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 Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 9:37 pm
[x] Akairo and Twigg
[x] Rei
Rei
The orange lion moved forward at a quick pace, keeping his eyes on the ground. Already he could feel the scents of the Pridelands growing thinner, the memories becoming fainter. He stopped, raising his head to look over his back to the beautiful lush lands of the pride. The sun was setting but he couldn’t quite appreciate its beauty today. It only served to emphasize the sadness of the occasion, a reminder of what was ending.
It was his choice, of course, but that didn’t make it any less of a conflicted decision and one that he hoped he wouldn’t regret.
Akairo
“Hey, hey! Where are going? Rei!” the young lion ran after the orange shape, stopping just short of the adult, nearly crashing with a very surprised-looking Rei.
“Rei! What are you doing? Where are going?” he asked between long breaths, shaky limbs threatening to give in to the weight. He’d ran at full speed as soon as he’d found out about the orange lion’s plans, hoping to reach him before his scent had all but vanished.
Twigg
Twigg came behind the red juvenile, her head down and her eyes uncertain. She wasn’t sure she’d made the right choice telling Akairo what she’d heard by accident. It might’ve been Rei’s secret, after all, and the maned wolf owned the adult lion her life. It was mighty ungrateful to reveal what he’d planned to do against his wishes, especially if Rei had been hoping to avoid painful goodbyes. But she felt Akairo had a right to see the adult one last time and it was something she couldn’t keep from him.
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Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 9:37 pm
Rei
“Akairo…” he called softly to the younger lion, strangely subdued. He was momentarily ashamed for forgetting the little red lion but he’d never truly understood just how much he’d affected the youngster’s life during the past weeks. He was friendly with the younger lion and enjoyed spending time with him but he considered himself simply one of his many friends.
“You shouldn’t be here. You’ve crossed the border already.” He said at last, looking around for any scouts that might be guarding the border.
Akairo
“Who cares about that now?” the young lion shouted angrily, stepping around the orange lion and to stand in his way. It was as if they are reversed the roles from their first meeting when Rei had tried to stop a very stubborn younger lion from crossing the Pridelands’ border.
“Are you leaving? Are you really leaving?” Akairo asked tensely, unyielding gaze fixed on Rei’s half-lidded purple eyes. “Are you?!”
He was shaking a little, lips slightly parted in a strangely pained sort of grin.
Twigg
“I’m sorry. I was the one who I told him.” The maned wolf admitted quietly. “I heard you talking yesterday. Accidently.” Her head dropped even lower as she attempted to gauge the large lion’s reaction. While she didn’t think he’d be too angry – and certainly not the type to lash out even if he was – she’d hate to see anger in the eyes of the lion who had saved her life. As such, guilt - and caution - were written all over her face.
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Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 5:57 pm
Rei
Rei watched the others in silence, before letting out a quiet sigh.
He nodded at the maned wolf, trying to give her some small reassurance. While he wasn’t particularly fond of familiars (mostly because he hadn’t grown up around them and never really knew how he was suppose to interact with the various creatures), Twigg had somehow grown on him. Usually quiet, always following Akairo around as the voice of reason. She was actually quite easy to getting along with.
“I am. I’m going now.” He said when his eyes finally moved to rest on the red juvenile. It was grave mistake not to have paid him a visit before leaving.
Akairo
“Why?! Why are you going? Didn’t you like it here? Weren’t you happy?” Akairo started quickly, his tone growing louder.
He calmed himself slowly, waiting to see if the orange lion had an actual reason that would make his departure seem more inevitable and easier to accept. Not that he wanted to hear one but he needed to understand.
“Why, Rei?” he asked again but this time it was little more than a desperate plea to make the adult change his mind than it was an actual question.
Twigg
Twigg was relieved and it showed in her posture and expression. She sat down, eyes fixed on the red youngster, unsure of what to do. She’d like for him to calm down and deal with the situation properly but anyone could tell he was far too emotional to do that.
She could understand, of course. Akairo had always been so happy, so proud to have an adult friend. Growing up without siblings, always looking for friends outside his den, the youth had been thrilled to have found an adult that not only seemed to pay attention to him but also enjoy his presence. That and the fact that Rei lived on the “exciting and mysterious” pride border.
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Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 9:19 pm
Rei
“You know I just came to visit… I wanted to see my ancestors’ pride with my own eyes.” The orange lion spoke slowly, trying not to think too much about his own words. Akairo was visibly upset and Rei couldn’t quite hold his accusing gaze right now. He really should’ve gone to see him before leaving.
“I didn’t expect to stay this long.” He looked down at Akairo, feeling it was time to end the conversation before troubling the red youngster even further. So even though he was actually starting to think he’d miss the youngster more than he had expected, the orange lion raised one paw as if intending to leave. “Akairo, I…”
Akairo
“And now you’ll just leave?!” Akairo interrupted visibly angry, standing in front of the larger lion, physically blocking his way. If Rei thought he would just leave before the younger got everything out of his chest he was sorely mistaken.
“You weren’t even going to say goodbye!” he shouted, looking more hurt than angry now. His eyes clearly stated that he was still searching for a reason that could’ve led to the departure of his grownup friend. “Did something happen?”
Twigg
Twigg cast a worried look at Akairo’s distress but she truly didn’t want to intervene in the conversation. A part of her actually wanted to let the youngster the situation by himself and to figure out how to deal with the idea of losing a friend in his own way. This was a very important learning experience as far as she could tell. A painful one, but definitely important.
“Akairo.” She said simply, hoping her voice would calm the red lion even if just a little. Maybe it was too much to expect the red lion to react maturely to the sudden news.
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Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 10:30 pm
Rei
“I’m sorry, Akairo.” Rei apologized quickly, trying to defuse the anger before the youngster grew even louder. “I really didn’t know you you’d be this upset. I’m sorry, I should’ve looked for you.” He closed his eyes for a few moments.
“Nothing happened. I just feel it’s time to go.” He knew it was a lousy excuse even as he said it but the orange lion didn’t really know how to explain his feelings at this moment. All he knew was that he wasn’t happy and while it had been painful to leave Mzuza behind, the rogue lands’ calling was getting too strong to resist.
Akairo
“Aren’t you my friend? Of course I’m upset!” the red lion, shoulders slumping as he heard the maned wolf call his name. From the way Rei was acting, Akairo wasn’t so sure he considered the younger lion his friend. It made him feel dejected, betrayed, angry… and very much hurt.
“You were just going to leave…” he said more quietly, visibly subdued. It could’ve been too late. If Twigg hadn’t warned him, he might’ve missed Rei’s departure completely and only found out about it long after the orange lion was gone.
Twigg
When her companion’s spirit seemed to break, Twigg moved to his side and leaned against him a small show of comfort and support. He was getting so big, she realized, growing so fast. It pained her to see him so down and she cast a quick annoyed glance at the large orange lion, showing him that she wasn’t happy with him – even if that wasn’t really her intention. But whether or not it was hard, Rei should’ve said goodbye to the young red lion and not doing so was somewhat cowardly in her opinion.
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Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 10:49 pm
Rei
“I do think of you as a friend. A young friend. I just didn’t want to say any more goodbyes.” Rei said with obvious sadness, raising one paw to pat to pat the younger lion’s head and letting it rest there for a few moments. He really would miss the little guy.
“I just…. I feel… restless. I used to walk all day and see so many different things, meet so many different creatures.” He spoke quietly but slowly grew in confidence and started to walk around Akairo. This was it. It was time to go. “I feel stuck, trapped. I need to go.”
Akairo
Akairo let the orange lion pat him without showing any reaction to the gesture. He just stood there, eyes looking up to Rei, silently pleading him to reconsider but already beginning to accept the inevitable.rei was leaving. And there was he could do about it.
No amount of shouting or pouting or reasoning would convince him to stay. He truly was going to cross the border for good, never to return to the younger lion’s sight.
Twigg
“What about Mzuza?” the maned wolf said suddenly, her voice so low that it could be missed if one wasn’t paying attention. But she they both were and it was only a matter on whether or not they chose to acknowledge it.
The two lions seemed to get along rather nicely and it was hard to accept they would simply cut their bond so easily. That Rei could cut that bond so easily. She eyed the large lion critically. Pff, he was just a large kid himslef.
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Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 11:00 pm
Rei
The orange lion froze at the wolf’s words. His eyes narrowed and he turned his head to look at a distant point before he faced the rogue lands and started walking again.
“I’ll miss her.” He whispered without looking back. “Goodbye, kid.”
And with that final goodbye, the orange lion stepped away from his young friend and finally succumbed to the Rogue Lands’ pull.
Akairo
“Weren’t you living with her? Are you just…?” the younger lion’s voice rose as if he’d suddenly been given a lot more fuel before he felt a firm nudge on his side. But he seemed to suddenly realize that he wasn’t the only one… feeling betrayed. It wasn’t a nice feeling, but knowing that he wasn’t alone in feeling this way somehow made it easier to bear. Again, he felt a nudge on his side and his eyes fell to the ground as he allowed the lion to walk past him even though his instincts told him to grab him and not let go because he’d probably never see Rei again.
Twigg
“Enough, Iro.” Twigg said gently but firmly, placing her body in front of her young companion and giving him a light shove in the right direction. They were in the border and without Rei it wasn’t safe to linger. “It’s dangerous here. Let’s return.”
It broke her heart to see him like this. Her only comfort was that perhaps this would help strengthen Akairo in some way. But it would also take away a little piece of the boy’s innocence as he realized that not all friends last forever and that hurt her more than anything else.- FIN! -
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