Chapter 1: On the Outskirts

"How about you call me Butt-Kicker because that's exactly what I'm about to do!" ~Vitani

Memory...

"Psst…psst, Sheeva! Wake up!"

The tiger Simba was disturbing reluctantly opened her eyes. She then looked at him with slightly irritated eyes; she hated to be woken up in the middle of the night but either Simba didn't notice or he didn't care.

"Simba…I'm sleeping…"

"I know but I can't sleep…wanna wrestle?"

"Go wrestle with Pumbaa." She mumbled.

"I would but he's asleep."

"And I wasn't?"

"You aren't now." He grinned.

Sheeva shook her head. "I'm about be."

Simba got on all fours and began circling around her. The tiger watched him with half closed eyes.

"Are you scared? Don't worry; I won't hurt you…bad." He shook his small but growing mane arrogantly. "Come on Sheeva, I bet you can't pin m-"

The lion didn't even get to finish his sentence before Sheeva had him pinned to the ground. Stunned, Simba laid there for a moment trying to replay the situation in his head.

Sheeva chuckled as she got off of him. "You asked for it."

Eventually Simba came to a conclusion. "You cheated."

He watched as the tiger went back to her spot and laid back down. He was about to encourage another round but before he had the chance Sheeva rolled on her back and stared up at the moon.

"The moon is beautiful tonight."

Simba looked up at the full moon and silently agreed with her. All was silent between them for at least 2 minutes before he broke it.

"You know what I just realized?" Simba asked, getting comfortable. "I don't know anything about your life before the Jungle."

"Hakuna Matata, Simba. It doesn't matter."

"I know, I know…but I'm just curious now. How'd you meet Timon and Pumbaa?"

Sheeva sighed, not because she didn't want to tell him, but because she was still tired. "I was born in a zoo and I escaped."

Simba looked at her when she didn't continue. "And?"

"And…now I'm here."

"There's got to be more…what about your parents? And how'd you get all the way here? Details…"

"I stayed in a zoo for what seemed like a short period of my life because my parents escaped from it with me. We made it a good distance away but somehow the humans caught up with us. They captured us but my father made a big commotion, enough for me to escape their nets. He was still caught along with my mother but he told me to keep running no matter what…and that's what I did. Eventually, I stumbled into this jungle and passed out. When I woke up Timon and Pumbaa had found me and we became friends."

"After you tried to eat them?"

"After I tried to eat them."

They laughed to themselves and glanced at the meerkat and warthog that were sleeping not too far away from them.

"I don't know where I'd be without you guys." Simba thought aloud and began humming their motto song.

Sheeva joined in his humming and they smiled as they hummed together. When they finished Sheeva chuckled again.

"So what about you?" She asked, now more awake.

"What about me?"

"How'd you get here?"

"You know, I was passed out too and you guys found me."

"I meant how did you get in the desert? Why were you there?"

"Oh…umm…" Simba paused; he hadn't thought about it for a while and didn't really want to. "…I ran away."

"From your pride? Why?"

"Something happened."

"Obviously." When Sheeva looked at him she softened her expression. "Never mind; you don't have to tell me, Simba."

She started to turn back over and try to go back to sleep but Simba stopped her.

"No, it's not that…it's just…" He sighed and got on all fours. He then proceeded to turn his back to her as if he wasn't worthy of being in her presence. "I killed my father."

Sheeva's eyes widened but she said nothing as Simba started to explain right away.

"I didn't do it on purpose; I was playing in the gorge and a pack of wildebeest came running…hundreds of them…my father saved me…but he didn't make it out of the gorge alive. If only I hadn't been playing there…"

"From what it sounds like, you were young and it was an accident; Simba you didn't kill him."

"I did…and I ran away…and luckily Timon, Pumbaa and you found me. It doesn't matter anymore, like you said; Hakuna Matata."

Sheeva looked concerned. "Simba…"

"So there you have it." He turned back to her, a smile once again present on his face. "Anymore you want to know?"

She stared at him for a few seconds before shaking her head and turning her attention back to the moon.

"Then another round?" He bent down into his wrestling position. "And this time no cheati-"

Again, Simba found himself not able to finish his sentence because he was already pinned to the ground. Sheeva stood over him, an arrogant look on her face.

Simba grinned. "You just love to cheat, don't you?"

Maalum stared from a tall tree down at Pride Rock and all the surrounding animals. He watched everything going on but he mainly kept his eyes on the lions, the royal family in particular.

He watched intensively as the King, also known as Simba, also known as his father, walked and talked with Kovu, also known as his brother in law, also known as the King to be. He also saw Kiara, also known as his half-sister and Queen to be, and Nala, also known as the Queen, and also known as his father's mate.

Maalum stared as they went on about their business, none the wiser about his presence. This was exactly the 365th day in a row that he'd gone unnoticed. He didn't care now but in the first week of his spying it struck him as odd since he wasn't going out of the way to hide himself. He'd been there, just lying in that exact same spot on that tree, watching and analyzing for hours. He assumed some animal would come by and question him but nobody did; either they didn't know he was there or they didn't care because he wasn't bothering anything.

Maalum sighed; he was there to watch them but also to sort some things out, more precisely, his feelings. If you asked Maalum, he'd tell you that he wasn't really mad about Kovu becoming the new King; he wouldn't want such a big responsibility anyway. Nor was he mad at Nala for basically taking the role of his mother. He wasn't upset about having a sibling; he actually admired Kiara in a way. And he'd most definitely tell you he didn't feel anything like anger towards Simba. However, he wasn't quite sure if all of that was true…because if it was, what in the world was he doing there?

In actuality, he felt was very indifferent about the whole situation when it came to his life. Being raised in the jungle made him a lazy, quiet, aloof and often indifferent lion. He didn't care about too much; not even being a liger mattered to him anymore. He was different and that's all there was too it; if someone didn't like him, that was their problem. However, no matter how carefree he felt, he couldn't rid himself of the curiosity he felt about his father and what life would be like in the pride. Where would he fit in to it and what exactly would his role be? He thought about these things sometimes…

"Hey!"

Startled, Maalum jumped and fell off the tree limb he was sitting on. Before he got the chance to get up from the ground, a lioness jumped on him, pinning him to the ground.

"Who are you?" She demanded.

Maalum's face gave nothing away but he was a little surprised the lioness was able to pin him. His big frame and stature usually prevented that kind of thing so it was very rare he came across competition. He was also way bigger than her, which meant she was strong. In no rush to answer, he analyzed her features. An odd looking lioness to say the least, but pretty nonetheless. She had electric blue eyes and a head tuft, unlike most of the lionesses he saw. She also had freckles and her fur seemed a little longer and more unkempt than the others.

"I asked you a question."

The edge in her voice told Maalum that she really thought she was in control of this situation. That she really thought she could force him to answer her. That was comical to the liger under her paws; despite the fact that she was able to pin him, Maalum was stronger and bigger by a lot. He could and would throw her off of him any second he wanted to.

She growled. "We don't take too kindly to wandering lions on our turf."

Finally Maalum spoke in a low voice. "First of all, I'm not wandering and secondly, I'm not a lion."

She looked at him as if he was crazy. That's when Maalum quickly lost interest and expressed it with a heavy sigh. He then got from under the lioness without any trouble at all; he simply pushed her off of him. Before the lioness could growl or do anything else she noticed he had stripes on his body, all the way from his upper back to the end of his tail. There were even a few on his face and he had a huge mane. But aside from the stripes, mane and big frame he looked like a regular lion, he had a lion head and bodily shape.

"What are you?" She asked, her voice more curious than anything else.

"I'm a liger; a cross between a lion and tiger." He said in a disinterested voice as he climbed back up the tree.

The lioness looked a little confused but after a few seconds her expression returned to that of earlier.

She growled again. "I don't care what you are. You have no business on our land. Now unless you're prepared to see Simba –the King of Pride Rock- Then I'd suggest you make your way away from here."

Maalum looked at the lioness; she was beginning to get on his nerves. "What's your name?"

"Why?" She snarled.

"So I can call you something other than annoying."

The lioness's ear twitched and she let out a growl. "How about you call me Butt-Kicker because that's exactly what I'm about to do!"

Feisty…and tomboyish from what Maalum could see so far. He'd think many other females would have gone for help or something by now but not this one. She had the guts to talk to him any kind of way and to attack him. She was different…and different was something Maalum knew far too well.

Before he could respond with a comment that would have angered her further, he heard another lioness not too far away. "Vitani!"

The lioness turned to see who called her, which told Maalum that that was her name.

"Vitani? Are you out here?"

"Yes, I'm right here." She smiled smugly at the aloof lion in the tree above.

Another former outlander lioness walked over to her through the thick grass. "What are you doing out here?"

Vitani turned to the other lioness eagerly. "A wanderer lion has appeared."

"Where?" The other lioness got in an offensive position and looked around.

"Right in that…" Vitani's voice faded when she saw that the spot where Maalum sat was empty. "He's gone."

The other lioness let her guard back down. "It was a male?"

Vitani began looking all over. "Yeah, a big one…he was just there."

"Are you sure?"

"I know what I saw."

Maalum walked away slowly, listening to Vitani and the other lioness talk and reluctantly head back closer to Pride Rock. Maalum didn't want to be caught, as stated before his curiosity was the only thing putting him in that tree in the first place, otherwise he couldn't care less. Therefore he didn't want an interaction with Simba or any other lion for that matter. The only reason he spoke to Vitani was because she caught him off guard.

Also she sparked his curiosity too, a very hard thing to do. She was different and it showed in her voice, behavior, and even in her name. What was she even doing that far away from Pride Rock in the first place?

Eventually, Maalum shook it off and decided to head back towards the jungle. It had been a while since he was there, since he literally spent a year on the outskirts of Pride Rock. His mother advised him not to go but, obviously, he didn't take her advice. Instead, he waited for her to leave before he left; Sheeva had decided to take a trip herself. She went to visit the zoo to see if her parents were still there and Maalum hasn't seen her since. It'd be nice to see his mother again, Maalum thought, nice to see someone that would claim him.

Walking at the slow pace he was, it took him a good 40 to 60 minutes to get back to his home. When he finally got there, he immediately made his way to a stream to get water. He laid down as he drank and got comfortable for a few seconds.

"Maalum?" A familiar voice called him.

As soon as Maaalum turned around he was greeted with a giant hug that would've knocked him off his feet if he was on them.

"Maalum!"

"Hello, Fiji." The liger sighed as he was squeezed by a small monkey.

"It's been so long! It felt like 50 years! Why'd you stay so long? How was your trip? Did you miss me? I missed you! Maalum! I was so bored without you!"

Maalum sighed again as his friend went on and on, prancing around happily. That monkey was the closest thing he had to a best friend. Over his years of being raised in the Jungle, Maalum made friends with him. They were exact opposites though; Fiji was an eccentric animal that was talkative and loud while Maalum wasn't. Yet somehow, they got along just fine. Maybe it was the fact that they were both considered outcasts or maybe because they balanced each other out. Who knew?

"Maalum, did you miss me?" Fiji asked as he jumped on the liger again.

"Yes Fiji, I missed you." Maalum said as he pushed the elated monkey off of him.

Fiji climbed a nearby vine and began swinging back and forth. "Good, because I missed you! And your mom missed you too! Why'd you stay gone so long, Maalum? I was so worried and so bored! How was your trip? Did you see your dad? Did you-"

"Fiji," Maalum cut him off. "take me to where my mother is, please."

"Okay! I'm the leader, follow me!"

Fiji swung from vine to vine and tree limb to tree limb while Maalum followed his direction on the ground. He rambled on and on about whatever came to his mind, not cognizant that the liger was toning him out. It took about 5 minutes before Maalum noticed a sleeping tiger in the distance. Without warning, Fiji jumped on Sheeva's back.

"Wake up, Mama Sheeva! Prince finally returned!"

Maalum rolled his eyes at the nick-name Fiji sometimes called him. He started calling him that years ago, ever since Maalum told him that his father was a King.

Sheeva opened her eyes reluctantly and with irritated eyes. "Fiji…"

Her expression changed when she saw the monkey run and jump on Maalum's back, much to the liger's chagrin. Then she got up immediately and walked over to her son.

"Maalum, you've grown…again." She smiled warmly.

"Have you ever stopped to think maybe you've shrunk?" He gave a small smile.

Sheeva nuzzled him. "I missed you. How are you?"

"Fine," Maalum shook the monkey off of his back. "Fiji, I'll go get you later."

The monkey jumped into a tree and threw a piece of fruit at the liger before swinging away. "Ha-ha! Okay Prince, I'll be waiting!"

Maalum glared at his friend and mumbled under his breath as he pushed the fruit away.

Sheeva laughed. "He really missed you."

"I know," He turned his attention back to his mother. "How about you? How are you feeling?"

"Lazy; there isn't much for an old tiger like me to do in the Jungle beside sleep and eat."

"You're not old." Maalum said. "How was your trip?"

"Evidently pointless," Sheeva walked back over to her spot with a sigh. "apparently my mother was transported to a different zoo and my father died not too long ago."

"I'm sorry." Maalum felt bad but he wasn't hurt that much because he never met either of his grandparents. "How long ago did you get back?"

"Months ago…but what about your trip? Did you see Simba?"

Maalum's expression turned to his regular one. "Yes and I saw his mate, his daughter and son in law."

Maalum watched her face to see if it gave away anything regarding her feelings but her expression didn't falter; it remained a tired but happy one. "His daughter and the future King…he's doing well, I see."

"I suppose."

"You don't seem satisfied with your journey. Did you not meet them?"

"I did not; I watched from the outskirts."

Sheeva looked a little surprised then. "Unseen? For a whole year?"

"Until today." Maalum sat down beside her. "A lioness spotted me."

"What happened?"

"Nothing; she wouldn't go get help…she insisted on trying to run me away herself."

"I see she succeeded."

"No, I left because another lioness came and I didn't want to draw too much attention."

Sheeva nodded. "Why didn't you want to speak with your father?"

"You advised me not to."

"I also advised you not to go in the first place, but you did it anyway."

Maalum smiled a little again. "I have nothing to say to him."

"Then why did you go?"

Maalum paused as he thought carefully about how to respond. "…I don't know."

"Yes you do…and so do I."

Maalum didn't respond but stayed quiet as his mother got comfortable on the ground once again.

"You plan on going back?"

"Eventually."

"Well I hope you find the answers you're looking for."

"Me too." He said in a voice barely audible to himself.

Thank you for all those epically awesome reviews! They not only made me happy but they also made me want to update quickly. So keep 'em coming because usually I'm not a fast updater, lol. Anyway, Thanks for clicking on/sticking with my story and reading, it's greatly appreciated! Click on the blue link below…Magical Things Happen If You Do! Lol