Thank you so much to my reviewer...I didn't think I was going to be able to put this on tonight, but I did get it in. Yay! So I hope that this is up to your standards xx Princess Kiara:) :)

Disclaimer: I don't own the Lion King storyline (any of them except this one at least) and I don't own any character names you recognize. I do own Shalu, Talo, Suaz, and Selan (even though this will probably be the only time she's here). So don't use unless you ask really nice.

Kudoos guys!

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Chapter 2

Darkness hung over the pride lands like a blanket. The herds of animals lay in the long grass, taking advantage of the night. On Pride Rock, however, there was movement. A small cub ran out of the cave and to the tip of Pride Rock to look out. His fur was a dark brown with a tuff of black fur on his head and tail. His eyes were a bright green and his paws large. He flicked his tail side to side as he watched the sun begin to peak over the horizon. The orange glow washed over the land and then passed over Pride Rock. The young cub, Talo, leapt in the air and made a noise that was a small attempt toward a roar. He turned and ran back into the cave and jumped on his brother Shalu.

Shalu yelped and rolled away. His eyes were amber to his brother's green, and his fur was golden like the sun. He was smaller in build than Talo with a leaner body and smaller paws. His golden bangs were tinted red on his forehead, as was the tip of his tail that he swished back and forth in annoyance.

"Wake up Shalu! It's morning!" Talo said, pinning his brother to the ground and standing over him like a king. "Time to play!"

Shalu saw the sun rising up over the hills. "It's barely morning." Moaned Shalu. He struggled to get out from under Talo, but to no avail. The other cub was just bigger and stronger.

"So? The sooner we start playing the more time we have to play." Talo said smartly. "Come on get up!" He griped, batting Shalu with a paw.

"What about mom and dad?" Shalu asked as he allowed Talo to herd him outside.

"They know we'll be playing and we won't go too far, just near the water hole. Besides, Vitani can always find us." Talo said, watching as Shalu stretched. "Come on!" he repeated growing impatient. Shalu flicked his ears in an annoyed fashion and followed Talo down Pride Rock toward the water hole.

"So…what are we gonna do today?" asked Shalu, trying to stifle a yawn as the two cubs padded across the open Savannah.

"We could go to the Outlands." Talo suggested, grinning mischievously.

"You're crazy. I'm not getting eaten by a crocodile just so you can see a termite haven." Shalu retorted, leaping on a log, and looking at Talo.

"I was kidding." Talo walked past his brother and splashed into the water hole, frightening the birds that had been sleeping. "Wake up little birds!" He called laughing.

Shalu snorted in silent amusement at his brother's idea of fun. Quickly he leapt in beside his brother, sending water everywhere. Talo tackled him, pinning him down in the shallow water.

"Ha!" Talo replied grinning.

Shalu spluttered and managed to push Talo off and stood up as he heard a female voice laughing. He looked and saw a tan female cub watching him and Talo. Suaz. Her blue eyes glinted as she laughed at the two of them.

"You two are so weird. I pity the pride when one of you becomes king." She informed them, smiling.

Talo felt a hot blush run up to his ears as he glared at the lioness. "Yeah? Well when I'm king the first thing I'll do is banish you to the jungle." He retorted loudly.

Suaz snickered. "Yeah? What if Shalu's king? Or what if I'm made Queen? What then hot-shot?"

Talo smirked at her. "Well I definitely won't be your mate and Shalu wouldn't be either so you'll never be queen. And if Shalu is king then he'll banish you too. Won't you?" He asked his brother.

Shalu shrugged and grinned. "We're both gonna be king so you can banish her if you want."

Suaz rolled her eyes. "You can't both be king."

"Sure we can!" Shalu retorted. He glanced uneasily at his brother. "Right?"

Talo nodded quickly. "Yeah. We're going to be the kings of Pride Rock. And there's nothing you can do about it!" He stuck his tongue out at Suaz.

Sauz made a face and rolled her eyes. "Oh you'll be a very mature king, won't you." She replied sarcastically.

Talo felt the burn of the insult and stamped his front paws in retaliation, sending water all over Suaz. She gasped in surprise and tried to shake the cold water off as Talo and Shalu laughed loudly.

Suaz growled and pounced. Talo flailed in the water as she head-butted him. Talo growled and nipped at her hind paws. Suaz leapt out of the way and bounded off, Talo and Shalu running after her.

Suaz stopped to catch her breath near some water buffalo. Talo and Shalu tackled her and the three of them rolled around in the dirt laughing.

"Talo! Shalu! Suaz!" A feminine voice drifted over the grass. Shalu raised his head and saw a sleek female lion coming up to them. Her tan bangs fell lightly on her forehead, her blue-purple eyes glinted. "Haven't I told you all enough times to not go running off before the pride has woken up?" She asked.

"Doesn't really matter, does it?" asked Talo. "You can always find us anyway.

"A valid point." Vitani agreed. "But that doesn't change the fact that I've told you not to run off. What if I couldn't find you?"

"I bet we could find our way home by ourselves, it's not like it's that hard to find." Retorted Talo. "It's a huge rock pointing up to the sky."

Vitani's mouth twitched as though she was trying not to smile. "Come on you three. Your mothers want you." She began herding them back toward Pride Rock.

"What do they want us for?" Asked Shalu as he ran in between Talo and Suaz.

"You can ask them when we get there." Vitani told him sternly and nudged them on.

When they reached Pride Rock Vitani led them through the other lionesses lying around, to Nala, Kiara, and Selan, Suaz's mother, who were lying at one of the top rocks. Simba and Kovu were no where to be found.

Shalu leapt over his mother and rolled into Nala's side. Nala swept him over with loving eyes before grabbing him, placing him between her forepaws and licking his ear.

"Well we now know why they wanted us." Suaz said as her mother grabbed her and began to give her a bath as well.

Talo leapt out of his mother's reach. "But mama I'm already clean. We were playing in the water hole, so I already had a bath." He told her hopefully. Vitani tripped him as he leapt away again and Kiara held him with one paw while she licked him clean.

Shalu twitched his ears as he heard a loud roar. Simba. The great, red-maned lion stepped close to Nala and watched his young grandson. Shalu made a weak smile then spotted his dad coming up behind Simba. "Dad!" He leapt out of Nala's weak grip and wove around his father's legs. Kovu nudged him playfully in the rump.

Talo wiggled away from his mother and bounded over to his father. "Hey dad!"

Kovu sat down and let Talo climb up his back and rest in his black mane. Kiara gave her mate an exasperated look and came over to him to lick his cheek. "I already had my bath." Kovu teased her and rubbed her ear with his nose.

"That doesn't work. I already tried." Talo told him grinning. He glanced at Suaz who was still putting up with her bath. "Having fun getting nice and pretty?"

Suaz sniffed at him. "I'm pretty without a bath, I just don't want to smell like you!" Talo yowled at her and leapt off his father's back.

"Can we go play dad? Please!" He asked, smiling in what he hoped was a winning way. Nala held back a chuckle as she recognized the face.

Kovu looked at Kiara and then down at Talo and Shalu, who had joined in his brother's begging. "All right, but be careful." He warned.

Talo ran off, leaping over napping lionesses as he did. Shalu went a little more carefully and waited for Suaz before catching up with Talo.

"So now that we've gotten permission to play….what are we going to do?" Asked Shalu.

"I don't know." Talo said. "Anything's better than a bath." He shivered slightly for effect.

"Baths aren't that bad, Talo." Suaz scolded and leapt in front of him. "Though it doesn't ever do you any good."

"Why's that?"

"Because you always end up getting dirty again!"

Talo ignored her and ran up on a small rock. He let his eyes wander over the Savannah, taking in the grass, trees, water, and all the different animals. It was magnificent. And one day, it was going to be his. Well, part his. He glanced at Shalu and grinned as he saw his brother being pinned by Suaz. Together they would rule it all, and be the best kings there ever was in the history of Pride Rock. Talo turned from the brilliant sight and leapt toward the other cubs.

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A couple days later, as the sun was beginning to set on the horizon, Talo and Shalu slowly made their way back to Pride Rock. Shalu nearly ran to catch up with Talo, who had leapt at a grasshopper, which managed to evade the young cub's paws. Shalu felt a wind ruffle his fur and he turned and looked behind him. There was that feeling again. It never seemed to leave him, as though he was being watched by someone. Silly, he told himself. Just silly.

Talo looked and saw his brother looking off behind him thoughtfully. It always worried Talo when his brother had that look on his face, as though he was getting lost in all his different thoughts and ideas. Talo stepped up to him and nudged his brother in the shoulder, snapping Shalu out of his daze.

"Huh what?" Asked Shalu distractedly.

"You were doing it again." Talo informed him as they began walking back in the direction of Pride Rock.

"Doing what?"

"Looking off at nothing. It's creepy." Talo said, leaping up on a log that passed over a thin stream from the water hole. He began walking across it. Shalu followed him, then out of the corner of his eye caught a reflection in the water. He turned his head quickly but only saw his small face. Funny, he thought, I could've sworn I saw another lion. He looked around and felt a chill run clear through him. He hurried across the log and nearly ran into Talo who was waiting for him.

Talo shook himself off after being nearly run over and threw his brother a half exasperated look. Shalu gave him a guilty look in return.

"Hey, Talo, do you ever feel like, I don't know, like you're being watched, or followed. Like you have a guardian who you just can't see?" Shalu asked uncertainly.

Talo gave his brother a tired look. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't know like a spirit or something watching over you." Shalu prodded on.

Talo looked up at the sky. The light was already escaping from the sky, and a few glittering stars were beginning to appear. "Those are the only things that watch over us." He said sitting down and gazing at the blackening sky. "The great kings of the past."

Shalu sat down beside him and let his gaze be swept away by the bright stars, the old kings of the past looking down at him. The Great Mufasa and his mate Sarabi. And one day Simba, Nala, Kovu, Kiara, and even himself and Talo.

Shalu looked down and over his shoulder at the water. It wasn't the same feeling as he'd had before though, or as he always seemed to have. It wasn't the same as when he father was watching him, or when Vitani came to find them. It was different. He glanced at Talo. "Are you sure you don't feel anyone else watching?" he questioned softly.

Talo didn't let his eyes stray from the sky. "Maybe sometimes. But everyone feels like that, or wants to feel like it." He looked at his brother. "Don't worry so much, Shalu. Relax and enjoy life."

"I am enjoying it." Shalu said standing up and shaking himself. Talo rolled his eyes and led the way back to Pride Rock at a run, a soft wind kicking at their heels.

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Chapter 2- officially done! So in case any of you really cares (which you probably don't) Talo and Shalu are real names. Talo means dark and Shalu means light. Ooooo foreshadowing? possibly. I'm real into that and symbolism. Don't like it...o well that's me for ya. Suaz I believe I just made up and Selan is actually a real name too...dunno what it means so if you want to know that then you'll have to look it up yourself...sry.

Anywho I'm gonna stop babbling. Hopefully I'll get up chapter 3 soon...depends on if reviews are good (cough cough nudge nudge) So Review my lovelies! please:) :)