Chapter 4:

Hunting

The introductions between the Outsider Lioness and the Pridelanders breifly start till it reaches, "Timon. Pumbaa. Great, now that we all know each other...GET OUT OF OUR PRIDELANDS!" Timon shouts.

"Your pridelands?" Zira snarls.

This scares Timon, as he ducks into Pumbaa's hair. Edd and I were still at a distance.

"Damn, she's one scary cat!" I say. Edd whines in agreement.

Simba demands, "I banished you from the Pridelands. Now you and your young cub...get out!"

Zira says, "Oh, haven't you met my son, Kovu? He was hand-chosen by Scar to follow in his pawprints...and become King!"

Timon says, "That's not a king. That's a fuzzy maraca!"

Zira continues, "Kovu was the last born before you exiled us to the Outlands, where we have little food, less water..."

"You know the penalty for returning to the Pridelands!" Simba says.

"But the child does not! However...if you need your pound of flesh...here." Zira says pushing Kovu closer to Simba.

Kovu trembles in fear.

"There is no way he'd beat up Kovu...he's a cub too." I say.

Simba says, "Take him and get out. We're finished here."

He picks up Kiara and Zira says, "Oh no Simba, we've barely just begun!"

She walks over and picks up Kovu and everyone starts to move out. Edd lifts me up by the scruff and all of us head back to Pride Rock.

"{Man this sucks! I hope I'm not in trouble at least...}" I thought.

By sunset, we had all gotten closer to Pride Rock. However Simba stops, making Edd stop to await orders.

Nala notices and asks, "Simba?"

He simply clears his throat, and she understood, smiling back.

As the lionesses clear, Simba places Kiara on a rock and turns to Edd saying, "You can head back with the lionesses. I'm gonna talk to Kiara."

"So, am I in trouble?" I ask.

"Well, I expect a full story of what was going on. I know for a fact you're not the kind to run off." Simba replies.

With that Edd takes me back and as soon as we were clear out of hearing range, Simba begins his talk with Kiara.

"...Why, do I feel guilty, Edd?" I ask.

A small humming sound indicated he wasn't sure. He goes into a trot to catch up with the others, and when we were in the middle he lets me go. I think by now I had teeth marks in my skin...

That night I had a lot of trouble sleeping. Something was calling me, and driving me nuts. I got up, not daring to wake anyone, and snuck out of Pride Rock. I descend rock by rock and make it to the ground where I go into full running mode towards the Outlands. I looked a lot more like those lions compared to the ones here. I needed answers; I was a cub on a slight journey of self-discovery.

When I got to the log bridge a while later, I stopped and thought, "{The minute I cross this bridge, I'll either be killed...or get in trouble.}"

Then I hear a lioness call, 'It's that cub again."

Shit...I got caught that easily? Across the way was the lioness from before, Zira.

"Ah, Kiara's sister I presume." Zira says.

Far to her right stood Nuka and a female cub.

"You're Zira, right? I'm not here looking for a fight; I can't do it anyway." I ask.

"Do you realize you could get in trouble for even coming here?" Zira snarls.

"Look, I know I'm only so young, but I wanna know something. Why do I look more like you guys and less like the Pridelanders?" I ask.

"Is that all?" Nuka asks.

"Hmm, I had a feeling you might come here to ask." Zira says.

"Then tell me." I demand, trying to look tough like Simba.

"Sorry, can't do that." Zira says turning her back.

"What? Why not?" I ask.

"Look kiddo, you're much to young for that explaination. However, when you get a little bigger, I could explain it to you." Zira says.

"Oh what, so you can fight me then?" I ask.

"Not entirely, child. I will say this, only because it's the truth: right now you're too young to comprehend why you look the way you do. When you're older, you'll be able to handle it." Zira replies.

She's right. She walks away, being joined by Nuka and her cub. Feeling a sense of "defeat", I turn tail and head back. This is gonna bug me for a while. Tch, if there were anymore hyenas left, they might know. Or maybe, if Mufasa was still alive, I could've asked him. Wait, what about that mandrill from before? Maybe he knows! I rush over to his tree and start scratching at the roots, figuring it'll get his attention.

Minutes later he appears saying, "Hey! What are you doing, Mwezi?"

I look up and reply, "I wanna know why I look the way I do!"

"Urk...Mwezi, you're much too young to understand. I'll tell you when you've matured more." Rafiki says.

He reteats back. DAMN! I want to know! Grrr...damn...looks like I have no choice. I'll have to wait till I've become a lioness.

A lot of time passes. Kiara and I are getting bigger, reaching adulthood. One night in Rafiki's tree, he is drawing new pictures of Kiara, me, and Kovu.

"Oh Mufasa, everyday Mwezi and Kiara grow more beautiful, into Queens that'll someday make us all very proud. But this cub Kovu, who grows stronger, and Zira fills his heart with hate. I am very worried, Mufasa. Things are not going well." he says. A breeze picks up, rattling the guords.

"Hmm? You have a plan?"

A guord falls and breaks in half. Rafiki picks it up and holds it up to the picture (me excluded).

"What? Kiara...Kovu...together? ARE YOU CRAZY? This'll never work! Oh, Mufasa you've been up there too long. You're head is in the clouds!"

The winds blows harshly as a response.

"Okay, okay, okay! Okay! All right-OKAY! I do not think this will work, but I trust you. I just hope you know what you are doing!"

The wind blows upward.

"...Hmm, what about Mwezi though? *sigh* I suppose she's gonna want an explaination of her origins soon, seeing as how she's becoming an adult. Heh, what a fine gift for her..."

Days later, it's time for our first hunt. My fur, even now, is still poofy. Nala is first to emerge and joins a worried Simba at the end of the assembled lionesses.

Before Kiara emerges I say to her, "I don't know about this. I mean, I hardly have any muscle tone to myself."

She replies, "Don't worry, Mwezi. I'm sure Daddy will have us working together. I mean, you're the wise one."

I try to smile. She goes out first. The lionesses start to compliment her. I was growing nervous. What if I were to fail?

I'm then nudged by Shenzi and she says, "It's time, Mwezi. You've come a long way since you were a cub."

I nod. I emerge being accompanied by the Hyenas. I too was getting positive compliments. That made me feel better.

Near the end, Sarafina, Nala's friend, says, "You've grown so well, Mwezi." The Hyenas take their place across from Simba.

I'm nuzzled by Nala and she says, "You two will do great."

Kiara says, "Daddy, you have to promise to let Mwezi and I do this on our own. Promise?"

Simba glanes over at Nala and she raises an eyebrow at him.

He replies rolling his eyes, "All right. I promise."

"Thanks Daddy." Kiara says and runs off.

"Don't worry Simba, Kiara and I will work together and come back victorious!" I reassure, soon following Kiara.

"Shenzi, I'm a bit worried for Mwezi." Banzai says.

"Yeah, I am too. Over her time as a cub, she never gained too much muscle tone. But, I have faith in her. If she can't attack, she'll outsmart her prey, and probably have Kiara strike." Shenzi says.

"I hope you're right." Banzai says.

Hearing this, Edd backs away slowly and sneaks off, following our path.

Simba moves over to Timon and Pumbaa quietly saying, "Make sure neither get hurt."

They act as if they're doing nothing, and soon hurry off to follow Edd into the feilds.

Out in the feilds minutes later, Kiara and I spot a herd of antelope.

I say quietly, "Okay Kiara, I have an idea. You have more muscle than me, and I have speed. I'll try to encircle these guys and draw them close to you."

She replies, "Okay, just be careful."

So I slink over and still remaining in the tall grass I begin to slowly circle the herd. They become warry, but don't run off. I go into a trot to build a sense of something being nearby. Then a full-blown dash. It was working, till Kiara made an untimely move and the herd ran off in another direction.

"Damn!" she says. We both rush after them.

I say to her, "I'll need to try something different! Just stick to my signals!"

"Got it!" she says.

When we're finally able to stalk the same herd, somewhere out in the feild were Edd, Timon, and Pumba, sneaking around in a military fashion. Timon was in a hollow log, Pumbaa somewhat behind a tree, and Edd behind a rock.

Timon acts as if he's holding a walkie-talkie and says, "Tango-Charlie-Alpha. What's your position?"

Pumbaa confused replies, "Uhh... Upright...head slightly turned to the left...tail erect." Edd giggles.

Timon says annoyed, "Why do I bother?" He scans the horizan till we're in his sights. "Ah hah!" he says.