9 reviews?! This is awesome! I'm totally loving it! cops break down walls and surrond KungPowKitty.
Cop 1- You have the right to remain silent.
KungPowKitty- What'd I do?!
Cop 2- 'i'm lovin' it' is the copyright slogan of McDonald's. No hold still.
KungPowKitty- Why?
Cop 1- So I can cuff you
KungPowKitty- Why?
Cop 1- Because you have broken a law
KungPowKitty- Why?
Cop 1- Because you said something you shouldn't
KungPowKitty- Why? are we seeing a theme here?
Cop 1- is losing his patience Because you were just trying to express a feeling!
KungPowKitty- So why are you arresting me for expressing myself?
Cop 1- AAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!! pulls out hair and starts jumping around insanely
Cop 2 to Cop 3- She may have the right to remain silent, but she doesn't have to practice it.
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Simba was in quite the foul mood. "I don't want a bath! I just had one yesterday!" he groaned to his mother.
"Yes, well, you are a prince going to a wedding. You need to look respectable," Sarabi eased the words onto her son.
"They've seen what I usually look like! They won't recognize me if I'm clean!" argued Simba playfully.
"Well, then we'll surprise them!" Sarabi teased back. Mufasa stepped into the cave where the queen and prince were. "Rafiki just arrived. Hey, wait a second," Mufasa looked down at Simba, raising one eyebrow. "Who are you, young cub? My son is a dirty little rascal. You are too sharp looking to be my son!"
"Dad!"
"I told you so," Sarabi nuzzled Simba, and the three went out into the bright sunshine.
Simba and Nala lay at the entrance to the cave of Pride Rock, watching the pride celebrate. They had both learned a lot about joinings over the last few hours. Having watched Rafiki formally wed Taka and Zira, it hadn't been hard.
"My dad says that tonight, Uncle Taka and Z- I mean Aunt Zira are supposed to sneak out while the pride sleeps. Then they disappear for a few weeks. Dad says that he and Mom did that, too," Simba said to his friend.
"I thought you said Mufasa and Sarabi had been … betrothed once Mufasa got his mane. Wouldn't their joining have been different?" asked Nala.
"Uh, yeah, I guess so," Simba looked down at his paws. All of this celebration just reminded the two cubs that they would be forced to marry their best friend one day. And although it was better than being betrothed to some complete stranger or someone they despised, neither cub wanted to be wed to the other. As Nala had once said, 'It would be so weird.' And what would they do during those few weeks after the joining? Try to trick themselves into believing the marriage would be happy and normal? Or would they be drying each other's tears, both wishing they were someone else they had met prior to the wedding?
No matter what their future held, the night made the cubs feel uncomfortable together. Nala looked shyly over at Simba. She had to admit, he looked good for a cub. He had the makings of his father, so said her mother. Nala had taken Sarafina's word for it. She looked down at her paws.
Meanwhile, Simba was having issues of his own. He was imagining themselves in another few years. Nala would look like her mother, but by then parts of her father would be shining through. Simba didn't want to know what he ended up looking like. Probably awful, he thought. Simba imagined himself getting darker, like his mother, with a mane. Well, of course I'll have a mane, Simba mocked himself. Most likely red like Dad's… or something like Mom's dad had…
Simba put the two images of himself and Nala of the future on the tall cliff of Pride Rock. They were both chanting with Rafiki. The entire pride was circled around them, and all the kingdom's subjects were below. Mufasa and Sarabi were at Simba's side, and Sarafina was at Nala's side. Uncle Taka and Aunt Zira were close to Simba's parents. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, beautiful sunshine was everywhere, and a soft breeze was pulling at all the males' manes. It would be a perfect joining. Except for one thing. In the vision, Simba imagined Nala and himself crying silently, looking deep into each other's eyes, begging for each other's forgiveness without words. Their parents tried to smile, but couldn't. And at the bottom of Pride Rock, Simba imagined a lone lioness and a mysterious lion, both of which were sobbing. They both understood one another's pain, because the one they loved was being forced to marry their best friend.
"Simba?"
Simba woke from his day dreaming. Uncle Taka and Aunt Zira stood above him, gently smiling at him.
"Uh, sorry. Day dreaming."
"You do that a lot, little one," Zira told him.
"Yeah, I know. You two enjoying the night?"
They both sighed, leaning into each other. Yes, thought Simba. "I wish you both the best."
"Who are you and where is my nephew?" Taka teased. Simba smiled. The three just stood there a while, until Zira went to celebrate with another lioness in the pride.
Taka took Simba to and empty spot on the rock. "What's on your mind?"
"Huh?"
"Is it the betrothal?"
Simba hung his head. Yes.
"Listen here," Taka looked at his nephew, "You care about Nala, don't you?"
"Yeah."
"You would be willing to do a lot of things for her?"
"She's my best friend! Of course!"
"Then what are you worried about? That's all that matters? And who knows. You may be happier this way."
"But how come I don't get a choice in the matter?"
"Because you are a prince."
"You're a prince!" insisted Simba.
"I'm not a prince like you are."
"What does that matter?" Simba grumbled.
"Listen, Simba. I learned this lesson the hard way. When you are young, but older than you are now, your heart will play tricks on you! You will think you've met the one, when you find what you're really looking for right under your nose! You understand?"
"Not really."
Taka sighed and smiled. "You will one day. Now you go to bed. You have lessons with you're father in the morning."
Simba stumbled off of Pride Rock a several months later. Why do I let Nala keep up so late at night? he thought lazily. The prince looked up at the rising sun and smiled sleepily. He loved getting up early, before the rest of the pride. It gave him time to pretend he wasn't a prince. With his growing, Simba seemed to be realizing being King wouldn't be as carefree and fun as he had imagined such a long time ago.
Presently, Simba clambered down Pride Rock and headed to the water hole. By the time he reached it, he'd be wide awake, the sun would be nearing the end of its rising, but everyone would still be sleeping. And THAT means, thought Simba excitedly, I can go swimming again!
Since Taka and Zira had been joined, Simba spent more time teaching himself to swim. He was quite good at it, but couldn't imagine what attracted him to the water.
There it was, the water hole. Simba did a swan dive right in. He stopped his breathing before hitting the water, having learned the importance of holding one's breath underwater. He paddled back to the surface of the pool, laughing as he broke the surface. Simba enjoyed the cool water for hours.
"Simba!"
"Huh?" Simba looked up from his floating. Nala, Sarabi, Mufasa, and Sarafina were all staring at him at the water's edge. Oh, crap! Simba thought. Let the fireworks begin.
"What are you doing?" yelled Nala.
"My baby's going to drown!" shrieked Sarabi.
"Mom-" Simba muttered.
"Get over here, now!" Mufasa screamed, somewhat frightened.
And Sarafina was so petrified of the water, she looked like she was about to faint. All four were being careful not to touch the water, for lions have an instinctive fear of drowning…or making contact with water in any matter other than drinking it.
Simba paddled confidently to shore. The others stepped back from his dripping figure as he shook the water from his frame. "Good morning!" Simba said.
"What the-?" Nala approached Simba. She examined his eyes, holding them open with her paws. She knocked her paw against Simba's skull and listened to the sound it made. Finally, she took Simba face in her paws, forcing him to look right at her. "What on Earth were you doing?"
"Swimming," Simba shrugged, tolerating his best friend's abuse.
"Simba, you could have died!" Sarabi scolded, having regained a small bit of her composure.
"No, I couldn't have. I've been swimming forever," Simba turned to look at his reflection in the water. He didn't want to look like he'd been swimming to the rest of the pride. Simba took his paw and tried to tame the thick fur on top of his head, all the while ignoring a lecture from one of the four cats behind him.
Simba was about to turn back to the others when he noticed something different about his reflection. He leaned in close to examine it.
"…and completely… uh, Simba?" Mufasa noticed his son looking down into the water. He stepped up next to him. "Simba?"
Simba wasn't listening. There was something different about his appearance. What was it? He looked at the top of his head and realized what it was. All atop his skull mingling with the gold were short, red hairs. Simba's eyes grew wide. "My mane!" he screamed.
"What?" Nala shook her head.
"Look!" Simba turned around and pointed at his head. The four did not even have to move in closer to notice the reddish glow.
