[Private] Kiarasmate and Kivuli

[Baya]

Ayari stepped back, and away from Vitani. Without another word, he began to walk back to pride rock, with a look of regret on his face. He looked down, thinking about what he had done. He had never killed his enemy. That was his one rule. He broke his only true rule. He was no better than Maju now. His paws stepped in shallow puddles as he made his way back towards pride rock.

"I wonder what's wrong with him..." Kovu murmured watching Ayari leave without even a word to Vitani. That was definitely out of the ordinary. Husudu chuckled as he looked to Kovu.

"He's still a cub. His innocence died today. He took the life of another in the act of battle, and he feels remorse. It's always like that at first..." Husudu muttered. "Until you kill again that is." Husudu said with a devilish grin.

"We should've introduced ourselves... My name is Shwari, and this is my brother Husudu. We'd like to join your cause." Shwari said quietly. Kovu looked at them suspiciously.

"Why would you join our cause? How do I know you won't betray us?" Kovu growled.

"I have my own beliefs in this matter. Like I said earlier in the battle, war destroyed our jungle pride. I won't have it destroy another. This is personal." Shwari said intently.

"I'm just following where ever this idiot goes. As long as there's food, and some action." Husudu murmured.

"I see. Well then you are welcome to stay with us through out this upcoming battle, but I'll keep my eyes on both of you." Kovu warned as he too began to walk back towards pride rock. Shwari followed after Kovu and Husudu followed after Shwari.


~ Meanwhile a few moments later back at pride rock~

Kivuli sighed as he sat in the den where the lionesses were cheerful that the battle was one. Kiara seemed worried about Kovu, but Kivuli assured her that Ayari and Vitani had his back. Kivuli had placed Siri near the warmest region of the den, and waited for her to wake up. "Are you worried?" Kiara asked Kivuli as she sat next to him, looking at Siri's unconscious body.

"No." Kivuli murmured. "I couldn't care less if this idiot died..." Kivuli said quietly.

"Then why did you save her from the fire? If you do not care for her why?" Kiara asked with a look of perplexity.

"If I didn't Ayari would kill me. It was my duty, as second in command." Kivuli replied. Kiara chuckled.

"You are lying. I saw the look on your face when you brought her in here. You held that same look until you listened to her heart, and it was at a regular rate." Kiara said with a smile. Kivuli was getting annoyed with this queen, but just decided to lie down without another word. Kiara, content that she had proved it, walked back to her part of the den and lied down.

[KiarasMate]

Vitani was about to chase after Ayari, when Husudu and Schwari introduced themselves, momentarily delaying her plans to go and comfort her old friend in his time of need. Feeling as though that she could trust the two grey furred males, Vitani gave a quaint bow as she replied in a genuine voice.

”We appreciate your help and in my eyes, you’ve proven that what you say is sincere however, don’t betray our trust. My name is Vitani and this is my brother Kovu, the king of these lands. I welcome you to our ranks.”

Watching as everyone slowly began to depart from the scorched battlefield as the rain started to pick up, Vitani made it a point to get herself cleaned up before she would go and see Ayari. Taking a different route than everyone else, Vitani found a small waterhole to which she could bathe privately at. Cleaning the blood from her paws and pelt, Vitani’s thoughts were upon that of Ayari and what she would say to him once she met back up with him. Having a general idea of what was bothering him, thanks to Husudu’s keen observation, Vitani figured that the best approach to the situation would be to try and reason with Ayari.

Once her body was cleared of any traces of the ferocious battle, Vitani made her way back to Pride Rock, looking for Ayari. Figuring that he would hopefully have enough sense as not to stay out in the downpour that had overtaken the lands, the former Outlander made her way to the main den, spotting Ayari, sitting upon the promontory of the majestic structure. Sighing softly to herself, Vitani quietly approached him, speaking in a loud enough voice so that she could be heard over the endless pitter patter of the rain that fell around them.

”Ayari, please come inside. You’re going to freeze out here if you stay like this.”

Meeting with Ayari’s gaze, seeing the look of both confusion and regret clearly apparent within his eyes, Vitani frowned as she spoke up once more.

”Listen, if you want to be alone, that’s fine too, but if you want to talk in private, I know a place we can go. I want to be here for you Ayari, as your friend and it’s never good to be alone when you’re feeling like the way you are. Please, just talk to me.”

==========

Zina had taken a similar approach as Vitani had, taking a quick bath within one of the waterholes before she had returned to Pride Rock to check up on Siri. Now, safely inside the warm den with the endless rain splashing outside, the white furred lioness made her way over to where Kivuli had placed Siri. Giving Siri’s body a quick examination with her observant eyes, Zina could tell that Siri’s breathing was slightly irregular, most likely due to inhaling too much of the smoke. Silently cursing herself for ruining her supply of herbs, as she would have easily been able to tend to her fellow rogue’s condition, Zina leaned down and gently nuzzled Siri in a friendly fashion, the closest form of affection that she would show towards anyone she held to be as close of a friend as Siri was to her.

Looking over at Kivuli, Zina didn’t have the heart to torment him like she typically would, instead, speaking to the silent male in a rather appreciative tone.

””Thanks for doing what you did Kivuli. Maybe you’re not as bad as I thought you were. Siri has you to thank that she’s alive right now and as much as I despise you, I owe you a bit of thanks for that at least.”

Taking a seat next to her struggling comrade, Zina mumbled quietly to herself as she watched Siri’s sporadic breathing, knowing that she could help her fellow rogue if she only had the right supplies.

”Damn it! If I just hadn’t been so stupid last night. I could have helped you right now Siri. I’m sorry…I really am useless without my herbs. Hang in there. You’ll be okay…you’re strong, I know you can pull through…”

[Baya]

Ayari's eyes were locked to the ground, as rain dripped from his mane into the small puddles. He looked to the dark sky from where he sat at the edge of pride rock. He heard Vitani's soothing voice, almost expecting it to try and brighten his mood. It really didn't. Now matter how close she was to his heart, the dark thoughts that were going through his mind right now were unrelated. "Do you know what I did today? I didn't just kill another lion, in self defense...I let my anger, and my animalistic mind take over. I stooped down to Maju's level." Ayari said darkly. "I cannot differ myself from him anymore. I could not justify my reasons for fighting Maju anymore!" Ayari snarled as he looked at his reflection.

~ In The Den ~

Kivuli said nothing as Zina spoke to him. "I did what needed to be done. I do not leave my comrades to die, regardless of how I feel about them personally." Kivuli said quietly.

"Well aren't you the ideal warrior?" Shwari asked with a chuckle. Kivuli rolled his eyes at the comment as Shwari walked into the den with Kovu.

"Ugh. You are anything but a warrior." Kivuli growled at Shwari. "I've never seen a weaker male in my life." Kivuli murmured.

"Now, Now you two. Play nice." Kovu called from where he was laying near Kiara. Siri opened her eyes slowly, as she looked to Zina.

"I-It's ok Zina. You fought so well today. You are not useless." Siri panted quietly, then she looked to Kivuli at a loss for words. She did not know why he cared enough to help her out. She had insulted him, slapped him, and ignored him. Why did he save her?

[KiarasMate]

Moving so that she was sitting alongside Ayari, Vitani replied to what he had to say, in a reassuring tone as she once more, lightly placed a fore paw over his, her dripping wet face looking at him with a compassionate expression.

”You did what you had to Ayari. Do you honestly think that those lions and lionesses would have spared our lives? No! They were sent here to kill us. That was clear from the looks in their eyes. You are not like Maju Ayari! If you were, you wouldn’t have come here. You wouldn’t have came back nor would you have offered to help me and my brother and our pride! You wouldn’t have the caring friends that you do if you were as heartless as this Maju creature. You are, and will never be like him Ayari. I know you Ayari and you could never turn into that monster that you spoke of.”

Leaning in close, Vitani gently nuzzled her head under Ayari’s chin, lifting it slightly as she purred softly. In her mind, being close to Ayari right now was only to make him feel better and if he got the wrong impression about her, that would be the way it was. Her feelings towards her old friend were obvious and despite whether or not he wanted her company now, Vitani wasn’t about to leave his side. Pulling back for a moment, Vitani met with Ayari’s gaze, the rain beating down upon the two as she found herself blurting out.

”Come on. Let’s get out of the rain.”

Rising to her paws, Vitani turned and started to make her way down into The Grasslands instead of heading towards the main den. Motioning for Ayari to follow her, Vitani made her way to her favorite thinking area where she had been earlier, knowing that they could be alone and out of the torrential downpour that assaulted them now. Entering the little secluded cavern, Vitani waited for Ayari to join her before she spoke softly to him.

”Can I tell you something Ayari? You have to promise me that you’ll take it serious though.”

==========

Smiling down at Siri, happy to know that her fellow rogue was at least able to speak, Zina held back a sniffle as she replied in a hushed tone.

”Save your strength Siri. I’m glad you’re okay though and thank you. That means everything coming from you.”

Rising to her paws as she made her way over to where Kivuli was, Zina swallowed hard as she asked.

”If what you say is true, will you come with me Kivuli? I know of some herbs that will help Siri recover faster but I don’t want to go out alone. Not that I couldn’t take care of myself, but, well, I guess I could use your…erm, Feeling herself getting a bit flustered, Zina only managed to finish her statement. ”Will you come or not?”

[Baya]

Ayari looked down as he listened to Vitani's words, and his heart raced as she nuzzled him. There was not one thing more reassuring to him, then Vitani was. It was not the way she said it, or what she said, but the fact that it was coming from her that comforted Ayari. In the eyes of anyone else he'd probably be a monster, but she gave him good reason as to why he was still different from Maju. Though deep down, Ayari hated to admit that he felt good after killing that male. All his bottled up anger and hatred for Maju had surfaced for that one instant that he slit that lion's throat. That was the part of himself that nobody could deny that he had.

The invitation to get out of the rain made Ayari finally realize how cold he was actually feeling. His teeth chattered, as he got up and quickly followed after Vitani. At first he was confused as to where he was being taken, but he did not doubt that it was anywhere bad because his old friend was leading him. When they arrived in Vitani's thinking region Ayari plopped down onto his side with a sigh. "Sometimes I do really stupid things..." He said as his teeth continued to chatter.

When Vitani asked her question, Ayari's chattering stopped and he looked to her with the most serious expression he could muster. "You can tell me anything without me teasing." Ayari said with a small smile. "I feel really stupid for standing out in that rain so long though. I might be ill." Ayari murmured as he shook his wet mane, trying to avoid soaking Vitani too.

~ At The Den ~

Kivuli looked up to Zina as she asked him for his help. Kivuli sighed and got up. "I don't have a choice now do I?" Kivuli murmured. "Hey Shwari. Make sure Siri get's what she needs until I get back. If she ends up dead, so will you." Kivuli said to Shwari grimly. Shwari rolled his eyes.

"Was the threat necessary? You are such a brute." Shwari snorted. Kivuli ignored the last comment as he walked back out, into the now much softer down pour. In the sky, thunder crackled, and lightning flashed.

"He isn't planning anything good..." Kivuli murmured, reading the scenery as a crystal ball. (Pathetic Fallacy <3)

[KiarasMate]

Unable to resist a smile from the way Ayari’s teeth were chattering, realizing that her friend could use a bit of warmth, Vitani plopped herself down next to him, laying so that her back was against his side to keep him warm but not to give off the wrong impression. Gathering her thoughts for a second, Vitani spoke in a gentle voice as she adjusted her head so that she could watch Ayari’s reaction to what she was about to say to him.

”Okay, here goes then. I know you’ve only been back for a few moons now but these past few days have been some of the most memorable for me. Yeah, I know they haven’t been great as far as what has happened during them, but being with you, whether it be through thick or thin, I’ve just grown really attached to you Ayari. Not in the friendly way like I did when we were younger. It’s different now. Every time I’m near you, it’s like my stomach gets tied in a million knots. Every time I hear your voice, it’s just the most pleasant thing ever and no matter how I feel, just being around you and seeing you smile, it relaxes me in ways I never thought anything could.”

Looking up at Ayari with a warm smile, Vitani continued, her voice hiding a subtle tone of uncertainty as she went on.

”I know what you’re probably expecting me to say next Ayari, but I can’t say it just yet…it’s too soon and even though my feelings for you are very strong, it’s hard for me to form relationships, especially of this kind. Maybe it’s because I’ve never felt this way towards anyone, like I do towards you, or maybe my past has just dulled that side of me. Whatever the case may be though, I just needed to let you know how I feel about you Ayari.”

Lightly placing her fore paw over Ayari’s, which seemed to be her little signature sign of affection towards her old friend, Vitani stated in a sweet voice.

”Promise me that you won’t leave me Ayari, unless you absolutely have to. Every day, I wake up and expect you to be gone for some reason. I don’t want to feel like that anymore. I want to know that you’ll always be here for me. Not only as a friend, but perhaps…more than that.”

==========

Ignoring Kivuli’s comment as she was just thankful that he had even acknowledged her request, let alone, followed through, Zina lead the way down Pride Rock as the rain started to subside, giving way to a bright display of thunder and lightning. Paying this no mind, as she was used to every little thing that nature had to offer, Zina kept her head raised, trying her best to find the specific scent that she was looking for, although the newly soaked lands made it quite tedious for her to perform at her best. Keeping her pace slow, so she could take in every little smell, Zina called over to Kivuli, who seemed to be a bit lost on why his presence was needed.

”Do what you do best Kivuli and watch my back, okay? Who knows if any of those filthy vermin are still hiding in these lands.”

A bright flash of lightning seemed to silhouette against what looked to be Ayari and Vitani not too far off from where she and Kivuli were scavenging at. Ignoring this fact however, unsure of whether or not Kivuli had seen what she had, Zina continued along until her nose started to twitch as a grin formed around her muzzle. Calling back to Kivuli, Zina proclaimed in a proud voice.

”This way. I think I found it.”

Lowering her head now, allowing her eyes to take over, Zina scanned the landscape before her as she walked low to the ground, her tail inadvertently raised and swaying as if to tease Kivuli, who was walking behind her. Finally seeing what she had been searching for, in the form of an oddly shaped plant that almost resembled the shape of a star, Zina halted in her tracks as she carefully snipped off a few of the uniquely designed herbs, looking a bit puzzled on how she was going to transport them back to Siri without her typical pouch to assist her. Looking over at Kivuli, spotting the male’s puffy mane that had almost dried itself out from the previous rains, Zina signaled for him to approach as she spoke.

”Hold still will ya.”

Running her paw through Ayari’s thick mane, Zina managed to securely place her newly acquired herbs within the cozy confines of Kivuli’s mane before she motioned back towards Pride Rock before saying.

”Okay, let’s go. I’m shocked, you actually did come in handy Kivuli, or at least, your mane did anyways.”

Forcing an appreciative smile towards Kivuli, Zina bounded off, taking lead once more as she made her way back towards pride Rock.

[Baya]

Ayari listened closely, his body instantly warming up at her words of affection. "What I feel for you is not simply because you are a female Vitani." Ayari murmured. "When we were cubs, the world was different, and so were we. Things like...affection and caring were terrible things to have in the outlands." Ayari said as he gazed at his paws for a moment. "I've never stopped liking you. Even as a cub I saw you as something much closer than a friend. Almost , but quite not, family. Nothing will tear me away from you again. Absolutely nothing." Ayari assured as he nuzzled her fondly.

"I know it's too soon for you, but not for me. I've never said these words to anyone else in my life, and never did I want to until I came back here." Ayari said quietly as he leaned in closer to her ear. "I love you,now and always." Ayari whispered as a grin spread across his face. He had wanted to say that ever since he got to the pridelands, and with that weight off his shoulder's he did not feel as awkward as before.

~ Kivuli and Zina ~

Kivuli followed behind Zina, noticing how she was trying to tease him. He rolled his eyes at her attempt and continued trotting quickly after her, through the rain. "You know! If you actually got yourself a mate you wouldn't have such a negative opinion about males. Not all of them are looking for one thing." Kivuli pointed out as he walked alongside Zina now.

Soon they got to an area and Kivuli watched Zina do her work. His eyes widened in annoyance as she began to screw around with his mane. "I'd better not find any damn pieces of that crap in my mane later!" Kivuli warned with a growl.

[KiarasMate]

Twitching her ear and blushing rather heavily from Ayari’s words, Vitani found herself speechless momentarily as her heart pounded in her chest. She had longed for Ayari to say these words to her and now that he had, it was as though she saw him in a different light now. Despite not being able to return the obvious exchange of dialect, Vitani had no problems with following through with her actions as she leaned in close, lightly connecting their muzzles for a soft, passionate kiss as her paw lightly caressed atop of Ayari’s. Closing her eyes to enjoy the moment, feeling his soft muzzle against her own and knowing that he would always be there for her, Vitani felt her heart skip a beat and everything that had been on her mind previous, vanished in a split second, leaving only her and Ayari at this very moment.

Pulling back after a minute or two, Vitani smiled happily at Ayari as she snuggled in a bit closer to him, finally managing to speak up as she rested her head against his strong chest.

”Thank you Ayari. You don’t know how much your words truly mean to me and I’ll always be here for you too. You’ll never be alone.” Moving up towards Ayari’s ear, Vitani murmured softly. ”We stand as one.”

Giving Ayari’s cheek a soft lick, Vitani returned her head to resting gently against Ayari’s chest, listening to the rhythmic beats of his heart which were lulling her to sleep slowly but surely.

==========

Zina heard both of Kivuli’s comments, making her scowl in contempt as she halted outside the main den before turning to Kivuli and replying in a smug tone.

”Yeah, that advice coming from a lion without a mate himself, huh? It’s easy to say such things when you’re a male Kivuli. If you lived through what I have, you’d know why I feel the way I do.”

Swiping her paws through Kivuli’s main to extract the stored herbs, Zina gathered them in her fore paw before she paused and reluctantly held out her paw towards Kivuli, offering him the herbs as she stated.

”Oh a few herbs in your main is the least of your worries Kivuli. When was the last time you took a bath anyways? Here, make yourself useful and give these to Siri. Tell her to take one of them now, and one later. They will help her throat and to clear out the smoke that she probably inhaled during the fight.”

Seeing Kivuli’s puzzled expression, Zina narrowed her eyes as she replied before he could even ask the question that she assumed was coming.

”Look, I know you have some feelings towards Siri. You wouldn’t have saved her if you didn’t. You can say that it’s only because Ayari would have killed you if you didn’t help her all you want to, but I know the truth and so do you. Maybe if you did something nice for her, instead of just being a bully, you’d learn that maybe her feelings are the same too.” Placing a paw over Kivuli’s muzzle so he wouldn’t speak again, Zina finished up. ”I know, you’re going to say, what the hell would I know about anything having to do with a relationship cause I don’t have a mate, blah blah blah, I get it. That doesn’t mean I don’t know what a lioness likes though. I know that damn well better than you ever will Kivuli and this is my way of trying to help you, for what reason, I haven’t even figured that out myself but Siri is the closest thing I have to a friend here and I care about her, a lot more than I do about you, but if you can make her happy, then I guess you aren’t so bad.”

Taking her paw away from Kivuli’s muzzle, wiping it upon the ground in an overly disgusted manner, Zina left Kivuli with the small pile of herbs as she went to take up her typical spot outside the main den, despite it being still rather cold and damp outside. Flashing Schwari a blank stare as she saw him from within the den, Zina rested her head upon her fore paws as she kept her focus upon the grey furred male, smiling slyly to herself as she conveniently had left out the small detail of the herbs being extremely bitter tasting to Kivuli, although they would do exactly what she had explained none the less. Figuring that she could at least have a small amount of fun while still trying to bring her fellow rogues closer together, Zina saw no point in having a bit of a laugh at Kivuli’s expense, which wasn’t anything new to her.

[Baya]

Ayari purred at her gestures of affection, and looked down happily at her as she snuggled into his chest. He had no idea of how she could fall asleep with the loud, quick heart beats against his chest right now. He had forgotten all about his troubles, because in this one instant, the only thing that mattered to him was the fact that he was here with Vitani. No amount of rogues, evil friends, drought, pain, or suffering could make him feel bad at this exact moment.

Ayari placed his head over Vitani's, and licked her cheek while she slept. He closed his eyes and began to drift to sleep as well, noticing that the pitter patter of rain was no longer there.

~ At the den ~

Kivuli growled as Zina spoke, only because every word she said was true. Kivuli hated to admit it, but the last thing he wanted to happen during that battle was for Siri to die. He knew that Ayari would not blame him for Siri's death, if she did die in battle. Kivuli just wanted an excuse, so Zina wouldn't say the things she was saying now. That plan had failed miserably.

Kivuli picked up the herbs by their tips in his mouth and walked into the den. He shuddered slightly at the bitter taste. "You left that detail out on purpose..."Kivuli thought to himself as he approached Siri who was fully awake, yet slightly ill looking. Kivuli put down the herbs in front of Siri. "Zina told me that these would clear the bad air you inhaled, and your throat. Take one of them now, and another later." Kivuli said in monotone. Siri looked up to Kivuli for a moment and nodded.

"Tell her thank you." Siri murmured quietly, as she ate one of the herbs. She puckered as she ate the herb, and then shuddered as it slid down her throat. The taste was terrible! Kivuli nodded as he began to walk back towards his spot in the den.

"Kivuli! Don't walk away! I want to know why you saved me!" Siri demanded with a cough. She winced from the scratching pain in her throat.

"To save a comrade on the battlefield does not need a reason. Despite of how I feel about you, I cannot let you die at the hands of the enemy." Kivuli said quietly. Siri smiled and looked down at the pile of herbs picked by Zina, and left in front of her by Kivuli.

"Are you sure there isn't any other reason you saved me?" Siri asked as she gazed at Kivuli with a teasing stare. Kivuli felt his face flush, but he did not say another word as he laid down, looking away from Siri. Siri got up, and walked slowly towards Kivuli, laying down on top of his back for a moment, and whispering in his ear. "Thank you Kivuli. This is the kindest thing, any lion has ever done for me." Siri said as she licked his cheek affectionately. She then got off of Kivuli, and walked back slowly to her spot, lying down.

~ Outside The Den ~

Husudu walked up alongside Zina, and sat down looking at Shwari from where he was sitting as well. "I have no idea why he saved you. By the end of last night's little game, he was quite fed up with you. Paralyzing boys isn't much of a turn on you know..." Husudu pointed out look to Zina. "Then again, I guess Shwari isn't normal is he? He goes after the hardest things to acquire. He wanted a life of peace, without war and violence." Husudu said with a dark chuckle. "I can't be the one to tell him there is no such thing as peace." Husudu said with a sigh.

He now laid down beside Zina. "I'm curious. What did he say to you, to earn such a sadistic response? It's not everyday a shaman paralyzes those they should be helping." Husudu pondered with a grin.

[KiarasMate]

A bit startled by Husudu’s presence, Zina quickly rolled to one side so that her hindquarters were pressed firmly against the rock wall behind her, her white fur standing on end from just how close the large male was to her. Narrowing her eyes at him as she listened to what he told her, Zina replied in a callus voice, a low snarl apparent within her voice as she did so.

”How the hell was I supposed to know that you two were here to help? From the way you both looked at me the previous night, of course I would react the way I did. I’ve seen that look in countless males before you two, so if it’s an apology your looking for, you’re barking up the wrong tree.”

Slowly ejecting her claws as if to give Husudu a subtle warning to back up and give her a bit of space, Zina continued as she addressed the grey furred male’s second question.

”He told me that if it was up to you, I would have been dead on the spot. Maybe I did over react a bit but try and put yourself in my position. Besides, I ruined all my herbs thanks to you and your damn brother so you won in the end. A Shaman is nothing without their herbs. That’s what you reduced me to. Now, if you’re satisfied and done yapping, how about you step it back a bit and leave me be.”

Not relaxing for a second, keeping her eyes on Husudu, it was Zina’s turn to pose a question as she waited for Husudu to take the hint.

”Why are you two REALLY here? You say that you came to help, but you really expect Ayari to buy that load of crap? Just because you fought alongside us once, how are we supposed to trust you? How do we know that you and your lecherous brother didn’t have a paw in planning that fire?”