Disclaimer: I don't own The Lion King

Summary: The tale of Senka, the shadow queen, from cubhood to death.

Warnings: None for this chapter. Their will be warnings later on, make sure to read the warnings if you have things that bother you.

...

"Can I name her now?"

She tilted her head in the direction of the noise. She'd heard the noise multiple times the past few days, especially today. The warm body next to her called him 'son.'

"Now, now, son." Now he was calling him that... Was that his name? "She hasn't even opened her eyes yet."

She heard a thump as he sat down, sighing. "I know, but... she doesn't need to open her eyes to know her name, right? So why can't I name her now?"

"It's a tradition." She yawned and stretched. Her legs weren't very big, so she could stretch all she wanted and never have to worry about bumping someone.

He crouched, paws just wide enough apart to spread around her front. "Come'on, open your eyes!"

"Afa." Was that his name? She'd thought it was 'son.' "Leave your sister alone."

"Awww, Dad, it's not like I'm bugging her or anything. She'd say something if I was, right?" He smiled. "Come'on, open your eyes. You're old enough.

She said nothing. She was quite comfortable keeping them closed. She'd open them when they were good and ready.

"There's lots of things to look at." He continued. "Rivers and trees and lions like us and... well, all kinds of things. You'd love it, I can tell. So why not see?"

Well... she had felt ready the past little while. She'd just preferred to wait. Slowly, ever so slowly, she cracked her eyes open.

"Hi." He wasn't much bigger than her, and his fur wasn't as dark as her paws (and therefore her pelt), and he had the beginning of a tuft on his head. "I'm Afa. And you... well, you don't have a name yet. I had to wait until you opened your eyes. It's a big tradition, right mom?" She glanced up.

Adesola chuckled, her fur as dark as her own with icey-blue eyes. "To think, I've been telling you that for weeks, but it's only sunk in just now."

He winced embarrassedly. "Anyway..." He squinted, taking in her dark fur and bright green eyes. "You look like a shadow... I know!" He perked up. "I'l name you..." He paused a second for dramatic effect. "Senka."

She blinked.

"Wow..." She mumbled, taking in the sight before her.

The kingdom was king-sized. Not to big, not to small. And while it wasn't nearly as grand as the Pridelands were said to be, the lands contained many of the same characteristics. Grasslands, heavily populated with food and plenty of water. Their home was a small place or rock in the side of a solid cliff, complete with it's own large stone that served as King's Rock. All in all, it was the best place she could think off to be born in.

"I know." He smugly puffed out his chest. "Someday, I'd be king of it all. And... I want you to rule with me."

"Rule with you?" She tilted her head to the side.

"Yeah. I don't want you to be an advisor or anything like that, I want you to be my equal. To stand with me and help me and even bonk me on the head when I do something bad."

"Like mom?" She smiled. He chuckled.

"Yeah, kinda. So... what do you say?"

She looked at the grassland for a minute, slowly processing the idea. Ruling (and owning) all of that? "Okay."

He smiled.

"Come on, son, how about we have some good old father-son time?" Aalam smiled. "It's about time I begin teaching you about being king and ruling the kingdom."

"Really!?" Afa bounced up and down, spinning in a small circle in his excitement.

"Yes, really. Come on, I've got a lot to show you."

"Cool!" He paused, coming to a complete stop a few paw-steps from where he'd started. "Can Senka come?"

"Senka?" He glanced at the small pile of black fur sitting near where his son had been sitting a few moments before. "Well... King's training is more of a father-son thing..."

He immediately began pouting, turning around and walking back from whence he'd came and sitting down. "I'm not going anywhere if Senka can't come."

"Afa... It's okay." She mumbled.

"No, it isn't." He grunted. "I want you too see the things I see, learn the things I learn. It's only fair. We're going to rule together, after all."

"Alright." He sighed. "Senka can come."

"Yes!" He jumped up, quickly running back the same way he'd went before. "Come'on Senka!"

It's just a faze, he told himself as he watched the duo make their way down the rocks. He'll grow out of it, they both will.

Dawn was just peaking over the horizon when her mother nudged her awake with her muzzle. "It's time to learn how to hunt, my cub."

Never one to make a big fuss, she instead calmly glanced at the cub snoring next to her than back at her awakener.

She shook her head. "Lions don't hunt." Senka nodded, carefully stretching before moving away from her bed spot. "I've been told that you've been receiving lessons with Afa."

She nodded. Something rolled onto her tail. She jumped at the small burst of pain before turning. Afa had rolled onto her tail, clasping it in his paws like a cat with a string.

Adesola chuckled. "In any case, hunting will give Aalam the father-son time he's been wanting."

She nodded again, carefully yanking her tail free before following her mother into the grasslands below.

He was angry.

He didn't say anything. Instead, he let the anger flow around them and waited for her to say something as he stared down at the great expanse of grassland beneath them. Behind them, his tail twitched back and forth.

She sighed and opened her eyes. "Afa, you're making it hard to sleep." She yawned and stretched before re-curling and putting her head in her paws.

"Not tired." He grunted.

"I thought you told Mom and Dad that you wanted to take a nap? Besides, I want to sleep. I'm tired."

Nothing. She took her head out of her arms. "What's wrong?"

"I wanted to learn how to hunt." He grumbled tartly. "And you left me along with Dad; His lessons are boring if you aren't around."

"Lions don't hunt." She commented, stretching once again. "Besides, lessons aren't supposed to be fun. Their supposed to teach you things."

"I know." He whined. "It's just... its not fair."

"I never said it was."

"Hey!" He sprang to his feet, his usual energy beginning to return. "I got an idea!"

"You do?"

"Yeah. How about this: as long as you don't think of me as a lion, I won't think of you as a lioness."

"Huh?" She tilted her head.

"Think about it. You could teach me how to hunt and I could teach you king stuff! It doesn't have to matter that lions rule kingdoms and lionesses hunt. We're siblings, so it doesn't matter." He sat down, smiling smugly in triumph. "Does that make any sense?"

"Not really, no..." She smiled. "Alright. I'll teach you how to hunt."

"Yes!" He jumped, bowling her over in a playful pounce. Landing in a small pile, he pushed himself off of her to lay beside her. "This'll be awesome." He yawned, plopping his head into his paws. "Alright, now I can sleep."

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