Chapter 20: Almost there.
The cub pride didn't stop until they were deep into the lands they had crossed into. Finally, once they were sure they were far away from the humans, they stopped. Tiku sighed and caught his breath as he looked around. "Where are we?" Kiki asked. Tiku got to his feet and walked a bit, circling as he looked around. "Are we in your lands or what?" she asked.
Tiku sighed and shook his head. "No, we're not in the lone lands." He replied. Kiki looked around, "Are you sure? It sure seems lonely to me." Tiku laughed, "Trust me, I'd know if I were home." He shook his head and looked down at the ground.
Somewhere in the distance came the sound of arguing. "I bet you I can catch it," "Nuh uh, I'll catch it first." Tiku turned and his ears perked up. He turned to Kiki and motioned for her to follow. Slowly they walked toward the arguing voices. Tiku peeked through the grass and saw two lion cubs watching a butterfly and jumping at it. Then they both pounced at the same time and rammed into each other. Kiki and Tiku erupted into laughter. The two cubs rubbed their heads and turned. "Who are you?" the golden colored one asked. Tiku got up. "I'm Tiku, and these are my friends Kiki and Bailey, who're you?"
The cubs looked at each other and then each stepped forward to introduce them. The golden was the first to step forward. "I'm Matosa, prince of pride rock." The other cub, a red rust like color stepped forward, "You're not the only prince you know!" he said, he then looked at the cub pride and said, "I'm Kasoni, the other prince of pride rock." The cubs appeared to be about Tanu's age, although they seemed much more trustworthy than he had been.
"Hey, wait a second, what'd you say your name was again?" Matosa asked, eyeing Tiku. "Tiku," Tiku replied. Matosa turned to face Kasoni. "Excuse us for a moment," he said, motioning for Kasoni to follow him.
"Do you recognize his name?" Matosa whispered. Kasoni gave him a questioning look. "Huh?" he said. "Remember Taka, Kita and Tiaru?" Matosa asked. Kasoni smiled and suddenly realized what Matosa was talking about. He then frowned. "You don't think it could be him do you?" he asked. "Well, it sorta looks like him, I mean, that light yellow color with the black?" Matosa said, glancing back at Tiku. "I suppose it could be him, but if it is, what is he doing here, especially without his parents or Taka?" Kasoni questioned. "I don't know, let's find out if it is him and then go from there." Matosa suggested. "Ok," Kasoni nodded. They returned to the cub pride.
"So, Tiku, who are your parents?" Matosa questioned. Tiku gave him a quizzical look. "Huh? Why do you want to know?" he asked. "We're just curious, our parents are Chloe and Miku. The King and Queen." Kasoni filled in. "Well, my parents aren't King and Queen, but they're good enough." Tiku said. He glanced at Kiki, who had walked off. "Look I don't really like talking about it, could you just tell me which direction the lone lands are?" Tiku asked. Matosa and Kasoni looked at each other. It was him.
"Uh, they're that way," Matosa said, pointing. "That's East, duh!" Kasoni said. "I knew that, it's easier just to point though!" he growled. Tiku rolled his eyes, "well it was nice meeting you but we have to get going now." Tiku said, motioning for Kiki to come back so they could go. Matosa and Kasoni had begun another argument so now was the perfect time to go.
The cub pride walked slowly at first, so as not to make to much noise, and then burst into a run, leaving the two arguing princes alone and unsuspecting.
The cub pride didn't stop until they were deep into the lands they had crossed into. Finally, once they were sure they were far away from the humans, they stopped. Tiku sighed and caught his breath as he looked around. "Where are we?" Kiki asked. Tiku got to his feet and walked a bit, circling as he looked around. "Are we in your lands or what?" she asked.
Tiku sighed and shook his head. "No, we're not in the lone lands." He replied. Kiki looked around, "Are you sure? It sure seems lonely to me." Tiku laughed, "Trust me, I'd know if I were home." He shook his head and looked down at the ground.
Somewhere in the distance came the sound of arguing. "I bet you I can catch it," "Nuh uh, I'll catch it first." Tiku turned and his ears perked up. He turned to Kiki and motioned for her to follow. Slowly they walked toward the arguing voices. Tiku peeked through the grass and saw two lion cubs watching a butterfly and jumping at it. Then they both pounced at the same time and rammed into each other. Kiki and Tiku erupted into laughter. The two cubs rubbed their heads and turned. "Who are you?" the golden colored one asked. Tiku got up. "I'm Tiku, and these are my friends Kiki and Bailey, who're you?"
The cubs looked at each other and then each stepped forward to introduce them. The golden was the first to step forward. "I'm Matosa, prince of pride rock." The other cub, a red rust like color stepped forward, "You're not the only prince you know!" he said, he then looked at the cub pride and said, "I'm Kasoni, the other prince of pride rock." The cubs appeared to be about Tanu's age, although they seemed much more trustworthy than he had been.
"Hey, wait a second, what'd you say your name was again?" Matosa asked, eyeing Tiku. "Tiku," Tiku replied. Matosa turned to face Kasoni. "Excuse us for a moment," he said, motioning for Kasoni to follow him.
"Do you recognize his name?" Matosa whispered. Kasoni gave him a questioning look. "Huh?" he said. "Remember Taka, Kita and Tiaru?" Matosa asked. Kasoni smiled and suddenly realized what Matosa was talking about. He then frowned. "You don't think it could be him do you?" he asked. "Well, it sorta looks like him, I mean, that light yellow color with the black?" Matosa said, glancing back at Tiku. "I suppose it could be him, but if it is, what is he doing here, especially without his parents or Taka?" Kasoni questioned. "I don't know, let's find out if it is him and then go from there." Matosa suggested. "Ok," Kasoni nodded. They returned to the cub pride.
"So, Tiku, who are your parents?" Matosa questioned. Tiku gave him a quizzical look. "Huh? Why do you want to know?" he asked. "We're just curious, our parents are Chloe and Miku. The King and Queen." Kasoni filled in. "Well, my parents aren't King and Queen, but they're good enough." Tiku said. He glanced at Kiki, who had walked off. "Look I don't really like talking about it, could you just tell me which direction the lone lands are?" Tiku asked. Matosa and Kasoni looked at each other. It was him.
"Uh, they're that way," Matosa said, pointing. "That's East, duh!" Kasoni said. "I knew that, it's easier just to point though!" he growled. Tiku rolled his eyes, "well it was nice meeting you but we have to get going now." Tiku said, motioning for Kiki to come back so they could go. Matosa and Kasoni had begun another argument so now was the perfect time to go.
The cub pride walked slowly at first, so as not to make to much noise, and then burst into a run, leaving the two arguing princes alone and unsuspecting.