Disclaimer- Obviously I do not own The Lion King, or any of the movie's characters. However, Etari, Tenabi and Soma are my own characters so please ask before using them.

Ch. 2 At the New Light of Dawn

"Wake up Etari," Stubbornly the cub scrunched his eyes tighter shut. He was having such a wonderful dream, running across the surface of a river and there were these beautiful rainbow fish flashing in the water under his paws. "Etari!" His mother's voice rang in his ears again, accompanied by a sharp nudge that rolled him over.

"Ahh! Moommm!" He whined, shaking his head, trying to wake himself up. "But I was having a really cool dream mom!" The cub looked up at his mother excitedly, "See there were these fish and they were…"

"Sorry Etari," Tenabi interrupted her son. "You'll have to tell me later. I have to go out with the hunters this morning remember?" Again she nudged Etari with her nose, coaxing the still drowsy cub to his feet.

"Ok." The dust colored cub replied as he padded alongside his mother to the entrance of the cave. Outside the sun had just cleared the horizon and Etari was momentarily blinded as he stepped onto the ledge of pride rock. But the now fully awake cub could not be detained long. Gleefully he bounded forward to the rocks' edge, skidding to a halt just above the path down to the grasslands.

"Wow…" Etari murmured to himself. He loved this view of the pride lands in the morning, loved the way the light seemed to wake up everything it touched. Below him several lionesses of the pride milled around, preparing for the hunt, while a few of the older females were already bathing on the warming rocks.

"And how is my little adventurer this morning?" Etari twisted his head to look up at a middle aged lioness lying lazily on the ledge a bit above the path.

"I'm great grandma! And I was having this awesome dream last night…" the youngster chattered as he scrambled up to join his grandmother on the rock.

"Thanks for watching him mom," Tenabi said when Etari paused for breath.

"Of course," replied the other lioness. "I love spending time with my grandson. But you had better get going, I think they're about ready to leave." Tenabi nodded a quick agreement, watching as Miehka assisted Etari the final few inches to the top of the ledge, and then she bounded down the path to join the waiting hunting party.

"Now," Miehka began, turning to Etari. "Why don't you…."

"Miehka! Miehka!" another cubs voice interrupted. The lioness stopped in the middle of her sentence, turning to watch as a creamy colored cub raced out of the cave.

Bouncing up and down the female cub proudly announced, "I'm gonna stay with you while mom goes and gets sweet grass to make Rauka feel better!"

"Nala!" scolded Sarafina as she joined her excited daughter. "I said we would ask Miehka politely if she would keep an eye on you." Sighing the mother lioness looked apologetically at Miehka, only to meet laughing eyes in the process.

"Of course, I can keep an eye on both her and Etari this morning."

"Etari?" Nala's bouncing suddenly ceased.

"Yipee!" Etari exclaimed as he appeared over his grandmothers back, eyes bright with excitement.

"Err yeah, yippee," Nala agreed uneasily, shooting sideways glances at her mother. She loved being babysat by Miehka, she was a really fun grown up, but now she had to deal with Etari too? The little cub was kind of pesky, always wanting to play with her and Simba, even though he was way too little. Maybe this won't be so fun after all, she thought to herself.

But Nala's uneasiness at hanging out with the youngest cub in the pride quickly vanished as the sun continued rising into the sky. The two cubs practiced stalking each other around the boulders at the base of pride rock (Etari's smaller size actually helped here) and played leapfrog over the sunning lionesses. They even got Soma, the prides' other cub, to play at catching groundhogs with them. With his clubbed foot Soma had a hard time playing with the other cubs usually, but waiting for a groundhog to pop out of his hole suited the lame cub perfectly.

Midday rolled around and the cubs crashed in the shade by their babysitters and mothers. Etari was exhausted as he stretched out in the cool shade by Miehka, but his ears perked up when he heard prince Simba rush by.

"The waterhole?! What's so great about the waterhole?" Nala's voice echoed against the rock moments later and Etari was instantly awake.

They must be going somewhere! He thought excitedly, rolling onto his stomach and watching as his pride mates begged their mothers to let them leave.

"Grandma can I go too?"

"Hmm?" Miehka murmured sleepily, opening one eye to peer at the cub.

Queen Sarabi's voice saved the dozing grandmother from having to figure out what her grandson was asking. "But only if Zazu goes with you."

Miehka yawned and closed her eyes again before telling Etari, "As long as Zazu's going that's fine, but make sure you stay with the others ok?"

"Thanks grandma! You're the bestest!" shouted an excited Etari as he danced over toward Simba and Nala who were waiting dejectedly for Queen Sarabi to find Zazu. But as Etari approached Simba and Nala from behind he was stopped by their whispered conversation.

"Great! Now we've gotta get away from Zazu!" Simba grumbled quietly so none of the adults could hear him.

"What are you talking about?" Nala whispered back, curiosity apparent in her eyes.

"I'll tell you later," the prince whispered back, catching sight of Etari behind him.

They won't want me along, they never do. Etari thought to himself, quickly acting as though he was chasing a grasshopper, instead of coming to join the elder cubs. But if I follow them I can still see whatever it is, Miehka won't miss me. His gaze flicker over to his sleeping grandmother and Etari grinned with the prospect of an adventure.

Minutes later Etari crouched, hiding in the savannah grass thinking to himself, What are they whispering about? Not far ahead Simba and Nala were muttering to each other as Zazu flapped lazily overhead. No way they're just going to the water hole, there's nothing exciting there. The younger cubs tail twitched in excitement. He loved exploring, but the two older cubs never wanted him along. They always said he was too little and left him pouting at Pride Rock. But today he had turned tables on them!

With a great deal of skill for such a young cub Etari quietly trailed behind the trio, black tipped tail twitching with excitement at how well his plan to follow the others was working. No one had noticed him yet and Etari crouched low, blending into the long grass as Zazu landed and started speaking to the other cubs.

Suddenly Nala and Simba took off and a scolding Zazu flapped hard to get airborne and follow them. Etari sprinted after them, so intent on not being left behind that he forgot momentarily that he didn't want to be seen. Crashing into a small clearing he caught a quick glimpse of Simba scrambling up a log, startling Zazu with an attempted roar so that the major domo fell off. Laughing, Simba and Nala sprinted away and Etari began racing after them.

Suddenly the world went spinning and twisting as the dust colored cub lost his footing and flipped head over heels. Dazed Etari's eyes slipped in and out of focus as he struggled to get back on his feet. I'll lose them! thought the cub, leaping forward in a desperate attempt to follow his older playmates. He crashed through the ferns and other plants surrounding the opening and dashed back onto the savannah. Skidding to a halt Etari swung his head around, searching for any sign of the others. His searching eyes found Zazu flapping wildly in an attempt to keep up with two running Ostriches and the cub stretched out his short legs as he began to run after them.

Eventually though, the young cubs muscles could no longer take the constant chase. The other animals of the grasslands had aided the older cubs in their attempts to escape Zazu, but poor Etari had no such help and soon found himself alone. Panting slightly he began wandering the plains, but he quickly spotted Zazu's familiar plumage emerging from the far side of a rhino.

He's going to be awfully mad about losing Simba and Nala, Etari thought, watching the hornbill gain altitude. And he'll be even madder if he finds out that I snuck after them! With this thought Etari decided he didn't want to get any closer and snuck off in the opposite direction, searching for a place to hide from the watchful babysitter.

"There!" the cub whispered excitedly as he spotted a huge, branching tree in the otherwise empty grassland. Quickly Etari scampered to the other side, out of sight of Zazu. "Perfect!" he exclaimed, pleased to have escaped possible punishment. Happily the young lion took in his surroundings, ready for adventure. After all he was used to playing by himself and wasn't bothered at all to be alone on the savannah.

As he looked around Etari spotted a round fruit perched in the fork of the tree above him. All right! A ball! Extending his sharp claws the youngster began hauling himself up the smooth bark. Grunting, he reached the fork and slapped at the potential toy with his dust colored paw. But the fruit rolled further towards the interior of the tree. With a small scowl Etari hauled himself onto the branch to reach it.

"Whoa!" he let out a surprised breath. Right where he had climbed up the branches had all grown apart at the same point on the trunk, forming a hollow in the center. Amazed, Etari pulled himself the rest of the way up and slowly padded into the depression, wide eyes taking in the incredible sights around him. The thick branches that bordered the hollow were covered in simple but wonderful pictures. Straight ahead of Etari was one of a gold colored lion cub, with a streak of red on his brow that gleamed brightly against the brown of the tree bark. Curious the cub inched forward for a closer look.

"Is this yours?" Startled, Etari spun on his haunches, looking for the source of the questions. "Hee hee," laughter rang through the hollow of the tree, and glancing up Etari caught sight of a familiar face.

"Rafiki!" he called, relaxing now that he knew it was a friend speaking to him. Still laughing the baboon swung down, holding the fruit Etari had been chasing in one hand.

"And what are you doing in my humble abode young lion?" the primate asked his young guest.

"This is yours? Wow…" Etari's eyes once again roved around the paintings on the tree branches. "What about all these pictures?" he asked, taking the final steps toward the one of the cub with red on his brow. "Why did you make them?"

Grinning Rafiki set the gourd on the base of the hollow, then leaning on his walking stick explained to Etari, "They are pictures of those who have shaped the pridelands into the grand place it is today."

"So they're pictures of the kings? Where's Mufasa?"

"Not just kings young one, look here." With his stick Rafiki motioned toward the branch next to the one Etari was staring at, and the inquisitive cub shifted his gaze to another picture. Not far above where the branch split from the trunk was a picture of another cub, a cub outlined in brown that nearly disappeared into the bark of the tree it was so similar. Confused Etari leaned closer to the picture and spotted that the black mark on the cubs tail was actually part of the picture, not just a knot on the tree. A light brown cub with a black tail? he thought to himself, young mind wondering.

"Rafiki," Etari asked, unsure. "Is that…." His voice faded so that the last word was hardly audible, "me?"

"It is not always the person who stands out the most that makes the biggest difference. Those who work outside of the spotlight are just as important." Uncertain about what Rafiki was telling him Etari glanced over his shoulder and looked at the shaman, confused. But Rafiki merely looked knowingly at the cub and simply said, "You should not be out here alone, it is time to go home." Still confused Etari slowly nodded in agreement, and began following Rafiki out of the tree. But he glanced back at the threshold of the hollow to see one more time the pictures of Simba and himself etched onto the branches.