AN: Next Chapter! Can't wait!!! Tau meets the Royal.
[Pridelands]
Both Fuli and Zazu made it back to Pride Rock where Simba was waiting for the word with Tau, "Everything went well I hope." Simba said to the two who just came back. They both looked away nervously at the king, 'well' was a strong sense of how it didn't go. Giving him the news, that Tau was not excited to hear the Pridelander's King requesting to meet with him.
Simba didn't take the news well of how it went with Tau.
While Zazu tried explaining to Simba what took place in the Outlands, Fuli was trying to figure out what was going on with Tau. Even though he was angry; she saw fear in him, but from what? One thing would always come to mind when she tried figuring out, 'Pridelanders'. "What happened to him?" she thought to herself.
[Outlands]
Tau was near a small water spot in the vast opening of the Outlands, no hills or cliffs could be seen around for quite a distance. Nothing made this spot look special besides it is a place to drink for quite some distance; but it was empty with the exception to the cub.
Lowering down to receive himself a drink to cool himself from the hot sun that beat down on him. A vague memory returned to Tau after remembering the moment that had just happened to him with the Cheetah and that Hornbill. Hearing a voice call out his name in horror, Tau looked in the water where his reflection shown back at him turned to his brother with a scared look on his face.
He growled lowly at the memory, a hatred burning his eye. Raising his head from his moment of drinking he moved his paw over onto his stomach and found the spot that where it looked like he was struck by something at full force. He let out a hiss when a surge of pain ran through him.
Placing his paw back down on the solid ground, he looked back at the water to see his own reflection had returned, "I won't fall for their lies again." He said to himself before returning to his patrol.
The sun was setting for another day on the Outlands with night slowly taking over; everyone returning to their homes before night fully take over. Scared for what lurks at night, but two were out under a lone dead tree waiting.
A hyena and lion looking up at the night sky. Tau let out a yawn which surprised Jasiri for a moment, "Tired?" she asks. He nods his head wiping the tiredness from his eyes, "Why do you think Jumla want us to meet him?" he asks her which Jasiri was as confused as him.
The two stayed near each other under the quiet night enjoying their moment together, "This is kind of nice." Jasiri said feeling the cool breeze brush against her fur, her mane waving with the wind. Tau watched her mane sway; it was like he was hypnotized; not wanting to look away for a moment from her.
"Jasiri, I-" Tau started saying, getting her attention drawn to him to what he is about to say when a voice interrupted the two, "You both made it." Looking above was a fully grown hawk with a leaf eye patch over his right eye landed above them on the tree branch.
"Jumla!" they both said at the same time, Tau was the first to ask what the both had on their mind, "Why did you want us to come here?" but his resolve soon fell when he saw Jumla look at him with a stern glare. Tau knew that he would only stare at someone like that if he was disappointed in something, which for Jumla, he is almost always disappointed with Tau.
"I heard that you almost failed in protecting the border from Ushari and them." He knew what Jumla was referring about, "It wasn't my fa-" he started to explain as Jasiri jumped in, "Tau was the one who helped save their king."
Jumla darted his attention towards Jasiri, making her quiver slightly, "I could care less how Tau solved it; the problem still remains that he let it happen in the first place!" turning back his attention to Tau.
Tau looked away nervously, ears dropped. Nothing he say will reason with him, "You know why we must protect these Pridelanders, don't you?" he asked but before Tau could answer he resumed, "Food will become scarce and hundreds of Outlanders would lose their lives, and it would be your fault!"
He lowered down like a tamed dog being punished for doing something wrong, "You had better do your job right next time!" Jumla complained towards Tau then went to spoke towards himself, "What was Hekima and the others thinking letting a cub patrol the Outlands?" loud enough where Tau and Jasiri could hear.
Tau looked back up at Jumla, "It won't happen again, I promise." He said looking like he was about to break. "It had better not." he responded to Tau. Jasiri moved next to Tau comforting him from what had just happened when the sound of whispers spoke around them, "Tau made a mistake."
Jumla looked around in disgust with the whispers echoed in the night, "Why did Hekima allow that 'abomination' to live?" he questioned towards himself knowing that he would never get the answer he is hoping for.
Turning his attention back to Tau who's currently being comforted by Jasiri, "This had better not of been your plan in helping Kulua destroy the Circle of Life!" he said to Tau but they were the last straw for Jasiri to hold back, "Tau worked hard to protect the Circle of Life! Don't compare him to Kulua!" baring her teeth at the hawk who looked unimpressed at her threat.
"I only call it as I see it, especially for one who's his apprentice." He spoke more so towards Tau with a cold tone. Tau spoke up against this accusation of him, "I'm not his apprentice! I've only talked with him a couple of times, that's all!" Jumla grunted at this, "Whatever you say." With no care for what Tau had to say about this.
He took off into the night leaving the two there in the silent that surrounds them. They watch his figure slowly disappear in the sky, but Jasiri's anger with how he'd treated Tau did not. She wanted to say something but before anything happened, Tau sunk his face into her chest. She suddenly became surprised when she heard him let out whimpering.
She took a moment to calm down, "Are you alright Tau?" she asks him calmly to not worry him anymore then he must already be, "y-yeah, I'm j-just a little tired." He lied. He was trying to hold back his tears not wanting to cause her trouble, but she knew he was hurting. "I understand, go ahead and rest for as long as you need." She whispers to him placing her head down over him to comfort.
[At the Volcano]
Everyone was asleep; well, everyone but two figures lurking near the volcanic lava that bubbles below them. Ushari and Safia, "You know the plan, don't you?" Ushari asked the hyena who gave a grin, "Shouldn't be a problem, Tau and the Pridelanders won't know what hit them." She said.
The two laughed under the moon that shines above them through the hole where the volcano smoke rises out of, "Tomorrow, we strike!"
AN: Welp, a new piece to Tau's past is revealed that might drive new theories or help support some theories to why he hates Pridelanders. More painful scares will soon come to light.
I'm thinking, wouldn't it just be so evil of me to just drop this right now? Yeah, I wouldn't do that but that would just be so mean. Well, hope you all enjoy the emotional ride Tau is going through cause it's slowly going to get worse with each piece of his past.