Padding along the river, Minoru watched the sunset in the distance. He needed to get back to the dens soon, lest one of his nieces come looking for him. The youngest, Kumbuko, seemed the most likely. She had an insatiable need to be near somebody when she slept, spurred on by her bad dreams. Placing his paws carefully, he crossed a group of rocks to the other side, listening to a rustling in the bushes.
As she had returned home, as well as sent Miira to meet Haki, it had sunk in for Kohpi. Her babies were grown up. They didn't need her presence in much manner, especially those that had come to the Matembezi. Escaping Darshana's prescence, she huddled to cry quietly, alone. It was like a hole had formed.
Ears perked, the male went over, peeking. There sat a white lioness, marked in fiery orange and gold. It took a moment, but it soon clicked. "Kohpi?" Going over, he nudged his sister. "What's wrong...?" Even with the size of their shared mother... She was so tiny next to him.
Shivering, Kohpi looked up, blinking sadly. Turning and huddling against her brother, she let out a soft sob. "Miira... And Dongo.. And their brothers and sisters... They're all grown now..." Looking up, her ears folded back. "I already miss them being cubs..." They were so sweet as cubs, it almost broke her heart to see them grown up and able to have their own families.
Giving her a hug, Minoru nuzzled her. "Hey, look at the bright side... They've survived into adulthood..." He smiled, leaning down to her level. "And you've had cubs. Look at me, I've never been with a girl in such a way." It was his best attempt to cheer her up.
It worked, as Kohpi smiled. "You need a girl, Minoru..." As she settled, she stared off into the growing darkness. After a few minutes, she sighed. "It feels like there's a hole in my heart..." She had no idea if Minoru understood that, but it was... It felt empty.
The brown lion gave a feigned look of hurt at her words. "But I can't be a bachelor if I get tied down to a girl!" Going back to seriousness, though, he nuzzled Kohpi gently. "Just think of the future, Kohpi... They'll give you grandcubs to spoil!" He grinned wide. "Then you can turn them loose on their parents to terrorize!" Not that Uchusi had ever spoiled him..
She couldn't help it, she started to laugh. "I'm not doing THAT! It's mean!" Gently, she swatted him. "Now I hope you never have cubs, you'd torment them when they had their OWN cubs!" She could see it now, Minoru with a son or daughter, and that offspring with their own cub... Pulling ears and tails because Minoru had undone careful discipline.
Minoru grinned wide, then got up. "Hey, I may not actually do something like THAT! Besides... Grandpa never spoiled me." No, Uchusi had trained him. As he started to walk, Minoru glanced over. "Come on, let's get back to the dens... If we're out too long, Kumbuko will come out looking..." As bright as she was... He didn't want to see his niece lost in the darkness. It was unsettling.
Still smiling, Kohpi got up and followed after Minoru. "Okay, let's go!" While he was worried about the cub getting lost, Kohpi looked foreward to being there for her to fall asleep. Nudging her brother, she took off ahead, paws racing for the dens. Behind her, she heard Minoru yell out and begin chasing, but she simply laughed, only keeping an eye out for obstacles in her way.
