Chapter 2

"Amalie!" Zinani exclaimed as her friend ran toward her. Amalie smiled and pounced, tumbling into Zinani with so much force that she knocked the other cub down and rolled with her a few feet. The two laughed as they landed in the water, spraying it everywhere.

Zinani cuffed Amalie on the head and laughed as she stood and shook herself. Amalie held a paw up, trying to block the spray. She laughed and then pushed Zinani with her paw. Zinani turned back and growled. Her light green eyes sparkled with mischief.

Suddenly another cub came flying from out of the tall grasses near the pond. He roared, tackling into Amalie. Amalie kicked up, flipping the cub off her. He flipped, landing on his back in the water. It took him a minute to regain his wind before flipping back over and growling playfully. He smiled and then shook a little.

"You always do that," He whined. Amalie smiled, narrowing her blue eyes. "Glad you noticed." She retorted. She laughed and then said, "And you always take me by surprise Kioni, so we're even." Kioni frowned, tipping his ears back.

Niether of the King and Queen's cubs looked much like them. Zinani's pelt was a light orange/tan color, with a tan muzzle, underbelly and paws. Her eyes were like that of her grandmothers on Kiara's side. From her forehead to inbetween her shoulderblades was a stripe much like that of her grandmother on Kovu's side. Only hers was a bit wider and was black on the outside and a red/orange on the inside.

Kioni on the other hand was a light brown color, with a creamy underbelly and muzzle. His paws were the same as his pelt. He had a slight tuft of dark brown fur on his head. The brown was the same shade as his father's pelt. His eyes were a very light brown. About the same color that coffee took on after adding creamer.

Vitani watched the cubs with a sort of jealousy. Her cubhood had been lost after Kovu had first met Kiara. She smiled. Those days were over, and there was no use living in the past. She looked off toward the plains, where the hunting party was sure to be hunting. How she wished she were with them, not that she didn't like cub-sitting. Hunting was just a favorite hobby of hers. And since she was not there, it meant Kitoko would be lead huntress. Vitani smiled once more. If Kitoko was lead huntress it meant there would be enough meat to last them a while.

By the time the roar went out that they had caught something, the cubs were soaking wet and dripping mud. Vitani sighed as she got up. "Alright, come on out of there now," she said, her voice somewhat raspier than usual.

"Aww!" the cubs complained. Vitani rolled her eyes.

"It's time to eat, and there's no way you're going to the den like that, come here and let me clean you up a bit,"

The cubs complained more than ever, but none of them got past Vitani without getting all the mud off. Finally they were ready to go back to pride rock.

Amalie, Zinani, and Kioni all raced up the rock, with Zinani pulling out in front at the last second. She looked back and smiled before running straight into something rock solid. She was knocked back. Looking up she saw that it was only Raimi. He smiled and helped her up. "Try to be more careful," he said, licking her forehead. Zinani laughed before running over to her mother.

She nuzzled up against Kiara and purred. Kiara smiled and licked her cub before walking over to the zebra the hunting party had brought back. She tore off a piece and threw it over by the cubs. They all rushed over to it and immediately began a game of tug-of-war. Kiara rolled her eyes before breaking off another piece and tossing it thier way. Knowing the game would end with two of the cubs getting a piece she turned and dug in.

The cubs growled as they pulled, tugging and pulling. One would stop, rest and then jerk hard again. Finally, the meat had enough and broke, sending Zinani and Amalie flying backwards each with pieces in thier mouths. Kioni, seeing that he wouldn't get a piece, went over to other that Kiara had thrown over. Finally all the cubs were chewing contentedly on thier own.

At the end of the feast, bellies stuffed to bursting, the cubs laid down with thier parents, falling asleep almost the instand their eyes closed. Kitoko licked Amalie's head before putting her head on her paws and falling asleep herself. Raimi laid his head on Kitoko's shoulders and closed his eyes.

Kiara sighed as she watched her cubs sleep. Worry for them was always present, which made it hard to sleep. She nuzzled Zinani, then Kioni. Sighing she put her head down. Kovu walked over and lay beside her, nuzzling her. They soon fell asleep also.

Night turned to morning and Zinani was the first to wake. She looked around, her eyes still trying to focus. She shook her head and then smiled. For an idea had formed in her mind. Slowly, so slowly, she crept away from the safety of her mother's paws. She then climbed over the other lions and wove around them. At the entrance of the den, she took one glance back before running off....

A.N: Before anyone asks, incase they would anyway, no Kioni and Amalie are not going to get together, I thought about that, but if you think about it, they're related, so yeah...Hope you liked the chapter and don't bug me about getting another one up real quick, school is torture...