I'm back! I haven't been around for almost a week! I enjoyed my out-of-town weekend, and I got the chance to re-watch Ice Age 4 with a relative. What can I say about that film? Gutt and Shira are awesome!
At any rate, it seems you've all been looking forward to meeting this new villain, so here we go!
Greg M 94: They definitely are good-for-nothing brats. Actually, scratch that. They are good at one thing—being entertaining baddies for you guys!
Kora22: I'm really glad you liked it. And yes, she definitely deserved that.
Emerald dreamer96: No, he definitely isn't on top. You'll see.
Chu10: Yes, he does have a rather adult mind despite being the youngest. And yes, I deliberately modeled Simba and Vitani's fight on the climax of the film, while still twisting it to make it my own. I figured it was the closest the series would ever come to having that scene.
the-mysterious-other: I think that's going to be a running gag in this series.
The Jungle Pride
Chapter One: Abject Humiliation
"Hey! Look who's coming our way!"
"It's the prince who didn't wanna bathe!"
"He had to have a girl do it for him!"
Simba had been suffering a lot of abuse lately. About a week ago, Simba had been attacked by his cousins Vitani and Nuka. The fact that they had viciously fought Simba and Nala, covering them both with scratches, was bad enough, but Vitani had also decided to get Simba covered in mud before bathing him in the waterhole in front of the dozens of cubs that frequented the area. Although Simba had managed to kick Vitani into a thorn bush and get her in trouble with Mufasa, the royal cub had not had a break from the teases and taunts since then.
"Just stop it guys!" Simba yelled at the jeering crowd. He honestly didn't understand. He was the prince. Why did they feel they had the right to treat him that way?
"Move over, everyone," commanded a voice from within the crowd. The cubs all moved to make way for a yellow-orange cub with a dark brown tuft on his head. Trotting behind him was a girl cub that bore a strong resemblance to the boy, yet had slightly more yellowish fur.
"Hello there, Simba," the boy cub hissed in a voice that sounded tough yet sophisticated at the same time.
"What do you want, Ibada?" Simba asked in a furious tone.
"Well, my wussy little friend, I simply wanted to say hi, as well as introduce Sheeta, my sister."
Sheeta approached Simba, who began slowly backing up. Sheeta was by no means an attractive cub, nor was she entirely ugly. In fact, among cubs, she was the very definition of "average." She smiled at Simba, but the smile came off as unsettling rather than seductive.
"You're such a handsome cub," she purred as she walked closer toward him. "Your fur is so shiny and clean, especially after that bath!" She began gently stroking his fur, upon which he jumped and sprang away.
"After him!" Ibada shouted. About five other cubs charged after the prince and tackled him to the ground.
Ibada began slowly walking towards Simba, with Sheeta in tow.
"Hehehehe…" Ibada chuckled. "Now Simba, you should apologize to Sheeta for doing that. It's not very nice to do what you just did. Come on. Get up now. Apologize."
The other cubs let go of Simba, who slowly padded over to Sheeta, who affected a hurt look on her face.
She's trying to guilt-trip me, Simba reasoned in his head. It's not going to work. I know she's only doing this to aid their sick desire to torture me.
"How about kissing her?" Ibada smugly suggested. "That'll be the only way to make it right."
"No! I refuse!" Simba declared.
Ibada frowned, "It's either that, or we keep bugging you about the bath. You wouldn't want that, would you?"
Simba lowered himself to the ground, his belly touching the grass, as he looked up nervously at the mob of cubs, his eyes darting back and forth.
"Go on!" one of the cubs teased.
"Yeah! Show us you're more than some stupid prince!"
That was it. Simba could not take it any longer. With an angry yowl, he leapt off of the ground and lunged at the cub. The two boys swiped at each other ferociously, neither making a direct hit, until Simba unsheathed his claws and scratched the other cub across the cheek.
Simba's eyes widened in horror, and in that instant, he turned and ran off as quickly as possible. One of the cubs attempted to run after him, but Ibada blocked his way with a paw.
"Do not follow him, cubs. Something will happen to that little runt. And I sure hope I get to see it."
Simba finally stopped running. He panted heavily, his eyes bulging out of his head, and his fur filled with dust.
"I've gotta get out of here," he realized. "I have to run away.