[PRIVATE] A Rogue's Light

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga saw Auni ad Imani, amazed that they were not blaming him, and even going so far as to try and help him. Aside from his parents, everyone he had known had abandoned him as a lost cause before they had even gotten to know him properly, and now these two were refusing to let him fall into his own spinning whirlpool of guilt and misery.

But what really sealed it for Tanga was Imani. Even if she had not said anything, Tanga would have seen that she was on the verge of crying, over nothing more than his own breakdown. She truly did not want to see him hurt. With a huge effort, he brought himself back under complete control, his sobs finally calming to simple shudders in the occasional breath, and the tears finally stopping.

"Thanks, you two," he said, his voice full of warmth as he gave a half-hearted, but hoenst, smile to the two of them. He wanted to leap up and hug them both fiercely, but his shyness forced him to avoid initiating any kind of physical contact, so it could not be taken the wrong way. "It's...it's been so long since I've thought of that day...it's hard." He slowly hauled himself to his feet, looking back in the direction of Mufalfa's territory. "I still believe I've done terrible things...that won't change. But at least, now, I have a chance to correct one mistake...we have to go back for Ra."

He turned first to Imani, who he knew would still be struggling with this. "I know your sister told you to run away, but that's exactly what my parents did when Mufalfa got them. And every day that I think about that, I can't help but wonder would could have happened if I had stayed...if I had helped them. I don't want you to go through that, Imani...someone like you does not deserve that. And..." he sighed, hating what he was going to say next. "...I know I made a promise to Ra to look after you, but...he..." he stopped again, taking a moment to calm himself. He took strength from the faces of his two friends, and continued, addressing them equally. "I know what this lion is now, and what he's done...I can't leave him with someone in his grasp, not after what happened to my parents. If you two want to leave still, then go...but this is something that I absolutely must do now."

[VitanisMate]

Mufalfa laughed knowing what she meant. He picked up their smell until he found them talking and quietly approached so they would not hear. He whispered, "Do you see them my pet? See how they talk? Now it is your chance to catch them off guard. Do not disappoint me!" He laughed knowing what would happen next and savored it.

===

Neru came forward hearing of that scrawny one's story. "Alright enough of your sob...I mean I am sorry for your loss but we must move unless you wish to be seen by that monster Mufalfa." He walked forward knowing their end would be soon.

[Nakisisa]

"I won't my sweet" Ra said giving him one last passionate kiss. She quickly changed her mindset, and acted like she was injured. She slowly staggered forwards, making sure she made some noise as to attract herself, and enough to desgise her mates. Knowing he was in position, she fell to the ground, facing the group she spoke in a shallow, hopless voice. "Please... help me" she wimpered before pretending to fall asleep.

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga looked at Neru, trying his best to disguise his distrust. The small slip-up the lion made, on top of what he had already figured out, was enough to remove what trust he did have in the lion. There was no telling what his exact motives were, but Tanga knew something was up. But, at the moment, Neru seemed insistent on getting them to trust him, and was about to play along when he heard movement nearby.

He looked around, spotting Ra just as she fell to the ground. "What...?!" he darted forward, reaching her just as her pleas reached his ears. "Ra, I...what happened?" But he stopped any further questions when he saw that she had fainted. Questions buzzed through his mind as he stood there. What had happened to Ra? How had she escaped? And...what did Neru mean when he said that Mufalfa was coming?

Tanga's eyes widened as the whole situation processed itself in his mind, and he froze up as he scented another lion on the winds...close by. They were caught in an ambush!

[VitanisMate]

Mufalfa came forward and smiled. "My, my, my what a wonderful reunion." He laughed knowing that they would be powerless against him. "Now Ra you see this there are those two lions who held down your parents and there is that murderous sister who killed them." He smiled seeing the end for all of them.

===

Neru saw Mufalfa come out and said, "Hey boss do I happen to get my reward for bringing those idiots here?"

[oXButterflyKissesXo]

Imani whipped her head around to see the fainted sister she had lost a few hours ago. "Ra!" She cried happily, but as she was about to get to the fainted sibling's side, she stopped and took in the scent around her. It was more than her friends' scents...it was more than Ra's...it was...Mulafa's! Had he had followed Ra when she escaped? Or had she...been planning this with him?

So many options were flying around in her head, and she was unsure of which one was the correct one. And how was she going to be able to find out in the five seconds she had to make a choice of what to do? Her gut told her exactly what to do: "Tanga, Auni. Run" she growled sadly. Imani wanted so badly to believe that Ra was here alone and she was innocent and had no idea Mufalfa was here with them. But she knew her sister was a better tracker than that and the only way she could have not 'sensed' Mulfalfa there was if she was intentionally leading him to them and she was planning something with the male.

"Go!" She urged them. Her tail rose and she sucked in her gut, waiting for what would happen next. She then saw Mulfalfa emerge and she looked at him. Her eyes were scared and struck with fear, but when she heard the words come out of his mouth, she layed her ears back and let her teeth shine in what little moonlight there was. "That's a lie, and you know it, you good for nothing son of a warthog!" She roared fiercely as she slapped her paw with claws drawn against the cheek of the male who was 'controlling' her sister. It left a deep mark and she continued to snarl. "You're the murderer, not anyone else here. Your lies are poison that I was stupid enough to let wash through my sister's blood and the deceit she is feeling is nothing but a product of your inability to cleanse your heart of the dark soul that I hope you suffer and die painfully with" she snarled.

Imani had become a completely different lioness, and she had even noticed it. Though her nature was soft and kind and shy, you messed with what she had left and you could expect her to go crazy and become as soulless as Mulfalfa seemed to be.

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga could only watch in frozen horror as Mufalfa emerged from hiding, and Neru proclaimed his true allegiances, while Mufalfa talked to Ra as if they were friends. Tanga was only snapped out of his daze by Imani's pleas for him to run.

I was a plea he could not obey, even if he wanted to. Not only did his promise to Ra ring in his head, but he now knew that Mufalfa was his parents killer. He had already failed to act appropriately twice regarding this lion...he was not going to make that mistake again. He turned and moved so be was standing by Imani's side as she spat insults at Mufalfa, not blaming her in the slightest, even if it was a bit scary. He felt his claws instinctively unsheathe themselves as he gave Imani an apologetic, but determined look, trying to convey to her without words that it was not a matter of choice for him; he simply could not run from this...not any more.

"I remember you now, Mufalfa," Tanga spat, taking over as Imani stopped talking. "I remember you, and I remember what you did. And you will not escape justice!" His every instinct urged him to leap at Mufalfa, to rip the lions throat out with his own teeth and claws, but he suppressed it. He was out-muscled in this fight...he needed to use his wits and agility if he was going to stop the lion before him. Brute force would only get himself in trouble. Because of this, he waited, knowing his advantage lay in his ability to react quickly if Mufalfa did decide to pounce them.

[Nakisisa]

With the words spoken, Ra pounced. She quickly took her sister to the ground, pinning her there. "Run while you have the chance!" Ra laughed to the others. "And as for you" she said turning her attention back to her sister, "Prepare to suffer a fate worse than death" she said laughing, "Traitor" she hissed

[AustralianChaos]

The world vanished. In that moment, Tanga's entire existance was focused on the two lionesses beside him, two sisters who, for a reason still unknown to him, were now fighting each other. Ra had, without any provokation or reasonable motive, just pounced on Imani, pinning her own sister to the ground, taunting everyone else while threatening Imani with threats that Tanga would rather not think about.

In that moment, nothing else existed to Tanga but Ra and Imani, as he took a single step towards the struggling siblings, before stopping at the menacing, furious gleam in Ra's eyes. Something had happened to Ra, and this was a lioness who would not hesitate to use Imani as a hostage if he made one threatening move towards her.

"Ra?" he said cautiously, still confused as to why the lioness had changed so quickly and dramatically. "Ra, what are you doing? That's your sister!" Whatever plans Tanga had harboured of getting Imani's sister back and bringing justice to Mufalfa vanished long ago. This was no longer a rescue mission, he realised with a note of panic ringing in his mind...this was a fight for survival, and if Ra did not come to her senses soon, he would be forced to fight her for it.

[Nakisisa]

"Slience Fool!" Ra shouted laughing "She's not my sister, she's a cold blooded hartless murderer, And your just as bad" she growled at him, "Mufalfa, Now's your chance" she said turning her attention back to her sister, "Now home does it feel?" Ra aksed her 'sister'