Here's Chapter 6. Kinda delayed because my other siblings have to use the computer, but not too late. (:
~6~
"I swear, these cubs get bigger and bigger every day." Efia chuckled, pointing out the obvious growth of her and Kiara's cubs. "It's hard to believe their only a few weeks old!"
"It's only a matter of time before they start eating meat." Kiara added as she gave the eldest of her brood another lick. Iman and Ashanti were busy wrestling with each other while Shani watched from her mother's grip, itching to join the duo.
"It's amazing how dirty these cubs get even though they don't leave Pride Rock." Kiara said in between her son's grooming. "Imagine how they'll be when they're older."
Ashanti tackled Iman to the ground and tugged at his ear, causing the cub to wince slightly. Ashanti planted her forepaws on her brother's fluffy pelt, flashing a grin of victory.
"Leg'o!" Iman muttered, attempting an escape.
"No!" Ashanti muffled, his ear impeding her speech.
"I can tell your daughter would be an excelled huntress." Efia cooed. "You'll be so proud of her one day."
Iman escaped his little sister's grip with such force that he slid towards Efia's arms, making brief contact with Shani. Shani combed through the growing tuft of fur that tangled on the top of his head. Iman brushed the tip of his nose against Shani's cheek, as she held onto Iman for support. Efia chuckled as she managed to get Shani's attention from Iman back to her.
"Alright Lover boy, it's your turn." Kiara said before she trapped the cub into the crook of her arms, despite his attempts at wriggling free.
"I don' wanna!" Iman whined, nearly falling out of Kiara's grip. Fortunately, she caught him just in time. The cub, secured in his mother's assuring hold as she ran her tongue through his filthy pelt.
Ashanti began to target Diallo. She pounced onto him like a pro, sending the two into the wall. Diallo emitted a soft growl as he swatted at his sister. He pinned her down to the floor, biting on her ear. Ashanti managed to push Diallo off her with her hind legs and toddled towards the other female cub. Efia and Kiara couldn't help but crack a smile at the sight of their two daughters curiously exploring one another. Diallo, who was all by himself, chased a stray mouse around the den. Diallo cupped the small mouse in his paws and peered closer as the mouse fought to escape. Shani and Ashanti tottered clumsily towards the young hunter and peeked curiously at his catch. They soon grew bored and ran back to Efia, resuming their behavior. It was then that the distant sound of childish laughter caught the attention of Efia.
"Sounds like Doli's coming back home." she sighed.
"I hope she didn't give Zazu too much trouble." Kiara chuckled.
"Trouble's her middle name…" Efia said jokingly as she noticed her daughter galloping happily into the den.
She had obviously been wallowing in the mud pits by the water hole. Her slick coat was stained in the muck.
"Do-lee!" Shani cooed as she rubbed her cheek against her beloved older sister.
"Doli, you're getting your sister dirty." Efia scolded, noticing familiar brown splotches on her daughter's face. "She just had a bath. You know she looks up to you. What would she think if she saw you like this?"
"That's why baths were invented…" Doli remarked which caused her little sister to titter softly.
"Don't get used to it," Efia commented. "I only do it so you wouldn't smell like the wrong end of a hippo. And where's Zazu?"
"Nana Beak?" Shani questioned as she looked up at her mother.
"Nana Beak!" Ashanti parroted once she saw the hornbill and his female companion enter the den. He too was sopping in the brown muck.
"You're too kind, ladies…" Zazu remarked sarcastically. Zula lingered outside. The two were planning to go somewhere private. Zazu hoped that he could finally muster enough courage to tell her that he loved her.
"They're only kidding, Bird Brain." Doli retorted.
"Bird Brain!" the cubs stuttered repeatedly. Ashanti and Shani giggled cheerfully in unison as they learned yet another word. Zazu sighed. He had enough years dealing with Doli's antics. Now, here she was molding these cubs into carbon copies of her.
"I'm sorry, Zazu." Kiara insisted, grabbing a hold of her bouncing daughter. "She'll grow out of it."
"They don't mean it, they're just babies." Efia spoke, Shani cradled innocently in her arms. "And Doli, you promise you'll stop saying those names around the cubs." she continued, giving an angry glare to her eldest daughter.
"Alright…" Doli huffed.
She curled herself into a comfortable position, awaiting the return of the hunting party.
"They're taking forever!" she moaned. "How long does it take to kill a freaking antelope?"
"It's a lot harder than it looks, Doli." Efia replied. "You'll be able to tag with them when you get older."
"Are you kidding me?" Doli said. "I'd be the best one in the pack. Aunt Tani and I would be the stars of that hunting party."
"I'm sure you would…" Efia smiled. "Now come here, you're covered in dirt."
"That's weird…" Kiara remarked, examining her daughter's head.
"What's the matter, Kiara?"
"It's Ashanti, she has a birthmark."
The two examined the top of her head. There, a familiar triangular mark of brown fur trailed from her forehead to the end of her neck.
"Oh my…" Efia crooned. "She looks just like-like…"
"Zira?" Doli remarked.
Efia gave her a look.
"It's not that there's anything wrong with it…" she insisted. "Maybe it's going to fade when she gets older."
"I guess you're right," Kiara sighed. "And even if it doesn't go away, I'll love her regardless."
She licked her daughter, who grinned back at her and cuddled in her chest, her eyes slightly ajar.
"Sweet dreams," she sung as her daughter's eyes gracefully shut and she fell into a peaceful slumber. Her daughter's fatigue made her feel sleepy as well. In a matter of minutes, Kiara fell asleep as well.
By the time Kiara woke up, she realized she was in the grasslands.
"Odd…" she thought to herself. She walked around and realized the lands were desolate and parched. The waterhole had dried out, the grass had shriveled and died.
She looked towards Pride Rock to see if anyone was there. She entered the den and saw that only a cub and a lioness was in there. The lioness had maize colored fur—just like her, which glistened as the rays sneaked their way into the sandy den. The cub was a dark chocolate brown with a pair of royal blue eyes. She seemed scared. The cub shook as she begged for her life.
"P-P-Please Aunty Ashanti…don't kill me!" she quavered. "I don't want to be queen anymore."
"Please, Akiko…" Ashanti snarled, her mouth curling into an evil smile. "I would kill to be in your position."
She licked her lips and bared her teeth as she lunged for her kill.
"Noo!" Kiara wailed. Ashanti turned around, her fierce green eyes looking dead at her. Kiara acted upon instincts as she tackled her daughter to the ground.
Akiko scampered away, looking for her parents or somebody to help.
"You fool!" Ashanti hissed. "I almost had her!"
"Where did I go wrong with you?" Kiara spoke softly.
"When you decided that Diallo should be king!" Ashanti hissed as she whipped out a sharp claw. "He killed these lands. Our pride is starving! And it's all your fault!"
She slashed her mother's throat with her sharp claw as she heard her mother roar in pain.
Kiara's eyes shot open as she jumped from her sleep. Ashanti fell back and promptly woke up.
"Ashanti…" she breathed.
"Kiara, are you alright?" Efia asked. "Did you have a bad dream?"
"No, I'm fine…" Kiara spoke, her heart slowly pacing at her normal rate.
"Do you need anything, your majesty?" Zazu asked, landing in front of his queen. Zula followed shortly after.
"No…" Kiara replied. "Thank you though."
Zazu nodded as he and Zula made their way towards the exit.
"The hunting party's coming!" Doli exclaimed happily. "It's about time."
Her tail flicked back and forth excitedly as she saw Vitani, who supported the backside of their kill, a hefty wildebeest. Her muzzle was soaked in blood. It had seemed that she succeeded in the hunt, but her limp was still noticeable. Nevertheless, she was back to her old self in a matter of weeks. The party hauled the carcass into the center of the den as the cubs circled around it, licking their lips.
"Don't you think you're a little too young for that…?" a male voice questioned as the cubs darted their heads back and forth curiously.
Kovu and Simba entered the den shortly after that statement. Kiara rushed to greet both her mate and her father. The cubs butted their heads into their father's legs, emitting soft purrs as Kovu ran a paw across their heads.
"They're growing every day," he said in awe. "Diallo would make a great king."
A lump formed in the queen's throat as she began to interpret the dreams she had.
"Now that you mention it, there's something I have to talk to you two about." Kiara said, her ruby red orbs straying on the ground. "About the cubs."
"Why, is there something wrong?" a concerned Kovu asked.
"No…they're fine." Kiara insisted. "It's about the king."
She then focused on her father.
"Daddy, is there any way we can…change the rules as to who would be the king or queen?"
"You can't be serious!" Simba retorted. "The next ruler of the Pridelands is the first born cub. It's a rule that's been followed for generations!"
"I know, Daddy, I know." Kiara insisted.
"So why are you interfering with it?"
"Daddy, can't you please listen!"
"Kiara, what you're doing is absurd!"
"But it's already caused the death of one king and the murder of a young prince!"
Simba's face began to soften as he remembered his father and Kopa.
"I don't want anything to happen to my cubs…" she said, her voice obviously cracking.
"I'm sorry," he said as his daughter nuzzled him. "But are you sure you want to change the rules?"
"Positive…" she spoke softly as she eyed the jovial cubs that yowled as the pounced each other.
"Perhaps the position can be granted during adolescence." Simba inquired.
"And the one who deserves it more or shows the most interest gets the throne." Kovu said.
Kiara was going to say something but swallowed her words. She was still unsure about the idea but relieved it would ease some tension between the cubs.
"So be it?" asked Simba.
"Yes…" the parents said in unison. Their cubs scamper away, looking hungrily at the meat.
"You'll eat the kill when you get older; you're a little too young." Kiara said to her cubs with a smile. "Come, I'll feed you and put you three to bed."
ZAZU'S POV
"Come on, it's just around the corner!" Zula exclaimed as she grabbed me on my wing and ran.
"Where are you taking me!" I questioned.
"It's a place with the sweetest berries and bugs. I thought it would be nice if I gave you a nice meal for your hospitality."
"You shouldn't have," I insisted.
"No, please." she smiled. "It's the last I can do."
She scavenged through the bushes for sweet berries. I looked in the trees. In the end, we had array of colorful berries and fruits to replenish ourselves.
"These are delicious." I spoke.
"They taste so good in the spring." she replied. "I'll have to take you here sometimes so you can see what I mean. Hopefully, Pili and Oni will be back by then."
"Pili? Oni?" I questioned.
"They were the cranes that adopted me into their nest. They're really good friends of mine."
"I see…"
Zula looked at the beautiful flowers that blossomed.
"Isn't this beautiful?" she asked. "I'd love to settle down here…maybe raise a family."
I nearly choked on my berry.
"Are you alright?" she asked me.
"I'm right as rain." I chuckled nervously. Zula tried to control her giggles.
Sunset was just around the corner. The dying rays reflected on her beautiful red irises. It was unbelievable how alluring she was.
"Has anyone ever told you how pretty your eyes are?" I mentioned.
"Yeah, believe it or not." Zula laughed. "I've seen prettier birds."
"Zula, no bird in Africa can hold a candle to you." I assured. "You're beautiful inside and out."
"You're just saying that," Zula blushed. "I looked so bland compared to other birds."
"Don't say that, you're stunning…" I assured, our eyes locked in a loving gaze.
Everything grew silent.
Now's the perfect time. Just do it, Zazu, old man. Tell her…
Looking at her reminded me how slim of a chance she had of actually saying yes to me.
"I can't…" I uttered before turning away.
"What's wrong…?" she asked, a hint of suspicion in her tone.
I ignored her and continued to walk away. I was beating myself up over a lost cause.
"Zazu, please!"
"I'll meet you back at the den."
Before I could take a step further, she stopped me.
"I have something to tell you…" she said, her guilty eyes straying away from me. "That night…when you were talking to yourself outside, I heard you…"
I went red in the face. The secret's out. She must think I'm a fool…an old fool.
"I'm sorry if I offended you…"
"Offend me?" she snapped almost immediately. "Zazu, why would you think that?"
"A young, beautiful girl like you, with an old sack of bones like me. You'd probably laugh at the thought of it."
"Love has no age limit…" Zula retorted.
She paused shortly and looked up at me as she said those four words.
"Zazu…I love you!"
So there you go. Zazu/Zula are official. Thanks for the reviews: 5, Starzinmieyez, KellyEliz and lilMonkeyCupcakes. I might update in a little over a week, not too sure (hopefully, by next Friday or Saturday). Thanks for reading! (: