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So they were back in the Pridelands, he and Siku. Or, they were almost back. For Kijibwa, though, it was just about the same whether or not they hesitated by the borders before actually stepping on in to see Siku's family. Not to mention he has his own reservations, considering he had taken his mate away from her family when she was just a juvenile and now that he had his own daughters he knew just how upset he might be if someone did such a thing with his girls. He could only imagine how he might be welcomed, but he would never regret the decision he'd made for he'd never been as happy as he was with his mate, and with his family.

It was in the evening, a couple weeks after their initial arrival in the Pridelands, and Kijibwa was sitting in the tall grass staring out at the familiar form of Priderock and thinking back on the lions he'd met here. The one who stuck out most in his mind was Kiburi, who had been the one to encourage his explorations farther into the Pridelands. He wondered what had happened to her, and if he might find her around here. He remembered a cub who had been eager to join the Pride here, and wondered if she might be somewhere around here as well. He remembered the red lioness who had been less than welcoming, the one who had drove him away for a couple weeks- would she still be around here?

Kiji was pondering his former acquaintances quietly, and as usual he didn't pay much attention to his surroundings. Fortunately the tone of voice that Jamala used was not exactly something to cause fear, so his reaction was merely a flick of his ears and a turned head. At first, the lion had been suspicious of letting a stranger come along with them- though mainly because it was his daughter who'd brought him along. His private concerns had been eased when the god's true form had been revealed, though Kijibwa couldn't entirely explain why that was.

"It is," he agreed, looking back to Pride Rock and then to the darkening sky, "It's been awhile since I've seen this kind of landscape, or that much of the sky all at once."

Kiji continued to admire the sky, nodding along as Jamala put words to the sight before them. He supposed it must be interesting to have the sky all around you, as only birds and gods might experience. Surely it was not unusual for their guest, who had wings, to see more of the sky but notice less about it- from a ground perspective at least. He liked the description of the sky as opening up, it was very poetic, in a way. His attention was torn away from the heavens back to earth as he was questioned.

"Yes, this is where Siku and I met," he glanced out towards the Pridelands, and then back to the god, "It seems like it's been a long time, but we liked it in the Jungle. Have you been here before?"

Kijibwa smiled inwardly at the mention of it being a wonderful place to meet someone, and glanced over his shoulder to the area they were currently inhabiting until they decided to move on. It was a lovely place, and a popular place for families- he expected that was part of why he'd met Siku here, her family liked it.

"When I was a cub, someone brought me to the Jungle. It's where I grew up," he explained with a shrug, looking back to Jamala, "When I met Siku, she wanted to leave, she wanted to see the world outside of the Pridelands. I offered to take her to the Jungle."

Ah, this whole day seemed to be turning into a stroll down memory lane. He remembered Siku, wide-eyed and stammering, asking him about the Jungle, saying she couldn't fend for herself if she wanted to leave the Pridelands. It really did seem like so long ago.

Kijibwa was a bit surprised by the question that was asked of him. He'd never really considered that the god might not have parents, or some other certain way of being here as most mortals were sure to have. The question easily recalled a memory that Kiji had remembered just earlier that same night, his conversation with Kiburi and how he must have a family somewhere out there. At the time, all he'd known about cubs was that they came from lions who love each other- and now that he had his own he knew a little more about it.

"I don't remember anything before Amoret found me in the desert," he said with a shrug, "All I remember is being very hungry and tired, and then her saving me. For all I could tell you, I was alone. Another friend, one I met here, said I had to have a family somewhere out there. I'm not sure non-gods can come to be any way other than being born.."

The dark lion was naive, and not necessarily the smartest of creatures, but he'd always really figured that he couldn't have just popped out of the sand (though his memory left only that option).

Kijibwa was very simple, and though he watched Jamala and listened carefully, he wasn't entirely certain he followed the god's first statement. Fortunately, the topic went back to something much easier to understand- parents. He'd already described how he didn't know of his, but there were still his own children. His girls.

"I am a parent, you know that," he said with a smile, surely Ekevu had mentioned that he and Siku were her parents. He was almost certain of it, "What- what do you want to know about it?" Kijibwa managed to ask something reasonably polite, his paternal side (one of his more... intelligent sides) taking over.

Kijibwa smiled regretfully as Jamala looked at the ground, he hadn't meant to make him feel so bad about it- but he was more than willing to do his best to answer whatever questions he had. The only sad part of the situation was that Kijibwa was not always the best with words- and as for being a father, he hadn't known how it happened until he met a pregnant klipspringer that told him. Shortly after that meeting, he and Siku realized they would have cubs.

This was not a tale Kiji would readily admit to his girls, let alone to the god travelling with them.

"Siblings are generally genetically related too," he replied with a shrug, that much was something he knew about. Adoption was not a foreign concept, he felt quite strongly attached to the lioness who had saved him from the desert as a cub. He didn't know his real mother, but to him, Amoret was as good as his mother.

"You don't have to be genetically related to be a father, though that is usually part of it," Kiji said carefully, not sure how to ellaborate on what Jamala had said. The god seemed to have a good general idea, "Guardian is a good description, you watch out for your cubs, keep them safe and happy.." So far, Kiji had only really agreed with what had been said instead of offering any information- other than about adoptive family.

Kiji stared blankly at Jamala as he explained how he and his twin sister were not born, but created. The lion was never a good actor, but he didn't even bother wanting to try to hide that he didn't quite understand how that could be. He supposed it was just something not to be questioned but accepted, and that was certainly something very natural for the naive and happy lion.

The lion couldn't even quite agree from experience with the idea of knowing someone from the very beginning, since he didn't have that pleasure. However, when the god complimented the family he beamed proudly.

"Like I said, I never had a family when I was growing up. I didn't even have a sibling, I never had a family until I met Siku," he described his situation again, "It's not quite the same as you, but.." Kiji shook his head, deciding to go off that particular part of the topic.

"You don't need to be born, or remember your parents, to have a family. You're a part of our family."