Darkness.

That's all Imani had ever known.

She was on a walk with her mother, the tip of Kiara's tail touching Imani's shoulders to guide her. They had just fetched Mufa, and the three were all walking back towards Pride Rock. Although Imani had always heard walks were a calming thing to be able to see all the calmness of nature around you, that didn't apply to Imani.

Step after step as her and her mother walked. She felt the cool grass underneath her paws and felt the tip of Kiara's tail gently resting on her shoulder.

Step after step of the same thing and it began to get a little boring. But she wouldn't dare tell Kiara that. She didn't want to make her feel even worse.

"Are you having fun?" Kiara asked hopefully.

"Yeah," Imani replied, a smile on her face. She wanted to reassure her mother. She was trying the best she could. This is better than being in Pride Rock all day, at least. At least she could hear the birds tweeting and the rustling of leaves in the wind instead of the same voices in Pride Rock. Although she was always next to other lions in Pride Rock she felt as if she was alone. Maybe the never ending darkness that always surrounded her contributed to that feeling.

At the guidance of the tip of Kiara's tail, she turned around. They walked some more. "Isn't the sunset beautiful?" It was clear by the tone of Kiara's voice she was in her own world, as a few moments later she apologized; "Sorry," as if just realizing she was speaking to Imani.

"It's okay, Mom," Imani tried to reassure her. Her mother was already doing the best she could to raise her and Imani didn't want her to feel bad. Soon, she felt herself walking up the rocky path to Pride Rock's den. She stopped solely relying on the tip of her mother's tail for guidance and walked a little faster. She had memorized her way around Pride Rock by now. She walked inside the den and curled up in her family's usual spot. "Is it night yet?" Although Imani felt like it was, she wanted to check with Kiara just to make sure.

"Yes."

"Okay. Goodnight Mom."

"Goodnight Imani." She heard steps as Kiara walked away.

She looked around. She had a habit of doing this, even though she would never see anything but darkness. "Who's here?" she asked. She had no way of knowing if she didn't get information by ear instead of sight.

"It's me, Tiifu, and Zuri. Kubwa's asleep in my paws," her elderly great grandmother Sarabi replied, her voice low. "Come. Sit with us. Just follow my voice."

Imani got up and walked in the direction Sarabi's voice came from. She stepped on something moving and furry. "Sorry!" she apologized and immediately stepped back. She sat down.

"Imani, how was your day?" Tiifu asked. She was a lioness about the same age as Kiara. She was one of the members of the pride.

"It was good," Imani replied, making sure to keep her voice down as she did not want to wake Kubwa, who according to Sarabi was sleeping. "How was yours?"

Imani thought Tiifu was about to reply, but then she heard Zuri's voice interrupt; "Well, I had just finished grooming myself, sharpening my claws, and rolling in flowers to make my fur smell sweet, but when I was walking I tripped on a rock and fell into a mud puddle! The audacity of it!"

"…Of the mud puddle?" Sarabi couldn't help a chuckle. "You have much to learn, Zuri."

Zuri just huffed.

"Excuse her. She's just really into fashion and looking good," Tiifu explained, acting as if Imani didn't know.

"Don't act like you weren't too," Zuri huffed. Tiifu didn't have a reply to that.

"We're back and we brought dinner!" She heard another one of the pride members, Kula, exclaim. Kula was an older lioness who was about the same age as Imani's grandmother, former Pridelands queen Nala. The two were childhood friends.

Imani heard something drag along the floor of the den. She assumed it was a piece of prey.

"It's gazelle. Your favorite, Imani," her grandmother Nala said. She heard tearing. Then she heard steps and then something drop in front of her. "It's part of a gazelle leg. Enjoy!"

"Thank you so much!" Imani smiled at her, hoping she was facing the right direction and didn't look like she was staring into thin air. She dug into the meat. The taste flooded into her mouth. Gazelle… so good! "Thank you so much, Kula and Nala!" she said in between bites, raising her head to look like she was looking at them.

"Did you have to bring gazelle?" Zuri complained. Zuri hated gazelle. It was her least favorite food. Imani couldn't understand why.

"Zuri, Zuri, Zuri…" Nala sighed.

Imani continued eating. She was grateful to Kula and Nala for bringing her gazelle. Once there was no meat left, she said another; "Thank you so much," curled up, and tried to fall asleep.

She was a little more tired than usual - she got out of Pride Rock and went for a longer walk today. It wasn't like one of her normal days. She'd usually just sit in Pride Rock until her mother or father escorted her somewhere to expend her energy. But that event was usually short lived, unlike the walk that lasted a couple hours this day. After all, they were the king and queen with many royal duties and two other cubs to raise alongside Imani. It was hard enough trying to raise a cub like this when you're busy all the time.

Still, she couldn't fall asleep. She wished she could run and play like her brothers, Kubwa and Mufa. I'm lucky though. A lot of other lion cubs aren't as fortunate as I am. They don't have a home or family like I do, she told herself when a teensy bit of jealousy rose up inside her. She recalled the stories of Mohatu, the Pridelands first ruler. Way before he became king of the Pridelands, he was alone and orphaned as a cub. He didn't have a home for a long time. I'm lucky.

But still, she wanted more. What more could I ask for? she asked herself. I have a family who loves me, a home in which I am safe, and I'm a princess too. What more could I ask for? she asked herself.

To see. That thought couldn't help but slip it's way into her mind. She tried to block it out, but she couldn't. That thought lingered in her head as she finally drifted away to sleep.