"Did my father work you hard today?" asked Kiara cheerfully.
Kovu and her were taking a peaceful nighttime stroll under the stars. Four months had gone by since Simba began teaching Kovu how to lead the Pridelands. The rainy season had passed and the young prince was maturing and becoming more responsible. His evil days of the past were beginning to fade into distant memories.
"Not really," he replied. "The kingdom was quiet today." Simba had been taking Kovu along when he went on his rounds lately for experience. Kovu wasn't the only one that had been learning new life lessons. Him and Salihi, one of Kiara's friends, had been teaching Kiara to hunt. She was improving dramatically and had even taken down an antelope one day. Nala and Sarabi were convinced that she would be able to join the hunting party soon.
"That's good," Kiara replied. Kovu noticed that she seemed to be hiding something.
Kovu looked around their surrondings. He asked, "Where are we going?" The area looked vaguely familiar to him.
"You'll see," she said, smiling. The couple kept walking, chatting quietly. Suddenly, Kiara stopped where she was. They were on gently rolling hills, the sweet smell of dew and grass in the air. Pride Rock could be seen jutting out from the plains not far away.
Kovu then realized where they were. Kiara had taken him to the spot where they had first learned about Upendi and fallen in love. "I should've known…but what's the occasion?" he grinned.
Ignoring his question, Kiara leaped and knocked him over, catching him off guard. She then licked him on the cheek. "Tag, your it!" she squealed, and started to run.
Kovu, catching on this time, scrambled up and sprinted after her. He laughed and caught up. Reaching out with his paw, he tapped her on the side. "You're it!" He laughed. Kiara stopped, veered around, and pounced on Kovu and they fell side by side in the soft green grass, laughing.
"You finally understood tag. You never cease to amaze me, Kovu," she said, her golden-peach fur gleaming in the moonlight.
"Same here. You finally came back from a successful hunt," he teased.
She swatted him playfully. "Hey!"
"I'm just kidding," he said, smiling. They both got up and sat side by side, Kiara leaning into his now longer and soft mane.
Kovu said, "So...you never told me the occasion."
Kiara looked down at her paws, trying to hide some emotion. "Well…Kovu, I have something to tell you," Kiara said. Kovu waited expectantly. She faced him, and he could see in her eyes that this was good news. "Well…I'm going to have a cub!" she said happily.
Kovu's heart skipped a beat. "Your…your going to…that's great!" he exclaimed happily. A cub…I'm going to be a father! He nuzzled her and licked her lovingly on the cheek. "Who else knows?"
Kiara thought and counted them up. "Let's see…Rafiki, mom and dad, all the other lionesses, Zazu, Timon and Pumbaa…pretty much everyone."
"And you all kept this from me for how long?" he smiled.
"One week today. I figured it was time to let you in on the secret, since you're, oh, I dunno, the father," she laughed.
"Wow, what kinda lion am I? Not even knowing you were pregnant!" he exclaimed. They both laughed and nuzzled each other in the moonlight on the grassy hill. The stars twinkled brightly as the Great Kings smiled down upon them from the night sky.
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It's nearly time, thought Rubani as he basked in the sun. He was laying on a large sandstone rock near the clear shallow river. The Grasslands were still dry, with only a very small occasional shower during the rainy season to keep the land able to support life. The herds had been shrinking, and the pride had been growing hungrier.
Rubani watched with satisfaction as Ijayo brought down a large zebra. The young lion was now an adolescent. His thickening black mane had grown past his ears, along the back of his neck, and a little on the sides of his head. Ijayo had grown more muscular; his muscles rippled under his chocolate fur as he ran. His legs had also grown longer, ideal for running and hunting. Ijayo dragged his kill to his father, his indigo eyes glinting with pleasure at having taken down his prey.
"You're getting better. Soon, when our lands cannot be inhabited any longer, we will take the Pridelands as our own," said Rubani as he proudly looked at Ijayo.
Ijayo inquired, "Father, what do you have against the Pridelanders? Why should we take their lands?"
"Don't concern yourself, my son. Just trust me when I say they are a pride that needs to be dealt with. I will tell you why when you are older." Rubani padded up his son and placed a large paw on his shoulder. "Ijayo, you will be a worthy king someday. But just like you need more training, the Pridelands need more time before we strike. Once you are strong and the Prideland's new, and most likely inexperienced, heirs take the throne, we will make our move."
"Yes, Father." The two lions ate their meal in silence. They found the meat to be a little dry, but each were unbothered. Food was getting harder to come by anymore, and they were lucky to have taken down a meal from one of the healthier herd animals. A tan lioness and a young female cub approached from the tall grass when they were done eating.
Rubani spoke to the lioness. "Take this up to the cliffs, Tamu."
Tamu nodded in obedience to her leader and turned to her beige-colored cub. "Help me carry this home, Cheneta. The other lionesses are hungry." Cheneta looked longingly at the plains through her amber eyes, wanting to go and play as all cubs do. However, she knew it to be unwise to disobey her mother.
"Okay mom," Cheneta replied, a little dishearted.
"Hey Cheneta!" A voice shouted nearby. The grass rustled and out ran a small, light rust colored cub with blue-green eyes and a brown tuft of fur on its head. "Cheneta, whatcha up to? I've been looking all over for you. Wanna go play?" he asked eagerly.
Cheneta sighed, "Sorry Kutu, but mom won't let me. I got into trouble for wandering too far from home yesterday. You know how leopards wander along the borders." Like hyenas in the Pridelands, leopards were banned from entering the Grasslands because of too many attacks on cubs.
Kutu's eyes turned from eagerness to disappointment. "Oh. Well, maybe tomorrow."
"Maybe. Bye Kutu," said Cheneta before grabbing the half-eaten carcass and helping her mother slowly drag it home.
Kutu's ears laid back in disappointment of not being able to play with his best friend. Then he turned to Rubani and asked hopefully, "Hey Dad, wanna wrestle?"
"Maybe another time, Kutu," said Rubani carelessly.
"Come on. Please?" begged Kutu, flashing a wide pleading grin. Rubani's ears began to lay back in annoyance and his tail began to twitch in aggravation.
Ijayo stepped up, wanting to help his father. "I'll play with him, Dad," he said loyally. The little hairball wasn't exactly Ijayo's favorite family member, but maybe that was just because Kutu was his younger brother.
"Thank you, Ijayo. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have duties to attend to." Rubani rose and walked off into the tall grass, disappearing from the younger lions' sight.
Kutu grinned and emitted a growl as he prepared to pounce on his brother. Ijayo sighed and readied himself for a play-fight that he would surely win. The adolecent said, "All right, kid, let's see what ya got."