Chapter One
This morning's sunrise was a breathtaking display of radiant colors. Bright streaks of red, pink, and orange slowly overcame the dark blue and purple of the twilight sky. The sky resembled a prism; all the colors blended perfectly into each other. The sun itself was just peeking out of the horizon, and its brilliant rays already shined brightly and began to warm the air. Only sounds of a few birds and crickets echoed through the Pridelands. Many of the animals were still fast asleep all except for two. Standing at the tip of Priderock were two female cubs. They looked out in the distance to see the sun was almost coming up; both young lionesses looked at each other before turning bounding off back into the cave.
"DAD!"
"DADDY!"
Their voices boomed excitedly as they ran into the cave. They stepped on other Pride members, causing the sleeping lions to groan and mumble. Both cubs apologized as they ran up towards the sleeping king and queen. The pale beige cub leap in the air pouncing on her dad's face tugging and pulling on his ear, while the golden tawny cub pressed her small paws on his face and began to push. "Come on dad wake up!" The girls continued trying to wake up their sleeping father.
"Your daughters are awake…" The dark beige queen said with a hint of playfulness in her tired voice. Mufasa groaned, "Before sunrise they're your daughters…" He retorted.
The two princesses looked at each other and furrowed their eyebrows. A smile appeared across their lips, thinking the same plan the other one did. The cubs took a few steps back looking at their target. They crouched down at the same time as they took one step forwards a purr like growl rumble loudly in both their throats as they tails swished back and forth in a playful motion. The girls took off on their paws bounded towards their father, a triumphant smile spread widely across their faces as they edge closer to the sleeping king. Their ears folded back against their heads as they edge closer. Feeling gravity losing them the cubs jumped almost in midair. Their heads pointed forward as they collided against their father's cheek.
His eyes flickered open after the feeling the soft head butt against his cheek. Mufasa looked over to see his daughters giving him angry expressions, "YOU PROMISED!" They growled showing their small white teeth towards him. Mufasa sighed looking at them, "Alright, alright I'm up! I'm up!" The two girls cheered as they backed away from their parents. The golden king lifted his head off his paws, and tilted his head back yawning loudly an involuntary roar escape his unhinge jaws as he continue to yawn showing off his impressive large fangs. Sarabi fully awake now after her daughters persistent actions getting her mate to wake up she decided it would be a could time to move around before the rest of the Pride wakes up.
The family walked outside, they were greeted by the warm sunlight that finally began to peak over the horizon. Mufasa and Sarabi nuzzled each other before the golden king started walking off towards the cliff of Priderock. Nala and Kiara stopped looking up at their mother with bright gleaming smiles, the dark beige lioness smiled softly. She lowered her muzzle towards and gave them a gentle nuzzle across their cheeks, both cubs purred before they bounded off with their father. Sarabi stood at the entrance of the cave, her lips curled into a smile as she watched her family walk away.
Brilliant orange poured out of the sun and across the horizon. The sky was blood red. The furrowed clouds were every shade from palest pink to deep crimson. Dawn broke over the horizon, the brilliant orange egg yolk sun spilled across the clouds as far as the eye could see. Mufasa sat on top of Priderock with his two daughters watching the Pridelands before him.
"Look Nala and Kiara. Everything the light touches is our kingdom."
Nala and Kiara looked at the Pridelands with astonishment. Nala stood up walked slightly away from her sister and father, to get a better look of the Kingdom. "Wow…" She said softly.
Mufasa smiled softly as he looked down at both of his daughters, "A King or Queen's time as ruler rises and falls like the sun. One day, Nala and Kiara, the sun will set on my time, and will rise with one of you as the new queen." Nala walked back over to Kiara and Mufasa, but she looked worriedly at sister and Kiara did the same. They both looked up at their father with a worried look. "Dad if one of us will be queen what will happen to the other one?" Kiara asked. Mufasa's face gave a worried look as he began to think about the same thing that happen between him and Taka but then he remember as his brother understood why he wasn't chosen as King but realized he was just as important to the kingdom just like Mufasa. "When one of you is chosen to be queen the other one could be their advisor."
Nala tilted her to the side with a questioned look on her face. "Dad what's an advisor?"
The golden lion chuckled, "An advisor is a king or queen's right hand person. They keep up with the residents here within the Pridelands. If any problems seem to be going on they will always report back to the king or queen."
"That sounds really cool!" Kiara said giggling slightly. Mufasa smiled before looking back out in the distance.
The pale beige cub walked over to her father and sat down next to him watching the lands with her sister, "So, this will be all ours?" She asked looking up at him.
"Everything…"
The golden tawny cub stood up her red eyes took in all the lands before her she imagine her and sister ruling it all side by side. She slowly started walking away, "Everything the light touches…" Kiara scan the area until she notice a strange dark place in the distance. She squint her red eyes as she sat down looking at it. "But dad what about that shadowy place?" Kiara said in confusion as she looked back at her father.
Mufasa and Nala walked up to Kiara's side. Nala eyes widen with curiosity while Mufasa's knitted his eyebrows together frowning at the place. "That's beyond our borders. You must never go there, Nala and Kiara." The golden king said in a stern voice making sure his word was clear to his daughters. Nala and Kiara looked at him in question, "But I thought a leader can do what they want." Kiara said standing up facing her father with a slight tilt in her head. Mufasa chuckled turning walking away leading the girls towards the grassy plains, "There's more to being a leader than getting your way all the time."
Kiara tilted her head to the side, "There's more?" The golden tawny cub asked.
The golden king chuckled, "Of course…Let me explain."
Mufasa and his two daughters walked across the lush green grassy plains, "Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. As one of you will become queen, you need to understand that balance and respect all the creatures…" He craned his neck down his reddish-brown eyes spotted a trail of ants walking along a small trail, "From the crawling ant…" He lifted his head as a few antelope began to leap past him, "To the leaping antelope." Kiara tilted her head lifting one eyebrow in question, "But dad, don't we eat the antelope?" Nala slightly elbow Kiara in her fore arm for asking such a question, Kiara flashed a frown at Nala. Mufasa just chuckled as he nuzzled both of his daughters calming them down for a bit.
"Yes, Kiara, but let me explain. When we die, our bodies will become the grass, and the antelope eats the grass. And so we are all connected to the Great Circle of Life."
A blue hornbill flew in interrupting the lesson that Mufasa was giving to Nala and Kiara. The hornbill landed on a rock in front of Mufasa bowing slightly, "Good morning sire!" The bird said eagerly. "Good morning Zazu!" Mufasa said with a bright smile.
"So what brings you here on a morning like this?" King asked.
Zazu smiled, "As you know I am here to deliver the morning report!"
"Fire away!"
The hornbill smiled and cleared his throat, "Well the buzz from the bees is that the leopards are in a bit of a spot. And the baboons are going ape over this. Of course, the giraffes are acting like they're above it all... The tick birds are pecking on the elephants. I told the elephants to forget it, but they can't. The cheetahs are hard up, but I always say, cheetahs never prosper..."
Nala let out a irritable sigh while Kiara just rolled her eyes in annoyance, not only were they in impatient to continue their lesson with their father but they also had to listen to banana beak squawk about reports. As they continued looking on something began to move underground causing the dirt to form a trail after the strange moving creature. This spark Kiara's interested as she crouched down, her tail swished back and forth playfully as she growled softly stalking towards the moving creature. The mind of the young huntress kept on her focus on the target as she maneuvered quietly towards her prey. Suddenly, a mole emerges from the ground looking anxiously around. Kiara's body hunched up as she prepared to pounce, "Grrr! Raawwrr!" She leaped into the air aiming for her target. The mole notices the young golden princess in time, he smirked slightly and he quickly ducked back into the ground before she could pounce on him. Kiara's red eyes widen as she watch her prey disappear, but what was worse was that she was about to collide with her sister Nala within the matter of seconds.
The golden tawny lioness tackled her sister to the ground causing them to sprawl out on the ground. Nala was on her stomach groaning slightly trying to collect her thoughts figuring what just hit her and knocked her over. The tawny lioness rubbed her paw across her head slightly looking back to see Kiara on top of her lying sideways on her back. "Kiara!" Nala hissed slightly in annoyance pushing her off of her standing up frowning upon the golden lioness. Kiara looked up at Nala with an innocent smile flashing all of her teeth, hoping that her sister won't scowl or be mad at her. "What are doing?" She said tilting her head to the side. Kiara stood up and walked over to Nala, "Hunting…" The tawny cub looked over at Kiara with knitted eyebrows gazing at her sister confusingly. The golden tawny cub rolled her eyes and pointed her claw towards the mole that pop from the ground again. Nala's eyes widen with realization, "Oooh…" Both cubs looked at each other and smirked.
Nala and Kiara crouched down into a hunting stance, stalking forward. As the mole submerges from the ground he saw Zazu, "Za-!" He quickly dunked back underground as he notice a shadow flying over him. Nala giggled as she landed on her forepaws on top of the hole. Fill with enjoyment knowing she caught him, with a smile Nala open her colorless paws. Her head darted left to right in she notice that the mole wasn't there. Nala ears perked when she heard giggling from the right of her, she saw Kiara pouncing on a hole and laugh looking at her reacting knowing that she didn't catch him either. The tawny cub giggled bounding up to her sister. Suddenly the mole pop from another hole, Kiara pounced on top of it but she missed again. Nala hopped over her and landed on another hole. They continue this little game until Zazu was finish with giving his dreadful long morning report.
The sounds of giggling and rambunctious playing made Mufasa slightly distracted from Zazu and looked to see his little princesses playing around. He smiled softly looking down at them, "Girls what are you doing?" As Nala and Kiara both pounced in the air seem to be focus on the same hole, the sound of their father's voice threw their concentration off. The cubs collided into each other, Nala landed on her back groaning while Kiara landed on her hindquarters rubbing her head.
Kiara groaned slightly and looked up at her father, "Pouncing…"
Mufasa chuckled slightly. He turned his attention away from his majordomo towards his daughters, "Girls let me show how a real hunter does it." Nala and Kiara smiled at each other as they excitedly bounded up to their father. "Alright now, stay low to the ground," He said in a low voice that only the two girls could hear. He pressed his large golden paw on Nala's back lower her to the ground with Kiara mimicking the same position. "Make sure you stay focus on your target."
Seeing that Zazu was still talking, Mufasa smile and interrupted his report. "Zazu may you turn around please." Zazu smiled and nodded his head slightly, "Oh yes sire!" The hornbill turned around tilting his head in the air, "May I ask Mufasa, what is going on?" He said slightly turning around looking at the golden lion in confusion.
"A pouncing lesson…"
Zazu smiled again, "Very good sir! A pounc-," Zazu's eyes widen as if they were ready to pop out of his skull, he quickly spun around facing the king, "A pouncing lesson! Oh no, Sire you can't be serious…" Mufasa lifted his paw toe turning it in circular motions causing Zazu to moan, groan, and whine slightly not wanting to be the cubs practice dummies. Zazu sighed placing a wing over his face shaking it in dismay, "This is so humiliating." He sighed shaking his head.
As Zazu continued complaining and whining, Mufasa continue giving Nala and Kiara lesson. "Now don't, make, a sound…" Nala and Kiara smirked as they watch Zazu quietly and patiently.
After went quiet after a few minutes, this made Zazu worried as he looked around a bit still perched up on the rock. "Mufasa! Nala! Kiara!" He called their names out. But there was still no answer and the hornbill was getting anxious at the moment. He turned his back in the distance maybe they snuck away or something.
"Now!"
Nala and Kiara came from their hiding spots pouncing in full air. Their front paws pressed firmly against Zazu's back knocking him off the rock. He landed on his back with a hard thud, his feathers were just everywhere. The hornbill wondered how his mother had to go through this every single being a practice dummy for almost every single lesson. Mufasa tilted his head back roaring with laughter, his daughters came trotting up to him with their muzzles in the air and their chest puffed out with accomplishment. A trail of dirt came towards Zazu, a mole pop up giving the hornbill a salute, "Zazu sir! There is news from the underground up North. There two outlanders are trespassing into the northern side of the border!" Zazu was still trying to regain consciousness, "Oh outlanders that's nice," He laughed out of context. His eyes widen and he quickly got up, "Mufasa there outlanders in the in the northern part of the Pridelands!" He said frantically.
Mufasa's eyebrows knitted together, the thought of outlanders made his fur bristle with fury. The king was about to leave and fix the problem until he heard one of his daughters call out to him.
Nala and Kiara bounding up to their father, "Dad can we come?" Nala asked excitedly wanting to check out the problem.
The golden lion sighed shaking his head slightly, "No girls, it's too dangerous." He said, his voice was calm but also stern hoping he can get his point through them both.
"Aww. But da-"
"No Nala!" He said a little bit agitated at his daughter's stubbornness.
Nala ears dropped at his tone, she sighed in defeat averting her gaze from her father down at her paws. Kiara looked over at her sister with a worried look.
Mufasa sighed seeing that look but he had no time for discussion, "Zazu take the girls home!" After that he turned and ran off to deal with his outlandish problems.
"That's not fair!" Kiara protest as they started walking back towards Priderock. Zazu chuckled as he flew over their heads, "Don't worry girls, one day you'll be old enough to take on those murderous backstabbing outsiders."