Chapter VIII
"Mother," A small cub voice bellowed playfully. "Mom!"
Kiara shot her eyes open in a startle. Her muzzle twitched a little as she groaned loudly awakening from a much deserved snooze. Her dreams had consisted of a flashback to her four month old cubs birth, a strange day. Kiara's forepaws stretched and then dangled over the side of west gorge, the death site of Shemba's and Kamba's parents those years ago. The emptiness of the lands that day had somewhat relaxed the golden lioness, just giving time for herself to think about whatever she wanted.
A small black cub was sprinting towards her. Her tiny forepaws beat the ground like a drum slowly bringing her closer and closer. The cub skidded to a sudden halt beside her mother and flopped to the floor in exhaustion, to which Kiara chuckled at. She petted the small cub softly and drew her closer.
"What's up Jasiri?" She sighed.
The small and youngest cub of Kiara and Kovu was a very over excitable creature. Amused with the slightest of things. However an element of her lacked a very large quantity of courage and therefore rendered her spineless, though she was always interested in exploring so long as it wasn't dark and death wasn't an option.
The small cub purred lightly at her mother's touch and looked up. Her soft green eyes flickering with glee.
"I'm so bored." She grumbled. "Where's dad?"
"I've told you before, when he's on patrol he can't be distracted. It's important." Kiara replied much more sternly, but with a wide warm and welcoming smile spread across her muzzle.
"Can't he stop just for one day?" Jasiri lit up a toothy grin. Kiara chuckled and brought her cub closer.
"No. Because if he's not patrolling, he's gonna be training."
"Training for what?"
"You seriously don't know what he's training for?"
"Well, I know he getta be a king, right?"
Kiara chuckled. The black cub didn't understand why and gazed up at her mother. She gave another glowing toothy grin revealing her developing canines.
"Yeah. Look I know we let you down a lot..."
"Not a lot, mom, all the time." The cub corrected.
"Fine, I know we let you down everyday but, we can't help it."
"But all Hassy ever wanna do is fight!"
"That's the way he is. You can't do much about being the only girl."
"This stinks mom! Shemba's always too busy for me's too. She don't like me does she?"
"Course she does. She had a rough cub-hood. Remember that."
"What happened in her kid times?"
Kiara sighed and looked to the bottom of the gorge. "I can't tell you. I'm not allowed."
The small cub released herself from her mother's grip and threw herself to the floor in disappointment, where she let out a very loud and slightly frustrating groan. Kiara sighed and pulled her up from the floor, dusting her off and petting her lightly again. She didn't like neglecting her cubs, as she said would be the most likely outcome four months ago, but occasionally she had to.
"Look, your father and I won't be busy in a few days, we'll play with you then. I promise."
Jasiri jumped up again, with joy.
"Double promise?" She shouted with glee.
Kiara nodded.
"Okay!"
"But..." Kiara began. "I don't want any trouble, like last time..."
"No mom, it won't happen again. I promise."
Kiara giggled and pushed the cub to the floor. With a grunt the cub exploded into laughter.
"What you do that for?" She laughed.
"Well if you're gonna be a huntress leader when your older you need to that you need to be on guard all the time!"
"Mom..."
Kiara smiled and stood from her quick snooze. Her large paws were almost the same size as her small cub. She extended her body in a stretch and began to walk away. Jasiri noticed the large paw print freshly printed into the mud, took her tiny paw and pressed it into the dent in the ground.
"Wow," She exclaimed. She lifted her paw and stared at it in amazement. "That's gonna be huge..."
Just then a golden coloured cub was dashing towards her. His small paws thudded against the floor as if he was beating a drum. Jasiri's twin attempted to stop but ended up tripping up and rolling into a heap. Jasiri giggled in her small voice to which the other cub grunted to.
"So," Hasira started. "Did she say yeah?"
"Nah, she's too busy or whatever tha' excuse is this time." Jasiri replied.
In frustration the older of the two stood to his paws and smashed a small pebble away with his left paw.
"It's not fair, they're always going on about how 'great' Nira is, and dad is always busy. This stinks."
"Sure it's not just that warthogs..."
"Jas!" Hasira sniggered in interruption. "You can't say things like that!"
"...Warthog ass!"
The two cubs shared an overly hysterical laugh. The laugh echoed around mid gorge and became slightly infuriating.
()0()0()
As Kiara was leaving, she noticed two young lions walking through the pridelands. She couldn't help but find her eldest and her adoptive niece deep in conversation kind of...cute. It warmed her heart; Kiara thought highly of the relationship they shared, she was approaching the idea of intimacy between the lions more than they did.
Since the birth of his brother and sister, Nira's mane had increased in size and had begun to flow. The mane on his head completley swayed to the right and hid his right eye. His body had also grown, having gotten taller. Shemba hadn't grown much, however the faded black line along her back was beginning to show. Her fur had become dimmer and her underbelly was grey.
Kiara stepped over to them, attempting not to smirk, and cleared her throat.
"Nira..." She started. Upon hearing his mother's voice, Nira and Shemba stopped walking and turned to face Kiara.
"Yeah mom?" He smiled. Kiara smiled back with a smile of pride, obviously thinking differently about the young lions' relationship. Nira took no hint and called her name again.
"Mother. Something you wanted?"
"Wha- oh! Yeah, errm, do you mind watching the cubs?"
"Yes I do mind."
Kiara sighed and wiped her forehead.
"Look, I know you hate to look after them but..."
"Oh it's not that mother," Nira cut across. "Hasira's got a huge grudge against me; I can't stand it anymore."
"For crying out loud Nira, he's only a cub! He'll forget about it soon enough."
"Mom, he's hell in the form of a child..."|
Kiara's attention was directed to her son.
"Nira!"
"But...it's true."
"Alright," Kiara exhaled in frustration. "Just go over there and watch your brother and sister..."
"But...but..."
"No buts!" Kiara snapped. "Except for one; get your butts over there and watch them! Just do what you are told!"
Nira grunted and lowered his head, groaning in defeat. He began to plod over to his brother and sister to watch them, even though he didn't want to. Shemba chuckled but before she could walk off Kiara stopped her.
"You and Nira are getting...pretty close, eh?" Kiara whispered.
"Yeah..." Shemba replied. "But I know exactly what you think, and the answer's no."
"What? What am I thinking then?"
"You think I like him, as in a lot stronger than a friendship. Well I don't."
"I bet he does though."
"Actually we were talking about...you know...stuff last night and when the topic came up he didn't show any signs of liking me, and I didn't show signs of liking him. So you know you can forget that thought...because..." Shemba began to laugh awkwardly. "Its...its not true! It makes me..." Kiara shook her head, knowing what Shemba was covering. "Stop...stop shaking your head, you look weird...ha! Stop staring at me...Kiara..."
"Shemba! Hurry up!" Nira called after her.
"Coming!" Shemba shouted over then then quickly turned to Kiara's conversation. "Okay so I do like him. What's your point?"
"You do!" Kiara screeched.
"Shut up!" Shemba hissed. "Look I do, okay, but I'm keeping it on the down – low. How did you know anyway?"
"Shemba, I'm a girl..."
"Really?" Shemba laughed sarcastically. "No one would have ever guessed..."
"I'm a girl," Kiara continued, ignoring her comment. "So I know these things. Think about it; your basically never ever apart, you've hardly spoken to anyone besides us and him, and your faces light up the minute you see each other."
"Yeah well just forget about it, because he doesn't feel the same."
"Shemba!" Nira shouted again.
"I'll be there in a minute!" She roared. "Look I'll do something about it in my own time okay?"
"You might not get your own time, love is extremely powerful..."
"I never said I loved him."
"We'll see."
"No, Kiara, I never said I loved him."
"Just run along now."
"Kiara, the words 'I love him' never slipped from my muzzle..."
"Seriousy. He's waiting."
Kiara gave a friendly wink to Shemba but she just raised her eyebrow and galloped over to Nira. Kiara smiled at the two lions and sighed as she walked back to Pride Rock.
They'll figure it out someday...someday soon I hope...
()0()0()
As Nira and Shemba arrived behind the two cubs, Hasira's attention was suddenly drawn to the size of mid gorge. In awe, he stepped over to the side and gawked down, amazed.
"Whoa…" He exclaimed, listening to his voice bounce off the side of the gorge in echo. "It's huge!"
"I know. But Mom says we can't go near it." Jasiri replied.
Hasira kicked the same rock he smashed away into the gorge and turned his head to listen out. For a few minutes there was a silence until he heard the faint click of a rock hitting the ground. It was deep.
"I wanna investigate." Hasira proclaimed.
"Were not allowed." Jasiri replied.
"Yeah but it's cool!"
"What if mom and dad find out, they'll kill us!"
"They're not gonna find out. You know why? Your smart bro's gonna make sure of it."
"Depends on which brother you mean." Nira chuckled behind them. "Because if you mean you, then that would be a no."
Nira's deeper voice startled Hasira, causing him to kick down a few more rocks by accident. Hasira spun around in surprise.
"Oh, it's you loser!" Hasira grunted. "What do you want?"
"Look, what have I done wrong, Hassy, I haven't done anything to you." Nira replied. For no other reason other than it sounded funny, the four lions had strange nicknames for each other.
"You're mom's favourite, Ra, it aint fair, why should they always care about you an' not us…"
"Hassy, I don't really care if they do. They pay attention to us..." Jasiri whispered to her brother.
"Jas, Shhh!" Hasira whispered back.
Nira was quite surprised actually, he didn't realise that his little brother felt this way.
"Are you...jealous, Hassy?" Nira chuckled smugly.
"Err, no! Ra, why would I be jealous of yo…"
"You know, mom and dad never paid attention to me either."
"What? You lie! Tell the truth!"
"Why would I lie, Hassy? I used to just play with Shemba and…" Nira snarled at the next name he had to say, he still held a grudge against him. "...and K-Kamba."
Shemba shook her head. She wasn't happy that Nira disliked Kamba however she had to understand why. Hasira fell to the floor in disappointment and his older brother sat next to him.
"Look, Mom and dad are never gonna have time. Never. Dad's got to patrol the pridelands, and mom has got to hunt. It's how it all works. I'll be given my job soon enough, and Shemba will have one too. It's how it all works here."
"What you care about me, anyway? You get 'ta be king."
"No, I don't." Nira replied.
Hasira sat up, interest and curiosity caught.
"What you mean Ra?"
"Please just call me Nira,"
"Heh, but your nicknames cool!"
Nira raised his eyebrow. "No. Never mind."
"No tell me!"
"I don't want to."
"Pleeeaaasseee..."
"Uggh, do I have to?"
"Yeah!"
Nira coughed. "I don't wanna be king when mom and dad are gone. It's not something I wanna do."
"Ouch, have you told mom and dad yet?" Hasira asked.
"No…but I need to. Look I'm sorry Hassy, but I can't help it if I'm older than you..."
"You aint sorry." Hasira replied, playfully standing up and growling. "I'd know if you're sorry if you wanna fight!" Nira laughed.
Nira's eyebrow raised once more and he stood up.
"You're on!"
Hasira, after Nira accepted his challenge, pounced onto his older brother and began pulling his ear playfully with his developing teeth. The two boys roared with laughter as the two girls sat next to each other and sneered. Nira pretended to collapse to the floor in defeat, just to humour him but Hasira then bit his tail. Nira yelped loudly in pain, flipped over and pinned Hasira down with one paw.
"Hey get off me loser!" Hasira laughed.
"Why do boys like to fight?" Jasiri whispered to Shemba.
"I haven't got a clue..." Shemba replied.
"You gotta say something to me first" Nira laughed. "Who's best pals?"
"Were bestest pals!" Hasira replied.
Nira laughed as he jumped off his brother. Nira and Shemba proceeded to leave knowing the cubs would be safe but were stopped when an annoying voice beaconed after them
"Guyyyss..." Hasira shouted after them. Nira flipped round.
"Yeeesss..." Nira replied in an equally annoying voice.
"You know you older than me..."
"Yeah, I did notice that Hassy"
"Well, does that mean you know everything about here?"
"You mean, everything about the pridelands?"
"No, everything. Everything about everywhere. And everyone"
"I'm not telling you who Scar was. I'm putting my paw down there."
Hasira lowered his ears in a sigh. He had heard lionesses talking about Scar earlier on in the week and had been asking Nira or anyone to tell him who he was. No luck.
"Hassy, I told you no one's gonna wanna tell you..." Jasiri spoke up.
"Thanks for tha' support there Jas..." Hasira grumbled. Nira looked down at his bored siblings and sighed. He wanted them to see what they could do around here, it had taken Nira a long time to see what fun their was in the Pridelands. He walked up to Shemba and whispered into her ear. When he had finished she gave a little wink to each other. The cubs looked up at them in confusion as they began to circle them while whistling un – tunefully.
"What'cha doing?" Jasiri asked. She looked up at the two lions circling them still whistling, before they came to a halt, Nira behind Hasira, Shemba behind Jasiri.
"Seriously, loser, what are you..."
"Get them." Nira whistled.
The older lion's snatched up the cubs by the scruff of their necks and they began to gallop to the central watering hole. The cubs, confused but laughing along watched the astounding lands whiz past.
"Pu-put me down!" Jasiri laughed as she pawed above her. Shemba mumbled something in a muffled voice that was incomprehensible.
When they arrived at the watering hole the older lions skidded to a halt, turned and faced each other, followed by a nod. The cubs sneered at one another and Hasira shrugged his shoulders before Nira and Shemba launched them into the watering hole. The cubs screeched as they flew through the air and into the water, creating a splash and a small wave as they did. The cubs remained fully submerged in the water for a few seconds before bobbing up and gasping for air. Kovu had recently taught them how to swim.
"What was that for?" Hasira spluttered, spitting out water as he laughed.
"You're such a girl Hassy!" Nira laughed.
"Oi! We're not weak you know!" Shemba defended, laughing as she did.
"Yeah, we could kick your butts!" Jasiri shouted.
"No, no you couldn't," Nira started. "You're just girls, you couldn't defeat me!" A smug look spread across his face.
"That's what you think eh?" Shemba chuckled. She walked slowly behind and then a little walk away, preparing a run up. Nira's smug looked wiped.
"Don't Shemba..."
Shemba galloped towards Nira and tackled him to the ground, laughing as they rolled together and flopped into the water. When they emerged from the surface, wheezing and gasping for breath, Nira turned his head to Shemba to which she cackled. As their laughter died down she suddenly stared to stare into his brown eyes, looking at him like she had never done before. As he continued to splutter and choke with laughter the cubs exploded with laughter.
"You're mane's gone retarded!" Hasira shouted. Nira spun round in the water and sent a large wave to his brother, covering the cub ironing down the tuft of his head.
"Your mane's gone retarded!" Nira repeated as the cub grunted, kicking and clawing up to his brother, then splashing him continuously. Nira and Hasira engaged into a water fight, followed by Jasiri swimming up to Shemba and splashing her. All four lions then were in a circle, sending splashes round each other. It was the most fun any of them had had for a while, all feeling happy...and wet.
As the cubs continued, Nira suddenly formed an idea in his head. He threw a playful grin over to Shemba and dipped under, swimming over to her. When they couldn't see Nira they stopped and looked around for him, but the cubs spotted him first and chuckled.
"What?" Shemba questioned. The cubs just chuckled then burst into hysterical laughter once more as Shemba screamed when she was pulled under. Under water Nira swam up to her level and slid his paws around her underbelly, engaging in a tickle. She attempted to hold her breath and stop herself from laughing but she couldn't do it. Shemba rushed and exploded from the surface, roaring with laughter as she emerged. Nira was still attached to her waist, tickling her like there was no tomorrow. He quickly followed emerging from the surface as Shemba squirmed and squealed, sending water flying and scaring away the other animals.
"I thought you said you could defeat me!" Nira laughed continuing to make Shemba squeal and screech giddily.
"Please...st-stop Nira!" Shemba squealed. "Nira stop! It...it's my weakness!"
"I wanna hear you say boys are better than girls first!"
Shemba squirmed so much that eventually Nira had to let go, where she then proceeded to pounce on him and they both flew under. When they bobbed back up, they were fighting playfully and both cackling and spluttering.
Water was once again thrown everywhere, splashing two particular lions as they walked over for a drink. The cubs, knowing they would be in trouble scrambled to the edge and jumped out unnoticed and scampered off. The older lion wiped some water for his eye and sighed.
"You better have a good excuse for this." Kovu grumbled. The younger lions stopped fighting upon hearing the older lion's voice and turned to see them towering above on land.
"I do actually." Nira replied.
"Go on."
"...okay I don't. We were only playing around father. I bet you've swam here before."
"Yeah but at night when no one's around or looking..."
"Excuse me, but I've seen you splash here in broad daylight."
"Nira, your missing my point entirely."
Kiara was ignoring the males and too busy mouthing something to Shemba. Shemba mouthed back while shaking her head. Kiara seemed to be saying 'tell him!' while Shemba was reluctant. Nira raised his eyebrow and his upper lip lifted a little as he watched his mother mouth things.
"What are you doing?" Kiara finally spoke.
Nira's expression went from confused to shock; he suddenly realised what was happening.
His head, at the same time as Shemba's, twisted round where their noses met in the middle. Under the water, the two lions had their tails wrapped around each other tightly and were so close they could feel their underbellies touching together. Their slow, heavy breaths seeped onto each others muzzles. The sudden shock of holding each other was superseded by the fact that their noses had met. For no reason or purpose, Shemba's tail began to lightly stroke Nira's back and her eyes began to close. She attempted keep them open, but eventually they slid shut where her tail wrapped around Nira slightly tighter.
After staring in shock at Shemba, Nira pulled away, making a little wave behind him and awkwardly and abruptly laughed. He quickly scrambled out of the water and shook, followed by a turn.
"Got to go..." Nira announced.
"To do what?" Kiara asked.
"I just...have to go okay? I don't need reasons..."
He disappeared as he ran off almost tripping as he did. Shemba just giggled, hopped out of the water, also shook and followed him in a friendly chase.
As Nira began to slow down, Shemba caught up with the young prince, playfully pounced on him and with an abrupt screech of surprise they rolled in a playful pin into Vitani's old damp cave, where Shemba had Nira pinned down. Nira breathed heavily while staring at Shemba still in shock. She chuckled uncontrollably before she looked down at him staring up at her.
"What's up Nira?" Shemba coughed as her laughters came to an end. "You look like you seen a ghost."
"What...what just happened in the water is what's up." Nira spluttered.
"Really? That made you feel..."
"Yes. It made me feel weird."
Shemba scoffed.
"Come on Nira, there's no need to feel like that.."
"Why? I mean...I mean we're just..."
"Nira, I know wer'e only friends but come on, it was only a hug."
"Yeah! Yeah it was only a...a hug."
Nira exhaled out of relief, but continued to stare up at the dim furred lioness. Shemba smiled down at him but frowned when she realised something.
"Are you...afraid to be intimate with me Nira?" She asked with a chuckle.
"What!" Nira replied with akward and abrupt laughs. "Of course I'm...I...of course I'm not! We're like...best friends why would I be afraid to..." He looked into her beautiful hazel eyes. "Why...why...why would I be afraid to hug you?"
Shemba chuckled as she sat atop Nira.
"Because you're acting like you would be?"
"Why did you..."
"Because your a comfortable lion to sit on, thats why."
"But...when we were in the lake...didn't you feel even just a little..."
"Of course I felt a little weird, but you know, it was just a hug."
"No. No your right. It was just a friendly hug. Nothing else."
"You are afraid to be intimate with me!"
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not! You could nuzzle me right now and I would be fine with it."
"Alright then."
Shemba bent down to nuzzle him but he pawed at her face, shoving her away.
"Whoa, whoa! I was only speaking hypothetically." Nira chuckled awkwardly.
"What's the matter Nira?" Shemba pawed shyly at his chest. "Am I just not pretty enough for you?"
"Don't put me in this situation..."
"Oh come on, I was kidding. Lighten up a little." Shemba chuckled as she jumped off of him. Nira sighed and stood to his paws. He smirked as he stepped past her.
"It's not that your not pretty enough, Shemba. That's definetly not the reason..."
As Nira left his tail slid slowly across the dim furred lioness. Shemba sighed and proceeded out behind him with a large grin on her face, to which she was unable to prevent.
:')
