting when he looked into the stream. Maybe his golden fur had given him the idea of looking a lot like Simba...maybe his mangled foreleg had given him the idea he'd have a scarred, battered visage like Vitani.
In the end, he had little likeness to either of them.
The first thing that hit him was his colouring. As expected, the golden fur on his forelegs was his primary colouring across his entire body. But there, the normalities seemed to end rather quickly. His belly and chin were the usual lighter shade to the rest of his coat, but what was unusual was just how much lighter. Rather than the beige or tan most lions possessed, his belly was a bright, pale colour, almost silver in nature, making it contrast with his golden back much more obviously. his mane was exactly the same way, the bushy tangle of long hair framing his face have a deep, midnight-black colour to it, once again contrasting the brightness of the rest of his body...the tuft at the end of his tail matching the mane. Thanks to the water and the desperate chase the hyenas had given him, the rogue's fur was currently a bedraggled, tangled mess, but he figured that would sort itself out in time. What was really strange to the rogue about his own body was the fact that, aside from his left foreleg, he had very few noticeable scars or injuries. There was one half-healed cut along his forehead which looked pretty nasty, but aside from that, he only had the usual marks a lion got throughout his life.
Deciding that his body was not going to provide any clues as to who he was...and in fact had only increased the mystery...the rogue focused more intently on his facial features, looking for anything there.
What he saw in his reflection was a confused and rather distressed lion who did not know his place in the world. His gold-and-silver muzzle was locked in a sad frown, despite his attempts to force a neutral expression. Once again he turned his attention across his entire body, finding it matched his lean face perfectly. With the dirt gone, he could actually see a hint of his ribcage beneath his hide, indicating that his time as a rogue had not been good for him. He had the well-toned muscles of a strong, independent lion, but at the same time, was thin and malnourished, even if he was surviving. That lean, hard look to his face mirrored that idea completely.
But it was his eyes that had the rogue transfixed. They were a fascinating shade of deep blue, eerily similar to Vitani's, and held a depth to them that, more than anything else that had happened to him today, proved to him that while he had no memories lasting more than a few days back, there was a past hidden there. He had lived for a least a couple of years, the proof was there...now it was just a matter of what had happened in those years.
But there were no memories hidden in those blue depths. On the surface, the rogue's current state of uncertainty and confusion were there for everyone to see. Deeper down, there were more of those vague feelings and impressions, but despite being the owner of the eyes, even the rogue could not make sense of what lay in those depths. He was getting these vague hints at his past, but not even the knowledge of what he currently looked like was helping him. wherever those memories had gone, it seemed they had no intention of coming back.
The finality of the situation struck the rogue hard, leaving him with a startling realisation. He was now certain that his memories were never going to come back...but where did that leave him? He realised that there was really only one choice; he had to move on. His old life was gone, and it was not coming back, no matter how hard he tried to make it do so. All he could do now was move on, and make a new existence for himself, wandering the lands until he found a place he could settle and live out his life in relative comfort.
Wander...
Something snapped in the rogue's mind, and he looked up from the river. His mind was assaulted with the vague impression of a memory. There was no clear indication of time or place, or even if he was alone or not, but the memory of an old language all lions once knew rose to the forefront of his mind, slowly connecting several pieces of lost information together.
Wanderer...wander...
"That's it," the rogue finally whispered. He could not believe what his random musings had just come across. But with the feeling it was generating, what else could it be? It just felt...right, like it had always been.
"Did you say something?" Vitani's voice snapped the rogue back to the Pridelands, and he turned to face the lioness, along with the king, the two of them already starting to make their way back towards Pride Rock. "Come on, Simba wants us to get back."
Nodding, barely aware of what Vitani was saying beneath his sudden epiphany, he slowly hobbled up to the other two Pridelanders, trying to confirm what he believed he had just found out. He could not be completely certain, but it seemed to make so much sense, what else could it be?
"Hey!" This time it was Simba that brought him out of his musings. "You awake in there?"
"Yeah..." the rogue said vaguely, before remembering who he was talking to. "Yeah, Simba, I'm just thinking."
"Your reflection give you any new memories, then?" he asked.
"No, no..." the rogue replied. "I was hoping seeing myself clean again for the first time would help me remember some things, but..." he finished with a heavy sigh, which told the rest of the story perfectly well.
"So...you can't remember anything new?" Vitani pressed.
The rogue gave her a strange look before answering. Her curiosity was genuine, but there appeared to be something else hidden behind it. Her voice held a certain edge to it, almost like she, herself, was searching for something in his memories as well. Putting aside the lioness' strange behaviour, he answered slowly. "There is something..." two sets of ears instantly perked up at those words. "...it's not certain, it just an impression I'm getting, but I can't think of anything else it could be."
"Well, what is it?" Simba pressed, obviously desperate to learn something about the rogue, so he could make a better decision about what to do with him.
It took the rogue quite some time to answer. "I...I think...I think it might be my name."
Now Vitani was even more curious than Simba. "What is it?" she asked, her voice sounding even more desperate than Simba's previously.
The rogue gave her a strange look. He could dismiss the lioness' strange behaviour no longer...she was hiding something, he could see that now. But once again, unwilling to invade her privacy, he let it go...he was not likely to know her for much longer. He turned to Simba, who was waiting with barely suppressed impatience for his answer; both of them were eager to know his name...or at least what his impressions were suggesting it was.
"My name..." as the rogue spoke, a sense of wonder filled him as he coupled his new-found name with his appearance, which left him with an incredibly warm feeling. He had no memories...but he at least had an identity now.
shaking himself out of his thoughts, he finally finished. "My name, is Tanga."
Chapter 6
Threat Level
Spoiler: show
Tanga's euphoria at having his own identity lasted only as long as it took for him to limp beside Simba and Vitani back to Pride Rock.
His name, like everything else so far, did not bring about any new memories, leaving his past as mysterious as always. It frustrated Tanga that his past was so elusive, his memories so unwilling to resurface. But in the end, he cast it aside; there was simply nothing he could do to change that. All he could do was move on, and use this identity he had found to start to forge a new life.
But what life could he forge? He had no knowledge of any lands around the Pridelands, thanks once again to his amnesia, which meant that the Pridelands was the only place he knew. And what he had seen of the place so far, he loved. He would not admit it to Simba just yet, lest he risk seeming too forward, but he wanted to stay here, to become part of the pride.
But as the trio approached Pride Rock, Tanga stole a quick glance at Simba, and his hopes faded very quickly. The king of the Pridelands was deep in though, but a frown was planted across his muzzle; he still did not trust Tanga. And without the king's trust, Tanga just could not see how he was going to be able to stay in the Pridelands. And then there were others, like Tani...
But if he was sent away, where would he go? He had absolutely no idea what lands lay beyond the borders of the Pridelands. All he knew of was the northern borders, and the Outlands beyond them. Tanga shuddered as he remembered the hyena ambush, silently vowing to himself that if he was sent away, he was not going back to that wasteland...that would have the same effect as jumping off the top of Pride Rock, and as meaningless as his life felt right now, Tanga had absolutely no intention of voluntarily ending his own life.
But this internal debate was brought to a halt by a sneering voice Tanga remembered all too well. "Oh, you're back," Tani grumbled lazily, hauling herself to her feet as the rest of the pride moved from their various places in and around Pride Rock to welcome Simba back, and get another chance to stare at the rogue. "What are you doing back here, anyway?"
Tanga, though irritated by Tani's words, did his best to ignore them as he scanned the pride, once again trying to gauge their feeling towards him. As before, most of the pride were extremely wary of him, although a few were showing startled surprised at his new appearance. Tanga could not fight back a smile as he saw one little cub point at him, chatting away to another cub next to him, before an adult silenced them both with a look, and a few unheard, scolding words.
He turned back to Tani, who looked furious at his ignorance of her, but before she could explode, Simba stepped between the two, stalling any argument as he motioned for both Tani and Vitani to take their places amongst the gathered pride. As they moved to obey - Tani shooting Tanga a vicious look as she left - Simba turned to the rogue, and nodded, silently telling him to stay where he was.
Tanga was initially curious; what was going on? But, just as Simba took a deep breath, obviously gathering himself for a speech of some kind, he figured it out: Simba was going to ask for the pride's opinion on him, and make a joint decision on whether he should stay or leave. Despair hit Tanga, it would only take a few reactions like Tani's to force Simba's hand and exile him.
Initially exile did not seem too bad - he had, after all, been living alone for a long time, or at least that's what he had the impression of - but then he remembered the problem of his injured foreleg. An injury like that was a death sentence for a rogue. So badly crippled, he would need to rely on others until the leg healed, which meant that, one way or another, his life depended on being accepted by Simba and his pride.
"My pride!" Simba's voice pulled Tanga out of his thoughts, as he focused on the debate at hand. He had to focus, it was a matter of life and death. "As you all know, yesterday this rogue behind me entered our lands, assaulted by hyenas. Together with Kovu, we stopped the hyenas, and thanks to Rafiki's healing skills, the rogue is still alive. But we are left with a problem; we do not know this rogue's intentions, and his injuries and experiences seem to have caused him to lose all memories of his past."
This last statement was the one that caused a reaction. The pride instantly fell into whispered murmuring, several members looking up at Tanga, as if his face might confirm or deny Simba's words. Tanga's eyes quickly sought out the only three lionesses he knew, to try and gauge how they were reacting to this statement.
Tani was the first one he found, and as Tanga had expected, her expression was laced with blatant disbelief. Whether the words were coming from Simba's mouth, or anyone else's, she did not believe that Tanga had lost all his memories one bit. Doing his best to force down the wave of irritation that was starting to develop every time he laid eyes on the dark-furred lioness, Tanga instead sought out Vitani.
Amongst the rest of the pride, she, too stood out, instead by her ruffled, beaten appearance, and her slightly tomboy-ish looks. She, having already heard Tanga's story in full, was not reacting too heavily to Simba's words, but when she caught Tanga's eyes, she gave him a sympathetic, encouraging look that gave the rogue some hope...he had at least one ally.
It took Tanga much longer to find the other lioness that had been there when he had woken up, Kiara. As he searched, he remember that she had referred to Simba several times as her father, which only increased his nervousness at his situation. One of the first lionesses he had met in this pride just happened to be a young princess. When he eventually did find Kiara, the young adolescent was talking rapidly to another lioness right beside her. This lioness was older, and shared quite a few similarities to Kiara, leaving Tanga with only one conclusion; whoever this lioness was, she was Kiara's mother, and through that, Simba's mate...the queen of the Pridelands.
Tanga's nervousness only heightened at the thought; he could not tell whether his early introduction to the royal family was going to be a good or bad thing. But Tanga once more put the confusing issue aside...it would be the rest of the pride that decided his fate, it seemed, today.
Finally, one of the lionesses in the pride spoke up. "What do you mean, he lost his memories?" There were several shouts of accompanying the words, siding with the issue. "How do you lose your memories?"
"I don't know," Simba replied, his voice alone calming and silencing the pride, leaving Tanga surprised. The pride must have a lot of respect for their king. "But since the rogue's place here is currently up for debate, I'll give the lion himself a chance to try and explain his situation." With this Simba stepped aside, throwing the spotlight on Tanga...with immediate results.
Tanga's mind completely froze up as every single lion in the pride, and every single set of eyes, turned their focus onto him. Although no new memories came to him, Tanga learned something about himself very quickly under the intense gaze of at least twenty other lions...he did not like attention; or at least a lot of attention at once. He desperately tried to gather his thoughts back as he also tried to ignore the stares of an entire pride of lions. He tried to focus his gaze somewhere where the stares would seem less nerve-wracking. "Uhh..."
As he stalled for time, his eyes fell on those two cubs that had been whispering to each other when he had returned to Pride Rock, and found that the sight of the young children helped settle his nerves, despite the fact that they, too, were staring. Finally settling his nerves enough to start forming coherent thoughts again, he was finally able to address the pride, and tell his story, in the faint, desperate hope that he could win the sympathy of at least a few members of the pride.
As Tanga told his story, he discovered yet more about himself. He realised that, as much as he wanted to get the pride to sympathise with his current plight, he was not going to exaggerate or outright lie about his circumstances in order to get his way. He simply told his story as truthfully as he could manage, and hoped that it would be enough. He told them everything he could remember, from the point he lost his memories several days ago, to the hyena attack. Despite the significant lack of events to tell, Tanga was able to remember these events fairly well, except for those days leading up to the hyena attack.
"So...you can't remember anything about yourself before your time in those northern plains?" a lion, male this time, asked.
Tanga turned to him, surprised when he saw what was essentially a leaner, male version of Tani, with dark fur, black mane, and green eyes...but everything about him screamed that he was a kind and gentle soul. His eyes seemed to be hiding something darker in those emerald depths, but every outward sign suggested that this male was sympathetic towards him...which gave Tanga some hope.
"No," he replied sadly, ignoring the disbelieving snort Tani sent his way. "I have vague feelings and impressions, but nothing solid, nothing specific that I can remember." He stopped, rubbing a paw against his forehead as he tried once more to find something in the deep, empty recesses of his mind. He once again came up empty, but as he felt the cut on his forehead, he suddenly had a theory. "I...I think I may have lost my memories whenever I got this," he added, gesturing to the aforementioned cut. "I can't remember what caused it, but I can feel that it was a nasty injury, and it's the best explanation I can come up with."
"Oh, please!" Tani groaned. "That's it? That's the best story you can come up with? You just, can't remember?"
"Tani, my patience has just about run out with you!" Tanga was so amazed by the change in her voice and demeanour, he had to take a second look to confirm that it was Vitani that had spoken. All trace of her gentle personality she had shown towards Tanga was gone. Her face was locked in a fierce snarl, and she glaring at Tani with such menace that Tanga would have run from the Pridelands in an instant if she had given him that look. "Would it hurt you to just think about his words before you attack him!"
"Last time I trusted a rogue, it did hurt me, Vitani!" Tani shot back, with just as much venom as the other lioness. "You, of course, would not remember that...you weren't there!"
"So because one rogue was an evil creep, that makes them all evil creeps?" Vitani asked, sarcasm lacing her voice.
"Rogues are all traitors to their prides! They don't deserve a second chance!"
"That's a lie, and you know it!" Tani's last statement seemed to have a profound effect on Vitani. "Do you remember what the Outlanders did for you, and the rest of the pride? Or have you forgotten the sacrifice we made for you?"
Tanga was taken back by the sudden argument that had flared up. Not only was he a little stunned that Vitani had been so quick to rise to his defence, but the direction the argument was taking had also affected the rogue. Vitani had referred to some group of Outlanders, yet referred to them by 'we', despite being part of the Pridelands. He knew at that moment that there was an awful lot more to not only Vitani's past, but the entire past of the Pridelands, than he was at all aware of.
"The Outlanders made no sacrifices to us, Vitani! If I remember, they abandoned us not long afterwards!"
"Oh, and I suppose you actually gave them the slightest chance of fitting in with us, then?!"
"Guys, enough!" Tanga finally found his voice, and the courage to cry out, stopping the two lioness before the argument descended into blows. "Please, this isn't getting us anywhere!" Tani looked like she was ready to rip Tanga's throat out for intervening, but Tanga continued speaking before she could do anything, addressing the entire pride before him. "Look, I understand that most of you do not trust me, and that without any memory of my past, there is nothing I can do at the moment to change that. I am not going to ask for you to accept me into the pride: Not only do I know how such a request will already play out...but I am still not sure what I want to do with myself at the moment, and I may decide that I don't want to stay here in the end."
Tanga paused, gauging the reactions of the rest of the pride, hoping he had said the right thing. Tani was muttering something under her breath, too quietly for Tanga to hear, but by Vitani's savage look, it was not pleasant. Most of the rest of the pride seemed a little stunned by his words. Rather than attempting to impose himself upon them, like many of them most likely expected, he was instead leaving them free to decide for themselves.
A little unfortunately, Tanga observed that this seemed to only increase their nervousness. "I'm sensing a 'but', here," one male lion said warily.
Tanga sighed. This was his last chance...his last possible hope of being given at least some sanctuary in the Pridelands...and like before, he decided that his best chance was to simply be honest, and pray that his honesty was enough. "There is." With those two words, he raised his injured paw gingerly for everyone to see. "As you can see, the hyena attack has not left me uninjured. In my current condition, I cannot walk on this leg, it's simply too painful, and I need to take extreme care to make sure that it heals properly. I said I would not ask for acceptance into the pride, but I must ask for a compromise: With my leg in this condition, I have next to no chance of surviving on my own. All I ask is that you allow me to stay with you until my leg heals again. Once that happens, I will be free to go my own way."
Tanga felt a little guilty at the mild play on his own words he had made with that last sentence. What he had told suggested that he would only stay until his leg healed, and then leave. But what he had left unsaid was that, in going 'his own way', he may decide to ask for permanent acceptance into the pride. He had promised himself that he would be honest, but that did not mean that he could not leave some truths unsaid if it would not help his cause...his very survival did depend on this, after all.
"And what will you do to our pride while you...heal?" Tani could not help but ask suspiciously, putting particular emphasis on her last word. It was obvious that she believed that Tanga was going to use his time healing to cause chaos in the Pridelands.
But before Tanga could answer her question with a sarcastic quip of his own, he froze as he heard disapproving mutterings from not only Vitani, but several other members of the pride. Tanga's words seemed to have had the effect he needed, and now the pride was starting to side with him.
Tani looked around, bewildered by the pride's reaction. "What? You actually believe what he says?" she demanded, disgusted. "You're actually going to trust him?!"
Finally, it seemed, Simba had had enough. "Alright, Tani, that's enough!" he stepped forward once more, taking his place in front of the pride as he reasserted control. Tani looked like she desperately wanted to argue the point, but had the sense to back down without a fight.
Simba gave her a hard stare to make sure she completely backed down, before turning to the rest of the pride. "Now, we all know of the last incident that happened involving a rogue coming to the Pridelands...and I'm not talking about Kovu, either." A smug smile appeared on Tani's face, which she directed at Tanga, as the rest of the pride seemed to openly wince at the memory of whatever had happened. "We all remember what happened then, but what we must also remember, is that Maafa was not making an example for all rogues. From what I have seen of Tanga since he has woken up, he has the virtues of someone we can trust. I can see no lie in his words, no deceit in his eyes, and no malice in his heart." Simba threw Tani another look, stalling the lioness' protests before she had even opened her mouth.
"I understand that many of you are still suspicious of him...I, too am wary of him. He has no memory of his past, and without that knowledge, no-one can know who he truly is. But that is not reason enough to throw him out of the Pridelands to die from his injuries!"
Tanga, whose head had been bowed the whole time as he listened, snapped up at the last sentence, hope flooding through him. Could it be? Could he possibly...?
"He has been honest to us so far, so I am willing to give him a chance." A smile appeared on Simba's face as gave Tanga a quick glance, the smile widening as he caught the rogue's muzzle-splitting grin. "Are you?"
A loud chorus of approving roars accompanied Simba's question, although Tanga could tell that many of them were lacking enthusiasm, and he could see several members of the pride did not join in. His grin vanished as he understood the meaning behind the details; the pride was not trusting him...they were simply giving him the benefit of the doubt, since throwing him out would kill him.
"It's settled, then," Simba declared, as Tanga looked at Tani, who was literally quivering with suppressed fury. "We will grant the rogue, Tanga, shelter with our pride, until his leg heals!"
Tanga grinned once more, feeling that things were finally starting to look up for the first time in his currently short memory. He had a place to stay for a time, and hopefully by the time he was back on all four legs, he would figure out what he wanted to do with himself.
"Hang on!" a new voice brought Tanga's mood crashing back to the dust as he looked around, trying to identify who it was. In the end, he spotted a very pale lioness sitting off to the side, a large, proud lion by her side, obviously her mate, and a young, golden cub at her feet, one of the ones that had been talking about him before. She was one of the lionesses that had not been enthusiastic in allowing him to stay, and she was looking at Tanga with heavy suspicion. She was willing to let him stay, Tanga realised...but at what cost?
"Granted, Simba, it's only fair that we give the rogue the benefit of the doubt...I realise that." The lioness had a thoughtful look on her face, which only increased Tanga's nervousness. She had thought her response through, which meant that whatever she was going to say was going to have a lot of weight behind it. "But we can't just give him full access to our pride. If he betrays our trust, it will be all too easy for him to cause serious damage to the pride before we could do anything to stop him."
Tani could not resist the opening. "Which is why I say we send him away now!"
Simba once again glared at Tani. "We've been through this, Tani. The rogue is staying for now." The king then turned back to the lioness. "Continue, Kulinda."
"If the rogue is to stay, then I only think it's fair that he have some restrictions on what he can and cannot do," Kulinda said, causing the last of Tanga's good mood to vanish. "For one, I don't want him staying in Pride Rock with us. I don't trust him to be near our cubs when we are resting...he needs to find somewhere else to rest and sleep."
Tanga saw that the rest of the pride were reacting positively to Kulinda's request. Vitani and Kiara did not respond, but did nothing to defend him, either. How could they, anyway? The safety and well-being of their pride came before his own comforts, anyway. Tanga was all-too-well aware of that fact, and was also willing to respect it as well.
Simba was nodding slowly in response to Kulinda's words as well. "Yes...yes, you're right Kulinda."
Over the course of the afternoon, the pride debated over what restrictions were to be placed on Tanga during his stay in the Pridelands. The results were pretty much what Tanga expected. Since he was a temporary visitor, and not a member of the pride, he was to be treated as such. He would have to find his own den to call home, and would not be allowed to enter Pride Rock unless someone specifically requested his presence. Since his leg would not allow him to hunt, he was to be given a share of whatever the pride brought back on their hunting trips, but was to be the last to eat, meaning his chances of getting enough food to reverse the effects of his recent malnourishment were non-existent. He would be free to socialise with the pride, but under no circumstances was he to brawl, in play or in anger, with any member of the pride...and naturally any 'other' activities were strictly forbidden as well. Tanga had noted with some mild interest that Tani had been very forceful on getting that last point across.
But in the end, as the sun began to make its way towards the horizon, and the shadows started the lengthen considerably, Simba ended the gathering, and the pride went off to do their own things, leaving Tanga alone for the first time since he woke up from the hyena-induced coma. He knew he should be feeling happy right now, having been granted sanctuary by Simba's pride...but the restrictions placed upon his time here left a bitter after-taste.
Deciding he'd better find somewhere to stay before nightfall, Tanga made his way down from Pride Rock, although he did not pay much attention to his surroundings as he fell into his own thoughts, trepidation causing him some concern for the future.
Simba had granted him sanctuary and protection while his leg healed, but just how protected was he in the Pridelands? The restrictions proved that the entire pride was extremely wary and distrustful of him. Normally this would not cause Tanga to worry, since he could use his time here to prove to the pride that he was no threat to them, but every time he thought of Tani, his worry returned in full force.
The dark-furred lioness was hiding something...something that involved a rogue she had met in the past. It had given her an opinion on rogues that was unfavourable to his situation, and Tanga could not help but see that Tani would do everything in her power to see him exiled from the Pridelands as soon as possible.
Tanga understood that, in his attempt to win the pride's trust, Tani would be the critical focus. She would do everything to turn Simba and the pride against him...his only real hope of winning the trust of the pride lay in winning the trust of Tani herself. And with that thought, Tanga could not help but feel that, despite the time he had given to complete this task, that he had been started well on the back foot.
Tanga knew that he was going to have to work harder than he ever had before in order to win his place in the Pridelands. For if he did not succeed, he knew that his alternative was to live out his days as a true wanderer...alone and miserable.
His name, like everything else so far, did not bring about any new memories, leaving his past as mysterious as always. It frustrated Tanga that his past was so elusive, his memories so unwilling to resurface. But in the end, he cast it aside; there was simply nothing he could do to change that. All he could do was move on, and use this identity he had found to start to forge a new life.
But what life could he forge? He had no knowledge of any lands around the Pridelands, thanks once again to his amnesia, which meant that the Pridelands was the only place he knew. And what he had seen of the place so far, he loved. He would not admit it to Simba just yet, lest he risk seeming too forward, but he wanted to stay here, to become part of the pride.
But as the trio approached Pride Rock, Tanga stole a quick glance at Simba, and his hopes faded very quickly. The king of the Pridelands was deep in though, but a frown was planted across his muzzle; he still did not trust Tanga. And without the king's trust, Tanga just could not see how he was going to be able to stay in the Pridelands. And then there were others, like Tani...
But if he was sent away, where would he go? He had absolutely no idea what lands lay beyond the borders of the Pridelands. All he knew of was the northern borders, and the Outlands beyond them. Tanga shuddered as he remembered the hyena ambush, silently vowing to himself that if he was sent away, he was not going back to that wasteland...that would have the same effect as jumping off the top of Pride Rock, and as meaningless as his life felt right now, Tanga had absolutely no intention of voluntarily ending his own life.
But this internal debate was brought to a halt by a sneering voice Tanga remembered all too well. "Oh, you're back," Tani grumbled lazily, hauling herself to her feet as the rest of the pride moved from their various places in and around Pride Rock to welcome Simba back, and get another chance to stare at the rogue. "What are you doing back here, anyway?"
Tanga, though irritated by Tani's words, did his best to ignore them as he scanned the pride, once again trying to gauge their feeling towards him. As before, most of the pride were extremely wary of him, although a few were showing startled surprised at his new appearance. Tanga could not fight back a smile as he saw one little cub point at him, chatting away to another cub next to him, before an adult silenced them both with a look, and a few unheard, scolding words.
He turned back to Tani, who looked furious at his ignorance of her, but before she could explode, Simba stepped between the two, stalling any argument as he motioned for both Tani and Vitani to take their places amongst the gathered pride. As they moved to obey - Tani shooting Tanga a vicious look as she left - Simba turned to the rogue, and nodded, silently telling him to stay where he was.
Tanga was initially curious; what was going on? But, just as Simba took a deep breath, obviously gathering himself for a speech of some kind, he figured it out: Simba was going to ask for the pride's opinion on him, and make a joint decision on whether he should stay or leave. Despair hit Tanga, it would only take a few reactions like Tani's to force Simba's hand and exile him.
Initially exile did not seem too bad - he had, after all, been living alone for a long time, or at least that's what he had the impression of - but then he remembered the problem of his injured foreleg. An injury like that was a death sentence for a rogue. So badly crippled, he would need to rely on others until the leg healed, which meant that, one way or another, his life depended on being accepted by Simba and his pride.
"My pride!" Simba's voice pulled Tanga out of his thoughts, as he focused on the debate at hand. He had to focus, it was a matter of life and death. "As you all know, yesterday this rogue behind me entered our lands, assaulted by hyenas. Together with Kovu, we stopped the hyenas, and thanks to Rafiki's healing skills, the rogue is still alive. But we are left with a problem; we do not know this rogue's intentions, and his injuries and experiences seem to have caused him to lose all memories of his past."
This last statement was the one that caused a reaction. The pride instantly fell into whispered murmuring, several members looking up at Tanga, as if his face might confirm or deny Simba's words. Tanga's eyes quickly sought out the only three lionesses he knew, to try and gauge how they were reacting to this statement.
Tani was the first one he found, and as Tanga had expected, her expression was laced with blatant disbelief. Whether the words were coming from Simba's mouth, or anyone else's, she did not believe that Tanga had lost all his memories one bit. Doing his best to force down the wave of irritation that was starting to develop every time he laid eyes on the dark-furred lioness, Tanga instead sought out Vitani.
Amongst the rest of the pride, she, too stood out, instead by her ruffled, beaten appearance, and her slightly tomboy-ish looks. She, having already heard Tanga's story in full, was not reacting too heavily to Simba's words, but when she caught Tanga's eyes, she gave him a sympathetic, encouraging look that gave the rogue some hope...he had at least one ally.
It took Tanga much longer to find the other lioness that had been there when he had woken up, Kiara. As he searched, he remember that she had referred to Simba several times as her father, which only increased his nervousness at his situation. One of the first lionesses he had met in this pride just happened to be a young princess. When he eventually did find Kiara, the young adolescent was talking rapidly to another lioness right beside her. This lioness was older, and shared quite a few similarities to Kiara, leaving Tanga with only one conclusion; whoever this lioness was, she was Kiara's mother, and through that, Simba's mate...the queen of the Pridelands.
Tanga's nervousness only heightened at the thought; he could not tell whether his early introduction to the royal family was going to be a good or bad thing. But Tanga once more put the confusing issue aside...it would be the rest of the pride that decided his fate, it seemed, today.
Finally, one of the lionesses in the pride spoke up. "What do you mean, he lost his memories?" There were several shouts of accompanying the words, siding with the issue. "How do you lose your memories?"
"I don't know," Simba replied, his voice alone calming and silencing the pride, leaving Tanga surprised. The pride must have a lot of respect for their king. "But since the rogue's place here is currently up for debate, I'll give the lion himself a chance to try and explain his situation." With this Simba stepped aside, throwing the spotlight on Tanga...with immediate results.
Tanga's mind completely froze up as every single lion in the pride, and every single set of eyes, turned their focus onto him. Although no new memories came to him, Tanga learned something about himself very quickly under the intense gaze of at least twenty other lions...he did not like attention; or at least a lot of attention at once. He desperately tried to gather his thoughts back as he also tried to ignore the stares of an entire pride of lions. He tried to focus his gaze somewhere where the stares would seem less nerve-wracking. "Uhh..."
As he stalled for time, his eyes fell on those two cubs that had been whispering to each other when he had returned to Pride Rock, and found that the sight of the young children helped settle his nerves, despite the fact that they, too, were staring. Finally settling his nerves enough to start forming coherent thoughts again, he was finally able to address the pride, and tell his story, in the faint, desperate hope that he could win the sympathy of at least a few members of the pride.
As Tanga told his story, he discovered yet more about himself. He realised that, as much as he wanted to get the pride to sympathise with his current plight, he was not going to exaggerate or outright lie about his circumstances in order to get his way. He simply told his story as truthfully as he could manage, and hoped that it would be enough. He told them everything he could remember, from the point he lost his memories several days ago, to the hyena attack. Despite the significant lack of events to tell, Tanga was able to remember these events fairly well, except for those days leading up to the hyena attack.
"So...you can't remember anything about yourself before your time in those northern plains?" a lion, male this time, asked.
Tanga turned to him, surprised when he saw what was essentially a leaner, male version of Tani, with dark fur, black mane, and green eyes...but everything about him screamed that he was a kind and gentle soul. His eyes seemed to be hiding something darker in those emerald depths, but every outward sign suggested that this male was sympathetic towards him...which gave Tanga some hope.
"No," he replied sadly, ignoring the disbelieving snort Tani sent his way. "I have vague feelings and impressions, but nothing solid, nothing specific that I can remember." He stopped, rubbing a paw against his forehead as he tried once more to find something in the deep, empty recesses of his mind. He once again came up empty, but as he felt the cut on his forehead, he suddenly had a theory. "I...I think I may have lost my memories whenever I got this," he added, gesturing to the aforementioned cut. "I can't remember what caused it, but I can feel that it was a nasty injury, and it's the best explanation I can come up with."
"Oh, please!" Tani groaned. "That's it? That's the best story you can come up with? You just, can't remember?"
"Tani, my patience has just about run out with you!" Tanga was so amazed by the change in her voice and demeanour, he had to take a second look to confirm that it was Vitani that had spoken. All trace of her gentle personality she had shown towards Tanga was gone. Her face was locked in a fierce snarl, and she glaring at Tani with such menace that Tanga would have run from the Pridelands in an instant if she had given him that look. "Would it hurt you to just think about his words before you attack him!"
"Last time I trusted a rogue, it did hurt me, Vitani!" Tani shot back, with just as much venom as the other lioness. "You, of course, would not remember that...you weren't there!"
"So because one rogue was an evil creep, that makes them all evil creeps?" Vitani asked, sarcasm lacing her voice.
"Rogues are all traitors to their prides! They don't deserve a second chance!"
"That's a lie, and you know it!" Tani's last statement seemed to have a profound effect on Vitani. "Do you remember what the Outlanders did for you, and the rest of the pride? Or have you forgotten the sacrifice we made for you?"
Tanga was taken back by the sudden argument that had flared up. Not only was he a little stunned that Vitani had been so quick to rise to his defence, but the direction the argument was taking had also affected the rogue. Vitani had referred to some group of Outlanders, yet referred to them by 'we', despite being part of the Pridelands. He knew at that moment that there was an awful lot more to not only Vitani's past, but the entire past of the Pridelands, than he was at all aware of.
"The Outlanders made no sacrifices to us, Vitani! If I remember, they abandoned us not long afterwards!"
"Oh, and I suppose you actually gave them the slightest chance of fitting in with us, then?!"
"Guys, enough!" Tanga finally found his voice, and the courage to cry out, stopping the two lioness before the argument descended into blows. "Please, this isn't getting us anywhere!" Tani looked like she was ready to rip Tanga's throat out for intervening, but Tanga continued speaking before she could do anything, addressing the entire pride before him. "Look, I understand that most of you do not trust me, and that without any memory of my past, there is nothing I can do at the moment to change that. I am not going to ask for you to accept me into the pride: Not only do I know how such a request will already play out...but I am still not sure what I want to do with myself at the moment, and I may decide that I don't want to stay here in the end."
Tanga paused, gauging the reactions of the rest of the pride, hoping he had said the right thing. Tani was muttering something under her breath, too quietly for Tanga to hear, but by Vitani's savage look, it was not pleasant. Most of the rest of the pride seemed a little stunned by his words. Rather than attempting to impose himself upon them, like many of them most likely expected, he was instead leaving them free to decide for themselves.
A little unfortunately, Tanga observed that this seemed to only increase their nervousness. "I'm sensing a 'but', here," one male lion said warily.
Tanga sighed. This was his last chance...his last possible hope of being given at least some sanctuary in the Pridelands...and like before, he decided that his best chance was to simply be honest, and pray that his honesty was enough. "There is." With those two words, he raised his injured paw gingerly for everyone to see. "As you can see, the hyena attack has not left me uninjured. In my current condition, I cannot walk on this leg, it's simply too painful, and I need to take extreme care to make sure that it heals properly. I said I would not ask for acceptance into the pride, but I must ask for a compromise: With my leg in this condition, I have next to no chance of surviving on my own. All I ask is that you allow me to stay with you until my leg heals again. Once that happens, I will be free to go my own way."
Tanga felt a little guilty at the mild play on his own words he had made with that last sentence. What he had told suggested that he would only stay until his leg healed, and then leave. But what he had left unsaid was that, in going 'his own way', he may decide to ask for permanent acceptance into the pride. He had promised himself that he would be honest, but that did not mean that he could not leave some truths unsaid if it would not help his cause...his very survival did depend on this, after all.
"And what will you do to our pride while you...heal?" Tani could not help but ask suspiciously, putting particular emphasis on her last word. It was obvious that she believed that Tanga was going to use his time healing to cause chaos in the Pridelands.
But before Tanga could answer her question with a sarcastic quip of his own, he froze as he heard disapproving mutterings from not only Vitani, but several other members of the pride. Tanga's words seemed to have had the effect he needed, and now the pride was starting to side with him.
Tani looked around, bewildered by the pride's reaction. "What? You actually believe what he says?" she demanded, disgusted. "You're actually going to trust him?!"
Finally, it seemed, Simba had had enough. "Alright, Tani, that's enough!" he stepped forward once more, taking his place in front of the pride as he reasserted control. Tani looked like she desperately wanted to argue the point, but had the sense to back down without a fight.
Simba gave her a hard stare to make sure she completely backed down, before turning to the rest of the pride. "Now, we all know of the last incident that happened involving a rogue coming to the Pridelands...and I'm not talking about Kovu, either." A smug smile appeared on Tani's face, which she directed at Tanga, as the rest of the pride seemed to openly wince at the memory of whatever had happened. "We all remember what happened then, but what we must also remember, is that Maafa was not making an example for all rogues. From what I have seen of Tanga since he has woken up, he has the virtues of someone we can trust. I can see no lie in his words, no deceit in his eyes, and no malice in his heart." Simba threw Tani another look, stalling the lioness' protests before she had even opened her mouth.
"I understand that many of you are still suspicious of him...I, too am wary of him. He has no memory of his past, and without that knowledge, no-one can know who he truly is. But that is not reason enough to throw him out of the Pridelands to die from his injuries!"
Tanga, whose head had been bowed the whole time as he listened, snapped up at the last sentence, hope flooding through him. Could it be? Could he possibly...?
"He has been honest to us so far, so I am willing to give him a chance." A smile appeared on Simba's face as gave Tanga a quick glance, the smile widening as he caught the rogue's muzzle-splitting grin. "Are you?"
A loud chorus of approving roars accompanied Simba's question, although Tanga could tell that many of them were lacking enthusiasm, and he could see several members of the pride did not join in. His grin vanished as he understood the meaning behind the details; the pride was not trusting him...they were simply giving him the benefit of the doubt, since throwing him out would kill him.
"It's settled, then," Simba declared, as Tanga looked at Tani, who was literally quivering with suppressed fury. "We will grant the rogue, Tanga, shelter with our pride, until his leg heals!"
Tanga grinned once more, feeling that things were finally starting to look up for the first time in his currently short memory. He had a place to stay for a time, and hopefully by the time he was back on all four legs, he would figure out what he wanted to do with himself.
"Hang on!" a new voice brought Tanga's mood crashing back to the dust as he looked around, trying to identify who it was. In the end, he spotted a very pale lioness sitting off to the side, a large, proud lion by her side, obviously her mate, and a young, golden cub at her feet, one of the ones that had been talking about him before. She was one of the lionesses that had not been enthusiastic in allowing him to stay, and she was looking at Tanga with heavy suspicion. She was willing to let him stay, Tanga realised...but at what cost?
"Granted, Simba, it's only fair that we give the rogue the benefit of the doubt...I realise that." The lioness had a thoughtful look on her face, which only increased Tanga's nervousness. She had thought her response through, which meant that whatever she was going to say was going to have a lot of weight behind it. "But we can't just give him full access to our pride. If he betrays our trust, it will be all too easy for him to cause serious damage to the pride before we could do anything to stop him."
Tani could not resist the opening. "Which is why I say we send him away now!"
Simba once again glared at Tani. "We've been through this, Tani. The rogue is staying for now." The king then turned back to the lioness. "Continue, Kulinda."
"If the rogue is to stay, then I only think it's fair that he have some restrictions on what he can and cannot do," Kulinda said, causing the last of Tanga's good mood to vanish. "For one, I don't want him staying in Pride Rock with us. I don't trust him to be near our cubs when we are resting...he needs to find somewhere else to rest and sleep."
Tanga saw that the rest of the pride were reacting positively to Kulinda's request. Vitani and Kiara did not respond, but did nothing to defend him, either. How could they, anyway? The safety and well-being of their pride came before his own comforts, anyway. Tanga was all-too-well aware of that fact, and was also willing to respect it as well.
Simba was nodding slowly in response to Kulinda's words as well. "Yes...yes, you're right Kulinda."
Over the course of the afternoon, the pride debated over what restrictions were to be placed on Tanga during his stay in the Pridelands. The results were pretty much what Tanga expected. Since he was a temporary visitor, and not a member of the pride, he was to be treated as such. He would have to find his own den to call home, and would not be allowed to enter Pride Rock unless someone specifically requested his presence. Since his leg would not allow him to hunt, he was to be given a share of whatever the pride brought back on their hunting trips, but was to be the last to eat, meaning his chances of getting enough food to reverse the effects of his recent malnourishment were non-existent. He would be free to socialise with the pride, but under no circumstances was he to brawl, in play or in anger, with any member of the pride...and naturally any 'other' activities were strictly forbidden as well. Tanga had noted with some mild interest that Tani had been very forceful on getting that last point across.
But in the end, as the sun began to make its way towards the horizon, and the shadows started the lengthen considerably, Simba ended the gathering, and the pride went off to do their own things, leaving Tanga alone for the first time since he woke up from the hyena-induced coma. He knew he should be feeling happy right now, having been granted sanctuary by Simba's pride...but the restrictions placed upon his time here left a bitter after-taste.
Deciding he'd better find somewhere to stay before nightfall, Tanga made his way down from Pride Rock, although he did not pay much attention to his surroundings as he fell into his own thoughts, trepidation causing him some concern for the future.
Simba had granted him sanctuary and protection while his leg healed, but just how protected was he in the Pridelands? The restrictions proved that the entire pride was extremely wary and distrustful of him. Normally this would not cause Tanga to worry, since he could use his time here to prove to the pride that he was no threat to them, but every time he thought of Tani, his worry returned in full force.
The dark-furred lioness was hiding something...something that involved a rogue she had met in the past. It had given her an opinion on rogues that was unfavourable to his situation, and Tanga could not help but see that Tani would do everything in her power to see him exiled from the Pridelands as soon as possible.
Tanga understood that, in his attempt to win the pride's trust, Tani would be the critical focus. She would do everything to turn Simba and the pride against him...his only real hope of winning the trust of the pride lay in winning the trust of Tani herself. And with that thought, Tanga could not help but feel that, despite the time he had given to complete this task, that he had been started well on the back foot.
Tanga knew that he was going to have to work harder than he ever had before in order to win his place in the Pridelands. For if he did not succeed, he knew that his alternative was to live out his days as a true wanderer...alone and miserable.
Chapter 7
Royal Allies
Spoiler: show
The next morning, Tanga awoke with a violent start, his head whipping back and forth as he hyperventilated, convinced he was in mortal danger.
It took him almost a full minute to realise that he had just had a nightmare, and that he was perfectly safe, in a cave he had picked out a short distance from Pride Rock. Slowly, his erratic breathing and heartbeat settled back to normal levels, and he heaved a relieved sigh as his memories of the past day returned to him, causing his relief to increase...he may have lost his entire past, but at least it was not a continuous effect.
Tanga stretched, his gaping yawn turning into a yelp of pain as he accidentally knocked his injured foreleg. Looking down at the wounded limb, he gave yet another sigh, once more wondering if the savage wounds would ever heal properly. With the Pridelander's collective trust in him so shaky, he knew that his life may well depend on whether he regained the full use of his leg again.
But as he gathered himself and sat up, leaning against the rough wall of the cave he had found, he let his thoughts drift back to the nightmare he had just woken up from. Despite the fact that many details of the dream had already vanished - if they had even existed in the first place - he could still remember snippets of it. Arguing voices...indistinct faces...wandering the plains, alone except for another lion by his side, again indistinct...a vicious argument, with himself on one side of it. A nauseating sense of vertigo, almost like he was falling, before a flash of pain, like a vicious swipe across his forehead, before he blacked out...
The first thing that came to Tanga's mind was how familiar much of it seemed, despite how indistinct most of it was. It did not take his sleepy mind long to come to the first, most obvious conclusion; that his dreams were somehow gaining access to his lost past, and giving him half-formed impressions of the life he once lived.
But what did all of it mean? None of the dream made any sense...he was being given brief flashes into his past, but without more events to compare them with, and without any detail in any of the events, he could not figure anything out. He could not see any significant details in any of the faces, no obvious words in any of the voices. It was a look into his past...but a look that revealed nothing.
"Damn it!" he finally yelled, slamming his good paw into the rock wall he was leaning against, venting some of his pent-up frustration in the process. His frustration was caused, for the most part, by the mental tug-of-war going on inside his own head. On one side, he had realised yesterday that, with no definitive way of recovering his lost memory, that he had to move on, and carve out a new life, and a new identity for himself. But on the other paw, this brief flashes of his past were stopping him from moving on, keeping him locked in that desperate quest for his old identity. He wanted to move on, but the brief flashes were holding him back, keeping him curious, no matter how hopeless his cause seemed. His future did not want to wait for him...but his past was insistent in holding him back, and he could not figure out which way to turn.
"You trying to break your other leg?" a voice suddenly called from the cave entrance, causing Tanga to whirl around, instinct putting his senses on high alert for any danger.
In the end, his instinct was unfounded, as two lions - a young couple - were sitting at the cave entrance, staring at him with warm smiles on their faces. Tanga recognised them both from yesterday, a small burst of happiness flaring in his heart at the simple act of remembering something. The female of the couple was none other than Simba's daughter, Kiara, while the male was one of the lions that had spoken during yesterday's debate on whether to grant him sanctuary in the pride for a time. As he had observed yesterday, he had a dark, brown fur very similar to Tani's, and a mane that was even darker than his own, although not quite as full. His eyes were an eerie green colour, but there was nothing but kindness to see in them.
"Kovu!" Kiara sighed, hitting him across the shoulder playfully, generating a smile from the lion. "Go easy on him, he's had a rough few days."
"And I'm just saying, they're going to get rougher if he keeps hurting himself like that," Kovu replied. His tone sounded serious, but the grin on his face gave away that he was just messing around with Kiara.
After the lioness in question gave an exasperated sigh, Kovu turned his attention back to Tanga. "Good to see you found a decent spot to stay while you're here."
Tanga nodded, his nerves hitting him in full force since he was talking to a princess once again. "I'm surprised you came here, actually," he finally mumbled. "Your pride seems to avoid this cave a lot...unless it's just me." He sighed, the memories of last night coming back to him.
After finding this small cave, he had come back to the shadow of Pride Rock just as a small hunting party had returned with the pride's next meal. He had managed to salvage a few scraps when his turn to eat finally came around, enough to last him until the next meal came along, but not much else.
But as he had returned to his cave, he noticed that many members of the pride were cautiously following him, seemingly curious about him, even if they kept their distance, and eyed him warily every time he turned around. But when he had reached this cave, they had all stopped, obviously unwilling to wander further, before turning back. While it had given Tanga a peaceful night, since even Tani would not enter this cave to taunt him, it had left him curious as to what had made them back off. Some of them seemed a little less cautious than others, particularly the younger adults, but they all seemed to almost fear something about the cave.
Tanga shook himself out of his thoughts, turning back to the couple in front of him. "So, Kovu...what are you doing here?" he asked as he paced slowly around the cave, working the last sleep-induced cramps out of the muscles on his three good legs.
Tanga did not miss the small smile Kovu and Kiara shared, before Kovu answered. "Oh, the usual...just wanted to see how the lion I saved is coping so far."
The mischievous smile was the reason Tanga spotted exactly what Kovu had said straight away, causing him to stop pacing, staring at Kovu in poorly-concealed surprise. "Wait, you're the one that saved me from the hyenas?"
"Simba did most of the work," Kovu said, obviously trying to deflect some of the credit, even as a satisfied smirk appeared on his face. "He stopped the hyenas, I kept them away from you."
Tanga had partially assumed that Simba had been responsible in some way for saving him from the hyenas. Now he not only had it confirmed, but was standing before the other lion responsible for saving his life. "Well, I...thank you, Kovu. I owe you and Simba everything right now."
"You owe us nothing, Tanga," Kovu replied automatically. "You were a fellow lion in trouble, and the hyenas are not allowed in our lands. It was the right thing to do."
"Just because it's the right thing to do, does not mean you have to do it," Tanga said back. But the moment he fully processed exactly what he had said, the words hit him. Somewhere, sometime in his past, someone had told him something like that...or some variation. But he decided to put it aside this time, without looking too deeply into it. He needed solid, definitive memories, not vague impressions. "You still had the option of leaving me to die, but you decided to risk your own life to save mine. The fact that I'm a rogue only makes me even more grateful."
Kovu snorted. "It shouldn't be that way. I've tried to talk to Simba about the way he acts towards rogues. Normally he's meant to be a very quiet, just king, and a great friend, but..." Kovu paused, sighing, as Tanga waited for him to continue. He was eager to hear why the king of the Pridelands was so cautious about him. If he could understand that, then maybe he could begin to understand Tani's issue with him, and start to help them understand and accept him.
In the end, though, Kovu was unable to voice his next words, and Kiara took over solemnly. "Dad's...suspicious...of rogues. I think you might have heard a bit yesterday about something that happened a long time ago. I don't know exactly what happened; it happened before I was born, and Dad never talks about the past much. But it had something to do with a rogue called Maafa, and that lioness you've met, Tani. Neither of them will tell anyone what happened, and neither will any of the older lionesses who know, but ever since that...whatever it was, very few in our pride will trust rogues and outsiders any more."
Tanga nodded politely at Kiara's explanation, even though it only confirmed what he had already heard and suspected. But he still shuddered at just how bad his situation was. For an entire pride to even refuse to talk about the event meant that it was very serious...whatever that rogue had done had been horrible, and had particularly effected Tani, for whatever reason. The prejudice this had caused was not going to be easy for him to overcome...but he still had to try.
As he thought on this, he suddenly remembered something Vitani had let slip in her argument with Tani the day before. "Hang on...if this Maafa is meant to be the only rogue the Pridelands has dealt with since Simba came along, then what was Vitani saying about the Outlanders...and the sacrifices they apparently made for you?"
Both Kovu and Kiara visibly recoiled at Tanga's words, which had obviously brought up a topic that was very unpleasant to them. "The Outlanders weren't rogues...exactly," Kiara finally said, sadness lacing her voice.
Tanga immediately tried to backtrack the conversation, seeing how sad it was making the couple before him. "If you don't want to talk about it, I..."
Kovu waved a paw, stopping Tanga's apology short. "No, it's fine. It's always best to face these things, rather than keep them hidden. The only reason it's still particularly painful to remember is that it happened not too long ago."
"Almost two months now," Kiara added. "And besides, as someone who is not aware of the history of the Pridelands, you might have a different look on how things happened."
Kovu sighed, sitting down. Kiara mimicked him, before burying her head in his mane, comforting them both as Kovu began the story. "I may live in the Pridelands now, but I grew up in that wasteland you came from, where the hyenas attacked you...the Outlands. When I was just a newborn, Simba had several members of his pride exiled us to the Outlands for...various crimes against him. My mother was amongst them, and I grew up being taught to hate all the Pridelanders, and especially Simba. The feud between the two prides would have escalated into a full-blown Pride War, except something happened that neither my mother, nor anyone else could ever have predicted."
Kiara lifted her head from Kovu's neck, smiling up at her mate as she took over the story. "We had met once before as cubs, but when we saw each other again, we just...I don't know how it happened, really."
Tanga could not help but smile at the two of them. He could fill in the gaps himself. "The two of you fell in love, and somehow convinced the prides to stop fighting."
Kovu nodded. "That's a very short version of it, but yes. Unfortunately, my mother would not let go of her desire to kill Simba, and she was killed."
Kiara seemed to be just as badly affected by that sentence as Kovu, leaving Tanga suspicious that Kiara was involved in the death of Kovu's mother in some way. "My dad let the Outlanders join us, and that should have been that, but..." she trailed off.
Kovu gave her a warm smile, and took over. "Not everyone in the Pridelands was as trusting as Simba had been that day. Many Pridelanders remember the betrayal the Outlanders made that caused their exile in the first place, and were less willing to forgive us. For a month, the Outlanders tried to find their place in the pride, but there was too much distrust and suspicion. Within weeks, things were getting tense, and the pride looked like it was going to start fighting amongst itself, and split itself in two. In the end, all the Outlanders, except for myself and Vitani, left. Since me and Kiara officially became mates not long after the Outlanders joined us, I have a responsibility to stay here. And Vitani...well, she's always been her own lioness. She's never cared what others think of her, so the way some of the Pridelanders treated her would not be enough to drive her away."
Tanga could not help but smile at that, despite the sombre mood the story had left behind. He had to sate the last of his curiosity, though. "So everyone else just...left?"
Kovu nodded. "The Outlanders left to find a place outside the Pridelands where they could start their own pride. But because they left on their own terms, rather than being exiled, there is no more animosity." Kovu's face brightened a little. "I am even able to visit them every so often when I have a couple of days free...if Kiara here'll let me go."
"Oi!" Kiara growled, hitting Kovu across the shoulder she had just been using as a pillow. The teasing very quickly descended into a play fight, which Tanga simply sat back and watched, smiling at just how close the two lovebirds were.
Did I ever have anything like they have? he silently wondered, causing his good mood to come crashing down faster than a raging waterfall. His lost past was once again tormenting him, only this time is was with the idea they he may have either had a mate of his own, or perhaps been close to someone...a 'girlfriend', who he loved. But once again, no memories came to him, his amnesia refusing to either confirm or deny his questions.
A sudden sense of loneliness stole over Tanga as his thoughts continued onwards. Here he was, in the presence of a young couple who were as close as two lions could possibly get, and he had no memory of ever having experienced anything like it. He did not even know if he had ever had friends as a cub, or even if his own family had loved him, either. For all he knew, he could have been an outcast within whatever pride he had grown up in.
But even as he thought on this, he realised that his pessimistic outlook on his past was not accurate. His feelings of envy towards Kovu and Kiara's relationship suggested that he had never been in a relationship like theirs, but the fact that his loneliness, while strong, was not overwhelming, told him that he did, at some point, have some friends in his life, even if they were few.
But even so, his loneliness did not vanish. He may have had friends before, but without any memory of them, they were strangers once more. His amnesia had left him alone, in a pride that did not trust him, with most of his identity and past lost to him. He sighed, once again feeling a sense of worthlessness, as if his amnesia had left him as a wandering shadow, rather than a living, breathing lion.
"Hey, you alright?" Kovu's voice caused Tanga to look up, allowing him to see that Kovu and Kiara were both looking at him with mild concern. "You zoned out, there, Tanga...something on your mind?"
A good portion of Tanga's loneliness vanished. The pride might not trust him overall, but there were a few within it that were willing to give him a chance...and two of them were sitting before him. He might still be envious of the relationship they shared, but he was no longer alone within the pride, and that helped...a lot. "No...no I'm fine," he replied evasively. He decided to change the subject before either half of the couple before him decided to pry further. "Anyway, why did you check up on me in the first place? I'm sure you didn't come here just to tell me all about what happened with you and the Outlanders."
Kiara sent another smile his way as she untangled herself from Kovu's body, the two of them tangled together after their play-fight. "Yeah, actually. Look...I know you just settled in here, and you're probably still getting your head around everything that happened yesterday...but I thought you might to join us." she gave Kovu a pointed look, suggesting to Tanga that Kovu was not as enthusiastic about this idea as Kiara. "We were heading to The Rocks; it's where our pride tends to go when we just want to relax...and occasionally talk about unimportant things."
Tanga's enthusiasm for the idea disappeared before it had even fully arrived. Kiara intended to, the very day after he had woken up in the pride's den, bring him along to mingle with the pride, who were still far from trusting of him. No matter which way Tanga looked at it, he just could not see how imposing his presence on the pride so soon after his arrival was going to help his cause.
But it seemed Kiara was already aware of how he would react. "Look, I understand if you don't want to...a lot of the others don't trust you yet, but that'll pass. And I think it'll pass much quicker if you come out and talk to a few of them as well...The Rocks almost always have a least a couple of us there at any point during the day."
Tanga opened his mouth to reply, but cut himself off. Kiara did have a very good point. And if he went with Kiara, maybe the sight of the young princess and her mate accompanying him without any of the suspicion or wariness the others possessed would help his case a bit as well. He needed allies within Simba's pride...and he needed them before his leg healed.
But he was still reluctant. He somehow got the feeling that being in the company of several other lions and lionesses was only going to make him feel incredibly awkward. He got another one of those feelings about his past...and this one was telling that he did not do so well in social situations...and it was part of the reason he had spent most of his life as a wanderer.
But he forced himself to set that aside. Avoiding the pride he meant to stay with was not going to help his cause in the slightest. No matter how shy or antisocial he might be, this had to be done...and the sooner he did it, the better. Hauling himself to his feet with a heavy sigh, he tucked his left foreleg into its now-customary position against his chest and limped towards the exit of his cave, nodding to Kiara and Kovu as he did.
"Alright, I'll come."
It took him almost a full minute to realise that he had just had a nightmare, and that he was perfectly safe, in a cave he had picked out a short distance from Pride Rock. Slowly, his erratic breathing and heartbeat settled back to normal levels, and he heaved a relieved sigh as his memories of the past day returned to him, causing his relief to increase...he may have lost his entire past, but at least it was not a continuous effect.
Tanga stretched, his gaping yawn turning into a yelp of pain as he accidentally knocked his injured foreleg. Looking down at the wounded limb, he gave yet another sigh, once more wondering if the savage wounds would ever heal properly. With the Pridelander's collective trust in him so shaky, he knew that his life may well depend on whether he regained the full use of his leg again.
But as he gathered himself and sat up, leaning against the rough wall of the cave he had found, he let his thoughts drift back to the nightmare he had just woken up from. Despite the fact that many details of the dream had already vanished - if they had even existed in the first place - he could still remember snippets of it. Arguing voices...indistinct faces...wandering the plains, alone except for another lion by his side, again indistinct...a vicious argument, with himself on one side of it. A nauseating sense of vertigo, almost like he was falling, before a flash of pain, like a vicious swipe across his forehead, before he blacked out...
The first thing that came to Tanga's mind was how familiar much of it seemed, despite how indistinct most of it was. It did not take his sleepy mind long to come to the first, most obvious conclusion; that his dreams were somehow gaining access to his lost past, and giving him half-formed impressions of the life he once lived.
But what did all of it mean? None of the dream made any sense...he was being given brief flashes into his past, but without more events to compare them with, and without any detail in any of the events, he could not figure anything out. He could not see any significant details in any of the faces, no obvious words in any of the voices. It was a look into his past...but a look that revealed nothing.
"Damn it!" he finally yelled, slamming his good paw into the rock wall he was leaning against, venting some of his pent-up frustration in the process. His frustration was caused, for the most part, by the mental tug-of-war going on inside his own head. On one side, he had realised yesterday that, with no definitive way of recovering his lost memory, that he had to move on, and carve out a new life, and a new identity for himself. But on the other paw, this brief flashes of his past were stopping him from moving on, keeping him locked in that desperate quest for his old identity. He wanted to move on, but the brief flashes were holding him back, keeping him curious, no matter how hopeless his cause seemed. His future did not want to wait for him...but his past was insistent in holding him back, and he could not figure out which way to turn.
"You trying to break your other leg?" a voice suddenly called from the cave entrance, causing Tanga to whirl around, instinct putting his senses on high alert for any danger.
In the end, his instinct was unfounded, as two lions - a young couple - were sitting at the cave entrance, staring at him with warm smiles on their faces. Tanga recognised them both from yesterday, a small burst of happiness flaring in his heart at the simple act of remembering something. The female of the couple was none other than Simba's daughter, Kiara, while the male was one of the lions that had spoken during yesterday's debate on whether to grant him sanctuary in the pride for a time. As he had observed yesterday, he had a dark, brown fur very similar to Tani's, and a mane that was even darker than his own, although not quite as full. His eyes were an eerie green colour, but there was nothing but kindness to see in them.
"Kovu!" Kiara sighed, hitting him across the shoulder playfully, generating a smile from the lion. "Go easy on him, he's had a rough few days."
"And I'm just saying, they're going to get rougher if he keeps hurting himself like that," Kovu replied. His tone sounded serious, but the grin on his face gave away that he was just messing around with Kiara.
After the lioness in question gave an exasperated sigh, Kovu turned his attention back to Tanga. "Good to see you found a decent spot to stay while you're here."
Tanga nodded, his nerves hitting him in full force since he was talking to a princess once again. "I'm surprised you came here, actually," he finally mumbled. "Your pride seems to avoid this cave a lot...unless it's just me." He sighed, the memories of last night coming back to him.
After finding this small cave, he had come back to the shadow of Pride Rock just as a small hunting party had returned with the pride's next meal. He had managed to salvage a few scraps when his turn to eat finally came around, enough to last him until the next meal came along, but not much else.
But as he had returned to his cave, he noticed that many members of the pride were cautiously following him, seemingly curious about him, even if they kept their distance, and eyed him warily every time he turned around. But when he had reached this cave, they had all stopped, obviously unwilling to wander further, before turning back. While it had given Tanga a peaceful night, since even Tani would not enter this cave to taunt him, it had left him curious as to what had made them back off. Some of them seemed a little less cautious than others, particularly the younger adults, but they all seemed to almost fear something about the cave.
Tanga shook himself out of his thoughts, turning back to the couple in front of him. "So, Kovu...what are you doing here?" he asked as he paced slowly around the cave, working the last sleep-induced cramps out of the muscles on his three good legs.
Tanga did not miss the small smile Kovu and Kiara shared, before Kovu answered. "Oh, the usual...just wanted to see how the lion I saved is coping so far."
The mischievous smile was the reason Tanga spotted exactly what Kovu had said straight away, causing him to stop pacing, staring at Kovu in poorly-concealed surprise. "Wait, you're the one that saved me from the hyenas?"
"Simba did most of the work," Kovu said, obviously trying to deflect some of the credit, even as a satisfied smirk appeared on his face. "He stopped the hyenas, I kept them away from you."
Tanga had partially assumed that Simba had been responsible in some way for saving him from the hyenas. Now he not only had it confirmed, but was standing before the other lion responsible for saving his life. "Well, I...thank you, Kovu. I owe you and Simba everything right now."
"You owe us nothing, Tanga," Kovu replied automatically. "You were a fellow lion in trouble, and the hyenas are not allowed in our lands. It was the right thing to do."
"Just because it's the right thing to do, does not mean you have to do it," Tanga said back. But the moment he fully processed exactly what he had said, the words hit him. Somewhere, sometime in his past, someone had told him something like that...or some variation. But he decided to put it aside this time, without looking too deeply into it. He needed solid, definitive memories, not vague impressions. "You still had the option of leaving me to die, but you decided to risk your own life to save mine. The fact that I'm a rogue only makes me even more grateful."
Kovu snorted. "It shouldn't be that way. I've tried to talk to Simba about the way he acts towards rogues. Normally he's meant to be a very quiet, just king, and a great friend, but..." Kovu paused, sighing, as Tanga waited for him to continue. He was eager to hear why the king of the Pridelands was so cautious about him. If he could understand that, then maybe he could begin to understand Tani's issue with him, and start to help them understand and accept him.
In the end, though, Kovu was unable to voice his next words, and Kiara took over solemnly. "Dad's...suspicious...of rogues. I think you might have heard a bit yesterday about something that happened a long time ago. I don't know exactly what happened; it happened before I was born, and Dad never talks about the past much. But it had something to do with a rogue called Maafa, and that lioness you've met, Tani. Neither of them will tell anyone what happened, and neither will any of the older lionesses who know, but ever since that...whatever it was, very few in our pride will trust rogues and outsiders any more."
Tanga nodded politely at Kiara's explanation, even though it only confirmed what he had already heard and suspected. But he still shuddered at just how bad his situation was. For an entire pride to even refuse to talk about the event meant that it was very serious...whatever that rogue had done had been horrible, and had particularly effected Tani, for whatever reason. The prejudice this had caused was not going to be easy for him to overcome...but he still had to try.
As he thought on this, he suddenly remembered something Vitani had let slip in her argument with Tani the day before. "Hang on...if this Maafa is meant to be the only rogue the Pridelands has dealt with since Simba came along, then what was Vitani saying about the Outlanders...and the sacrifices they apparently made for you?"
Both Kovu and Kiara visibly recoiled at Tanga's words, which had obviously brought up a topic that was very unpleasant to them. "The Outlanders weren't rogues...exactly," Kiara finally said, sadness lacing her voice.
Tanga immediately tried to backtrack the conversation, seeing how sad it was making the couple before him. "If you don't want to talk about it, I..."
Kovu waved a paw, stopping Tanga's apology short. "No, it's fine. It's always best to face these things, rather than keep them hidden. The only reason it's still particularly painful to remember is that it happened not too long ago."
"Almost two months now," Kiara added. "And besides, as someone who is not aware of the history of the Pridelands, you might have a different look on how things happened."
Kovu sighed, sitting down. Kiara mimicked him, before burying her head in his mane, comforting them both as Kovu began the story. "I may live in the Pridelands now, but I grew up in that wasteland you came from, where the hyenas attacked you...the Outlands. When I was just a newborn, Simba had several members of his pride exiled us to the Outlands for...various crimes against him. My mother was amongst them, and I grew up being taught to hate all the Pridelanders, and especially Simba. The feud between the two prides would have escalated into a full-blown Pride War, except something happened that neither my mother, nor anyone else could ever have predicted."
Kiara lifted her head from Kovu's neck, smiling up at her mate as she took over the story. "We had met once before as cubs, but when we saw each other again, we just...I don't know how it happened, really."
Tanga could not help but smile at the two of them. He could fill in the gaps himself. "The two of you fell in love, and somehow convinced the prides to stop fighting."
Kovu nodded. "That's a very short version of it, but yes. Unfortunately, my mother would not let go of her desire to kill Simba, and she was killed."
Kiara seemed to be just as badly affected by that sentence as Kovu, leaving Tanga suspicious that Kiara was involved in the death of Kovu's mother in some way. "My dad let the Outlanders join us, and that should have been that, but..." she trailed off.
Kovu gave her a warm smile, and took over. "Not everyone in the Pridelands was as trusting as Simba had been that day. Many Pridelanders remember the betrayal the Outlanders made that caused their exile in the first place, and were less willing to forgive us. For a month, the Outlanders tried to find their place in the pride, but there was too much distrust and suspicion. Within weeks, things were getting tense, and the pride looked like it was going to start fighting amongst itself, and split itself in two. In the end, all the Outlanders, except for myself and Vitani, left. Since me and Kiara officially became mates not long after the Outlanders joined us, I have a responsibility to stay here. And Vitani...well, she's always been her own lioness. She's never cared what others think of her, so the way some of the Pridelanders treated her would not be enough to drive her away."
Tanga could not help but smile at that, despite the sombre mood the story had left behind. He had to sate the last of his curiosity, though. "So everyone else just...left?"
Kovu nodded. "The Outlanders left to find a place outside the Pridelands where they could start their own pride. But because they left on their own terms, rather than being exiled, there is no more animosity." Kovu's face brightened a little. "I am even able to visit them every so often when I have a couple of days free...if Kiara here'll let me go."
"Oi!" Kiara growled, hitting Kovu across the shoulder she had just been using as a pillow. The teasing very quickly descended into a play fight, which Tanga simply sat back and watched, smiling at just how close the two lovebirds were.
Did I ever have anything like they have? he silently wondered, causing his good mood to come crashing down faster than a raging waterfall. His lost past was once again tormenting him, only this time is was with the idea they he may have either had a mate of his own, or perhaps been close to someone...a 'girlfriend', who he loved. But once again, no memories came to him, his amnesia refusing to either confirm or deny his questions.
A sudden sense of loneliness stole over Tanga as his thoughts continued onwards. Here he was, in the presence of a young couple who were as close as two lions could possibly get, and he had no memory of ever having experienced anything like it. He did not even know if he had ever had friends as a cub, or even if his own family had loved him, either. For all he knew, he could have been an outcast within whatever pride he had grown up in.
But even as he thought on this, he realised that his pessimistic outlook on his past was not accurate. His feelings of envy towards Kovu and Kiara's relationship suggested that he had never been in a relationship like theirs, but the fact that his loneliness, while strong, was not overwhelming, told him that he did, at some point, have some friends in his life, even if they were few.
But even so, his loneliness did not vanish. He may have had friends before, but without any memory of them, they were strangers once more. His amnesia had left him alone, in a pride that did not trust him, with most of his identity and past lost to him. He sighed, once again feeling a sense of worthlessness, as if his amnesia had left him as a wandering shadow, rather than a living, breathing lion.
"Hey, you alright?" Kovu's voice caused Tanga to look up, allowing him to see that Kovu and Kiara were both looking at him with mild concern. "You zoned out, there, Tanga...something on your mind?"
A good portion of Tanga's loneliness vanished. The pride might not trust him overall, but there were a few within it that were willing to give him a chance...and two of them were sitting before him. He might still be envious of the relationship they shared, but he was no longer alone within the pride, and that helped...a lot. "No...no I'm fine," he replied evasively. He decided to change the subject before either half of the couple before him decided to pry further. "Anyway, why did you check up on me in the first place? I'm sure you didn't come here just to tell me all about what happened with you and the Outlanders."
Kiara sent another smile his way as she untangled herself from Kovu's body, the two of them tangled together after their play-fight. "Yeah, actually. Look...I know you just settled in here, and you're probably still getting your head around everything that happened yesterday...but I thought you might to join us." she gave Kovu a pointed look, suggesting to Tanga that Kovu was not as enthusiastic about this idea as Kiara. "We were heading to The Rocks; it's where our pride tends to go when we just want to relax...and occasionally talk about unimportant things."
Tanga's enthusiasm for the idea disappeared before it had even fully arrived. Kiara intended to, the very day after he had woken up in the pride's den, bring him along to mingle with the pride, who were still far from trusting of him. No matter which way Tanga looked at it, he just could not see how imposing his presence on the pride so soon after his arrival was going to help his cause.
But it seemed Kiara was already aware of how he would react. "Look, I understand if you don't want to...a lot of the others don't trust you yet, but that'll pass. And I think it'll pass much quicker if you come out and talk to a few of them as well...The Rocks almost always have a least a couple of us there at any point during the day."
Tanga opened his mouth to reply, but cut himself off. Kiara did have a very good point. And if he went with Kiara, maybe the sight of the young princess and her mate accompanying him without any of the suspicion or wariness the others possessed would help his case a bit as well. He needed allies within Simba's pride...and he needed them before his leg healed.
But he was still reluctant. He somehow got the feeling that being in the company of several other lions and lionesses was only going to make him feel incredibly awkward. He got another one of those feelings about his past...and this one was telling that he did not do so well in social situations...and it was part of the reason he had spent most of his life as a wanderer.
But he forced himself to set that aside. Avoiding the pride he meant to stay with was not going to help his cause in the slightest. No matter how shy or antisocial he might be, this had to be done...and the sooner he did it, the better. Hauling himself to his feet with a heavy sigh, he tucked his left foreleg into its now-customary position against his chest and limped towards the exit of his cave, nodding to Kiara and Kovu as he did.
"Alright, I'll come."
Chapter 8
Sunbathing and Socialising
Spoiler: show
By the time Kovu and Kiara had lead Tanga to The Rocks - apparently a place members of the pride, lionesses particularly, used as a quiet place to sunbathe and socialise with each other - the wanderer's nervousness had grown considerably. He had attempted to settle his nerves by stopping at a small waterhole on the way there to drink, but in the end, all that had done was given him more time to become even more nervous. But the time he had been lead to the collection of rocks where several lionesses were relaxing already, he was ready to turn and head back to his cave.
But every time the urge to flee came, he forcefully suppressed it, this was something he had to do...he had to start showing the pride that he was not a threat to them, and the only way to do that was to show himself to the pride...and behave himself in the process.
He had thought keeping his behaviour in check would be the easy part, since he knew from yesterday's events that his temper took a long time to flare up. But he did not count on one particular dark-furred lioness being amongst the group of sunbathers.
"Get outta here, rogue!" Tani yelled by way of greeting, somehow managing to sneer at him just as effectively as usual despite currently laying upside-down on one of the sunbathing rocks. "You're not welcome here!"
If there was one member of the Pridelanders that could get Tanga's blood pumping, in a bad way, it was Tani. But before Tanga could either retort the callous remark, or follow it and leave, Kovu stepped forward.
"He is more than welcome here, as a visitor to the Pridelands," the young prince replied sharply. "And he is going to be staying with us for a while, Tani, so I suggest you get used to his presence, and stop this ridiculous game you insist on playing."
Tani looked savagely from one lion to the other, obviously thinking about defying Kovu's words and continuing to make an issue of Tanga's presence. But either she was in a very good mood today, or the sunbathing had left her lazy, because she turned her gaze away from the three of them with a disgruntled sigh, closing her eyes as she settled back on the rock. "Fine. Just stay out of my way, then."
Tanga did not reply, knowing that Tani knew that he had every intention of respecting her request, even thought it was in no way because of any respect he held for her. She was cold and mean and he was all too happy to stay out of her way if he could help it.
With that little issue dealt with - for now, at least - Tanga looked to Kovu and Kiara, the couple leading him in amongst the rocks. Tanga kept his gaze averted from the other lionesses currently occupying the rocks, as they all turned to stare at him. Because of this, he was unable to read their views on him, and his presence, but it meant that he was also able to keep his nerves under control, which helped.
Finally, Kovu and Kiara found a couple of unoccupied rocks sitting under a tree. Kiara immediately leapt onto one of them and busied herself getting comfortable, while Kovu, rather than taking the remaining rock, simply settled himself in the grass next to Kiara's rock, looking at Tanga expectantly, as the wanderer was currently sitting where he was, a little unsure of what he should do.
Kovu looked up at him, and seeing his indecision, nodded to the unoccupied rock. "Go ahead," he said encouragingly.
Slightly hesitant, Tanga nevertheless made his way towards the empty sunbathing rock...although he could not help but look around, trying to gather the opinions of the nearby lionesses. What he saw made him freeze for a moment.
Kiara's friendly gaze was to be expected, but aside from her, the only other lion in the immediate vicinity was a lioness Tanga recognised. It was the creamy-coloured, pale lioness that had spoken at the meeting yesterday, the one that had suggested the restrictions he currently had imposed on his stay here. She was looking at him with that look of wary suspicion that Tanga knew he was going to get all-too-used to by the time his leg was healed.
But it wasn't that that he had frozen at...it was the cub that she was currently occupied bathing that drew his attention. When he had seen the little male between the lioness' paws yesterday, he had thought he had seen a golden coat, but he soon realised that circumstances had fooled him. The cub possessed a coat not too dissimilar to his mother's, a sort of pale, creamy yellow colour that Tanga knew, somehow, was rather uncommon among males. He looked young, and showed no signs of developing a mane any time soon, but the tuft at the end of his tail was a sort of rusty red-brown, suggesting that his mane would be like that as he grew up. His eyes, and interesting jade green, sparkled with childish innocence and energy. The cub was accepting his bath...but was raring for adventure, ready to take off the moment his mother was done.
But then the cub, who seemed to have been lost in his own world, spotted Tanga, and met his gaze. The small, scheming grin that had been forming on the cub's pale muzzle faded away, and his eyes lost their energy. It was obvious what had happened...the cub more than likely had heard 'ghost stories' involving rogues, and his imagination was currently running wild at the idea of this new rogue being one of them.
Deciding against talking to the cub, knowing it would most likely scare him even more than he already was, he looked back up the the mother, who was eyeing him very closely. She was obviously aware that he had been looking at the cub, and was watching for any sign from him that he was going to make a move towards the cub.
Eventually, he simply gave the mother lioness a polite nod of greeting, which seemed to surprise her, before making his way over the the rock Kovu had offered him, clambering awkwardly up onto it. When he finally found what he thought was a comfortable part of the rock, he flopped down on his right side, keeping pressure off his mauled leg as he relaxed slightly, letting his eyes wander around the area.
His gaze wandered over the lionesses. Many of them were still staring at him, which was discomforting, but he did his best to ignore them as his gaze drifted over to Tani once more. The brown lioness was steadfastly ignoring him, although it was obvious she was fighting an internal battle to keep the appearance up. Her body was tensed up, and occasionally she shifted her position on the rock, as if she was about to turn towards him, but decided against it.
"Okay, so..." Kiara's voice pulled Tanga's attention away from his new-found nemesis, as the young princess gazed between him and this female still eyeing him. "Kulinda, this is Tanga, the..."
"I know who he is," the female - Kulinda - interrupted simply, her voice emotionless.
Tanga watched her, a little disheartened at her cold stance towards him. She was not as nasty as Tani, but she obviously did not like rogues, all the same. Finally, he decided he was not going to change her opinion by being silent, and cautiously began to speak to her. "Kulinda, huh?" he said warily, more to ingrain her name into his memory than anything else, before shifting his gaze to the cub in her forepaws. "And who's the little guy?"
Kulinda responded by pulling the cub closer in towards her, generating a little growl of complaint from the bundle of fur. "This is my son, Juhudi...and you are to stay away from him...understand?"
Tanga was mildly surprised at Kulinda's rather vicious response to what was a simple question, but soon understood; the mother was protective of her child, and the rogue was a very possible threat to her son. "I understand...and I hope you understand that I mean no-one, not you, and not your son, any harm at all."
Kulinda gave a soft snort of disbelief. "I find that hard to believe...after yesterday."
Tanga sighed. Was it going to be this difficult to convince everyone else in the pride that he was not a threat? "I may not like what you did yesterday, Kulinda...but I know why you did it, and I respect that...as I intend to respect the restrictions placed on my stay."
That seemed to get Kulinda's attention. She looked up at Tanga, a surprised disbelief on her face. But before she could respond, a second cub shot out of nowhere, skidding to a stop right in front of her, looking at Juhudi and bouncing around with a fascinated excitement on her face. "Juhudi, Juhudi!" the cub squealed, the voice confirming Tanga's suspicions to it being a young girl. "Come on, dad just showed me this cool place we can explore!"
Juhudi, who had been starting to grow impatient of his mother's bathing, perked up instantly. "What? Where?"
The other cub smiled teasingly. "It's a surprise!" she yelled. "Now come on!"
Juhudi's head looked like it was going to dislocate itself from his shoulders, it turned around so fast to face his mother. "Mum, can I go with Kiburi, pleeease?" he pleaded, and even though Tanga could not see it, a smile crept to his face at the mental image of the cub putting on a helpless, pleading expression for his mother.
"Well..." Kulinda said hesitantly, throwing Tanga another look of distrust.
"Come on, mum!" Juhudi continued to plead. "Her dad showed her this place...it can't be anywhere bad."
Kulinda threw Tanga another look, one that clearly said: It's not the location I'm worried about. Tanga just remained silent, knowing any attempt to convince her of his trust would fall on deaf ears.
But before Kulinda could answer, a regal voice called out from nearby. "Let him head off, Kulinda, someone's already watching over Kiburi."
Tanga's head turned with everyone else's to look at the source of the voice. In the end, he spotted two lionesses, although he did not find it difficult to determine who owned the voice.
The older of the two, the one who had spoken, was obviously very aged, with obvious wrinkles forming over her muzzle, her tan fur faded with age. She carried herself well, but her stance was not quite as poised as she seemed to want it to be. Her body had endured many long years, and was coming close to the end of its life, that much Tanga was certain of.
But there was also a certain grace and power about her that was impossible to ignore. For someone so old, she held herself with an incredible amount of dignity and pride...and if her voice was anything to go by, she would have been an impressive lioness when she was younger. Her amber eyes were deep with age, and resonated with that incredible power that her body was no longer able to show to its fullest extent.
As Tanga turned his attention to the other lioness, he was caught off-guard by how well this one presented herself. Her bearing and demeanour held so much gentle power to it, that if it weren't for the lighter-coloured pelt, and strange, blue-green eyes, he would have sworn that the two of them were mother and daughter. Despite their differences, he still could not be sure about it, either, since they were both presenting themselves in a near-identical way.
In the end, it was Kiara who was first to respond to the presence of these new arrivals. "Mum!" she yelled, jumping to her feet and leaping down from the rock to hug the younger lioness in greeting.
While the two of them were getting acquainted, the older lioness turned back to Kulinda. "Both Mwamba and Zazu have agreed to look after the cubs while they head off. They'll be just fine."
Tanga could not help but stare at the aged lioness. Despite the no-nonsense vibe she seemed to present, her features softened when she laid eyes on Juhudi, even giving the young cub a smile as Kulinda nodded, sending Juhudi and his friend, Kiburi, on their way, the two of them laughing and chatting rapid-fire at each other as they left the secluded haven.
Tanga's attention reverted back to Kiara as the younger lioness pulled away, for pulling the older lioness in a softer, more gentle hug, greeting her as her grandmother. Grandmother? he thought, amazed. Well, that explains the age...but how has she lasted so long?
While the two embraced, the younger lioness looked up, giving a kind nod of greeting to Kovu, which he returned, before her eyes reached Tanga, looking surprised at his presence. "Well, isn't this a surprise," she said, though her voice lacked any of the scorn and distrust Tanga had expected. "I never expected to see you here." The lioness then turned to the older one. "Sarabi, remember how you said you wanted to meet our 'guest' at some point?"
The old lioness pulled herself from Kiara's embrace as she looked over to the lioness who had spoken. "I don't see how that's relevant to today's wanderings, Nala," she replied, so focused on the lionesses in front of her she was yet to notice Tanga's presence.
Nala just smiled as she pointed in Tanga's direction, causing him to shy away as not only Nala and Sarabi, but Kiara and Kovu all turned their gazes on him. He really hated being the centre of attention. Sarabi's amber eyes observed him closely, and Tanga could not help but feel that the lioness was gazing straight into his soul, laying his deepest thoughts and feelings bare for her to examine and judge.
While she did that, Kiara decided to jump in. "Kovu and I brought him along with us...we thought it would be a good idea to let the pride get to know him, to prove he's not a threat to any of us while he's still new here. Anyway, mum, grandma, this is our rogue visitor, Tanga." She then turned her gaze on Tanga as she gestured first to the her mother, then her grandmother. "Tanga, this is Nala, my mum, and Sarabi, my grandmother."
Tanga, trying not to feel too awkward under Sarabi's piercing gaze, gave each of them a polite nod of greeting, not really trusting himself to speak right now. He knew that, by now, he must have met pretty much the entire royal family of this pride, and for the most part, they seemed to trust him. Kiara and Kovu definitely liked him, and Nala and Sarabi seemed nice enough, if just a little cautious...it was Simba that was struggling to trust him, which once again made Tanga wonder what this Maafa had done that had destroyed what little good reputation rogues may have had here in the Pridelands.
While Sarabi continued observing him, Nala decided to speak up. "Don't let Kiara's introductions fool you, Sarabi is Simba's mother, not mine," she said simply, causing Tanga to smile. Well that explains the behaviour similarities and the different looks all in one, he thought with a hint of amusement.
Finally, Sarabi seemed to finish with her examination of him, and she spoke to him directly for the first time. "Welcome to the Pridelands, Tanga. You don't seem to act like a rogue...but I guess, with the memory loss I've heard about, you won't be acting but like anything in particular for some time yet."
Tanga did not know how to respond to that. Sarabi, through one long, hard stare at him, seemed to have been able to read his thoughts to near-perfection. It was awe-inspiring, yet creepy at the same time. In the end, he settled for another nod, and a change of subject. "I didn't see you yesterday, Sarabi," he decided to point out, wondering what she would have said if she was at the debate.
"No, you wouldn't have," Sarabi replied, a note of weariness creeping into her voice. "I rarely leave the den these days...my body struggles with even the smallest of trips."
"Oh," Tanga almost instantly regretted mentioning Sarabi's absence yesterday. It was fairly obvious to him that she did not like being cooped up in the den all the time because of her failing body. "I'm sorry, I should have..."
"No, you're fine," Sarabi said, waving off his apology before he could finish it. "I'm old, and I know it." Her face warmed up a bit more when she looked around the sunbathing area. "Still, it's days like this that I live for, now."
Tanga could not help but smile as everyone found their resting spots and settled down, the idle chatter starting up as Tanga allowed himself to fully relax on the rock. He did not contribute to any of the discussions, merely listened as everyone decided to catch up with each other, and the latest news on various things.
Kiara seemed very interested in how close the two young cubs, Juhudi and Kiburi, were, and constantly quizzed Kulinda on whether there was any sign that the two of them would become mates when they were older. Kulinda was happy that her son had such a close friend, but otherwise seemed rather disinterested in the topic, spending most of her time eyeing Tanga, which left the wanderer more than a little uncomfortable.
Kovu appeared to be following Tanga's lead, and looked as though he had actually fallen asleep in the shadow of Kiara's rock, causing Kiara to giggle when she finally noticed. Despite her amusement, she let her mate sleep, too distracted by other goings-on to disturb him.
Sarabi spent the majority of the conversation listening, obviously glad to be out in the sun today, and occasionally contributing to certain conversations here and there. She did manage to get Tanga talking for a brief period, long enough for him to tell her as much as he knew about himself, and for her to assure him that his memories would return with time, and that his leg would recover nicely, as long as it was tended to properly.
Tanga found his respect for the old lioness increasing dramatically with each moment he spent with her. She was a strong, wise individual, and he knew that, when she was younger, she would have been a formidable queen, one few would have dared to cross.
But finally, with the morning already gone, and the sun starting it's crawling journey back towards the opposite horizon, Kulinda decided that whatever reason she was staring at Tanga for needed to be voice. "So...you come here, you're allowed to stay, but with big restrictions of what you can and can't do...and yet, you don't seem in the slightest way mad?" She was obviously confused over Tanga's rather accepting nature.
Tanga turned to her. "I understand that not many of you trust me, Kulinda. I'll admit that I'm not happy with the restrictions, but I stated before, I understand why they are there, and therefore, I intend to respect them."
Kulinda nodded, seeming surprised, but impressed by the statement.
But it was at this point that Tani finally spoke up from her place off to the side. "Don't give us that story, you foul liar! I know you're just trying to worm your way into the pride so you can have your fun with us!"
Tanga finally decide that he needed to try and prove to Tani that he was not a threat, and to do that, he had to understand exactly what happened to her when Maafa had come to the Pridelands. "Why are you like this, Tani?" he asked stiffly, fighting to keep his anger in check. "What could have possibly happened that would make you hate me so much? I'm just trying to do the right thing, and you're acting like my every move is a crime! I'm not Maafa!"
Tani seemed to get angrier at the mention of the rogue. "You dare...?!" Abandoning all sense of control, she leapt from her rock and lunged at Tanga ferociously, obviously intending on attacking him there and then. Tanga's instincts took over reasoned thought, and his claws unsheathed as he prepared to fight the brown lioness off. He was going to try and win the pride's trust, but he was not going to sit idly by and allow himself to come to harm when attacked.
But in the end, he did not need to do anything. Just before Tani reached him, a tan-coloured blur flew out of nowhere and tackled her, sending the two lionesses rolling away. Tani tried to pin the lioness down, but in a move that left Tanga wide-eyed, the other lioness deftly flipped Tani over, and before anyone could blink, had her pinned down instead.
It was only when the two lionesses stopped moving that Tanga realised that it was Nala that had thrown Tani away from him. She gave Tani a hard stare as she continued to pin the bulkier, larger lioness down...which was a feat in itself. "Tani, I am willing to accept that you don't like rogues, and I understand what you have been through. Therefore, I have accepted your treatment of Tanga so far. But that, just then, was unprovoked and uncalled for! Do you understand me?"
Tani squirmed under Nala's fierce grip, but relented. "Perfectly," she grudgingly mumbled.
Nala's grip on Tani relaxed, allowing the bulky lioness to jump to her feet. "Good, now...Tanga's question was genuine, and I recommend you tell him what happened."
Tani, who had been in the process of walking away, turned back. "What?! You want me to tell him that...and give him ideas! No way!"
Nala sighed, she was obviously fighting to control her own temper. "Tani, if you do not tell Tanga the truth of what happened, he will not understand what you went through. I do not see a hostile lion in him, and the longer he does not understand what happened to you, the longer he's going to accidentally say something that will hurt you. If you tell him, he should understand why you hate him so much."
Tanga's gaze jumped back and forth between the two lionesses as he listened on in interest. Could he finally learn why Tani loathed rogues so much? Maybe then, he could try to convince her that he meant no-one, including her, no harm.
Tani seemed to grapple with her emotions for several long moments, obviously deciding whether the risks telling a rogue her story presented were worth the possible gains if Tanga was as honest and kind as he was letting on. Finally, she made her choice. "Fine...but I'm only telling him because I know that if I don't, you will. I'd prefer this be told my way."
With that declaration, Tanga settled himself back on his rock, while Nala returned to her place beside Sarabi, and Tani found a new resting spot directly in front of Tanga, stretching herself out as she lay down so that she was facing him, as he waited, almost holding his breath in anticipation of the story he was about to be told.
"You might as well get comfortable," Tani said coldly as she settled herself in more comfortably. "This might take a little while..."
But every time the urge to flee came, he forcefully suppressed it, this was something he had to do...he had to start showing the pride that he was not a threat to them, and the only way to do that was to show himself to the pride...and behave himself in the process.
He had thought keeping his behaviour in check would be the easy part, since he knew from yesterday's events that his temper took a long time to flare up. But he did not count on one particular dark-furred lioness being amongst the group of sunbathers.
"Get outta here, rogue!" Tani yelled by way of greeting, somehow managing to sneer at him just as effectively as usual despite currently laying upside-down on one of the sunbathing rocks. "You're not welcome here!"
If there was one member of the Pridelanders that could get Tanga's blood pumping, in a bad way, it was Tani. But before Tanga could either retort the callous remark, or follow it and leave, Kovu stepped forward.
"He is more than welcome here, as a visitor to the Pridelands," the young prince replied sharply. "And he is going to be staying with us for a while, Tani, so I suggest you get used to his presence, and stop this ridiculous game you insist on playing."
Tani looked savagely from one lion to the other, obviously thinking about defying Kovu's words and continuing to make an issue of Tanga's presence. But either she was in a very good mood today, or the sunbathing had left her lazy, because she turned her gaze away from the three of them with a disgruntled sigh, closing her eyes as she settled back on the rock. "Fine. Just stay out of my way, then."
Tanga did not reply, knowing that Tani knew that he had every intention of respecting her request, even thought it was in no way because of any respect he held for her. She was cold and mean and he was all too happy to stay out of her way if he could help it.
With that little issue dealt with - for now, at least - Tanga looked to Kovu and Kiara, the couple leading him in amongst the rocks. Tanga kept his gaze averted from the other lionesses currently occupying the rocks, as they all turned to stare at him. Because of this, he was unable to read their views on him, and his presence, but it meant that he was also able to keep his nerves under control, which helped.
Finally, Kovu and Kiara found a couple of unoccupied rocks sitting under a tree. Kiara immediately leapt onto one of them and busied herself getting comfortable, while Kovu, rather than taking the remaining rock, simply settled himself in the grass next to Kiara's rock, looking at Tanga expectantly, as the wanderer was currently sitting where he was, a little unsure of what he should do.
Kovu looked up at him, and seeing his indecision, nodded to the unoccupied rock. "Go ahead," he said encouragingly.
Slightly hesitant, Tanga nevertheless made his way towards the empty sunbathing rock...although he could not help but look around, trying to gather the opinions of the nearby lionesses. What he saw made him freeze for a moment.
Kiara's friendly gaze was to be expected, but aside from her, the only other lion in the immediate vicinity was a lioness Tanga recognised. It was the creamy-coloured, pale lioness that had spoken at the meeting yesterday, the one that had suggested the restrictions he currently had imposed on his stay here. She was looking at him with that look of wary suspicion that Tanga knew he was going to get all-too-used to by the time his leg was healed.
But it wasn't that that he had frozen at...it was the cub that she was currently occupied bathing that drew his attention. When he had seen the little male between the lioness' paws yesterday, he had thought he had seen a golden coat, but he soon realised that circumstances had fooled him. The cub possessed a coat not too dissimilar to his mother's, a sort of pale, creamy yellow colour that Tanga knew, somehow, was rather uncommon among males. He looked young, and showed no signs of developing a mane any time soon, but the tuft at the end of his tail was a sort of rusty red-brown, suggesting that his mane would be like that as he grew up. His eyes, and interesting jade green, sparkled with childish innocence and energy. The cub was accepting his bath...but was raring for adventure, ready to take off the moment his mother was done.
But then the cub, who seemed to have been lost in his own world, spotted Tanga, and met his gaze. The small, scheming grin that had been forming on the cub's pale muzzle faded away, and his eyes lost their energy. It was obvious what had happened...the cub more than likely had heard 'ghost stories' involving rogues, and his imagination was currently running wild at the idea of this new rogue being one of them.
Deciding against talking to the cub, knowing it would most likely scare him even more than he already was, he looked back up the the mother, who was eyeing him very closely. She was obviously aware that he had been looking at the cub, and was watching for any sign from him that he was going to make a move towards the cub.
Eventually, he simply gave the mother lioness a polite nod of greeting, which seemed to surprise her, before making his way over the the rock Kovu had offered him, clambering awkwardly up onto it. When he finally found what he thought was a comfortable part of the rock, he flopped down on his right side, keeping pressure off his mauled leg as he relaxed slightly, letting his eyes wander around the area.
His gaze wandered over the lionesses. Many of them were still staring at him, which was discomforting, but he did his best to ignore them as his gaze drifted over to Tani once more. The brown lioness was steadfastly ignoring him, although it was obvious she was fighting an internal battle to keep the appearance up. Her body was tensed up, and occasionally she shifted her position on the rock, as if she was about to turn towards him, but decided against it.
"Okay, so..." Kiara's voice pulled Tanga's attention away from his new-found nemesis, as the young princess gazed between him and this female still eyeing him. "Kulinda, this is Tanga, the..."
"I know who he is," the female - Kulinda - interrupted simply, her voice emotionless.
Tanga watched her, a little disheartened at her cold stance towards him. She was not as nasty as Tani, but she obviously did not like rogues, all the same. Finally, he decided he was not going to change her opinion by being silent, and cautiously began to speak to her. "Kulinda, huh?" he said warily, more to ingrain her name into his memory than anything else, before shifting his gaze to the cub in her forepaws. "And who's the little guy?"
Kulinda responded by pulling the cub closer in towards her, generating a little growl of complaint from the bundle of fur. "This is my son, Juhudi...and you are to stay away from him...understand?"
Tanga was mildly surprised at Kulinda's rather vicious response to what was a simple question, but soon understood; the mother was protective of her child, and the rogue was a very possible threat to her son. "I understand...and I hope you understand that I mean no-one, not you, and not your son, any harm at all."
Kulinda gave a soft snort of disbelief. "I find that hard to believe...after yesterday."
Tanga sighed. Was it going to be this difficult to convince everyone else in the pride that he was not a threat? "I may not like what you did yesterday, Kulinda...but I know why you did it, and I respect that...as I intend to respect the restrictions placed on my stay."
That seemed to get Kulinda's attention. She looked up at Tanga, a surprised disbelief on her face. But before she could respond, a second cub shot out of nowhere, skidding to a stop right in front of her, looking at Juhudi and bouncing around with a fascinated excitement on her face. "Juhudi, Juhudi!" the cub squealed, the voice confirming Tanga's suspicions to it being a young girl. "Come on, dad just showed me this cool place we can explore!"
Juhudi, who had been starting to grow impatient of his mother's bathing, perked up instantly. "What? Where?"
The other cub smiled teasingly. "It's a surprise!" she yelled. "Now come on!"
Juhudi's head looked like it was going to dislocate itself from his shoulders, it turned around so fast to face his mother. "Mum, can I go with Kiburi, pleeease?" he pleaded, and even though Tanga could not see it, a smile crept to his face at the mental image of the cub putting on a helpless, pleading expression for his mother.
"Well..." Kulinda said hesitantly, throwing Tanga another look of distrust.
"Come on, mum!" Juhudi continued to plead. "Her dad showed her this place...it can't be anywhere bad."
Kulinda threw Tanga another look, one that clearly said: It's not the location I'm worried about. Tanga just remained silent, knowing any attempt to convince her of his trust would fall on deaf ears.
But before Kulinda could answer, a regal voice called out from nearby. "Let him head off, Kulinda, someone's already watching over Kiburi."
Tanga's head turned with everyone else's to look at the source of the voice. In the end, he spotted two lionesses, although he did not find it difficult to determine who owned the voice.
The older of the two, the one who had spoken, was obviously very aged, with obvious wrinkles forming over her muzzle, her tan fur faded with age. She carried herself well, but her stance was not quite as poised as she seemed to want it to be. Her body had endured many long years, and was coming close to the end of its life, that much Tanga was certain of.
But there was also a certain grace and power about her that was impossible to ignore. For someone so old, she held herself with an incredible amount of dignity and pride...and if her voice was anything to go by, she would have been an impressive lioness when she was younger. Her amber eyes were deep with age, and resonated with that incredible power that her body was no longer able to show to its fullest extent.
As Tanga turned his attention to the other lioness, he was caught off-guard by how well this one presented herself. Her bearing and demeanour held so much gentle power to it, that if it weren't for the lighter-coloured pelt, and strange, blue-green eyes, he would have sworn that the two of them were mother and daughter. Despite their differences, he still could not be sure about it, either, since they were both presenting themselves in a near-identical way.
In the end, it was Kiara who was first to respond to the presence of these new arrivals. "Mum!" she yelled, jumping to her feet and leaping down from the rock to hug the younger lioness in greeting.
While the two of them were getting acquainted, the older lioness turned back to Kulinda. "Both Mwamba and Zazu have agreed to look after the cubs while they head off. They'll be just fine."
Tanga could not help but stare at the aged lioness. Despite the no-nonsense vibe she seemed to present, her features softened when she laid eyes on Juhudi, even giving the young cub a smile as Kulinda nodded, sending Juhudi and his friend, Kiburi, on their way, the two of them laughing and chatting rapid-fire at each other as they left the secluded haven.
Tanga's attention reverted back to Kiara as the younger lioness pulled away, for pulling the older lioness in a softer, more gentle hug, greeting her as her grandmother. Grandmother? he thought, amazed. Well, that explains the age...but how has she lasted so long?
While the two embraced, the younger lioness looked up, giving a kind nod of greeting to Kovu, which he returned, before her eyes reached Tanga, looking surprised at his presence. "Well, isn't this a surprise," she said, though her voice lacked any of the scorn and distrust Tanga had expected. "I never expected to see you here." The lioness then turned to the older one. "Sarabi, remember how you said you wanted to meet our 'guest' at some point?"
The old lioness pulled herself from Kiara's embrace as she looked over to the lioness who had spoken. "I don't see how that's relevant to today's wanderings, Nala," she replied, so focused on the lionesses in front of her she was yet to notice Tanga's presence.
Nala just smiled as she pointed in Tanga's direction, causing him to shy away as not only Nala and Sarabi, but Kiara and Kovu all turned their gazes on him. He really hated being the centre of attention. Sarabi's amber eyes observed him closely, and Tanga could not help but feel that the lioness was gazing straight into his soul, laying his deepest thoughts and feelings bare for her to examine and judge.
While she did that, Kiara decided to jump in. "Kovu and I brought him along with us...we thought it would be a good idea to let the pride get to know him, to prove he's not a threat to any of us while he's still new here. Anyway, mum, grandma, this is our rogue visitor, Tanga." She then turned her gaze on Tanga as she gestured first to the her mother, then her grandmother. "Tanga, this is Nala, my mum, and Sarabi, my grandmother."
Tanga, trying not to feel too awkward under Sarabi's piercing gaze, gave each of them a polite nod of greeting, not really trusting himself to speak right now. He knew that, by now, he must have met pretty much the entire royal family of this pride, and for the most part, they seemed to trust him. Kiara and Kovu definitely liked him, and Nala and Sarabi seemed nice enough, if just a little cautious...it was Simba that was struggling to trust him, which once again made Tanga wonder what this Maafa had done that had destroyed what little good reputation rogues may have had here in the Pridelands.
While Sarabi continued observing him, Nala decided to speak up. "Don't let Kiara's introductions fool you, Sarabi is Simba's mother, not mine," she said simply, causing Tanga to smile. Well that explains the behaviour similarities and the different looks all in one, he thought with a hint of amusement.
Finally, Sarabi seemed to finish with her examination of him, and she spoke to him directly for the first time. "Welcome to the Pridelands, Tanga. You don't seem to act like a rogue...but I guess, with the memory loss I've heard about, you won't be acting but like anything in particular for some time yet."
Tanga did not know how to respond to that. Sarabi, through one long, hard stare at him, seemed to have been able to read his thoughts to near-perfection. It was awe-inspiring, yet creepy at the same time. In the end, he settled for another nod, and a change of subject. "I didn't see you yesterday, Sarabi," he decided to point out, wondering what she would have said if she was at the debate.
"No, you wouldn't have," Sarabi replied, a note of weariness creeping into her voice. "I rarely leave the den these days...my body struggles with even the smallest of trips."
"Oh," Tanga almost instantly regretted mentioning Sarabi's absence yesterday. It was fairly obvious to him that she did not like being cooped up in the den all the time because of her failing body. "I'm sorry, I should have..."
"No, you're fine," Sarabi said, waving off his apology before he could finish it. "I'm old, and I know it." Her face warmed up a bit more when she looked around the sunbathing area. "Still, it's days like this that I live for, now."
Tanga could not help but smile as everyone found their resting spots and settled down, the idle chatter starting up as Tanga allowed himself to fully relax on the rock. He did not contribute to any of the discussions, merely listened as everyone decided to catch up with each other, and the latest news on various things.
Kiara seemed very interested in how close the two young cubs, Juhudi and Kiburi, were, and constantly quizzed Kulinda on whether there was any sign that the two of them would become mates when they were older. Kulinda was happy that her son had such a close friend, but otherwise seemed rather disinterested in the topic, spending most of her time eyeing Tanga, which left the wanderer more than a little uncomfortable.
Kovu appeared to be following Tanga's lead, and looked as though he had actually fallen asleep in the shadow of Kiara's rock, causing Kiara to giggle when she finally noticed. Despite her amusement, she let her mate sleep, too distracted by other goings-on to disturb him.
Sarabi spent the majority of the conversation listening, obviously glad to be out in the sun today, and occasionally contributing to certain conversations here and there. She did manage to get Tanga talking for a brief period, long enough for him to tell her as much as he knew about himself, and for her to assure him that his memories would return with time, and that his leg would recover nicely, as long as it was tended to properly.
Tanga found his respect for the old lioness increasing dramatically with each moment he spent with her. She was a strong, wise individual, and he knew that, when she was younger, she would have been a formidable queen, one few would have dared to cross.
But finally, with the morning already gone, and the sun starting it's crawling journey back towards the opposite horizon, Kulinda decided that whatever reason she was staring at Tanga for needed to be voice. "So...you come here, you're allowed to stay, but with big restrictions of what you can and can't do...and yet, you don't seem in the slightest way mad?" She was obviously confused over Tanga's rather accepting nature.
Tanga turned to her. "I understand that not many of you trust me, Kulinda. I'll admit that I'm not happy with the restrictions, but I stated before, I understand why they are there, and therefore, I intend to respect them."
Kulinda nodded, seeming surprised, but impressed by the statement.
But it was at this point that Tani finally spoke up from her place off to the side. "Don't give us that story, you foul liar! I know you're just trying to worm your way into the pride so you can have your fun with us!"
Tanga finally decide that he needed to try and prove to Tani that he was not a threat, and to do that, he had to understand exactly what happened to her when Maafa had come to the Pridelands. "Why are you like this, Tani?" he asked stiffly, fighting to keep his anger in check. "What could have possibly happened that would make you hate me so much? I'm just trying to do the right thing, and you're acting like my every move is a crime! I'm not Maafa!"
Tani seemed to get angrier at the mention of the rogue. "You dare...?!" Abandoning all sense of control, she leapt from her rock and lunged at Tanga ferociously, obviously intending on attacking him there and then. Tanga's instincts took over reasoned thought, and his claws unsheathed as he prepared to fight the brown lioness off. He was going to try and win the pride's trust, but he was not going to sit idly by and allow himself to come to harm when attacked.
But in the end, he did not need to do anything. Just before Tani reached him, a tan-coloured blur flew out of nowhere and tackled her, sending the two lionesses rolling away. Tani tried to pin the lioness down, but in a move that left Tanga wide-eyed, the other lioness deftly flipped Tani over, and before anyone could blink, had her pinned down instead.
It was only when the two lionesses stopped moving that Tanga realised that it was Nala that had thrown Tani away from him. She gave Tani a hard stare as she continued to pin the bulkier, larger lioness down...which was a feat in itself. "Tani, I am willing to accept that you don't like rogues, and I understand what you have been through. Therefore, I have accepted your treatment of Tanga so far. But that, just then, was unprovoked and uncalled for! Do you understand me?"
Tani squirmed under Nala's fierce grip, but relented. "Perfectly," she grudgingly mumbled.
Nala's grip on Tani relaxed, allowing the bulky lioness to jump to her feet. "Good, now...Tanga's question was genuine, and I recommend you tell him what happened."
Tani, who had been in the process of walking away, turned back. "What?! You want me to tell him that...and give him ideas! No way!"
Nala sighed, she was obviously fighting to control her own temper. "Tani, if you do not tell Tanga the truth of what happened, he will not understand what you went through. I do not see a hostile lion in him, and the longer he does not understand what happened to you, the longer he's going to accidentally say something that will hurt you. If you tell him, he should understand why you hate him so much."
Tanga's gaze jumped back and forth between the two lionesses as he listened on in interest. Could he finally learn why Tani loathed rogues so much? Maybe then, he could try to convince her that he meant no-one, including her, no harm.
Tani seemed to grapple with her emotions for several long moments, obviously deciding whether the risks telling a rogue her story presented were worth the possible gains if Tanga was as honest and kind as he was letting on. Finally, she made her choice. "Fine...but I'm only telling him because I know that if I don't, you will. I'd prefer this be told my way."
With that declaration, Tanga settled himself back on his rock, while Nala returned to her place beside Sarabi, and Tani found a new resting spot directly in front of Tanga, stretching herself out as she lay down so that she was facing him, as he waited, almost holding his breath in anticipation of the story he was about to be told.
"You might as well get comfortable," Tani said coldly as she settled herself in more comfortably. "This might take a little while..."
Chapter 9
Memory of Terror
Spoiler: show
28 Months Ago...
The condition of the Pridelands very closely mirrored the outlook of the pride controlling it. Just as the land was mostly barren...an unfortunate side-effect of Scar's tyrannical reign...the Pridelanders themselves were in a time of sadness and uncertainty. Simba, the King of Pride Rock, had just lost his son and heir, Kopa, at the hands of a small group of lions, lead by one of the late Scar's favourites, Zira...and the majority of the pride was underfed and malnourished from the lack of available food the barren lands currently offered.
But both the pride, and the lands they controlled, were showing signs of recovering. The Pridelands were, slowly but surely, turning green again, and the wild herds were starting to return. For the Pridelanders themselves, this meant that the worst was over. Life was still difficult, but now they no longer had to leave their home for brief periods just to survive. Zira and her cohorts had been exiled to the barren and inhospitable Outlands, and Simba's mate and queen, Nala, was a few months away from giving birth to the royal couple's second child.
On the tip of Pride Rock's long promontory, a lone lioness sat, gazing over the lands. She was young...she had only very recently come into maturity...but she did not look it. Her large, muscular frame made her appear at least a couple of years older than she actually was...although her pale blue eyes showed all the youthful excitement being a newly matured lioness brought.
Her black-tipped tail twitched as she heard movement behind her, but she did not turn around to look at the stealthy newcomer...instead sitting and continuing to gaze out across the lands as if nothing was wrong, although inwardly she had all her attention fixed on gauging where this intruder into her personal space was exactly, as she waited for just the right moment.
Not yet, she reminded herself as she heard the incredibly soft, nearly silent footsteps approaching her. Wait for it...wait...NOW!
In the space of about half-a-second, the lioness stood, twisted her body in a strange move that allowed her turn a full one-eighty and leap at the same time, and before her would-be stalker could react, she ferociously pounced him, causing him to roll over backwards, knocking the breath out of him as she put her forepaws on his chest, effectively pinning him.
"Hey!" the lion beneath her paws cried out, squirming in a futile attempt to get free. "Come on, Tani, how could you possibly have known I was coming?"
Tani smirked in response. "You still haven't the meaning of the word 'silent', Maafa. You were quiet...but you need to be completely silent if you want to catch me by surprise."
As she continued to let Maafa squirm under her immovable weight, she took the time to study her mysterious friend. His golden fur and silver mane were both matted and dulled from the dirt that constantly found its way into it, although Maafa did not tend to his fur's cleanliness as rigorously as many other lions...being a rogue will do that to you. The dirty effect was enhanced by his dusty brown underbelly, along with mysterious, muddy brown eyes that seemed to hide a thousand secrets. But underneath the weathered exterior, one could easily the strong, bulky body he possessed, making him very similar in build to the lioness currently on top of him.
And Tani liked him exactly the way he was. In a way, she was attracted to the mysterious nature Maafa presented. He was a rogue who had entered the Pridelands a couple of months back, asking for temporary sanctuary while he figured out what to do with himself. Simba, in an attempt to follow in the footsteps of his late father's example of ruling, allowed Maafa to stay with the pride for as long as he needed.
But Tani secretly hoped that Maafa plans of leaving were gone now. In the months the rogue had been here, she had developed quite a friendship with him...a friendship that Tani suspected, and hoped, was growing into something more. Their relationship had started off slowly, as Tani had grown up knowing her entire pride, and the sudden introduction of this stranger was a little unsettling for her. But one day Maafa had approached her, and since then things had moved on constantly. To Tani, it was almost as if it was meant to be. She did not have much interest in the few males that had somehow survived Scar's tyrannical reign, but Maafa now, after these few months...
Tani smiled back down at what she hoped was her future mate, before finally, with a greatly exaggerated sigh of reluctance, hopped off him, allowing him to get up.
"One of these days," Maafa vowed, a huge grin spread across his face. "I'll get you, Tani! You can't get lucky forever!"
Tani responded with a playful snort, and decided to test his intentions of leaving the pride soon. "You won't, Maafa...not if you intend on leaving the Pridelands." Her tone remained happy and playful, but her expression was serious. Maafa had said when he arrived that he was using the Pridelands to 'find his place'...and that he would leave once he knew where he was going to go. Tani wanted to know it that was true, if what she had found with him was going to be taken away from her.
Maafa looked back at Tani, obviously not expecting that response. "What do you mean?" he asked casually, obviously trying to pretend that Tani was just joking, in the hopes that she would brush it off.
Tani sighed. "When you first came here, you said you were just trying to find your way, and that you would leave once you had found it." She was worried now. She wanted Maafa to stay, so badly. She felt she shared a certain bond with him, and did not want to lose that, not now, not when it could still be growing.
Maafa's face betrayed no emotion, along with his voice. "That I did." But the mood had been broken, the playful atmosphere sucked away, as both lions sat there at the tip of Pride Rock, facing each other awkwardly.
Finally, Tani could stand the suspense no longer, but just as she opened her mouth, Maafa cut her off. "Come on, there's something I want to talk you about...privately."
Tani, her curiosity aroused, followed Maafa as he made his way down from Pride Rock, the two of them venturing off into the grasslands as she became lost in her own thoughts, following her friend out of pure instinct.
Her thoughts initially wondered what Maafa wanted to talk to her about. She assumed that it had something to do with his stay in the Pridelands, and the idea that he was only staying temporarily. Was he going to say goodbye to her? Was he going to tell her that he wanted to stay? Did he want her to come with him when he left? Ideas and theories chased each other around Tani's head, but she could not decide on which one would be the one that happened. All she could do was wait, and see what happened when Maafa found a private spot to talk in.
Maafa...the very thought of him caused Tani's mental debate to change topic. He was a good friend, Tani felt that much was certain. But she had, over the past few days, begun to realise just how much he meant to her. Just before, she had suspected that she was beginning to see Maafa as a potential mate. Now, she realised that the suspicion was gone...she had fallen in love with Maafa.
But what did that mean for them, particularly since Maafa looked like he was going to leave? Maafa seemed really nice and all, even if he had a bit of a sadistic sense of humour...but did he return her feelings? What was this talk about? "Where are we going?" Tani finally asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
Maafa did not turn to look at her. "You'll see, Tani," he said, continuing to stride on. "You'll see..."
As Tani looked at Maafa, she noticed a definite sense of purpose in his stride as they walked further and further from Pride Rock. Wherever it was they were going, and for whatever reason, Tani realised that it was very important...at least to the lion in front of her. And if it was important to Maafa, then Tani believed that it was important to her as well, especially since Maafa seemed desperate to keep it between just the two of them.
But Maafa's sense of purpose only enhanced Tani's curiosity, as she looked back, noticing that Pride Rock was already far off in the distance. Wherever Maafa was taking her, it appeared to be near the borders of the Pridelands...or possibly beyond them?
But just as Tani began to worry about how far they were going...she had never ventured this far from Pride Rock before...Maafa paused, before gesturing for Tani to follow as he made his way into a small cave set in the side of a hill, Tani following him inside, her curiosity now starting to overwhelm her.
"Okay, I think this is private enough," Tani said with a hint of amusement as she sat down in the middle of the cave, watching Maafa as he paced restlessly. "Now will you tell me what is going on?"
Finally, at Tani's question, Maafa stopped his pacing, placing himself at the entrance to the small cave. He seemed a little on edge and nervous, as though he was slightly reluctant to say what he was trying to say, but he finally spoke up. "Listen, Tani...I've...I've finally figured out that it's time for me to leave the Pridelands." Tani's mouth opened slightly in sad surprise. She had been expecting it, but that did not make it any easier to hear. "I'm ready to move on...I can't ever stay in one pride for a long time, Tani."
"But..." Tani tried to find the right words to express what she wanted, without revealing too much to the lion in front of her. "No! Please, please stay!"
"I can't Tani," Maafa replied. "I wish I could, but I can't."
"But why?" Tani asked, desperate to know why her best friend was leaving her. "Why can't you stay?"
"It's complicated," Maafa replied dismissively, which meant that no matter how much Tani tried, she knew she would not get a straighter answer than that.
It did not stop her from trying to convince him to stay, though. "Maafa, please...you're the best friend I've ever had...please don't go."
Maafa's gaze snapped onto Tani's, looking surprised by her words. "You really mean that?" he asked.
Tani nodded solemnly. "I don't get along too well with everyone else here, but you..." she stopped herself before she could say something she would regret later. "Look, will you please stay, I can tell that you like it here, so why do you have to go?"
Maafa looked away from Tani again, obviously really intent on avoiding the subject. "Because I have to, Tani...I won't explain it any more than that." Then his eyes seemed to light up as a sudden idea seemed to come to him. "Unless..."
"What?" Tani could not resist asking, desperate to hear of something that might make Maafa stay.
Maafa then looked back up at Tani, a strange smile on his face. "What if you come with me, Tani?" he asked.
Tani looked directly into Maafa's eyes, noting that there was no sign of a joke there...Maafa was asking a sincere question. "You...you really want me to come with you?" she asked, getting a slow nod from Maafa in reply. "I, I guess I..."
But Tani stopped. Could she really do it? Could she abandon the Pridelanders for Maafa? She had no real friends here, although some of the other lionesses did respect her. And Scar had almost completely destroyed the land before Simba had come along and done away with him.
But things were starting to look up in the Pridelands. The land was going back to the green, lush plains Tani had heard about in the stories many of lionesses told during Scar's terrible reign, which she had to grow up in. And even if she had no friends here, she did not have any real enemies, either...and she did not mind the slightly solitary nature it gave her. It allowed her to be alone when she wanted, but if that loneliness ever became too much, there was always someone around to talk to. And then there was her family...
"I can't, Maafa," she finally said, almost regretfully. "I have to stay here."
"What? Why?" Maafa asked. He seemed stunned that Tani had made her choice. "You just said - "
"I know what I said," Tani interrupted gently. "But I can't. I like this place too much to just leave...and besides, my family is here. I'll never forgive myself if I just ran off on them like that."
Maafa's shocked expression seemed to only magnify. "What do you mean? This place is a wasteland! You're pride is starving, your father is dead, you said yourself you had no friends, and I've noticed that you have not spoken to your mother in ages! I fail to see exactly what you are leaving behind!"
The sudden change in Maafa's demeanour was so startling that Tani actually took several steps backwards, but Maafa was not quite finished. "Not only that, but your pride is on the verge of tearing itself apart. The king's heir is dead, or exiled, and your pride has been split in half because of it!"
If this had been anyone else that had spoken, Tani would most likely have started yelling at them by now. But seeing as it was Maafa, who was not known for his outbursts as far as Tani was aware, she was still shocked at his sudden personality change. "It's not that bad!" she said defensively. "The Pridelands are recovering, our pride is getting back to normal, and my mother and I might not have spoken to each other in a while, but we still love each other."
Maafa snorted. "Yeah, right."
Tani ignored him, hoping this was just a temper tantrum, and not something else. "And yes, Zira and her followers may have exiled, or possibly killed, Kopa...but Nala's got another child on the way, so the king will still have an heir. But Zira and the others responsible for Kopa's disappearance have been exiled, so our pride is in no danger of tearing itself apart, Maafa. Why are you being like this, what reason could you possibly have for hating our pride...so...much..."
Tani's voice, and thoughts, ground to a halt as she remembered the day Kopa had vanished. How could she ever forget it? She had witnessed the event that had almost torn the royal family...and the pride...apart.
She had seen Zira attempt to ambush Kopa, with the help of several lionesses and her own children. Little Kovu had been too young to really participate in anything, but Nuka, the scraggly runt of a cub Zira and Scar had produced, had been all-too-eager to help in his desperate desire to please his mother. Tani shuddered at the very memory of her half-brother, struggling to see how she could be related to a cub like that.
But it was only now, all these months on from the event, that she remembered that, when Zira's group had been exiled, Nuka and Kovu were the only males to leave the Pridelands, which had confused Tani at the time. Hadn't there been an adult male with them? she had constantly asked herself.
Her memory of her attempt to stop the ambush was fuzzy, for she had been knocked off the side of a cliff, hitting her head on the way down and knocking herself out. But she did remember knocking that third male aside in an attempt to reach Kopa before it was too late. She had bothered to get a good look at him, since her focus had been entirely on Kopa, and afterwards, she avoided recalling that day whenever possible, remembering how guilty she had felt for failing to stop Zira, and save Kopa, even if Simba did not blame her.
But now that she did look back she could remember the male vaguely in her head as she had knocked him. The flash of bright, golden fur, with a sudden burst of silver...
Tani snapped out of her flashback, staring at Maafa with wide-eyed horror, desperately trying to convince herself that it was not true. "You...you were there? You helped her?"
Maafa smiled at Tani, but this time, there was no warmth...Maafa was showing a different side of himself now. "So...you finally remembered, huh? I was wondering if you were ever going to figure it out." His voice was different, too. There was no trace of kindness left in it, just a cruel, selfish coldness that left Tani feeling both betrayed and frightened.
"But...you..." Tani struggled to pull a sentence together, feeling as thought her life was falling apart right before her eyes. "...why?" she finally asked.
Maafa laughed. "Why?" he repeated. "Why not? Prides are not the way us lions are supposed to live! Living together with others makes us weak and vulnerable! Only by embracing the life of a rogue do we become who we were really meant to be!"
At this point, Maafa got to his feet, and Tani suddenly realised that his decision to sit at the mouth of the cave was not accidental...he had deliberately blocked her way out. "I had hoped you would see sense like I do...you seemed so much stronger and smarter than the others. But I guess I was wrong."
He slowly advanced on Tani, who backed off fearfully, realising that his movements were deliberately hemming her in, forcing her deeper into the cave and giving her no chance of escape. "I must admit I am amazed that no-one in your pride has recognised me...I've been slowly tearing this place apart for years now. Simba has been an unexpected nuisance, but he will be dealt with in time."
Tani felt her eyes starting to swim with tears as panic and fear gripped her. It was obvious to her now that everything she had seen in Maafa before now had been a lie, and now she was terrified of what Maafa was going to do to her. "Please...this is wrong," she whimpered, her fear overwhelming her. "You must know this is wrong!"
Maafa waved a paw dismissively. "Sometimes, for the good of the majority, a minority must be disposed of. We lions will be stronger if we all become rogues, and since no-one else is willing to see it, I have had to do it myself."
He looked back at Tani as she was finally forced back against the back wall of the cave, a strange gleam appearing in his brown eyes that left Tani even more fearful. "I thought I saw a like mind in you...a lioness who was sick of life as a pride member, who wanted to embrace the rogue's life...and possibly help my cause."
Maafa took another step towards Tani, who shrunk back against the wall, praying it would swallow her up and let her escape, even though she knew this was impossible. "But I can see now that I was wrong...you have become complacent and accepting of a pride's life, and...in all honesty, I very much regret that it has to be this way."
Now Tani was truly fearful. "You...you aren't going to...to..." she could not bring herself to actually voice her fear, but her mind was in a panic attack, wondering if she was currently living through the last minutes of her life.
"What?" Maafa asked. "Kill you?" He seemed to think for a few moments, which Tani believed were probably the longest she had ever experienced. "No...no I won't kill you. I may have fooled you with my false friendship, but I must say that I am...intrigued by you. You may be another pride-lover, but there are certain...qualities about you that I can't help but admire...and that I believe would be a great help in my little crusade."
While Tani was relieved that Maafa appeared to be letting her live for now, her fear and panic were still at fever-pitch...he was blocking her escape for a reason, she knew that. "Wha...What do you mean?" she stammered out.
Maafa gave Tani a long, lingering look, his eyes taking in her whole body, and suddenly, Tani knew, without a doubt, what Maafa intended to get from her. "I think you know what I mean, don't you?" he asked quietly, smiling his cold smile.
Tani's eyes widened once again in horror, before her reasoning kicked in, and she lunged sideways in a desperate attempt to escape what she knew was going to be a horrifying ordeal. But Maafa had obviously anticipated this, and before she knew it, she was on her belly on the floor of the cave, Maafa pinning her down, as she realised exactly why Maafa had wanted some privacy for their little 'talk'.
All she could do, as the tears started to run down her face, was close her eyes, and pray that it would be over quickly...
The condition of the Pridelands very closely mirrored the outlook of the pride controlling it. Just as the land was mostly barren...an unfortunate side-effect of Scar's tyrannical reign...the Pridelanders themselves were in a time of sadness and uncertainty. Simba, the King of Pride Rock, had just lost his son and heir, Kopa, at the hands of a small group of lions, lead by one of the late Scar's favourites, Zira...and the majority of the pride was underfed and malnourished from the lack of available food the barren lands currently offered.
But both the pride, and the lands they controlled, were showing signs of recovering. The Pridelands were, slowly but surely, turning green again, and the wild herds were starting to return. For the Pridelanders themselves, this meant that the worst was over. Life was still difficult, but now they no longer had to leave their home for brief periods just to survive. Zira and her cohorts had been exiled to the barren and inhospitable Outlands, and Simba's mate and queen, Nala, was a few months away from giving birth to the royal couple's second child.
On the tip of Pride Rock's long promontory, a lone lioness sat, gazing over the lands. She was young...she had only very recently come into maturity...but she did not look it. Her large, muscular frame made her appear at least a couple of years older than she actually was...although her pale blue eyes showed all the youthful excitement being a newly matured lioness brought.
Her black-tipped tail twitched as she heard movement behind her, but she did not turn around to look at the stealthy newcomer...instead sitting and continuing to gaze out across the lands as if nothing was wrong, although inwardly she had all her attention fixed on gauging where this intruder into her personal space was exactly, as she waited for just the right moment.
Not yet, she reminded herself as she heard the incredibly soft, nearly silent footsteps approaching her. Wait for it...wait...NOW!
In the space of about half-a-second, the lioness stood, twisted her body in a strange move that allowed her turn a full one-eighty and leap at the same time, and before her would-be stalker could react, she ferociously pounced him, causing him to roll over backwards, knocking the breath out of him as she put her forepaws on his chest, effectively pinning him.
"Hey!" the lion beneath her paws cried out, squirming in a futile attempt to get free. "Come on, Tani, how could you possibly have known I was coming?"
Tani smirked in response. "You still haven't the meaning of the word 'silent', Maafa. You were quiet...but you need to be completely silent if you want to catch me by surprise."
As she continued to let Maafa squirm under her immovable weight, she took the time to study her mysterious friend. His golden fur and silver mane were both matted and dulled from the dirt that constantly found its way into it, although Maafa did not tend to his fur's cleanliness as rigorously as many other lions...being a rogue will do that to you. The dirty effect was enhanced by his dusty brown underbelly, along with mysterious, muddy brown eyes that seemed to hide a thousand secrets. But underneath the weathered exterior, one could easily the strong, bulky body he possessed, making him very similar in build to the lioness currently on top of him.
And Tani liked him exactly the way he was. In a way, she was attracted to the mysterious nature Maafa presented. He was a rogue who had entered the Pridelands a couple of months back, asking for temporary sanctuary while he figured out what to do with himself. Simba, in an attempt to follow in the footsteps of his late father's example of ruling, allowed Maafa to stay with the pride for as long as he needed.
But Tani secretly hoped that Maafa plans of leaving were gone now. In the months the rogue had been here, she had developed quite a friendship with him...a friendship that Tani suspected, and hoped, was growing into something more. Their relationship had started off slowly, as Tani had grown up knowing her entire pride, and the sudden introduction of this stranger was a little unsettling for her. But one day Maafa had approached her, and since then things had moved on constantly. To Tani, it was almost as if it was meant to be. She did not have much interest in the few males that had somehow survived Scar's tyrannical reign, but Maafa now, after these few months...
Tani smiled back down at what she hoped was her future mate, before finally, with a greatly exaggerated sigh of reluctance, hopped off him, allowing him to get up.
"One of these days," Maafa vowed, a huge grin spread across his face. "I'll get you, Tani! You can't get lucky forever!"
Tani responded with a playful snort, and decided to test his intentions of leaving the pride soon. "You won't, Maafa...not if you intend on leaving the Pridelands." Her tone remained happy and playful, but her expression was serious. Maafa had said when he arrived that he was using the Pridelands to 'find his place'...and that he would leave once he knew where he was going to go. Tani wanted to know it that was true, if what she had found with him was going to be taken away from her.
Maafa looked back at Tani, obviously not expecting that response. "What do you mean?" he asked casually, obviously trying to pretend that Tani was just joking, in the hopes that she would brush it off.
Tani sighed. "When you first came here, you said you were just trying to find your way, and that you would leave once you had found it." She was worried now. She wanted Maafa to stay, so badly. She felt she shared a certain bond with him, and did not want to lose that, not now, not when it could still be growing.
Maafa's face betrayed no emotion, along with his voice. "That I did." But the mood had been broken, the playful atmosphere sucked away, as both lions sat there at the tip of Pride Rock, facing each other awkwardly.
Finally, Tani could stand the suspense no longer, but just as she opened her mouth, Maafa cut her off. "Come on, there's something I want to talk you about...privately."
Tani, her curiosity aroused, followed Maafa as he made his way down from Pride Rock, the two of them venturing off into the grasslands as she became lost in her own thoughts, following her friend out of pure instinct.
Her thoughts initially wondered what Maafa wanted to talk to her about. She assumed that it had something to do with his stay in the Pridelands, and the idea that he was only staying temporarily. Was he going to say goodbye to her? Was he going to tell her that he wanted to stay? Did he want her to come with him when he left? Ideas and theories chased each other around Tani's head, but she could not decide on which one would be the one that happened. All she could do was wait, and see what happened when Maafa found a private spot to talk in.
Maafa...the very thought of him caused Tani's mental debate to change topic. He was a good friend, Tani felt that much was certain. But she had, over the past few days, begun to realise just how much he meant to her. Just before, she had suspected that she was beginning to see Maafa as a potential mate. Now, she realised that the suspicion was gone...she had fallen in love with Maafa.
But what did that mean for them, particularly since Maafa looked like he was going to leave? Maafa seemed really nice and all, even if he had a bit of a sadistic sense of humour...but did he return her feelings? What was this talk about? "Where are we going?" Tani finally asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
Maafa did not turn to look at her. "You'll see, Tani," he said, continuing to stride on. "You'll see..."
As Tani looked at Maafa, she noticed a definite sense of purpose in his stride as they walked further and further from Pride Rock. Wherever it was they were going, and for whatever reason, Tani realised that it was very important...at least to the lion in front of her. And if it was important to Maafa, then Tani believed that it was important to her as well, especially since Maafa seemed desperate to keep it between just the two of them.
But Maafa's sense of purpose only enhanced Tani's curiosity, as she looked back, noticing that Pride Rock was already far off in the distance. Wherever Maafa was taking her, it appeared to be near the borders of the Pridelands...or possibly beyond them?
But just as Tani began to worry about how far they were going...she had never ventured this far from Pride Rock before...Maafa paused, before gesturing for Tani to follow as he made his way into a small cave set in the side of a hill, Tani following him inside, her curiosity now starting to overwhelm her.
"Okay, I think this is private enough," Tani said with a hint of amusement as she sat down in the middle of the cave, watching Maafa as he paced restlessly. "Now will you tell me what is going on?"
Finally, at Tani's question, Maafa stopped his pacing, placing himself at the entrance to the small cave. He seemed a little on edge and nervous, as though he was slightly reluctant to say what he was trying to say, but he finally spoke up. "Listen, Tani...I've...I've finally figured out that it's time for me to leave the Pridelands." Tani's mouth opened slightly in sad surprise. She had been expecting it, but that did not make it any easier to hear. "I'm ready to move on...I can't ever stay in one pride for a long time, Tani."
"But..." Tani tried to find the right words to express what she wanted, without revealing too much to the lion in front of her. "No! Please, please stay!"
"I can't Tani," Maafa replied. "I wish I could, but I can't."
"But why?" Tani asked, desperate to know why her best friend was leaving her. "Why can't you stay?"
"It's complicated," Maafa replied dismissively, which meant that no matter how much Tani tried, she knew she would not get a straighter answer than that.
It did not stop her from trying to convince him to stay, though. "Maafa, please...you're the best friend I've ever had...please don't go."
Maafa's gaze snapped onto Tani's, looking surprised by her words. "You really mean that?" he asked.
Tani nodded solemnly. "I don't get along too well with everyone else here, but you..." she stopped herself before she could say something she would regret later. "Look, will you please stay, I can tell that you like it here, so why do you have to go?"
Maafa looked away from Tani again, obviously really intent on avoiding the subject. "Because I have to, Tani...I won't explain it any more than that." Then his eyes seemed to light up as a sudden idea seemed to come to him. "Unless..."
"What?" Tani could not resist asking, desperate to hear of something that might make Maafa stay.
Maafa then looked back up at Tani, a strange smile on his face. "What if you come with me, Tani?" he asked.
Tani looked directly into Maafa's eyes, noting that there was no sign of a joke there...Maafa was asking a sincere question. "You...you really want me to come with you?" she asked, getting a slow nod from Maafa in reply. "I, I guess I..."
But Tani stopped. Could she really do it? Could she abandon the Pridelanders for Maafa? She had no real friends here, although some of the other lionesses did respect her. And Scar had almost completely destroyed the land before Simba had come along and done away with him.
But things were starting to look up in the Pridelands. The land was going back to the green, lush plains Tani had heard about in the stories many of lionesses told during Scar's terrible reign, which she had to grow up in. And even if she had no friends here, she did not have any real enemies, either...and she did not mind the slightly solitary nature it gave her. It allowed her to be alone when she wanted, but if that loneliness ever became too much, there was always someone around to talk to. And then there was her family...
"I can't, Maafa," she finally said, almost regretfully. "I have to stay here."
"What? Why?" Maafa asked. He seemed stunned that Tani had made her choice. "You just said - "
"I know what I said," Tani interrupted gently. "But I can't. I like this place too much to just leave...and besides, my family is here. I'll never forgive myself if I just ran off on them like that."
Maafa's shocked expression seemed to only magnify. "What do you mean? This place is a wasteland! You're pride is starving, your father is dead, you said yourself you had no friends, and I've noticed that you have not spoken to your mother in ages! I fail to see exactly what you are leaving behind!"
The sudden change in Maafa's demeanour was so startling that Tani actually took several steps backwards, but Maafa was not quite finished. "Not only that, but your pride is on the verge of tearing itself apart. The king's heir is dead, or exiled, and your pride has been split in half because of it!"
If this had been anyone else that had spoken, Tani would most likely have started yelling at them by now. But seeing as it was Maafa, who was not known for his outbursts as far as Tani was aware, she was still shocked at his sudden personality change. "It's not that bad!" she said defensively. "The Pridelands are recovering, our pride is getting back to normal, and my mother and I might not have spoken to each other in a while, but we still love each other."
Maafa snorted. "Yeah, right."
Tani ignored him, hoping this was just a temper tantrum, and not something else. "And yes, Zira and her followers may have exiled, or possibly killed, Kopa...but Nala's got another child on the way, so the king will still have an heir. But Zira and the others responsible for Kopa's disappearance have been exiled, so our pride is in no danger of tearing itself apart, Maafa. Why are you being like this, what reason could you possibly have for hating our pride...so...much..."
Tani's voice, and thoughts, ground to a halt as she remembered the day Kopa had vanished. How could she ever forget it? She had witnessed the event that had almost torn the royal family...and the pride...apart.
She had seen Zira attempt to ambush Kopa, with the help of several lionesses and her own children. Little Kovu had been too young to really participate in anything, but Nuka, the scraggly runt of a cub Zira and Scar had produced, had been all-too-eager to help in his desperate desire to please his mother. Tani shuddered at the very memory of her half-brother, struggling to see how she could be related to a cub like that.
But it was only now, all these months on from the event, that she remembered that, when Zira's group had been exiled, Nuka and Kovu were the only males to leave the Pridelands, which had confused Tani at the time. Hadn't there been an adult male with them? she had constantly asked herself.
Her memory of her attempt to stop the ambush was fuzzy, for she had been knocked off the side of a cliff, hitting her head on the way down and knocking herself out. But she did remember knocking that third male aside in an attempt to reach Kopa before it was too late. She had bothered to get a good look at him, since her focus had been entirely on Kopa, and afterwards, she avoided recalling that day whenever possible, remembering how guilty she had felt for failing to stop Zira, and save Kopa, even if Simba did not blame her.
But now that she did look back she could remember the male vaguely in her head as she had knocked him. The flash of bright, golden fur, with a sudden burst of silver...
Tani snapped out of her flashback, staring at Maafa with wide-eyed horror, desperately trying to convince herself that it was not true. "You...you were there? You helped her?"
Maafa smiled at Tani, but this time, there was no warmth...Maafa was showing a different side of himself now. "So...you finally remembered, huh? I was wondering if you were ever going to figure it out." His voice was different, too. There was no trace of kindness left in it, just a cruel, selfish coldness that left Tani feeling both betrayed and frightened.
"But...you..." Tani struggled to pull a sentence together, feeling as thought her life was falling apart right before her eyes. "...why?" she finally asked.
Maafa laughed. "Why?" he repeated. "Why not? Prides are not the way us lions are supposed to live! Living together with others makes us weak and vulnerable! Only by embracing the life of a rogue do we become who we were really meant to be!"
At this point, Maafa got to his feet, and Tani suddenly realised that his decision to sit at the mouth of the cave was not accidental...he had deliberately blocked her way out. "I had hoped you would see sense like I do...you seemed so much stronger and smarter than the others. But I guess I was wrong."
He slowly advanced on Tani, who backed off fearfully, realising that his movements were deliberately hemming her in, forcing her deeper into the cave and giving her no chance of escape. "I must admit I am amazed that no-one in your pride has recognised me...I've been slowly tearing this place apart for years now. Simba has been an unexpected nuisance, but he will be dealt with in time."
Tani felt her eyes starting to swim with tears as panic and fear gripped her. It was obvious to her now that everything she had seen in Maafa before now had been a lie, and now she was terrified of what Maafa was going to do to her. "Please...this is wrong," she whimpered, her fear overwhelming her. "You must know this is wrong!"
Maafa waved a paw dismissively. "Sometimes, for the good of the majority, a minority must be disposed of. We lions will be stronger if we all become rogues, and since no-one else is willing to see it, I have had to do it myself."
He looked back at Tani as she was finally forced back against the back wall of the cave, a strange gleam appearing in his brown eyes that left Tani even more fearful. "I thought I saw a like mind in you...a lioness who was sick of life as a pride member, who wanted to embrace the rogue's life...and possibly help my cause."
Maafa took another step towards Tani, who shrunk back against the wall, praying it would swallow her up and let her escape, even though she knew this was impossible. "But I can see now that I was wrong...you have become complacent and accepting of a pride's life, and...in all honesty, I very much regret that it has to be this way."
Now Tani was truly fearful. "You...you aren't going to...to..." she could not bring herself to actually voice her fear, but her mind was in a panic attack, wondering if she was currently living through the last minutes of her life.
"What?" Maafa asked. "Kill you?" He seemed to think for a few moments, which Tani believed were probably the longest she had ever experienced. "No...no I won't kill you. I may have fooled you with my false friendship, but I must say that I am...intrigued by you. You may be another pride-lover, but there are certain...qualities about you that I can't help but admire...and that I believe would be a great help in my little crusade."
While Tani was relieved that Maafa appeared to be letting her live for now, her fear and panic were still at fever-pitch...he was blocking her escape for a reason, she knew that. "Wha...What do you mean?" she stammered out.
Maafa gave Tani a long, lingering look, his eyes taking in her whole body, and suddenly, Tani knew, without a doubt, what Maafa intended to get from her. "I think you know what I mean, don't you?" he asked quietly, smiling his cold smile.
Tani's eyes widened once again in horror, before her reasoning kicked in, and she lunged sideways in a desperate attempt to escape what she knew was going to be a horrifying ordeal. But Maafa had obviously anticipated this, and before she knew it, she was on her belly on the floor of the cave, Maafa pinning her down, as she realised exactly why Maafa had wanted some privacy for their little 'talk'.
All she could do, as the tears started to run down her face, was close her eyes, and pray that it would be over quickly...
Chapter 10
Double Tragedy
Spoiler: show
As Tani stopped her tale right there, obviously having no intention of delving into the details of what happened next, Tanga just stared at her in open-mouthed shock, all thoughts of relaxing on The Rocks long gone.
He found it so difficult to believe that Tani's story could possibly be true...that anyone could be as cruel and heartless as Maafa had been. Yet, somehow, the story struck a nerve in him, as if he had heard something like this before...and somehow, he knew that Tani was not lying. But, to Tanga, that just made it all the more worse. For the dark-furred lioness to have gone through what she had, to have been so brazenly betrayed by the lion she loved...Tanga felt sick just thinking about it.
Pulling himself away from the horrible thoughts of what Maafa had done to Tani, Tanga looked around the area, trying to distract himself from Maafa's betrayal. It did not help that everyone seemed to be distraught over Tani's story. Kiara had tears running down her cheeks, and she was leaning into Kovu like her life depended on remaining in constant contact with her mate. Kovu, on the other paw, was doing his best to keep his face and body language neutral, but Tanga could see in the lion's eyes that he was fighting hard to maintain that outer strength...inside, he was a wreck. Kulinda was looking at her forepaws, a tragic expression on her face. She had obviously heard this story several times before, and was past the raw emotion of it, but it still hurt her to hear it again. Nala and Sarabi looked like they were stuck in an endless cringe. They had obviously heard this story first hand soon after it had occurred.
But when Tanga looked at Tani, he was amazed to see that she was looking at him, and her expression was still as cold as it always was, although the tears swimming in her icy eyes counteracted the worst of the emotion. "Now do you see, rogue?" she demanded shakily, her voice an odd combination of tragically sad and frighteningly angry. "Now do you understand? You rogues are all alike! Maafa may be one of the worst of you...but you're all the same! You all look out for yourselves first, and everyone else last! Maafa took everything away from me, and you would, too, if you were given the choice!" With that ferocious declaration, the lioness jumped to her feet, and with one last, dirty look towards Tanga, walked away from the sunbathing spot, her tail dragging dejectedly in the dirt behind her.
Tanga found himself on his feet before he even realised what he was doing. "Tani!" he called, trying to keep his voice kind despite his irritation towards the lioness. "Tani, won't you at least hear me out?"
But Tani either did not hear him, or just plain ignored him, for she did not even turn back, let alone stop, leaving Tanga staring after her. He wanted to explain to her that he was not Maafa, and that he was revolted by what the lion had done to her...to apologise to her for not understanding her reasoning behind her hatred. For now Tanga knew the reason, he was not at all surprised Tani had been so cold towards him. If he was forced to endure a similar experience to her, he knew he would be hateful of rogues from that day on, as well.
Tanga, still standing on top of the rock, turned to the others. "I...I can't believe that he...that anyone..." he tried to express his revulsion, but the emotion seemed to be tightening his throat, making it really difficult to speak.
Sarabi seemed to understand his intentions. "Yes, it was a shocking and despicable act. Maafa broke Tani that day...she had been such a happy, hopeful lioness before that day. Now she's cold and reclusive, and I must admit I don't really blame her. And I can see that you feel the same way we do about the whole thing, so you can be rest assured that none of us will use you as a means of getting justice for Maafa's crimes."
Tanga was relieved by this statement, but then paused, and did a double-take. "Hang on...do you mean that...Maafa got away?"
The wanderer's attention was drawn to Nala, as the queen nodded slowly. "By the time Tani returned to us, and we worked out some of what happened...she refused to talk for days after that incident...Maafa had already left the Pridelands. Despite Tani later telling us her story, including Maafa's threat that he would come back and deal with us, we have never seen any sign of him since that day."
Even Tanga was surprised to hear the instinctive, dark growl come from the back of his throat. But his anger towards Maafa was that strong, he wanted to go out and rip the lion apart for his crimes, but with no knowledge of what the lion looked like, nor where he could possibly be now, Tanga was forced to simply seethe. "Sorry," he said when everyone stared at him in response to his growl. "It's all just so horrible...and I'm just so shocked that a lion could do that to one of their own."
Sarabi looked back at the place where Tani had disappeared, seemingly thinking about something. She sighed, before seeming to come to a decision, her aged face turning back to face Tanga. "There's more to that story than Tani told you, though," she said sadly.
Tanga gave her a wide-eyed stare. "No..." he breathed. He may not like Tani, but he most certainly did not want her to have suffered any more than he already knew she had. "But you said he..."
"Yes, we never saw Maafa after that incident...but for Tani, that was not quite the end of it." Sarabi once again glanced at where Tani had last been seen, as though nervous about something.
Kulinda picked up on the old lioness' actions, too. "Are you sure Tani would want you to tell him about that, as well. She was reluctant to tell him what he knows now."
Sarabi hesitated, obviously going through the same sort of debate internally. Tanga's curiosity was aroused now...but he did not want Tani to be furious if she found out that he had learned even more about her past. He still wanted to win over her trust, not only because he wanted to prove to her that he was not like Maafa, but also because he knew that if he won over Tani's trust, he would win over the trust of the entire pride.
In the end, Nala spoke up once again. "We have to tell him, Sarabi," she said softly. "He needs to know the whole story. And besides, I'm certain Tani tried to tell the whole story, but you how that day has scarred her, in ways none of us can imagine."
Tanga had to agree with that assessment. He believe that no-one could not have come out of such an ordeal unchanged. Tanga shuddered at the very thought, trying to suppress the images of what Tani must have gone through as Sarabi spoke up once more.
Sighing, the aged lioness tore her gaze away from where Tani had, centring it back on Tanga. "Please understand, Tanga, that what Tani went through is nearly beyond belief."
Tanga nodded solemnly, noticing Kiara pushing her muzzle deeper into Kovu's mane. Whatever Sarabi was about to tell, was going to be very, very bad. "I understand completely, Sarabi...I'm just struggling to comprehend how it could possibly have gotten worse for Tani. I feel sick just thinking about what I've been told so far."
Sarabi sighed, before settling herself in, obviously preparing for a lengthy tale. "For a time after Maafa's...abusive act, everything seemed to pretty much go back to normal. We tried to hunt down Maafa, but he had long since fled the Pridelands, and we were unable to track him beyond our borders very long."
Tanga nodded, respect for the Pridelanders growing at the implied meaning of Sarabi's words. Their pride had actually hunted Maafa beyond their own borders, something most prides were extremely reluctant to do...the Pridelands was obviously a very close-knit place, for the pride to do so much for Tani.
"Tani refused to speak for anyone for days, and when she did, it was obvious that we were going to be dealing with a new, far more depressed Tani from then on. It brought the whole pride down, in a time when things seemed to be looking up for a change. The lands were still recovering from a...rather poor reign by my late mate's brother...and now this had happened, so soon after we lost Kopa..."
At this point, Tanga's attention was diverted as Kiara finally stood up, her cheeks stained with yet more tears as Kovu also got to his feet. "I've had enough," she finally said. "I don't want to listen to this again!" With that, she left, sadness evident right across her body as Kovu walked out with her, quietly comforting her as they left.
Tanga himself felt like he, too had had enough of all the sadness and despair the day was bringing. "Look, if it's too much, then don't..."
"No," Sarabi interrupted. "No, it's better if you know...if you understand why Tani hates you so much, you'll be able to act in a more appropriate way around her."
Tanga paused, then nodded slowly, knowing Sarabi was right, and fought the urge to just get up and leave, so he did not have to hear what could have happened next. He reasoned that, now that he knew something had happened, his imagination would come up with some horrible things until the truth was revealed...it was better to know.
Sarabi went back to her story. "Anyway, things seemed to slowly start to come back...Nala was close to giving birth to Kiara, and the lands were almost back to normal. Then Tani finally discovered the terrible truth some weeks after Maafa left. His...act...had gotten her pregnant."
In hindsight, Tanga realised that he should have seen it coming. Maafa had done that to Tani, and everyone mentions a horrible extra to the incident, and that's the logical conclusion. But Tanga, caught up in the shock of the despicable act Maafa had committed, just did not think logically at the time.
But when Sarabi made that reveal, Tanga's shock grew. Maafa's act had left Tani with a cub? "So...she...?"
Sarabi nodded. "The whole pride learned the truth soon after Tani did. It hit Tani really hard, because she did not know whether to be excited about the prospect of being a mother, or horrified that Maafa was the father. The rest of the pride tried to support her, but her pregnancy, on top of everything else that had happened, drove her deep into solitude. I'm actually quite certain she almost left the pride at several points during those months."
Tanga tried to put all this into perspective. Tani had been 'attacked' by Maafa, and the ordeal had left her bearing his cub. She was depressed, alone, and unsure whether she actually wanted the cub she had growing inside her...Tanga actually found himself amazed that she had hung on to her sanity, even if her kind nature had been lost.
But Tanga knew the story was not quite over, and Sarabi quickly confirmed it. "But in the end, she seemed to keep going. She kept to herself during the entire pregnancy, but she seemed to move on. Nala gave birth to Kiara, and once Kiara had been confirmed as the latest heir to Pride Rock, the pride all waited to see when Tani would give birth."
Tanga stiffened. He was sensing a very big 'but' coming up soon.
He was not disappointed. "In the end, she gave birth very early," Sarabi said sadly. "...too early, in fact. She was alone for the birth, since she had gone off on one of her solitary retreats a couple of days before the day, but everyone knew what had happened when she came back with an empty womb, and no cub in sight."
Tanga did not move, but managed to find his voice, and finish for Sarabi. "The cub didn't make it, did it?"
Sarabi nodded sadly, but it was Nala who spoke now, taking over from the older lioness. "Everyone knew that the cub had been stillborn, even before Tani said it...it was obvious. So not only did Maafa abuse Tani, the cub he produced with her died before it even made it into the world." Nala's expression grew even sadder as she continued. "I think, for Tani, the loss was especially difficult because she did not know how to feel about it. On one paw, an innocent little cub...her cub...had just died, before it had even been brought into the world. On the other, that same cub had been fathered by the most evil lion she had ever met."
Again, Tanga understood Tani's feelings, to a certain extent. Tanga felt that, if he were put into such a position, and the cub had survived, he would have raised it despite its parentage, rather than abandon it...but he could understand Tani being conflicted over the issue, particularly considering how personally - and brutally - she had learned of Maafa's true self.
Tanga finally looked up, noticing that Kulinda, too, had tears running down her cheeks by now. Obviously, as a mother, the last part of Tani's story would hit a nerve with her. Sarabi and Nala were also moved, despite being the ones to tell the story...and Tanga did not blame any of them, especially since he could feel his own eyes welling up with tears for Tani. "So, what happened after that?" he asked hesitantly.
It was Sarabi who replied. "For several weeks after that, Tani was miserable. She had just been through some of the worst experiences life could possibly throw at her. For a long time, we thought we were going to lose her, since he kept to herself, and barely ate at all."
Tanga winced, knowing full well how such an experience could push a lion to the edge, and possibly over it. "But a couple of months after the stillbirth, she seemed to return to normal...to an extent. She came back, and interacted with the pride again, but she's now as you see her." Sarabi sighed once again. "She was so full of life before that day...she would have been a lot like Nala, I believe...but now she shows off the side of her that she inherited from her father."
With that statement, Tanga was put through yet another story, as he was told a very brief tale of how Scar, Simba's uncle, had killed his brother, Mufasa, for the throne...and during his rule let the Pridelands fall into disarray and ruin. He was also told of how this tyrant was also Tani's father, and how Simba had taken Pride Rock from him and helped bring the Pridelands back into the lush paradise they had always been.
In the end, all Tanga could do was put this story together with Tani's...and Kovu and Kiara's, and marvel at just how eventful the history of the pride had been in recent times. Somehow, the pride that had taken him had been through hell...several times...and yet still come out the other side and moved on.
Once Sarabi and Nala had finished this particular story, Tanga looked up, and noticed just how far the sun had moved across the sky. He had spend nearly a whole day here, listening to the history of the Pridelands. Stretching, feeling various joints creak as they moved for the first time in hours, Tanga stiffly pulled himself to his feet. "Thank you for telling me all this, but I think I'll head off for a drink, and maybe just wander for a bit...I've got a lot to think about now."
A series of polite nods were exchanged, before Tanga made his way away from the Rocks, quickly dropping deep into thought as he lost sight of the lionesses still lazing in the shaded spot.
So Tani's coldness towards him was not due to simple discrimination and prejudice. With that thought, Tanga felt any anger and hatred he had towards the dark-furred lioness vanish. He could not, not now anyway, blame her for her attitude towards him. She had known only one rogue in her life, and he had betrayed her in the worst possible way.
Once again, the very thought of what Maafa had done to Tani cause bile to rise in Tanga's throat. But as he thought deeper, he realised that his long-forgotten memories were once again giving him little pushes, to do with Maafa. He had heard the name somewhere. It seemed distant, yet familiar...like it was a name he knew, but did not hear too often.
Tanga actually froze as the realisation hit him...somewhere in his past, he had known Maafa, or at least heard of him. But how? Maafa was a rogue, and as far as Tanga was aware, he had grown up in a pride, then spent his adult life alone. How could he have heard of this monstrosity?
He pulled all his hunches, along with the facts, together...and came to the conclusion that, since the name was only distantly familiar, that Maafa had most likely come to his old pride at some point in his cub-hood, and more than likely caused a bit of trouble. Since there was no other reasonable explanation he could up with, he stuck with that theory. But the theory only posed more questions...what had Maafa done to his old pride? Was that the reason he had been sent into exile?
But there were three questions that Tanga was very afraid to know the answers to, knowing that the wrong answers could mean very bad things for any lion prides in the area for the foreseeable future:
Was Maafa still alive? And if he was, where was he now? And what was he up to?
He found it so difficult to believe that Tani's story could possibly be true...that anyone could be as cruel and heartless as Maafa had been. Yet, somehow, the story struck a nerve in him, as if he had heard something like this before...and somehow, he knew that Tani was not lying. But, to Tanga, that just made it all the more worse. For the dark-furred lioness to have gone through what she had, to have been so brazenly betrayed by the lion she loved...Tanga felt sick just thinking about it.
Pulling himself away from the horrible thoughts of what Maafa had done to Tani, Tanga looked around the area, trying to distract himself from Maafa's betrayal. It did not help that everyone seemed to be distraught over Tani's story. Kiara had tears running down her cheeks, and she was leaning into Kovu like her life depended on remaining in constant contact with her mate. Kovu, on the other paw, was doing his best to keep his face and body language neutral, but Tanga could see in the lion's eyes that he was fighting hard to maintain that outer strength...inside, he was a wreck. Kulinda was looking at her forepaws, a tragic expression on her face. She had obviously heard this story several times before, and was past the raw emotion of it, but it still hurt her to hear it again. Nala and Sarabi looked like they were stuck in an endless cringe. They had obviously heard this story first hand soon after it had occurred.
But when Tanga looked at Tani, he was amazed to see that she was looking at him, and her expression was still as cold as it always was, although the tears swimming in her icy eyes counteracted the worst of the emotion. "Now do you see, rogue?" she demanded shakily, her voice an odd combination of tragically sad and frighteningly angry. "Now do you understand? You rogues are all alike! Maafa may be one of the worst of you...but you're all the same! You all look out for yourselves first, and everyone else last! Maafa took everything away from me, and you would, too, if you were given the choice!" With that ferocious declaration, the lioness jumped to her feet, and with one last, dirty look towards Tanga, walked away from the sunbathing spot, her tail dragging dejectedly in the dirt behind her.
Tanga found himself on his feet before he even realised what he was doing. "Tani!" he called, trying to keep his voice kind despite his irritation towards the lioness. "Tani, won't you at least hear me out?"
But Tani either did not hear him, or just plain ignored him, for she did not even turn back, let alone stop, leaving Tanga staring after her. He wanted to explain to her that he was not Maafa, and that he was revolted by what the lion had done to her...to apologise to her for not understanding her reasoning behind her hatred. For now Tanga knew the reason, he was not at all surprised Tani had been so cold towards him. If he was forced to endure a similar experience to her, he knew he would be hateful of rogues from that day on, as well.
Tanga, still standing on top of the rock, turned to the others. "I...I can't believe that he...that anyone..." he tried to express his revulsion, but the emotion seemed to be tightening his throat, making it really difficult to speak.
Sarabi seemed to understand his intentions. "Yes, it was a shocking and despicable act. Maafa broke Tani that day...she had been such a happy, hopeful lioness before that day. Now she's cold and reclusive, and I must admit I don't really blame her. And I can see that you feel the same way we do about the whole thing, so you can be rest assured that none of us will use you as a means of getting justice for Maafa's crimes."
Tanga was relieved by this statement, but then paused, and did a double-take. "Hang on...do you mean that...Maafa got away?"
The wanderer's attention was drawn to Nala, as the queen nodded slowly. "By the time Tani returned to us, and we worked out some of what happened...she refused to talk for days after that incident...Maafa had already left the Pridelands. Despite Tani later telling us her story, including Maafa's threat that he would come back and deal with us, we have never seen any sign of him since that day."
Even Tanga was surprised to hear the instinctive, dark growl come from the back of his throat. But his anger towards Maafa was that strong, he wanted to go out and rip the lion apart for his crimes, but with no knowledge of what the lion looked like, nor where he could possibly be now, Tanga was forced to simply seethe. "Sorry," he said when everyone stared at him in response to his growl. "It's all just so horrible...and I'm just so shocked that a lion could do that to one of their own."
Sarabi looked back at the place where Tani had disappeared, seemingly thinking about something. She sighed, before seeming to come to a decision, her aged face turning back to face Tanga. "There's more to that story than Tani told you, though," she said sadly.
Tanga gave her a wide-eyed stare. "No..." he breathed. He may not like Tani, but he most certainly did not want her to have suffered any more than he already knew she had. "But you said he..."
"Yes, we never saw Maafa after that incident...but for Tani, that was not quite the end of it." Sarabi once again glanced at where Tani had last been seen, as though nervous about something.
Kulinda picked up on the old lioness' actions, too. "Are you sure Tani would want you to tell him about that, as well. She was reluctant to tell him what he knows now."
Sarabi hesitated, obviously going through the same sort of debate internally. Tanga's curiosity was aroused now...but he did not want Tani to be furious if she found out that he had learned even more about her past. He still wanted to win over her trust, not only because he wanted to prove to her that he was not like Maafa, but also because he knew that if he won over Tani's trust, he would win over the trust of the entire pride.
In the end, Nala spoke up once again. "We have to tell him, Sarabi," she said softly. "He needs to know the whole story. And besides, I'm certain Tani tried to tell the whole story, but you how that day has scarred her, in ways none of us can imagine."
Tanga had to agree with that assessment. He believe that no-one could not have come out of such an ordeal unchanged. Tanga shuddered at the very thought, trying to suppress the images of what Tani must have gone through as Sarabi spoke up once more.
Sighing, the aged lioness tore her gaze away from where Tani had, centring it back on Tanga. "Please understand, Tanga, that what Tani went through is nearly beyond belief."
Tanga nodded solemnly, noticing Kiara pushing her muzzle deeper into Kovu's mane. Whatever Sarabi was about to tell, was going to be very, very bad. "I understand completely, Sarabi...I'm just struggling to comprehend how it could possibly have gotten worse for Tani. I feel sick just thinking about what I've been told so far."
Sarabi sighed, before settling herself in, obviously preparing for a lengthy tale. "For a time after Maafa's...abusive act, everything seemed to pretty much go back to normal. We tried to hunt down Maafa, but he had long since fled the Pridelands, and we were unable to track him beyond our borders very long."
Tanga nodded, respect for the Pridelanders growing at the implied meaning of Sarabi's words. Their pride had actually hunted Maafa beyond their own borders, something most prides were extremely reluctant to do...the Pridelands was obviously a very close-knit place, for the pride to do so much for Tani.
"Tani refused to speak for anyone for days, and when she did, it was obvious that we were going to be dealing with a new, far more depressed Tani from then on. It brought the whole pride down, in a time when things seemed to be looking up for a change. The lands were still recovering from a...rather poor reign by my late mate's brother...and now this had happened, so soon after we lost Kopa..."
At this point, Tanga's attention was diverted as Kiara finally stood up, her cheeks stained with yet more tears as Kovu also got to his feet. "I've had enough," she finally said. "I don't want to listen to this again!" With that, she left, sadness evident right across her body as Kovu walked out with her, quietly comforting her as they left.
Tanga himself felt like he, too had had enough of all the sadness and despair the day was bringing. "Look, if it's too much, then don't..."
"No," Sarabi interrupted. "No, it's better if you know...if you understand why Tani hates you so much, you'll be able to act in a more appropriate way around her."
Tanga paused, then nodded slowly, knowing Sarabi was right, and fought the urge to just get up and leave, so he did not have to hear what could have happened next. He reasoned that, now that he knew something had happened, his imagination would come up with some horrible things until the truth was revealed...it was better to know.
Sarabi went back to her story. "Anyway, things seemed to slowly start to come back...Nala was close to giving birth to Kiara, and the lands were almost back to normal. Then Tani finally discovered the terrible truth some weeks after Maafa left. His...act...had gotten her pregnant."
In hindsight, Tanga realised that he should have seen it coming. Maafa had done that to Tani, and everyone mentions a horrible extra to the incident, and that's the logical conclusion. But Tanga, caught up in the shock of the despicable act Maafa had committed, just did not think logically at the time.
But when Sarabi made that reveal, Tanga's shock grew. Maafa's act had left Tani with a cub? "So...she...?"
Sarabi nodded. "The whole pride learned the truth soon after Tani did. It hit Tani really hard, because she did not know whether to be excited about the prospect of being a mother, or horrified that Maafa was the father. The rest of the pride tried to support her, but her pregnancy, on top of everything else that had happened, drove her deep into solitude. I'm actually quite certain she almost left the pride at several points during those months."
Tanga tried to put all this into perspective. Tani had been 'attacked' by Maafa, and the ordeal had left her bearing his cub. She was depressed, alone, and unsure whether she actually wanted the cub she had growing inside her...Tanga actually found himself amazed that she had hung on to her sanity, even if her kind nature had been lost.
But Tanga knew the story was not quite over, and Sarabi quickly confirmed it. "But in the end, she seemed to keep going. She kept to herself during the entire pregnancy, but she seemed to move on. Nala gave birth to Kiara, and once Kiara had been confirmed as the latest heir to Pride Rock, the pride all waited to see when Tani would give birth."
Tanga stiffened. He was sensing a very big 'but' coming up soon.
He was not disappointed. "In the end, she gave birth very early," Sarabi said sadly. "...too early, in fact. She was alone for the birth, since she had gone off on one of her solitary retreats a couple of days before the day, but everyone knew what had happened when she came back with an empty womb, and no cub in sight."
Tanga did not move, but managed to find his voice, and finish for Sarabi. "The cub didn't make it, did it?"
Sarabi nodded sadly, but it was Nala who spoke now, taking over from the older lioness. "Everyone knew that the cub had been stillborn, even before Tani said it...it was obvious. So not only did Maafa abuse Tani, the cub he produced with her died before it even made it into the world." Nala's expression grew even sadder as she continued. "I think, for Tani, the loss was especially difficult because she did not know how to feel about it. On one paw, an innocent little cub...her cub...had just died, before it had even been brought into the world. On the other, that same cub had been fathered by the most evil lion she had ever met."
Again, Tanga understood Tani's feelings, to a certain extent. Tanga felt that, if he were put into such a position, and the cub had survived, he would have raised it despite its parentage, rather than abandon it...but he could understand Tani being conflicted over the issue, particularly considering how personally - and brutally - she had learned of Maafa's true self.
Tanga finally looked up, noticing that Kulinda, too, had tears running down her cheeks by now. Obviously, as a mother, the last part of Tani's story would hit a nerve with her. Sarabi and Nala were also moved, despite being the ones to tell the story...and Tanga did not blame any of them, especially since he could feel his own eyes welling up with tears for Tani. "So, what happened after that?" he asked hesitantly.
It was Sarabi who replied. "For several weeks after that, Tani was miserable. She had just been through some of the worst experiences life could possibly throw at her. For a long time, we thought we were going to lose her, since he kept to herself, and barely ate at all."
Tanga winced, knowing full well how such an experience could push a lion to the edge, and possibly over it. "But a couple of months after the stillbirth, she seemed to return to normal...to an extent. She came back, and interacted with the pride again, but she's now as you see her." Sarabi sighed once again. "She was so full of life before that day...she would have been a lot like Nala, I believe...but now she shows off the side of her that she inherited from her father."
With that statement, Tanga was put through yet another story, as he was told a very brief tale of how Scar, Simba's uncle, had killed his brother, Mufasa, for the throne...and during his rule let the Pridelands fall into disarray and ruin. He was also told of how this tyrant was also Tani's father, and how Simba had taken Pride Rock from him and helped bring the Pridelands back into the lush paradise they had always been.
In the end, all Tanga could do was put this story together with Tani's...and Kovu and Kiara's, and marvel at just how eventful the history of the pride had been in recent times. Somehow, the pride that had taken him had been through hell...several times...and yet still come out the other side and moved on.
Once Sarabi and Nala had finished this particular story, Tanga looked up, and noticed just how far the sun had moved across the sky. He had spend nearly a whole day here, listening to the history of the Pridelands. Stretching, feeling various joints creak as they moved for the first time in hours, Tanga stiffly pulled himself to his feet. "Thank you for telling me all this, but I think I'll head off for a drink, and maybe just wander for a bit...I've got a lot to think about now."
A series of polite nods were exchanged, before Tanga made his way away from the Rocks, quickly dropping deep into thought as he lost sight of the lionesses still lazing in the shaded spot.
So Tani's coldness towards him was not due to simple discrimination and prejudice. With that thought, Tanga felt any anger and hatred he had towards the dark-furred lioness vanish. He could not, not now anyway, blame her for her attitude towards him. She had known only one rogue in her life, and he had betrayed her in the worst possible way.
Once again, the very thought of what Maafa had done to Tani cause bile to rise in Tanga's throat. But as he thought deeper, he realised that his long-forgotten memories were once again giving him little pushes, to do with Maafa. He had heard the name somewhere. It seemed distant, yet familiar...like it was a name he knew, but did not hear too often.
Tanga actually froze as the realisation hit him...somewhere in his past, he had known Maafa, or at least heard of him. But how? Maafa was a rogue, and as far as Tanga was aware, he had grown up in a pride, then spent his adult life alone. How could he have heard of this monstrosity?
He pulled all his hunches, along with the facts, together...and came to the conclusion that, since the name was only distantly familiar, that Maafa had most likely come to his old pride at some point in his cub-hood, and more than likely caused a bit of trouble. Since there was no other reasonable explanation he could up with, he stuck with that theory. But the theory only posed more questions...what had Maafa done to his old pride? Was that the reason he had been sent into exile?
But there were three questions that Tanga was very afraid to know the answers to, knowing that the wrong answers could mean very bad things for any lion prides in the area for the foreseeable future:
Was Maafa still alive? And if he was, where was he now? And what was he up to?
Chapter 11
Healing
Spoiler: show
It was the same dream Tanga always had. He was given blurred, indistinct visions of an unknown land - obviously far from the Pridelands - and could also see hazy images of other lions and lioness, and hear indistinct voices...but there were no details he could make out, no voices he could recognise. Even the colouring of the indistinct shapes before him was lost to the shifting lighting conditions.
At this point, Tanga himself felt different...he knew this 'dream' must actually be some indistinct, long-forgotten memory of his past, back when he was much younger...he could feel that his mane was not complete, though it was growing...and his body was yet to reach full size as well. It felt weird, but he went along with it...hoping he would get some answers this time.
In the end, his hope came through...partially.
At the point where his dream normally descended into nightmares of a shadowed lion...Maafa, most likely...confronting him and attacking him, it changed course. He saw two of the indistinct lions get into a rather nasty argument, although their voices were still indistinct, too warped by his broken memories to understand.
But as the lions continued to argue, one of them began to shift into clearer focus. At last! Tanga thought triumphantly. I'll finally get to see what someone from my past looks like!
As the distortion hiding the lion faded, Tanga caught sight of a dark pelt, with a pale mane...although he could not be sure of the exact colouring.
But as Tanga continued to focus on the lion, the scene began to fade away and shift. No! Tanga thought desperately, fighting to hold onto the scene. But his own mind seemed to have other plans, as the distorted scene faded from sight, the last thing Tanga managed to make out was a flash of deep, emerald green...the lion's eyes.
When the scene re-formed around him, everything was suddenly in startling clarity. There was still a certain distortion, and a thick fog that surrounded him, forcing him to limit his vision to a very short distance. All Tanga knew was that his body was older, back to what it was in the waking world, and he was walking beside another lion, who was like the others...too distorted to make out any features, except that it was male, and that both his fur and mane were in bright colours.
"Why are you neglecting our plans?" the lion asked in a distorted voice, making it impossible for Tanga to discern who it was...it could have been Simba, for all he knew.
Tanga found that he had no control over his voice, and despite his confusion, he answered as if he knew exactly what this lion was on about. "Dad, please...why can't you understand?" he said, surprising himself. This lion's my father? he thought, trying to get a better look at the lion. But the image was too distorted, too clouded...he could not make out any features. "I don't want to do this...I just want to settle down...find some friends, live a normal..."
He was interrupted by his father. "You know that is not possible!" he snapped.
Tanga felt confusion building inside him as his mouth answered for him once more. "Why?" he demanded aggressively. "Why isn't it possible? You might not be able to find any friends, but that doesn't mean that I can't, either!"
This seemed to set Tanga's father off...badly. With a ferocious roar, he swiped at Tanga, his large paw colliding heavily with Tanga's muzzle. He was knocked off his feet by the blow, rolling once across the ground, before finding himself falling down a cliff of some kind. Tanga closed his eyes as the nauseating, dizzying vertigo set in, and he waited for the end.
* * * * *
Tanga awoke with a rather violent start, hyperventilating as his eyes darted back and forth, taking in the cave around him, the early morning sky outside, and the shadow of Pride Rock beyond the cave mouth. Sighing as the after-effects of the dream started to fade, he yawned expansively, stretching as he did so, relieving his cramped joints after another long night.
But as Tanga pulled himself to his feet, he wondered about his latest dream. In almost every dream he had that was about his forgotten past...for he had no doubt that it was what those dreams were about...nothing of significance happened in them. He saw distorted images of various lands, and various lions, too...sometimes there was a whole pride, sometimes there was just one or two others...and sometimes it was just him alone.
But what had always frustrated him was the simple matter that none of these dreams gave him any clues about his past. The lands were too distorted for him to gain any idea of where they were, since he could not see any significant landmarks...nor determine where the sun was in them. And the lions were, if possible, even worse. Without any physical features, not even a general idea of their stature of colouration, Tanga could not have any idea what the lions he knew in his past looked like. And since he could not hear any voices properly, he could not tell what they were trying to say, if they were trying to say anything at all.
But this latest dream had been completely different. He had finally gained some clues into his past. He now knew that he had a father, and that he had known him...although the revelation was slightly marred by the fact that his father did not seem to be very kind towards him. but Tanga brushed the thought away, while he was saddened that his father had not been kind to him, he felt better that he at least knew that...it was all the 'what if's that his mind kept throwing up that had really made his amnesia hurt him.
And then there was this other lion...the dark-furred one with the piercing emerald eyes. Who had that been? It frustrated Tanga immensely that his dream had answered some questions about his past...with bad answers, and then made another reveal that had only raised more questions. Who was he? Why had his dream singled this particular lion out? Had they been friends when Tanga was younger...or was it something less pleasant?
Sighing, Tanga simply decided to drop the subject of his dreams as he hobbled out of his cave, staring out across the Pridelands, off towards the east. While he sat, contemplating the day ahead of him, he gingerly pressed his injured foreleg against the ground, and put a small amount of weight on it. Nothing. He applied more pressure...still nothing. He tried standing up, putting most of the weight the leg would normally hold on it, and felt a twinge of pain. Wincing, and sighing, Tanga curled his foreleg against his chest, where it usually stayed, taking a moment to inspect it before he wandered off.
In the past month he had stayed in the Pridelands, his leg had healed miraculously well. A mandrill Simba's pride had as the resident shaman and healer, Rafiki, had visited him every so often to inspect the damaged limb, and take some simple measures, although they were far beyond Tanga's knowledge, to assist in the healing process.
Nevertheless, it was immediately obvious to anyone that Tanga had been through hell regarding his left foreleg. The past month had seen the wounds close and, for the most part, heal...but the limb was now covered in a random, criss-crossing mass of scars, which left the leg looking almost deformed. It had taken Tanga a couple of days to get over the shock of that, but it helped when he realised that, despite the visual deformity, his use of the limb was returning. He still could not put his full weight on it, judging by his previous test...but it had regained full mobility, and if he felt like it, he could limp heavily on it. He did this for brief periods every day, just limping around Pride Rock endlessly, trying to give his foreleg the strength it had lost from weeks of neglect and lack of use.
As he had gone through his healing, he had also gone through the process of trying to win over the trust of the Pridelanders. Kiara and Kovu had been very quick to trust him, and so that had taken exceptionally little effort. By the end of his visit to the Rocks the day after he had arrived, those two were all but ready to induct him into the pride there and then. The only problem with this, Tanga knew, was that they were off doing various duties as prince and princess to the Pridelands...and if they weren't, they were having some 'couple time', which meant that their trust in him was mostly useless.
Simba had been very wary of Tanga during his first week there, but the stories Tanga heard about the Pridelands had reminded him that Simba's time as king of Pride Rock had been fraught with uncertainty, danger and betrayal at almost every turn...he had every reason to be cautious. But in the past week, Tanga had noticed that Simba's stance had become much less wary...Tanga had successfully proven to the king that he was not a threat...now it was just proving he could be trusted.
Nala, on the other hand, was a little different. She was very distant, much like the rest of the royal family, but seemed to like him, and trust him. Aside from that, Tanga really had nothing he could gauge about her...she just was not around at all, and since Tanga was not allowed inside the den in Pride Rock, he had only seen her once or twice since that day at the Rocks.
Tani was almost the exact opposite. He saw her rather frequently, as she seemed to spend a lot of her time like he did; wandering the Pridelands, lost in thought. But she seemed to be acting even more coldly towards him since he had learned of her story. Several times she had attempted to have him banished from the Pridelands by pinning various things on him...and so far he had managed to escape her devious schemes.
He knew that she was laying the blame on him for all of her suffering, still lost in her fanatical belief that all rogues were despicable creatures that needed to be driven away at all costs. Every time he tried to talk to her, she would get very cold, sometimes aggressive, like she believed he would attack her at any moment. In the end, he gave up on convincing her of his trustworthiness, and had spent his efforts convincing the rest of the pride.
The majority of the Pridelanders were in the same group as Simba...neutral. They were confused, his gentle, polite nature clashing with his infamous status as a rogue, and did not know which way to swing. Some trusted him more than others, and some trusted him less, but the pride, as a whole, seemed to treat him as an outsider anyway, mostly ignoring him, or just simply having no time to see him.
There were two exceptions to that trend: Sarabi and Vitani.
Sarabi's age naturally meant that the pride had relieved her of any duties most lionesses in the pride were meant to perform, meaning all she could really do was spend her days lazing around, whether it be in the den or out in the sun. Whether it was because Tanga was someone new to talk to, or whether she just wanted to get out of the den more often, Sarabi had started meeting Tanga frequently, causing the wanderer to spend many mornings just sitting at the mouth of the cave he had picked out for himself...which turned out to be the same cave Simba's uncle, Scar, had lived in as an adult before he had taken over the Pridelands...talking to Sarabi about various things.
Tanga found that he got along rather well with the proud grandmother, finding that she trusted him nearly completely, and Tanga reciprocated by giving her ending life something to look forward to each day...a new conversation with him. By the end of the month, he found himself on very good terms with Sarabi, happy he had made at least one friend in his time here.
But Vitani, to Tanga, was almost another matter entirely. For the first week, Tanga did not see too much of her...she seemed to avoid the rest of the pride whenever she could, leaving Tanga at a loss for where she could be going. She had been kind to him that first day, and he wanted to thank her for it.
But then, about a week into his stay, he had accidentally stumbled across her, and managed to get into a brief conversation with her. By the end of the day Tanga felt that he had finally found a like mind in the Pridelands. While Vitani could recall her past, she had been through a lot, and was struggling to come to grips with everything that had happened. She was part of a pride that did not trust her, yet she felt like the place was home, nevertheless. She wanted to gain the trust of the Pridelanders, but did not know how. Tanga could see that they were stuck in slightly different versions of the same predicament.
In the end, the two had starting meeting up fairly often, and became friends with exceptional speed, Tanga finding himself starting to enjoy his time in the Pridelands while in the company of Vitani. Having been raised as a hunter and killer in her youth...a past she had gone a long way into throwing off...she helped Tanga learn some simple skills he could use while his leg healed, both to help take care of himself, and to assist in the healing and strengthening of his leg. In return, Tanga gave Vitani the friend and company she had craved for a long time.
But as Tanga left his cave for the day, hobbling out towards the eastern part of the Pridelands, his sentimental moment kept going, moving from his two new - and only - friends, to the things he had learned about himself in the past month.
One of the added benefits of Rafiki became very obvious when the mandrill offered to examine the lion, to search for clues about his identity and past. Tanga had warily accepted, and still remembered how awkward it felt having the wizened old monkey examining him, while he lay down in the shade Pride Rock's promontory offered, and did his best to relax.
One of the first things Rafiki had found was a number of small, almost invisible scars in various places across his body, although they seemed to concentrate inside his mane. Rafiki had put these down to a rough, dangerous cub-hood.
On top of that, Rafiki had been quick to determine that Tanga was young...only just matured at a little over two years in the world. According to the Pridelanders, this would put him in around the same age group as Kovu, Vitani and Kiara, although Rafiki claimed he was most likely younger than all three of them.
The fact that he was so young surprised Tanga slightly. He was only just matured, yet he had felt that his body had been through a lot more than two years worth of life experience...but then, when he remembered Rafiki's earlier observation regarding his scars, he realised that he probably had gone through more than a lion his age should.
The half-healed wound on Tanga's forehead also came under scrutiny by the mandrill. He claimed that it was a wound caused by something like a rock during a fall, rather than a lion's claw or tooth. Rafiki also said that the wound would have been very serious at the time. Not only should he have most likely died when he had sustained it, but it was probably also that wound that had triggered the erasure of his memory.
Tanga's thoughts continued to drive on as he wandered far from Pride Rock, heading for the eastern regions of the Pridelands. So now he had a rough idea of how old he was, along some minor details involving his upbringing, and the reason why his memory was gone. Knowing why he had lost his memory was comforting, since it told him that it was not his fault, and was the result of an unfortunate accident. But the comfort was small, since it did not bring him any closer to recovering those lost memories.
He also knew - although he kept this facet of his past to himself - that the various small scars hiding under his mane were most likely the results of his father's rather harsh treatment of him, rather than a dangerous cub-hood. The fact that his father had been unkind towards him left Tanga feeling rather empty, a feeling which was only enhanced by the fact that none of these revelations, nor anything in his dreams, had given him any insight into who his mother was...he got the feeling he had a mother of some sort, and knew her, but just could not remember.
But his question did trigger one thing. As he remembered his latest nightmare, and the memory of his father striking him in anger, he put the facts together, and suddenly came to a conclusion...he had lost his memory when his father had struck him! His father must have knocked him off a ledge of some sort, and he had hit his head on the landing, taking away his memory.
But this latest revelation just raised more questions. Why did his dad leave him to die after the fall? Was it an accident, or had his father actually tried to kill him. Tanga got the feeling that the argument the nightmare had given him between his past self and his father was not quite right...that his memory was hiding the true nature of the argument from him for some mysterious reason.
Deciding he could investigate these new questions later, since they were doing nothing but frustrating him at the present time, Tanga shifted his focus back to the world around him, as he realised he had reached the far eastern borders of the Pridelands, and set about wandering around them...examining the lands beyond them.
With his leg close to healing...Tanga believed it was only a couple of days now before he would be able to walk on it properly...Tanga knew that his time at the Pridelands was most likely coming to an end. Despite the pride's ignorance of him, and Tani's cold - if understandable - attitude towards him, Tanga had grown to love the lands Simba ruled over...since it was literally the only 'home' he could remember. He had grown rather close to Sarabi and Vitani, and considered them good friends. And the Pridelands themselves were simply a paradise...Tanga could not think of a better place to call home.
Quite simply, Tanga fully intended to, in the next few days, ask Simba for full acceptance and induction into the pride, now that his time was running out, and he believed he had gained as much of the pride's trust as he could.
But Tanga was worried that he would not be accepted. Sure, much of the royal family was on his side...to an extent. but Simba was still undecided, and Tani had gathered a very small following of lions and lionesses.
With that though, Tanga's mind turned to Kulinda. Her mate, Mwamba, was part of Tani's group...which simply were a following of lions and lionesses within the pride that despised rogues, although none were quite as extreme in their views as Tani. Kulinda was not part of this following, but the fact that her mate was in it did not help his cause towards the young mother.
He had also been curious about her little son, Juhudi...and his friend, Kiburi. One day, when Tanga was once more lazing on the Rocks, in the company of Vitani and Sarabi, Juhudi had begun to approach him. He was exceptionally cautious about it, looking frightened, and very much like he did not want to take another step towards the wanderer. But Tanga had noticed Kiburi grinning behind him, and knew that the little lioness must have given Juhudi a dare to approach him.
But before he could either make good on his dare, or decide against it and walk off, Kulinda had intervened on their game by dragging Juhudi away, giving Tanga yet another distrusting glare.
So the pride was literally in two minds over their opinions on Tanga. Some seemed to accept him, some seemed to believe he was dangerous, and many were stuck in the middle, unsure of which way to turn. Tanga knew there was no certainty of his acceptance going either way, so he did what he thought was the best course of action...he planned for the worst.
And planning for the worst involved planning for the possibility that he was exiled...and that was why he was wandering the borders of the Pridelands now...examining the lands beyond them. If he was exiled, he wanted to have some idea of which way he was going to go.
He had started the day before by wandering the western edges of the Pridelands. But he had quickly dismissed going in that direction as pointless, since a vast, seemingly endless desert lay in that direction, stretching way off into the distant horizon. But these eastern borders seemed a little more promising. The lands beyond the Pridelands eastern borders seemed nowhere near as fertile as Simba's paradise, but the open grasslands looked much more promising than the harsh deserts in the west, or the barren Outlands in the north.
Thinking of the Outlands reminded Tanga that he really should head that way and take a look as soon as possible. Since that was where he came from, there might be some insight into his past in that direction. But so far, he had come up with an excuse to avoid heading into the northern areas of the Pridelands.
No matter what excuses Tanga came up with, though, he knew the real reason he did not want to venture in that direction...he was scared of revisiting the place where he had nearly lost his life...the place where hyenas had given him an injury that had almost crippled him for life. He knew he had to head that way at some point, but was deliberately stalling, putting it off as long as possible...although he himself did not know why.
But Tanga was snapped from his thoughts as a strange scent filled his nostrils, causing him to snap his head up and look around, taking a few sniffs to try and determine the smell. At the exact moment the wind carried a strong dose of the scent to him, he heard a faint rustling in the grass nearby, coming from somewhere upwind. At first, when Tanga determined that the scent was that of a lion, he relaxed slightly, although he continued to keep his senses alert.
As Tanga's leg had gotten closer to healing, Vitani had started playing little games with him, trying to sneak up on him being one of her personal favourites, since it tested both their hunting and their perception. But Tanga had quickly proven that, somewhere in his past, he had been taught numerous hunting, fighting, and tracking skills, and despite Vitani's upbringing, she was unable to get the jump on him. The game quickly turned into a heated contest between the two friends...a contest Vitani was determined to win some day.
But Tanga's senses snapped back to high alert when he examined the scent more closely, trying to determine if it was indeed Vitani doing a poor job of sneaking up on him. He quickly discovered that not only was the scent not Vitani's...but it was not one he recognised at all, it was completely foreign.
Tanga felt his whole body tense up in an instant as he realised what was happening. He was no longer alone...and whoever his company was...was not a Pridelander.
There was another rogue stalking him!
At this point, Tanga himself felt different...he knew this 'dream' must actually be some indistinct, long-forgotten memory of his past, back when he was much younger...he could feel that his mane was not complete, though it was growing...and his body was yet to reach full size as well. It felt weird, but he went along with it...hoping he would get some answers this time.
In the end, his hope came through...partially.
At the point where his dream normally descended into nightmares of a shadowed lion...Maafa, most likely...confronting him and attacking him, it changed course. He saw two of the indistinct lions get into a rather nasty argument, although their voices were still indistinct, too warped by his broken memories to understand.
But as the lions continued to argue, one of them began to shift into clearer focus. At last! Tanga thought triumphantly. I'll finally get to see what someone from my past looks like!
As the distortion hiding the lion faded, Tanga caught sight of a dark pelt, with a pale mane...although he could not be sure of the exact colouring.
But as Tanga continued to focus on the lion, the scene began to fade away and shift. No! Tanga thought desperately, fighting to hold onto the scene. But his own mind seemed to have other plans, as the distorted scene faded from sight, the last thing Tanga managed to make out was a flash of deep, emerald green...the lion's eyes.
When the scene re-formed around him, everything was suddenly in startling clarity. There was still a certain distortion, and a thick fog that surrounded him, forcing him to limit his vision to a very short distance. All Tanga knew was that his body was older, back to what it was in the waking world, and he was walking beside another lion, who was like the others...too distorted to make out any features, except that it was male, and that both his fur and mane were in bright colours.
"Why are you neglecting our plans?" the lion asked in a distorted voice, making it impossible for Tanga to discern who it was...it could have been Simba, for all he knew.
Tanga found that he had no control over his voice, and despite his confusion, he answered as if he knew exactly what this lion was on about. "Dad, please...why can't you understand?" he said, surprising himself. This lion's my father? he thought, trying to get a better look at the lion. But the image was too distorted, too clouded...he could not make out any features. "I don't want to do this...I just want to settle down...find some friends, live a normal..."
He was interrupted by his father. "You know that is not possible!" he snapped.
Tanga felt confusion building inside him as his mouth answered for him once more. "Why?" he demanded aggressively. "Why isn't it possible? You might not be able to find any friends, but that doesn't mean that I can't, either!"
This seemed to set Tanga's father off...badly. With a ferocious roar, he swiped at Tanga, his large paw colliding heavily with Tanga's muzzle. He was knocked off his feet by the blow, rolling once across the ground, before finding himself falling down a cliff of some kind. Tanga closed his eyes as the nauseating, dizzying vertigo set in, and he waited for the end.
* * * * *
Tanga awoke with a rather violent start, hyperventilating as his eyes darted back and forth, taking in the cave around him, the early morning sky outside, and the shadow of Pride Rock beyond the cave mouth. Sighing as the after-effects of the dream started to fade, he yawned expansively, stretching as he did so, relieving his cramped joints after another long night.
But as Tanga pulled himself to his feet, he wondered about his latest dream. In almost every dream he had that was about his forgotten past...for he had no doubt that it was what those dreams were about...nothing of significance happened in them. He saw distorted images of various lands, and various lions, too...sometimes there was a whole pride, sometimes there was just one or two others...and sometimes it was just him alone.
But what had always frustrated him was the simple matter that none of these dreams gave him any clues about his past. The lands were too distorted for him to gain any idea of where they were, since he could not see any significant landmarks...nor determine where the sun was in them. And the lions were, if possible, even worse. Without any physical features, not even a general idea of their stature of colouration, Tanga could not have any idea what the lions he knew in his past looked like. And since he could not hear any voices properly, he could not tell what they were trying to say, if they were trying to say anything at all.
But this latest dream had been completely different. He had finally gained some clues into his past. He now knew that he had a father, and that he had known him...although the revelation was slightly marred by the fact that his father did not seem to be very kind towards him. but Tanga brushed the thought away, while he was saddened that his father had not been kind to him, he felt better that he at least knew that...it was all the 'what if's that his mind kept throwing up that had really made his amnesia hurt him.
And then there was this other lion...the dark-furred one with the piercing emerald eyes. Who had that been? It frustrated Tanga immensely that his dream had answered some questions about his past...with bad answers, and then made another reveal that had only raised more questions. Who was he? Why had his dream singled this particular lion out? Had they been friends when Tanga was younger...or was it something less pleasant?
Sighing, Tanga simply decided to drop the subject of his dreams as he hobbled out of his cave, staring out across the Pridelands, off towards the east. While he sat, contemplating the day ahead of him, he gingerly pressed his injured foreleg against the ground, and put a small amount of weight on it. Nothing. He applied more pressure...still nothing. He tried standing up, putting most of the weight the leg would normally hold on it, and felt a twinge of pain. Wincing, and sighing, Tanga curled his foreleg against his chest, where it usually stayed, taking a moment to inspect it before he wandered off.
In the past month he had stayed in the Pridelands, his leg had healed miraculously well. A mandrill Simba's pride had as the resident shaman and healer, Rafiki, had visited him every so often to inspect the damaged limb, and take some simple measures, although they were far beyond Tanga's knowledge, to assist in the healing process.
Nevertheless, it was immediately obvious to anyone that Tanga had been through hell regarding his left foreleg. The past month had seen the wounds close and, for the most part, heal...but the limb was now covered in a random, criss-crossing mass of scars, which left the leg looking almost deformed. It had taken Tanga a couple of days to get over the shock of that, but it helped when he realised that, despite the visual deformity, his use of the limb was returning. He still could not put his full weight on it, judging by his previous test...but it had regained full mobility, and if he felt like it, he could limp heavily on it. He did this for brief periods every day, just limping around Pride Rock endlessly, trying to give his foreleg the strength it had lost from weeks of neglect and lack of use.
As he had gone through his healing, he had also gone through the process of trying to win over the trust of the Pridelanders. Kiara and Kovu had been very quick to trust him, and so that had taken exceptionally little effort. By the end of his visit to the Rocks the day after he had arrived, those two were all but ready to induct him into the pride there and then. The only problem with this, Tanga knew, was that they were off doing various duties as prince and princess to the Pridelands...and if they weren't, they were having some 'couple time', which meant that their trust in him was mostly useless.
Simba had been very wary of Tanga during his first week there, but the stories Tanga heard about the Pridelands had reminded him that Simba's time as king of Pride Rock had been fraught with uncertainty, danger and betrayal at almost every turn...he had every reason to be cautious. But in the past week, Tanga had noticed that Simba's stance had become much less wary...Tanga had successfully proven to the king that he was not a threat...now it was just proving he could be trusted.
Nala, on the other hand, was a little different. She was very distant, much like the rest of the royal family, but seemed to like him, and trust him. Aside from that, Tanga really had nothing he could gauge about her...she just was not around at all, and since Tanga was not allowed inside the den in Pride Rock, he had only seen her once or twice since that day at the Rocks.
Tani was almost the exact opposite. He saw her rather frequently, as she seemed to spend a lot of her time like he did; wandering the Pridelands, lost in thought. But she seemed to be acting even more coldly towards him since he had learned of her story. Several times she had attempted to have him banished from the Pridelands by pinning various things on him...and so far he had managed to escape her devious schemes.
He knew that she was laying the blame on him for all of her suffering, still lost in her fanatical belief that all rogues were despicable creatures that needed to be driven away at all costs. Every time he tried to talk to her, she would get very cold, sometimes aggressive, like she believed he would attack her at any moment. In the end, he gave up on convincing her of his trustworthiness, and had spent his efforts convincing the rest of the pride.
The majority of the Pridelanders were in the same group as Simba...neutral. They were confused, his gentle, polite nature clashing with his infamous status as a rogue, and did not know which way to swing. Some trusted him more than others, and some trusted him less, but the pride, as a whole, seemed to treat him as an outsider anyway, mostly ignoring him, or just simply having no time to see him.
There were two exceptions to that trend: Sarabi and Vitani.
Sarabi's age naturally meant that the pride had relieved her of any duties most lionesses in the pride were meant to perform, meaning all she could really do was spend her days lazing around, whether it be in the den or out in the sun. Whether it was because Tanga was someone new to talk to, or whether she just wanted to get out of the den more often, Sarabi had started meeting Tanga frequently, causing the wanderer to spend many mornings just sitting at the mouth of the cave he had picked out for himself...which turned out to be the same cave Simba's uncle, Scar, had lived in as an adult before he had taken over the Pridelands...talking to Sarabi about various things.
Tanga found that he got along rather well with the proud grandmother, finding that she trusted him nearly completely, and Tanga reciprocated by giving her ending life something to look forward to each day...a new conversation with him. By the end of the month, he found himself on very good terms with Sarabi, happy he had made at least one friend in his time here.
But Vitani, to Tanga, was almost another matter entirely. For the first week, Tanga did not see too much of her...she seemed to avoid the rest of the pride whenever she could, leaving Tanga at a loss for where she could be going. She had been kind to him that first day, and he wanted to thank her for it.
But then, about a week into his stay, he had accidentally stumbled across her, and managed to get into a brief conversation with her. By the end of the day Tanga felt that he had finally found a like mind in the Pridelands. While Vitani could recall her past, she had been through a lot, and was struggling to come to grips with everything that had happened. She was part of a pride that did not trust her, yet she felt like the place was home, nevertheless. She wanted to gain the trust of the Pridelanders, but did not know how. Tanga could see that they were stuck in slightly different versions of the same predicament.
In the end, the two had starting meeting up fairly often, and became friends with exceptional speed, Tanga finding himself starting to enjoy his time in the Pridelands while in the company of Vitani. Having been raised as a hunter and killer in her youth...a past she had gone a long way into throwing off...she helped Tanga learn some simple skills he could use while his leg healed, both to help take care of himself, and to assist in the healing and strengthening of his leg. In return, Tanga gave Vitani the friend and company she had craved for a long time.
But as Tanga left his cave for the day, hobbling out towards the eastern part of the Pridelands, his sentimental moment kept going, moving from his two new - and only - friends, to the things he had learned about himself in the past month.
One of the added benefits of Rafiki became very obvious when the mandrill offered to examine the lion, to search for clues about his identity and past. Tanga had warily accepted, and still remembered how awkward it felt having the wizened old monkey examining him, while he lay down in the shade Pride Rock's promontory offered, and did his best to relax.
One of the first things Rafiki had found was a number of small, almost invisible scars in various places across his body, although they seemed to concentrate inside his mane. Rafiki had put these down to a rough, dangerous cub-hood.
On top of that, Rafiki had been quick to determine that Tanga was young...only just matured at a little over two years in the world. According to the Pridelanders, this would put him in around the same age group as Kovu, Vitani and Kiara, although Rafiki claimed he was most likely younger than all three of them.
The fact that he was so young surprised Tanga slightly. He was only just matured, yet he had felt that his body had been through a lot more than two years worth of life experience...but then, when he remembered Rafiki's earlier observation regarding his scars, he realised that he probably had gone through more than a lion his age should.
The half-healed wound on Tanga's forehead also came under scrutiny by the mandrill. He claimed that it was a wound caused by something like a rock during a fall, rather than a lion's claw or tooth. Rafiki also said that the wound would have been very serious at the time. Not only should he have most likely died when he had sustained it, but it was probably also that wound that had triggered the erasure of his memory.
Tanga's thoughts continued to drive on as he wandered far from Pride Rock, heading for the eastern regions of the Pridelands. So now he had a rough idea of how old he was, along some minor details involving his upbringing, and the reason why his memory was gone. Knowing why he had lost his memory was comforting, since it told him that it was not his fault, and was the result of an unfortunate accident. But the comfort was small, since it did not bring him any closer to recovering those lost memories.
He also knew - although he kept this facet of his past to himself - that the various small scars hiding under his mane were most likely the results of his father's rather harsh treatment of him, rather than a dangerous cub-hood. The fact that his father had been unkind towards him left Tanga feeling rather empty, a feeling which was only enhanced by the fact that none of these revelations, nor anything in his dreams, had given him any insight into who his mother was...he got the feeling he had a mother of some sort, and knew her, but just could not remember.
But his question did trigger one thing. As he remembered his latest nightmare, and the memory of his father striking him in anger, he put the facts together, and suddenly came to a conclusion...he had lost his memory when his father had struck him! His father must have knocked him off a ledge of some sort, and he had hit his head on the landing, taking away his memory.
But this latest revelation just raised more questions. Why did his dad leave him to die after the fall? Was it an accident, or had his father actually tried to kill him. Tanga got the feeling that the argument the nightmare had given him between his past self and his father was not quite right...that his memory was hiding the true nature of the argument from him for some mysterious reason.
Deciding he could investigate these new questions later, since they were doing nothing but frustrating him at the present time, Tanga shifted his focus back to the world around him, as he realised he had reached the far eastern borders of the Pridelands, and set about wandering around them...examining the lands beyond them.
With his leg close to healing...Tanga believed it was only a couple of days now before he would be able to walk on it properly...Tanga knew that his time at the Pridelands was most likely coming to an end. Despite the pride's ignorance of him, and Tani's cold - if understandable - attitude towards him, Tanga had grown to love the lands Simba ruled over...since it was literally the only 'home' he could remember. He had grown rather close to Sarabi and Vitani, and considered them good friends. And the Pridelands themselves were simply a paradise...Tanga could not think of a better place to call home.
Quite simply, Tanga fully intended to, in the next few days, ask Simba for full acceptance and induction into the pride, now that his time was running out, and he believed he had gained as much of the pride's trust as he could.
But Tanga was worried that he would not be accepted. Sure, much of the royal family was on his side...to an extent. but Simba was still undecided, and Tani had gathered a very small following of lions and lionesses.
With that though, Tanga's mind turned to Kulinda. Her mate, Mwamba, was part of Tani's group...which simply were a following of lions and lionesses within the pride that despised rogues, although none were quite as extreme in their views as Tani. Kulinda was not part of this following, but the fact that her mate was in it did not help his cause towards the young mother.
He had also been curious about her little son, Juhudi...and his friend, Kiburi. One day, when Tanga was once more lazing on the Rocks, in the company of Vitani and Sarabi, Juhudi had begun to approach him. He was exceptionally cautious about it, looking frightened, and very much like he did not want to take another step towards the wanderer. But Tanga had noticed Kiburi grinning behind him, and knew that the little lioness must have given Juhudi a dare to approach him.
But before he could either make good on his dare, or decide against it and walk off, Kulinda had intervened on their game by dragging Juhudi away, giving Tanga yet another distrusting glare.
So the pride was literally in two minds over their opinions on Tanga. Some seemed to accept him, some seemed to believe he was dangerous, and many were stuck in the middle, unsure of which way to turn. Tanga knew there was no certainty of his acceptance going either way, so he did what he thought was the best course of action...he planned for the worst.
And planning for the worst involved planning for the possibility that he was exiled...and that was why he was wandering the borders of the Pridelands now...examining the lands beyond them. If he was exiled, he wanted to have some idea of which way he was going to go.
He had started the day before by wandering the western edges of the Pridelands. But he had quickly dismissed going in that direction as pointless, since a vast, seemingly endless desert lay in that direction, stretching way off into the distant horizon. But these eastern borders seemed a little more promising. The lands beyond the Pridelands eastern borders seemed nowhere near as fertile as Simba's paradise, but the open grasslands looked much more promising than the harsh deserts in the west, or the barren Outlands in the north.
Thinking of the Outlands reminded Tanga that he really should head that way and take a look as soon as possible. Since that was where he came from, there might be some insight into his past in that direction. But so far, he had come up with an excuse to avoid heading into the northern areas of the Pridelands.
No matter what excuses Tanga came up with, though, he knew the real reason he did not want to venture in that direction...he was scared of revisiting the place where he had nearly lost his life...the place where hyenas had given him an injury that had almost crippled him for life. He knew he had to head that way at some point, but was deliberately stalling, putting it off as long as possible...although he himself did not know why.
But Tanga was snapped from his thoughts as a strange scent filled his nostrils, causing him to snap his head up and look around, taking a few sniffs to try and determine the smell. At the exact moment the wind carried a strong dose of the scent to him, he heard a faint rustling in the grass nearby, coming from somewhere upwind. At first, when Tanga determined that the scent was that of a lion, he relaxed slightly, although he continued to keep his senses alert.
As Tanga's leg had gotten closer to healing, Vitani had started playing little games with him, trying to sneak up on him being one of her personal favourites, since it tested both their hunting and their perception. But Tanga had quickly proven that, somewhere in his past, he had been taught numerous hunting, fighting, and tracking skills, and despite Vitani's upbringing, she was unable to get the jump on him. The game quickly turned into a heated contest between the two friends...a contest Vitani was determined to win some day.
But Tanga's senses snapped back to high alert when he examined the scent more closely, trying to determine if it was indeed Vitani doing a poor job of sneaking up on him. He quickly discovered that not only was the scent not Vitani's...but it was not one he recognised at all, it was completely foreign.
Tanga felt his whole body tense up in an instant as he realised what was happening. He was no longer alone...and whoever his company was...was not a Pridelander.
There was another rogue stalking him!
Chapter 12
Lost Grudges
Spoiler: show
Tanga's first instinct was to turn and look around, and try to determine where the lion stalking him was right now. Close behind it was the instinct to just turn and run, and head back for the relative safety of Pride Rock as fast as he could, before this unknown stalker had a chance to strike and bring him down.
But Tanga fought back both urges. He knew he could not run, thanks to his still-healing leg, at least. He could put weight on it, but every stride would be painful, and Rafiki had warned him that trying to use his leg normally at this stage ran a large risk of undoing the month's recovery process.
On top of that, Tanga knew that if he showed any obvious sign of being alerted to the lion's presence, and alerted the lion to his awareness levels, that the lion in question...who Tanga was now certain was out to get him...would attack him immediately. Tanga knew that, in his weakened, slightly crippled state, his best chance of survival was to feign ignorance, and try and find help before his attacker decided to stop playing games.
Despite the fact that Tanga kept up a casual, calm exterior as he pretended to continued examining the lands beyond the borders of the Pridelands, all of his senses were on hight alert, and his focus was not on his apparent observation. He used his smell and his hearing to keep track of his follower as he continued to pace the border, noting with some relief that the lion in question seemed to have minimal concealment skills. He might be able to track Tanga well, but Tanga was finding it far too easy to gauge the lion's approximate position.
Whoever this lion was, Tanga got the feeling that they had lived alone for quite some time, and had not been taught proper hunting techniques. Without another lion to tell them what they were doing wrong, they could not correct any mistakes, and this lion had obviously missed out on being taught proper stealth...it was just sheer luck that meant he was currently stalking a weakened, injured lion.
Trying to appear as casual and disinterested as possible, Tanga turned around, slowly making his way in the general direction of Pride Rock, although he deliberately avoided checking to see exactly where it was. If he appeared to be moving with too much purpose, the lion could get skittish and attack him anyway. The key to this, Tanga knew, was to appear completely oblivious and carefree, while maintaining a constant, inner alertness.
But as Tanga made his way back across the Pridelands, he could sense the stalker moving closer to him. He had obviously had enough, and was moving in to attack, most likely going in for the kill.
Now Tanga knew he was in trouble...he was still a long way from Pride Rock, injured, and on his own, with a rogue lion seemingly intent on killing him. What could he do? He looked around, forcing it to appear casual, even though desperation was filling him, and he could feel his body shaking.
A moment later, Tanga realised just how much he was shaking when he heard a burst of movement behind him, and realised that he had given himself away...the mysterious lion was going in for the kill!
But what could he do? He could not run away, not with his leg as it was...and the same weakness meant his fighting skills were sorely lacking as well. He could not run...he could not hide...what could he do?
But as the lion made his way even closer to Tanga's position, a moment away from jumping him, Tanga's panic vanished as adrenaline kicked in, and he turned to face his attacker, his claws instinctively unsheathing from his paws as he turned. His only choice was to stand his ground on his three good paws and fight....he had been left with no other option.
But whoever his attacker was, they were fast. As Tanga reared up on his hind legs, raising his good forepaw to defend himself while his injured left stayed against his chest, all he had time to register was a dark blur before it crashed straight into him, forepaws outstretched and going for his throat.
Tanga somehow managed to raise his small frame high enough that the paws missed their target, gripping the silvery fur of his chest instead, but the force of the lion's mass and momentum felt like a whole stampede had just crashed into him. He felt the breath knocked out of his lungs as he was thrown backwards, launched completely off his paws for a brief moment, before his back hit the ground hard, knocking what little wind was left in him out as the lion triumphantly stood over him, relishing in his victory as Tanga gasped for breath.
"Don't you know that you should never wander alone when hurt? It leaves you weak and..." the lion in question gloated, but trailed off, a confused expression adorning his face as he bent his head lower, taking a closer look at Tanga as the wanderer returned the gaze, taking in the lion on top of him.
His fur was a deep, muddy brown, even darker than Tani's fur, with a lighter, paler brown on his belly and muzzle. His mane, on the other hand, was a pale, silvery-yellow colour, giving him a rather strange appearance that was only accentuated by the piercing emerald-green eyes...
Tanga froze. Dark pelt...pale mane...green eyes...it could not be anyone else. Tanga suddenly realised that he was staring at the lion from his latest dream!
The lion in question also seemed to come to a strange conclusion, because he actually stepped off of Tanga's prone form, backing away slightly. "Far?" he said questioningly, leaving Tanga even more confused.
"What?" Tanga replied. "Who are you?"
But the lion seemed to ignore him. "What in the name of the Great Kings are you doing here?" he demanded, his voice going from surprised to threatening faster than Tanga could blink. Whoever this lion was, he knew Tanga...and it had not been a good acquaintance.
Tanga gave the lion a confused expression as he pulled himself back to his feet, continuing to keep his bad leg against his chest. "What do you mean...where do I know you from?"
The lion's stance grew even more angry and threatening as Tanga watched him. "Don't give me that, you two-faced traitor!" he yelled, causing Tanga to back up as the lion began to pace around Tanga, venting his fury. "You know exactly who I am...and exactly what you did to me!"
Tanga's confusion only heightened. So he had definitely met this lion before...and by the sounds of it, betrayed him in some way. "Look..." he tried to explain himself, but the lion cut him off.
"Oh, shut up! You and your good-for-nothing father took everything from me...everything!" Tanga noticed the lion's claws emerge from his paws as he stopped pacing, ready to face off against him once more. "I thought I had found a perfect territory to claim when I found you, alone and injured...but seeing as it's you, specifically, it's an added bonus! I get a little revenge, and a new territory all of my own!"
But just as the lion was about to pounce at him once more, Tanga held his injured foreleg forward. "Please! Wait!" he begged, managing to get the lion to hesitate for a brief moment. "Listen, I don't remember what happened to you, or what I did! I have no memory of anything except the past month I've spent here, just..." Tanga sighed. How could he calm down a lion who seemed intent on killing him, when he had no idea what he had done wrong in the first place?
But Tanga's stomach squirmed uncomfortably. He could tell that, whatever it was that he had done to this lion, had been terrible, and his conscience was tearing away at him right now. "Look, I don't know who you are, or what I did, but whatever it was, I'm sorry!"
It took Tanga about half-a-second to realise that attempting an apology was probably the worst decision he could have made, as the lion roared in rage and defiance. "You're sorry?" he shouted disbelievingly. “After everything you did...after everything you and your father did...you actually believe you can come to me, Zamani, and say you're sorry, and that will make everything better?"
Tanga recoiled back, but tensed himself, knowing a fight was coming. "Well I've got news for you..." Zamani raged on. "Your apology is not accepted...not until you know the pain I went through!"
With that, Zamani lunged at him, and Tanga knew, there and then, that he had no chance of winning...but no choice, either. He had to fight, and injured leg or not...we was not going to just lie down and die...not while he still did not know what he had done that was so terrible.
This time, Zamani did not attempt to pounce Tanga, rather just jumped forward, paws outstretched, and swiped at his face in a vicious, fast blow designed to knock Tanga off-balance before the fight even got started. But Tanga's adrenaline was in full gear, as were his instincts, and it soon became very clear that Tanga had some serious experience in fighting.
Tanga ducked fast, Zamani's blow cleaning missing as the paw went high. Tanga responded as Zamani overbalanced, sending his good forepaw forward and giving the lion a shove, forcing him to back off another step, before sending his injured paw out in a fierce uppercut, aiming for the chin. He deliberately aimed the blow so that only his claws would connect, not wanting to risk damaging his sensitive limb just yet.
But Zamani also appeared to be a very capable fighter. Despite being thrown off-balance by Tanga's sudden counter, he still managed to avoid the retaliatory swipe. Smirking at Tanga, knowing that he had the advantage of having four good limbs, he backed off and pounced, jumping Tanga in the same way he had attempted to ambush him.
Tanga jumped aside at the last second, but was just a fraction too slow. One of Zamani's paws connected awkwardly with Tanga's left shoulder, knocking him off-balance and forcing him to the ground as Zamani shot past him.
Tanga tried to get up quickly, but his injured foreleg slowed him down once more, and before he do anything, he roared as Zamani's claws dug into his side, rolling him over as the lion pounced on his belly. Instinct and adrenaline fuelling him once more, Tanga kicked out with his hind legs, managing to catch Zamani in the cheek, forcing him to back off as Tanga rolled back over and forced himself to his feet.
"Stop...please!" Tanga pleaded. "I swear, I don't remember anything, and I don't want to fight you!" he knew that it was an almost hopeless cause trying to stop Zamani's vengeful rage, but he had to try. With his foreleg just about unusable, Tanga knew he was at too much of a disadvantage, and could not possibly win this fight.
But the last of Tanga's hopes of resolving this peacefully were dashed as Zamani sneered at him. "Do you really, honestly think that attempting to apologise and make excuses now is going to save you? You took away my life! I'm simply returning the favour...an eye for an eye."
Zamani came for Tanga once more, and the gold lion knew it was hopeless. His only chance of survival was if he could find somewhere where his leg would not be so much of a disadvantage...but out here, in the open grasslands, there was simply nothing he could do except hold out for as long as possible...and try and show Zamani that, while he may not win this fight, he would certainly make him earn the victory.
As Zamani pounced once again, Tanga decide to duck this time, tucking all four limbs against his torso and rolling as Zamani sailed over him. His opponent seemed to have planned for this though, as he landed nimbly and turned around, coming at Tanga again just as he had gotten back to his feet.
As Zamani approached once more, Tanga once again reared himself up on his hind legs, ready as Zamani stood up as well, the two of them colliding, grappling with each other as they used each other to stay upright and try to gain the advantage.
But again, Tanga's bad foreleg proved to be his undoing. He could not grapple with that leg, and as such, Zamani had the advantage of having an extra limb to attack him with, and to throw his weight into. As such, Tanga was only able to hold Zamani off for a few moments before on of the lion's paws struck his chest, the claws digging in deep. Roaring, Tanga took an instinctive step backwards, overbalanced and fell, collapsing onto his back as Zamani let him fall, the claws retreating from his chest, leaving small scratches behind.
Lying on the ground as Zamani approached him once more, Tanga did not bother to even try and get up this time. He knew it was over, that he had lost. All he could do now was wait, and pray to the Kings Above for a miracle.
"You know, it seems almost too easy, finding you here, injured," Zamani commented dryly as he came up beside Tanga's form, looking down scornfully at him. "But I'm not one to complain when fate throws me an unexpected treat."
Tanga saw the claws in one of Zamani's forepaws unsheathe once more, and he knew it was over. "You took away my life and my future, and now I get to repay the favour...it looks like I've come out the better lion in the end, huh?"
With that, Tanga could only watch in horror as Zamani's paw raised up, ready to swing down across Tanga's neck. Tanga could not believe how suddenly everything had turned against him. Here he was, about to die, and he had not yet figured out his past. He had been about to ask for acceptance into a pride he had grown fond of...and now a simple coincidence was going to take all that away from him.
But as Zamani decided that the time had come to take his vengeance, and his paw began the downward journey to Tanga's throat, a powerful, ear-splitting roar filled Tanga's hearing...one that he had heard before. He had only been semi-conscious at the time, convinced he was going to die at that moment as well, but he knew he would recognise that roar anywhere now.
It meant help was on the way!
Zamani's paw halted its plunge, as the lion looked up towards the west, back towards Pride Rock. His eyes widened slightly, telling Tanga he had seen something, most like Simba approaching. Tanga heaved a huge sigh of relief, Zamani wouldn't possibly kill him now...would he?
Zamani turned back to Tanga, his paw still raised menacingly above Tanga's neck. "Of course...I should have realised that this was not your territory...you're a rogue, and a horrible one at that." Zamani's paw lowered back to the ground, the claws vanishing, although the menacing look in his eyes did not go with them. "I hope that this pride learns of your true colours soon enough, and that you know what it feels like to have your whole world torn away from you."
With that final, ominous message, Zamani darted away, running off to the east, heading for the lands outside Simba's territory. As Tanga rolled over, beginning to hyperventilate as the adrenaline rush subsided, he saw two blurs whip past him, recognising one as Simba, chasing Zamani with single-minded determination. Tanga did not get a good look at the other, but could see that it was a lioness, at the very least.
But as they shot past, Tanga felt a third presence...only this one did not go past him like the others. "Tanga, are you okay?"
Tanga looked up, finding himself meeting the rugged muzzle of Vitani, who was looking at him with concern. "Yeah," he replied, hauling himself to his feet to prove that he was fine. "I'm okay, Vitani, thanks."
Vitani sighed in a show of relief, before her face became a little harder. "What were you doing out here? I would have thought you would know to stay close to the pride while your leg's still bad! That rogue could have killed you!"
Tanga sighed as Vitani's headstrong nature started to show itself. Her past had made her a stubborn, self-assured lioness, and although she did her best to suppress that, it still came out often. "There's a few things a have to do over a couple of days, Vitani...and I'd prefer to do it alone," he replied, showing her that he had not meant to make her worry for her friend, but that this was something he did not want to talk about.
It did not stop the former Outlander from trying, though. "What 'things', Tanga? Maybe I could help you?"
Tanga shook his head slowly. "Thanks, but I have to do this alone. It's only a couple more days, anyway...and I've already gotten through the more dangerous parts of my task. Besides, my leg's been feeling better lately...I reckon it might actually be alright tomorrow, even." He gave Vitani a half-hearted smile, trying to placate her with his assurances.
Vitani stared him down, determined to try and get the information out of him. But after several moments, she gave in, sighing. "Rogues," she muttered under her breath.
Tanga just grinned at her, knowing she was just teasing, before he dropped it as he heard Simba and the other lioness returning from somewhere behind him. He turned around to face them, pausing in surprise as he realised that the other lioness that had come was Kulinda.
But Tanga could not dwell on this, as Simba came up to him. "What happened?" he demanded, frowning at Tanga, the wanderer clearly able to see the suspicion in the king's eyes. He obviously thought that Tanga had something to do with Zamani's appearance.
Tanga paused for a moment, before he told Simba a summarised version of how events unfolded, leaving out his reasons for wandering the borders of the Pridelands. There was no need for anyone to know he was scouting the surrounding territory...it would just give the pride another excuse to exile him. He also did not bother mentioning Zamani's name, or how his dreams of his past included him...too many awkward questions would be raised for mentioning that.
But neither Simba, nor Kulinda seemed entirely convinced by his story, as Simba stared Tanga directly in the eye. "So you had nothing to do with this rogue entering my lands?"
Tanga fought the urge to pull away from Simba's hard gaze, and returned it as steadfastly as he could. "If I was trying to get him into the Pridelands, why would he try to kill me before we even got anywhere near Pride Rock? He was stalking me...you and the pride had nothing to do with it, I'm sure."
Tanga sighed. "But thank you for helping me...I would have been dead if you hadn't come when you did." He raised his injured forepaw to show why he was unable to fend off the rogue.
It was Kulinda who spoke up now. "That should be close to healing now, shouldn't it?" she asked.
Tanga nodded. "A few more days should be all it needs," he replied. As he sat there, he noticed that Simba's suspicious expression seemed to have faded, and Kulinda seemed to have a hint of respect towards him hiding behind her cautious surface. It seemed that the incident with Zamani may just help his image with the rest of the pride a little.
Finally, Simba walked back in the direction of Pride Rock, gesturing for everyone to follow. "Come on, then...that rogue's not coming back any time soon."
Tanga got up, taking the rear of the group as Simba lead him, Kulinda and Vitani back towards the pride's home. As they walked, Vitani dropped back beside Tanga.
"You sure you don't want to tell me anything?" she asked, trying for some information one last time.
Tanga nodded his head. "Yeah...don't worry, I think it'll become a little clearer in a few days."
Vitani sighed, obviously a little frustrated that she was getting no answers from her friend. But she spoke up once more anyway. "By the way, you were brave to stand up to that rogue. Even with your leg, you managed to hold him off long enough for us to get there. You must have been a good fighter when your leg was still good."
Tanga smiled in appreciation, but otherwise remained silent as they made their way back towards Pride Rock. His past appeared to be slowly unravelling now...but Zamani had said some things that had suggested he had done some horrible deed in his forgotten past.
For the past month, Tanga had been desperate to learn about his past. But after today, Tanga was not sure he really wanted to know the full story any more.
But Tanga fought back both urges. He knew he could not run, thanks to his still-healing leg, at least. He could put weight on it, but every stride would be painful, and Rafiki had warned him that trying to use his leg normally at this stage ran a large risk of undoing the month's recovery process.
On top of that, Tanga knew that if he showed any obvious sign of being alerted to the lion's presence, and alerted the lion to his awareness levels, that the lion in question...who Tanga was now certain was out to get him...would attack him immediately. Tanga knew that, in his weakened, slightly crippled state, his best chance of survival was to feign ignorance, and try and find help before his attacker decided to stop playing games.
Despite the fact that Tanga kept up a casual, calm exterior as he pretended to continued examining the lands beyond the borders of the Pridelands, all of his senses were on hight alert, and his focus was not on his apparent observation. He used his smell and his hearing to keep track of his follower as he continued to pace the border, noting with some relief that the lion in question seemed to have minimal concealment skills. He might be able to track Tanga well, but Tanga was finding it far too easy to gauge the lion's approximate position.
Whoever this lion was, Tanga got the feeling that they had lived alone for quite some time, and had not been taught proper hunting techniques. Without another lion to tell them what they were doing wrong, they could not correct any mistakes, and this lion had obviously missed out on being taught proper stealth...it was just sheer luck that meant he was currently stalking a weakened, injured lion.
Trying to appear as casual and disinterested as possible, Tanga turned around, slowly making his way in the general direction of Pride Rock, although he deliberately avoided checking to see exactly where it was. If he appeared to be moving with too much purpose, the lion could get skittish and attack him anyway. The key to this, Tanga knew, was to appear completely oblivious and carefree, while maintaining a constant, inner alertness.
But as Tanga made his way back across the Pridelands, he could sense the stalker moving closer to him. He had obviously had enough, and was moving in to attack, most likely going in for the kill.
Now Tanga knew he was in trouble...he was still a long way from Pride Rock, injured, and on his own, with a rogue lion seemingly intent on killing him. What could he do? He looked around, forcing it to appear casual, even though desperation was filling him, and he could feel his body shaking.
A moment later, Tanga realised just how much he was shaking when he heard a burst of movement behind him, and realised that he had given himself away...the mysterious lion was going in for the kill!
But what could he do? He could not run away, not with his leg as it was...and the same weakness meant his fighting skills were sorely lacking as well. He could not run...he could not hide...what could he do?
But as the lion made his way even closer to Tanga's position, a moment away from jumping him, Tanga's panic vanished as adrenaline kicked in, and he turned to face his attacker, his claws instinctively unsheathing from his paws as he turned. His only choice was to stand his ground on his three good paws and fight....he had been left with no other option.
But whoever his attacker was, they were fast. As Tanga reared up on his hind legs, raising his good forepaw to defend himself while his injured left stayed against his chest, all he had time to register was a dark blur before it crashed straight into him, forepaws outstretched and going for his throat.
Tanga somehow managed to raise his small frame high enough that the paws missed their target, gripping the silvery fur of his chest instead, but the force of the lion's mass and momentum felt like a whole stampede had just crashed into him. He felt the breath knocked out of his lungs as he was thrown backwards, launched completely off his paws for a brief moment, before his back hit the ground hard, knocking what little wind was left in him out as the lion triumphantly stood over him, relishing in his victory as Tanga gasped for breath.
"Don't you know that you should never wander alone when hurt? It leaves you weak and..." the lion in question gloated, but trailed off, a confused expression adorning his face as he bent his head lower, taking a closer look at Tanga as the wanderer returned the gaze, taking in the lion on top of him.
His fur was a deep, muddy brown, even darker than Tani's fur, with a lighter, paler brown on his belly and muzzle. His mane, on the other hand, was a pale, silvery-yellow colour, giving him a rather strange appearance that was only accentuated by the piercing emerald-green eyes...
Tanga froze. Dark pelt...pale mane...green eyes...it could not be anyone else. Tanga suddenly realised that he was staring at the lion from his latest dream!
The lion in question also seemed to come to a strange conclusion, because he actually stepped off of Tanga's prone form, backing away slightly. "Far?" he said questioningly, leaving Tanga even more confused.
"What?" Tanga replied. "Who are you?"
But the lion seemed to ignore him. "What in the name of the Great Kings are you doing here?" he demanded, his voice going from surprised to threatening faster than Tanga could blink. Whoever this lion was, he knew Tanga...and it had not been a good acquaintance.
Tanga gave the lion a confused expression as he pulled himself back to his feet, continuing to keep his bad leg against his chest. "What do you mean...where do I know you from?"
The lion's stance grew even more angry and threatening as Tanga watched him. "Don't give me that, you two-faced traitor!" he yelled, causing Tanga to back up as the lion began to pace around Tanga, venting his fury. "You know exactly who I am...and exactly what you did to me!"
Tanga's confusion only heightened. So he had definitely met this lion before...and by the sounds of it, betrayed him in some way. "Look..." he tried to explain himself, but the lion cut him off.
"Oh, shut up! You and your good-for-nothing father took everything from me...everything!" Tanga noticed the lion's claws emerge from his paws as he stopped pacing, ready to face off against him once more. "I thought I had found a perfect territory to claim when I found you, alone and injured...but seeing as it's you, specifically, it's an added bonus! I get a little revenge, and a new territory all of my own!"
But just as the lion was about to pounce at him once more, Tanga held his injured foreleg forward. "Please! Wait!" he begged, managing to get the lion to hesitate for a brief moment. "Listen, I don't remember what happened to you, or what I did! I have no memory of anything except the past month I've spent here, just..." Tanga sighed. How could he calm down a lion who seemed intent on killing him, when he had no idea what he had done wrong in the first place?
But Tanga's stomach squirmed uncomfortably. He could tell that, whatever it was that he had done to this lion, had been terrible, and his conscience was tearing away at him right now. "Look, I don't know who you are, or what I did, but whatever it was, I'm sorry!"
It took Tanga about half-a-second to realise that attempting an apology was probably the worst decision he could have made, as the lion roared in rage and defiance. "You're sorry?" he shouted disbelievingly. “After everything you did...after everything you and your father did...you actually believe you can come to me, Zamani, and say you're sorry, and that will make everything better?"
Tanga recoiled back, but tensed himself, knowing a fight was coming. "Well I've got news for you..." Zamani raged on. "Your apology is not accepted...not until you know the pain I went through!"
With that, Zamani lunged at him, and Tanga knew, there and then, that he had no chance of winning...but no choice, either. He had to fight, and injured leg or not...we was not going to just lie down and die...not while he still did not know what he had done that was so terrible.
This time, Zamani did not attempt to pounce Tanga, rather just jumped forward, paws outstretched, and swiped at his face in a vicious, fast blow designed to knock Tanga off-balance before the fight even got started. But Tanga's adrenaline was in full gear, as were his instincts, and it soon became very clear that Tanga had some serious experience in fighting.
Tanga ducked fast, Zamani's blow cleaning missing as the paw went high. Tanga responded as Zamani overbalanced, sending his good forepaw forward and giving the lion a shove, forcing him to back off another step, before sending his injured paw out in a fierce uppercut, aiming for the chin. He deliberately aimed the blow so that only his claws would connect, not wanting to risk damaging his sensitive limb just yet.
But Zamani also appeared to be a very capable fighter. Despite being thrown off-balance by Tanga's sudden counter, he still managed to avoid the retaliatory swipe. Smirking at Tanga, knowing that he had the advantage of having four good limbs, he backed off and pounced, jumping Tanga in the same way he had attempted to ambush him.
Tanga jumped aside at the last second, but was just a fraction too slow. One of Zamani's paws connected awkwardly with Tanga's left shoulder, knocking him off-balance and forcing him to the ground as Zamani shot past him.
Tanga tried to get up quickly, but his injured foreleg slowed him down once more, and before he do anything, he roared as Zamani's claws dug into his side, rolling him over as the lion pounced on his belly. Instinct and adrenaline fuelling him once more, Tanga kicked out with his hind legs, managing to catch Zamani in the cheek, forcing him to back off as Tanga rolled back over and forced himself to his feet.
"Stop...please!" Tanga pleaded. "I swear, I don't remember anything, and I don't want to fight you!" he knew that it was an almost hopeless cause trying to stop Zamani's vengeful rage, but he had to try. With his foreleg just about unusable, Tanga knew he was at too much of a disadvantage, and could not possibly win this fight.
But the last of Tanga's hopes of resolving this peacefully were dashed as Zamani sneered at him. "Do you really, honestly think that attempting to apologise and make excuses now is going to save you? You took away my life! I'm simply returning the favour...an eye for an eye."
Zamani came for Tanga once more, and the gold lion knew it was hopeless. His only chance of survival was if he could find somewhere where his leg would not be so much of a disadvantage...but out here, in the open grasslands, there was simply nothing he could do except hold out for as long as possible...and try and show Zamani that, while he may not win this fight, he would certainly make him earn the victory.
As Zamani pounced once again, Tanga decide to duck this time, tucking all four limbs against his torso and rolling as Zamani sailed over him. His opponent seemed to have planned for this though, as he landed nimbly and turned around, coming at Tanga again just as he had gotten back to his feet.
As Zamani approached once more, Tanga once again reared himself up on his hind legs, ready as Zamani stood up as well, the two of them colliding, grappling with each other as they used each other to stay upright and try to gain the advantage.
But again, Tanga's bad foreleg proved to be his undoing. He could not grapple with that leg, and as such, Zamani had the advantage of having an extra limb to attack him with, and to throw his weight into. As such, Tanga was only able to hold Zamani off for a few moments before on of the lion's paws struck his chest, the claws digging in deep. Roaring, Tanga took an instinctive step backwards, overbalanced and fell, collapsing onto his back as Zamani let him fall, the claws retreating from his chest, leaving small scratches behind.
Lying on the ground as Zamani approached him once more, Tanga did not bother to even try and get up this time. He knew it was over, that he had lost. All he could do now was wait, and pray to the Kings Above for a miracle.
"You know, it seems almost too easy, finding you here, injured," Zamani commented dryly as he came up beside Tanga's form, looking down scornfully at him. "But I'm not one to complain when fate throws me an unexpected treat."
Tanga saw the claws in one of Zamani's forepaws unsheathe once more, and he knew it was over. "You took away my life and my future, and now I get to repay the favour...it looks like I've come out the better lion in the end, huh?"
With that, Tanga could only watch in horror as Zamani's paw raised up, ready to swing down across Tanga's neck. Tanga could not believe how suddenly everything had turned against him. Here he was, about to die, and he had not yet figured out his past. He had been about to ask for acceptance into a pride he had grown fond of...and now a simple coincidence was going to take all that away from him.
But as Zamani decided that the time had come to take his vengeance, and his paw began the downward journey to Tanga's throat, a powerful, ear-splitting roar filled Tanga's hearing...one that he had heard before. He had only been semi-conscious at the time, convinced he was going to die at that moment as well, but he knew he would recognise that roar anywhere now.
It meant help was on the way!
Zamani's paw halted its plunge, as the lion looked up towards the west, back towards Pride Rock. His eyes widened slightly, telling Tanga he had seen something, most like Simba approaching. Tanga heaved a huge sigh of relief, Zamani wouldn't possibly kill him now...would he?
Zamani turned back to Tanga, his paw still raised menacingly above Tanga's neck. "Of course...I should have realised that this was not your territory...you're a rogue, and a horrible one at that." Zamani's paw lowered back to the ground, the claws vanishing, although the menacing look in his eyes did not go with them. "I hope that this pride learns of your true colours soon enough, and that you know what it feels like to have your whole world torn away from you."
With that final, ominous message, Zamani darted away, running off to the east, heading for the lands outside Simba's territory. As Tanga rolled over, beginning to hyperventilate as the adrenaline rush subsided, he saw two blurs whip past him, recognising one as Simba, chasing Zamani with single-minded determination. Tanga did not get a good look at the other, but could see that it was a lioness, at the very least.
But as they shot past, Tanga felt a third presence...only this one did not go past him like the others. "Tanga, are you okay?"
Tanga looked up, finding himself meeting the rugged muzzle of Vitani, who was looking at him with concern. "Yeah," he replied, hauling himself to his feet to prove that he was fine. "I'm okay, Vitani, thanks."
Vitani sighed in a show of relief, before her face became a little harder. "What were you doing out here? I would have thought you would know to stay close to the pride while your leg's still bad! That rogue could have killed you!"
Tanga sighed as Vitani's headstrong nature started to show itself. Her past had made her a stubborn, self-assured lioness, and although she did her best to suppress that, it still came out often. "There's a few things a have to do over a couple of days, Vitani...and I'd prefer to do it alone," he replied, showing her that he had not meant to make her worry for her friend, but that this was something he did not want to talk about.
It did not stop the former Outlander from trying, though. "What 'things', Tanga? Maybe I could help you?"
Tanga shook his head slowly. "Thanks, but I have to do this alone. It's only a couple more days, anyway...and I've already gotten through the more dangerous parts of my task. Besides, my leg's been feeling better lately...I reckon it might actually be alright tomorrow, even." He gave Vitani a half-hearted smile, trying to placate her with his assurances.
Vitani stared him down, determined to try and get the information out of him. But after several moments, she gave in, sighing. "Rogues," she muttered under her breath.
Tanga just grinned at her, knowing she was just teasing, before he dropped it as he heard Simba and the other lioness returning from somewhere behind him. He turned around to face them, pausing in surprise as he realised that the other lioness that had come was Kulinda.
But Tanga could not dwell on this, as Simba came up to him. "What happened?" he demanded, frowning at Tanga, the wanderer clearly able to see the suspicion in the king's eyes. He obviously thought that Tanga had something to do with Zamani's appearance.
Tanga paused for a moment, before he told Simba a summarised version of how events unfolded, leaving out his reasons for wandering the borders of the Pridelands. There was no need for anyone to know he was scouting the surrounding territory...it would just give the pride another excuse to exile him. He also did not bother mentioning Zamani's name, or how his dreams of his past included him...too many awkward questions would be raised for mentioning that.
But neither Simba, nor Kulinda seemed entirely convinced by his story, as Simba stared Tanga directly in the eye. "So you had nothing to do with this rogue entering my lands?"
Tanga fought the urge to pull away from Simba's hard gaze, and returned it as steadfastly as he could. "If I was trying to get him into the Pridelands, why would he try to kill me before we even got anywhere near Pride Rock? He was stalking me...you and the pride had nothing to do with it, I'm sure."
Tanga sighed. "But thank you for helping me...I would have been dead if you hadn't come when you did." He raised his injured forepaw to show why he was unable to fend off the rogue.
It was Kulinda who spoke up now. "That should be close to healing now, shouldn't it?" she asked.
Tanga nodded. "A few more days should be all it needs," he replied. As he sat there, he noticed that Simba's suspicious expression seemed to have faded, and Kulinda seemed to have a hint of respect towards him hiding behind her cautious surface. It seemed that the incident with Zamani may just help his image with the rest of the pride a little.
Finally, Simba walked back in the direction of Pride Rock, gesturing for everyone to follow. "Come on, then...that rogue's not coming back any time soon."
Tanga got up, taking the rear of the group as Simba lead him, Kulinda and Vitani back towards the pride's home. As they walked, Vitani dropped back beside Tanga.
"You sure you don't want to tell me anything?" she asked, trying for some information one last time.
Tanga nodded his head. "Yeah...don't worry, I think it'll become a little clearer in a few days."
Vitani sighed, obviously a little frustrated that she was getting no answers from her friend. But she spoke up once more anyway. "By the way, you were brave to stand up to that rogue. Even with your leg, you managed to hold him off long enough for us to get there. You must have been a good fighter when your leg was still good."
Tanga smiled in appreciation, but otherwise remained silent as they made their way back towards Pride Rock. His past appeared to be slowly unravelling now...but Zamani had said some things that had suggested he had done some horrible deed in his forgotten past.
For the past month, Tanga had been desperate to learn about his past. But after today, Tanga was not sure he really wanted to know the full story any more.
Chapter 13
Juhudi
Spoiler: show
The next day was quiet for Tanga, as he rested and recovered after his confrontation with Zamani, but the fact that he did not wander too far beyond Pride Rock did not stop him from seeing the results of his fight with the rogue that seemed to have a nasty grudge on him.
Word had spread very fast around the pride of Tanga's confrontation with the rogue that had threatened their pride, and the reaction was almost unanimous. Simba had lead the way, showing Tanga a bit more respect and trust over the next day, and most of the pride had followed suit, actually starting to take an interest in him, even if they were still undecided. Kulinda was the most affected, flashing him a polite, respectful nod whenever they met, Tanga returning the gesture with a smile on his face.
The new level of attention Tanga was getting was a little uncomfortable for him, but he did his best to deal with it, and to show the pride that his loyalty towards the pride that day was not just a one-off, and that he could be trusted. But he knew winning the pride over was not going to happen overnight, even if that moment with Zamani did prove to be the turning point.
Tani's group were the main group that did not react so respectfully to the incident, Tani in particular trying to claim that Tanga's fighting off of the rogue was all and elaborate ruse to gain their trust. But only those in her group really believed her, and while the majority of the pride were still deciding whether to completely trust him or not, Tanga knew that driving off Zamani had been a big moment in winning the pride's trust. While some of the pride would usually consider Tani's accusations against him whenever they were made, only throwing it out when it was obvious she did not have all the facts, this time almost every lion and lioness outside her group brushed off her comments, appearing to be convinced that she was taking her hatred of rogues too far, even after taking into account her past with Maafa.
Tanga found himself smiling for that whole day. For the first time, he actually felt mildly confident that he could convince the pride to accept him when the time came to ask for full induction from Simba.
But even so, Tanga still had to prepare for the worst, and he was determined to finish his inspection of the Pridelands borders, seeking a way he could head off to if he was not accepted into the Pridelands. He decided to relax from his inspections the day after Zamani's attack, though, giving his sore body time to recover, and also giving his leg time to heal further as well.
He had been lucky in that regard, as well. Zamani's attack had not damaged his wounded, scarred leg, and over the next day, he was finding that he could walk on it better and better as he used his free day to continuing strengthening the limb. by the end of the day, he pain he suffered when trying to walk on it had eased to a mild discomfort, and Rafiki's inspection of it that evening declared that it should be fully healed, barring the scars he would now possess, in two or three days.
Tanga found that that day after Zamani's attack, roughly a month after he had lost his memory, was the best day he could remember. His leg was almost fully healed, with no ill side effects of the devastating wounds, and the Pridelanders were, at long last, beginning to trust him, the possibility of being accepted into their pride very, very real now.
And as he pulled his mind away from the memory of that day, and back to the present, two days on from Zamani's attack, he was still basking in that heart-warming glow of happiness as he padded softly through the grass, using his injured leg gingerly as he stalked a lone antelope...one that had split from the main herd and wandered to a small waterhole in the northern plains of the Pridelands for a drink.
Tanga had finally decided to use this day to investigate the lands around where the Pridelands met the Outlands, believing he had put off visiting the site where he had sustained his injury for far too long now. But he had spotted this antelope split from the herd a minute ago, and decided that he should break the monotony of the trip to the north by testing his healed leg...and his hunting skills, since he had not hunted anything since...well, since before he could remember.
And from what Tanga could tell, he was doing an excellent job of stalking the antelope, as his vast knowledge of hunting and stalking came to the forefront of his mind. He had no idea where he had learned to hunt, or who had taught him, but whoever had had taught him very well, he could tell.
But as he closed in on the antelope, his thoughts drifted to Zamani...and the words he had spoken. Zamani had implied that he had done something terrible to the lion...something that ruined the lion's life irreversibly. For the past two days the idea had been clawing at his conscience. Had he done some unforgivable wrong to Zamani? And if so, what exactly had he done that was so terrible? The very idea of it left Tanga feeling horrible, which made him wonder what had caused him to do it in the first place...if his conscience was grating on him now, why hadn't it stopped him from destroying Zamani's life?
Tanga was so busy focusing inwards, he lost track of what he was doing...until the sharp snap of a twig breaking under his paw brought him back to the world around him. He froze, watching the antelope he had been stalking, crouching low in the grass as the creature's head snapped up, looking around with wide eyes as it tried to determine the source of the sound. Tanga also noticed, out of the corner of his eye, that the rest of the herd had snapped to attention as well.
Tanga watched, waiting...not daring to make a sound as he crouched in the grass, praying that the antelope would pass off his sound as meaningless and return to their grazing. But just as the herd settled down, and the lone antelope bent his head back down to drink, a small, pale shape shot out from behind a rock near Tanga's position, barrelling at the lone antelope.
The antelope panicked, racing back for the protection of the herd, which also ran from the indistinct threat. Tanga made no move to join in the chase, knowing his leg would not allow it just yet. He might be able to put weight on it, but running flat out was a risk he was not willing to take.
Sighing at the missed opportunity, Tanga stood up fully and walked out to the waterhole, to see if he could determine what that blur that had chased the antelope away had been. In the end, he caught a glimpse of a pale ball of fur before a familiar voice reached his ears, confirming his suspicions.
"Ah, shoot! I was so close then!"
It was only when Tanga went to the waterhole himself to drink that Juhudi actually noticed his presence, quickly backing away from him. "Oh...ah, were you hunting that antelope, mister? I'm sorry, I..."
Tanga cut Juhudi off before the cub could get too frightened, and possibly run off again. "Hey, kid...Juhudi, right? It's okay, I couldn't have caught that antelope, even if I wanted to." He waved his scarred forepaw for emphasis. "And by the way, my name's Tanga."
Juhudi just stared at him, Tanga guessing that the cub was a little startled by the kind politeness being shown to him by a rogue. "You...you're not mad?" he asked hesitantly.
Tanga waved a paw dismissively. "Nah...I was only practising, anyway." Tanga then looked around, noticing there were no other lions in the vicinity, nor was there any sign of Zazu, who was the first choice as cub-sitter for most of the pride. "What are doing out here all by yourself, anyway?" he asked, an amused note of suspicion in his voice.
Juhudi's first response was the glance off towards the north, out towards the Outlands, giving his intentions away before he replied. "Oh, you know...just out exploring," he said vaguely, causing Tanga to smile at him.
"Planning on exploring the Outlands, were we?" he asked, laughing a little at Juhudi's amazed expression. "And I assume Kulinda doesn't know of this?"
Juhudi seemed to hesitate, obviously considering just trying to deny it, but eventually sighed. "I just wanted to have a look. Everyone says that it's dangerous, but no-one will tell me why." He suddenly looked up at Tanga, fear in his eyes once more. "You...you aren't going to tell mum, are you?"
Tanga sat back, considering the possibilities. Kulinda would most certainly want to know that her son had been planning on exploring the Outlands, and would want an explanation as to why he had been brought back to Pride Rock by him...but at the same time, Juhudi's curiosity seemed reasonable, and Tanga believed that he probably should not be punished when no-one would explain why the Outlands were a forbidden area. Telling a cub that a place was out-of-bounds without telling them why was just asking them to go explore it.
Finally, Tanga came to a decision. "I'll tell you what," he said. "I won't tell Kulinda what you were planning on doing, if you let me take you back to Pride Rock. As a bonus to our deal, I'll tell you why you should not go to the Outlands," he added, knowing that, with the cub's excessive curiosity, he would most likely accept on that alone.
But Juhudi seemed to hesitate, looking back towards the Outlands, obviously weighing up his options, and whether entering the Outlands was worth the trouble he was going to get into for it. But something seemed to distract him, as he turned back to Tanga. "I don't get it," he said. "You're a rogue, Tanga...yet you seem nice...I thought rogues were meant to be mean and nasty."
Tanga forced down the sting the comment produced, knowing Juhudi had not meant to degrade him like that. "Did Tani tell you that?" he asked.
Juhudi nodded. "Mum says rogues can't be trusted, either," he added, looking sceptically at Tanga, obviously believing they were both wrong.
Tanga sighed...how did he explain this to a year-old cub? "Not all rogues are bad, Juhudi...it can all depend on what they did that got them alone in the first place. Most rogues are exiled from their pride because of some crime they committed, and that's why we're considered nasty. But others just prefer to live alone, sometimes, or are forced to leave their pride because their king does not want them around..." he drifted off, stopping himself before he listed reasons that were probably not meant for a cub's ears. He always had a soft spot for the innocence cubs had, and sought to preserve Juhudi's for as long as possible.
Juhudi didn't seem to notice, though, as he ploughed on to his next question. "Why did you become a rogue, then?" he asked.
Tanga's face fell, the question reminding him of Zamani, and his accusations. Was that the answer? Had Tanga been exiled from his home pride because of what he did to Zamani...or was there something more to it than that? Either way, Tanga's memory was not giving him any answers, so he gave Juhudi the most honest answer he could come up with at the moment. "I honestly don't know, Juhudi. I lost all my memories when I came here, so I can't remember why I became a rogue."
Tanga then realised that they were still sitting by the waterhole, and Juhudi was starting to look curiously towards the Outlands. "But enough of that for now...time to get you back to your mother." Juhudi pouted, giving him a pleading expression, but did not argue as Tanga lead the cub back to the south, towards the distant shape of Pride Rock on the horizon.
Juhudi quickly came up to Tanga's side. "Okay, Tanga...I didn't go into the Outlands...but why aren't I supposed to?"
Tanga smiled down at Juhudi, before answering, looking back to the north and rubbing his scarred foreleg idly. "Because the Outlands are a very dangerous place, Juhudi. It might look like an empty dust plain from a distance, but there are a lot of cliffs and ravines in there that hide a lot of dangerous things."
"Like what?" Juhudi pressed, curious to learn more.
Tanga sighed, deciding a presentation of the possible consequences of entering the Outlands might help keep the cub away. "See these scars?" he asked, holding his injured foreleg up for Juhudi to inspect.
"Whoa!" the cub gasped, tracing a paw experimentally over Tanga's leg, feeling the scars for himself. "How did you get those?"
Tanga nodded his head towards the Outlands. "I wandered into the Outlands, and met a rather nasty pack of hyenas there. They tried to kill me, and almost did. Simba and Kovu saved me, but the hyenas managed to hurt my leg badly before they ran."
He leaned in closer to Juhudi, speaking more softly, but in a serious tone. "Juhudi, I can safely say that I probably should not be walking now...I am very lucky that the damage the hyenas did to my leg was not permanent. That is why the Outlands are forbidden, Juhudi...because entering them is asking to get killed."
"Oh..." That was all Juhudi was able to say. but he looked back at Tanga's leg, and his curiosity was aroused once more. "Does it hurt?" he asked, pointing at the leg.
Tanga smiled. "Not so much anymore...but it used to. I still need a few more days before it'll be safe to walk on properly, though. That's why I'm always limping."
"Ah..." Juhudi said, before sitting back, shuffling nervously as Tanga sat back, waiting for him to speak up about whatever was bothering him. "You seem really nice, Tanga...I'm sorry I said all that stuff about rogues, before."
Tanga gave the cub a light, playful shove on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, kid...I think most rogues are used to it...I've certainly heard it enough from Tani to be used to it by now."
Juhudi gave Tanga a confused expression. "Why is Tani so cruel to you? You're so nice, and yet she seems to really hate you."
Tanga's thoughts returned to Tani, and the way she treated him, as he answered. "Before you were born, Tani was badly betrayed by a rogue she thought was a friend...it might have even been before I was born, actually. Because of that rogue, she believes all rogues are nasty lions that betray anyone that befriends them."
Tanga thought back on Tani's ordeal...it did not seem to quite make sense. If Tani's hatred was fuelled by nothing more than what Maafa did to her that day over two years ago, then Tanga's quiet, respectful actions should have made some progress towards gaining her trust. Either Tani's ordeal had irreversibly shifted her opinion on rogues...or, Tanga realised, there was some ulterior motive behind her hatred...some reason she picked on Tanga specifically.
But Tanga could find no possible reason for Tani hating him so completely, and dropped the matter as he turned back to Juhudi. "But don't worry about Tani...she's had a hard life, and I think she sort of blames me for it. Let's just focus on getting you back home, okay?"
"Alright!" Juhudi said, perking up now that their conversation had turned away from the depressing topics as he fell into step once more beside Tanga, although not without one last look at the Outlands, which were still close by.
For some unknown reason, Tanga felt like he could trust this cub, and so decided to talk to him about something he had kept to himself up until now "Juhudi...what would you say if I were to ask Simba to let me become one of the pride with all of you?"
Juhudi threw Tanga another confused look. "Aren't you already?"
Tanga shook his head. "No...I'm just a visitor, Simba's only letting me stay until this leg heals completely. But I was thinking of asking to become part of the Pridelands instead of leaving. What do you think?"
Juhudi seemed to consider Tanga's question for a few moments, before answering. "I think you'd be nice to have around all the time. You're just as nice as most of the pride, and a lot nicer than some..." Juhudi's face darkened at those words, and Tanga gave the cub an odd look. What would make a cub have such a look? Tanga could see that whatever Juhudi was thinking about...it left him feeling hurt, and scared.
But before Tanga could comment on it, Juhudi looked back up, the dark expression gone as fast as it had come. "But yeah, I think you should ask him to stay...I'd like to learn more about you."
Tanga smiled, but before he could thank Juhudi for his kind words, another voice cut him off, one that Tanga remembered well, even if he had only heard it once before in his entire life.
"Yeah, we think you should stay, too!"
Tanga whipped his body around at the voice, a female that spoke in a low, menacing tone. He pulled Juhudi close to him, the cub slipping between his paws, hiding underneath him as three hyenas stalked towards them...three hyenas that Tanga was actually able to recognise.
It was the same hyena trio that had largely been responsible for ruining his leg, and nearly killing him a month ago...and it seemed that they were back to finish the job.
Word had spread very fast around the pride of Tanga's confrontation with the rogue that had threatened their pride, and the reaction was almost unanimous. Simba had lead the way, showing Tanga a bit more respect and trust over the next day, and most of the pride had followed suit, actually starting to take an interest in him, even if they were still undecided. Kulinda was the most affected, flashing him a polite, respectful nod whenever they met, Tanga returning the gesture with a smile on his face.
The new level of attention Tanga was getting was a little uncomfortable for him, but he did his best to deal with it, and to show the pride that his loyalty towards the pride that day was not just a one-off, and that he could be trusted. But he knew winning the pride over was not going to happen overnight, even if that moment with Zamani did prove to be the turning point.
Tani's group were the main group that did not react so respectfully to the incident, Tani in particular trying to claim that Tanga's fighting off of the rogue was all and elaborate ruse to gain their trust. But only those in her group really believed her, and while the majority of the pride were still deciding whether to completely trust him or not, Tanga knew that driving off Zamani had been a big moment in winning the pride's trust. While some of the pride would usually consider Tani's accusations against him whenever they were made, only throwing it out when it was obvious she did not have all the facts, this time almost every lion and lioness outside her group brushed off her comments, appearing to be convinced that she was taking her hatred of rogues too far, even after taking into account her past with Maafa.
Tanga found himself smiling for that whole day. For the first time, he actually felt mildly confident that he could convince the pride to accept him when the time came to ask for full induction from Simba.
But even so, Tanga still had to prepare for the worst, and he was determined to finish his inspection of the Pridelands borders, seeking a way he could head off to if he was not accepted into the Pridelands. He decided to relax from his inspections the day after Zamani's attack, though, giving his sore body time to recover, and also giving his leg time to heal further as well.
He had been lucky in that regard, as well. Zamani's attack had not damaged his wounded, scarred leg, and over the next day, he was finding that he could walk on it better and better as he used his free day to continuing strengthening the limb. by the end of the day, he pain he suffered when trying to walk on it had eased to a mild discomfort, and Rafiki's inspection of it that evening declared that it should be fully healed, barring the scars he would now possess, in two or three days.
Tanga found that that day after Zamani's attack, roughly a month after he had lost his memory, was the best day he could remember. His leg was almost fully healed, with no ill side effects of the devastating wounds, and the Pridelanders were, at long last, beginning to trust him, the possibility of being accepted into their pride very, very real now.
And as he pulled his mind away from the memory of that day, and back to the present, two days on from Zamani's attack, he was still basking in that heart-warming glow of happiness as he padded softly through the grass, using his injured leg gingerly as he stalked a lone antelope...one that had split from the main herd and wandered to a small waterhole in the northern plains of the Pridelands for a drink.
Tanga had finally decided to use this day to investigate the lands around where the Pridelands met the Outlands, believing he had put off visiting the site where he had sustained his injury for far too long now. But he had spotted this antelope split from the herd a minute ago, and decided that he should break the monotony of the trip to the north by testing his healed leg...and his hunting skills, since he had not hunted anything since...well, since before he could remember.
And from what Tanga could tell, he was doing an excellent job of stalking the antelope, as his vast knowledge of hunting and stalking came to the forefront of his mind. He had no idea where he had learned to hunt, or who had taught him, but whoever had had taught him very well, he could tell.
But as he closed in on the antelope, his thoughts drifted to Zamani...and the words he had spoken. Zamani had implied that he had done something terrible to the lion...something that ruined the lion's life irreversibly. For the past two days the idea had been clawing at his conscience. Had he done some unforgivable wrong to Zamani? And if so, what exactly had he done that was so terrible? The very idea of it left Tanga feeling horrible, which made him wonder what had caused him to do it in the first place...if his conscience was grating on him now, why hadn't it stopped him from destroying Zamani's life?
Tanga was so busy focusing inwards, he lost track of what he was doing...until the sharp snap of a twig breaking under his paw brought him back to the world around him. He froze, watching the antelope he had been stalking, crouching low in the grass as the creature's head snapped up, looking around with wide eyes as it tried to determine the source of the sound. Tanga also noticed, out of the corner of his eye, that the rest of the herd had snapped to attention as well.
Tanga watched, waiting...not daring to make a sound as he crouched in the grass, praying that the antelope would pass off his sound as meaningless and return to their grazing. But just as the herd settled down, and the lone antelope bent his head back down to drink, a small, pale shape shot out from behind a rock near Tanga's position, barrelling at the lone antelope.
The antelope panicked, racing back for the protection of the herd, which also ran from the indistinct threat. Tanga made no move to join in the chase, knowing his leg would not allow it just yet. He might be able to put weight on it, but running flat out was a risk he was not willing to take.
Sighing at the missed opportunity, Tanga stood up fully and walked out to the waterhole, to see if he could determine what that blur that had chased the antelope away had been. In the end, he caught a glimpse of a pale ball of fur before a familiar voice reached his ears, confirming his suspicions.
"Ah, shoot! I was so close then!"
It was only when Tanga went to the waterhole himself to drink that Juhudi actually noticed his presence, quickly backing away from him. "Oh...ah, were you hunting that antelope, mister? I'm sorry, I..."
Tanga cut Juhudi off before the cub could get too frightened, and possibly run off again. "Hey, kid...Juhudi, right? It's okay, I couldn't have caught that antelope, even if I wanted to." He waved his scarred forepaw for emphasis. "And by the way, my name's Tanga."
Juhudi just stared at him, Tanga guessing that the cub was a little startled by the kind politeness being shown to him by a rogue. "You...you're not mad?" he asked hesitantly.
Tanga waved a paw dismissively. "Nah...I was only practising, anyway." Tanga then looked around, noticing there were no other lions in the vicinity, nor was there any sign of Zazu, who was the first choice as cub-sitter for most of the pride. "What are doing out here all by yourself, anyway?" he asked, an amused note of suspicion in his voice.
Juhudi's first response was the glance off towards the north, out towards the Outlands, giving his intentions away before he replied. "Oh, you know...just out exploring," he said vaguely, causing Tanga to smile at him.
"Planning on exploring the Outlands, were we?" he asked, laughing a little at Juhudi's amazed expression. "And I assume Kulinda doesn't know of this?"
Juhudi seemed to hesitate, obviously considering just trying to deny it, but eventually sighed. "I just wanted to have a look. Everyone says that it's dangerous, but no-one will tell me why." He suddenly looked up at Tanga, fear in his eyes once more. "You...you aren't going to tell mum, are you?"
Tanga sat back, considering the possibilities. Kulinda would most certainly want to know that her son had been planning on exploring the Outlands, and would want an explanation as to why he had been brought back to Pride Rock by him...but at the same time, Juhudi's curiosity seemed reasonable, and Tanga believed that he probably should not be punished when no-one would explain why the Outlands were a forbidden area. Telling a cub that a place was out-of-bounds without telling them why was just asking them to go explore it.
Finally, Tanga came to a decision. "I'll tell you what," he said. "I won't tell Kulinda what you were planning on doing, if you let me take you back to Pride Rock. As a bonus to our deal, I'll tell you why you should not go to the Outlands," he added, knowing that, with the cub's excessive curiosity, he would most likely accept on that alone.
But Juhudi seemed to hesitate, looking back towards the Outlands, obviously weighing up his options, and whether entering the Outlands was worth the trouble he was going to get into for it. But something seemed to distract him, as he turned back to Tanga. "I don't get it," he said. "You're a rogue, Tanga...yet you seem nice...I thought rogues were meant to be mean and nasty."
Tanga forced down the sting the comment produced, knowing Juhudi had not meant to degrade him like that. "Did Tani tell you that?" he asked.
Juhudi nodded. "Mum says rogues can't be trusted, either," he added, looking sceptically at Tanga, obviously believing they were both wrong.
Tanga sighed...how did he explain this to a year-old cub? "Not all rogues are bad, Juhudi...it can all depend on what they did that got them alone in the first place. Most rogues are exiled from their pride because of some crime they committed, and that's why we're considered nasty. But others just prefer to live alone, sometimes, or are forced to leave their pride because their king does not want them around..." he drifted off, stopping himself before he listed reasons that were probably not meant for a cub's ears. He always had a soft spot for the innocence cubs had, and sought to preserve Juhudi's for as long as possible.
Juhudi didn't seem to notice, though, as he ploughed on to his next question. "Why did you become a rogue, then?" he asked.
Tanga's face fell, the question reminding him of Zamani, and his accusations. Was that the answer? Had Tanga been exiled from his home pride because of what he did to Zamani...or was there something more to it than that? Either way, Tanga's memory was not giving him any answers, so he gave Juhudi the most honest answer he could come up with at the moment. "I honestly don't know, Juhudi. I lost all my memories when I came here, so I can't remember why I became a rogue."
Tanga then realised that they were still sitting by the waterhole, and Juhudi was starting to look curiously towards the Outlands. "But enough of that for now...time to get you back to your mother." Juhudi pouted, giving him a pleading expression, but did not argue as Tanga lead the cub back to the south, towards the distant shape of Pride Rock on the horizon.
Juhudi quickly came up to Tanga's side. "Okay, Tanga...I didn't go into the Outlands...but why aren't I supposed to?"
Tanga smiled down at Juhudi, before answering, looking back to the north and rubbing his scarred foreleg idly. "Because the Outlands are a very dangerous place, Juhudi. It might look like an empty dust plain from a distance, but there are a lot of cliffs and ravines in there that hide a lot of dangerous things."
"Like what?" Juhudi pressed, curious to learn more.
Tanga sighed, deciding a presentation of the possible consequences of entering the Outlands might help keep the cub away. "See these scars?" he asked, holding his injured foreleg up for Juhudi to inspect.
"Whoa!" the cub gasped, tracing a paw experimentally over Tanga's leg, feeling the scars for himself. "How did you get those?"
Tanga nodded his head towards the Outlands. "I wandered into the Outlands, and met a rather nasty pack of hyenas there. They tried to kill me, and almost did. Simba and Kovu saved me, but the hyenas managed to hurt my leg badly before they ran."
He leaned in closer to Juhudi, speaking more softly, but in a serious tone. "Juhudi, I can safely say that I probably should not be walking now...I am very lucky that the damage the hyenas did to my leg was not permanent. That is why the Outlands are forbidden, Juhudi...because entering them is asking to get killed."
"Oh..." That was all Juhudi was able to say. but he looked back at Tanga's leg, and his curiosity was aroused once more. "Does it hurt?" he asked, pointing at the leg.
Tanga smiled. "Not so much anymore...but it used to. I still need a few more days before it'll be safe to walk on properly, though. That's why I'm always limping."
"Ah..." Juhudi said, before sitting back, shuffling nervously as Tanga sat back, waiting for him to speak up about whatever was bothering him. "You seem really nice, Tanga...I'm sorry I said all that stuff about rogues, before."
Tanga gave the cub a light, playful shove on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, kid...I think most rogues are used to it...I've certainly heard it enough from Tani to be used to it by now."
Juhudi gave Tanga a confused expression. "Why is Tani so cruel to you? You're so nice, and yet she seems to really hate you."
Tanga's thoughts returned to Tani, and the way she treated him, as he answered. "Before you were born, Tani was badly betrayed by a rogue she thought was a friend...it might have even been before I was born, actually. Because of that rogue, she believes all rogues are nasty lions that betray anyone that befriends them."
Tanga thought back on Tani's ordeal...it did not seem to quite make sense. If Tani's hatred was fuelled by nothing more than what Maafa did to her that day over two years ago, then Tanga's quiet, respectful actions should have made some progress towards gaining her trust. Either Tani's ordeal had irreversibly shifted her opinion on rogues...or, Tanga realised, there was some ulterior motive behind her hatred...some reason she picked on Tanga specifically.
But Tanga could find no possible reason for Tani hating him so completely, and dropped the matter as he turned back to Juhudi. "But don't worry about Tani...she's had a hard life, and I think she sort of blames me for it. Let's just focus on getting you back home, okay?"
"Alright!" Juhudi said, perking up now that their conversation had turned away from the depressing topics as he fell into step once more beside Tanga, although not without one last look at the Outlands, which were still close by.
For some unknown reason, Tanga felt like he could trust this cub, and so decided to talk to him about something he had kept to himself up until now "Juhudi...what would you say if I were to ask Simba to let me become one of the pride with all of you?"
Juhudi threw Tanga another confused look. "Aren't you already?"
Tanga shook his head. "No...I'm just a visitor, Simba's only letting me stay until this leg heals completely. But I was thinking of asking to become part of the Pridelands instead of leaving. What do you think?"
Juhudi seemed to consider Tanga's question for a few moments, before answering. "I think you'd be nice to have around all the time. You're just as nice as most of the pride, and a lot nicer than some..." Juhudi's face darkened at those words, and Tanga gave the cub an odd look. What would make a cub have such a look? Tanga could see that whatever Juhudi was thinking about...it left him feeling hurt, and scared.
But before Tanga could comment on it, Juhudi looked back up, the dark expression gone as fast as it had come. "But yeah, I think you should ask him to stay...I'd like to learn more about you."
Tanga smiled, but before he could thank Juhudi for his kind words, another voice cut him off, one that Tanga remembered well, even if he had only heard it once before in his entire life.
"Yeah, we think you should stay, too!"
Tanga whipped his body around at the voice, a female that spoke in a low, menacing tone. He pulled Juhudi close to him, the cub slipping between his paws, hiding underneath him as three hyenas stalked towards them...three hyenas that Tanga was actually able to recognise.
It was the same hyena trio that had largely been responsible for ruining his leg, and nearly killing him a month ago...and it seemed that they were back to finish the job.
Chapter 14
The New Outlanders
Spoiler: show
Tanga could feel Juhudi shivering underneath him, and placed his body protectively over the cub as he turned to the three hyenas hemming them in.
"It would be such a shame if you left, rogue!" the female hyena said, smiling at him. But the smile had absolutely no warmth in it as she turned to one of the other two males. "Hey, Banzai! Don't you think it would be a shame if he was forced to leave this place?"
The male in question nodded. "Yeah, definitely! What about you, Ed?" he asked, turning to the last hyena, one that appeared to be deranged in some way. "What do you think?"
Ed responded with nothing more than a manic series of cackles, but Banzai seemed to understand him...or at least acted like he did, Tanga could not be sure which. "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing, without the rogue around, things would get way too boring here!"
"Yeah," Shenzi chimed in. "Because you're so much fun to have around!"
Tanga sighed, trying once more to guide Juhudi away, hoping the hyenas would let him go because of the cub. "Well, as much as I appreciate that you enjoy my company, I really must be going," he said dryly.
But his attempts to turn back south were stalled as Ed deliberately got in his face, forcing him to back off a few steps...back towards the Outlands.
"Oh, come on!" Banzai whined, although the effect was ruined by the sinister undertones in his voice. "Don't go yet, stay for a while! There's still plenty of the day left, and like we said, we enjoy your company!"
Shenzi quickly added her own part to the conversation. "The cub's welcome to join us as well, we just love cubs!"
Ed and Banzai both laughed at that comment, although Banzai actually talked through his laughter. "Oh, yeah! Cubs are the best!"
Tanga watched as the three hyenas descended into chaotic fits of laughter, trying to think of a way out of this mess. He quickly tested his paw...he could put his weight on it, but doubted he'd be able to run all the way back to Pride Rock. What he needed, desperately, was somewhere he could hide and lose the hyenas, so he could get Juhudi safely back to Pride Rock without the trio right on their tails.
But as Tanga looked around, he could tell that he had been caught out in the open. There was nothing but open grassland in the Pridelands for miles around...the closest place they could possibly offer some protection and safety were the jagged canyons and chasms of the Outlands, and they were beyond...
Tanga's mind did a violent double-take as his gaze flicked toward the barren, cracked lands, actually considering the possibility of using the outlying parts of the wasteland to try and lose them. The area near where he was currently was simply a maze of narrow, but deep ravines that criss-crossed each other, leaving isolated 'islands' of land. While the ravines were narrow, Tanga could tell that it would take a big leap to make it across one...and that was where he had to advantage. The hyenas were smaller, and did not have the same jumping ability as him...as long as his leg held out on the jump.
But Tanga could also see that, if he did make one of those jumps, he could very quickly lose the hyenas in the ravines themselves, as they were forced to find another way to get to him. He quickly weighed up the risks of his plan going wrong. His biggest issue was his leg. He was not sure how it would cope with a strain of running from the hyenas, especially since Rafiki had mentioned that it would need a couple more days still. It was tempting to simply try and fight the hyenas, but Juhudi's small form, hidden under him, quickly caused him to dismiss that idea...it was way too risky. All one of the trio had to do was use Juhudi as a hostage, and the fight would be over before he could gain any sort of advantage.
Tanga sighed...the risks were irrelevant...the Outlands were his only option. Leaning down as the hyenas slowly returned to their menacing prowling, constantly keeping him surrounded, he placed his head close to Juhudi, so he could move quickly when the time came. "Juhudi has nothing to do with this," he said firmly. "Your problem is with me, and has been for the past month. Let the cub go."
Shenzi gave a low chuckle. "What? And have him tell Simba what happened, so he can chase us down for being in his lands again? I don't think so!"
Tanga sighed, ignoring Banzai's smart addition to Shenzi jibe as he leaned closer to Juhudi, whispering out of the corner of his mouth so the hyenas wound not notice. "Just stay calm, kid. I've got an idea." He then raised himself back up, staring straight into Shenzi's eyes, as he bared his teeth in a silent snarl.
"If you want either me or the kid for dinner, you're going to have to work for it!" he yelled defiantly, before springing into action, putting his plan into motion.
Leaping forward, adrenaline filling him, Tanga jumped right into Shenzi's face, lashing out with his good paw, claws extended, striking her across the cheek, sending her crashing into the grass as Tanga moved on, wasting no time...every second counted right now, and could be the difference between life and death.
Reaching down, Tanga's jaws wrapped firmly but gently around Juhudi's middle, as he picked the cub up and, without stopping to see what the other two hyenas were up to, took off, running at a dead sprint, ignoring his injured foreleg, which was working beautifully as he ran north as fast as he could, heading straight for the Outlands.
Trying to put more effort into his run as he heard enraged yells and barks behind him, Tanga realised there was one thing he had not quite accounted for...the lack of strength in his injured foreleg. The fact that his leg had been mostly disused for an entire month meant that his stride was lopsided and unsteady, and he could not quite run as fast as he used to. His adrenaline rush spurred him on, however, as he heard the hyenas slowly beginning to gain on him.
As he ran, Juhudi seemed to realise what was happening, and more importantly, where Tanga was running. "Uhh, Tanga?" he called. "Why are we going that way?"
Since he was currently carrying Juhudi in his mouth, Tanga was unable to reply, and just kept on running, not even risking a glance over his shoulder as he heard the hyena's snarls, slipping closer and closer with each passing second. But at the same time, Tanga could see the first ravine he intended to jump rapidly approaching...it was just a matter of what would happen first.
A few seconds later, Tanga found out, as he reached the ravine's edge, the hyenas right on his tail, but still too far to stop him. Clutching Juhudi a little tighter, Tanga put every bit of strength he could into his legs and pushed off.
And in that exact moment, his injured foreleg failed him.
Tanga had no idea what caused it, but in the exact moment he jumped, his left foreleg flared with a white-hot pain. His balance ruined as he instinctively cringed with the pain, his jump faltered as he took off, sailing across the ravine. But even as his body soared towards the opposite end of the deep chasm, Tanga could tell that his leg had been his undoing...he was not going to make it.
Reaching out desperately with his forepaws as gravity took hold, and his body started to descend into the chasm, Tanga somehow managed to grab at the very edge of the ravine with his forepaws, ignoring the flash of pain from his injured one as his body slammed painfully into the rocky cliff-side, his hind paws quickly gripping the cliff-side in an attempt to take some weight off his forelegs, particularly his injured one.
But even as Tanga still recovered from the impact against the cliff-side, he could already feel his grip slipping. Knowing that the chasm was deep...to deep for him to survive the fall unscathed, he quickly placed Juhudi down, safely on the land on the far side of the ravine, before looking over his shoulder.
Noticing that the hyena trio had already run off, obviously looking for a way down into the ravine where they would be able to find him once he fell, Tanga quickly turned back to Juhudi, speaking in a low, rushed voice in case the hyenas were still trying to listen out for him. "Juhudi, listen to me...I came here in an attempt to lose the hyenas, but my leg's gone bad again."
Juhudi shook his head, knowing where Tanga was heading, before holding out a paw in a futile gesture. "Come on, I'll get you up!"
Tanga just chuckled at the cub's innocence. "I know you're strong, Juhudi...but you're not that strong. Go, kid...find a place to hide. Once you think it's safe, find a way back to the Pridelands, get back to your parents. If you want to, tell them what happened, but you don't have to...it's not that important."
Feeling his grip slipping further, as he dropped just a few more inches into the ravine, Juhudi's paw retreated, but he did not move. "No, Tanga, surely you can do something, you can't fall...you saved me from the hyenas!"
Tanga managed to smile, despite his precarious situation, and the fact that he knew he only had seconds before his grip failed. "I'm not that strong, either, kid. Don't worry about me, I'm just a rogue, anyway. Just go...hide...now!"
Tanga watched as Juhudi hesitated one last moment, and sighed. He had hoped the young cub would run at this point...his young mind did not need to see him fall. But as Tanga felt his back legs lose their footing, he knew it was too late. Giving in as his left foreleg painfully protested, he let his claws retract back into his paws, as he let go of the cliff edge and let himself fall, shutting his eyes as he felt the wind rush past him, hearing Juhudi's horrified scream, calling his name.
The fall was cut abruptly short when Tanga felt his left side slam into something, driving the breath out of his lungs, and sending pain coursing through the entire left side of his body. Tanga barely had time to register that he must have hit a ledge sticking out of cliff face before his body slipped off it, falling once more, tumbling through the air again as Tanga attempted to brace himself for the next crushing impact...one that he was certain would kill him.
But again, Tanga had not anticipated the way that the ledge had briefly halted his fall, and as such, his impact with the bottom of the ravine came sooner than he anticipated, as his right side took the brunt of the second impact, causing a strangled roar of pain to escape his muzzle as crushing pain flared once more, this time across his whole body, before he finally came to a complete rest, laying still.
Semi-conscious, and with pain coming from every part of his body, particularly his injured foreleg, Tanga panted heavily, regaining his breath as he slowly grasped the concept that he was still alive...that he had survived the fall. Once he realised that he was neither dead nor dying, he slowly pulled himself to his feet, groaning as his entire body protested. It felt like every bone in his body was broken, and we would not have been too surprised if something actually was.
Looking up, Tanga saw just how far up the top of the ravine was, and let out a weak gasp. It was a huge distance up, too far for Tanga to even bother trying to measure. Looking along the cliff-side, Tanga quickly found the ledge he had hit on the way down...the ledge that had slowed his fall, and most likely saved his life. It was about halfway up the cliff, and was barely large enough to fit his body onto it, which explained why he fell off as soon as he had hit it.
"Tanga!" Juhudi's voice caused Tanga to look up, spotting Juhudi still standing at the edge of the cliff, looking down at him. "Tanga, are you alright?"
Tanga's first instinct was to tell him the truth, that he was not okay...but he suppressed it, since it would just made the cub even more nervous and frightened than he must already be. "Yeah!" he called back, wincing as his sore body protested to his yelling. "Yeah, I'm okay kid!"
He was about to say something more, when he heard distant bark and yells coming from somewhere further down the ravine. Realising that the hyenas were fast on his tail, Tanga called back up to Juhudi. "Juhudi, they're coming! Listen to me...run, find somewhere to hide, I'm distract them!"
"But...what about you?" Juhudi called back.
"Don't worry about me, kid!" Despite his words, Tanga was rather touched by the cub's care for him. "Just go, run! Now!"
Tanga could see Juhudi hesitate, obviously displeased with the hopelessness of the situation. Tanga hated the situation he was in as well. Hurt from the fall, and once more unable to walk on his bad left foreleg, he knew that he had absolutely no chance of fending off the three hyenas. All he could do was distract them, and pray he gave Juhudi enough time to hide, and possibly escape, before the hyenas killed him.
But as the growling became louder, Juhudi finally saw sense and ran off, disappearing from Tanga's view. Sighing in mild relief, Tanga turned away from the sounds of the hyenas, limping off, his left foreleg once more tucked against his chest since it was refusing to hold his weight. He moved as fast as his awkward three-legged gait allowed, but knew that he would be lucky to get a minute before the hyenas caught up to him...and then it would all be over.
Despite the lack of memories further than a month back, Tanga did not want to die. The last month had been a mixed experience, but he had grown to love the Pridelands, and many of the lions and lionesses inside the group. And since he knew he was barely a full-grown adult, he did not want his life taken away from him...he wanted to live, return to the Pridelands, and find a life there, by Juhudi's side.
But sure enough, mere moments after he had set off, he head Banzai's triumphant cry. "There he is!" He attempted to increase his pace, but his injured leg simply would not help him out. Seeking to buy Juhudi as much time as possible, Tanga rounded a corner, attempting to lead the hyenas away from the cub. But his plan was ruined when he found that the side-passage in the ravine turned out to be a dead-end.
Sighing once more, he turned around just as the three hyenas stalked into the dead-end passage, sealing him in and trapping him, slowly advancing on him, menacing grins adorning all three faces. "Well, what are you waiting for?" he demanded, a defiant frown on his own muzzle. "Scared of a crippled lion?"
Shenzi's malicious grin widened as she stalked closer, turning her head so that the wounds across her face, that Tanga had inflicted barely a minute ago, were easily visible, the fur on the cheek stained with her blood. "Not at all...we just want to draw out the moment, that's all. It's more enjoyable that way."
Banzai added in his customary addition almost immediately. "Yeah...entertainment and a meal all in one! Why take away the entertainment?"
The three of them fell silent once more as they continued their cautious advance, Tanga mind going into overdrive as he tried to figure out what he could possibly do. He was one lion, against three spotted hyenas, and even though he was bigger and stronger than the hyenas, he was also injured, and could not fight effectively. But he knew that he had no choice, and as such, lowered his stance, unsheathing his claws as he prepared for one, final stand against them. Maybe, with a little luck, he could take one of them with him, and give Juhudi a better chance.
The hyenas, on the other hand, noticed his aggressive, ready stance, and sprang into action. Ed was the first, charging forward in a blind rush, the deranged hyena obviously having no concept of tactics and subtlety. Tanga similarly met him head on, a swipe from his good forepaw sending the idiotic hyena sprawling into the ground, dazed.
But then Tanga realised, too late, that while Ed had no idea of tactics, the others did. While Tanga had been distracted by Ed, and off-balance since both his forepaws had to leave the ground briefly, Shenzi charged, leaping at him. Having no chance, Tanga was helpless as the hyena pounced into his exposed chest, sending him toppling over backwards, roaring as his already-sore back crashed into the rocky ground, Shenzi's claws digging into his chest.
Shenzi leaned in close to him, sneering as she spoke in a low, cold tone. "You got away from us by sheer luck last time. This time, Simba and Kovu are not around to save your sorry hide. You are alone, and I am going to enjoy feasting on your - "
Whatever part of Tanga Shenzi was going to enjoy feasting upon was never discovered, for at that exact moment her words transformed into a single, pained yelp as a small blur hit the side of her head with a rather sickening thud. The force of the impact caused Shenzi to roll off of Tanga as she collapsed in a heap beside him, out cold.
Shocked by the sudden turn of events, neither Tanga, nor the two hyenas moved, all three of them staring at Shenzi's unconscious form, wondering what had happened. This proved to be one of their undoing, as Tanga spotted another fast-moving blur out of the corner of his eye sail through the air, striking Ed in his soft belly, causing him to yelp, jumping a mile in the air as everyone now tried to determine the source of the blur, which Tanga noted was a small, but solid-looking rock.
But Tanga had seen it approach, and realised that it had come from somewhere above him...and the only place that could possibly be the source was the lands back out at the top of the ravine. Looking up, Tanga could not help but shake his head and smile a he pulled himself to his feet, noticing Banzai's gaze was also focused on the rock's origin, the hyena's jaw dropping in disbelief.
There, at the top of the ravine, smirking down at them, was Juhudi. He held yet another rock in one of his forepaws, tossing it casually up and down as he sat at the edge of the ravine, his gaze focused on Banzai. Without speaking another word, knowing he had everyone's attention, he threw his third rock down into the ravine with surprising speed and force, the rock hurtling through the air with unerring accuracy towards Banzai. This time, however, the hyena saw it coming, and was able to dodge, although Tanga was astounded by how accurate Juhudi was...he had obviously practised, a lot.
"There's plenty more where that came from!" Juhudi jeered, grinning as the hyena started to look a little fearful, his gaze shifting from the cub to Tanga as the injured lion decided to press his advantage, glaring at both Banzai and Ed as he spoke. "It seems that the odds have turned against you once again. I will give you one chance, and one chance only...both of you are to leave now, and take Shenzi with you...and you are to never bother me, Juhudi, or any of the Pridelanders ever again! Do you understand?"
Banzai looked like he wanted to protest, badly...but even a hyena as dim-witted as him could tell when their situation was hopeless. With one last look up at Juhudi, who had already grabbed another rock, Banzai growled in frustration, before nodding, signalling for Ed to help him as the two of them grabbed Shenzi's unconscious form, quickly dragging her off, constantly looking back at Tanga as he sat there, glaring at them as they left.
Once the three hyenas were gone, Tanga turned his attention back up to Juhudi, getting to his feet once more. "Thanks, Juhudi...you okay?"
Juhudi gave a simple nod in reply as Tanga tested his injured forepaw, wincing as it protested having weight on it. He just hoped he had not permanently reversed the last month's healing. Tucking it against his chest as he usually did these days, Tanga started moving out of the dead-end passage in the ravine maze, calling up to Juhudi as he went. "Alright, kid, what do you say we get out of here, and get back to Pride Rock, huh?"
"It would be such a shame if you left, rogue!" the female hyena said, smiling at him. But the smile had absolutely no warmth in it as she turned to one of the other two males. "Hey, Banzai! Don't you think it would be a shame if he was forced to leave this place?"
The male in question nodded. "Yeah, definitely! What about you, Ed?" he asked, turning to the last hyena, one that appeared to be deranged in some way. "What do you think?"
Ed responded with nothing more than a manic series of cackles, but Banzai seemed to understand him...or at least acted like he did, Tanga could not be sure which. "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing, without the rogue around, things would get way too boring here!"
"Yeah," Shenzi chimed in. "Because you're so much fun to have around!"
Tanga sighed, trying once more to guide Juhudi away, hoping the hyenas would let him go because of the cub. "Well, as much as I appreciate that you enjoy my company, I really must be going," he said dryly.
But his attempts to turn back south were stalled as Ed deliberately got in his face, forcing him to back off a few steps...back towards the Outlands.
"Oh, come on!" Banzai whined, although the effect was ruined by the sinister undertones in his voice. "Don't go yet, stay for a while! There's still plenty of the day left, and like we said, we enjoy your company!"
Shenzi quickly added her own part to the conversation. "The cub's welcome to join us as well, we just love cubs!"
Ed and Banzai both laughed at that comment, although Banzai actually talked through his laughter. "Oh, yeah! Cubs are the best!"
Tanga watched as the three hyenas descended into chaotic fits of laughter, trying to think of a way out of this mess. He quickly tested his paw...he could put his weight on it, but doubted he'd be able to run all the way back to Pride Rock. What he needed, desperately, was somewhere he could hide and lose the hyenas, so he could get Juhudi safely back to Pride Rock without the trio right on their tails.
But as Tanga looked around, he could tell that he had been caught out in the open. There was nothing but open grassland in the Pridelands for miles around...the closest place they could possibly offer some protection and safety were the jagged canyons and chasms of the Outlands, and they were beyond...
Tanga's mind did a violent double-take as his gaze flicked toward the barren, cracked lands, actually considering the possibility of using the outlying parts of the wasteland to try and lose them. The area near where he was currently was simply a maze of narrow, but deep ravines that criss-crossed each other, leaving isolated 'islands' of land. While the ravines were narrow, Tanga could tell that it would take a big leap to make it across one...and that was where he had to advantage. The hyenas were smaller, and did not have the same jumping ability as him...as long as his leg held out on the jump.
But Tanga could also see that, if he did make one of those jumps, he could very quickly lose the hyenas in the ravines themselves, as they were forced to find another way to get to him. He quickly weighed up the risks of his plan going wrong. His biggest issue was his leg. He was not sure how it would cope with a strain of running from the hyenas, especially since Rafiki had mentioned that it would need a couple more days still. It was tempting to simply try and fight the hyenas, but Juhudi's small form, hidden under him, quickly caused him to dismiss that idea...it was way too risky. All one of the trio had to do was use Juhudi as a hostage, and the fight would be over before he could gain any sort of advantage.
Tanga sighed...the risks were irrelevant...the Outlands were his only option. Leaning down as the hyenas slowly returned to their menacing prowling, constantly keeping him surrounded, he placed his head close to Juhudi, so he could move quickly when the time came. "Juhudi has nothing to do with this," he said firmly. "Your problem is with me, and has been for the past month. Let the cub go."
Shenzi gave a low chuckle. "What? And have him tell Simba what happened, so he can chase us down for being in his lands again? I don't think so!"
Tanga sighed, ignoring Banzai's smart addition to Shenzi jibe as he leaned closer to Juhudi, whispering out of the corner of his mouth so the hyenas wound not notice. "Just stay calm, kid. I've got an idea." He then raised himself back up, staring straight into Shenzi's eyes, as he bared his teeth in a silent snarl.
"If you want either me or the kid for dinner, you're going to have to work for it!" he yelled defiantly, before springing into action, putting his plan into motion.
Leaping forward, adrenaline filling him, Tanga jumped right into Shenzi's face, lashing out with his good paw, claws extended, striking her across the cheek, sending her crashing into the grass as Tanga moved on, wasting no time...every second counted right now, and could be the difference between life and death.
Reaching down, Tanga's jaws wrapped firmly but gently around Juhudi's middle, as he picked the cub up and, without stopping to see what the other two hyenas were up to, took off, running at a dead sprint, ignoring his injured foreleg, which was working beautifully as he ran north as fast as he could, heading straight for the Outlands.
Trying to put more effort into his run as he heard enraged yells and barks behind him, Tanga realised there was one thing he had not quite accounted for...the lack of strength in his injured foreleg. The fact that his leg had been mostly disused for an entire month meant that his stride was lopsided and unsteady, and he could not quite run as fast as he used to. His adrenaline rush spurred him on, however, as he heard the hyenas slowly beginning to gain on him.
As he ran, Juhudi seemed to realise what was happening, and more importantly, where Tanga was running. "Uhh, Tanga?" he called. "Why are we going that way?"
Since he was currently carrying Juhudi in his mouth, Tanga was unable to reply, and just kept on running, not even risking a glance over his shoulder as he heard the hyena's snarls, slipping closer and closer with each passing second. But at the same time, Tanga could see the first ravine he intended to jump rapidly approaching...it was just a matter of what would happen first.
A few seconds later, Tanga found out, as he reached the ravine's edge, the hyenas right on his tail, but still too far to stop him. Clutching Juhudi a little tighter, Tanga put every bit of strength he could into his legs and pushed off.
And in that exact moment, his injured foreleg failed him.
Tanga had no idea what caused it, but in the exact moment he jumped, his left foreleg flared with a white-hot pain. His balance ruined as he instinctively cringed with the pain, his jump faltered as he took off, sailing across the ravine. But even as his body soared towards the opposite end of the deep chasm, Tanga could tell that his leg had been his undoing...he was not going to make it.
Reaching out desperately with his forepaws as gravity took hold, and his body started to descend into the chasm, Tanga somehow managed to grab at the very edge of the ravine with his forepaws, ignoring the flash of pain from his injured one as his body slammed painfully into the rocky cliff-side, his hind paws quickly gripping the cliff-side in an attempt to take some weight off his forelegs, particularly his injured one.
But even as Tanga still recovered from the impact against the cliff-side, he could already feel his grip slipping. Knowing that the chasm was deep...to deep for him to survive the fall unscathed, he quickly placed Juhudi down, safely on the land on the far side of the ravine, before looking over his shoulder.
Noticing that the hyena trio had already run off, obviously looking for a way down into the ravine where they would be able to find him once he fell, Tanga quickly turned back to Juhudi, speaking in a low, rushed voice in case the hyenas were still trying to listen out for him. "Juhudi, listen to me...I came here in an attempt to lose the hyenas, but my leg's gone bad again."
Juhudi shook his head, knowing where Tanga was heading, before holding out a paw in a futile gesture. "Come on, I'll get you up!"
Tanga just chuckled at the cub's innocence. "I know you're strong, Juhudi...but you're not that strong. Go, kid...find a place to hide. Once you think it's safe, find a way back to the Pridelands, get back to your parents. If you want to, tell them what happened, but you don't have to...it's not that important."
Feeling his grip slipping further, as he dropped just a few more inches into the ravine, Juhudi's paw retreated, but he did not move. "No, Tanga, surely you can do something, you can't fall...you saved me from the hyenas!"
Tanga managed to smile, despite his precarious situation, and the fact that he knew he only had seconds before his grip failed. "I'm not that strong, either, kid. Don't worry about me, I'm just a rogue, anyway. Just go...hide...now!"
Tanga watched as Juhudi hesitated one last moment, and sighed. He had hoped the young cub would run at this point...his young mind did not need to see him fall. But as Tanga felt his back legs lose their footing, he knew it was too late. Giving in as his left foreleg painfully protested, he let his claws retract back into his paws, as he let go of the cliff edge and let himself fall, shutting his eyes as he felt the wind rush past him, hearing Juhudi's horrified scream, calling his name.
The fall was cut abruptly short when Tanga felt his left side slam into something, driving the breath out of his lungs, and sending pain coursing through the entire left side of his body. Tanga barely had time to register that he must have hit a ledge sticking out of cliff face before his body slipped off it, falling once more, tumbling through the air again as Tanga attempted to brace himself for the next crushing impact...one that he was certain would kill him.
But again, Tanga had not anticipated the way that the ledge had briefly halted his fall, and as such, his impact with the bottom of the ravine came sooner than he anticipated, as his right side took the brunt of the second impact, causing a strangled roar of pain to escape his muzzle as crushing pain flared once more, this time across his whole body, before he finally came to a complete rest, laying still.
Semi-conscious, and with pain coming from every part of his body, particularly his injured foreleg, Tanga panted heavily, regaining his breath as he slowly grasped the concept that he was still alive...that he had survived the fall. Once he realised that he was neither dead nor dying, he slowly pulled himself to his feet, groaning as his entire body protested. It felt like every bone in his body was broken, and we would not have been too surprised if something actually was.
Looking up, Tanga saw just how far up the top of the ravine was, and let out a weak gasp. It was a huge distance up, too far for Tanga to even bother trying to measure. Looking along the cliff-side, Tanga quickly found the ledge he had hit on the way down...the ledge that had slowed his fall, and most likely saved his life. It was about halfway up the cliff, and was barely large enough to fit his body onto it, which explained why he fell off as soon as he had hit it.
"Tanga!" Juhudi's voice caused Tanga to look up, spotting Juhudi still standing at the edge of the cliff, looking down at him. "Tanga, are you alright?"
Tanga's first instinct was to tell him the truth, that he was not okay...but he suppressed it, since it would just made the cub even more nervous and frightened than he must already be. "Yeah!" he called back, wincing as his sore body protested to his yelling. "Yeah, I'm okay kid!"
He was about to say something more, when he heard distant bark and yells coming from somewhere further down the ravine. Realising that the hyenas were fast on his tail, Tanga called back up to Juhudi. "Juhudi, they're coming! Listen to me...run, find somewhere to hide, I'm distract them!"
"But...what about you?" Juhudi called back.
"Don't worry about me, kid!" Despite his words, Tanga was rather touched by the cub's care for him. "Just go, run! Now!"
Tanga could see Juhudi hesitate, obviously displeased with the hopelessness of the situation. Tanga hated the situation he was in as well. Hurt from the fall, and once more unable to walk on his bad left foreleg, he knew that he had absolutely no chance of fending off the three hyenas. All he could do was distract them, and pray he gave Juhudi enough time to hide, and possibly escape, before the hyenas killed him.
But as the growling became louder, Juhudi finally saw sense and ran off, disappearing from Tanga's view. Sighing in mild relief, Tanga turned away from the sounds of the hyenas, limping off, his left foreleg once more tucked against his chest since it was refusing to hold his weight. He moved as fast as his awkward three-legged gait allowed, but knew that he would be lucky to get a minute before the hyenas caught up to him...and then it would all be over.
Despite the lack of memories further than a month back, Tanga did not want to die. The last month had been a mixed experience, but he had grown to love the Pridelands, and many of the lions and lionesses inside the group. And since he knew he was barely a full-grown adult, he did not want his life taken away from him...he wanted to live, return to the Pridelands, and find a life there, by Juhudi's side.
But sure enough, mere moments after he had set off, he head Banzai's triumphant cry. "There he is!" He attempted to increase his pace, but his injured leg simply would not help him out. Seeking to buy Juhudi as much time as possible, Tanga rounded a corner, attempting to lead the hyenas away from the cub. But his plan was ruined when he found that the side-passage in the ravine turned out to be a dead-end.
Sighing once more, he turned around just as the three hyenas stalked into the dead-end passage, sealing him in and trapping him, slowly advancing on him, menacing grins adorning all three faces. "Well, what are you waiting for?" he demanded, a defiant frown on his own muzzle. "Scared of a crippled lion?"
Shenzi's malicious grin widened as she stalked closer, turning her head so that the wounds across her face, that Tanga had inflicted barely a minute ago, were easily visible, the fur on the cheek stained with her blood. "Not at all...we just want to draw out the moment, that's all. It's more enjoyable that way."
Banzai added in his customary addition almost immediately. "Yeah...entertainment and a meal all in one! Why take away the entertainment?"
The three of them fell silent once more as they continued their cautious advance, Tanga mind going into overdrive as he tried to figure out what he could possibly do. He was one lion, against three spotted hyenas, and even though he was bigger and stronger than the hyenas, he was also injured, and could not fight effectively. But he knew that he had no choice, and as such, lowered his stance, unsheathing his claws as he prepared for one, final stand against them. Maybe, with a little luck, he could take one of them with him, and give Juhudi a better chance.
The hyenas, on the other hand, noticed his aggressive, ready stance, and sprang into action. Ed was the first, charging forward in a blind rush, the deranged hyena obviously having no concept of tactics and subtlety. Tanga similarly met him head on, a swipe from his good forepaw sending the idiotic hyena sprawling into the ground, dazed.
But then Tanga realised, too late, that while Ed had no idea of tactics, the others did. While Tanga had been distracted by Ed, and off-balance since both his forepaws had to leave the ground briefly, Shenzi charged, leaping at him. Having no chance, Tanga was helpless as the hyena pounced into his exposed chest, sending him toppling over backwards, roaring as his already-sore back crashed into the rocky ground, Shenzi's claws digging into his chest.
Shenzi leaned in close to him, sneering as she spoke in a low, cold tone. "You got away from us by sheer luck last time. This time, Simba and Kovu are not around to save your sorry hide. You are alone, and I am going to enjoy feasting on your - "
Whatever part of Tanga Shenzi was going to enjoy feasting upon was never discovered, for at that exact moment her words transformed into a single, pained yelp as a small blur hit the side of her head with a rather sickening thud. The force of the impact caused Shenzi to roll off of Tanga as she collapsed in a heap beside him, out cold.
Shocked by the sudden turn of events, neither Tanga, nor the two hyenas moved, all three of them staring at Shenzi's unconscious form, wondering what had happened. This proved to be one of their undoing, as Tanga spotted another fast-moving blur out of the corner of his eye sail through the air, striking Ed in his soft belly, causing him to yelp, jumping a mile in the air as everyone now tried to determine the source of the blur, which Tanga noted was a small, but solid-looking rock.
But Tanga had seen it approach, and realised that it had come from somewhere above him...and the only place that could possibly be the source was the lands back out at the top of the ravine. Looking up, Tanga could not help but shake his head and smile a he pulled himself to his feet, noticing Banzai's gaze was also focused on the rock's origin, the hyena's jaw dropping in disbelief.
There, at the top of the ravine, smirking down at them, was Juhudi. He held yet another rock in one of his forepaws, tossing it casually up and down as he sat at the edge of the ravine, his gaze focused on Banzai. Without speaking another word, knowing he had everyone's attention, he threw his third rock down into the ravine with surprising speed and force, the rock hurtling through the air with unerring accuracy towards Banzai. This time, however, the hyena saw it coming, and was able to dodge, although Tanga was astounded by how accurate Juhudi was...he had obviously practised, a lot.
"There's plenty more where that came from!" Juhudi jeered, grinning as the hyena started to look a little fearful, his gaze shifting from the cub to Tanga as the injured lion decided to press his advantage, glaring at both Banzai and Ed as he spoke. "It seems that the odds have turned against you once again. I will give you one chance, and one chance only...both of you are to leave now, and take Shenzi with you...and you are to never bother me, Juhudi, or any of the Pridelanders ever again! Do you understand?"
Banzai looked like he wanted to protest, badly...but even a hyena as dim-witted as him could tell when their situation was hopeless. With one last look up at Juhudi, who had already grabbed another rock, Banzai growled in frustration, before nodding, signalling for Ed to help him as the two of them grabbed Shenzi's unconscious form, quickly dragging her off, constantly looking back at Tanga as he sat there, glaring at them as they left.
Once the three hyenas were gone, Tanga turned his attention back up to Juhudi, getting to his feet once more. "Thanks, Juhudi...you okay?"
Juhudi gave a simple nod in reply as Tanga tested his injured forepaw, wincing as it protested having weight on it. He just hoped he had not permanently reversed the last month's healing. Tucking it against his chest as he usually did these days, Tanga started moving out of the dead-end passage in the ravine maze, calling up to Juhudi as he went. "Alright, kid, what do you say we get out of here, and get back to Pride Rock, huh?"
Chapter 15
Trust Issues
Spoiler: show
By the time Tanga had lead Juhudi back within sight of Pride Rock, the sun was already beginning to set, the world alight in a fierce orange glow as the rogue hobbled back on his three good legs, watching the cub that had saved his life closely.
Tanga noticed that while Juhudi was putting on a brave face, he could see the strain on his young muzzle, and the light shaking in his body...the cub had suffered a terrible fright today, and Tanga was amazed he was staying so strong. He got the feeling that, back when he was Juhudi's age, he would not have handled escaping a life-threatening situation like that with as much composure as the young cub was showing right now.
But Juhudi's mask of calm could not last forever, and once the cub looked up, spotting Pride Rock, it seemed to trigger something inside the young lion's mind, for his shaking became far more noticeable as Tanga also noticed the cub's eyes swimming with tears, that the cub seemed to be desperately holding back.
Tanga, realising the cub was close to breaking down, decided to try and comfort Juhudi. "Hey, kid...you alright?"
But his words had the exact opposite effect of his intentions, as Juhudi stopped, sitting down in the grass, still a moderate distance from Pride Rock, his breathing shaky and strained as he fought to keep his emotions under control.
Frowning, not sure what to do to help the young cub out, Tanga moved a little closer, keeping his expression soft as he tried to look Juhudi in the eyes, even though the cub was desperately trying to avoid it. "Juhudi, please...what's wrong? Are you hurt at all?" He started looking over the cub, checking him for any wounds. He had small spots and smears of blood on his fur, but those were Tanga's blood, from a few cuts he had sustained in the fall into the ravine, and when Shenzi had pinned him, just before Juhudi had come to rescue. But as far as Tanga could see, Juhudi had sustained no scrapes of his own in today's incident, which left Tanga relieved.
Juhudi moved away from Tanga slightly, shaking his head. "No..." he said shakily. "...I'm okay."
Tanga was perplexed. The cub had been so level-headed and calm during the incident, and now that it was over, he was starting to break down. He could not figure out what was causing it, as Juhudi's shaking breaths started turning into restrained sobs and sniffles. Seeing the cub still fighting to hold his emotions in, Tanga tried to calm him down again. "Hey, Juhudi, it's okay...you're okay...it's over now, you're safe."
But everything Tanga said seemed to make Juhudi worse, because the next thing the older lion knew, the pale-furred cub broke down completely, rushing at Tanga and clutching onto his leg, crying softly into it. Unsure what he should do, Tanga simply wrapped his free forepaw around Juhudi, and let the cub unload his emotions into his leg. "Easy, Juhudi...you're okay."
"I...I know," Juhudi replied between heaving sobs. "But I can't stop it...it was so scary today...I couldn't do more than throw rocks at them." he sobbed softly for a few more minutes, as Tanga realised that the young cub was in shock, and if his understanding of Juhudi's mentality was accurate, the cub was also most likely ashamed of his tears as well, particularly since they had arrived after the danger had long since passed.
Eventually, Juhudi calmed down enough to look up at Tanga with wide, slightly blood-shot eyes. "I'm sorry, Tanga...I should have done more to help you...and with me crying like this when the hyenas are gone...you must think I'm a coward," he finished in a small, weak voice that left Tanga extremely sympathetic towards the cub, whose own mind appeared to be tormenting him.
He looked down into Juhudi's eyes, his voice comforting, but serious. "Please listen to me, Juhudi...it's okay for you to cry after today. It was a scary day, and you're probably in a little shock. I don't know how I know...but it's far better for you to let your emotions out rather than hold them in." He then smiled warmly. "And as for you being a coward...trust me, for you to stand up to three hyenas like that was very brave, especially when you had the chance to leave."
"But..." Juhudi's face became confused. "I'm a wreck now, and...I couldn't face the hyenas, I had to throw rocks at them instead..."
Tanga realised where Juhudi was heading, and as the cub lowered his head, Tanga placed a paw under his chin, making him look up. "Juhudi, listen to me...none of this makes you a coward. Courage has nothing to do with being the strongest or taking a whole pack of hyenas head-on. All that will do is get you killed."
Juhudi shook his head. "But I was so scared..."
Tanga sighed. "Being afraid doesn't make you a coward either. Listen...the way I've always seen it, being brave is not about not being afraid...because that's simply impossible. Even the bravest of lions get scared sometimes." He smiled down at Juhudi. "Do you want to know what being brave is?" Tanga had no idea where he was pulling this information from, but somehow, he knew that he was telling the truth.
Juhudi nodded, causing Tanga to continue on. "Being brave is about feeling that fear, of being afraid of something, and doing the right thing despite that fear." He saw the confused look on the cub's face, and decided to explain it in a way his younger mind would understand.
"Okay, you were afraid of the hyenas, right?" Juhudi nodded once more. "You were afraid they were going to eat you or something like that. Then why did you throw rocks at them, and stop them from eating me? Why didn't you run away instead?"
Juhudi took a few moments to answer. "Because they were going to kill you...and you saved me, I couldn't just let them kill you."
Tanga smiled. "And that, Juhudi, makes you brave. You could have run back to Pride Rock, and no-one would have thought any worse of you. But even though you were afraid of the hyenas, you came back and stopped them from getting me. You might not have taken them on with your teeth and claws, but if you had, they would have beaten you easily. Even if you threw rocks at them, you are brave simply because you came back."
He could see Juhudi starting to smile now, and so finished off with one last declaration. "And you are far braver than anyone else I know, Juhudi...because it's not easy to be that brave even for someone like me...for someone as young as you to be that brave is amazing...you should be proud of yourself."
"Do you really think so?" Juhudi asked. But despite his question, Tanga could see that he believed it. The cub had stopped crying, and stood a little taller, his jade green eyes glimmering with a trace of pride. He still looked a little upset and shocked, but he was no longer in the midst of a breakdown.
Tanga chuckled lightly, ruffling the top of the cub's head affectionately. "Of course I do."
Juhudi managed a weak smile, before sighing. "My dad wouldn't think so," he said softly. "He would think that I should have..."
But whatever Juhudi's father thought the cub should have done was something Tanga never found out, for Juhudi's sentence was sharply cut off by another familiar voice reaching Tanga's ears. "Juhudi!"
Both Tanga and Juhudi turned to face Pride Rock, seeing a pale shape charging at them in the twilight. But Kulinda's eyes were only for her son as she ran up to him and pulled into a fierce hug, obviously relieved and angry at the same time. "Juhudi, dear, where have you been? You know you're supposed to be back at Pride Rock before sunset! I was so worried...and look at you! You're filthy, what have you been...wait, is...is that blood?"
Tanga looked at the two of them, horrified as he noticed Kulinda lightly touching one of the blood smears on Juhudi's fur, his horror only increasing as the mother noticed him for the first time.
"You..." she said in a low, dangerous voice, moving away from her son to approach him, crouched low, snarling viciously. "What have you done to my son?"
Tanga backed away rapidly, fear rendering his mouth useless. Between the three hyenas, and this one, enraged lioness, Tanga knew he would rather take the hyenas. "I-I..." Tanga tried, and failed, to form a coherent sentence as Kulinda's claws unsheathed, obviously preparing to tear him to shreds for ever harming her son.
But just as Tanga backed into a rock, and was helpless to stop Kulinda, Juhudi spoke up. "Wait, mum! Don't hurt him, it's not his fault!"
Kulinda paused, turning back to her son. "What do you mean?"
Juhudi seemed to falter slightly under his mother's hard gaze, but took a steadying breath and continued on. "Tanga...Tanga saved me today, he didn't hurt me at all."
Kulinda's look suddenly became confused, as Tanga looked between the two of them, still fearful. "What do you mean...but the blood...?"
Juhudi was quick to interrupt. "It's Tanga's blood, not mine...look at him."
Tanga flinched slightly as Kulinda's gaze turned back in his direction, but he otherwise forced himself to sit still as the mother looked him over, taking in the various scratches and claw marks he had sustained over the course of the day, along with the fact that his scarred leg was tucked away against his chest again. Her frown returned as she finished, giving Tanga another cold, hard look. "Explain this...now!"
But again, Tanga's tongue and throat seemed to be unable to form words, as he tried to explain himself. "Look, I...what happened was..."
"It's sort of my fault, mum," Juhudi once again cut them off, assisting Tanga as his mother's gaze turned to her. "I was wandering near the Outlands, and..."
"The Outlands?" Kulinda scolded. "What were you...both of you...doing near the Outlands?"
At this point, Tanga finally found his voice. "I was heading up that way to take a look at the lands beyond the Pridelands borders. With my leg almost healed, I know my time here is limited, and I want some idea of where I will go when my stay comes to an end." He decided, for some unknown reason, not to mention his desire to stay in the Pridelands, and to ask Simba for acceptance into the pride. "I stumbled across Juhudi near the Outlands, and was just about to escort him back to the Pridelands when...when three hyenas ambushed us."
At this point Tanga paused, causing Kulinda to look to Juhudi for confirmation, the little cub nodding at everything Tanga had said so far, the hint of fear in his eyes at the very mention of the hyenas enough to satisfy the mother for now.
"With my leg still not quite healed," Tanga continued, "I knew I could not run back to Pride Rock...I'd never make it. So I had to take Juhudi and run into the Outlands in an attempt to lose them."
At this, Kulinda flared up once more. "You took my son into the Outlands?" she roared, her tail twitching, Tanga noting her tense body stance, knowing that she was a hair's breadth from pouncing and attacking him.
His voice shook slightly...he was scared of what Kulinda would do to him. "As I said before, I had no choice. I couldn't out-run the hyenas, and the Outlands was the only place close enough where I could lose them. But I hurt my leg in there again, and the hyenas would have killed me...but Juhudi saved my life." He gave a warm smile to the cub, who smiled hesitantly back. "Look, Kulinda, I'm sorry for putting your son in danger, and you are well within your right to do anything you want to me."
Tanga waited for what he felt was the inevitable clawing he was going to get as he sat there, watching Kulinda as she battled with her thoughts and emotions.
But once again, Juhudi put in a few words of his own, his voice shaking. "Please, mum...don't hurt him. He saved my life...I thought those hyenas were going to get us when they first appeared. Tanga nearly died saving me, I don't..." he walked up to his mother and clutched her foreleg, a few more tears leaking down his cheeks, obviously feeling the trauma of the day all over again. "I owe him everything, mum...please?"
Kulinda looked down at her son, Tanga waiting with baited breath for her decision. He took a cautious step backwards as the lioness' gaze turned his way, before she spoke. "Alright, Tanga...I trust my son, therefore I'll trust you...for now." Her voice became a lot harder as she took a menacing step towards him. "But if I hear anything about you harming my son in any way, I will not be giving you another chance...are we clear?"
Tanga swallowed nervously, but nodded. "I understand." He thought Kulinda was overreacting to the whole situation slightly...but since it involved her son, he could not blame her in the slightest. She would naturally be very protective of Juhudi, and with his status as a rogue still standing, she would naturally be suspicious of him.
Kulinda nodded stiffly, seemingly satisfied with Tanga's response, before turning back to her son. "Come on, Juhudi, let's get you back to Pride Rock."
Juhudi followed his mother as Tanga watched the two of them go, smiling as Juhudi looked back, showing a confused expression when the golden-furred lion did not follow. "Go on," he said, nodding in the direction of Pride Rock as Juhudi stopped, causing Kulinda to stop and look back as well.
But Juhudi stayed where he was, his gaze turning between Tanga and Kulinda. "What about Tanga?" he finally asked. "Where does he stay?"
Kulinda looked towards Tanga, who sighed, knowing it was up to him to explain. "I might be staying here, Juhudi...but like I told you earlier today, I'm still a rogue. I'm not welcome inside Pride Rock. I have a place nearby that I sleep in, though, so don't worry about me." He gave Juhudi another encouraging smile, nodding his head to tell him to follow his mother as she set off again.
Sighing, Tanga got to his paws and began to walk off himself, heading for the small cave that he had called home over the past month...he hoped that this would be the last night he had to stay seperated from the rest of the Pridelanders. Tanga had, after the events of today, decided that he would ask Simba for full acceptance into the Pridelands tomorrow. He had come to like Juhudi, and wanted to stay with him...even if it meant putting up with Tani's snide remarks, and Kulinda's distrusting glares.
"Isn't there some way he can stay with us?" Juhudi's voice once again reached Tanga's ears, causing him to stop and turn back once more, locking eyes with the little cub, who was looking in his direction again.
Kulinda put a paw around Juhudi's shoulders, trying to guide him away. "You heard, Tanga...he's not welcome in Pride Rock."
But Juhudi shrugged off his mother's paw, his gaze still locked on Tanga, who was watching the whole situation with an amazed curiosity. Juhudi was showing him more trust and affection right there and then than the entire pride had ever showed him in the past month. "Mum...I'm scared. Please...Tanga saved me...I feel safer when he's around. Can he stay in Pride Rock, just for tonight...please?"
Tanga's eyes widened as Juhudi's statement processed in his mind. He had been so scared by the day's events, despite his brave face, that he only felt truly safe when he, Tanga, a rogue, was nearby. He looked at Kulinda, whose gaze turned in his direction, looking as surprised as he was as she nodded for him to explain the exact rules of his stay in the Pridelands.
Tanga took a step towards Juhudi, speaking in a soft, calm voice. "Simba said that I could only enter the main den at Pride Rock if I was invited by a member of the Pride...but only then." He decided to add one more thing. "But don't worry, Juhudi. You're back at Pride Rock, and your mother's here...you're as safe as you can possibly be, you don't need me."
Juhudi seemed to pause with this latest information, before looking up at his mother. "Mum...can you let him stay with us, please?"
Kulinda's expression became thoughtful as she seemed to consider Juhudi's request. Tanga sat back and watched, a part of him daring to hope that maybe, just this once, he would not be alone for the night. That he would be able to stay in the main den, and feel like a part of the pride for just the once.
"Mum, he saved my life," Juhudi pleaded. "Please...I want him to stay with us...I like him."
Kulinda sighed at her son's near-constant pleading, before looking up at Tanga. "The rest of the pride are not going to be happy...but I guess I do owe you for saving my son. Come on, Tanga." With that, the mother turned away, gesturing for Tanga to follow her towards Pride Rock as Juhudi bounced along happily beside her, obviously happy and relieved that she had allowed him to stay.
Tanga slowly got to his feet, in a daze as he followed Juhudi and Kulinda towards the towering monolith of rock that served as the central point of the Pridelands. He was actually allowed to stay in the main den tonight! Kulinda had actually invited him to stay in the main den with them!
As Tanga snapped out of his daze, he found himself climbing up the pathway beside Pride Rock's distinctive promontory, which caused him to pause as he finally reached the entrance to the den. This was a place he was forbidden from entering unless invited, and despite Kulinda allowing him to stay, he was still hesitant, still unsure, worried that someone would not take kindly to his presence.
He was snapped back to the moment when Juhudi turned around. "Tanga...you okay?" he asked, causing him to look up, smiling at Juhudi as he came up to the cub's side, entering the main den of Pride Rock for the first time.
"I'm fine, kid," he said warmly as he looked around the den, gloomy in the night. But even with the dark, and the night-time chill, Tanga could feel a certain warmth to the place, as his eyes gazed at the sleeping forms of the various lions and lionesses of the pride. "I'm just fine."
He continued to look around the den as he followed Juhudi and Kulinda off to one side of the den. The interior of Pride Rock, was warm, spacious, and looked rather comfortable. He could see why the pride had picked it as their living quarters...it was a magnificent home.
Noticing that they seemed to have reached the section of the den set aside for Juhudi and his parents, Tanga brought his gaze to their particular corner as Juhudi looked around, before turning to his mother. "Where's dad?" he asked, an almost dismissive sense of curiosity in his tone.
Kulinda frowned as she answered. "Probably out on one of his late-night walks, sweetie. Come on." The mother found a spot in their section of the den that she obviously preferred, before curling up and lying down on the rock, sighing as she looked up at Tanga. "Make yourself comfortable, Tanga...Mwamba, my mate, doesn't really have a particular spot he likes to settle into."
Tanga nodded, seeking out a place that was close to Kulinda, showing everyone else who had invited him in, but still a respectable distance, so that family could have their own space, even after Mwamba came back. Settling himself down on his belly, Tanga placed his chin on his paws, looking around the den once more, scarcely able to believe where he was as he closed his eyes, starting to settle off into a peaceful sleep.
But Tanga's eyes snapped back open as he felt something brush against his mane, before a presence settled itself near his neck, obviously intent on staying beside. Looking down out of the corner of his eye, Tanga was amazed when he noticed a curled-up ball of pale fur settled against his black mane, already drifting off to sleep, purring lightly. Juhudi was sleeping right beside him, foregoing the company of his parents for him.
Tanga looked up at Kulinda, wondering whether she had noticed this, to find that, even in her curled-up state, she was staring straight at him. But what really surprised Tanga was the small smile that was tugging at the corners of her muzzle. It seemed Juhudi's desire to stay close to Tanga was finally gaining the mother's trust.
"He won't even do that with me," she commented softly, so only Tanga could hear, since Juhudi was already fast asleep. "You must have really made an impression on him today, Tanga...thank you."
Tanga had no idea how to respond to Kulinda's kind words. And by the time he opened his muzzle, he noticed Kulinda had curled her head back away, and appeared to also be drifting off. Deciding there was little point in saying anything now, Tanga gave one last look towards Juhudi, before closing his eyes once more, a smile spread across his own muzzle as he drifted off to sleep.
What had started as a day of danger and desperation had inadvertently won over the trust of a protective mother and her son. When he asked Simba for acceptance into the pride tomorrow, Tanga was now happy and confident that Juhudi's story would go a long way into helping his cause.
Tanga noticed that while Juhudi was putting on a brave face, he could see the strain on his young muzzle, and the light shaking in his body...the cub had suffered a terrible fright today, and Tanga was amazed he was staying so strong. He got the feeling that, back when he was Juhudi's age, he would not have handled escaping a life-threatening situation like that with as much composure as the young cub was showing right now.
But Juhudi's mask of calm could not last forever, and once the cub looked up, spotting Pride Rock, it seemed to trigger something inside the young lion's mind, for his shaking became far more noticeable as Tanga also noticed the cub's eyes swimming with tears, that the cub seemed to be desperately holding back.
Tanga, realising the cub was close to breaking down, decided to try and comfort Juhudi. "Hey, kid...you alright?"
But his words had the exact opposite effect of his intentions, as Juhudi stopped, sitting down in the grass, still a moderate distance from Pride Rock, his breathing shaky and strained as he fought to keep his emotions under control.
Frowning, not sure what to do to help the young cub out, Tanga moved a little closer, keeping his expression soft as he tried to look Juhudi in the eyes, even though the cub was desperately trying to avoid it. "Juhudi, please...what's wrong? Are you hurt at all?" He started looking over the cub, checking him for any wounds. He had small spots and smears of blood on his fur, but those were Tanga's blood, from a few cuts he had sustained in the fall into the ravine, and when Shenzi had pinned him, just before Juhudi had come to rescue. But as far as Tanga could see, Juhudi had sustained no scrapes of his own in today's incident, which left Tanga relieved.
Juhudi moved away from Tanga slightly, shaking his head. "No..." he said shakily. "...I'm okay."
Tanga was perplexed. The cub had been so level-headed and calm during the incident, and now that it was over, he was starting to break down. He could not figure out what was causing it, as Juhudi's shaking breaths started turning into restrained sobs and sniffles. Seeing the cub still fighting to hold his emotions in, Tanga tried to calm him down again. "Hey, Juhudi, it's okay...you're okay...it's over now, you're safe."
But everything Tanga said seemed to make Juhudi worse, because the next thing the older lion knew, the pale-furred cub broke down completely, rushing at Tanga and clutching onto his leg, crying softly into it. Unsure what he should do, Tanga simply wrapped his free forepaw around Juhudi, and let the cub unload his emotions into his leg. "Easy, Juhudi...you're okay."
"I...I know," Juhudi replied between heaving sobs. "But I can't stop it...it was so scary today...I couldn't do more than throw rocks at them." he sobbed softly for a few more minutes, as Tanga realised that the young cub was in shock, and if his understanding of Juhudi's mentality was accurate, the cub was also most likely ashamed of his tears as well, particularly since they had arrived after the danger had long since passed.
Eventually, Juhudi calmed down enough to look up at Tanga with wide, slightly blood-shot eyes. "I'm sorry, Tanga...I should have done more to help you...and with me crying like this when the hyenas are gone...you must think I'm a coward," he finished in a small, weak voice that left Tanga extremely sympathetic towards the cub, whose own mind appeared to be tormenting him.
He looked down into Juhudi's eyes, his voice comforting, but serious. "Please listen to me, Juhudi...it's okay for you to cry after today. It was a scary day, and you're probably in a little shock. I don't know how I know...but it's far better for you to let your emotions out rather than hold them in." He then smiled warmly. "And as for you being a coward...trust me, for you to stand up to three hyenas like that was very brave, especially when you had the chance to leave."
"But..." Juhudi's face became confused. "I'm a wreck now, and...I couldn't face the hyenas, I had to throw rocks at them instead..."
Tanga realised where Juhudi was heading, and as the cub lowered his head, Tanga placed a paw under his chin, making him look up. "Juhudi, listen to me...none of this makes you a coward. Courage has nothing to do with being the strongest or taking a whole pack of hyenas head-on. All that will do is get you killed."
Juhudi shook his head. "But I was so scared..."
Tanga sighed. "Being afraid doesn't make you a coward either. Listen...the way I've always seen it, being brave is not about not being afraid...because that's simply impossible. Even the bravest of lions get scared sometimes." He smiled down at Juhudi. "Do you want to know what being brave is?" Tanga had no idea where he was pulling this information from, but somehow, he knew that he was telling the truth.
Juhudi nodded, causing Tanga to continue on. "Being brave is about feeling that fear, of being afraid of something, and doing the right thing despite that fear." He saw the confused look on the cub's face, and decided to explain it in a way his younger mind would understand.
"Okay, you were afraid of the hyenas, right?" Juhudi nodded once more. "You were afraid they were going to eat you or something like that. Then why did you throw rocks at them, and stop them from eating me? Why didn't you run away instead?"
Juhudi took a few moments to answer. "Because they were going to kill you...and you saved me, I couldn't just let them kill you."
Tanga smiled. "And that, Juhudi, makes you brave. You could have run back to Pride Rock, and no-one would have thought any worse of you. But even though you were afraid of the hyenas, you came back and stopped them from getting me. You might not have taken them on with your teeth and claws, but if you had, they would have beaten you easily. Even if you threw rocks at them, you are brave simply because you came back."
He could see Juhudi starting to smile now, and so finished off with one last declaration. "And you are far braver than anyone else I know, Juhudi...because it's not easy to be that brave even for someone like me...for someone as young as you to be that brave is amazing...you should be proud of yourself."
"Do you really think so?" Juhudi asked. But despite his question, Tanga could see that he believed it. The cub had stopped crying, and stood a little taller, his jade green eyes glimmering with a trace of pride. He still looked a little upset and shocked, but he was no longer in the midst of a breakdown.
Tanga chuckled lightly, ruffling the top of the cub's head affectionately. "Of course I do."
Juhudi managed a weak smile, before sighing. "My dad wouldn't think so," he said softly. "He would think that I should have..."
But whatever Juhudi's father thought the cub should have done was something Tanga never found out, for Juhudi's sentence was sharply cut off by another familiar voice reaching Tanga's ears. "Juhudi!"
Both Tanga and Juhudi turned to face Pride Rock, seeing a pale shape charging at them in the twilight. But Kulinda's eyes were only for her son as she ran up to him and pulled into a fierce hug, obviously relieved and angry at the same time. "Juhudi, dear, where have you been? You know you're supposed to be back at Pride Rock before sunset! I was so worried...and look at you! You're filthy, what have you been...wait, is...is that blood?"
Tanga looked at the two of them, horrified as he noticed Kulinda lightly touching one of the blood smears on Juhudi's fur, his horror only increasing as the mother noticed him for the first time.
"You..." she said in a low, dangerous voice, moving away from her son to approach him, crouched low, snarling viciously. "What have you done to my son?"
Tanga backed away rapidly, fear rendering his mouth useless. Between the three hyenas, and this one, enraged lioness, Tanga knew he would rather take the hyenas. "I-I..." Tanga tried, and failed, to form a coherent sentence as Kulinda's claws unsheathed, obviously preparing to tear him to shreds for ever harming her son.
But just as Tanga backed into a rock, and was helpless to stop Kulinda, Juhudi spoke up. "Wait, mum! Don't hurt him, it's not his fault!"
Kulinda paused, turning back to her son. "What do you mean?"
Juhudi seemed to falter slightly under his mother's hard gaze, but took a steadying breath and continued on. "Tanga...Tanga saved me today, he didn't hurt me at all."
Kulinda's look suddenly became confused, as Tanga looked between the two of them, still fearful. "What do you mean...but the blood...?"
Juhudi was quick to interrupt. "It's Tanga's blood, not mine...look at him."
Tanga flinched slightly as Kulinda's gaze turned back in his direction, but he otherwise forced himself to sit still as the mother looked him over, taking in the various scratches and claw marks he had sustained over the course of the day, along with the fact that his scarred leg was tucked away against his chest again. Her frown returned as she finished, giving Tanga another cold, hard look. "Explain this...now!"
But again, Tanga's tongue and throat seemed to be unable to form words, as he tried to explain himself. "Look, I...what happened was..."
"It's sort of my fault, mum," Juhudi once again cut them off, assisting Tanga as his mother's gaze turned to her. "I was wandering near the Outlands, and..."
"The Outlands?" Kulinda scolded. "What were you...both of you...doing near the Outlands?"
At this point, Tanga finally found his voice. "I was heading up that way to take a look at the lands beyond the Pridelands borders. With my leg almost healed, I know my time here is limited, and I want some idea of where I will go when my stay comes to an end." He decided, for some unknown reason, not to mention his desire to stay in the Pridelands, and to ask Simba for acceptance into the pride. "I stumbled across Juhudi near the Outlands, and was just about to escort him back to the Pridelands when...when three hyenas ambushed us."
At this point Tanga paused, causing Kulinda to look to Juhudi for confirmation, the little cub nodding at everything Tanga had said so far, the hint of fear in his eyes at the very mention of the hyenas enough to satisfy the mother for now.
"With my leg still not quite healed," Tanga continued, "I knew I could not run back to Pride Rock...I'd never make it. So I had to take Juhudi and run into the Outlands in an attempt to lose them."
At this, Kulinda flared up once more. "You took my son into the Outlands?" she roared, her tail twitching, Tanga noting her tense body stance, knowing that she was a hair's breadth from pouncing and attacking him.
His voice shook slightly...he was scared of what Kulinda would do to him. "As I said before, I had no choice. I couldn't out-run the hyenas, and the Outlands was the only place close enough where I could lose them. But I hurt my leg in there again, and the hyenas would have killed me...but Juhudi saved my life." He gave a warm smile to the cub, who smiled hesitantly back. "Look, Kulinda, I'm sorry for putting your son in danger, and you are well within your right to do anything you want to me."
Tanga waited for what he felt was the inevitable clawing he was going to get as he sat there, watching Kulinda as she battled with her thoughts and emotions.
But once again, Juhudi put in a few words of his own, his voice shaking. "Please, mum...don't hurt him. He saved my life...I thought those hyenas were going to get us when they first appeared. Tanga nearly died saving me, I don't..." he walked up to his mother and clutched her foreleg, a few more tears leaking down his cheeks, obviously feeling the trauma of the day all over again. "I owe him everything, mum...please?"
Kulinda looked down at her son, Tanga waiting with baited breath for her decision. He took a cautious step backwards as the lioness' gaze turned his way, before she spoke. "Alright, Tanga...I trust my son, therefore I'll trust you...for now." Her voice became a lot harder as she took a menacing step towards him. "But if I hear anything about you harming my son in any way, I will not be giving you another chance...are we clear?"
Tanga swallowed nervously, but nodded. "I understand." He thought Kulinda was overreacting to the whole situation slightly...but since it involved her son, he could not blame her in the slightest. She would naturally be very protective of Juhudi, and with his status as a rogue still standing, she would naturally be suspicious of him.
Kulinda nodded stiffly, seemingly satisfied with Tanga's response, before turning back to her son. "Come on, Juhudi, let's get you back to Pride Rock."
Juhudi followed his mother as Tanga watched the two of them go, smiling as Juhudi looked back, showing a confused expression when the golden-furred lion did not follow. "Go on," he said, nodding in the direction of Pride Rock as Juhudi stopped, causing Kulinda to stop and look back as well.
But Juhudi stayed where he was, his gaze turning between Tanga and Kulinda. "What about Tanga?" he finally asked. "Where does he stay?"
Kulinda looked towards Tanga, who sighed, knowing it was up to him to explain. "I might be staying here, Juhudi...but like I told you earlier today, I'm still a rogue. I'm not welcome inside Pride Rock. I have a place nearby that I sleep in, though, so don't worry about me." He gave Juhudi another encouraging smile, nodding his head to tell him to follow his mother as she set off again.
Sighing, Tanga got to his paws and began to walk off himself, heading for the small cave that he had called home over the past month...he hoped that this would be the last night he had to stay seperated from the rest of the Pridelanders. Tanga had, after the events of today, decided that he would ask Simba for full acceptance into the Pridelands tomorrow. He had come to like Juhudi, and wanted to stay with him...even if it meant putting up with Tani's snide remarks, and Kulinda's distrusting glares.
"Isn't there some way he can stay with us?" Juhudi's voice once again reached Tanga's ears, causing him to stop and turn back once more, locking eyes with the little cub, who was looking in his direction again.
Kulinda put a paw around Juhudi's shoulders, trying to guide him away. "You heard, Tanga...he's not welcome in Pride Rock."
But Juhudi shrugged off his mother's paw, his gaze still locked on Tanga, who was watching the whole situation with an amazed curiosity. Juhudi was showing him more trust and affection right there and then than the entire pride had ever showed him in the past month. "Mum...I'm scared. Please...Tanga saved me...I feel safer when he's around. Can he stay in Pride Rock, just for tonight...please?"
Tanga's eyes widened as Juhudi's statement processed in his mind. He had been so scared by the day's events, despite his brave face, that he only felt truly safe when he, Tanga, a rogue, was nearby. He looked at Kulinda, whose gaze turned in his direction, looking as surprised as he was as she nodded for him to explain the exact rules of his stay in the Pridelands.
Tanga took a step towards Juhudi, speaking in a soft, calm voice. "Simba said that I could only enter the main den at Pride Rock if I was invited by a member of the Pride...but only then." He decided to add one more thing. "But don't worry, Juhudi. You're back at Pride Rock, and your mother's here...you're as safe as you can possibly be, you don't need me."
Juhudi seemed to pause with this latest information, before looking up at his mother. "Mum...can you let him stay with us, please?"
Kulinda's expression became thoughtful as she seemed to consider Juhudi's request. Tanga sat back and watched, a part of him daring to hope that maybe, just this once, he would not be alone for the night. That he would be able to stay in the main den, and feel like a part of the pride for just the once.
"Mum, he saved my life," Juhudi pleaded. "Please...I want him to stay with us...I like him."
Kulinda sighed at her son's near-constant pleading, before looking up at Tanga. "The rest of the pride are not going to be happy...but I guess I do owe you for saving my son. Come on, Tanga." With that, the mother turned away, gesturing for Tanga to follow her towards Pride Rock as Juhudi bounced along happily beside her, obviously happy and relieved that she had allowed him to stay.
Tanga slowly got to his feet, in a daze as he followed Juhudi and Kulinda towards the towering monolith of rock that served as the central point of the Pridelands. He was actually allowed to stay in the main den tonight! Kulinda had actually invited him to stay in the main den with them!
As Tanga snapped out of his daze, he found himself climbing up the pathway beside Pride Rock's distinctive promontory, which caused him to pause as he finally reached the entrance to the den. This was a place he was forbidden from entering unless invited, and despite Kulinda allowing him to stay, he was still hesitant, still unsure, worried that someone would not take kindly to his presence.
He was snapped back to the moment when Juhudi turned around. "Tanga...you okay?" he asked, causing him to look up, smiling at Juhudi as he came up to the cub's side, entering the main den of Pride Rock for the first time.
"I'm fine, kid," he said warmly as he looked around the den, gloomy in the night. But even with the dark, and the night-time chill, Tanga could feel a certain warmth to the place, as his eyes gazed at the sleeping forms of the various lions and lionesses of the pride. "I'm just fine."
He continued to look around the den as he followed Juhudi and Kulinda off to one side of the den. The interior of Pride Rock, was warm, spacious, and looked rather comfortable. He could see why the pride had picked it as their living quarters...it was a magnificent home.
Noticing that they seemed to have reached the section of the den set aside for Juhudi and his parents, Tanga brought his gaze to their particular corner as Juhudi looked around, before turning to his mother. "Where's dad?" he asked, an almost dismissive sense of curiosity in his tone.
Kulinda frowned as she answered. "Probably out on one of his late-night walks, sweetie. Come on." The mother found a spot in their section of the den that she obviously preferred, before curling up and lying down on the rock, sighing as she looked up at Tanga. "Make yourself comfortable, Tanga...Mwamba, my mate, doesn't really have a particular spot he likes to settle into."
Tanga nodded, seeking out a place that was close to Kulinda, showing everyone else who had invited him in, but still a respectable distance, so that family could have their own space, even after Mwamba came back. Settling himself down on his belly, Tanga placed his chin on his paws, looking around the den once more, scarcely able to believe where he was as he closed his eyes, starting to settle off into a peaceful sleep.
But Tanga's eyes snapped back open as he felt something brush against his mane, before a presence settled itself near his neck, obviously intent on staying beside. Looking down out of the corner of his eye, Tanga was amazed when he noticed a curled-up ball of pale fur settled against his black mane, already drifting off to sleep, purring lightly. Juhudi was sleeping right beside him, foregoing the company of his parents for him.
Tanga looked up at Kulinda, wondering whether she had noticed this, to find that, even in her curled-up state, she was staring straight at him. But what really surprised Tanga was the small smile that was tugging at the corners of her muzzle. It seemed Juhudi's desire to stay close to Tanga was finally gaining the mother's trust.
"He won't even do that with me," she commented softly, so only Tanga could hear, since Juhudi was already fast asleep. "You must have really made an impression on him today, Tanga...thank you."
Tanga had no idea how to respond to Kulinda's kind words. And by the time he opened his muzzle, he noticed Kulinda had curled her head back away, and appeared to also be drifting off. Deciding there was little point in saying anything now, Tanga gave one last look towards Juhudi, before closing his eyes once more, a smile spread across his own muzzle as he drifted off to sleep.
What had started as a day of danger and desperation had inadvertently won over the trust of a protective mother and her son. When he asked Simba for acceptance into the pride tomorrow, Tanga was now happy and confident that Juhudi's story would go a long way into helping his cause.
Chapter 16
Stay or Go
Spoiler: show
"What is he doing in here?!?"
Tani's booming voice shattered Tanga's sleep, his eyes snapping open. He raised his head, looking around the den of Pride Rock, wondering how he had gotten there. As he remembered the events of last night, and how Kulinda had allowed him to stay with her and Juhudi, he looked down, noticing Juhudi was already awake and standing beside his head, a sad expression on his face as he looked at the centre of the den.
Following Juhudi's gaze, noticing as he did that Tani's yell had woken pretty much the entire pride up, his gaze finally found the icy eyes of the powerful lioness, who was staring at him with utter fury spread across her entire body. "What are you doing in here?" she demanded. "You're not supposed to be in here, and you know it!"
As the rest of the pride turned sleepy eyes onto the scene before them, some frowning in Tanga's direction, others frowning at Tani's disturbance of the peace of the den, Kulinda spoke up, causing Tanga to turn around. "Tanga is in here because I invited him in...he has earned my trust after what happened yesterday."
Tani's face became curious. "Really? And exactly what did he do that earned your trust?"
"I - " Tanga started to reply to her, but Kulinda cut him off. "That's not important, Tani. What's important is that he is allowed to be in here...so you can stop your yelling and leave everyone in peace."
Tani's cold gaze turned onto Kulinda, looking like she was about to rant at her next. Instead, she huffed angrily. "Fine...but you and your son are going to be the first he kills, and the survivors will all be after your blood when it's over." With a final, threatening hiss at Tanga, she stalked off, her tail flicking in agitation as she left.
Tanga watched her go, an irritated frown covering his muzzle. He knew he should have seen this coming right from the start, but did not care. Kulinda and Juhudi trusted him, once word of yesterday's events started to spread, the rest of the pride would soon follow.
But that was where Tanga had doubts, as he became aware of almost every lion and lioness in the main den looking at him, no longer having Tani to fix their attention on. Feeling uncomfortable with all the sudden attention, Tanga sighed, before leaving the den, pacing around Pride Rock, trying to collect his thoughts as he went.
Would the pride trust him after learning of yesterday's hyena attack? Would they be grateful he saved Juhudi's life...or would they, in fact, be suspicious of the circumstances surrounding it? Tanga knew that once Tani found out the details of the incident, she would do everything in her power to use it to exile him from the Pridelands.
And there was still the issue of asking Simba for acceptance into the pride. How would he react to yesterday's events? There were still too many unknowns, and Tanga was terrified of the possibility that he had overlooked some factor that could make or break his attempt to become part of the Pridelands. The fact that his entire past was a mystery still did not help, since that was the source of a lot of distrust among a few of the pride members.
Trying to calm himself down, Tanga decided to start over, thinking on who trusted him, and who thought he was a danger. He knew that Kulinda and Juhudi trusted him now, after last night. Kiara and Kovu seemed to trust him as well, although Tanga noted that Kiara seemed to trust everyone. Vitani was his sole friend among the Pridelanders...and Sarabi seemed to think well of him as well.
But on the other paw, Tani loathed him and everything about him. Kulinda's mate and Juhudi's father, Mwamba, was in the same circle, although yesterday's events may have changed that. There were a couple more lionesses that agreed with Tani's view, and despite everything, Simba still seemed fairly wary of him.
Then there was the rest of the pride, who were still unsure of him. What Tanga was having trouble with was how everything would change after yesterday. Was it time?
"Don't worry about Tani...she'll come around eventually."
Tanga's head whipped around as he stopped his pacing around Pride Rock, managing a weak smile as he saw Vitani coming up to him, her rugged muzzle giving him a reassuring expression. "Tani's the least of my worries right now," he admitted, continuing his pacing as Vitani came up alongside him.
"I suppose since your leg's healed up now you're almost ready to go," Vitani said, gesturing to Tanga's scarred foreleg, causing the lion to look down at the limb. He had completely forgotten about how he had injured it yesterday, and here he was this morning, walking on it with no trouble at all. It seemed that whatever he had done to it in the Outlands had not been too terrible, and more to the point, had not affected the healing of the past month.
"Yeah...and that's what's troubling me, Vitani," he said, looking up at her as he continued speaking. "My leg has healed, which means the main condition under which I've been allowed to stay is no longer valid. But...I don't want to go. I've come to like it here, despite Tani and several others...I get the feeling that I've dealt with lions like them before, but this place is nothing compared to what my feelings say I've visited before." He managed another shy smile at Vitani. "Plus, there's those like you, and that little cub Juhudi...you're my friends, and I don't want to leave you behind."
Vitani smiled, before speaking up, her tone revealing her curiosity. "Speaking of which, what happened yesterday? Kulinda's highly protective of her son, so she wouldn't have let you in the den, much less near him in general, without a reason."
Tanga smiled, nodding at Vitani's observation of Kulinda's protective nature, before giving a brief run-down of yesterday's events, including the hyena attack, Juhudi's timely intervention, and the way he all-but-insisted Tanga sleep in Pride Rock's central den last night. He smiled at the way Vitani seemed to react, her eyes growing steadily wider.
"Wow...you've really made an impression on the kid, haven't you?" she finally said, getting a small laugh from both of them.
"Yeah," Tanga said. "He's a good kid, although I wonder why he's so attached to me?"
Vitani's face clouded over slightly as Tanga posed that question. "I don't know...his relationship with his parents is...strange, to say the least. He loves his mother, but seems a little more distant towards Mwamba. Kulinda and Mwamba have also grown distant lately. They don't talk about it, and put on a brave face around the pride, but something's bothering them...I can tell."
Tanga nodded slowly, thinking back to last night, just before Kulinda had appeared. Juhudi had been about to say something relating to his father, and the dark look on the cub's face suggested there was some issue within the family...one Tanga felt the cub might have been on the verge of revealing. Whatever it was, Tanga decided it was not his business, and turned back to Vitani.
"Look, Vitani...I..." he paused, wondering why he was revealing what he was about to to the rugged lioness beside him. He eventually decided that, as a friend, he could trust her, and forged on. "As you just said, my leg's healing, and my time here is ending. But...the thing is...I don't want to go. I want to find Simba today, and ask him to accept me into the pride. But I...I don't know..."
Vitani started laughing as Tanga stumbled over his issue. "Don't ever change, Tanga," she chuckled. "But seriously, your shyness is going to be the death of you one day. Just go find Simba and ask him, what have you got to lose?"
Tanga nodded slowly, although his mind still had some doubts. "Yeah...yeah, I guess you're right," he finally said.
But Vitani caught on to his continued hesitation, and gave him a shove. "Alright, I can see that being nice isn't going to work with you. Listen, Tanga...you go find Simba, right this instant, and you go ask him for acceptance into the pride, right now! And if you even think of backing out, I'm going to grab you by your mane and drag you to the king myself!"
Tanga just stared at Vitani. She had a big, playful grin on her face, but her words were hard enough that Tanga doubted she was joking, particularly about the dragging him part. "Alright, alright!" He finally cried when Vitani took a menacing step towards him, still grinning. "I'll ask him! But not just yet...I want to think things over a little more."
Vitani shook her head in exasperation. "What's there to think about?" she asked. "You like it here, right?"
Tanga nodded. "Of course."
Vitani grinned at him. "And judging by the way Kulinda let you stay in the den last night, there are others who want you to stay, as well. Seriously, Tanga...you have everything to gain from asking Simba, and nothing to lose. There's nothing to think about, just find him and ask him."
But Tanga remained nervous, doubt swirling in his mind. Would Simba even consider such a request? Or would he dismiss it without a second thought, leaving Tanga even more certain of his fate. He did not want to get turned down, leaving him feeling worse than before, and that was what was causing his hesitation.
But Vitani seemed to read his mind. "Look, if you're that nervous, Tanga, I'll come with you. The Kings know you need someone behind you to stop you from backing out," she added, smirking at him.
"Hey, come on!" Tanga whined, giving Vitani the smallest shove. "I can stand up on my own...I just don't like being turned down or disappointed, that's all," he added. "I mean, what if Simba doesn't accept? What if...?"
He stopped speaking when Vitani laughed softly. "Tanga, seriously, I thought you were smarter than that. So what if Simba declines? That just leaves you where you were before you asked...meaning you have to leave still. Nothing changes, but if he accepts instead...then you get to stay here forever. So just ask him, already!"
Vitani's words had a mild effect on Tanga. He realised that she was right...even if Simba declined his request, nothing changed, it just made it certain that he would never be able to stay, and removed all the uncertainty and doubt from his situation. But if Simba accepted...then his one, big dream, aside from regaining his lost memories, would be realised.
"Alright," he finally said, his voice stronger now. "I'll ask him." He then turned to Vitani, smiling at her. "You're a good friend, you know."
Vitani laughed at Tanga's compliment, waving a paw as if to throw the kind words aside. "You're a good lion, Tanga...don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise. But I've never been a very good friend in the past."
Tanga similarly laughed. "Well, you're a very good friend now...and that's what matters." Inwardly, however, Tanga knew that his words were hollow. Without the ability to look into his own past, he knew that sometimes the past did matter...that attack by Zamani seemed to confirm that. But if it convinced Vitani that she had truly been a good friend to him in the past month, then Tanga would live with it. "Honestly, Vitani...you're one of very few in this pride who has been kind to me right from the start, and I just want you to know that I appreciate it."
Vitani gave Tanga a friendly smile. "I've seen what happens when we are too quick to judge someone...my brother was a victim of it, once. Just like I promised myself to try and be a kinder lioness after I saw what my old ways had almost done, I also promised myself that I would not judge anyone by their background alone. You may have been a rogue when you came to us, Tanga...but you've proven to me that you are not like most rogues, and have also proven that I was right in making that promise to myself."
Tanga smiled back. "Glad to help. Now, you think you could help me find Simba, before I change my mind?" he said, grinning as Vitani swatted his shoulder with a paw, before leading him on their continued walk around Pride Rock.
As they made their way back towards the main den, the two of them fell into a comfortable silence, as Tanga thought about everything that had just happened. What he had said was true, in his mind, Vitani was a good friend. She had seen past his rogue status, and simply accepted him for the lion he was, even if she got irritated by his shy nature every now and again.
Tanga had noticed that Vitani was far more open and free with her feelings than he was...and he liked that about her. She was rarely afraid to let others know how she felt, and while that meant arguments tended to get very fierce around her, it also made her rather honest in a unique way. She tended not to hide how she really felt, and a part of Tanga wished he could be so open as well.
After several minutes of silence, Vitani nudged Tanga as they came back to the front side of Pride Rock. As Tanga looked at her, she pointed a paw up at the tip of Pride Rock's promontory. Tanga folled her paw, and found that Simba was sitting at the tip, apparently observing his kingdom in the morning light.
"Go on," Vitani prompted, gesturing in Simba's direction again. "Your future's waiting for you."
Tanga took one step forwards, before pausing, sighing as his nerves hit him. He was about to initiate a conversation with the king of the Pridelands...a conversation that would determine his future, and it frightened the life out of him.
But Vitani was still not having any of his reluctance, as he felt her give him a heavy shove towards the base of the promontory. "Go on! I'm not letting you back out now!"
Spurred on by Vitani's constant pushes, Tanga slowly made his way up to Pride Rock, his every instinct screaming at him to just turn back and leave Simba alone. But he could feel Vitani's presence close behind, ready to grab him and drag him to Simba's side if he showed any sign of attempting to flee. Forcing himself to set aside his instincts, he took a deep a deep breath and made his way up the promontory, slowly approaching the regal king of the Pridelands, feeling more and more like he did not belong in such powerful company.
But, after what felt like a lifetime, he was right behind Simba, and he knew he had to say something now. Looking back, he found Vitani at the base of the promontory. She noticing his gaze, and gave him an encouraging nod and smile, telling him to get on with it.
Taking another deep breath, Tanga turned back to Simba, his good foreleg massaging his scarred one nervously. "Uhh...sir?" he began tentatively. His sense of politeness said he should refer to Simba as 'Your Majesty' or some other honorific, but Simba had mentioned he disliked such titles, and simply settled for 'sir' most of the time. "I...could I talk...?"
"You want to talk about the shelter we've granted you, right, Tanga?" Simba said, cutting off the black-maned lion's question before it could be asked, surprising Tanga slightly.
As Simba turned to face Tanga, he nodded nervously, struggling to meet the king's gaze. "I thought you might," the king said simply, before looking down at Tanga's scarred leg. "How is your leg today?"
Tanga hung his head, hating what he was about to admit. "It feels fine...I can walk and run normally now," he admitted. even though he knew such an admission would mean his time in the Pridelands was ending, he would not lie to the king.
Simba must have noticed Tanga's resigned look, for Tanga soon felt his chin being pulled up so Simba could look at him. "Judging by your sadness, you clearly know what this means," he said, Tanga nodding in response. "I can tell you do not want to leave, but I do not have a choice. Even though you have spent the past month here, you are still a rogue, and I can't afford to let you stay any longer than absolutely necessary. I'm sure you understand."
Tanga, nodded, sucking in a deep breath. This was the moment...it was now or never, and despite his continued nervousness, Tanga managed to get his muzzle working again. "That's...part of the reason I'm here, Simba," he said tentatively. As Simba gave him a look that he told him to continue, he managed to lift his gaze a little higher, and the words started flowing a little freely. "Like you said, now that my leg's better, my reason for staying here is gone. But...in the past month, I've come to really like this place. It's a beautiful land, and a wonderful pride, even if I disagree with a few members."
He sucked in another breath, and plunged on. "Simba...what I'm trying to say is...I don't want to leave, and...I guess...I am asking if you will accept me as a member of your pride?"
All Tanga could do at that point was sit down in front of Simba and wait as his request sunk in. He knew he had asked a question that Simba could not answer quickly, as it was a matter that could affect the whole pride.
Eventually Simba spoke up. "I must say I am not too surprised by this request, but it's not one I can give an answer to lightly. There is so much I have to consider, not to mention..."
"Stop!"
Both Tanga and Simba turned back towards the main den, where Tani was racing from, shoving Vitani aside as she came up to them, giving Tanga a deadly look that said she was in a very bad mood with him...even by her usual standards.
"Do not even think of considering accepting him, Simba, I heard what he just asked!" Tani shouted. "Tanga has been playing us for fools this whole time...he tried to kill Juhudi yesterday!"
Tani's booming voice shattered Tanga's sleep, his eyes snapping open. He raised his head, looking around the den of Pride Rock, wondering how he had gotten there. As he remembered the events of last night, and how Kulinda had allowed him to stay with her and Juhudi, he looked down, noticing Juhudi was already awake and standing beside his head, a sad expression on his face as he looked at the centre of the den.
Following Juhudi's gaze, noticing as he did that Tani's yell had woken pretty much the entire pride up, his gaze finally found the icy eyes of the powerful lioness, who was staring at him with utter fury spread across her entire body. "What are you doing in here?" she demanded. "You're not supposed to be in here, and you know it!"
As the rest of the pride turned sleepy eyes onto the scene before them, some frowning in Tanga's direction, others frowning at Tani's disturbance of the peace of the den, Kulinda spoke up, causing Tanga to turn around. "Tanga is in here because I invited him in...he has earned my trust after what happened yesterday."
Tani's face became curious. "Really? And exactly what did he do that earned your trust?"
"I - " Tanga started to reply to her, but Kulinda cut him off. "That's not important, Tani. What's important is that he is allowed to be in here...so you can stop your yelling and leave everyone in peace."
Tani's cold gaze turned onto Kulinda, looking like she was about to rant at her next. Instead, she huffed angrily. "Fine...but you and your son are going to be the first he kills, and the survivors will all be after your blood when it's over." With a final, threatening hiss at Tanga, she stalked off, her tail flicking in agitation as she left.
Tanga watched her go, an irritated frown covering his muzzle. He knew he should have seen this coming right from the start, but did not care. Kulinda and Juhudi trusted him, once word of yesterday's events started to spread, the rest of the pride would soon follow.
But that was where Tanga had doubts, as he became aware of almost every lion and lioness in the main den looking at him, no longer having Tani to fix their attention on. Feeling uncomfortable with all the sudden attention, Tanga sighed, before leaving the den, pacing around Pride Rock, trying to collect his thoughts as he went.
Would the pride trust him after learning of yesterday's hyena attack? Would they be grateful he saved Juhudi's life...or would they, in fact, be suspicious of the circumstances surrounding it? Tanga knew that once Tani found out the details of the incident, she would do everything in her power to use it to exile him from the Pridelands.
And there was still the issue of asking Simba for acceptance into the pride. How would he react to yesterday's events? There were still too many unknowns, and Tanga was terrified of the possibility that he had overlooked some factor that could make or break his attempt to become part of the Pridelands. The fact that his entire past was a mystery still did not help, since that was the source of a lot of distrust among a few of the pride members.
Trying to calm himself down, Tanga decided to start over, thinking on who trusted him, and who thought he was a danger. He knew that Kulinda and Juhudi trusted him now, after last night. Kiara and Kovu seemed to trust him as well, although Tanga noted that Kiara seemed to trust everyone. Vitani was his sole friend among the Pridelanders...and Sarabi seemed to think well of him as well.
But on the other paw, Tani loathed him and everything about him. Kulinda's mate and Juhudi's father, Mwamba, was in the same circle, although yesterday's events may have changed that. There were a couple more lionesses that agreed with Tani's view, and despite everything, Simba still seemed fairly wary of him.
Then there was the rest of the pride, who were still unsure of him. What Tanga was having trouble with was how everything would change after yesterday. Was it time?
"Don't worry about Tani...she'll come around eventually."
Tanga's head whipped around as he stopped his pacing around Pride Rock, managing a weak smile as he saw Vitani coming up to him, her rugged muzzle giving him a reassuring expression. "Tani's the least of my worries right now," he admitted, continuing his pacing as Vitani came up alongside him.
"I suppose since your leg's healed up now you're almost ready to go," Vitani said, gesturing to Tanga's scarred foreleg, causing the lion to look down at the limb. He had completely forgotten about how he had injured it yesterday, and here he was this morning, walking on it with no trouble at all. It seemed that whatever he had done to it in the Outlands had not been too terrible, and more to the point, had not affected the healing of the past month.
"Yeah...and that's what's troubling me, Vitani," he said, looking up at her as he continued speaking. "My leg has healed, which means the main condition under which I've been allowed to stay is no longer valid. But...I don't want to go. I've come to like it here, despite Tani and several others...I get the feeling that I've dealt with lions like them before, but this place is nothing compared to what my feelings say I've visited before." He managed another shy smile at Vitani. "Plus, there's those like you, and that little cub Juhudi...you're my friends, and I don't want to leave you behind."
Vitani smiled, before speaking up, her tone revealing her curiosity. "Speaking of which, what happened yesterday? Kulinda's highly protective of her son, so she wouldn't have let you in the den, much less near him in general, without a reason."
Tanga smiled, nodding at Vitani's observation of Kulinda's protective nature, before giving a brief run-down of yesterday's events, including the hyena attack, Juhudi's timely intervention, and the way he all-but-insisted Tanga sleep in Pride Rock's central den last night. He smiled at the way Vitani seemed to react, her eyes growing steadily wider.
"Wow...you've really made an impression on the kid, haven't you?" she finally said, getting a small laugh from both of them.
"Yeah," Tanga said. "He's a good kid, although I wonder why he's so attached to me?"
Vitani's face clouded over slightly as Tanga posed that question. "I don't know...his relationship with his parents is...strange, to say the least. He loves his mother, but seems a little more distant towards Mwamba. Kulinda and Mwamba have also grown distant lately. They don't talk about it, and put on a brave face around the pride, but something's bothering them...I can tell."
Tanga nodded slowly, thinking back to last night, just before Kulinda had appeared. Juhudi had been about to say something relating to his father, and the dark look on the cub's face suggested there was some issue within the family...one Tanga felt the cub might have been on the verge of revealing. Whatever it was, Tanga decided it was not his business, and turned back to Vitani.
"Look, Vitani...I..." he paused, wondering why he was revealing what he was about to to the rugged lioness beside him. He eventually decided that, as a friend, he could trust her, and forged on. "As you just said, my leg's healing, and my time here is ending. But...the thing is...I don't want to go. I want to find Simba today, and ask him to accept me into the pride. But I...I don't know..."
Vitani started laughing as Tanga stumbled over his issue. "Don't ever change, Tanga," she chuckled. "But seriously, your shyness is going to be the death of you one day. Just go find Simba and ask him, what have you got to lose?"
Tanga nodded slowly, although his mind still had some doubts. "Yeah...yeah, I guess you're right," he finally said.
But Vitani caught on to his continued hesitation, and gave him a shove. "Alright, I can see that being nice isn't going to work with you. Listen, Tanga...you go find Simba, right this instant, and you go ask him for acceptance into the pride, right now! And if you even think of backing out, I'm going to grab you by your mane and drag you to the king myself!"
Tanga just stared at Vitani. She had a big, playful grin on her face, but her words were hard enough that Tanga doubted she was joking, particularly about the dragging him part. "Alright, alright!" He finally cried when Vitani took a menacing step towards him, still grinning. "I'll ask him! But not just yet...I want to think things over a little more."
Vitani shook her head in exasperation. "What's there to think about?" she asked. "You like it here, right?"
Tanga nodded. "Of course."
Vitani grinned at him. "And judging by the way Kulinda let you stay in the den last night, there are others who want you to stay, as well. Seriously, Tanga...you have everything to gain from asking Simba, and nothing to lose. There's nothing to think about, just find him and ask him."
But Tanga remained nervous, doubt swirling in his mind. Would Simba even consider such a request? Or would he dismiss it without a second thought, leaving Tanga even more certain of his fate. He did not want to get turned down, leaving him feeling worse than before, and that was what was causing his hesitation.
But Vitani seemed to read his mind. "Look, if you're that nervous, Tanga, I'll come with you. The Kings know you need someone behind you to stop you from backing out," she added, smirking at him.
"Hey, come on!" Tanga whined, giving Vitani the smallest shove. "I can stand up on my own...I just don't like being turned down or disappointed, that's all," he added. "I mean, what if Simba doesn't accept? What if...?"
He stopped speaking when Vitani laughed softly. "Tanga, seriously, I thought you were smarter than that. So what if Simba declines? That just leaves you where you were before you asked...meaning you have to leave still. Nothing changes, but if he accepts instead...then you get to stay here forever. So just ask him, already!"
Vitani's words had a mild effect on Tanga. He realised that she was right...even if Simba declined his request, nothing changed, it just made it certain that he would never be able to stay, and removed all the uncertainty and doubt from his situation. But if Simba accepted...then his one, big dream, aside from regaining his lost memories, would be realised.
"Alright," he finally said, his voice stronger now. "I'll ask him." He then turned to Vitani, smiling at her. "You're a good friend, you know."
Vitani laughed at Tanga's compliment, waving a paw as if to throw the kind words aside. "You're a good lion, Tanga...don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise. But I've never been a very good friend in the past."
Tanga similarly laughed. "Well, you're a very good friend now...and that's what matters." Inwardly, however, Tanga knew that his words were hollow. Without the ability to look into his own past, he knew that sometimes the past did matter...that attack by Zamani seemed to confirm that. But if it convinced Vitani that she had truly been a good friend to him in the past month, then Tanga would live with it. "Honestly, Vitani...you're one of very few in this pride who has been kind to me right from the start, and I just want you to know that I appreciate it."
Vitani gave Tanga a friendly smile. "I've seen what happens when we are too quick to judge someone...my brother was a victim of it, once. Just like I promised myself to try and be a kinder lioness after I saw what my old ways had almost done, I also promised myself that I would not judge anyone by their background alone. You may have been a rogue when you came to us, Tanga...but you've proven to me that you are not like most rogues, and have also proven that I was right in making that promise to myself."
Tanga smiled back. "Glad to help. Now, you think you could help me find Simba, before I change my mind?" he said, grinning as Vitani swatted his shoulder with a paw, before leading him on their continued walk around Pride Rock.
As they made their way back towards the main den, the two of them fell into a comfortable silence, as Tanga thought about everything that had just happened. What he had said was true, in his mind, Vitani was a good friend. She had seen past his rogue status, and simply accepted him for the lion he was, even if she got irritated by his shy nature every now and again.
Tanga had noticed that Vitani was far more open and free with her feelings than he was...and he liked that about her. She was rarely afraid to let others know how she felt, and while that meant arguments tended to get very fierce around her, it also made her rather honest in a unique way. She tended not to hide how she really felt, and a part of Tanga wished he could be so open as well.
After several minutes of silence, Vitani nudged Tanga as they came back to the front side of Pride Rock. As Tanga looked at her, she pointed a paw up at the tip of Pride Rock's promontory. Tanga folled her paw, and found that Simba was sitting at the tip, apparently observing his kingdom in the morning light.
"Go on," Vitani prompted, gesturing in Simba's direction again. "Your future's waiting for you."
Tanga took one step forwards, before pausing, sighing as his nerves hit him. He was about to initiate a conversation with the king of the Pridelands...a conversation that would determine his future, and it frightened the life out of him.
But Vitani was still not having any of his reluctance, as he felt her give him a heavy shove towards the base of the promontory. "Go on! I'm not letting you back out now!"
Spurred on by Vitani's constant pushes, Tanga slowly made his way up to Pride Rock, his every instinct screaming at him to just turn back and leave Simba alone. But he could feel Vitani's presence close behind, ready to grab him and drag him to Simba's side if he showed any sign of attempting to flee. Forcing himself to set aside his instincts, he took a deep a deep breath and made his way up the promontory, slowly approaching the regal king of the Pridelands, feeling more and more like he did not belong in such powerful company.
But, after what felt like a lifetime, he was right behind Simba, and he knew he had to say something now. Looking back, he found Vitani at the base of the promontory. She noticing his gaze, and gave him an encouraging nod and smile, telling him to get on with it.
Taking another deep breath, Tanga turned back to Simba, his good foreleg massaging his scarred one nervously. "Uhh...sir?" he began tentatively. His sense of politeness said he should refer to Simba as 'Your Majesty' or some other honorific, but Simba had mentioned he disliked such titles, and simply settled for 'sir' most of the time. "I...could I talk...?"
"You want to talk about the shelter we've granted you, right, Tanga?" Simba said, cutting off the black-maned lion's question before it could be asked, surprising Tanga slightly.
As Simba turned to face Tanga, he nodded nervously, struggling to meet the king's gaze. "I thought you might," the king said simply, before looking down at Tanga's scarred leg. "How is your leg today?"
Tanga hung his head, hating what he was about to admit. "It feels fine...I can walk and run normally now," he admitted. even though he knew such an admission would mean his time in the Pridelands was ending, he would not lie to the king.
Simba must have noticed Tanga's resigned look, for Tanga soon felt his chin being pulled up so Simba could look at him. "Judging by your sadness, you clearly know what this means," he said, Tanga nodding in response. "I can tell you do not want to leave, but I do not have a choice. Even though you have spent the past month here, you are still a rogue, and I can't afford to let you stay any longer than absolutely necessary. I'm sure you understand."
Tanga, nodded, sucking in a deep breath. This was the moment...it was now or never, and despite his continued nervousness, Tanga managed to get his muzzle working again. "That's...part of the reason I'm here, Simba," he said tentatively. As Simba gave him a look that he told him to continue, he managed to lift his gaze a little higher, and the words started flowing a little freely. "Like you said, now that my leg's better, my reason for staying here is gone. But...in the past month, I've come to really like this place. It's a beautiful land, and a wonderful pride, even if I disagree with a few members."
He sucked in another breath, and plunged on. "Simba...what I'm trying to say is...I don't want to leave, and...I guess...I am asking if you will accept me as a member of your pride?"
All Tanga could do at that point was sit down in front of Simba and wait as his request sunk in. He knew he had asked a question that Simba could not answer quickly, as it was a matter that could affect the whole pride.
Eventually Simba spoke up. "I must say I am not too surprised by this request, but it's not one I can give an answer to lightly. There is so much I have to consider, not to mention..."
"Stop!"
Both Tanga and Simba turned back towards the main den, where Tani was racing from, shoving Vitani aside as she came up to them, giving Tanga a deadly look that said she was in a very bad mood with him...even by her usual standards.
"Do not even think of considering accepting him, Simba, I heard what he just asked!" Tani shouted. "Tanga has been playing us for fools this whole time...he tried to kill Juhudi yesterday!"
Chapter 17
Judgement
Spoiler: show
Tanga just stared at Tani, his look one of complete shock, mixed with a hint of horror. What was Tani up to this time? And what did she know about yesterday's incident?
"Call a pride gathering, Simba!" Tani said, still glaring at Tanga. While her gaze was cold and hard as usual, it bore a hint of smug triumph in it, which really scared Tanga. She had something she could use against him, and they both knew it. "I, and a few others, have some information the pride needs to hear!"
Tanga could feel Simba's eyes staring at him, could almost feel the suspicion the king was sending his way. "What are you talking about, Tani?" he finally asked.
Tani shook her head. "As I've said all along, Tanga's been lying and deceiving us to gain our trust. His intentions have been purely evil right from the start, and this time, I have proof!" She gave Tanga another venomous look, before turning back to Simba. "Call a gathering of the pride, and I'll explain. but Tanga must not be allowed to stay here any longer...he's a threat to the whole pride. It's just a stroke of luck that Juhudi was not killed by him yesterday!"
Tanga found himself unable to speak as Simba considered, before finally answering. "Alright, Tani," he said, walking back down the promontory. "I'll call the pride. But you had better have a good explanation this time."
"Oh, I do!" Tani replied, smirking at Tanga once as Simba passed her, before following the king as he headed into the den, no doubt to gather the rest of the pride, to see what Tani had to say, and what Tanga did, too.
As the two of them left, Tanga noticed Vitani watch them go, Tani saying something to the former Outlander, before she hurried up the promontory, quickly coming up to Tanga's side. "Tanga, what did Tani do? What is she up to this time?"
Tanga rubbed a paw through his mane. Now that Simba and Tani had left, his nervousness returned in full force...only now it was accompanied by fear. "She's going to turn yesterday against me...and I fear she's got some good arguments this time," he said sadly, looking nervously towards the den. "They're calling a pride gathering, obviously to judge me on whatever Tani's going to use against me."
Vitani came up beside Tanga, placing a paw on his shoulder. "She won't get away with this, Tanga," she said, her voice full of a firm conviction that Tanga did hear from her every now and again, but contrasted heavily with her usual calm demeanour. "I know what happened, and so do Juhudi and Kulinda. And I'm sure there are others who will be willing to back you up. It's just like all the other times Tani has tried to blame you for something. She won't have the evidence to fully blame you, and once we point that out, she will have no choice but to back off and leave you alone."
Tanga nodded slowly. "Perhaps..." he said softly. But his voice betrayed his lack of conviction, as his mind ploughed through the huge list of doubts. "Tani seems really confident this time, Vitani...it's like she knows something that even I don't, something I'm not going to be able to fight." He sighed, turning to look at Vitani, who still had not removed her paw from his shoulder. "I'm scared, this time...I have a bad feeling about today's gathering, and I can't shake it. Something bad's going to happen today, I know it."
Vitani responded in the last way Tanga expected...by rubbing her cheek against his shoulder in a brief nuzzle. The affectionate contact sent a chill through Tanga's body, which quickly dissolved into a comforting warmth that made him smile, the gesture making him realise just how much Vitani thought of him, as she spoke up. "Just stay strong, Tanga," she said comfortingly. "You have nothing to be worried about. You saved Juhudi's life yesterday...once everyone realises this, Tani will have nothing she can pin on you, and she'll be forced to leave you alone. We have always exposed her lies before, and we can do it again...just have faith."
Again Tanga nodded, as he gave the paw Vitani had placed on his shoulder a brief nuzzle. "Thank you, Vitani, for staying beside me like this, even though I'm still a rogue. It means everything to me." It was no lie, either. With this past lost to him, and his present looking rather bleak, Tanga's friendship with the rugged former Outlander was pretty much all he had right now, and part of knew that, without it, he would probably have given up on his efforts to fit into the Pridelands a long time ago.
Vitani gave him one of her lopsided smiles as she slowly put her paw back on the ground. "Anytime you need me, Tanga...I'll always be here to help, okay?" she said, Tanga giving her a thankful nod in return.
But before either of them could say any more, movement cause them both to turn towards Pride Rock's den, where Simba was coming back, leading pretty much the entire pride with him. As Tanga watched, he saw Tani send a sinister smirk in his direction...but Tanga's eyes were focused on the lion by her side. He looked a little like Simba, at first glance, but Tanga quickly caught on to the differences, the first being that his fur was darker than Simba's by a small margin. but what really stood for Tanga was the lion's eyes, as the two of them locked gazes for a brief moment. The lion's eyes were a bright shade of green, yet held little warmth and compassion in them, as the lion gave Tanga a smirk eerily similar to the one Tani had thrown just moments before, leaving Tanga feeling very uncomfortable. He already knew that the lion was Mwamba, Kulinda's mate and Juhudi's father...and that smirk meant that - if he knew about yesterday's events - that he did not care in the slightest that Tanga had saved Juhudi's life.
Vitani also seemed to see the silent exchange between Tanga and Mwamba, and leaned in close to Tanga. "Why's Mwamba acting like that? Surely he should be grateful after what you did yesterday?" she asked, Tanga quickly noting the hint of worry in her voice. "Do you think Tani twisted the story for his benefit?"
Tanga thought about it for a moment, quickly coming to an answer. "No, Vitani...there's something about Mwamba's look I don't like. He knows more than Tani does, I can tell...he knows exactly what happened, but doesn't care. He's going to try and use yesterday to get me thrown out."
Even as Tanga spoke, he suddenly realised why Tani was so smug and happy about this particular attempt to get him kicked out. Tani had tried several times in the past, but had never had anything to pin on him...but now she had an event to accuse him of, and if Tanga's hunch about Mwamba was correct, a witness to verify her accusations. And with Mwamba being Juhudi's father, Tanga knew he was going to have a very hard time today convincing the pride of his innocence to whatever accusation Tani and Mwamba threw at him.
At Tanga's last words, Vitani appeared to become outraged. Tanga knew that Vitani could be moody at times, but had rarely seen her get really angry over anything, knowing she tended to try and suppress those emotions. But as he looked at her, he could see a flash in her eyes that meant she was close to breaking point. "How could he do that?" she hissed. "You saved Juhudi's life yesterday, and he's going to use it to try and exile you! How can he consider that fair!?"
Tanga sighed, before slowly making his way towards the gathered pride as Simba beckoned him, Vitani staying beside. "Obviously he does not care...I remember Juhudi was about to say something about Mwamba last night, but Kulinda interrupted us first. Whatever it was, he looked sad somehow...I think the little guy's aware of how much Mwamba and Tani hate me, and knew that his father would use that day against me." It did not sound quite right to Tanga's mind, like he was overlooking something...but right now, it was all he had that made sense, so he went with it as he came up to the group, although Simba stopped him while he was still on the promontory, obviously using the narrow tongue of rock to hold him back and keep him restrained...according to Tani, this was a trial for attempted murder, after all.
As Vitani hesitated, before joining the rest of the pride, as Simba finally spoke up. "I had originally intended on calling this pride gathering to discuss Tanga's recovery, and his place here now that he no longer requires our hospitality. But I have had an incident brought to my attention that, despite Tani's previous record regarding accusations against Tanga, cannot be ignored, for this accusation is extremely serious."
At this, Simba stepped aside from his place in front of the pride, at which point Tani came forward, concealing for muzzle from view as she flashed Tanga another nasty smirk, the meaning of it all to clear to the wanderer; I've got you this time! But the look quickly vanished, becoming more serious as Tani took her place in front of the pride, addressing them, no trace of the triumph she must be feeling in her voice. "My pride, I know that my accusation against this rogue who has been seeking shelter with us have largely been failures, but this time, something was brought to my attention that could not be ignored."
As Tani paused, Tanga took the moment to observe the pride. A few Pridelanders, members of the royal family in particular, were giving Tani hard, unconvinced looks. Sarabi was giving Tanga a sympathetic look, and he managed to send her an appreciative smile back, knowing the aging lioness was firmly convinced of his innocence. As Tanga's gaze ventured further, he found many unreadable expressions, along with a few suspicious looks being thrown his way. As usual, the pride was divided about him, and it seemed that the majority had adopted a wait-and-see approach to this latest incident.
But Tanga snapped his attention back to the brown-furred lioness intent on driving him away, as said lioness began to speak once more. "But this time, things are a little different, because I did not witness this event." This confession generated quite a few murmurs and odd looks, but Tani did not falter. "I simply reported the problem to Simba, so that Tanga could be restrained as he is, before I could bring forward the witness to what Tanga had done. Since I'm a little hazy on all the details, I'll leave it to Mwamba to explain what happened."
The murmurs intensified significantly as Mwamba moved to take Tani's place, the lioness backing off into the crowd, her gaze swivelling to focus on Tanga as the accused did his best to focus on what Mwamba was saying, knowing he would need to pay attention. If he overlooked a detail in Mwamba's accusations, it could mean the end of not only his time in the Pridelands, but possibly his life, too.
"Before I begin, I know that this should probably have been reported last night, but I must admit I was in shock, and as such did not return to Pride Rock until very late last night." Mwamba's face and tone seemed to show this, the shock of whatever he had witnessed still lingering with him the next day, but Tanga could immediately tell that something was off...the shock was there, and it was genuine, but there was something about it that did not seem quite right in Tanga's mind.
But that was put aside, as Mwamba continued. "And I was shocked for one, simple reason...my son nearly died yesterday." Again the murmurs started up. "How does this relate to Tanga? Well, to put it simply...Tanga is the one who nearly killed Juhudi."
At this point, the murmurs became open voices as the crowd started talking amongst themselves. Glances were thrown Tanga's way, and the wanderer started to feel very nervous. But even through his nervousness, his mind finally started to make sense of Mwamba's strange tone. Tanga now realised that Mwamba had indeed seen yesterday's events, and had indeed been shocked by them. But he was, in no way, sad over what he seemed to perceive as Tanga's attempt to kill the cub. There was just shock...no sadness...no protectiveness...he was just using the event he had witnessed to discredit Tanga, and see him removed from the Pridelands, be it by exile or death.
"Yesterday, I found my son in the northern reaches of the Pridelands, close to the Outlands. I had suspected that my son's curiosity would eventually lead him to want to explore that area, and intended on stopping him. But before I could approach my son, he ran into Tanga, who was also in the area. He stopped and talked with Juhudi, and actually seemed to be ready to take him away from the Outlands."
The pride exchanged confused looks at this. The way Mwamba was detailing it seemed to be supporting and defending Tanga, rather than accusing him of attempted murder. Even Tani threw Mwamba a perplexed look at his speech. Tanga, however, was the only one to notice the smirk the male threw back in Tani's direction. Mwamba knew exactly what he was doing, an considering how the speech had gone so far, this actually scared him.
"But then it all went bad, too fast for me to do anything." Mwamba's next statement once more caught the attention of the pride. By this point, the usual chatter you found occurring within a large group was gone...every single leonine of the Pridelands was completely absorbed in Mwamba's story. The only exceptions were Tanga, who had experienced that day first-paw, and Vitani, who Tanga had already told of the incident.
"Three hyenas appeared, and threatened both Juhudi and Tanga...or so it seemed. At one point during this, Tanga actually grabbed my son, and took him...a cub...into the Outlands! Where the rest of the hyena pack lay in wait. By the time I came to my senses, and realised what had happened, it was too late and Tanga was already gone. That is why I never returned to Pride Rock until long after the rest of you were asleep...I believed my son was dead."
"But when I came back to the den, I was amazed that not only was Juhudi alive, but Tanga had the nerve to sleep beside the cub he had just tried to kill!" Mwamba's voice was growing more passionate now. He was attempting the pull the pride into a frenzy, but only a select few were taking the bait and roaring their agreement, the rest were watching on, their muzzles unreadable as Tanga continued to watch Mwamba, too stunned by his speech to do anything.
"I don't know exactly what happened yesterday, but that lion is behind it!" Mwamba fiercely pointed a paw in Tanga's direction, which had the effect of snapping him out of his stunned silence. "He tried to kill my son, and we cannot allow him to get away with it!"
At this point, Tanga finally stepped forward. "Stop, please! You've got it all wrong!" he cried, causing everyone to turn and face him again. Mwamba's misconception about that day was tearing his chances of being accepted into the pride apart, and he needed to give Mwamba the truth.
But before he could, Tani, in her usual manner, interrupted him. "Oh, really?" she drawled disbelievingly. "And exactly how have we got it all wrong, then?"
Tanga took a deep breath, gathering his composure, before finally stepping forward, looking into the gathered pride as he spoke, hoping they would see the truth of his words somewhere on his muzzle. "Yes, I met Juhudi in the northern plains today, and yes, we were confronted by hyena...and yes, we did go into the Outlands."
The last part generated a loud discussion from the pride, including a defiant call of; "See! He admits it!" from Tani. Tanga was at a loss for what to do, since the pride had grown very loud, but a roar from inside the crowd soon silenced everyone. As the voices died down, everyone turned to face Vitani, who had been the one to call for silence.
"If I'm not mistaken, everyone, Tanga still has more to say," the former Outlander said, giving Tanga a nod to signal he could continue. He was extremely grateful for her intervention, knowing that if he had been the one to call for silence, Tani would probably have used it to discredit him somehow. As it stood, Tani seemed too stunned by Vitani's irritated interruption to say anything against her.
Tanga took the opening Tani had inadvertently presented him, and continued speaking. "But Mwamba has got it wrong. The hyenas threatened both of us, and with my leg still causing some problems, I knew I could not run to Pride Rock...the hyenas would catch both me and Juhudi before we even got halfway there. Our only chance was for me to take Juhudi and run into the Outlands, and lose the hyenas in the ravines the land holds."
The mutterings once more started up as Tanga said this, but he pressed on while his courage was strong, and the voices quiet. "Inside those ravines, my leg gave in again, and I was cornered, after getting Juhudi to run. But...just as the hyenas were - "
"You left a cub in the Outlands alone!" Mwamba roared, jumping forwards, stunning the pride into silence, and causing Tanga to take a few fearful steps back. "You left my son in the Outlands to fend for himself?"
Tanga looked around in wild fear as the mutterings from the pride started up once more. This was all going wrong, and fast. "No, listen, Mwamba, I had no cho - "
"Everyone who lives here, including you, knows that the Outlands are currently infested with hyenas! You never leave a cub in there alone, ever!" Mwamba stopped his menacing advance on Tanga, but kept his furious gaze locked on the small wanderer, who knew he was now in big trouble. Mentioning that part of the tale had been a huge mistake, and Tanga could almost feel his chances of staying in the Pridelands fading away to nothing. "And more to the point, what were you doing up near the Outlands, anyway?"
Tanga opened his mouth to reply, but froze, unwilling to give his reasons for being near the borders of the Pridelands, in case it turned the pride against him.
In the second that he did hesitate, Tani pounced on his nervousness. "You see?" she cried triumphantly. "He lurks around the Outlands, refusing to explain why he's there, accidentally runs into Juhudi, and is almost immediately found by three hyenas! He takes Juhudi into the Outlands, and comes back out, claiming to be the big saviour, when there were, at least to his knowledge, no witnesses of what he had done!" She stepped in front of the pride, facing them as she continued her big speech. "There are far too many coincidences in this event for it to all be down to simple chance! This was a set-up...a way for Tanga to show himself as the big hero, so he could worm his way into our pride, and start taking it apart from the inside! Even just now, when I alerted Simba of the danger, the rogue was asking to become one of us...without telling us about what had happened yesterday!"
By this point, Tanga had lost the ability to speak, and could only stare at the scene in horror as the pride stares became more and more hostile, as Tani's speech finally starting having an effect on them. The dark-furred lioness held an expression of righteous anger, but Tanga could tell the rest of her body was full of joy as she continue to drive a wedge between Tanga and the Pridelanders.
"There is too much he is not saying, too much that does not add up...he is a danger to us all, and unless we make a stand, right here, right now, he will be the death of us all, like he was almost the death of Juhudi! He willingly placed a cub in mortal danger to raise his own status, and that cannot go unpunished!" For a brief moment, as the gathered pride started yelling and roaring their general agreement to Tani's words, her righteous, angry facade vanished, and Tanga saw the glee on her muzzle, as she realised she had successfully turned the pride against him. But the pride was so worked up, that no-one noticed the brief lapse from the muddy lioness, and before anyone could notice, her fake expression was back.
As Tanga stared out into the riled-up pride, his eyes caught various members he knew. Simba was not meeting anyone's gaze, a conflicted expression on his muzzle, obviously lost in thought. Kiara and Kovu both had rather stunned looks of horror on their faces, looking almost like they had both seen a ghost. Nala was tense...but otherwise her body language was impossible to read. Sarabi was looking at him, but rather than the open hostility most of the pride was showing him, her gaze had a sad resignation to it that made Tanga's blood go cold. She knew where this was going...and that it was not going to be good.
As Tanga's gaze settled on Kulinda and Juhudi, his last shed of hope for staying in the Pridelands faded. Kulinda was looking at him with an expression that clearly said she was still on his side, but had no idea what to do to salvage the situation. Tanga's heart felt like it was tearing itself apart when he saw Juhudi looking up him with a horrified, upset expression, clearly fighting back tears, obviously knowing what was coming. Even as he looked, the young cub looked up at his mother, speaking quietly to her. Tanga did not need to hear the cub to know that he was pleading for his mother to find a way to stop this.
And then, as always, Tanga's gaze finally settled on Vitani...he had expected the rugged lioness to either be furious at Tani, or horrified at Tanga's apparant fate, but neither of those emotions were on her face as she looked at him. Instead, Vitani's eyes held something that, on the moody lioness, almost looked out of place...sympathy. She could see Tanga's fate...and somehow, she sympathised with him, almost as if she had been through something similar before.
Finally, when the pride refused to die down in it's collective cry for justice, Simba stepped up, Tani moving back amongst the pride without comment, flashing Tanga one brief, victorious look as she did so. As Simba got ready to address the pride, he unleashed a loud roar, a call for silence that was fairly quickly heeded, except for the occasional cry for justice.
"Enough!" Simba finally called, silencing those last few voices. "If you want anything to happen, you won't get it by all shouting at once! Now, what Mwamba and Tani have brought forward is serious, and obviously warrants immediate action." There were a few shouts of approval there, as Tanga's heart plummeted into the ground below him. This is it, he thought sourly.
Finally, Simba started the eloquent process of passing his judgement. "Now, under normal circumstances, the fact that Tanga has entered the Outlands, a hostile territory, and taken a cub of the pride there, coupled with the fact that he has apparently attempted to kill said cub, would be cause for the death penalty." At this statement, Tanga was surprised to find a mixed reaction. Many were agreeing with Simba...but there were quite a few who were hesitant, obviously finding a death sentence too harsh. But that surprise was muted, as his mind was too busy panicking...Simba was going to have him killed!
But before Tanga could say or do anything, Simba spoke up. "However, the evidence against Tanga is not complete, and Tanga's story of defending Juhudi has some merits as well." There were a few protests now...Tani had sucked the pride in just about completely. Simba raised a paw, calming the pride down with the sign that he was not quite finished. "Sentencing Tanga to death would be too harsh under the circumstances...however, the suspicious situation can not be ignored."
At this point, Simba turned to face Tanga, still stuck up on Pride Rock's promontory, and Tanga was amazed to see a hint of sympathy on the king's features. He believes me, Tanga finally realised. ...but why doesn't he say so, then? It took Tanga a few moments to understand: Tani had convinced the entire pride that Tanga was guilty...if Simba overruled that decision on nothing more than a hunch, he would end up with a full-on pride riot on his paws. In the interests of his own safety, and the stability of his pride, he had to punish Tanga.
Tanga hung his head, fighting the wave of confusing emotions rushing through him as Simba continued. "As it is, there is enough here to question his presence here, and whether he is a danger to the pride or not. As such, I am given little choice..." Simba once more faced Tanga, and this time his expression was one of forced neutrality, his voice becoming flat as he finally laid down the verdict...one which cut Tanga to the very core. "Tanga, you are hereby exiled from the Pridelands...by nightfall, I expect you to have moved on, and you are to never return."
"Call a pride gathering, Simba!" Tani said, still glaring at Tanga. While her gaze was cold and hard as usual, it bore a hint of smug triumph in it, which really scared Tanga. She had something she could use against him, and they both knew it. "I, and a few others, have some information the pride needs to hear!"
Tanga could feel Simba's eyes staring at him, could almost feel the suspicion the king was sending his way. "What are you talking about, Tani?" he finally asked.
Tani shook her head. "As I've said all along, Tanga's been lying and deceiving us to gain our trust. His intentions have been purely evil right from the start, and this time, I have proof!" She gave Tanga another venomous look, before turning back to Simba. "Call a gathering of the pride, and I'll explain. but Tanga must not be allowed to stay here any longer...he's a threat to the whole pride. It's just a stroke of luck that Juhudi was not killed by him yesterday!"
Tanga found himself unable to speak as Simba considered, before finally answering. "Alright, Tani," he said, walking back down the promontory. "I'll call the pride. But you had better have a good explanation this time."
"Oh, I do!" Tani replied, smirking at Tanga once as Simba passed her, before following the king as he headed into the den, no doubt to gather the rest of the pride, to see what Tani had to say, and what Tanga did, too.
As the two of them left, Tanga noticed Vitani watch them go, Tani saying something to the former Outlander, before she hurried up the promontory, quickly coming up to Tanga's side. "Tanga, what did Tani do? What is she up to this time?"
Tanga rubbed a paw through his mane. Now that Simba and Tani had left, his nervousness returned in full force...only now it was accompanied by fear. "She's going to turn yesterday against me...and I fear she's got some good arguments this time," he said sadly, looking nervously towards the den. "They're calling a pride gathering, obviously to judge me on whatever Tani's going to use against me."
Vitani came up beside Tanga, placing a paw on his shoulder. "She won't get away with this, Tanga," she said, her voice full of a firm conviction that Tanga did hear from her every now and again, but contrasted heavily with her usual calm demeanour. "I know what happened, and so do Juhudi and Kulinda. And I'm sure there are others who will be willing to back you up. It's just like all the other times Tani has tried to blame you for something. She won't have the evidence to fully blame you, and once we point that out, she will have no choice but to back off and leave you alone."
Tanga nodded slowly. "Perhaps..." he said softly. But his voice betrayed his lack of conviction, as his mind ploughed through the huge list of doubts. "Tani seems really confident this time, Vitani...it's like she knows something that even I don't, something I'm not going to be able to fight." He sighed, turning to look at Vitani, who still had not removed her paw from his shoulder. "I'm scared, this time...I have a bad feeling about today's gathering, and I can't shake it. Something bad's going to happen today, I know it."
Vitani responded in the last way Tanga expected...by rubbing her cheek against his shoulder in a brief nuzzle. The affectionate contact sent a chill through Tanga's body, which quickly dissolved into a comforting warmth that made him smile, the gesture making him realise just how much Vitani thought of him, as she spoke up. "Just stay strong, Tanga," she said comfortingly. "You have nothing to be worried about. You saved Juhudi's life yesterday...once everyone realises this, Tani will have nothing she can pin on you, and she'll be forced to leave you alone. We have always exposed her lies before, and we can do it again...just have faith."
Again Tanga nodded, as he gave the paw Vitani had placed on his shoulder a brief nuzzle. "Thank you, Vitani, for staying beside me like this, even though I'm still a rogue. It means everything to me." It was no lie, either. With this past lost to him, and his present looking rather bleak, Tanga's friendship with the rugged former Outlander was pretty much all he had right now, and part of knew that, without it, he would probably have given up on his efforts to fit into the Pridelands a long time ago.
Vitani gave him one of her lopsided smiles as she slowly put her paw back on the ground. "Anytime you need me, Tanga...I'll always be here to help, okay?" she said, Tanga giving her a thankful nod in return.
But before either of them could say any more, movement cause them both to turn towards Pride Rock's den, where Simba was coming back, leading pretty much the entire pride with him. As Tanga watched, he saw Tani send a sinister smirk in his direction...but Tanga's eyes were focused on the lion by her side. He looked a little like Simba, at first glance, but Tanga quickly caught on to the differences, the first being that his fur was darker than Simba's by a small margin. but what really stood for Tanga was the lion's eyes, as the two of them locked gazes for a brief moment. The lion's eyes were a bright shade of green, yet held little warmth and compassion in them, as the lion gave Tanga a smirk eerily similar to the one Tani had thrown just moments before, leaving Tanga feeling very uncomfortable. He already knew that the lion was Mwamba, Kulinda's mate and Juhudi's father...and that smirk meant that - if he knew about yesterday's events - that he did not care in the slightest that Tanga had saved Juhudi's life.
Vitani also seemed to see the silent exchange between Tanga and Mwamba, and leaned in close to Tanga. "Why's Mwamba acting like that? Surely he should be grateful after what you did yesterday?" she asked, Tanga quickly noting the hint of worry in her voice. "Do you think Tani twisted the story for his benefit?"
Tanga thought about it for a moment, quickly coming to an answer. "No, Vitani...there's something about Mwamba's look I don't like. He knows more than Tani does, I can tell...he knows exactly what happened, but doesn't care. He's going to try and use yesterday to get me thrown out."
Even as Tanga spoke, he suddenly realised why Tani was so smug and happy about this particular attempt to get him kicked out. Tani had tried several times in the past, but had never had anything to pin on him...but now she had an event to accuse him of, and if Tanga's hunch about Mwamba was correct, a witness to verify her accusations. And with Mwamba being Juhudi's father, Tanga knew he was going to have a very hard time today convincing the pride of his innocence to whatever accusation Tani and Mwamba threw at him.
At Tanga's last words, Vitani appeared to become outraged. Tanga knew that Vitani could be moody at times, but had rarely seen her get really angry over anything, knowing she tended to try and suppress those emotions. But as he looked at her, he could see a flash in her eyes that meant she was close to breaking point. "How could he do that?" she hissed. "You saved Juhudi's life yesterday, and he's going to use it to try and exile you! How can he consider that fair!?"
Tanga sighed, before slowly making his way towards the gathered pride as Simba beckoned him, Vitani staying beside. "Obviously he does not care...I remember Juhudi was about to say something about Mwamba last night, but Kulinda interrupted us first. Whatever it was, he looked sad somehow...I think the little guy's aware of how much Mwamba and Tani hate me, and knew that his father would use that day against me." It did not sound quite right to Tanga's mind, like he was overlooking something...but right now, it was all he had that made sense, so he went with it as he came up to the group, although Simba stopped him while he was still on the promontory, obviously using the narrow tongue of rock to hold him back and keep him restrained...according to Tani, this was a trial for attempted murder, after all.
As Vitani hesitated, before joining the rest of the pride, as Simba finally spoke up. "I had originally intended on calling this pride gathering to discuss Tanga's recovery, and his place here now that he no longer requires our hospitality. But I have had an incident brought to my attention that, despite Tani's previous record regarding accusations against Tanga, cannot be ignored, for this accusation is extremely serious."
At this, Simba stepped aside from his place in front of the pride, at which point Tani came forward, concealing for muzzle from view as she flashed Tanga another nasty smirk, the meaning of it all to clear to the wanderer; I've got you this time! But the look quickly vanished, becoming more serious as Tani took her place in front of the pride, addressing them, no trace of the triumph she must be feeling in her voice. "My pride, I know that my accusation against this rogue who has been seeking shelter with us have largely been failures, but this time, something was brought to my attention that could not be ignored."
As Tani paused, Tanga took the moment to observe the pride. A few Pridelanders, members of the royal family in particular, were giving Tani hard, unconvinced looks. Sarabi was giving Tanga a sympathetic look, and he managed to send her an appreciative smile back, knowing the aging lioness was firmly convinced of his innocence. As Tanga's gaze ventured further, he found many unreadable expressions, along with a few suspicious looks being thrown his way. As usual, the pride was divided about him, and it seemed that the majority had adopted a wait-and-see approach to this latest incident.
But Tanga snapped his attention back to the brown-furred lioness intent on driving him away, as said lioness began to speak once more. "But this time, things are a little different, because I did not witness this event." This confession generated quite a few murmurs and odd looks, but Tani did not falter. "I simply reported the problem to Simba, so that Tanga could be restrained as he is, before I could bring forward the witness to what Tanga had done. Since I'm a little hazy on all the details, I'll leave it to Mwamba to explain what happened."
The murmurs intensified significantly as Mwamba moved to take Tani's place, the lioness backing off into the crowd, her gaze swivelling to focus on Tanga as the accused did his best to focus on what Mwamba was saying, knowing he would need to pay attention. If he overlooked a detail in Mwamba's accusations, it could mean the end of not only his time in the Pridelands, but possibly his life, too.
"Before I begin, I know that this should probably have been reported last night, but I must admit I was in shock, and as such did not return to Pride Rock until very late last night." Mwamba's face and tone seemed to show this, the shock of whatever he had witnessed still lingering with him the next day, but Tanga could immediately tell that something was off...the shock was there, and it was genuine, but there was something about it that did not seem quite right in Tanga's mind.
But that was put aside, as Mwamba continued. "And I was shocked for one, simple reason...my son nearly died yesterday." Again the murmurs started up. "How does this relate to Tanga? Well, to put it simply...Tanga is the one who nearly killed Juhudi."
At this point, the murmurs became open voices as the crowd started talking amongst themselves. Glances were thrown Tanga's way, and the wanderer started to feel very nervous. But even through his nervousness, his mind finally started to make sense of Mwamba's strange tone. Tanga now realised that Mwamba had indeed seen yesterday's events, and had indeed been shocked by them. But he was, in no way, sad over what he seemed to perceive as Tanga's attempt to kill the cub. There was just shock...no sadness...no protectiveness...he was just using the event he had witnessed to discredit Tanga, and see him removed from the Pridelands, be it by exile or death.
"Yesterday, I found my son in the northern reaches of the Pridelands, close to the Outlands. I had suspected that my son's curiosity would eventually lead him to want to explore that area, and intended on stopping him. But before I could approach my son, he ran into Tanga, who was also in the area. He stopped and talked with Juhudi, and actually seemed to be ready to take him away from the Outlands."
The pride exchanged confused looks at this. The way Mwamba was detailing it seemed to be supporting and defending Tanga, rather than accusing him of attempted murder. Even Tani threw Mwamba a perplexed look at his speech. Tanga, however, was the only one to notice the smirk the male threw back in Tani's direction. Mwamba knew exactly what he was doing, an considering how the speech had gone so far, this actually scared him.
"But then it all went bad, too fast for me to do anything." Mwamba's next statement once more caught the attention of the pride. By this point, the usual chatter you found occurring within a large group was gone...every single leonine of the Pridelands was completely absorbed in Mwamba's story. The only exceptions were Tanga, who had experienced that day first-paw, and Vitani, who Tanga had already told of the incident.
"Three hyenas appeared, and threatened both Juhudi and Tanga...or so it seemed. At one point during this, Tanga actually grabbed my son, and took him...a cub...into the Outlands! Where the rest of the hyena pack lay in wait. By the time I came to my senses, and realised what had happened, it was too late and Tanga was already gone. That is why I never returned to Pride Rock until long after the rest of you were asleep...I believed my son was dead."
"But when I came back to the den, I was amazed that not only was Juhudi alive, but Tanga had the nerve to sleep beside the cub he had just tried to kill!" Mwamba's voice was growing more passionate now. He was attempting the pull the pride into a frenzy, but only a select few were taking the bait and roaring their agreement, the rest were watching on, their muzzles unreadable as Tanga continued to watch Mwamba, too stunned by his speech to do anything.
"I don't know exactly what happened yesterday, but that lion is behind it!" Mwamba fiercely pointed a paw in Tanga's direction, which had the effect of snapping him out of his stunned silence. "He tried to kill my son, and we cannot allow him to get away with it!"
At this point, Tanga finally stepped forward. "Stop, please! You've got it all wrong!" he cried, causing everyone to turn and face him again. Mwamba's misconception about that day was tearing his chances of being accepted into the pride apart, and he needed to give Mwamba the truth.
But before he could, Tani, in her usual manner, interrupted him. "Oh, really?" she drawled disbelievingly. "And exactly how have we got it all wrong, then?"
Tanga took a deep breath, gathering his composure, before finally stepping forward, looking into the gathered pride as he spoke, hoping they would see the truth of his words somewhere on his muzzle. "Yes, I met Juhudi in the northern plains today, and yes, we were confronted by hyena...and yes, we did go into the Outlands."
The last part generated a loud discussion from the pride, including a defiant call of; "See! He admits it!" from Tani. Tanga was at a loss for what to do, since the pride had grown very loud, but a roar from inside the crowd soon silenced everyone. As the voices died down, everyone turned to face Vitani, who had been the one to call for silence.
"If I'm not mistaken, everyone, Tanga still has more to say," the former Outlander said, giving Tanga a nod to signal he could continue. He was extremely grateful for her intervention, knowing that if he had been the one to call for silence, Tani would probably have used it to discredit him somehow. As it stood, Tani seemed too stunned by Vitani's irritated interruption to say anything against her.
Tanga took the opening Tani had inadvertently presented him, and continued speaking. "But Mwamba has got it wrong. The hyenas threatened both of us, and with my leg still causing some problems, I knew I could not run to Pride Rock...the hyenas would catch both me and Juhudi before we even got halfway there. Our only chance was for me to take Juhudi and run into the Outlands, and lose the hyenas in the ravines the land holds."
The mutterings once more started up as Tanga said this, but he pressed on while his courage was strong, and the voices quiet. "Inside those ravines, my leg gave in again, and I was cornered, after getting Juhudi to run. But...just as the hyenas were - "
"You left a cub in the Outlands alone!" Mwamba roared, jumping forwards, stunning the pride into silence, and causing Tanga to take a few fearful steps back. "You left my son in the Outlands to fend for himself?"
Tanga looked around in wild fear as the mutterings from the pride started up once more. This was all going wrong, and fast. "No, listen, Mwamba, I had no cho - "
"Everyone who lives here, including you, knows that the Outlands are currently infested with hyenas! You never leave a cub in there alone, ever!" Mwamba stopped his menacing advance on Tanga, but kept his furious gaze locked on the small wanderer, who knew he was now in big trouble. Mentioning that part of the tale had been a huge mistake, and Tanga could almost feel his chances of staying in the Pridelands fading away to nothing. "And more to the point, what were you doing up near the Outlands, anyway?"
Tanga opened his mouth to reply, but froze, unwilling to give his reasons for being near the borders of the Pridelands, in case it turned the pride against him.
In the second that he did hesitate, Tani pounced on his nervousness. "You see?" she cried triumphantly. "He lurks around the Outlands, refusing to explain why he's there, accidentally runs into Juhudi, and is almost immediately found by three hyenas! He takes Juhudi into the Outlands, and comes back out, claiming to be the big saviour, when there were, at least to his knowledge, no witnesses of what he had done!" She stepped in front of the pride, facing them as she continued her big speech. "There are far too many coincidences in this event for it to all be down to simple chance! This was a set-up...a way for Tanga to show himself as the big hero, so he could worm his way into our pride, and start taking it apart from the inside! Even just now, when I alerted Simba of the danger, the rogue was asking to become one of us...without telling us about what had happened yesterday!"
By this point, Tanga had lost the ability to speak, and could only stare at the scene in horror as the pride stares became more and more hostile, as Tani's speech finally starting having an effect on them. The dark-furred lioness held an expression of righteous anger, but Tanga could tell the rest of her body was full of joy as she continue to drive a wedge between Tanga and the Pridelanders.
"There is too much he is not saying, too much that does not add up...he is a danger to us all, and unless we make a stand, right here, right now, he will be the death of us all, like he was almost the death of Juhudi! He willingly placed a cub in mortal danger to raise his own status, and that cannot go unpunished!" For a brief moment, as the gathered pride started yelling and roaring their general agreement to Tani's words, her righteous, angry facade vanished, and Tanga saw the glee on her muzzle, as she realised she had successfully turned the pride against him. But the pride was so worked up, that no-one noticed the brief lapse from the muddy lioness, and before anyone could notice, her fake expression was back.
As Tanga stared out into the riled-up pride, his eyes caught various members he knew. Simba was not meeting anyone's gaze, a conflicted expression on his muzzle, obviously lost in thought. Kiara and Kovu both had rather stunned looks of horror on their faces, looking almost like they had both seen a ghost. Nala was tense...but otherwise her body language was impossible to read. Sarabi was looking at him, but rather than the open hostility most of the pride was showing him, her gaze had a sad resignation to it that made Tanga's blood go cold. She knew where this was going...and that it was not going to be good.
As Tanga's gaze settled on Kulinda and Juhudi, his last shed of hope for staying in the Pridelands faded. Kulinda was looking at him with an expression that clearly said she was still on his side, but had no idea what to do to salvage the situation. Tanga's heart felt like it was tearing itself apart when he saw Juhudi looking up him with a horrified, upset expression, clearly fighting back tears, obviously knowing what was coming. Even as he looked, the young cub looked up at his mother, speaking quietly to her. Tanga did not need to hear the cub to know that he was pleading for his mother to find a way to stop this.
And then, as always, Tanga's gaze finally settled on Vitani...he had expected the rugged lioness to either be furious at Tani, or horrified at Tanga's apparant fate, but neither of those emotions were on her face as she looked at him. Instead, Vitani's eyes held something that, on the moody lioness, almost looked out of place...sympathy. She could see Tanga's fate...and somehow, she sympathised with him, almost as if she had been through something similar before.
Finally, when the pride refused to die down in it's collective cry for justice, Simba stepped up, Tani moving back amongst the pride without comment, flashing Tanga one brief, victorious look as she did so. As Simba got ready to address the pride, he unleashed a loud roar, a call for silence that was fairly quickly heeded, except for the occasional cry for justice.
"Enough!" Simba finally called, silencing those last few voices. "If you want anything to happen, you won't get it by all shouting at once! Now, what Mwamba and Tani have brought forward is serious, and obviously warrants immediate action." There were a few shouts of approval there, as Tanga's heart plummeted into the ground below him. This is it, he thought sourly.
Finally, Simba started the eloquent process of passing his judgement. "Now, under normal circumstances, the fact that Tanga has entered the Outlands, a hostile territory, and taken a cub of the pride there, coupled with the fact that he has apparently attempted to kill said cub, would be cause for the death penalty." At this statement, Tanga was surprised to find a mixed reaction. Many were agreeing with Simba...but there were quite a few who were hesitant, obviously finding a death sentence too harsh. But that surprise was muted, as his mind was too busy panicking...Simba was going to have him killed!
But before Tanga could say or do anything, Simba spoke up. "However, the evidence against Tanga is not complete, and Tanga's story of defending Juhudi has some merits as well." There were a few protests now...Tani had sucked the pride in just about completely. Simba raised a paw, calming the pride down with the sign that he was not quite finished. "Sentencing Tanga to death would be too harsh under the circumstances...however, the suspicious situation can not be ignored."
At this point, Simba turned to face Tanga, still stuck up on Pride Rock's promontory, and Tanga was amazed to see a hint of sympathy on the king's features. He believes me, Tanga finally realised. ...but why doesn't he say so, then? It took Tanga a few moments to understand: Tani had convinced the entire pride that Tanga was guilty...if Simba overruled that decision on nothing more than a hunch, he would end up with a full-on pride riot on his paws. In the interests of his own safety, and the stability of his pride, he had to punish Tanga.
Tanga hung his head, fighting the wave of confusing emotions rushing through him as Simba continued. "As it is, there is enough here to question his presence here, and whether he is a danger to the pride or not. As such, I am given little choice..." Simba once more faced Tanga, and this time his expression was one of forced neutrality, his voice becoming flat as he finally laid down the verdict...one which cut Tanga to the very core. "Tanga, you are hereby exiled from the Pridelands...by nightfall, I expect you to have moved on, and you are to never return."
Chapter 18
Into the Night
Spoiler: show
For the first time in his entire memory, Tanga had a sense of deja vu. The crushing loneliness, the hopeless despair of betrayal, the agony of abandonment...and the sense that he had no past, no present, and no future. Tanga was once more completely and utterly alone as he walked through the grass, every part of his being reeling from conflicting emotions; despair, grief, anger, regret, and above all, a complete lack of hope.
All this, and much more besides, was what Tanga felt as he trudged dejectedly through the open plains, the bleak, overcast weather matching his equally glum mood, hiding what must a beautiful sunset, even if he was facing away from it right now. He was approaching the eastern borders of the Pridelands, ready to leave the only land...and the only pride...he knew of behind, exiled for a crime he did not commit.
A part of Tanga wanted to be absolutely furious at the Pridelanders. At Simba, for throwing such an injustice upon him. The king had known that he was innocent...not for certain, but he certainly did believe that Tanga was not capable of trying to kill an innocent cub. At Tani and Mwamba, for coming up with this devious, cunning, and downright evil plan to get him exiled...Mwamba even used his own son for his little plan, leaving Tanga disgusted at the way a father could use his son in that way. And most of all, Tanga wanted to be absolutely furious at the entire pride, for believing this whole farce, and allowing his exile without so much as a sympathetic glance in his direction.
But he could not do it. He was happy to fume at Tani and Mwamba, as the instigators of this whole, horrible day...but he could not be truly angry at the Pridelanders in general. They had taken him in when they could have left him for dead...and they royal family, along with Vitani, had given him one month of happy memories, something his brief flashes into his past suggested he had very little of in his years in the world. And Simba may have exiled him, but Tanga could see that he had little choice. He was a rogue, accused of attempting to murder a cub of the pride...someone vital to their future. If Simba had not terminated his sanctuary here, then the pride would have gone into an uproar, most likely finding someone...most likely Mwamba...to overthrow Simba's kingship, and take it himself.
In the end, Tanga realised he was not angry, just simply devastated...he had expected this to happen, but it still crushed him when his fears had turned into painful reality. The Pridelands were the closest thing to a home he could ever remember having. He had a place to stay...and he had friends in Sarabi and Vitani...and possibly Juhudi, too, after yesterday. And now...now all that was being taken away from him, and he was being forced back into the lonely, miserable existence that was his only collection of memories before he had come to the Pridelands.
Heaving a heavy, shaky sigh, Tanga turned his gaze skyward, seeing nothing but the overcast clouds, interspersed with the occasional patch of dusk sky pushing through the wall of white. Were the Great Kings watching him now...and if so, if they were supposedly watching over him, and the other lions of this land, why were they allowing such injustice to occur? Why couldn't he just have something go right in his lonely, forgotten life? Surely he deserved better than this...surely he at least had the right to some form of contentment?
But his momentary flare of anger faded quickly, the despair taking over once more, as he dropped his head, sighing heavily, before turning back, looking at the Pridelands once more. The overcast sky was now glowing a deep orange colour, some clouds tinged with red, letting Tanga know that the invisible sun was setting. His time limit for leaving the Pridelands was almost up...but he knew that he had stopped just a short distance from the border. Within minutes, he would be outside Simba's territory, leaving the only home he had ever had behind.
But he hesitated. Part of him wanted to openly disregard his exile and just stay...find somewhere to hide in the Pridelands where he could remain close to those he had grown fond of...he was certain Vitani would not betray him if he did that. But he shook his head, casting such thoughts aside...it was a stupid idea, and made an already bleak outlook even riskier. he had to let go, he realised, he had to move on.
Turning away from Pride Rock, he sighed once more, before looking at the plains stretched out in front of him. What lay out there...beyond the Pridelands? What future was waiting for him in his exile? Would he, perhaps, find another pride...or would his rogue status lead him to have a lonely, insignificant existence? The possibilities were endless, but Tanga's hopes were far from high. He knew being a rogue would leave him at a significant disadvantage, and he also knew that it would take quite some time before he could move on from those he cared about here.
But as Tanga took the last steps he knew he would ever take in the Pridelands, he stopped, as a voice rang out behind him, causing his ears to flick up as he turned around rapidly, stunned to find a familiar voice so soon into his exile...he had not even left the Pridelands yet.
"Hey, Tanga, wait!" the small, cubbish yell caused a confused expression to reach Tanga's muzzle, as he finally found the source of the voice. Juhudi was trotting through the grass, heading straight for him.
"Juhudi?" he called, being rewarded with the cub's pale-furred head rising, his faded green gaze locking with his blue orbs as the cub smiled at him, obviously happy to have caught up to him. Tanga returned the smile, but behind it, he felt mainly confusion. "What are you doing out here? Why aren't you back at Pride Rock?" he asked, wondering what the cub could possibly be doing looking for him now, of all times.
"I came looking for now, duh," Juhudi said, his tone childish, as if his answer should be the most obvious thing in the world. In any other situation, it would have been amusing, but Tanga knew what could happen if he was found like this, so close to nightfall.
"Listen, Juhudi, if someone sees me with you, I'll be in even bigger trouble than I am now. I'm sorry, kiddo, but you saw what happened today...I have to leave, and I'm not allowed to come back...ever," he hated dropping this on Juhudi, but he had to get the cub to go back to Pride Rock, as he looked around, trying to find any sign of someone else...but spotting no-one.
"I know what happened, and that's why I came here," Juhudi said, now looking really nervous, sitting down in front of Tanga and shuffling his paws a little. Clearly he wanted to say something more, but was too nervous or shy to do so.
Tanga could not help but smile as he caught onto to where this was going. He was touched that the cub thought that much of him...but he was still worried. If Kulinda found them like this, he'd be in big trouble. If Mwamba found them, he was as good as dead. "You came you say goodbye, didn't you?" he asked, smiling as Juhudi's nervous shuffling increased. Unable to resist, now that Juhudi was here, he stepped forward, placing one of his paws gently on the cub's shoulder. "Thank you, Juhudi...it's nice to know that you don't want me to go...but I have to," he added sadly, looking back towards Pride Rock again, which was fading from view as the world steadily darkened.
As Tanga tried to comfort the little cub, he could feel the young lion shaking beneath his paw...he was a lot more nervous than Tanga had expected. "It's...it's not that..." Juhudi said softly, before looking up at Tanga, his muzzle betraying his emotions. The young cub was frightened...frightened of how Tanga would react to whatever it was he came all this way for. "I...I just..." As Tanga gave Juhudi an encouraging look, trying to get him to open up, he suddenly leapt out from under Tanga's paw, clutching at the opposite foreleg...the scarred one...with all his might, hugging it like his life depended on it. "I want to go with you, Tanga!" he suddenly blurted out, flooring Tanga. Of all the things he had expected Juhudi to say, that had definitely not been it.
But Juhudi was not quite done...now that he had admitted what he wanted to, the floodgates opened, and his words flowed out in a near-endless stream. "I don't want to stay here without you! You saved me from those hyenas...if it happens again, and you're not there..." his voice trailed off, and his large eyes looked up at Tanga from his foreleg. "Please...can I come with you?" he practically begged.
"I...You...?" Tanga was stunned, and struggling to form a sentence. He could not believe that Juhudi would even think of going with him over staying in the Pridelands. After several moments, he finally found his voice once more. "But, Juhudi...what about Pride Rock? Don't you want to stay here, with your friends...and with your parents?" He could not help but wonder why Juhudi was willing to abandon his own parents...just to stay with him, over one incident?
"I..." Juhudi started to say something, but faltered as Tanga mentioned Kulinda and Mwamba. "I...I don't know about mum, but I'd rather be with you than dad," he said softly, causing Tanga to actually gasp. He could barely believe it...this cub would rather stay with him over his own father?
Part of Tanga's mind understood...his dreams suggested that his father, whoever he was, was not a nice guy...but he had still stayed around him, at least...he thought. Sighing as he realised that nothing about his past outside the Pridelands was certain, Tanga lowered himself down, bringing his eye-level closer to Juhudi's. "Don't say that, kid. I know Mwamba wasn't very nice today...but I'm sure he did everything because he loves you, and wants to protect you, just as Simba is trying to protect the pride by exiling me."
But Juhudi just shook his head. "Dad doesn't love me...he doesn't even like me..." he said, his voice betraying his sad conviction. Tanga frowned at Juhudi's insistence...there was something wrong, here. Some detail he was missing.
But he decided he would get back to it later, and for now, get back to convincing Juhudi to go back. "But what about mum, then? I know she loves you...if you leave, she'll be devastated," he said gently, trying to remind Juhudi of all these things without sounding like he was scolding the cub. Tanga knew that Juhudi's place was here, with his pride and his family. Tanga felt like his place was here as well, but the exile had taken care of that...he just had to find his own way now.
But Tanga's thoughts were halted, his eyes bulging in fear as a new voice resounded from the twilight gloom...one he had dreaded hearing ever since Juhudi had showed up. "Not to mention she'd be absolutely furious at both lions involved," Kulinda's voice spoke up, her voice stern and hard, causing Juhudi to jump and whirl around, as Tanga looked up, facing the pale-furred lioness approaching from the darkness of the grassy plains, and unreadable expression on her face.
Tanga was the first to try and speak. "Kulinda, I...this isn't..." he tried to stammer out an explanation, but his fear of the repercussions of Kulinda finding him like this were messing with his feeble attempt at speaking, which seemed to amuse Kulinda, judging by the smirk on her muzzle.
Finally, she chuckled slightly, her voice full of nothing but amusement at Tanga's obvious nervousness, which helped calm the black-maned lion slightly. "Relax, Tanga. I know your exile is unfair...and I know you would never try to steal Juhudi from me, although Mwamba might see it a little differently," she added, all mirth vanishing from her voice at the mention of her mate, further convincing Tanga that, where Mwamba was concerned, he was missing some very important detail.
Kulinda's face turned stern once more, however, as she turned her attention to her son. "You, on the other paw, young lion...I was worried sick when I realised you had run off! Why was it so important to say goodbye to Tanga...alone...without telling me?" she asked. "If you had just asked, I would have helped you find him...instead I've spent this entire trip across the Pridelands worried that I won't find you."
Tanga was happy that Juhudi did care for his mother enough to look ashamed at his actions. "I'm sorry, mum," he said softly, obvious guilt in his voice. "But...I thought...with Tanga having saved me, and being forced to leave...I just...I wanted to get away...from him." The last word was spoken with a mild amount of fear and disgust, which surprised Tanga.
Kulinda gave Juhudi an odd look for a few moment, before comprehension dawned on her features. "You...you actually wanted to run away with Tanga?" she asked, giving Tanga a quick glance, before looking back to her son in time to see him nod sheepishly. Kulinda seemed to think on this for a few moments, frowning heavily, before turning to Tanga, causing him to step backwards at her hard, piercing gaze...openly but silently demanding an explanation from him. She trusted him...but not too much just yet.
But just as Tanga opened his mouth to speak, Juhudi barged in again, his eyes brightening as an idea obviously began to form in his young mind. "Wait, mum!" he said excitedly. "Why can't we both go?"
Tanga's jaw dropped. "What?" he said, at the exact same time as Kulinda. Juhudi's idea was just another shock in an already eventful evening, which was fast getting gloomier.
Juhudi used their stunned, simultaneous question as an invitation to continue. "Come on, mum! Tanga's gonna be all by himself out there if we don't! And he'd be a much better dad, too!" he added, causing Tanga to stare at the cub, torn between complete, bewildered shock, profound embarrassment, and heartfelt gratitude. It amazed him that Juhudi thought so highly of him, but the 'dad' reference was a bit too much for him. "Can we please go with him...please?" Juhudi now started pleading, turning away from Tanga, obviously so he could give his best innocent, pleading face to his mother.
But Tanga spoke up before Kulinda could say anything. "Juhudi, please...both you and your mother need to stay here. I can't take you away from your home...and I definitely can't take your mother away from her mate. I'll be fine on my own, Juhudi, really. I've been through it before, I can do it again." Part of him believed he was not really telling the truth...that after his month in the Pridelands, he would struggle to adapt to a rogue's life again. But he had to put on a brave face for Juhudi...he could not let the cub suffer a life of loneliness and struggle, just for his sake...it was simply not fair on the little guy he cared about.
Kulinda gave Tanga the barest of appreciative nods, before turning back to her son. "Tanga's right, Juhudi. This place is our home." Juhudi quickly opened his muzzle to protest more, but Kulinda cut over him first. "Look, I know you like Tanga...we both owe him everything for saving you...and I'm sure he'd be an infinitely better father to you than Mwamba has ever been. But our place is here, son. And I know Tanga would rather we stay here than force us into the life of a rogue for him."
Tanga let out a soft breath at Kulinda's words, as he watched Juhudi's figure slump as a sign of defeat. But inside his mind, he was trying to piece everything together, regarding Mwamba. Neither Kulinda nor Juhudi seemed to think highly of him, which left Tanga confused. Kulinda must have been very close to Mwamba at some point, or they would never have become mates and had Juhudi...but what had changed?
Eventually, as Tanga observed the mother and son in front of him, he spotted something, and the pieces fell together...he finally saw what was causing them to distance themselves from Mwamba so badly. He instantly felt for them, and understood why Juhudi wanted to go with him. His dreams gave him the impression that he had been through similar hardships regarding his own father...but now was not the time to dwell on his past, it was Juhudi and Kulinda he needed to worry about.
He decided to help Juhudi out, since the cub still looked like he desperately wanted to argue...if Kulinda took him home now, there was every chance that he would run away again, just to go with Tanga...and while he was touched that the cub trusted him so much, even though they had not known other for more than a couple of days, he did not want the little guy to go through what he had to...the life he had here, no matter what dark aspects it contained, was infinitely better than the constant loneliness and danger he was about to face.
Tanga leaned down, so he was as close to Juhudi as he could without making the cub uncomfortable. "Listen, Juhudi...I know you want to come with me, and while I'd love it if you could...your place is here. No matter how bad things seem sometimes, kid, always remember that you have your mother, who loves you. And you have friends, too...they can all help you in my place. Yesterday you were very brave, saving me from the hyenas...now I want you to be very brave, for yourself. Stay here, Juhudi...stay here, and live a happy life. Don't let those who try to hurt you get to you...you are a better lion than they could ever hope to be, and I mean that."
At long last, Tanga's words seemed to have some effect on Juhudi. The desperation in his eyes faded, as the cub seemed to gather his inner strength. After taking a few deep breaths, the cub finally spoke up. "Okay..." he said softly, but without hesitation. "Okay, Tanga, I'll stay. But..." At that point, Juhudi hesitated, obviously nervous again.
"What is it, kiddo?" he asked softly, making his tone as encouraging as he could.
Tanga's incessant kindness seemed to be too much for Juhudi, as the little cub leapt at him. Before Tanga could do anything, the little cub was on Tanga's back, burying himself in his mane, hugging the lion for all it was worth. "I'm gonna miss you, Tanga!" he finally blurted out. "I wish you could stay!"
Tanga was moved by Juhudi's show of affection...he had never expected his departure from the Pridelands to be quite this hard. Feeling his eyes swimming at Juhudi's unexpected loyalty to him, Tanga sighed, looking at Kulinda, who was actually smiling sadly at the two of them. She was obviously happy Juhudi had found a friend in him, and felt bad that this new friend had to be taken away so soon. "I know..." Tanga replied sadly. "And I'm going to miss you, too..."
But Tanga soon remembered his exile, and the fact that it was past sundown, and he was still technically within their lands. Sighing, he shook his mane slightly. “Alright, Juhudi, I have to go now,” he said gently. But Juhudi only seemed to bury his small frame deeper into his mane, clearly not wanting to get off just yet. “Juhudi, please,” he added, a little more insistently. “I'll get in really big trouble if I don't leave now.”
Juhudi gave a low whine. “Come on, Tanga...just a couple more minutes?” he pleaded, in a voice that Tanga found very hard to resist. The newly-exiled lion turned to Kulinda for support, the mother giving them a soft smile.
“Go on,” she said. “I'll keep watch, give him some good memories to take back home tonight...I'm sure you could use a few, yourself,” she added on, before turning to watch the plains between them and Pride Rock, obviously ready to alert them if any Pridelander came looking to make sure he was gone.
Tanga looked at her for a few more moments, before determining she was indeed giving him a few more minutes with Juhudi. Giving a half-hearted smile, he looked over his shoulder at the bundle of fur in his mane. “We've got a few minutes, buddy. Think you can hang on tight?” he asked, the mildly playful nature of his voice giving away what he was about to do.
Juhudi, though, was puzzled, taking a few moments to figure out Tanga's intentions, even as he gripped the older lion's midnight mane more firmly. “Of course, but I...”
The cub never got to finish his sentence, because at that moment, Tanga bounded off, bouncing through the grass with wild abandon, giving Juhudi quite a ride. Juhudi's just yelled incoherently at first, clearly surprised. Once he realised what was happening, though, his shouts turned to joyous laughing and whooping, clearly enjoying himself. “This...is...great!” he managed to shout out between his laughter.
Eventually, though, the cub seemed to get another idea. As Tanga crouched low for another jumping stride, he pause as he felt Juhudi's weight leave his shoulder, before watching as the cub bounded into the grass, staying relatively close to Kulinda. “Betcha can't catch me!” he called challengingly over his shoulder.
Tanga just grinned. “Betcha I can!” he called back, before leaping after the cub, laughing along with him as they ran circles around Kulinda and each other, in a strange game of late-night tag. At one point, Tanga looked up at Kulinda, noticing her watching them with a warm, genuine smile, one Tanga managed to send back her way. He may be leaving...but at least, when things got particularly lonely, he could use these memories as some small comfort...some reminder of a good point in his life.
In the end, his distraction proved costly to his game, Juhudi making the most of it and pouncing him. “Gotcha!” he cried, once more leaping into Tanga's mane, the older lion exaggerating the force of Juhudi's impact, crying out dramatically as he collapsed to the ground, careful to make sure Juhudi stayed on top of him and in his mane the whole time, leaving both of them lying there, panting heavily, still breaking out in occasional giggles.
Soon enough, though, the mirth died down, both lions realising that the moment had been put of too long...it was time for Tanga to go. Juhudi nuzzled Tanga's shoulders sadly at this realisation, speaking up softly. “I'm gonna miss you, Tang,” he said, his voice slightly shaky.
Tanga also noticed a slight quaver in his own voice as he replied...he truly did not want to leave this cub behind, either. “I'm gonna miss you, too, Ju. You're a great cub, and a wonderful lion...I'm glad I got to meet you.”
Juhudi just nodded. “I'll...I'll try and find a way to make the others change their minds about you. When I'm older, I'll find you and bring you back,” he said, the conviction in his voice surprising, coming from someone so young.
The small vow by the little cub once more touched Tanga, actually having to brush away a stray tear this time. He didn't have the heart to deny Juhudi's promise, so just gave a small, hesitant nod, before gently pulling the cub off his back, giving him one last, soft hug, whispering into his ear as he did. “You'll be a great lion one day, Juhudi, I know it. Don't let your father drag you down.”
With that last request, he gently put the cub down, nudging him back towards Kulinda. “Go on, now...you need to get to bed before anyone wonders where both of you have gone,” he said softly, watching as the cub silently made his way back to his mother, noticing tear tracks staining the fur of his cheeks as he turned back one last time.
His attention was dragged away from the cub, though, when Kulinda spoke up. “Before you go, Tanga...I just want to thank you one last time for saving my son. No matter what the rest of the pride says, know that some of us still believe you are innocent. And know that I'll help Juhudi find a way to prove your innocence to Simba, so that if you ever come back in the future, you will be welcomed once more.”
Feeling his throat constrict with the emotion, Tanga could only nod, trying to keep the tears of the painful parting at bay as he gave one last wave to them, Kulinda and Juhudi both waving back. Knowing he could not delay any longer, Tanga slowly turned around and...with one last look back at the two lions, and the land he wished he could have called home...walked slowly eastward, finally leaving the boundaries of the Pridelands, once more making his way out into the unknown plains, into a future that was as uncertain as his past.
All this, and much more besides, was what Tanga felt as he trudged dejectedly through the open plains, the bleak, overcast weather matching his equally glum mood, hiding what must a beautiful sunset, even if he was facing away from it right now. He was approaching the eastern borders of the Pridelands, ready to leave the only land...and the only pride...he knew of behind, exiled for a crime he did not commit.
A part of Tanga wanted to be absolutely furious at the Pridelanders. At Simba, for throwing such an injustice upon him. The king had known that he was innocent...not for certain, but he certainly did believe that Tanga was not capable of trying to kill an innocent cub. At Tani and Mwamba, for coming up with this devious, cunning, and downright evil plan to get him exiled...Mwamba even used his own son for his little plan, leaving Tanga disgusted at the way a father could use his son in that way. And most of all, Tanga wanted to be absolutely furious at the entire pride, for believing this whole farce, and allowing his exile without so much as a sympathetic glance in his direction.
But he could not do it. He was happy to fume at Tani and Mwamba, as the instigators of this whole, horrible day...but he could not be truly angry at the Pridelanders in general. They had taken him in when they could have left him for dead...and they royal family, along with Vitani, had given him one month of happy memories, something his brief flashes into his past suggested he had very little of in his years in the world. And Simba may have exiled him, but Tanga could see that he had little choice. He was a rogue, accused of attempting to murder a cub of the pride...someone vital to their future. If Simba had not terminated his sanctuary here, then the pride would have gone into an uproar, most likely finding someone...most likely Mwamba...to overthrow Simba's kingship, and take it himself.
In the end, Tanga realised he was not angry, just simply devastated...he had expected this to happen, but it still crushed him when his fears had turned into painful reality. The Pridelands were the closest thing to a home he could ever remember having. He had a place to stay...and he had friends in Sarabi and Vitani...and possibly Juhudi, too, after yesterday. And now...now all that was being taken away from him, and he was being forced back into the lonely, miserable existence that was his only collection of memories before he had come to the Pridelands.
Heaving a heavy, shaky sigh, Tanga turned his gaze skyward, seeing nothing but the overcast clouds, interspersed with the occasional patch of dusk sky pushing through the wall of white. Were the Great Kings watching him now...and if so, if they were supposedly watching over him, and the other lions of this land, why were they allowing such injustice to occur? Why couldn't he just have something go right in his lonely, forgotten life? Surely he deserved better than this...surely he at least had the right to some form of contentment?
But his momentary flare of anger faded quickly, the despair taking over once more, as he dropped his head, sighing heavily, before turning back, looking at the Pridelands once more. The overcast sky was now glowing a deep orange colour, some clouds tinged with red, letting Tanga know that the invisible sun was setting. His time limit for leaving the Pridelands was almost up...but he knew that he had stopped just a short distance from the border. Within minutes, he would be outside Simba's territory, leaving the only home he had ever had behind.
But he hesitated. Part of him wanted to openly disregard his exile and just stay...find somewhere to hide in the Pridelands where he could remain close to those he had grown fond of...he was certain Vitani would not betray him if he did that. But he shook his head, casting such thoughts aside...it was a stupid idea, and made an already bleak outlook even riskier. he had to let go, he realised, he had to move on.
Turning away from Pride Rock, he sighed once more, before looking at the plains stretched out in front of him. What lay out there...beyond the Pridelands? What future was waiting for him in his exile? Would he, perhaps, find another pride...or would his rogue status lead him to have a lonely, insignificant existence? The possibilities were endless, but Tanga's hopes were far from high. He knew being a rogue would leave him at a significant disadvantage, and he also knew that it would take quite some time before he could move on from those he cared about here.
But as Tanga took the last steps he knew he would ever take in the Pridelands, he stopped, as a voice rang out behind him, causing his ears to flick up as he turned around rapidly, stunned to find a familiar voice so soon into his exile...he had not even left the Pridelands yet.
"Hey, Tanga, wait!" the small, cubbish yell caused a confused expression to reach Tanga's muzzle, as he finally found the source of the voice. Juhudi was trotting through the grass, heading straight for him.
"Juhudi?" he called, being rewarded with the cub's pale-furred head rising, his faded green gaze locking with his blue orbs as the cub smiled at him, obviously happy to have caught up to him. Tanga returned the smile, but behind it, he felt mainly confusion. "What are you doing out here? Why aren't you back at Pride Rock?" he asked, wondering what the cub could possibly be doing looking for him now, of all times.
"I came looking for now, duh," Juhudi said, his tone childish, as if his answer should be the most obvious thing in the world. In any other situation, it would have been amusing, but Tanga knew what could happen if he was found like this, so close to nightfall.
"Listen, Juhudi, if someone sees me with you, I'll be in even bigger trouble than I am now. I'm sorry, kiddo, but you saw what happened today...I have to leave, and I'm not allowed to come back...ever," he hated dropping this on Juhudi, but he had to get the cub to go back to Pride Rock, as he looked around, trying to find any sign of someone else...but spotting no-one.
"I know what happened, and that's why I came here," Juhudi said, now looking really nervous, sitting down in front of Tanga and shuffling his paws a little. Clearly he wanted to say something more, but was too nervous or shy to do so.
Tanga could not help but smile as he caught onto to where this was going. He was touched that the cub thought that much of him...but he was still worried. If Kulinda found them like this, he'd be in big trouble. If Mwamba found them, he was as good as dead. "You came you say goodbye, didn't you?" he asked, smiling as Juhudi's nervous shuffling increased. Unable to resist, now that Juhudi was here, he stepped forward, placing one of his paws gently on the cub's shoulder. "Thank you, Juhudi...it's nice to know that you don't want me to go...but I have to," he added sadly, looking back towards Pride Rock again, which was fading from view as the world steadily darkened.
As Tanga tried to comfort the little cub, he could feel the young lion shaking beneath his paw...he was a lot more nervous than Tanga had expected. "It's...it's not that..." Juhudi said softly, before looking up at Tanga, his muzzle betraying his emotions. The young cub was frightened...frightened of how Tanga would react to whatever it was he came all this way for. "I...I just..." As Tanga gave Juhudi an encouraging look, trying to get him to open up, he suddenly leapt out from under Tanga's paw, clutching at the opposite foreleg...the scarred one...with all his might, hugging it like his life depended on it. "I want to go with you, Tanga!" he suddenly blurted out, flooring Tanga. Of all the things he had expected Juhudi to say, that had definitely not been it.
But Juhudi was not quite done...now that he had admitted what he wanted to, the floodgates opened, and his words flowed out in a near-endless stream. "I don't want to stay here without you! You saved me from those hyenas...if it happens again, and you're not there..." his voice trailed off, and his large eyes looked up at Tanga from his foreleg. "Please...can I come with you?" he practically begged.
"I...You...?" Tanga was stunned, and struggling to form a sentence. He could not believe that Juhudi would even think of going with him over staying in the Pridelands. After several moments, he finally found his voice once more. "But, Juhudi...what about Pride Rock? Don't you want to stay here, with your friends...and with your parents?" He could not help but wonder why Juhudi was willing to abandon his own parents...just to stay with him, over one incident?
"I..." Juhudi started to say something, but faltered as Tanga mentioned Kulinda and Mwamba. "I...I don't know about mum, but I'd rather be with you than dad," he said softly, causing Tanga to actually gasp. He could barely believe it...this cub would rather stay with him over his own father?
Part of Tanga's mind understood...his dreams suggested that his father, whoever he was, was not a nice guy...but he had still stayed around him, at least...he thought. Sighing as he realised that nothing about his past outside the Pridelands was certain, Tanga lowered himself down, bringing his eye-level closer to Juhudi's. "Don't say that, kid. I know Mwamba wasn't very nice today...but I'm sure he did everything because he loves you, and wants to protect you, just as Simba is trying to protect the pride by exiling me."
But Juhudi just shook his head. "Dad doesn't love me...he doesn't even like me..." he said, his voice betraying his sad conviction. Tanga frowned at Juhudi's insistence...there was something wrong, here. Some detail he was missing.
But he decided he would get back to it later, and for now, get back to convincing Juhudi to go back. "But what about mum, then? I know she loves you...if you leave, she'll be devastated," he said gently, trying to remind Juhudi of all these things without sounding like he was scolding the cub. Tanga knew that Juhudi's place was here, with his pride and his family. Tanga felt like his place was here as well, but the exile had taken care of that...he just had to find his own way now.
But Tanga's thoughts were halted, his eyes bulging in fear as a new voice resounded from the twilight gloom...one he had dreaded hearing ever since Juhudi had showed up. "Not to mention she'd be absolutely furious at both lions involved," Kulinda's voice spoke up, her voice stern and hard, causing Juhudi to jump and whirl around, as Tanga looked up, facing the pale-furred lioness approaching from the darkness of the grassy plains, and unreadable expression on her face.
Tanga was the first to try and speak. "Kulinda, I...this isn't..." he tried to stammer out an explanation, but his fear of the repercussions of Kulinda finding him like this were messing with his feeble attempt at speaking, which seemed to amuse Kulinda, judging by the smirk on her muzzle.
Finally, she chuckled slightly, her voice full of nothing but amusement at Tanga's obvious nervousness, which helped calm the black-maned lion slightly. "Relax, Tanga. I know your exile is unfair...and I know you would never try to steal Juhudi from me, although Mwamba might see it a little differently," she added, all mirth vanishing from her voice at the mention of her mate, further convincing Tanga that, where Mwamba was concerned, he was missing some very important detail.
Kulinda's face turned stern once more, however, as she turned her attention to her son. "You, on the other paw, young lion...I was worried sick when I realised you had run off! Why was it so important to say goodbye to Tanga...alone...without telling me?" she asked. "If you had just asked, I would have helped you find him...instead I've spent this entire trip across the Pridelands worried that I won't find you."
Tanga was happy that Juhudi did care for his mother enough to look ashamed at his actions. "I'm sorry, mum," he said softly, obvious guilt in his voice. "But...I thought...with Tanga having saved me, and being forced to leave...I just...I wanted to get away...from him." The last word was spoken with a mild amount of fear and disgust, which surprised Tanga.
Kulinda gave Juhudi an odd look for a few moment, before comprehension dawned on her features. "You...you actually wanted to run away with Tanga?" she asked, giving Tanga a quick glance, before looking back to her son in time to see him nod sheepishly. Kulinda seemed to think on this for a few moments, frowning heavily, before turning to Tanga, causing him to step backwards at her hard, piercing gaze...openly but silently demanding an explanation from him. She trusted him...but not too much just yet.
But just as Tanga opened his mouth to speak, Juhudi barged in again, his eyes brightening as an idea obviously began to form in his young mind. "Wait, mum!" he said excitedly. "Why can't we both go?"
Tanga's jaw dropped. "What?" he said, at the exact same time as Kulinda. Juhudi's idea was just another shock in an already eventful evening, which was fast getting gloomier.
Juhudi used their stunned, simultaneous question as an invitation to continue. "Come on, mum! Tanga's gonna be all by himself out there if we don't! And he'd be a much better dad, too!" he added, causing Tanga to stare at the cub, torn between complete, bewildered shock, profound embarrassment, and heartfelt gratitude. It amazed him that Juhudi thought so highly of him, but the 'dad' reference was a bit too much for him. "Can we please go with him...please?" Juhudi now started pleading, turning away from Tanga, obviously so he could give his best innocent, pleading face to his mother.
But Tanga spoke up before Kulinda could say anything. "Juhudi, please...both you and your mother need to stay here. I can't take you away from your home...and I definitely can't take your mother away from her mate. I'll be fine on my own, Juhudi, really. I've been through it before, I can do it again." Part of him believed he was not really telling the truth...that after his month in the Pridelands, he would struggle to adapt to a rogue's life again. But he had to put on a brave face for Juhudi...he could not let the cub suffer a life of loneliness and struggle, just for his sake...it was simply not fair on the little guy he cared about.
Kulinda gave Tanga the barest of appreciative nods, before turning back to her son. "Tanga's right, Juhudi. This place is our home." Juhudi quickly opened his muzzle to protest more, but Kulinda cut over him first. "Look, I know you like Tanga...we both owe him everything for saving you...and I'm sure he'd be an infinitely better father to you than Mwamba has ever been. But our place is here, son. And I know Tanga would rather we stay here than force us into the life of a rogue for him."
Tanga let out a soft breath at Kulinda's words, as he watched Juhudi's figure slump as a sign of defeat. But inside his mind, he was trying to piece everything together, regarding Mwamba. Neither Kulinda nor Juhudi seemed to think highly of him, which left Tanga confused. Kulinda must have been very close to Mwamba at some point, or they would never have become mates and had Juhudi...but what had changed?
Eventually, as Tanga observed the mother and son in front of him, he spotted something, and the pieces fell together...he finally saw what was causing them to distance themselves from Mwamba so badly. He instantly felt for them, and understood why Juhudi wanted to go with him. His dreams gave him the impression that he had been through similar hardships regarding his own father...but now was not the time to dwell on his past, it was Juhudi and Kulinda he needed to worry about.
He decided to help Juhudi out, since the cub still looked like he desperately wanted to argue...if Kulinda took him home now, there was every chance that he would run away again, just to go with Tanga...and while he was touched that the cub trusted him so much, even though they had not known other for more than a couple of days, he did not want the little guy to go through what he had to...the life he had here, no matter what dark aspects it contained, was infinitely better than the constant loneliness and danger he was about to face.
Tanga leaned down, so he was as close to Juhudi as he could without making the cub uncomfortable. "Listen, Juhudi...I know you want to come with me, and while I'd love it if you could...your place is here. No matter how bad things seem sometimes, kid, always remember that you have your mother, who loves you. And you have friends, too...they can all help you in my place. Yesterday you were very brave, saving me from the hyenas...now I want you to be very brave, for yourself. Stay here, Juhudi...stay here, and live a happy life. Don't let those who try to hurt you get to you...you are a better lion than they could ever hope to be, and I mean that."
At long last, Tanga's words seemed to have some effect on Juhudi. The desperation in his eyes faded, as the cub seemed to gather his inner strength. After taking a few deep breaths, the cub finally spoke up. "Okay..." he said softly, but without hesitation. "Okay, Tanga, I'll stay. But..." At that point, Juhudi hesitated, obviously nervous again.
"What is it, kiddo?" he asked softly, making his tone as encouraging as he could.
Tanga's incessant kindness seemed to be too much for Juhudi, as the little cub leapt at him. Before Tanga could do anything, the little cub was on Tanga's back, burying himself in his mane, hugging the lion for all it was worth. "I'm gonna miss you, Tanga!" he finally blurted out. "I wish you could stay!"
Tanga was moved by Juhudi's show of affection...he had never expected his departure from the Pridelands to be quite this hard. Feeling his eyes swimming at Juhudi's unexpected loyalty to him, Tanga sighed, looking at Kulinda, who was actually smiling sadly at the two of them. She was obviously happy Juhudi had found a friend in him, and felt bad that this new friend had to be taken away so soon. "I know..." Tanga replied sadly. "And I'm going to miss you, too..."
But Tanga soon remembered his exile, and the fact that it was past sundown, and he was still technically within their lands. Sighing, he shook his mane slightly. “Alright, Juhudi, I have to go now,” he said gently. But Juhudi only seemed to bury his small frame deeper into his mane, clearly not wanting to get off just yet. “Juhudi, please,” he added, a little more insistently. “I'll get in really big trouble if I don't leave now.”
Juhudi gave a low whine. “Come on, Tanga...just a couple more minutes?” he pleaded, in a voice that Tanga found very hard to resist. The newly-exiled lion turned to Kulinda for support, the mother giving them a soft smile.
“Go on,” she said. “I'll keep watch, give him some good memories to take back home tonight...I'm sure you could use a few, yourself,” she added on, before turning to watch the plains between them and Pride Rock, obviously ready to alert them if any Pridelander came looking to make sure he was gone.
Tanga looked at her for a few more moments, before determining she was indeed giving him a few more minutes with Juhudi. Giving a half-hearted smile, he looked over his shoulder at the bundle of fur in his mane. “We've got a few minutes, buddy. Think you can hang on tight?” he asked, the mildly playful nature of his voice giving away what he was about to do.
Juhudi, though, was puzzled, taking a few moments to figure out Tanga's intentions, even as he gripped the older lion's midnight mane more firmly. “Of course, but I...”
The cub never got to finish his sentence, because at that moment, Tanga bounded off, bouncing through the grass with wild abandon, giving Juhudi quite a ride. Juhudi's just yelled incoherently at first, clearly surprised. Once he realised what was happening, though, his shouts turned to joyous laughing and whooping, clearly enjoying himself. “This...is...great!” he managed to shout out between his laughter.
Eventually, though, the cub seemed to get another idea. As Tanga crouched low for another jumping stride, he pause as he felt Juhudi's weight leave his shoulder, before watching as the cub bounded into the grass, staying relatively close to Kulinda. “Betcha can't catch me!” he called challengingly over his shoulder.
Tanga just grinned. “Betcha I can!” he called back, before leaping after the cub, laughing along with him as they ran circles around Kulinda and each other, in a strange game of late-night tag. At one point, Tanga looked up at Kulinda, noticing her watching them with a warm, genuine smile, one Tanga managed to send back her way. He may be leaving...but at least, when things got particularly lonely, he could use these memories as some small comfort...some reminder of a good point in his life.
In the end, his distraction proved costly to his game, Juhudi making the most of it and pouncing him. “Gotcha!” he cried, once more leaping into Tanga's mane, the older lion exaggerating the force of Juhudi's impact, crying out dramatically as he collapsed to the ground, careful to make sure Juhudi stayed on top of him and in his mane the whole time, leaving both of them lying there, panting heavily, still breaking out in occasional giggles.
Soon enough, though, the mirth died down, both lions realising that the moment had been put of too long...it was time for Tanga to go. Juhudi nuzzled Tanga's shoulders sadly at this realisation, speaking up softly. “I'm gonna miss you, Tang,” he said, his voice slightly shaky.
Tanga also noticed a slight quaver in his own voice as he replied...he truly did not want to leave this cub behind, either. “I'm gonna miss you, too, Ju. You're a great cub, and a wonderful lion...I'm glad I got to meet you.”
Juhudi just nodded. “I'll...I'll try and find a way to make the others change their minds about you. When I'm older, I'll find you and bring you back,” he said, the conviction in his voice surprising, coming from someone so young.
The small vow by the little cub once more touched Tanga, actually having to brush away a stray tear this time. He didn't have the heart to deny Juhudi's promise, so just gave a small, hesitant nod, before gently pulling the cub off his back, giving him one last, soft hug, whispering into his ear as he did. “You'll be a great lion one day, Juhudi, I know it. Don't let your father drag you down.”
With that last request, he gently put the cub down, nudging him back towards Kulinda. “Go on, now...you need to get to bed before anyone wonders where both of you have gone,” he said softly, watching as the cub silently made his way back to his mother, noticing tear tracks staining the fur of his cheeks as he turned back one last time.
His attention was dragged away from the cub, though, when Kulinda spoke up. “Before you go, Tanga...I just want to thank you one last time for saving my son. No matter what the rest of the pride says, know that some of us still believe you are innocent. And know that I'll help Juhudi find a way to prove your innocence to Simba, so that if you ever come back in the future, you will be welcomed once more.”
Feeling his throat constrict with the emotion, Tanga could only nod, trying to keep the tears of the painful parting at bay as he gave one last wave to them, Kulinda and Juhudi both waving back. Knowing he could not delay any longer, Tanga slowly turned around and...with one last look back at the two lions, and the land he wished he could have called home...walked slowly eastward, finally leaving the boundaries of the Pridelands, once more making his way out into the unknown plains, into a future that was as uncertain as his past.
