[PRP] Celebrating Memories

[Kimaria]

He tried to dance, creating the beat with his claws against the flat slab of rock he had found. It didn't offer him much chance to move around, but rather dance on the spot. However, he enjoyed the sound his claws made as they clicked against its surface.

He did a few experimental steps and nodded his approval. Then , he gathered himself to begin and found that he couldn't.

He hadn't been able to since his mother had passed away. Maybe he'd never get his talent back. Maybe the pride would look down at him for losing his musical talent so easily...

His head and tail drooped and after a moment he leapt down from the rock and started back for home, wondering whether he should join some lionesses and help them with hunting. He might as well do something of use.  

[Light Atago]

Hakuna had met up with Taka and the pair padded side-by-side off to where their mother had asked. Neither really had any idea what was up, but they'd decided to go early- Haku had always enjoyed Taka's company, and she was always playing the babysitter, it seemed. "What is it you think mom wants, anyway?" Hakuna asked, taking their current topic of conversation (elephants) and casting it aside as they neared the rendezvous point Isithunzi had set.

"Not sure, and I really don't know what it's got to do with the pair of us." A sudden little light seemed to switch on. "Oh, I've got it Haku!" She said angrily. "What did you do, and why'd you have to drag me into it? Probably letting Mat off the line and putting me in his place, aren't you!" It was the only hypothesis that made any sense to her.

"No!" Hakuna said, shocked that his sister would suspect that he and Mat had been up to something! That NEVER happened, never at all. At least, they were good enough that they'd never get caught. "It's not like that, I have no idea of what's going on either!"

They'd arrived, and Isithunzi stretched from under a nearby tree. Their quarreling had woken her up, as she knew it would. Nothing quite like reliability.

"No, you two aren't in trouble," Isithunzi said, causing the siblings to jump. They had gotten so entrenched in their argument that they didn't even notice her presence.

She nuzzled the pair of them. "Here's the deal, listen up." The black lioness lowered her head in an attempt to be more inconspicuous, causing her offspring to make a huddle. A conspicuous huddle. Oh well. Hakuna and Taka both had their attention fixed on their mother, mostly from curiosity. "Taka, you're probably more familiar with the situation that Hakuna, considering that you hang out with Mawi more often. Mawi's mate, Aapep, just lost his mother. It's quite clear that he's down, and I thought the three of us could do something to maybe cheer him up." Isi said, glancing from the lion back to the lioness. "Any ideas?" She asked before sharing her own, wondering if the pair would come up with the same idea as she had.

There were a few moments of thought betwixt the three of them before Haku spoke up in a whisper. "A celebration? We should get him to dance with us!"

"We should celebrate his mother's life, and definitely come up with some rockin' beats," Taka chimed in.

"My thoughts exactly," Isithunzi said with a smirk. The pair had come with all of the necessary instruments to make it happen, too! Perfect. "Since we all seem ready, let's go find him!" Isithunzi said boldly lifting out of their huddle, thinking of where to find him.

"Step 1, check!" Haku said as he pointed behind Isi, where an Aapep could be found making his way to the dens. "Quickly!" Haku said, leading the charge, immediately followed by Taka. He didn't know what they'd say once they got over there, but they'd come up with something!

"Hey, Aapep!" Taka called as she ran. Isithunzi wasn't far behind the pair, and she was actually thinking of how to bring it up, unlike her two "cubs."  

[Kimaria]

Someone was calling him? But...who? It took him a moment to register the owner of that voice and when he did, he gathered himself, pulled on a small smile and turned his sad eyes to glance over his shoulder.

Two lions were running towards him. No, not two, but three. He started, his head lifting with interest and he half-turned to look towards them. It took him a moment to collect their names, and when he had he called back.

"Hakuna, Taka. Isithunzi. Are you okay? What's the hurry, is something wrong?" His eyes grew worried, for he did not know what the ruckus could have possibly been about.  

[Light Atago]

Haku slid to a stop as he reached Aapep, as did Taka, and Isithunzi came to a reasonable lope before simply slowing to a stop. Hakuna spoke up first- "Everything's ok, no worries!"

Isithunzi was about to speak- the well-placed words that she'd come up with during the jaunt over here were perfect, in her opinion. However, her daughter beat her to it.

"We wanted to catch you before you got to your den- Well, we've noticed that you're kinda blue, so we decided we'd do a little something for ya! Everyone ready?" Taka asked, dipping her neck to let her drum down to the ground.

Isithunzi spoke up, "Now, you can just listen and watch, or join in, or start listening then join in, do whatever you'd like! We're here to celebrate Kirjava's life. I didn't know much about her time before she came to our lands with you, but I made up a little diddy based on the time she was here, and what I imagine life was like when she was raising you. A rhythm from my memory of her. Haku, listen to it for a bit and join in. Same to you, Taka," the dark lioness said to her "cubs" before getting set. Each of them nodded, then tilted an ear to her drum, both ready to go once they'd gotten the hang of what she'd made up. Isi gave her drum a few test-taps to ensure that it didn't need any tightening before she started. It started a calm song, just for the introduction, then a bit more lively. She repeated the pattern a time or two before Taka and Haku joined in.  

[Kimaria]

To say he was touched by this act of kindness would have been a great understatement. He turned to look at them, his mouth hanging open, his eyes widened in disbelief. They were going to celebrate the life of his mother? And the instant he realised that, tears came to his eyes and he stood watching. First Isithunzi drummed the rhtyhm alone, practised and skilled in the art of music. And then, after repeating that pattern, the others joined in. Their drumming filled the ground beneath him, had his whole body thrumming with the life of their rhythm.

He stepped towards them, not realising he was even doing it, and lifted his tail and ears. His nose rose, too, and he closed his eyes to breath in the scent of that music, to feel it run through him. Music was what had brought him here and music was his life.

In music he could find hope and joy.

He could find his mother.

And for the first time since that fateful day, Aapep smiled. He waited a moment longer, listening to the beat - now livlier than before - and then he joiend in, drumming big paws against the ground. The motion stirred something in him and he smiled wider, not able to contain himself from moving into the rhythm and finding his dance again.

It was odd. It was like every beat was the beat of his mother's spirit. Her heart. As if she were a part of this song, as if her memories had taken life. He knew that there had been talent in this pride, especially with Isithunzi, but this feeling was like nothing else.

He opened his eyes and found that he had joiend them completely now, though he had not spoken a single word. He just hoped they could tell that he appreciated what they were doing.

Besides...talking would ruin the rhythm, right?  

[Light Atago]

The trio all smiled, happy to see that he was enjoying it, and Hakuna let out a hearty laugh when Aapep joined in dancing with him. Taka and Isithunzi exchanged some words, buried well beneath the pounding of their drums. Isi nodded to Taka, the pair counted without stopping their beat, and it changed somewhat. There was still the rhythm Isi had come up with for Kirjava, but now there were undertones. Undertones of a mixture of other rhythms, mixed so they were a pleasing melody to the ear. There was a hint of multiple songs in the Nchi repertoire now intermingled with Kirjava's song. Haku picked up on it pretty quickly and shifted his own pounds and movements to fit it, humming along as he danced.

No, there was no need for words. The four lions were inexorably connected through the rhythm.