IX

The Rogues' Revelation

Meersha sighed. It was night and, whenever the cub was able to find sleep, she'd dream about the creature in the water, and would always awake with a start, breath thrusting out uneasily as beads of sweat decorated her fur in the glittering moonlight that danced around on the cave floor. One question always popped into her mind, though: why did she now remember about it?

Finally, in the middle of the night, the little one gathered her wits and growled to herself, "I have t' go back..."

With that, she got up, and very slowly crept around her family and the pride. It was a good thing Ashuma was still out that night, doing the Great Kings know what. She would not notice that Gatu opened his eyes as she slunked past...and he followed...

Meersha stalked out into the cool night air, letting the swaying grass brush against her legs. She padded quietly around the hillside, eyes carefully glancing about in case she stumbled in the presence of Ashuma. Minutes later, the small lion found the familiar cliff she had pounced and fell over a few months ago. Meersha smirked to herself, recalling how big it had once looked. She leapt down, paws easily finding the ground. When she was once more at the tuff of green, the cub stood there, watching it with awe. Finally, she stepped into the patch of long grass, and found the puddle. There, Meersha let her eyes wander down into the water.

Gatu trailed just a few yards behind, sneaking on his belly, the way his mother and the other lionesses had shown him and the cubs. His ears and nose twitched, but he was careful, even with one eye.

Soon, he came near Meersha, and sat up to cock his head, for Meersha was facing the other way, watching something. In fact, it looked as if she was frozen like a statue. Slowly, he inched his way over to her, only to hesitantly whisper, "M-meersha?" No answer. She didn't even look back. "Meersha?" Taking a deep breath, he reached out a paw and lightly batted it at her.

"AHH!" Meersha's voice suddenly rang out, causing Gatu to jump back in fright.

"Meersha! W-what's wrong?" he cried.

But Meersha stayed in the same place, paws planted to the earth.

Back at the den, Banjija had been awake, gazing at the den wall, when he looked up, hearing the scream. As the cub's ears perked, he found his sister was gone. Taking a quick gasp, He was about to wake his mother, when a thought rushed through his head. If something's up, I better check it out. After all, I'm almost an adult, and this'll show Kasha that'd I'd be a better leader anyway, so I better just take care of things myself. Quickly, the ignorant cub snuck past the sleeping pride, and out into the night.

A cold of rush made him shiver, but he sniffed the ground, quickly discovering his sister's scent, and following it. But, as he started out, he stopped and blinked, finding another familiar smell. For a moment, he pondered, then snarled to himself.

"Gatu!" he furiously hissed, before taking off the way his sibling had gone.

Meersha gasped as she peered down into the water, watching it swirl as it had done when she was younger. As it did so, it caught her gaze, and would not let it free while a frosty night took place again, where the same creature was creeping about. Desperately, she attempted to go, but found herself captive by an invisable force. What was it? Fear? Suddenly something touched her back and she screamed, for, right as that happened, the creature, as black as the night itself, came out from behind a baobob. It moved swiftly, but before she could study it anymore, or even move, it began to charge towards her.

"No!" she cried, right as it leapt.

Suddenly, Meersha was pounced. But not from that animal. For a split second, she could see the moon and the stars lighting up the sky, before her cranium was coerced against the earth, along with her torso as she and the pouncer went tumbling. The body was small and covered in fur, but she could not find who it was until they finally - and greatfully - came to a stop. When Meersha's vision stopped swirling, she looked up into the frightened face of Gatu, who stared down at with his one purple eye.

"M-meersha," he finally said, relief overlapping the terror in his voice. "W-what h-happened?"

She blinked, and before she could say anything, there was a snarl, and Gatu was thrust sideways.

"Get off my sister!" yelled Banjija, outraged. He turned to Meersha and exclaimed, "Are you all right?"

Meersha quickly staggered up and batted at her brother. "I'm fine. I-"

"You!" interrupted the cub as he glared at Gatu, taking a step forward.

Gatu got up, taking a step back in reaction to his.

What had happened? But Meersha could not ask the questions she yearned to find the answers to, not right then, when her brother was going to tear Gatu's throat out."No, Banjija!" cried Meersha before she could help it, pushing herself between the two. "It's not what you think. I had-"

But before she could explain, her brother had leapt over her, and landed on Gatu. "I'll rip your other eye out!" he snarled, abruptly raking his claws against the other cub's face.

"Banjija!" Meersha snarled, and headbutted her brother hard in the ribs.

He went rolling over. But, before anyone could do or say anything, a roar shot through the atmosphere, causing all three cubs to look up frantically.

"What was that?" asked Banjija, sitting up quickly.

"Dad!" Meersha instantly cried.

It had come from near the den. The trio scampered up the sloping part of the cliff, then up the Great Knoll, only to set eyes upon three quarreling lions.

"W-what are th-they doing?" stammered Gatu.

The young ones stood on the top of their beloved Great Knoll, watching with horror.

"The rogues," exclaimed Banjija. "They're fighting!"

Yet they did not fully understand how life threatening this was, as he yelled, "Go Dad!" and Meersha cheered, "Yeah! Ya can beat 'em, Dad!"

At the den, Kinara heard the yells and gasped, finding that only one of her cubs was in the den. The lionesses had been at the enterence, watching, but now she was passing it, looking up the hill to see her son and daughter. Glancing at the deadly fight, she quickly ran up the hill.

"Mom?" Kasha warily asked as had she run by, leaving him in the back of the den.

The lioness pushed herself up sloping land, panting, but she did not allow herself to take her eyes off her cubs. When she finally made it to the top, she quickly caught her breath before yelling in both in fury and relief, "Banjija! Meersha! My cubs. Come, we must leave."

"But-" her son started.

"Now!"

She began to usher them down the hill to the east, where the main den was. But, as she glanced at the fight again, the lioness inhaled deeply, stomach filling up with knots.

Ashuma and the two rogues were caught in their brawl, dust and chunks of the ground flying out. It didn't last long, though. The rogues easily got him, smacking him hard in the jaw. He roared in pain - or tried to it. It was a sort of roar and whimper, due to the agony of the now-half-connected jaw. But Ashuma, choking in his pride and blood, did not give up quite yet.

Kinara did anything she could to take her eyes off the fight and push her little ones into saftey, but if her mate did not survive, then there would only be danger. She barely move as her body did not listen to her brain.

Ashuma was able to snarl, blood dripping from his mouth as he threw off one of the lions, causing it to roll into the other, and they both fell. The rogues shot up again, when suddenly, the one who looked like Kovu, was once more on the older lion's back, digging teeth into his neck. Ashuma fell. The leader was dead.