TLK IV

[Zorayda]

Tojo noticed the whispered words between his buddy Simba and Nala and decided to take the hint.

"Well, I'll just be...um, over here then. Yeah." He walked away from the couple, still confused as to how Malka had come to be such a jerk and how he'd taken over. His birds were beginning to get tired and a few had begun dozing in his mane, their heads under their wings. He smiled gently.

A lion caught his eye as he walked away from Simba and Nala--Nala's little brother Mheetu, all grown up. He looked unusually downcast. Eager to talk to someone who could fill him in on any details, Tojo sat down by him.

"Hey bud, why the long face?"

[kyto7878]

Mheetu laid in the dirt with a frown on his face. His thoughts were full of scars,pain,and suffering. His ears laid back as his blue eyes were unoticeable in the water's reflection. The he looked over to his side as if to hear a voice, the smell smelt familiar but he couldnt tell what it was or why?

Mheetu gave a long glance up only to see that before him stood simba's best friend Tojo, the last time he had seen Tojo was the day Nala and Kula were going out to the waterhole. Tojo had stayed behind and played hide and go seek with him.

Mheetu gave a warm smile as if to say; its good to see you. He got up and shook his fur as he began to say "Oh, Tojo its no big deal its just that well....everyone thinks im crazy, if I tell you what happened you wont think im crazy? will ya?"

[Lyonize]

"Come.. lets take the other way around back to the waterhole, just have some time to ourselves...come Simba."

"Of course. Lets go."
He said softly.

Simba liked the sound of that. Some time to themselves sounded good. He turned to walk next to Nala. It would be nice to just talk to her like they had done so often before.


(Sorry. I'm going to pull out of this one. So that means SIMBA is available now.)

[Zorayda]

Tojo sat back on his haunches and perked his ears forward towards the younger lion.

"Nah, I'll listen. It's great to see ya, I haven't seen you since you were the size of a rabbit! And besides," he added, lowering his voice. "Nobody's tellin' me what's going on here! I hoped you would be able to fill me in...after your story, of course," Tojo added, his blue eyes twinkling.

Tojo chuckled at his own joke before quieting down and giving Mheetu his attention.

[cheezeegriff]

"No, it's not, it's not your fault. You could take anyone at Pride Rock, and they would be at fault ten times more than you. You, love, are not to blame. Nobody would blame a king"

Kovu smiled, and relief filled him as well as guilt. He knew it WAS his fault Malka was king - he had allowed himself to be baited into fighting him - but it was nice to know Kiara loved him unconditionally, loved him enough to be blind to it. Heck, it was nice just to be loved, and not given sideways glances everywhere he want.

He bit his lip... thinking. Dare he tell her what Malka had told him? Her distraught face urged him to, but he had a feeling Malka wouldn't appreciate it... besides, Kiara wasn't the best lioness at keeping secrets. Nor would he have it any other way - he admired her honesty.

Instead he tried a different tact:
"Don't be... too hard on Malka, dearest,"
he said.
"He hasn't had much experience at rule. He might end up a rather decent king yet."

A brief silence after he had finished speaking was enough to inspire fear in his heart, and he pulled away slightly, to better gauge Kiara's reaction.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Malka walked out of the den, spying, not far away, Sarabi's son speaking with a lion he didn't recognise. Strange little blue things sat on his back though... he smiled at an old memory, trotting down the hillside where the two lions sat alone.

"You must be Tojo,"
he said, once he arrived.
"Excuse me, please, both of you. Simba always mentioned his childhood friend with the birds. I thought he was making a fool of me but here you are.
"I suppose you know all about me,"
he said, a little more glumly, with a self-depreciating roll of his eyes.
"I'm Malka. Pleased to be of service, as always,"
he said, then lowered his head and grinned out from under his fringe, expecting a hostile reaction - that's all he seemed to get these days.

[Ushari]

Don't be... too hard on Malka, dearest
He hasn't had much experience at rule. He might end up a rather decent king yet

"Excuse me?" she said, suddenly angry. How dare he hand over the throne to that pretender, without the slightest concern for anyone else! She calmed herself quickly, as she didn't want them seperate now, of all times.

"Listen to me- that throne is yours, and everyone knows it. Just because he put a couple scratches onto you means nothing- you're still ten times better than he could ever be" she said, nuzzling him.

"I don't mean to get angry with you, I just love you too much, and hearing you say that... it just gets me, in my heart. It makes me think you've given up on everything, and that's not something I want to hear. I love you too much"

[Zorayda]

"Hmm?" Tojo turned, interrupted from his conversation with Mheetu. Then he gasped. Seeing the male there... it was like seeing a ghost...

"Malka?!" Tojo couldn't help but to grin joyfully. "Malka buddy! Long time no see!" Tojo's birds twittered at the sound of their master's excitement, sleepily chirping as he woke them. Tojo leapt up and practically tackled Malka, hugging him with his strong front legs. "You remember me, right?" Tojo said, blue eyes concerned for a moment. Then he smiled. "Nah, 'course you do. Nobody forgets Tojo." He winked. "Even if I met you for one day...and I didn't have my birds yet." The male's smile turned sheepish. How could he help it if he treasured meetings with new lions, especially from other prides?

Then Tojo remembered the whispers and the fear among the pride, and his smile faltered. "Malka, what's going on here? Everyone seems so..." The under-mature lion searched for the word. "Depressed. And I hear you're king now. How the heck did that happen?"

Tojo remembered that he'd been talking to Mheetu. "Oh, Mheetu, I'm sorry...I'll be right back," he called over his shoulder. He turned his bright blue eyes back to Malka, the mischeviousness and slight innocence still sparking in them.