Tinaka was the first one awake. She always was. She was an early bird. The rest of the pride was soundlessly sleeping. The sun was just starting to rise. Rising to her paws Tinaka slowly walked outside to watch the brilliant sunrise.
Colors of bright red and orange filled the sky. Tinaka was in awe staring the massive colors. Birds flew across the sky. She heard the stampeding of wild zebras running across the Great Plains. The air fresh and dense. Tinaka could almost taste the freshness.
"Tinaka?"
Tinaka turned around. Kiara was watching her from the base of the den.
"Yes, Mom?" She answered vainly. Kiara gave a twisted sigh. "Its very pretty this morning isn't it?" She asked her daughter. Tinaka nodded, still staring at the sky. Kiara walked up and sat down next to her.
"Mom" Tinaka asked. "Why do I have these strange stops all over me?" She asked. Kiara turned her head. She had Kovu had agreed not to tell her of her heritage. "You just haven't lost your cub spots yet" She answered smiling. "But why has Tarako?" Tinaka questioned.
"Your brother is older then you, dear" Kiara answered "So he supositivly lost them because of age." Tinaka wasn't convinced. "Does that mean I was born different?" She asked. Kiara laughed. "No, my dear, it means you are special."
She gave Tinaka a lick on affection on her forehead.
Tarako was sitting outside the den and could hear everything. he was grimaced at the sight of his mother showing love to someone else besides him. He knew of Tinaka's leopard heritage. He had been given stern orders by both his father mother never to tell Tinaka. Tarako knew that Tinaka would just laugh at him if he told her she was a leopard. She wouldn't even examine the proof. She climbed trees often and loved to nap in them, whenever the adults brought home food she would drag it up a tree, and most of all the rosettes. Ah yes the rosettes. Tinaka would argue that they were baby spots and they would soon go away. Tarako would just sigh. He didn't like Tinaka one bit. He hated thinking that the pridelands had accept something other then a lion into the pride. He called it "Not being full-blooded'
He would have liked Tinaka if she was a dear friend of his, but since she was officially in the pride now, ruining it. Tarako looked up into the sky. He began to think of his heritage. His great grandfather had been one of the wisest leaders ever to rule the pridelands. He was remembers through out the kingdom.
Then there was his grandfather. A ruler who was well but had made several stupid decisions. And finally there was his father, Kovu. Kovu had been a hated outlander all of his life. But love over threw his hate filled heart. Kovu had told him that when he was young He was the one destined to rule the pridelands, but in a different name. The name of evilness. "Oh I ruled all right," Kovu told him. "But I ruled the right way"
Tarako didn't know what that ment. And he seriously didn't care. He just wanted his sister out of his kingdom.
Tinaka looked down at her paws. "Mom why does Tarako hate me?" she asked.
"He is only jealous Tinaka, your brother doesn't hate you" Tinaka wasn't sure about that. "OK, then why does he always ignore me and bite when your not looking?" She asked.
Kiara rolled her eyes. "I will talk to Tarako about his teasing, why don't you go on and play" she said nudging her daughter. Tinaka sighed and began to walk down to the bottom of pride rock. "Be careful, Tinaka!" Kiara called to her. " I will!" She answered, and took of running.
Tinaka had played in the lands many times and knew it by heart. She knew where the groundhog's houses where and she knew where the most popular bird roosting place was. She knew everything. The only thing Tinaka didn't know of was the outlands. Her father had told her of his dark past, but she never understood what was so bad about the land.
Tinaka stopped running when she got a shortage of breath. She looked into the outlands. It was dark and gloomy, like an underground cave. Normally a lion's instincts would tell him not to go into that land. But not Tinaka! She want to find out. She took a few steps into the unknown place. The ground fell warm and dead beneath her feet. Like dirt that had dead bodies beneath it.
Tinaka looked around. It was darker then she had expected. And hotter. She had pant slightly to keep her body heat down. The wind picked up behind her. She could smell anything that came up behind her and she smelled her brother...
Tinaka smiled. She wanted to play a small trick on her unsuspecting sibling. She looked around for anything she could hide behind. Sure anofe she saw a large rock that seemed to be dented in a little so she could curl up in the small spot. Tinaka knew the joke would not work if Tarako could see her pawprints. So, she got down on her back and rolled. Her sot was surrounded by grass so she only rolled a small distance. She crept to her hiding place and stood still listening for Tarako's almost silent walking.
Tarako knew his sister had been headed for the outlands. He had been warned many times not to go there. He never did except once in a while when there wasn't anything to do. But he never stayed long. Tarako hated to admit it be was afraid of the outlands. Of course he would never admit it. Tarako slowly crept up to where Tinaka's footprints stopped. "Tinaka?" he whispered. He wanted to blame her and get out, the outlands were giving him the creeps.
Tinaka giggled and began to slightly growl.
Tarako's teeth began to chatter. He was deathly afraid now. But he needed his sister. He wanted to catch her in the act of disobedience. He began walking in the direction torward the growl. "Tinaka?" he said.
Tinaka leapt! She jumped out of her hiding space and grabbed Tarako's loose skin behind the neck with her jaws and growled as loud she could. Tarako couldn't exactly see that it was Tinaka so of course....
"HELP! SOMEODY HELP THERES A KILLER THINGY ONTOP OF ME!!!!!!!!!!"
Tarako screamed. At the same time he was crying. Tinaka of course was despertly trying to hold on at the same making sure her body was out of Tarako's view.
"Help! Please someone help!" Tarako cried. Tinaka was barley able to hold on, so she let go. Tarako looked at his attacker and gave a loud huff. Tinaka was sprawled on the ground laughing like a tickled hyena. Tarako flattened his ears and just stared. Tinaka was unable to stop. But after a few minutes she calmed down. "You....should....of...seen....the...look..on...your face!" she cried. " You thought I was going to kill you!" she told him still giggling. " You fell for it!"
Tarako smiled. "Yah, we'll wait and see what Mom and dad say when they find out you've been to the outlands!" he said smiling. Tinaka quit laughing. " You wouldn't dare!" she said. "Oh yes I will!" Tarako answered " and I'll be proud to do it!"
Tinaka quinced. She was going to get in huge trouble with her parents. Then she rememberd. "You've been here too stupid, we'll both get in trouble!" she told him. Tarako flattened his ears. "Oh ya..." he mumbled. " Look I won't tell if you don't tell." Tinaka said. "Deal?" Tarako stalled for a moment. "Deal" he said. Tinaka smiled. " Race ya home!" she screamed, and took off.
Tarako just sat. There. He wondered why he had been so dumb to fall for one of his sister's stupid tricks.
Colors of bright red and orange filled the sky. Tinaka was in awe staring the massive colors. Birds flew across the sky. She heard the stampeding of wild zebras running across the Great Plains. The air fresh and dense. Tinaka could almost taste the freshness.
"Tinaka?"
Tinaka turned around. Kiara was watching her from the base of the den.
"Yes, Mom?" She answered vainly. Kiara gave a twisted sigh. "Its very pretty this morning isn't it?" She asked her daughter. Tinaka nodded, still staring at the sky. Kiara walked up and sat down next to her.
"Mom" Tinaka asked. "Why do I have these strange stops all over me?" She asked. Kiara turned her head. She had Kovu had agreed not to tell her of her heritage. "You just haven't lost your cub spots yet" She answered smiling. "But why has Tarako?" Tinaka questioned.
"Your brother is older then you, dear" Kiara answered "So he supositivly lost them because of age." Tinaka wasn't convinced. "Does that mean I was born different?" She asked. Kiara laughed. "No, my dear, it means you are special."
She gave Tinaka a lick on affection on her forehead.
Tarako was sitting outside the den and could hear everything. he was grimaced at the sight of his mother showing love to someone else besides him. He knew of Tinaka's leopard heritage. He had been given stern orders by both his father mother never to tell Tinaka. Tarako knew that Tinaka would just laugh at him if he told her she was a leopard. She wouldn't even examine the proof. She climbed trees often and loved to nap in them, whenever the adults brought home food she would drag it up a tree, and most of all the rosettes. Ah yes the rosettes. Tinaka would argue that they were baby spots and they would soon go away. Tarako would just sigh. He didn't like Tinaka one bit. He hated thinking that the pridelands had accept something other then a lion into the pride. He called it "Not being full-blooded'
He would have liked Tinaka if she was a dear friend of his, but since she was officially in the pride now, ruining it. Tarako looked up into the sky. He began to think of his heritage. His great grandfather had been one of the wisest leaders ever to rule the pridelands. He was remembers through out the kingdom.
Then there was his grandfather. A ruler who was well but had made several stupid decisions. And finally there was his father, Kovu. Kovu had been a hated outlander all of his life. But love over threw his hate filled heart. Kovu had told him that when he was young He was the one destined to rule the pridelands, but in a different name. The name of evilness. "Oh I ruled all right," Kovu told him. "But I ruled the right way"
Tarako didn't know what that ment. And he seriously didn't care. He just wanted his sister out of his kingdom.
Tinaka looked down at her paws. "Mom why does Tarako hate me?" she asked.
"He is only jealous Tinaka, your brother doesn't hate you" Tinaka wasn't sure about that. "OK, then why does he always ignore me and bite when your not looking?" She asked.
Kiara rolled her eyes. "I will talk to Tarako about his teasing, why don't you go on and play" she said nudging her daughter. Tinaka sighed and began to walk down to the bottom of pride rock. "Be careful, Tinaka!" Kiara called to her. " I will!" She answered, and took of running.
Tinaka had played in the lands many times and knew it by heart. She knew where the groundhog's houses where and she knew where the most popular bird roosting place was. She knew everything. The only thing Tinaka didn't know of was the outlands. Her father had told her of his dark past, but she never understood what was so bad about the land.
Tinaka stopped running when she got a shortage of breath. She looked into the outlands. It was dark and gloomy, like an underground cave. Normally a lion's instincts would tell him not to go into that land. But not Tinaka! She want to find out. She took a few steps into the unknown place. The ground fell warm and dead beneath her feet. Like dirt that had dead bodies beneath it.
Tinaka looked around. It was darker then she had expected. And hotter. She had pant slightly to keep her body heat down. The wind picked up behind her. She could smell anything that came up behind her and she smelled her brother...
Tinaka smiled. She wanted to play a small trick on her unsuspecting sibling. She looked around for anything she could hide behind. Sure anofe she saw a large rock that seemed to be dented in a little so she could curl up in the small spot. Tinaka knew the joke would not work if Tarako could see her pawprints. So, she got down on her back and rolled. Her sot was surrounded by grass so she only rolled a small distance. She crept to her hiding place and stood still listening for Tarako's almost silent walking.
Tarako knew his sister had been headed for the outlands. He had been warned many times not to go there. He never did except once in a while when there wasn't anything to do. But he never stayed long. Tarako hated to admit it be was afraid of the outlands. Of course he would never admit it. Tarako slowly crept up to where Tinaka's footprints stopped. "Tinaka?" he whispered. He wanted to blame her and get out, the outlands were giving him the creeps.
Tinaka giggled and began to slightly growl.
Tarako's teeth began to chatter. He was deathly afraid now. But he needed his sister. He wanted to catch her in the act of disobedience. He began walking in the direction torward the growl. "Tinaka?" he said.
Tinaka leapt! She jumped out of her hiding space and grabbed Tarako's loose skin behind the neck with her jaws and growled as loud she could. Tarako couldn't exactly see that it was Tinaka so of course....
"HELP! SOMEODY HELP THERES A KILLER THINGY ONTOP OF ME!!!!!!!!!!"
Tarako screamed. At the same time he was crying. Tinaka of course was despertly trying to hold on at the same making sure her body was out of Tarako's view.
"Help! Please someone help!" Tarako cried. Tinaka was barley able to hold on, so she let go. Tarako looked at his attacker and gave a loud huff. Tinaka was sprawled on the ground laughing like a tickled hyena. Tarako flattened his ears and just stared. Tinaka was unable to stop. But after a few minutes she calmed down. "You....should....of...seen....the...look..on...your face!" she cried. " You thought I was going to kill you!" she told him still giggling. " You fell for it!"
Tarako smiled. "Yah, we'll wait and see what Mom and dad say when they find out you've been to the outlands!" he said smiling. Tinaka quit laughing. " You wouldn't dare!" she said. "Oh yes I will!" Tarako answered " and I'll be proud to do it!"
Tinaka quinced. She was going to get in huge trouble with her parents. Then she rememberd. "You've been here too stupid, we'll both get in trouble!" she told him. Tarako flattened his ears. "Oh ya..." he mumbled. " Look I won't tell if you don't tell." Tinaka said. "Deal?" Tarako stalled for a moment. "Deal" he said. Tinaka smiled. " Race ya home!" she screamed, and took off.
Tarako just sat. There. He wondered why he had been so dumb to fall for one of his sister's stupid tricks.