[PRP Dhati] You and Only You (Mazimwi'koya and Skugga)

[AnimeChickie]

He just wanted to relax but he couldn't. There was tension everywhere and everybody was anxious for something... The unsettling atmosphere wasn't conducive to sleeping or relaxing. Mazimwi seemed to be the only lion not getting ready for the upcoming battle that everybody was waiting for. The lion never knew what he was getting himself to when he approached that dark lioness one day. Ah... Of course his thoughts had to drift to Skugga. It was a strange day if he didn't think about her at least once.

Glancing down quickly, Mazimwi looked at the small pelt wrapped around his leg and then looked away. He didn't like thinking about that night. Why he wore the pelt was a mystery to him. In his strange logic, Mazimwi always seemed to blame himself for that night even though it was Skugga who had asked him. He brought her the cub and it was his decision to do what she asked him to. So, Mazimwi saw the result as mostly his fault, not Skugga's. He would never blame her for anything.

The lion looked around at the rebels; there was nothing impressive about these lions. There were some fearsome lions but he had seen the Mizi. They had numbers and they had the warriors. Mazimwi tried to stay neutral about the rebellion but sometimes he just wondered how they would accomplish this. The only thing that mattered to him was Skugga and if she went out there and battled, he would be right by her side. No harm would come to her while he was around.

Would he ever tell her how he really felt? He made it pretty obvious but it seemed like she was too busy to worry about trivial things like that. It didn't matter; he just needed to be with her. Looking up to the sky, Mazimwi began daydreaming about various things and wondered where Skugga was right now.  

[Annchen]

There were two distinct chapters of Skugga's life - before and after she joined the Dhati - but these days it seemed she was constantly reminded of the before part. It was only to be expected that more and more lions saw through the lies of the Mizimu and joined the resistance, but every new familiar face she encountered sent her off balance for several days. They only knew the old Skugga. The dumber twin. The shadow to her oh so talented sister. She had matured and grown a lot since then, and it was exhausting to prove it over and over again. She was a Warrior now, and not a spoiled and deceived Sacrifice. What was even worse was encountering the ungrateful Sacrifices that they had rescued lately. She knew them, had been raised among them and couldn't for the life of her understand how they could be so ******** brain washed.

Spending time with Mazimwi was different. He knew only Skugga of the Dhati and she didn't feel as if she had to prove anything to him. He listened to her and followed her lead. She liked that, and frequently sought his company for the calm he seemed to give her. It was nice to be able to just be herself, without expectations from the past haunting her.

Having spent the morning sparring with a lion that was much bigger then her, she was more than ready for some relaxing. Skugga hardly noticed it herself, but to an outside observer her movement betrayed that she was both sore and stiff. It had been rough, but educational. Skugga was convinced she would be able to handle and dispose of any Haruspex that got in her way, but a more likely scenario was that she'd eventually have to fight a Mizimu warrior. And while females could be warriors she had to expect the worst and learn how to take down a bigger male. War is rarely fair after all.

It didn't take long to locate Mazimwi'koya among the resting lions, and her smug grin changed into a more relaxed smile. She settled very close to him, an unconscious habit that made some lions uncomfortable around her. When you grow up with a twin, and spend both night and day with them, personal space might not be as important. A slight twitch of an ear as she gingerly settled was the only outward sign that her muscles protested a little after their recent abuse.

"What are you up to?"  

[AnimeChickie]

Maybe he should begin sparring and fighting... Living life as a longer, Mazimwi knew how to take care of himself but he didn't know how well he could do with a warrior that has grown up fighting. Shrugging off the thoughts like bothersome flies, Mazimwi closed his eyes and allowed the sun to envelop him. He knew he couldn't worry about things like that now; worries only caused wrinkles and nobody wanted to look old. Lions who worried were no fun anyway.

It was clear that there was no way Mazimwi could take this war very seriously because he didn't understand how the Mizimwi had affected the other lions' lives. You couldn't be passionate about a cause if you were unaware of it all.

Anyway, Mazimwi was just beginning to adjust to pridal life; he had lived alone for a long time so it was strange always having other lions around. And then his thoughts here quickly interrupted when he felt a warm body close to him. Opening his eyes and grinning crookedly, Mazimwi looked over at her and replied, "Oh nothing. Sunbathing and now talking to you. What were you up to?"  

[Annchen]

The sun felt nice on her dark pelt, and as Mazimwi smiled at her she felt some of the tension melt away. She gave him a tight lipped smile in return, happy to see him, but not quite able to relax yet. She flexed her claws before answering.

"Oh... Inventing new ways to get beat up," she said, still smiling, "But a bit of sunbathing sounds like a very good idea right now."

Heat usually worked wonders on her sore muscles, and some company would hopefully do some good for her mind. She kept thinking back at the sparring match, and what she could have done differently. Her agility and speed worked in her favour, but with a larger opponent it didn't take many hits to go down if she was unlucky. The trick was not to get hit too much she supposed, and that was easier said than done.
 

[AnimeChickie]

Mazimwi sensed some slight discomfort with Skugga; the lion moved closer so that she could lean comfortably on him. Rocks were exactly very soft. "Ah, would you like me to go kick someone's a**?" He spoke like it was a normal request; it was just a natural reaction to want to destroy anything that harmed Skugga. Nodding slightly, Mazimwi observed her quietly wondering what she was thinking of. She was so mysterious sometimes; he wanted to know how she perceived situations and things. Mazimwi definitely wasn't thinking about fighting or the rebellion at the moment.

"Yeah, just relax. You'll feel better after awhile in the sun. There's nothing to worry about right now especially fighting." He wasn't really an openly affectionate lion but he really just wanted to nuzzle her to make her feel better. Though, he knew he had to refrain; he didn't think that she would look highly on him if he showed his true feelings for her. It was unfortunate for Mazimwi but he really was just content with their relationship now. Skugga didn't need to know the true feelings he harbored for her. Somehow, he wouldn't be surprised if she already did know.

Laying his head down on his paws, the lion took slow, deep breaths allowing every muscle in his body to relax. It was clear that he didn't like worrying about his situation or anything really.  

[Annchen]

As Mazimwi moved closer she gratefully leaned her head on his flank and managed to relax some more. Her smile was more genuine, less tense. At his offer to go beat up the offending lion she couldn't help but chuckle.

"Heh... Maybe, but not now," she said. He had sounded serious and she wondered if he would beat someone up for her. Would he kill for her? She knew he didn't share her passion about the unavoidable confrontation with the Mizimu, but did it matter if he fought for her or fought for the Spirits? The two of them together could become an unstoppable force. Perhaps...

"I think we ought to spar together sometime," she mused, "The two of us against another lion. The Mizimu scum is not going to fight fairly, and even if the Spirits are on our side we will have to fight hard to win."

Besides, if they fought together she would be able to keep an eye on him. She had been the one who brought him here, and she felt some responsibility for his well being.  

[AnimeChickie]

Chuckling slightly, the lion shook the thoughts out of his head. He should enjoy every day he had with Skugga; Mazimwi was a lion to live in the present and not the future nor past. It was so much easier on him and his psyche. Before all of this, Mazimwi had never planned ahead or really thought about his future; he had always let his paws take him wherever he needed to be. Destiny, that's what it was called.

He couldn't help but cast a fond look at her. This lioness seemed to make him want to do the mere impossible and it seemed like ever since he had met Skugga, he did things that he normally would never do. But it was about time... Mazimwi was beginning to think that he was fated to be alone for awhile.

"That would be interesting. We would be a good team and that would definitely be an advantage over the Mizi." The more he thought about it, the more Mazimwi thought about the result of this battle. He had no intention of dying or letting Skugga die and he was a lion of his word.

"Maybe tomorrow or whenever you feel better, we can do that." He actually looked forward to sparring and fighting alongside Skugga. That would just make him more attached to her.  

[Annchen]

"That would be really nice," she said, and gave him a small smile.

With some training the two of them would be able to take down a considerably bigger Warrior. Skugga tried to remember the Warriors of Mizimu, and how they had trained and sparred back then. Unfortunately she hadn't been very interested in the Claw when she was still a Sacrifice, and she regretted that now. She remembered some, however.

"Mazimwi," she said and caught his gaze. She wasn't smiling anymore, "When the war starts lions will get hurt. Some of us will surely die in battle."

It was a glorious way to die, and one that ensured a life after this one. It was just that... She didn't want him to die, not like this. Not now. Skugga wanted to return to the Mizimu in triumph, and show Mazimwi how beautiful the lands were.  

[AnimeChickie]

Nodding, Mazimwi loved it when she smiled; it just made him happy to see her smile. Though, with some practice, he felt that they could be a great team. She was so intelligent and he could provide the strength. It would require practice, though, it's not like they didn't have time.

"Yes?" Looking into her eyes, the lion realized that they had fallen upon a more serious subject. He paused before replying to her, "Yes, I understand that. I have no intention of dying or letting you die so you don't need to talk like that. Our time on this planet is much too short to let something like this take a life away." The last sentence, he tried to put as 'friend-like' as possible.

He paused again and continued, "I wonder. Do you believe in the Sacrifice ways? Do you want to die before its your time?" He knew about the Mizimu ways but he didn't completely think that he liked the idea. If he wasn't so attached to Skugga, Mazimwi probably wouldn't have cared much about sacrifices or whatever but he didn't want her to be sacrificed to the spirits. Wouldn't they be more happy if she was happy and alive with him?  

[Annchen]

Skugga furrowed her brow. It was easy to forget that Mazimwi had lived most of his life without knowledge of the spirits, but at times like this she was reminded. She had grown up with knowledge of the Spirits, but it had been tainted with the evil lies spread by Mizimu'Tungikas one-eyed queen.

"I will not die until it's my time," she said, convinced that the Spirits would not let her join them until it was her time. But she knew her companion wouldn't let her get away with such a simple answer.

"Mazi," she said, using her own nickname for him, "You know a little bit about the spirits already. It's... They are still very important to us in the Dhati. The lions ruling Mizimu'Tungika are telling the pride members lies and obscuring the Spirits' true will, and that makes it even more important that we listen to what they really say."

She paused, trying to sift through what different lions had told her during her life, and sorting out the important parts.

"There are good and bad ways to die," she started, mimicking a speech from a Minder long ago, "And the good ways will help your spirit be reborn as something better. The bad ways might taint your spirit in the next life, or even prevent you from entering the spirit realm."
 

[AnimeChickie]

It was difficult for him to comprehend this information. There was a part of him that was spiritual in a way but not to this extent where sacrifices needed to be made for the spirits to be content. That was a silly thought to him but he would never openly say that. He knew that Skugga would get highly offended by that comment.

"I am trying my best to understand. I really am but you'll have to give me some time to accept the fact that your death will be planned. If this is the way it's going to be then, I will make sure to make the best of our time." There was no way he could say this without being completely obvious about his feelings. Whatever. Like he said, time was precious.

He paused and continued to ponder what she said. Maybe someday he would understand. Honestly, he didn't even want to think about all of this right now. Sometimes, Mazimwi just wanted to avoid difficult topics like this.  

[Annchen]

He didn't understand, did he? Skugga tried to be patient, and reminded herself once again that he wasn't born into this. He couldn't know until smeone told him. Unfortunately she had never been a very good teacher. She didn't have the patience, and she wasn't very skilled at finding the right words.

"It will be planned by the spirits," she said, "Just like every death is heavily influenced by them. Let me continue."

She paused to try to figure out what path to take from here. If only Yuusa... No. Yuusa had her way with words, but she was a false prophet that would have filled Mazimwi's head with confusing half truths and outright lies. She had to do this herself.

"To pass over to the spirit world properly," she continued, "You need to die an honourable death. It's best to die in battle, but those who can't chose to be sacrificed when their life are nearly over instead. The Mizimu corrupted this, and conned lions to believe that their time had come when it hadn't. They used the spirits as an excuse for murder and politics."

She nearly spat the last word out. Most of her little speech was bits and pieces she had picked up by listening to other lions in the Dhati, but she believed every word. Piecing it together and trying to teach Mazi made her feel smart. She could do this. She could do this on her own.  

[AnimeChickie]

Frowning slightly, Mazimwi nodded and responded, "Okay, I can understand that." He did think about the Spirits and definitely believed that they played a higher hand in everything that happened on the mortal world. That was okay with him... so wait, if he could understand that, that should mean that he should be able to accept the idea of Sacrifices in the Mizimu.

Mazimwi was so easily manipulated; no matter what Skugga said, he would believe her. The idea just needed to be worked into his head and Skugga was doing just that. There was sort of an epiphany forming in his head, "So Sacrifices are very important then because it gives everybody a chance to die honorably." He was really beginning to understand now.

Damn those Mizimu. They really did ruin everything... It was destined to happen though; those in power always want to use their power to get their way. It was normal for all groups to develop problems. It was the members' fates to change all of this and this was what the Dhati was for.

But... even though Mazimwi understood now, he would never be as passionate as those directly affected.  

[Annchen]

Skugga's face lit up with a smile when Mazi showed that he understood what she had tried to teach him. Maybe she wasn't all that bad at this. She would never want to mind cubs and teach other lions full time, since she felt she had found her calling as a warrior, but this proved she could do it if she wanted to.

"Exactly," she said, smiling in what she hoped was an encouraging manner, "Since there are those that can't fight or hunt, and instead of dying a coward's death from sickness or old age they will offer themselves to be sacrificed and please the spirits that way."

She leaned against him again, trying to push Mizimu and their crimes out of her mind, and just enjoy the sun and Mazi's body heat next to her. Talking about the Spirits led her to think about her former pride, and she didn't want to make herself angry right now. Anger was an excellent fuel for a warrior, but she needed to relax now.

"Do you sing Mazi," she asked, trying to steer the conversation to a subject that wouldn't be as touchy, "One of my minders used to sing..."  

[AnimeChickie]

Mazimwi would probably be a good father or a mentor. Patience and his relaxed disposition really helped him to convey information more clearly to others. But he never really had much of a chance to interact with cubs or anything.

When he saw her smile, he couldn't help but feel even more happy. She really was so great and she had him under her spell. "That makes a lot of sense. It's the best and allows everybody to have the chance..." He couldn't believe the Mizimu would actually take advantage of something so sacred. It was really unfortunate.

Shaking his head, Mazimwi responded, "Unfortunately not. I used to hum when I was out and about by myself but I never really sang. Do you?" He would sing for her if she wished but he knew that he probably wouldn't be too good.