This snake seemed like very bad news to Kion and Rani. Mjinja was an African rock python that certainly shouldn't be reckoned with. He might not as be as evil as the Lion's Bane, but he was certainly more pushover like Janja and his clan of hyenas. Mjinja was certainly looking forward to cobble these cubs up.

"Look, we don't want any trouble," said Kion. "Just let us go, Mjinja."

"Oh no, I think not, boy." said the rock python. "No, as of now, both of you are my next victims on my list." He gave an evil smile to the kids to show how wicked he was. Kion and Rani readied themselves for a fight and waited for the python to strike like a blade.

Mjinja then hissed with his tongue and it was as low as a small earthquake. He gave the two cubs some wicked eyes and snapped his head and mouth at Kion with a loud "clamp!" Heard. Luckily, Kion missed by jumping out of the way.

Sure, pythons are not venomous, or have the fangs of venomous snakes, but they still had teeth, and sharp like little daggers. Yet again, all animals teeth have bacteria in them to cause infection of it pierced through the skin.

Not only that, but the python can use the coils of their long body to suffocate and squeeze the victim to death. This guy was certainly no pushover to the two cubs who were fighting him in self-defense. Still, Kion had sharper teeth than this snake and when Mjinga lunged at him, trying to bite him again, Kion saw this as an opportunity to latch his teeth on the Python's neck and try to bite on him hard

"Go get him, Kion!" Rani said, cheering on her friend.

"Raggh!" Mjinga shouted in pain. "Get off me!"

Kion tried so hard to keep his teeth in place against the skin, and the snake continued to double over in pain. Ultimately, Mjinga got the cub off of him and Kion landed on the ground. "Ow." he grunted. Despite how painful the fall was, he got back on his feet, and he charged at him, and clawed at his back.

Rani joined in and tried latching her teeth close to his head, but Mjinga was faster than he looked. He used his tail like a whip, and hit her in the face really hard with it, making her crash into a tree trunk, unconscious.

"No!" Kion shouted. He looked at Mjinga again, and with complete fury at what he did to his own friend. Baring his teeth, he unsheathed his claws again, and he dodged a few strikes from the python's tail. It wasn't easy, for Mjinja was fast and Kion had to keep his head and eyes sharp for future strikes.

"Hold still so I can eat you!"

"Not as long as i love life!" Kion shouted back to him. He charged at him again, and dodged some more strikes from the snake's teeth while lunging his head. They both came in for a charged and the Lion cub growled as he sliced at the right side of Mjinga's face, with some blood showing.

The python doubled over in pain again, and used his tail to tend to the wound skin gave him. It hurt a lot, and it was almost like fire.

"I will warn you one last time," Kion said. "Leave me and my friend alone, or I will have to kill you."

"Heh. You have strength for a cub your age," Mjinga smirked amusingly. "Still just a cub though. With lightning speed, he charged at Kion and got him in his coils. "I give you a lot of credit for having the courage of a full-grown Lion, for a cub your size and age. Still, it is a rather foolish and stupid thing of you to do. Going against a formidable African rock python like myself. Now, I will have my lunch, one way or another.

He began squeezing the life out of poor Kion, and the cub was trying so hard to break free of the python's coils, and ultimately, he realized he needed to pull out the coup de grace on him. He took a deep breath, with as much air as he had, and he emitted the roar of the Elders out of himself, powerful and mighty.

The rock python was caught off-guard from the blast of the power, he accidentally let go of the cub and it rammed him against a nearby tree.

Kion coughed and panted to catch some air after he was almost squeezed to death by this serpentine foe. "That was a close one." he said to himself. "I thought I was done for."

It was just then Rani woke up after her blow. "What... what happened?"

"Rani!" Kion rushed to her aid. "Thank goodness you're alright." he helped him back up and she wasn't exactly injured from the blow she received.

"What happened to that snake?"

"I beat him. The fight is over." Kion said with great relief.

"Think again, children!" said Mjinja. He approached them and he hissed. "I am not holding back this time!" A rumbling on the ground was felt by the cubs and python, and they looked over to see Adewale charging to the rescue.

Scared, the rock python swam away in the lake waters. Adewale then went up to the cubs and he asked: "are you kids alright?"

"Yeah. Thanks to you again, Adewale." Kion smiled gratefully.

The Emela-Ntouka smiled back to him and said: "Mjinja is a nasty creature to he reckoned with. He is a merciless serpent and he does anything to get what he wants. Still, I am glad that you children are alright now. Are you both hurt?"

"Ah. Minor scratches." Rani said. "I suffered worse pain. Let's get out of here and back to your crash."

"Good idea." Adewale then escorted the kids back to his crash of Emela-Ntouka and relaxed for a little while.

"Rani, you fought good against him." Kion complimented his friend.

She smiled at him, and said: "Thanks, Kion. I wish I was awake about what you did with Mjinja."

"I clawed his face, and shouted the Roar of the Elders against him. You should have seen it."

"We all felt it." said Adewale. "and saw the clouds in the sky."

"You actually clawed his face?" asked Rani. "Wow. I'm really impressed."

"Yeah, but I was no match for him. I'm... still a kid after all." Kion smirked

"It's not about strength. It's about wits and quick-thinking." Rani said. "That's what my parents taught me. No matter how big or small, you can make the best of any situation. Not all, but most."

Kion smiled hearing those words, and said: "Good point. Are you sure you're not hurt?"

"Yeah, don't worry about me. That's my parents' thing."

"hehehe. Yeah, my parents worry about me a lot too."

"Only because they love and care about you," Adewale pointed. "Like I care about my one and only son. I do not know what I would be if I had lost him to something terrible."

"Well... I'm glad you're safe, Kion." Rani said.

"I can say the same for you." Kion replied to her. "I wish we could know each other longer than the day we first met."

'Oh, it's okay. Better late than never."

"Heh. Yeah." they both zoomed into one another and they suddenly locked their lips to one another.

Save Your Love by Great White Plays

The Emela-Ntouka around the cubs took notice and they thought of how nice and sweet it was to see such young love as the cubs were still kissing and locking lips. They did it for at least fifteen seconds, and then they split. "Wow, did... did that really just happen?" Kion asked, blushing.

"Yeah, I guess so. I mean, what did I just do."

"It is perfectly alright, my friends." said Adewale with a warm smile. "No one around you is judging."

"Well... I guess we better get back home. Come on, Kion," said Rani.

"Sure. See you soon, Adewale. It was nice meeting your family here."

"And the same for my family meeting you." Adewale replied. "Safe travels to you, Kion. I hope we cross paths with one another again."

"Same."

The two lion cubs walked through the jungle, back on the same path they came, and the other Emela-Ntouka said bye to the cubs as they went pass them all. Walking side by side, they never left one another's side as they were walking back to Pride Rock. "Listen," Kion said. "I hope that kiss wasn't... weird."

"No, don't worry about it. I... had no control over myself either." Rani admitted flatly with a smirk. "And... that felt a little nice actually."

"Yeah, totally. But... We're just friends, right?"

"Oh yeah. Just friends."

While they said those things, they knew deep down that there was something more than that, and Mufasa was watching this sweet love from the skies, and Sarabi next to him.