Adulthood

Twilight sighed seeing Katai awake "Katai go back to sleep...you need to rest pal" he said looking back over at him sounding concerned for him.

"No, it's alright Twilight." Katai looks across to Twilight, his head still resting on his two front paws, "...I'm still living which - is good. However, I'm still in a lot of - pain."

"Yeah exactly your in pain thats why you need rest Katai" Twilight replied looking at Katai concerned.

"Well, to be honest with you I only woke up because I heard Jaini's voice..." he looks across to Jaini who is asleep himself.

"Yeah he was arguing with Reth" Twilight sighed "Not really the perfect to be arguing after what happend today" he said laying his head on his paws sighing softly.

"It's not odd for him and Reth to argue anyway... I think I'll have another few hours. I'll hopefully feel a little better after a little sleep." Katai rests his head on his paws again and drifts back off to sleep.

"Boy do I know it" Twilight sighed as he rested his head on his paws and closed his eyes thinking.

Katai seems to keep his eyes open and he can't sleep. He sits up and looks around, "I think I'll head off to the water hole. I'm thirsty," he begins to stand up; his reactions are very slow at this time. With a little bit of difficulty, Katai finally stands up and walks towards the den entrance, limping slightly.

Twilight opened his eyes looking at Katai "I'm coming with you then" he said yawning slightly and slowly stretching while he got back onto all fours "Not going to have anything happening to you now"

"Alright...the water hole isn't too far away from here so I guess I can make it." Katai gives Twilight a weak smile.

"Yeah Its close I know" Twilight replied slowly padding over to Katai. His paw hurt and only slightly limped.
"Don't want something like this happening most of the time" Twilight smiled back "We're not as young as we were"

Katai looks down, "No, I guess not. I'm at an age now when I only fight if I need to..."

Meanwhile, Karia opens her eyes and spots her father about to walk out the den with Twilight. She quickly gets up and runs over to the two adult lions, "Dad... you really need to rest..." she looks at him concerned, "...are you sure you want to go?" she nuzzles up under his chin lovingly, "...I just don't want anything to happen to you. I love you." She purrs and begins to clean Katai's wounds.

For one of the first times this very day, Katai smiles after feeling the loving comfort and care his daughter had to offer him, he looks down to her after he feels her nuzzle him. He nuzzles her back lovingly, "I'll be fine Karia... don't you worry." He nuzzles her again, "...I love you very much as well as your brothers, sisters and mother. You're all special to me..."

"Well yeah...we rarely need to fight as it is" Twilight replied sighing "As much as I hate violence something like that had to call for action" he said with a slight shrug.
Twilight smiled down at Katai's daughter "I'll make sure hes ok...we are only going to the waterhole as it is"

"Well, alright then. Just don't get hurt or anything - both of you." She smiles a little to Twilight before padding back over to where the others were.

Katai looks at Twilight, "Maybe we should head off now..."

"Yeah sooner we get there the sooner we can get back and rest up" he smiled slightly "Going to have all our cubs worried if we are gone to long" he said looking back at Miale and Starla who slept slightly snuggled up to one another on the ground.

"Yeah, and I'm guessing Jaini, Guan and the others will be worried also... it's not just Karia who's worried." Katai looks back over to them all before looking back at Twilight. He begins to limp again and exits the den.

Twilight looked back once more before padding after Katai.
"You'll be ok in a few days Katai trust me then we can put what happened behind us" Twilight replied "We have to make sure that our cubs never go there again....well I doubt they will after that" he said looking ahead.

"Hopefully, they've all learnt their lesson... they shouldn't have really gone there in the first place. I can remember when I was a cub, I was almost the same." Katai smirks.

"I think we all sorta were...well I wouldn't know I came here when I was a young adolesent" Twilight replied "We never had problems like this back where I lived" he said shaking his head sadly.

"To be honest with you, I haven't lived here all my life. I actually came here about 2 or 3 years ago. I had just passed my adolescent stage and I was a young adult. I was only about 3 or 4... can't remember how old I exactly was."