A/N: I never thought I'd be updating so soon... o.o

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy! : D


The Lion King: Teal Eyes.

Chapter 2: Crawling through jeopardy.


Hot salty tears managed to trek down and stain the cheeks of the young lioness cub as she sat on her haunches in the corner of shame. Since the incident, she didn't want to see any of her friends; especially the one that made this all possible. Sarabi triumphed; every lioness that seemed to pass ignored her desolate, disturbed posture. Still though, Sarabi didn't regret what she had done to Zira - the cub needed to be pinned and laughed at so a lesson could be learned. But she didn't expect the result to be her condemned to the excruciatingly hot den with lionesses ambling in and out.

Sarabi curled into a ball. It wasn't necessarily because of Zira; but because instead of Zira being shamed, she was shamed and scolded in front of her friends, by her mother in front of the king and queen. She felt it was a disgrace and such a disgusting attitude to perform in front of the royals. However, Sarabi kept telling herself that Zira deserved it. And she did.

The lioness cub dragged her freshly sharpened claws onto the haggard walls of the kopje, provoking a really disturbing sound from the action. Usually it made her wince, but now she didn't care. The thought of nobody caring about her leaked into her mind - nobody had even bothered to see her. She was left to her own drops of tears. She was so confused at this moment - she didn't know whether she wanted something there or not.

Though, one side of Sarabi was relieved nobody was here. She was bound to embarrass herself again if something like that, or worse than that, had occurred again.

The cub's ears suddenly flickered: another presence.

It was obviously one of the lionesses.

"Sarabi?"

Finally, someone called her name. Someone had felt the pang of guilt and empathy to come and sit by her. It was the voice of a female lion, and as the visitor settled beside the lone cub, the youngster peered into the staring, amber eyes in shock. Well... Not so much shock. Ishi was always the first lioness to say something to Sarabi.

"You're not here to scold me again," Sarabi's voice trembled slightly. "...right?"

"I wouldn't say it's scolding..." Ishi replied softly, with less assertiveness in her voice. "I wanted to ask, why did you hurt Zira?"

Sarabi pursed her lips. "I'd like to ask why everyone is so blind these days. Didn't you see that smirk on her face afterwards? It was to get me in trouble!"

"Sarabi..."

"Nobody even cared to what I had to say. You don't know what she did to me, because I'm not the type of cub to just pin somelion so randomly." The angered cub retorted. "She was the one talking about Diku, how she'd often use her for things. And she insulted Mufasa - of course I had to pin her! And she was faking it the whole time, she-"

"Enough, Sarabi!" Ishi seethed firmly, sealing Sarabi's large trap. "I understand you were mad at her, but it's not a wise move for the future queen to pin a lioness that got on her nerves. You'd be teaching your pridemates to be violent."

Sarabi's mother was right. The cub looked down in shame. It was quite foolish to force violence upon a pridemember. Ishi could see the regret floating in Sarabi's eyes which was a good sign. The adult lioness sighed.

"I know how mischievous Zira can be, and how blind some of us can be," Ishi motioned towards the large bundle crowding around the 'injured' cub. "But there are always a few that aren't blind, that notice. Remember that."

"I... I guess so, huh?" The cub smiled meekly. "But... I wish lionesses like Zira could be more like us."

Ishi looked away, her head low. "Me too..." She proceeded to looking back at her baffled cub. "I've got a story to tell you, Sarabi."

Sarabi lit up in excitement. "Really? Should I call Naanda, Dwala and Diku?"

"I can tell them afterwards, but I think you need to know." Ishi chuckled. "...Since you're the oldest."


The young mother and her cub remained speechless. Mantler was practically on the verge of dying, possibly, stirring a fatal option for Sarafina. But she wasn't born a lioness for nothing. It was because she'd protect her cub at all costs. A venomous hiss pouted from the mother's mouth, meanwhile all eight of her freshly sharpened claws extended.

She braced herself from any sort of attack, forcing the density of her muscular body to unmask itself. With Sarafina practically attached to her hind legs, she writhed into the brushing savannah grass, desperately creeping away to avoid a fight. The male seemed slightly younger than her, but he was still larger.

He wore an expression of wry - he knew she wouldn't dare force herself to fight him. But he also knew, by her postures, that she was one of the stronger lionesses; ones that'd be excellent for breeding to produce strong cubs. It was all the encouragement he needed. His oriented thinking had brought Mantler more time. Time for what? To think of a plan. Right.

Though the mother still kept her orbs on him, she could see from the corner of her eye that there was a perfect escape route. And that escape route was heaven. A bunch of clustering wildebeest stirred, scattering and scampering about - enjoying themselves and grazing as much grass as they could. It was a dangerous, almost fatal idea, but Mantler knew that if she could charge through the center of the herd, they'd panic and scatter even more, causing the male to lose track of her and her cub.

Mantler also exchanged the dreadful, wry expression. Based on her experience, this lion was young enough to not be so familiar with intruders - or in this case, common plans that'd often help intruders.

A low snarl signalled that he was desperate for the death of this cub, for this lioness to join this pride. But it also signalled he could kill her at any moment... or could he? He may have been strong, stronger than Mantler. But strength didn't work without logic. The lion's large shoulder blades continuously bounced up and down. Up and down. For some time, it was distracting. Mantler's creeping and tensed body seemed to put him on edge. Yes, he was stronger, but she had experience.

"What're you doing?" he inquired for the first time in a rather rude tone. "Come, fight me!" Hopefully these words would mask his anxiety.

Mantler slowed, stopping and offering a look that asked him if he was insane. Yet she didn't answer. She simply scooped her petrified cub by the nape, and continued to saunter; still bracing and tensing for an attack. Her opposition chuckled.

"You're really stupid, y'know. It's best you to just come fight me and establish who's the dominant one."

Mantler stopped again. She rose one thick eyebrow. "Listen," she finally said in a tone that seemed to be irritated, after she threw her cub further away from the two. "I'm a mother - way more experienced than you. You may be stronger, but my upper paw is experience." Her voice was hoarse and dry from the relentless move.

"But something still needs to be established." And once again, the male was crouched. "Besides, I don't think you'd win with experience anyway."

Several lionesses emerged behind the crouched male. They seemed juvenile, however, still young and perhaps in training to protect their pride. Mantler estimated they were no older than two years. It put Mantler on edge slightly that she was outnumbered; they would only be worse...for perhaps both sides.

Sure, she'd have more lions chasing her, but more lions would also stirr the herd, inflicting terror upon them and drive them to cowardly spin about like imbeciles. It gave her more chance of escape.

...And yet, an opportunity had miraculously leaked into the scene once more. The male, and the only male of the pride it seemed, craned his head around to inform his lionesses of the fight. What a stupid move.

Mantler knew exactly how to react - it was now or never. Her legs that had been bent for quite a while now was enough to stimulate her normal jumping height. Without warning, the older lioness lashed into the air, her hind legs working like propellers, her forelegs folded in to make herself more aerodynamic than she was at that point.

The pride male and his lionesses watched in amazement as Mantler safely landed on her legs, scooping her cub once more. The adult lioness mindlessly charged into the herd, her head low and Sarafina's tail dragging along the grass. As expected, the young lions of the pride were behind her and the herd began panicking too.

Several snorts and brings were released into the air by the petrified wildebeest, as they foolishly charged and pierced the ground with their hooves like idiots.

"Umph!"

Mantler was sprawled out on the ground with Sarafina scampering away, onto the other side. The mother's eyes widened in fear as she saw the large hoof of a wildebeest clampering towards her hind leg...

"NO! MUM!"

CRACK.

Mantler's painful roar ripped through the land, as she rolled onto her stomach in agony. Her hind leg was brutally clampered on by one of the startled wildebeest, and she too would be trampled if she didn't get out of the way. The lioness rapidly slithered over to where her daughter was standing, her eyes clouding with tears and causing very difficult vision for her at that moment.

"We've gotta move away from the wildebeest, Sarafina." Mantler put all her weight on a rock to erect onto her paws. Somehow she managed to, but her leg starred a very awful pain whenever she had pressed on it. Limping was the only way for her to travel, now.

It didn't take her long to notice, but Mantler noted that they had come across a different landscape. It wasn't the same, dull, sombre and decaying territory. This place was thriving with nature, water and food, freshly grown greens. The land was surrounded only by humidity and the scorching sun that harshly burned the animals of the land. It was better than home, though, Sarafina had to admit.

This was the territory that'd probably keep them alive for the rest of their lives - an excess supply of food, water and content nature was something every lion could dream of. Sarafina was certain her jaw had been dropped for at least a while. Keeping thought of her daughter's open jaw, Mantler slowy hovered her paw over the lioness cub's profile, proceeding to shut her mouth.

"This place is dreamland! I'd love to stay here, Mum!"

Mantler smiled. "Me too, but such a beautiful place must have inhabitants to have kept it so thriving and healthy."

Sarafina felt a pang of disappointment, dragging her the narrow way to happiness. "Aargh, but... I don't see any lions! Please Mum, I don't care if we have to stay hidden - I'm just tired of having to wake up so early and scavenge from hyenas or other animals..."

"Me too..." Mantler looked around for a few seconds. "I guess...staying a while wouldn't hurt."

The two females embraced themselves - they were finally free of their long-term fleeing. Both of them settled. It seemed that the pride lions had given up on their attempt, they stared at Mantler and Sarafina from the other side of the river bend, before completely executing their plan and ambling back to their home.

Mantler looked down to her paws in sadness. Much to her dislike; her daughter seemed to notice.

"What's wrong?" The adult lioness rapidly smudged her freshly-drawn tears, avoiding any sort of eye contact with her cub. "Mum?"

"NOTHING!" Mantler bellowed in total frustration. She wasn't capable of controlling how her feelings had taken over her actions and the way she spoke to others. Sarafina coiled backwards, turning into a ball and quivering in fear of her own mother's tone. The mother realized her daughter was only concerned, and tried to reduce the tone slightly. "I'm sorry, Sara. It's just..."

The lionesses pinned their ears.

"Y'know how... how I fell over?"

Sarafina nodded leisurely.

"I got... My leg got stepped on by one of the wildebeest and... I could be crippled now! For life!" The cub sauntered over towards her sobbing mother, wrapping both of her forelegs around her and nuzzling her to ease her sadness.

"HEY YOU."

Both lions spun around to the source of the husky voice that had so evidently bellowed to get their attention. Danger was always just round the corner...