To those who are reading The Lioness Queen II: Eshe's Pride, I went back and fixed a minor creative hiccup. I was originally going to change Vitani to be a male but I had recently rewritten a few chapters of this book and the last chapter of the last book. Vitani is now a female.

Thank you and enjoy chapter eight!

Queen Eshe and the group headed back towards the Pride Lands. Once within sight of Pride Rock, Prince-Consort Mheetu looked back at his mate.

"Eshe?"

The light brown lioness cleared her throat, with Jashua still in her mouth. Mheetu smiled back at her, understanding that it's time for The Talk. He still remembers his late father-in-law having that same look after the graveyard incident.

The tawny lion and the rest of his and his brother-in-law's group continued on towards the kopje. Mheetu figured while Jashua was with Eshe he'll have a talk with Nala.

Eshe watched for a moment longer before she placed Jashua on a rock, who grins innocently up at her; for his mother to only glare sternly back.

Jashua's smile fell as he looked at the ground, sighing.

"Jashua, what did you think you were doing? You could have been killed today. As well as your sister."

Jashua shook his head before he tried his best to explain. "But Mommy, I- I didn't mean to disobey-"

Eshe erupted her son as she began to pace. "I'm telling you all this because I love you. I don't want to lose you."

Jashua sighed as he lowered his head. "I know..."

Eshe stopped pacing and turned to nuzzle her son before stepping back. "If something happened to either of you, I don't know what I'd do. One day I won't be here... and I need you to carry on in my place. You are part of the great Circle of-"

Jashua rolled his orange eyes as he once again repeated along with his mother. "Circle of Life. I know, I know mom."

Eshe inhaled and exhaled. "Exactly! And you need to be more careful. As future King-"

Jashua turned away from the queen. This is all he ever hears. "What if I don't wanna be king? It's no fun."

Eshe frowned before sighing. It was like looking at into the past. "That's like saying you don't want to be a lion. It's in your blood... as I am. We are part of each other."

The light brown lioness smiled and playfully shoves the pale cream heir off the rock. When Jashua looks up at his mother, Eshe grins before they nuzzle as Eshe begins singing.

As you go through life you'll see

There is so much that we

Don't understand

A mother bird sternly prevents one of her chicks from trying to fly; while a wildebeest calf gets up for the first time as they watch.

And the only thing we know

Is things don't always go

The way we planned

But you'll see every day

That we'll never turn away

When it seems all your dreams come undone

Monkeys who were in the trees grooming each other, as hippos were jumping and playing in the waters under a log bridge.

We will stand by your side

Filled with hope and filled with pride

We are more than we are

We are one

Jashua looks at his reflection in the river before he start to sing. A fish jumps out of the water and into his reflection, distorting the image with ripples.

If there's so much I must be

Can I still just be me

The way I am?

Can I trust in my own heart

Or am I just one part

Of some big plan?

The wind blows as mother and son stood on a tree. Eshe closes her green eyes as the queen feels embraced by her father's spirit.

Even those who are gone

Are with us as we go on

Your journey has only begun

Tears of pain, tears of joy

One thing nothing can destroy

Is our pride, deep inside

We are one

Mother and son ran through groups of curious but unafraid animals, many with their young, as they approach Pride Rock Eshe is still singing.

We are one, you and I

We are like the earth and sky

One family under the sun

Running up Pride Rock. Eshe looks at the kopje as she continued to sing to the prince.

All the wisdom to lead

All the courage that you need

You will find when you see

We are one

Eshe walks over to her son and nuzzles him, briefly messing up Jashua's black tuff on his head. Giving a bit of comfort as the queen could clearly see the confusion in the prince's youthful orange eyes that reminds the queen of her beloved mother and brother.

"As long as you live here, it's who you are." she hugs and licks Jashua's side, lifting his small body off the ground. But Jashua still seems unconvinced, "You'll understand someday, my son."

After Eshe left Jashua alone on pride rock a bird flutters by the prince, circles, and flies off over the Pride Lands into the sun.

Jashua looks sadly thoughtful for a second, and then turns to face the sun. Sitting down, he looks at the ground for a second, black rimmed-ears flat, but then looks towards the sun, with his ears erect.

~TLK~

The Outlands

"Sherise, Sherise..." growled a young teen tan lioness.

A pre-teen with orange-tan fur and bluish eyes and a dark gold furred cub with orange eyes along with a dark red tuff on his dark gold head, was playing tug a war with a branch when the tan lioness walked over and snapping the branch. Making her siblings fall backwards.

"Hey, what's the big deal, you big fool?" growled the pre-teen, her bluish eyes glaring at the older lioness.

"Yea! What's the big idea, Vitani! Don't you have something better to do!" snarled the dark gold cub.

Vitani rolled her light purple eyes said "I'm looking for that termite..."

The orange-tan cub, Zuri growled, "You let Sherise go off on her own?"

Simba laughed. "You're beyond dead meat, when Chumvi finds out!"

Vitani rolled her eyes and sneered in her brother's face. "Hey- it's every lioness for herself out here. That little termite got to learn to be on her own."

"Chumvi is going to be really mad. He specifically told you to watch her!" Simba snapped back.

"Well Chumvi should use me, I'm father's oldest daughter!"

Zuri groaned and rolled her eyes berfore growling. "Then go tell our brother that, I'm sure he'll be very understanding that you doubt him!"

"I don't doubt him, I just feel like I should be used more," Vitani growled lowly. "He only gave me a chance..."

Simba laughed before smirking. "Well, here's your chance."

"What?" Vitani turns to see their brother carrying Sherise in his muzzle. "Oh... Brother! Chumvi, hi!" Vitani laughs nervously as the dark brown lion walks by, ignoring the tan lioness entirely. "Brother, I caught some field mice for your dinner, I left them by the, um... by the... okay."

Simba rolls his eyes and whispers "Ass-kisser.." to Zuri who started giggling.

Chumvi drops Sherise on the dusty, cracked ground of the Outlands as Simba and Zuri runs over to the brownish cub.

"Hey sis! You wanna fight?" Simba mock growled as he got ready to pounce.

Chumvi snarled and turns to Vitani, who is instantly frightened. "You were supposed to be watching her along with Simba and Zuri!"

Sherise stops what she's doing and turns to face her angry brother. "It's not her fault! I ran off on my own!"

Chumvi quickly turns to Sherise with narrowed orange eyes, backing his sister along the ground with his words."What were you doing!"

Sherise backs away scared and starts stuttering "N-nothing..."

"Who has made us Outsiders!"

"Eshe and Mheetu!"

"Who killed Mufasa? Our father! The rightful king of the Pridelands!"

"Eshe and her brother!"

Chumvi growls as he spat out his next words. "Than what have I told you about them!"

Sherise looks down still on her back, her paws on her small chest. "I'm really sorry, Chumvi!...He- he didn't seem bad. I thought we could be-"

Chumvi gets in Sherise's face and growls, "Friends?! My sister will never be friends with the spawn of our father's murderer!"

The dark brown lion started pacing around Sherise with a sneer. "And what did you think? That you'll get to the prince and that worthless queen will welcome you with open arms? What an idea!" Then he stops pacing as he reconsiders."What an idea! You brilliant child-I'm so proud of you!" Chumvi pulls the frighten cub closer with unsheathed claws. "You have the same conniving mind that made our father so...powerful."

Vitani sticks out her tongue and gagged in disgust."Yecch!"

Chumvi roars at Vitani who jumps afraid, before the dark brown lion picked up Sherise like before and carries his sister into a cave, as Vitani growls to herself.

Chumvi carries Sherise into their cave and drops her in a hallow tree trunk; she lands with a grunt. Chumvi smiles evilly. "I see the path to our glorious return to power!"

Sherise looks up and tries to say, "But I don't want-"

Chumvi looks down and cuts her off with a harsh tone, that turns soft and soothing. "Hush! Hush, my little sister. You must be exhausted."

Chumvi gave the cub a brotherly affectionate lick and smiles as he sung,

'Sleep little sister, let your dreams take wing,

One day when your big and strong,

You will help me become king!'

Chumvi chuckles before he tucks Sherise in and starts to leave, until Sherise stops him momentarily. "Good night...big brother."

Chumvi grins as he turns to Sherise and says with a delighted purr, "Good night, my little warrior. Tomorrow your training intensiflies." before disappearing in the darkness of their home.