[PRIVATE: DGFone & Thewhistlerify]

[DGFone]

Kasi smiled, embarrassed by Lina's compliment. "Aww, come one. We practically grew up together. You know you're like a sister to me, so it really was the least I could do." He had known that most of the attention was on how Muroki was doing, he felt that Lina needed at least someone to stay with her, which is why he remained behind as she waited for Delano to wake up.

Just at that moment, Umeme came running in, looking like she had seen a ghost. "It's Muroki!" she gasped, and Kasi saw that she was crying furiously. "He- he's not breathing!" Right away, she turned around and ran back to where Muroki lay, not noticing at Kato ran after her in order to fetch his mother. The queen would know what to do.

Umeme halted by Muroki, grasping him and crying into his fur. "Please wake up, Muroki!" she begged, "Come to life! Breath, come on!" Hoping to get him to start breathing, she shook him furiously, hoping that the motion would force him out of his stillness.

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki meanwhile was walking throughout what appeared to be a very peaceful savannah. It was a sunny day, and the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind was very relaxing. "Hello?" he called out, looking around in confusion. "Umeme?" There was no response. "Delano?" He looked around as he thought he heard someone, but there was nobody here.

All of a sudden he could hear whispering around him. They were incomprehensible at first, but they soon became loud enough and he could even recognize some of the voices. He didn't know it, but he was hearing things that had been said to him just a while ago while he was unconscious.

"You were always the more quiet and timid one out of the two of you, Muroki..." said his aunt's voice. "But you have your father's persistance... You'll pull through..."

"You must survive." He recognized Hatari's voice. "You can't let Sanders win, this kingdom can learn a lot from someone like you."

"Please wake up soon..."

"Umeme?" he asked, feeling more confused than ever. Something felt really wrong.

"Please don't die..." Was that Kato's voice? "You're the kindest lion I've ever met, I don't want you to die..."

All of a sudden everything began to become dark around him as the sun disappeared. The talking around him ceased and was replaced with an evil snicker. "Don't listen to them, you pathetic fool, you must die!" Sanders's voice continued to mock him, laughing. "Die!"

Muroki covered his eyes with his paws, wishing that whatever was going on would just stop. In the back ground he somehow managed to hear a familiar voice whisper "Wake up, honey..."

He woke up with a start, gasping fo breath.

[DGFone]

Umeme was rapidly losing losing hope that Muroki was going to wake up. In despair, she placed her head on his, clutching him in the faintest of hopes that he would survive. "Wake up, honey..." she begged, "please.." She felt Muroki move, and stumbled back, shocked and her hopes rising. "Muroki..?"

Sure enough, to her great relief, Muroki twitched, then gasped as he woke up. Giving him some time to get some more air in, Umeme couldn't wait any longer as she lunged ad him, embracing him in a hug as she sobbed into his mane. "I thought I lost you, Muroki," she whispered, licking him across his face. "Don't do that again! Don't you ever do that again!" She cried again, but now her tears were those of joy and not sadness. "I'm so glad to have you back," she whispered.

From where the cave they were in joined the rest, Umeme noticed Lina looking in from the edge. She smiled at her sister, showing that at least now, things were going to be alright.

[TheWhistlerify]

Because of how unusual and confusing his dream was, Muroki found himself at an even more confused state as he woke up to find himself surrounded in darkness. To add to that, Umeme lunged at him and embraced him before he could even start to regain his beaeings, licking him across his face. "Umeme?" he asked weakly. Had he just heard her clearly? Did she really say that she thought she'd lost him? And was she crying? In his dream Sanders was yelling at him to die, but was he really dying? Because he was feeling quite alive to say the least.

Sure enough, it was only a matter of seconds before the others came rushing in and Muroki found himself surrounded by everybody else as well. "Muroki, are you alright?" asked his aunt worriedly, gently nuzzling her nephew. "Just a few minutes ago the queen said that you were going to be okay and then all of a sudden Umeme comes crying and shouting that you've stopped breathing..." Muroki made no response. He'd stopped breathing? That would explain why he had such a hard time breathing when he woke up from that peculiar dream, but was it true?

In a way he knew it was, but his mind refused to believe it. It was only after a few moments of j
lying there motionlessly and remembering just how worried those around him were that it really hit him. "I..." he whispered quietly, only loud enough for Umeme to hear. "I almost died..." Feeling completely horrified by that discovery, as well as fearing that his life might still be in danger, he began to shake uncontrollably as his mate held onto him and tried to calm him down.

[DGFone]

While glad to have Muroki awake and conscious, Umeme couldn't blame her mate for having a hard time coping with the realization that he had almost died. Didn't Delano react like that a few times as well after he had done something dangerous as well? Holding her mate tightly, Umeme didn't dare to let go of Muroki until she was sure that he had calmed down. "You're going to be okay, honey," she whispered to him, failing miserably to stop her own tears from soaking into his fur. "You're going to be okay," she repeated, almost whimpering. "please Muroki, calm down. Do it for me..."

Despite wanting to calm Muroki down, if anything, Umeme found herself losing her composure. She gripped him harder, needing to feel his breathing and the movement of his body. Anything that proved that Muroki was alive. "Please calm down, Muroki... you're scaring me..." She cried into his mane, scared of the fact that she had almost lost her mate.

[TheWhistlerify]

While Muroki was very much aware of the fact that he was able to breath fluently now, what scared him the most was how he'd ended up in this situation to begin with. Who knew whether Sanders had any more assassins out there waiting for a chance to kill him and his brother? Not only was he completely vulnerable at the moment, but what if Umeme was in danger as well? The knowledge of his incapability to protect her made him feel even worse.

Not noticing that everybody else had left the area in order to give him and his mate some time on their own because they were both obviously distressed, he eventually became aware of the fact that he was scaring Umeme with his behavior. Forcing himself to calm down by taking in a deep breath, he managed to put his good foreleg (the one connected to his good ahoulder) around her and gently pull her closer. "I'm sorry..." he whispered, slowly leaning his head over and licking her forehead, "Please don't cry..."

[DGFone]

Umeme felt Muroki lick her, as well as hearing his calming words, and she felt so many of her worries vanish. At least for now, the Muroki she loved was back. She smiled and kissed him back. She lessened her grip on him so that she wouldn't unintentionally strangle him, but didn't let go entirely. "I'm so glad you're awake, Muroki," she told him, "when you stopped breathing... I was so scared for you..."

At Muroki's urging, she wiped her eyes dry. Now him calming her down, she did find it a lot easier to stop crying. "If... if you're still feeling tired," she said with some hesitation, "try to get some rest. I won't leave your side." After Muroki's close call, she wasn't going to let him out of her sight for a long time.

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki felt his ears go flat against his head as Umeme described how scared she'd been when he'd stopped breathing. He would obviously make sure to let someone know if he felt difficulty breathing again (or had any other reason to be worried, for that matter). Despite still being tired, he had enough energy to stay awake for the time being. "I'm okay for now." Truth be told, he felt like the longer he waited before going back to sleep the lesser the chances of something like that happening again. It seemed to make sense.

Feeling like his mate still hasn't calmed down just yet, he nuzzled her until he heard a purr begin to rumble in her throat (and continued to nuzzle afterwards). "Umeme... I just want you to know... After this is all over and things calm down... When you're ready and we do have cubs, I want you to know that I'll protect you and our children no matter what." True, he was weak now, but he would get better. He affectionately licked her forehead. "I promise. You don't have to live in fear. I will be right here."

[DGFone]

Umeme loved how Muroki was able to sense her worries, and then nuzzle her until she began to purr with contentment. She was also quite glad to know that Muroki wanted to stay up rather than go back to sleep as well. However, what he then told her caused her to chuckle, and then kiss him lovingly.

"Oh, Muroki, you silly lion," she teased, "the only fear I live with is for you. But..." beneath her fur, she was blushing like mad at the idea oh having cubs with Muroki. Not that she was against the idea. "When this will all be over, I have no doubt that you will make a great mate, and a great father." She too then nuzzled Muroki until he began to purr as well. It did strike Umeme as somewhat odd at how close he had just brushed with death, and now the two of them were enjoying each other's presence like it never happened. Or perhaps it was because of how close he came to dying that they were together like this now.

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki smiled at the fact that Umeme was not scared for her safety. He continued to nuzzle her, purring in happiness. "Well you've told me the fatherhood part before..." he said somewhat flirtatiously, "But this silly lion will try to live up to all of your expectations." Chuckling, he held her even closer to him. "All joking aside, though, I really do want to be there for you in every way." He let out a sigh as he continued exchanging affection with his mate. "I intend to keep this promise."

After almost dying just now he realized how close he'd been to never seeing Umeme again. While it made him not want to let go of her any time soon, that experience also made him feel a lot closer to the lioness. "I love you so much..." Still purring, he gently nibbled her ear for a brief moment. "I don't think I'd have calmed down so quickly if it weren't for you being here..." It was then that he suddenly remembered something. "Wait, where's Delano?" he asked, ceasing to nuzzle her. How could he have forgotten? "Is he okay??"