[PRIVATE: DGFone & Thewhistlerify]

[DGFone]

Umeme looked back at Muroki. "Stop teasing him? Too late!" In order not to keep Kato waiting, she got up. "Well, one of us is eager to go back, so let's go." She waited to see if Muroki would need any help getting up, but he didn't seem to have much trouble doing so.

With an impatient Kato waiting for them, Umeme and Muroki followed the prince. Umeme couldn't help but grin at how eager Kato was to go back.

---

Delano blushed slightly when Umeme licked him, although at the same time, he was glad that he was able to make her this happy. However, the voices down below caught his attention again, and as he looked down, his face fell. "Looks like their going back," he told Lina, "perhaps we should get going too." As much as he enjoyed being here with Lina, he still needed to talk to Kato, and didn't want to miss the opportunity to talk to the prince.

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki couldn't help but chuckle at the prince's enthusiasm. He remembered being excited as well in situations like this one, but he doubted he'd ever pressed his excitement so much. With Kato urging them to hurry up, he stood up and joined his mate as they began to follow the prince in the direction of the royal den. "I had a really good time today." He said to her, finding it amazing how he'd almost died yesterday and was now not even thinking about it.

~~~~~~~

As much as Lina would have loved to stay some more, she knew they were going to have to start moving unless they wanted to head back in the dark and maybe even cold."We could always come back again soon." she said with a smile as the two of them followed Umeme and Muroki. Being by the waterhole again after all this time made her realize that she should definitely come there way more often.

[DGFone]

When Muroki caught up to Umeme, she smiled fondly at him. "Yeah, I had a great time today too." While she didn't have the same comparison of facing death on one day followed by their playing in the water, it didn't mean that she wasn't able to identify a good day when it happened.

Soon, she noticed that Delano and Lina had joined them. Both of them also looked quite content, so she didn't bother to ask them where they had been. They might not have played in the waterhole with the rest of them, but they clearly did something that they both enjoyed. Lina looked especially happy for some strange reason.

---

"Come back soon? yeah, that would be a good idea." Delano found it quite odd how, despite that it was him and Lina that found this place, the last time they had actually been here was when he had just gotten freed, and that time wasn't that good for him. "Yeah," he repeated again, "we really do need to come back here soon." As much as he enjoyed today, he was already finding himself worrying over what and how he should talk to Kato. Or even if he should at all.

Together, they rejoined the others and they all walked back towards the king's den.

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki continued to silently walk alongside Umeme for the rest of the way, feeling rather pleased with how he was able to walk on his own like that so soon. He was definitely going to thank the queen once he saw her. This time when they got to the king's den they weren't questioned by any of the guards, which was nice. Kato immediately ran inside, causing Muroki to chuckle. "I bet he was one of those cubs who just never ran out of energy." he commented to his mate with a smile, feeling quite certain that the prince used to be quite a handful as a cub.

~~~~~~

While Lina hadn't a clue as to just how long it was going to take Delano to get over his nightmares this time (although she had a feelng that not as long as last time), the fact that he was able to talk about the future and wasn't simply focused on his past and his problems was a good sign. "You've got yourself a deal." she said with a chuckle. Looking ahead of them, she saw that Kato looked quite enthusiastic about getting home. She didn't know why, but at least his mood has improved.

[DGFone]

Umeme looked at Muroki with a curious look. "Let me guess... Takes one to know one?" She grinned at him playfully. "So which one of you was the more crazy one? You or Delano? Which one drove your parents absolutely nuts?" Even though Kato was not used to being teased and had the much funnier reactions, Umeme still found it very enjoyable to be able to tease and play around with Muroki as well.

"Anyways, let's follow the overgrown cub before we get lost in this maze." She would rather not end up being where she shouldn't be because they got lost, and Kato was the most reliable guide. Assuming they can find him again.

---

Delano smiled back at Lina. "Alright, I accept." He turned back to the others, knowing that he had to ask Kato for help, or he would miss the opportunity. However, the prince had already ran off somewhere, and Delano didn't know where. "Great, now what?" He didn't know if he can simply try and ignore his fears, but as he thought about it, after today... he just might be able to. Sure, initially the day didn't go very well, but by the end, it went much better than he imagined it might have. So maybe perhaps... he just might simply allow the nightmares to leave on their own. Perhaps this time it will be much easier to do so.

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki chuckled as his mate asked him whether he was talking from experience. "I was actually very quiet. Delano was wilder, but what our parents had the most trouble with was when we combined forces." Smiling as she called the prince an overgrown cub, the two of them walked into the royal den where they found Kato talking to his mother.

"What, so dad hasn't come back yet?" asked the prince with a surprised look on his face. He hasn't seen his father since the king had ordered him to not stray far from the den, and that was yesterday.

"Not yet, honey." said the queen with a smile. "But I see that lettng you out was the right thing to do. It looks like somebody enjoyed himself."

"Oh, you bet!" exclaimed Kato, his expression lighting up. "Muroki and the others showed me this really great place! And it's not even near the border!" His mother chuckled.

[spoiler]I'll be gone again starting probably this evening. My evening, that is. Until Thursday, as usual, you know the drill already... By the way, do you think Desta should also be a recurring character? I've been kind of getting that impression. If so, then you should have her. [/center]

[DGFone]

"So what you're telling me is..." Umeme thought how to phrase it properly. "That after your parents thought you two about teamwork, what you really did was figure out how to annoy them the most compared to the rather... inefficient system of working alone. Am I right?" Before Muroki could even answer, she was already rolling her eyes. "Right, remind me that when we have cubs, you are not the one who is going to be teaching them any of the important lessons. I can't risk them learning from you how to misbehave in the most brutal fashion possible."

Then she continued. "But because I'll also be the one teaching all the important things like hunting and all that... how about you leave the teaching to me, and I'll leave the chasing after them to you." She gave him a look that told him that he couldn't argue back. "Sounds fair? I thought so too."

---

Kato was apparently not too far away, because Delano was able to hear him through the cave walls. He looked at his mate, wondering what to do. "Listen, Lina, I was wondering..." He took a deep breath before continuing in a low voice. "About my nightmares... It doesn't look like Kato's too busy right now, but after today, I don't know if I can simply try and let them rest or not. I don't know if he can help me, but I am still somewhat afraid of what might happen if I don't do anything. And yet, today I sometimes felt like I don't have to worry about them anymore." He looked down at the ground. "But I'm also afraid of what might happen if I'm wrong."

Spoiler: show

Sure, Desta can be a recurring character. Although I would like to bring Hatari back. We did kind of abandon him (with good reason), but it will be nice to have an end for him if we want to "retire" him

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki raised an eyebrow in confusion. "No, it's just that, together, we were a bigger handful." he said, sounding somewhat offended. "I was very well behaved, I'd let you know. But we were still cubs, and they can be hyperactive sometimes. He didn't know whether she was just joking or whether she actually meant what she was saying, but since when did he become a horrible role model? "I most certainly will not teach them to misbehave, and I can also teach them things. Delano and I learned as much from our father as we did from our mother." Whether she was joking or not, he didn't like the idea of barely being involved in the actual raising of their children. And he didn't care about the look she was giving him at all. "So no, it doesn't sound fair to me."

~~~~~~~

Lina patiently listened to what Delano was saying, and only replied once he had finished explaining what was on his mind. "If you really do get to feel like you don't have to worry about your nightmares anymore, then I think you should hang onto that feeling." She said, smiling as she watched Kato talking to his mother. "That said, I don't think talking to Kato is a bad idea. It might not necessarily help, but I'm sure it won't cause any harm either."

Spoiler: show

What about Sanders?
And you can bring Desta in if you want to. Maybe after Delano gets to talk to Kato?
Also, there's a chance I'll still be here when you wake up, so post when you do!
It looks like Umeme's pushing a few wrong buttons here... You do realize Muroki's right, right? :3

[DGFone]

Umeme grunted. Clearly Muroki didn't get it. "Alright, so maybe it's not fair. But the first thing you will teach them is how not to take a joke too seriously." She waited for him to figure out exactly what she meant, grinning smugly at him the entire time. "You may groan in shame at any time."

---

Delano looked uncertainly at Kato. "Alright I think I'll talk to him. Would you mind... waiting here?" He didn't know if he wanted her when he talked to Kato or not, but was already feeling quite uncomfortable. He gave Lina a quick hug before walking over to the prince.

"Kato? Can I talk to you for a moment?" Delano glanced at the queen quickly. "Uh, alone..." He lead the confused Kato off to a corner where they can talk without interference, still wondering just exactly what he was going to say.

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki stared at Umeme for a short moment, feeling completely stupid about not having gotten her joke. When they'd first started dating he ended up falling for them as well, but he should have been able to see that one coming after all this time. "That was uncalled for..." he said with a sigh, groaning like she'd asked him too. For a moment back there she really did have him worried. "You looked very serious..." he added, rubbing the back of his head with a paw.

~~~~~~~

Kato was just about to stop asking his mother about his father's whereabouts and ask her whether Desta was around when Delano approached the two of them. "Sure!" he said with a smile, looking at his mother who smiled back at him and then headed deeper into the den, letting the two know that she didn't mind. The prince walked to the corner of the den with the older lion, sitting down when Delano came to a stop. "What's up?" he asked, sounding intrigued.