Searching For Family

After her encounter with Heshima, Giza had decided that the family reunions would not stop with her mother. Now she had entered the Ashlands with a renewed purpose: find Kifu. She tread carefully through the hills that littered the landscape below the Pass, eyes searching for the russet adolescent. Theirs had always been a strained relationship, but had it really been Kifu's fault? No, of course not. Giza now realized that their father had pitted them against each other, whether knowingly or otherwise. Kifu had become to Giza what Mufasa was to Scar, and all because he had been born male. But now Giza knew that Ari was dead, and that Tasa had been banished and never located. Now Kifu was all that Giza had, as far as siblings went, since Uma and Nuka were still in the Pridelands and she hadn't the faintest idea that young Makosa and Kiasi were indeed relatives as well. She had met her half-brothers and didn't even know it, but Kifu she would recognize anywhere, she was certain.

However, much time had passed since Giza had last seen her little brother, and both had changed in many ways. While she looked very much the same physically, with the exception of some height and her facial scar, Kifu would have started to grow a mane by now. Somehow, this seemed comical. He was still Fufu in her mind. As she searched, she wondered if the lion would hold her past teasing against her now that they were older. Her bright eyes glanced around the ashy territory warily, still not accustomed to the fire devastated lands that her mother had claimed as her own. She sniffed but got a nose full of ash instead of any hint of her brother, which produced a long and noisy fit of sneezing. Her eyes blurred, and she staggered around the hills half blind, growing annoyed with her search but still not turning back to return to the Lowlands and the life she had found for herself there in the jungle.

She was determined to see her brother again, even if she didn't know what she would say to him once she found him. Giza wasn't certain whether to love or loathe him yet, but she wouldn't give up her search until he was found. She remembered a day, long ago when Kifu had returned from time spent with their father in tears because Scar had been cruel to his son. The difference between Kifu and Giza was the effort spent to warm up to their father. Unlike the others, Giza had never really tried, and so it was not terribly surprising that Scar had not bothered to find her. Now it seemed like Kifu had met a similar fate, only two years later. Scar had let him go. Male or not, Kifu had not mattered to Scar in the end, and somehow that made Giza feel more sympathetically towards her brother. Maybe they weren't so different after all. The thoughts ruminated in her brain as she searched on, sneezing periodically and cursing the ash to herself.

Kifu had to admit that he had grown fond of the Ashlands, they felt more like home now than when he'd first arrived and he'd even come to grudgingly respect Nako for his genuinely kind nature. Though he still felt like he needed to keep an eye on the male around Heshima, they were getting along better than Kifu had expected or was quite comfortable with but it was only because he was her son that he felt this way. Now that he'd settled down he'd come to wonder about his other siblings, it felt like ages since he'd seen Tasa and it had been even longer since he had seen Giza.

Guilt had always twisted in his stomach when he'd thought of her disappearance. He had not gone looking for her, nobody had, and he felt terrible about it...like he should have just disobeyed his father and gone looking for his russet sister. At the time he had feared Scar's wrath far too much to disobey him and part of him had even hoped that Scar would come to love him more with one sibling gone. It had been a disgusting thought and he resented it now but there was little that could change it, Scar had tainted their minds in such a way.

He wished he could have apologized to her, but he wanted to say so much more than that. He wasn't sure where he could ever begin if she was alive, and he had to admit that there was some trepidation holding him back from just walking through the pass to find her and Tasa, what if she hated him? What if something happened to Heshima while he was gone? He couldn't simply strike out on his own right now, even if it was for a good reason, he would have to bide his time and hope that soon either his sisters, or sister, would think to come to the Ashlands or that Heshima would somehow be able to send someone to search for them.

He had little faith in the latter option, there were too few of the Ashlanders to be able to send anyone away and he doubted that once here any of them would want to leave. Most of them were forced away from their homes for reasons not their own fault, and not many were ready to simply leave the safety of the burning lands. Kifu would have loved to march into the Pridelands and take Uma from his father but he knew better, Scar would kill him and anyone else in his way and it could only bring pain. Instead he would wait and hope that fate could intervene or that he could one day do it himself.

His thoughts distracted him mostly but his ears pricked up when he heard a fit of sneezing close by. He wondered who it could be, Zivia maybe, she hadn't been in the Ashlands for long so maybe she was still sneezing because of the Ash...then again he'd never seen her sneeze before. He raised a delicate brow and topped the hill he had been walking along searching the hills but his search wasn't long, he would have spotted her coat from a mile away. The bright russet a splash of color on the silver ashes and blackened ground. His mouth fell open and jade eyes studied her form and then looked to the familiar blue eyes, "G-G-Giza?!" he choked out, his legs locked and feeling like jelly all at once.

She was alive. "How...you...you're alive" he found his feet working again and he sprang forward through the ash coming to a stop two lion lengths away from her and suddenly his expression furrowed, his doubts coming back to him again. Did she hate him?

As her eyes were teary and her nostrils tickled from the ash, there appeared another leonine form nearby. Giza squinted hard to see, but even from a distance she knew who it was before he approached. She would recognize his pelt anywhere. And it seemed Kifu had spotted her, for he froze, staring in disbelief. She was surprised to see him, but not nearly as shocked as Kifu appeared to be. The male had not been given notice that his sister was alive and well and looking for him. The stunned look and the way he stuttered seemed to please Giza though, and she smiled wide - something the old Giza would never do unless she had gotten someone else into trouble, or was planning to do so. Her attitude and her outlook were very different now.

And now that he was right there in front of her, Giza found that she harbored no ill feelings towards her brother. On the contrary, she couldn't stop smiling, and not only because his shock was so amusing to her. No, Giza was genuinely pleased to see her little brother again, from his familiar dull russet pelt to his budding mane. She filled the distance between the two to swipe a paw at his forehead, ruffling his shock of brown mane. "Look at you, Fufu," she said with a laugh, but there was no malice in her voice now. Once upon a time she had been as mean as her father, but the two years spent away from the others had been beneficial. Her light eyes swept over his form, coated with a thin layer of ash that seemed impossible to avoid in the home he had found, along with their mother. "It's good to see you again, all alive."

But was he equally pleased to see her again? By the look of shock still registered on his face, it was difficult to guess. Giza watched him a moment longer before she began to speak in her usual low tones. "I've been living in the jungle, in the Lowlands. It's pretty nice there, and the pride watched my back. Made sure I didn't get myself killed," she said. Indeed, she would be forever grateful to the Lowlanders for taking her in, regardless if she chose to live there for the entirety of her life or not. She sat in the grayish dust, eyes focused on her brother, since there wasn't much else to look at there. The trees had burned throughout the surrounding area, leaving only charred stumps in some places. Where they stood now had been wiped out so that only the two russet lions were the only distinction.

"Mother said I might find you if I looked around. I have already spoken with her," she said simply, though she didn't bother to elaborate upon their conversation. Her eyes instinctively turned in the direction she knew the Lowlands to be, and her second family there. Without them, she would have been dead long ago. Giza smirked lightly as she turned her focus back to the young lion before her. "We're neighbors now."

Giza was smiling at him, an honest to goodness smile, wide and toothy with no malice behind it at all. Giza had never done that before. Had being away from Scar really done her that much good? He didn't really doubt it at this point, he himself had felt so much better with being away for just a short time, it had been years since she'd had to lay eyes on the tyrant they had once called father. She swiped a paw at his forehead and his nickname came out but he found it only irritated him in a pleasant way now that there was no spite behind the way she said it.

He still couldn't quite believe it but he did let a small smile quirk the corner of his mouth up when she said it was good to see him again. He had thought she would have felt the opposite but that didn't seem to be the case at all and he felt his tension easing. His sister was alive and close at hand no less, it was what he had hoped for, and it seemed fate had decided to give his family a break for once. "I could say the same" he answered back to her comment about seeing him alive, he had thought her dead, it was really a miracle she had lived.

Having the Lowlanders take her in all these years made him raise a brow, he was mystified that they had but then again they couldn't have known that Giza was one of Scar's children just like, as far as he knew, nobody knew that he belonged to the hated King except the Pridelanders. He would have to thank them personally when he got the chance, at least their Queens, it seemed like the proper thing to do and he was intensely grateful to them for helping his sister when nobody else might have. She spoke of already speaking to Heshima and Kifu's eyebrows shot up but he smiled fully, no doubt his mother would be elated that her daughter was alive after losing Ari and he felt himself gather his courage to finally speak some more.

He laughed at her neighbors comment and swiped his paw back at her nose, though lightly and he made sure to miss, "Oh no, there goes the neighborhood" he joked with a teasing grin at her. This is what he'd been missing all of his life, a family that loved each other, it was surreal to think that all of their problems had simply been fixed by getting away from their father. The lion was poisonous but Kifu had never truly understood until just now how much so, no wonder the lands were dying around him, he could wither anything with just a glance. He looked towards the Ashlands and then the Lowlands, he and Giza wouldn't be like that, they would make life spring from their paws and prove that their blood meant nothing.

"I'm glad you found me Giza...I was worried, with..." he paused, did she know about Ari and Tasa? It was unclear and he frowned for a moment before placing a smile back on his face, there was no need for him to spoil her mood, he could tell her later though he loathed the thought of making her sad in any way she did deserve to know if Heshima had not told her yet. He moved to her side and motioned for them to walk, he could show her some of the kingdom, even if it wasn't pretty it was his home now. "With all the changes, but the Ashlands have been a haven for mother and I. She even promises I'll rule it one day, did she tell you that she's a Queen now?" he asked with a note of excitement in his tone.

The surprise was great fun for Giza, who found she had enjoyed it more with Kifu than with Heshima. She had seen her friend Upendo and his sisters over the many months, the way they bonded and loved one another, seldom fought. Giza had wondered why she couldn't have had a normal relationship with her brother and sisters, and she had missed them. Even Fufu. Perhaps only Heshima had really believed Giza had survived her ordeal, because Kifu certainly still looked shocked to have the long lost lioness right there in front of him. The blue eyed lioness felt a sense of pride to have come this far, mostly unscathed.

"I guess I'm tougher than I look. Or, ya know, I didn't have a choice but to get out of there. But as it turns out, a lot of the herds that left the Pridelands scooted off to the Lowlands. I've done alright for myself." She patted her belly, no longer sunken in with hunger as when she was a cub. Her conversation with her mother had been very tense, but they had to begin again somewhere. Giza would cool off and think about it more rationally, and there would be time enough for that. For now, she tried not to let her past anger towards her brother seize her emotions. Was it really his fault? They hadn't asked be created or born, or raised in such a hellish environment. Indeed, Giza had fared better since her time away from her father's cruelty, but she was still young and it would take time to heal those old wounds.

Walking alongside Kifu, Giza noted that they were just about the same height. Unknown to the female, she would never grow to be the proper size of a lioness, whether due to genetics or poor nutrition in her early months. The russet teen bit back her criticisms of Kifu's new home. The Ashlands were aptly named, it seemed. "I didn't know this place existed, to be honest, and I've been in the jungle for a while. You should come and see the Lowlands sometime," she said before it occurred to her that perhaps the queens would not be thrilled by young Kifu's presence. There were a number of adolescent females that could take a liking to the lion, runt or not. "Well, I don't know. We're getting old now, to that age where the adults don't trust us so easily." And by us, she meant him. She eyed his growing mane with amusement.

She already knew about the tragedy that had befallen the family with the loss of Ari, and Giza had made up her mind to find Tasa personally. A knowing nod followed her brother's statement about changes. But when Kifu mentioned their mother's newfound queen, Giza's mood soured instantly. A brow arched in a way that unconsciously mirrored her dreaded father's sarcastic expression. "Oh yes, she's told me," she responded, her eyes icy. It bothered her that her family had any desire to rule, given what they had gone through in the Pridelands. Giza was jaded, but it irritated her that Heshima had already promised Kifu a throne. Wasn't that what he was born for, why Scar had wanted Heshima in the first place? The internal walls were right back up again, and Giza snorted. "I can't imagine why you would want to be king, after seeing what that's like. I don't see what's so great about that."

Giza had only experienced polar opposites, when it came to monarchs: her father, the all-powerful tyrant, was her only example of kingliness. Queens, on the other hand, Giza had seen double of. Nyota and Duara were unchallenged in the jungle, and the russet youth had learned to respect them, but only from a distance. She loved the Lowlanders, but still felt she didn't belong. But here in the Ashlands, her mother was queen. This would take some getting used to, as well.

Kifu had always thought of Giza as tough, the way she acted she had seemed almost the toughest one of them all, only second to Tasa really and maybe not even second. Both of his sisters had been tough in his eyes, he had admired them for it but they of course hadn't always gotten along and his admiration had never showed before. It did now and he gave her an impressed look, rather than saying anything, he figured she'd get the point. Kifu envied her for the food she had gotten, she had definitely filled out but he was happy to see that she was only about his size, at least she couldn't call him scrawny anymore without calling herself the same.

He turned his head to watch her with faded jade eyes and nodded to her words, "Not many people know these lands exist, mostly because no one bothers to pass it around because of the fires and how it looks, it might not be pretty like the Lowlands but it's safe and the ash is kind of fun once you get used to it" he said with a slightly goofy grin in her direction. He knew coming from the Lowlands this place probably didn't look that great to her, it wasn't beautiful in the way that the Lowlands was but it's beauty was just in its existence for Kifu. It was beautiful because it was safe and it was finally a place his family could live without oppression.

Her invite to the Lowlands though made excitement flutter through him, "Really? he asked his ears perking up, but they fell flat again when she went on, rethinking her words it seemed. "Oh...well...you're probably right" he mumbled and looked slightly downtrodden at the thought before letting a small smile slip onto his maw again. "Well, we could always ask and if not...we should visit anyways, you can always come here" he was waiting to mention his mothers wishes about Giza ruling alongside him. And when she reacted to his statement about their mother being ruler he'd be almost certain she'd want nothing to do with it.

Giza looked petulant at their mothers fortune and his own, she was bitter, he understood to a point but she was putting too much stock into Scar. He looked away to the side at her sudden coldness and his ears fell flat against his head, rustling the budding mane of dark brown fur. "It doesn't have to be like that Giza...mother has told me stories, stories of good Kings. I want to be a King like that. I want to prove that just because I'm Scar's son doesn't mean that I can't be a good king, that I'm not really a good lion on the inside. I want to be judged for being me, not because of what my father has done" he hadn't really explained that to his mother, but that was what he wanted. Why he aspired to be a good King rather than a tyrant, it was why his father had disliked him, they had been too different and he wanted everyone to know that.

He sighed and figured he'd best get things out of the way now when it came to unpleasant conversation. "I know you're the same Giza, you're good, I can tell" he looked over at her and smiled softly at his sister, "Mother was hoping you, Tasa, and I could rule the Ashlands together and I have to admit that I don't mind sharing the throne if it brings us all together again. It's not the power to control I want, it's the power to protect" he probably sounded silly, like the FuFu she had always teased him about being. He came to a stop finally and stared over at her expectantly, this could get nasty, and he didn't want that but he needed Giza to forgive Heshima, to forgive him.

Kifu's unwavering optimism brought a low laugh from Giza. She didn't think the ash was fun, but she could see the benefit of living in a place that no one else really found aesthetically pleasing. It would be easy to walk right by the Ashlands without a second thought, which made it seemed somewhat safe. Then again, Giza had been raised in dark times, and she was no stranger to the daily threats of violence. No place was truly safe. Still, she didn't bother to argue. The russet teen thought of her brother entering the Lowlands, sending the young lionesses into a flutter simply because he was male and those were in short supply. Would he fancy one of Upendo's sisters, or even Princess Nyima? She then imagined the queens chasing Fufu out, and she chuckled to herself. "We could always meet halfway. The jungle is big though, I'll bet you could go in and no one would even notice. I'd like for you to meet my friend there, his name is Upendo. He's the one who found me and brought me there way back when." As she spoke of the male, Giza couldn't help but grin. She knew he would be pleased to meet her relatives, since he was always friendly. That was just Upendo.

In a way, Giza could understand Kifu's desire to prove himself, to show that he wasn't another Scar come to wreck havoc in his father's place. And Giza had always known that her brother was the polar opposite of Scar in every way imaginable. But she looked at her brother, who was eye leve with her now that they were the same height, and she still couldn't comprehend why he wanted to be king. "I don't want to be judged by anyone. I just want to live my life, free. Don't you just want to be normal? I mean, you finally got away. I've been free of Scar and the Pridelands for a while, but you're just starting out. I just.." She shook her head, turning so that he couldn't see her. Her dark eyebrows were knit with concern. Kifu wanted to protect others, but who was going to protect Kifu?

"I just don't get why she wants this. You'd both be safer if you never took a title. Just being a king won't mean other lions won't want to mess with you. If anything, it's inviting trouble." It was a wonder that Scar had been allowed to stay on the throne for so long, but then again, everyone was afraid of Scar. Giza wasn't bad like her father, but she wasn't exactly a hero, either. She had no desire to rush in and save those still suffering there. She didn't want to see her father's ugly face ever again - and she would never have to. The Pridelands would get their hero soon enough, in the form of a long lost golden cousin, but Giza was more interested in saving her own hide.

And now she had to worry about the others too, now that she could visit them. Giza was finally beginning to adjust to the idea that her mother and her brother would be so close when for so long, she imagined they were worlds apart. But their family wasn't complete so long as there was one more missing. "I'm going to find Tasa. Now that I know she's out there somewhere, I've got to find her." Her mind was already made up, and she wondered if she could convince Upendo to join her. "And I don't think she'll come here. She could be anywhere." Giza had seldom left the Lowlands, but she knew she would have to venture out past the safety of the jungle into unknown places to locate Tasa. She had always felt something of a connection to her pale sister. Her ears drooped as she thought of the other lioness, unaware of the good fortune of her relatives in the Ashlands.

It was nice to hear his sister laugh and smile, he couldn't remember ever seeing her do so in a genuine fashion before now. As far as he was concerned, if it would make her smile and laugh like that then she could tease him all she liked and he smiled gently his tail brushing up ash behind them just for fun though he made sure he kept it behind them so she wouldn't choke or sneeze. Her idea seemed logical, the Lowlands pride wasn't as big as their jungle home and he agreed they probably wouldn't notice if he met her half way in one of the more deserted areas. The mention of a friend had him raising a brow and a slight smirk came to his face, "A friend huh?" he teased and nudged her but laughed and nodded to show his agreement. He would meet this Upendo.

He could understand her desires, he had wanted something like that at one point but he'd quickly come to grips with one fact, he would never be normal. Not because everyone else knew who he was but because he knew who he was, whom he shared blood with, and part of him felt obligated to make up for some of the pain that his father had caused. Maybe it was stupid to want to do that, maybe he didn't owe anyone anything but in his heart he felt that he needed to do it to ever be at peace with himself. He was afraid to explain that all to Giza, she clearly felt no such feelings and if that was the case he didn't want her to have to think about it. He wanted her to be happy and so anything he had to say went unsaid and swallowed, he would do enough good for all of his siblings so that they could have a normal life if they wanted to.

He could see the concern and he gave her a reassuring smile, "I want to be normal, but I want this more Giza...I wish I could explain it but it probably wouldn't make sense to you. It's something I have to do" he said simply, her concern was touching and he felt bad for making her worry at all but she was probably right in fearing what she did. He nodded slowly, she was right, being King meant defending your territory from challengers and dealing with other Kings which might mean Scar if he ever found out about their safe haven but Kifu was ready for that. Even if he hadn't agreed to become royalty in the Ashlands he would have found himself in danger regardless, he wouldn't have been able to stand idle if Nako were under attack after all. It was his home and even if he never became King he wanted to protect it, he was ready for the danger and responsibility.

He was silent in thought when Giza revealed her plans of finding Tasa and his head came up sharply. He agreed with her of course, Tasa had to be found, he had hoped she would find the Ashlands on her own but it was unlikely that she would without guidance. "Take me with you..." he blurted the words before he could stop himself and he felt guilty almost immediately, his mother would worry horribly but he couldn't let Giza go out there on her own. Of course he had no idea she was going to invite Upendo but even then he probably would have felt the same and his expression turned to one of slightly pleading. "It's dangerous out there Giza, I might not look like much but I'd be happier knowing you were safer than going alone" he explained and watched her warily. Taking on a long journey with her was risky but he felt panicked at the thought of losing her again.

The subtle smirk that graced her brother's muzzle at the mention of Upendo did not go unnoticed by Giza. Her eyes narrowed defensively, and she stammered. "Y-yeah, a friend. Just a friend is all." Before coming to the Ashlands, Giza and Upendo had had their first real fight, and now that the heat of the moment was over, the russet lioness wanted nothing more than to return and apologize to him. "In fact, he's the only male in the Lowlands. I imagine sooner or later, he'll be betrothed to the jungle princess." Her thoughts turned to Nyima; a real princess. Giza had never felt much like royalty when she was still in the Pridelands, and in the last two years, she had been nothing more than a commoner. Nyima possessed the grace and dignity that a princess should, and why wouldn't Upendo have his mis-matched sights set on the best the pride had to offer? Little did she know, Upendo didn't want that at all, but Giza failed to see why anyone would want her and had already convinced herself not to get her hopes up. She would never admit that she had feelings for the tan adolescent, anyway.

She still didn't understand her brother's need to prove himself and his family tree. Perhaps it was simple selfishness that kept Giza from desiring something similar, or maybe she was just too immature to see the part she played in life. She had experienced hell in her father's kingdom, but she had also lived in paradise for the better portion of her existence. Her pale blue gaze were fixed on her brother's sage eyes. He insisted he wanted to be normal too. How could any of Scar's offspring expect to live a normal life, though? Giza's life was decent only because she had run away and never looked back, but now she was forced to examine the painful parts of her history that she had avoided for so long. It was still too difficult, and it would likely consume her thoughts on a daily basis now. Once the flood gates are opened, there would be no stopping the memories that came back to her.

While she didn't currently agree with Kifu's convictions, Giza made no further attempts to argue. A sigh escaped and she finally glanced away from her little brother. "If.. If the worst should happen, if someone comes to hurt you and Mother.." Here she paused. Despite the tense reunion with Heshima, Giza still dreaded the idea of losing her all over again. "You know where to find me." She nodded, gesturing towards Malkia Pass and the jungle that was beyond it. She realized now that she would have to speak to her mother again soon, apologize for her behavior, but there were more important things to worry about now. Tasa had always been a tough little thing, but there would always be tougher, bigger creatures out there.

When Kifu blurted out that he wanted to come along on the search, Giza only laughed, shaking her head. "No way. Do you really think Mother would let you leave her sight for more than a few hours?" The lioness doubted very seriously that Kifu had ever strayed far from their mother's side. Giza, on the other hand, had plenty of experience wandering around alone, or with Upendo at her side. Heshima couldn't stop Giza. She looked over her shoulder. "You stay here. Practice your regality, or something," she said with a teasing grin. "But don't worry, I won't go alone, if I can help it." Unwilling to rouse any more suspicious curiosity about the nature of her relationship with Upendo, she left out that it was he that Giza would ask to accompany her. And she knew he wouldn't say no. He was Upendo, always ready to lend a helpful paw. The faintest smile appeared at the thought.

He could have probably lit up the whole Ashlands with the twinkle in his eyes at her soft admission that they could come find her if something were to happen. It might not have seemed like much but to him those words meant more than he could ever explain, it meant that she didn't completely blame him and that at some point, they could be a family again. That's all he wanted, for them to be a family, untainted by the ways of Scar and his vicious little games. He bumped her shoulder with his own and nodded, a soft look in his eyes but a big smile on his face, "Hopefully it'll never come to that but, maybe we can get together for happier things sometimes" it wasn't a question, just a comment, he wasn't sure what she was ready for so he wasn't about to push her.

He felt a pout on his muzzle when she laughed at him after he offered to go with her, he ducked his head away, embarrassed. He sighed and his ears slicked back in indignation, "I'm not a cub Giza, I walk around plenty on my own besides I'm going to be and adult soon she can't expect me just always be safe" his tone was terse and he looked back over with a clear frown on his face, he was a teen now not a baby. He tried to smile but only grimaced at her teasing when she instructed him to stay behind and practice being regal or something, he didn't want to practice being regal, he wanted to find Tasa and bring their family back together. He'd talk to Heshima maybe if he didn't hear anything from Giza in a few weeks, he'd implore her to let him go.

"Good..." he answered shortly before glancing back towards Malkia Pass, he was curious what it was like to live in the jungle but he could wait. Maybe on his visits he could meet the Pride that his sister lived with and learn a little bit more about them. It couldn't hurt. Although she had said her friend Upendo was the only male in the jungles and it flustered him to think that they were all girls down there, what if they liked him? What if he acted like an idiot around them? Oh the embarrassment, he was sure Giza would never let him live it down if he made a fool of himself just because he was speaking to a lioness that wasn't his sister. Speaking of lionesses, "I should get back to mother, she might be worrying" she probably was and he was embarrassed but it was the truth, only proving her right in her assumptions.

He gave her an apologetic look and stopped in his tracks to face her, "Giza...I'm really glad you found us..." he said softly, his face soft and full of slight sadness. "I'd thought, well I'd thought the worst but I'm glad you're ok. I would have missed you, sis" he looked slightly sheepish but it was true.

Giza was silent for a lingering moment as Kifu spoke of happier times. She found herself transfixed by his eyes. They were green like their father’s, but lacking the same harshness. They were a gentler shade of sage that seemed appropriate for the son that had been his father’s polar opposite in so many ways. Of all the animals on the savannah, Giza certainly understood how Kifu must have been feeling, being the progeny of the most hated lion around. Even if so few were aware of the secret, Giza had long experienced a form of self-hatred. She saw Scar every time she looked at her reflection; there were times even still that she was shocked and horrified to see the visage of the wretched brute staring back at her from the river. But she was older now. She knew now that she was Giza, not Scar all over again. She had to treat Kifu with the same regard. A nod was offered, finally. ”That’s right. But you won’t be seeing me again until I’ve accomplished my mission.” Her pale eyes slid away from her brother to the Pass that would lead her back to the jungle, though her stay there would be brief.

She hoped Kifu would know better than to come searching for the rescue party if they failed to reappear in a timely manner, but she was still convinced that Heshima would never allow Kifu to go. Despite the growing mane and the gaining height, Kifu would always be little brother to Giza. True, she had arrived in the world only minutes before Kifu, but he had always seemed so small to her, so fragile both physically and emotionally. Most likely this was due to the fact that Heshima had always given him extra care since he was the tiniest in a litter of four small cubs. She had no reason to believe that Fufu had somehow learned to take care of himself, and she cast him a slightly patronizing look but said nothing to argue.

”Don’t start celebrating until we know what has happened to Tasa, Fufu. We’re not one big happy family without all of us.” Her words ended on a note of solemnity as she thought of Ari. The news of her death was still fresh, and the sickness she felt over it was still settled in the pit of her stomach like a rock. How could they ever be a family when one was gone forever? But they had to carry on, as all survivors do. In the years, even months to come, their family would find itself expanding. When one life has been extinguished, new life finds a way to take its place; never to replace the missing completely, but to ease the pain and fill a gaping void. On her sojourn away from comfort and safety, Giza would find her own place in the timeless cycle of existence: a new identity, new meaning. And her journey would begin that very night.

”At the end of the day, I know I’m better off for leaving home so long ago. And so are you, and Mother and Tasa, too. Things can only get better from here.” Giza, the child of darkness, had matured more than even she had realized. Once she had seen only the bad side of life, but now there was hope within the russet lioness. Had everyone back in the Pridelands assumed the worst? The old Giza would have been outraged, but now she knew the next time she saw her mother, it would be a happier affair. It didn’t matter now what had happened. She had showed them all, surviving the way she had, and she felt a surge of confidence in herself. If she had made it this far, it wasn’t inconceivable that she would find Tasa, who was even more resilient and a fighter than even Giza herself.