Chapter 22: the reunion
Taka was the first to cross the border. He smiled and did a spinning jump so that he was facing Kita and Tiaru. As they crossed the border Tiaru turned. "Are you sure you want to return?" he asked. Kita nodded. "I'm sure, you have to face your fears Tiaru, it's the only way." Tiaru nodded and they continued on.
Kita looked around, her stomach was growling, but she ignored it. She glanced towards the clouds, but saw nothing. "Please don't have led me here for nothing." she whispered to herself. She sighed, feeling her hope draining slowly.
Meanwhile, back at the cave, the cub pride was just waking up. The sun risen only minutes before, so the colors were still blended well. Tiku yawned and walked out. He sighed and looked around. Still no sign of his parents or Taka.
Kiki walked out and stood beside him. Bailey was still asleep. "When Bailey wakes up we'll find them ok?" she said. Tiku smiled at her and nodded. Kiki went back into the cave. Tiku looked up at the blended colors around the sun. In them, Nearu began to take form. Tiku frowned.
"Go away, you led us into danger!" he said. The lioness frowned. In his head Tiku heard, "I did not mean to lead you into danger young one. I was trying to lead you to the river, when I saw the poachers there, I helped guide you out of the trap." Tiku sighed. He looked back up and saw that Nearu had faded.
After a while Kiki came back out with Bailey bouncing by her side. "Well, let's go." She said. Tiku smiled and walked off. Kiki and Bailey followed him.
There was a herd of antelope blocking their way. "Let's catch one," Taka said. Kita shook her head. "No," she said, "not right now." Taka frowned, "Aaaawww." He whined. "Can I at least scare them then?" Kita rolled her eyes. "Go ahead, at least it will get them out of the way." She said. Taka smiled and then turned. He roared as loud as he could and watched as the frightened antelope scattered, jumping and running away from them.
Kita's ears suddenly perked up. "Tiaru," she said, nudging him. "Yeah?" he said, looking at her. She pointed. "Are those cubs?" she asked. Tiaru looked in the direction she was pointing. "Um, I think so, why?" Kita stared hard at the cubs that were at least a hundred feet or more away. Her eyes filled with tears and her smiled spread wide across her face. "Tiku!" she said, a few tears rolling down her cheeks. "What?" Tiaru and Taka said together. "Oh Tiku!" Kita said, running towards the cubs.
"Kita! Wait, how do you know it's him?" Tiaru shouted. "I know my Tiku when I see him!" Kita shouted back. "Tiku!" she shouted. "Tiku!"
Tiku turned and saw a reddish colored lioness with a black tuft of hair on her head running toward him. He smiled. "Mom!" he yelled, running to her. He jumped at her and she caught him with one paw, holding him close to her and then laying down and cuddling him. "Oh my Tiku," she said. "I'm so glad you're alive!" she said, licking him and holding him close. Within minutes Tiaru and Taka were there.
"Tiku?" Taka said, "Is-Is it really you?" he looked over the young cub. Tiku smiled. "It's me," he said. Tiaru sat down and ruffled the tuft of black hair on Tiku's head.
About five feet away Kiki and Bailey kept their distance and watched. Kiki waited, knowing Tiku would introduce them soon enough. For the moment though she just watched as his family cuddled him. She smiled. Finally after a few minutes Tiku got out of his mothers embrace and said, "Mom, Dad, Taka," he paused. "I want to introduce you to my friends."
Kita smiled, "Where are they?" she asked. Tiku turned and motioned for Kiki and Bailey to come forward. Kita smiled as Tiku introduced them. "This is Kiki," he gestured toward Kiki, "And this is Bailey, he cant' talk." He said, indicating to Bailey. "Aw," Kita said, pulling Bailey to her and licking him. Bailey smiled and cuddled up to Kita. Taka cocked his head at Kiki.
"Tiku, I don't understand one thing," Tiaru said, looking in the direction of the river. "Why did you leave in the first place?" Tiku's ears lay back against his head. "I-well I uh."he paused. "I wanted to know why I was different." He finally blurted out. Tiaru sighed. "Son, everyone is different." He said. "I know that now, and Taka tried explaining it to me, but I just didn't understand. I had to find out for myself. I'm sorry I worried you so much."
"We thought you were dead Tiku." Kita said, sighing deeply. "I know, and I'm really sorry, I never meant for that to happen." "You were to young to realize it." Taka said, again eyeing Kiki.
Kiki growled. "What?" she demanded. Taka gave her a quizzical look. "Was your mother white?" he asked. Kiki's ears lay flat against her head and she took a step back. Her eyes brimmed with a few tears. "Yeah," she whispered. Taka looked at her eyes and then at her build. He frowned. "Kiki," he paused and waited for her to look at him. When she did he said, "Was your mothers name Cana?" Kiki sighed as she sat down. She shook her head, "Yeah.. it was."
Taka was the first to cross the border. He smiled and did a spinning jump so that he was facing Kita and Tiaru. As they crossed the border Tiaru turned. "Are you sure you want to return?" he asked. Kita nodded. "I'm sure, you have to face your fears Tiaru, it's the only way." Tiaru nodded and they continued on.
Kita looked around, her stomach was growling, but she ignored it. She glanced towards the clouds, but saw nothing. "Please don't have led me here for nothing." she whispered to herself. She sighed, feeling her hope draining slowly.
Meanwhile, back at the cave, the cub pride was just waking up. The sun risen only minutes before, so the colors were still blended well. Tiku yawned and walked out. He sighed and looked around. Still no sign of his parents or Taka.
Kiki walked out and stood beside him. Bailey was still asleep. "When Bailey wakes up we'll find them ok?" she said. Tiku smiled at her and nodded. Kiki went back into the cave. Tiku looked up at the blended colors around the sun. In them, Nearu began to take form. Tiku frowned.
"Go away, you led us into danger!" he said. The lioness frowned. In his head Tiku heard, "I did not mean to lead you into danger young one. I was trying to lead you to the river, when I saw the poachers there, I helped guide you out of the trap." Tiku sighed. He looked back up and saw that Nearu had faded.
After a while Kiki came back out with Bailey bouncing by her side. "Well, let's go." She said. Tiku smiled and walked off. Kiki and Bailey followed him.
There was a herd of antelope blocking their way. "Let's catch one," Taka said. Kita shook her head. "No," she said, "not right now." Taka frowned, "Aaaawww." He whined. "Can I at least scare them then?" Kita rolled her eyes. "Go ahead, at least it will get them out of the way." She said. Taka smiled and then turned. He roared as loud as he could and watched as the frightened antelope scattered, jumping and running away from them.
Kita's ears suddenly perked up. "Tiaru," she said, nudging him. "Yeah?" he said, looking at her. She pointed. "Are those cubs?" she asked. Tiaru looked in the direction she was pointing. "Um, I think so, why?" Kita stared hard at the cubs that were at least a hundred feet or more away. Her eyes filled with tears and her smiled spread wide across her face. "Tiku!" she said, a few tears rolling down her cheeks. "What?" Tiaru and Taka said together. "Oh Tiku!" Kita said, running towards the cubs.
"Kita! Wait, how do you know it's him?" Tiaru shouted. "I know my Tiku when I see him!" Kita shouted back. "Tiku!" she shouted. "Tiku!"
Tiku turned and saw a reddish colored lioness with a black tuft of hair on her head running toward him. He smiled. "Mom!" he yelled, running to her. He jumped at her and she caught him with one paw, holding him close to her and then laying down and cuddling him. "Oh my Tiku," she said. "I'm so glad you're alive!" she said, licking him and holding him close. Within minutes Tiaru and Taka were there.
"Tiku?" Taka said, "Is-Is it really you?" he looked over the young cub. Tiku smiled. "It's me," he said. Tiaru sat down and ruffled the tuft of black hair on Tiku's head.
About five feet away Kiki and Bailey kept their distance and watched. Kiki waited, knowing Tiku would introduce them soon enough. For the moment though she just watched as his family cuddled him. She smiled. Finally after a few minutes Tiku got out of his mothers embrace and said, "Mom, Dad, Taka," he paused. "I want to introduce you to my friends."
Kita smiled, "Where are they?" she asked. Tiku turned and motioned for Kiki and Bailey to come forward. Kita smiled as Tiku introduced them. "This is Kiki," he gestured toward Kiki, "And this is Bailey, he cant' talk." He said, indicating to Bailey. "Aw," Kita said, pulling Bailey to her and licking him. Bailey smiled and cuddled up to Kita. Taka cocked his head at Kiki.
"Tiku, I don't understand one thing," Tiaru said, looking in the direction of the river. "Why did you leave in the first place?" Tiku's ears lay back against his head. "I-well I uh."he paused. "I wanted to know why I was different." He finally blurted out. Tiaru sighed. "Son, everyone is different." He said. "I know that now, and Taka tried explaining it to me, but I just didn't understand. I had to find out for myself. I'm sorry I worried you so much."
"We thought you were dead Tiku." Kita said, sighing deeply. "I know, and I'm really sorry, I never meant for that to happen." "You were to young to realize it." Taka said, again eyeing Kiki.
Kiki growled. "What?" she demanded. Taka gave her a quizzical look. "Was your mother white?" he asked. Kiki's ears lay flat against her head and she took a step back. Her eyes brimmed with a few tears. "Yeah," she whispered. Taka looked at her eyes and then at her build. He frowned. "Kiki," he paused and waited for her to look at him. When she did he said, "Was your mothers name Cana?" Kiki sighed as she sat down. She shook her head, "Yeah.. it was."