Disclaimer: I do not own The Lion King. Nope. Disney does. However, I do own some of the characters that will feature in this story, including: Tumba, Kri, Mandu, Situ, and others that you won't recognize from any of the films.
Reviews:
PretendFan: Thank you for your review. It makes me feel better about writing this story. Also thank you for your advice. I've tried to fix it and have gone over both previous chapters to make sure I've fixed most of my mistakes (And I probably will a second time.)
...this is a long(er) chapter. o.o;
Kri took in a deep breath of the morning air. The princess was laying on her back between her father's paws, while Tumba slept curled in his mother's. It seemed she was the only one awake in the pridal cavern. 'Everything's so... dull around here.' She sighed. She just wished she could have a little more adventure. She felt her father shift, and lifting her head hopefully, she drew in a breath to say "Good morning!" only to find that he wasn't actually awake, only shifting in his sleep.
"I wonder where Situ is." Kri wondered softly, as she stared idly at the ceiling while everyone else slept. But, soon enough, the cub couldn't stand it anymore and she carefully inched out of her father's paws and onto the floor. Almost instantly, a mischevious grin formed as her aqua eyes sought out the familiar color of her friend's fur, a light creamy white. Kri always though Situ's fur was cool, and for that she liked him. She also liked him, however, because of their similarities. Then, finally, she saw it.
Trying to be as quiet as a cub her age could, she leapt over her mother's paws and started toward her friend. He was draped over his siblings' backs, and they, in turn, were piled on their mother. Situ, his siblings, and his mother, were accepted into the pride a few days after Situ's birth, and a few weeks before the twins', making him a little older than her. Managing to make it over towards her friend while stepping over and on only a few lionesses, she eventually had her face pressed up to his. In order to do this, she had to leap up the pile of cubs, first.
Her nose pressed to his, a large grin started to form, and the princess' eyes twinkled. "Situ," she said in a sing-song voice, "wake up..." she giggled as he shifted in his sleep and muttered something unintelligable.
"Situ, up!" she said again, closer to his ear, and a little louder. Or... a lot louder. Enough that her voice rang in the cavern. Fortunately for her, no one stirred. Except for Situ. Oh, Situ was quite startled, and went hurtling forward into his friend in suprise!
Kri was now on her back, smothering a fit of laughter behind her paws, while Situ tried to figure out what the heck had just happened.
"Who? ...wha?!" he finally looked between his paws at the slightly smaller Kri, and smiled a forced, irritated sort of smile. "Kri!" said Situ through clenched teeth while his grey eyes focused on the princess. "What's the big idea?!"
"Shh! You'll wake everyone up!" Kri giggled softly as she looked at the boy cub.
He just stared at her.
"I thought we could go out into the savannah before the lionesses get up?" Kri murmured as Situ backed up to sit on his haunches, and she rose to her paws.
"Oh. You mean have an adventure in the early morning?"
"Yeah!" the princess practically bounced with joy at the mere idea of a daring adventure.
Situ suddenly smiled. 'This is what the princess wakes me up for? Cool.' "All right!" with that, Situ was on his paws and trotting around the bodies of sleeping lionesses and cubs. Kri followed close by his side, but a little less carefully. She stepped on several lionesses, though most of them were still sleeping deeply enough to not notice.
Both of the cubs stopped at the cavern's exit before that started to head off to one side, and down the Rock. "So, where should we go?" Kri inquired as they reached the bottom.
"Uh. I dunno. I though you had this figured out, princess." answered Situ with a roll of his grey eyes.
Kri just growled softly. "My name is Kri! You know I don't like you calling me princess!"
Situ just laughed. He knew. He was just doing it to get on her nerves a little. "Ok, sorry Kri," he stressed her name, particularly, "Why don't we go... to the waterhole?!"
Kri tilted her head as he suggested this, and soon smiled. "Last one there's a stinky ol' hyena!" with that, Kri darted off, leaving Situ with a somewhat startled expression on his face.
"H-hey! That's not fair!" the boy cried out before he started to dash after her. Kri, by this time, was quite some distance ahead, making it harder for Situ to catch up. But eventually, he did. His legs were longer than her's. By the time they reached the 'hole, they were both panting heavily, but sported large smiles and sparkling eyes. "Wow," said Situ between breaths, "that was a long run..."
The princess giggled. "Yeah!" she too, spoke shortly between breaths. "...but fun, wasn't it?" she grinned. "You're a stinky ol' hyena! ...Boy, is it empty here in the mornings or what?" Kri said flatly.
Situ chuckled. "Kinda looks like it."
No sooner had either child stated such things did the grass around the 'hole rustle. Kri's head bolted up from the place where she was inspecting some elephant footprints. "What was that?!" she asked quickly, a hint of fear, yet much curiousity in her voice. 'Something's out there...' she thought as she started to pad towards the rustle.
The air around them started to get tense. "What was what?" asked Situ. You could meet all sorts of things at the waterhole.
"You didn't hear it? Didn't see the grass move?" Kri looked over her shoulder at Situ, who was standing at the water's edge by now. The morning sun was covered by a thick cloud as Kri looked back at the grass. She shuddered. "Hello-o?" No reply.
"Kri, there's nothin--"
A small, gazelle-type animal suddenly burst past the two of them, running quickly, prancing. It moved past the waterhole and into the grass, where it disappeared over a small hill. The startled cubs had literally leapt into each other's arms... Kri clung tightly to the older cub, who tried to scrape her off.
"Kri..."
"Yeah?"
"Get off!"
"O-Oh! Sorry!" the girl quickly released her friend, who had been pulling away from her at the time. He flew backwards, while Kri's ears turned bright pink with embarrassment. "I-I wasn't scared." she said, lying, as she tilted her chin up slightly.
"Yeah right! The look on your face!" Kri came back as he got up off the ground. After a moment, the two cubs just giggled.
However, there was a rustle again. "Huh?" Kri's head turned.
"Probably just another one of those things, Kri. Don't worry!" Situ said with a grin.
"Hey! I'm not scared!" she quickly said. "I just..."
Situ rolled his eyes and got up. "Why don't we go back? Everyone will be getting up soon, and you don't wanna have to stay in the cave again, do you?"
Kri sighed. "I guess we should then."
The children turned to head back towards Pride Rock, a little slower than they had before, and this time, a little more quietly. The air still seemed all cramped, and it made the two of them feel like something bad was going to happen, though neither said a word of it to the other.
The waterhole was soon out of sight, but neither Kri nor Situ could shake the feeling that they were being followed... and all too soon it was proved true.
It was like a large, dusty gold blur that was suddenly before them. It had glinting white fangs, cold amber eyes, and it was spotted.
Kri shrieked first. Then Situ. "Leopard!"
"What?" Kri asked quickly as she backed away, cowering behind Situ, who was doing only slightly better than her, in the fact that he somehow managed to stand up straight, while she crouched with her ears tucked nervously.
The leopard seemed to smile, but coldly. Her fangs still shimmered, and it made her look even more frightening to the children. "Well, well, well, what's this?" said the leopard in a cold voice that was full of malice. "Free food?" she pressed her face closer to the cubs.
Situ snapped his fangs. "H-hey! Get your ugly spotted mug away from us!"
"Hmmm. Spicey. You'll taste good, I think." the leopard snarled.
"Situ! Run!" Kri squeaked.
"Oh! And look... she'll be dessert! Princess on a Platter!" the leopard laughed softly.
"My dad... my dad!" Kri tried to get out some comment.
"Your dad? Your dad-- what?! What's he gonna do? Save you?" the leopard just smirked. "Not on my watch. Not with a meal so easy!" with that, the leopard started to approach the two.
Situ quickly backed up, tripping over Kri, who yelped in pain before leaping back as well. However, Kri noticed something the leopard didn't. "My dad! He's right behind you!"
The leopard stopped and lifted a brow, but didn't really seem to believe the girl cub. That was until she heard the roar behind her. Whipping around, the leopard's amber eyes grew wide as they met Kovu's green ones. And Kovu was angry. Very angry.
Again, he roared. The leopard's ears flattened with the noise, and she flinched.
"Get away from the children!" Kovu roared again.
"And... what if I don't?" this leopard was either extremely brave, or extremely stupid.
Kovu snarled. In an instant, he was upon the leopard and had her pinned down. Another moment, and he swiped his forepaw over her face, leaving behind four red streaks that slowly started oozing blood.
The leopard screamed in pain, then snarled at Kovu. "My eye! You! You b--"
"Silence!"
Soon, the leopard gasped as Kovu pressed on her throat with a forepaw. She looked up at the lion king, terrified.
The children watched in awe and fear, wondering what would happen. For now, neither of the cubs thought about the fact that they would be in big trouble when Kovu's mind was away from the leopard.
"Get out of my Pridelands." Kovu growled. The leopardess gave a quick nod of her head, then, as soon as Kovu released her, bolted off in the opposite direction of both lions and Pride Rock.
Kovu growled, then turned to the children. 'How did he know to find us?' Situ wondered. Out of nowhere it seemed, Mandu came into view and landed neatly upon Kovu's shoulder. The bird's amber eyes landed on both Kri and Situ. That answered Situ's question...
"Kri." Kovu addressed his daughter first. Kri flinched, very much afraid of her father's wrath. "Situ." Situ did the same as Kri, flinching at the king's tone. "Come with me, now." with that, the King of the Pridelands turned and started towards Pride Rock, both of the children following quickly. Their heads drooped in shame; they had known better than to come out here alone...
Half way to the Rock, Kovu slowed, letting the children walk ahead a few paces before they slowed and stopped. The sun was no longer covered by the clouds and shone down brightly upon the three lions and hornbill. Kovu looked up at Mandu as he hovered above them, and motioned to Situ with his gaze.
Understanding what was wanted, the hornbill nodded and lowered himself so he hovered just above and in front of the boy. "Come, Situ."
Situ just nodded slightly before drooping his head further, and following after the bird, who flew slowly to be sure the boy could keep up. 'I knew I shoulda just said "No" to her...'
Kri watched her friend leave before turning slowly to look at her father. His gaze was resting on her. "Kri, you could've been killed!" Kovu said shortly.
Kri bowed her head quickly and acted as if she were inspecting her claws as she made small shapes in the dirt. "I know..." she said slowly. "...b-but dad, it's so boring at--"
Kovu shook his head and interrupted her. "Kri, you know better! Coming to the waterhole alone, and without me or your mother knowing?" the lion shook his head. "There's no excuses for your coming out here, Kri!"
The cub nodded her head, speaking softly, "I know." she tried to look at anything, find any excuse, not to look at her father's face as he spoke to her. Her head only lifted when she heard him sigh softly. "I'm sorry, dad..."
Her rather adorable expression at that moment, and the fact that this was a sincere apology brought a smile to Kovu's lips. "It's all right, Kri. I forgive you... but you're still staying in the cave today. ...it isn't much like a princess to get into trouble like this, and you need to learn. As a princess, you need to take care of yourself and learn to someday be queen!" 'Of course, that never seemed to stop Kiara...'
Immediately, the cub's expression changed from adorable to... disappointed? "Awww, man..." Kri complained. "But... dad! That's no fun..."
Kovu chuckled, then slowly shook his head. "Maybe Situ will play with you in there." the lion suggested, hoping to cheer his daughter up a little more now. It seemed to work as she looked back at him with hopeful, sparkling eyes. "Now, let's go home." with that, Kovu turned away from his cub and started to pad towards Pride Rock.
Kri followed close behind. There wouldn't be any secret trips to the waterhole, or anywhere else, for that matter, for a long time...
About time this chapter ended, eh? XD Anyway. I hope to get more reviews before I continue... but if I don't, I'll go on anyway... I guess.