Chapter One: A Plan is Set
I'M BAAAAAACCCCKKK! New story! Hey, and guess what, it's the last book in this TLQ series! Now, don't be sad, turn that frown upside-fricken-down and be happy, because this means one thing: A TRULY HAPPY ENDING! YAYYYYYY!
If you haven't read the first 3 books, this won't make sense, like at all. If you haven't read any of them go back and read (in order):
A Tale of Three Brothers
The Lion Queen
The Lion Queen II: Tama's Pride
Then I also have one one-shot in this series about Scar (Taka's) death:
Cries for Deliverance
I expect to have a one-shot about Tojo's mother, Libya, within the next month or so named:
Path of a Pride Sister: Libya
And a short one-shot about Tamalei, the sister of Ahadi (who belongs to T5Tango) soon:
What She Knew: Tamalei
I'm taking a second here to thank TRON0602 for allowing me to use his characters Nurisha, Kali, Usafi, Maji, and Hafsa in this story. How? Read on dear readers :)
Dawn spread her fingertips of orange and rose, painting a picture across the horizon. Pride Rock became part of the picture, making for a peaceful morning over the Pridelands.
A young eight-month-old female cub with light beige fur, blue eyes, and a dark tail tuft woke, blinking against the light showing in the cave. She looked up, seeing her father, a powerful mahogany lion with a dark brown mane and a scar over his left eye, and when his eyes were open it revealed beautiful dark emerald green. She smiled when she glanced to her mother, a beautiful blond-beige lioness with a hairtuft, a sharp pink nose, dark eyeshades, freckles, dark brown earrims, and when her eyes were open, electric blue eyes. Then the cub smiled at her little adoptive sister, a pure white four-month old, and when her eyes opened, she had white eyes surrounded by yellow scleras.
The cub stood up, shaking her fur out. She carefully walked from between her father and sister when a tan paw landed on her tail.
"Where do you think you're going, JJ?" Vitani said, opening one eye. JJ smiled at her mother.
"I just wanted to go watch the sunrise." JJ said. Vitani smiled and stood up, both eyes opening.
"Come on, let's do it together." Vitani said. Nurisha and Kovu stirred.
"A little outing already?" Kovu asked.
"JJ wants to watch the sunrise. Care to join?" Vitani asked her mate with a smile. Kovu nodded. He nudged Nurisha, and when the cub wouldn't move, he lifted her in his powerful, gentle jaws. Nurisha groaned.
"Daddy…" Nurisha said sleepily. Vitani nuzzled both her daughters.
The Royal Family ascended Pride Rock's path to the top. Kovu was able to set Nurisha down, to which the four-month-old cub stood on her own. She sat alongside her older sister, both JJ and Nurisha watching as the sun rose over the Pridelands.
"Wow…" JJ whispered. Vitani smiled, a smile full of motherly love.
"It's something, isn't it, Jay?" Kovu asked. Vitani smiled and nuzzled her husband. Kovu smiled.
"Hey! A family sunrise watching, without me?!" Vitani turned to face her brother, Muujiza. Muujiza's golden coat shone in the sunrise, his bi-colored mane perfectly silky-looking. Muujiza's bi-colored eyes feigned hurt.
"Come on, 'Iza." Vitani laughed. Muujiza sat alongside his older sister, watching his nieces, who seemed oblivious to his arrival.
"They don't seem to know I've showed up." Muujiza whispered to his sister and brother-in-law.
"They do, don't they?" Kovu asked. Muujiza smiled broadly, reaching out a paw to catch both JJ and Nurisha. The cubs both gasped, thinking it was their father. Then Muujiza ruffled both their heads.
"Uncle Muujiza!" JJ laughed.
"You scared us!" Nurisha said with a broad, white smile. Muujiza smiled at his nieces, using his free paw to tickle them both, eliciting the joyous sounds of cub laughter. Vitani and Kovu laughed, joining in the fun, helping Muujiza tickle the girls.
Sarabi had come to investigate the ruckus alongside Zira and Zira's new son, Fahamu. Zira set the cub at her feet, and Fahamu turned to his mother, sea blue eyes pleading.
"Ok, go on, 'Mu." Zira smiled. Fahamu laughed and joined into the madness, being pinned by his brother, Kovu, and tickled.
"The cubs have brought so much joy." Sarabi said, looking to Zira. Both lionesses smiled. Sarabi and Zira both showed signs of aging. Sarabi had a little white around her lips, and a little around her eyes, and Zira's head stripe showed a little white, as did her lips. It was hard to believe that Zira, with her age, had another cub, although she and her new mate, Kijani, who was also Kovu's father, had covered Fahamu in case something should happen to both aging lions. Fahamu would then be given to Kijani's daughter Rikala and Zira's son Nuka, who had a cub of their own, a beautiful girl named "Zuri."
Tojo appeared, his three ten-month-old cubs at his heels. Sarabi wasn't blood related to her former son-in-law's cubs, but she still considered herself Kweli, Giza, and Damu's grandmother. Sarabi looked to Tojo and the triplets.
"Good morning, Tojo." Sarabi smiled. Tojo smiled back.
"Good morning, Sarabi." Tojo said. Kweli, who had turned into a quite fine lioness with a dark golden pelt and bright red eyes, trotted to Sarabi.
"Hey, Daddy says I can't have hunting lessons until I'm a year old. Nana, I want hunting lessons now." Kweli pouted. Sarabi smiled.
"Daddy doesn't know what he's talking about. I can give you a few lessons now that way you are ready for your first hunt." Sarabi said, a glance to Tojo.
"You are a cruel lioness." Tojo said.
"Come on, I cannot deny my granddaughter a hunting lesson." Sarabi smiled to herself. It came naturally to call Kweli, Giza, and Damu her grandchildren. If she had lived, Tama would have been their mother by all means but one, but since Tama had been killed, Sarabi, Vitani, Zira, Kiara, and Nala had taken it upon themselves to help mother the three young ones.
Damu smiled a bright smile at his father, "Seems like Nana's set in her ways, Dad." Damu said. Damu's coat was a bright orange-brown, his eyes keen emerald green, his nose sharp and black, and his mane bi-colored black and deep red. Damu looked like his maternal grandfather, and was mistrusted by most of the pride, but his elder sister, Vitani, had taken it upon herself to protect him, and ordered the lionesses to tolerate him.
"Damu, c'mon! You're supposed to be on my side!" Tojo said. Damu smiled again.
"Not this time, I'm on Nana's side." Damu walked over to Sarabi and Kweli. Tojo shook his head.
"My own kids." Tojo said.
"Hey, I'm still on your side, Dad!" Giza said, his electric blue eyes gleaming. Giza was most arguably the handsomest one of him and Damu. Giza's pelt was a deeper brown than his birth mother's, and his mane a dark chocolate brown. He had his father's eyes, which made young lionesses swoon.
Tojo laughed and pulled Giza into a hug, "I still got one kid on my side!" Vitani looked up to see her siblings. She released Nurisha from her tickling and the white cub stood up, seeing Zira and Tojo.
"Gramma! Poppa!" Nurisha yelled. Muujiza let JJ up from between his paws, letting the light beige cub escape to their grandparents. Fahamu stayed with Kovu, happy to be with his brother.
JJ weaved herself between her maternal grandfather's legs, then Sarabi's, then Zira's. She sat next to Damu, smiling at her uncle.
"So, grub hunting today?" JJ asked. Damu smiled.
"Well, but of course," Damu turned to Nurisha, "wanna come, Nuri?" Damu asked. Nurisha giggled and blushed, something visible through her white fur.
"Why don't you all go?" Vitani asked with a smile. All the cubs looked up to Vitani with awe. Zira looked to Vitani with a smile, as did Sarabi. Damu and Giza turned to Tojo.
"Pleeeeeeeaaaaaaaseeeeee?" Damu asked. Fahamu looked to his mother.
"Please, Mom?" Fahamu asked. Zira chuckled and looked to Tojo.
"I don't see why not." Tojo said.
"Be careful." Zira added as the mob of cubs left the adults. All left except for Kweli, who was alongside Sarabi.
"Can we get some lessons started?" Kweli asked. Sarabi nodded.
"Of course. She's with me, Tojo." Sarabi said as she left with Kweli. Tojo sighed.
"I knew I couldn't hold her back." Tojo said. Vitani smiled and nuzzled her father.
"Dad, c'mon, Kweli has to grow up too." Vitani said.
"I know, I just missed out on you growing up and…I missed your years, so I'm not missing hers." Tojo said.
"Of course not, Tojo. I understand how you feel. If Nurisha or JJ were taken from me, I'd be upset and if I had another girl afterwards, I wouldn't miss her growing up at all." Kovu said with a smile. Vitani laughed and nuzzled her husband.
"You're such a softie." Vitani said. Muujiza fake-gagged.
"PDA! PDA! AUNT NALA, SAVE ME!" Muujiza ran down the path to the cave. The group of four waited a couple minutes.
"MUUJIZA WHAT THE HELL?!" Nala screamed.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Simba roared.
"MY EYES!" Muujiza yelled. Zira burst into laughter, as did Vitani. Tojo and Kovu laughed so hard they couldn't breathe.
"Seems like Nala and Simba were doing a little more than 'PDA.'" Zira said when she caught her breath.
"Poor Muujiza, he's just trying to save his," Vitani coughed, "'innocence.'"
"There is no innocence when it comes to Muujiza." Kovu laughed.
"I hate to admit it, but I agree with Kovu." Tojo chuckled. Vitani laughed, her heart lifted.
"I think Muujiza needs a few lessons." Vitani said.
"What do you mean?" Tojo asked.
"He is a Prince of the Pridelands. He deserves to find a mate. I think, as Queen, I can help him." Vitani said.
"That's a good plan. But the only Princesses available are from the Mountain Pride, the Downwind Pride, and the River Pride. And there's only three." Kovu said.
"Kazai, Amalia, and Ramsa, I know. Although, I know Kazai the best. I've never met Ramsa or Amalia." Vitani said.
"Maybe you can have them come here, make it seem as if they're passing through so he doesn't know?" Tojo asked. Vitani smiled.
"You're almost as bad as me, Dad, but I think I can arrange that." Vitani said.
*+-/_\-+*
Outside a dark cave in a land far to the south of the Pridelands, a silver lion paced. His white eyes looked extremely worried.
His mate and daughter hadn't been seen for two months.
"Kali?" A pink lioness asked, her purple eyes digging into his soul.
"My mate and daughter…" Kali growled.
"Hey! I'm your mate, Kali. I've had two of your cubs, and my sister only had one of your cubs." She said.
"I'm sorry, Usafi." Kali lowered his head.
"I know you are, because I love you, Kali. Because we were meant to be together." Usafi said. Kali glared at Usafi.
"Usafi, I was supposed to be Mpenzi's mate." Kali said. Usafi shook her head.
"My mother saw you and I were in love. Anyway, where's Kibuluu?"
"Still searching for Mpenzi, just in case." Kali said. Usafi growled softly.
"She had complications during birth. I think that it may be too late." Usafi said, as comforting as she can.
"I want my child, Usafi." Kali whispered.
"I know. But Hafsa and Maji are your children, too. You need to know that they depend on you, as do I." Usafi said, her lavender eyes saddened. Kali glanced up to Usafi.
"I'm sorry." Kali nuzzled Usafi. Usafi smiled and sighed. She heard a cub's mewling.
"That's Maji. I have to go feed the cubs. Let me know what happens with Kibuluu, okay? Mpenzi was your mate, but she was my sister, and I love you both." Usafi said. Kali smiled after her.
"I love you too." Kali said after her. The silver lion sat down, sighing. His eyes filled with pain again. He thought of his beautiful white mate, her bright white coat, her amazing blue eyes… the pain in those blue eyes after having to abandon the cub she had whelped after rape because of their current King's decree. Luckily a few years after the occurrence, Kibuluu had showed, killing the current King and taking place as ruler of the Moon Pride, despite his golden pelt.
"Kali, I have news." Kali looked up to see Kibuluu, a grim look on his face. Kali stood up.
"About Mpenzi?" Kali asked.
"She was murdered. She was murdered by a Tyrant Queen to the land up north." Kibuluu said.
"Mpenzi was murdered?" Kali whispered.
"The Tyrant Queen, Vitani, is an evil being. She destroyed her mother to take the throne, then apparently killed Mpenzi and took in your daughter." Kibuluu said. Kali growled.
"This means war. If Vitani kills one of ours, we shall kill one of her own." Kali said.
"Kali, what would be better, is to take the Pridelands from Vitani. Of course, once your daughter is old enough. Because otherwise, who knows what will come of the girl? Vitani could kill her on sight." Kibuluu said. Kali nodded.
"That point is taken. We shall wait until Hafsa and Maji are grown, and then we will take the Pridelands, my brother." Kali said.
A/N: First chapter, signed and sealed! And *le gasp!* KIBULUU SURVIVED? Oh my God how'd this happen? The Pridelanders dumped him in the Elephant Graveyard with a broken leg. He should've been hyena chow!
Vitani: Obviously, true evil can live on.
Me: Too true, 'Tan, too true.
Kibuluu: Is someone talking about me?
Usafi: *appears* Sorry SweetChin, I'll get him out of here. *bites into Kibuluu's ear and pulls him out*
Vitani: THANKS USAFI!
Usafi: *off-screen* No problem, 'Tani!
Me: Usafi's a Godsend, TRON! Thank you for letting me use your characters, especially Usafi, she's kind of the order-keeper between Kali and Kibuluu when they aren't being professional. I'm being honest. Extremely. She's able to break up major brawls without much hassle.
Vitani: Plus, she's a good shoulder to lean on. I really like her!
Me: *smiles* All right, dear readers! I know you got reviews and it's time to post them! Review and stay tuned! Also, a quick happy belated birthday to WHOA IT'S FANDOMS!