Hey everyone! Here is another chapter!

Hope you all are doing good! School starts next week and for me that means more time writing reports rather than story writing.

But don't worry, I'll post weekly and as often as possible.

I hate stories that go on long term hiatus and I don't plan on this being one of those stories any time soon.

Also, shoutout to Daneil1177, Harak, and Disney Critic Gal for following my story. Your support means a lot.

Now, on with the next chapter!

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Ch. 11 Cheetahs Never Prosper

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(Back to the Story)

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"Come on, guys. Let's go!" Kopa called out as he ran ahead of the group.

"Kopa, slow down." Simba called out to his son, "The cheetahs aren't going anywhere." but the young cub continued to leap through to tall grass, chanting: "We're gonna see the cheetahs! We're gonna see the cheetahs!"

It was a beautiful day in the Pride Lands as Simba, Nala, Sarabi, Kopa, Kicheko were making their way to meet with a group of cheetahs who wanted to return to the Pride Lands. Before Zazu left for his special errand for the royal family, he gave Sarabi a list of duties and meetings that had to be met while he was away. The first thing was meeting with the cheetahs to discuss their return to the Pride Lands.

Now, the cheetahs were a species who were known for their reclusive and loner ways, however, on occasions that affected the species as a whole, they would come together and choose one of their own to represent them in diplomatic matters. Today, Simba was going to go meet with the cheetah who would be representing the species. As Simba prepared to leave, Sarabi and Nala suggested that they bring Kicheko and Kopa along so that they could learn how a king worked with his subjects while at the same time learning about the other animals of whom they ruled over. Kopa of course was thrilled to come along, Kicheko, however, was a little less than enthusiastic to join them.

Ever since the incident with Zira and the others, the once cheerful, happy pup was now a melancholy downer. He would be distant towards the others of the pride and even his own family, and would spend most of his time alone in the back corner of the cave. This worried Simba and Nala for they had grown fond of the little pup and loved him as if he was their own son. They tried asking him what was wrong but he would shut them out or not want to talk with them.

Finally, Sarabi decided to step in and offer her own opinion on the matter. She suggested that they observe his actions and see what was truly bothering him, and once they had a good idea on what was the root of the trouble then they would talk to him about it and then maybe he would be open with them. But for now, Simba's main concern was making sure he made a good impression of the cheetah's representative.

"Does he even know where we are going?" Kicheko asked as he looked up at Simba.

"Oh course, K." Kopa replied hearing the conversation going on behind him, "We're going to Flat-ridge Rock."

"And where might Flat-ridge Rock be?" Nala asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Um…" Kopa stopped jumping as he took a moment to think about what his mother asked him. Finally he answered, "Not sure, but that's where I'm headed." This earned a laugh from Simba and the others, knowing full well that Kopa was actually headed in the wrong direction.

"Maybe you should stick with us, son." Simba suggested, "We'll get there soon, I promise." Hearing this, Kopa bounded on over to his family and walked alongside his mother and grandmother. He enjoyed being together with everyone. It wasn't often they all got to go out on a little adventure.

"So, Mother." Simba said, causing Sarabi to raise her head, "What can you tell me about who we are meeting?"

"The representative?" Sarabi replied, "She will not be like the others you have spoken with so far. She is headstrong, brash, and above all else, very skeptical about coming back to the Pride Lands."

"That's… odd." Simba said, "I thought the cheetahs wanted to return to the Pride Lands."

"And they do, but they want to get the best deal that they can upon their return. The one who they chose to represent them is named Streak. She is very popular among her fellow cheetahs as being one of the quickest in all the land. Her father also acted as representative for the cheetahs in the past during Mufasa's reign, so it was only natural that his daughter would also keep relations with the Pride Lands."

"Why is it that she skeptical about returning?" Simba asked. Sarabi sighed, knowing fully well that this would not be and easy negotiation and this was the sole reason why.

"Back when Scar took over… the moment food began to become scarce, Streak's father, Beba approached Scar and demanded something to be done."

"I remember that day well." Nala added, "He stood tall and talked with such authority, such prowess. To put it lightly, Beba demanded that Scar got off of his tail and started acting like a king." Nala then stared at the ground as she recalled what happened next, "Scar… didn't take to kindly to his choice of words. He made the hyenas chase him off of Pride Rock. After that, it wasn't long before word spread throughout the Pride Lands of Scar's actions and the cheetahs left."

"That's terrible." Kopa said as he listened to the conversation his parents were having.

"Very terrible." Sarabi sighed, "Streak was just becoming a teen during that time and between being driven away from her home and witnessing her father's humiliation, she has every right to be concerned about returning to these lands once again." Simba knew his uncle had done some terrible things during his rule, but this was a new one to him. He completely understood where the cheetah was coming from in terms of losing a home to a tyrant, but still, one thing didn't make sense to him.

"If she doesn't want to return, then why did the cheetahs appoint her to represent them?"

"Like I said before," Sarabi explained, "the cheetahs want to get as much as they can out of this deal. They are expecting Streak to want compensation for how they were treated before their exile from the land."

"That seems reasonable." Simba said.

"You would think so." Sarabi groaned, "But their demands are outrageous! They want four times the land they originally had, an extended limit on how many animals they are allowed to hunt, and they want access to Pride Rock whenever they wish."

"What?!" Simba and Nala exclaimed in unison. Those demands were absurd! Four times the original hunting grounds would be more than a third of the entire Pride Lands. Besides that, an extended limit on animal kills and access to Pride Rock would throw the entire ecosystem out of balance and threaten the Circle of Life. Scar did the same thing with the hyenas and it practically destroyed the land.

"They can't be serious!" Nala said, appalled by the idea of once again sharing their home with another species. Cheetahs were defiantly better than hyenas, but they were still snobs and not to mention very temperamental if they didn't have their way, and Nala would not be sharing a den with another obnoxious predator any time soon. "Don't they know that kind of behavior destroyed the Pride Lands last time?"

"They simply don't care." Sarabi shook her head solemnly, "The males are a stubborn breed, and care more about their personal wellbeing rather than the concerns of others. That is why I am hopeful about this meeting with Streak."

While they were talking, Kopa decided he didn't want to walk anymore, so seeing a nearby bolder, he ran up to it and leaped off of the tip and landed on Simba's back. Simba staggered a bit, feeling the weight of his son suddenly on his back, but he regained his balance and continued walking. Kopa would do that often whenever he wanted to rest a bit and Simba didn't mind having to carry him. After all, he was probably tuckered out from all the running around he was doing earlier.

"Though Streak is known for being brash," Sarabi continued, "I find that she has a bit more common sense than her male counterparts. Whether or not she agrees with the terms they have set remains to be seen, but from what I know about the cheetahs, your only hope for a reasonable deal lies with her." Simba sighed when he heard this news. This would definitely be a long day.

"Well…" he began, "Any suggestions?" he asked looking between Nala and his mother.

"Just know this." Sarabi replied, "Whatever you do, whatever you decide, we will both be right here beside you." Sarabi nuzzled her son's head, trying to give him as much comfort as she could. Still, Sarabi knew in her heart that no matter what, Simba would do just fine.

"Look, Dad!" Kopa suddenly exclaimed, "Cheetahs!" Sure enough, right on top of the hill in front of them laid Flat-ridge Rock. On the rock laid a large cheetah with a bulky figure and aqua blue eyes. The spots on her left shoulder lined up to form what appeared to be a rough sketch of a lightning bolt. Simba figured that's where Streak got her name from. Around her stood three other male cheetahs, all looking at Simba and his family with glares of mistrust. Simba took a moment to take a deep breath before approaching the group, knowing that this would probably take a while.

"Welcome to the Pride Lands, cheetahs." Simba greeted as Kopa jumped off of his back and went to stand by Kicheko and his mother, "It is a pleasure to finally-"

"Cut the pleasantries, your highness." Streak spoke up, catching Simba off guard.

"I-I'm sorry?" Simba said, making sure he heard her right. Streak got to her feet, jumped down from Flat-ridge Rock and slowly approached him, her eyes never leaving the king's.

"There is no reason to beat around the bush so I'll be clear with you." She growled, "I don't like lions. I don't like politics, and I especially don't like having my time wasted on trivial matters such as these. So either give into our demands or we're done here. Period." Streak's words left Simba dumbfounded for a few seconds. He barely knew her and already this cheetah had left quiet the impression on him. Sarabi was right, Streak was a very brash leader.

"Now…" Simba cleared his throat, composing himself once again, "Let's not get ahead of ourselves miss… Streak was it?"

"That's right!" the cheetah growled as she turned her back on Simba and walked back beside the males, "I'm Streak, fastest cheetah you'll ever find anywhere. I've taken up this position representative because when it comes to speaking with you lions, these cowards don't know how to handle themselves." In saying this, she glanced back at the three males to find that one of them had fallen asleep while she was talking. Seeing how their leader was now looking at them, one of the males nudged his companion, making him wake up and look around frantically, trying to figure out what was going on around him. Streak shook her head in dismay. Seeing her fellow cheetahs act like this in front of the king was disgraceful. "So… have you received our demands for rejoining the Pride Lands?"

"We have." Simba replied, standing tall and remembering all that his mother told him about the cheetahs and their ways, "And in return I must ask you this: what do you think will happen to the Pride Lands if we were to accept the terms of your return?"

"Things will go back to the way it should be." Streak stated matter-of-factly, "That's all we ever wanted was to have what is rightfully ours."

"Apparently," Simba said in a stern voice, "What you think is rightfully yours is different then what the others think. That's why I came here; so we can negotiate."

"Don't try to wiggle out of this, King Simba." Streak seethed the name as if it were poison, "I've heard of your exploits, about how you claim to be the son of the late king, Mufasa. You may have the other animals fooled, but not me. I know what you truly are: a rogue, a stray picked up and trained to put on the mask of a great animal who we all wished was still alive and well; but I know the truth. If you can't even see the reason in our demands then you're just like Scar: a lazy, selfish coward who has no respect for others!" Simba's eyes narrowed at this cheetah. Who was she to doubt him? She had no idea what he had been through.

"That is a bold claim." Simba said in a stern voice. "And what proof do you have to back up such words?" He was on the edge of losing his temper with this cheetah. Between her attitude and the fact that she was making accusations she had no idea about, Simba was beginning to lose his patients with her.

"If you were truly Mufasa's son, then you would have returned sooner than you did." Streak seethed, looking Simba dead in the eye. "For years… years… my father led my people well, taking care of what we needed. We are a simple species and we don't ever ask for much, but the moment Scar took the throne everything changed." Simba silently observed Streak as she talked. He heard her voice slightly crack as if trying to cover up the pain she felt as she continued to make her case before him. "My father was humiliated and banished from these lands. We all followed him for we knew that any king who would treat their subjects in such a manner was no king worth following; and I wouldn't trust you, Simba with my life or the lives of my people. That is… unless you prove yourself and accept our demands." Simba groaned internally. This cheetah already had her mind made up about him and wasn't going to give him a break unless her demands were met. This meant that this would take a bit longer than he thought.

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On the sidelines, Nala was about to storm in on this conversation. She was absolutely furious at this cheetah. How dare she question Simba and doubt him! After all that he had done for these lands she had the gall to compare him to Scar? She took a step forward but was stopped by Sarabi.

"Don't." Sarabi whispered to Nala, "If Simba is to truly rule then there will be times when you and I can't interfere, Nala."

"But she-"

"I don't like this any more than you do." Sarabi cut her off, "But Simba needs to learn how to do things on his own. He can't have us stepping in for him all the time. Plus, you wouldn't want to make a scene in front of the children, would you?" Upon hearing this, Nala's gaze went back to Kopa and Kicheko who were both looking at Simba and the cheetah with sour faces.

"Man…" Kicheko whispered to Kopa, "Cheetah's are jerks."

"I know, right?" Kopa replied, "Why is Dad even listening to them? They don't even like us." Nala heard this and decided to step in.

"Don't be too quick to judge, you two." She said, lowering her head down next to them. "Streak has had a rough life, and though I agree that she is… a little bit of a jerk, she and her species are still important members of the Pride Lands and the Circle of Life. We need to show her and her cheetah's respect." Kopa and Kicheko reluctantly obeyed their mother and kept quiet, going back to listening to the conversation between Simba and Streak.

The process wasn't as fun as the two brothers originally thought it would be. Listening to their father go back and forth with a temperamental cheetah wasn't really all that exciting. So, Kopa decided to look around and see if there was anything else that could keep himself entertained. As he looked out over the vast savannah, he saw something in the distance.

"Hey, K." he nudged his brother, "Look out there." Kicheko followed his brother's gaze and his eyes widened at what he saw. A small cloud of dust streamed through the vast open planes at an amazing speed.

"What is that?" the hyena pup asked, as he squinted his eyes, trying to see what was out there.

"Whatever it is," replied Kopa, "It sure is fast. Is it a dust storm?"

"No way. Dust storms are way bigger than that, and they only happen in the desert." Suddenly the small cloud of dust began to turn, causing their eyes to widen.

"Um… Kicheko?"

"Yep."

"Did that cloud just turn?"

"Yep."

"And it's now headed towards us?"

"Yep."

"We… should get out of the way, shouldn't we?"

"Definitely, yep!"

Instantly, Kopa and Kicheko dived to the side just in time as the cloud streak suddenly whisked past them. Nala and Sarabi were both caught off guard by the sudden cloud that suddenly engulfed them, causing them to cough. Picking up his head, Kopa realized where the cloud was headed and had barely enough time to shout, "Dad! Look out!"

"Huh?" Simba himself could barely react before a cloud of dust wizzed passed him and went right for Streak. Simba was astonished to see that whatever it was, it slammed head on into Streak and knocked her on her back. As the dust settled, everyone was surprised to see the cause of the small dust storm was a spunky little cheetah cub, who was now sitting squarely on Streak's chest.

"MOM! MOM! MOM! MOM!" the cub shouted, earning a surprised look from Streak and the other male cheetahs.

"B-Beba?!" Streak exclaimed in shock, "What are you doing here?!"

"I wanted to see you, Mom!" the cheetah cub exclaimed gleefully as he got off his mother, "and I wanted to meet the lions!"

"I thought I told you to stay back at the den." Streak scolded.

"No…" Beba corrected his mother, "You told me I had to stay with, Dad while you were away." That's when Streak realized something.

"Where is your father?" As if on que, another male cheetah came jogging in, panting and sweating.

"S-Sorry… dear." The cheetah gasped for breath as he caught up to his son, "I… Didn't…"

"Argh!" Streak growled as she got up off the floor and stormed over to her mate and grabbed him by his ear with her paw, "Mwongo! I told you to watch our son while I was at work!"

"A-A-And I did, dear." Mwongo stuttered, partly from the pain he felt in his ear while the other part of him was terrified of his mate.

"Then tell me," Streak growled, "Why is Beba here and not back at the den where I told you to watch him?!"

"W-Well…" Mwongo tried to explain, "He was getting bored, you see? S-So I asked him what he wanted to do and he told me he wanted to race. It was supposed to be to a nearby tree and back, not all the way out- OW! OW! OW!" Streak put pressure on her mate's ear, causing to male to let out a screech of discomfort, all the while Simba just silently observed everything from the sidelines.

He never would have guessed that Streak would be the type to settle down and raise a family, yet that was exactly what she had done. He also took notice that her son, Beba, was named after her father. Now things were starting to make a bit more sense to the Lion King. At first he thought the cheetahs were being selfish for wanting so much land, but perhaps there was another reason to Streak's demands.

"Wow." Simba looked back to see Kopa walking up beside him, shaking his head to get all the dust off of him, "I knew cheetahs were fast, but not that fast." Simba chuckled as he watched his son shake off the last bit of dust off of his small patch of red fur on his head.

"Yes, son." Simba explained, "Cheetahs are very fast."

"You bet we are!" Simba and Kopa were surprised to see the young cheetah cub bounding towards them. He was clearly Streak's son, but he lacked the birthmark of a lightning bolt on his shoulder. Simba was generally surprised by how happy this cub was as he approached them. Seeing as how he was Streak's offspring he figured the boy would share his mother's dislike for lions, but it seemed as though this was not the case.

"So, you guys are lions?" the young cheetah asked out of pure curiosity.

"Yes." Simba nodded, "I am King Simba of the Pride Lands, and this is my son, Kopa." Kopa mimicked his father and bowed his head in respect.

"Wow…" the cheetah cub said in aw, "The Lion King! I've heard a lot of stories about you, your majesty. I'm Beba."

"Nice to meet you, Beba." Kopa greeted, "I've never met a cheetah before."

"Really?" The young cub asked, "I've never met a lion before."

"Have you ever met a hyena before?" Beba looked back to see Kicheko suddenly walk up towards him. He wasn't startled when he saw the pup, but he did find it strange to see a canine hanging out with a bunch of lions.

"Yeah…" Beba responded cautiously "Are… you a hyena?"

"No…" Kicheko said sarcastically, "I'm a hippo. Can't you tell?" this earned a questioning look from the cheetah cub. Was this really what baby hippos looked like when they were young? Seeing how the cheetah cub wasn't catching on with his joke, Kicheko groaned, "Yes I'm a hyena."

"YIPE!" in an instant, Beba disappeared behind Simba, who was just as surprised as Kopa by the young cub's reaction.

"Don't let him eat me, you majesty!" Beba begged as he hid behind Simba. Kopa looked at the cub in confusion as he continued to hide behind his father's leg. Why was he so scared of Kicheko? His brother wouldn't hurt a fly… well… unless he was hungry for bugs, that is.

"It's alright, Beba." Simba said, causing the young cheetah to look out from behind him, "This is Kicheko, and he's a nice hyena. I promise he won't hurt you."

"Really?" Beba asked as he looked back at the pup, who had his ears pinned back and was whimpering. "But… Mom always said to never trust a hyena."

"In most cases… that is good advice." Simba said cautiously, trying to choose his words carefully while in his adopted son's presence, "But Kicheko isn't like other hyenas. He's nice and he respects others."

"It's true." Kopa chimed in as he walked up to his distraught brother and wrapped his paw around him for a side hug. "Kicheko here is the kindest, most gentlest hyena I know."

"I'm the only hyena you know…" Kicheko groaned under his breath. Little did he know, Kopa heard him and now looked at his brother with concern. Why was he so depressed lately? This wasn't like him. Kopa was about to respond, but Beba cut him off.

"Really? He's nice?" the cheetah asked. In an instant, he was out from behind Simba and standing in front of the two brothers. He looked over Kicheko and tried to decide on whether or not these lions were telling the truth. This pup seemed ok. He certainly didn't appear to be like the mean hyenas him and his mother ran into while wondering the desert. Plus, these lions were a lot nicer than he expected. His mother told him that both lions and hyenas were bad news and that he should avoid them at all costs, but now, Beba was starting to have different feelings towards them… well the lions at least.

"Sorry, Beba." Beba was a bit surprised when the hyena pup apologized to him suddenly, "I've… just not been in a good mood lately. I'm a nice guy, honest. I'm just… been having one of them dog days. Can we… start over?" There was a moment of silence for a short while, when suddenly, Beba started busting out laughing. Kicheko and the others had confused expressions as they watched the cheetah cub lie on the ground laughing his head off.

"D-Dog days…" he wheezed in-between laughs, "T-That's a good one!"

"Heh heh…" Kopa began to chuckle a bit to, "I have to admit, K. That was one of your better jokes." This caused the young pup to smile. It had been a while since he had actually told a joke that made others laugh. Still… he was just being honest with the cheetah cub. He wanted to make a new friend, and though he had Kopa; his brother was really all he had in terms of friends. Most of the other members of the Pride tolerated his presence, and though some of them began to like the young pup, Kicheko knew the reason why the others didn't really like him. It was because he was a hyena.

"I like you guys." Beba suddenly said as he stopped laughing and stood up to his feet, "You're not as bad as mother said you were."

"Oh?" Simba raised an eyebrow at this, "And what exactly has your mother said about us?"

"Well, she-"

"Beba! Get over here!" Beba cringed when he heard his mother call him. It seemed as though she finally finished berating his father. Letting out an annoyed huff, Beba slowly trotted over to his mother, leaving a disappointed Kopa and Kicheko to wait by their father.

"Yes, Mom?" he moaned.

"You are going to head back to the den with your father and you are going to stay there until I get back! Do I make myself clear?" Beba was shocked at his mother's words. Sure, he knew he wasn't supposed to be here, but having him go all the way back after meeting the Lion King and his family? It just didn't seem fair to the young cheetah cub.

"But Mom-" Streak was about to scold her son, but someone else suddenly came in on the conversation.

"It's ok, Streak." Beba, Streak, and the other cheetahs were genuinely surprised to hear Simba suddenly speak up, "I think it may be wise to let the boy stay and watch, just to understand what is taking place here today."

"Don't tell me how to parent my own children, Simba." Streak growled back. Simba merely shook his head, trying his best to ignore the angry tone in Streak's voice so that he could focus on what he was about to say.

"Does he even know why you all left to begin with? Does he understand why you are even here?"

"He doesn't need to be brought into this." Streak argued. This was one stubborn cheetah. Simba knew that if he wanted to make any progress then he would have to try and show her that he understood her plight. The cheetahs were given a bad deal by his uncle, and now all Simba wanted to do was make amends for his actions.

"Look, Streak." Simba sighed, "I understand what you have gone through… what you are still going through. I know it must be difficult to raise a child, especially in the wilds beyond the Pride Land's borders. That's why I'm here. I truly want to help you. Please let me." Simba could see that as he spoke, Streak's expression never changed, however, he could see her eyes start to mist. Was he getting through to her? Maybe the arrival of her young cheetah son changed something.

Streak then wiped her eyes with her paws and looked Simba dead in the eyes as she growled, "How could you possibly understand what we've gone through? You will never understand what it's like to lose everything you once knew and loved to a… a monster." There was a moment of silence as Simba went deep into thought about how he would respond.

"Hm…" Simba sighed, before addressing Streak again in a calm tone, "I guess you're right." Everyone looked at Simba dumbfounded by his words. That was not something they were expecting the mighty Lion King to say. Then, Simba began to slowly approach Streak. As he did, he stared her right in the eyes as he continued speaking, "How could I ever understand your plight? After all, I was only a cub, a child, when I lost my father to the same tyrant who cast yours out. At least you had your family. I was lied to and blamed for a crime I didn't commit. I was then cast out into the wild, left with no one but myself and the friends I made along the way. I had no mother to cry on, no father to seek counsel from. I was exiled from the only home I knew, but came back when I was older not for my sake but for the sake of my family and the ones I loved, so that they could have the life I wish I could have lived." By now he was only a few feet away from Streak's face. The cheetah representative only stared at Simba with wide eyes, surprised by his sudden boldness and the words he just spoke. Then, to finish it all off, Simba said simply, "So I guess you're right, Streak. How could I possibly understand what it's like to lose everything to a monster?"

Streak was left speechless, her son looked up at the Lion King with aw, the other males had nervous looks on their faces, and on the sidelines, Sarabi was as giddy as a little cub.

"That's my son." She said with a sly smile at Nala. Her daughter-in-law merely returned the smile and replied, "That's my mate."

"Truly…" Streak said in a shaky tone, "I have misjudged you… Simba." This was the first time Simba heard her speak his name in sincerity. It was… nice. "I… may have been a bit overzealous in the beginning of our meeting and I must apologize for that."

"It's alright, Streak." Simba replied as his gaze went to the young cheetah cub beside her, "After meeting such a fine son as yours, I completely understand why you would only want a fair deal for your people." This earned a smile from both Beba and his mother. Now she felt like such a fool for acting the way she did earlier.

"I am willing to hear your opinion on our terms. What say you?"

"That is all I ask for." Simba smiled as he placed his paw on Streak's shoulder, as if to symbolize his trust that he put in the cheetah's representative. "I am willing to grant your people a small extension to your hunting grounds as compensation for your father's mistreatment. However, it will be a lot less than three quarters of the Pride Lands and the request for access to Pride Rock is out of the question. For it will surly throw the Circle of Life out of-"

"What?!" Streak suddenly exclaimed as she pulled away from Simba's paw. Simba was then worried. Was she still holding on to her original demands? Did all he just say suddenly not make sense to her? To everyone's surprise, Streak laughed, "Since when did I ever say I wanted access to Pride Rock?" She then looked at Simba with a confused expression. He was joking. He had to be joking.

"Wait…" Simba needed to wrap his head around this, "So you don't want Pride Rock?"

"Of course not!" Streak scoffed, "What use would I have for living in that stuffy rock? Where in the world did you think that I ever wanted-" suddenly, Streak's eyes widened for a moment, and Simba watched as her face slowly turned into a menacing scowl. She then turned around and looked at the other males who were behind her, all of which had worried looks on their faces.

"You…" she growled as she slowly approached them, "Which one of you-" Before Streak could even finish her threat, every male there got up and made a dash for the savannah.

"Hey!" Streak called out as she watched them flee in terror, "Get back here you no good liars!" Simba watched as Streak fumed in her frustration. He didn't blame her. Apparently they had both been misled. Suddenly, Streak's mate, Mwongo spoke up.

"Well… this has been fun." The male cheetah said, his voice having a nervous tone to it as he tried to nudge his son along, "But I think I should be getting Beba back home. Come on son, let's go."

"Oh no you don't!" before Mwongo could even begin to sprint, Streak was already on top of him and slammed his head into the dirt. "You got some explaining to do."

Simba and the others watched from the sidelines as Streak interrogated her mate. By now, Nala and Sarabi approached Simba and stood beside him. Both of them were so proud of how he handled himself and they were glad to see that everything has turned around for the better. They had no doubt that Streak would be willing to hear them out.

"Streak, darling, sugar-pee, I can explain!" Mwongo cried as his mate shoved his face into the dirt.

"Please do!" Streak growled, "You told me that the lions were giving us barely enough land to live on! So why do I hear all this talk about us owning half the Pride Lands as well as Pride Rock?"

"Well…" Mwongo chuckled nervously as he picked his head up, "Funny story… really. Um… a few days back when that hornbill came and visited us, the boys and I figured that we offer our demands since… you know… the whole ordeal with your father left us without a home. We just wanted a… a fair trade. That's all." Mwongo's answer was met by his face once again being smashed into the dirt.

"You selfish, lying, extorting piece of filth!" Streak growled, "You're little lie nearly cost our people a place back in the Pride Lands! Not to mention you lied to me about what Simba had originally offered us!"

By now, Beba went over and sat by Kopa and Kicheko, since he knew better then to be by his mother when she was angry. The children watched as Streak continued to hound her mate. It was a funny sight, seeing a female boss around a male, but Kopa wondered how often this happened.

"Are they like that all the time?" Kopa asked Beba.

"Not really." Beba replied, "Dad's usually smart enough not to lie to Mom. Now he's really going to get it." The children and the adults continued to watch Streak berate her husband, until finally she got off of him and lifted him up by the ear with her paw.

"OW! Please, not the ear again! I said I was sorry!" Mwongo wined.

"Shut up, you big oaf!" Streak scolded before turning back to Simba. Her attitude softened and her tone was polite as she spoke, "I am truly sorry for my husband, your majesty. He's not usually this stupid."

"I appreciate the apology, Streak, but now we have another problem to deal with." Simba then approached the cheetah couple and looked down at Mwongo, who gulped when he saw Simba stare him down. Then Simba said, "You know… lying about diplomatic matters is considered a serious crime, here in the Pride Lands."

"Oh please, your highness." Mwongo begged, "It was an honest mistake. I beg you… show mercy!"

"Oh don't worry." Simba said with a sly smile, "I already have the perfect punishment picked out." He then picked up his head and said to Streak, "I leave Mwongo's discipline to you, Mrs. Streak. Do with him whatever you see fit." Upon hearing this, Mwongo's eyes widened and a wide toothy grin spread across Streak's face.

"You're wisdom knows no bounds, King Simba." Streak said as she then proceeded to drag off Mwongo in the opposite direction.

"No! Please!" Mwongo begged as he was dragged off, "Anything but this, Simba! A month's fast, community service, exile; anything but this!"

"Oh shut up you big baby." Streak groaned. She was about to leave, but then she remembered why she was there in the first place. She turned back and called out, "Oh, and Simba," The Lion King looked to see her smiling as she spoke, "The cheetahs agree to whatever terms you have set upon our return." Simba responded by bowing his head and quoting a thanks that his mother taught him for the cheetahs.

"In that case, welcome back to the Pride Lands, Streak." Simba replied, "May your speed never falter and the spots on your back never fall off."

"The same to you, your majesty." Streak returned the gesture. "May your mane grow ever bigger and may the sun never set on your time." Giving each other one final bow, Streak began to walk back home, before calling out, "Beba, come along." Hearing his mother call him, he looked back at his two new friends.

"It was great meeting you guys." Beba smiled as he shook Kopa's paw, "I hope we can hang out sometime."

"Of course." Kopa replied, "You can come over to Pride Rock any time. You're a Pride Lander now, Beba."

"Huh, Pride Lander." Beba mauled to word over in his head, "Beba the Pride Lander… has a nice ring to it."

"Come on, Beba!" Streak called out again.

"Ok guys, I got to go. See you around!" having said that, Beba streaked off after his mother and father, leaving Simba and his family alone at Flat-ridge Rock.

"Whew…" Simba breathed a sigh of relief once Streak and her family were out of sight, "Glad that's over."

"I knew you could do it." Sarabi said as she nuzzled her son.

"Heh… yeah." Simba sighed, "You weren't kidding when you said she was brash."

"But it all worked out in the end." Nala said as she walked up beside her mate, "I don't know about you, but I think it might be time we start heading home. The hunting party will probably be back by now."

"About time." Kicheko said as he and his family started to leave Flat-ridge Rock and beagn making their way back to Pride Rock, "I'm starving."

"Me to." Kopa added, "Listening to all that talk made me hungry."

"I agree." Simba chuckled. Yep, it was a long talk, but in the end, everything worked out ok. The cheetahs would be rejoining the Pride Lands and Simba was becoming a bit more comfortable with his duties as king.

On the way back to Pride Rock, however, Kopa was deep in thought about what took place earlier. He was glad he got to meet Beba, though his mother kind of scared him. The cheetah cub would be a great friend to have around. What really troubled him, however, was his own brother, Kicheko. His words from before kept of ringing over and over in Kopa's head.

"I'm the only hyena you know..."

It made Kopa think that maybe that was the reason Kicheko was so down lately. Was he feeling alone, that he didn't have anyone else like him in the entire Pride Lands? That's when Kopa got an idea on how to help his brother.

"It's a bit crazy." Kopa said to himself, "But if it helps, K then it's totally worth it."

END OF CHAPTER 11


Yay! New characters.

Glad to see that everything worked out ok with the cheetahs. Poor Mwongo though. I knew his name meant liar for a reason.

As always, please leave a review if you enjoyed and let me know what you think.

Until next time guys!


Reader Response

Liam Holman

I'm glad your enjoying it so far. If you have any suggestions or if there is something you would like to see then please PM me and let me know.

Money100

Yep, Rafiki is one of those 'Speak softly and carry a big stick.' kind of people.

yingyangmaster

I planned on having Marifa way before Rise of Scar. When Disney through in their own version of Rafiki's apprentice I decided to put them both together. Also, don't worry about Kicheko. I'm sure Kopa will help him out sooner or later.

Gulefritz

I'm glad you like it. I truly hope you keep on reading and reviewing as you go along with each chapter.