[Private] Love Will Tear Us Apart

[YFWE]

Kito's total amusement at the entire situation had caused Kweli to laugh a bit himself, though perhaps it was simply from giddy relief that Kito was still among the living and that they had had nothing to worry about from the mud-caked creature that ended up being Kito. "Gawd, watch it!" he said in between laughs as Kito embraced him, leaving some of the mud on Kweli's fur, which Kweli was none too happy about but knew it would come off after a quick dip in the lake.

Ari on the other hand had calmed down significantly, but was still fuming slightly over Kito's actions. The ire within here grew slightly once again when Kito decided to give her an extra nudge, coating her with a bit more mud than Hiroshi and Kweli, but like Kweli she knew that she would be able to wash off later, so she did not fret too much about it. She glanced over to look at Kito's stings when he drew attention to them, and giggled softly. "Well, they couldn't've made it look much worse than it already does... maybe it's even an improvement, Kito."

Kito announced their intent to leave, and the lions got up and followed him out of the meadow. Ari was a bit puzzled when Hiroshi began to laugh as he walked next to her, but the reassuring grin he sent her after let her know that she had nothing to worry about, and she returned the grin herself. As they walked along, she could not help but think back to the conversation she and Hiroshi had been having before they had been interrupted by the swarm of bees. Where exactly had the conversation been going? Hiroshi seemed very interested in the tease Ari had given him with her tail... even though it, as it turned out, had been a bit unnecessary as Hiroshi had not made the first move as she had originally thought. Still... she was quite curious as to what he had had to say. Maybe he would bring it up later in the day...

They came to another cave, and at first Kweli thought that perhaps it was the same cave they had entered Paradise through. However, this cave was much more lit than the other, and Kito did not seem at all apprehensive about going inside. Kweli went in after him, followed by Ari and Hiroshi. The small lion could hear the distant noise of flowing water and began to become rather excited; it possibly meant that a waterfall or some sort of flowing river was nearby, which was an integral part of the spot where he and Bashasha used to visit back in his homeland. Deciding not to think about if it would upset him to be reminded of those memories at that very time, he continued to follow Kito up the path, Ari and Hiroshi in tow.

The path opened up into a large cavern, and Kweli and Ari both could not help but pause and stare in awe. Kweli looked over at the waterfall and walked over to it reluctantly, memories flooding back to him. The place they were in... it was almost identical to the spot he and Bashasha had come to when they were younger. Their domain. The place where they acted out starting their own pride. The place... where they had kissed.

Ari leaped down to the plot of rock by the shallow pool of water, looking at it thoughtfully. It was quite small, but as Kito said, looked quite warm as well. And she did need to wash all of the mud and dirt from her after the embrace she had been given by Kito. Dipping a paw in hesitantly, she purred when she felt its warmth, and slid in, sighing contently. "Oh mmmmmy... this feels great," Ari purred. "Kito, Kweli... seeeeeriously, come in."

"I'll... I'll be there in a second." Kweli had laid down, facing away from the pool and his friends, staring out glumly through the cascading falls and over Paradise. Tears filled his eyes. This, under any other circumstances, should have been a great view. And yet... I miss her, he thought, blinking back tears. She was the one for me, the only one I'd ever find. And... now she's gone.

[KiarasMate]

Being just as star struck by the captivating scene in front of him as both Ari and Kweli were, it took a moment before Hiroshi even stepped paw into the expansive cavern. Eyeing the inviting looking pool of water in the middle of the cave and hearing Ari’s words of approval, Hiroshi was right about to join the golden furred lioness and his best friend, when he caught sight of Kweli, who had slumped down by the mouth of the cavern near the waterfall. Having a pretty good guess to what was going through the smaller male’s mind, hiroshi opted to wait on cleaning himself up as he silently padded over to where Kweli was, taking a seat next to his friend as he placed a fore paw over his shoulder in a reassuring fashion. Speaking in a hushed tone, although the sound of his voice was already slightly being muffled from the endless pitter-patter from the falls outside, Hiroshi inquired in a caring voice.

”Hey, you okay buddy? Thinking of Bashasha, aren’t you? Remember, my offer still stands from earlier. We’ve had a fun day after all and I’m sure Bashasha is happy that you’ve enjoyed yourself today buddy, so try not to feel too down.”

Watching as Ari joined him within the warm shallows, Kito shot her a funny glance before momentarily pulling himself out of the water to fetch the beehive he had left a few paces away from the clear pool. Returning back to the warmth of the pool, the hive secured in his jaws, Kito worked methodically to get at the delicious substance that he knew was confined within the oddly shaped object. While he had no idea on how to go about doing this, luck seemed to be on his side as his teeth easily cut through the waxy exterior at the top of the hive, revealing the golden goodness within and providing just enough room for a paw to be placed inside to retrieve said goodness. Grinning to himself, Kito lazily dipped a paw inside the hive, giving it a quick swirl before withdrawing it, a sticky coating of honey now covering the tips of each of his paw toes. Making sure Ari was watching him, one by one, Kito slipped each sticky digit into his mouth, savoring the heavenly sweetness before repeating the process until his paw was clean again. Giving his muzzle lips a thorough and satisfied sounding smack of approval, Kito lowered the hive into the water, happy in the fact that it seemed buoyant enough as he poked it in Ari’s general vicinity as he stated in a suggestive tone.

”Mmm, that’s to die for! Go on Tomcat, give it a taste. Honey is SO good!! Just don’t go and eat it all now. Give Hiro and Kweli a turn too.”

Relaxing within the warm pool, Kito took a deep breath before letting it out slowly, showing just how at peace he felt with everything around him. Eyeing Ari curiously as he waited for her to try her paw, quite literally, with the whole honey business, Kito couldn’t help but to smile as he chimed in once more, his fore paw lazily scratching over his chest as he spoke.

”Be honest Ari, you were really worried about me today, weren’t you? I saw it in your eyes when you pounced me.”

[YFWE]

Kweli knew he would be over his minor lapse into depression soon enough, as it had merely been the sight of the waterfall that had brought him back to feeling the way he did. Still, it helped slightly when Hiroshi, who had apparently taken notice of him lying alone, said those reassuring words and laid a paw on his shoulder.

"Thanks, Hiro... I'll be fine," sniffed Kweli. "I just... need a little more time, is all. I didn't expect to see something this similar to where we used to go, this waterfall... I'll be over in a second." He jerked his head to indicate the pool behind him. "Go on with them. I'll join you guys in a minute. I just want to sit here and... you know, take this in for a few more minutes."


Ari rolled onto her back, allowing the pool to soak her entire body. She sighed longingly again, her tongue even lolling slightly out of her muzzle. She was blissfully unaware of anything else around here, including Kito as he stepped out of the pool for a brief moment, returning with the beehive he had taken. She closed her eyes, letting herself relax as the mud and dirt washed off her, before being brought back to consciousness by Kito's voice. Blinking once, she tilted her head so that she was somewhat facing the lion, and was soon cognizant of the hive floating in her direction through the shallow water. Letting it bump against her paw, she peeked inside curiously, seeing the golden liquid that sat inside and crinkling her nose slightly.

"This looks... different," she said, dipping a paw in precariously. Noting, however, that Kito had done the same and had seemed to enjoy the taste of the honey inside, she shrugged, knowing that at the very least it was not going to kill her. She brought out her paw, scrutinizing the sticky substance that sat on the end of it as Kito spoke to her again. As she listened, she shook her head with a small smirk upon her face. "Whether you're an ass or not, Kit darling, you're still a friend. If you died, who would I have to show up all the time?" she added with a laugh as she stuck her paw into her mouth, letting the sweet taste envelop her. "Wow..." she sighed happily. "You're right... this stuff is great. Now I really am considering just living here. As long as you don't piss off any more bees, I think life would be perfect."

[KiarasMate]

”I understand Kweli. You take all the time you need buddy.” Hiroshi stated, giving his friend’s shoulder a quick pat before turning to take his leave.

Making his way back over to the shallow pool now, Hiroshi paused for a moment to try and lift his own spirits so that Kito wouldn’t become curious about what he and Kweli had just been discussing. Smiling fondly now at Ari as his fore paws touched the warm water, Hiroshi purred happily as he slid lazily into the pool, taking up a spot next to the golden furred lioness as he stated in a calm voice.

”Room for one more? Now this is living huh? I really have to hand it to you Kito. Aside from the minor trouble you got us into, this day has definitely been memorable.”

Listening to Ari’s response to what he had stated previously, Kito smirked and was about to respond, when Hiroshi joined them in the shallows. Waiting briefly for his friend to finish speaking, as he knew that Ari’s attention would automatically shift to that of Hiroshi as it often did whenever the two were around each other, Kito amused himself by swirling a paw toe over the surface of the water, making miniature whirlpools before perking up his ears from what Hiroshi had said. Cracking another smile, Kito nodded as he fielded Ari’s former statement in a disappointed voice.

”I told Fila the same thing many times but she insisted that Paradise wasn’t a place that one should live at. She told me that at night, this place is like a whole nother story. Something about spirits that walk amongst the lands and memories that haunt those who stay too long. I think she was just trying to scare me though.”

Upon hearing Kito’s remark, Hiroshi couldn’t help but to think back upon what he had seen in the meadow while he was walking with Ari. Perhaps this might have had to do with something that Fila had hinted at? It didn’t really make much sense to him but Hiroshi couldn’t help but to question whether or not it was just a mere coincidence or if his eyes had just been playing tricks on him. Either way however, the presence of his mother had seemed strangely close all through that day but maybe that was just because, like he had said, Ari did remind him so much of Amami in so many ways. Letting this thought drift to the back of his mind, Hiroshi glanced over to the opening of the cavern, noting the position of the sun which indicated that their peaceful day was slowly coming to an end.

Taking hold of the beehive that had drifted back towards him, Kito retrieved another helping of honey before batting the makeshift container away towards Hiroshi. Savoring the delicacy upon his paw, Kito followed Hiroshi’s gaze, noticing that time was rapidly slipping away and that they’d have to be heading home soon. Spotting Kweli out of the corner of his eye as well, Kito finished cleaning off the tips of his paw toes before licking over his sticky muzzle lips and inquiring in a curious voice.

”What’s with Kweli there? He looks like he’s tempted to jump through the waterfall or something.”

[YFWE]

Ari was pleased to find Hiroshi finally joining her and Kito in the warm pool of water in the cavern, moving aside a bit so that he would have a bit of space next to her and pushing the bobbing beehive away from her so that it floated off in another direction.

Kito finally replied to her statement, and she could feel her spirits slip slightly, though even she knew that they could never stay there anyway; their p, ride needed them more than anything else at that point--or so Ari felt. Still, it was not something totally out of the realm of daydreaming. Even when they were back in the Pride Lands later that night and long into the future, Ari was sure she would remember the place when she needed an escape from the confines of everyday life. Everything was perfect here.

"Spirits, eh? Yeah, that totally sounds like something your mom might say to scare you... probably didn't want you running off here by yourself when you were younger and staying here for the rest of your life," said Ari. As she spoke with Kito, knowing Hiroshi was quite close to her at this point, she moved her tail once more, intertwining it with Hiroshi's, a sly grin etched across her muzzle. "I was just joking though; I wouldn't ever actually live here. I mean, it's a nice place but... I dunno, I might get a little lonely this far away from everyone else."

Kweli's ears perked up at Kito's voice, even though the question had not actually been directed at him. He had continued to stare out of the waterfall, reliving memories of his past, merely enjoying the chance to relax and reflect on things. The sadness he had felt had slowly began to slip away, and now he felt at least somewhat decent enough to rejoin his friends nearby. "I'm coming," he called back in a small voice, dusting himself off and turning to the rest of the group. Remembering that his fur was still coated with now-dried mud from Kito's earlier embrace, he sidled over to the pool, dipping a paw in to check the temperature. It was as warm as the others had let off, and he felt his spirits lift even more. "Sorry, guys. Had some of my own business to attend to," said the small male as he slid into the pool, allowing the dirt and mud to wash off him.

"Anything else to show us, Kito?" asked Ari, noting that it was getting rather dark outside. "'Cause if this place is as scary at night as your mother says it is, we should probably be going soon."

[KiarasMate]

Moving himself over to ensure that there was enough room within the shallow pool for Kweli to situate himself, Kito grinned from what Ari had stated. It was true, when he was younger, he had often fantasized about running away to live at Paradise. Every time he had visited the picturesque location with his mother, she had to practically drag him kicking and screaming whenever it was time to depart. Reflecting fondly over those memories for a moment, it took Kito a second before he spoke up in response, giving his head a small shake as he did so.

””Nope. This was the last stop for the day. We’ve pretty much seen and tasted what Paradise has to offer so I think we can call it a day whenever you all are ready to leave.”

Pulling himself out of the water now, his fur finally showing no traces of mud, Kito snatched up the floating beehive from within the pool and in one swift movement, flung it clear out of the cavern and through the rushing wall of water, watching as it hovered aimlessly in the air before plummeting out of sight. Giving a satisfied huff, Kito padded towards one end of the cave where he promptly laid himself down upon the flat stone surface, giving his pelt a chance to dry out while he waited for his friends, knowing that they would be traveling back to The Pride Lands soon enough and seeing as it was going to be night very soon, having a dry coat would prove to be worth the wait.

Feeling Ari’s tail coiling around his own, Hiroshi found himself smiling like a cub once again as he listened to the golden furred lioness and Kito conversing, his eyes fixating themselves upon Ari’s features for the forth time today. She seemed really happy which in turn, made Hiroshi feel unbelievably ecstatic as well. If he had it his way, nothing would ever change this moment in time but knowing that this could not be the case, Hiroshi reluctantly brought his thoughts back to reality as he spotted Kito exiting the pool now. Letting out a tired yawn and giving his body a much needed stretch, his hind paws lightly caressing themselves against Ari’s body in the process, Hiroshi followed suit as he withdrew himself from the warm waters, moving off a few paces before giving his soaked fur a good shake to clear the water off of him. It truly had been an unforgettable day and yet, still slightly disappointing in the fact that he still hadn’t told Ari how he had felt about her. There was still the long walk home to look forward to however, and maybe, just maybe Hiroshi hoped, he’d find the courage to tell her. Forming a smile around his muzzle now, Hiroshi spoke up in a pleasant voice as he gave himself another quick shake.

”We’ll have to do this again sometime. Whenever pride life gets to be too much for us, we should just escape here for a day.”

Nodding in agreement to Hiroshi’s statement and seeing that it was about time to head out, Kito rose to his paws, his fur being nearly dry from laying upon the heated surface of the cave floor. Motioning for his friends to follow him now, Kito retraced his steps back through the cavern to which they had previously came from until the four friends reached the split in the path. Taking the left trail, which looked to be the right one now, Kito lead his friends back down the windy road until they emerged outside into the sand covered terrain outside the boundaries of Paradise[/I. By this point, the sun had already dipped past the half way point upon the horizon and the remaining daylight was fading quickly. Knowing that even if they ran all the way back to [I]The Pride Lands, that they still wouldn’t make it home before nightfall, Kito kept up a leisurely pace, not having to keep lead this time around as he was pretty certain that all of his friends knew where they were on route to now.

[YFWE]

Ari sighed as she laid her head against the edge of the pool, shutting her eyes tight as she continued to play around with Hiroshi's tail. Like everyone else, she did not want this day to end, even though she knew its end was imminent. For a brief moment, she laid her head against Hiroshi's, breathing contently before she felt Hiroshi move to leave, feeling his paws rub against her body gently as he did so. Grinning, she followed suit, following the lion out of the pool. Kweli was the last to leave, making sure all the dirt and mud had been effaced from his fur before clambering onto the rock surface and giving himself a quick shake.

"We do need to do this again, you're right," spoke up Kweli. "This place is great. Thanks again for bringing us, Kito."

"Hopefully pride life'll get too much for us soon..." Ari said with a laugh. "I'd love to come back as soon as possible. The Pride Lands will feel like they're missing something now."

They took their leave from the cavern, Kweli bringing up the rear. He stole one last look at the waterfall, which was now far more difficult to see given that it had begun to get darker outside. "I'll come back," he whispered. "Someday." He knew he would have to come back eventually. Though it had been difficult at first, that very cavern had brought back some of the best memories he had had the pleasure of experiencing in his life.

"Sure you know where you're going?" Ari called up to Kito as they took a new path inside. She figured he probably knew where he was going, but wanted to be sure... that and, with it still being a bit dark inside the cave, she wanted to be sure that the lion was directly ahead of her like she had thought he was.

Before Kito could have even given Ari a response, however, they had found the exit to the cave. Smiling contently, Ari fell into a gait beside Hiroshi, whilst Kweli bounded up next to them so that he was no longer bringing up the rear.

"Have fun today, Hiro?" asked Ari, attempting to break the silence, giving the lion's body a slight bump with her own as they walked along. She shot him a pleasant grin, waiting for his response intently.

[KiarasMate]

Staring off into the setting sun, Hiroshi was lost in thought on how best to go about telling Ari his true feelings for her. He had gone over the words in his head all throughout the trip and now that their journey was coming to an end, it seemed as though it would be now or never if he were going to express his deepest feelings for her. Coming to a decision in his mind, Hiroshi was pleasantly pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of Ari’s sweet voice reaching his ears, causing him to turn to face his golden furred friend as her body playfully bumped into his, eliciting a happy sounding purr to leave his throat as he smiled fondly towards her. Speaking up in a soft voice,, Hiroshi replied to her inquiry as he returned the friendly gesture with a light nuzzle against Ari’s cheek.

”Of course I did Ari. Spending the day with you, who couldn’t. It was the perfect day if you ask me. Forgot about all my worries and really felt at peace for once. I know things are probably just going to go back to the way they were once we get back home but it was a nice escape, wasn’t it?”

Staring into Ari’s beautiful amber eyes as the last golden rays of dusk disappeared beyond the heavens, giving way to night as the four friends continued to trudge along, Hiroshi finally built up the nerve he was looking for. Moving in a bit closer to Ari, mainly looking as though he was simply looking for warmth from the chilly evening air, Hiroshi swallowed nervously before opening his muzzle to speak again. His voice came out a tad bit shaky at first but eventually became audible enough to hear over the sounds of their paw steps upon the sands below them.

”Erm, Ari? Can I tell you something. It’s really personal and I’ve wanted to tell you this all day now.”

Still being in quite high spirits himself, Kito didn’t even mind the fact that he seemed to be stuck walking next to Kweli again. Recounting the events of the day in his mind, especially the unexpected bee chase, Kito slowly found himself chuckling as he walked alongside the smaller male. Imagining what life would have been like had his friends grown up with him when he was younger, Kito would never admit it but today would always remain as one of his most memorable days at Paradise. Turning to face Kweli now, Kito spoke up in a casual voice as his eyes flitted over to where Ari and Hiroshi were walking next to one another.

”So, you think anyone actually missed us back in The Pride Lands Kweli? I doubt His Majesty didn’t even know we were gone.”



In the back of his mind, Kito truly hoped that this was the truth, as he had made it an extra effort to forget about the underlying reason why they had gone to Paradise in the first place but now, as the far off blotch upon the darkening horizon which was Pride Rock, that loomed closer with each step they took, reminded Kito of the stinging truth. Doing his best to suppress this thought however as he truly didn’t want to think about it and potentially ruin the end to a perfect day. Watching as the waning moon began to rise over head, Kito recalled a time back when the four of them had been laying under the stars at their usual spot. They had gotten into an argument about who could roar the loudest and Kito had sworn he could roar loud enough to bring down the moon itself. Clearly he had failed but the four friends, even Ari herself, had lost themselves in a sea of endless roars, despite the fact that they were cubs and their vocal calls were far from that of any of the older members of the pride. Still, reflecting upon this fact indefinitely gave Kito the sudden urge to relive the past. Taking in a deep breath, filling in his lungs with the cool night air, Kito let out a mighty roar, tilting his head upwards as if to aim his call directly to the moon itself. Glancing over at Kweli, then to both Ari and Hiroshi with a grin, Kito continued as he expected his friends would join him in the calls if, in fact, they would even remember the time in question.

[YFWE]

Hiroshi had begun to speak to Ari in a dull, quiet tone, and not wanting to eavesdrop on any sort of conversation--especially those that did not involve him--Kweli worked his way to a spot alongside Kito, as often seemed to be the case anymore when the four friends walked together. He did not mind though; he could tell that Hiroshi, in the past few days, had been trying to steal away more and more alone time for he and the lioness, and since Kweli never was one to impose, he would leave his friends to what he perceived to be the inevitable.

Ari smiled warmly at Hiroshi's comments, her gaze leaving the ground ahead of her and fixing upon him. The twilight that had descended upon the space they walked in had only somehow accentuated Hiroshi's features; it was as if Ari was looking into the lion's hazel eyes for the first time, letting her gaze move down his tawny brown fur, all the way to his dark tail tuft. Ari grinned. He was a handsome lion. Ari had never really thought about this; she had merely enjoyed his company and personality before. But now... now she was beginning to appreciate how truly enticing Hiroshi's form was to her.

"I had a great day too," she spoke finally, a bit flustered now. "Yeah... it definitely lived up to its name. We'll have to head back there sometime... maybe even just you and I..."

The final words rolled off her tongue without her honestly coming to terms with what she had recommended. She drew a small breath in quickly, but her embarrassment was only brief. She chalked up this brevity to the fact that, whether it had been a bit of a slip or not, it was what she wanted. And she could not hide it any longer. She wanted Hiroshi. She was past all of that lovey-dovey, "I might like you" stuff. It had taken a trip to Paradise and back for her to decide herself that he was, under any and all circumstances, what she wanted.

Hiroshi spoke again, this time far more briefly. He had something to tell her. Something personal. Could this be it? Ari thought. Oh, Great Kings, please let it be true.

"You should know by now that you don't even have to ask about that sort of thing," Ari flashed Hiroshi a knowing smile. "You can tell me anything. Now, what is it?"


Kito had all of a sudden begun to laugh as he and Kweli walked a bit ahead of the scene unfolding behind them, and Kweli returned this with an uneasy laugh of his own. He had no idea what Kito was laughing about, but had a good feeling he would be enlightened shortly.

"Of course no one missed us," Kweli replied carelessly. "One little day isn't going to hurt anyone or anything. It was just going to be an ordinary day back at the Pride Lands anyway, I'm sure."

Pride Rock had become visible in the distance, though it was certainly still a bit unrecognizable through the evening sky. Though he had thoroughly enjoyed his time away, Kweli was somewhat looking forward to returning to their den and to catching a good night's sleep. His longing daydreams of sleep were interrupted, however, as a mighty roar seared through his conscious, and Kweli could not help but jump a little. His gaze darted to Kito. The lion had grinned at him, and then back at Ari and Hiroshi, before letting out another roar as he gazed up at the moon. As Kweli stared at Kito, his head illuminated by the moonlight from the sky... he remembered the day, many seasons before, when the four friends had attempted to roar the very moon out of the sky--or, at least, Kito had. He grinned. It was a perfect, nostalgic ending to an already nostalgic day. Kweli threw his head back as he joined Kito, roaring as loud as he could--which was not incredibly loud, though he still would have no problem scaring off small critters in his vicinity if ever he were to roar by himself.

A cacophony of voices and roars filled the otherwise-empty Pride Lands as Kweli continued to roar with his friends, blissfully unaware of anything else in that very moment other than the fact that he was with his new family, and there was nothing more in the world that he needed at that time.

[KiarasMate]

This was it. The moment he had been waiting for. Having Ari’s full attention, her entrancing amber eyes fixated fully upon him and him alone as she waited to hear what he had waited himself, so long to say to her. As his mouth opened to spill his heart and soul out to Ari once more however, the sudden sounds of roars filled his ears, practically giving him a heart attack as he was completely caught off guard. Losing his footing from the sudden shock, Hiroshi stumbled forward, his adolescent body clumsily bumping into Ari’s as his muzzle met squarely with hers. Feeling her soft lips against his and tasting her innocence for seemingly the first time ever, Hiroshi so desperately wanted to stay glued to the golden furred lioness but under the given circumstances, he had to withdraw himself as their muzzles departed from one another just as quickly as they had met. Feeling a veritable mix of emotions swirling through his head at this point but being unable to think clearly due to the ruckus his two friends behind him were causing, Hiroshi silently cursed his luck as he turned to face Kito and Kweli now, unable to make head nor tail over what had come over the pair. Seeing Kito’s glance and following both lions gazes upwards, it didn’t take Hiroshi long to figure out what was happening. While he still felt disappointed in the fact that he had once again, been interrupted before he could reveal his feelings to Ari, Hiroshi couldn’t help the feeling of nostalgia that overcame him as he finally cracked a smile and let out a bellowing roar of his own, joining his friends as their voices rang clear out into the night, echoing for miles or so it appeared. Sneaking another look over to Ari, Hiroshi offered her a consoling wink as if to try and assure her that what he had to say to her could wait, god knows it had already so what was a little longer.

Feeling his lungs beginning to tire now, Kito’s roars gradually diminished as he held himself in quite high esteem, the few straggly looking strands of mane he had, blowing calmly in the passing breeze. Meeting with Hiroshi’s gaze momentarily as both lions minds seemed to think of the exact same thing, resulting in both parties bursting out laughing as Kito spoke up in a winded voice.

”Oh, you remember how much trouble we got in for doing this guys? Both Fila and Nafsi came running as if wee were being attacked by a million hyenas or something and the looks on their faces when we told them what we were up to. I think they both had the better mind to tan our hides that night. Lucky Ari’s such a Mama’s Girl that Nafsi didn’t have the heart to do that to us. I sure as hell got a solemn reminder that night, that Fila didn’t find it amusing one bit.”

Holding his sides with laughter, Hiroshi had to pause in mid stride as he remembered the encounter with the two angry mothers as if it had just happened yesterday. The looks on both their faces could have instilled fear into even the bravest of souls, and yet, the cubs had managed to get off with a simple warning and a stern lecture. Pulling himself together now, Hiroshi let out the last fits of giggles that plagued him before turning his attention back ahead of them. They had already passed The Borderlands and were well on their way back to their den. Everything seemed absolutely perfect and felt as though nothing could ruin such a peaceful and memorable day however things often times, had an uncanny knack to do precisely just that. As they neared their den, Hiroshi suddenly felt an uneasy feeling sweep over him as the grass below him shifted directions from the invisible breeze that was starting to pick up around them. Shivering slightly, Hiroshi’s smile slowly faded as the small group approached the vicinity of their home. Something didn’t feel right and as the friends arrived at the entrance of their den, this fact became blatantly obvious as the pale moonlight highlighted the catastrophe that was the inside of their once homely looking abode.

Halting in his tracks from the sight in front of him, Kito gasped as his eyes met with the cluttered mess that had overtaken their den. Curling his nose in disgust from the foul stench that permeated the confines, Kito knew exactly what the unpleasant Oder derived from but didn’t have the nerve to say it aloud. Their sleeping pelts, or at least, the few that remained, looked to be in shambles. Hiroshi’s pelt was nowhere to be seen, Ari’s pelt seemed unharmed at first glance, and Kito’s and Kweli’s pelts were torn to shreds, pieces of each snarled amongst one another in a tangled disaster. Snarling viciously, Kito pushed his way inside as he took a closer look to assess the damage. Upon closer inspection of Ari’s pelt, Kito had to turn away as his stomach retched from the smell. He had scented the very same thing off his mother upon many nights after she would return from The Main Den, complaining about the rough treatment Scar would put her through. Slamming a paw down upon the floor of the den in an obvious sign of frustration and rage, Kito hissed through bared teeth.

”What the hell happened here! That heartless bastard! I know it was him!”

Hiroshi seemed hypnotized by the scene in front of him, his hazel eyes as wide as saucers as he glanced from one end of the den to another. Watching Kito making his way inside, Hiroshi grimaced as his friend’s paws tracked through the blood on the ground, staining them in a bright crimson hue. Feeling his breathing becoming a bit sporadic and finding it near impossible to say much of anything, Hiroshi just stood their a distant look upon his face as he seemed gripped with shock and disbelief. Finally managing to speak, Hiroshi spoke in a trembling tone to Kito as he side stepped around the pool of blood in the middle of the den before pressing himself up against the wall of the cave.

”Kito, you just walked right through the blood. Didn’t you see it?”

Turning to face Hiroshi with a blank looking expression upon his muzzle, Kito lifted a fore paw to his face, examining it for any signs of the so called blood his best friend had sworn he had walked through. Finding nothing but the natural fur that always covered his paw there and perhaps a spec of dirt or two, Kito returned his paw to the den floor before narrowing his eyes at Hiroshi. Speaking up in a bothered voice, Kito motioned around the den with his fore paw as he spoke.

”And you say I’m the one with the twisted sense of humor Hiro? What’s that all about, hmm? There’s no damn blood in this den. Only a mess left by our ass of a king and his slobbering idiot followers, can’t you see that?”

Shaking his head in denial, Hiroshi slowly made his way to the center of the cave where his eyes locked upon the crimson mass, his reflection staring up at him from the surface of the horrid looking pool. His limbs beginning to quiver, Hiroshi pointed a paw downwards as he stated in a shaky tone.

”No! There! Don’t you see it! Gawd, it’s right there!”