Kellan's POV:
We don't have time to watch another one!" Kovu snapped at Mheetu. Mheetu didn't seem like the kind to get angry quickly. He stood taller and blankly looked at Kovu.
"Have you forgotten who I am? I'm your wife's uncle! I'd like some respect from now on." He snapped.
"Oh, excuse me, your highness" he rolled his eyes and towered over Kovu and did a curtsey as a tease.
"Okay look, I'm sorry. But with all the fights and issues going on at the edge of the lands I don't see how bringing one of them here will help" Kovu said looking at me.
"What do you mean one of "them". You were one just as well as he is. Worse. You were out to kill Simba-" Mheetu was cut off.
"Enough!" Kovu snapped again. Mheetu's tail was twitching with anger, though his face didn't show it. Shanni noticed and broke the silence.
"Uh, Kovu, why don't we look after Kellan for a while?" Shanni stepped in.
"What?" Mheetu raised an eyebrow in sync with me.
"Yeah, Mheetu. It could give us a little nibble of what parenting is like," she smiled.
"Hmm" he said and looked down at me.
"Parenting?" Kovu raised an eyebrow.
"Shanni and I are planning to have a cub" Mheetu said a bit annoyed with Kovu now.
"Mmhmm." Shanni smiled. "Let us watch over this little troublemaker" Shanni said scooting me closer to her side with her small paws.
"And we'll be sure to keep him safe." She nuzzled my face with hers. It felt weird but I sat there quietly.
"Fine. But he sleeps in the cave below" Kovu said.
"Wow such luxury" Mheetu said under his breath.
"Guess we sleep there now until Kovu says other wise" Shanni told Mheetu.
"I'm going for a hunt" Mheetu said and kissed Shannis cheek before walking away with an annoyed tone.
"Well, Kellan. How does this sound?" Shanni asked me.
"Alright? I suppose." I shrugged.
"For now, you can manage to stay out of trouble." Kovu said glaring at me and walked back up Pride Rock to meet Queen Kiara again.
After Kovu was out of earshot...
"Well, I think that went well. What would you say, Kellan?" Shanni asked.
"Alright. I guess," I mumble, still not used to her. Shanni is a bit of an acquired taste. Hopefully, this does not list too long.
We descended Pride Rock and came upon the lower cave, my place of residence for the foreseeable future. It was a work in progress. It's not COMPLETELY unlivable, but I've seen worse, living in the Outlands and what not.
"What do you think, Kellan? Quaint enough for you?" Shanni asked.
"Sure," I mumbled shyly.
Shanni walked over and sat down next to me, looking me over.
"Kellan, what exactly happened to a little cub like yourself that you could get that beat up, I mean look at you?" Shanni said curiously.
"Well… I… Umm" I did not know how to tell her what I witnessed. Could she even handle it, well there is only one way to find out.
"Shanni it's kind of a long story but I'll try to sum it up" I said looking down at the ground, not really wanting to relive this horrible event.
"It's ok Kellan take your time, I don't have anywhere else to be" she laughed.
I have a feeling that her smile is about to fall right off her face once she hears my story.
"Well I don't really know what lead to this but I was lying with my parents in our cave like we always do, I remember my mom nuzzling me, for us being outsiders we loved each other dearly, me and my parents were a team. Who would have thought it would be the last time I ever got to nuzzle or kiss or even talk to my mom and dad, I remember hearing people running around outsider, when all of the sudden, We hear people screaming and a lot of commotion, my father went to the mouth of our cave look to see what was going on, and out of nowhere a lion jumped on my father and ripped his ugh-" I began to tear up not wanting to go on, but I had to.
"Before I knew it my father was lying on the floor, with blood everywhere, I was scared for life, I was a mess but my mother grabbed me by the scruff and we ran out of the outlands and Into the Pride Lands, when we thought we were in the clear my mother slowed down still holding me, but we must have been followed because another lion jumped on my mother, she fell over and that caused me to fly over behind a rock. I don't know why these lions were doing this but I will never forget the look in my mother's eyes, she was not fighting back, or crying, she just… smiled at me, like she always did, she looked into my eyes for the last time and mouthed the words "Run", I was in shock "Mom… Please" she just looked at me and the life faded from her eyes, without hesitation I ran, I did not want to stop, I did not know where I was going, I must have ran for hours until I collapsed, and that's when Kali and Mzuri found me." I told Shanni the whole story, every detail I could remember.
I was full on crying now, the look my mother gave me, I will never see her again. I could not contain the tears anymore, I just wanted to be alone, but as I wanted to get up and leave but I felt Shannis paw grab me and she pulled me into her fluffy chest.
Shanni shushed me and whispered sweet things to put me at ease.
"Shh, it's going to be okay Kellan. I promise this will all blow away in time. " her voice was… So calming for some reason.
And it did calm me down, I was just sobbing quietly.
"Shanni, I will never see her again or my father, I'm all alone" I said looking down.
"Kellan you're not alone, I'm here and so is Mheetu, we are here to look after you and care for you, you can come to us with anything" Shanni said still nuzzling me.
"Thanks Shanni" I said still sobbing, for some reason I felt like I could just cry in front of her.
Once she finally stopped hugging me, I limped over to a corner of the cave and lied down, I was so exhausted from today, I felt I just needed a nap.
I awoke to Shanni talking to Mheetu about the Cubs that they were going to be having. I did not want them to know that I was listening so I just stayed in my same position and just listened for a little bit.
"Kellan we know you're awake, why don't you come over here" Mheetu said.
I motioned my way over to where they were sitting and noticed the Mheetu had brought back a giant zebra for them to eat.
"Woah," I said.
"Uh huh," he groaned as he threw it off his back.
I looked at the zebra with my mouth watering and my legs shaking wanting to tear it apart.
I looked to Mheetu with begging eyes and I saw he sympathized me. I was not sure if I was allowed to eat or not.
"What are you waiting for?" He asked. "Dig in, you need it," He chuckled and ruffled my hair tuft.
I was shocked at first, was he really going to let me eat with them, I looked up at Shanni and she just nodded, my heart began to race, I was so excited.
I ran to the Zebra taking a rough bite eating so much I made a cavity. Mheetu and Shanni laughed and joined in eating.
"Wow slow down there buddy" Mheetu giggled, Shanni joining in on the laughing.
"Sorry" I said with my mouth full.
"Kellan don't talk with your mouth open" Shanni pointed out.
"Shanni give the kid a break" Mheetu said nuzzling Shanni.
I finished my last bite of meat, because I probably ate too fast my stomach really hurt. But it was still really good.
"I'm glad you liked it buddy" Mheetu smiled at how much I enjoyed the meal.
About three hours later, Mheetu was fast asleep,
I never figured him to be the type of lion to fall asleep before anyone else. Shanni was still awake just looking outside at the stars, I was lying in the same corner I was earlier today, with my eyes half shut, I did not really want to talk mainly because my stomach would not allow it.
After awhile of Shanni looking up at the stars she turned around and lied next to Mheetu, nuzzling him before she put her head down. On the other side of the cave where I was, it was freezing cold, so I was kinda shivering pretty loudly, I think Shanni must have heard me because she got up, walked over to me, I was still pretending I was asleep.
She looked down at me and I did not know what she was going to do, she grabbed me by the scruff and carried me over to where Mheetu and her were lying down, and she laid me right In between her and Mheetu. Then she lied back down and fell asleep. Now I feel a little awkward. But it was really warm right next to Mheetu and Shanni and it just felt so… Right!. So I curled up closer to Shanni and closed my eyes. Letting the dreams take me away.
I awoke to a mouth full of fur. I slowly opened my eyes to see I had moved from my previous spot. I was now being held by a giant, sleeping Mheetu. He was like cuddling me or something. How do I get myself out of this without waking up Mheetu of Shanni?.
I grabbed Mheetu's giant paw and tried to lift it up, why did he have to be so muscular, I kept trying until I could not lift anymore. But my ear flinched which means I heard a sound at the mouth of the cave.
I looked up to see a familiar face. Maybe she could help me out of this mess.
"Kali come help me please" I whispered not trying to wake up Mheetu or Shanni.
"Awww look at the little cub cuddling with his papa" Kali teased me, did she feel more powerful or something, did her parents ever tell her what an "Outsider" is?.
"Kali I mean it, please" I begged.
"Fine but you owe me" Kali said helping me lift Mheetu's giant paw.
I managed to get out and me and Kali walked together to the front of the cave. We sat down right outside, not saying anything to each other for awhile.
"Kellan, I was wondering if you would like to go play with me and Mzuri?" Kali finally said after a while of silence.
"Um… Are you sure your parents would want you to play with me, your father kind of hates me" I said not trying to sound mean.
"Well I deal with my dad, why don't you go and ask Shanni and Mheetu if you can leave for a little bit" Kali said.
For some reason that made me excited, I have not got to play with anyone for a while. My heart began to race.
"Ok I'll be right back, wait here" I said with a excited tone.