Maisha woke from under a tree, her ears perked now and alert. She sensed something near.
Maisha, get up, now! Zira's voice rung through her ears.
Surely enough, Maisha rose to her paws and glanced around cautiously. "What is it?" She asked.
Find out for yourself. Zira growled in reply.
Maisha jumped as she heard the rustling of bushes behind her. "Who's there?" She demanded.
Just as she spoke, the rustling stopped.
"Hello?" Maisha's voice was barely a whisper.
Lunge, Maisha, lunge! Zira snapped.
"Right," Maisha stepped forward, then kicked into a run, "Right, right, I...I think I will." She flung herself into the tall grass and tackled a figure which felt simalar to her own. She was thrown off and hit the ground with a thud.
"Hey!" A voice sounded behind her. A voice Maisha had never heard before. "What do think you're doing?"
"Stalker!" Maisha turned on this being, only to look into the pale yellow eyes of a male leopard. He stood tall, making him seem more dominate.
"Who are you?" The leopard demanded.
"I am Maisha, daughter of Kovu and Kiara," Maisha snapped. "The King and Queen of these lands." She narrowed her eyes at him in contempt.
"Why don't you go back to your little 'Pride Rock' and leave beings outside your Kingdom alone? We are not ruled over by any King or Queen." The male leopard roared. He lashed his tail from side to side in frustration.
"What?" Maisha glanced around. "I'm not...?...oh, oh my gosh. I'm so sorry." She gazed up at him in apologetic eyes.
"Hmm," The male leopard looked down at her, his yellow eyes softening. "Why are you out here?" He asked. "I've met many lions like you before. Why travel so far from your Kingdom?"
"I'm traveling to the Kingdom of Maziwa," Maisha explained. "I am heading for the mountains." She flicked her tail toward the high mounds of land.
"Oh," The male leopard looked surprised. "What a coincidence. I live there."
"You live there?" Maisha blinked.
"Yes. Why, my whole pride is made up of leopards." The male said.
"Well, I'm going to a certain pride to learn about my pride's past. I just don't know which one." Maisha felt a sinking feeling, and gazed down at her paws.
"Well, I suppose I could take you to our lands." The male leopard muttered.
"Really?" Maisha's ears pricked upward.
"Yes, really. My name is Badrani." He dipped his head.
"Okay. Thank you so much." Maisha began circling him. "When are we going to start?"
"Right now. Come on, we'll rest when the sun begins to set." Badrani padded off.
"Right behind you." Maisha murmured, trotting on after him.
Cheja stood on the highest point of the mountains, gulping at the sight of how high up he was. "Kafara, don't fall." He called.
"Why, thank you," Kafara growled. "I'll try not to." He sounded stressed.
"Okay, I'm coming." Cheja called. He looked across the landscape to the large amount of water. "That lake is huge!" He exclaimed.
"Yes, I know." Kafara now sounded more fascinated. "We're almost there."
"Right," Cheja sighed and clambered down after his mentor.
Maisha placed her paw on the first cleft of the mountain. She pushed weight down on that paw and dragged herself up. Badrani pulled himself up beside her.
"Wont be long now." He said.
His words comforted Maisha, but not fully. This looked hard.
"Come on," Badrani clawed his way higher. "It's steep now, but it'll get easier."
"If you say so." Maisha muttered.
The two big cats kept going, their muscles finally beginning to ache. They found a sturdy ledge and rested there. As tired as Maisha was, she really wanted to keep going, more than anything. They'd wait a while, then continue.
"Where could she be?" Kiara looked around frantically. "Why would she leave?"
Kovu nuzzled her comfortingly. "We'll find her." He promised.
"Where could she have possibly gone?" Nala asked, stepping beside her daughter.
"The Outlands, perhaps?" Simba asked. "She's always been curious about that place." He let out a disgusted grunt.
"We'll look there then." Kiara said dismissively.
"No, Kiara." Kovu blocked his wife's way, but before he could speak, Vitani padded up to them and did so, "Kiara, none of us know what has been going on out there since Kovu, I and the rest of the Outlanders left. It may be dangerous."
"Outlander," Kiara snarled the word. "You think I'd rather worry about my own safety when my daughter could be out there dying?"
"I just want to keep you alive, Kiara." Vitani's voice began to shake. Pure worry was planted in her violet-blue gaze. "Kovu, she'll listen to you!" She swung her head around to look at her brother, the small tuft of fur on her head falling over her eyes as she did so.
"Kiara-" Kovu began.
"No!" Kiara interrupted him. "I'll do as I please. And none of you Outlanders will say otherwise!" She ran off, her paws drumming the ground.
"Kiara, wait!" Simba ran after her.
"Right," Nala stopped him. "Take Kovu and Erevu with you."
"Got it," Simba dipped his head to her and ran back to Pride Rock.
Kovu sat down beside the former Queen, "Maisha is better than this." He murmured under his breath.
"What?" Nala glanced at him.
"Maisha," Kovu repeated. "She's better than this. If she did leave for a purpose, it was with good reasoning."
"She was a pretty bright cub," Nala remarked. "Let's just hope that that quality will help her where ever she is now."
It was about a day after, and Maisha was finally relieved to walk on hard, steady, non-steep paths. Her and Badrani had made it to the very top, or...close to it. Because things kept getting less and less steep, to the point where both of them didn't need to walk with much struggle any longer.
"Hey, look." Badrani flicked his tail toward the large landscape below. "Welcome to the Kingdom of Maziwa."
Maisha gazed in awe at the sight: The largest world she'd ever seen. Bigger than the Pride Lands. It stretched for miles and miles, as far as Maisha's eyes could see. "See," Badrani padded to her side. He lifted his paw and motioned it around the circle of clearings, "This is each prides' camp. We all have pieces of territory. And those," He motioned his paw to the streams which separated each territory, all connected to the lake. "We can drink at the lake, and each of those streams are our borders."
"It's all so beautiful." Maisha said.
"Yes, I know." Badrani murmured. "Come now, then. If you say you need to meet up with a certain pride for answers, we'll visit each one and ask about what you want to find out. We'll visit my pride last. I believe my father would dislike me going out again."
"Okay," Maisha sighed. She began trotting down the rocky, steep path to reach the lush terrain once more.
Cheja followed after Kafara through a jungle-like place. They had entered into a territory of a pride.
"The Pride of Known Pasts." Kafara murmured, peering through deep undergrowth. "I think it's their neighboring pride."
"Let's hope. Only one more pride to view then." Cheja said. "We can go home soon. Hopefully Lord Gyasi will be pleased with who we've brought back."
Maisha stepped from a rocky ledge, placing her paws once more on lush green grass.
"Oh, Badrani..let's hunt." She exclaimed.
"Well, okay." Badrani sighed. "But we should get moving right after. I'm hungry too, now that you mention food."
"Great." Maisha murmured, bolting off into the near by plains which surrounded the forest area.
Badrani watched her leave, only to prick his rounded ears to a very strange scent.
Maisha stalked low, her belly fur brushing the ground as she creeped up on an antelope calf. It wouldn't be a very large feast, but it would hold Badrani and herself for a while. The poor leggy creature must have strayed too far from it's herd, and must have gotten lost. Before Maisha could pounce, birds exploded from the undergrowth, and the antelope calf got spooked and galloped off.
"Huh?" Maisha jumped back, her tail beginning to lash, startled, and in frustration. "Who's there? Show yourself!" She ordered.
A strange flash of russet fur, and Maisha was knocked out cold after a swift blow to her head.
She woke, lying on rough terrain.
"Zira?" She called.
"Correct," Surely enough, the scrawny figured lioness came strolling from the shadows, her blood red eyes full of dominance, causing Maisha to take a step back.
"Close," Another lion stepped up next to Zira, with fur similar to Maisha's. He had a black mane, sillhouetted in indigo when touched by the moonlight. He also had gleaming green eyes, darker colored fur surrounding them. And lastly, he had a large scar across his right eye.
"W-who are you?" Maisha asked.
"This is Scar." Zira growled.
"You were right, Zira." Scar stepped forward, glancing down at Maisha in contempt. "She might advance to something...but her timing is horrible," He swung his paw at Maisha's face, claws unsheathed.
"Augh!" Maisha roared in pain as the claws slashed across her right eye. "What was that for?" She snarled.
"Your very own lesson," Scar lowered himself. "Now you know the pain of messing up." He growled. "It's free."
Maisha glared at him in pain and anger, and flung herself at him. She wrestled with him on the ground, in a flurry of teeth and claws, until she ended up under the weight of Scar who pinned her down.
"How did you do that?" Maisha asked.
"It takes practice, one thing you need." Scar growled.
"Please...forgive me for pouncing." Maisha murmured, dipping her head to him in respect. "Show me how. Teach me."
"That's right." Scar narrowed his eyes. He glanced back at Zira who gave a smirk of satisfaction.
"Most need you back in the real world. Go there, now." He instructed.
Maisha didn't reply. The last thing she remembered was waking to find Badrani standing over her.
"Maisha! Maisha, are you all right?" He asked.
"Um..fine." Maisha said softly.
"What happened?" Badrani asked frantically.
"Something hit me." Maisha moaned.
"Something must have. Have you seen that bloody scar across your eye?"
"What?" Maisha jumped to her paws. She sniffed out the misty breezes around the lake and dashed away in that direction. She stopped at the very edge, the water on shore lapping at her paws as it rose and fell.
"What are you doing?" Badrani demanded.
Maisha peered at her reflection. Just as Badrani said, a large, bloody scar was there, across her right eye.
"No.." She whispered, her words seeming to trail off in the misty wind.
I know I sorta sped up the trip over the mountain. Maisha and Badrani will probably face more dangers later on. I made this chapter longer, as I promised :)
