[Private] Love Will Tear Us Apart

[YFWE]

His muzzle was oh-so-close to hers, and Ari could barely stand it, even thinking fleetingly of drawing even closer to Hiroshi's. Alas, he stopped. Which was probably for the best. But damn if she did not want him to keep going... even in front of Kito and Kweli. Would Kito have something to say about it? Most definitely. Did she care? At that moment, no.

Ari followed Hiroshi closely out of the den, giving a quick nod to Kito and Kweli as she left. Outside, her ears perked up at Hiroshi's ecstatic voice. She nodded and laughed. "This place had better be worth it if we're gonna be walking for a while," she joked. Of course, she did not actually care. How could she? All was right with the word, was it not? It sure seemed that way to her. What more did she need than a day spent in the company of her best friend?

Hiroshi began to speak again. He seemed far more serious this time. Not to say he sounded dreary, of course, but he was certainly less lighthearted than before. And with good reason--the subject was a touchy one. She was quite close with her mother, which was a relationship she had always treasured. But that said, she had been glad to move out. Sure, she missed her mother a bit. But the opportunity cost was not that bad when compared to what she received in return.

"It'll be a little bit difficult, I think, at first," she started, "but trust me, I'll be fine. Mom seemed happy that I was making friends, at the least. And as long as I come and visit her occasionally, we'll both live. Besides, she's had to work a lot more lately--with the hunting party and stuff. With the herds moving on, they've had to work a little harder to fill their quota, so that's more work on her part. But then... I know she loves what she does and enjoys providing for me and you and everyone else."

Ari glanced over at Hiroshi. "But trust me, you and the other two... you're not coming in between my mother and I. I care about you guys as much as I care for her... you're like family. You ARE family. I know mom doesn't mind sharing me. And neither do I," she flashed a grin.

She turned her focus back to the path ahead. "Soooooo... how much farther?"

----------------------

Kweli had always despised awkward silences. Back home, he had always been the one to break them. Here... not so much just yet, especially around Kito. He often seemed to be unable to find any words when he was around the lion, which he found odd. He certainly did not dislike Kito and did want his friendship to be on the same level as his friendship with Hiroshi and Ari... it was just a bit more difficult to manage, that was all.

Finally, Kito spoke, and Kweli quickly responded himself. "Nah, I can let loose. Just have to be around the right bunch. I'm a little timid at first but trust me, I've done some crazy things in my life." That was a lie. He had never really done anything crazy in his life. Anything to keep Kito at bay, at least. He just wondered what Kito had in mind for them to do.

[KiarasMate]

As much as his expression didn’t show it, Hiroshi was more than relieved to hear that his sudden impulse to have Ari stay with him and the others wasn’t a problem and even more so, that Ari felt as though she would grow accustom to the new lifestyle change, which pleased him to no end. Keeping his calm demeanor about him however, Hiroshi merely smiled and replied in an understanding tone as he playfully bumped his body against hers as the pair continued along their merry way.

”Okay, that’s good to hear Ari, cause I never want to put you on the spot and you know you can go and visit with Nafsi whenever you want to. Let’s just hope Kito doesn’t have to accompany you every time you go out though. What was up with that, huh? He should know just as well as I do that you’re perfectly capable of handling yourself.”

Being clueless to the news about their malicious tyrant’s change in tastes, Hiroshi figured that Kito just wanted another chance to annoy Ari, which wasn’t anything strange at all to him as he was completely used to his best friend’s behavior. Perking his ears up from hearing Ari’s inquiry, Hiroshi chuckled as he responded in a joking fashion.

”Hmm, someone sounds eager to find out what this surprise is. Remember what I told you last night though Ari. Don’t get your hopes up. I mean, this might not actually be that big of a deal for you when you see it but we’ll get to that once we actually get to where we’re going.” Hiroshi said, altering his voice now as he tried his best to imitate Rafiki, the well known Shaman of The Pride Lands to which Hiroshi was certain that Ari herself had met on several occasions. ”Patients is a virtue young Ari. Da journey of a thousand miles begins with da first step.” Hiroshi stated, suddenly tripping over his own paws as he wasn’t paying any attention to where he was going, his focus being solely upon Ari. ”And not watching where one goes is a recipe for disaster.” Hiroshi added in with a cheeky smile as he caught his balance and turned his attention ahead of him as the two friends resumed their journey.

==========

Kito’s friendly smile slowly melted into a devious grin as he heard what Kweli was saying. For all he knew, the smaller male was telling him the truth and even if he wasn’t, Kito jumped at the opportunity that had suddenly been presented before him as he spoke up in a mischievous voice.

”Well then, it seems like we do have something in common after all Kweli, as doing crazy stuff is definitely my forte. So, I take it you’re up for a bit of fun then, hmm? Well, how’s about you and I meander over to The Main Den and steal ourselves some nice sleeping pelts for this here den. Would make this place a lot more classier and comfortable if you ask me and seeing as you said you have that wild side to you, this shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

Kito looked overly excited at the prospects of getting into a bit of trouble as he was known for having a rather unsavory record when it came to behavior around these lands but most of his offenses were minor at best. Stealing from Scar himself however, was quite a risky task and if they were caught, the punishment could be extremely severe but this didn’t worry Kito in the least bit as his swollen ego often lead to him making rather irrational decisions if the situation seemed fun enough or was worth the risk in general. Glancing over at Kweli as he anticipated the smaller male’s response even though his own mind was already made up, Kito could barely contain his excitement as he rose to all fours and ejected his sharp claws, raking them through the dirt below him as he often did whenever something suited his fancy and there was going to be action involved.

[YFWE]

Ari cocked her head. "I dunno what was up with Kito last night. I mean, obviously he had to visit his own mother, but... I dunno, he seemed on edge, like he didn't want to be alone and nor did he want me to be alone. I know Kito has feelings and all despite what he gives off sometimes but... even that was a bit odd for him."

As Hiroshi spoke up again, Ari found herself staring idly at the ground as they walked. She had not really thought about it in depth but it did seem incredibly odd in retrospect--what had been on Kito's mind that evening that caused him to act in that manner? Why did he seem even more concerned for his safety than his own, even though they did not seem to be in any sort of danger the entire time?

Hiroshi tripped over his paws and Ari laughed in spite of herself. "Nice one, klutz," she giggled, returning the bump to the side from before. "Whatever, if you don't wanna tell me, I understand. Just hanging around with you today is fine by me." She let the last words slip out and quickly regretted them. She did not want Hiroshi to know how much she had really, REALLY been looking forward to this day. She did not want to make her feelings known just yet. Her wording had probably saved her from him noticing much, but she had to be more careful with her diction from then on. This day was supposed to be perfect, after all. She could not dream of ruining it.

Ari quickly turned her head back toward the horizon, shaking her head once and just slightly. Her gaze found a point on the horizon and she was silent once more.

---------------------

Kweli groaned internally as Kito made his intentions known. To him, it felt as if the lion was calling his bluff on this one, as if he perhaps had a feeling that Kweli did not get into nearly as much trouble as he had just let off.

But he could not back off now. The thought of pelts did sound good... and if he backed out, he would not hear the end of it from Kito for a while. And so, Kweli plastered a bold grin onto his muzzle and announced quickly, "A problem?! Of course not. Nothing like a good caper to get the adrenaline pumping and... stuff." And to further exemplify his point, Kweli dashed out of the den, ahead of Kito and off toward Pride Rock.

"Well?" he called behind him. "You comin'?"

[KiarasMate]

”What? And ruin the surprise itself Ari? Surely you know me better than that.” Hiroshi stated in a joking manner, purring quietly from feeling his friend’s soft body bumping into his.

As the two felines made their way along the beaten path, the grass around them appeared to become taller with every few steps they took. Knowing exactly where they were going however, Hiroshi pressed on until it seemed as though the two friends had all but been enveloped by the dry foliage. Smiling to himself at this point, Hiroshi spoke up as the two creatures reached a break in the high grass, his voice somewhat being masked by the sound of the wind, which swayed the vegetation around them in a hypnotic fashion.

”Okay, it’s just beyond this point here. Trust me Ari, you’re going to love it, I’m sure.”

Dawning a huge smile, Hiroshi was the first to emerge from the tall grass as his eyes met with the sight in front of him. Almost immediately, his broad smile faded into a disappointed frown as his hazel eyes fell upon the scenery before him. Instead of the pristine waterhole he had remembered, only a rather shallow and murky looking pool remained. Leading to the center of the drying waterbed, a series of five or so flat surfaced rocks stood in a row, each one being a tad bit taller than the first, leading up to the largest of the rocks which lay dead center in the evaporated pool, looking quite high from just how low the water level was. A bit taken aback by just how much the scene in front of him differed from the vivid image in his mind, Hiroshi almost forgot about his company as he stared blankly in front of him, as if to try and make sense of what had happened. It wasn’t until the light breeze around them, carried Ari’s familiar scent to his nose, did he remember about what he was doing here in the first place. Sighing dejectedly, Hiroshi turned about face and looked at Ari with a sad expression as he began to explain the situation.

”Okay, this wasn’t the scene you were supposed to see Ari. This place…it used to be a really beautiful waterhole that none of the rest of the Pride knew about and it used to be a place that me and my mom used to come too at least once every other moon or so.”

Making his way over to the edge of where the waterhole was supposed to begin, Hiroshi lowered a paw into the dry earth below, picking up a small paw full of the parched sand and let it flow carelessly through his paw toes before he turned back to face Ari. Lowering his paw now, Hiroshi motioned towards the near by row of rocks as he continued speaking, an obvious hint of disappointment laced within his words.

”Those rocks there, they usually were almost submerged from the clear waters and you could make your way into the center of the waterhole upon that last large rock there,” Hiroshi stated, motioning his fore paw towards the rock in question as he resumed speaking. ”And that one was always just high enough to be out of the water, so you could lay there and be completely surrounded by the tranquil waters. Me and my mom used to lay there together, under the moonlight and sometimes during the day too, and we’d just talk about anything and everything together. It was my favorite place to go growing up and I really wanted to share this place with you Ari…but now…it’s…it’s…well…”

Hiroshi’s voice trailed off as he looked away from his friend, the thoughts of his mother beginning to tug at his heartstrings as he fought back the beginning signs of tears. The last thing he wanted was for Ari to see him cry as he rarely had ever done so in front of her. Doing his best to keep his emotions in check, Hiroshi spoke up once more, his voice slightly cracking from the way he was feeling as he kept his face turned away from the golden furred feline.

”I’m sorry Ari. This just ruined everything. I guess your mom really was right. Our lands are changing and nothing seems to be the same anymore…”

==========

Not to be outshined by Kweli, Kito quickly took hold of the left over antelope carcass as he effortlessly carried it outside the cave. Finding a suitable spot to dispose of the remaining meal from earlier, as he didn’t wish for any scavengers to come across their left over’s and invade the den, Kito made sure to get rid of the evidence as thoroughly as possible before he caught back up to where Kweli was, speaking to him in a confident voice as the two made their way towards Pride Rock .

”Well, you seem pretty sure of yourself Kweli, but that’s good. Glad to know you actually have a pair at least. You’re going to need them today. If we get caught, which if you follow my lead and don’t mess anything up, we most definitely won’t, but in the one in a million chance that we do get caught, just let me do the talking. Now, we’d be fools just to go head first into The Main Den and get the pelts that way. While that would be quite amusing, we should take a different route. I know a back way into The Main Den but it’s sort of a secret, so you gotta promise not to ever show it to anyone. Only you, myself and Hiro know about it, and that’s the way we want to keep it, understood Kweli?”

Making their way around Pride Rock so they ended up at the opposite end of the majestic structure, Kito paused at about the half way point and motioned for Kweli to stay where he was. Lifting a fore paw, Kito slowly began to search for something that didn’t seem obviously apparent to the untrained eye. It almost looked as though Kito himself was getting fresh with the wall of the large formation from the way his paw toes curled and caressed every little indentation in the surface of the rock. It took him a few minutes but Kito finally found what he was looking for. Taking a step back from the point he had located, Kito flashed Kweli a sly grin as he suddenly slammed his body straight into the hard surface of the rock, putting all his force into the collision as a cloud of dust rose from the sudden impact and Kito’s frame disappeared as the large slab of rock came crashing down, revealing a rather narrow looking entrance. Lucky for the two friends, they were far enough away from any living creature to draw any unwanted attention to themselves as no one typically frequented the back side of Pride Rock. Quickly picking himself up and dusting himself off, Kito emerged from the newly created opening as he motioned for Kweli to come forward, addressing the smaller male in a low whisper, just to make what he was about to say, sound all the more important.

”Okay, this is the secret entrance. It’s only big enough for one of us to use though and seeing as you’re the puny, erm, I mean, smaller one out of us, I say that you go in and get us those pelts. I’ll make my way around to the front entranceway and make sure the coast is clear. You should be able to hear my voice once you get to the end of the passageway and don’t do anything stupid. If you hear me say Good Afternoon Your Majesty , you haul your ass out of here and take whatever pelts you managed to get with you. I’ll try and distract his royal highness as long as I can if worst comes to worst. All the sleeping pelts are kept near the point where you’ll pop out from the secret entrance, so you shouldn’t have any problem sneaking at least four of them out. There’s so many in there, so a few shouldn’t be missed. Just don’t go making a mess of things. We want it to look as though no one was ever here, got it Kweli?”

[YFWE]

The build-up was intense. They had been walking for a while now, and still Hiroshi had not given Ari even a hint as to where they were going. She had not been out in these parts of the land before. She knew that Hiroshi would not lead her astray or lead her somewhere where her safety would be threatened, though, so she was content, even if it was a long walk.

Hiroshi parted the grass in front of them and Ari followed closely, not wanting to miss a glimpse of whatever was on the other side. But as soon as they got to what Ari presumed to be their final destination, Hiroshi had stopped, and he did not appear as excited as he had been. And when Ari herself looked over the place where he had taken her, she saw what he meant. It looked as if, at one point, the spot had been a flourishing waterhole and oasis... but the drought gripping the Pride Lands seemed to have done the spot in.

She watched Hiroshi as he stooped low to the area where the waterhole had once been. She began to move toward him, her mouth agape as she struggled to find words. She thought that, perhaps, she had finally found the right thing to say, but before she could speak, Hiroshi spoke again, beginning to explain himself and describing the apparent beauty that the spot once had.

As Ari looked beyond Hiroshi at the scene beyond him, at the murky pool and the seemingly out-of-place rocks, and at the overall dry landscape, she visualized in her head what the scene might have looked like at one point. She could picture the water flowing into the pool, the rocks nearly submerged in the pristine blue water... and a young Hiroshi and his mother, reclining on the centermost rock lazily.

A tear came to her eye, though she quickly wiped it away. It must have been so beautiful there.

Hiroshi's face was turned away from hers, and she could hear his voice cracking as he made his apology. Ari grimaced, and shook her head, walking over to him. He was wrong; this had not ruined the day. Not at all.

Ari wrapped her forelegs around Hiroshi, enveloping him in a tight embrace. Her muzzle inches from his, she whispered into his ear.

"Hiroshi," she breathed. "Hiro, listen to me. Don't apologize." Tears were now swimming in her gaze once more. "Hiro, I can picture it in my mind... and it's beautiful. Thank you for bringing me here." She closed her eyes, letting the tears fall.


-------


Kweli hung on each of Kito's words like what he was explaining was a life-and-death situation--which it was not, or at least so he hoped.

Their entry into the Main Den did not seem simple, but Kweli agreed with Kito--it would be better to go any other way than the main entrance. He took each of Kito's instructions in, registering them into his brain and then moving on to the next piece of information. He would not forget any tiny detail, even one small aspect of their plan. He had always considered himself more on the brainy side as a lion, so remembering everything would be a breeze. It would be executing the plan that would likely cause him problems.

They made their way to the back side of Pride Rock, where Kweli found no entrance. Beginning to believe that perhaps this had been some sort of trick, he was surprised when Kito rammed into the hard rock, and even more surprised when the rock gave in, allowing him to crash through onto the other side. He peered into the tiny space as Kito began to speak.

Slowly, it dawned on him that he was the one who would retrieve the pelts, and he was unable to hide his horror at the situation. "Wait!" he blurted. "I'm doing it?! But you're... you're..." He held his tongue, knowing that Kito would see him as a coward if he did not cooperate. Shaking his head quickly, he grunted. "Fine, alright, I'll do it. You head on up to the front passageway. I'll... I'll go find these pelts." He gulped.

[KiarasMate]

Still struggling to keep his own emotions from boiling over, Hiroshi suddenly felt Ari’s caring fore arms wrapping around him as her soothing voice reached his ears. Hanging on every word she spoke, little by little, Hiroshi started to relax as he turned to face his golden furred friend. Noticing the few tears that had already begun to streak down Ari’s attractive face, Hiroshi couldn’t help but to feel guilty that he had made his friend feel this way and despite what she had just said, Hiroshi still did his best to comfort her now as he lifted a fore paw and lightly wiped away the salty tears from her soft cheeks before he spoke up in a gentle voice.

”Hey, don’t cry please Ari. You’re going to make me ball like a cubby if you keep that up. I know you mean it when you say that this didn’t ruin the day but I really did want this to be special. I’ve let you down so many times recently and I…well…just wanted to show you that I was sorry and how much you mean to me. I’ve never shown this place to anyone else, not even Kito. You’re the only one who knows about it. It’s…well, it’s sort of hard to bring anyone here since this place always brings back a lot of memories for me, some good and some bad. I just figured, by letting you in on this little part of my life, it would show you that I really do consider you a huge part of my life and even if I do screw up a lot, it’s not because I don’t care, cause you truly do mean the world to me Ari and I don’t know what I’d do without you. You’re really my best friend…well, lioness friend I guess, seeing as Kito would have my head if I replaced him with you, but you know what I mean, right?”

Quickly wiping away a single tear that had started to form in his own eye, Hiroshi lightly wrapped his fore legs around Ari, bringing her in closer as he rested his head against hers for a moment, simply enjoying her company even if the scenery around them wasn’t picture perfect, being with her most certainly was. Feeling his heart rate beginning to pick up and his cheeks beginning to flush from having Ari so close to him, Hiroshi had to pull back before he might do something that not even he would understand at his age. Managing a fond smile and settling for a friendly nuzzle against Ari’s dampened cheek, Hiroshi addressed his golden furred friend once more, this time in a more pleasant manner as he slowly started to make his way back in the general direction to which they had come.

”I think we better leave here before I actually do end up crying in front of you Ari. This place just holds too many memories for me and seeing it like this…I don’t know. Maybe we can come back here hopefully again, when times get better. Maybe then you can experience just how beautiful this place really is.”

Taking one last final glance behind him at the once picturesque location, Hiroshi shook his head before he vanished in the tall grass, poking his head out briefly as he motioned for Ari to follow him once more.

==========

”Alright, if you understand the plan then Kweli, let’s do this!” Kito said, giving Kweli a firm slap on the shoulder as if to psych him up before he turned and bounded off.

Leaving Kweli to his own device, Kito quickly made his way around the large base of Pride Rock as he grinned to himself. It was obvious to him that he could have just as easily fit through the secret passageway into The Main Den but he was glad that Kweli had accepted his role in the plan with little to no persuasion needed. Having left the easy part of being the look out for himself, Kito felt even more confident than ever. Arriving at the front half of Pride Rock a few minutes after he had left his friend’s side, Kito took a timid glance around to make sure that the coast was clear. Aside from a few braver lionesses, who were most likely Scar’s preferred attractions for the day, who were quietly sunning themselves upon the various smooth rocks that adorned the surrounding landscape, there was no sign of Scar or any of the mangy hyena clan around. Taking up a casual stance, Kito silently made his way up the slope leading to The Main Den, flashing the lionesses who shot him a stare, a wide smile as he greeted them indirectly.

”Morning Ladies. Please, don’t get up, stay where you are and enjoy the view from afar.”

Flexing his hind muscles in an arrogant display, Kito’s initial reaction was merely to come off as if he was simply there to flirt with his company, which didn’t seem like a half bad idea after he thought about it more, although few, if any of the sunbathing lionesses even paid the least bit of interest in his mere presence alone. Slowly making his way up to the mouth of the den, Kito stole a quick glance inside, squinting his eyes so that he could survey the situation as best he could. From what he could see, The Main Den was empty, giving Kweli the perfect opportunity to make his move.

Realizing that he had forgotten to let Kweli know that the other end of the secret passage was most likely closed off by a thin layer of dirt and earth, just to mask the passage itself from the unobservant eye, Kito figured that Kweli was smart enough to figure this out on his own, and if he wasn’t, it would prove to be a most comical situation that Kito himself wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to witness. Staying where he was for a few moments, his back half being the only part of his body that was visible to anyone within the confines of the dark den itself, Kito did his best to calculate the amount of time that it would take his smaller friend to traverse his way through the narrow passageway. Once he figured that Kweli was close enough to hear his words, Kito spoke up, raising his voice slightly just to be sure that it would carry into the empty cave behind him.

”Oh please Ladies, you don’t have to fight over me. There’s plenty of my sexiness to go around.”

Upon hearing his words, most of the lionesses shot the young male a confused glance as it appeared as if he was talking to himself.

[YFWE]

Ari was disappointed in herself for allowing herself to cry. If anyone had any reason to be emotional, after all, it was Hiroshi, not her. And besides, she had always strove to appear as impenetrable as a rock on the outside, never allowing herself to get too emotional around others. Was it because she was with Hiroshi, and he made her feel more comfortable and therefore more apt to display her emotions if the mood hit?

Hiroshi began to speak and Ari fell completely silent, blinking the tears out of her eyes. She shook her head as he spoke. He had not let her down, not even that much recently. Sure, there had been the occurrence the day before, but it was not as if it was a regular occurrence. Immediately, she felt a bit at fault for him even considering coming here... she was internally thankful that he thought of her enough to even consider bringing her to a place with such poignant memories.

As Hiroshi laid his head against hers, Ari whispered again, "Don't be so hard on yourself, Hiro. You don't keep screwing up. This is perfect. I knew you meant well and I can see that. Trust me, I'm not one for elaborate gestures anyway. You simply showing me where you partially grew up... I mean, that's cool enough for me." And her tone lightened for a moment. "And let Kito find out he's been replaced. I can take him. He can learn to share."

Ari felt Hiroshi rub up against her cheek and sighed quickly. He spoke again, suggesting that they leave, and Ari agreed. "Take whatever time you need. If you ever want to come back here... you can bring me." She paused. "I really do hope the place becomes as beautiful as it once was someday. I'd love to come see it with you." She gave him another friendly nudge under his neck.

------------

Kito had been right--the passageway was small. Kweli was able to fit inside with a sufficient amount of space around him, but it was still a quite narrow tunnel. One with claustrophobia would not enjoy the position Kweli was in... not that he himself was exactly enjoying it as well.

After what seemed like hours, Kweli finally found light welcoming him at the end of the passageway, and he found himself emerging directly into the Main Den itself. The passageway itself was concealed from immediate view, luckily, though it mattered not for Kweli found there to be no one in the den at that point in time. He began to concentrate, searching around for some pelts, when a voice rang out into the inner walls of the den, snapping his concentration and making him jump.

It was Kito's voice. He seemed to be speaking to the lionesses of the pride... or at least whichever ones were near the entrance at that point. Kweli glanced over and saw Kito at the edge of the den, facing away. Well, at least he actually is keeping watch, Kweli thought as he returned to his search.

He did not have to look far. Scattered among the back wall of the den, strewn about carelessly, were many pelts. "Kito was right," breathed Kweli. "They couldn't possibly miss just four..."

Kweli heard Kito call again and shook his head in disbelief. Why on earth was he drawing attention to himself? What if Scar came up to see what the matter was? Kweli growled softly, picking up a nearby pelt in his mouth. The things he did for some lions.

[KiarasMate]

Hiroshi smiled warmly from what Ari had stated. If there was one characteristic about her that he always adored, it was her understanding nature. Taking lead once more, this time around his pace being a bit sluggish as he knew that they could still enjoy each other’s company on the walk back to their den, so he wasn’t about to rush things at all, Hiroshi’s mind still lingered upon the thoughts of his mother and the day he found her lifeless body. Trying to rid himself of the memory that seemed burned into his thoughts at the moment, Hiroshi found himself posing a question to Ari without even consciously knowing what he was saying, his voice coming out in a low, thoughtful tone as he spoke.

”What do you think happens to us after we die Ari? Growing up in The Pride Lands, I’ve heard different stories from different members of the pride but my mom always told me that when we die, if there’s someone we care about, we always find a way to come back to them spiritually. I never really understood what she meant by that though…that is…until the day you and I became friends.”

Pausing in the middle of the grass, Hiroshi turned to face his golden furred friend as he casually took a seat. Gazing deeply into Ari’s amber eyes, Hiroshi resumed speaking, his voice altering into a more reflective tone now.

”Ever since the day I lost my mom, I felt as though I was truly alone. She was always there for me, to keep me safe, to reassure me when things looked bad, and then just one day, she was suddenly no longer with me. I felt like a peace of my entire being had gone with her and never really felt whole again until you came Ari. It was like…my mom brought you to me, knowing that I needed someone like you to keep me going. It’s sort of as if I see my mom in you. I know, that probably sounds dumb but after we became friends, it felt like that missing part of me was back again and I felt completed.”

Glancing up at the clear afternoon sky momentarily, Hiroshi took a deep breath before returning his focus back to Ari. Feeling the painful memory of his mother’s death beginning to fade away as he stared at his friend, a small smile worked its way over Hiroshi’s muzzle as he rose to his paws once again. Moving in closer to where Ari was, Hiroshi gently wrapped his fore legs around her, hugging her softly as he stated in a gentle voice.

”Thank you for being such a great friend Ari. I seriously wouldn’t be the same without you by my side.”

Releasing his embrace upon the golden furred feline, Hiroshi took a step back as he could feel his cheeks beginning to heat up again from being so close to Ari. Continuing to smile at her, the young male merely stood there, looking as if he was in a bit of a trance over her looks.

==========

Finally hearing the sounds of movement coming from behind him, Kito could safely assume that Kweli had finally made it into The Main Den via the secret entrance. Holding back from actually looking behind him at the moment however, as several of the sunbathing lioness’ attention were still fixated upon him, Kito continued to play it cool as he imagined just how long it would take his friend to smuggle the necessary amount of sleeping pelts out of The Main Den. Figuring that he would have to stall for a while longer, Kito kept up his one sided conversation, mainly to mask the sounds of movement from within the large abode, just to make sure that none of the lounging lionesses would get up to investigate.

”Lovely day out, isn’t it Ladies? Perfect day to be sunning those gorgeous bodies of yours. Always have to look your best for us males, right?”

Keeping up his dialect while trying to appear as if nothing was out of the ordinary, Kito finally managed to steal a glance inside the den, spotting Kweli who seemed to be working at a leisurely pace, or so it seemed to Kito. Having no idea just where Scar himself was off to, although if he had to take an educated guess at it, he would probably have suspected his royal highness to be indulging himself at one of the near by waterholes, most likely with several of his choice lionesses, his mother included, Kito slowly began to grow impatient as by this point, all of the lionesses who were around him, had all but marked him off as being utterly crazy for talking to himself for so long. Thinking quickly, only one thought came to his mind that would surely speed Kweli’s actions up and would most certainly give Kito a good laugh in the future. Turning his body so it looked as though he was glancing off into the distance, Kito called out in a loud voice, yet not loud enough to startle any of the relaxing lionesses near by.

”Well, Good afternoon your majesty.”

[YFWE]

Following Hiroshi away from the formerly pristine waterhole, Ari could not help but feel a bit disappointed at the turn of events. True, she was happy that Hiroshi had even though to bring her out to a place that brought back such poignant memories, though things would have been much better had everything worked out as Hiroshi had planned, she was sure.

And then Hiroshi began to speak as they slowly walked back to their den. His tone was low and serious, and Ari was quite taken aback at what he was asking, since it was such an emotionally deep thing to ask someone. And she herself, she had never really given the topic much thought--what did happen when they died? Not their bodies per se... she knew from the Circle of Life teachings what happened there. But what about their souls? Their minds?

She watched Hiroshi pause, turning to face her. At first, Ari wondered if he was expecting her to formulate an answer to his question, and began to dig deep inside herself to find something to say... until Hiroshi began to speak again, and she fell silent.

Ari was rendered speechless by what Hiroshi had said. She gave him a tiny smile. She was honestly flattered that he thought of her in that way, that she had been able to fill a void that had been left by the death of his mother. Though Ari had never really known what had happened to Hiroshi's mother, she could certainly relate--she had never had a father in her life, after all.

"Hiroshi..." she managed to get out before Hiroshi wrapped his forelegs around her in a tight embrace. She paused for a moment, taking in the warmness she brought about onto her soul. Once he had stepped back again and was watching her intently, Ari, blushing started again.

"I'm really glad I've been able to complete what was missing for you, Hiro. I never knew my father so I guess you're the closest I've ever had to filling that space too..." She paused. "You do mean a lot to me, and I would never want to give that up, so... maybe we kinda need each other, do you think?" Ari looked up sheepishly at Hiroshi, and then approached him again, until she was almost eye to eye with him. "Promise me this," she said, having not planned what she was about to say, solely thinking in the moment. "Promise me you'll always be there for me, as I will always be there for you. Promise that you'll never leave, that we'll always be a part of each other."

She backed away slightly, a sheepish grin spread across her muzzle. She was not sure how he was going to answer... but at least not Hiroshi would at least know that she never planned on giving him up, that she always wanted--even needed--him in her life.

Her gaze dodged away for a moment as she thought of another question, something that had been bothering her for a little while, something she had never really known. "And after you've made your decision," she said, "I have another question for you." She paused, and then looking into Hiroshi's inviting eyes. "You never told me what happened with your mom... how she died and all that. You don't have to tell me, but... if it's not too painful nor the wrong time... what happened?"

-----------------------------

Kweli had finally calmed down a bit as he idly paced around the Main Den, gathering pelts for their own den. He was taking a bit longer than he probably could have, but he was also trying to find the best pelts possible for them. Scar probably was not anywhere near anyway, and Kweli had always wanted to explore the Main Den a little bit... now was his chance.

He laughed to himself as he heard Kito "addressing" the lionesses who were no doubt sunbathing outside. He had a good feeling that they were paying him no attention whatsoever, which in turn boosted his spirits a bit. One pelt, two pelts... he was at least halfway there.

The den was enormous, and Kweli particularly enjoyed being inside it for that brief moment. Passingly he wondered what things would be like if he ever lived in that den... though of course, that would necessitate him becoming King, which would almost certainly never happen... right? Hey, a lion can dream, he thought.'

And then came the words of Kito. They were no longer a conversation between him and the lionesses. It was the words he had dreaded hearing. Unless Kito was playing a trick on him--and for the sake of his sanity, he hoped not--Scar was approaching.

The passageway was all the way on the other side of the den. Kweli scampered toward it, picking up two strewn-about pelts with his teeth and tossing them onto his back, which made four. He had intended on perhaps getting extras, but the situation no longer called for it. He just hoped the King would not idly glance into the Main Den before he was gone.

He found the secret passageway and, ducking down low, crept inside, taking care to keep the pelts on his back. He was met with nothing but darkness. There seemed to be no light coming from the other side of the tunnel.

Kweli cursed as his head continuously bumped into the rock and earth above him. He could not see anything. He wondered if the passageway had been, for whatever reason, closed up on the other side.

His head hit something hard, with enough force that he slumped to the ground, losing consciousness instantly.

It had.

[KiarasMate]

Listening intently to what Ari was saying in response to his former question, his smile broadening from the fact that she felt as though he had helped her out in a similar way, Hiroshi felt his heart rate picking up as his golden furred friend advanced towards him so they were once again, almost muzzle to muzzle. Feeling her warm breath beating upon his face and looking deeply into her amber orbs, Hiroshi’s ears stood erect as he heard Ari’s first question, prompting the caring male to lightly place his fore paw over hers before he responded in a reassuring voice.

”Of course Ari. I promise that I will always be here for you no matter what. As long as I’m alive, you will always be a part of my life and regardless what the future holds for either of us, our friendship will never die. We’ll always have each other Ari, so never forget that.”

Giving Ari’s paw a gentle caress, Hiroshi retracted his paw now as he listened to his friend’s next inquiry. Finding himself at a loss for words momentarily, Hiroshi thought about whether or not he should tell Ari the entire truth about his past but this thought quickly became outweighed by the fact that if she knew what he had kept from her for so long, maybe it would damage their friendship and after saying what he had just said to her, Hiroshi couldn’t bring himself to tell her the full truth. Not wishing to keep her in the dark completely however, Hiroshi figured that there was no harm in giving her an abridged version of his past. Taking another minute to prepare himself emotionally, Hiroshi once again, took a seat in the grass before addressing the golden furred lioness in front of him.

”I don’t mind telling you Ari, since I know if anyone would be understanding towards what I’m about to tell you, it would be you. I warn you though, it’s not a pleasant topic whatsoever but I’ll try not to give too many of the unsavory details. Don’t want you losing your breakfast after all.” Trying his best to lighten the mood before delving into his story, Hiroshi patted the grass next to him with a paw, as if to invite Ari to come and sit with him before he began speaking up once more. ”So, as you already know, I was born in The Pride Lands to begin with, so these lands have always been my home. My mother and I lived pretty decent lives in the pride, as his royal highness seemed to have taken a liking to her.” Pausing for a second, Hiroshi added in, just to ensure that Ari wouldn’t suspect anything out of the ordinary. ”I guess after my father died, my mom found something appealing in his majesty, although what exactly that was, I couldn’t honestly tell you Ari. Anyways, life seemed peaceful for us and I was probably the happiest cub that ever lived. All that suddenly changed one day. I was summoned to The Main Den and was told to go play by myself for a while, as apparently my mom had some business to attend to with his majesty. Being the obedient cub that I was, I did so without any hesitation. It wasn’t until I returned later that day, did I find out that I was only sent away for one reason and one reason alone.”

Halting in his speech, Hiroshi had to look away from Ari for a second, the terrible images of his mother’s mangled body laying on the den floor, lifeless and covered in blood, once again filling his thoughts. Suppressing his emotions as best he could, Hiroshi finally spoke up again, his tone clearly showing signs of remembrance.

”When I came back to The Main Den, I asked where my mom was. His royal highness told me that she left and wouldn’t come back. Not understanding why he would say such a thing, I got really mad and ran out of the den. I searched around The Pride lands for hours it seemed but couldn’t find any signs of her. Finally, I stumbled across a den not too far away from Pride Rock. When I got near the entrance, the smell coming from the opening of the den was horrible…yet vaguely familiar. It smelled like death itself Ari. If I had to ever guess what death smelled like, that’s what I would say it was like but mixed in amongst the unpleasantness, was my mother’s scent. Having no choice at this point, I went inside and what I saw…well…” Holding back his tears by this point, Hiroshi leaned against Ari for moral support as he finished speaking. ”She was dead Ari. Clearly, whatever had taken her life, had done it in such a violent manner. I could barely even recognize that it was her. I immediately ran back to The Main Den and informed his majesty about this fact but he told me to forget about it. I remember yelling at him and telling him to do something but everything sort of gets fuzzy after that. The last thing I remember, I found myself back in another den, alone.”

Unable to go on any further with his story, as he knew that giving any more details to Ari would only result in her asking more questions or worse yet, result in himself breaking down emotionally, Hiroshi fell silent as he gave Ari time to take in everything he had told her.

==========

Just as he had expected, after the words had left his muzzle, Kito could hear a flurry of movement coming from within The Main Den, signifying that Kweli had heard him and was most likely making a dash for freedom. Waiting for a minute or two after he had given the false warning, Kito stole another glance inside the dark den. Spotting no signs of Kweli at this point, Kito assumed that he had made it safely out. Turning about face once more, the crafty male waited until no one was looking, before he stealthily slipped inside the large abode, quickly making his way back towards where the hidden passageway began before he rapidly concealed the already shielded entrance, just to make sure that Scar wouldn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. Had Kito actually taken the time to look down the narrow tunnel, he might have spotted his friend, who seemed to have had quite an unfortunate run in with the other side of the passage. Being oblivious to this fact however, Kito quickly bounded off, making sure not to be seen on his way out as he dashed off towards the direction to which their den was at, assuming that Kweli would be waiting for him there.

Unfortunately, arriving back at the empty den, there was no sign of Kweli. Looking quite perplexed by this fact, Kito began to wonder what had happened to him. Surely he hadn’t been caught, or could he have? Gritting his teeth, Kito bounded off once again, hurriedly making his way back to the rear of Pride Rock, keeping a low profile as he did so. Reaching the point of the secret entrance, Kito noted that the passage was closed off. Figuring that Kweli had done this, Kito darted off without even a second glance. Having no clue where the smaller male would have gone off to, Kito simply scanned the near by grasslands as he resisted calling out to his missing comrade, not wanting to draw any unnecessary attention to himself at the moment.