All Play and No Work

[Swafi]

"I AM Kiara's son!!" Swafi snapped at both Flash and Elanna, ignoring the kitten's antics entirely, "You two must think I'm stupid or something!! I think I know my own siblings!!!" Unless Kiara had more cubs she'd never told him about...but it seemed unlikely. It BETTER not be so, because if he had MORE brothers that meant MORE contenders to the throne, the more he'd have to get rid of when he got back home. "Geez, what planet are you from anyway? You can't POSSIBLY live at Pride Rock without me ever even having HEARD of you!! I know ALL the cubs in my pride!!" Yep..wrapped around his pinky toe, so they all admired, respected and believed every lie he told. Including the ones about Athari. Especially the ones about Athari. A devious smirk crossed his face at the thought.

[Elanna]

Elanna growled at Swafi "Then explain to us how you don't even know you have a sister!"

Elanna was getting more confused by the second, this cub was apparently Kiara's son but he didn't know who Upendi was or what they were talking about. Where had he been? Surely he should know about the war and everything that had happened since...right?

"Next thing you'll be saying is that you've no clue about the war!"

[Swafi]

"What war?" Swafi growled. "The only war I know about is how *Grandpa and Grandma fought the Outsiders a long long time ago and that was before I was even born. They made peace and now they're part of our pride and that's why Dad was able to marry Mom and have me. And Athari." He added after a moment, as a bit of a begrudging afterthought. "Why? What war are YOU talking about?"

(*Simba and Nala...he knows the basic story)

[Elanna]

"The war that means I have to live in the Outlands with my brothers or your mother will kill us!" Elanna snapped "The war that made your mother Queen! You know...with the Heroes and the Animal Villains and Human Villains...your mother fought for Scar and my Mom fought for Simba."

Elanna frowned, this cub was making absolutely no sense...how could he not have heard of the war! It was the reason his parents were on the throne! If Scar hadn't won then Simba would still be alive and she, her mother and brothers would all be living in the Pridelands.

[Swafi]

"My mother never fought for SCAR?!!" Swafi replied, outraged. "Scar's DEAD!! He was dead for years before my mom was even BORN!! Don't you know that?!" He tilted his head, looking at Elanna like she'd sprouted two heads. "My brother looks like Scar so I think sometimes he's ....like reincarnated Scar or something but..the real Scar is dead. He's been dead like forever." He pondered the rest of Elanna's words thoughtfully.

Or your mother will kill us...Swafi tried to picture sweet, innocent, naive Kiara killing an innocent cub, but his mind wouldn't allow it. It was just too impossible to be true. "And my mom is not a killer. She's the nicest lioness I know. Kinda blonde maybe but....she's no killer." He looked at her with wide eyes. "I don't know where you're getting this from...." The only part of her explanation that made sense was that she lived in the Outlands. At least that explained why he'd never met her. She didn't live with his pride. She hid out in the wastelands....for what reason he didn't know. Surely his mother wasn't forcing them to stay there...

[Elanna]

"It's true...all of it." Elanna stated sadly "Scar died only recently from old age. Your mother fought for him because she was kidnapped as a cub and brainwashed into thinking King Simba and Queen Nala abandoned her. When my Mom left the Animal Villains and joined the Heroes, your mother tried to kill her...several times. When Scar won the war your mother became Queen and my Mom had to run away to the Outlands or we'd all be dead. Your mother kills everyone who steps into the Pridelands...even cubs."

Elanna wished what she was saying wasn't true but she couldn't help that. What happened, happened and nothing she could say or do would change the past. Her sapphire eyes focused on the ground sadly.

[Swafi]

"This is impossible....we can't both be telling the truth, that doesn't make sense. Maybe your mom's crazy and she just thinks Kiara's out to get her. That has to be it." Of course......Vitani stayed at Pride Rock with them. Another thing that conflicted and didn't make sense. "But..wait....Aunt Tani stays with us though..." He looked very perplexed. "How can we both be telling the truth and have two different stories?"

[Flash]

"Well, there's two of us to one of you." Flash pointed out. "Doesn't that give our story more weight?" Although... she had a feeling that, weird as it sounded, Swafi at least believed that what he was saying was the truth. "Maybe it's a... different lioness called Kiara?" she suggested, rubbing her collared neck with a paw as she thought. "A completely different Pride? I'm sure Kiara could be a common name...?"

[Swafi]

"No!!" Swafi replied, his eyes and expression as fierce as his words. "No, my family's lived on Pride Rock for as long as I can remember. My great grandparents were Sarabi and Mufasa. My grandparents are Simba and Nala. My mother and father are Kiara and Kovu. My mom was destined to be queen the day she was born, and when Dad came into the pride he became her mate. Y...you can't tell me my mother is from another pride, it...we live at Pride Rock..." Swafi was beginning to feel unnerved. Why didn't his story and theirs mesh? It made no sense. "I...I think you two are quacks. Yeah. You...you don't know what you're talking about cuz you're crazy. Yeah." Now THAT made sense.

[Flash]

Flash's eyes narrowed. She couldn't care less if the cub thought she was crazy, but she was not going to sit back and let him insult her friend that way. "If anyone's crazy here, it's you." The words were spoken softly, in an almost dangerous tone - although the thought of her being able to actually harm Swafi was laughable.

After a moment, she continued. "I mean, at least the two of us agree with each other. You, however, have no-one else to vouch for your story." She looked straight across at Swafi, lips pursed, as she waited for a response of some kind.

[Swafi]

"I-I.." Now he was deeply unnerved. Wh...what if they were right? What if he was really just insane and...and his whole life had been a dream...? He shook his head fiercely, shaking that thought away. No, no NO. He....he wouldn't be here if it hadn't happened right? He couldn't, it wasn't possible. "I-I'm not crazy...I'm not. I know it happened. I know it." But his voice was shaky, scared, sounding more like he was trying to convince himself than them.

[Elanna]

Elanna growled "We are NOT crazy!" she snapped "You're crazy! Kiara is evil and will always be evil!"

She was getting very annoyed with this cub, why was he trying to deny the truth? She and Flash were right and he was wrong. They had to live under the constant threat of death by Kiara or those loyal to her. This cub was either insane or a very good liar.

[Athari]

As Swafi tried fruitlessly, yet again, to prove his story true..... at the moment unbeknownst to him, a cub he was very familiar with was wandering alone in the woods close by. He was lost, he knew he was lost. Everything was starting to look the same and sound the same and smell the same, but he didn't panic. Panic got you nowhere, panic was the enemy. He had to stay calm and think clearly.
Eventually, he heard voices through the woods and perked up. Those sounded like the growls of other lion cubs!! Surely they could help him? Quickly he trotted through the brush toward the sound of their voices.
Far too late, he spotted the lump of light golden fur in front of the two (in his opinion) angels. One that reminded him of a hyena in the manner that it was canine in form and had spots. The other looked almost like a cub version of Aunt Vitani. Maybe she was Dayo's sister... but it wasn't his concern.
His concern was the golden cub talking to them. His eyes widened in horror and he felt weak. With trembling legs, he began backing away. If he was lucky, he could get away before Swafi saw him and knew he was there...

(Elanna, Flash, somebody call out to him before he runs off ^^)

[Flash]

"Hey, who's that?"

Flash's attention hadn't exactly been wondering, but having said her part, she wasn't as focused on the conversation as she had been a few moments ago. As such, she was the first to notice the other lion cub. Without waiting for a response she - rather rashly - darted past Swafi towards the other figure. He seemed scared, and - since he was a lion himself - she could only assume it was of her, as the 'unknown' species.

"Don't go!" she called out as she approached "I'm not going to hurt you."

[Elanna]

Elanna was completely focused on Swafi that Flash's exclaimation made her jump almost a foot in the air. She turned her head to see Flash disappearing into the undergrowth and yelling at something to stop. Elanna's brows furrowed and tore after Flash, ignoring Swafi completely. What if Upendi was around? She felt safer with Flash.

"Hey wait up!" Elanna called out after Flash and her unknown target.