A/N- Chapter 2 up quickly, as always please review AND enjoy!

Somewhere

Somewhere there's a sun,

shining oh so bright.

Somewhere there's a sky,

full of stars at night.

Somewhere there's a river,

reflecting every light.

And somewhere there's a person,

who is everything in life.

"Simba, wait! Make sure you cubs…stay in sight…" Mufasas' voice trailed off as his audience of Simba and Nala disappeared over the hilltop, completely ignoring his instructions. "I'm beginning to see why Sarabi couldn't find a babysitter," the giant king groaned as Zazu landed neatly on his shoulders, just behind the flowing red mane.

"I can't imagine," the blue hornbill replied, his eyes rolling back in total mockery of the response.

"I just don't know how they have so much energy," the maned cat continued, following more sedately after the two lion cubs. "I don't recall being so…" Mufasa paused, his face set in a look of concentration as he searched his vocabulary for the right word.

"Vigorous? Wild? Exasperating?" the major domo supplied, his tone rising hopefully with each word.

"Boisterous," the king said, looking back at the bird with raised eyebrows that Zazu pretended not to notice. Instead the big billed avian focused his attention on the horizon, making Mufasa chuckle silently. "He never did like babysitting, even back when I was a cub," he reminisced.

Just beyond the hill Simba walked regally, telling Nala all about the river that they were going to since he had already visited it with his mother.

"And there's this one rock that's just perfect for jumping into the water, only you have to be careful not land flat on your stomach, 'cause that really hurts, but you do make a really big splash, and…" the prince prattled on and on while Nala occasionally nodded and pretended that she was paying attention. Instead the lioness' eyes roved the savannah. The cubs were following the path the pride took to their favorite hunting grounds near Pride Rock, years of daily use beating down the sandy earth so solidly that not even the most stubborn weeds could take root.

"So are we there yet?" Nala interrupted Simbas' tirade, inclining her head slightly to one side to peer at him.

"Huh? Oh, it's right up ahead, I'll race you!" the prince challenged, leaping forward without even waiting for a response. The bright sun made his golden pelt glow as Nala chased after him, the two cubs laughing in excitement as they raced. Suddenly the grass lined path opened up and Simba wasn't in front of her, the fluffy tip of his tail jerked downwards and disappearing from view.

"Simba!" the little lioness cried, skidding to a halt, her eyes open wide in horror. The creamy cub quickly, but cautiously inched her paws close to the edge, looking anxiously down at the water below. The ripples from Simbas' fall slapped against the base of her perch, but she couldn't see the lion cub anywhere. "Simba? Simba!" she yelled again, feeling more uneasy as all the bubbles disappeared from the waters' surface and it calmed to flat silence.

"Nala? What's wrong?" Mufasa asked in concern, increasing his pace slightly when he saw her franticly searching the stream surface.

"Simba fell in and I can't see him!" the normally calm young lion was beside herself in fear, mentally prepping to jump in and save her friend—if only she had known exactly where he was.

"Simba?!" the king cried, leaping the last couple of feet to the river as his golden eyes began blazing in fear for his son. Zazu flapped up from his shoulders, taking to the air and beginning to circle around.

"I'm right here dad!" Simba's voice came from behind the two lions. Mufasa jerked his head around, letting out an audible sigh at seeing his son safely on dry land.

"You jerk!" Nala shrieked unexpectedly, bounding forward and rapping Simba firmly on the head with a paw.

"OW!" he yelped, pulling back and raising a paw to the already rising lump.

"That was a mean trick!" the young lioness scolded, preparing to rap him again.

"Sorry! I'm sorry!" the prince piped up, cringing in expectation of another blow.

"He does deserve it," Zazu muttered to himself, landing on a low branch and curling his toes firmly around it.

"Where did you go anyways?" Nala asked the other cub, curiosity overcoming her anger so she rested all four paws on the ground again.

"Over here," Simba responded quickly, eager to avoid another smack. The prince padded over to a downed log, rearing up on his hind legs and resting his front paws inside the rotted out center. "Lookit. It goes all the way down, I just crawled up \ to get out," he explained, head raised proudly as his cleverness. Nala jumped up beside him, her front paws making a slight thump as she settled her weight on them.

"All the way down?" she asked, her voice echoing slightly in the enclosed space. The little lioness twisted her head around, sizing up the hollowed limb. "I wonder…" she murmured, glancing at Simba. Quickly she dropped back down to the ground, knocking his hind legs out from under him with a shoulder and heaving upwards.

"What are you? Ahhhh!" Simba protested, then screamed as he found himself skidding down the length of the tunnel and crashing into the water at the bottom with an impressive splash.

"Wee!" Nala cried happily, sliding down right after him. The collision knocked both cubs underwater, they came up choking and laughing at the rush.

"Let's do it again!" they chorused, getting a shocked look from Zazu.

They enjoyed that? He thought, completely perplexed as the cubs struggled back over to the bank. I will never understand lions...especially cubs!