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If someone had asked Charlie when he was 10 where he thought he'd be at 17, the answer most certainly wouldn't have been, "Running from a very angry police officer." As it so happened, that was exactly what Charlie was doing at 17, and luckily he happened to be a lot faster than the police officer. He dodged pedestrians and weaved through crowds, a stolen wallet clutched in his hand, and a mischievous grin on his face.

How exactly had he gotten in this situation? Well it all started because Charlie had sneezed, mid pickpocket. His mark, a pretentious looking college kid, had shouted for a cop, who just so happened to be walking down the street. Charlie had booked it, arms pumping and legs propelling him forward as fast as he could go. So that was how he'd gotten to this point. Not too complicated. Luckily for him, this was not his first police chase, and nor was it Wendy's. He grinned as he neared the black SUV they'd nicked a while back, when they were in Ohio.

That had been a good night. He and Wendy had found the car, left in a parking lot, keys on the front seat. It was practically an invitation to steal it. So they had, and they'd taught themselves to drive in that thing, although Wendy had always been much better than him at doing so. He went to fast, turned to hard. He figured most of his life had been like that.

Finally reaching the car, he yanked open the door, and shouted one word to his partner. "Drive!" The SUV sped down the main street of a small town called Hollis Ridge. The cop who'd been following him was visible in the side mirror, panting and growing smaller as he and Wendy got farther and farther. "Well, I think it was worth it. This kid was loaded!" he said as he sifted through the wallet of one Lucas Channing. Wendy looked over and smiled at him. "Where to next?" he asked. "You'll see."

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They'd been on the road for a few hours and Wendy was ready to finally reach their destination. She and Charlie had been running, non stop for the past three years, and this was going to be one of the first places where they could stay for more than a few weeks. She was excited at the prospect of having somewhere other than a car to sleep. Not that she was unhappy with her and Charlie's lives. The opposite really, but she did miss some of the finer things.

"Can you just tell me where we're going?Charlie asked. Wendy grinned and looked over at him. "If you'd look in front of you, you might see where we are you oaf." In front of them, on the horizon, there was a large sign welcoming them to Lake Tahoe. Charlie looked over at her, one brow arched, inquiring as to why the hell they were here. Getting everything she needed to from just that look, Wendy laughed. "My parents have the cabin here, remember? They won't be coming down anytime soon, and I know the code for the security system so they won't even know we're here. And plus there's going to be a big party at the ski resort, so we'll have some great opportunities to swipe some stuff," she said, justifying her decision.

Charlie just nodded. She knew he wasn't going to be thrilled. He hated to be reminded of their parents. Well, her parents, but they loved him just like any child. She thought it was because he felt guilty, for taking her away from them. But she'd chosen that on her own, not that he seemed to understand that.

The rest of the ride to her family's cabin was in silence, but when they arrived, Charlie didn't hesitate in getting out. Wendy went over and hugged him, grinning. "Come on, we deserve a little rest and relaxation. And where better but this nice little cabin," she said. Charlie just smiled in silent agreement, and followed her as she walked up the stairs and to the front door.

Snuggled in her soft, blush trench coat, Ariel breathed in the rich scent of her coffee as she took another much needed sip. The day before had completely drained her of all her energy. One of her Youtuber friends had been wanting to do a collab for quite some time and their schedules had finally matched up so she had flown all the way from New York to San Francisco. While she had an amazing time visiting the city for her second time, she couldn’t deny the amount of exhaustion she felt.

Being a YouTuber was full of interesting things, Ariel never knew what to expect next. It allowed her to travel across the world, attempt the strangest things, one could say it was the dream life. Everything about the job description shouted her name in bold letters. There was no other thing she would rather be doing. All of her life she had always felt there was something more, something beyond her,and Ariel believed this was exactly that.

After spending the whole day before touring San Francisco and filming a Disney challenge where she had completely kicked butt, Ariel now sat within a quaint little coffee shop in Lake Tahoe. With two weeks of freedom before a fan meetup in London, Ariel couldn’t pass up a chance to go snowboarding at a nearby ski resort. It had been years since she had stepped on a snowboard and she couldn’t wait to rip the course to shreds. She could still remember the first time her parents had taken her to a ski resort in Switzerland.

Dozens of tourists sat within the coffee shop, hiding from the cold outside. Sometimes it was interesting to simply sit in public and watch people. Everyone had their own story and Ariel was incredibly intrigued as to what everyone’s story was. She couldn’t explain why but people seemed to fascinate her. Shrugging, she took another sip of her steaming coffee as a little girl in pigtails sat beside an older woman, who Ariel assumed was her mother, and sucked on a watermelon smoothie. A smile spread across her lips at the sight. Children were absolutely adorable and she could spend hours being around them. One day maybe she’d even have her own. Although she could never make a commitment so easily for Ariel would continue her adventures for as long as she could. As she was about to take another sip, a petite blonde with an excited grin on her face slowly made her way over to Ariel.

“Oh my gosh, are you Ariel Banks?” She asked in a high pitched voice.

“Aww, yes I am.”

“I absolutely love your videos on YouTube, I watch them all the time. I can’t believe I’m meeting you. You’re so amazing!”

Ariel smiled. “That’s so sweet! Thank you so much.”

“Would it be okay if we took a picture together?”

“Of course!” Ariel set down her coffee and stood up beside the girl. Meeting fans was one of her favorite things. It was incredible to know that she entertained so many people. Although sometimes she did prefer to hide behind dark shades and blend into a crowd.

Pulling out her cellphone, the girl snapped a few photos of the two and thanked Ariel again before returning back to her family. Ariel needed to check into the ski resort before it became too late so she grabbed her tan bag and made her way outside. Goosebumps spread across her arms and she instantly regretted not wearing her winter coat, which was locked in the rental car a few blocks away. Fashion wasn’t everything but it did tend to trump over many things.

A half hour later, Ariel found herself in the lobby of the ski resort her friend had picked out for her. Soft music played in the background and she found herself walking to the beat of it. While she would never pursue it as a career, Ariel enjoyed singing and listening to classic hits. She particularly enjoyed Disney music, another reason why she had destroyed her YouTube friend at the challenge. Maybe it was the happy ending but Ariel adored Disney movies and could literally watch them over and over again all day

The clerk sitting behind the counter gave her a slight smile and sighed, obviously tired from work. Giving the lady her best smile, Ariel approached the counter. They exchanged conversation and details of her identity several minutes before she was finally given the keys to her room. Ariel didn’t plan to stay long so she only carried three bags, one of which held her camera equipment. There was no break of her videos with the exception of the holidays or emergencies.

Pushing shades up her nose, Ariel gracefully walked over to the elevator and eventually made it to her room. She instantly pushed play to a playlist of Disney music and opened her Mac to begin editing a thumbnail for her latest video.

The gentle sounds of rustling leaves and snapping branches flitted through the air, startling the creatures below and causing them to scatter about in all directions in their rush to get out of the way of the young woman who seemed to be focusing on something not too far a head of her. Ignoring the other creatures as they were of no concern to her; she pushed herself through the tops of the trees, using the branches and the power of her own body to propel herself further and further before she came to an abrupt halt above the small clearing in which her prey felt safe from her touch. The warthog she had been stalking now feeling as though it had finally lost her as it relaxed, lowering its snout so that it could graze on the grass below; crouching low against the branch, she kept her bright blue orbs locked on the creature that was to be her next kill- her prize in which she would return home with.

Her soft pink lips parted only slightly as she calmed her breathing, keeping it almost completely silent as she lead herself further out onto the branch, careful not to make even a sound in fear that she would scare away the strange beast below her; slowly removing one hand from the branch, she reached back, her fingers grazing over the bare skin that was her leg, tracing her thigh until she gripped tightly to the dagger that she had pressed against her flesh by the thick bit of blue material tied around it. Her long white locks falling down over her shoulder as she leant forward, her toes splaid over the branch as she kept her balance; the gentle breeze brushing over her skin while the sound of flowing water nearby caused her to think back to her home, she had to get this over with soon so that she could return and get back to the responsibilities awaiting her.

Hesitating, she waited for the right moment before she pushed herself forward, her body flinging down from her perch until she came into contact with the creature, its surprised and terror filled grunts and squeals filling the air as she used her weight to keep it pressed firmly against the ground, straightening her back once she had gotten the dominance over it, she lifted up her arm, holding the dagger high as she began to mumble thanking it for its sacrifice so that she, and any others who feasted upon its meat could live.

Basking out in the long, dead grass of the plains, Simba uncrossed and crossed his legs back together, adjusting himself into a more comfortable position. Lying out on his back, arms extended out with his elbows level with his head and hands laced together holding the back of his head he could feel the heat of the afternoon sun beating down on his tanned skin that would have forced anyone unfamiliar with the land to scrounge for shade on the open plains, but Simba reveled in the heat. It was days like today that the young youth didn't feel like doing anything but soaking up what the sun had to offer, maintaining a comfortable body temperature and storing the energy given by it for a later use; should something come up. A slight breeze picked up, flitting through the long grass that kept him otherwise hidden from lying down in it and caused the ends of his shaggy blonde hair to tussle about, forcing Simba to untangle his hands and brush away at the tickling hairs that brought his moment of serenity to an abrupt halt.

Huffing out a bit of air in annoyance, Simba sat up and pulled back his hair against his scalp, pulling off a bit of elastic twine from his wrist and fastened his bangs back into a ponytail, leaving the rest of his hair to hang down to his broad shoulders and upper back. Running a hand over his face, dispelling of the tickle that still seemed to linger, Simba forced himself up to his feet, his head on a swivel as he looked about for his oldest friend. His mind reached out to the animal, calling it by name but the swine was not answering, he could no longer feel it.

/You dirty old pig, where did you wander off to this time?/ Simba scratched the back of his head, feeling somewhat perplexed by the absence of his friend so his bare feet began to carry him, his mind reaching out as far as his limits would allow for any sign of the Warthog. After a few moments, a chilling scream reached Simba's ears that went straight down into his heart, halting his movements almost immediately.

/No! No stop! Please! You are hurting me! Help!/

Simba's pulse quickened as he reached out to the animal calling for help, feeling the aura of the very friend he had been looking for. His upper lip curled up into a snarl as his legs began to carry him swiftly through the dead grass with the speed of the gazelle he had bonded with earlier that morning until finally he happened upon the scene of another human being with her hand raised, dagger in hand ready to put an end to his friends life. Forgetting the spoken words of his language for a moment, Simba instead let out an anguished yell as he sped towards them. In the blink of an eye he had his arms around the human, the momentum of his speed throwing the both of them away from the squealing warthog into a confused tumble in the grass until finally Simba used his weight to his advantage and dug his knees into the soft earth below them, pinning down the other human underneath him. His hands immediately shot to the humans wrists, holding onto them tightly against the ground as he got his first good look at the would-be murderer.

"What is wrong with you? What did Pumba ever do to you?" He asked in anger, his blue eyes sizing up what he realized was a woman that was underneath him.

Struggling against the sudden weight that had forced itself against her body, and had caused her to go tumbling over the ground, she fought back, an angered yell slipping through her lips to add to his own as both voices now filled the air around them; barring her teeth at him, she growled, her hands balling into fists as she pulled, her muscles showing behind her skin as she tried to rip her wrists from his grip, her dagger long gone from her her own grip. Breathing heavily, her chest heaved up and down, her expression showing her anger and aggression towards the man that was holding her against her will, and for doing nothing at all wrong; clenching her jaw she stared at him, looking over his facial features as she tried to determine how much of a threat to her he truly was, the bright blue tribal markings just under her left eye matching their color, and standing out against her pale skin, showing him that she was most definitely not from where he was, "مجھے اپنا پیٹ کھول جانا یا میری بلیڈ کاٹنے سرد سٹیل محسوس ہونے ..! یہ میرا آپ سے آخری انتباہ ہے ..! اب مجھے جانے دو ..!"

Not even bothering to give him a chance to respond to what she had said, she twisted her upper body, her bright blue orbs shutting tightly as she wrapped her mouth around his forearm, sinking her teeth into his skin deeply, and trying to inflict as much pain as she could so that his grip would at least lax on that wrist; once she felt the hesitation in his grip, she pulled her arm from his hold, the fist she had made moments earlier coming up to connect with his jaw, stunning him just enough so that she could push him to the side, her body turning as she scrambled back to her feet. Bending as she ran, she scooped up her dagger slipping it back into place against her thigh as she pushed herself faster over the ground, her hair flying back behind her while she tried to put a large enough gap between them so that she could lose him, stumbling sightly she turned her head looking back over her shoulder to chance a look at where he was before she disappeared, her body slipping through a well hidden cave entrance and out of the light that the sun had to offer them.

Looking down at the woman below him, Simba blinked a few times as sounds and utterances came from her mouth, but he was unable to understand what any of it meant save for the tone she used, in which he was able to gather that she was angry. He could care less if he was putting her under any distress, however. She had caused himself distress by putting his friends life in danger, as well as being in an area where he had made sure he wouldn't ever have to come into contact with another human again. Feeling her teeth unexpectedly sinking down into his arm, his left grip flinched on her wrist giving her all the time she needed to wrench her hand away and clip him across the jaw. Stumbling back into the grass, not quite sure what had just happened he watched as a blur of blue and white rushed out of his view. Rolling himself into an upright position, Simba looked to the Warthog, extending out his right palm to touch the snout of the pig. A soft, blue glow came from his hand upon contact, feeling a sense of calm coming over them both as the animal came to the understanding that the threat had passed, and a similar calm washed over Simba in feeling no injuries from his friend. After ensuring that the other was okay, Simba jumped up to his feet, the scar on his hand losing it's blue luminosity and caught a glimpse of the blue and white blur before she ducked into the safety of the trees.

/Stay here, I will return./ Simba relayed to the pig, which in turn grunted out a huff of air, it's front hooves kicking at the dirt underneath him in which Simba was able to understand clear as day as,

/Be safe, my friend./

Nodding, Simba turned his attention back to the area of trees in which he had seen the woman disappear in and let his legs carry him the fair distance. He hated trees, it was far too easy to be ambushed where as the openness of the plains brought him more calm as he could have nearly a perfect view of all things around him. Once in the trees, however, by a stroke of luck he caught a glimpse of her strikingly light hair as she disappeared once again in what Simba was sure was just a rock wall. Maneuvering through the trees with the agility he had forgotten he had, he reached the area to find it to be not a wall, but the mouth of a cave. Throwing all caution to the wind, he ducked inside, intent to get in a word to the woman.

With no intention of stopping, she pushed herself forward, her feet causing small stones and pebbles to dislodge from the earth, and to roll over the ground that she forced her body to leave behind as she ran towards her destination, trying her best to leave him as far behind as she could so that he would give up the chase, and in turn, leave her alone; her lips parted as her breathing became heavier, her arms swinging back and forth at her side, catching some of the stray droplets on her skin as her feet hit the water her body weaving back and forth past the pillars of stone that had naturally formed that came into her path.

Reaching out she used her hands to pull herself up a small rock wall formation, her body not stopping as she reached the flat, her stomach muscles tensing as she thrust herself into the deeper water, taking the shortest path she knew, her pace slowing down slightly as she pushed her body through the water, her hand reaching out to press against the stone wall as she once more glanced back, her gaze catching on his before she ran straight towards a huge stone wall on the opposite side of the large cave, her body turning to the side as she slipped herself through the gap, leaving him behind as she came out into the bright light and fresh air of her homeland.

Pausing for a moment, she looked out over the tall ledge, her eyes falling down on the overgrown jungle-like terrain that when one looked properly, they would see that it hid the ruins of an ancient city; backtracking slightly, she turned her back to the city, her body slipping to the side as she hid herself behind a couple of large rocks, her eyes locked on the entrance as she stopped moving, waiting to see if he had given up or if he was insistent on following her to the ends of the earth in his anger.

Even though the woman had speed and agility of a lithe frame on her side, Simba had the strength and experience in tracking things that didn't wish to be found on his. She managed to keep a gap between them as he continued to follow her, as Simba was unable to get closer than about thirty feet from her. Digging his bare feet into the rocky ground, ignoring the varying sensations of first loose pebbles and then suddenly puddles of water from the cascading waterfall that kept a majority of the mouth of the cave hidden, he continued his pursuit. He watched as he tried to close the distance as she grabbed hold of a ledge and hoisted herself up with the ease of a wild cat. Digging into his reserves of a leopard cub he had bonded with not two weeks ago, he followed her lead by bounding up the side wall before catching the lip of the ledge and pulled himself up and onto his feet.

Following the path she set out before him, he continued running, jumping with the strength of his legs a good few feet out into the open air before plummeting down into the deep waters of the cave. Just as he resurfaced, he caught her figure on the opposite side, slipping in-between a gap of rocks in the wall. Pulling from the strength of his arms, he swam to the rock ledge and pulled himself back up, heading towards the gap in the rock wall. The space was a bit of a problem, his broad muscles making it a bit cramped and causing a brief moment of claustrophobia, but Simba managed to ease himself through and broke free into the openness of the large stone floor beneath him. He came to a sudden stop, however, when he realized that he had entirely lost sight of the girl. Forcing himself into a walk, chest heaving as he looked around for a sign, he found nothing. Passing by a small formation of rocks, he scratched the back of his head, trying to dispel of the water that dripped from the ends on his shaggy blonde hair his eyes darted in every which way, trying to catch something that would give her away as he was sure she hadn't gone far.

Clenching her jaw as she watched him pull himself through the gap and into the air, she had to stop herself from making any sound that would alert him to where she was hidden, her bright blue orbs narrowing as she watched his every move; being careful not to be seen by his ever watchful gaze, she slowly removed her hand from the rock in front of her, reaching back once more, she let her fingers brush over her thigh, silently pulling the dagger from its place against her thigh, her body moving with the shape of the boulder as she crept out from behind it.

Being sure to stay out of his line of sight, she kept low to the ground, her feet slowly creeping her around and closer until she was able to stand up tall behind him, her free arm coming up and around as she pressed the heel of her palm against his forehead, her fingers gripping tightly to his hair as her other arm came around, pressing the blade hard against his neck in a show that she was not going to be messing around anymore- he had crossed the line when he had followed her... and now he was going to pay the price for his actions.

"تم کون ہو ..! اور تم کیوں میرا پیچھا کر رہے تھے ..! مجھے جواب یا میں نے تمہاری گردن کاٹ اور سانس لینے سے روکنے گی ..!" Her voice was clear and demanding as she jerked his head backwards, her chest pressing against his back as she kept a tight grip upon him, her blade pressing further against his neck, giving him a warning as she waited for him to answer her questions, "مجھے جاننا چاہتے ہیں مجھے کیا بتا ..! اب ..!"

Simba's breath caught in his throat feeling first her cold, wet fingers against his forehead and second the cold sensation of something sharp against the nape of his neck, more than likely a weapon.

/Oh. That's where she went./

Carefully, as she began to rant in a tongue he did not understand, he opened up both hands for her to see clearly and raised them up in a non-threatening stance. The way he saw it, he didn't have very many choices here. His toes were only a foot or so away from the edge that would send him plummeting down hundreds of feet into the jungles below, more than likely being impaled by a branch or sharp stone to slow his fall, and at his back a woman hell-bent on making his peaceful, lazy afternoon soak in the sun as troublesome as she possibly could... with a dagger.

"You want to tell me why you're after Pumba? Did he foul up your watering hole? Because he does that a lot, I wouldn't take it personally." Furrowing his brows as she asked him something else that he did not understand, he gently shook his head, droplets of water falling from his hair and onto his already soaked brown shirt. "I... I don't know what you are saying!" He answered in a tone of frustration. The corner of his eye caught the slight glimmer of the scar on his hand. Turning his right palm towards him a bit more, looking over the lion cub scar he had since he was seven, an idea came to him. She wouldn't like it, and he probably wouldn't either, but really what choice did he have? He hadn't ever tried to bond with another human before... he just hoped it held the same regulations that the animals had.

Exhaling a breath he didn't know he had been holding, He twisted his head to the side and ducked down in a swift motion, ridding her hand from his forehead. The motion caused the blade of her dagger to cut into his neck a bit, but it was a small price to pay for what he needed to do. As he was ducked down, his leg spun his body around so that he was facing the woman, his left hand shooting to grab her wrist that held the dagger while his right hand, palm out, pressed to her forehead. The same light blue glow that had been on his palm when he had made contact with the warthog appeared, casting a blue light over her pale skin as he flooded her mind with the knowledge of himself, the pig she had tried to slaughter, and his reasoning for being angry. In return, as he reached out with his mind, he received very little information as her mental blocks were up, but he managed to gather that she was fearful about something; a treasure she didn't wish to be found... a secret...

Barring her teeth as she felt her hand slip from his head, she let out a frustrated yell, her body taking a couple of steps back as he shot his hand out, taking hold of her wrist tightly and taking her dagger completely out of play; her eyes widening slightly as she felt his palm press against her forehead, the simple touch of his hand seeming to open up some kind of door, her mind flooding with information that was not even her own, but that were his. Bringing her hand up, she gripped tightly around his wrist, her nails digging into his skin as she tried to pull his hand from her head but to no avail, her eyes shutting tightly and her brows furrowing as she did all she could to figure out what exactly he was doing to her; after a few moments, her grip on his wrist relaxed, slipping from his arm altogether as he finally let her go, allowing her to stumble backwards until her back pressed flat against the trunk of a nearby tree.

Opening her eyes slowly she turned her gaze to meet his, her chest heaving up and down with each and every breath she took as she tried to process through the information that he had just forced on her, "He-... He is your friend." Her words, though still holding the same tone that she had been using when demanding information from him earlier were slower, the young woman trying her best to think back to the lessons she had received from her father before fate had torn her family apart, "T-That creature out there..."

Relief washed over Simba as he could now recognize the words she spoke, and with the relief also came the confidence that she wouldn't try to harm him any longer; confirmed when she stumbled back a few steps away from him. Straightening his posture he slowly lowered his hands to his sides, the blue glow on his palm fading back to its original fleshy color of a scar and gave her a slight nod of confirmation.

"Pumba." He said again, his eyebrow quirking a bit as if he were wondering why the name of his friend wasn't obvious to her by now. "I heard him calling for help, he was trying to make you stop. Why? Why didn't you stop? Is taking another's life so easy a thing for you?" With each word he spoke, his tone became more and more angry, though as he finished his last sentence he stopped himself and sighed. He was trying not to come across as a threat, and he wasn't doing a very good job. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

"Poom-bah..." She repeated the name slowly, and mostly to herself as she lifted both of her hands up, the dagger dropping to the ground at her feet while she pressed her palms against her temple, her brows still furrowed in confusion as she searched through the new information, her mind basically replaying his memories of him and how the two of them were connected with one another. Groaning in frustration, she curled her shoulders over, her upper body hunching over as she tried her best to do more than one thing at a time, her mind screaming at her to both listen and converse with the man standing in front of her, as well as process everything she had been given by him; shutting her eyes tightly once more she shook her head from side to side, her expression clearly showing the battle that was raging on inside of her head.

Hearing his questions directed at her, she shoved all other thoughts from her mind, her head lifting as she once again opened her eyes, letting them quickly flick behind him and towards the city before she stared him down, praying that he hadn't noticed her slip up, her body straightened away from the tree as she once more took up a defensive stance, her right foot pressing down on the hilt of her dagger her toes curling over it ready to flick it up to her hands at a moments notice, "I ask you the same. Why have you come? You do not belong here outsider. Leave now before I drain the life from your body."

"Outsider?" Simba had to hold back a laugh. "I've lived here, in this unclaimed part of land, for over half of my life; just me and the animals, no one to bother us until you decided to make a snack out of Pumba!" His blue eyes glanced down at the dagger she was attempting to grip with her feet. Realizing that arguing was getting them nowhere, he sighed out again and shook his head, holding both his hands up, palms facing out towards her to once again show her that he was no threat. "Look, you don't have to threaten me alright? I just don't want to see you around my home or my friends again, we do well enough without human interaction... so-" He made a gesture with his hands as though he were shooing her away. "-go back to where you came from, find some place else to get something to eat; this land is protected by me."

Flicking her foot up behind her, she reached back, gripping hold of the dagger once more as she held it tightly at her side, taking a couple of steps closer and closing some of the gap that was in between them as her anger began to boil under her skin at his words of warning for her to leave, "I have roamed this land for three hundred and seventy years. Who are you to try and rid me of my home!"

Lifting her arm up slightly higher she once again let her anger and frustration show over her face, her body slowly moved closer to his with each step that she took, her mind working in over time as she tried to decide whether she would allow him to continue speaking with her, or whether she should just slaughter him where he stood on the ledge, "These lands and its people are under my protection. I do not take kindly to outsiders trespassing. You have no say or business here. Now leave!"

The more she seemed to talk to him, the less he understood; the complete opposite of what was supposed to happen when he bonded with someone. But now that the bond had been created, he simply had to get her to agree to lower her mental walls so he could at least try to figure out what was going on. Reaching out with his mind, he sent her a feeling of calm and sincerity, whether or not she accepted it was entirely up to her. He had never tried to bond with another human being before, so the territory was all unknown to him; though it couldn't be much different than bonding with a wolf or a lion... right?

Something then caught his attention. As he continued to try to calm her mind, he noticed her eyes continually flicking past his shoulder and looking at something. Furrowing his brows in confusion, unable to get a read from her own mind he simply turned his head to look behind him. At first all he saw was more thick brush and jungles suspended hundreds of feet below them, but as his instincts told him to take a better look, he focused on what was laid out before him. His mouth hung open, taking a few steps back towards the woman without realizing it, accidentally bumping back into her though even then he still didn't seem to notice. It wasn't just a jungle laid out there below them, but an entire city!

"How... how is this possible? I thought... I was the only one here..." Blinking, he forced his head to turn back to look at the woman before him, confusion clear on his face as he continued to try to reach her mind with his own."Three- three hundred and seventy years? You... you have a very strange way of counting the seasons..."

Lifting her free hand up she pressed her fingers against her temples, her eyebrows furrowing as she felt a strange sensation beginning to spread through her body, the calming and sincerity of the emotions filling her and causing her to falter in her choices, her arm lowering only slightly; whatever it was that was going on with her right now, she didn't understand. How was he able to inflict these feelings upon her..? Causing her emotions and thoughts to conflict with one another... whatever it was that he had managed to do when he had touched her forehead, it had somehow managed to open her mind up to him, allowing him entrance into both her thoughts and emotions; the walls in her mind that were keeping him out slowly beginning to lower, inch by inch as she let the calm wash over her, "W-What have you done to me-..."

Her head snapped up, what little of the walls in her mind that had lowered once more building themselves up as she heard the words slip from his lips, causing her to follow his gaze out to the city which he had only just noticed for the first time, dropping her hand and bringing the other one up to meet it as she moved herself so that she was now between him and the city, she pressed her palms into his chest shoving him roughly back the way they had come, trying to force him to leave, "I do not understand why you say such things. There are but four seasons in a single year."

Practically teetering on the edge of the cliff that would send him falling to the city below with one wrong step, Simba didn't even hear the woman's inquiry on what he had done to her; too engrossed in the knowledge that he had been living above an entire civilization all these years and never saw a single sign of human life until now.

"Incredible..." He sighed out softly to himself before suddenly he felt a pressure on his chest. Looking down, he saw the woman pushing him back, putting distance between him and the city he had become so interested in; he hadn't even noticed that she had broken the small bond he had managed to create with her as she seemed to appear out of nowhere. "Hey! Watch it!" He stumbled back a few steps, having been caught off guard but he quickly regained his footing and stood his ground. "What is your deal? You... this... " Simba made a vague gesture with one hand to the city behind her. "None of this is making any sense! Who are you?"

"This is my home! Others can not know you are here, outsiders are not welcome by the people. I am the only one to protect them; it is my duty, my responsibility as Queen." Her stomach muscles clenched as she forced all her weight into him, her feet pressing hard into the ground as she tried to force him back the way they came, "You cannot stay here. Leave now, or I shall not hesitate to end your life."

Standing up straight she groaned out in frustration, her eyes baring into his as her chest continued to heave, adrenaline coursing through her body as she stared him down, her expression making it clear that she was not playing around with him, her crystal shining on her chest, "Argh..! Kidagakash Nedakh!"

Taking her last outburst as some sort of curse in the language she spoke that he didn't understand, Simba just shook his head, holding up both his hands trying to have everything come to a stop around him. His head was spinning with questions, information, feelings... not at all something he was used to thinking about all at once from living the last thirteen years in a carefree lifestyle.

"Wait... you're a Queen?" He asked, staring back into her eyes with a look of confusion. How far exactly had he ventured away from The Pride Lands? The impulse to try and make himself seem superior in this argument came to his throat by telling her that he was a King; well... technically, but he swallowed the thought before it reached his lips. "What's a Queen doing going out hunting? Don't you have servants or hunters to do that for you?" He asked, perhaps letting on a bit more than he intended to about his knowledge of royalty.

Dropping her arms back to her side, she stood her ground, staring him down as she continued to listen to him, her head nodding in response to his question in regards to whether or not she was really the Queen of the city lain out below them, "Yes. Is this hard to understand? Are there not Queens in your world?"

Narrowing her eyes slightly as he began to interrogate her with question after question, she pulled her head back slightly, trying to figure out why he was so insistent on learning about her and about the city, clenching her jaw she huffed out a sigh before turning her gaze away from him completely, her feet moving her away from him so that there was now a fair bit of space in between them, her body relaxing slightly as she looked out over the city below the both of them, "We are not thriving... True, my people live, but our culture is dying... My people scavenge for food at the edge of the crumbling city. I cannot expect them to continue living in such a way. I will do what I can to ensure their survival..."

Ignoring the question about Queens being where he came from (as that was far more difficult for him to explain than he would like), Simba tilted his head to the side in curiosity, folding his arms over his chest in a non-threatening manner.

"Why don't you just ask the animals to move their herds closer? There is plenty of wildlife out there. Too much in fact, I'd offer up my friend Timone right now but something tells me he wouldn't go down without a fight, and that's one argument you can save yourself from by just leaving him be." He laughed a bit to himself, finding some sort of inside-joke with himself but quickly recovered and continued. "You just happened to pick the one warthog who I've a close connection with. Just ask the buffalo herd I saw the other day to move closer, they could feed you and your people for a while; pretty big herd."

Scrunching up her face in confusion, she turned her head looking back over her shoulder at him wondering why he was suggesting such a strange thing for her to do, her body turning slightly so that she could look at him properly, "Why do you suggest such strange things? People cannot converse with animals, such things are impossible."

Frowning she crossed her arms tightly over her chest, letting her eyes glide up and down his figure as she tried to figure him out, her mind flicking back to what he had done to her earlier, her mind still full of things she needed to think about, "What did you do to me before... Why is my head drowning with things I do not understand."

If it was at all possible, Simba looked even more confused than before.

"You... cannot converse with... the animals?" He asked, unfolding his arms from his chest and turned his palm up towards him, his blue eyes looking at the scar there, examining it closely as though it were the first time he had seen it. Forgetting completely that this was the same woman who had tried to eat his friend and then shove him off a cliff not soon afterwards, Simba once more approached her, taking hold of her wrist with one hand and turning her palm upward with the other, finding no scar there. Shaking his head a bit, continuing to look down at her palm with little droplets of water splashing down onto her skin from his wet, unkempt hair, Simba sighed.

"I don't understand... I thought everyone could bond..."

Furrowing her brows she watched as his expression seemed to get more confused then ever, his body quickly moving over the ground to close the gap between them, her own feet moving her back a few steps as he reached out to grab hold of her wrist tightly, his other hand shooting out to turn hers over as though he was looking for something, "What are you doing..!" Balling her free hand into a fist she brought it back, her jaw tensing until she heard his voice soften, his expression clearly showing her just how confused he really was about whatever was going inside his head; relaxing her hand, she lowered it back down by her side, narrowing her eyes out of pure curiosity as her feet moved her once more to where she had been standing moments before he had frightened her into moving backwards.

"I do not know about those in your world. But in Atlantis the people cannot bond with creatures of the earth." Letting her head drift away to glance over at the city below them, she hesitated for a few moments before she brought her attention back to him, her hand flipping to take a hold of his own wrist as she turned on her heel, her feet carrying her away from the cave entrance gently pulling him along behind her, "Come. If you are to stay we should not waste time by the entrance to your world. I shall have the people prepare a feast to welcome you to the city."

Feeling his arm being pulled, and in turn his feet moving without his consent to keep himself from toppling over, Simba watched as the woman started to drag him towards the city, his blue eyes widening in realization.

"Wait, I'm staying?" He asked, re-running her words over in his head. His heart rate began to quicken, the very idea of being around more human beings causing his airway to restrict and his already wet palms to get sweaty. "Wait... WAIT!" Planting his bare feet firmly into the rocky ground, Simba managed to wrench his wrist away from her, taking it back in and massaging the slightly irritated skin there from her firm grip. His chest was heaving, breathing becoming more and more difficult to do as his eyes continued to jump between the woman and the city in which she ruled over. "I... I'm not really a people person..." He explained a bit awkwardly. He knew what being 'the new guy' would consist of; it happened every time an exiled lion tried to join a new pride... lots of examination; questions, tests... no. Simba was not cut out for that.

"I'm fine, really..." He reiterated, resting both his hands back down to his sides again and turned to leave. "Just, don't pick on Pumba anymore, alright? He's had a hard enough life."

Her body whipped around, her hair lifting up off her back before flying over her left shoulder, her head following the circle her body started as she lifted her gaze to look up into his bright blue eyes as he ripped his wrist from her grip, her brows furrowing in slight confusion, "You will not stay..."

Her chest tightened slightly as she felt a strange sense of emotions unknown running through her body, causing her brows to furrow as her eyes shut tightly, trying to sort through what was happening to her, she still had no idea what it was he had done to her and clearly it wasn't settling so well with her at all. Lifting her hand up, she pressed her fingers to her temple, rubbing them in small circles while his words drowned out into nothing more than background noise as she tried to keep herself standing up right; unable to keep up the effort of keeping her walls up against him while trying to cope with the new emotions that were now seeping into her body, she let her walls come crashing down, her mind opening itself wide for him to search through as she fell back against the closest tree, her other hand coming up to join the first as her knees shook, eventually giving way under her body.

Turning his gaze back to the woman, he noticed the color of her tanned skin starting to pale in her face, her fingers shooting to her temple; he could feel her body weakening just as if it were his own.

"Hey, you oka-" His own legs began to shake, unable to understand for the brief moment that her mind had lowered to him completely, and like a broken dam, everything she had been holding back from him plunged into his own mind. Gritting his teeth, Simba's hands shot to either side of his head, attempting to stabilize the amount of information that continued to flow into him. It was all a jumble, flashes of images, a word here and there, blurred colors; nothing stood still long enough for him to concentrate on.

A hot stinging sensation came to his knees as his legs gave out on him, forcing him down onto the rock surface but he continued holding onto his head, afraid that if he let go it would explode. Every sound escaped his ears, replaced only by a high-pitched buzzing that he was sure had something to do with the black spots he was seeing in his vision. He closed his eyes tightly, clamping his jaw down even tighter as his back hunched over himself, his face just a few inches from the stone with his elbows resting on the surface as some extra support. It was too much, way too much. Perhaps bonding with another human being had rules, rules in which he did not follow... if this was to be his end...

Forcing his head upwards, his back following suit vertebrae by vertebrae, his let loose his head with his hands, pulling them into fists at his side as his head looked up to the sky as he let out a pained shout, putting everything he had into his own mind to sever the connection. And then... it was gone, and Simba collapsed down onto the ground in an unconscious heap.

Her eyes shot open, staring down at her lap as suddenly the emotions that had been drowning her moments before came to an end, leaving her body as though they had never been there at all, her chest heaving up and down heavily as she tried to regain her composure enough so that she could move again; lowering her hands slowly, she glanced around her person, her bright blue orbs coming to rest on his unconscious figure laying on the ground in front of her, causing her to narrow her eyes as she tried to think back to what had happened that would have made him collapse upon the ground. Glancing around, she pulled herself back up to her feet, waiting but a few moments as she tried to maintain her balance before she moved forward, her body crouching down and her arms reaching out to pull him up into a sitting position, her body lowering as she pushed her shoulder into his stomach, her free hand reaching out to grab her dagger, sliding it back into place before she heaved him over her shoulder and shakily getting to her feet; gritting her teeth together as she turned and slowly began to trek through the jungle like terrain, eventually coming to the outer city and the wall of rubble that separated both sides.

Shifting him on her shoulder slightly so that he would be protected by her body from the sharp edges of the rubble that made up the path blockade in front of them, she reached out with her free hand, moving a lot slower than she normally would have done as she climbed up the wall, awkwardly pulling both herself and him up over the ledge, and onto the flat surface causing some of the Atlanteans who were wandering around doing their day to day tasks to stop and look over at her with concern, surprise and curiosity. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she held her free hand up to them in a motion to wait before she breathlessly got out the words she had been thinking about, "جاؤ. ہم اپنے نئے دوست کے اعزاز میں ایک استقبال دعوت کا انعقاد کیا جائے گا کہ لوگوں کے درمیان میں لفظ پھیلانے . میں اس شہر میں جانے کے لئے کافی ان پر اعتماد اور جیسا کہ میں نے اس سے لوگوں میں سے ایک کے طور پر علاج کیا جا کرنے کی توقع . آپ کے خاندان یا دوستوں کا علاج کرے گا کے طور پر اس کا علاج ، مہربان اور رحم کر . اب میرے دوست کیا جائے زیادہ ہے ، جاؤ ."

Smiling as she watched the woman nod her head in understanding of her words, her gaze turned down to the steep drop and to the ground below her, her body swaying from side to side nervously before she closed her eyes and took that step off the edge, an angered yell escaping through her lips as she landed, pain shooting through her ankle; stumbling as she stood back up, she made sure that he was okay before she began to move again, her body limping down the many streets until she finally came to her destination, the large doors of the palace being opened for her as she got close enough, her free hand coming up as several people began to rush to her side to help, "نہیں ... میری فکر نہ کریں ، آپ کرنے کی ضرورت ہے کے ساتھ جاری رکھنے کے لئے براہ مہربانی ، میں ٹھیک ہو جائے گا . آپ کی تشویش اپنے دوستوں کے لئے آپ کا شکریہ ."

Continuing inside, she turned moving through one of the curtains into a large room filled with cushions, her body leaning over as she gently lowered him onto the pile, her own body dropping down beside his causing her face to relax once the weight had been taken off of her ankle, reaching up she tilted her head pulling her crystal up and off from around her neck, her body leaning forward as she pressed the end against her ankle, a gentle blue glow surrounding it as the pain began to subside.

The normally peaceful atmosphere of her room was broken as the sound of snow smacking into, and breaking apart against her bedroom window drowned out the music, causing her to jump and turn her attention around to the glass that she was sat next to, the young woman’s bright ice-blue eyes narrowing in slightly and her lips turning up lightly out of pure curiosity as she once more lowered her feet to the ground, her body lifting from the desk chair as she reached out towards the window, making quick work of the latch before opening it up, her body stooping underneath and her hands resting against the ledge as she looked out to see just what it was that was going on; a gentle chuckle slipping from her lips, and her smile growing brighter as her gaze came to a rest on the one figure she hadn’t been expecting to see.

“Lucas Channing; the famous Prince of Yale…” Shaking her head lightly from side to side, Eliza paused for just a moment before she leant her body over the window sill, lifting herself up onto the balls of her feet as she reached her hand forward, taking hold of some of the snow resting untouched on the roof before she playfully threw it in his direction, knowing full well that there was a big chance that none of it was going to hit him.

“What are you doing here..? I haven’t heard a word from you since last summer, and now here you are outside my window. I didn’t think you were gunna come this year.”

Lucas sidestepped the snowball, grinning up at Eliza. He chuckled as she brought up his notable period of silence before shrugging. "What can I say? I'm an incredibly busy college student. But you couldn't possibly think I would miss the famous Brie party. Even if I had wanted to, my dad would never let me."

He chuckled before kneeling down and scooping up another snowball. He stood back up and shouted up at his friend. "Now get on down here and come skiing with me, or I'm chucking another snowball into your room!"

Unable to help the way that her eyes rolled at his threat, Eliza once more shook her head, her hand lifting from the sill to instead press lightly against her chest, the young woman feigning a look of shock as though she were completely disgusted in the blackmail before she nodded, giving him the answer that he was actually looking for, “Alright; you win. But there’s no way that I’m skiing. You know that I’m a boarder all the way.”

Holding up a single finger in manner that asked him to wait a few moments, she pulled herself back inside of her room, being sure to close her window completely, gathering up the paperwork that she had been working on and her snowboard before she wandered across the room, slipping her feet into her shoes and pulling her jacket from the coat-rack beside her door as she passed, her steps quick as she made her way down the staircase and out the front door, grabbing her keys and mobile as she went.

“We just have to make one stop before hitting the slopes; a party planners job is never done…” Closing the gap between the both of them, she slowed her step, coming to a stop in front of him and holding up the paperwork for him to see, “I just need to file this, and make sure that everyone knows what they’re doing; then I’m all yours, I promise. We’ll have the whole day to catch up if you want.”

Lucas grinned when Eliza agreed to go with him, and he waited outside for her to come down. It had been too long since he'd seen her, although it had been too long since he'd seen most of his friends from his earlier years. Between his schooling and his father's grooming him for the family business, he hadn't had much free time.

He looked up at Eliza as she joined him, and explained her duties. "I'll go with you then," he said with a smile, "I'm sure a business major can be of some help." He followed her off, feet crunching the snow beneath his boots.

As they walked, Lucas turned his head to her. "So, can I expect this party to be the grandest bash it normally is?" he asked, smirking at her, as he began adjusting his beanie until he felt like it was just right, a bit of a nervous tick he'd developed.

“Oh, most definitely; I’ve put a lot more into this years celebration… I don’t know why, I just feel like this year is so much more important than any one before- everything just needs to be perfect.”

Unable to help the way that her soft pink lips split into a bright smile, she turned her head so that she was instead looking at him, taking a moment to really take him in for what felt like the first time in forever- that was the problem with long distance relationships; no matter how much of an effort you put into maintaining that connection, it always felt like a lifetime between visits. Shoving the stray thought of her relationship with Sebastian to the back of her mind as it threatened to put a damper on her mood (damn; she really had to call him...), she leant closer into Lucas, her shoulder playfully hitting against his.

“That means you too- you have to be Mr. Perfection for me tomorrow night.” Pausing for a moment, she shifted her things over to the one arm as she raised her other up, snatching the beanie from right off his head as she hurried a few steps in front, holding it teasingly in front of him as she turned her body, a soft chuckle falling from her lips as she began walking backwards, “That means none of these; suit all the way Lukey-boy.”

Lucas shook his head and chased after her, ducking down and throwing her over his shoulder so that she was upside down, looking at the snow covered ground. "I don't know. A suit might be very difficult for me. It's not like Mommy and Daddy Dearest didn't have me in one for half of my childhood," he said with a chuckle, setting her down on the ground. "But I guess for my favorite snowboarder, I can make an exception."

Squealing softly, her eyes widened for only a moment as she felt her feet lifting up from the ground, her long platinum blonde locks and hood falling down over her head as she squirmed in his arms, her own tightening around the stuff she was holding; only relaxing again when she was once more replaced on her feet in front of him.

“And this is why we’re friends- you’re seriously the best..!” Lifting her hand up she lightly placed the beanie back on the top of his head as she leant closer into him, the smile never once leaving her soft features as she placed a gentle kiss against his cheek in thanks. He was here as a guest; his only job to relax and enjoy his time off, and here he was, agreeing to her rules just so everything went perfect- he seriously couldn’t have been a better friend.

He laughed as they continued walking before his smile fell, a more serious topic entering his head. "Hey, do you remember those dreams I used to had? The ones where I was in like, a throne room? And a woman was saying goodbye to me? I've been having them again. They're fuzzier than they used to be, grainy almost, but there's also more to them."

"This time, I'm running through a castle and there's someone chasing me, but then, this woman is there and she grabs me and then, I'm in the orphanage. It's strange, I mean they just started coming back a few weeks ago, and I don't know why," he said. His voice had gotten quieter, without him even noticing, and his face looked concerned. Eliza had always been the only person he could talk to about his dreams, she just seemed to understand them better than anyone.

“Hey…” Slowing to a stop as she caught the tone of his voice, and the look in his eye, Eliza hurried to stand in his path, her free hand coming up to rest lightly on his shoulder as she did all that she could to meet with his gaze; worry clear over her features as she tried to comfort him the best that she possibly could in that moment.

“Lucas; you have nothing to be ashamed about… and you know you aren’t the only one.” Dropping her head down, she closed her eyes for a brief moment before she once more lifted her head to meet his eyes with her own, “Every single time I see that white strip in Anna’s hair..? I can’t help but feel guilty, and to be honest, a little scared too. I don’t know what it is, or why it makes me feel that way; but I understand what you mean…. You know my dad found us out in the snow right..? Well, I was six years old, and I have no idea how we got there- I can’t even remember anything from before then either…”

Lucas shook his head. "I've always thought it was weird. You just ending up in the snow, me just ending up in some forest and being brought to an orphanage. I just don't get it," he said. He bit his lip, frustrated, before shaking his head. "I mean that isn't normal, at least not that I know of. People don't just show up, it's just so strange!" He lowered his voice quickly, breathing in and out slowly. His temper had a habit of flaring up, especially when he started thinking too much about his adoption.

"Never mind, I shouldn't have brought it up. Let's go get these papers filed," he said with a forced smile, swinging his arms as he began walking, turning around and walking backwards and gesturing for Eliza to follow. "Come on Ms. Party Planner! We've got an extravaganza to finalize!" he shouted back, his usual grin returned to his face.