Thali

It was a cool summer's day, a lioness lay in the shade of a tree, her mushroom fur gleaming in the daylight. In her forearms lay a cub, the cub looked like its mother in everyway, accept for the brown spot in the middle its forehead.

"Is a boy or a girl?" asked a gruff voice. The lioness looked behind her

"Craymaa it's a girl" the lioness said proudly.

"Come and see her" Craymaa looked a bit unsure.

"Oh come on, you silly Billy, she won't bite… Well at least not yet she won't" Craymaa laughed softly. He walked over and sat.

"Ah. Rena, she's beautiful… I see she got my smudge" Craymaa pointed to his daughter's spot. Rena giggled softly.

"What should we call her?" Asked Rena

"I was thinking Haji-But that's a boys name… So what about Celia?"

"I like Thali. After the great princess of the plentiful land. (The Outlands really but it was called something else before then) Who saved our pride from the trick of the Pridelands" Rena said triumphantly.

"Yeah. Ok. Thali it is" Craymaa smiled. Thali opened her eyes for the first time, her parents watched with joy, Thali's brown eyes sparked with mystery.

Months passed, and Thali grew into a strong young cub.

"EXCILE!" Simba roared. Nuka picked up Vitani, Rena picked up Thali and Zira picked up her son Kovu, motioning for the other lionesses and Craymaa to follow.

"Mammy where are we going?" Asked Thali, Rena ignored her.

"Nukie? Why is Simba angie?" Vitani looked up at Nuka,

"SSHH, It'll be ok. Simba just is sending us away… For a while" Nuka reassured her, his voice was muffled. They arrived at the once known plentiful land, the land had now crumbled, and there was little vegetation, and hardly any water. Zira put Kovu down and looked over her new land

"This shall now be known as the Outlands" Zira proclaimed. Nuka put Vitani next to Kovu and stood by his mother.

"Who are you!" Growled a tall dark lion, a lioness quickly joined him, in the lionesses mouth was a male cub, he had a small black tuff on his head and had dark brown fur.

"We have been banished from the Pridelands. My name is Zira. And you are?" Zira got closer to them unafraid.

"From the Cave Pride, we went to live by ourselves to start a family" He replied gruffly

"We will now live here also. That suite you?" Zira asked

"As long as you stay away from us, or… You'll have me to answer to" The three stormed off.

Zira found a cave where they could all sleep in, they were exhausted. Thali was sat by her parents playing with her mother's tail.

"I'm going to find some food" Craymaa said

"Craymaa don't, the other lions could be around, and besides lionesses are supposed to hunt- Not lions" Rena pleaded.

"Rena I know you think that it's dangerous, but I also know that you and Thali are hungry" Thali looked up from her pouncing at the mention of her name.

"Bye I'll be back with some food-not a cut throat" Craymaa dashed away.

"Baba Daddy!" Thali called after her father. Rena smiled; she picked Thali up and put her by Vitani and Kovu. She nuzzled her daughter,

"Now Thali you play here with Vitani and Kovu. Ok? Bye-bye" Rena walked over to her friends.

"Hewoe Kovo. Hewoe Vitani" Thali greeted.

"Hi" Vitani and Kovu said at the same time, Vitani growled cubbishly at Kovu and bit his ear.

"WWAA!" Kovu started to cry, Vitani sat not knowing that she had hurt him. Thali got up and walked over to Kovu and put her paw on his shoulder, this seemed to calm him down.

"It's ok" Thali said, Kovu smiled and walked away.

It was the next day and Craymaa had not returned, Rena had persuaded Zira to let out a search party.

"Craymaa! Craymaa! Craymaa where are you!" Rena shouted

"Daddy we don't want to play hide and speak anymore!" (She's only a cub) Thali yelled

"Rena I've found him! Follow me!" Zira dashed off with Rena and Thali close behind. Craymaa was laid flat of the floor, blood seemed to have stained his fur. Rena ran to his side.

"Craymaa?" There was no answer. "Craymaa!" She was becoming desperate now.

"Daddy? Daddy… It's not sleepy time now get up" Thali tugged at her father's ear. Rena began to sob.

"Rena… Is that you?" Craymaa asked weakly

"Yes… I'm here Craymaa" Rena replied anxiously

"Rena I'm not going to make it…"

"Yes you are!" Rena sobbed harder "Don't speak like that, of course you're going to make it" Zira came over

"Craymaa, who did this to you?" She asked urgently

"The… The Black Paw…"

Zira's flashback…

"Mommy! Daddy!" Zira cried desperately. Black Paw swiped at her.

"Leave her alone!" Her father struck him, Black Paw pinned him and suffocated him. Her daddy was dead.

"Zulio!" Her mother ran to her father's side. The Black Paw halted her.

"Goodbye Clarence!" He struck her.

"AAHH!" Her mother screamed. She was dead. The Black Paw left unharmed…

End of flashback.

Craymaa drew a deep breath and died. Rena hugged her husband's dead body.

"NO! NO!" Rena cried into Craymaa's mane.

"Daddy?" Thali tried to get to her father, Nuka stopped her.

"Your daddy's gone…" Nuka tried to break it her gently. Thali hugged his leg, she cried until it hurt like mad. Kovu had been trying to comfort her, this was something he wasn't good at.

"Shh… Thali its ok…" Kovu gave up. Zira placed her paw on Rena's shoulder

"Let's go home" she sighed, Zira walked back with the rest of the pride.

Thali was now a strong cub ready to look for the world's surprises.

Thali was being bathed by her mother and Zira was bathing Vitani in the shade

"Heya Thali!" Kovu ran over to her. Kovu had become Thali's best friend, Thali liked him even more than a friend.

"Hi" Thali greeted as he came closer

"Thali come on I just found this really cool place" Zira stopped bathing Vitani and let her go

"So where is this 'Really cool place'?" Zira asked. Kovu hesitated,

"Oh… Just by the river" Kovu smiled innocently

"The river! What's so great about the river!" Kovu turned to her sharply

"I'll show you when we get there!" He whispered, Thali didn't get it, Kovu turned to Vitani for help, Vitani winked at Thali

"OH" Now she got it.

"Err… Mom can I go with them?" Thali asked

"Hmm… Well… Ok. As long as you're back by sunset" Rena smiled

"Zira what do'ya say?" Rena asked

"Well ok. Don't go near the Pridelands!" She called after them

"We won't!" They shouted back.

"So where are we really going?" Thali asked as they passed the other lionesses

"The Elephant Graveyard" He whispered

"WAW!" Thali was thrilled

"SSHH!" Kovu and Vitani silenced her "Not until we pass the lionesses!"

"Oh" Thali whispered. The three cubs came to an elephant skull. Thali gasped in horror…

So what do'ya think? Poor Craymaa, he died.

(Thali comes up to me) "So you killed my Daddy!"

"No"

"Then who did?"

"Weren't you listening to your father's last words!"

"Yes… Of course I was…" (She walks away)

Next chap coming soon!