The Birth of Kings: The Next Generation
A/N: Hey, guys, this is a sort of sequel to my first Lion King story, "The Birth of Kings." It was where I originally introduced some of the characters I use in this story, along with the already existing ones from the movies. It's 14 chapters and relatively short, so you're welcome to check it out if you want, but it won't really matter if you do or not. I'm going to try my best and re-introduce them here and hopefully everyone likes them as much as I do! So, enjoy the first chapter and reviews make me all fuzzy inside!!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Lion King characters or the storyline, I just like writing about them. However, I'm horrible at lyrics for songs, so I'll be excluding those. Sorry! Jeez, where's Elton John and Tim Rice when you need them?
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Hira yawned heavily as she lay on the sun-beaten rock. Her once dark tan fur was paled considerably. Her eyelids fluttered open to reveal her light brown ones, resembling her father's. She looked around to see the cubs she had been watching were now gone in the tall thicks of the grassland. Probably out searching for beetles and worms like that meerkat and warthog taught them, she thought to herself with a smile.
She stood slowly on her stiffening legs, stretching with a yawn again. Hopefully, her young apprentice Raji was keeping an eye on the cubs. She knew she was getting too old to do so on a regular basis. Someone had to take her place and Raji seemed like the perfect candidate. He was quiet and protecting, much like his great uncle Simba. Hira sighed heavily at the thought. Simba being a great uncle made her feel ancient. She was, after all, Simba's aunt. Of course, he would never know that. Scar and Mafasa had their own battles fought. Hira lived a simple life, well out of the way of the battle for the place of royalty . . .
"Raji!" she called over the tall grass, starting to walk in the direction of the watering hole.
The old lioness was happy to have some sun beating down. It had been raining for days, leaving all of the pride cramped and grouchy in the sleeping caves. Kovu and Kiara asked all of the able-bodies to go out hunting. Kovu, Raji, and his father Vitaleni went with them, but no lion came up fruitful. It seemed like the rain made every creature disappear, only to reappear when the sun returned. So all of the able-bodies went out hunting today, leaving Raji and Hira the usual job of watching the younger lions.
Hira walked slowly through the tall grass. As she continued, she could hear the laughs and shouts of the cubs from the watering hole. Even though it had rained endlessly, the cubs thought it was a brilliant idea to go swimming and play in the water. She peeked her head out to see five young cubs playing and giggling together. Two were balanced on an old log that was suspended above the water, getting ready to jump in. Two others taunted the ones on the log playfully, saying they were too toucan to jump. The last and littlest cub was playing by herself in the grass on the far side of the hole, laughing as she pawed at something.
Hira squinted to see a dark fur tuft of a tail disappear into the grass in front of the little cub. The old lioness laughed to herself. Raji's tail, obviously. The littlest girl pounced into the grass after it. There was a loud roar and a squeal before a fit of giggling. The cub burst out of the grass and ran into the shallow water as Raji appeared behind her, laughing. His dark mane had blades of grass mixed with his fur. He smiled at the cub, breathing heavily.
"Okay, Sisi, you win," he laughed. "Go play now."
Sisi grinned proudly before splashing into the water after the others. Raji shook his mane, blades of grass flying off around him. Hira laughed as she walked around the edge of the watering hole to join Raji on the other side. She sat down beside him and raised an eyebrow in his direction.
"You certainly look like you've been having fun," she said.
Raji laughed, looking at the young lions splashing around. "Sure, they're getting really good at swimming."
"I noticed, they're doing very well. Tell me, Raji, do you happen to know where the older cubs are?"
"Older cubs? They didn't wake you?"
"Not a beast has walked by me yet this afternoon."
"I asked them to go back and wake you about an hour ago. I just thought you were telling them one of your stories . . . Shoot. Who are we missing, then? Let's see . . ." He held out a paw, head counting the cubs in the water. "Let's see, five here, so four of them are gone. But . . . there's only three older cubs."
Raji and Hira turned to each other instantly, their eyes widening in realization. "Nyela," they said in unison.
"Sisi, where's your sister?" Raji asked breathlessly.
Sisi looked up at the sky, thinking. "She said something about going after Jam and Nuka. They were going to the Outlands."
"Outlands?!" Raji and Hira exclaimed in unison once again.
"Are they crazy?!" Raji growled. He turned to Hira. "Okay, I'm going after them. Stay with the cubs and go back when it gets dark. I'll bring them all back to Pride Rock as soon as I can."
Hira nodded before Raji sprinted off into the tall grass, his body crashing through it loudly. The old lioness shook her head as she turned back to the cubs in the water.
"Go ahead and keep playing, little ones," she instructed. "We'll go back at first sign of nightfall, deal?"
"Okay, Hira," everyone but Sisi said together.
They returned to playing while Sisi came out of the water to sit beside Hira. She shook water from her fur before plopping down next to the old lioness.
"I hope Nylea is okay," the little girl said softly.
Hira bent her head and nudged her gently with her nose. "Oh, I'm sure she'll be fine. But, Sisi, why did she follow Jam and Nuka?"
Sisi giggled. "Because she has a crush on Nuka."
"Isn't Nuka a bit too old for your sister?"
She shrugged. "Probably. But he's a prince. It's not surprising."
Hira laughed, shaking her head. "I suppose you're right. Let's just hope that the princes have a clear head on their shoulders like their grandfather."
"Or like you, Hira. Maybe they got it from you."
She blinked several times before looking down to the cub. "Why do you say that?"
"You're related to them, aren't you? I always thought you were . . ." Sisi stood up with a yawn and a stretch. "Oh, well. I'm going swimming again."
She ran off to land in the water with a splash. Hira stared ahead of her for a moment, dumbfounded. How on Earth could that little cub know that I'm related to Simba's blood line? Does she know that I'm Jamboki and Nuka's great-great aunt? She shook her head forcefully, smiling weakly. Of course not. Sisi is a smart little lioness, but no one knows that. I certainly hope Raji can find his cousins and Nylea all right . . . Those princes think they're braver than any lion. And it always gets them in trouble.