The Pride Lands (Zeke, NM, kovu42, morri908)

[NightmareMoon]

The very next day, Nanati woke up extremely early. Her unpleasant dreams were surely getting the best of her and it was for the best that she snapped out of it.

Nanati woke up with a jolt. After she woke up so violently, she felt Zeke laying there, sound asleep, embracing her. As reality hit her once more, her head fell to the floor with her body following suit. Tears slowly trickled down her already soaked cheeks, and her eyes welled with emotion. She did her best to remain silent though, as she didn't want Zeke to leave the delicate state of slumber and wake up to the overwhelming cold reality and the emotional pain that came with it. She stayed in the embrace of Zeke, enjoying his precious warmth, and silently cried. She had no intention of stopping either. The pain was just too great.

[Zeke]

Zeke felt a trickling down his back. He slowly started to wake up and the cold wind hit him, stealing his breath. The fur on his muzzle was stiff from tears and Zeke's thoughts went directly back to Mila, yet he could not cry anymore. He kept his muzzle on his frozen paws. His eyes were glazed and emotionless although his insides churned with grief and sorrow.

[morri908]

Tai had fallen asleep again, he was still exhausted from the journey up the mountain. A few hours after he'd fallen asleep, he awoke to a small thud and very quiet crying. He turned his head around to see Nanati sobbing. He hated seeing her like this, and he wanted to make sure that she was happy, soon. He quietly stood up and walked to her. He didn't pay attention to Zeke, so he didn't notice if Zeke was awake yet or not. He nuzzled Nanati and said, "Good morning, beautiful." Tai positioned himself on the ground, bringing himself to Nanati's level. No more words needed to be said, and Tai grabbed hold of his beloved and gave her a gentle hug filled with care and love. He wanted to let Nanati know that he was there to comfort her through her time of need.

[NightmareMoon]

Nanati's everlasting tears were shortly dismissed as the shock of two delicate paws wrapping themselves around her smooth pelt and fur was realized. Her head slowly rotated as she heard the words of her dazzling mate who was doing his best to cheer her from her down mood. It was a good attempt, and she stopped her whining for a little to place her head on one of her mates comfortable shoulders. After doing so, her tears continued and her lack of words could of been a bit awkward for the lion, until her body became active.

Nanati untangled herself from the embrace of the lion she had been sleeping with the previous night gracefully, showing her curvaceous and lavish body that she was so capable of using against Tai. She wasn't in any mood to play games as she frightfully hugged Tai back with such a strong force that the two were knocked to the ground. Nanati buried her muzzle into the plush fur of the male and silently continued her weeps of sorrow. The two shared an embrace that was stunning to see and dream-like to be in, and as Nanati weeped, she felt as though her depressive state was to never end.

[morri908]

Tai was excited due to what seemed to be Nanati being less depressed, she had hugged him with such force that it knocked him to the ground. He laid there holding her voluptuous figure and whispering sweet nothings into her ear as she laid on him weeping for her friend. He just wanted her to be happy. He was tired of letting her down, not taking care of her, not paying enough attention to her. It was time that he started spending as much time with her as possible, life was too short and the group had figured that out the hard way.

[NightmareMoon]

Nanati never got tired of hearing Tai whisper in her ear. She loved him so much and could never bear even thinking of Mila's fate happening to him, or even herself. Her love began to flourish into a mad seasoning of kisses all over Tai's shoulder, which lead up to his muzzle where she planted a delicate, loving, passionate kiss upon him. She never wanted to let him go or see him leave or anything of the sort.

"I love you Tai." Was what was heard from the whispers of the lioness, through the breaks in her kiss that never seemed to want to stop.

[morri908]

Tai was being drowned in kisses, but he didn't mind. It kept him from thinking about the predicament they were in. He paused for a moment when Nanati said she loved him, then he replied sweetly, "I love you too" and continued to kiss Nanati. He loved her more then anything in the world.

[Zeke]

Zeke saw that everyone was awake and dragged his lifeless shell up from the ground and took a drink from a puddle of melted ice. The cold water was actually refreshing despite the frigid weather surrounding him. His paws were totally numb and he felt no pain when he stepped even though his paws were striped with cuts. He walked past the two lions who were in embrace toward the entrance. "We should get going," He said, his misty eyes looking back at Tai and Nanati. "You comming?"

[morri908]

Tai kissed Nanati one last time and said to Zeke, "Yeah. I guess we'd better go before the storm comes back." As he gazed into Nanati's beautiful eyes he wispered, "Did you know he was up?" As Tai moved to stand up, he couldn't help but feel bad for the lion. Especially considering he and Nanati were making out right in front of Zeke, who'd just lost his mate the previous day.

[NightmareMoon]

Zekes voice reached Nanati's ears during the couples little make-out session that had just began. She stopped abruptly, not wanting to pain Zeke for any reason. She listened to Tai's whispers and cried back softly with a simple "no."

As she stood up from her position, she tried to hide her sorrow behind a faint smile while looking at Zeke for a fraction of a second. She couldn't look him in the eye. The pain was just unbearable. She spoke delicately and quietly as she said "Let's go." With that, she walked out into the cold once more.