Okay, good news. I haven't given up on the story. This one, that is. I don't usually write much in terms of stories. It literally took me forever to write this, and it's only 1,880 words of story. It was 1,879 words, but that bothered me. So I added another. Mild OCD over here.

Bad news: I am out of ideas. I never plan (though I chapter so after this chapter it's all scribbled out without any ideas. Kucho and Anga will probably go back and get rid of what's-his-face back at their old pride, but I don't even know when that'll be.

Anyway. There's a time skip. I don't want to write a ton of stuff about a couple of cubs surviving alone. That's not the point of this story. The point of this story is to be something I enjoy writing. So now they're not cubs. But not adults. They're like teenagers, meaning that Nyasi by now will be at least an adult, if not leading the old pride by now. I may make next chapter about him. I love Nyasi~

Enough of me. I hope my writing isn't as horrific as my spellchecker thinks it is.

- B

Kuchoma - young adult lion, like a teenager lion or whatever. Shiny golden brown fur with a dark red tail-tuft Nd the beginnings of a dark brown mane around his head.

Angani - young adult lion, roughly the same age as Kucho. Her fur is white, and her eyes are a reddish brown.

Maua - young adult lion, older than Kucho, but not by much. Her fur is reddish brown, and her eyes are yellow.

Radi - adult lion, oldest. Pale tan fur and green eyes.

Other names you'll see: Maarifa (King of Maua and Radi's pride)

"Who're they?" Anga asked, her steps lightening slightly as she slowed and pointed with her ears toward a small group of lionesses. Kucho followed her gaze, tensing as he moved between her and them.

"I don't know," he growled with narrowed eyes, tail tip twitching, "We'd better move on before they know we're here. You know how lions are about their hunting grounds."

Anga tilted her head, studying her friend carefully. It had been quite a while since they had left Kucho's old pride, and they had both grown a lot. Her friend's fur had gotten even more golden, and the beginnings of a dark brown mane were starting to grow around his face. He had grown much more muscular and was clearly a powerful young lion. For this reason, Anga supposed, he liked to avoid other prides. If they felt threatened by him, they might try to get rid of him.

Anga, on the other hand, had barely grown in size much at all. Next to Kucho, she still looked like a cub, though compared to herself back when the fire started, she had at least tripled in size. Kucho remained just as protective as her, which sometimes felt like too much. She supposed, after his brother had threatened to kill her, her friend had just felt even more responsible for her safety. That was the thing with family.

One of the lionesses she'd spotted had noticed them, and was alerting the rest of the group when Anga peered out from behind Kucho. He growled, and his black claws slid out. She sighed, turning away to find an appropriate hiding spot, as always. SHe knew the drill by now.

She found a sot where she could easily peer out from between the blades of tall grass she crouched in, just in case her friend had any trouble. He hadn't in the past, always taking advantage of the fact that he was young or the fact that he was intimidating. He was at least as large as any of the lionesses, and Angani was sure he was stronger than any one of them was.

She strained her ears as one of them, a pale tan one, began to speak to him. If anything, she didn't look hostile. Maybe she was curious, but she didn't look like she was going to attack. A friendly wind brought a trace of her words to Anga's ears, "...another lion here before?"

"No, it's just me," Kucho lied so easily. Angani smiled smugly at being the one to teach him that, over the course of the last few weeks.

"Lying is allowed," she'd said. "Just don't tell lies you can't take back or change later."

"How do I know which ones those are?" Kucho had asked.

"You aren't stupid, Kucho!" She'd coughed right there, unable to stop for a few moments. Then she'd continued hoarsely, "Think before you do anything. Always be a step or three in front of the enemy, so you can never lose. And if you can do that, you can lie."

"I'm not so sure about that," another lion commented, "I smell something around here that suggests otherwise."

Kucho moved just slightly, a tiny movement of his paws on the ground, but enough to make Anga flatten her ears in frustration. Anyone who knew anything about lying knew not to move your feet while doing so. Shuffling your paws, especially, was a dead giveaway.

A cough rose in the young white lion's throat, and she choked it back. She wouldn't be able to hide her presence for much longer, at this rate. She stopped trying so hard to hear, burying her muzzle under her paws to keep from letting out any sound that'd give away her location.

"I assure you," Anga was startled by how certain Kucho sounded, "There is no such thing. I'm alone, and you can see that."

The lioness in the lead sighed, exasperated, and muttered something that Anga couldn't quite discern. It was either, "I'm getting tired of you," or, "I really hate liars."

Whatever it was, Kucho began to look more and more grumpy, "Honestly! I'm just passing through. A lone lion has no business on pride grounds, after all."

"So you know of prides," a meek looking, reddish lioness spoke up, her voice inquisitive, "But you choose to be alone?"

"There are more important things than food and hunting grounds and lots of lions around you." Kucho replied evenly. Anga smiled to herself. He made it clear that he was talking about her. His devotion was really flattering.

"That's absurd!" The lead lioness blurted, "What about the bonds of family?" When Kucho gave no reply but staring her directly in the face, she bared her teeth and stomped forward until she was face to face with the young lion. "Answer me!"

Kucho tensed, but otherwise made no move. The lioness lowered her growl, glaring daggers at him. Anga felt her stomach tie itself into a knot. She fought to hold back her coughing.

"Why would you leave your pride?" The lioness snarled in his face, "Why would you abandon friends and family? I can tell that you once lived in one, that you were an important figure in one, by the way you look. You were educated in the ways of a pride, by the way you talk. So why did you leave?" She narrowed her eyes, looking even more frightening, "Why did you abandon your family to a fate without you?"

Kucho gasped at those last words, and Anga nearly lost control of herself. It was as if the lioness had known that Kucho had left his pride to a tyrant of a king, and was telling him such a thing to his face. But there was no way she could have known. Anga had never seen this lion before.

Kucho began to shake. He looked away, no longer meeting the lioness's eyes. Anga could see the guilt scrawled on his face from anywhere.

"I had no choice but to leave," the words were faint, and Anga barely heard them on tiny scraps of wind. "No choice."

"And why was that?" The lioness pressed for details, her face not softening at all.

"It... it was..." Kucho looked strained, as if he didn't want to say anything, and was struggling not to. But there was something obviously forcing him to continue his sentence. He bowed his head, and Anga barely caught his words: "It was the only way to keep her safe."

"Her?" The lead lioness's eyes gleamed with triumph, "So there is another lion around here?"

The reddish lioness tilted her head at him. "Who is she to you, that you would protect her so unwaveringly?"

Kucho lifted his head to glare again, "That is none of your business," he spat, "I am just passing through, if you recall."

"What if we don't let you?" The leader's eyes gleamed, "We should take you to see our King, just in case."

"Oh, right," the red one's eyes lit up in recognition. Anga already hated her; she seemed unintelligent and shallow, like a puddle. "Father knows everything!"

"Then it's decided," the lead one smiled at Kucho, "So, now you have a few choices. Follow us to Maarifa, alone, without calling whoever it is that's so important to you, and not know the way back here."

Anga didn't like her, either. Her words were lies, telling her friend he had choices but really saying that he only had one. They were pretty, but under that layer they were uglier than a fire-scoured wasteland, and the lion who had started that fire. Combined.

The pair had learned a lot in their time away from the pride, and it was clear Kucho could tell what this lioness was trying to do.

"You could run," the red one piped up, looking proud of herself.

"Quiet, Maua." The lead one growled, turning her glare to the red one. She looked back at Kucho, looking even angrier. "You could run, yes, but we would pursue. And I suspect that you wouldn't leave this area without the other lion around here."

Kucho flattened his ears as she said, "Finally, you could call your friend over and come quietly to speak with our King Maarifa. In that way, you don't make enemies of us, and you don't abandon your friend."

Kucho didn't even stop to think once that third option was offered. He took a quick step back, getting away from the other lions, and glanced around quickly. Urgently. Anga nearly chuckled, but was stopped by herself, and then a cough. The funny part was that he looked like he was trying to escape.

She unburied her nose, creeping toward him with a grin on her face. Her ears were raised, and she was thankful that he was keeping their attention long enough for them to not notice her. They'd discussed such a strategy before, in case there was an ultimatum like this one offered. She hated to admit it, but her friend was really insightful sometimes.

"You won't abandon your friend, right?" The leader smiled cruelly at him, as though thinking he was frightened about something. Anga rolled her eyes at her, stalking forward more quickly.

"You wouldn't do that, right?" Maua looked around, trying to follow his gaze. "You don't really seem like the kind of lion to do that."

Anga could tell Kucho had spotted her when he turned his gaze confidently back to the group. "She isn't around anymore," he said with a smile, "So I don't have to worry."

Anga tensed and stopped moving, holding her breath in case she happened to cough. She waited for her cue.

"Is that so?" The leader sighed, shaking her head, "So what, then? You chose to come with us?"

Kucho shrugged, "Sure, why not? It's not as if I have anything better to do."

That's my signal, Anga thought, standing up and walking forward. "Count me in, too," she sighed. Her voice sounded perfect; not scratchy, not particularly emotional. Bored. She decided at that moment that she really did like acting. Kucho looked at her, forcing shock onto his face.

"And you are?" The leader looked at her appearing to note Kucho's reaction, but her expression twisted strangely. No wonder, Anga smirked to herself, she's probably never seen a white lion before.

"I don't mind being called Malkia." Anga shrugged, not missing a beat. She and Kucho had also come up with alternate names, in case of this situation. Again, it had been his idea.

"And you?" The leader looked at Kucho, who still stared in shock at Anga.

Kucho started. "Ah, sorry," he said to her, "Call me Kipa."

Maua smiled at them, "It's nice to meet you!" She spouted happily, "I'm Maua, and this is Radi!"

"Quiet, Maua!" Radi hissed, exasperation staining her voice.

"It's nice to meet you, too!" Anga returned Maua's smile, though only for the sake of annoying the one called Radi. She really only felt resentment toward the reddish lioness.

"Let's just get going," Radi growled, turning and beginning to lead the way. Exchanging a glance with Kucho, Anga and her friend followed.

Somehow, though, she got the feeling they wouldn't be leaving very soon.