A slight gust of wind brushes past me. The sun shining brightly on me as there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was a beautiful day out. I'm walking in a large flat open area with a few trees here and there. Nothing could ruin this day. It was just peaceful.

As I'm walking, I notice movement out of the right side of my vision. Upon looking where I saw the movement, I saw it. A butterfly. My arch nemesis. I turn my body to face it head on as it landed on a rock. There was tall grass around me and I used it to my advantage as I crouched down. I took the stance my mother has been teaching me. I still had a lot of work if I was going to perfect it. As I'm still a bit wobbly. I quietly crept towards the butterfly trying not to scare it.

"RAAHH," a tiny roar parted my jaws the moment I leapt upwards toward the butterfly. My paws cover what I thought was the butterfly. When I lifted them, it was gone. I looked up and noticed it fluttering away. "Aww!" was my reaction seeing it escape. 'What now?' My thoughts were soon interrupted as I felt shaking. It was a surreal experience feeling the ground vibrating underneath me. I hear…grunting noises. 'Huh,' I thought, looking to where I heard the noises. That's when I noticed a large dust cloud off in the distance. That's also when I saw what the commotion was all about.

Wildebeest stampede. And it is coming right at me. My blood turned to ice and my eyes grew wide. I was horrified. Fear quickly took over as I bolted off the rock towards a tree. Thankfully the tree was tall enough that I could get to safety but still close enough to the ground for if I fall I wouldn't be hurt too bad. Fear had completely taken over and I was too scared to look back at my impending doom. Upon reaching the tree I used all my strength to pull myself up and onto a branch in which I held on for dear life. Hundreds of stampeding wildebeests passing underneath the tree I was on. That's when I noticed it. The branch I was on started to crack. I hadn't paid much attention to the branch up until now. And that's when I noticed the branch was smaller than I had initially thought.

'SNAP!' Before I could process what happened, I felt myself falling. I hit the hard ground with a thud. Instantly I sat myself up and huddled as close to the tree as possible. Wildebeests running passed my sides ferociously. My heart was pounding in my chest as I shut my eyes as hard as I could. 'It's just a dream. It's just a dream.' I told myself.

"UZURI!"

"Uzuri!"

"Uzuri, wake up." Waking up in a cold sweat and breathing heavily. "Uzuri, you were having a nightmare." Mama said, looking down at me. I had been sleeping in between her paws. "Oh mama it was terrible. There was a stampede…a-and I…I was in the middle of it…and you…you were there…a-and," I had said before being cut off. "Uzuri, it's just a dream. It can't hurt you. I won't let it." Hearing my mama say this made me feel a little less scared and my breathing slowed. I leaned into her chest as she held me closer.

I noticed that it was still very early in the morning as the sun hadn't even started to rise. I just laid in mama's arms as the tip of the sun started breaking the horizon. As I was watching the sunrise, I felt a coarse tongue drag itself down my back. Looking back up at mama, I see she has a smirk plastered on her face. "Do I have to have a bath?" I ask pouting. I have always hated baths. There is just something weird about it and I can't stand them.

Her smirk turns into a soft smile as she looks down at me, "No, I only did that to get your attention because I know how much you hate baths." My pout turns into a frown, "Mama! I was just watching the sunrise," looking back over at the sunrise confirmed my suspicions, I missed it, "aw man! I missed it!" I pout once again as I put my paws over my eyes.

"Well, I'm not missing anything because I've got something even more beautiful than that already gorgeous sunrise right in front of me." My pouty attitude doesn't last as a sheepish grin makes its way onto my face. I look up at mama who just smiles down at me. "I'm not THAT beautiful…I look like you."

"Oh, so, I'm not beautiful? Is that what you're saying?" Her words made me realize what I had said. "Oh…but mama, you are very beautiful! It's just that I am not as beautiful as you." I correct myself while smiling up at her. She gives a small laugh, "Oh honey, I beg to differ. Do you know what your name means?" I shake my head in response.

"Your name means…beauty." Wait, my name means beauty? So that means I'm beautiful? "If my name means beauty, why do I look a lot like you mama?" Oh no! I said it again. I said mama isn't beautiful. "W-wait…I-I didn't mean…" I try to apologize.

"Oh Uzuri, you make me laugh. I'm not mad at all. I know you don't fully understand what you're going to say before you say it. That's alright, and guess what…I chose your name for a reason. Don't tell your dad this but since you look a lot like me, your name and beauty also mean that I am beautiful just like you." After hearing all of that, I sit up and rub against her chest. I hear someone stirring beside us, and looking over, I notice daddy waking up.

"Daddy!" I quietly yelled as I jumped from mama and jumped up on his shoulder. I obviously wasn't paying attention to the cuts and bite marks that are on his shoulder until I heard him clench his teeth and hiss. The moment I heard that, I quickly pushed myself off of him and landed on my back before quickly sitting up. That's when I see what caused him pain. Multiple cuts and a bite mark on his left shoulder. "I-I'm sorry…I-I didn't me-" I frantically tried to apologize for causing him pain.

"Sweetheart you're okay…I'm fine." I heard daddy say which calmed my breathing. I was still worried as to why he had cuts and scratches on his shoulder. He was obviously attacked by something, but exactly what remains a mystery. "What happened to your arm?" I then heard mama's worried voice from behind me.

"Well…" he began before stopping. I moved out the way and snuggled back into mama's arms as he leaned over and started whispering something into her ear. She gave a nod and that left me confused.

"Well…I wanna know what happened daddy—please!" I lower my ears and give him a frown in hopes of hearing the story. Unfortunately he saw right through my pleading face.

"No can do sweetie. The reason being, it's an adult problem that a young cub like yourself shouldn't worry about." I gave him a dejected look when he said I couldn't hear the story. I just wanted to know why he was hurt. What's so scary that they are scared I would worry about?

"Please daddy…I won't worry about it I promise." I gave him a pleading face for the second time. It unfortunately doesn't help my case.

"I'm sorry honey, I just can't tell you. Let's change the topic shall we?" I look down at my paws and start to pout. I contemplated on just letting it go and forgetting about…but…who am I if I just let something like that go?

I look back up at him and as I'm about to speak I feel a nudge on my back right leg. I look up at mama who just looks down at me with an expression that reads 'I would stop talking about it if you want to remain out of trouble.' After seeing that I just decided to lay my head down with a huff. The recent conversation has left me with an annoyed expression as I stare out into the distance.

My thoughts are soon interrupted as the king comes walking over. This might be my chance to hear the story. I go to jump up to ask but unfortunately mama already beat me to it by holding me down in her arms. I am nowhere close to strong enough to free myself from her hold.

"Good morning! I'll be borrowing your mate for a moment if you don't mind?" I just lay my head back down and close my eyes. Obviously waking up this early in the morning isn't ideal for me. I feel mama's tongue rub the back of my head in between my ears. This feeling elicits purr as I have never felt anything like it. It's just so soothing and relaxing. Within minutes I'm already dozing off.

Over the next few days I am left wondering what my previous nightmare was about. It didn't really make a whole lot of sense. Not only that but so far I've tried everyday to get daddy to tell me what happened to cause him pain in the form of scratches on his shoulder. He and mama still refuse to tell me anything about it. They say that a cub like me shouldn't worry about such things and just leave it to the adults.

As of late, us cubs have been restricted to the cave. It's been very boring. What makes it worse is that nobody will tell us why we are stuck in this stupid cave. I really want to go and run around with Furaha around the waterhole. I've asked mama a few times and she would say no every time.

"Mama…can me and Furaha pretty please leave the cave now. We really wanna play at the water hole." I looked up at her waiting for a response.

"No Uzuri…you are not to leave this cave. The king has said that no cub is allowed to leave unless it is to get a drink of water with an adult. I'm sorry, but no." I looked down at my paws and started pouting.

"But it is very BORING in this stupid cave. We really wanna leave. Please mama…just once?" I looked up at her hopefully. All she did was shake her head in response.

"Uzuri I said no and that is final. Do you understand?" She looked down at me.

"But-" I try to start speaking before being cut off.

"Do you understand?" She said in a more strict voice. I had no choice but to relent and nod.

It's just the same endless routine. Wake up. Eat breakfast. Play in the cave for a few hours. Get bored. Get water from the waterhole. Play some more. Then it's bedtime. Everyday is the same. It has gotten so boring now.

I am currently laying on my back alongside daddy just looking up at the cave's roof bored out of my mind. Whatever shall I do…there isn't anything to do. Me and Furaha have pretty much done everything. What's strange is how I haven't really seen Utundu or Kinga at all. It's mainly just me and Furaha together in this cave with a few lionesses watching us when our parents aren't here.

Looking up at daddy I notice he looks a bit worried. I might just be imagining things due to boredom though.

"Daddy…I'm bored. There isn't anything to do in this dumb cave." His head turns and looks down at my small form. He gives a small smile before answering.

"I understand that honey. However, you cannot leave. Not yet at least." Rolling over, I look at him with a more confused look.

"But why do we have to stay in the cave? Why can't we go outside and play? I don't see anything wrong outside. Can me and Furaha please just go out just once? We won't go far…we promise." I try to plead but it falls on deaf ears.

"Honey, I understand that you are frustrated in being stuck in this cave all day. However, for everyone's safety you must stay here. We aren't trying to keep you bored here all day. Me and your mother would love to see you running around and playing out there. However things are happening and you are stuck in here because of it. Now, enough questions. You are in need of a nap." Without warning, I am picked up and placed in between his arms and chest. His mane covers me like a blanket as I give into the warm feeling. Soon enough my eyes start to feel drowsy. I start to doze off when I see a figure turn to walk inside the cave. I quickly closed my eyes to feign sleep as I noticed it was mama.

"So you actually got her to sleep. Interesting. Usually I am the only one who can do it." I hear her say in an amusing voice.

"Of course I got her to fall asleep. I'm her dad. Why wouldn't I be able to get her to fall asleep…However, she is getting more and more restless. By restless I mean that she is acquiring a sort of attitude towards us and the other lionesses." They think I have an attitude…I wonder what an attitude is. I have never heard of that word before.

"I was worried this would happen. You know…now that Kujali and Ajabu have decided to leave the pride and take Furaha and Kinga with them. I am worried that our daughter will be heartbroken over the news of their departure. I don't know what I'll do in that situation."

No…no this can't be true…I refuse to believe it. No…Furaha and Kinga are still here. They didn't leave. My best friend wouldn't leave me…

Would she?