JanjaxJasiri

Chapter 21 Holding second thoughts

     "Your idea is splendid!" Hatari said turning to the wild dog, "Nice one, Bori." Both stayed hidden behind the boulder.
      While Hatari continued to watch Janja's conversation with Jasiri, Bori noticed two shadows in the sky. "Hati" He whispered but enough for Hatari to hear. The hyena turned to his henchman. "Could those be the vultures you talked about?"
      Hatari looked up to see Mzingo and Mwoga, nearly flying above them. "Yeah, that's Mzingo alright" Hatari growled, "And his 'favorite vulture'."
      "You want me to go fetch them for you, boss?" Bori stood up from behind the boulder but kept himself hidden from Janja and Jasiri's view. "Yessss...." Hatari kept hissing the "s" as he turned to see the hyenas he was spying on.
      "sssss......I'm coming with you." Hatari finished. "What? Aren't you going to stay and see if the plan actually works?" Bori waited for a respond before going into action.
       Hatari got up and went to Bori's side. "Don't worry, I'm pretty sure 'your' plan will work. Besides....." Hatari turned back to the flying vultures, "I never liked Mzingo." The hyena licked his lips.
       Bori, without his boss actually saying anything, knew what he planned to do. The dog nodded and left along with Hatari to take down Mzingo and Mwoga.
      
       "Janja, are you actually willing to form friendship with the Pride Landers?" Jasiri asked the hyena. She wanted no more fighting between her and his clan. And she also wanted him to survive since she came to care for him for the past few days.
       "I wouldn't say friendship, more like peace. Although, trust is the one thing I'm least likely to receive." Janja frowned. "And if the Lion Guard can't trust me, does that mean you won't trust me as well?"
       Jasiri lowered her ears and looked away from him. "It's not that I wont, after all I beleive in you."
       "Then why are you asking me this?" Janja kept his gaze locked on Jasiri. He was certain that something was going on. That's when he remembered something.
        "Hey" He said getting her attention. She looked at him. "Where were you a while ago? You weren't at the cave when I woke up. What were you doing all the way out here?"
        At first, she needed some time to think, until she went to chase Mlinzi who turned out to be Bori. She wasn't sure wether to tell him about her encounter with Hatari. She didn't know what his reaction would be like. And she was trying to get answers out of him, unsure if she ended up being the one answering to him.
       "I needed some time to think. And I was also worried about Mlinzi." Jasiri said avoiding his gaze. Janja's confused expression turned to a serious one.
       She's hiding something Janja thought, I know she is.

       Hatari and Bori climbed up a hill. They had followed the vultures all the way to the hill and now they were planning on sneaking up on them. Mzingo stayed on the hill while Mwoga went to do some research.
       "Shouldn't we attack him already?" Bori asked.
       "Let's wait for the other one to come back." Hatari answered keeping his eyes on Mzingo, "I know we've got advantage to take down one while the others away, but even so, two vultures are no match for us a dog and hyena."

      Mwoga came back moments later. "What took you so long?" Mzingo asked his henchman. "I did found the hyenas but Hatari is not with them." Mwoga rested his talons on a fallen branch on the hill.
      "What do you mean? Hatari's not with them?"
      "No. I took long because I went looking for him but I couldn't find him. I did a little spying on his hyenas and I heard one of them say that Hatari took off with Bori" Mwoga shrugged, "But I've got reason to beleive that he's still around here."
       Mzingo groaned annoyingly. "Where could he be? We need to alert Janja and make sure everything's fine with him."
      "I knew there were spying on me" Hatari said, "Let's teach them a lesson." Bori nodded and both sneaked closer to the vultures hiding behind boulders and using the darkness to sneak close without being seen.
  
       Pawsteps were heard. Mwoga raised his head high. He was the one on the branch, while Mzingo was the one on the ground and concentrated on overlooking the low ground.
      "Mzingo" Mwoga whispered. Mzingo, who was overlooking from the top of the hill, turned back to his partner. "Yes? What is it Mwoga?" The chief vulture came to his friends side. He could see the worried expression on his face.
       "I think it's best if we get out of this hill" Mwoga said looking around. While he turned around, Mzingo looked back at the low ground when a hyena and wild dog charged at them from behind.
       "Mzingo!!" Mwoga rushed to Mzingo and pushed him out of the way. Bori pinned Mwoga hard to the ground. Mwoga hit his head and got knocked unconscious.
       Mzingo got up from the floor and turned to see his friend not moving, pinned by the wild dog. "Mw-? MWOGA!!!"
       Just as he was about to fly towards them, Mzingo heard a shill laugh. He took a sideway glance and got pinned by Hatari.
       Hatari growled at the vultures face. "Think you're pretty smart, spying on me to give information to your little..............PET!" He spat the last word as if it were the most disgusting thing in the world. Mzingo struggled to break free. Hatari is bigger and stronger than him. After all, he's a hyena and Mzingo is a vulture who is now at risk.
      Hatari laughed. "The other one?" Hatari asked keeping his eyes locked on Mzingo. "Unconscious" Bori answered, also keeping his eyes on his prey who lied unconscious beneath him. Mzingo got relieved to hear that Mwoga was just unconscious, however his worried expression came back when Hatari digged his claws into his wings. Mzingo groaned.
      "I'm not so sure if I should eat you up right now......." Hatari licked his lips. "No!" Mzingo pleaded, closing his eyes as the hyena came closer to his face.
     "You're right. Instead.......I want to see Janja's look of despair when he's favorite bird is in a puddle of blood as I rip you into tiny little pieces." Hatari's face turned more sinister.
     "Wh-What are you going to do?" Mzingo asked, fear in his words and eyes. He could see blood running down his wings. "Don't worry vulture. Me and Bori won't kill you or your buddy. Atleast not yet." Hatari thought for a while.
     He then smirked. "I've got the exact plan for this 'killing game'." Hatari flashed his teeth.

    "Janja, what I really want to know is; if the Pride Landers or the Lion Guard rejected your peace offering, would you still stop attacking the Pride Lands?" Jasiri asked.
     She and Janja have been talking a lot about this peace offering, it was starting to irritate Janja even though he tried not to show it.
    "I don't see what that's got anything to do with you, I mean, you're not a Pride Lander,......and you're taking this too seriously? Don't you think?" He didn't want to argue with her, but he couldn't stop from not wanting to lose this conversation.
     "Janja. This is serious." Jasiri said, "I know that you've been a long time enemy to the Pride Lands, but..........you should change that. There isn't much for us to eat here in the Outlands. We might be able to pull this off if we could just.......start with the easiest part."
      Janja rolled his eyes, "Yeah and that would be-?"
      "To apologize" Jasiri said. This took Janja by surprise. "What?! I mean, I know that we should start out with the easiest. But to apologize?" Janja said.
      "I know you've got your pride Janja, but pride isn't always about not regretting the stuff you've done. You apologized to me. Why apologizing to the Lion Guard could be any different?"
       "Because the whole reason I-................." Janja stood silent. Don't blow it! He thought to himself.
       "Because you what?" Jasiri asked. There it was. Janja gave his first sign to Jasiri that he's hiding something. She took quick notice of it and thought of what Hatari had told her:

     "See through his words. What is it that he doesn't want you to know? You think he really likes you?" Hatari said.
     "Hatari. He-" She tried to reason but Hatari interrupted yet again.
     "Don't play as a- or should it mostly be, 'His' fool." Hatari smiled mischievously, "He could be using you against your clan and friends. If he's in love with you, He shouldn't be hiding anything. Or...........prove anything." He said the last part suspiciously.

     She snapped out of her thoughts. She saw Janja looking at her. His expression couldn't keep her from asking. She got closer to him.
      "Janja, tell me the truth,.........are you using me?" Jasiri asked. She couldn't deny her feelings. She had let him sleep with her, nuzzle her, and even kiss her. And it was all because she was falling for him. Would there be any other reason why he kissed her?
       "Why would you all of a sudden ask me that?" Janja just looked at her and then the question was repeated in his mind. "N-no. I'm not" Janja answered, "Why would you think that?"
       "You.........like me?" Jasiri asked. Janja smiled and took one of her paws and kissed it. "'Course I do. Wasn't the kiss enough?"
       "A kiss, in my opinion, doesn't show much of what you feel. It's what you do that counts. And by trying to form peace with the Pride Lands, not for me, but for you and your crew, is something I really appreciate. I like that." Jasiri smiled at him and hugged him.
      Janja smiled nervously and hugged Jasiri back. "Yeah" His voice was a nervous tone although Jasiri didn't took notice of it. "For my clan." His nervous smile faded to a guilty one.
        "I'm actually glad for you" Jasiri said while she still hugged him, "And I'll be there to support you and your crew. I'm sure Kion will understand. And......even if he doesn't, I'll keep helping you in any way I can. And I'll really admire your efforts Janja. You don't have to exactly prove anything. Not to me or your crew but to yourself. Once again, I really like that"
       Janja gave a warm smile after hearing that. He sighed silently and nuzzled her cheek.
       Jasiri is happy. But she only knows half of what I'm really trying to do. Janja looked to the ground. If I do what she wants, maybe there won't be anything to worry about. I know her better than anybody, especially better than 'Mpenzi', and if I were to tell her what I want, I know her reaction would be sad and angry at the same time. For now, I think it's best to just keep quiet if I want to get anywhere with her.