Shards of sunlight escaped the large canopy of trees that fluttered and swayed slighty in the cool near mid-day breeze.It had took Tanasu a while and had left him struggling to catch his breath but eventually his small sides stopped pumping so hard and a sense of control came to him once more.Now,he sat and gaped in great awe at the seemingly endless trunk of a palm tree.He could see the large furry brown orbs well but they were just so high up above.

"What'cha doing?"Came a casual inquiry made by a youthful female voice.

The sound made the cub yelp in surprise and leap around to confront his visiter.When he did,he was staring into the confident if not arrogant cobalt eyes of a tigeress cub.But there was something else there,something he found himself instantly drawn to and made his insides feel fluttery.But Tansu stoof up straighter,he felt compelled to make himself looked undaunted.

"I was going to climb this tree and collect a coconut to take back to my friends."

She gave him a skeptical look."No offense but you really don't look like you'd be able to."

"Why?"Tanasu suddenly shot challengingly at her."Do you think you'd be able to?"

"I don't think,"She replied coolly and bringing up her striped paw,tracted out her fine black claws to their fullest length."I act.If all you are is talk,you might as well just go back home."

This caused confusion to arouse up in him."What?You're not planning to climb that tree are you?"his eyes retraced the length of the gigantic palm tree."What do you need a coconut for?"

"A coconut?"The cub laughed absurdly."Nothing.But,"she eased up on her haughtiness and studied him over."You really seem like you need one,I could help you if you want me to."

Tanasu perked up at this but then only leered at her,others had offered assistance to him in the past and there had always been a price to it.Whether it was doing something even more difficult or if it was just to be caught in a trick merely so he could be laughed at.No matter how oddly good she made him feel,he wasn't about to be subdued to whatever she had planned.

"What's in it for you?"He leaned forward and eyed her uncertainly.

At that moment,she took an akward step back and he realised she had just seen tooken notice of the other side of his face.Self-consciously,Tanasu retreated over some as well but from the corner of his good eye he saw her shrug it off and then spring up onto the tall tree.She didn't seem to have be loosing and the contest to keep herself from sliding downwards went to her.

Tanasu watched with amazement as she ascended the tree,digging and gripping her unusally long ebony claws into the sturdy bark as she slowly but surely made her way up.Finally the tigeress cub made it to the intrisic base of the brances.She was just an obscure figure to him but that hardly mattered as she plucked a coconut off and holding it up triumphantly for him to witness,started to gracefully make her way down and land right next to him in a grand pose.

"That..."A wide grin creeped across his face and he blurted out."That was awesome!"

She nodded with the utmost approvement of his praise."Wasn't it though?So,"her eyes fell to him as she placed her prize under her paw,rolling it about as she did."I'm Imani.Who are you?"

Trying to tone down his unnecessary mirth,he replied back a bit meekly as he stared at the ground and started to shift some dirt around with the stubs of his golden brown paw."Tanasu."

"Well,Tanasu..."Her voice held a lofty note."You asked if there was a catch,right?"

"Yeah."

"Well...there is."She now sounded keyed up."You're going to have to catch me first."

His eyes darted up to find her scampering away.A feeling of resentment welled up in him and made him give chase after her.Though he was faster,she expertly was able to dodge his fruitless attempts at trying to take her down.It lasted for several minutes until the effects of not having ate,coupled with his earlier running caught up with him and he had to pause for rest.

"What?"Imani laughed at him condenscendingly,trotting back up to him."Am I too much for you or are you just waiting to pull a fast one on me?Either way,no one ever catchs up with me anyway so don't feel too,too bad.Maybe if you practice more then someday you'll be able to-"

Her sentence was jerkingly cut off and that made him finally look over at her only to find a paralyzed expression etched in her features.At first he wondered if it was even possible for her to look that way but his realisation of the horror they were in soon came to pass as he felt an unfamiliar,rather rough handling on the scuff of his neck.It was different then he was use to and not just in the way he was being picked up but it was like there was more of a gripping to it.

When Tanasu finally got a look from where he dangled,his umber eyes appraised the dark face of a strange creature.The inital shock of seeing the masked face didn't last for long,but only grew in strength into a entirely new direction.For when he looked down again,he saw that the creature walked on two feet and was much,much taller then the primates he had seen.

"Imani...?"He turned his attention over to her,his voice quivery.

She didn't reply but instead was snarling and was clawing at him wildly,her little arms swinging over her head to reach her assailant but to no avail.Tanasu,his mind racing,attempted the same act as well.The cubs fought as the two tall creatures in masks and uniform took them up to a large flatbed truck that had thick steel-barred cages stacked and aligned all on top of it's back.

Not even getting a chance to be curious about this strange new contraption,Tanasu heard a grating noise that rattled his eardrums and felt himself be tossed carelessly into one of the cages,the cool metal rubbing uncomfortably under his stomach.He stayed like that for a minute as the sounds of slamming reached his ears and a rumbling sensation brought him to his feet.

Shaking himself off,he was about to look out when the abrupt movement behind him flung him forward and made him hit up against the firm bars,slight pain stringing around his shoulders and the side of his face where the deformity was.The fading trees seemed to ripple and dance before his eyes in the sunlight and a figure that he might have tooken for someone in his dream by the appearance their form showed,however,he soon realised it wasn't a figure of his dream.

Not one at all.It was his father,his strict,nearly intolerant father who he sometimes wished was more then just a dictator in his life,was galloping after them in flurrys of sandstorms jetting out in large sideways profusions as they sped away.Encouraged,Tanasu came closer and glanced to Imani who was gnawing on one of the side bars but seemed to be disliking it's strong taste.

"Imani!"He called over to her excitedly."Look!Look,it's my father.He'll rescue us.Just look."

The tigeress sent him a withering look but a spark had entered her eyes when she saw that he was indeed telling the truth and not only for that,for not only was Kovu in a mad rush after the truck but Imani's father Myron had taken up residency beside the lion.Thrill and fear both intermingled within Tanasu as he watched his father in suspense,urging him on in his thoughts.

Both felines were gaining fast but and though Kovu nearly tripped over a rock,Myron was on the rear end and was snapping at it's bumper.When he could reach it,his eyes raised up to meet his daugther's.From what Tanasu saw,it was like the two were sharing an understanding.They both loved each other and he bet they had fun together.Deeply,he wished that for that bond.

"Tanasu!"

His father's hoarse shout from him brought him out of his wistful daze and he watched with a sense of hope as Kovu was back on course and near the bumper now.The lion's emerald eyes where strong-willed,his large muscles flexed with well accustomed fitness as he leapt into the air and caught onto the front of the bars that seemed narrower,rattling the cage a bit as he did.

"Dad!"Tanasu placed placed his front paws up onto the inside of the bars,his head fell though as he realised the sort of peril he had gotten them into."Dad..."his voice was low,almost sobbing."Dad,I'm so sorry.I shouldn't have disobeyed,shouldn't done any of this...I...I..."

He felt a touch under his chin as his father moved his head up so that their eyes met,for the first time there was no hint of scolding nor firmness...only sadness.Pure sadness and possibly regret.But Tanasu knew not if it was for him or if it was for his father,he knew he was probably never going to know.At the last second,he saw his father open his muzzle to speak but a jolting of the truck made him loose his footing and Tanasu watched,horror-stricken,as his father fell.

Kovu clinged to the metal bumper like a lifeline,his feet come out from under him at the vechile picked up speed.Slowly,the lion made climbed up enough to be able to just hold on tightly.A clutching to his throat and a dread nearly consumed him but the adrenline surging through him at seeing his father's heroics caused the young cub to reach out and clasp his father's paw when he saw it being extended up to him.He held,wrapped his small arm around his paw and held it.

"I won't let go Dad..."Tanasu told him through gritted teeth."I promise,Father.I won't let go."

But it wasn't enough,the next bump had even more power and caused the earth-shattering feel of his father's paw to slip in his grasp.Desperately,Tanasu searched the swirls of dirt and sand that curled into the air in the thick embankment of their wake,though not seeing as to whether or not his father had made it out alright.For in that one moment,father and son had connected just briefly.Much to Tanasu's happiness and heart ache,for a first and very possibly final time.

To Be Continued...

A/N:Did Kovu...?Are Tanasu and Imani...?Will they ever...?Find out soon.

LP