It was time to face it. He didn't want to, but there was no other way. He wasn't going to hide from it forever.
SPending time in the God's Haven had let him gather himself up. He learned how to handle some of his powers, and because of this his first steps into his pervious life's homelands was hidden from the mortal eye. Cloaked in invisibility, he slinked through the lands, having a much better idea for who he was looking for. In fact, the only reason he knew was because he had run into his sister, within the Haven. Kimbilio was his name, and Tawa'di could recall his name, and a touch of a look. He had visited now and then, though that was the extent of his knowledge.
Sniffing the air, the god wondered where to start. He passed through the pride, his heart gripped with sadness when he saw his children, his friends, those he thought of his own children, to some extent. This pride had grown into something that the quiet old lion had never thought it would; his own. he never was a born leader, but the position had fallen on his old shoulders, and so he had taken up the job. His still wet behind the ears son was now in that position. The wandinasi.
His eyes searched past their faces, not wanting to know how they were feeling. He saw new, small faces that he hadn't seen, as well as others that weren't as small. So the pride was still growing. Feeling pleased, Tawa'di carried on with his quest.
Picking up his pace, he still hadn't seen who he needed to see. Starting to feel frustrated, he knew not to give up. Now, only now did Tawa'di have all the time he needed without any consequence. He didn't know how to feel about that, though. Waiting too long, and the now mortal ex-god would die if Tawa'di was too lax on his effort. Time was a completely different measure on an immortals level, and it was something that he needed to get used to.
Finally, finally he was able to locate the ex-god. It was surprising that he still had his wings marked on his side, like everyone should know of what he once was. Tawa'di paused at that, letting his mind wander over this chance while the tan lion lingered with a few other members. Tawa'di wanted to keep this secret, and so he had to lay in wait, patiently looking for the moment when the lion was on his own. Only then would Tawa'di take off his invisibility and confront the god that gave up everything for him.
Seeing his chance, Tawa'di made sure that Kimbilio was alone. He droped his cloak, still hiding his wings, shooting a bit of a glare at the adult mortal to make sure that he stayed quiet. Kimbi had a startled look on his face, but it quickly disappeared. "I knew you would show up again, Tawa'di Kanati, but I never assumed you would hide from those you loved."
Tawa'di sneered slightly. Being young again, he could feel that restlessness that his old age had dissolved. "Come," he said, all his worries and fears rushing forward in his mind.
----
"I assumed you'd make a grand enterance," Kimbi mused, stifling a chuckle. He only recieved another glare for his offhand comment.
"And have their grief that they certainly felt over my death thrown in their face?" he growled, though it wasn't deep as Tawa'di was still young in his reborn state.
Kimbi hadn't thought of it like that. His ears narrowed againt his skull as he looked shameful. He remianed quiet, and so Tawa'di picked up the silence. "Why? I just want to know, why did you do this?"
Kimbi's ears still plastered against his skull, he released a pent up sigh before responding: "I did it because these are your people. They are refugees, and always will be. You are not in your homelands, and the chance of ever returning there seems nill. You are the embodiment of this domain. I was born with it, and felt that it never fit me. I was in the wrong skin; I perhaps wasn't meant to be a mortal, but you, Tawa'di, with your open heart and kind eyes, were meant to be more than what your mortal body could hold."
Kimbi's eyes looked straight at Tawa'di's, wet with unshed tears. "You were meant to be a god. Meant to always guard you pride. While I believed in the generations that would come behind you, they would quickly lose themselves, of what they really are. They will forget that they are not in their homelands; their Stargrove is only an echo of the one you knew as a cub. You need to keep that history alive, and what better way than to survive, for them?"
Tawa'di was at a loss for words. He remained silent, not knowing that while he had been heading to his grave, an immortal recognized his achievements, and his unsaid wish to continue living for his children, his pride, and their future.
Kimbilio shook his head. "It isn't that romantic, I fear. You will outlive everyone within your pride. And as you outlived your generation of the pride, you will also outlive your children. You will watch them grow, guide them. You will be there to comfort them when they age, to bury them when they die, and to continue on the process with their grandchildren. It is a curse as much as it is a blessing."
Kimbilio had never had to go through this himself; but he was well aware of feeling attached to the mortal realm. You watched what you loved died as your life continued on. He wasn't deaf to the sounds of other immortals, and he knew well aware of some of the stories of other immortals. Though he had been reborn, it felt as if there was something inside of him that he would never forget; be wary of the mortal realm, it's only filled with sorrow and pain.
Tawa'di only nodded his head. "Thank you," he said. "It may be a double-edged sword, but I can handle it."
Kimbilio nodded, a sad smile on his face. "I know you could handle it," he said quietly. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have done it."
Tawa'di could only bow to the god-turned-mortal, thankful.
Now, how would his pride take it?
