Chapter 5: Kita's return
Kita awoke two days later to curious hyenas sniffing outside her den. Suddenly rage took over for some unknown reason. Kita nearly flew from the den, hurtling herself at the hyenas. She growled and bit and slashed at them until they were running away, tails tucked tight between their legs. Kita stood, hair up, eyes glaring, daring anyone to try and come between her and Tiku.
After a minute or so Kita realized that the hyenas were gone and that Tiku needed her. She squeezed back through the crack and licked little Tiku. Her stomach growled again. She was starting to get really hungry. Kita sighed. She knew it was time to go back. Tiaru had worried enough.
"Ouch! Mommy! Matosa bit me!" Kasoni cried out, running towards his mother. "I did not!" Matosa yelled back. Chloe sighed. "Did too! Look at the bite marks Mommy." Kasoni said. "You bit yourself! I didn't touch you." Matosa growled. Kasoni stuck his tongue out at Matosa while Chloe looked at the 'bite' marks on his tail. "See mom? See how hard he bit me?" Chloe grinned. "Kasoni, Matosa, why don't you two go play with Taka hmm?"
Forgetting all about his bitten tail Kasoni took off. "Bet I'll beat you there!" He yelled at Matosa. "Bet you won't!" They raced each other to Taka who was basking in the sun a few feet away from the tip of pride rock. Kasoni reached Taka first, but tripped over Taka's paw and tumbled to the tip of pride rock. He mumbled as he stopped and peered over out into the pride lands.
He saw movement by the watering hole and then a lioness coming towards pride rock. He had to look and watch a few minutes before he realized who it was. He stood up and smiled. "Kita's back!" he shouted. He turned and ran back shouting, "Kita's back! Kita's back!"
Kiara got up from her resting spot and ran to Kita as she reached the top of Pride rock. "Oh Kita I was so worried about you!" she exclaimed, rubbing her head under Kita's chin. Kita smiled. Miku and Chloe both rubbed their heads under her chin and told her how worried they had been. Kita looked around for Tiaru, but didn't see him.
"I'm right here." He said, walking out from inside the cave. Kita smiled. "I have something to show you." She said mysteriously. Tiaru cocked his head sideways. "Oh yeah?" He said. Kita smiled as she twisted her head towards her shoulders. "Yeah," she said as she grabbed little Tiku from between her shoulder blades. She set him down. The pride around stared at him for only a moment before breaking into whispers and saying aloud how cute he was. Tiaru remained stunned. It was almost as if he couldn't move.
Kasoni stepped forward. "What is it?" he asked. Kita laughed. "It's a baby." She said. Matosa pushed his brother aside so he could see. "He sure is weird looking." He said. "Matosa!" Chloe said harshly. "What?" Matosa exclaimed, not realizing it was rude to say something like that.
Kita looked back up at Tiaru. "Tiaru?" she said. Tiaru shook his head as if to clear it, "What's his name?" he choked out. Kita smiled. "Tiku, after my father." Tiaru looked up at her. "How did you..?" "I had a dream a few days ago." Kita explained. Finally Tiaru smiled and walked up to her. "He's beautiful," he said as he rubbed his head under her chin.
"Is he what kept you away?" Kita nodded. "I felt I needed to be alone for a few days." She said. Tiaru nodded. "Next time, warn me before you do something like that. I was so worried." "Shh, shh. I'm here now, I won't worry you again." Tiaru smiled gratefully and then stood back to admire his new cub. He wondered why the cub was colored so differently even though it really didn't bother him. He liked his cub just the way it was, even if he was colored different from the rest.
Kita awoke two days later to curious hyenas sniffing outside her den. Suddenly rage took over for some unknown reason. Kita nearly flew from the den, hurtling herself at the hyenas. She growled and bit and slashed at them until they were running away, tails tucked tight between their legs. Kita stood, hair up, eyes glaring, daring anyone to try and come between her and Tiku.
After a minute or so Kita realized that the hyenas were gone and that Tiku needed her. She squeezed back through the crack and licked little Tiku. Her stomach growled again. She was starting to get really hungry. Kita sighed. She knew it was time to go back. Tiaru had worried enough.
"Ouch! Mommy! Matosa bit me!" Kasoni cried out, running towards his mother. "I did not!" Matosa yelled back. Chloe sighed. "Did too! Look at the bite marks Mommy." Kasoni said. "You bit yourself! I didn't touch you." Matosa growled. Kasoni stuck his tongue out at Matosa while Chloe looked at the 'bite' marks on his tail. "See mom? See how hard he bit me?" Chloe grinned. "Kasoni, Matosa, why don't you two go play with Taka hmm?"
Forgetting all about his bitten tail Kasoni took off. "Bet I'll beat you there!" He yelled at Matosa. "Bet you won't!" They raced each other to Taka who was basking in the sun a few feet away from the tip of pride rock. Kasoni reached Taka first, but tripped over Taka's paw and tumbled to the tip of pride rock. He mumbled as he stopped and peered over out into the pride lands.
He saw movement by the watering hole and then a lioness coming towards pride rock. He had to look and watch a few minutes before he realized who it was. He stood up and smiled. "Kita's back!" he shouted. He turned and ran back shouting, "Kita's back! Kita's back!"
Kiara got up from her resting spot and ran to Kita as she reached the top of Pride rock. "Oh Kita I was so worried about you!" she exclaimed, rubbing her head under Kita's chin. Kita smiled. Miku and Chloe both rubbed their heads under her chin and told her how worried they had been. Kita looked around for Tiaru, but didn't see him.
"I'm right here." He said, walking out from inside the cave. Kita smiled. "I have something to show you." She said mysteriously. Tiaru cocked his head sideways. "Oh yeah?" He said. Kita smiled as she twisted her head towards her shoulders. "Yeah," she said as she grabbed little Tiku from between her shoulder blades. She set him down. The pride around stared at him for only a moment before breaking into whispers and saying aloud how cute he was. Tiaru remained stunned. It was almost as if he couldn't move.
Kasoni stepped forward. "What is it?" he asked. Kita laughed. "It's a baby." She said. Matosa pushed his brother aside so he could see. "He sure is weird looking." He said. "Matosa!" Chloe said harshly. "What?" Matosa exclaimed, not realizing it was rude to say something like that.
Kita looked back up at Tiaru. "Tiaru?" she said. Tiaru shook his head as if to clear it, "What's his name?" he choked out. Kita smiled. "Tiku, after my father." Tiaru looked up at her. "How did you..?" "I had a dream a few days ago." Kita explained. Finally Tiaru smiled and walked up to her. "He's beautiful," he said as he rubbed his head under her chin.
"Is he what kept you away?" Kita nodded. "I felt I needed to be alone for a few days." She said. Tiaru nodded. "Next time, warn me before you do something like that. I was so worried." "Shh, shh. I'm here now, I won't worry you again." Tiaru smiled gratefully and then stood back to admire his new cub. He wondered why the cub was colored so differently even though it really didn't bother him. He liked his cub just the way it was, even if he was colored different from the rest.