Past Demons [PRIVATE: AC and TheIvanMuse]

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga was at a loss for what to do. Mufasa was the only lion he trusted in any way, and he had mysteriously disappeared. The make matters more complicated, no-one seemed to know where the gentle giant had gone, and Tanga's presence on Pride Rock was gaining more and more attention, leaving him more and more nervous. Trying to ease his fears, Tanga backed off a few paces, but this only put him on the long promontory of rock that stuck out from Pride Rock...essentially leaving him trapped without him realising it. For the moment, though, he failed to notice his increasingly distressing situation, as he continued backing away from Sarabi and Sarafina, while eyeing Nala, desperate for some help, and hoping her kind nature from last night wasn't a ruse.

"Please, Nala," he all-but-begged of the young cub. "Please...make the adults go away..." the way that Sarabi kept trying to get closer to him was seriously frightening, and he did not like Sarafina because he trusted adults less than he trusted cubs. Nala he could cautiously tolerate because she seemed nice enough...but the two adults were too much for him to handle. It was too many unknown faces at once, and Tanga took a few more paces back, eager to keep a good distance between himself and the others. "Please, Nala...help me..." he pleaded as Sarabi refused to stop her advances, taking one step closer to him for every step he backed off.

But eventually, when Tanga went to make another step back, only quick reflexes and a good balance from having to escape from bullies his whole life stopped him from falling off the end of Pride Rock's promontory. Yelling in terrified surprise, he jumped foward, getting all four paws back on solid rock, spinning around to finally see his rather trapped nature, which caused his mind to break down into irrational panic completely. To his mind, his precarious position was a deliberate attempt to trap him, and a sure sign that the three in front of him were planning to hurt him...why else would they let him trap himself so effectively?

Shaking and whimpering in anticipation to the stream of insults and blows he completely expected to come his way, Tanga heaved out a single, helpless sob, before curling his body up on the hard rock as tightly as his wounded state would allow, hiding his head inside his curled-up body as he screwed his eyes tight shut. Please, he begged silently of someone, anyone, out there, who might be listening. Please just let this all be a dream...please just wake me up... But even as he prayed for this to all be a nightmare, he knew that it was no bad dream, and he was not going to wake up...this was reality, and his future, as always, seemed to be filled with more ridicule and pain. All he could do was lie there, and pray they weren't too nasty to him this time.

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As Tanga kept backing off, Sarabi slowly kept up her gentle advances, keeping her gentle smile on her muzzle, trying to calm the cub without talking to him. The small cub, a small but significant size smaller than Simba and Nala, seemed extremely nervous and jumpy, which left Sarabi wondering what had happened to him to leave so nervous of strangers...most cubs were usually highly curious, talking to anyone they met with no concern for the stranger's intentions. Tanga, in the meantime, as she heard him called by Nala, seemed to be highly wary of everyone, immediately assuming the worst. Mufasa seemed to be the only one that the cub even mildly trusted.

But when Tanga looked to Nala, begging her to make herself and Sarafina go away, Sarabi's gaze become more confused, as she spoke before Nala could say anything. "Tanga, it's alright...it's okay," she said in the most soothing voice she could muster. "We're not going to hurt you, none of us are." But Sarabi was stunned by Tanga's show of distrust and fear. It seemed that he would only be comfortable around Mufasa, and that even though he seemed to have already met Nala, he barely even trusted her at all. What had happened to make him like this? It seemed like almost all of his cubhood innocence had been torn away from him already...and he looked like he was barely five months old!

But Tanga seemed to ignore her, continuing to back off, trying to keep the distance Sarabi was determined to close. Tanga may be distressed, but he needed to learn that no-one here would hurt him...even if he wanted them to stay away from him. As such, she continued approaching, not realising where she was backing Tanga up to. "I want to help you, Tanga...please, stop trying to avoid me...I can't help you if you won't let me come close." She thought that Tanga was just overreacting to whatever incident had given him his injuries...if she had even been mildly aware of what Tanga had been forced to endure for most of his life, she probably would have left him alone.

But when Tanga yelled in fear, before quickly curling up into a tight ball, sobbing and shaking, obviously completely terrified, Sarabi stopped, at the same time realising where she had accidentally lead the cub, obviously making him feel trapped. But his reaction implied a lot more than what she was worried was wrong with him...his fear was too strong, his reaction to being trapped too violent, for this to be in any way close to normal. With no idea what was going on, she turned to Sarafina and Nala. Sarafina appeared just as shocked by Tanga's actions as she was was, and the lioness was currently looking to her daughter for answers, causing Sarabi to do the same. If Nala knew something more about this cub than them, then she was their best chance of helping Tanga get past his irrational panic.

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Simba could see his father's sadness at seeing him upset, and hoped it meant that they would end the fight soon. But as the cub looked up at his dad, he could see that he regretted upsetting Simba like this, and had hope that things would end right there and then. But Scar then came forward with a comment that cause Simba to wince. Before this morning, Simba had adored his uncle almost like a second father...but the way he had behaved during the argument had left Simba worried, if only a little bit, about his uncle, and as such, his head snapped around, eyeing Scar with the same hurt he figured Mufasa would be feeling right about now.

"Scar, don't," he said flatly, too sad to really be angry for Scar blaming Mufasa for his own upset, when it was just as much Scar's fault. "Please...just stop fighting..." Soon enough, Mufasa apologised for Simba having to see this family argument, and Simba responded by simply burying his head in the fur of Mufasa's leg, glad that his father, at least, seemed intent on ending the argument there and then. Because of his position, he missed the look Mufasa gave Scar, reminding Simba's uncle that this was not quite over yet.

But in the end, Simba's curiosity was too strong for his own good, and once he had calmed down a little, he looked back up at his father. "Dad? Why are you doing this? What's Uncle Scar done? Who's Tanga?" the questions came from Simba's muzzle in his typically energetic, rapid-fire fashion, which tended to overwhelm a lot of other lions if he had a lot of questions on his mind. But he wanted answers...he had just seen one of the worst fights Mufasa and Scar had ever had, and wanted to understand why it had started, why his dad and uncle seemed to really hate each other right in that moment.

[TheIvanMuse]

When seeing Simba in such a condition,Scar didn't feel very guilty nor too sad. But there was something that he did however feel,it didn't leave him emotionless to his nephew hurt that way,he felt a little part of him feel bad for Simba,as he knew that a father's love is something one shouldn't be denied. Scar knew that well,as he always felt as if their father was more concerned with Mufasa that he was with him. Maybe it was Scar's fault as well,he didn't like all the tasks which their father gave them,he was much more pleased with just relaxing,while Mufasa was very interested in those. He never understood it...

Scar's thought were interrupted by Mufasa's gaze and Simba's comment that showed that he wasn't very happy with his teasing at this moment. He rolled his eyes as his eyes met Mufasa's. He finally had Mufasa of his back now though,as he was busy comforting Simba. ''I'll leave you two alone...'' ,Scar said while turning away from them to finally have some rest. He entered the cave and just laid down on his side,with his back turned to the entrance of the cave,as the light would not help him get some sleep now. Still worried about what Mufasa might now,but not willing to give it any thought at this moment,he yawned and closed his eyes.

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Mufasa was now feeling quite guilty,but not for how he acted towards Scar,but for Simba seeing his father's bad side. He never liked seeing his father mad either,he knew Simba would feel the same way. As Simba shoved off Scar's comment,Mufasa was glad that Simba understood quite clearly what Scar was trying to do. It would have made things a lot more difficult for him if Simba had actually believed that this was all his fathers fault. Simba was now asking them to stop fighting as he was holding Mufasa's leg. Mufasa then wrapped his paw around Simba,comforting his rather stressed son.

After that,it seemed as if Simba's curiosity rather overwhelmed his son,as it overcame his sadness. The questions just came at Mufasa in a rapid fire succession. However,what Simba wanted to know,Mufasa couldn't answer,not in front of Scar. He gazed down on his son and told him: ''I will tell you when we get back to Pride Rock.'' He hoped Simba wouldn't ask him anymore questions about it,because he didn't want to have Scar know how much Mufasa knows about this whole situation,nor that Tanga is actually at Pride Rock with them. He couldn't take any risk with that.

As Scar turned around and made his way towards the cave,he said in an almost annoyed matter a rather cold goodbye. However,Mufasa didn't want to comment on his brother just leaving like that,he didn't feel like it either. As Scar settled down in his cave,Mufasa said to his son: ''Come on Simba,we must return to Pride Rock now.'' Mufasa then turned towards Pride Rock and started walking back.

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As Nala and the two older lionesses wanted to help Tanga,Sarabi was the first to want to approach him. However,Tanga didn't seem to trust her,as he kept gazing at Nala,while backing off from Sarabi. He asked her to help him make Sarabi and Sarafina go away,but she didn't know what to say to them,as she thought that they knew what to do better than her. He was begging Nala to help him and at this point,Nala just screamed towards him:''Don't be afraid,Tanga!'' As she said that,the cub was already at the ledge on the Pride Rock. Then he slipped back,what almost looked like it would make him fall off of Pride Rock. Upon that,Nala yelled in fear as she thought he might fall: ''Tanga!

As he managed to get all paws back on the floor,Nala was very relieved. However,the troubles didn't seem to end as by this point Tanga had curled up into a ball and was shaking from his fear. Sarabi stopped and turned back towards Nala and her mother. Sarafina was now looking at her daughter,obviously asking her for her help,which Nala was very willing to do.

Nala the stepped forward,walking past Sarabi and approaching Tanga. She slowed her pace when she got nearer to him and said: ''It's ok Tanga,it's me,Nala.'' She then got only a few steps from him and upon seeing his frightened image,she just felt sorry and also very cautious about what she'd do. ''That is my mom and Mufasa's wife there,you can trust them,don't worry.'' She knew that the fact that Sarabi is Mufasa's mate would probably calm Tanga down the most.

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Meanwhile,an unknown lion is slowly approaching the Pride Lands,with a slow but determined pace. He is in a pretty good shape for a rogue,which is because he never had difficulties hunting his prey down. He looked like he wanted something,his eyes were focused on Pride Rock all the time. He had a scar on his muzzle,which was there because he didn't like some things about a particular lion in the past.

[AustralianChaos]

Simba managed a half-hearted version of his dissatisfied pout when Mufasa calmly avoided all his question, but he was still a little upset over Myfasa and Scar fighting. He was over the shock of it, as he calmly let go of his dad's leg, nodding in reluctant acceptance of his father's answer, but it was still distressing to have seen the two major adult figures in his life fighting like that. "Okay..." he said softly, looking at the ground as he waited for Mufasa and Scar to settle to their differences.

But it never came, as Scar, with a few irritated words, left them alone, heading back to his own den near Pride Rock. Looking after Scar, confused, Simba took a few moments, before assuming that Scar's irritation was just left-over anger from the fight, and turning back to his father, ignoring Scar so he could have time to cool off. "Okay, dad," he said briefly as Mufasa turned and started walking back towards Pride Rock.

As they walked, Simba fell into thought, his tail occasionally flicking in the grass behind him as his thoughts jumped from one matter to the next. But the main questions on his mind were the same questions from before; What had Scar done to make his dad so angry? Who was this Tanga Mufasa had talked about? Simba still felt like he was out of the loop a little on this matter, and hoped that Mufasa could explain everything properly to him when they got back, instead of the dread comment of 'you're too young to understand right now', which Simba feared was what Mufasa would say to him regarding all this.

But those thoughts were soon pushed from Simba's mind as they approached Pride Rock, and Simba some sort of commotion at the very tip of the promontory. The early morning light made details difficult to spot, but he could see two lionesses, along with Nala, up there. But what were they doing? "Dad...what's going on?" he asked, turning to Mufasa quickly, before looking back at the promontory. It looked like all three leonines were looking at something on the very tip of the promontory, but whatever it was, Simba could not see it from this low angle.

Fighting the urge to race ahead and see what this was all about, and say hi to Nala in the process, Simba instead looked to his father again, waiting for his reaction to this strange turn of events, although something told Simba that Mufasa...as always...would know exactly what to do, and why this was happening. "Should we see what this is about?" he asked tentatively, hoping Mufasa would not tell him to stay away...he wanted to know what this was all about.

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As Nala leapt forward, and started trying to calm and comfort Tanga, Sarabi turned back, heading back to Sarafina's side, giving the two cubs space. Tanga's behaviour was nothing short of confusing for both lionesses, as Sarabi decided to voice her concerns. "Do you have any idea why he's so scared of everyone?" she asked, fully expecting no explanation as she looked at Tanga.

Sarafina shook her head in response. "No...Nala seems to be the only one who knows anything about this...and possibly Mufasa, too, since he's the only one this Tanga seems to be looking for." She thought for a brief moment, before speaking again. "Judging by his behaviour, and his wounds and looks, though...I'd say he's been pretty badly abused and neglected, wherever he's come from. He looks half-starved, and I'll bet he's a bit weak from all the blood loss. He needs help and care, that's for sure..."

At this point, Sarafina's mothering side came into play. She loved Nala with all her heart, but the idea of Nala having a brother or sister was something Sarafina had always wanted for her daughter, but something circumstances would not provide. Maybe...just maybe...this was a chance for Nala to, in an odd way, have a sibling. Although, because of the circumstances around Nala's lack of siblings, she had never discussed the matter with Nala, and the young cub had never brought it up herself.

Sarafina was just about to voice the idea of taking Tanga under her care, when she spotted movement off in the distance. Flicking her gaze out across the grasslands, her eyes widened when she spotted a rogue lion wnadering towards Pride Rock. Was this the one responsible for Tanga's wounds and starvation, then? she wondered, suppressing a growl at the dark thought. She knew that, if it was, she would not be the only one who would give him a piece of their mind...Sarabi looked just as horrified as she was at Tanga's condition, although she had yet to notice the rogue approaching their home.

But just as Sarafina was about to point him out, the light caught his features, and suddenly Sarafina's eyes widened as a wash of memories came over her. "No...it can't be..." she whispered, causing Sarabi to stare at her. In response, Sarafina pulled herself back to her senses, and nodded to the rogue. When Sarabi noticed, she frowned, and was about to open her muzzle to unleash a roar, warning the pride of a approaching rogue, but Sarafina stopped her.

"No," she said simply, causing Sarabi to look at her oddly. "I'll handle this one, Sarabi," she added, and without waiting for a reply, trotted off dow Pride Rock, quickly making her way into the grass and heading straight for this rogue, her thoughts running wild as she moved. It can't be him...he can't be back...not after all this time...right?

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Tanga did not move from his curled-up position. He was terrified, and his small stature, wounds, and weak nature from lack of food and blood loss meant that even he knew he was defenceless. All he could do was hide his face from view, and pray that the group before him did not hurt him too much this time. Pain was all he knew that came from interacting with others...adults particularly...and as such, Tanga expected nothing different here.

When Nala spoke, Tanga flinched as much as his curled-up form could, waiting for the claws as he half-heartedly listened to Nala. Her voice was gentle, and held no sign of wanting to harm him, which caused Tanga to...extremely cautiously...poke his head out from the ball he was curled up in. He had been deceived into thinking someone was a gentle soul before, but Nala's tone and body language seemed so much more...pure. there was no sign of that deception coming from her at all.

But Tanga was still frightened, and Nala's words did little to help. "I can't, Nala," he responded to Nala adament stance that he could trust them. "The adults...they always hurt me...all of them. Pretty much all the cubs do, too. Why should it be any different here. I'm just a runt...and a coward...I'm easy to pick on and hurt." His own words hurt Tanga, but after enduring such insults for his entire life, they became facts to his traumatised mind. He gave the three of them one teary-eyed, but resigned look, before curling back up, mumbling into his fur so Nala could only just hear him. "Don't try to trick me...I've been through it before...just get it over with. Insult me, claw me, bite me, do whatever it is you want to do...just make it quick," his tone held that same, bitter resignation. His life had been nothing but a series of insults and attacks, and that was what he expected at Pride Rock as well, despite Mufasa kind insistance that it would not happen.

[TheIvanMuse]

As Mufasa was walking back with Simba towards Pride Rock,he noticed Simba being carried away in his thoughts. He knew what would await him when they returned,a plenty of questions,which he didn't know how he could answer to Simba. He couldn't tell him all he knew,it wouldn't be right for a cub to know the harshness of the world so soon. He just couldn't... However,he didn't want to leave Simba without an answer neither. He just thought to himself that he'll sort it all out once they get home again,because his thoughts were interrupted by the sight of someone already being awoken at Pride Rock.

The sight of seeing someone up at this point wasn't something that Mufasa fancied at this particular moment. Tanga was up there too,they must have spotted him. That would mean that he is probably very frightened at this point,as he knew that Tanga would most definitely not welcome the adult lionesses into his company with open arms. ''Tanga...'',Mufasa answered to Simba. As they came closer,Mufasa saw that Tanga was near the promontory of Pride Rock. Worries filled Mufasa'a mind as he feared that the cub might do something unexpected. If he fell off Pride Rock,it would be over.

Simba's next question was left unanswered as Mufasa strted running towards Pride Rock,hoping that he would get there before things could get out of hand. As he came closer,he noticed that Nala was near Tanga,which made Mufasa calm down a little. Tanga would probably be somewhat okay with an at least a bit familiar face. He gazed at Sarabi and Sarafina as he came closer to the tip of Pride Rock.''Tanga.'',he said as he approached Tanga and Nala,''You don't have to be afraid.'' Mufasa now cam even closer as he looked at Tanga with a very calm and comforting gaze. He then lifted his paw and placed it on Tanga's head,as a sign of care and as a welcome,because Tanga was now a memeber of his pride.

''Look Tanga...'',he said while turning aroung,''This is my pride,now awaken and ready to meet you.'' Mufasa hoped his words would come through to him,because Tanga had to meet them all sooner or later. But there was someone he was particulary interested in meeting Tanga. ''This is my son,Simba,''

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Nala felt sorry for Tanga,as from what he was telling her,it seemed like his life was everything easy. He seemed to have been picked on all his life,his wounds were only the proof behind that assumption. He seemed to think even less of himself after so much neglecting and abusing. ''Nobody is going to hurt you here,we are nice.'',Nala said with a grin on her face,as it was very true. No one here would want to hurt him,that is sure. Then Tanga seemed to offer Nala to hurt him,which seemed very weird to her,as she would never even think of doing something like that.''I would never do that.'',Nala said with an almost confused tone in her voice.

As she wanted to say something to Tanga,she noticed their pride's leader returning,Mufasa was finally back. Afterher went past the two lionesses he,approached Tanga and called his name. Nala was by this point backing off a bit and giving Mufasa some space as she knew that he would know best what to do. However,she didn't return to her mother,she was there nearby,just in case. As Mufasa introduced his pride to Tanga,Nala eagerly awaited what Tanga would say and how he would react to them after Mufasa's greeting.

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As the lion came closer to Pride Rock,the scent of a familiar place filled his nose as the memories returned in a flash. He now stopped and sighed. ''Home...'',he said with a certain gladness but also worried about what will happen once they all see him back,once she sees him back...
He continued walking,completely unaware that he has already been spotted. He lifted his gaze up and looked at Pride Rock,as a feeling of nostalgia overwhelmed him. He hoped it would all go well,even after all this time that he's been away...

But then he heard something in the bushes approaching him,it was coming fast. He instinctively unsheathed his claws and lowered his stance,he was prepared for whatever came out from there,or at least he thought he was. Because who was to meet his gaze,was someone he wouldn't be prepared for.
He growled and waited for whatever was coming...

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga's ears perked up, and he looked up as Mufasa called to him, ignoring Nala's comments about no-one hurting him...although he did lose some of his fear at her own admission that she could never hurt him. Maybe, just maybe...he could trust her. As Mufasa approached, he recognised the voice, and the face from last night, and relief washed over him as the one lion he trusted appeared before him, saving him from the lionesses...and his own paranoia. Tanga managed to smile back at the king, happy he was back.

"But..." he started answering to Mufasa's conviction that he had nothing to fear. "But you were gone...and they all wanted to come close...I couldn't...what if they...?" he series of question were never properly vocalised, however. Tanga knew that the lionesses had Mufasa's trust, and Tanga did not want to upset or anger Tanga by saying that he was scared of them attacking and bullying him like everyone else always did. He could turn the one lion he trusted against him...not now.

In the end, Tanga forgot about trying to explain his fear as Mufasa placed a paw on his head, causing the young cub to yelp and back off. He might trust Mufasa, but physical content had always, in his short lifetime, been associated with pain and injury. To Tanga, it was not a matter of trusting the leonine making the contact, it was about the contact itself. Fear of physical contact was something that had been drilled into his mind from infancy...it would take more than simple trust to break that instinct.

As Mufasa turned and explained that his pride was awake and ready to meet him, Tanga backed off a pace, making sure he was as far away from the one lioness left as he could manage. He did not trust her...she was too forward...tried to hard to get close to him. The other lioness had at least kept her distance...but she was not here right now...otherwise Tanga might have taken a mild interest in meeting her...as long as Mufasa stayed close. "But I...I don't know if I'm ready to meet them..." he said in a small voice. He wanted to do as Mufasa asked...but meeting so many other lions and lionesses was more than his abused psyche could handle right now...he just needed time to settle in, and meet the pride slowly...one at a time.

With that, Mufasa began the task of introductions, as another young cub...Simba, from Mufasa's introduction...stepped forward, giving Nala a friendly smile, before turning to Tanga. "Uhh...hi, Tanga...I'm Simba," the young cub said. He was obviously excited about meeting Tanga, but the yellow cub's obvious fear was making him tone things down. Tanga, for his part, simply looked at Simba shyly for a few seconds, before finally stammerring out an response. "H-Hi, Simba."

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As Sarafina approached the rogue, she tried to figure out what to do...and what to say. What do you say to someone close to you...someone you have not seen in months? Ideas chased themselves around the young mother's head, but nothing seemed very appropriate, especially considering the circumstances under which he had left...

Sarafina froze when she heard his growl...a growl that was so familiar...and yet one she had not heard for so long...there was no doubt any more in her mind, it was him. Looking through the grass, she spotted him, his claws out, stance low, ready to face a threat. He obviously had no idea she was the one approaching him. Pausing briefly, she decided it would be better to speak first, then approach...knowing rearranging that order could see him attack her on instinct. "Well..." she said, her voice completely emotionless, her mind still too overwhelmed to form any significant emotion right now. "Who would have though that the first rogue to enter our lands in months would be someone we knew?"

After finishing her sentence, Sarafina slowly revealed herself, her face matching her toneless voice...betraying no emotion, since there was none to show. As she approached, she spoke one more word. "Ardahi..." her voice was quiet, if still emotionless, and she proceeded to sit in front of him, waiting for either an emotion to present itself to her stunned mind, or for Ardahi to say something back.

[TheIvanMuse]

As Tanga was trying to justify his fears,Mufasa could do nothing but to smile at him,as at this point he realized that it will probably just take time before he bonds with the others just like he did with him. If he grew to like Mufasa,even after the intimidating impression Mufasa made on him at first,then he'll surely grow to likee the others too,with time. He didn't know why,but he got this hope awoken inside of him that made him think very optimistically of the whole situation regarding Tanga. There was still the issue with Scar,but for now,that was left for some other time. The cub reacted rather shocked about Mufasa placing his paw on his head,which was probably more of an instinctive thing,because he surely trusted Mufasa,he slept next to him last night.

As Mufasa gestured his pride and that he'd meet them now,Tanga was not very pleased with that idea. He seemed to yet again close himself up behind his fears. But Mufasa knew that there was more to this cub,it was only the fear that has it hidden inside,at least he wanted to think so. ''Don't be scared.'' ,Mufasa said to the young cub before having Simba come to meet him. Simba was more held back when approaching Tanga,which impressed Mufasa. His son realized that it's not always good to jump at everything,he kept things going slowly,as he saw that Tanga was very nervous. As the two introduced each other,Mufasa smiled at them,before approaching Sarabi and nuzzling her. ''Good morning.'',he said with a gentle voice.Then he turned back to the cubs and smiling at them. ''This is Sarabi,Tanga.'' He then looked around,but couldn't see Sarafina anywhere,he just looked at Sarabi with a puzzled gaze. ''Where is Sarafina?''

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As whatever was in the bushes came closer,Ardahi felt his instinct driving his anger stronger,he didn't like that something was approaching that fast. The it stopped,the rustling of the bushes was silent and he heard the voice that just dug into his heart. He didn't pay much note to what she was saying,her mere voice was just enough for him. He sheathed his claws back and lifted his head up. Several emotions filled his heart as she came out of the bush. He felt sorrow,but was happy at the same time. He was angry,but still succumbed. But most of all he felt something that has been eating him inside out ever since he left,but also gave him hope. Love...

As she approached him,she called out his name,but he said nothing. When she sat in front of him,he looked her in the eyes,those green eyes that he missed for so much. ''Sarafina...'' ,he said with a sadness in his voice. '' I...'' At that point,Ardahi didn't know what to say,his emotions were just overwhelming him too much. He just approached her only a few inches away,while always keeping the gaze up at those wonderful eyes. His eyes filled with tears as he almost threw himself at her,giving her a nuzzle and letting a tear down his cheek. ''I missed you so much...'' He kept nuzzling her,as he was so happy to finally see her again. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this point. But the tear on his cheek showed just how much he was glad to be back...To be back with her. He then went away from the nuzzle and looked her in the eyes again. The expression on his face was more than enough to show the emotions that he was going through. He said nothing more...

[AustralianChaos]

Sarabi watched as Simba and Tanga awkwardly introduced themselves to each other, a small smile on her face. She had seen the brief glances the small, malnourished cub had sent her way, and knew what his expression meant...she had been too forward, and too demanding on him when they first met. He had obviously been traumatised far more harshly than Sarabi had predicted, and her attempts to get him to open up had only resulted in him becoming devastatingly frightened of her. She sighed, knowing this meant that, despite Tanga's trust of Mufasa, she would probably be the very last member of the pride he would come to trust...if he ever ended up trusting her at all.

In the end, her sad thoughts were tossed aside as Mufasa came up to her, nuzzling her lovingly as she returned the gesture with equal warmth. "Morning, dear," she replied softly, purring slightly as she rested her head in his mane for a brief moment. When Mufasa properly introduced Tanga to her, she could not resist looking up, her own red-brown eyes meeting the young cub's strikingly blue ones. Tanga said nothing in response to Mufasa's introduction, but the way he backed away from her, seeming to instinctively duck behind Nala's small frame to hide his even smaller one confirmed to everyone present that Tanga feared Sarabi the most out of the entire pride.

But as Tanga's gaze fell away from Sarabi's, and as Simba shot Nala a confused look, wondering what was going on, Sarabi heard Mufasa ask about Sarafina, and grimaced as she realised she had forgotten about her...and the rogue. "Oh, Great Kings, I almost forgot!" she exclaimed, her gaze darting out over the Pridelands, looking for Sarafina and the rogue. "Mufasa, I just minutes ago spotted a rogue in the grass, out that way somewhere!" she said, pointing with her paw out to the right of the promontory of Pride Rock, her gaze still out int hat direction. "I was about to call you, but Sarafina suddenly insisted on taking care of it herself...and I was too pre-occupied with Tanga to realise what she was doing." Still cursing her oversight, Sarabi did find some relief when she finally spotted two figures out in the distant plains...but Sarabi was amazed to note that Sarafina and the rogue seemed to be nuzzling each other. "What?" she wondered out loud, wondering what could cause such an odd turn of events.

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Sarafina was amazed when Ardahi spoke her name, the first word he had heard from him in so long...almost a year. His voice seemed sad...almost apologetic. Sarafina had a hunch as to why, but right now her mind just was not working properly. The sudden, unexpected nature of the reunion had thrown her. But she could detected the one emotion she remembered most of from Ardahi...love. Despite everything he had done, and their long seperation, he still loved her.

This realisation was completely confirmed in Sarafina's mind when Ardahi practically threw himself at her, tears in his eyes as he nuzzled her constantly, his voice whispering how much he had missed her, the honesty, love and longing there for her to hear with complete clarity. But even as she started to get over the shock of the reunion, she still did not respond to Ardahi's nuzzles, but rather just stood there and let him have his moment of emotional release.

When he backed off, staring at her once more, Sarafina realised that this was her moment to say something...do something. But nothing sprange to mind. For several moments, she just stood there, the two of them competing in a strange, awkward staring contest. Should she be relieved for him to be back, after all this time? Should she be crying into his shoulder with that relief, returning his admission that she had missed him with all her heart? Sarafina just did not know what to feel.

But then one, single though entered Sarafina's mind; Nala. Thinking of her young daughter, Sarafina finally found her senses, and snapped back to reality. In a second, her gaze hardened...a frown crossed her muzzle, and her whole body tensed. With lightning speed, a paw snapped to life, landing a backhanded blow against Ardahi's muzzle. It was not hard, but it was firm, and would more thank likely have stung, which was Sarafina's intention. "Are you proud of yourself, Ardahi?" she demanded, a hard edge to her voice...although her tone was not cold in any way. "You vanished...no warning, no goodbye, nothing! You just up and left in the middle of the night...why?" By this point, her voice was shaking, and she was more upset than angry. "How...how could you do that...how could you leave your pride, leave Mufasa...leave me...or leave Nala?!" she demanded, forgetting in that one brief instant that Ardahi had left before she had found out she was pregnant with Nala...before he had learned he was a father...

But at that point, it didn't matter, as Sarafina finally lost control of her emotions, and broke down, leaping forward and burying her muzzle into Ardahi's black mane, sobbing into it. "Oh, Great Kings, Ardahi...I missed you...don't ever do that again!" she cried, her voice slightly muffled by her love's thick mane as she let all her suppressed emotions out. All the pain of Ardahi's disappearance, and the lonliness of living without him...all the hardship of raising Nala alone, knowing that the father was out there somewhere...she just let it all out, completely relieved to have him back in her life.

[TheIvanMuse]

Mufasa noticed that there was something on with Sarabi and Tanga. It was strange,Tanga was more afraid of her than what Mufasa would expect,it seemed as if something happened while he was away. Tanga backed off as soon as Mufasa introduced his mate to him. He hid behind Nala,who was rather clueless of what she'd do at that point. She just stood there and looked at Sarabi and Mufasa. Mufasa noticed Sarabi and Tanga exchanging eye contact,but it was rather scared from Tanga's side and overly careful from Sarabi's side,as each of those gazes lasted for only a second or less.

However,Mufasa didn't have time to discuss what happened while he was away,as his question about Sarafina was very nervously answered. Mufasa's protector instinct took over again,as he answered Sarabi's reply.''A rogue?!'',Mufasa said out loudly. ''What is she thinking?!'' He didn't know what had gotten into Sarafina to do something like that,she was always so calm,he didn't understand what it was. As Sarabi hinted towards the tip of Pride Rock.he immediately came to the ledge of Pride Rock. He gazed down and spotted them straight away. But there was something weird happening.The two lion figures,they were nuzzling... Mufasa was just as confused as Sarabi was,but didn't want to wait out and see what happens from there,he had to get to them. He roared as loud as he could from the promontory of Pride Rock,and surely caught the rogue's attention. Mufasa never took any chances when it came to rogues,as he knew that some of them are not what you would call a genuinely good-hearted lion. He then turned around and gazed at Tanga,he'd have to leave him again. ''You all wait here,I have to see what's happening down there.'' With that,Mufasa ran down from Pride Rock,while thinking of who the rogue might be,but he wasn't sure. The color of the rogue's fur and mane seemed familiar though.

Then the thought hit him as he was already half the way down and he stopped. It can't be him...,Mufasa thought to himself,while slowly continuing his step and starting to run again in the direction he saw Sarafina and the rogue. If it was the one lion he though it might be,then that would be a very interesting addition to the recent events.

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When nuzzling her,Ardahi felt the way he hasn't felt for such a long time. He was finally back with her,back with his mate. But there was something wrong,it seemed as if Sarafina was only standing there,he didn't know what it was. He then interrupted his nuzzle and back his head off,then looked Sarafina in the eyes. She seemed so puzzled and confused. It looked as if she hadn't had a single emotion since he saw her come out of the bush. The two of them just kept looking at each other. The stare was interrupted upon hearing a roar,a roar Ardahi knew very well. He looked up to see his friend,the pride leader,on top of Pride Rock.However,as Mufasa disappeared again,Ardahi turned looked back at Sarafina. He didn't know what to say at this point,as he was waiting for Sarafina to respond. He had to get something,anything... She couldn't just stand there...Could she?

But then he had something come his way that he would have never expected,especially not from her. As she slapped him across the muzzle,he groaned and his head turned away. He just kept looking down,not completely sure what would happen next,what he would do next,or more importantly,what would she... His pride was telling him to growl at her,but his heart wouldn't let him. He then lifted his head up with a hint of a frown in his expression. He was at this point staring at Sarafina and facing her emotional outburst. ''You don't even know what happened!'' he talked back to her with a severeness in his voice. She didn't understand,he had to leave,he had no choice.''I had to leave...'',he said with a much softer voice now.

But then he realized he had overheard one part of Sarafina's question.Who was this Nala she was talking about? ''What?'',he said,but before he could follow up the question,Sarafina leaped at him and broke down in tears. She just dug her muzzle in his mane. He felt sorry for the hardship and sorrow that he caused to his mate. Then he wrapped his paw around her back and pulled her closer to him,hugging her tightly. He didn't let go of his grip,as he didn't ever want to let her go,not now,not ever again. Sarafina's tears were disappearing in Ardahi's mane,but he could more than well feel what those tears were saying. He then burst into tears himself,he couldn't hold them back any longer. ''I love you,Sarafina...''

[AustralianChaos]

As Mufasa seemed to get worked up over something...something to do with a rogue, Tanga looked up at the lion he trusted, shying away slightly. What had happened to make him so worried? Did it have something to do with him? He silently prayed that this rogue Mufasa had found was not someone from his old pride. What if they forced him to go back? What would they do to him when they found out what he had said about them? Soon enough, Tanga's thoughts made him start trembling in fear.

That fear, and the trembling, only intensified when Mufasa commanded everyone to stay behind, and that he had to see what was going on regarding this rogue. "No..." he whimpered, loud enough for Simba and Nala to hear, but no-one else. As Mufasa moved away, heading off into the grasslands, Tanga once more backed away from everyone, back to the tip of Pride Rock. He noticed Sarabi giving him a sad look, but was relieved when she made no move to approach him. Simba, on the other paw, went straight to Nala's side.

"Nala, what's wrong with him?" the young prince asked, loudly enough for Tanga to hear, the words hurting despite, and possibly because of, their honesty. "Why's he scared of everyone, and how did he get so badly hurt?" The only thing that stopped Tanga from falling into another blind panic was the level of concern in Simba's voice...it sounded quite a bit like Mufasa did, obviously concerned for him, and wanting to help him. Tanga was still a little unsure, but he thought that maybe, just maybe, he could trust the two cubs in front of him...but he was still uncertain.

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Sarafina just let it all out as she felt Ardahi's paw hug her back tightly, and felt his own tears on her back. A year...almost a year they had been seperated, and almost every day she had thought of him, tried to figure out why he left, and if he was safe. And now he was back...and the relief was almost too strong, completely overwhelming her.

Finally, as she began to calm, she heard Ardahi profess his love for her, and she could hear the adoration behind the words, the sincerity...despite this being the first time they had seen each for nearly a year, she knew he meant every syllable. "Oh, Ardahi...I love you, too," she whispered, pouring all the emotion she could into her words, knowing she meant it...he had been gone for so long, but he had always dominated her thoughts...she loved him, even after all this time.

Finally, after regaining some modicum of control, Sarafina finally loosened her grip on Ardahi, allowing her to look into her mate's eyes. "But why?" she asked. "Why did you leave...what could possibly have happened to force you to leave me behind? Every day I've worried, wondering if you were alive or not...I was so scared for your fate that I've never even told Nala about you, she..." she suddenly stopped as her own words reached her ears, and she remembered that Ardahi had left before anyone, herself included, had realised she was pregnant. Ardahi was not aware of Nala...how would he react to this? Looking at her mate, she knew it was too late to take back her words, and so just sat there, holding him lightly, staring into his eyes as she waited for his reaction to her constant mentioning of Nala.

[TheIvanMuse]

As Mufasa was acting very nervous about Sarabi telling him that Sarafina went down Pride Rock on her own,a feeling of worry started to take over Nala. She was still rather puzzled about Tanga and how he'll interact with the rest of the pride,especially Simba,but the fact that Mufasa was very upset with where her mother was,made a feeling of anxiousness overtake the confusion.She heard Sarabi mention a rogue,an unknown lion,which she always feared as her mother always told her to never talk to strangers. As Mufasa roared from the tip of Pride Rock,she backed away,not knowing what he'd seen down there. He then commanded them to stay back while he goes down there. The fear for her mother rose inside Nala more and more. What if something happened to her,what would she do? Her thought were interrupted as Simba came towards her and asked her about Tanga.

She was too concerned of what was going on with her mom in order to figure out what she'd say to Simba. ''Ermmm... I... He's just scared a bit...'' ,she said to him,while keeping her mind on what's happening to Sarafina. She then looked at Simba with concerned gaze and made her way to the tip of Pride Rock,wanting too see what was going on down there. However,she tried her best not to intimidate Tanga,who was beginning to develop a rather panicked state of mind when Mufasa left. ''Its ok Tanga,I'm just going to look what's happening down there.'' She walked by him and looked down,hoping to see that everything is alright.

When she spotted her mother and this other lion up close,she was shocked. As she was expecting the worst,at first sight it seemed to her as if the lion bit her mother to the neck. Her eyes widened and she gasped,but upon taking a closer look and seeing that everything is alright,she calmed down. It was only a nuzzle. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down a bit,then continued watching down to see what will happen. She then turned baclk and said to Simba and Tanga: ''Come look.'' ,then curiously gazed back down to her mother.

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Ardahi finally had his love near him,after all that time. He was so happy... All the time while he was away,he thought of her,dreamed of her,felt her love even though they were distanced. Distanced in miles,but yet close in spirit. He knew that she hasn't forgotten about him,nor has he about her. Every time he looked up in the night sky,he saw the bright star,the bright star he was sure Sarafina was looking at as well,he could feel it. That star represented hope for him,hope for a return,hope for another chance. But he was afraid,he wanted to come back,but he was scared. It took a lot of time for the wounds to heal,both the physical and psychical ones. But after all that time,he finally felt that he was ready. He was going to face his past,his demons... Nothing could stop him now,not now... He finally had her back.

As his most sincere love confession was returned with so much emotion,he just couldn't help but smile. Despite the tears still running down his cheek,he smiled. He breathed out with his voice shaking now,the emotion were just overwhelming him. He just leaned his head on hers and didn't think anything. He wanted that moment to never end,that gladness,that happiness,that love...

As Sarafina loosened his grip on him,he did the same,then looked at her,and as their eyes met,he could see all the emotion,she never had to say anything more,it seemed as if their love was immortal. Sarafina then asked him of the reasons of why he vanished. All this time while he was away,he was thinking of how this whole thing would work out after the truth was out,what would happen to the pride? But at the end,he realized that the truth had to come to the surface,sooner or later. Ardahi wouldn't let him get away with it,not that easily. Not only did this affect himself,his mate was at the loss as well. All the sorrow,all the worries,he knew that Sarafina had it very hard.
But his thoughts were again interrupted by the mention of another lioness. Sarafina kept mentioning this Nala over and over again. Every time it seemed as if she meant a lot to her. But who was she and what did Ardahi had to do with her? Sarafina seemed to have been rather held back after mentioning her,she just kept looking at him with a rather shocked expression,awaiting something from him. ''Who is Nala?'' ,he asked her with a confused tone in his voice.