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It had been a long journey, hard and toiling, making for a very grumpy Uumi and a very tired Taabu. It was late in the night when they finally came to rest on the edge of the southlands - the morning promising to bring first sight of pride rock. So it was, after the sun was up and all had had a good night's rest, that they began their journey.

Syeira smiled as she walked through the rushes, eyes flickering through the weeds trying to find her son - who was bouncing around excitedly, playing a game rather like a mole, popping out and disappearing only to pop up once more before his mother could find him.

"Who are we going to see now?" Syeira asked finally, eyes glancing sidewards to her mate, ignoring the little tug on her tail. She needed to find out where she was going, where they were headed, and just who exactly that it was he wanted to see. His mother, his sister, his father? She didn't know how many of them she could handle at once.

Little Taabu finally calmed himself down, done with the sruge of energy that always came in the morning. Slowly he moved to march between the legs of his parents, peering over the grasses towering above him slightly - only just able to see the horizon. He remained quiet for the most part, letting the talking be between his parents if need be. HE had no idea about this land and therefore he could assume nothing - only follow their lead like a good little boy.

The subject of their conversation was were she always was, as she'd always been after the birth of her cubs. It was an astonishing thing to look at her now, and remember what she had once been. Once, she had taken a firekin princeling out on a hunt, taking down a young zebra by herself, then drug the carcass all the way to Priderock while favoring a sprained paw. Now... her frail body barely allowed her to descend to the base of that rock then climb back up. And even then, it took her hours to recover.

Sarabi, Queen of the Pridelands, lazed in the warm sunshine, letting the heat of it seep into her bones and ease her aches. The time when she had been so sound of body was hard to remember now, it had been so long ago. Now her children had her strenghth, and it lifted her heart to see them romp and play and hunt. On this day though, none of her five offspring were in sight, and she was alone. Bright crimson eyes were heavy lidded against the sun's glare, creamy soft tail curling and flicking in time to her gentle purr.

As they got to pride rock and Uumi watched Sye become hesitant he let out a raspy chuckle, quickly quelled by some coughing. He couldn't help it though, how amusing she was sometimes. He tried to stop his laughing from going on, seeing as he didn't want to pass out, but he did find it extremely funny. "Not going to charge up, head high and nose in the air, lo--Sye?" Oh what was that, about to call her love? How cute. Not even in a teasing manner, either. Well, partly in a teasing manner (seeing as he was teasing her.) but the instant it started to come his mouth clicked shut. He was still fighting it, wasn't he?

He shifted and began up the rock pathway, lightly nosing Taabu to come as well and glancing back to see if Sye was coming. After a moment he let his eyes slowly wander, taking in the sights of his childhood home. Both his home now, and his home when he was a child... both were stunning. But in different ways, ways he couldn't put his paws on. Though he didn't think he wanted to, as much as he didn't like sharing with others.. he didn't like sharing with himself. It was just easier that way.

As they got to the top of the rock his eyes fell on his frail, deligate mother. A pained, but happy, look came over his visage and he moved forward slowly. "Mum," He said, quietly.

The swirling sapphire eyes of the beautiful lioness slowly locked onto the prince of these lands, narrowing calmly in her usual reaction to such a statement. "Going to keep yourself from calling me what you want to?" Her brow quirked with her query, her tone mocking, and no doubt she had a reason to. Though his was in amusement, hers was too, just a darker and perhaps crueler version that he might have used. She didn't appreciate being mocked for her sensibility, but after a moment she released the tension in her form and bowed her head to him in a slow motion of respect. Being here, so close to the center of the pridelands, was enough to make her on edge - she didn't know how these lions would react to her. She wasn't from here, and she knew the hostility with which such lions could be met, after all - Denahi was the living proof of being territorial. He was as cruel to Uumi as possible, though, perhaps there were other underlying reasons behind that ill-gotten image of Uumi, and his natural irratability with everyone was not the most unlikely.

Slowly, ever so slowly, she followed her mate - though odd as it was now to even call him such, even after so long - up the clear, yet steep path the old stone made towards the mouth of the pride rock cave. Her eyes drifted over the dust filmed rocks, though the clearer path of pawprints up this main ledge was lacking in the dirt of ages. Once she saw the fabled great lioness, the Queen of this pride, she stopped short and lowered her head in greeting. She knew the formalities of meeting such an infamous being, and though she never really showed off the respect to Uumi as she should have, she honestly did feel it for Narabi. She had met her sister, after all, and if she was half of that great legend then there would be no problem. She stood back on her ground now, however, leaving room for motherly love - it had been long since Uumi had been home to the great, if sickly, queen.

It was not, however, a code imprinted into Taabu - he was used to being the one treated as a little prince, for his mother poured all her affection into the little one. Still, what he lacked in formality he made up for in his utter shyness. This one was his grandmother as surely as his great Gama, if slightly less acustomed to him - or in all actuality, completely oblivious to his existance. He wriggled his smaller form beneath that of his father's, hiding beneath the deep crimson of his fluffy pelt and peering up with the eyes of sincronizing hue at the lioness. From here only his face was visible, the little tuft of black clouding one eye, and his tail flickering idly in his nervousness. He was unsure of the reaction he would get from the Queen, and yet, he found that he could not hide from her eyes completely - and he would not hang back as her mother did. He belonged here, at least partially - for in his blood ran that of his father's. He was Uumikaji's son and, therefore, of the Pridelander's royal blood just as he was of the Kusini's.

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Uumi shifted, studying his mother intently as she studied his two 'companions'. She wanted to be formal about it, and it made him inwardly grown. He thought maybe it was even more awkward than letting her just assume correctly. His eyes flicked back down to Taabu before he answered, frowning slightly at his unease. "That's Taabu.. My.." He slightly hesitated, slightly paused. Wouldn't he just get over these troubles? "He is my son, mum. And this is Syeira... my mate." His tone was slightly hushed and his eyes flicked up to Sarabi's, his paw moving in a little circle on the rock surface.

"They're from a pride south of here, though it has just again sprung up." He murmered, only willing to speak of it if she further inquired, or perhaps he could get Sye to do it. "How are you doing these past days? I apologize for not coming sooner.."

Syeira smiled weakly at the Queen, stopping next to Uumi and rather hesitantly leaning her body against his. Not enough that his weaker (and smaller) form would topple, but just enough to reassure herself. To find some comfort in him. She was out of place here, and the only thing that connected her was the prince - and their son. She did, though, still smile at Sarabi, "thank you, Sarabi, it's wonderful to be here. At least, for once, to be invited." She flashed a devilish smile to Uumi, a secret between them from the days of their childhood. Uumi had never actually wanted her here then. Now, however, she quieted - to let her son and his grandmother get to know one another.

Taabu's ears slowly perked again as the Queen, his grandmother, adressed him as her grandson. A grin split his lips - he was royalty from two lines, in fact, and not just one. A small smile spread over his maw as he nodded to her, ear flicking as he stared up at her. "Do I have to call you Sarabi?" he asked quietly, purring out the words. He sat down, calmly, on his rump - that dignified look his mother always carried so well mimicked in his eyes. Not to the arrogant point Syeira sometimes showed, but enough that it was there. "I call my other grandma Gamma, not Ari, it only makes sense that maybe I'd call you something too," it wa a suggestion, because, after all, it was clear he didn't like formal names - that was why he had gone from calling Uumi by his name to calling him Dad.

He grinned though, glancing around, "I haven't seen a lot, 'cause Daddy and I get sick so easy," he mumbled, "but I saw what I wanted, pride rock! Mommy used to tell me all about the pridelands, 'cause she says this is where she met Daddy." Well, he seemed to be feeling more and more at home.

Sarabi nodded, wondering at the young lionesses words. Had this one been one of the many rogues that often wandered through their home? It would be no wonder then that she had caught the Prince's heart when he'd left. For her, it was a rather romantic sort of idea, since she didn't know the true story. Poor thing... if she knew the truth, it would tax her motherly nature greatly. What did one do with such a son?

She chuckled softly at her grandchild, pulling her paws close to cross one over the other and settle her chin on them. "You may call me whatever you like, Taabu. Gamma, Grandmother... or perhaps Bibi, or Nyanya. I have so many names, I don't suppose I'd mind one more." Her gentle laugh made her shoulders shake, the bones of her spine pressing through the soft creamy fur. So... he was sick like his father? That was truly a shame, just as it was that Uumi should be so frail, where his sister was so vibrantly healthy.