[PRIVATE: DGFone & Thewhistlerify]

[DGFone]

The trainer waited for some time after Muroki answered, as though waiting for them to change their minds. Finally, he decided that they were certain. "Well, you're free now," he told them, "you can go. I'll do the rest in terms of making this official, and then I have the rest to take care of. You will leave the caves if you go left and then straight." He motioned them to leave, and Delano hesitantly left, leading Muroki. Delano gave one last look at the trainer right before he turned the corner, and the trainer motioned for him to keep going. Delano took in a long breath and walked away, leaving the trainer behind.

They walked out of the caves and stepped back into the sunlight. Delano stopped and blinked as his eyes adjusted to the bright light. He looked around, feeling strange. Then it dawned of him why. "We... we're free. We can finally go back." He whispered. It was true that they aimed for this at the end of the training, but it was always something later. Not now. And yet now they finally got it.

Delano felt slightly unstable as a multitude of feeling swept over him and he had to sit down briefly. "We can finally go back," he said, smiling. "It's done." He began to laugh, but it was quite and barely audible. They were free. And they had left their old selves behind. They can start anew. It was time to move on.

[TheWhistlerify]

Despite Muroki's sudden changes of mood, he couldn't help but smirk as his brother began laughing, "What's so funny?" he asked as the two carried on walking towards their home. "I wonder what is everybody doing right now..." he was more wondering about Umeme in particular, but his brother was teasing him about it enough already.

[DGFone]

Delano forced himself to stop laughing. "It's because we are finally out. This entire time we were planning to get out, and now we finally did it..." He still couldn't exactly believe it. He looked up, and saw that the sun will start setting soon. His heart sank. They would have to hurry to get back to Kasi on time.

He got up unsteadily, still feeling woozy from the emotions. "Come on, let's go home." He said. He took a step forward, and grinned when he felt how it was a first step in a new life. He felt different. He took another step, but this time faster, and broke into a run. "Come on, Muroki. Let's get out of here!" He called out behind him at his brother.

And so they ran on, to their new home.

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki again chuckled when his brother broke into a run, but after a few moments he ran after him. He knew Kasi was going to be happy to see them, and if not happy, then at least relieved, who knew. The two ran on and on, which wasn't hard because of the training they've been through. "Looks like all the running paid off!" Muroki called as he ran behind his brother. Soon enough the main den came into view. Hopefully one of their friends or family would be there.

[DGFone]

Kasi was just returning back to the den when he gave one last look at the sunset. But as he did, he noticed two lions running towards him. He squinted, trying to make out if it was something he should be worried about or not. But as the lions didn't look threatening, he thought that he would simply get inside the den and tell the others that there are two strange lions running about outside.

But as he was about to do that, he stopped. Those lions looked familiar. Kasi stumbled back, feeling dazed. As they got closer, he now recognized the two lions that were running towards him. They were his cousins, Muroki and Delano. Somehow, they returned. "Delano? Muroki?" He gasped as they stopped right next to him. "How...?"

Delano grinned as he and Muroki stopped next to Kasi. The run didn't even tire him. "Did you miss us?" He asked playfully. "We're back." He found it funny how dazed Kasi looked like. "Anything wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost." Delano teased.

Kasi looked at the ground, feeling embarrassed. "No... it's just that with you two coming back... So unexpected..." He looked up suddenly. "You need to get inside now! The others will want to know that you're back!" But almost immediately, he stopped. "If you mind me asking, but for how long are you guys going to stay this time?" He asked softly. "Because if it's only for a little while, it might be better for you to leave now." He looked at the den. "Umeme and Lina. They've really missed you guys," he said, "So it might be better for them not to know that you're hear if its only temporary. They won't take it well if they see you, only for you to vanish on them again."

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki looked at Delano for a few seconds and then back at Kasi. "We're staying. We completed a part of the training and said we wanted to go back. We figured out that doing this wont bring our parents back..." he was quiet for a moment, "Uh, and you were right, we will probably get ourselves killed if we continue." he also looked at the den, wondering how Lina and Umeme would react to them. "Are Umeme and Lina inside?"

[DGFone]

Kasi smiled at the prospect of his cousins staying. He also had missed them, if only for the prospect of knowing that they did not die because of him, and seeing them alive made him grateful. "Yeah, they're inside already," he said, answering Muroki's question. "Come on, they'll want to see you guys!"

He eagerly lead his cousins into the den. As they walked in, Kasi called out, "Lina! Umeme! Guess who came back!" He grinned in anticipation. After Umeme nearly mauled him to death when he didn't say where his cousins had gone, he wanted to see her face now that they returned.

Umeme was trying to fall asleep when she heard Kasi walk in, and then shout out. She groaned as the noise reached her ears. "We're trying to sleep here Kasi!" She complained, but opened her eyes to look anyways. What she saw made her freeze. Behind Kasi stood Delano and Muroki. She quickly got up. Was what she was seeing true?

She reached out and nudged Lina. "Lina, wake up!" She said urgently. "Th- They're back! Delano and Muroki are back!"

[TheWhistlerify]

Lina woke up from all the noise Umeme was making and from her nudging. She opened her eyes partially only for them to fully open as she saw Delano and Muroki. After rubbing her eyes to make sure she wasn't just dreaming she couldn't help but smile. "You're back!" she said, jumping to her feet and walking over to the two with Umeme. "Where have you two been?"

Muroki managed to smile, "Well... It doesn't really matter... We're back now and we're staying..." He never thought that Lina and Umeme had missed them that much.

[DGFone]

Delano grinned as Lina and Umeme rushed over to them. "Yeah, we're back, and here to stay," he said, echoing Muroki. It felt great to be back. What happened next took him by complete surprise.

Before Umeme could stop herself, she rushed over to Muroki and gave him a great hug. "I missed you so much," she whispered into his fur. "And now you're back! It... it means so much to me." But almost right away, she broke off from the embrace, looking embarrassed. "sorry," she muttered, backing away.

Delano was shocked at how Umeme had hugged Muroki only to break away again. Had they missed them that much?

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki was about to say something, but his mouth went shut once Umeme hugged him all of a sudden, leaving him completely unable to move or say anything in response. He really wanted to return her hug, but before he could she broke away. "It's... It's alright." he said with a rather shy smile.

Before he could think of anything else to say to her Lina was doing the same thing but to Delano. "I'm glad you're back." she broke away after a few moments, feeling rather embarrassed. "Uh, both of you of course." she gave Muroki a rather shorter hug, but Muroki didn't pay a lot of attention to the way she put a lot more 'effort' into Delano's hug because he was still rather stunned from a few seconds earlier..