As promised, it has been ages since I've updated - hello, reviewers! Are you still there? I miss you all! I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, but I've gotten up to five so far and want to try and get on an update streak to make up for my long absence. I miss you all and hope I'm not letting anyone down too much! Also, I have yet to figure out a title for either story or chapters, so please bear with "Untitled" and chapter numbers until my name muse comes back...


When the cubs were old enough to walk, Ahadi began to take Taiuka to the tip of Pride Rock for long talks. The small brown cub was not much for paying attention, but they both returned with wide smiles on their faces.

During the bonding, Mufasa would be left to his own devices. He normally found companionship with Zuri, the blind sister who was as close to Taiuka as she was to Mufasa. Sometimes she would take the lonely brother out on her own and sit him on a rock under the stars, telling him the stories of the Kings of the Past. Uru would sometimes join them; the Queen had favored her golden-pelted son over the other, but Ahadi had been firm in his path.

On rare occasions, the entire family could be seen together, but the tension between King and Queen had seemed to flare up again since the ceremony had given Taiuka his position as next in line. Zuri was the sole mediator between them, often risking a sound thrashing from either angry parent as she jumped in the middle and pleaded for calm. Or she would rescue the cubs and take them for a moonlit romp through the Pridelands.

On one such night, when Ahadi and Uru had gotten particularly violent, Zuri had taken Taiuka and Mufasa to the watering hole. They sat silently at the edge, listening to the wind rustling through the tall grass and, in the distance, the loud voices of their parents sounding out harshly against the quiet night. Both cubs cuddled close to Zuri, who was now entering young adulthood and thus viewed by them as a protector. She was big, at least.

"Sons of the King," she spoke finally, her face turned up towards the stars. They followed her gaze silently. "Tell me, what do you see?"

"The Great Kings of the Past," Mufasa answered immediately. Taiuka continued, "They watch over us as the stars in the sky."

She remained silent for a while, her eyes closed and her ears twitching. She could hear that Ahadi and Uru had stopped bickering, and knew that soon Auruna would come to fetch them. The only reason Mufasa knew about the Great Kings is because she herself had told him; otherwise, Ahadi would have continued Taiuka's education and left nothing to his other son. He had wanted them to grow up and be equal, but he was clearly favoring his paw-chosen heir.

Footsteps in the grass. And they were familiar, but not Auruna's. Zuri sniffed the air cautiously, preparing to defend her brothers, but relaxed quickly and turned around.

"Sarafina, why are you out here?"

The pretty cub rolled out of the tall grass and landed between Taiuka and Mufasa, shoving the golden brother out of the way. She looked up at Taiuka and grinned mischievously. Sarafina and Taiuka made it their goals to cause trouble whenever they weren't being trained to take up the roles of King and Queen.

Mufasa padded to Zuri's other side and nuzzled into her. Zuri's blind eyes focused calmly on Taiuka and Sarafina. Neither would cause trouble around her; partially because she would hear their plotting better than any of the adults away and partially because they respected her. Sarafina pushed past Taiuka and bumped her head against Zuri's leg. "Yumba sent me out to find you. Auruna's coming, too."

Zuri smiled lightly at Sarafina's display of affection. She raised a paw and shoved the lioness gently into Taiuka, listening as they began to growl fiercely and wrestle. The pale lioness kept an ear on the two cubs, but her eyes turned down to Mufasa as he pressed into her side.

"What troubles you, brother?" she murred quietly to him. The cub rubbed his head against her leg and stared up into her kind face. Sometimes he found it hard to believe she was blind; even now, her icy blue eyes had pinpointed his auburn ones. The prince looked away quickly, staring up at the stars.

"I know dad doesn't like me like he does Taiuka, but I wish he'd…" he trailed off sadly, turning his eyes back to his brother. Taiuka and Sarafina were sitting close together, whispering and giggling. No doubt that Zuri could hear every word they said, but he was left out – as usual.

"He loves you, Mufasa," Zuri said quietly, wrapping a paw around the gold cub and pulling him close. "He simply doesn't know how to show it. You know that things have been rough with Uru recently..."

Taiuka and Sarafina, having heard the name of the Queen, edged closer. Zuri felt something radiating from both of them – nervousness and sadness. Taiuka pressed against his sister's side and looked at Mufasa, meeting his brother's gaze. "Why do they have to fight all the time?" the heir whined softly. Zuri frowned and closed her eyes, as if seeking an answer from within.

"Ahadi and Uru don't always see eye to eye. They fought before you were born over almost everything; when Ahadi realized I was blind and wanted to sire more cubs, Uru tried to make him keep to the tradition of first born – a tradition that has now been twice broken."

"It's my fault?" Taiuka squeaked suddenly, and Zuri couldn't help but smile. She leaned down and nuzzled the brown cub affectionately. "Not at all, Taiuka," she said. "You will be a fine king. Ahadi just wants to choose his own heirs and not allow the past to dictate who rules, but Uru finds no fault with how things have been for untold generations. Change is not always bad, little one. It can just be difficult for some."

Taiuka relaxed under her muzzle, pleased with her answer. He was about to press her more over the bickering of his parents, but she suddenly sat up and said, "Hello, Auruna."

The dark lioness moved up to the small group, sitting next to Mufasa. Zuri turned her eyes expectantly towards her. As if answering a direct question, Auruna chuckled and shook her head slowly.

"You know those two. If it's not one thing, it's another. They've settled down now though, and Yumba was wondering where you had run off to," she added pointedly to Sarafina.

"I thought she sent you," Zuri said suddenly, turning to the cub in question. Sarafina quailed under her stern gaze and ducked her head, mumbling sheepishly. "I didn't want to listen to it…"

Zuri frowned thoughtfully. "Sarafina, you can always join us if you want to. Never lie to me, though. There's a story about a cub who lied all the time… Have I ever told you?"

Three heads shook quickly, and their faces lit up eagerly. Even Auruna looked interested, and on the walk back to Pride Rock, all four were silent as Zuri spoke quietly, telling them of the cub who lied.