Moving like a shadow, Jua'taka intently followed the familiar smell of her brother. He was near, she could tell, and she intended to spill it all to him. Every bit of truth, every lie they'd been told about their heritage, their father's loyalty... Everything. It was just a matter of finding the hulking white and red lion. The black lioness paused, lifting her head and sniffing, tail swaying behind her. He was close... VERY close... An ear flicked, and she ducked.
The white lion tumbled as he landed, back smacking into a tree as he laughed. "Aw, Jua, you're no fun!" He grinned at her upside-down, green eyes dancing. "What're you doing here, anyway? I thought you were still kissing a** back in the desert!" The large lion rolled over, landing on his side. As he sat up, he grinned at his sister. "Or did you finally decide to go to greener lands?"
The dark lioness sneered at her brother. "I kiss nobody's a** anymore. Everything's been a lie, and I'm sick and tired of it." She turned, swiping her paw and smashing a small bush. Looking at the bits of wood in her claws, she shook her paw out, scowling at the plant's remnants. "I'm tired of being fed lies, and I want to find some place that is full of TRUTH."
Ngoma looked at his sister strangely. "Lied to? Jua, who lied to you? Who'd be stupid enough to DO that, without being higher ranking or stronger?" He stood up, going over to his sister. "I can't imagine what they'd lie about, anyway. I mean, it's not like you were told the sky is green, were you?" He cracked a grin, laughing at his own joke. He wasn't taking her words too grandly seriously, but then, he wasn't likely to.
Her lips curling back was the only warning, before Jua's paw shot out, striking Ngoma across the face. "OUR FATHER LIED, YOU IDIOT!" She used the momentum and his shock to knock the larger lion over, pinning him down. "He was NOT a Firekin, he was NOT of The Blood! He wasn't even remotely related to the pride! He was a PRIDELANDER!" She pushed away from Ngoma, ears back, claws still out as she paced.
Thoroughly stunned by his sister's actions, Ngoma had no choice but to listen to her words, shock registered on his face. When he'd finally recovered, he sat up, glaring at her. "You're lying. Father's not a Pridelander... He's... He's a Firekin! Like us!" He stood up, fur bristling. "Why would you even SAY something like that?! Didn't he grieve with the rest of us, when... When Mother... Died...? When YOUR own son told us!" He remembered that day, being so tiny, hiding in the den with his brothers and sisters. It was a shocking day he didn't fully understand at the time, but it had eventually sunk in that Mother wasn't coming back to the den, nor was the runt.
"I can say it EASILY because it's TRUE!" She stalked up to Ngoma, getting in his face. "Why do you think two of our brothers came out with coats the wrong color?! It wasn't MOTHER'S side, it was HIS side!" She saw the surprised and confused look on Ngoma's face and smirked. "Oh, you didn't know about that, either, did you? We had another brother, from my litter..." She reached up pricking claws under his chin. "This color, right here on your face... Colored like sand... With hair flaming red like yours, and black eye markings and toes. Mother left him with the slaves, to spare being caught with a cub the wrong color... And it tore her up for the rest of her life, I imagine..."
Shaking his head, Ngoma backed up. "No... You're lying... You're LYING!" The reaction was swift, if harsh. He'd never really done such a thing to anyone, but the impulse hit and was answered. He smacked his sister across the face with a massive paw, claws raking into her fur and flesh. "I don't believe you! Why would they lie about something like that?! Why would they never tell us?! And how could YOU know?!"
Despite the pain in her face, Jua'taka grinned slowly and widely. "Truth hurts, doesn't it, Ngoma...?" She looked at him, ears back and eyes gleaming. She licked the blood dribbling down part of her face. "Mother never knew... She never knew, that he lived a lie... He was so ashamed of his own origins... He had to come play Firekin." She lifted her head, watching her brother. "And I know, because I Saw it since I was a cub! An orange lion on a monolithic rock, on Pride Rock! Only ever saw one orange lion in my life at that point, and that was HIM! And you know what? I'm not the only one who knew!"
Ngoma's ears vanished into his fiery mane, face contorting in rage. "STOP IT!" He pushed forward, tackling his sister to the ground, the pair becoming a mess of roars and claws and blood. A swift kick sent him flying into a tree, a grunt of pain escaping as he glared at his sister. "You're a wretch, Jua! You're just mad because you grew up without him around!" Nevermind who else knew, he was spitting mad at Jua!
Practically hugging the ground and panting, Jua grinned. "Go back home, Ngoma, and ask the lion, Bodaway, just what our dear father REALLY is! He'll tell you himself that the bag of orange bones is nothing but a liar!" She slowly picked herself up, then started to laugh. "You're foolish, Ngoma, to keep believing the lies!" Now in pain from multiple injuries, she limped off, still laughing. She'd avoid these lands if they continued to foster the stupid and ignorant.
Slowly sinking to the ground, Ngoma shuddered, curling up. Soon someone would be by to see what the comotion was about, but for now... He just wanted to lick his wounds, both physical and psychological. Was she telling the truth? Or was she lying? He was afraid of the answer, afraid it would be what he didn't want to hear. But then, maybe he SHOULD visit the desert... He hadn't felt the sand under his paws in so long. He had questions that maybe only they could answer, he just didn't want to ask. Letting out a shuddering sigh, Ngoma settled into his little spot against the tree, simply wanting to rest and not worry.
