Chapter 16: Home
Tiku and Kiki ran back towards the tree, hoping that the humans and Tanu were still asleep and had not seen them. Once back they raced up the tree and then sat outside the hole where Bailey slept. Bailey gave a soft mew and popped his head out. Kiki smiled and licked his forehead. "You're so cute," she said, rubbing her head under his chin. Tiku tipped his ears back a bit.
"Come on, we should get out of here." Kiki said, grabbing Bailey and helping him climb out on the limb. They climbed down, Bailey on Kiki's shoulders, Tiku following slowly behind. At the bottom Bailey got off and walked wedged between them. "You know," Tiku started. "That's the second time you've saved my life." He pointed out. Kiki shook her head. "Are you kidding me? I just didn't want you to end up like my parents." She paused for a few minutes. Tiku said nothing, letting her take the time she needed. "And besides," she said after a little bit. "We're a pride now, pride members don't let other pride members become skins." She said matter- of-factly. Tiku laughed and looked at her. She was smiling at him, her blue eyes sparkling.
As the sun began to rise in the eastern sky Tiku looked up and once again saw the lion that had been in his dream. She was smiling at him, perhaps sending him a message. "Hey Kiki," he said, turning. "Look at tha- " but when he looked back, the lioness was gone. "Look at what?" Kiki said, looking towards the sun. "I don't see anything." "Never mind, it's gone now." Tiku said. He was brought back to his dream. The lioness had said it was time for him to go home. Maybe it was, now that he was safe. Or was he? With the humans here now, he wasn't safe. The lone lands were though.
Tiku turned to look at Kiki and Bailey. "We're not really safe are we?" he asked. Kiki turned toward him. "What?" she said, giving him a quizzical look? "As long as we're in these lands," he looked around at his surroundings. "We're not really safe. The humans'll always be there and so long as the humans are here, then we're never really safe are we?" he said again. Kiki looked down at the ground as they walked on. "Well," she said, looking around. "I guess not, but where are we going to go? I came here trying to get away from the humans, but they followed me here. No matter where you go you'll never be safe Tiku. The humans will just follow us. We'll never be truly safe." Kiki said, sighing heavily.
"If we're in a real pride we will be." Tiku said. Kiki looked at him with a frown on her face. "Yeah and what pride would take three cubs that weren't theirs in?" Tiku looked towards the horizon and then back. "Mine," He said, smiling at her.
Tiku and Kiki ran back towards the tree, hoping that the humans and Tanu were still asleep and had not seen them. Once back they raced up the tree and then sat outside the hole where Bailey slept. Bailey gave a soft mew and popped his head out. Kiki smiled and licked his forehead. "You're so cute," she said, rubbing her head under his chin. Tiku tipped his ears back a bit.
"Come on, we should get out of here." Kiki said, grabbing Bailey and helping him climb out on the limb. They climbed down, Bailey on Kiki's shoulders, Tiku following slowly behind. At the bottom Bailey got off and walked wedged between them. "You know," Tiku started. "That's the second time you've saved my life." He pointed out. Kiki shook her head. "Are you kidding me? I just didn't want you to end up like my parents." She paused for a few minutes. Tiku said nothing, letting her take the time she needed. "And besides," she said after a little bit. "We're a pride now, pride members don't let other pride members become skins." She said matter- of-factly. Tiku laughed and looked at her. She was smiling at him, her blue eyes sparkling.
As the sun began to rise in the eastern sky Tiku looked up and once again saw the lion that had been in his dream. She was smiling at him, perhaps sending him a message. "Hey Kiki," he said, turning. "Look at tha- " but when he looked back, the lioness was gone. "Look at what?" Kiki said, looking towards the sun. "I don't see anything." "Never mind, it's gone now." Tiku said. He was brought back to his dream. The lioness had said it was time for him to go home. Maybe it was, now that he was safe. Or was he? With the humans here now, he wasn't safe. The lone lands were though.
Tiku turned to look at Kiki and Bailey. "We're not really safe are we?" he asked. Kiki turned toward him. "What?" she said, giving him a quizzical look? "As long as we're in these lands," he looked around at his surroundings. "We're not really safe. The humans'll always be there and so long as the humans are here, then we're never really safe are we?" he said again. Kiki looked down at the ground as they walked on. "Well," she said, looking around. "I guess not, but where are we going to go? I came here trying to get away from the humans, but they followed me here. No matter where you go you'll never be safe Tiku. The humans will just follow us. We'll never be truly safe." Kiki said, sighing heavily.
"If we're in a real pride we will be." Tiku said. Kiki looked at him with a frown on her face. "Yeah and what pride would take three cubs that weren't theirs in?" Tiku looked towards the horizon and then back. "Mine," He said, smiling at her.