"C'mon, Utamu, we have no time to lose" said Mkali with a frown adorning her face.
At the firmly call of her mother, the cheetah cub turned around and ran to Mkali, who was looking at her with a scowl. The cub pinned her ears and showed a sad face.
"Sorry, mother, it's just that beetle was very cute" she excused herself with a tiny smile.
Mkali sighed, tired: "Daughter, how many times do I have to tell you…?"
"Never get distracted on a journey and stick by my side…" said the cub with a tired tone. "I know, I know… but it's boring…" she complained.
"Utamu, listen, you're the daughter of the leader of the cheetahs" explained Mkali with a tender smile, lowing her head to nuzzle her daughter. "You have to learn these kind of things, they will be useful in your future"
"What if I don't want to be the next leader?" said Utamu pouting. "It's not funny" she added sad.
"Utamu, dear, that's like saying you don't want to be a cheetah" said the cheetah with a worried tone.
"No, I like to be a cheetah" said the cub rapidly. "But I don't like to be next in line for being leader" she explained.
"You're still too little to understand, and of course you're afraid" said Mkali nuzzling her daughter. "But you'll be fine"
"How do you know?" asked the cub, curious.
"We mothers know it all" said Mkali lifting her head.
Utamu laughed at the facial expression of her mother. In their herd everybody know Mkali as a strict leader, but the truth was she was very friendly and kind when she wanted to. That kind of personality she had it reserved for her daughter and her mate. But for Utamu it was enough. Her mother looked at her smiling when she heard her laughing and licked her head.
"Now, let's go, we should arrive Pride Rock before the night falls" she said turning around.
"Mummy, what are we going to do at Pride Rock?" asked the cub jumping to her side.
"We need to talk to King Mufasa" explained her mother with a serious tone, coming back to her responsible personality. "There have been problems since a few wikis ago, and we need to talk to him"
"Um…" said the cub with a frown. "What has happened, mum?" she asked innocently.
Her mother just swallowed hard: "It's better if you don't know, honey"
"But I thought I had to be prepared for being leader, and a leader has to know these things" said Utamu proud of herself and the way she sounded.
"And I thought you told me you didn't want to be a leader" commented her mother, funny.
"Well… I thought about it and… maybe it would be fun" said the cub laughing afterwards.
Mkali shook her head with a tiny smile. She didn't see necessary to explain her daughter that being leader wasn't about having fun or bossing people around; it was a serious duty one had to take with responsibility. But Utamu was still so innocent and young that she didn't want to spoil her ideas, especially when she was starting to reconsider what she wanted to be in future.
"Well, your time will come, young cheetah" she said with solemn tone. "But, by the moment, let the boring things to me" she said, winking one eye.
"Alright…" said the cub pouting a bit and her mother laughed afterwards.
It had been a successful hunt. The lionesses had been able to hunt a few zebras that would be enough to feed the pride for the rest of the week. Mufasa and Sarabi congratulated them. The Queen especially was happy. As she still was a bit nervous and anxious due to her new duty as a mother, she saw herself forced to stay in the den till she felt completely better. At first, she didn't want to, but her mate and Sarafina persuaded her and finally she accepted.
But as the days went by, Sarabi found herself more anxious than ever. It was something she didn't like to admit, but she was a bit controlling. She loved to be in charge and tell the others what to do and how; these days, inside the den and being only capable to take walks were hell to her. But she didn't want to tell Mufasa, it would only worry him without reason, and, besides, he had been very attentive to her, and she liked that.
"I'm going to the waterhole, I'm thirsty" said Sarafina suddenly.
"Alright, Fina, but be back soon, the sun is setting" said Sarabi with a worried expression.
"Pfft, I'm not a child anymore, Sari, I'm not afraid of the darkness" said the lioness laughing before exiting the den.
The Queen just rolled her eyes and smiled, fondly. When Sarafina was out of the den, her laugh died. She hadn't noticed the whole kingdom was surrounded by fog. She felt chills going down her spine and she trotted to the waterhole. Whilst she was drinking she put her ears up, trying to hear all the sounds around her, just in case. But as she felt the water going down her throat, she lowered her guard and started to enjoy the drink. When she finished, she turned around, laughing to herself.
"I'm such an idiot, what can happen?" she asked to no one, and she let a giggle escape her lips. "At least, Sarabi wasn't here to see me and make fun of me" she commented with a sigh. "Let's g-"
Sarafinaaaaa
The blue-eyed lioness stopped in her tracks and looked in all directions.
Sarafinaaaaa…
"Hum?" the lioness tried harder to see through the fog, wanting to see at least a shadow, something, that would tell her she was accompanied by someone… "Hello?"
Sarafinaaaa….
Without thinking, Sarafina started to run back to Pride Rock, without looking back. Every sound that she heard, even if she did it herself, frighten her. She still heard the childish voice calling her name, and she thanked all the Kings she knew that more sooner than later, she was in front of the Rock.
"Look, sire, there's a lot of fog out there" commented Zazu, landing on Mufasa's shoulder.
"Yes, it's true" said the King with a worried expression.
"Where are the cubs?" asked Sarabi, sat behind him.
"Simba went with them to see my brother" explained Mufasa, trying to see through the fog with no avail. "I hope they'd be back soon…" he added with his ears pinned.
"Look, Mufasa, there they are!" said Zazu happily pointing at the shadows of his brother and the cubs.
"Hello, Dad!" said Simba entering the cave and running with his friends.
"Hello, your majesty!" said the rest of the cubs, running with the prince, who was now nuzzling his mother.
"Thank you for taking care of the children" said Mufasa with a serene smile.
"Yes, whatever…" said Scar, turning around. "Adieu, brother"
"No, Scar, wait…" said Mufasa, taking one step forwards.
"What?" asked the dark lion, turning his head only.
Before Mufasa could say something more, Zazu spoke: "Hey, Scar, where's Tama?" asked the bird with a frown.
"She has to be there" said Scar looking at all the children. When he found she was missing, he showed a scowl: "She is supposed to be here" he added with a growl.
"She just had to go" said Nala rapidly.
"How many times do I have to tell you to ask me whatever you want to do?" said Scar angry.
"She thought you wouldn't let her" explained Simba shrugging.
"Of course, and the best option was to get missed" said Scar rolling his green eyes.
"We should go…" Sarabi was about to propose, when the cub entered the den.
"Hello, friends" she said with a triumphal smile no one understood.
"Tama!" said Scar furious. "How many times do I have to explain you you need to tell me where you need to go before disappearing like this!" he scolded.
Tama didn't seem frighten and just shrugged: "It was an emergency, and I knew you wouldn't let me go if we were heading back" she explained, turning her back to him.
"If you know the answer will be no, why did you go anyway?" asked Scar.
"And what else could I have done? Pee myself?" said Tama without looking back.
"That girl…" muttered Scar under his breath, trying to control himself.
Mufasa, who had been looking the scene, started to smile and, finally, he laughed, making Zazu and his brother jump, surprised.
"I never thought you could act so parental" he commented with a cocked eyebrow, amused.
Scar just rolled his eyes and turned around, not wanting to answer. Mufasa sighed a bit and stopped in front of him.
"Now what?" asked Scar, upset.
"Well… There's a lot of fog out there…" started to say Mufasa, looking outside for a moment.
"Yes, I know, I can see, thank you…" began to say Scar, starting to feel a headache in his forehead. "Clever boy…" he added with a tiny smile.
Mufasa tried to ignore his talking and cleared his throat: "I hadn't finished yet"
"Sorry" said Scar closing his eyes with an exasperated sigh.
"Look, I only want you to stay here" explained Mufasa.
"What?" asked both Scar and Zazu.
The King dedicated a glare to the bird, who fly away from them: "Yes, Scar, I… It'll be better that way" he said shrugging. "You know you are welcome here anytime" he added with a worried scowl.
For a moment, Scar was speechless. He wasn't expecting this kind of offer from his brother. He knew he wasn't welcome as he had said, the other lionesses didn't like him, and he refused to be in there just for compassion…
"No, Mufasa" he said, passing his brother by.
"But…" tried to say Mufasa.
However, Sarafina returned to the den, running and gasping for air. Immediately, Sarabi ran to her side and tried to comfort her with a nuzzle. Mufasa and Scar went to see what happened, and by the time Sarafina was able to speak again, the rest of the pride was around her.
"Sarafina, what's wrong?" asked Sarabi worried sick.
"It's… It's…" tried to explain the lioness. She took in some air before speaking: "I think I heard someone calling my name in the watering hole" she explained with her turquoise shining with fear.
"What?" they all asked.
"Yes, yes… I was drinking and then…" she tried to explain, but then she saw the sceptical faces of her family. "What?"
"Fina, are you sure?" asked Diku with a raised eyebrow.
"Of course I am!" said Sarafina, feeling offended.
"I'm just saying that… is very dark out there by now and… I don't know, maybe you just heard the wind" said Diku shrugging.
"Oh, yes, the wind…" said the blue-eyed lioness. "Because the wind knows all our names and it likes to call us when it's bored…" said Sarafina with a sarcastic tone.
"You're getting better with your sarcasm" Scar congratulated her.
"Thank you" said Sarafina, feeling proud of herself.
"Fi, c'mon, it's been a hard hunt" said Naanda with a tender smile. "It's late and I think you need some sleep"
"We all, indeed" said Mufasa all of a sudden. "In fact, I think we all should go to sleep" he said, and the rest of the lionesses agreed, going to their favourites spots.
"I know I heard something" muttered Sarafina with her ears pinned.
"Don't worry about it" said Sarabi smiling at her. Both lionesses went to their sleeping places. "I'm sure tomorrow morning you'd have the ideas clearer" she tried to comfort her.
Mufasa watched as the lionesses lied down and tried to sleep a bit. He felt his brother exiting the den, but he rapidly stopped him with a scowl.
"Brother, please" said Mufasa.
"Alright, alright" said Scar, giving up. "If with this you'll shut up, fine" he said, lying down in the entrance of the cave. "But I won't go in there, I'll sleep here" he said resting his chin in his paws.
"As you wish" said Mufasa, sighing. Something is something. He thought going to where his mate was waiting for him.
Tojo made sure all the adults were sleeping and he ran to one corner of the den, away from all of them, his friends reunited.
"The cost is clear" he said in a whisper.
"Good" said Simba.
"I think we can say I did a good job" said Tama with a cocky smile.
"Yes, my mother is really scared" commented Nala, laughing a bit. "I feel bad for her, though, nobody believes her"
"That's because she didn't look so convinced herself…" said Simba looking at Tama.
"Hey, I did it perfectly fine!" she said with a frown.
"Oh, yeah?" said Simba rolling his eyes. "Then, why everybody's sleeping? That wasn't the plan" he complained.
"C'mon, Simba, don't be like that…" said Nala, who hated seeing her two best friends fighting.
"Listen to me, fur brain, I said: 'Sarafina, Sarafina, Sarafina'. Three times, three! If that isn't enough, then…" commented Tama pouting.
"Hey, are you calling my mum dumb?" asked Nala offended.
"No, no…" said Tama with her ears pinned. Then, she looked at Simba, angry. "It's this guy, he's always complaining. I'll tell you one thing, Simba: as you like criticize so much, why don't you try it yourself?" she dared with a determined smile.
"I'll do!" said Simba getting up. "And I can assure you this time it'll work as we want to!" then, he looked at Nala. "And I will need your help"
Utamu = swetness
Mkali = strictness
